###Chapter 24

Chapter 24



After the phone call with Vanessa, Mama felt so much better than ever.

Celine came to announce that she will go get the groceries.

"I will come with you." Mama said.

"But, you are still not strong Mama." Celine replied.

"I was sick because of my daughter and now that she is okay, I'm fine too, you have done more than enough, let me come with you please." Mama pleaded.

"Okay, fine." Celine replied.

Mama carried her wrapper and they set to leave.



**The company**

Vanessa and Ronaldo arrived so early today, and he decided that she will stay in his office till everyone arrives so she won't be lonely.

Maria also happened to come early and she entered Ronaldo's office, she found him having a chit chat with Vanessa, laughing and having coffee together.

"What is happening here?" Maria asked.

"We were having coffee together, wanna join us?" Ronaldo asked.

"With this thing? Nah I'm good." Maria replied.

"She is Vanessa, not a thing." Ronaldo corrected.

"Whatever, Vanessa, sorry I have to take Ronaldo with me, for the upcoming meeting, I will want him to escort me to the shopping mall, so what can you say about that?" Maria asked, Vanessa laughed.

"What's funny?" Maria asked raising her eyebrows.

"You are funny, everything is funny, you are asking me for permission to take Ronaldo with you, that's funny, what's more funny is that, he isn't gonna come with you." Vanessa said.

"You are joking girl, why won't he come with me?" Maria asked.

"Because he is not your body guard, and my words stand, he is not taking you to shopping, don't you have a boyfriend, call him real quick so he can help you, but Ronaldo here, and it's a No." Vanessa replied.

"How dare you! How the hell did you think you are? A black Miserable Monkey! You have no say, wait and watch me take Ronaldo from this place." Maria yelled.

"Maria, how many times do I have to remind you, No Racist, the fact that you are white doesn't mean you are more beautiful than Vanessa or anyone else, I will have asked you out if that's the case." Ronaldo said.

"What are you trying to say? That you freaking turned me down because I'm not pretty? What a pathetic dumb lie." Maria shouted.

"Why, stop shouting, you might get a heart attack, and I wasn't lying when I said I rejected you because you are not beautiful, inside, you can excuse us." Ronaldo said.

"But what about the shopping?" Maria asked.

"You can go with the company's driver, that's the only help I can give you." Ronaldo answered.

"This is so unbelievable, after getting the contract none of you get, you are still treating me like trash, and you won't believe the risk I fall to just to get this for you." Maria yelled.

"The contract is not Mr me, it's for the CEO and the company, Mr Leonard will visit the company later, just to award you for your hard work, before that, you can allow me to rest." Ronaldo said.

Maria angrily walked to the door, and then faced Vanessa with a wicked grin.

"I know how to take of folks like her." Maria thought before leaving the office with a fresh idea on how to deal with Vanessa.

"That was so close; I thought you will be scared of her." Ronaldo said.

"No, she isn't so scary you know, just bragging and all, you can't break my fingers nor bones." Vanessa replied, they chuckled.

"So are you ready to meet this company's CEO? He is a nice guy." Ronaldo said.

"I don't know what if he sees me as Black." Vanessa asked.

"Trust me he won't, he made that rule himself that talked about Racism, so you have nothing to worry about, he is Young and gentle, just like me." Ronaldo answered.

"You are not gentle." Vanessa glared at him.

The continue having their coffee.

The CEO Leonard arrived and Ronaldo arranged Vanessa to meet him so he can introduce her to him, together they walked to his office and knock.

"Come in." A voice replied.

Vanessa and Ronaldo entered the office.

"Welcome back Mr Leonard, it's has been so long without you visiting." Ronaldo said.

"Mr Ronaldo, why do I have to visit when I already have you to take care of my company for me, and you have been doing well, who knows maybe you might be the CEO one day." Leonard replied.

"Thanks sir, I guess you heard about the investment contract with Martino Enterprise." Ronaldo said.

"Yeah, I saw your Email, that Maria did a wonderful work, she is so clever, didn't know how she managed to convince that grumpy guy but she deserved an award."

Leonard replied.

"You are right, she did an excellent work."

Ronaldo said.

"That's why, I planned a special meeting to praise her in front of everyone later, when everyone arrive, how did you see that?" Leonard asked.

"Cool idea, by the way, I will like you to meet Vanessa, Vanessa, he is my CEO, Leonard." Ronaldo said.

Leonard stood up and shake her Hands staring at her from head to toe, she happened to wore short lemon green gown, which stop below her knee and matched it with black hill shoe.

The look he is giving her made her feel so uncomfortable.

"Vanessa, you are beautiful." Leonard said licking his lips.

"Thanks, thank you Mr Frad." Vanessa said.

"How cute, you even have me a short name." Leonard said.

"That's Vanessa, she always give everyone short names." Ronaldo replied.

Vanessa forced a smile.

"Ronaldo, is she your girlfriend?" Frad asked.

"No, but she is very close to here." Ronaldo replied pointing at his heart.

"That's nice, ehm Vanessa; wanna have lunch with me later?" Frad asked.

Vanessa stared at Ronaldo and his mood change.

"I'm waiting for you beauty, will you have lunch with me later?" Frad asked again.

