The Moment I Met You (Chapter 441)

By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Meanwhile, at Star Restaurant, Chioma stood behind the counter, calculating something with the calculator. Emeka came over and passed her a warm cup of coffee. Because Emeka had left the report he was writing to make her coffee, she was grateful and accepted the coffee with a thank-you- smile.                                                          

Chioma was still busy with the calculator and appeared to have no intentions of drinking the coffee yet.                                                    

After a few minutes, she put the calculator aside and, as she reached forward to take her cup of tea, she looked at Robert who had just arrived and asked, ‘What’s the matter? Did Michael send you here?’ she looked down and casually took a sip of coffee.                              

Robert drew out a delicate envelope from his briefcase and handed it over to Chioma. ‘President Michael asked me to give you this.’                                                                   

 Chioma took another sip of her coffee before taking the envelope from him. She wiped her hands with a towel and opened it in front of Robert, taking out a beautifully designed invitation, which was for the annual Moon Corporation’s party.                                                                       

Chioma had never had the chance in her life to attend such a big company’s annual party. She had certainly heard about it. For the past two years, she had been with Michael; Moon Corporation didn’t host any annual party. This was because Michael knew that if he was to host the party, Chioma might never come and he didn’t want the party without Chioma in it. It would be boring for him.                                                              

Chioma was aware that those that will be attending would be members of well known, distinguished families. Several companies are not even qualified to attend, and here she was a lowly woman, giving an invitation to attend? She was going to look odd, because she would be the only slummy girl.  

  Robert seemed to understand what she was thinking. He smiled and gently explained to her, ‘Sir Michael wants you to come because the party would be boring without you. He could have brought this invite himself, but he was busy with executive meeting, so asked me to come on his behalf.                                                                                          

‘Thank you,’Chioma held the invitation and said.                                             

Robert continued. ‘And I should probably add, Sir Michael wants your mother, brother and Chisom to attend as well.’ He pulled out three envelopes and placed them on the table. ‘Your clothes for the party will arrive within the week.’ With that, Robert turned and left.                    

                   

Annenberg Hall was a little bit far but the extra minutes of walking and chatting with friends make it much easier. Freshmen have the privilege of taking all of their meals in the hall. After school, during lunch, Catherine would usually wait in the lobby for Celine, so she wouldn’t have to walk in alone.                                                                                         

‘So what will you be having for lunch? Catherine asked Celine as they moved through the salad bar line.                                                         

‘Cottage cheese with peaches,’ Celine replied, shifting her rucksack uncomfortably on her back.

‘It sounds like waiting for your lover under a peach tree,’Catherine laughed. 

 ‘I really love peaches,’ said Celine as she lifted a scoop of her cottage cheese with peaches. She turned to watch Catherine pile vegetables on her plate.                                                                                                

‘Will you be okay with just that?’Catherine glanced at Celine and asked. ‘You can have more.  We pay for all these meals, so I will eat the best I could.Try the canned pears with shredded cheddar.’                                   

‘I am fine.’                                                                                                  

Celine sat at the first half-empty table she came across, nodding to the other people sitting there, she began to eat.                                    

‘Isn’t your boyfriend going to join us for lunch?’ Catherine asked innocently.                                                                                                          

‘He’s going to eat at Adams Hall with his friends,’ replied Celine as she ate a mouthful of her cottage cheese.                                               

Catherine smiled and smoothed her long bangs across her forehead.   She was ravenous, so she lowered her head and ate with no grace. Although Catherine was born in a well-off family, she didn’t care about the table etiquette whenever she was hungry, but would eat gracefully in small bites whenever she wasn’t too hungry.                            

When they were done eating, they headed back to their dorm. Reaching the hallway, which was practically a meet-and-greet, Celine felt that this was what made a dorm alive, the sight of students milling around, talking and laughing, and everyone here seemed to get along well.