The Search for Mr Right (E1 – E12)

E7 - The Search For Mr. Right: Deuces

“Sir, you asked for me?”

“Yes, I did. Please come in.”

As I walked into the office, all I wanted to do was launch an attack on his smug face, and scratch it until he bleeds out. But I was not an animal, and I had bougie amala to look forward to. I doubt if it would still be regarded as bougie if I eat it in a jail cell.

“Sit down, please.”

Please? Never ever have I heard that word leave this man’s mouth, especially directed towards me. Did someone die? I guess he really saw the confusion in my face, and so, he chuckled and said, “Lauretta, please sit.”

Was I actually getting fired this time? Maybe he contacted the board of directors, presented his case, and had them approve the termination of my employment. I wouldn’t put it past him. Because why else would he be looking so peaceful, and almost, happy. A week ago, sitting down with him all alone in his cozy office would have meant the world to me, and sent shivers down my spine, but at that point, all I could think about was Adam who was waiting for me down the hall. How quickly things could change, how unstable my feelings could be.

“You must be wondering why I called you here.”

Duh. “Yes, sir. Your text seemed urgent.”

“Yeah. Sorry for the tone of the text. I had to make sure you would come immediately.”

Get to the point! “Oh, alright sir. Do you need anything?”

“Yes, actually. I need your forgiveness.”

Okay, what? “Sir?”

“Your forgiveness. I mean, I want to apologize for what happened in the boardroom, during the group meeting. And also for how I treated you after the whole laptop saga. It was really unprofessional of me, and you didn’t deserve such treatment. I’m truly sorry.”

I never thought I would see this day come. Mr. Samson? Apologize? Pigs must be flying then. I was quiet for so long, that he felt I didn’t accept his apology, and so he continued, “What I did was totally uncalled for, especially in the presence of your colleagues. I take responsibility for my actions, and I just hope we can let bygones be bygones.”

“It’s fine, sir. I totally understand.” Maybe he’s scared for his job. He probably thinks I would tell my uncle what he did and ask that he be fired. If only he knew that we weren’t that close. Not even close at all. “I forgive you sir and thank you for the apology. It really means a lot.”

“That’s a relief.” He truly looked relieved, like my forgiveness had meant something to him.

I checked my time and realized that lunch would soon be over, and Adam is still waiting. I didn’t have to be in this office a moment longer. “Sir, would that be all?”

“Uh, yes.” He looked a bit disappointed by my question, but being a master at putting up appearances, the look was gone the moment it came. “Yes, yes. Thank you so much. You can go back to work now. Sorry for taking your time.”

A lot of sorrys and pleases flying around. He must be dying or something. I would have asked but that would have led to a conversation I wasn’t interested in having. I was at the door, ready to step out to freedom when I heard him call out to me.

“Uh, Lauretta.”

This man must be possessed. “Sir,” I replied through gritted teeth.

“I would really like it if we could continue this conversation some other time. Maybe over some light food, and a movie. Would you mind?”

Uhh, what?!

…

Hi there. I’m here again. The unrepentant spinster. Laugh with me, please. My life is a circus right now. Just two weeks ago, I was complaining about having the most boring romantic life on this side of the world. Now, I have two men fighting over me. Well, they are not exactly fighting. They haven’t even met. They don’t even know they both exist, but you get the drift. I choose to believe they are fighting over me, but that’s not the point.

Mr. Samson, who has insisted that I now refer to him as Sam (cue unbelievably evil laughter), asked me out on a date to discuss his ‘apology.’ Who discusses an apology? Well, nobody but my vile supervisor. Adam, on the other hand just continues to be the beautiful human he always was from the beginning. Sweet, charming, attentive, plus he feeds me all the time. I checked the scale the other day, and I’ve added 3kg! Courtesy of the bougie amala Adam has been pumping into my system every day for the past two weeks.

By the time I got to Adam that afternoon, lunch was already over. He waited for me for an hour, while Mr. Samson was ‘apologizing.’ I felt so bad that he missed lunch because of me, and I wanted to punch my supervisor all over again.

“Adam! I’m so sorry. I had no idea it would take so long.” I said the minute I saw him, standing all alone at the end of the hall. “I thought it would be a quick briefing or something. You must be very hungry.”

“You robbed me of my amala this afternoon. I don’t think I could ever forgive you, Lauretta. This is a line nobody should cross.” He said in fake annoyance.

“You better go for movie auditions. You are wasting your God-given talent in this company. I’m really sorry though.”

“It’s fine o. You can stop apologizing. By the way, when did you and your supervisor get this chummy? You didn’t update me.”

“I’m as shocked as you are o. He called me to apologize.”

“Apologise? For one hour? That’s one hell of an apology.”

“Can we just leave this place?” He obliged, and we walked back to my office together.

“Fine girl. Since you deprived me of lunch, the least you could do is offer dinner.”

I turned to him with a smile, and I caught him smiling too, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Dinner?”

“Yeah. You know what dinner is right?”

I rolled my eyes at him and was about to tell him I would love to when I remembered there was a problem.

“Argh. Adam, I just remembered. I’m having dinner with Mr. Samson, and I already agreed to it. I had no idea you would want to go for dinner, I would have given him an excuse or something.”

“You’re going to dinner with Samson?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? I thought you hated him.”

“Hate is a strong word. He’s not exactly my favorite person in the world right now, but that doesn’t mean I hate him. By the way, he said he wants to discuss the incident. I guess one hour wasn’t enough.”

I remember telling you a story about how I used to have guys flock around me, and bend to my every wish. I also told you about how well I learned to handle them. I guess being out of practice for so long left me rusty, and blind to recognize the glint of anger and jealousy that just passed Adam’s face. He hid it with a smile that wasn’t as wide as I knew it could be, and at that moment, I knew I should have stopped talking about Mr. Samson even before I started.

“Well, that’s cool. I’ll see you around then.” And with that, he turned and walked away.

He didn’t even call me ‘fine girl.’ I don’t think anything has hurt me more than that.

This man kept ruining everything.

…

7 pm.

I was at ‘Chop Up,’ the fancy restaurant he had picked for our ‘date’. The place was surprisingly cozy. Looked like a blend of exotic African culture and the bougie West. Like a stuck-up aunty from your father’s side, who would buy you expensive gifts from America, but will never let you put your feet up on her bed when she came over. Two weeks ago, I would have been impressed with his tastes and probably seal our marriage both in heaven and on earth. But at this moment, I couldn’t be bothered. All I wanted to do was talk to Adam, and apologize for standing him up two times in one day, for a man I no longer cared about. I made a mental note to bring Adam here as a peace offering. He would probably order all the pork on the menu, and one bottle of beer. I caught myself smiling at the image of him grinning when a heap of peppered pork is placed before him.

9 pm.

I have run my phone’s battery down from calling this man. Two freaking hours after the supposed ‘apology date’, and I haven’t heard a word from him. To think I was the one that one being apologized to! I willed my temper to be calm because all I wanted to do at that point was send him a strongly worded text message that would leave him gasping for air on a beach. The man actually had the guts to stand me up. After everything he had already put me through, this was really below the belt, and I was livid.

By 9:45 pm, I made my last call of the night, and on the first ring, he picked.

“Hello? Adam, are you free?”

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