The Moment I Met You (Chapter 419)

By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Chioma arrived Adekunle Enterprise, and she hurriedly went to her office. Charlie was reviewing the documents at his desks when he heard the door pushed open. Immediately he looked up from the documents.                                                                

‘Sir Charlie, I am really sorry and willing to pay fine at the finance Department…’ Chioma apologised.                                                              

‘You didn’t break any rule. You won’t pay any fine at the Finance Department. Besides, anyone would have done what you did. I saw your text and I am glad to have the opportunity to speak with Michael Njemanze.’                                                                 

 Just then, one of the front desk staff brought coffee for Charlie. Placing it before him, she said to Charlie, ‘Sir your coffee.’                                    

‘Thank you, Esther.’

‘You may go back to your desk,’ Charlie said, picking up the coffee to drink.                                                                                                               

Chioma nodded and went to her desk. As she was about settling down, she received a Whatsapp message from Michael.                               

 ‘Have you reached?’                                                                                          

‘Yes,’ Chioma blissfully replied.                                                                           

            

‘Chioma is so scheming. She’s not good looking, nor does she have a good figure. Her dresses are so unfashionable and cheap. I don’t understand what young master Michael likes about her. Even our boss that treats us as his own family, she wants to take undue advantage of his kindness. How could someone come to work so late and still be forgiven,’ Esther said with envy, jealousy and hate.                                            

‘But even so, I heard that Chioma broke up with Michael because she wanted to make her neighbours happy. I might not be able to make such a huge sacrifice,’ another front desk staff interjected.        

‘Really? What a joke! I don’t believe this fiction. Don’t make her sound so kind, it’s usually those women who are innocent on the surface that are scheming. I’ve seen tons of women like that.’                       

After hearing Esther’s words, the other front desk staff started to gossip, but Chioma did not care when she came to collect a file and heard what they said about her.                                                                                   

Just as Chioma was about to leave work, the vice president walked in. He was a young man in his early 30s, dressed in clean blue suit.                   

 ‘Vice President, Mathew.’ Chioma smiled as she stood up.                         

‘Are you free? Let’s have a drink together.’                                        

‘Uh…Sure.’ Chioma did not know how to turn her boss down. So she texted Michael, ‘My honey, I’m going to have dinner with a colleague. I just wanted to inform you because I don’t want to keep anything from you.’                                                                                                        

‘No drinking.’ Michael only texted two words.                                               

‘Okay.’                                                                                                                

Then after work, Mathew drove Chioma in his old Mercedes Benz, to a local restaurant, filled with other diners.                                            

‘Vice President Mathew, is there anything you want to say to me?’                                                                                                                                     

‘No, I just wanted to have dinner with you,’ Mathew said with a smile. ‘I admire you a lot.’                                                                                         

‘What?’ Chioma was shocked.                                                                          

‘I have heard quite a lot about you, but I don’t think you are safe here, especially after the world saw you and Michael holding hands together.’                                                                                                               

 ‘Oh, there is nothing wrong with holding hands with Michael. He doesn’t have Corona Virus.’         

Mathew laughed at her joke. He drank a glass of watermelon juice. Chioma found it difficult to refuse his kind offer, so she drank a glass too.                                                                                                           

‘Chioma, to be honest, a lot of people want to see Jessica and Michael together…’ Mathew slowly said as he stared into Chioma’s eyes.                                    

‘Who said that? Tell me, I promise to beat her to death,’ Chioma chuckled.                                                             

‘Others might be against you and him, but I am not. I am a huge fan of you and Michael’s love story.’                                                                             

‘Really?’ Chioma laughed. ‘But you didn’t bring me flowers and chocolates as most fans would do to their idol.’                                               

  Mathew smiled but didn’t say anything. He took bites of his rice, looked up at Chioma and said, ‘Now that you are back with him, I think you should head back to Abuja.’                                                                           

‘My fan doesn’t want to see me anymore?’ Chioma joked. She was referring to Mathew as her fan.

