Love on the Menu

by Lerato Matsaneng

  Lebo arrived at the address ten minutes before her meeting. After driving up and down the parallel streets, she had finally found a parking spot close to the Anderson Street building where Molemo’s offices were. She took the lift to the tenth floor.

  The offices of Madumo Construction & Engineering looked like something out of Top Billing magazine. The colours were bright and vibrant, just what Lebo liked. Everything was made of glass, from the walls to the doors to the reception desk.

  Lebo was impressed by the sitting area with the black L-shaped couch and orange-and-red scatter cushions in the corner. She couldn’t help but feel a little jealous that these weren’t her offices.

  She walked to the reception desk. “Hi, I’m Lebo Mokoena. I have a 10am meeting with Dudu Moeketsi,” she told a badly dressed young lady. The receptionist was wearing a pair of brown corduroy pants with a bright-red silk shirt that was so shiny it would hurt anyone’s eyes. Lebo loved bright colours, but this lady was pushing the envelope – she looked really awful, and her badly overdone make-up wasn’t helping much.

  The receptionist could thank her lucky stars that she wasn’t a celebrity, otherwise Lebo would have felt obliged to pull out her notepad and pen and write a fashion police report on her. Thinking about this made her realise once again that she couldn’t wait to leave the world of journalism. She had grown tired of all the judgemental, intrusive reporting and was looking forward to minding her own business, literally and figuratively.

  “Please take a seat, she’ll be right with you,” said the receptionist.

  Shame, the poor thing was actually sweet. Lebo felt guilty about having judged her.

  Dudu walked in a couple of minutes later. She had a very pretty smile and looked a few months pregnant.

  She was wearing a black pantsuit with a white shirt, and a pair of black-and-white heels. Her dreadlocks were tied back and she wore traditional-looking silver studs that matched her white-gold wedding ring.

  “Hi, Lebo, so pleased to meet you. Sorry to keep you waiting.” Dudu held out her hand.

  “Not a problem. Nice to meet you.” Lebo had heeded Molemo’s advice and brought her A game. She was wearing her knee-length, tight-fitting black woollen dress with a pair of dangerously high black heels. She had tied her hair into a bun and wore her timeless pearls. She was secretly hoping to bump into Molemo and wanted to look good in case that happened.

  “Let’s go through here.” Dudu directed Lebo to her office, which looked messy, with boxes stacked in the corner.

  “Please excuse the chaos. I moved into this office just yesterday,” Dudu said, as if she could sense that Lebo was casting about in her mind for a possible explanation for the mess.

  “I understand,” Lebo said.

  Dudu had one hand on her bulging stomach as she tried to sort out her desk.

  “So how far along are you?” Lebo asked Dudu, who looked as if she had fallen into a trance.

  “I’m in my fifth month, and it’s a boy. My husband and I are so excited.” Dudu beamed with pride.

  “Congratulations, I hope he brings you lots of joy,” Lebo said. She herself had never seriously considered motherhood. She liked kids and had been an exemplary older sister to her younger sister and cousins, but motherhood was something she didn’t consider to be part of her immediate future. She first wanted to realise her dreams of owning a successful business.

  As the two women settled down and took out writing pads, Dudu told Lebo that the event planner had pulled out just that morning. The two of them would now have to handle the event by themselves.

  “I’m so sorry to throw you in at the deep end. I know your speciality is catering, but Molemo mentioned that you were also keen on event planning, so I’m hoping you can give it a try on this project. Who knows, it might just be the first of many. And don’t worry, we’ll pay you for both services.” Dudu seemed desperate to keep Lebo on board.

  Lebo was surprised Molemo had remembered that she wanted to expand her business to include event planning. She felt like running to wherever his office was and giving him a big kiss.

  “I’m really sorry about the event planner,” she told Dudu. “I’d love to assist with that aspect, but I do need you to know that it’s not my area of expertise, so I’ll rely greatly on your help.” Lebo felt she was being very professional and was pleased with herself for rising to the challenge.

