He just stood there. Handsome, well-built and he had the cutest smile.
‘Get your head in the game Lara’. A voice in my head shouted at me. I didn’t know what to do. My knees merged again. My palms became sweaty. I had so many ‘whys’. And if I traded them for money, I would be a million dollar richer. So much that they wanted to blow me up.
Jack knew me but the way he was calm about it made me even more uneasy. I asked Debby to give me a pen and I absolutely didn’t know why.
‘But you’re holding one in your hand’, she said, pointing at my hand.
‘Oh!’. I said smiling. ‘Really?! That was stupid Lara’. The voice in my head pointed out again.
‘Take a seat Mr. Jack’, Mr. Ifiok said to him. And he went on to say stuff companies say to interviewees.
‘That’s the guy at the elevator’, Deb whispered. ‘He’s even hotter than I saw him a few moments ago’
‘What? Really?’, I said without even looking at Deb. She suddenly noticed and poked me.
‘Young lady, what’s going on? I know that look’.
‘Deb, that’s the reason I was late’.
‘What? No way!’ That’s so unfair. I saw him first’. She gave me that ‘I’m going to cry’ face and I just smiled. ‘Wait a sec. How come I’m just hearing about this now?
‘Because I just knew about it myself this morning’
‘Are you kidding me?’
‘I wish I was Deb. I wish I was’.
‘Are you going to tell me now or should I send you to the electric chair?'
‘After the interview my daughter. After the interview'.
‘And if you leave any detail out, I will deal with you Lara McKing’.
‘Lol. Don’t worry ma’am. I won’t’
‘That’s my Laly. You go girl!’
All the while Debby and I were lost in our little gossip, the board was having a good time with Jack. Some were even laughing. What’s going on here? I handpicked the members of this board myself. Walking on mars was easier than cracking them.
But not Jack. He flowed along with them. I was even enjoying the conversation. Or maybe I thought I was. Although I didn’t quite get everything. Everyone seemed to love him. This was not ordinary. Even Mrs. Idara, ‘The Machine’, was doing something usual. Smiling. This was so wrong. I can’t remember ever seeing this woman smile. Was it some kind of spell? Well, it was really working on them and I was glad about that fact.
I wanted to join the conversation but I had absolutely no idea what they were saying. And I didn’t want to cross the line. Knowing what had earlier transpired that morning between us. And moreover, I was the boss. I should act like one. But with him around, I felt I was not boss enough.
When the second and third person came in, majority of the board were not so pleased and I knew there and then the job was Jack’s. I was so happy that I nearly screamed when the board made a decision and asked for my approval. When I asked why he was chosen, Mr. Ifiok told me he was not just intelligent, he was a people’s person. He not only knew his onions, he knew how to make people around him come alive.
Like a volcano about to explode, I endorsed him. He was asked to start the following week. I wondered if I could survive that long.
After the interview, I told Debby everything.
‘Don’t want you dancing on my grave just yet’.
‘Lol. Don’t worry. I can wait till you’re a hundred’
‘I need to see him Debby’,
‘Put a call through to him then’.
‘I can’t’
‘And why is that?’
‘I don’t know. I feel my whole being yearning for him but yet I can’t just bring myself to accept that fact and do something about it’
‘Yea I know the feeling. Anyway, let me call him up. He’s still in the building’.
'What?! How in the world did you know that?'
'Hello! Nothing goes on in this company without my knowledge girlfriend'
'And you have his number too? How?'
'Believe me you don't wanna know. Now, let me go get him'.
‘You’re such a darling’.
‘Yea yea. I know right!’.
‘What would I do without you?’
‘Don’t flatter me young lady. You owe me. Still haven’t forgotten that purse you brought back from UK. I need it’
‘Come on Debby, not the purse’.
‘It’s the purse or no deal. He’s about leaving. It’s now or never sunshine’
‘Alright! Alright!! You’re an alien from Mars. I hate you’. Debby always knew how to get what she wanted.
‘We come in short supply. And that’s why you can’t get rid of me. And yea, I love you too’. She giggled as she went out the door.
What was I going to say? I’ve always known what to say in every situation. That was how I was trained. But this relationship thing was a new one for me. On a whole new level. I felt empty. I quickly googled ‘What to say to a guy you like’. That was crazy right? What choice did I have?
I received a message on my BBM. It was Debby, ‘Target acquired. Moving to your location’,
‘Roger that’, I replied. My office could be likened to an eskimo’s habitat but my whole body said otherwise.
Message: ‘Out of the elevator. Moving towards your office’
‘May Day! May Day!! Abort! Abort!!’
‘Negative Major. Switch to defensive mood’.
Few seconds later, Debby’s face peeped through the slightly opened door.
‘Should I send him in?’
‘You’re dead Debby’.
‘Yea I know. I’ll do anything for that purse’. She winked and left.
I quickly went to the mirror, checked myself out and added a little make-up. I was acting like a teenager about to have her first date. This wasn’t even a date. I barely even know the guy and he hadn’t even asked me out.
Then suddenly I was in a world I only unlock on special occasions. Can’t remember the last time I came in here but it’s been like forever. I remember once, when I was still a girl. A boy had asked to take me to a birthday party. I can’t remember the boy’s name now but I still remember that I really liked him. I also remember he said something the moment he saw me come out of the house. I can’t really recall what it was but it made no sense to everybody but me.
Few seconds later, a knock on the door. And gently it opened. ‘Debby, you’re responsible’ I muttered.
And he stood there. And all we could do was stare at each other. My smiled felt sheepish. It was like our hearts knew what we were thinking and they were busy communicating.
‘My rainbow!’. He muttered.
My rainbow? Those words sounded familiar. I’ve heard those words before. But where?
Then a knock on the door and Sid walked in. The surprise on his face was something I will never forget. He bore a hole in my head, like he wanted to know why Jack was there. Thank God the ability to read minds wasn't his to command. The scene reminded me of the movie, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. The atmosphere was tensed. You could hear a pin fall to the ground. I waited, silently. I looked at Sid. Sid looked at Jack. Jack looked at me and back at Sid again. Hands on trigger. You could practically touch the uneasiness. Who draws his weapon first? Who pulls the trigger?
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