  ‘How can we be friends, I truly like you.’                                                    

‘Don’t say that, Vice President Mathew.’                                                

‘Just call me Mathew,’ Mathew sincerely said.                                               

Chioma nodded with a smile.                                                                           

When it was time to pay the bill, Chioma wanted to pay, but Mathew reached to pay it. However, Chioma did become friends with him. He was a good person, and being just friends was no crime.                          

It was already 7PM when Chioma arrived home. Andrew was in the living room eating a bowl of akamu lavished with milk. Louisa was still cooking dinner in the kitchen.                                                                         

‘Andrew, I’m back.’                                                                                            

‘Come here.’ Andrew gestured. Chioma smilingly walked towards him and Andrew fed her a spoonful of delicious akamu. ‘Why did you come home a bit late?’                                                                                     

‘My Vice President took me out.’                                                               

‘Why didn’t you tell me before accepting to go out with him?’ Andrew’s expression darkened.                                                                                      

Chioma immediately felt guilty. ‘I’m really sorry.’                                

Andrew finished the last bite of the akamu and looked at her with all seriousness. ‘With everything happening now, you shouldn’t accept any offer like that.’                                                                                               

‘I couldn’t help it today. He asked me nicely. There was no way I could turn him down, and you know that he is one of the executives in the company. If I anger him, I might not get my paycheck. I need it for the Christmas.’                                                                                                         

 ‘Oh, my sister went out with her superior because she doesn’t want to miss her paycheck?’ Andrew asked as he raised a brow.             

Chioma nodded, smiling.                                                                                   

‘Next time, don’t do anything without telling me about it.’                        

‘Okay, big brother.’                                                                                            

‘So, how should I punish you?’ Andrew said softly as he looked at Chioma with a playful smile.                                                                                      

‘Let me have your plate of food tonight,’Chioma said shamelessly.’                                              

  ‘Move away.’                                                       

Chioma turned away laughing. She entered the bedroom, sitting on the chair; she pulled out her phone and texted Michael. ‘I’m back.’                                                                                                                                    

 Michael was reading documents on his laptop in the living room. ‘Did you drink?’ Michael seems not to forget.                                                    

‘Just watermelon juice,’ Chioma replied. ‘I will leave you to rest now. Please, don’t do any work. Just go to bed.’                                                        

  ‘I’ll.’ Michael was on cloud nine.                                                             

‘Good night.’                                                                                             

 ‘Good night.’ Michael smiled as he slammed his laptop shut and headed upstairs to his bedroom.

 

             

Audrey was walking out of a book store with Kimberly; she was so engrossed in talking to Kimberly about how Celine was going to Harvard University with her boyfriend next year. Kimberly happily listened as Audrey talked.                                                                                             

‘What books did you borrow?’ Kimberly glanced at Audrey and asked suddenly as they walked into a convenience store in their school, to buy snacks.                                                                                                         

Audrey waved the four books she was holding in the air and, with laughter, said their titles in her clear, beautiful voice, ‘Gold in the fire, MacAdam’s women, Barefoot to the White House and Chastity’s Angel.’                                                                                                                

 Kimberly giggled with her hand over her mouth. She leaned over to whisper to Audrey, ‘Audrey, you are reading outdated books.’                        

‘But I want to read them, because they seem interesting.’ Audrew smiled and put her books into her handbag. Then she shamelessly said, ‘My boyfriend likes such books.’                                                       

At that moment, the girls who had clearly seen the books could not contain themselves and laughed out loud. Audrey and Kimberly turned around immediately and looked in their direction. Not wanting Audrey and Kimberly know they heard them, they pretended to be busy with their snacks, ‘I will be leaving after our exams to France,’ one of them said.                                        

Audrey didn’t utter any word to the students; she walked over to a table and settled herself on a chair as well as Kimberly. As the chatted, they ate their delicious snacks.