I was cooking my favorite food, beans around several minutes past 7pm in my hostel -Aminu Mano hall popularly called hall 3, as lazy drops of rain drizzled from the fast darkening sky, the aftermath of an heavy down pour earlier in the day. The power had just come on thanks to the industrial plant the school management had set in place for its hostels. At least they tried. As for NEPA...... Nobody controlled them so it was no surprise when they decided they were going for a 3 day leave just a week to Exams. Which meant no light for us.
Everyone in my 8 bunk room were in high spirit due to power coming on, which was quite a sight.
Though it was a room designed for 8 people we were 14 in number and we were very happy. No complaints at all. And please don't ask me how 14 people managed to share 8 mini bed for a year because that is a story for another day but squatting would be a well summarized explanation.
Normally due to the cold weather the expected discussion was an argument.
Yes argument, literally. My room was very special and we argued about everything. from messi vs ronaldo to tiger vs lion, down to the amount of carbohydrate in beans vs the amount of protein in it. And just in case you don't know beans has more carbohydrate than protein. Benefit of arguing I guess.

The point is we argued about everything whether relevant or irrelevant. But this evening was a bit different. Maybe it was due to the 3 days blackout from PHCN or the nap most of us took during the down pour but we found ourselves talking about the story we had all read over time. We were so enthralled as we listened to ourselves share our tales that were only made possible through ink and paper. I mean we were so deep into it that I didn't notice when the water in my pot overflowed due to heat (you know that thing that beans does when it boils and the pot doesn't have enough space to hold it in,. That was what happened)
It wouldn't have been a problem if that was the only issue but.............. I was cooking with an electric stove and just as fate would have it my hand was idly brushing the electric stove. and my friend when I say electric stove. Pay attention to the "ELECTRIC PART" because the voltage that entered my body sent me to cloud 9. For the first time in my life I felt like Neil Armstrong because I was sure I saw stars floating above me while gazing from the moon.
Drugs? Forget it. Nothing can make a man feel like all his dreams are achievable than electricity.
My roommate's later told me I screamed during the incident. I didn't remember though but I knew that the shock was real due to the sparks I felt in my veins.

I went to sleep later that night around 3am with a spark in my heart. It was not from the electric shock though but from the realization that prior to that day and our discussion that i've always wanted to write a STORY.

Nice intro...excite us more with fantastic updates

GUTS OVER FEAR -EMINEM






This story is a long piece not a flip through, just so you know.
It has a lot of really serious theme but nothing out of the ordinary and is generally age friendly. Secondly this is not a rush fire story, it has its moment but they are not entirely glaring from the first glance. The characters are given a chance to develop so the reader knows where they are coming from. I don't think that is too strange, is it?

I really would have love to tell you what the story is about but that would spoil the fun. All in All, I think it is a great read. But of course all writers think so.
WOW did I just think of myself as a writer. 20th wonder of the world


COMMENTS:
really important for me. It assures me i'm not alone here. Whether it is of praise or criticism, i'm going to love it because it means someone is actually following.


LIKES:
THEY are pretty cool but not as important as comments.


VIEWS:
I hate it. and the reason is pretty simple.
920 views with no comments or likes will simply be interpreted by my brain as 920 people who thought the story was a waste of time and couldn't waste any further second by just clicking a simple like function. Very horrible right?


GHOST READERS:
I love this crew. They actually follow you without you having a clue. I really love you guys or girls but saying something would make our relationship stronger.
Communication strengthens love



WHAT IS THE REASON FOR MY STORY?
I just want to tell it. plain and simple, no other reason.
So if you like the story as you keep reading, you could help mention others that you know are avid readers.


COPYRIGHT:
just inform me first before you decide to make use of any part of the story. I wouldn't sue you though if you decide to snub my request , that is a luxury for those who have the luxury for it.

Following

Following

******** PROLOGUE ***********






"B!tch" he cursed silently as he stared at the unconscious body passed out on the floor. He wasn't sure if it was the shot from his fist to the side of her head or the impact of it hitting the floor that had caused her blackout, but he couldn't care less. He was already behind schedule and knew he had to leave as soon as possible. He bent down and carried her non responsive body from the floor before dropping her on the sofa closest to him. He groaned as a bout of searing pain exploded in his head and he raised his hand to his temple to feel the stickiness of his own blood coat his fingers. He cursed angrily and wiped the blood stained hand on his jeans, ignoring the drops of fresh blood still trickling from the gash. It was a wide cut but not deep enough for it to cause a bother or deter him from his mission.

He decided against turning on the light. The flashlight from his phone camera would do.

He got on the sofa and the leather protested loudly against the additional weight it had to carry. he settled into a kneeing position on top of her, both legs spread at either side of hers.
he reached for the buttons of her shirt and unfastened them in breezy pace. The last one posed a little of a challenge in coming off and his impatience got the better of him as he grabbed both ends of the shirt and pulled. The sound of flying button and tearing material echoed in the mildly dark room, but the silence returned within moments. He manipulated her arms and got rid of the ruined dress, disposing it on the ground.

A small smile crept into his full beard face as he ogled her, the white bra serving as the only material preserving the total exposure of her upper body. He considered handling her but the realization of time running out on him snapped him out of his reverie and he lifted himself from the sofa. He raised her lower back from the chair with one arm and awkwardly felt for the zip of her skirt with the other. He found it, grabbed and pulled downward before yanking off the skirt.

He watched her, lying still and vulnerable. and except from her underwear, she was totally naked and exposed to him.

He smiled again as he felt a stir in his groin. He was going to enjoy this a lot.

He reached for his jeans, unbuckled the belt and hauled both it and his boxers down in one movement. his excitement was apparent as his hardened member twitched in response to the cool night breeze. He kicked off his trousers and peeled of his shirt before assuming his former position on the sofa. He bent toward her and dropped his phone beside her head.

He stifled a groan as the pain in his head returned from the cut she had inflicted. but this time he managed not to utter any profanity.
He didn't know how long she was going to stay unconscious but he hoped it would be long enough for him to finish what he was here for. He had lost the chloroform injection during their struggle and didn't remember where he dropped it.
He shook his head, casting off the feeling of uncertainty creeping into him. There was no way she was waking up in the next six hours after that fall.

He looked into her face and the sick smile returned to his lips. She was extremely beautiful and he was going to have her, whether she wanted it or not.

He raised one of her leg, resting it on his body as he drew his kneeing frame closer to her pelvis while his free arm grabbed his member, pistolling it until it grazed her covered sex.

"Let's see if he will want you after this" he whispered into her ear as he reached down to slide the last piece of clothing that separated their sexes out of the way.

First to Comment

Ayanfe29:
First to Comment

Thanks

Well done OP
Keep the updates coming

Mods automated machines keep changing every sentence.

Its too early for this

Before I drop the first chapter I just want to quickly thank these 3 individuals that have been a great help to my start to life at the literature section. Ayanfe29, Ann2012 and lightQueen. You guys...... Sorry, ladies have been wonderful.

Now straight to business.


WHAT I CAN PROMISE
I will update the story to the very end as long as there is a reader showing an interest.


WHAT I CANT PROMISE
Is posting updates everyday.
A lot of things and circumstances prevent these from been a possibility.
Still, under the worst circumstances delay in updates shouldn't exceed 4 days.



Thanks

*********CHAPTER 1 - GENESIS**********





Michael Balogun had no idea of the time, but he knew it wouldn't be long before dawn.


He smiled as he felt the nàked woman sleeping soundly beside him in the almost dark room. His smile broke into a grin as thoughts of last night replayed themselves in his head; they had made series of passionate love before going to bed and either of them had waken the other up for another romp at least twice, with their last session less than an hour ago. He was spent and exhausted and knew he would need several hours to recover.

