Chapter Five

Bukunmi stared at the magnificent company in front of her. She gasped in awe as she couldn't believe her eyes. The place looked bigger and better in reality than in pictures.

She immediately became worried about how she looked like. She adjusted her black pant trousers and made sure her red chiffon shirt was well tucked in and was buttoned properly. Her clothes seemed to be okay, but her torn black faded leather bag whose zip had spoilt, revealing the contents in it ruined the outfit.

She reasoned that the ladies in such a huge company were going to be lavishly dressed and she so desperately didn't want to be looked down on. Her instincts had told her not to take the disgraceful bag with her, but she hadn't heeded to the warning.

As if that wasn't enough, except for how tight her office black shoes were and hurt her feet so much, the heels were also very shaky that she had to walk slowly and calculatedly lest she fell and made herself a laughing stock.

She looked around to see if she could dump the bag anywhere, but unfortunately, she didn't see as everywhere belonged to Welling Fam Heights and she was going to be fined if she left her property there carelessly.

"Madam, please, go in. We don't appreciate it when people just stand here like that, doing nothing," One of the security guards said to her.

She was taken off guard and nodded at his words, muttering "sorry" as she proceeded to go in.

Never in her life had she dreaded going in search of a job, and she wanted to go back, but what was the need of going back when she was already at the venue for the job hunting?

She took slow steps into the building and was awash in total amazement on seeing exactly how the company looked like within. To her, if she had thought the outside was magnificent, the inside was not only magnificent; it was spectacular and mind-blowing.

She didn't see anyone and just looked all over the place, marveling at the artwork put on display and running her fingers along the furniture which were apparently made out of real gold and silver.

She inhaled the scent of the beautiful flowers whose beauty magnified the environment and were pleasing to the eyes.

She heard the sound of people's voices and immediately straightened up, not wanting to give away her naivety or show how impressed she was at the sight she was beholding.

Two women came from the hallway and they were obviously the ones who had been chitchatting.

As soon as Bukunmi saw them, she hid her bag behind her and wore a broad smile. She regretted and cursed under her breath for not pleading with the security guard to keep her bag on her behalf.

One of the women was fair-skinned and was quite taller than she was and was putting on a corporate white skirt, an Ash-coloured shirt with black gladiator heels. She looked intimidating and eyed Bukunmi from head to toe, causing her to shiver.

The other was also fair, but not as fair as the intimidating one and was short. She wore a pink blouse over a pair of Jean trousers and flat black shoes. She wore a smile on her face and looked pleased to see Bukunmi, an act that made the latter immediately take to her.

"Hi. I'm Bukunmi..." She hadn't completed her statement when the intimidating one cut in.

"So, what can I do for you?" She inquired.

Bukunmi cleared her throat. "I came to inquire about the vacancy..."

"What vacancy? My dear, there's no vacancy here," The intimidating one said, interrupting her once more.

"But...but..." Bukunmi stammered.

"But what? Please, leave, before I call the guards to throw you out of here..."

"That's not fair. Calm down, Kate," The friendly one cut in.

"Miss Kate," The intimidating one corrected.

"Whatever. Sweetheart, who told you there was a vacancy here?" The friendly one asked.

"My friend," Bukunmi said, glad someone looked interested in hearing her out.

"Does your friend work here or something?" She asked.

"Umm... I don't really know," She responded.

The lady sighed. "I'm sorry, dear, but unfortunately, there is no vacant space at all. In fact, the workers are way more than the people required to complete any task at all," She said, looking sorry.

Bukunmi was at a loss for words. "But...but he sounded so sure," She said in a low tone.

"He probably heard a rumour or something. Ours is a big fashion industry everyone in Africa and beyond knows about. People say things they don't know about the company every time, so your friend may have thought it was true and was only trying to be of help," She said.

Bukunmi was crestfallen and felt defeated. Things were always different for her, and she felt she ought to have known better than to be unnecessarily optimistic.

