Chapter Two

One of the hardest things for Kesa is to not lose her calm. She had been battling with self control for almost her whole life. Right now, she tried her best to hold in a loud groan from leaving her mouth. She rubbed her temple with the tips of her fingers while thinking.

She’d been at her desk for over five hours, facing the man who held her annual profits right in his palm. Her gaze dropped onto her gold wristwatch to check the time. She was already running late due to this meeting.

Though she sat facing this highly respected figure in the business world, only one thing was plastered on her mind. The new housekeeper. He’d been running through her mind since she saw him but she tried to control herself.

She hoped he’d been coping with the kids perfectly. Tyler and Debbie have been such hard nuts to crack right from birth. They had been such headaches since the start. Now, memories of Duke wandered through her mind. He was perfect for them. They were also close to him and fond of him.

Oh, she missed those days when they would come back from work and play with the kids. The late night games and story telling episodes. A drop of tear formed in her eyes. She held it back. Now, things changed. She had to start working so late so she had no time for the kids. The workload had increased but she still tried, hoping things would go back to being the same.

Her guest didn’t seem to notice that she was distracted by her thoughts as she kept her face so calm. There was nothing the man loved more than expression, so he continued speaking to the distracted Kesa.

“Kesa, There’s no offense interested as my board has concerns. Such a young woman like you. The same years of experience Tom has can’t be measured up to yours”, Monty explained while making gestures with his hands.

He continued “It’s nothing personal but purely business. My job is to relay the information from the board.”

Leaning forward and leveling her penetrating state, Kesa looked at the old man with grey hairs seated before her. From the days of Gaza, the Ponti’s family had dominated across America. They had upholded various construction contracts down to hotels, bars, etc. The family name was everywhere. She couldn’t let her age deter this partnership opportunity.

She started thinking of how the sales and stocks would skyrocket if Daltech and the Pontis were in partnership. They would take over the stock market. One thing about the business world she had learnt was that, to stay relevant in the market, she had to grow. She had to reach higher heights to increase her value. Her father was such a good teacher.

He made sure she knew all the ropes before handing over the company to her. She’d been willing to learn so the process became so easy.

The man before her was a fifty year old man. At that age, he had acquired so much wealth across the years. If there was a look for a wealthy billionaire, he definitely didn’t look the part. Monty was looking dapper in his grey shorts paired with a navy blue shirt. He complimented this look with his black flip flops. He always looked like he fell from a beach to another rather than an office.

“Toms may have been around longer than me but that doesn’t mean they have any expertise at what they do. Everyone in the business world knows that the Toms are all nothing but talks and no actual work. You claimed it wasn’t personal, if it wasn’t, my age wouldn’t be mentioned in the equation.” Kesa put on her big girl pants and went further with her persuasive words,” As a businessman that you are, you wouldn’t want shortcomings that you will be paying for dearly. That’s the more reason why you should be luring me into completing this merger andt getting me a space in your will.” She had entrapped him with her words and her seductive grin. These were the perks of being a businesswoman, not just one but a pretty one. She also had her way with words.

After being silent for several moments to wear off her effect on him, he finally blurted out, “ There’s no doubting I liked you from the start. You’re so good with your words.” Kesa smiled reassuringly.

“Fine, I will give you a chance. All you have to do is prove to my board that you’re the right one for the deal. He went further to advice her, “These are not just a group of young jolly fellows, instead they are a more conservative group of older men.You’ll have to let go of your flings and any form of escorts. The other half of a successful business is keeping up your appearances.” He adjusted the collar of his shirt and leaned back on his chair. He had done his best to nurture Kesa to appease his board. He hoped in his mind that she would take it seriously and get the approval of his board.

As Kesa was about to speak, he interrupted,” This is the way the business world works and you’ve been able to navigate it successfully. Kudus to you for that. For my board to take you seriously, you’ll need to be taken seriously as a woman. If you have any questions or any observations to add, make it quick , I have a sexy lady waiting for me at home now.”

“I have nothing to add. Nothing at all. I really appreciate your words of advice.” Kesa replied. This was his cue to leave, Monty got up and left the office after bidding Kesa goodbye.

Her view of New York was so surreal. This was thanks to the location of Darltech’s headquarters. Her office was on the penthouse floor so she viewed this part of New York spectacularly. The city lights shun so bright and detailed the beauty of the city at night. She had sweated and toiled to sit in that office and chair and have such a beautiful view of New York.

She remembered the new housekeeper and quickly got her phone out of her purse. After staring at it for long, she dialed Stella’s number and pressed call. She waited for the phone line to connect.

“Hello Kesa!” She heard Stella’s cheerful voice. Stella had been her assistance from before the birth of her kids. Stella had been more of a friend and manager all in one.