He traced his finger from the lady bottom curves to the upper part of her body. She stirred and turned facing him, her head settling gently on his chest.

"Morning handsome" she said softly.

"Morning" he returned warmly. she giggled as he took a handful of her hair, curling them gently around his fingers "you seem excited" he whispered into her ear.

she ran her hand over his hairy chest and raised her gaze to his face, carving out his jawline in the darkness "I was just wondering how you manage to do it every single time"

He looked at her queried "do what?"

"Stay Awake. there's never a time I wake up without you watching me"

He smiled and nozzled her hair, taking in the dull scent of the shampoo she had used last night "i've never really thought about it before"

"I know." she said and drew her body tightly to his " It just gives me a protective feeling"

He covered her nàked body with his hand and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. She responded by moulding herself into him, entwining their legs together . They remained that way for several minutes and he was almost certain she had slipped back to sleep when she spoke again. "So how was it? "

"Hmm?" He inquired

"You know, the night" she said in a childish voice and the grin he had been sporting since the early hours of the morning returned to his face. "The best night I've ever had." he said, tracing her bust with his index finger "That was one hell of a sent forth sex"

"Sex?" She asked quizzically

"I did imply best sex right"

She raised her head from his chest and looked into his face "That was not what I meant mike" she said, feeling for the lamp stand switch. The light from the bedside lamp was enough to illuminate the both of them in bed and he couldn't help but admire the beauty staring at him. her face was remarkably stunning and spotless without the slightest trace of chubbiness in it, while her slender body carried subtle curves that ignited a sexual appeal he rarely gets when with other women. Being a black american, her chocolate skin was the best part for Michael. Caucasians were great but dark skinned women did it for him.

"What did you mean then?" He asked casually, knowing where the conversation was heading.

She sensed the subtle warning in his voice and her confidence dissipated a little but she continued, hoping to take advantage of the moment "well it's been over six months since we became this close. I was thinking maybe we are quite.... " she stopped, gauging his mood but his neutral expression expression didn't give anything away "maybe we are quite past the 'just sex' thing"
"Cara, we talked about this" he said in a low growl that matched his fast waning light mood he had woken up with hours ago "you know what this is all about"

"So I'm just your mistress?"

"That is old fashioned and I don't think of you as that"

"Friends with benefit then" she said with a smile in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Whatever you say"

"Come on, a girl can only hope" she said toying with with a hair on his chest "not like I expected anything to come out of this anyway. You made that clear from the beginning"

"and It's best it remains that way" he said, emphatically closing the discussion.

He drew himself into a sitting position, resting his head on the headboard and closed his eyes.
he felt her hand on his face stroking lightly and he shook his head to quietly ward her off. She got the hint and reluctantly withdrew from him. The air around them had thicken uncomfortably and he knew she felt it too.

Something was happening to her. and he knew what it was. her recent reactions, their lingering conversations and her sudden interest about his personal life had all be obvious signs but he had ignored them, convincing himself that she couldn't slip and it was only happening in his head. She was a practical woman who knew what she wanted and understood the nature of their relationship, the limits especially. She was sharp, sophisticated, and clear minded, traits that gave him the impression that she was the real deal. she was also realistic and not exactly the kind who would sacrifice her independence just to get tied to a man in a relationship --- the main reason he had risk becoming intimate with her. but he couldn't deny the fact that things were changing now. They were arguing a lot lately and she was asking a lot of questions. Questions that she never bothered asking him during their first few months together. He had also noticed the way she had been looking at him, which was what worried him the most. It was the same look all of his previous partners had before he had to split up with them.

He liked her, no doubt but that was as far as he could go. The settling down thing just wasn't for him, at least not for the moment. He did have plans to make a family, maybe around his sixties. Find a girl, procreate and try to be a responsible father but right now any relationship with the opposite gender was for mutual gratification and she understood that. at least he thought so.

"Down to earth mike" she said, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Uhm....what?" He asked a bit muddled

"Wow. You just kind of zoned out. didn't know that relationship talk terrifies you this much. You should have seen your face" she said with a soft laugh, hoping that to bridge the gap she had unintentionally created moments ago

"I wasn't thinking about relationships" he said getting up from the bed, unamused.

"I bet you were" she continued teasingly.

He walked to the wardrobe and selected a sweatshirt with matching trunk from the pile of neatly hanged clothes. "I'm going out for a jog"

"Michael" she called out softly. He grunted dully as he wore the shirt over his head to let her know she had his attention. He waited for her to continue but the only sound he heard was the cool humming of the air conditioner. He turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "I have a confession" she continued but he stopped her with a raised finger and shook his head "No. no confessions. no recriminations. no promises"

She let out a frustrated puff "why don't you hear me out"

"So you can talk about commitments. come on cara, You know that doesn't go down well with me"

"Yeah, right" she turned away from him and drew herself to a sitting position, her chin resting on her legs. He watched her and shook his head, sighing tiredly.

He walked slowly to the bed and joined her under the covers. He pushed the mountain of hair from her face and turned her chin so she could meet his eyes. "You don't know how important you are to me"

"I think I have a clue"

"No you don't" he said and drew her tightly to him, resting her head on his chest "I just wish I could give you more"

She raised her eyes and looked at him "so there's really nothing between us"

"I don't know" he said quietly "but you're the closest woman in my life right now"

She shot him an exaggerated glare "Closest, right now" she asked dubiously but he could see the small smile hidden at the side of her mouth.

"I think we better leave it at that" he grinned

"Actually I think we should talk about it" she said and punched him lightly on the chest. He doubled over feigning hurt and rolled off the bed "I'm not sure about that. I may end up dead before we are done"

"I can guarantee you that" she said chuckling

He raised his hands to his neck and did a mock show of choking himself, causing more laughter from her. He walked back to the wardrobe and picked out a pair of blue nikes from the bottom drawers.

"When will you be leaving for Nigeria?" She asked

"Two pm"

"Today?" She asked, her surprise evident in her tone

"Yes"

"I thought you would be around for a day or two?"

"Wish I could but my old man insisted I come right away. He sounded kind of anxious." he said, sitting on the edge of the bed as he wore the sneakers "I think it's urgent"

"How long are you going to stay?' She asked sounding nonchalant

" don't tell me you're going to miss me. I remembered you once said Nigerians are scams." He said with a teasing smile " are you going to miss a scammer? "

"Here we go again" she said rolling her eyes "you know the only reason I went out with you was because you had America citizenship. So technically I went out with an american not a Nigerian"

"But i was only born here and..."

"and that makes you an American"

He smiled and drew close to kiss her but she cleverly withdrew. "there won't be any of that until you are back"

He sighed audibly " Tease"

He checked his watch '5:57'.

"Got to go. I will meet you in an hour"

"I will be gone by then. I have a job to answer to" she said, pulling the covers from her nùde form as she got up from the bed, causing an audible groan from him

"Are you sure you don't want to give me that kiss. it might be quite some time before we meet again" he said, subtly closing the distance between them. "No" she answered flatly

"You're terrible" he said with a smile, before heading for the door.

"And you're a saint" she said sarcastically

"Tell Joe and Anna I will keep in touch."

"I will" she called out.

She waited until she could no longer hear his fading footsteps before collapsing into the bed. She placed her head on her hands shutting herself from everything around her. She felt her eyes watering and shut them tightly to hold back the tears. "What is wrong with you?" She asked herself indignantly.

*******************

"Good day sir, what would you like to order?" Jane inquired from the man that had just arrived wearing her best smile. The man looked up and returned the smile, showing his full set of teeth.

"Anything that you think would be good for me" He answered with a gruffness that was common in the voice of most over weight men.


