Imani's Dilemma (Drumbeats Romance)

by Kalinga, Kiki

  Her smile faltered. “But I just sent you the invitation a few days ago! How is it possible that you have already paid a deposit?”

  “That nice guy from your office came to see us and gave us all the details so we did the sale through him.” Mr Kariuki patted her shoulder as they moved on to greet someone else. Imani felt her stomach churn.

  For a split second the room around her blurred. She leant on a table for support and took a deep breath as she tried to compose herself. That ‘nice guy’ could only be Mike! How had he managed to get to the Kariuki’s? Maybe it was just a coincidence and he happened to know the Kariuki’s independently. But the funny feeling in her stomach wouldn’t go away. Mike wouldn’t have poached her clients … unless he didn’t know that the Kariuki’s were her clients. She had to find him later on and ask about it.

  “Hey Imani, we were wondering where you’ve been this last week,” Samantha, one of her clients and good friends called out.

  “Samantha, hello!” Imani rushed over to her, “What do you mean? I have been around of course – preparing for this evening!” Imani said, waving her arms round the room.

  “It’s awesome!” Samantha enthused, “I was surprised that you hadn’t called me about this first, before your colleague Mike came to my office”

  “Mike came to see you last week?” Imani could not hide her surprise.

  “Oh yes, he said that he was handling this project when I asked him to ask you to call me,” Samantha replied, not aware of the impact her words had on Imani.

  Imani could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead; the smell of the black and white flowers was making her feel nauseous. “So are you going to buy a unit?” Imani tried to make her voice sound cheery.

  “Actually we have managed to put together a consortium of investors, and we have committed to taking four entire clusters of apartments,” Samantha looked at her, “Imani are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

  “I am fine, thanks, sorry I just remembered something I need to do. But congrats Samantha, this is a good project.” Imani hastily made her way out of the room to and into the Ladies. Four clusters: that was a lot of apartments, and Mike had made the sale on all of them. What was going on?

  Imani knew that something was terribly wrong. This was no paranoia. Or simple competition for a job. Mike had not mentioned that he had met Samantha. He obviously knew Samantha was her client, and he hadn’t even brought her in when Samantha had asked for her. Something is going on … Imani thought as she looked at herself in the mirror, no longer feeling as beautiful and confident as before.

  But Mike had no access to her database. How could he have poached her clients? Unless Mr Shutu had once again shared her email with Mike. That had to be the reason. Mike had to be innocent; he would never do that to her. He has no idea how Mr Shutu has been playing us against each other. But that left another question: why would Mr Shutu go to such elaborate lengths to get rid of her? He could just as easily have sacked her before the competition. Something just wasn’t adding up.

  But Imani had to face reality. The longer she stayed locked up in the Ladies, the more she would miss out on selling any units. She would lose her job without even putting up a fight if she didn’t make a move. She fought the emotions that welled up in her. Anger, betrayal, shock and the hopelessness that came with knowing that she had lost. Even if he didn’t know, Mike has still not been fair. He should have at least informed me when Samantha asked about me. Could it be that he was part of this scheme? That he and Mr Shutu were in this together?

  The overly cold air-conditioning in the bathroom made her shiver. Imani took out her lipstick and began to reapply it as she thought about her options. Her hand shook as she held the tube. She took a deep breath and practiced a big smile in the mirror. Perhaps it wasn’t a total lost cause. Maybe, just maybe, she could still try and find some clients that Mike hadn’t got to yet. Her mood lifted ever so slightly when she thought about the new names she had added to her database. Thankfully, she had not shared those with anyone, not even Mr Shutu. She whispered a fervent prayer that her new clients would all turn up for this launch.

  The crowd in the ballroom had increased substantially in the short time that she had been away. The room was now filled to capacity and strains of music enhanced the lively atmosphere. Imani spotted Kevin as soon as she walked in; he stood head and shoulders above most of the crowd and his rich laughter rang out across the room.

  There was a tall, skinny as a stick insect woman standing at his side as he held court with a group of well-dressed people. Just when I thought that this night can’t get worse, Imani thought as she took another deep breath, ready to face her old nemesis. Carina, Kevin’s sister. A woman who hated her simply because she thought that Imani was not wealthy enough and therefore not worthy enough to associate with her and her ilk. Imani remembered how instrumental Carina had been in her break up with Kevin three years ago.

  Before she could change direction, Kevin turned around and looked at her. Their eyes met and Imani felt a faint twinkle of hope just at the sight of him. He looked dashing in his tuxedo, every inch the successful magnate. Imani didn’t think she had ever seen him dressed so formally before. It suited him.

  “Imani you look absolutely ravishing!”

  Imani could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks at his stark admiration.

  Kevin held out his hand to her. “Carina you remember Imani from years ago? I was telling you about her the other day.”

  Carina’s heavily botoxed faced contorted into a mask of horror as she caught sight of Imani, but she managed to compose herself quickly. “Wasn’t your mother working for us? Wasn’t she our cleaner or something?” There was a titter from a simpering man with a moustache who was standing behind Carina, but the conversation ceased amongst the rest of the group as they looked at Imani for her response.

