Folake:
According to him, he used to live there some time back and paid the rent for three years and only lived there for a few months before he moved out to a better area. In which case, the house still has about one year and eight months rent left. Whoa!
Alex really has money to throw around. That house must cost about a million per annum and he paid for three whole years and then left it to waste? Geez!
I called Ama to meet me in the restroom as usual and she even brought me the money that they’d promised to give me which I was no longer in need of presently.
On my way to the restroom, I’d already made up the story I was going to tell her and Promise. A well fabricated and memorized story.
As far as she knows, the house belongs to the friend of a friend who is moving to the states to pursue an MBA program. They didn’t want the rent to waste so my friend asked and the owner said I could move in since I didn’t have money for rent.
She bought the story hook,line and sinker and was so eager to go check out the house at the close of work.
At 5:09, Alex emerged from his office and left while I also closed for the day rushing to meet Ama and Promise who were already downstairs waiting for me.
The three of us boarded a taxi and landed at my new place.
We explored every inch of the house, unpacked, ordered pizza and ate together before they finally left at a few minutes to eight leaving me alone in the big house which wasn’t exactly something new to me.
The bedroom I’d chose to sleep in was really spacious and had a king sized bed in it which bounced as I jumped on it. I didn’t even have a duvet or something to cover the mattress. The closet took up all the space on an entire wall. Even queen Elizabeth won’t even have enough stuff to fill it up. My bathroom could qualify as a whole apartment on it’s own.
Taking stock of what was in the house, I found out that there were no pots, plates or any other utensils in the kitchen. Just a big empty refrigerator, cabinets, and other kitchen appliances too numerous to mention. The counter top shined like it was made of glass as the bright lights on the ceiling reflected on it’s surface. Everything in this house was perfect.
Just as I sat there planning on how to get these things, my phone started ringing. It was Alex calling. Wow!
Alex calling my phone? That was one thing I wasn’t expecting.
We spoke for minutes about some random things which had nothing to do with work.
Here I was thinking that he wanted to give me some assignments not knowing that he just wanted to talk.
He was interested in finding out how I felt about the house and blah blah blah.
By the time he ended the call, I realized that we’d been on the phone for a whole forty six minutes and ten seconds. Whoa!
It’s surprisingly easy to start a conversation with Alex and the guy sabi crack jokes no be here.
***
I went to bed with a smile on my face thinking about the new house and all the funny things Alex told me on the phone.
Needless to say that I was officially having a crush on my boss! I was crushing on the almighty pompous Alex Oluwoye!
Fast forward to the weekend where I was just returning from my shopping for kitchen items and some foodstuffs. That was when I met one of my neighbors for the very first time.
His name is Edward and he lives in the flat closest to mine. He’s a typical Lekki top boy driving a fancy red Toyota plus the normal fake designer outfits. Fake life no go kill person.
He seemed nice but the downside of the whole issue is that he’s a playboy and was trying to ask me out on the very first day of seeing me. I simply told him that I have a boyfriend. So annoying!
I brought all the things I bought inside and within minutes, I was already cooking. Thank God for the constantly running generator in the compound, the electric cooker did it’s thing as I made soup, stew and cooked rice refrigerating the unused portions.
Boy! This is the life man!
I turned on the smart TV in the living room and switched to a music channel dancing and jumping up on the cold marble floor which was like some kinda glass.
Before I went to bed that night, I called my mom and told her about the happenings of the week from the time Tina kicked me out, me lodging in the hotel, and my ‘friend’ getting me a house.
First of all, like any typical Nigerian mother, she was annoyed that all these things had happened and I didn’t bother informing her. But overall, she was so overjoyed and now that I have my own place, she could finally come to Lagos and visit anytime she wants.
***
On Monday morning when I arrived at the office, the first person that came to the office was The HR. Her name is Catherine and I remember being told from the jump that she’s Alex’s ex girlfriend.
Ever since I started working for Alex, she’s never showed up here looking for him except on days when the department heads meet in his office.
She’s a tall, beautiful, light skinned chic and she smelled really nice just like person wey dey chop better money. Imagine wetin Baba allow mek im pass am by.
“Good morning ma’am. How may I help you today ma?”I greeted nervously but she was just so calm.
“Morning. I’m looking for Mr Oluwoye.” She said curtly. That’s Alex being called by his surname just to show that she remotely feels nothing for him anymore. Omo!
“Hold on ma let me get in touch with him.” I said as I dialled his office phone and informed him that the HR was outside the door.
He told me to let her in which I did. Within minutes, they came out of the office together and strutted past my cubicle like they were going somewhere important.
It took close to an hour later before Alex returned this time around with that his friend who’s the head of advertising and marketing. They both had tired expressions on their faces like people going through a lot.
Throughout that day, all department heads took turns to come over to Alex’s office and I just assumed that something big was going down.
After all the running around, Alex called me into his office to inform me of the situation on ground.
According to him, the company is currently being dragged by it’s own brand influencers as they’ve not been paid for rendering their services for months now and the brand ambassadors are also threatening to disown the brand.
“Someone is embezzling money at the center and we need to find out ASAP.” Alex said running his fingers through his thick beards as he continued narrating the story.
“So how do we find out who’s behind it?” I asked cluelessly as I was lost staring at how his lips moved while he spoke as they were partly covered by his beards.
“We have to follow the money. Which is why I won’t be in the office for the rest of the week. I need to go to the headquarters tomorrow and attend the meeting with the influencers and ambassadors just so we can figure out a way to calm them down. Plus, I’ve got to take a look at the audit report myself.” He concluded and started swivelling in his chair with such confidence.
“So what will I be doing here these few days?”
“You’re my backup. You’ll keep an eye on everything and everyone here while I’m gone. Plus, I’ll be buzzing you every now and then if I need anything.” He responded and I inwardly rolled my eyes at him.
Here I was, wishing that he’d tell me to stay at home and relax till he returns to town. Mtchew!
But come to think of it, I’ll miss him oh! But why would I miss him na? Even though he’s now a nicer human being, he’s still very pompous. How can I be missing him? Is he my boyfriend or what? I quickly crossed that thought off my mind the moment I realized that he was looking at me so intently.
“Are you okay?” He asked casually and I nodded coming back to my senses.
“So I was saying something. Were you even listening to me?” He queried raising his brows slightly.
“Sorry, I got carried away. What were you saying please?” I inquired shyly rubbing my palms together.
“Wanna go for dinner at Kebari’s?” He asked with a straight face which forced me to say yes without thinking. Wow! Table seventy four here I come again!
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