Nelly stood in front of the imposing towers of Vintage Company again. She remembered the first time she was here. That was over five years ago when she came to plead with Ivan to give her some money. The only difference now was that the imposing towers were no longer imposing. They weren’t intimidating. In fact, it fueled her determination to get in there and have it even with the CEO. She took a deep breath and walked in.
“Good morning ma. How may I help you?” the receptionist greeted with a smile that didn’t reach her face. It was only a professional smile. Nelly repeated the same words she used last year and somehow, that made her heart throb.
“I’m here to see Ivan.”
“You mean president Landers?” the receptionist asked. She too was shocked.
“I’m sorry madam. May I know if you have an appointment with him?”
“No. I don’t.”
“I’m sorry madam. You can’t see the president without an appointment.”
“Tell him that Nelly Stratford is waiting to see him.”
“Ma?”
“This bloody receptionist. Has she gone deaf? Or is she mad? Or is she set to piss me off the more?” Nelly fumed within.
The receptionist secretly checked Nelly out. The surname Startford does not ring a bell in the country. Who was she that she had so much confidence in her little name? Nevertheless, she decided to try her luck.
“Good morning. Please, may I the president is available?”
“No. He’s not available. He said no visitors. If it’s a visitor on appointment, I can ask him. Hold on a while,” Ivan’s new secretary responded.
“Sorry. The visitor isn’t on appointment.”
“Then he can’t see anyone.”
“She says I should tell him it’s Nelly Startford.”
“Nelly Startford? Whose that? What makes you think the president would make exceptions for some low class in the country? Get back to work now. If you don’t know how to do your job properly, I’ll have you sacked,” the secretary snapped and the line went dead.
The receptionist rolled her eyes.
“That damned secretary. She only resumed recently and she was all over the place, acting like she was Ivan’s wife or she was above everyone in the country. Mtcheeww.”
“Madam, the president is unavailable. I’ll advise you fill a form and schedule your visit next time to facilitate your entry. Here, you can fill this form. Include your name, the purpose of your visit and the relevance. Please note that we will check it first to know if it’s worthy of getting to the president. Thank you.”
Nelly glared at the receptionist as she rambled on. She was here to see Ivan and these silly employees of his were all talking nonsense. She asked them to mention her name to him and a common secretary said no. She took out her phone and checked her blacklist. Ivan’s number was there. She removed it from blacklist and dailed the number.
Ivan was seated in his office doing nothing. He was practically dwelling in the lovable silence when his phone rang. It was an unsaved number. He frowned as he took the call.
“Hello.” his cold voice was heard.
“Ivan. It’s Nelly. I’m at your company and I want to see you,” she demanded and ended the call. The receptionist happened to overhear her and she looked at her in surprise. Who was this woman? From her dressing, she looked every random middle class woman who didn’t measure up to high class standards. How did she get Ivan’s number? Or was she faking it? Ten seconds later, the phone on her desk rang. It was Ivan’s secretary.
“Quick! Let that woman in. The president orders you have ten seconds to do so or you loose your job!” she said in a trembling voice.
Lose her job? Hell no!
“I’m sorry madam. This way ma.”
Nelly followed her lead and was soon in the elevator going to the president’s floor.
‘Ding Dong!’
The elevator opened and she stepped out. She looked around the area. It looked cleaner, nicer and more sophisticated than the last time she was here. That day she had come to tell Ivan that she had his baby but he talked down on her and threw her out of his office.
“It’s all in the past now.” she consoled her self.
She tapped her hands on the door to fulfill all righteousness and protocol before she pushed open the door and went in. She didn’t bother waiting for an invitation. That was the least of her worries.
Ivan looked up from his phone and when he saw her, a broad smile appeared on his face.
“I can’t believe you came to see me. I’m sorry my dear…”
He was still speaking when Nelly got to his table. She put her hands in her bag and took out a paper which she slammed on the table. She did it with so much force that the pens on the table flew up before returning to their normal positions. Ivan frowned.
“What’s this?”
“See for yourself,” she snapped.
“That would come later. Sit first.”
“I do not need your goddamn seat, Ivan. Just look at that paper and you better start talking.”
Wow. His little sweet and quiet wife was now a fire brand and a fighter. Seeing her agitated and furious made him hard.
“Oh f**k. You shouldn’t be thinking about this, Ivan,” he chastised himself.
He studied the papers she placed before him.
“What?”
“Yes, what,” Nelly said. She managed to put all her sarcasm in that one word.
“Now tell me why you were very determined and why you went that length to being down Jace group, my father’s company. Tell me why you bought a lot of shares with a different identity and why you are almost our greatest share holder all in another’s name. Why do you want to take my company?”
“Is Jace group Startford?” Ivan wondered.
“Huh. You want to act all calm and innocent? How can you not know that Jace group is still Startford?”