Fawzia shrugged, “I think it was really strange that he didn’t call you as soon as he arrived.”
“I’m sure he was just tired, he must have had jetlag. You know that’s when you have a time difference and …”
“I know what jetlag is!” Fawzia jumped up from the bed, “But it’s been a whole week, surely he would have found a few minutes to call you?”
Her stomach clenched in dread but she gave Fawzia a smile. “He’s probably been settling in. Anyway, in half an hour we will be back together.”
On the matatu ride over to Kevin’s place, she twisted the silver ring that he had put on her finger the day he left for university abroad.
“Maybe I will replace it with a wedding ring one day,” he had teased as his lips met hers, “Promise me you won’t forget about me Imani.”
She had gazed into his soft brown eyes and swore that she would always wait for him. And she had. She had been loyal to Kevin while he had been away and couldn’t wait to pick things up once he got back.
Her hand shook as she knocked on the Donde’s front door. When she and Kevin had been at the university, Imani had been over at their house almost every day. She hadn’t bothered about knocking then; she had been a part of their family. But once Kevin had left, she had found that she didn’t seem that welcome any more at their place. Imani wasn’t destitute or anything, but her family could in no way compare to the wealth of the Dondes’. Kevin’s sister, Carina, always looked down on Imani and snubbed her in public. So she had decided to keep her distance and wait for Kevin to come back. When he proposes to me, then they’ll have no choice but to accept me, she thought dreamily.
There was no response to her feeble knock so she pushed the door slightly open. There was a lot of noise streaming through from the living room. A group of youngsters were gathered around the giant plasma TV set: there was a rugby match going on. The curtains were drawn, the room was full of smoke and empty beer bottles were strewn all over the table. There was no sign of Kevin. Imani wondered how the youngsters dared to smoke in the house. Maybe Mrs Donde was out of town?
Imani walked up to Carina, Kevin’s sister, even though they weren’t exactly the best of friends and cleared her throat, “Hi Carina. Where’s Kevin?”
“Oh … you’re … what’s your name again … Imani, right?” Carina asked, “Well, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see Kevin,” Imani replied, “I’m his girlfriend, remember?”
“Girlfriend?” Carina snickered, “Surely you don’t think your little high school and college fling was serious?”
She looked Imani up and down coldly. It was no secret that snobbish Carina did not approve of her brother, heir to the Donde fortune, being seen with a girl like Imani. She continued snottily, “Oh please, grow up. After all those girls he met in London, you think he still wants you? And he’s seeing someone else, anyway. His new girlfriend has come back with him to Kenya. He doesn’t want to see you.”
“No way!” Imani snapped, “You’re just making things up.”
“He’s been back a week and I haven’t noticed him calling you? And you still think he actually likes you? You really are naive.”
“Kevin would never do that to me. He loves me!” Imani retorted.
“Ok then, go see for yourself.” She pointed in the general direction of the first floor and Imani marched up, her heart thudding.
Imani made her way up the thickly carpeted staircase; the walls were lined with dozens of framed pictures of Kevin’s family at various points in time. Kevin’s room door was closed. She knocked twice before turning the handle and walking in. Kevin crossed the room towards her, but she had barely glanced at him. Her attention was fixed on the girl lying in his bed.
The carefully wrapped watch slipped out of her numb hands and landed on the carpet. She staggered back in shock as the sight before her eyes sank in.
“Imani, wait!” Kevin called out, but she had already fled. Imani was down the stairs and out the door like a bat out of hell. She had not seen Kevin since that day.
***
Present Day – Royal Properties Boardroom
Imani stole a sideways glance at Kevin. Goodness, he was looking good! He had put on some muscle and his hair was cut shorter than Imani remembered. His well-cut suit accentuated his broad shoulders and slim waist. She caught a flash of a gold bracelet on his wrist. She couldn’t believe that this hunky man had once been hers. But that might as well have been in another lifetime.
Kevin looked directly at Imani, his eyes seeing through her in a way no one else could. It unsettled her and she quickly turned away in embarrassment. Her mind was a million miles away. How do I look to him now? Does he see any difference in me?
She looked down at his hands, strong brown hands. Hands that had held hers so many times. Hands that had wiped away her tears when her father died. Hands that had swung her around in celebration when she had passed her exams. Kevin and Imani had shared a bond that had seemed inviolable. They had grown up together, laughed together and studied together. But years later, she had wondered whether she had been the only one to feel this way. Maybe it had all been a game to him.
All the pain she had felt in the last three years seemed to come back to her in that moment. Her heart had been shattered into a million pieces that day and her trust destroyed. Imani remembered how it had taken her months to heal emotionally. Her self-confidence had been wrecked and she had not trusted a man ever since. And now, just when she had moved on in life, Kevin decided to make a re-appearance. She was tempted to walk out of the boardroom. She wanted nothing to do with this man, personally or professionally. But then she remembered that her job was on the line. If I want to keep my job, and I must keep my job, then I guess I have to do this. She furiously blinked back the tears that were threatening to form and took a deep breath.
