It had been three weeks since Céline started working with Damien Culhane. Two weeks since they had a major lapse in their relationship, thanks to Céline’s inappropriate timing. Life at the Culhane group of companies, had become a dilemma.
She had to worry about John, her psychopathic ex-boyfriend and still worry about Damien. Sometimes she didn’t understand him. Did he want her did he not want her? The questions were unending.
The last time she was in his office, right before his friend came in, she saw his stern eyes soften. He even sounded like he was loving what he was seeing. She had specifically worn that gown to test him. She left her red hair flowing to seduce him. Though, she didn’t get to physically seduce him, she saw the change in his eyes. He looked like he wanted her, but she couldn’t rely on that. She had to keep trying to make her plans work.
Céline was in one of the city buses heading home.
She decided on taking the public buses rather than wait for a taxi since the latter charged higher than the former. She had started considering saving up her salary to gather up John’s promised payment. She needed a lot of cash outflow control, so, taking up public transport was way economical than taking the taxis.
When she started working for Damien Culhane, her sole plan was to seduce him into marrying her. She never imagined her plan could go south and she would be left heartbroken and helpless.
Perhaps, heartbroken was not the word she would like to use to describe how her heart felt, but she couldn’t think of a more appropriate word either.
Her phone rang, making her jump out of her skin in fear of who might be calling her.
John’s bloodshot eyes and his grotesque features flashed in Céline’s mind eye and a shudder passed through her body.
“God please let it not be John,” Céline prayed under her breath as she fished the device out of her hand bag.
If it was John, what could she tell him?
She hasn’t gotten any money nor assurance of even getting the money from Damien, what would she do with John?
Her heart was in her stomach as she slowly raised the phone to her eyes so she could see who it was. She crossed her fingers in a silent prayer and checked.
It was Damien.
Wheww! She sighed in relief. It was only Damien calling.
But, as soon as the relief passed, her heart started beating differently. This time not for fear of being brutally raped and possibly murdered but the fear of being rejected by the one person that could save her from such a horrific end.
Ever since the episode at the restaurant Damien hadn’t called her personal line, until today. Why?
What could he want?
Maybe he wanted to set things right! Maybe he got tired of being so cold towards her and wanted to make it up to her.
Excitement took over her as she imagined positive things. She pictured Damien apologizing and asking her to come back to the office or maybe his house.
With a smile she picked up the call, “hello.”
“I need you…”
His voice was hoarse and full of emotions, it made Céline insides warm up immediately.
She almost made a leap into the air but Damien’s next words glued her painfully to the seat she occupied in the bus.
“… to send emails to my friends. I want them to be at the Trés Chic’s sale gala…”
Disappointment was an understatement. Céline was inconsolable. Her heart felt like a Large deflated ball in her chest that uselessly occupied all the space.
“… are you listening?” Damien’s harsh voice broke through the wall of emotion in her head.
“Yes- yes, I am- I mean, I will.” Céline stammered, composing herself and keeping her emotions in check.
“Good. Take a look at your inbox, I have asked Tiana to forward their details to you…” His voice lingered on the call.
“… where you are is loud, aren’t you home yet?”
Did he just ask her that? Did he still care about her?
“No, I am not.” New hope rose within her.
“Stay safe!”
His words were firm but Céline caught on the concern hidden so nicely behind each word.
Maybe she hasn’t lost him completely. There was still a strike of light behind the darkness.
As she brought the phone away from her ears, her heart beat with a new purpose. She wouldn’t give up. Her plans would work. She would find a way to make it work. Damien didn’t hate her, he was only holding back.
She opened her mail and scrolled through to check her inbox.
True to his words, Tiana had forwarded three email addresses to her with short end notes, to give her an update on who each was and how they were to Damien. This was something Tiana did often to help make Céline’s job easier.
Brian Ford, single billionaire who enjoyed spending his free time in the gym or with his friends at the strip club.
Charles Gomez, also a billionaire married to a well renowned Wedding planner in the state.
Tiana explained how Damien held two of them in the highest of esteems. They were like his brothers.
Céline wondered what they would think of her wanting to marry their friend. They would probably be over protective, she thought to herself, as she scrolled to the next bold name in the message.
Lucas Smith, owner of half the media in the state, he was Damien’s closest friend out of the three, and the only one she had met and spoken to.
Fortunately for her, the bus stop she was heading to was still a couple of minutes away. she had enough time to compose and send the mail with extra seconds to soak in the fresh afternoon breeze before alighting.
She opened a fresh mail and attached the exclusive invitation Cards to it. She then proceeded to copy all three of them to the mail, asking them to acknowledge once they received it. She didn’t want Damien getting mad at her for not doing a proper follow up with his friends. She couldn’t risk him, folding back up on her again.
The bus dinged, signaling that it had gotten to a new bus stop. She raised her head and saw it was hers, she picked up her bags and got off the bus.
Her house wasn’t far from the bus stop. In no time she was at her front door inserting her key. She unlocked the door and proceeded to enter.
The smell of home made spaghetti welcomed her and she drank in the delicious aroma that filled the air.
“Hmmmm aunt, this smells nice…” Céline stated, walking into the kitchen.
She placed a kiss on her aunt’s cheek.
“Ooh, Céline…” Elizabeth smiled, as she stirred the spaghetti.
“How was your day?” She asked Céline.
“It was so tiring!” She dropped her bags on the kitchen counter and stole a meat ball from a casserole that had been placed carefully on the counter. “How about yours?”
Elizabeth gave her niece a questioning look but decided to answer her instead.
“My day was just fine. The college called, we’ll be resuming tomorrow.”
“They are! Oh no!”
Elizabeth raised her brows and stared at Céline’s pouted lips.
“You are not happy that I am going back to work?”
“Would I be a terrible niece if I said yes?”
Céline asked, giving her aunt a toothy smile.
Céline was such an open book even when she didn’t want to. Her aunt knew exactly what she was thinking before she even said it.
Elizabeth shook her head in laughter, she returned her attention to the spaghetti she was making.
“If that cute mouth is for the laptop, you are going to have to try harder than that… You know I need it just as much Céline.”
“Well… It isn’t for that,” Céline began trying to change the tempo of the argument in her favour.
“What then?” Elizabeth’s voice was full of tease.
“I will miss having you home. Then the food you make for me. Aunt, I will get so slim, people will think I have contacted a disease.” Céline stated, flashing her aunt another large smile, like she had received an award.
“I make you food all the time Céline,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“Okay fine, you win. I will just have to work with my phone until I get a laptop for myself.” Céline concluded.
Silence filled the kitchen once again and Céline was about sneaking another meat ball into her mouth when her aunt called her.
“Céline?” She began gently.
Céline’s hand hung in mid air as she roamed her eyes around the kitchen, like a thief caught red handed.
“I noticed the young man has stopped bringing you home. Is everything alright?” Elizabeth rinsed her hands and turned to Céline.
Céline’s mouth became glued. Dealing with her aunt required her to do a lot of multitasking with her brain. For whatever answer she gave to a certain question, could be a trap or reason for more questioning.
“It is fine if you don’t want to talk about it, I can wait. Mind you, I am getting old. I might not be here forever.”
“Aunt! You are not going anywhere! You have so many years ahead of you, I will fight death myself if I have to!”
“Very funny young lady.” Elizabeth exclaimed, smiling to herself.
“Go change your clothes and come down for dinner.”
Céline wanted to tell her aunt everything, she really did, but she wasn’t ready to disclose the things she had gotten herself into just for the quest of revenge.
She didn’t want to disappoint her aunt.