HE looked at the portrait again, and then back at her. That was the portrait of Daniel, his little cousin who was brutally murdered almost going to three years now.
“Are you okay?” He was forced to ask because her face had suddenly gone pale and her body, so cold.
She nodded her head like a lizard and tried to compose.
“Yeah yeah, I am fine”, she said and glanced at the portrait again.
He shook his head.
“You look like someone who has just seen a ghost. Talk to me, are you okay?” He insisted.
She forced a smile.
“Yes yes, I’m good babe, trust me I am”, she assured him.
“Sure?”
She nodded.
“Sure, I am, come on”, she continued forcing more smiles.
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Okay then, if you insist”, he said and left her.
“I will be downstairs at the dining room, come meet me there when you are done”, he said again.
“You have literally said that a thousand times dear”, she said and he laughed.
“Well that is because I want it to sink in”, he said as he got to the door.
She laughed.
“Stupid!” She cussed, still laughing.
Jeremy walked out closing the door behind him and Jasira immediately turned to the portrait again.
“Oh my!” She suddenly lamented, “why is my past always having a way to come up to my present and haunt me? Why is it always having something to do with my present happiness? Why?” She cried out still looking at this portrait.
She remained there for minutes lamenting and staring at this portrait, and then as if stung by a bee, she immediately dashed into the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Jeremy got to the living room and sat on the comfy sofa he had earlier vacated, then his thoughts began racing.
What had just transpired in there? She had seen his late cousin’s portrait and suddenly went cold, what does that mean? Oh Lord! He hoped he hadn’t ruined her night by asking her to come over.
Like fifteen minutes later saw Jasira coming down the stairs. Jeremy saw her approaching and got up, smiles splitting his face.
“Finally, dinner had already been served, come on”, he said and took her hand, and hand in hand they walked up to the dining.
“Why didn’t you begin eating instead of waiting for me?” She asked and he shook his head.
“Nah, I can’t possibly do that, you are my guest and I am to wait for you”, he said and she laughed.
They got to the dining room and he pulled out a seat for her to sit and she did.
“Thank you”, she said sitting down.
“You are welcome”, he said and sat down as well.
Immediately, three maids approached the table and began dishing out the food. They were done in a twinkle of an eye and the duo began watering their gullets.
As far as Jasira was concerned, it was the most romantic meal she had ever had.
They finished eating and Jeremy engaged them in a game, and so many other things. It was really a night full of fun.
Just as she was about to retire to bed, he called.
“Jasira?”
She turned to him, he was standing by his dressing table.
“Yeah, what is it?” She asked and got up, walking to him. She noticed him fidgeting with something in his hands.
“I have something special for you”, he said, smiling.
Her face quickly broke into smiles.
“Okay, what is it?” By now, she was already standing in front of him, staring into his eyes.
He gently grabbed her left wrist and placed a silver bracelet on it. She was shocked.
“Don’t ever take this out of your wrist,” he said softly.
“Oh my! You got this for me?” She asked admiring it, “thank you,” she said and the next thing, wrapped her arms around him.
“You are welcome,” and he pecked her on the cheek.
Very early the next morning, Jasira left, immediately after breakfast. She got home in due time, the morning was already coming up, activities from different parts of the mansion had already begun.
Swiftly, she got down her car and headed straight for her room, ignoring the privy eyes of the people staring at her.
**Boss J didn’t spend the night here.
She heard someone speak and she scoffed.
**Yeah, she spent it somewhere else.
Another person spoke yet, she ignored them all and continued walking down to her room. They were the least of her problems now.
As soon as she got to her door, she opened it, went in, and locked it back. Then once she fell on it with her back and began crying, hot tears streamed down her face.
Still standing with her back on the door, the big handbag in her hands fell with a thud to the ground, her hands covered her face, and she cried into it.
Just then, her phone rang. It was the second phone, she had left it on the dressing table. Slowly, she removed her hands from her face and looked towards the dressing table, it was still ringing.
Reluctantly, she walked up to it and picked it up, looking at the caller id a weak smile appeared on her face, it was Tarmah.
She answered the call instantly.
“Tarmah?” She called.
“Hello big sis, it’s been a while”, she squeaked into the phone.
She sniffed in, cleaning her face with her free hand.
“Hi Tam, how are you?” She asked.
“Oh my! Are you okay sis?” She asked.
Jasira sighed, Tarmah, always knowing everything.
“Are you fine? How are you and Jeremy?” She continued asking.
“Tarmah we are good”.
“Beautiful. Has he asked you out yet?”
“Ahh! You know it’s really been a while you called -”
“Yeah -”
“A whole lot has happened”.
“Oh really? Oh my! Spill it Boss J, spill it”, she squeaked.
Jasira was forced to laugh, that was Tarmah for you, she always carried positive vibes alongside herself.
“Fine. We are now dating -”
The squeal that followed was so emanating that Jasira had to take the phone off her ears, laughing.
“Really sis? Oh my!”
“Yes dear, and yesternight was the first time I visited his mansion,” she said and immediately began admiring the bracelet he had gifted her.
“Awwn awwn, I wanna be in love too”, she said with a puppy voice.
Jasira laughed.
“Oh come on. I’m having another issue girl”, she said as she walked up to her bed and sat.
“Another issue? What is that?”
“I have never believed I would fall in love, like fall to this depth in love with anybody, not to talk of someone from a different world, but here I am, dating him.”
“Hmm.”
She sighed deeply.
“Tarmah I have been thinking.”
“About?”
“I have been thinking of quitting the organization, starting up a new life as a regular woman.”
“Oh my! You sure?”
“Of course I am. I’m now getting tired of the killings, the threatenings, the dual life I’m portraying, the lies in my relationship, everything. I wanna live a normal life.”
“Hmmm, big sis, that is a huge one now.”
“Sure I know. But do you really think I was gonna remain here all my life, murdering people, threatening people, always doing things in the secrecy? I am tired of all that, and the thought to quit is beginning to cloud my thoughts,” she said.
Just then the door opened, and Lord Lucario barged in.