RESOLVE

Chapter Thirty Eight.

~Author's POV~

The long drive down crystal avenue had almost frustrated Kene into cancelling being present at the board meeting.

He had been fuming irritably at the clustered fleets that barely rolled their tyres till the drivers had put their engines to sleep and made a home out of the main roads.

Brinefield Enterprise and Holdings have not only been a great business partner but has been an immense supporter of Grandeur furnishings. He'd gotten to know them from Emeka's godfather who put him on a partnership with them when he'd come to lagos, confused and helpless.

It's been almost two years of being an errand boy under their charitable and domineering will, and today he was calling on the board members to break off the partnership with them.

What an ungrateful brat he was, he thought to himself.

They had watered Grandeur furnishing and watched him flourish into a prominent business, and this is how he pays them? A broken partnership and an abrupt goodbye? And to make matters worse, showing up late?

What if they requested to make them a conglomerate? Well, that would be a decision he might consider, but he would surely need his independence. He thought to himself

The long rows of the fleet had begun to clear up as the engines awoke from their naps. While he cleared the clouded thoughts assuring himself that it was the second of Independence, he would be taking. First was when he'd left Luxe living at Abuja.

The brisk lady at the reception hall who had introduced herself as the assistant to the manager had given him a brief sanction to arriving late with her sardonic teasing while leading him down the hallway to where the board room was supposed to hold.

The fact that his intentions for appearing in the facility were being accompanied by guilt, the woman who escorted him to unveil his intentions was already giving him the Devil's hint. Even if she had no idea what she was doing.

She had excused herself for a minute and made him stay at the waiting room while she walked into an office that seemed like the boardroom.

He found himself pacing back and forth in the waiting room, fidgeting at his decision, then the door to the manager's office swung open, and the person who came into his sight had made his blood run wild.

"Sarima," he called. Just to be sure that his anxieties haven't created a false figure before him.

Sarima had turned at the mention of her name.

"Kene", she called back, awestricken by the abrupt bumping. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I have a meeting here in about a minute. They're like a partnering company," he responded while being bombarded with flashes of their last physical meeting.

"I see," she remarked. "Big man." She smiled.

"I can say the same for you," he returned teeths in display.

"How's Elsie?" she hadn't meant for the question to pop out like that. Was it her guilt or curiosity to know if Kene had sorted his ravelling sentiments with his sister? Or, probably, she was just trying to be polite. "Sorry, Adaeze?" She tried to correct it.

"She's okay", he replied, eyes drinking in her appearance.

She looked classy and chic and had put on some good weight, he noted as she was clad in black button down jumpsuit.

The assistant buzzed in once again, displaying a sense of urgency greater than when she initially entered the boarding room. "You're needed right now," she whispered loudly, mad that he was prioritising a woman over the people waiting for him.

He raised his index finger in a plea, silently begging her to grant him a few more seconds. Then, with a determined look he hoped would hold steady throughout his detachment speech, he turned to Sarima.

"Look, I know time is limited, but there are important matters we need to discuss."

"Look, Kene..." she began, attempting to dismiss him before he could make any pleas.

"I understand you don't want to involve yourself in any distress. But if you could please wait for me, we can sort this out. The meeting might not last much longer, and I can't make any promises. But please, wait for me."

"We can reschedule. Maybe another day," Sarima muttered, adjusting her handbag on her shoulders.

"No, it has to be today. I can't let it go beyond today."

"Mr. Aniekwe," the assistant called out.

"Promise me you'll wait," he pleaded, desperation evident in his eyes.

"Fine, I'll wait. I promise. You have a board waiting for you," she conceded.

A muffled sigh of relief escaped him, signalling the release of tension in his gut. As he walked into the boardroom with the assistant accompanying him to the manager, another wave of tension began to build once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kene joined Sarima at the company's building café where she had been waiting for him after his meeting. When their eyes met, he wiped away the frown that had been present on his face, indicating that the meeting hadn't gone smoothly.

His quick grin caused her to chuckle. "What are you doing here?" he asked, settling into the seat opposite her.

"Um, Brinefield was one of the sponsors for a program I attended, which just ended. I came here because I was recommended for an interview with the hiring manager for a position in the craft work department," she explained, pursing her lips, fearing that she had shared too much.

"That's really cool. I'm happy for you," he cheered, and she smiled. There was a brief silence, and it seemed like he was lost in his thoughts.

"What about you?" she inquired.

"Oh, yeah," he was brought back to the present. "They've been a sponsor for my business, so I came here to discuss something with them."

She nodded, her eyes scrutinising his handsome face. She couldn't deny that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, and the weight of their last conversation hung in the air like an elephant in the room.

"How have you been?" she asked.

"I've been fine," she responded. They barely exchanged texts anymore, and although she had asked for space, seeing him give her that space somehow hurt, even though she knew it was selfish of her.

"You look good," he complimented, and her heart skipped a beat as it had done many times before.

"Thanks," she smiled. "You mentioned that you wanted to discuss important matters."

He seemed distracted again. "Is there a problem?" she questioned.

He sighed and looked into her eyes. She could only hold his gaze for a few seconds before looking away.

"Can I take you out for dinner?" he asked.

A long silence followed, and she finally mustered the courage to ask the dreaded question. "What about Elsie?"

He remained silent.

The answer became apparent to her from his silence, and she simply gave him a polite smile, masking the hurt she felt.