  “I completely understand and I promise to help you with whatever you need,” Dudu promised. “We’ll pay you a fifty per cent deposit and the balance will be settled after the event.”

  Lebo and her mother had decided they would take whatever they were offered, since this was their first real event and they wanted to see how things operated in the real business world.

  Lebo and Dudu spent the rest of the hour discussing the theme, colours, venue and menu for the event.

  Lebo said she would organise the entertainment. She knew a lot of musicians and comedians who owed her favours for writing fluff pieces on them, and they would be more than willing to do a paid corporate event. She would also handle the decorations and the sound equipment, as well as a host of other event-planning details.

  Dudu would handle the guest list, the order of the programme and all the other logistics from the company’s side.

  The two decided to liaise regularly and discuss their progress, seeing that the event was just three weeks away.

  Dudu reached for her top drawer and pulled out two documents, which she asked Lebo to read and sign. It was a contract, stating that Lebo had agreed to handle the organising and catering for the event. It stated that a further contract would be drawn up, stating the full terms and conditions regarding the nature of their business relationship.

  “I’m really sorry to have to make you sign this,” Dudu explained. “But we can’t afford to have anyone drop us at the last minute like the event planner did. Please don’t worry, it’s a standard contract.”

  Lebo nodded, then went through the contract carefully before signing it. She felt elated, but took care not to show it. She had signed her first contract and was ready to take over the world. She gave Dudu one copy and put the other one in her handbag.

  “I’m looking forward to working with you. Even if it’s for a short while, it’s going to be nice to have a girl on board. You’ll soon notice that this company is a boys’ haven,” Dudu joked.

  “I’m looking forward to making this a great success,” Lebo said. She couldn’t wait to share the good news with her mother. But on her way out, she thought of Molemo and asked Dudu to show her to his office, just to say hi.

  The two women walked through the maze of open-plan cubicles towards the west end of the offices. Dudu told Molemo’s PA that they needed to see him, so the girl made a quick call and led them inside.

  Molemo’s office made it clear that he was the CEO; it was a corner office with a large desk and a panoramic view of the city. He had black suede sofas at one end, with a glass chess set on a mahogany coffee table and a meeting area with a round table and four chairs on the other side of the room. It was all very impressive, and Lebo realised that she had not fully grasped just how powerful this man was.

  While he and she exchanged a special smile, Dudu explained that the women had signed a contract. “I’ll update you fully at our briefing session at three, but now I have another meeting. Pleasure meeting you, Lebo.” Dudu rushed off, closing the large double doors behind her.

  “Looks like your meeting went well,” Molemo said as he got out of his chair and headed toward Lebo, who was still standing in the centre of the office, looking a little lost. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a white shirt and no tie and a silver pocket square. He gave her a long hug and kissed her lips before pulling her towards his desk.

  Lebo pulled away from him. “You can’t do that. Not here. What will people say?” She said, surprised.

  “I’m the boss. I don’t care what they think or say.” Molemo reached for Lebo’s hands, but she pul
led even further away.

  “Seriously, I don’t want people to think I’m sleeping my way to the top. I want to be here based on merit and not because I’m close to you.” Lebo looked at him with a deep frown.

  “But we aren’t sleeping together.” Molemo laughed, but he was clearly impressed with Lebo’s stance on the matter.

  Her voice had grown stern. “This project is important to me and I really want to do well. I want my work to speak for itself. Please respect that.”

  Molemo smiled at this woman who kept intriguing him more and more. “I’m really sorry. We’ll keep our personal life out of the office.”

  She couldn’t resist smiling back at him.

  For a moment it looked as if Molemo was going to hug her again, but then he said, “I’m very impressed with you, Lebo . . . Please tell me about your meeting.”

  “It was fabulous. Thanks for everything, and a special thank you for leaking the info about my event-planning ambitions. I really owe you one.” Lebo beamed with excitement.