"ooh, what...sorry" she stammered, taken off guard by his response but caught herself immediately "would you like fried rice with chicken or maybe..."

"That would be excellent" the man cut in wanting to save her any further embarrassment.

"Okay. It'll be ready in three minutes" she answered before returning to the counter where food were been served.

"Fried rice with chicken for the man in white agbada" she said to fumi, the lady behind the counter.

"For him?" asked Fumi surprised

"Yes" she answered amused by her astonished tone

"He never eats rice here, always go for the swallow stuff"

"Maybe he wants a change"

"Did he make the order himself?" Fumi probed on

"Not really. He had me do it"

"How do you always make men do what you want?" She queried, puzzled

"you know i won't be working at a restaurant in the down part of lagos if that was true"

Fumi shook her head admittedly and smiled sadly "you are right. i'm sorry for bringing it up"

She smiled "don't be, I'm pretty much over it now. I actually said that in good faith"

"As if there we're such a thing" said fumi skeptical

"There is" she said shrugging "it's called complaining in good faith"

The both of them giggled quietly at the joke.

"He's staring at you" fumi pointed out after a while and she turned to confirm her observation. The man smiled when their eyes met. She smiled back, knowing he was expecting it.

"I think he was staring at his food. he must be starving" she said denying the obvious.

"That would make sense if he was looking over the counter where the food is" fumi countered

she knowing what she meant stealthily adjusted her skirt to avoid the groping eye of the man.

"Well, your man is waiting for you" fumi said after a moment of silence.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"No not this one. I mean your man, Matthew" she said with a knowing smile.

She scanned the restaurant and saw him waving at her. Her face brightened. He was sitting at his favourite corner casually dressed in a T-shirt and jeans with his guitar lying lazily by his side.

"Here you go" fumi interrupted her train of thoughts as she passed the tray to her "customer first, remember?"

"Yes" she answered making a 'I - know - that' face which caused a smile from fumi.

"Here you go sir" she said to the man as she set the table " sorry it took a bit longer than expected "

"It was obvious you were enjoying yourself" the man answered. He saw her face fell and quickly continued "¬ that I'm complaining. I actually enjoyed watching you"

"Thank you" she said feeling relieved.

"The girl at the counter, is she a friend?"

"Just a fellow colleague" she lied

"The both of you seem close" he said and looked at her expectantly for a response but she remained silent. She knew talking with him would only lead to more conversations. "my name is Chief David ezewann by the way and you're?"

"Jane" she answered

"That's a nice name for a pretty girl like you"

"Thank you" she answered with a forced smile

"How is it that a girl like you works in a place like this?" He asked, wanting to keep the conversation going.

"Employment is quite scarce sir"

"I'm afraid you're right" the man answered

She watched the fat folds of his neck wiggle ceaselessly as he chewed and wondered how a human could possibly get so pudgy. She decided to use the opportunity of his full mouth as an escape from further conversation. "Sir it was really nice meeting you but I have other customers to wait on" she said and politely turned around before he had a chance to object.

"Hope to see you again" the man said in between bites. she stopped and turned her head curtly

"You too sir".

She didn't mean it. She never really wanted to see him again. She only tolerated him because her job demanded it.

She walked over to matthew and took a seat beside him. She slapped his shoulders playfully. " hey big boy, how was your day?" she asked with a bright smile.

"It was great. Having a busy day?" He asked, taking her hand into his.

"I'm through most of it. My shift ends in two hours." She answered " So how has practice been going?"

"Good. We will be having our next performance at quillox on Friday" he said looking into her eyes "I would love for you to be there. That is, if you wont be too busy"

She smiled. This was one of the reason she loved him. He was always thoughtful, requesting of her opinion instead of been demanding. She didn't think of him as perfect but he was close.

" I would be free on Friday so invitation accepted" she said with a small wink and watched as His lips curved into a smile. She smiled back "it seems like you have wanted to ask me about this for a long time."

"You have no idea"

"Next time don't think too much about it. just ask"

"I will keep that in mind" he said giving her the thumbs up "so how is your dad holding up?" He asked guardedly and he immediately regretted the question, as he Watch her happy demeanor change to visible worry

"He is trying his best to steer the company out of bankruptcy." She answered, trying to hide her fears.

He reached for her and tucked a loose strand of her ponytail behind her ear "everything will be alright. I'm working on something; once it clicks, I'm going to help. I promise"

She smiled but he could tell that she was still worried.

"Any plans for the weekend?" He asked, eager to change the topic

"Not really. I have a job interview on Monday though"

"That's great news, never knew you were searching for a job" he said, eyeing her over his glass of water.

"I wasn't. I submitted the application a year ago and had forgotten about it when nothing came up" Jane said defending herself "so I was surprised when I got mailed yesterday for an interview. I told my dad about it and he said it could have something to do with the chairman's eldest son return from the united states. It seems like he's in charge and is into recruitment. Also i...."

"slow down, slow down" he said interrupting her. "Which company are you talking about here?"

"I can't believe I missed that" she exclaimed

"Yes you did" he said smiling. She seemed excited and he was happy for her

"Beverly's corporations"

Matthew almost choked on his water. "What the..." He caught himself. He hated cursing just as much as he hated been a culprit "I mean that's huge. You're really ambitious"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing" she asked in an exaggerated seductive voice. She heard a choked groan escape his lips and knew her tease was working. He drew his face closer to hers. "There's nothing ever bad with you" he whispered "would you mind coming to my house tonight?"

"I will be busy tonight" she said unmoved by his proximity

"What is the consequences for kissing at work" he asked, as he moved his face an inch closer, their nose brushing lightly.

"Job loss" she answered and couldn't stop herself from laughing when his half closed eyes shot open with fear. He recoiled back to his chair with so much speed she almost jumped from hers.

"It isn't funny" he said irritated by her nonchalant attitude "you could get fired"

"I wouldn't have let you kiss me" she answered, making an effort to calm down but ended up bursting into another fit. "I've never seen you so scared"

"I wasn't scared, I just didn't want you to lose your job"

"Really?"

"Yes and why is that man staring at you?"

She turned to see the man she had served about half an hour ago sitting at his table, staring intently at her. She felt a pit in her stomach. "Matt, do you mind waiting till my shift ends?"

"No i don't. i actually I think it's a good idea" he said, not taking his eyes off the man.

She squeezed his hand appreciatively "thanks, I have to go now"

"I will be right here"

She returned to the counter and saw fumi engrossed in her phone. She thought of starting a conversation but knew that would be futile.
She could had remained with Matthew but her rationality suggested the opposite. She feared the man. He looked like one of those men with a lot of influence who could easily get her in trouble with her employer for spending unreasonable time with just one customer. She could be accused of flirting and could lose her job if he saw fit. These kind of men always get things done their way.

Just then the man signalled to her that he was leaving and made a show of dropping something on the table before walking out. She sighed with relief as he left and walked over to the table to see what he had left behind. A business card. Neatly written above it was an inscription; I will be expecting your call if you need a better job.

She thought of disposing the card but decided against it. she would keep it and politely return it if he ever came around.

brosci:
Before I drop the first chapter I just want to quickly thank these 3 individuals that have been a great help to my start to life at the literature section. Ayanfe29, Ann2012 and lightQueen. You guys...... Sorry, ladies have been wonderful.

Now straight to business.


WHAT I CAN PROMISE
I will update the story to the very end as long as there is a reader showing an interest.


WHAT I CANT PROMISE
Is posting updates everyday.
A lot of things and circumstances prevent these from been a possibility.
Still, under the worst circumstances delay in updates shouldn't exceed 4 days.