After a little pause,”Yea,it’s me” Kesa responded.

“I was expecting you to call earlier to let me know if Mason had closed for the day and gone home.”

“Well, he closed early and went home.” Stella answered.

“He didn’t have any issues putting the kids to sleep, did he?” Kesa asked.

“Not at all, they played a few games and they slept off in no time. He’s starting to get a hang of it. I guess he’s really good at the job. I pray he lasts though” Stella said in a rather exciting voice.

“Uhmm, that’s good. I thought he’d find them so troublesome but I was wrong. Well, how’s Dan, is he feeling better?” Kate asked Stella. Stella and Dan had been married for a year but he was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Luckily, it was the first stage and it was nitucwd earlier. He’d been on treatment from then on.

“He’s better now, I planned to get to the hospital before I head home to rest for tomorrow. The doctor says he’s improving and I’m excited he’s getting better.”

Kesa had lost her husband but never kept that bitterness towards Stella and Dan. She wanted the best for the both of them. She tried her best to help when she could. The night when Dan collapsed quickly replayed in her meneory. They’d all gone to celebrate a deal she had just signed. They went to celebrate at Tiffany’s. With the expensive champagne being lured into the various classes, that night was bound to be fun for them.

Earlier on, she had dropped off Tyler and Debbie with their grandmother at the country house for the weekend. That week had been so stressful for them and luckily they had a midterm break. So, everything happened coincidentally but as planned.

They had ordered their appetizers and they were served to the table. She would never forget the sweet aroma of the stuffed mushrooms. The mushroom caps had been filled with breadcrumbs and clams. She remembered salivating just at the sight of the food. They all dug in to their various platters.

Within a few minutes during the course of the meal, Dan had excused himself to use the restroom. Meanwhile, Kesa and Stella use do that time meticulously to fill each other in on their recent activities. She didn’t mind third wheeling when it came to them. Her social circle was so limited, excluding all her flings and exports.

Coming out of the restroom back into the restaurant, they heard a loud thud on the ground. To their dismay, it was Dan. Quickly, they called the emergency line and he was taken to the hospital. Kesa had comforted Stella and stroked her hair throughout the journey. She was there for her up until he was diagnosed. The memory of that day still vividly clear in her mind. She snapped back to reality.

“Send my regards to him and tell him I’ll come visiting soon.” Kesa said.

In addition, she went further to say, “Make sure you get some red. He’s going to be fine. Stop overthinking and worrying. I know you can get a medal for doing that. You have to be strong for the both of you. You’ll pull through, okay?”

“Thanks for the encouragement Kesa. I really don’t know what I’d do without you. Goodnight and make sure you get back home soon and get some rest.”

She smiled and said “Goodnight Stella”. Before letting Stella say anything further, she hung up the call. Stella had always made sure she took breaks even when she attempted overworking herself.

Pulling the phone away from her ear, she remained staring at the cellphone for some time. Just then, something caught her attention, the big brown envelope. She had been fiddling with the corners during her meeting with Monty, hence the dog ears.

She rubbed her hand down her face. She didn’t think she would do this again, but she had to, for her safety and that of her kids. The envelope contained Mason Greenwood’s background information. She had run a background check on him and this was the result. It had been sealed in the envelope.

Despite her hesitation,Kesa slipped her fingers through the seal and opened the envelope slowly emptying its content. This felt wrong. This was the same procedure for everyone that worked with her. She needed to be sure she wasn’t bringing a criminal in the disguise of a total stranger into her house. Stella had assessed him and vetted him for the job but she had to clear her doubts.

On a second thought, she felt like she trusted him. Then why look into his background information if she did. With frustration starting to close in on her, she put the envelope into her briefcase and switched off the lights. She needed to get home, she had been so drained since the meeting with Monty. There was no need to rush Mason’s background check this night when she’d still have the envelope with her the next day.

She headed out of the office and took the elevator to the last floor. The office had been so empty and she glanced at her watch and it read “10:50pm”. It was so late and she’d missed bedtime stories with her kids. She’d usually tell them stories every night. She would make sure no matter what, she would come home on time to read them their stories.

Her failure to do so that day was to let Mason settle in. She had given him a chance and she wanted to see how he would make good use of it. Outside the building, her car was parked. She walked towards it and her driver made his way out and opened the door for her, taking her suitcase to the other side.

They headed home while she rested her head on the seat, trying not to fall asleep in the car. Once more, she felt herself thinking about Mason. He’d been appearing so often in her mind since she’d met him. Usually, she’d feel guilty if she thought of any other man asides her late husband. The lamb of guilt didn’t settle in this time and he felt relieved.