Trying Love, Again

Chapter 7 ---- Workaholic

A quick reminder that this chapter has not been properly edited or proofread. Bare with me if there are too many errors. Thanks and have a good read.

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It was the weekend, a blissfully Sunday evening. We got back from church about five hours ago. We decided to spend the beautiful Sunday evening playing video games, like old times. The weekends were the only thing for our friendship bonding time. But we haven't done this in a long time. I have won most of the prior rounds. I was basically a pro.

"Oh! There's no way! You are cheating!" She muttered.

"Accept your defeat gracefully my darling." I said boastfully.

My relationship with Beth was all I could every ask for. We have been friends since childhood. We attended the same nursery and primary school, up to secondary school. Only for Nigeria Universities to come between us.

We were young and free spirited, we didn't have so much responsibilities, so we had enough time for ourselves. We were almost always together, and when we're not, we'd always talk on the phone.

I remember when we would text away during my lectures back in the university. Just so we could gist and gossip about my course mates and her. She knew almost all my course mates by name. Most lecturers had sent me out of their classes after being caught texting with Beth more times than one.

I was an introvert, I've always been. She was an extreme extrovert. She has been so popular, and good with people, ever since we were kids. Everyone knew and loved her. I would always get frustrated when ever we walk together and she started to greet and hail everyone. When she saw that I wasn't comfortable with it, we'd take a different route.

"Look what just happened there. That was clearly not a miss. And I think there's something wrong with my pad too." She whined.

"Do not lie on the pad now. You were beaten hands down. Just accept. There's only on champ! It is I." I bragged on.

When ever my bragging was overbearing, she flared, promising to show me her best moves in the next round.

"You know you only got lucky, right?" She argued.

"Well if lucky is whopping your ass multiple times, I don't mind being lucky then." I mocked.

"I promise you won't win this time." She declared.

"Wanna bet?" I challenged.

One could say she introduced me to a whole different level of friendship. I trusted her so much. She was more like a sister I never had. I guess that's why it was easy cohabitating with her.

I could not have imagined sharing a space with just anyone else. I loved my space, my solitude. She knew this and she respected boundaries. I do not because we were so close, pry into her business either

"You know why you're winning a lot?" She asked rhetorically, "Because you've had a lot of practice alone while I was working so hard."

"Whatever floats your boat baby girl."

There was no lie about the saying 'opposite attracts'. I mean, we were the complete opposite of each other, but we sure complemented each other. When she was spitting hot fire, I rained cold.

Suddenly the wild ringing of her phone pierced through our chattering. Bethel answered, clicked on the speaker icon, placing it on the coffee table in a bid to continue playing.

"Hello, Ms. Beth? Are you free right now?" Mr Edward, her superior at work asked frantically through the phone. "I need a really small favor right now."

"It depends on what it is, sir." She stated reluctantly."It is the weekend, sir."

"I know, it would not take up much of your time. It's a very small favor, really." He replied.

"Okay, what is it?" She asked, a frown flitting across her face.

All the while I have switched the game mode to one player, competing with the auto player.

"Oh! Thank God! Beth you're a life saver." He replied exuberantly. Beth rolled her eyes and I tried my best to hold back my laughter. "You just need to make a power point presentation on the travel ticket sale for the last quarter of the year. Only about fifteen to twenty slides."

Beth worked at a Travels and Tour organization as an Executive Marketer. Besides the expected airline tickets; the company also sold tour packages, car rentals, cruises, hotel accommodations, and many other items. They worked with global hotel chains, travel agents, and international destinations.

I glared in awe, mouthing my words silently to Beth. " He calls that small?"

"But Mr Edward, that's it exactly a small favor, and clearly not a job I should take on. And on a weekend? I don't even have access to all the materials I'll be needing." She protested.

Beth was involved in promoting and marketing all types of travel services such as tour packages, hotel services, air services, car rental services, travel insurance etc. She attended trade shows or events, meet with client and customer base, and oversees marketing campaigns. So I understand her protest.

"I will send you everything you need, just make the basic skeleton, I'll touch it up."He cuts her off.

I mouthed in utter shock yet again. "Wow! Rude!"

He continued,"I really need you to do this, we have to present it tomorrow."

"And he thought to tell you about it now?" I whispered almost silently. Beth shakes her head once dismissively.

"Okay." She replied half heartedly.

"Right. Thank you Ms. Beth." He cut the line without waiting for her response.

"Ugh!" She groaned.

I let out an heavy sigh. "You're in for it tonight."

"Tell me about it." She hissed as she picked up the Playstation pad to resume the game "Let's finish this so I can start working."

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I woke up slowly to the sound of stomping footsteps in the hallway. I picked my phone irritably to see that it was one AM.

"Ughh!" I muttered.

Pulling my door open, I headed for the living room where the footsteps had halted. My jaw dropped instantly when I saw Beth still typing away on her laptop.

"Beth, I think that's enough work for tonight. You've been working on that presentation for hours now." I saw that she was not paying attention to me, " You need to get a reasonable amount of sleep before work in the morning."

"Yes, just a few more minutes." She mumbled.

"Come on Beth. It's not even your responsibility. One of your subordinate could have done it. I swear you are too good for your own sake. I don't want you to get all grumpy at work in the morning." I said exasperatedly.

"Fine!" She muttered under her breath as she saved the document in a file before shutting down her laptop.

"Good choice." I said, " Now we go to bed."

"Let's!" She nodded, following all the to he room.

A/N: what is your observation on Bath and Teju's friend? Let me know in the comments section. Remember you can also follow my profile, to get notified whenever I upload new chapters. Don't forget to vote and share your thoughts in the comments section below . Thank you.