  “I know how you can thank me. Come and watch the soccer game at my place tonight.”

  Molemo had a habit of stating his requests, rather than asking them. It made him seem arrogant, and Lebo didn’t know whether to kiss or slap him when he did that.

  He continued nonchalantly, obviously unaware of her thoughts, “I live on the Eagle Canyon Golf Estate in Honeydew. Will you need directions?”

  “No, I know where it is. I’ve been there a couple of times to interview a few celebs. What time? And what should I bring?” Lebo asked.

  “Come at 8pm, and just bring yourself. At 85 Nest Avenue.”

  “Cool, see you then.” Lebo gave him a challenging look and headed for the door.

  She was about to open it when he called her name.

  “Yes?” She turned around slowly.

  “Very sexy body you have there,” he said in his maddeningly arrogant way.

  “I know,” Lebo smiled, and left.

  * * *

  It was 8:30pm when Lebo arrived at Molemo’s house. She would have been there earlier had the security guards at the gate not given her the wrong directions, making her drive around in circles all over the lavish golf estate.

  Lebo adjusted her rear-view mirror to reapply her lip gloss and make sure her hair was still in place. She was wearing the same dress as earlier in the day, but had exchanged her heels for a pair of warm, fluffy sleeper boots. Surprisingly, she felt comfortable enough with Molemo to pull off such an inelegant look.

  She had brought a bottle of red wine and some snacks. Walking towards the door, she took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell.

  “About time, you’re going to miss the game,” Molemo shot at her as he opened the door.

  “You have the manners of a three-year-old, you don’t even greet me,” Lebo reprimanded him as she entered and locked the door behind her.

  Molemo walked upstairs and threw himself on the couch in what looked like the TV room.

  The house was massive and beautiful – the kind of place you see on television and in magazines. Lebo ignored Molemo’s rumblings in the TV room upstairs and took herself on an unguided tour of the house. There weren’t too many rooms, but they were large and spacious. The colours Molemo had chosen were warm and earthy – lots of reds, burnt oranges and browns.

  Downstairs were the kitchen, a dining room, a living room, a study and a single toilet. The study was a smaller version of Molemo’s office, without the sofas and the meeting area. The shelf was stacked with files, a dictionary and old newspapers and business magazines, but no books. Lebo thought to herself that she needed to get him some more books to read, so he could stack them alongside the files on the shelf.

  The dining room had a large mahogany table with eight chairs and a beautiful brown vase with exquisite fresh orchids. There was a smaller adjoining living room, but it had no TV, just a black L-shaped couch and a white Persian rug on the floor.

  Upstairs were three bedrooms and a bathroom; the master bedroom had an en suite bathroom. The bedding was white and clearly expensive. The headrests had the most stylish lamps Lebo had ever seen. There were no curtains, only blinds; they were open, allowing the light of the full moon to stream in and reflect beautifully in the bedroom.

  Lebo saw the Sidney Poitier book she had lent Molemo the night he was at her flat. It was on the side table, with a pencil halfway through the second chapter. She felt proud that he had taken her advice and was reading the book.

  The one spare bedroom had brown bedding and wasn’t all that exciting to look at. It had a golf bag with clubs in the corner. So that’s why he lives on a golf estate, she thought to herself. And the other bedroom was just as plain, with white bedding and a laundry basket.

  There was a separate bathroom with a bath, shower and toilet. Lebo liked the fact that there were white candles around the bathtub – her own bathroom had candles everywhere, even on the windowsill and the basin. She found candles very calming.

  And then there was the TV room. This was where Molemo was sitting, watching the soccer. It had a brown suede couch with a glass coffee table in the middle where four remotes and Molemo’s empty glass were placed. A large-screen TV was mounted on the wall and below it was a stand on which the decoder and sound system were placed. There was also a sliding door that opened to the balcony, which overlooked the tranquil garden and the pool, but Lebo decided she would leave that part of her tour until later.

