Sebina was not blind.
As Faizal showed her around, she often caught him staring at her when he didn't think she was looking. He had been giving her the same look the very first day they met and as flattered as she was that he was sort of attracted to her, 26 was way younger than she would have entertained.
The youngest she could do was 30 and even that was stretching it for her because truth was, she liked older guys. Guys as old as Bert Acheampong or even older, as long as they were 10+ years younger than her father.
"So that's pretty much it," Faizal said as he cast his eyes lower to look at her. She wasn't short, he was just tall. "Im sorry for bugging into business that isn't mine but...I couldn't help hearing your dinner plans with Mr. Acheampong."
"That? Is that why you've been sulking? Coz you weren't invited?"
Faizal scoffed. "I have no reason to be sulking-"
"Then why are you asking about it when it's clearly none of your business?"
Faizal looked at her with disbelief. "You are so rude!"
"Only to nosey people."
"I was just making conversation-".
"We both know you weren't. Now, run along-"
"Look," Faizal said firmly. "I know you don't like me...you made that clear that day at the restaurant when your face fell after seeing me instead of my boss but for the sake of-"
"I don't...I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I've just been awkward since you saw me at the strip club over the weekend and I thought you'd tell your boss and he wouldn't want to commence with our contract...I overthink a lot."
"What happens outside of these premises is none of my business. I know that. You have no reason to be awkward. If anything...I'm the one that's supposed to be awkward."
Sebina looked at him with caution. "Why do you have to be awkward?"
Faizal brushed his hand over his waves, huffing. He was about to start saying too much. "Look, let me go and change into my overalls and we can get started, alright?"
Hmm. He avoids the situations that make him uncomfortable by changing the subject. Sebina shook her head in disapproval. She turned to her toolkit without a word and started working, leaving a slightly frustrated Faizal staring after her.
This was definitely not a good start.
.
When she was done at around lunch time with the batch of the week, she headed to the ladies' room to clean herself up as best as she could then grabbed her toolkit and went to Bert Acheampong's office.
His secretary announced her arrival before letting her in.
Bert looked up from his computer at her, a smile gracing his face. "Ms. Sebina-"
"Sebina will do just fine, thank you," she chuckled. "I just came to let you know that I am done with this week's fleet and everything seems to be perfect enough for the rentals to start going out to your customers. I offer personal maintenance for the cars when they are in the possession of your customers so if you could be kind enough as to pass the word...I am sure you'd love for me to be the only mechanic that handles your cars. What do you say?"
Bert grinned and Sebina almost melted into the ground. This man was everything she physically wanted in a man but she had to remind herself that she was an employee and she had to know her boundaries.
"I will definitely let my clients know about your services. And the best part is you'll get to meet some of them at the dinner tonight. I'm hosting."
Sebina grinned. "Thank you."
"While we're on the topic of dinner, I took the liberty to organize my team to attend to whatever needs you may have regarding your dress, shoes and makeup. I hope I wasn't being too forward because you accidentally let it slip earlier that you would be working until 5. I figured you wouldn't be ready by 6 but with the help of my team, you could be ready in time for me to pick you up?"
Sebina frowned. "I am flattered but I can be ready in time, I promise. I have my own team, thank you. I do not like having strangers in my house and touching me."
"Well, then, I shall cancel the team but will you accept shoes or a dress from me as a gift?"
Sebina tried not to smile. "A gift? We don't know each other that well, Mr. Acheampong-"
He stood to his feet and walked over to her. "That can be remedied, hopefully over lunch, say... Friday afternoon?"
Did he just invite me out? To personally get to know me? Sebina internally screamed with excitement but she just slightly smiled on the outside. "Let me think about it, Bert," she said. "Pick me up at 6 tonight? Here's my address."
She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled her address down before leaving.
.
By the time she was done with her staff, inserting new double exhaust pipes on a BMW for a racing client, Sebina realised that she was about to be late. Bert had been right to want to send his team to her because right now, she couldn't even get ready the way she wanted, having to rely on everything here at the garage to put herself together.
After doing her makeup and combing her short plum coloured perm, she looked into the mirror, not feeling the only dress she had as an option from her locker. It was a drab and lifeless looking dress and she was starting to panic.