Thanks

Thanks for the lengthy update

We're here to encourage you. More ink to your literary pen! Gracias!!

brosci:
Before I drop the first chapter I just want to quickly thank these 3 individuals that have been a great help to my start to life at the literature section. Ayanfe29, Ann2012 and lightQueen. You guys...... Sorry, ladies have been wonderful.

Now straight to business.


WHAT I CAN PROMISE
I will update the story to the very end as long as there is a reader showing an interest.


WHAT I CANT PROMISE
Is posting updates everyday.
A lot of things and circumstances prevent these from been a possibility.
Still, under the worst circumstances delay in updates shouldn't exceed 4 days.



Thanks

Thanks for the update

The 2nd update come soon.

Ayanfe29 and ann2012, brosci says hi

******* CHAPTER TWO. UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES *****




Jane stared at the vast building before her. it was made of solid glass and was one of the few skyscrapers in the city of Lagos. Three floors above her head level were inscribed "BEVERLY'S COOPERATION'S, HEADQUARTERS. LAGOS"

she had refused to think ahead of herself since she received the mail. she knew she wasn't assured of a job yet so she had kept a cool head all through. She already had a plan mapped out; if she gets the job, great. If she doesn't, she had one to return to. One she was comfortable with before she got mailed.

She checked her android for the time. 8:00am. She took a deep breath before entering the building.

"This is it" she whispered to herself.


*******************


"Can you please take your car out of the way?" Michael screamed at the driver ahead of him.

He was trying his best to maintain sanity. He squeezed his hand into a fist and almost gave in to the temptation of punching at the steering wheel. He unclenched his hand and closed his eyes, sighing in defeat. The traffic had gotten worse than it was half an hour ago. He had never seen anything like it. He checked his watch and let out a raged hiss. He was going to be late again. He wasn't sure if he had been this frustrated in his entire life. He had only been in Nigeria for thirteen days and he was sure this was the toughest two weeks of his life. first, he had been hoodwinked by his dad to come home due to some urgent business that couldn't be sorted out without him been present. He had taken the next possible flight despite his own personal inconveniences and what did he get, a warm welcome, hot bath and news that he was the new C.E.O. of Beverly's headquarters.

All his efforts to avert the decision had been ineffective with his dad arguing it was important he continued the family business. He shared his dad sentiments but he was more than a little disappointed that his opinion had not been considered before such an important decision was made. he had his own plans and taking over as the chief executive officer would not only jeopardize them but could totally bring an halt to them. His dad had always had an infamous penchant for doing things his own way and he had always been willing to oblige when it was demanded of him but this was just over the top. He had emphatically rejected the decision, which came as a surprise to his dad. It was the first time they had both had conflicting interests and the tension had only increased when he stood by the decision despite his dad best effort to convince him in changing his mind.

As a last resort his dismayed dad had retaliated by threatening to pass the position to phillip. The threat didn't bother him in the least, he knew his dad could do a lot of things but handing over the fate of Beverly's to his second son wasn't one of them. Phillip was a good guy but administration wasn't one of his best skills and unlike him, his younger brother was a born rebel. There was no way his dad would be able to control him if he attained such a defining position but if his dad could threaten him with something that absurd, that meant he was truly desperate and simply didn't trust anyone apart from his own family to keep the company at the top of the food chain when he was gone. That desperation was what made him change his stance, he finally agreed to the relief of his dad to take over the position from him but he knew his old man had gotten the unspoken message that he couldn't be bossed around and could be as strong headed as Phillip if he wanted to. He reluctantly accepted his fate Which led to another problem.

Some top staffs at the headquarters were not particularly pleased with the chairman's decision. They believed Michael had been disassociated with the headquarters for too long and should not be allowed to attain such a position out of the blue. His dad was able to refute their claims with evidences which proved that his son had been heavily involved with the company through its other branches beyond Nigeria and have even held decisive positions. The staffs eventually accepted the situation. Some grudgingly but none could question his experience with the company dealings.

The board weren't easily convinced. They knew he had held top positions at the headquarters and were also aware of his achievements with the branches outside the headquaters but they believed that his dad decision was based more on sentiment than on merit which was quite stupid to him. If anybody was more deserving of the position his dad had vacated, it would be him. but of course, a lot of cabals already had their eyes on the position and that made him more keen on keeping the power around the circle of his family.
They had a lot of questions. A lot of presumed fear and even questioned his ability to absorb the pressure that came along with the highest executive power of the headquarters and the company as a whole but they couldn't provide any substantial reason to discard his case.

At the end they agreed to give him a try due to his dad formidability and influence but also warned they wouldn't hesitate to relieve him if revenues dropped. They were desperate.


He had been more than happy when the whole ordeal was over. He was through the worst or so he thought. No more meetings, no more late nights and no more staring into the faces of old greasy board members who thought that his generation was the cause of all the world's problem.

"If only he knew how wrong he was" he thought


***************************


"Good morning" jane greeted the lady behind the huge desk with a confident smile, the desk served as some sort of cubicle with receptionist boldy inscribed on it.

"Good morning" the receptionist smiled at her "how can I be of help"

"I'm supposed to have an interview at 9am"

"Your name please" asked the receptionist

"Jane umadi"

"Hold on a second" the receptionist said before speaking into her earphone. " miss Jane you will have your interview at office 408 in the sixth floor" the receptionist instructed " you could use the stairs but I will advice you take the elevators. It's a long way up"

"Thank you" she said appreciatively

"You're welcome"

she was stunned by the vastness of the office she had been directed to. It was a large room that incorporated two other offices that were thrice larger than an average office.

A long row of executive chairs were neatly arranged at one part of the huge room which gave the impression of a modern day conference hall and she would have thought that was the purpose if she had not seen the C.E.O inscription at the door before coming in.
she was about to take a seat when a lady, about an inch shorter than her and definitely older came out from one of the office walking briskly toward her.

"Hello miss umadi. You're early. I'm faith, interim secretary to the C.E.O Mr Michael" the lady said shaking her hand with practiced ease. "The interview was scheduled to hold at 9:00. Obviously others are not here." The lady continued, indicating at the empty chairs.

"Others?" She inquired as she felt her heart thump against her chest

"Yes. You weren't the only one who got mailed" the woman said professionally betraying no emotion. " I suggest you have a seat while we wait for Mr Michael. "

"Thank you. Could i...." she started but was interrupted by a ring from the woman office phone.

"Just wait here while i take that" the woman said before walking back with the same stride she carried herself with when she came out to meet her moments ago. It wasn't pompous or anything of the sort but it was quite intimidating and She couldn't stop herself from tapping her feet nervously on the tiled floor as she watched the woman return to the office. There were 'others.' that was certain. The woman had said so herself.
She had only be naive to think she was the only who got mailed.

"Why is there always something" she thought frustratingly. She didn't have a good feeling about this given her luck from previous experiences, and all of a sudden she felt that the odds were already against her.


"Hello Mr Michael" answered faith with accent

" hello faith, how're you?"

"Very fine sir"

"I'm supposed to conduct an interview this morning right?"

"Yes sir"

her answer was followed by a sigh from his end and She scrunched her ear into the phone speaker, listening patiently as she waited for him to continue.

"I am currently hooked in traffic and by the look of things I'm not sure I will be able to make it in time, so I want you to fill in for me"

"That won't be a problem" she said gingerly and smiled when she sensed his relief from the other end "will that be all sir"

"I think so. Take care of yourself" he answered with an uplifted beat that complimented hers. She heard a subdued scribble from his side and his voice came up again "......ehm....wait up. Are you still there?"

"Yes sir"

"Are those to be interviewed there already?"

