Make You Mine(Redemption 2) - Episode 17

 

Phillip:

"This better be important." I bark at my worker on the other side of the line. It's Saturday. I should not be thinking of work. I didn't want to leave Cheryl alone there.
"Bad news sir."
"What's wrong?" I ask in a gravelly voice. How bad can things at the office get? I'm about to find out I guess . I take the stairs upstairs to get an ounce of privacy.
"Spill.". I say once I'm out of earshot of Cheryl's family.
"It's Chief Edafe. He's pulling out of our firm."
"What?!"
" He just called and dropped the bomb on me. It's over. We'll have to close the office. He was our last big client."
"F*ck." I mutter.
"It's a major fuck up. Do I need to call the rest of the staffs and inform them. They need to know about this. So they can find another job." 
"Don't. We'll see at the office on Monday. Something might pan out." I know nothing will but I don't want them to panic. I give him little instructions before ending the call.
"Gosh, why!" I rub my aching neck. My boss knew what he was doing when he sent me down here. He should have just fired me

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/make-you-mine-redemption-2

. Now he wants to disgrace me. My phone starts chiming again and I put it to my ear without looking at the caller ID.
"What's wrong again?" My frustrations are evident in my voice and the deep chuckling from the other end of the line isn't helping matters.
"Who's this?" I look down to see it's not a number registered on my phone.
"Not liking it out there in your beloved country?" I don't immediately place the voice but when my brain recognizes it, an unpleasant feeling creeps down my neck.
"Why the f*ck are you calling me?" He's the douchebag who has my position in Nairobi while I try to resurrect a failing company.
"From the sound of your voice, I guess my handwork has reached your ears."
"Your handwork? Chief Edafe?!" He has the guts to chuckle.
"Bingo! You see, I think Nigeria suits you better. I'll advise you find something worth doing early so you don't end up homeless and hungry."
"Bastard!" I growl.
"Nope. You don't get it. This is a competition. Well, it was a competition before you because to easy to win. Sleeping with the senator's wife? Wasn't your best move. And taking the deal to go back to Nigeria. You just buried your career. I just gave it a little push."
"I'm going to climb back to Nairobi Kenya if it's the last thing I do, asshole."
"Yeah, you can't. No firm, and no bride in sight. Let's not meet again, Phillip. Good riddance." I don't get another word in before I hear the click of the call ending on me.
"Bastard!" I yell and slam my palm against the pillow beside me. I'm seething mad! I'm not supposed to be this guy. I had my life under control just a week ago.
"Night not going well for you as well?" I startle at the intrusion and turn around to come face to face with Cheryl's father. I try to plaster a fake smile on but fail miserably.
"You said you work at that rundown stock exchange firm right?" He doesn't seem to be mocking me and it's obvious he heard a few things from my call.
"It's rundown, alright." I mutter under my breath. The older man walks to my side and he leans against the pillow I just bruised my fist against.
"I'll like to invest in some stock." I don't think I hear him right.
"Sir?"
"You love my daughter right?" He asks and I pause.
"I..."
"Nevermind. I'll say it's quite obvious. It's in her eyes. And I think it's in your as well. Or am I mistaken?" He asks. I find myself shaking my head.
"Well, I'm too tired to still be up. I'll have my manager get to you on Monday. Good night young man." He pushes his body off the pillar, leaving me a speechless mess.
"A hundred million Naira should be a good start right?" He asks me. My lips actually tremble.
"What?" I must have misheard. He's not serious.
"I heard the real estate market is the right place to invest in right now." He completely overlooks my question.
"Yes Sir. Real estate in Port Harcourt is booming. We can help you reach out to other states. Like Abuja. That's where the money is at." I rush to say. He listens this time and nods slowly. Is this really happening?
"You won't regret working with us, sir." That's all I have to say. I can't think about the fact that I'm lying to him. This is just business. Business I need. No one will get hurt. This was Cheryl's idea to begin with.
