Another Love Story

Thirty eight

"Good evening. I'm Amira Musoke," she said with a smile at Tiger.

"Tiger Kawaase," he said as he shook her outstretched hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine. I've heard a lot of great things about you," Amira said.

"I've heard good things about what you're doing in the oil sector too," he said.

"We should get together for coffee soon and discuss the role of IT in Uganda's blossoming oil sector," she said.

"I would be very interested in that. Let's see what our staff can put on the calendar in the next few weeks," he said.

"Fantastic," she said with a smile that decreased in warmth as her gaze fell on me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tiger open his mouth to introduce me but Amira got there first.

"Michelle, I can't say I'm surprised to see you here. Congratulations on your first designer evening gown," she said. My stomach clenched because of the unerring accuracy of her statement. I had never owned anything like this Valentino gown straight off an international runway.

"Amira," I said tightly by way of greeting. I counted from 10 to 1 mentally in order to keep myself in check. I had to do everything in my power not to rise to her bait. If we were anywhere other than smack in the middle of the ballroom at Andrew's important fundraising reception, with Tiger as my date and in hearing distance, I would have no hesitation in giving her a verbal cutting that she would never forget.

It was my first time out with Tiger at a society event and I did not want it to be our last. I also did not want to have a bitch fight over a man I did not love anymore with all of Kampala's elites and numerous reporters present. I was part of the senior management at United Bank. Whether I liked it or not, I represented the bank wherever I went; as evidenced by my overblown charity visit with Amanda in Rwanda a few weeks earlier. Above all else, I had to stay calm. And Amira knew it.

She had calculated the best possible opportunity to wind me up when I had everything to lose from retaliating. Her first cut had been delivered with just the right amount of sweetness that Tiger might not pick up on the fact that she was dissing me.

"I didn't realize that you knew each other. Michelle has never mentioned you before," Tiger said to Amira.

"I'm not at all surprised by that," Amira said with a smile, "After all, her ex-boyfriend dumped her so that he could date me." If Tiger was taken aback by her statement, he did not outwardly show it. He did place his hand at my back with his fingers spread and rubbing gently over my spine.

"I would never wish pain on Michelle, but I have to admit that I am selfishly glad at the long-term outcome of his decision," Tiger said. The implication was clear and the ice in my chest thawed slightly at the fact that Tiger had my back in front of Amira.

"I would hold that gladness if I were you. Michelle is still chasing behind her ex. Why, only a few weeks ago she was on his arm at a parliamentary dinner held at Kabira Country Club," Amira said. If I had been sipping a drink, I would have spit it out or 'accidentally' spilled it down the front of her dress.

"Alright, Amira. Thank you for coming by to say hello. Keep it moving," I said in a clear dismissal and put down. She's the one who had come looking for me and I wasn't above reminding her of that with mock sweetness.

"Settle down, honey. I'm just getting started," she said. "Or don't you want Tiger to know what all you've been up to behind his back?"

"Study up on your social cues, Amira. This is neither the time nor place for your brand of drama. I can drop you a message on your socials the next time I'm hitting the club so that you can come back for round two of your amateur mean girl rants," I said. "But tonight, we're here for a great cause and you would do well to keep your mind on that."