  “When you’re done inspecting the premises, can you please bring me a glass of that wine you brought? I’ve prepared something for dinner if you’re hungry. You can warm it up in the kitchen,” Molemo said without shifting his attention from the game.

  “I had something to eat before leaving work, so I’m okay for now, thanks. I’ll prepare us a snack instead,” Lebo replied, but he hardly registered, he was too enthralled by the game.

  She made her way back downstairs to the kitchen. All the kitchen appliances were silver and complemented the cupboards. Lebo took out two wine glasses from the neatly organised cupboards, poured their wine and prepared a snack platter. Before walking into the TV room she looked around the house once more; she loved it and was surprised that she felt so at home here.

  As she headed upstairs again, Lebo could hear Molemo yelling something at his larger-than-life TV. Bafana Bafana were playing New Zealand in the Confederations Cup, and being an avid soccer fan, Lebo knew never to get herself worked up early on in the game; it was pointless.

  Crunch time was in the last twenty minutes of the game, when both teams put their best boot forward and wanted to clinch the deal. This was when the losing team would either give up or fight really hard to nail a goal before the ninety minutes were up. This was also when the winning team was in danger of taking things too easy and making some really dumb moves, which could result in giving the losers advantages they wouldn’t otherwise have had.

  “Will you relax?” Lebo taunted Molemo. “Bafana are going to win. I can tell by the way they’re playing that they’re out to prove a point.”

  Molemo looked at Lebo and let her enjoy this moment of sheer silliness. He thought there was no way Bafana would beat New Zealand, and what did she know about soccer anyway?

  They sat close to each other with Molemo’s hand on her thigh. Lebo had never enjoyed a soccer game as much as the one she was watching now. It was funny seeing him get worked up every time a goal was missed or a foul committed.

  By the end of the game Lebo was proved right; Bafana won by two goals to nil. She was dying to gloat to Molemo that she had told him so, but instead she leaned towards him and kissed him on the forehead. After a brief embrace, she walked out onto the balcony and looked at the view.

  It was breathtakingly beautiful. She could see the lights of the city reflected in the little lake on one side of the golf course. The lights seemed so near, yet so far. Lebo could understand why people came to Joburg and never went back to their home towns – the city’s lights
made you fall in love with this place.

  Molemo walked over to her and put his arms around her. They stood in silence, enjoying the view and each other’s company.

  Then he turned her around and pulled her towards him, putting his hand around her waist and kissing her. He took her mouth into his and filled her with desire. With every deep thrust of his tongue, Lebo pulled closer and moaned with lust.

  Molemo picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He continued to kiss her while carrying her inside. As he walked to the master bedroom, his lips began teasing hers and his teeth softly pulled at her lower lip. They were yearning for each other.

  He kicked the door open and gently laid her on the bed. Taking his time, Molemo started to undress her. The light of the full moon streaming through the windows shone on her naked body.

  On this night, Lebo was as beautiful as she had ever been. Her caramel skin was glowing in the moonlight. She had untied her long hair and it lay lusciously on the bed. Her body was curvaceous, with hips that were full and made to last. Her stomach was flat and firm and her breasts were full and defined. The smile she gave Molemo would have melted even the iciest of hearts.

  Molemo pulled off his shirt and his defined, toned body reflected in the rays of the moonlight. Lebo’s hands softly caressed the muscles of his core. He felt good. Their bodies yearned for each other and they both wanted to satisfy that desire. He was gentle and loving, and they made love knowing that the night was theirs. He held her close and made her feel beautiful and sensual. Their eyes locked as they satisfied their desires. She felt and saw the love in his eyes.

  Lebo was flustered and her heart was beating fast. She had just been intimate with a man she wasn’t in a relationship with, and a part of her suddenly felt very insecure. Yet Molemo had been so gentle and loving; she couldn’t help but feel assured of his feelings after what had just happened.