Bert walked into the garage where Sebina was currently fitting new tires onto a Hilux, her back bent as she rotated the handle of the jack to lift the car off the ground slightly.
"We need to talk," he said.
She turned and looked up at him, surprised to see him because she hadn't seen or heard from him in almost three weeks now but that was because he had apparently been out of the country.
She and Faizal had been going good and strong during Bert's absence, so strong in fact, that he had even introduced her to his friends, some of whom gave them mixed reactions after discovering that Sebina was older than Faizal. She had even overheard someone whispering, "sugar mommy", especially after she had bought the whole table rounds of drinks and two bottles of Moët just to make Faizal proud to have someone like her.
This had been the reason she was hesitant to label what they had...she felt like she sometimes embarrassed him by being 'the older woman', chasing after a young man. Only one friend seemed to like Sebina and that was Faizal's closest friend, the one Faizal had bombarded with sex stories non-stop.
More words like "old hag", nasty comments like "she's trying to buy dick and love from our friend"..."at least she bought us expensive drinks, let's drink her money because she has lots of it." followed.
Faizal had also overheard and without a word, he had taken the bottles Sebina had paid for, put them all inside the ice bucket and carried the drinks over to the next table of giggly girls that were having a birthday party celebration.
"Happy Birthday," he had said to the love struck birthday girl. "Drinks on my girlfriend over there." He pointed to Sebina who just kept quiet at the word girlfriend.
The girls made their way to Sebina and took turns hugging her and thanking her, especially for the Moët. She had smiled and looked at Faizal who had kissed her in front of his friends.
"I think we should go to a gentlemen's club, don't you?" he asked her then turned to his best friend and grabbed his hand. "Wanna see some big booties?" he asked with a grin.
The best friend immediately gulped the rest of his beer and left with the couple, leaving the rest of the other friends shocked with an empty table while the birthday girls at the next table got drunk on free alcohol.
Sebina had apparently given Faizal the best head of his life in a private booth at the gentlemen's club, both drunk and high out of their minds from the drinking and vapes that came with the payment of a booth. Faizal may have been drunk but he remembered every detail and told her all of them the following day.
They were very happy. Unlabelled.
As for Bert, she had just two more months left of their contract and then she would be cutting off all ties to him after their two minute relationship.
"Hello to you too," she said. She no longer harbored ill feelings towards him and she had forgiven him but she had not forgotten. She led him to her office and he sat down.
"Can I get you anything to drink?"
He stared at her, contemplating. "I have an offer for you," he said.
"I'm listening."
Bert placed his arms on the desk top, his fingers tip to tip. "I know you absolutely hate me and I understand but...I think you might like what I have to offer."
Sebina frowned. "Ok?"
"I am willing to make it worth your while if...if you agree to come with me to Cameroon. For a week for a work function."
A free trip to another country? That was really nice of Bert but there had to be a catch somewhere. But she was going to milk this for what it was worth. "What's in it for me? I'm leaving my business behind with no one to run it for me."
Bert knew this was coming and he had deviced something that would benefit them both. "I am willing to invest 100 000 into your business...the only returns I'm seeking will be 20% by the end of two years. Nothing you can't handle."
Sebina paused because a 100 000 wasn't child's play. With that kind of investment, she could expand the garage and get more clients to expand the business! But this investment had to have a catch somewhere. Hopefully Bert wasn't going to ask for shares of her business because it was hers and hers alone.
"What do you get out of this whole thing, minus your profits? What do you want me to do in Cameroon with you because obviously, you're not just inviting me on a free trip. What's the catch, Bert?"
"You're going to be my fiance."
"Yeah, you can keep your money."
"Just for the week. Attend functions with me, mingle with the various persons that will be attending, just represent me well and always be by my side. We are going to have to sleep in the same room as a couple that's about to get married but no sex, I promise."
"Why me? You could literally find so many hot women out there who would even throw in some sex for 100 000. Like Sameera...the woman from your office? The one who had your cum in her hair." Sebina loved being petty.
Bert chuckled. "The other women won't give me 20% returns on my investment and Sameera, she's committed now. Engaged, in fact."
"I am also in a committed relationship," Sebina lied. She had something going on with Faizal yes, but to her, it still wasn't a relationship yet. More of a situationship because she was still afraid to label what she and Faizal had.
Bert sat up straight. "With who?"
"None of your business."
"Well, rumors have been making their rounds at Sonar Fleet. About you and a certain young man."
"I love hearing rumors about myself," Sebina said, clapping her hands in faux excitement. "What do they say? I hope it's something really juicy."
"Well, they say you are in a relationship with Faizal. And I know it's true because I actually came in on you two having sex in one of my cars but you were in the throes of passion so much that you did not see me and I actually had to excuse myself before you saw me. Didn't think you'd go for the younger one."
