Chapter eight

Lola was being inquisitive again. Karis hated it when she got like that. He was going to have to break things up with her - this time for good. They had both enjoyed an open relationship for sometime now, but things were changing, she had started getting more jealous, more annoying.

   ''You want to launch a charity you say, but you have no idea what particular charity -'' She said. She was sitting on his laps and snorting coke from a pen, and he had the sudden urge to push her off.

   He shrugged. '' The girl child education, or anything that sounds as stupid and as good as that. I don't really care. All this is a game, a game between my father, Adam chukwu and I.''

   ''And what about his daughter?'' Lola asked getting up suddenly from his lap, and dropping the pen on a table.

   ''What about whose daughter?'' Karis asked to stall for time.

   ''Oh don't play dumb with me Karis.'' Lola snapped. ''Adam's daughter - the beautiful Weruche.'' She raised a palm. ''And before you accuse me of getting jealous, try to understand I'm looking out for you, we are friends at least, are we not?''

  Karis raised his head until his gaze was level with hers even though he was seated. ''We are not friends Lola, and will never be. We just this,'' he waived a hand. ''Nothing deep is going on here ok. You don't care about me, and I would never care about you.''

   Lola's eyes stung, and she controlled her breathing with effort. ''Fine. But when it's too late, I hope you understand that I offered you friendship and you rejected it. It may not be much of an offer, but at least, it was sincere. Something you can't say about Weruche.'' She added, her voice thick with innuendo.

   ''If you want to say something, spit it out.'' Karia said unaware he had let the steel creap into his voice.

  ''Lola shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant. ''And why should I.... We are not friends, you've made that very clear?''

   Karis got up, so quickly he unbalanced the rocking chair, yet so steathly he hardly appeared fast. He smiled, without bordering to turn up the charm, and the effect was cold, powerful and merciless. ''I wouldn't repeat myself again Lola.''

  ''I don't know it's just - we all know Adam doesn't like you.'' She said moving back until her feet caught on something and she tripped. Karis was there to catch her in a heartbeat, but the face starring down at hers wasn't one of a night in shining armor. No, he was the very dragon who had put her, and was going to put her in more distress.

   ''With his face inches away from hers, he asked. ''You were telling me about why I shouldn't trust Weruche.''

   Lola raised her lips to his. If only she could make him kiss her, maybe he wouldn't remain so angry -she count tell he was angry... very angry. His lips remained unmoving under hers, and she finally gave up. ''I just think Adam doesn't have your best interests at heart, and he might have sent Weruche to spy on you... or perhaps nothing that drastic, but maybe she is working for her father against you. You yourself must have considered this.''

  Karis nodded then straightened, helping her to her full height. ''You can go now Lola, and it's over. We are done.''

  Lola nodded wordlessly and walked out. They were not done, she would make sure about that, but not now. She couldn't reason with him now.

 Karis stood looking at the door long after she walked out. The truth was that she was only trying to look out for him, he was wrong to be angry with her - Weruche was not to be trusted. But then Lola had started getting on his nerves, and he was tired of her anyway.

   The intercom rang, drawing his attention and he picked up. It was his security at the gates, he had an unexpected visitor -Weruche. ''Send her in, he said, trying to control his irritation. Of all the times for her to show up. Lola might actually be right, and it was time to take Weruche off his mind for good.

   ''Hi Karis'' The girl at his door said, but he couldn't recognize her, she wasn't Weruche.

  ''My security told me Weruche was coming to see me.'' He said stepping back a little, and allowing her to enter. ''While I'm surprised to that you are not her, I cannot say I am disappointed.'' And he wasn't, the girl standing in front of him didn't have the innocent beauty of Weruche, but it didn't hurt the eyes to look at her, and she looked more carefree, she didn't look like she would flee his sitting room when things got intense.

   ''Oh but you might be very surprised who I am.'' she said, in an accent he couldn't quite place, as she stepped in. She was small, barely five feet tall with small shoulders and the fingers that she placed ever so causally, yet seductively on his arm could have belonged to a twelve year old, but their was nothing childish about her full figure and curves that strained against the black dress she wore. There was nothing childish in her voice when she brought it up to his ear to whisper, ''I could be Weruche if you want me to, or I could be the best you've ever had.''

   Karis brought her fully into his arms, and seized her lips with his. The kiss wasn't deep, and yet, it wasn't friendly. It was a kiss that asked questions, he was intrigued, he wanted to know more.

   ''What's your name?'' He finally asked, pulling his mouth away and stepping away from her.

  ''Weruche, Weruche Chukwu.'' She watched disbelieve register on his face before she continued. ''It seems someone has been impersonating me, and I wouldike to know who.''

  Karis shook his head, then shrugged. ''I wouldn't know, I met her only once, she seemed a bit out of place with my kind of life, but nothing that raised my suspicion. Good luck finding her, and I'd like to know who she is too, and why she did it.''

   ''Just tell me what she's like.'' Weruche said digging her hand into her pocket and bringing out a photo. It was of the fake Weruche and him from his party last year, and even though the picture was taken at an odd angle, there was no denying her beauty. ''My girls got this for me... Is this her?''

   Karis nodded, surprised at the anger he felt. He had thought Weruche was different - had hoped she was different. There was something so innocent and undefiled about her, and he had hoped she was as innocent as she seemed, a breath of fresh air in the stale world of money, lies and manipulation he lived in. But apparently he was wrong, and she was just another scheming female. He didn't even know what her real name was.

   He nodded at the real Weruche. ''When you find her, you tell her I want to speak with her. She owes me one too for lying to my face.''

   Weruche nodded and turned towards the door. ''I'll be back Karis'' she said over her shoulder, and then she was off.

  Karis had just returned to his chair again and fished out a cigarette, when he had a slight knock on the door, and Weruche- or at least so she called herself. She was standing in front of him.