***
I stared at him as if he was a strange being from space.
"I don't think I understand what you mean, sir," I stated when I was finally able to speak.
He then patiently repeated what he said that had so shocked me.
"I thought I made myself clear. I want you to have a child for me. A little sibling for Michael so he won't be all alone. An only child," he said calmly as if he was making a mundane observation about the weather.
"Sir, is this joke or what? It's not April yet," I pointed out.
He smiled at that.
"I've never been more serious about something in my life. I've thought carefully about it and I think this is the best solution to the problem," my boss explained.
The whole thing did not just make sense to me. Have a baby for him? Did he want to marry me or what? Was this his indirect way of proposing to me? Had my boss been secretly in love with me all this while and I had no idea? Did he...?
His next words intruded into my thoughts.
"I know this must come as a surprise to you. And I'm sorry if I have been rather blunt over the matter. But as you know, I prefer the direct approach to issues rather than rigmaroling. And you stand to gain a lot you know if you agree to do what I want. We'll work that out later. So, what do you say, Mena, to my proposal?" he asked.
You can go jump in the Lagos lagoon with your crazy proposal, was the first thought that entered my mind.
Then remembering that he was still my boss and I had not got another job yet, I toned down my retort.
"You are right, sir. I'm beyond surprised by your unexpected proposal. I didn't see it coming. It's the strangest proposal I've got in my life," I said, pausing briefly. "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't accept it, much as I would have loved to help. A baby is not something you stroll into a supermarket and purchase. There are certain things involved..." I added.
"Like?" he prompted.
"Love, marriage, commitment. Those things come first before children," I reasoned. Was I in a dream or was I really sitting in a car having this kind of conversation with my boss?
It was surreal.
"You're right. I had all that with my late wife. Hilda meant the world to me but she left me too soon. Much too soon," he stated softly.
He was silent for a while and I wondered if he was thinking about his wife whom he loved so much. I still remember how devastated he was when she died after an operation for fibroids that had gone wrong.
Even now, three years after, he seemed not to have recovered fully enough to move on. To meet another woman and love again as his mother wanted...
"I've done all that and the fact is, I don't have the desire to do it anymore. I have no wish to remarry despite what my mother wants. Michael's wellbeing is my main concern now. I know it's selfish of me to ask you to do this. As a young lady, you'll want to experience all that love, romance and marriage business. Nothing wrong in that. It's part of life," he said.
"But why me, sir? There are so many women out there you could have picked," I pointed out.
"It's obvious, isn't it? Familiarity. I've known you for quite some years now and I understand you. I'll rather have this kind of arrangement with someone I know than a random stranger on the street," he explained.
"Don't take any decision now. Take sometime to think about it, ok? I can wait. And hope this will not cause any awkwardness in our working relationship. Whatever we've discussed this night should stay between us. I trust you to be discreet," he said. Then starting the car, he drove into my street, parking in front of my house.
***
"Mena, is there any problem? You've been so quiet since your return from your Oga's place yesterday. Has that difficult boss of yours been giving you a hard time again?" asked Ronke, my flatmate.
She had just returned from service at her church at Ijesha. I had overslept and missed service and had just lazed around the house all morning.
If only you knew, I thought, turning to her. I had not told her about my boss's proposal yet. I was still trying to let it sink into my mind first, to understand what the whole thing was about.
"Nothing's wrong. I guess I'm just tired after that long journey to Abeokuta yesterday. I prepared some 'jollof' rice, in case you're hungry," I said.
"You bet I am! I didn't have any breakfast and I'm famished," she said, kicking off her shoes and heading for the kitchen...
Another level
I sat in the guest room, staring at the TV, at the action on the screen but my mind was elsewhere.
It wasn't just my mind that was wandering. My heart too was beating so erratically, it felt as if it was about to jump out of my body.
I poured some wine in a glass on the table and took a long gulp of the drink. I needed it to calm my nerves. And prepare my mind for the night ahead.
Whether I was doing the right or not, it was too late to pull out now. In a few minutes, my boss would join me in this room and our relationship would be taken to a whole new level I never dreamed of.
I went to the bathroom to check on my appearance. I wore a short, baby doll nightie with a matching wrap. My hair, still in braids, hung over my back in waves. My lips looked dry so I applied a little lip gloss, smacking my lips to even it out.
Just then, I heard a knock on the bedroom door.
"Come in!" I called out, leaving the bathroom.
My boss walked in. He was dressed in a cream, loose robe like a tunic that reached down to his ankles.
He stared at me for a moment then asked:
"You ok? You need anything? Call Simeon if there's anything you require," he said. Simeon was his houseboy.
"I'm cool," I said.
He sat on the bed, placing his glasses on the side table. I poured out a glass of wine for him.
"Thanks," he said, taking a sip.
As I moved to sit on a chair nearby, he held my hand and drew me to the bed.
"Sit by me or are you shy? How old are you, 16?" he said, his deep-set eyes smiling at me with a hint of mischief in them.
"16? I passed that age like 12 years ago, sir!" I protested.
"I was just kidding. I know your age. But you need to stop," he said.
"What, sir?" I enquired.
"Calling me sir. Especially when we are about to spend the night together. You can call me by my name when we are together like this, and 'sir' in the office. Agreed?" he said.
I nodded.
"Ok."
Maybe it was the wine for I began to feel all warm and languorous. He was close enough for me to smell his deep, musky, masculine scent which I found strangely arousing. So that when he placed his wine glass down and reached for me, I welcomed his embrace as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.
I was lying on my back, my eyes closed and I could feel his fingers tracing the outline of my body from my hip to my belly and up to my breast. Then his fingers were replaced by his warm mouth, his tongue flicking round my nipples, making me gasp.
"Ah, don't stop," I intoned softly, my body arching up to him, to get more of that wonderful feeling coursing through my body...
***
To my surprise, our first night together was not as nerve- wracking as I thought it would be. Ok, it was not a love relationship, we were not in love. But there was at least desire, passion, need. Behind his cool facade, my boss turned out to be a very passionate lover. And considerate too as he ensured my satisfaction too, not just his alone.
It was another side of him I was discovering...
So, what am I doing in bed with my boss after I had earlier turned down his bizarre proposal to me, you might wonder.
Well, certain things happened that influenced my decision which I will talk about later in my story...
Mena's story continues tomorrow. Hope you all had a swell weekend!
Join our facebook page or whatsapp 08065190885 for comments
){kind=link}
0 comments:
Post a Comment