Chapter 9 Girl Problems

• The sun was going down, and I was making dinner in the kitchen. I had only been back from the office for an hour, I had spent extra time trying to come up with a solution as I was on a timeline. I had not been able to come up with anything meaningful, yet.
• My best friend Jennifer was in the house with me, she was already at home before I arrived from work; I think it is high time I changed those locks. As much as she was my best friend, it was creepy having her go in and out of my house whenever she pleased, even in my absence. Knowing how mischievous Jennifer can get, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving her with a spare key to my apartment.
• “So are you going to tell me how your first day at work went or what?” Jennifer asked while flipping through the pages of the magazine.
• I scoffed. “Oh, I thought you cared more about the hot men in that magazine. Why do you even read that thing?” I queried, while struggling to pull off the tin cover for the canned fish.
• “Babes, this is the latest magazine on the City’s hottest men. Your man is number four by the way,” she giggled.
• “Ugh!” I groaned as I realized she was speaking of Maxwell Blackwood. Only if these magazines told the other side of the story, most of these so-called city’s most eligible bachelors and hottest men of the year and just disgusting men.
• “Anyway… my first day started off great until I set eyes on that asshole. Can you believe that he instructed me to bring him a homemade lunch tomorrow? As if that was not enough trouble, he assigned me a very delicate company trouble and added a deadline to put me under pressure. That man is a devil in disguise, he is the worst.” I growled inwards.
• Jennifer chuckled, still flipping through the pages. “Isn’t that the beginning of every love story?” she teased.
• “Shut up,” I retorted jokingly and she laughed.
• “Relax girl, I think he is into you or he wouldn’t be bothering you.” she said.
• I laughed sarcastically. “You must think you are funny, he hates me, I know it! I think the only reason he gave me this job was so as to punish me for refusing it in the first place. How am I supposed to find a solution in less than twenty-four hours for the drop in price of such a volatile market? Isn’t that torture?”
• “Hmm…”
• “I mean, it was my first day, he didn’t even let me settle in and he has already put my job at stake. He is putting me under a lot of pressure for no reason. Is that even within company policy? Oh, it is a private company, a sole proprietorship, so what do I expect? He gets to do whatever the fuck he wants and no one questions him.” I rambled on.
• “Hey, can I take your car out for a ride?” Jennifer’s words took me by surprise.
• “Huh?” I muttered and turned to face her with disbelief written all over my face. “Girl, for real? I was just complaining about my boss' issues and you care more about taking the car for a ride? Like seriously!” I voiced my disappointment.
• “Come on, chill girl. Your Boss problems can wait, it will just be for one hour, you know? I will just take it for a spin and back.”
• How did I even meet this girl? She doesn’t think my problems are big of an issue. She is more concerned about going for a ride in my car than solving my problems; a car that I wouldn’t be entitled to anymore if I am to lose this job.
• “Jenny… you know I can't let you take the car, it is company property, not some private car.”
• “Oh don’t give me that crap, it doesn’t have the company name on it. Who is going to know?” Jennifer argued.
• “It is not about who is going to know? This is more about what could go wrong? It is just wrong, Jenny. I am sorry, but I can't do it.”
• “Oh wow… you are only employed for one day and you forget who has been your anchor for the past few years. Life is truly unfair, how people easily forget who was there for them, you wouldn’t even let me ride your car, meanwhile I have shared everything with you. but it is well.” she scoffed.
• “Arghh!!” I growled. Of course, she was going to use emotional blackmail on me. How is any of this fair? She knows the position that I find myself in and yet she does this?
• “Jenny, try to understand. This is beyond my power, I just can't let you drive off with company property.”
• “Why? Do you think I would run with it? You think I am a thief?” she queried.
• “What? Of course not! You are getting this all wrong…”
• “No, I am getting it quite alright. If you want to go for an errand right now, like six blocks from here, would you not go with the car, Anna?” she asked, wearing her angry face which I was very familiar with.
• I sighed, knowing fully well that it was a trick question. “You know what? Fine… you can take it, I don’t really mind.” I said and forced a smile.
• “Yeah!” she cheered as her face brightened up. “Now, that is more like it.” She laughed as she rushed out of the kitchen.
• “Just be careful!” I yelled as she ran out and I think she might have promised to bring it back in one piece. I didn’t hear the rest of her words as she ran out the door in a hurry, in the next few seconds, I heard the car engine sound and I sighed.
• Jennifer was impossible, but she was still my best friend. I might not approve of her lifestyle but she was the only one who had been with me through thick and thin. I just pray she would have a change of character someday and go back to her parents.
• As I was left alone with my dinner on the gas cooker, my mind drifted back to my work crisis. I had quite a list of possible solutions to mitigate the effect of the price drop in the diamond market but I wasn’t confident about any of them. This meant a lot to me because as much as I would be saving my job, I would also be proving my worth to Mr. Blackwood and the company as a whole.
• My thoughts were disrupted by the sound of my ringtone, coming from the living room. I abandoned my dinner on fire and went to check it. Arriving there, I noticed it was a strange number calling. I couldn’t decide if to pick it up or leave it, but to be on the safe side, I chose to answer.
• “Hey Princess…” That voice melted through me immediately.
• Jimmy!!
• To be continued!!