“And now I would like you to hear proposals from two of our agents, Imani Ayuma and Mike Njau,” Mr Shutu beamed at Kevin as though he was giving him a present. “Who would like to begin?” he asked, turning to both Imani and Mike.
“Mike, you first?” he added, after a moment’s silence.
Mike was out of his seat in a flash, making his way to the front of the room. Imani’s heart sank. She knew the person who presented first had a major advantage. Shouldn’t Mike at least have had the courtesy to ask her if she would have liked to go first? But of course, this was business. And a competition. It would be silly of him to refuse a boss’s suggestion for a girl he’s gone out with a few times. It’s not fair of me to expect that from him … still, she knew it was a blow to her proposal.
Kevin leaned forward and fixed his eyes on Mike. Imani dragged herself away from all thoughts about Kevin and concentrated on the presentation. It was important that she keep her focus. She would not lose her job because of Kevin. As Mike began, she opened her own notes and systematically crossed out each of her well thought-out points one by one as Mike listed the identical points.
Is it that great minds think alike or am I missing something? His points are identical to mine! Surely it can’t be coincidence. Had Mr Shutu emailed her presentation to Mike? He was the only person she had shared it with. And was that why he had suggested Mike go first? The thoughts disturbed her, though it seemed such an unlikely scenario. If Mr Shutu had wanted to retain Mike, he could just have sacked her!
But she had no time to debate the matter; there was a more pressing concern at hand. Her stomach cramped as Mike began to conclude his pitch. He hadn’t left her with a single proposal to put forward.
I can’t repeat the same ideas without sounding like an idiot. So what the hell am I going to say? I have to come up with something and it has to be fast.
Kevin nodded as Mike sat down. “Very impressive, Mike. You have some good ideas and I look forward to seeing how the market r
esponds.”
Mr Shutu rubbed his hands with glee. “And now we will hear from Imani, I am sure you will be equally impressed with her.”
I’m not sure about that, Imani thought, feeling more disoriented than ever.
Imani walked to the front of the room, feeling like a snowman in the sun, and with faked confidence, she placed the now-useless notes in front of her. Everyone looked at her expectantly and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. The boardroom was silent; the only noise was the cacophony of sounds from the Bus Terminal outside.
Should she feign illness and excuse herself? Excuses and protests ran through her mind and she knew she was losing it.
As she stood there, fumbling, she felt something rise up inside her. It took her a second to recognise that it was anger. Anger at Mike for somehow upstaging her, anger at Kevin for hurting her and anger at Mr Shutu for putting her in this cut-throat competition. The anger gave way to a steely determination. I’m not going to let them defeat me. I am going to show them all.
“I think we should have a party!” The words were out of her mouth before Imani knew what she was saying.
Mr Shutu’s eyebrows shot up. Kevin leaned back in his chair and stared. Mike’s jaw dropped and he looked like he thought she’d gone crazy.
“The run of the mill ideas, such as newspaper adverts and taking part in home expos are fine.” She glanced in Mike’s direction, to see that he was listening intently. “But that’s what everyone always does and it’s not going to make Acacia Park stand out from all the hundreds of other apartments on the market.” Imani stood up straighter as she warmed to her theme. “We need something different and innovative,” she looked directly at Kevin and spoke confidently, “So I propose we do a fabulous launch party, we invite prospective buyers from our database and give them a special deal if they sign up at the launch.”
Imani looked down at her papers, not sure of what their reaction would be. Oh please, let me not have blown it, she thought desperately. There was a moment of deafening silence, broken by the sound of Kevin scraping back his chair as he stood up. Imani looked at him, but she couldn’t read the expression on his face.
“Bravo! I love the idea, make it happen.” He turned to Mr Shutu, “I think I have heard enough, I am happy to make Royal Properties my sole selling agent. Send me the paperwork.”
Imani couldn’t believe it. They had passed the first test. She exhaled in relief and thanked her stars that she had managed to salvage the situation. Now there was still a chance that she could retain her job. Kevin made his way out of the boardroom but not before giving Imani a lingering look, which she couldn’t quite figure out. She glared at him in response. The sight of him filled her with anger, and she was still furious at him. But she couldn’t help noticing the way her heart raced when she met his eyes. Her reaction annoyed her and she was glad she had not made a fool of herself in front of him. After all, she thought, I’m now a professional woman, not some college kid.
“Well done both of you!” Mr Shutu exclaimed, “The meeting went off really well and we landed the client.” But before any of them could breathe, he added, “But the competition isn’t over yet. Only one of you can stay. And that one will be the person who sells more apartments.”
As if we could forget, Imani thought. Trust Mr Shutu to ruin a happy moment.