Ntai knocked on her door and she let him in, almost on the verge of tears.
"I can't go and look for a dress and I hate this one but all the stores are closed but I have to look good," she croaked, trying to stop the wells in her eyes. "I don't want to make a bad impression because I am trying to land clients and if I don't look good, they will not take me seriously!" A tear fell.
Ntai rubbed it away, careful not to ruin her beautiful makeup. "Good thing that a Mr. Faizal came in while you were working on the exhaust. He dropped this off." He handed her a black box with a bow attached to the top.
A card was on top of the wrapping paper inside.
She read it. "I know you said no gifts but I could not think of anyone to better gift this dress and shoes so even if you do not wear them to the dinner, I hope you will wear them someday. Yours, Bert Acheampong."
She removed the wrapping and from within it, extracted a beautiful black spaghetti strap satin dress that reached up to 3/4 of her thigh with a slit that reached to her hip. She quickly changed right there and then, Ntai not even bothering to turn away at this opportunity of free bodily display.
"Away," she hissed at him as she pulled off the ugly dress and pulled the satin one on which spilled slightly at her breasts, revealing cleavage, the waist accentuated as the dress hugged her womanly finger, the slit opening nicely to put her taut thigh on display. "You can turn now."
Ntai turned a little too quickly and almost tripped, only managing to grab on to the back of a chair within time. His mouth fell open and his eyes almost popped.
"Will you just say yes and be my girlfriend?" he groaned. He walked over to her and grabbed the brush she had been using to lay her edges then proceeded to lay them anew before slightly fluffing out her perm and opening a side part which he laid with gel so that it wouldn't come back together. He looked at her and grinned. "I am allowed to propose, right, madam?"
Sebina grinned as he pulled her in front of the mirror. Her jaw dropped because she looked absolutely dashing! Her makeup now looked great with her ombre matte brown lipstick, slightly smokey eyes and full eyebrows. She felt dazzling and as she looked at her feet, she realised that she was not wearing shoes.
She turned to Ntai and he was holding up the package Bert had sent. He pulled some black strappy heels from the box and bent down to help her put them on, grinning. She was glad she had painted her toes.
When they were done, he stood up and grinned even more if that was possible. "You...woman, are lovely!"
Sebina walked to the mirror again and when she looked at her reflection, she grinned broadly. Bert or his stylist knew exactly what they were doing when they organized the outfit!
"The tag," Ntai said as he grabbed the thing that had roughly been running her neck only to gasp. "Do you have a blesser or something?!" He suddenly demanded.
"What! Why?"
"This dress, cost 2000!!" he screeched. "That's half my month salary!"
"That can't be right," Sebina squawked.
Ntai pulled the tag, ripping it and gave it to her. Her eyes went wide. Then she searched for the shoe tag in the box and written in black print, the price of 3500 stared at her.
"Oh. My. Goodness," was all that she managed to say. She looked up at the clock and sense came back. "5:45!!?" she screamed. Bert must have already been on his way to her house! "I gotta go!! I gotta go!!"
She grabbed her clutch as Ntai forced some business cards into it for her to give away at the dinner. He grabbed the car keys she had forgotten on her desk as she ran out and followed her, locking up behind him.
"Guess who your driver is," he said as he jumped into the driver's seat of her car, prompting her to jump into the passenger side as she called Bert, the sound ringing through the car.
He answered on the fourth ring. "Hello, Sebina. I got a bit held back at work and lost track of time but my driver must be on his way to you currently-"
"I actually have someone driving me to your house currently. Please tell your driver to take time off."
"Great!" Bert said enthusiastically. "I do hope you make it here early because I have no date as the host and I was hoping you would be gracious enough-"
"She's taken, bruh." Ntai rudely interrupted.
Sebina slapped his mouth slightly. "I will be delighted to be by your side, Mr. Acheampong."
Ntai glared at the end call button, his hand hovering over it.
"See you soon-"
Ntai pressed the end call button. "He sounds old," he commented.
"He is old," Sebina stated back. "Rude ass," she grumbled.
Ntai ignored her and played some music to hype them up and get them in a good mood. It worked.