P.S: The names, pictures are fictional; but story is real.
The best thing to happen to Anne, was the fact that for 10 years, she had consistently followed the Lord, whom her soul loved with the whole of her heart.

She found Him as a teenager and ever since, she had been madly in love with Jesus. She left all to follow Him as the dividends in Christ were more zenith reaching than she ever imagined.
One of the things everyone applauded in the life of Anne was her uncommon wisdom, intelligence and eloquence.
She always seemed to know the right things to say, the right time to say them and how to present them persuasively that it was almost impossible to be dissuaded from her point of view.

Anne was very passionate about structures and operational systems. She examined all organizational structures she was a part of, and ensured they delivered services optimally.

This earned her a special place in the hearts of her bosses.
With the growing demands, Anne decided to be a consistent part of one of the organizations; Xtraordinare Consults, because it afforded her the opportunity to grow and deliver maximally.

Xtraordinare Consults was made up of a company of “super-smart” individuals in the media industry with the aim of gathering raw talents, harnessing their potentials, introducing them into different sectors: arts & entertainment, social media, science, finance etc; to become the difference in these sectors.
This aligned with Anne’s passions as she got a platform to influence the thought patterns of world changers.

Soon, Anne rose to the top rank and headed the HR unit. She was accountable to the Regional Manager, Mike, who was in turn, accountable to the CEO, Xtraordinare Consults.

Anne had learnt how to be a 360 degree leader (ability to lead from the middle).
However, she discovered one great lapse in the leadership system that affected the overall output of the Company.
With the growth of the Company, the primary focus had shifted from the genuine desire to transform lives, into making profits solely…and this was done all and any means.
She decided to seek audience with her regional manager, and present intelligent strategies in which the Company would have a win-win situation.
Mike, her boss, was an extremely reserved person, a lover of God, and a workaholic; whose personal life and interests were kept private.

This made it quite difficult for Anne to decipher the best manner of approach to table her requests.
She prayed in the Holy Ghost for a while, trusting God for wisdom. She also packaged a gift, to make room for her in his heart.
As she sought audience with her boss; requesting a meeting day and time, he suggested they meet up at his place of residence the next morning (First Shocker).
Although, she had reservations, but she trusted the fact that he was a Christian, and had been in the Company for a while…so she shrugged them off.
The next day, she found her way to his house.
When she arrived, she met her boss very causally dressed (well, it’s his home of course, she said to herself), with a smile on his face.
She suppressed the unusual, uneasy emotions she felt, and tried to focus on the objective of the meeting.
She began, “Thank you so much Mike for the audience. You’ve been a great leader, with the ability to hold us all up together in unity and love.
However, I think the way to produce optimum results in any organization is to build people, while they in turn build the business”, she continued.
She noticed how fixed his eyes was on her… But wasn’t this the same man who wouldn’t even give her a second glance at work? She asked herself, bemused.
“Sir, I’ve written down 7 ways in which we can re-establish and build a formidable workforce that will in turn, get us the desired profits with impact we seek”; she said, showing him the paperwork she had prepared.

Mike glanced at them, then returned his gaze to Anne for some minutes…after which he smiled.
“Anne, I’ve been staring at you uncontrollably for a while now because, no one has ever spoken to me in this manner…ever before”, he remarked.
“Most people are either afraid to come forward, point out flaws, and quality control systems in times of crisis like this. I really appreciate your courage and sincerity. I will look into all you’ve said today”, he promised.
She felt good about herself, and was about leaving when he begged her to stay awhile. She did.
He bombarded her with stories of the company’s history, the loopholes of its leaders, his personal life, challenges and all.
Anne counted herself really fortunate and favored, for Mike to trust her with such kind of information.
After few hours, she asked to leave. He obliged her, after ensuring they get together soon for another meeting.
She thanked the Holy Spirit for a successful meeting and the opportunity to be chosen amongst hundreds of ladies, to be Mike’s friend and confidante.
The next day, Mike implemented all the changes Anne proposed and the staff were so pleased with him.
Mike called Anne to communicate his appreciation. This marked a new dawn in their friendship.
The phone calls and messages came in more often, the chats more personal, with the attachment of endearing words on Mike’s part.

Anne had learnt not to assume anything, until his intentions were made clear beyond any doubt.
Mike invited Anne over again.
As she came in, she met him seeing a movie on his couch. He requested she joined him. She did.

Suddenly, he took her hands and placed on his fast beating heart.
Then he said, “This is the effect you always have on me”.
That was the moment! He gently kissed her…
With her eyes opened, she sat still; stupefied.
Ooops…I forgot. Mike was also a Pastor in their church.
So now, was kissing wrong if it’s done with a man of God?
Mike had been in the faith longer than she had…
Was she being too spiritual?
Watch out for the Next Part of Shame, Fear and Guilt.
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Thank you for reading through! I love you.