******

August, 2014

Beautiful, and weird was the only thought that crossed Nina's mind when she saw the representative woman ushered into the office. She choose Chris office for the meeting and was seated in his Chair when she entered.

Nina perused her from head to toe, she hated how the other woman acted oblivious of her beauty like a plain wall flower.  She also had a sanctimonious, holier than thou attitude.

Chris liked her. He didn't even know it yet, so she was going to find out how much he did and what exactly he liked about the plain woman. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.

The way he defended her during last nights call was weird and it hurt Nina much more than he knew. He always defended her and only her like that. Since Christina and David, he has had only Nina defended only her and loved only her.

"Hello Miss, your guest is here." The new secretary called out gently.

"Alright. Send her in," Nina answered with a clipped smile and swivelled on the black leather chair.

To pretend to be busy she tapped absentmindedly on the computer. Chris had all his tables designed in such a way that the desktop was in a slightly slanted underlay built into the table. Instead of the desktop to be on the table it was inside. This way the kinks associated with bending your head down to stare at a table all day was eliminated. The table helped you maintained a straight back while using your device. It had a glass topping with black painted edges.

Does she even know who Chris is?She thought for a split second

He never showed it, but Chris was rich although from a rich home his wealth was made with his sweat and blood. After running away from home at the age of 14, then making it abroad.

Chris owned his company, with almost 4billion US dollars in net worth. He was good looking and  kind, he was every woman's dream. He was Nina's every dream.

"May I sit?" Pamela asked gently and politely. Nina glued her head to the screen so she could act like she didn't notice when Pamela entered.

Nina noticed that the other woman looked slightly put off  not finding Chris here and liked that.

Nina flipped her straight pixie cut wig from her face and motioned to the chair, "Please do".

"Welcome to CHANCE corporations," she continued, drumming her brightly painted orange nails on the table.

"Thank you. I am here to sign a transfer of shares deal," she replied in that silky voice of hers, meeting Nina's icy glare heads on.

Nina could faintly detect an American accent and the way she acted so graceful. Face so blank and peaceful almost like she didn't see her as a threat which irritated her more. She was going to wipe that smug look off her face when she sees the new deal.

Chris was giving her eighteen percent which was double what her shares deserved. Nina couldn't understand why Chris didn't just buy the shares rather than exchanging them with new shares. This once she thought he was thinking with his male member and not his brain.

The tacky lady was trading thirty percent of a low life company for CHANCE, the highest she should have gotten was ten percent. Luckily for her ten percent was stated in the legal document she had prepared.

"Here," Nina handed her a file with sheaves of papers for her to sign.

Pamela scanned through the document, and Nina studied her. Her eyebrows were bunched up in confusion, "This is way below what we agreed on yesterday."

"Darling, I am the lawyer and this is what is rightfully yours,"Nina retorted a gleeful smile on her cold face.

"Firstly, please don't call me darling." Instantly hating how  derogatory the word sounded from this lawyer lady's mouth.

"Secondly, Is this a joke?" Pamela asked, the pitch of her voice raised a notch higher.

"Do you see any of my canines out for fun?" Nina snapped rudely.

Pamela chuckled dryly the said "okay, lemme set something straight. Whatever point you are trying to prove don't bother, it is going to be a wasted effort. If your CEO made a deal, and he is reneging on it last minute, it also means his word means nothing. I am signing eighteen percent or nothing."

Nina made to answer before Pamela cut her off.

"Oh, and you need to acquire my shares before you can merge or I will sue you and your CEO's damn ass for fraud." She finished her statement angrily and pushed back the folder towards the Nina.

"With which funds if I may ask? take a look around you darling, we are deep pockets." Nina laughed and waved her hands in the air to prove her point.

"Maybe I can match it up, maybe not. But one thing is sure, I am no coward. At the very least I don't hide behind a woman's skirt to change a deal I already agreed on. Enjoy your day miss lawyer, I'll be in touch." Pamela made sure to  bang the door behind her.

"Oh sweetie I will enjoy it, bring it on baby" Nina replied to her retreating back.  She was juiced and ready, anything for Chris.

In the court there she was queen. Finishing magna cum laude from Harvard law was no joke, and this tardy old Lady isn't about to know what hit her.

A big smile graced her face, she was so ready.

*******
Pamela

All through the drive down here, I was praying not to have an uncomfortable encounter with MR CEO and heavens must have answered my prayers partly because they put me with his girlfriend instead. I didn't get the CEO but I had an uncomfortable meeting quite alright.

Disappointment singed in my veins as I called the driver back to take me home, straight to Ibadan.

The sun was already hot, beating merciless at eleven in the morning. Beads of sweat coated my brows and rolled into my eyes as I walked out of the building complex.

Thank God, I talked my self out of putting on makeup on my face, it would have been so messed up now.

I kept hissing over and over. I should have just sat in one of their relaxation spots in the compound than hanging myself out to dry in the sun. If I had stayed one second more on their property, I might have lost it. Now I felt so foolish standing in the sun waiting for the driver but my stubborn pride wouldn't let me walk back into that building.

Luckily for me I didn't have to wait long before the driver pulled up.

