Never Matter is the true love story of a thirty-five-year-old lady who found love in the least expected place …. with her boss. Doubts, distance and difference in social and family status set in, but love they say always prevails.
Let me officially welcome you to a new inspiring weekly penvoice blog series of ‘Never Matter’ which is a partnership content with Life of a Woman Naija TV.
Never Matter is solely to inspire you. Welcome!
Blog Series: Never Matter
It was raining heavily by the time the two business goons stepped out into the drive path of the tech giant company. The time was 4:20pm. They both had no idea time had been far spent. Their meeting was intense and detailed. They only had a 45minutes lunch break after which they had returned to the conference room with the TECH~Sort executives to continue with working out the details of their partnership after the contract was signed.
Betty thought her boss was amazing with the way he had broker the deal. He had almost all of them by the balls when the other team thought they could cut more percentage for themselves until both parties came to a fair agreement. If she could be truthful, she was overly impressed. No wonder GlodiTech kept breaking new grounds. Because it had even a greater Chief Executive Officer.
Demilade was glad everything went according to how he had planned it. Even though he almost lost focus at some point just when his eyes directed at his worker. It was okay as he was quickly able to bring himself back into the room. He noticed he wasn’t the only one who had lost it by her mere sight. Two of the men from their counterpart wouldn’t stop staring at her. They found themselves drawn to her. Somewhere inside of him, he felt a pang of jealousy. And the beauty of the situation was that she had no idea the effect she had on all of them…. Including her boss.
He had called his driver to pick them up from where they were standing. They needed to start moving when it was still pouring heavily. Everyone in the city of Lagos knew what usually came after rain…..double heavy traffic. If they waited a little longer for it to subside before proceeding to go, they would get stuck for even more hours. He suddenly became concerned how she would get home.
“How are you going home?” he found himself asking.
“uhm…I will order a cab sir when we get to your Hotel.” Betty said solemnly. She was tired. She wished she had a superpower that could land her straight on her bed without having to go through the journey.
“Why don’t you spend the night at the hotel.” He said more a statement than a question. “ I’ll get you a room. That way you can rest and then leave the next day.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose sir….” She tried to object even though the offer was more than tempting.
“It’s nothing…unless of course you have someone waiting for you at home that you have to get back to.” He stated casually.
“I have no one waiting for me sir. I just didn’t….”
“Then it’s settled.” He interjected. “Don’t worry, it’s on the company’s card. So you have nothing to worry about,” He smiled.
The driver pulled in front of BlookStar Hotel and they both rushed inside trying to avoid getting soaked. He asked her to sit at the lobby while he went to make arrangements for her room. He was filling up a mini form when he suddenly heard someone called his name.
“Ademi! Ademi!!”
He knew the voice too well to know who it was. It was only one person who called him that. He turned to find his mother sitting in the far end of the dinning area of the hotel with a magazine in hand waving at him. There was no point asking himself how she knew where he was staying. Kamoru had told her. He waved back with a smile. His gaze directed to where Betty was waiting for him. It was a different direction to where his mother was. Thank God. He immediately collected the extra key card and walked towards Betty. “Here’s yours. You can go ahead. I still have something to attend to down here.”
“Thank you sir.” She received her card with her room number boldly written on it and walked to the elevator.
Demilade took a deep breath before approaching his mother. He should have known that she was up to something when she was earlier inquiring about when he was getting back to his hotel. “Mother, what are you doing here?” he asked as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek before taking a seat opposite her.
“I needed to see you. It’s been a while.” She responded as she brushed her palm through his hairy jaw.
“You should have told me to come over.”
“And would you have?” Her son was quiet for a moment. “I thought as much.”
“But how did you get here in this heavy downpour?” He took a sip from the cup of ice tea in front of his mother.
“I drove. It wasn’t raining when I got here. Don’t worry, Kamoru will drive me back.” She reached into her purse and brought out a beautifully designed white envelope. “I brought this for you. It’s this Saturday. I’d like you to stay and attend.” She finished as she smiled sheepishly.
“Mother, you said there was something important that you’ll like to tell me.”
“Yes. And this is it.” She said pointing to the envelope.
“You know I don’t like going for parties. I don’t even have the time.” He argued.
“This period Ademi….make time. Because Chantelle will be there.”
