Tegan 4

 

Photo: from Google

Tegan: Favourite.

Fashion Today was busy this time of the year. Lots of fashion shows came up. New designers also emerged, pushing their brands. The editorial team was busy too, writing and editing and writing. Nothing would be published except the editors and proof readers went through it. No interview of a model, fashion designer or make up artist would be published if the editors and proof readers didn’t go through it. No article on fashion, style or makeup, written by the interns would be published if the editors and proof readers didn’t go through it. 

Dozie could say he was having the time of his life, but then again, he wasn’t. Granted, it was wonderful to see Tegan at work, but that was all he could do. She made all the interns work really hard and he even harder. She didn’t speak to him except to give orders. She made his life a living hell. She was a monster, a beautiful monster. The torture was tolerable cos of the feelings he had for her. Yeah, he had feelings for his boss, big deal. The problem was he didn’t know what to do with them. The lady put up a wall he hadn’t been able to penetrate for months. No lady had been so unwilling to him. He couldn’t believe he even rejected Shade's advances. He hadn’t been interested in any other woman since Tegan walked into his life. Actually, since he walked in on her. What did it matter? He was screwed. He needed to get her out of his mind or get her…

“She’s beautiful, right?” Kunle snapped Dozie out of his thoughts.

He didn’t realize he had been staring at Tegan from across the office. “What are you talking about?” he asked, focusing on the magazine on his desk.

“T-boss, you’ve been staring at her,” Kunle replied.

“I’m not staring at her. I’m reading this magazine.”

“You were staring at her, the same way you always stare at her.”

“I’d say you have been the one staring at me, Kunle. For you to notice who I stare  at.”

Kunle laughed, “guy, you don forget say I be guy too and I know when my fellow guy dey trip for woman.”

“What do you think we could ask Akeredolu in the interview apart from all these questions here?”

 “Change the topic all you want, but it’s not gonna happen.”

“What’s not gonna happen, Kunle?” Dozie asked looking at Kunle.

“You and T-boss. So my advice be say, kill the crush now now.”

“Okay. Let me pretend what you’re saying is true. Why e no go work?”

“Because she be big fish. She be shark and you be plankton. Which kaind stupid question you dey ask so?”

“You never see where plankton dey measure up to shark?”

“That na if the plankton na woman and the shark na man. You wan turn gigolo?”

“Reduce your voice na, Kunle. I’m not going to be a gigolo. Tegan no old na.”

“Oh, oh, you dey even call am Tegan, by her name. You no get respect!”

“Guy wetin na?”

“You wan put your hand inside fire. T-boss na your boss. She no be your mate, literally and figuratively.”

“Speaking of age, how old do you think she is?”

“I no sabi. I don talk my own.”

“What are you boys talking about?” Shade asked, walking up to them and sitting at her cubicle beside Dozie’s.

“Nothing, amebo.” Kunle said, and went back to typing on his computer.

Dozie laughed as Shade rained curses in Yoruba at Kunle. He looked at Tegan again, she was giving some orders to Lola, obviously.  He decided he had to talk to her before he lost his mind. He stood and walked up to her just as she was walking back to her office.

“Hi,” he simply said. She kept walking without glancing at him or saying a word.

That hurt him, but he followed her to her office and shut the door behind him.

“Tegan…”

“Do you have a death wish, Dozie?” Tegan asked him and sat behind her desk.

“Excuse me?”

“You follow me in here, like it’s your office. And call me by the very name I have warned you to stop calling me. I am your boss. You need to get that into your thick skull.”

“I have gotten that into my thick skull these past months. You just distracted me with your beauty today. Well, you do that everyday, but today’s different.”

 She sighed, “get out.”

“Okay, just hear me out.”

“I don’t need to hear what you have to say if it isn’t your pitch for Akeredolu's interview or anything relating to your work.”

“Tegan, for once, please listen to me. I know you are my boss but you’re also a woman I’m seriously attracted to and you’ve tortured me emotionally and physically.”

He saw the stunned look on her face. She didn’t look like she had a response for that so he continued.

“I like you and I just want to get to know you, outside the office. If you could just let me. Let’s go out, anywhere you want.”

She swirled in her seat and pursed her lips, obviously thinking.

“What do you think you can possibly offer me? Hmm? I obviously have everything I could need. So give me one reason why I should go out with you? Where on Earth are you even getting the guts to ask your boss out? I’m appalled.”

“One reason you should go out with me is because you have nothing to lose. If you don’t like the date, you don’t have to go out with me again,” Dozie said,  “and I have those guts cos when I see something valuable, I go for it and also cos I think you kinda like me too.” 