I was so foolish for thinking he was better than that especially when I didn't know him. Which was a shame because he looked like a decent person.

But he already told you he wasn't, quite repeatedly. Why are you so eager to label him good?

I hissed loudly in the car, "Subconscious is a bitch". It was loud enough that the driver sent a worried glance my way.

The driver was looking at me weirdly. He was probably thinking I was mad or possessed with all the soliloquy I had going on.

I closed that train of thought and decided to call him. When he called me this morning, I was on my way in. I ended the call rudely because there was a tone in his voice, that sounded gruff and almost vulnerable. But after today I am sure that man was pure Ice.

After two missed calls, I still didn't give up trying to reach him. He was probably too much of a coward to pick the call anywhere. "Pick up will you," I whispered after the third ring.

Changing the deal to give me the shorter end after giving me his word, all because of maybe last night, showed the kind of person he was.

That ice lady though, what a nerve! She opened her mouth and called me darling, like I needed any form of endearment from her. The way she called me darling made my skin crawl, almost as if I was stuck watching that documentary again on how bees made honey.

Just when I thought, I was done with this shares issue, uncomfortable situations and honey brown eyes this happened.

********

After I ate a large serving of Semovita and efo riro(vegetable soup), a Yoruba delicacy from my mum which I stepped down with chilled orange juice, I took a warm shower and trudged to bed.

I was so tired from the journey, the traffic, and the emotional roller coaster ride. My black extra large Tee shirt acting as my nightwear had the inscription 'bold and black' on it.

I got under the cover and whispered,"father forgive me all my sins, I cover my night rest in Jesus name amen". Some days I forgot the prayer part, the days I remembered the prayers were so short almost like a practised statement than an heartfelt prayer. 

"I will do better tomorrow." I yawned and adjusted the pillow, drawing the covers to my chin and pulling my teddy bear closer.

At twenty five, I still had a teddy bear? Yes, don't judge okay.

I moved off to dreamless land, the place where pure bliss exists and the ever acting imaginations of your mind was cut off. Oh that sweet land! And then I heard it far away, my phone ringing.

"Its false Pamela Temitope Williams go back to sleep" I muttered sleepily.

Second ring came along, then third and fourth. It didn't sound so false any longer.

"Who_wants_to_receive_fresh_curse_ with_a likkle bit of madness?" I muttered incoherently, jumbling all the words together.

Without checking who was calling, I picked it up.

"Hello, it is me" the voice said. I know that voice, it was Mr ice, Pervert, coward CEO.

"Who is me?" I asked irritated even though I knew.  "What do you want this time?" A loud hiss followed my statement.

"Erhm" he stammered gently almost like he didn't know what to say, "I am checking to see how the deal went from you, and apologise for the late reply in the morning. Why are you being so hostile towards me you ended the call in the morning now you are biting my head off. You called me also remember." frustration creeping into that silky drawl of his.

The entire events of the day coupled with his time of returning the call just set me off. "Are you for real. Are you really fucking for real?" I shouted.

"Language Temitope, Please mind your language" Chris replied.

"I will speak to you anyhow I please, respect is earned and reciprocal in nature. Agreeing to give me eighteen percent and then making a deal with ten percent written on it, is just pure bad faith. But, not having the guts to tell me to my face but sending your lawyer baby to tell me herself speaks cowardice. Now you're calling me at almost ten expecting flowers and respect." I was shouting now.

"What are you talking about, I'm confused" he said.

"Of course you are confused, your spokeswoman is unavailable. Let me enlighten you in plain terms it would be a cold day in hell before I sign over those shares to you at ten percent. At this point I will sell those shares out to another company, preferably your biggest competitors not caring if I get less. As long as I derived the satisfaction that you lost your merger and I won't have anything to do with you and all that is yours." This time I whipped off the covers and bit the last words out slowly. 

"Enough!" Mr CEO shouted in return, "I don't really get what the rant is about but no one threatens me, not even you sweet cheeks. So,in the mean time do as you please okay. But remember who you are dealing with. You are a representative for Mr Andrews and he owns Four other shares in different places. I will tank those shares by suing each company for things which they have done but Nigerians have overlooked because I have the means to," he said harshly.

All of this just made me dislike him even more, "you will do all that just to prove a point right? That you have money and you can, not minding the life of others this will affect, all to threaten me into submission?" I asked for clarity.

"Oh, but sweet cheeks I don't threaten I give promises, which I make do on" he gave a sadistic chuckle after he spoke.

There is something about the both of them making threats and using terms of endearment. It was downright stupid instead of making them look like they had the upper hand.

"When you address me, you either use my name or don't speak to me. I am not sweet cheeks or sweet anything. And also, go to hell, your word means nothing to me!" I screamed not minding how childish it made me look or sound.

The other line was quiet probably not expecting the magnitude of my outburst. Then in one of the calmest yet deadliest voice ever, he said: "I have been there, right to hell and back."

A click sound was the next thing I heard, letting me know he ended the call.

*************
Ahn ahn pamela temitope Williams fiery much, cool it down na😁😀😂😍.

Nina madam Harvard law. How market na😯😁😀😁?

Please comment, vote and share guys.

Love,
Orex.