“I don’t even like the girl mum.” He stated disgustingly. “She’s pompous and she thinks people should worship the ground she walks on. You know me too well mother to think I’ll fall for someone like that.” He put aside the envelope.
“But you have not even fallen for anyone.” She put the envelope back in front of him. “Just attend this event. For me. Please. Even if you won’t attend any other event again. Come for this one and strike a friendship with Chantelle. Please my love.” She pleaded subtly.
Demilade felt his mum knew just how to arm twist him. He agreed to attend the wedding. Even if he was to show himself and left five minutes after. He would attend.
Chantelle wasn’t a lady he liked hanging around. The circle of the rich was sure…. circle sort, so they always knew each other either through parents, business or school. But in this case, he had met Chantelle at his mother’s 58th birthday bash two years. And he had made a mistake by agreeing to go on a date with her after both their mothers had recommended it. Chantelle had complained all through the two and a half hours of wine and dine. Either the food wasn’t tasty enough, or the restaurant definitely wasn’t 5 star enough. She even had a thing or two to say about the way the waiter walked, stood and served. Demilade couldn’t wait for the evening to end. And when it eventually did, he vowed never to put himself through such torture again. But this time, at least he wanted to make his mother happy.
He would just sit on the table without having to actually talk to her. The music would be too loud for them to have a meaningful conversation. Saturday was just two days away. That meant extra time in Lagos. He could scout around for a designer’s outlet to purchase extra native attire for the occasion. That shouldn’t be too hard to find on the island.
Blog Series: Never Matter
Ajoke had left the hotel a happy mother. Mission accomplished. All that was left to do was to ensure her son and Chantelle were placed on the same table. That wouldn’t be a difficult thing to achieve. The mother of the bride was her personal person. She would call her to ensure that happened. A mother would do anything for the happiness of her son. Her friend who was a senator’s wife would understand that. At least Ajoke knew so well the stunt her friend pulled to ensure the marriage to the son of the industrialist was finally happening. If she was going to do the same thing to make her son settle down……settle down with Chantelle, she wouldn’t mind.
Betty’s room was everything she envisioned it to be. Cozy, warm and exquisite. Her heart silently said a prayer for her boss for suggesting she stayed. She didn’t know how she could have coped with the traffic home. She looked outside through the thick curtain, it was still raining heavily. All she needed right now was a warm shower then she would order in and have a feast in front of the television. One of her favorite things to do in the whole world.
The meeting was great and she thought her boss was even greater. The way he had negotiated his percentage, along with his presentation. He was absolutely a genius. She concluded. At some point, she had stopped listening to what he was saying while she just stared at his lips. She had to jack herself back to reality to focus on the meeting in case she needed to contribute.
Blog Series: Never Matter
Truth be told, Mr Martin was gorgeous. The type of man she liked to date. Confident, in-control and at the same time simple. If she didn’t know better, she had said her boss was checking her out at some point. But who was she kidding? A man like Demilade Martin would have been grasped by the claws of a…if not some women. It could even be one of them that he had to meet downstairs when he waved at someone in the lobby.
Yes, she knew the CEO wasn’t yet married thanks to some gist that had circulated around GlodiTech since when she joined but such man-candy as she liked to refer to handsome men should not or could never be available in the ‘single and searching’ market. But really, he’s damn too ‘hawt’ that in the hours that she had been around him, it seemed to be that she could only smell his cologne whether he was or wasn’t around her. A man with his type of body could make her throw caution to the wind. Snap out of it woman! She cautioned herself. She stepped out of the shower damping her soaked body with a fresh white towel she saw on the hanger when the land line on the bedside table began to ring.
“Hello?” She answered.
“Have you had anything to eat yet?” The thick voice of Demilade sank into her ears.
“Uhmm…no sir. I just wanted to freshen up before doing that.” She responded by balancing herself properly on the bed.
Blog Series: Never Matter
“You mind coming downstairs for that then? I may have ordered too much for only me,” seriously? That’s the best you could come up with? He thought to himself.
“I’m sorry sir. I’m afraid I can’t. I dropped my dress for laundry earlier. I have the intention of going to the office tomorrow from here.” She said softly.
There was some quick moment of silence from the other end. Then she heard him say, “I’m coming up!”