"I'm sorry sir, maybe some other time; I have already promised Ronaldo we will eat lunch together, as usual, maybe some other time." Vanessa replied.

"Are you sure? I'm gonna take you to a fancy restaurant and you will love it, Ronaldo c'mon talk to your girl." Leonard said.

"I will talk to her, just give me a moment." Ronaldo said and pulled Vanessa to his office.

"Vanessa, why did you say no? I mean, he doesn't mean any harm, he does that with every new worker, male or female, that's just his nature." Ronaldo said.

"Well, that will change this time." Vanessa replied.

"I don't understand." Ronaldo said.

"It's so clear, fine, you don't understand right, I will make you understand, I'm not gonna have any lunch with him, that girl is of no good." Vanessa replied.

"He didn't do anything; it's just a lunch, not a death sentence." Ronaldo said.

"And I said I won't go, is that so hard for you to understand? You didn't saw how he was staring at me and licking his lips like monkey's ass, I don't like that man, I'm even surprise you at okay with me having lunch with another guy, and you don't even care." Vanessa yelled.

"It's just that I don't want him to have a bad expression about you, so he won't fire you, it's his company not mine." Ronaldo said calmly.

"I don't care, not like I want to work in this damn company, I just agreed because of you, and if he fired me, that will be even more fun, but my decision stands, I won't have any lunch with him, not even you." Vanessa said and left to her office, shutting the door hard.



Leonard entered Ronaldo's office.

"So man, have she agreed already?" He asked.

"No she didn't, she is not feeling too well, maybe another time, just as she said."

Ronaldo answered back.

"And you can't force her to?" Frad asked.

"No I can't, because I was trying to persuade her to agree, she said she won't have lunch with any of us, not even me, and that's how she will stay hungry today, if care is not taking, he may refuse to eat dinner." Ronaldo replied.

"That's my problems with Africans, always trying hard to get and stubborn."

Leonard said.

"Don't forget the rule me Leonard, no racisms." Ronaldo said.

"Yeah I know, I'm not been a Racist, just saying facts about them, beside she is so beautiful to get insult by anyone else, just take care of her." Leonard replied.

"Okay, thanks." Ronaldo said.

"The meeting will start in five minutes, have already made the announcement." Frad replied.

"Okay Mr Leonard." Ronaldo said.

"Now that, that girl called me Frad, I loved the Frad more so just call me Frad from now on, its sounds more nice." Frad said.

Ronaldo nod.

He doesn't like anything that is happening here, "what if Mr Leonard is thinking about liking Vanessa, no, that's impossible."

Ronaldo soliloquies.



Sarah's office.

Vanessa entered Sarah's office and saw her typing into the computer, she knock slightly.

"Come on, in, you don't have to knock."

Sarah said.

Vanessa walked into the office.

"Hey, how are you, you look tensed." Sarah asked.

"I want to ask you something please, honest answer." Vanessa replied.

"Sure, ask anything." Sarah said.

"That Leonard, the CEO, does he chase girls, like a womanizer?" Vanessa asked.

Sarah chuckled.

"Why will you ask something like that?"

Sarah asked.

"Jokes aside, I want to know." Vanessa replied.

"Well, no, he didn't, he is a straight forward guy and only focus in business and how to get more profit, he never asked a girl out in this company, some of the girls here wished to go out with him even if for work sake but he prefers to go with men, we even started doubting if he isn't a gay, but he is a cool nice guy, any problem?" Sarah asked.

"No, not at all, I saw him earlier and I decided to know more about him." Vanessa lied.

"Oh, that's cool then." Sarah said.

"I will go and continue planning for the meeting, see you later." Vanessa said.

"Okay, see you later, bye." Sarah replied.

Vanessa walked out of the office.

"Does that means, I'm the first girl he is asking out for lunch? That guy is so strange and scary; I don't even know his intentions." Vanessa thought while walking.

Maria saw her and she knew it's time to take her revenge on Vanessa.

She pours some water on the stairs and hide.

Without knowing, Vanessa climbed the stairs and slip.

She closed her eyes as she felt herself falling down and screamed, but she didn't reach the floor.

She opened her eyes and saw someone she didn't expect, she thought it was Ronaldo who saved her, but no, it's Leonard, he was holding onto her.

"Are you okay?" He asked and she removes herself from his grip.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you for saving me." Vanessa replied.

Ronaldo arrived that instant.

"Vanessa, are you okay, you didn't get hurt right?" He asked checking her all over.

He hugged her, Leonard looks angry, he was the one that saved her, and so he deserved the hug not Ronaldo.

"I was so scared, I thought I was gonna break my legs, where were you?" Vanessa asked.

"I was not close, but all thanks to Mr Frad, thank you for saving my Vanessa sorry, I meant to say, Vanessa." Ronaldo said to me Frad.

"Its fine, I'm glad she is fine, now that you are fine can I get a hug too?" Frad asked.

Its sound strange to her, they just met, so why on Earth will she hug him.

But the look he gave her make her understand that he isn't gonna accept no as an answer.

"Sure, I will." Vanessa said and move forward to him.

Ronaldo turned his face away, as Frad wrapped his arms around her.

She quickly pulled away.

"Thanks for saving me." Vanessa said.