She scoffed at that. 

"You don’t have to say anything now, just think about it. I’ll ask you again on Friday.” With that, he left her alone in her office. It was time to prepare the designer, Akeredolu’s, interview questions.

                                                                                                 ***.  

Tegan left work early that day. It was a Tuesday night. She hadn’t been able to concentrate well after Dozie dropped that bomb on her. The nerve. Again. She had thought she could get rid of her own weird feelings for him by treating him like shit but it only boomeranged. Now he was asking her out. She didn’t need this, she didn’t need any man, much less this one. Having feelings made her vulnerable, she didn’t want to be vulnerable. Even though she wanted to say yes, she knew she had to say no for so many reasons. She needed Taylor now.

“Taylor!” she yelled as soon as she stepped into the house.

“In here,”  called Taylor from the living room. “Are you all right? You look terrible.”

Tegan dumped her bag on the table, took off her Valentino shoes and slumped on the seat Taylor was sitting on. She took the glass of wine Taylor was holding and gulped greedily.

“Sure, help yourself,” Taylor said, perusing her sister. “Okay, start talking.”

“What makes you think there’s something to talk about?” Tegan rolled her eyes and poured my wine for herself.

“You come in here, screaming my name and take my wine from me. You down the contents and pour more for yourself. Yes, there’s definitely something to talk about.”

“Ughhh! I do feel terrible. Okay, I’ll talk.” Tegan related her encounter with Dozie and poured more wine again.

“Tee, that sounds more like good news to me than bad. You look like you lost your job.”

“Tay, let’s be reasonable here.”

“I am being reasonable. It’s just a date, go out and have fun with him. You clearly like him. And stop drinking. You’re going to get a hangover on a working day.” Taylor took the glass and wine away from Tegan.

“It doesn’t matter if I like him, there are so many reasons why it wouldn’t work,” Tegan said, exasperated, “I am older than he is. I am his boss. He is Cynthia’s younger brother. Cynthia doesn’t like me very much.”

“Okay, let’s leave out the older than him and his boss part out, it doesn’t look like too much of a big  deal if you both talk about it. Now, what’s with you and Cynthia, anyway?” 

“You know what she has against me, Tay.”

Taylor frowned, thinking. In a minute, her face lit up. “Isaac? Isaac still?” She was exasperated. “That was a long time ago.”

“Now you know why I don’t want to go out with her little brother.”

“Relax baby. One step at a time,” Taylor said, hugging her, “it’s just one date. Go have fun with him. If he’s asking on Friday maybe he wants to take you out on Saturday.”

“But we’re going shopping for your bridal materials on Saturday,” Tegan said. “And Saturdays are pretty busy this period. You’re lucky this Saturday is free.”

“It’s not a big deal. I can go always go shopping with Emma or Tochi,” Taylor offered.

“Or I can go out on Sunday,” Tegan smiled. “And just be with you that day.”

“That’s my girl,” Taylor kissed Tegan on her cheek. “You’ll be fine.”

“I hope I’ll be.”

                                   ***

The rest of the week went by like a blur. Tegan kept to herself and also didn’t make anyone’s life miserable. Dozie also kept to himself. He didn’t give her hints or drop comments to remind her of his proposal. Friday soon came and Tegan wanted to get it done and over with. She sent for Dozie just before work closed. She felt like an ice queen about to melt.

Dozie knocked on the door of Tegan’s office with a file in his hand. “Here goes nothing,” Tegan muttered to herself before she asked him to come in.

“Lola said you needed this,” Dozie said, handing over the file he was with. “My pitch for Akeredolu’s interview.”

“Yes, thank you,” she took the file from him.

 Dozie was surprised, she never said thank you to him. He turned to leave but stopped when she started talking.

 “Okay, so you asked me to go out with you but I just want to make things clear. It’s not a date, it’s a hangout, two friends or in this scenario, two acquaintances hanging out. Secondly, I don’t want to hear about it in the office. This place is strictly business and it should stay that way. I wouldn’t use the normal line of not mixing business with pleasure, but it is what it is. Thirdly, it just might be a one time thing, just to get you off my case. Lastly, I don’t want your sister to know about this. Are we clear?” she said, finally.

Dozie had been smiling since she started giving her rules. "Crystal. We'll call it whatever you want. It’s a hangout. No one is gonna know about it here. I promise to back off if you don’t have a good time. And, Cynthia won’t know. Can I ask why she shouldn’t know?”

“You want to tell your sister you’re hanging out with an older woman?”

“That’s not the main reason you don’t want her to know. And you’re not old.”