Just then, he knitted his brows together and looked at her. “But Imani, I didn’t understand this database you were talking about. I wasn’t aware that we even have a database.”
“Oh, I have kept the details of each client that I have met who hasn’t purchased a home for one reason or another, especially when I know they have the potential to do so. I have noted their preferences and their budget.” Imani couldn’t keep the slight touch of pride out of her voice; she wanted Mr Shutu to acknowledge how resourceful she was.
But it was Mike who spoke up. “You are a star!” he said smiling broadly, “I think we should go out for lunch to celebrate.”
Mr Shutu shuttled rapidly away at the mention of ‘lunch’, probably worried that they would ask him or the firm to pay. Mike and Imani were left alone in the room.
Imani felt suddenly awkward. Just when it seemed like things were heating up between her and Mike, Mr Shutu had sprung this crazy competition on them. Now Kevin. She wondered whether Mike was now looking at her as a competitor or whether he wouldn’t let that come between them.
He took a step closer and she felt a shiver of excitement. Mike pulled her close to him and cupped her chin in his hands. “You were really hot up there,” he said, moving his face closer to hers, “Beauty with brains. I like …”
“Mike, I …”
“Shh …” he whispered, brushing his lips against hers, catching her off-guard, “You need to stop worrying about this work thing.”
Before she could reply, he pulled her even closer and kissed her. At first hesitantly, but when she didn’t resist, his kiss grew more urgent. It took several minutes before he finally pulled away, still holding her close. Imani was breathless, surprised by how easily she fit into his embrace, still feeling the warmth of his lips on hers.
“I think I have …” His words were abruptly cut off when Linda opened the door.
“Ohhh, sorry,” she said, looking anything but, “I didn’t know there was anyone still in here!”
Yeah right, Imani thought. As though two people in this small office had simply disappeared into thin air. Imani was sure she had done it on purpose, probably hoping to sniff out some more gossip. Nothing was as exciting as an office affair, at least not to a busybody like Linda. Or maybe she wanted to find out what they were doing in there. The girl never left Mike alone; she must really be smitten.
“I’d better go, as I am disturbing you,” Linda smirked, obviously glad she had interrupted whatever was going on.
“We are finished here Linda,” Imani said quickly, pushing past her to walk out the door. She needed some space to think and was actually grateful for the interruption.
Imani was still a bit bothered by how Mr Shutu had given Mike an advantage, although she had no way of proving it. In fact, Mike probably didn’t even know those were her points. Mr Shutu had probably shared them, passing them off as his own. She shook her head; she was probably over-analysing what was just a coincidence. This competition was not helping. She wondered whether falling in love with Mike was a good idea under these circumstances.
Most worrying though, was why being near Kevin was so disquieting, yet she knew she was totally over him. So why was she even thinking about him when she had Mike with her?
It was time for some expert advice.
CHAPTER THREE
“No way!” Fawzia looked at Imani with her jaw wide open. “Out of all the people in the world he is your new client!” Her brow furrowed. “Do you think it’s just a coincidence that Kevin came to your firm or was it planned?”
Imani stared at her. “That never occurred to me! What would he want with me after all this time? No, it has to be a coincidence.”
For a moment, Imani considered the possibility. Maybe he was hoping he could mess up my life once again. Because he sure as hell isn’t interested in me; He proved that three years back. No way am I going to let him destroy me again.
“So how does he look?”
“Actually he looks really good,” Imani admitted reluctantly, embarrassed that she had even paid attention.
“Better looking than Mike?” she asked slyly. Fawzia had been raving about Mike ever since she had caught a glimpse of him once at her office and was convinced Imani needed to stop being so cautious about relationships. She had been urging Imani to mingle and date for the longest time.
“Fawzia, Mike is great. But this competition is really spoiling things. Only one of us can stay on the job. So it’s either I lose him or I lose my job!”<
br />
“Why are you assuming you have to lose him? This competition is not your fault; I’m sure he knows that!”
“But he could lose his job!”
“How’s he taking it?”
“He’s acting as if everything is normal. In fact, he doesn’t act as if he’s concerned about it at all!”
Fawzia shook her head. “I think you are being paranoid, Imani,” she said, “He’s probably mature enough to differentiate between the two and not let this competition affect your relationship.”
“Yes, but …” Imani looked at her friend. She thought about mentioning that he had presented ideas that were similar to hers, but knew Fawzia would again brush it off as paranoia. Even she was quite sure it was some bizarre coincidence. This competition has really put me on edge, Imani thought, I’m seeing shapes and shadows everywhere.
“You always think the worst of people, you should give him a chance,” Fawzia said as she got up and walked over to Imani’s cupboard.
“You have absolutely nothing to wear to this launch,” she stated, “I am going to fix you up with my ‘dress lady’.”
“Fawzia, you know I’m not a dress-up kind of person. You will not get me into one of your fancy dresses!”
Imani's Dilemma (Drumbeats Romance) Page 2