Chapter 09|Dumb is the new Normal

Chapter 09|Dumb is the New Normal

She wanted to give Chucks normal even in a family of criminals like herself, in a place where guns were carelessly dropped like they were toys and were an ideal present for a child.

   She wanted the only assignment he had to do, to be in a book and not a possible way of saying goodbye to his adorable face.

   She didn't want him to be the weirdo who was always on his computer, the teenage guy who wasn't obsessed with video games or in her case, parties, and boys.

   University was like a rude awakening to reality. She tried to ghost everyone and even though she came back right after classes, she still heard the whispers, the Snickers.

   She was the abnormal girl who was able to beat two Feared cultists in her Year one, who wanted to rob her and didn't break a sweat.

   He was already so intelligent it freaked her atimes. She didn't want him to be bullied or be at the receiving end of mocking nicknames and taunts.

   But she couldn't act on what she wanted. The team's needs have to come before her desires and fierce wants. So, instead, she nudged him playfully.

   "So? Spill?"

   "Apart from his gateman, Nanny who cooks for him, and lots of security Intel, he lives alone." She raised her brow, convinced that something was up with the Governor. "So, that got me intrigued about his work life, unlike other governors who have lots of Personal assistants. He has only five and only one that reports directly to him. Now, it is a known fact that the assistant who reports directly to him, at best, lasts for only a week__"

   She raised her brow, that part of his sentence fully getting her intrigued.

   "Apart from the strenuous workload piled and cut out for this assistance of his, since he or she is doing a work of more than ten people, the unfortunate assistant has to cope with a Governor and consequently a boss, who is a perfectionist... One mistake, one slip. And you are fired." He said, and then with his lips curved into a wry smile."He is just like you," 

   She shook her head in denial.

   "I'm not a perfectionist."

   "You made me redo a logo for a brand, that wasn't even real, 15 times!" He retorted.

   "The more original, the more plausible. You know the drill!" She defended, as they both referred to one of their paper companies which was a cover-up as their source of income.

   These companies are just registered names, they pay taxes too. But no business activities take place there because it wasn't real, there was no establishment like that. It was only in papers.

   "At least I don't fire people every week!"

   "You would if you can. Inefficiency makes your skin crawl.." he simply stated, as he has her all figured out.

   "I wonder why no one else feels the same way! Anything worth doing is worth doing perfectly."

   "The Governor feels the same way, hence one poor assistant who doesn't understand this concept packed home, today." He said, smiling at her excitedly.

   "So?" She asked, not getting what he was hyped up about.

   "You are going to be his assistant. I have sent your Curriculum vitae__"

   "You know normal people just say CV?" She had an amused smile on her face.

   "Yeah. I know dumb is the new normal. Like I was saying, I have sent in your Curriculum vitae and it would be decided on by merit..." He paused and they both chuckled knowing there was nothing like merit, in Nigeria, in Lagos even. "Don't worry I already made a call to the government house, with a burner phone. One of the guys there owe Sir Young a favor, and posing as Sir Young, I made sure he will redeem that favor__"

   "Don't you think that will make him suspicious about me when I resume work?"

   He scoffed, shaking his head.

   "I only used a burner phone just because it is protocol but not as a necessity. He only knows Sir Young as a man who saves his butt, once from the law. Besides, Sir Young has something on almost everyone in the government, some as tools for threats, and some owe him a favor or two. That is how you stay powerful."

   "And you know this and I don't, because?"

   "I'm the brain of the Native and besides who do you think does the documenting of shreds of evidence in case they try to act smart in future?"

   She smiled at him, hopefully. "Do you happen to have anything on the__"

   "No, the Governor is squeaky clean, it is frighteningly and he is doing well, keeping the mysterious aura. You can't figure out what you don't understand. The only thing I have been able to figure out is that he is incredibly good-looking, even when he doesn't know a picture of him is being taken, his side view, any view is ridiculously nice." Chucks said switching from all serious to playful as he waggled his brow suggestively at the last part.

   "Ew... Knock that look off your face." She said, shaking her head at him, horrified.

   She knew he was handsome, she had seen him at the club. The devil too was handsome, so it didn't mean he was innocent. She thought.

   "What do you plan to study?" He was playing with his mouse as he shrugged then, raised his brow at her confused, "At the university." She added for clarity.

   "Is that necessary?"

   "Young made me do it. As a leader, I will have to make you do it too." 

   He stared at her for some time. "Why did you study business administration?" 

   "Well the course only took 4 years, and they had a dress code." 

   He raised his brow, and she shrugged.

   "It is hard figuring out what normal teenagers like to wear__" she simply replied.

   He smiled, showing off his dimples, Knowing that only Jasmine could study a course for four years because of the reasons she had mentioned.

   "And Chucks, you should learn how to play video games."

***

She gawked into the mirror, shocked at the woman gawking right back at her.

   Instead of her baggy crop tops, she was wearing a chiffon top, which she had tucked into a light navy blue skirt that was a change from her loose shorts.

   For her makeup, she had watched a few YouTube tutorials and had gone with mascara, powder, and tinted lip balm. Her hair she had used a ribbon on, making it pour as massive curls at the side of her face.

   She grabbed her red Louis Vuitton bag and slipped her legs into the red flats she had ordered a week ago when she had received a mailed letter of appointment.

   She breathed in and out not believing the tingling nervous excitement, she felt as her tummy did flip flops at the thought that today was her first day at work.