  “Don’t be ridiculous Cari,” Kevin admonished his sister, “Imani used to be my girlfriend.”

  “Oh. Well you had so many, how do you expect anyone to remember them all?” She gave Imani’s dress a scrutinising look and waved her empty glass at Imani. “Get me another scotch on the rocks.”

  “The bar is on your right, Carina. Feel free to serve yourself,” Imani retorted, to the amusement of the group around them.

  Kevin reached out, took the glass away from Carina and placed it on a nearby table.

  “I’ll get you both drinks. What are you having, Imani?” he said, visibly upset by Carina’s behaviour. He gave her a warning look as he sauntered away.

  “Sorry,” Carina drawled, giving Imani a sly smile, “I thought you were working here. You obviously aren’t one of the prospective buyers.” She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “It’s amazing how many imitation designer dresses are available these days.”

  Imani looked at Carina and widened her eyes. “Oh is yours an imitation?” Imani said sweetly, “I’m sure nobody else has noticed!” Carina scowled at her, but Imani didn’t give her a chance to reply.

  “Actually, I am one of the real estate agents handling the sale of the project,” she said, holding her head high, “So, if you’ll excuse me, Carina, I have work to do.”

  “Imani was the one who came up with the idea of the launch and has been instrumental in making sure that the event is a success,” Kevin was back with their drinks. The tone of his voice warmed her heart. Kevin was obviously proud of her!

  There were murmurs of approval from the group and a few of them congratulated Imani on the arrangements. A large man in a tuxedo handed her his card.

  “Are you interested in purchasing a unit?” Imani asked him hopefully.

  The man chuckled, “Not really, but if you are ever looking for a job, I would love to have someone like you on my team.” He shook her hand as he walked away.

  The woman standing next to Iman
i leaned over and said, “That’s Big Al. He’s one of the largest property developers in East Africa.”

  That man must be a prophet, Imani thought, as she put his card in her purse. Imani was sure that her days at Royal Properties were numbered, thanks to Mike and Mr Shutu. The thought brought a fresh wave of anger and she was determined to find him and get an explanation.

  Kevin was surrounded by people; all waiting to speak with him. Imani had a job to do, so putting on her bravest face, she walked away and joined the first group of investors that she came upon. As she worked the room, her worst fears were soon realised: Mike had been ruthless in his thoroughness. He had poached every single prospective buyer on her original list.

  “Imani, you look lovely!”

  “Oh, welcome Mrs Owiti. I am so glad to see you.” Imani felt reprieved. This was one of the potential buyers on her updated list. If her hunch was correct, neither Mr Shutu nor Mike could have poached this client.

  “I hope you have had a chance to view the units?” Imani asked, hoping she would be right.

  “No Imani, I just arrived. Maybe you can show me around; I’m quite interested.”

  Imani felt hopeful as she launched into her sales pitch. She injected as much passion as she could and was relieved when Mrs Owiti finally confirmed that she would take two units.

  In the next two hours, Imani managed to confirm three more sales. All of them were from her new customer list, who had not had any contact with Mike. All the others, the ones from the file which she had shared with Mr Shutu, had been taken by Mike. Not only had he approached her clients, he had actually confirmed the sales before the launch!

  Imani was furious. She couldn’t believe she had been so close to Mike. He was just a lying cheat. All that kindness and helping out had been an act. So he had taken the competition seriously after all. So seriously that he had been willing to cheat and steal her clients to win.

  She was considering confronting the pair of them then and there, when Mr Shutu approached the podium and adjusted the microphone. Mike stood next to him. Mr Shutu cleared his throat as the room slowly became silent.

  “Good evening honoured guests. On behalf of Acacia Park and Royal Properties I would like to invite you to tonight’s launch. I had prepared a speech which highlighted the salient features of this property and I hoped that we would convince many of you to buy into this wonderful project.”

  Mr Shutu paused, held up the papers in this hand and surveyed his now attentive audience.

  “But it seems I don’t need this anymore.” Dramatically, he tore his papers into two and tossed them on the floor. The crowd began to murmur. Mr Shutu held up his hand for silence again. “I don’t need my notes because we have already sold each and every unit in Acacia Park!”

  The entire room erupted in cheers. Imani could see people giving Kevin ‘high fives’. Mr Shutu had his arm around a smirking Mike. Mike looked quickly away when he caught sight of Imani glaring at him.

  So it was over before it had even really begun. Imani had lost the challenge and now would lose her job. The few sales she had made could not outdo the sales Mike had stolen from her. Her anger evaporated and all the fight in her melted away. She just wanted to be alone. Imani pushed her way through the jovial crowd and out of the ballroom. She made a few twists and turns, finally ending up at the outdoor swimming pool.

  Imani stood by the edge of the pool and listened to the sounds of the night. The cicadas and crickets chirruped away obliviously from the nearby trees. There was no one around to see the fat tears spilling from her eyes. She hastily wiped them away. Even in the depths of her misery, she realised that she didn’t want to have mascara stains run onto Emma’s dress. So it had all been for nothing. Her dream evening had turned into a nightmare. Maybe the only good thing out of this was that she now knew what kind of character Mike was. He had not even bothered to speak to her that evening. He seemed indifferent to her misery, and she knew without a doubt that he was guilty. But why had Mr Shutu done all this?