"I have just one of them with me sir. Miss umadi by name"

she listened as he went silent for a few seconds and she had a feeling he was deliberating on something.
"Well that's easy" he said finally

"Sorry sir?" She asked, lost on what he meant

"Employ her"

"I beg your pardon"

"You heard me" he said more firmly. "if I'm to have a secretary it has to be one that would be readily available when I'm not and this miss umadi seems to fit in"

"That could be correct sir" faith agreed in a professional manner

"Moreover, we both know all the mailed applicants were qualified for the job, so it would be only fair if we use time keeping and character for the basis of selection." he said then paused briefly before continuing "Now for the lady to be seated already when its barely time for the interview says a lot about her character and that from an objective point of view makes her the right candidate for the job"

"Your theory make sense sir"

"Then employ her"

"Yes sir"

"Have a nice day" she heard him say with an assertive tone that left no doubt in her that he was confident about the decision he had just made.

"You too sir" she answered and the line immediately went dead.

she collapsed to her seat with a sigh before breaking into a smile.
What had just happened, she asked herself as she grinned, more than a little bewildered. There was no doubt this new management was going to be fun.
She saw the lady watching her with a curious expression and she beckoned towards her to come over.


Jane was impressed by the aesthetic features of the secretary office. It was just as beautiful as the main complex and even looked better in terms of artistry. She took a seat opposite the lady and watched her as she gathered files from a drawer. She suspected that she could be well over fifty. Her dark complexion had grown less toned with age but there were obvious traces that she must have been very beautiful in her younger days. Even now she looked pleasant. Pretty even.

"Miss Jane, first degree in business administration" the woman read from one of the file "masters; Accounting. Two previous job experiences. Twenty four years old"

She watched as the lady dropped the file and turned to her. there was no trace of humor in her small face and she was starting to feel the break of a sweat when the woman smiled. "I'm impressed"

"Thank you" she said as a wave of relief swept through her.

"You see, Mr Michael was supposed to conduct this interview personally but something came up and he left me in charge"

"ookayy" she answered warily

"Did you know what else he did?" the woman asked, staring intently at her.

"No...." she answered a bit tense

"He ordered me to employ you"

"Wow" she blurted out.

The woman chuckled at her surprise as her words sunk in. She watched as her young face mirrored different expressions that ranged from delight to open awe "Yes wow, miss Jane. I was surprised as well but I guess the C.E.O. has his own way of doing things" the older lady said. She took another set of files and passed one to her "These are all the details you need to know about the job. You can sign here if you are comfortable with our standard and requirements"

She took the file and went through the details carefully. "Secretary to the C.E.O?" she asked surprised.

" is there a problem with that"

"Not really" she answered unsure.

She smiled as she read through all the other details. The pay was good, it was twice better than the salaries of her last two job combined. Other aspects of the job weren't too demanding either, nothing she could not handle.

It didn't take long for her to make her decision.

"l will take it" she said and signed in acknowledgement. "I love it" she concluded excitedly and couldn't help but grin when the older lady broke into another smile before taking her hand in a tight grip " congratulations Jane, you're officially the newest staff of Beverly's cooperation's"

"Thank you" she said grinning from ear to ear.

"You're welcome but honesty this wasn't me. It was all Michael's. You can thank him in person when you kick off next week Monday. He is your boss now and you answer to him directly"

"I won't forget that"

" I guess this is your office now. Every documents you need will be duly passed over to you on Monday and just call me faith. I think we're going to be friends "

"I sincerely hope so." She said and took the older lady in a hug that surprised even her. She looked at the lady and could tell that she was really happy for her. Luck seemed to be smiling on her today which was something that rarely happens.

"Well I think that will be all for now. Next week you..... Thank goodness. I can't believe I almost forgot" faith exclaimed, grinning "Saturday is the chairman's birthday, your boss's dad and it's imperative that all staffs in the headquarters grace the occasion and that includes you. all staffs are to be given two pass each just in case they want to bring a date or an invite along"

"Okay" she said carefully. She wasn't really a merry party kind of person but she knew exusing herself from the birthday celebration of the highest authority in the company that just employed her less than ten minutes ago would be a telling impression of an ill attitude in the eyes of her employers. especially when the man she now works for was his son

"These are yours. Remember to bring them with you. It's your only way in" faith instructed passing two tickets to her

"Thanks ma. Sorry, faith" she said smiling. She wasn't used to calling elders by their first name.

"You're welcome. I think that will be all for today" said faith getting up from her seat "congratulations once again Jane" she said patting the younger lady on the shoulder.

"and Thank you once more" jane said rising up.
She smiled, did a small bow and was about to take her leave when a thought she had almost completely forgotten about resurfaced in her head. She looked at faith, a questioning look in her eyes. "Ma, did you say that mr Michael is the son of the chairman?"

"Yes." Faith answered with a bit of hesitation , not knowing why she asked

"Does that means he was the one that returned from the states"

"Yes" faith answered, her interest perked "how did you know that "

"Oh, I heard from someone" she answered with a smile.


She was still feeling elated when she walked out of the doors of the building. She wasn't sure if she had been this happy all her life. She never expected the interview to be that easy. No questions, no bashing. Just free flowing friendly conversations. she wasn't being pessimistic but traditional job interviews were like a warzone. This was so different and the morning breeze just seemed to add more magic to the moment. She thought about matthew. He would be happy for her. She felt for the tickets in her breast pocket and smiled. She took her phone from her bag and dialled matthew.

"Hello big boy" she said when the line went through

"Any practice on Saturday?" she asked and waited for a moment before speaking.

"Good because I'm taking you out on a date"

Chapter 3 will come in batches due to its length. While chapter 1 and 2 were more concerned with character presentation, the story starts to catch its rhythm from the next chapter.

I'm already working on chapter 5 which is the longest of all the chapters i've written yet and I hope to finish it tomorrow.

brosci:
Chapter 3 will come in batches due to its length. While chapter 1 and 2 were more concerned with character presentation, the story starts to catch its rhythm from the next chapter.

I'm already working on chapter 5 which is the longest of all the chapters i've written yet and I hope to finish it tomorrow.

Thanks for the update.... Should we be expecting chapter three tonight?

brosci:
Chapter 3 will come in batches due to its length. While chapter 1 and 2 were more concerned with character presentation, the story starts to catch its rhythm from the next chapter.

I'm already working on chapter 5 which is the longest of all the chapters i've written yet and I hope to finish it tomorrow.

Thanks for the update

**********CHAPTER 3. CONFRONTATIONS*************


Matthew looked through his bedroom window, watching the streets. The setting sun casted a dull orange on the landscape indicating it was going to be dark soon.

"What was taking her so long?." He thought. It was past five and she still hadn't shown up. Ordinarily he wouldn't be worried but he felt this was her opportunity to make an impression. She had told him that all the guests were expected to be seated at 6pm and he had suggested they left an hour before that due to possible traffic congestion. She had agreed so he could not understand why she wasn't here yet.

He walked to the mirror and did a last check of himself. he nodded satisfied and silently appreciated her for insisting he bought a standing mirror so she could use it whenever she spent the night in his place.
He had opted for suit instead of casuals. He knew from experience what this kind of ceremonies demanded. It was stupid to take unnecessarily risks that could lead to embarrassing situations afterwards. he also wanted to make sure that if things went south he wouldn't be the one messing it up for her.

He took his phone and was about to dial her line when he heard a knock from the sitting room door. He sighed. he would have to advice her about keeping to time.

"What on earth took..." He started but froze mid sentence as his eyes focused on the lady before him. He had know her for as long as he could remember but the woman standing before him took his breath away. She was beautiful. Her dark hair was beautiful. The black gown she wore was beautiful. and the way it hugged her slim figure and emphasized her fair complexion was beautiful. Everything about her was beautiful. Her oval face, the nervous smile on her lips and the way she sucked in her jaw as if waiting for his approval was beautiful.