"What are you still doing here? Please, go," Kate fired at her harshly, reminding her of her mother.

"I'm... I'm very sorry," She said.

Turning to the other lady, she gave a faint smile. "Thank you for your time," She said.

"You're welcome, dear. My name is Itohan by the way, and here is my complimentary card. Make sure you give me a call, so I can save it and inform you whenever there is a job opening here," The friendly lady said and handed over to her a small complimentary card.

"Don't give her false hope," Kate said with a sneer.

"Take it, dear," Itohan said, ignoring Kate's words and flashing her a stern look.

Forgetting that she was hiding her shameful bag behind her, she collected the card and put it in there, then quickly hid it behind her again on realising they had now seen the bag she had so desperately wanted to hide.

As expected, Kate burst into a fit of laughter and although Itohan struggled to maintain a cool composure, she couldn't stop herself from grinning hard.

Embarrassed and ashamed, Bukunmi began to walk out of the reception while Kate's laughter wafted in the air till the wired telephone began to beep.

"I think boss is calling," Kate said.

Itohan sighed. "He's obviously watching us with his Video Surveillance,"

Kate hissed. "I wonder if he doesn't have anything better to do with his time most times," She said.

"You're lucky he can't hear us," Itohan said and giggled.

"You're the one who'd be in trouble either way. You left your team and came here, you better start leaving," She said, then comported herself and answered the call which was actually from her boss.

"What lady sir? Sir, the one leaving?... Are you sure, sir?" Kate asked, then the line went dead.

She looked extremely confused and doubtful at the words her boss had just spoken.

"What's wrong? What did he say?" Itohan asked.

"Hello, girl!" She tried to call Bukunmi who was already close to the door, ignoring Itohan’s question.

Bukunmi was unable to hear her because her mind was far away as she was pondering over what to do and where next to go since she had been immeasurably embarrassed and disappointed by Welling Fam Heights to the point where she felt like it'd be better off if the ground could open up and swallow her.

As she placed her hand on the door handle, swearing never to step foot in Welling Fam Heights ever again, someone tapped her from behind and she turned around with a gasp unleashed by shock and wonder.

She saw Kate standing there which meant it was she who had tapped her from behind obviously.

"What do you want from me again?" She asked, slightly irritated.

Kate sighed and rolled her eyes. "My boss wants to see you," She said.

"Your boss? What boss?" Bukunmi asked, wondering what they were up to again.

Kate grinded her teeth with disgust, annoyed that she was being forced to be polite to the girl she just didn't like for no specific reason.

"I'm listening," Bukunmi said with her arms crossed, realising through Kate's countenance that she now had the upper hand.

"His name is Tade Wellington, the head manager of this branch, the only son of the owner of Welling Fam Heights, the best fashion industry in the whole of Africa. I've told you all you need to know. Is there anything else you'd like to know, your majesty?" Kate mocked.

Bukunmi scoffed. "Very funny."

Tade Wellington... She knew who he was. He had said her father was his lesson teacher and he took her to a safe place without the rest of his gang knowing, just so her life could be saved.

Could it be that he recognised her and wanted to tell her something? Could it be that she'd find out soon enough about what had transpired that had caused her father to be killed without being shown any mercy?

There was no vacancy, but he had asked to see her. That was suspicious, but he probably had something to say, and she really did want to hear it.

"Where's his office?" Bukunmi asked.

"Fifth floor, office room 26," Kate responded.

Bukunmi nodded her head, acknowledging Kate's statement and proceeded to take the stairs.

"The elevator is just there. Won't that be much more easier? Mr Wellington doesn't like to be kept waiting, and as it, you've already wasted some of his time," Itohan said.

Bukunmi shot her a brief smile in appreciation, then proceeded to use the elevator at the end of the reception.

"You should have let her take the stairs," She heard Kate hiss.

"You don't always have to be so mean," Itohan chided.