  “Sweetheart, don’t sweat it. The launch was a success.” It was Mike, sliding his arm around her waist.

  “Of course it was. For you,” she retorted, pulling away from him.

  “You, me, what’s the difference? We’re in this together.”

  “Really, Mike? I could be naïve but I’m not stupid.”

  “Imani, really, what’s the big deal?”

  Imani felt her anger rise, “So, stealing my clients is not a big deal? And don’t tell me you didn’t know! Samantha said she asked for me, and that you told her you would handle it! You did all this deliberately.”

  Mike’s gaze changed. Gone was the sympathetic colleague and in came the shrewd competitor. “Love and war, baby. Everything’s fair.”

  “How dare you?” she shouted, “Pretending you liked me, only to stab me in the back. I never thought you would stoop so low to win!”

  “Speaking of stooping low, Imani, you’re in no position to accuse me,” he sneered.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Now you stop pretending. Kevin Donde?”

  “What about him?” she snapped, wondering where he was going with this.

  “I’m not the one sleeping with the property owner to gain favours. I saw those roses on your desk. Dinner tonight?” he mocked, “Please! Look at the lengths you went to!”

  Imani took a step back, stunned by the malice in his tone, as Mike continued talking.

  “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” he smirked, “But I don’t mind. You did what you had to do, I did what I had to do. Fair game. Imani, you know, inspite of all this, I still like you. We can always put it behind us.”

  She looked at him; shocked that a man she had considered getting involved with could be such a lowlife. He seemed to mistake her look for acquiescence and continued, “We had a good thing going. We can always finish what we started.” He took a step closer and ran his finger suggestively down her cheek, as his other hand moved to her lower back.

  Imani was too disgusted even to speak; she just wanted to get away, before she gave in to her murderous rage and shoved Mike into the pool. Without another word, she made her way back to the Ladies, shaking with rage.

  She would not spare Mr Shutu or Mike. I will get them for this, she swore, determined not to let all her work go to waste. She was sure Mike had not even made a single sale of his own. He had probably not even bothered to find his own customers, and had just relied on her database. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. The sound of the door opening jolted her out of her reverie. It was Kevin’s awful sister. In a glance, she took in Imani’s smeared makeup and red eyes.

  Carina stood in front of Imani with a sneer on her face. “Let me do you a favour,” she said, “You should know that Kevin is not really interested in you. He is engaged to someone else.”

  “Carina, I really don’t care about that right now,” Imani snapped, “Just get lost!”

  Imani was more concerned with her next plan of action. Her family relied on her income and she was going to lose her job. She had neither the time nor the patience for Carina’s nasty comments. And anyway, she was sure that this bitchy character was lying to her.

  As though she had read her thoughts, Carina pulled out her phone from her clutch bag. She slid her red talons over the screen a few times and held up the phone for Imani to see. “Look for yourself, if you don’t believe me.”

  Despite herself, Imani glanced into the screen to see a picture of Kevin with his arm around one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen.

  “Her name is Patricia,” Carina pulled the phone away from her, “She is away in Europe at the moment. I guess that Kevin is just amusing himself while she is away.”

  Imani remembered her previous misunderstanding about Kevin; she certainly was not going to make the s
ame mistake twice. That could be his cousin for all I know.

  “So, what’s your point Carina?”

  Carina gave Imani a scathing look. “Do you really think that Kevin wants to end up with someone like you? You are not one of us. You are just a nobody.” She gave Imani a diabolical smile.

  Imani was speechless. She couldn’t figure why Carina despised her so much. Maybe there was something in Imani that made Carina jealous enough to hate her so. Imani had always known that Kevin came from a different world, a world of privilege. She had not grown up wealthy, like Kevin, but they had love and that was enough for Imani. Carina’s remark, compounded with her current feelings of foolishness at trusting Mike made Imani feel as though someone had punched her hard in the stomach. She watched the door close as Carina walked out.

  Imani put her hand on the washbasin to steady herself. Get a grip, Imani, she told herself. Don’t believe her. You need to talk to Kevin. And then she remembered that Kevin had said that he needed to talk to her that evening. Had he wanted to tell her that he was engaged? Had she been foolish to assume that he had not been seeing anyone for the past three years?

  Imani was in no state to face anyone at the party, least of all Kevin. She would call him first thing in the morning. As for Mike and Mr Shutu, she would confront them later. Imani made a furtive exit from the hotel and took the first available cab home.

  As the taxi sped through the deserted streets of Nairobi, Imani thought over the events of the evening. She had put so much effort into making the launch a success. While it had turned out great, she had very little sales to show for it. She would certainly lose her job. Then there was the hateful Carina … what was going on? How much drama could one endure in one night?

  Her cell phone beeped, interrupting her thoughts. It was a text from Kevin. Imani eagerly opened the message.