Sebina went red from embarrassment. "Um..."
"Don't worry. I wanted to beat the shit out of Faizal for chasing someone he clearly knows I am attracted to but...well, you went for someone like him so I am assuming you really must see something in him. Maybe he will treat you like you deserve to be treated."
"And he is treating me like I deserve to be treated. Why are you offering me 100 000 grand if you know that I am in a relationship with Faizal?"
"Because my associates know you as my girlfriend and I have actually been pretending we are still together."
"A cheater and a liar. Hmm. What a combination."
"It was a good business move because the associates can't get enough of you, especially the jokes you kept telling at the dinner table last time they met you and you were drunk. I kind of made an offhanded remark about us possibly getting married and initially it was a joke but they took it seriously and remember the redhead you sat next to at the dinner? Cass? She is on the board that is offering a deal for personal car rental and courier services for people like us in some European country. With your presence, it will be easier to convince her so that she can convince the rest of the board to actually pick Sonar Fleet' for the deal."
"How much are we talking for the deal?"
Bert chuckled. "That's for me to know. But 100 000 is a decent investment in your business, don't you think?"
Sebina smirked. "It's not decent if you're being paid in European currency. A quarter of a million and I'll make the redhead fall in love with me and you'll have your contract signed before the end of the week."
"You can't possibly pull that off-"
"Well, it's your loss on millions of pounds or Euros then. You know where the door is-"
"Fine. Half now and the rest when the contract is signed. If you pull it off, I'll make my investment 300 000. 50 000 as a bonus that comes with no interest."
Sebina's toes tingled with excitement but she kept a straight face. "Let me think about it. If I agree, every single expense in preparation for and until the last day of Cameroon, you will pay for it. A lady has to eat and look good."
"That will be no problem."
"If you don't hear from me in the next two days, don't bother to come back."
Bert was desperate but he stood up and shook Sebina's hand, hoping that she would come. He stood to make millions off this deal and because his associates had liked her, he would use her as a means to get that deal because she had a way with words, just like how she had roped him into signing a contract that allowed her to approach his clients for car services. If things went well in Cameroon, he was hoping to renew their maintenance contract because in truth, she had done an outstanding job on the fleet cars. Even his clients had been impressed with their rentals.
She was the best at this job and her and her staff's work spoke for itself.
.
When Faizal got home later in the evening, he found her having cooked some pap, chakalaka and braai wors. He grinned as she took Vinter from him and placed a plate of his food before him as well as a basin for him to wash his hands in.
"What did I do good?" he asked, knowing that Sebina hated cooking and only did so when she was very pleased. He didn't understand why she hated cooking when she was such a great cook.
"You're an amazing man," she simply said as she gave Vinter a drinking bottle filled with some porridge.
This mothering thing came to her naturally and it sometimes scared her because she was still dead set on not having a kid of her own. Her little sister was enough but Vinter was slowly creeping into her life and she was watching with bated breath, waiting for the moment when something or someone would snatch him away from her because after all, she was nothing but his father's girlfriend. She had no rights to him.
"I know I'm amazing but what happened that makes you to be in such a good mood?" Faizal looked at her, biting into his braai wors.
She sat the baby on her lap and smiled at him. "I have a potential investor which means I might be able to expand the garage and make even more money than I'm making right now."
Faizal grinned broadly, clearly happy for her. "That's great news!"
"But..."
He stopped chewing and stared at her. "But what?"
"I have to go to Cameroon for a while on a business trip."
Sebina knew that if she mentioned Bert Acheampong, this would most definitely not go down well so she had made up her mind not to tell Faizal about him. She knew that even if Faizal went bat shit crazy, she would still leave with Bert because this was her business to start with, not her personal life and to her, nobody had any right to tell her what to do. She was just being courteous in informing him.
Faizal pouted. "I am going to miss you. How long will you be gone?"
"A week, tops. Ill be back after that."
"Aren't you going to go shopping or sightseeing or something after? Don't rush back on my account. You work hard for your money so let it work for you now. Enjoy Cameroon and bring back souvenirs."
Sebina stood from her chair and went to sit in his lap as he put his arms around her, grinning like an idiot because three things made him happy-Food, Vinter and Sebina. And he had all of them in his arms right now.
"I love you," he said without paying mind to what he had just confessed.
Sebina froze.
But Faizal continued, unaware of the three words that had just affected Sebina. "You go and have fun in Cameroon because all work and no play makes jack a dull boy."
Her smile faltered a little when she thought about the little piece about Bert being with her and pretending that they were engaged. She promised herself that she would make it up to Faizal when she came back.
She kissed him and as usual, Vinter forced his head between them, pushing his father's face away so that Sebina would kiss him instead.
"What's with the jealousy, man?" Faizal laughed as Vinter placed his porridge filled mouth on Sebina's cheek, making a mess.
To Be Continued...