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"Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore."
Lady Gaga
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Jules

I head back to my company after dropping Metisha off. After spending so much time in Margot's house, I don't feel like going back. However, I have a meeting in an hour's time with the board of directors. I swear there are times I think those people live on meetings.

Am I even supposed to complain? This is duty call and I must heed. After all, If I don't have a love life, at least I should have a brimming bank account.

Jeez! I'm beginning to sound too much like Metisha.

I arrive and enter the building. I get to the speed gate and embed my card for authorization. As soon as I pass through the gate, my eyes land on the last person I want to set my eyes on a.k.a my father. He sees me too.

Hands in pockets, he walks towards me with strides so powerful you would have thought he took tutorials. He stops directly in front of me and that is when I recover from the shock seeing him brought.

I know I acted like I had some backbone last week but that was just because I was frustrated. My frustration was my strength, what pushed me to stand my ground and look him in the eye. But right now, there is no frustration or anything else to serve as my force.

In spite of the way I am feeling on the inside, I make a decision not to wear my heart on my sleeves, not to allow him see my fears.

"Father," I greet, my voice neutral.

"Daughter," he replies, in a voice as devoid of emotions as mine. He tilts his head in the direction of the elevator, meaning, I am to follow him. I nod.

This makes me remember those times in college when people thought I was dumb because I never opened my mouth to speak. Whenever I am spoken to, it's either I nod or shake my head or point in a direction or...well, gesture but talk, I would not. It was not until I had met Margot and Metisha that I started using actual words. Some people were surprised, some even thought that maybe some sort of miracle happened to me. And it was all because of this man I call my father.

There were times when I was younger, for a whole week, the only word that was exchanged was 'Good morning, Papa and Mama', 'Good night, Papa and Mama'. Mother, on her part, did nothing to help matters: always in her room, on her knees before the figurine of Virgin Mary, praying for her husband's wellbeing, long life and progress.

There are days I wonder if she ever prays for me too since her husband and only her husband, is her beginning, her middle and her ending.

If only he would love her as much as she loves him...

"You plan on standing there all day?"I look up to see Dad in the elevator. Without thinking, I quickly get in before the elevator door closes. "Your office?" He asks and I nod as he presses the button for the seventh and twenty fifth floor. Wonder what business he has on the seventh floor. It's not like it's any of my business anyway.

"George says it's been long since he last saw you," he says out of nowhere.

I smile at the mention of my godfather. George, unlike my father, is a very easy going man, easy to talk to and kind to a fault. He's the opposite of so many men that I've come across in the business world which is one of the reasons I revere him.

Many a times, I've been looked down upon cause most of them believe that since I am a woman, I am not fit for this world.

There was a time I bagged a fifty million dollar deal that lots of companies had been trying to get. One of the competitors, a male, had said it to my face that no matter how good I am in running a business, nothing will change the fact that I am still supposed to run a home.

Then, I was still naïve and new to this whole C.E.O thing and I only stared at him like a fool, not knowing how to respond. It was Mr. George Roberts that came to my aid, with only a single statement, he sent the bastard away with his tail between his legs. I can't ever forget the words he said that day as he stared the man down: 'No matter what you say, it doesn't change the fact that this woman defeated you and will, without doubt, still defeat you in the nearest future.'

Since that day, he became my hero, someone I look up to, a father figure.

"I've been busy." The words leave my mouth and I begin to question myself. Just why did I respond? It's not like he's interested in whatever his daughter has to say anyway.

"I know."

I whip my head towards him. Did he just admit to the fact he knows that I've been stressed out lately?

Wow! Did my speech of last week perform this wonder?

"You have a dinner date at JULEE by 7:00pm with George and his son, Ralph." The elevator door opens and he steps out. "Dress well," he says as the door closes.

A dinner date with Robert senior and Robert junior?

Dinner with two Roberts!

What an excellent way to end the day!

I dance (figuratively) all the way to the conference room.

****
I'm feeling so exotic
Yeah right now
I'm hotter than the tropics
Take me there...

I sing along with Priyanka Chopra as I get dressed for dinner with the Roberts.

Oh my gosh! I'm feeling so giddy!

And I'm definitely feeling so exotic!

I wiggle a little bit more before sitting on my vanity stool. I do my makeup: Having applied my foundation and concealer, I go for a subtle brown smoky eyes which brings out my black orbs in a not-over-the-top sexy way. Finally, I get to the lipstick part. I look at all my lipstick collections and one colour I have never used before catches my eyes.

RED

The only reason I bought the danger sign colour was because Margot insisted. I have always been a nude girl or, to switch up the look a bit, I go for purple.

But tonight, I feel like doing something different. As the saying goes, Dare to be different.

Gently, with the courage of a child going to school for the first time, I carefully coat my lips with the blood-like substance...

Woah!

Jules, are you sure those bloody, pouty, sexy lips are yours? My subconscious teases and I laugh.

Keenly staring at my lips in my reflection, I shake my head. If Metisha and Margot were here now, I am sure tears of pride would have turned my room into an ocean by now.

I stand up and adjust my red high neck bodycon dress that stops just below my knees and accentuates my small curves. I look at myself in the mirror and smile at my reflection.

Thank God for bodycon dresses. Who would have known I had curves?

I check my hair to make sure no strand is out of place. Satisfied that my high neat bun is, well, neat, I slip my feet into my black six-inch platform pump. Picking up my black sparkly clutch bag, I jut out my butt the way Metisha always does when she's done dressing. Whereas, Metisha looks sexy when she does it since she, unlike me, has an actual ass; a round and perky one at that, I on the other hand, look mighty ridiculous when I try to get my non-existent ass to jiggle the same way.

But, who cares.

If you got it, flaunt it, if you don't got it, flaunt it.

Mindy said so.

Now let's go devour some food and probably, George's son too.

If he's edible enough...

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I wonder if George's son would be edible enough🤔🤔🤔

Anyways, drop your COMMENTS
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And one more thing...
Oh, thank you Holy Spirit, I almost forgot
What colour do y'all go for when going for the exotic look??

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Thanks cupcakes😉