Love and ego episode 9

Love and ego episode 9
Several days later, on a wednesday during work, Mr. Raybon had announced that his wife had just received an award for a painting and she would be hosting a large dinner to family and friends and he was inviting anyone who could make it on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. After he left, most of the staff began to discuss within one another, one asking the other if he or she was going.
Claire sat alone in her cubicle busy chatting with @Salmon when Rufus appeared, looking thrilled. “So, are you going?” He asked, his eyes glinting.
“Excuse me, what?” Claire managed to ask half-tearing yet gaze and attention from her interesting chat which had been making her laugh. She liked Salmon a lot and not only did he have a sense of humour, he was completely fun to be with and she always looked forward to chatting with him daily.
“To Mr. Raybon’s dinner? The one he just announced a few minutes ago?” He reminded her, realizing that she could hærdly tear her attention from her phone.
“Oh, that!” Claire placed her chin in her hand, while her elbow stayed on the desk and her free hand held on to her phone on her lap which kept giving notification sounds of every new chat that slid in. She snuck a peek down at her phone again and Rufus’ smile was beginning to fade.
“Yea, are you going?” He aaked.
“About that, I’d really love to but…” She searched for an excuse. “My schedule is pretty tight on that day.”
“But it’s just going to be evening. We close at four and I can come pick you up from your place at six-thirty.”
“You really don’t have to bother, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it.” Claire answered as she quickly typed a reply to Salmon who had asked- “still there?”
Angry now that Claire was paying more attention to her phone than to him, Rufus asked, “You know you are always on your phone, right?”
“Um-” Claire stuttered then decided not to answer as she quickly typed another reply to Salmon.
“You know always being on one’s personal phone is against work ethics, right?”
Claire stared up at him and wanted to ask: “And is flirting with me always part of work ethics?” But she simply held her words back and smiled on a new chat that had popped up on her screen.
More annoyed that she was not even giving him the audience he wanted, he curiously asked as he glanced at her screen. “That your boyfriend?
Claire chuckled, her cheeks blushing. “Gosh, no! Just some friend I met online. We have known each other for five weeks now.”
“But you like him.” He stated in distaste more than he asked.
Claire paused now to look up at him, having sensed the unpleasant tone he had used. “Is something wrong, Rufus?” She asked, eager to dismiss him.
“No.” He stated stiffly, adjusting the front of his suit with his face tight and devoid of a smile. “If you do change your mind about Friday, give me a call.” He said, turned and walked to his cubicle with a straight back.
Claire watched him go, sighed then returned her attention to her phone. She was about to reply Salmon’s last message when her desk phone suddenly rang, startling her. Angrily staring at the phone for two seconds, she picked the receiver and said into it. “Claire Smith, how may I help you?”
A familiar voice came through. “I want you in my office now.”
Before she could reply, the line went dead. Sliding out of her chat wall to her home screen, she placed her smart phone on her desk, stood up and walked to Rendell’s office and when she knocked and was permitted in, she saw him standing behind his chair, gazing down into the busy road below.
“You called.” She said.
He had his hands in his p-nts’ pocket and had his suit draped over the backrest of his chair. The noise of his tie was a bit loose and he had rolled up his sleeves to his elbows. He partially turned to look at her. “Sit.” He used the same authoritative tone he had used on the phone and she reluctantly obeyed. After a moment of silence, he said as he turned fully and placed his hands on the top of the backrest of his seat. “I need a favour.”
“What a favour?” Claire asked with a slight puzzled frown, wondering what kind of favour a man like Rendell could want from her.
“I’m sure Raybon announced his wife’s dinner and I need you to be my date for just that night.”
“Why?” Her frown deepened. She didn’t like this request one bit.
“Because Judith, Raybon’s wife has been on my neck for the past three years to get myself a girlfriend and a couple of months ago during Thanksgiving at her house, I had promised her that I’d bring a girlfriend to the next event she invites me. Judith is very important to me and we have both come a long way.”
Claire subtly shrugged her shoulders. “I still don’t see how I’m connected to this.”
“Like I said, I only want you to pretend to be my girlfriend, just for that night.”
“Why me when there are hundred of females you can choose from from your staff?”
He came around and sat down. “I was expecting you’d feel privileged that I chose you over them all.”
She gave him a disgruntled look. “Why should I feel privileged for going out with a conceited man? Besides, I am not going to this dinner or whatever it is.”
“Why not?”
“Do I owe you an explanation?”
He gave her a hærd look for a while then said, “Fine, I know that we didn’t start off well and you are only playing hærd to get. What’s your price?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Every one has got a price, tell me yours.”
“I don’t want anything from you. I can’t be bought!” She told him in distaste.
He sighed and decided to try another approach. “Fine, let’s do this. I’ll buy you a dinner dress and the accessories and I’ll give you a double salary for this month.”
Claire speechlessly stared at him for a moment. “You are joking right? This is just another trick, isn’t it?”
“I’m not kidding. All you have to do is say yes that you’ll be my date, we act like a convincing couple just that night and then we are done.”
She considered it now then asked with a suspicious squint, “And you won’t go back 9n your word on the double salary?”
“My word, my honour.”
“Fine, deal then.” She rose to leave, remembered something and paused. “When you mean convincing, do we have to k-ss before Judith?” She asked.
“Well… Only if necessary…” Then he cringed inwardly as he added, “I do hope it doesn’t come to that…”
“Right…” She drawled, “because if I had to k-ss your repulsive l-ips through which you have spoken a lot of mean words to me, I’d not hesitate to bite it!” She threatened then catwalked to the door, her h¡ps swaying.
As she opened the door to step out, he said after her, “God, you are so stiff! Nothing moved!”
Sharply turning her head to shoot him a glare, she raised her middle finger at him and said, “You can choke on this for all I care!” She finally closed the door.
★
That night, as Claire unlocked her door and walked into her apartment, she went for the light switch as usual but when she pressed it, nothing happened. Surprised, she switched it off then switched it on again, and yet, nothing happened. Wondering if her power had been cut after she paid her bill, she was suddenly startled by a familiar voice from the dark behind her.
“Hello Claire!”
“Derek?” Claire gasped, recognizing her ex boyfriend’s voice in the dark and before she could dash out of the room back into the hallway, a heavy punch came from nowhere and connected with the side of her eye and head, knocking her out cold on the floor while the intruder pushed the door closed and locked it from behind.
To Be Continued…