"Let me be, please, Miss 'Too good'. I'm sure he just wants to squash her and be on his way as usual," Kate said.

"You think she'd fall for him?" Itohan asked.

"Of course, she will. She seems desperate after all," Kate said.

Bukunmi ignored their gossip and stepped into the elevator then pressed the button, blocking them out of her sight.

She thought carefully about the conversation Kate and Itohan had had. What could they possibly have meant? She didn't really know what was going on, but she desired strongly not to fall for him, since that appeared to be something related to a defeat.

She alighted from the elevator and looked around the place. There were several offices with closed doors and the place looked neat and organised.

She heaved a deep sigh and looked around for the office with the number tag of 26. She walked around, somehow confused for some time, then finally, she saw it.

It was a single room at the far end of the fifth floor and for no reason exactly, it looked quite mysterious. She walked gently to the door after successfully locating it and knocked.

She stood there for a while, pending the time the door will be opened. She sighed after she got no response and tapped gently on the door again, then looked around suspiciously.

What if a trap had been set for her? She tugged at the hem of her shirt, her heart already thumping loudly as a result of fear. Hadn't she made a mistake by coming after all? These people had some hidden secrets and what if he had only recognised her from the CCTV camera and thought it had been useless to let her go the first time, and was hell bent on destroying her presently?

"Come in," She heard a deep drowsy voice say, just as she was about giving up.

Bukunmi contemplated on what to do. What if she was truly in danger? His voice had sounded so sexy that she badly wanted to see the owner of the voice, but she still greatly feared for her life.

The door suddenly opened before her.

If she had thought she could turn around and just leave, that wasn't going to happen anymore, as he stood in the doorway in all his glory.

Bukunmi hiccupped on seeing the incredible man standing before her. Her heart sort of melted as she took in his fine figure. Not only was he 6’2 tall like she had always prayed for her man to be, but he was also richly blessed with full beards that she itched to touch.

He had an impeccable dark skin, neatly cut afro hairstyle, and through his tight-fitting blue shirt, she could tell he had big strong muscles. He was the complete full meal and all she had ever dreamt of.

He waved his hand in her face, but instead of snapping out of her thoughts like he had wanted, she admired his long thin fingers instead and swallowed hard.

He sighed and put his hands in his pockets, then rolled his eyes. He always left a very strong mark in the hearts of so many girls the first time they see him, but he hadn't expected Bukunmi to be like that. He had envisioned her as a strong woman, but her feelings were justified though. It wasn't every time one met a god in a human body, and she was free to gush over him for as long as she wanted.

Bukunmi soon snapped out of it and stared back at him, then swallowed very hard, feeling really stupid and highly embarrassed to the core.

"Umm... Ummm..."

"Please, come in. I'm tired of standing here," He said to her.

She nodded rapidly and followed him in.

His office was extremely huge with several awards deposited on the cream walls. There was a door which she suspected was for the restroom, while the main office was just the usual, except that the furniture was apparently carved from the finest wood and the paintings, drawn by the best artists.

On the table were some files, a laptop and a picture of him, smiling awkwardly.

He sat on the swivel chair in front of the table and motioned for her to sit on one of the random office chairs adjacent to him.

She took in a deep breath and sat down, finalizing in her heart that she was actually sitting in the most comfortable office ever.

"So, do you have any working experience?" He asked.

She shook her head nervously. Every office expected you to have a working experience, but how could you have one when no one will love to employ you except you've worked somewhere similar before?

"Okay. What's your name?" He asked.

"Ibukunoluwami Ketu, you?" She started, then immediately corrected herself. "I'm sorry for asking about your name, it was a mistake," She said.

He chortled. "It's fine. My name is Tade Wellington. By the way, your surname sounds oddly familiar," He said, feigning pretence.

Bukunmi searched her mind on what to tell him. What if he didn't give her the job anymore on finding out her dad used to work for them?

"Umm... A lot of people bear that name," She said, sincerely hoping he didn't catch on to her lie.