He immediately felt the need to tell her how angelic she looked. to tell how that she more than had his approval but there were too many thoughts colliding in his head and for the first time since he had know her, he couldn't form a coherent sentence. He was dumbstruck.

" can I come in?" Jane asked a bit self conscious.

He moved mechanically out of the way not saying a word.

"I'm sorry for been late, I got hooked on traffic" she said, her back to him with her arms behind her. She knew he was staring at her. "You look ready though" she said finally facing him.

She yelped when he took her in a bear hug, kissing her hungrily. She returned the kiss, moulding herself into him.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen" he said after breaking the kiss.

"Really?"

"And the sexiest ever" he said, pressing her to his pelvis for emphasis.

she felt his excitement and gasped, surprised at the effect she had on him.
"Okay, point taken" she answered, breaking from his hold "time to go, we're running late"

"Yes. I almost forgot" he said.

He adjusted his trouser before opening the door " after you."

******************


" 1....... 2...... 3.........Go" Phillip announced.

The four men gulped their liquors in unison, dropping the glasses noisily on the table. They all made faces as the alcohol burned through their throat before bursting into laughter.

"Chai, this one is strong" remarked silas.

The others nodded in agrinning


"Isn't it funny that we are out here in a club celebrating your dad birthday while a more elegant party is been held in his mansion" irabor the shortest of the four men said, with a loud laugh.

"Which Party?" Said Phillip, waving his hand carelessly "the real party doesn't start until 9pm. That's when you see those young office girls show their true colour"

"We leave by nine then" silas shouted, grinning

"Well We can't exactly leave by nine" Michael corrected " we have to leave about twenty minutes before time to get there as scheduled and from my watch I would suggest we be on our way"

"That's not true. We haven't been here for an hour" irabor said noisily and Michael suspected the man was more drunk than he was letting on. "Actually we have been here for over three hours" he stated. Phillip patted him on the shoulder and drew close to him "no need to argue with him. he's a bit tipsy and you know how he is when he has taken a little too much. We will be on our way soon"

he nodded and turned himself another drink.

Phillip noticed the tired lines on his face, indications that he had not been having enough sleep.
"So how is this whole C.E.O stuff going? "

"Exhausting" he answered passively.

"that doesn't sound very enthusiastic. It makes me feel like you don't like it"

He folded his hands and sighed "whether I like it or not isn't really relevant"

phillip drank the remnant of his liquor slowly while watching his expression as he spoke. He dropped the empty glass and looked straight at him "You know mike, dad knows you are the only one he can toss around, not me. Never"

He hissed angrily "He doesn't control me. It was my decision"

Phillip relaxed into his chair unaffected by his cold response "I don't really care though. I just think it's high time you do things for yourself"

he took a deep breath, calming himself "He's getting old and it's my responsibility to take over from him"

"i understand but I just think you should look out for yourself also" phillip said shallowly and turned himself another glass of the clear liquor. He drank it in a rush and sighed as the effect followed. "I called the girls. They will be coming to the mansion tonight and so will helen" he said watching his brother and smiled when his features brightened.

Michael picked his car keys and stood up. "We should be on our way then. no need to keep them waiting"

phillip got up from his chair yawning audibly "They won't be there until an hour later but you're right. we should be on our way"


*********************


"And that was how it all started" concluded the chairman.

A round of applause followed as the chairman completed his tale of how he cofounded the company that has since become an industrial and technological giant in Nigeria and beyond.

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen" said the chairman beaming "I hope I can be excused, I've other business to attend to"

Faith stood up from her seat and took his hand appreciatively."Thank you sir for your story. I believed we were all inspired by it"

"That's good. I hope you all have a good time"he said, turning to the group before walking to another table occupied by other board members.

"So how was that?" Faith asked the small group she had set up to meet the chairman personally

"It was wonderful" one of the staff answered

"I've heard the story over and over again and it never gets old" Mr idowu an operations supervisor at the headquarters remarked.

"What about you Jane? Faith asked

she smiled dreamily " I'm just overwhelmed "

"Seconded" said matthew, his hand resting on her waist.

"Good" Mrs faith remarked "I think we are done here so there's no need to hold you guys any longer." She said rubbing her palms together.

The group cheered happily, dispersing but Jane and Matthew remained seated.

"Is there anything i can do for you dear?"

jane got up and embraced her tightly "Thank you so much for making this so easy for me. I don't know what I would have done without you"

Faith smiled, holding her hands "there's no way I would invite you to a party like this for the first time only to abandon you."

she smiled. The woman had been nothing less than an angel.

"I am yet to see my boss though" she said, finally yielding to her curiosity

"Girl, nobody seem to know where he is right now. This is unlike him"

"You seem to know a lot about him"

Her smile returned "I watched him grew to the man he is now" she said looking at her. "don't worry child, you will see him soon. Maybe not today but definitely on Monday"

She sucked her cheeks in disappointment as her hope of meeting him dipped drastically. She had been looking forward to their first meeting tonight, but it was clear the excitement was only one sided. she was only been childish to think that he would be looking forward to meet her also. he probably hadn't thought about her since that phone call. She put on a forced smile to hide her feeling of letdown. "It's just ironic that I have seen everybody except him. I don't even know what he looks like"

Faith looked at her with a dubious smile and winked suggestively. she opened her mouth in shock, knowing what the older woman was implying. "no no no no no. I didn't meant it that way." she said with an embarrassed laugh "you know I didn't"

Faith placed her hand around her shoulder, laughing. "I know. I was only messing with you." She said comfortingly. "but on a more serious note you don't have to worry yourself about him. you will be seeing a lot of him sooner or later. just relax and enjoy the night. Have fun girl."

"Ok" she shrugged and turned to leave with Matthew

"And Jane when you see him, you will recognize him instantly. Everyone always do"



To be contd

Ayanfe29 and ann2012.

I'm sorry this one took forever. I will be posting everything about this chapter tonight. Stay tuned

brosci:
Ayanfe29 and ann2012.

I'm sorry this one took forever. I will be posting everything about this chapter tonight. Stay tuned

Thanks for the update.

No wahala... We'd be waiting patiently for the update oooooo

She and Matthew decided to return to the garden where they had good naija jazz flowing and a bar set up.

it was exactly as they expected. The majority of the people were young staffs, most of them with their companions. The DJ had wizkid Good vibes blaring from the loudspeakers and She noticed that the music was louder than it was an hour ago.

"Babe let's dance" matthew shouted over the noise, taking her hand.

She shook her head

"Come on, just ten minutes, please"

"We danced about an hour ago. I have to sit down. My legs hurt" she protested slipping from his hold. She noticed he was having considerable difficulty keeping his hands off her. "I will just head to the bar"

"I'm coming with you"

"You don't have to" she said, placing her hand on his chest to stop him "have fun. You can even dance with someone else"

"I can't do that" he said frowning

"Come on, it's just a dance and I trust you" she said smiling.

He thought about it for a moment. "Ten minutes and i'll be back "

She watched as he faded into the mass of dancing bodies and let out a deep breath of relief before heading to the bar. She needed some time alone.

She took a seat at the extreme corner of the bar. She picked the position because it gave her a vantage view of the dancing crowd and also shielded her from being engaged in any form of conversation. It didn't take long before she spotted matthew in the crowd dancing with a girl. She watched the both of them, admiring his skills. He was a really good dancer and it was clear the girl was having a hard time keeping up.

She kept her eyes on the dancefloor as the songs kept rolling in and saw him alternate partners a couple of times. It was always so easy for him. He was a people's man.