"Don't make me regret it." His face harden at the words before he turns back around and walks away from me.
 Cheryl's father doesn't look back at me and I remain as still as he left me.
 Chattering rise from the floor below, snapping out of my shocked haze and I'm reminded of the dinner I'm supposed to be in.
"Cheryl!" I lightly hit my fist against my head at forgetting the reason I'm really here. What am I doing anyways? I'm not the son-in-law or anything like that. Yet, I'm going to let this man invest with me?
 My eyes catch the group of people as they talk among themselves in somewhat hush tones. I can clearly hear Cheryl's aunt even from up here. I start to take the stairs two at a time as I descend. I can't find Cheryl in their midst. She's the only one not there.
"Where's Cheryl?" I touch the shoulder of one of the younger cousins of Cheryl. He turns to face me then shrugs.
"She's back there."
"You should let her talk to her husband." My eyes snap up to Cheryl's step mom's cold voice.
"He suits her more. Don't be a golddigger and crawl back to.... Hey! I'm not done talking!" I can hear Cheryl's aunt yelling after me back as I turn away from the crowd and walk as fast as I can without breaking out into a run. Her ex husband is here? Cheryl. It takes me a few minutes to get back to the dining room. I stop a few feet from the door to catch my panicking breath just as I hear the harsh sound of flesh hitting flesh. Cheryl?! I feel my heart drop into my stomach. I take the remaining steps to reach the door but someone comes barreling into me. Air is forced out of my lungs and I double over but on reflex, my hands fly out to grab whoever I just walked into for balance. That scent. I lift my head up to come face to face with Cheryl.
"Cher... You're crying. Did..did..did that bastard hit you?! Was that what I heard?! I'm going to kill him." Cheryl doesn't say a word. She staggers back from my stun face and my hand falls off her shoulder.
"Cheryl!!!" The angry bellow from inside the dining make Cheryl visibly shrink.
"I can't." She mutters under her breath before she takes to her heels. I momentarily debate going in there to beat the crap out of that ex of hers but the look in Cheryl's eyes.
"Oh damn this!" I turn on my heels and run after her.
"Cheryl!" I yell after her as I follow her out into the living room and out the door.
"Where are you going?!" I scream at her but she doesn't stop. I stop short outside the door at the pouring rain. It's coming down so hard, I can't see a thing. Did Cheryl run into the rain?! She just got sick last week!
"Cheryl!" I yell into the dark night but only hear my echoing voice. I take a step into the pouring rain just as I hear a wailing voice and I stop. That isn't coming from out in the rain.
"Cheryl?" I step back and look to the right. I can't see anything but I head that way while calling out for her. I walk around the house to the side before I see her crouched form. She's hugging her legs and rocking slightly.
"Cheryl!" I run to her and crouch down beside her, pulling her to my chest.
"Shhhh now. I'm here." I whisper into her hair as sobs shake her body.
"Come on now. Don't cry Bambi." I don't know what this tenderness in my voice is about but I take her face in my hands and pull her face up.

Read " Falling For Innocence " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. She hiccups a few times but both our eyes remain on each other's.
"You're beautiful." I suddenly say, shocking both of us. I don't let my surprise of my words show as I let the pad of my thumbs brush her tears away.
"Kiss me." Cheryl says so silently I barely catch the words. Barely.
"Plea..." I catch the rest of her plea with my lips as I place my lips against hers. There's a sharp intake of breath from one of us. Might be me, but the hot bolt of lightning rushing through my veins right now is intoxicating. It's suppose to be a peck but then Cheryl's hand comes up to wrap around my neck, opening her mouth for me. I can't resist the urge, I let my tongue brush the inside of her mouth and her hand tightens on my neck. Not enough to hurt but it multiplies the feeling a thousand times. I take another tentative brush of my tongue and she moans. I let her control the kiss as she push my head to the side to change the angle of our kiss. Boy, has any kiss felt this good?