“Do you still want to hang with me or you prefer asking me questions in my office?”

He chuckled. “Right, sorry.  Where do you want to go? What do you like?”

Tegan thought for a while before she said, “I like the movies.”

“The movies it is. When are you free?”

“Sunday afternoon.”

“In that case, I have the permission to call you, right?”

“Duhh, if you don’t call me I’ll sit at home and take ice cream with my sister.”

He laughed at that. “I’ll call you so we can make plans. See you on Sunday.”

He turned to leave and added at the door, “thanks for this,” before he stepped out.

 Outside her office, he muttered a yes to himself and bumped his fist in the air as he walked to his desk. He didn’t think she’d say yes. He had thought of a million ways she would reject him. Her reputation in the office, what people would say if an editor was dating, or in her words, hanging out with an intern. Well, she asked that their hangout be between them, it would be. He had no intention of tarnishing her image. This “hangout” as she called it would stay between them as he promised.

“You look like you just won a lottery,” Shade asked him as soon as he sat down.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You’re grinning from ear to ear. Did T-boss give you an appraisal?”

“What makes you think my high spirits has anything to do with her?”

“News flash,” she rolled her eyes, “you’re coming from her office.”

Dozie had to think back. Yeah, Lola had come by his desk to tell him Tegan wanted to see him. He had to hide his happiness. Shade was the last person that needed to know what made him happy.

“It’s Friday, I’m happy I don’t have to work tomorrow. TGIF baby.”

Shade scoffed and went back to what she was doing.

                                    ***

Sunday came like the speed of light. Dozie had called Tegan the day before and had made plans for their “hangout”. He’d pick her up in an Uber, something she actually hated. As expected from a lady who owned a car. He wasn’t going to take her out in her car, he had let her know. She obliged after a few minutes of arguments and warnings from MTN. They were going to the cinemas at the Ikeja City Mall, Alausa. It was a 5pm movie which he had to settle for, since she didn’t want a late movie. As he dressed in his room, he got nervous. What if she didn’t like the movie? What if she hated this and didn’t want to see him outside the office? What if he bored her to death? What if… 

There were a lot of what ifs and he had to get a grip on himself. He had chosen a dark blue shirt and a pair of black chinos trousers to wear. He slipped his right foot into his Chukka and was tying the lace when he heard the knock on his door.

“Come in,” he said, tying his shoe lace.

Cynthia walked in, a plate, filled with pieces of pineapple and watermelon in her hand. She darted her eyes all over his room. Her brother was not as organized as she was. The purple walls were fine, the floors were clean, but clothes were scattered all over his bed. His wardrobe was ajar, and looked like cats fought in it. He was dressed up and tying his shoe lace.

“Going somewhere?” she asked, eating a piece of pineapple.

“Clearly,” Dozie replied. He finished tying his shoe laces and stood. He went to his mirror to look at himself and brush his hair.

“With a girl?” 

Dozie smirked, “why the interrogation?”

“Of course it’s a girl. Why do I bother asking? You’re always going out with all those small small girls that will be eating the money you don’t have.”

Dozie turned to look at her, but didn’t say anything. He dropped his brush and picked up the bottle of his perfume to wear.

“For some reason, you went through a lot of stress for this particular girl. Your clothes are scattered on your bed. You brushed your hair longer than a minute and you’re using the expensive perfume.” She put a piece of watermelon in her mouth and watched him look at her menacingly. She smiled wickedly.

“Cynthia, what do you want?”

“Ah, nothing oh. I’m just observing.”

Dozie looked at himself in the mirror again. Damn, he was doing everything extra. Of course Cynthia would notice. He had to leave before she’d ask further questions.

“Who’s the lucky girl?” she asked him.

Great! She had to ask that.

“None of your business,” he brushed past her. He opened his door and stepped out.

She followed him down the stairs, laughing.

Mrs. Agu was sitting in the parlor, watching African Magic. She watched her children as they came down the stairs. Her daughter was laughing, probably teasing her son who was frowning. He looked good, but was frowning.

“Chidozie, you look so handsome. Where are you going to?”

“Mama bear, not you too. Since when did where I go to become a thing of interest for you guys?” Dozie said as soon as he got to the parlor.

“Since you’d been fussing over everything the entire weekend,” she laughed, “Cynthia was right, you were going out. It’s a girl, right?”

On the contrary, it wasn’t a girl. It was a woman, a beautiful woman that would skin him alive if he was late.

“See you guys later,” he kissed his mother on her forehead and headed for the door.

“No kiss for me?” Cynthia teased. “Buy something oh.”