A sudden burst of laughter few feet behind her drew her attention and she turned her gaze from the dancing crowd. She traced the source of the outburst and saw a group of four men chatting noisily at the other side of the bar. She assumed they had just arrived since she didn't see them moments ago. She turned back to the dance floor but was again distracted by another outburst. She hissed irritatingly, turning to the men. They all had idiotic grin plastered to their face and seemed oblivious of their surrounding. She studied the four men curiously; the shortest among them seemed to be the parrot of the group. He did most of the talking while the other laughed. The second man had a moustache and was undoubtedly the ring leader. The way he spoke commanded respect from the others and he reminded her of captain jack sparrow. She smiled at the thought. The third man was out of it, he was drunk and laughed the loudest. The last one looked sober enough to just enjoy the joke and only spoke occasionally. He towered over the others. She estimated he could be at least 6' 3" or more. He had a resemblance to the second man but his beard was clean shaven and he looked a bit older. "Senior jack sparrow" she mused to herself.

She smiled as she dreamily compared the four men to Matthew. She concluded that Matthew was the better man. She knew she was being biased but she was supposed to be.

She suspected none of them were staffs of the headquarters. She would have at least met one of them when faith introduced her as a newbie to the other staffs. they were probably invites who were simply having a great time, but if there was a possibility of any of them being staffs, it certainly would be captain jack sparrow. that would explain why they listened to him. He probably had extra tickets and had brought along some friends or maybe senior jack sparrow was the staff and it was the other way round.

"Definitely not him" she thought.

Everything about him screamed the opposite. He was a little too uptight and seemed extremely conscious of his environment, like he was overly concerned about not making a fool of himself. which would mean this was probably his first time here with a lot of people he had never met before celebrating a man he knew nothing about and since she was the only new staff around here, that would make him an invite. and if that wasn't the give away, the way he dressed was. if there was anything she had noticed among the staffs she had met, it was the unspoken code of how they dressed and it had nothing to do with t shirts and shorts.

She smiled satisfied and was about to turn her attention back to the dance floor when she felt something wasn't quite right. She tried to figure out what it was but couldn't quite place her finger on it.

Then it registered. It was senior jack sparrow, he was staring at her with a clown of a smile on his face. It dawned on her that she must have been staring at him for an inappropriate amount of time. He had obviously misinterpreted it as some kind of green light and had returned the gesture, adding a cheeky smile as well. She broke eye contact immediately, desperately wanting to focus on something else. Anything but him.

"He must be feeling himself" she thought, a bit angry with herself. How could she be so careless. She had gotten lost in her own world for a moment and this happens. She waited for what seemed like a considerable amount of time before slowly looking at his direction, she met his eyes, his smile still as wild before. maybe wider. She stared back, narrowing her eyes in warning for him to stay away. She turned back to the crowd moving her body so she had her back to him. That would give him the message.

Michael knew the girl at the other side of the bar wasn't staring at him. she had gazed at him no doubt, but he could tell that she was deep in thoughts and did not really focus on him.

He had first spotted her when they entered the bar sitting alone, like she was trying to isolate herself from every other person. She was pretty and looked really young so he understood why she had seemed so withdrawn. It was a subtle act on her part to prevent the men in the bar from hitting on her and it wasn't lost on him. He had Immediately thought of starting a conversation with her but had waved it off at the end. The girls were only a couple of minutes away from joining them and she likely wasn't alone. He had continued to watch her though and soon noticed that her eyes kept darting back to the dance floor. He guessed that whoever she was here with had to be there somewhere.

He had decided to focus on the joke irabor was telling and it didn't take long before he forgot about her. He didn't know how long it took after that or why he did it but he had looked up to check on the girl again and was a bit surprised to see her staring at him. He immediately noticed that she wasn't actually staring at him but kind of beyond him. He saw his opportunity then and took it, playing the dumb guy who thought a beautiful girl was interested in him and he didn't have a problem with it.

It worked. He saw how she gasped and desperately looked away when she realized what was happening. He knew she wasn't going to let go that easily though and he was right. She had looked at him again but this time she had a warning in her eyes telling him not to entertain any thoughts. He decided at that moment he was going to have a conversation with her. He wanted her and he was going to have her.

"Bro" he tapped phillip shoulder to get his attention.

"Yes?" Phillip drawled, not pleased with the distraction.

he ignored his tone and pointed at the girl direction. "Does that girl work with us?"

His brother followed his finger and looked back at him baffled "How am I supposed to know when she has her back to us?"

"And I thought I was the only one drunk" said irabor, laughing loudly.

"Me too" said silas joining him

"I'm going to have a chat with her" he said ignoring the other two.

"But the girls will be here soon" countered Phillip

"and Helen will be coming too" said irabor, winking.

"They will have to wait" he said and started his walk to the other side of the bar before silas grabbed his hand a little unsteadily to stop him. He looked down at him and saw that his eyes were blurry and he was putting up an effort to keep them open.

"Come let me advice you before you go. All this our girls like fame and money so just tell who you are and she will be licking your feet in no time. No go carry all those mumu america lines come here o" He said and let out a hysterical laugh that confirmed his drunken state and the others joined him

"Noted" he said clearly not amused. He pulled his arm from his hold and walked toward his target. He was going to have her and he didn't need the advice of a drunk to do that.

Jane nodded approvingly as the DJ played one of her favourites songs. She was feeling better now and was more than happy to put what transpired moments ago behind her. She looked over at matthew and seriously considered joining him. A few songs wouldn't hurt and it was only appropriate. She wanted to be the first and last thing he thinks about when he recalled this night. not some anonymous lady.

She heard a deliberate slow cough couple of feet away from her and she knew it was meant to get her attention; Probably the gentleman that had been shooting subtle glances at her since she walked into the bar. He must have finally worked up the courage to start a conversation. She sighed, thinking of a polite way to refuse him without really hurting his feelings.

She turned with a smile facing him but the smile quickly drained off, replaced by a frown when she saw it wasn't who she thought it was. standing several seats away from her was senior jack sparrow sporting an amused smile. she let out an audible puff. she should have knew better. He was far dumber than she thought. She shot him a stern look testing his reaction to see if he would chalk off, but he stood his ground, smiling even more. She watched as he closed the gap between them and took the chair next to her.

"Hi" he said

she ignored him and inspected her nails, blowing them fondly.

"Hello beautiful" he tried again

she remained silent, pretending to be oblivious of his presence but watched him from the corner of her eyes. the smile she saw told her he wasn't letting up anytime soon.

"Okay, let's start again. I'm ........ ."

She casually stood up from her seat without glancing at him and walked away from her chair before he could finish.

she smiled as she took the nearest exit out of the bar. He wasn't expecting it. The look of shock and unbelief that washed over his face was enough evidence of that. She didn't know who he thought he was or why he felt he could just shove whatever he wanted to say into her throat despite her earlier warnings, but wiping that egoistic smile off his face when he realized she was actually walking out on him made her day. it was the perfect expression she wanted from him and she knew there was no way he was going to miss the message this time.

She normally wasn't this direct when keeping men off her back but there was something about him that tipped her off. It was something dark and unnerving, and it was not because of his sheer arrogance or the fact that he was with a group of men that were drinking themselves to stupor. It was something else. Something she couldn't quite place her hands on.

She wasn't familiar with the surrounding but she knew anywhere away from him would be good enough. She had been put off her smooth mood so the dance floor didnt sound appealing to her any more. She walked around the garden in a slow pace, looking out for anything that would be nice enough to catch her attention but she gave up after several minutes of a feeble and futile search she didn't really put her mind into. she was about to turn around and walk out of the garden entirely when a bright flay of disco lights from a secluded part of the garden caught her attention. She followed the trail of flowers towards the light and walked into a circle of over half an hundred people chanting excitedly. In the middle of the ring were two professionals pulling off acrobatics moves to the cheer of the crowd. It wasn't her thing but the music and the bubbling atmosphere were catchy enough to let her to loosen up a bit. she joined the crowd and watched the dancers, cheering occasionally but still not understanding why people honestly thought stuffs like this were fun.