He nodded his head in agreement. "True. Moving forward, what is the job of a personal assistant?" He asked.

She blinked rapidly, unsure of what to say and finding his question strange.

"I asked you a question," He said.

"Yeah, yeah. A personal assistant duties, right?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "Umm.. Receiving phone calls, scheduling your meetings, preparing and compiling reports on every team's doings, right?"

"Right. You're missing something though..."

"Umm... Following you everywhere?"

"That, and one more thing."

She looked around nervously, unsure of what to say. Was this a test? What if she failed it? Shoot! She was so close to finally getting a job. What was so wrong with her? Were her village people after her?

She finally gave up. "I don't know sir. What is it, please?" She asked.

"Writing," Tade replied.

She was confused as hell. "Writing?"

"Yes, writing. If there's one thing I hate doing, it's writing speeches and going through presentations. I've been doing that for so long, because I didn't just want to sit idly in the office, but I'm tired of doing that. I just want to sleep all day, eat and drink alcohol. I hate working," Tade disclosed to her.

Bukunmi was taken aback and wondered why he was revealing such to her.

"Kate has always managed my schedules, compiled reports and received calls, but I'm relieving her of those duties. She's a receptionist after all. She'd just answer calls about inquiries, attend to visitors and if there's any issue, relay it to you. You'd be my right hand, understand?"

Bukunmi couldn't believe her ears. "Wait, does this mean I'm getting the job?" She asked gleefully.

"Yeah."

"But... but... You didn't ask to see my CV or even give me a written interview or tell me to come another day," She said, pretty stunned.

He rolled his eyes. "Does that even matter? You've gotten a job finally, so be thankful," He said.

"Finally? How'd you know I've been searching for a job?" Bukunmi asked, half-suspicious.

On noticing his irritation, she laughed it off.

"I'm sorry, thank you very much. When do I begin?" She asked.

"Tomorrow morning at 9am. Your pay will be 200,000 naira per month, and it's likely to increase if you impress me," He said.

She beamed with joy. "Sure, sir. I'll impress you," She told him.

"Call me Tade, not sir, and don't you dare add Mr. to my name, do you understand?" He asked, looking pissed.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, Tade," She responded, even though calling him by his first name sounded so weird to her.

He took out a bundle of naira notes and dropped it on the table.

"What's that for, sir?" She asked.

"Figured you may have transport and feeding issues. That's 20,000 naira for you to manage for this month. Don't thank me, I'll deduct it from your pay at the end of the month," He told her.

She smiled, almost bringing out tears of joy. Now, she didn't have to plead with her mother for transport fare or beg for a free ride like she had done in the morning. It was like her new boss could feel her pain as he knew just how to put a smile on her face.

"I know you don't want me to thank you, but I'm very grateful, sir... Sorry, Tade. Thank you very much," She said.

He acknowledged her thankfulness with a nod. "It's fine. You should run along now since you've got a big day tomorrow. Work begins at 9, Lunch break is by 1 and you'd get off work at 4pm. How does that sound?" He asked.

"It sounds really nice," She said, still smiling.

"Of course, it does. Now, go. It's time for my siesta," He said.

She took the money from the table, kept it in her bag without feeling ashamed for the first time, because she really felt safe around him. She stood up, said goodbye and began walking out of the office.

She didn't know it, but he smiled as he watched her go. All he always wanted was for her to be happy for reasons best known to him, and today, he had made her smile by giving her what she had always desired for.

She pinched her wrist as she left the office, making sure she wasn't dreaming. She wanted to dance nonstop for twenty-four hours in the streets to show how excited she was about finally getting a job.

He hadn't known she'd eventually show up at his office, but desperation won and he hoped she'd see him for who he truly was other than whom she had painted him out to be when they were much younger.

To her, things felt different. He seemed nice and like a wonderful and understanding personality which was so different from how she thought he was. Had he turned a new leaf, or had she been wrong about him all along?

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Much love.