Dozie shut the door and massaged his temple. These women wouldn’t kill him. He had to get a place of his own soon. He walked to the Uber and the journey to Tegan’s began.

“Damn girl. You look good!” Taylor said as she examined her sister. She made sure she enunciated every sound in 'good'.

“Of course I look good,” Tegan agreed. She wore a blue jean baggy shorts that stopped a few inches above her knees. She tucked a white Chanel polo, that had a V neck and a butterfly design on it into the shorts. She matched her dressing with a pair of white sketchers. 

“Now who is a smug bastard?” Taylor put her hands on her waist.

Tegan laughed, “sorry, I can’t help it. I’m also trying not to think too much of this.”

“You actually told him this was a hangout?” Taylor asked her, plopping on the bed.

“For the millionth time, yes, I did. To keep things simple.” She brushed her long black wig again. Taylor had fussed over her makeup, so she had nothing to worry about. She did look good. She wore her perfume as Taylor started talking again.

“You told him not to tell his sister.”

“Yes, Tay. I don’t want someone to pour acid on me in a cinemas.”

Taylor laughed. “I don’t think Cynthia is that violent.”

“I don’t know that. I also don’t want to find out.”

“You also made sure the movie was early.”

“I have to work tomorrow,” she wore a necklace with a love pendant. It had matching earrings too. “5 isn’t so early.”

“I give up on you, Tegan,” Taylor collapsed on the bed.

“You can’t give up on me. I’m your—”

She was interrupted by a knock. Definitely a knock on the main door.

Taylor sprung up, “I’ll get it. Just finish up. Finish up. I’m getting it.” She dashed out of the room, heading for the door. 

Tegan picked up her white Yves Saint Laurent hand bag and thought to herself that they needed to install a door bell. She looked at herself in the mirror again before stepping out.

Taylor opened the door and gasped, “Oh, hi.”

“Hi, I’m Dozie,” Dozie said. “I’m here to pick up Tegan.”

“I figured that out already. You look like a snack.” Taylor said.

“Taylor!” Tegan exclaimed from behind her.

Dozie felt his cheeks would have been red if he wasn’t a black man.

Taylor laughed at herself, “I’m sorry, did I say that out loud? Please, come in.”

Dozie stepped in as Taylor continued to watch him like a piece of chicken ready to be devoured.

“I’m Taylor, by the way. The twin sister and the person you should have met the day you brought fabrics here. But fate has a way of doing things. You met Tegan instead. Which is more than great.” Taylor stood beside Tegan and hugged her from the side.

“Errr, I guess so.” Dozie didn’t know what else to say.

“Taylor, you’re engaged.” Tegan said through gritted teeth.

“Oh please, I’m engaged, not blind. If I see something good, I have to acknowledge it,” Taylor replied, looking Dozie over again. “Speaking of engaged, I’m getting married. Dozie, you’re invited. Your sister already knows about it, so you can come with her or alone. How’s she by the way?”

“Err, Cynthia is great. She’s cool—”

“Okay, we're leaving,” Tegan took Dozie’s hand and dragged him out of the house, “bye, Sis.”

“Bye, have fun!” Taylor yelled back.

As they walked to the Uber, Tegan felt embarrassed.

“I’m sorry about my sister, she can be too much,” Tegan said as Dozie opened the car for her. He went around and entered through the other door.

“It’s okay,” he chuckled, “I thought it was cute.”

“Why do you think it was cute?” she asked him. He spoke to the Uber driver about their next location. The trip started before he replied Tegan.

“It’s always cute when a lady thinks I’m hot.”

She rolled her eyes, “smug bastard.”

“At least someone thinks I’m hot. Don’t worry, you're still my favourite.” He paused, perusing her. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she smiled.

“Wow.”

“Wow, what?”

“You took a compliment from me. You actually said thank you. You didn’t argue. I have the right to be surprised.”

“I’m trying to be nice and enjoy myself.”

“That’s good news. And I promise you’ll have a good time with me.” 

She smiled, “I better have a good time. Or I’ll make your life a living hell at work.”

“Now we’re back to normal. Buzz kill.”

“Of course. Anyway, you clean up good too. See, I can give a compliment too.”

He was amused at that, “yes you can. Thanks, Darling. Yeah, it felt good saying that.”

She rolled her eyes and he laughed hard.

The Uber driver kept stealing glances at them through the rear mirror. He smiled to himself. So, the young man was chyking the lady. From what he heard, they were possibly colleagues. The guy looked young and the lady was classy and beautiful. She gave off this boss lady attitude. The guy was cool and talked well during the ride from his own house to the lady’s. He wished him luck with the lady. He hoped they’d have a good time.