A rush of fine breeze from the evening air passed through the crowd and the cheers amplified. She closed her eyes taking in the air in a slow steady breath and only opened them when the moment passed, a wide smile tugged at her lip. She had to find matthew.

"enjoying the dance?"a deep male voice said beside her and her mood dipped drastically as she instantly recognized it. she turned angrily ready to unleash her discontent but stopped short when she met his glare. Her defense mechanism immediately went to full notch as she noticed he now had a baseball cap on that was expertly positioned to keep the better part of his face hidden. she realized at that moment to her discomfort that she was right about the feelings she had about him. He was likely a thug or a lowlife, and for the fact that he needed some sort of disguise before approaching her only made her increasingly suspicuous that he wanted more than just a conversation. she knew guys like him. they were common occurrences in lagos, leaving drugged and abused victims at their wake.

"why are you following me?" she said glaring back at him

he drew his face to hers imposingly "it is rude to walk out on people like that"

She stared back at him unfazed by his clipped tone. "I don't owe you any explanation mister"

He remained silent and she watched as his features lost some of its stillness. "Follow me" he said after a moment.

She stared back at him in disbelief " you're joking right" she scoffed but his neutral expression took the smile off her face
"see mister, I have to leave and don't follow me this time or I will be forced to embarrass you" she said flatly and walked away from him.
She walked a considerable distance before turning to see if he was following her. She saw him trailing behind her in a slow deliberate pace that was both stalking and predatory and her feeling of uneasiness increased with slight perspiration taking over.



To be contd.

Ayanfe29:



Thanks for the update.
No wahala... We'd be waiting patiently for the update oooooo

Just keep on refreshing until you see the end I think I should be done posting this chapter in the next 30 minutes

Ayanfe29:



Thanks for the update.
No wahala... We'd be waiting patiently for the update oooooo

Just keep on refreshing until you see the end I think I should be done posting this chapter in the next 30 minutes

Thanks for the update..... waiting for the rest

brosci:
Ayanfe29 and ann2012.

I'm sorry this one took forever. I will be posting everything about this chapter tonight. Stay tuned

No problem

brosci:




Just keep on refreshing until you see the end
I think I should be done posting this chapter in the next 30 minutes

I'm tired of refreshing the page oo..... good night

CHAPTER 3 CONTD



She increased her pace and burst into the dance floor in search of Matthew. She jumped when a hand brushed her but she relaxed realizing it was just one of the dancing bodies in the overcrowded floor. After an extremely futile search in the jam packed floor, she decided to return to her former seat at the bar hoping she would be able to spot him from there. She made a beeline for the bar and before long was settled in her former seat. She looked around and saw that the seat provided the leisure for a private conversation and the possibility of getting help in case she needed it. she knew he was following her but she didn't understand why he was taking it this far. She was tired of running around, so she was going to wait for him and tell him to feck off.

she saw him enter the bar after several minutes in a light confident stroll. He didn't have the cap on which for some reason made her more relaxed. He approached her and took the chair beside her.

"I think we got off in the wrong foot." he said smiling.

She glared at him "what part of stop following me don't you understand"

his face contorted into a frown but it disappeared immediately, replaced by the ridiculous smile "why don't you calm down a little. i just want to have a chat."

She ignored him and strained her gaze over his head looking back at the dancefloor. She immediately spotted Matthew at the same spot he had been when she left the bar. She frowned, surprised that she had missed him when he was there all along. She turned her attention back to her stalker.

"I'm here with someone and I know how to get him if i feel the need for a chat, so why don't you leave me alone and keep your conversation to yourself or better still, shove it down your throat" she bit back, more in anger at her carelessness than his annoying persistence.

She watched as his jaw hardened and knew she had hit a spot.

"You're right. A girl like you shouldn't have a problem with having her own fair share of conversations. But I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about me "

"You really have a high opinion of yourself, don't you"

"Yes. and for good reasons"

She shook her head surprised by his blatant display of arrogance. She stood up and gathered her stuffs, not wanting to spend a second more with him.

"I really have to go mister" she said, looking at him " and good luck with finding a girl that would be willing to massage your ego" she said and turned away from him.

"Wait"

She stopped and turned back to him.

"You really don't know who I am, do you"

"No and honestly I don't care"

She saw an hint of a smile creep to the side of his mouth which made her a bit confused but she kept her expression neutral. He nudged her to her seat but she shook her head .

"I will rather stand"

"You can have your seat. I wont be able to harm you with a lot of people around if that is what you are afraid of"

She wasn't scared of him, she just couldn't tolerate him and to prove it she returned to her seat despite the voice screaming in her head not to. He smiled.

"You see girl, I'm a really important person around here and all I want is for us to actually know each other, introduce you to my friends, then share a drink or two together after that. Nothing more"

"Is that all you want ? " she asked when he finished and he raised his brow in a way that she felt bordered between confusion and frustration before slowly nodding.

"it's a really nice offer and a tempting one as well, but like I said before, i'm here with someone so i'm really not interested" she said and was about to get up again when he cut in.

"What is his name?"

"Who?"

"The staff you're here with"

She scoffed, offended by his insinuation "Actually i work with the headquarters"

She saw an accusing smile play on his lip "I work there too. how come we have never met"

"I have no idea. But i hope we meet soon...............at the headquarters" she said with a smile of her own.

"I would hope so too but I have my doubts about you been an employee there"

"Believe me when i tell you that the feeling is mutual" she bit back

"I think you're lying" he said, his voice edgy and accusatory "you don't work at Beverly's"

She stared at him with venom.

"I'm a bit disappointed mister, with a head this big I was expecting you will have more sense" she said and got up to leave but he grabbed her arm in a fierce hold that stoped her in track

"You don't just walk away like that girl" he said, frowning darkly "didn't mommy teach you any manners"

She felt her heart pulse in anger at his remark about her mom but she restrained herself from getting physical with him or hit back with an exchange of her own. She looked around the bar and noticed no one seem to know what was going on between them. She stared at him haughtily.

"You work at the headquarters right?" He nodded slowly. She didn't believe him but she hoped he did. "Then I will advise you let go of my arm because the man I work for can do a lot of things to you and losing your job is the least of them" she said, sounding more confident than she felt.

"I very much doubt that"

"Trust me, you don't know who I'm talking about" she said in warning.

"And trust me when I tell you that whoever he is, he answers to me"

"Mister I will advise you don't say things you will regret afterwards"

"Who do you work for?" he asked

"Someone that can get you fired" she said and smiled as he seemed to reconsider his stance

"Is it the C.O.O?"

"No"

"The chairman?"

"No"

she saw a confident smile creep to his lips "Then whoever you work for, works for me"

"And who the hell do you think you are?" She asked, her patience waning

"Someone with a lot of authority"

"You're stalling"

She saw his face turn dead serious as his eyes bore into hers "I am the C.E.O of Beverly's cooperation's" he said, drawing the words

she lost track of time as she stared at him, her mouth slightly open. He smiled broadly at her shocked expression and She noticed his grip on her arm relax considerably as she slumped into her seat, struggling for words. She looked at him critically and his smile grew.

"Are you under the influence mister"

"What?"

"I mean,......are you on ...drugs?"



To be contd.

Ayanfe29:




I'm tired of refreshing the page oo..... good night

Sorry, my phone decided it was not to be. Low battery but thanks for your commitment.