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“Oh, I’m sorry I missed that,” I tell her with a smile.
“It’s alright; I was just saying, do you mind joining my family and me this Saturday,” she asks.
“We have this little get-together we do every two weeks. I’d love for you to join,” she says.
“I’m not sure what my schedule looks like, but I’ll see what I can come up with.”
“I know you’re busy, but I would really love it if you could join us sometime, not necessarily this weekend” she says. I smile at her persistence.
“I’ll see what I can do about it. I’ll keep it in mind,” I tell her.
“Thank you,” she says. Stella, my assistant, chooses that time to walk in.
“I forwarded the emails like you instructed Jeffrey,” she says, and I smile.
“Thank you,”
“You’re welcome,” she replies.
“Please, I’d like you to show Mrs. Campbell our latest collections. She can choose any one of her choices, and the bill is on the house,” I relay to Stella. She nods as I give her the instructions.
“Okay.”
“Mrs. Campbell, please, Stella will take care of the rest,” I tell her.
“Thank you and, please, you are free to call me Gretta. Enough of Mrs. Campbell. You’re like a son to everyone here in town,” she says.
“Alright, Gretta, thank you for such an honor,” I tell her, and she smiles. I leave the showroom and head straight to my office. I have a meeting at Sweet Bites restaurant in a few minutes. We want to discuss how I’ll supply artwork to their office brands. I think about how far I’ve come. After Phebe left, I channeled everything into working hard. I’ve always had a passion for art, but I kept it buried. The moment she left, it became my solace. I started by making random paintings and selling them on the streets until one of my paintings caught the attention of Mr. Hakeem, an Arabian billionaire. My story changed from that point; I signed a deal worth millions of dollars. Before I knew it, my paintings were in demand across the globe. I’ve been named one of the top ten artists across the world over the past ten consecutive years. I remember the time when I thought of the happily ever after with Phebe. I shake my head, pulling myself out of those thoughts before they lead me astray.
I quickly grab my bag and head out of the building. I reach Sweet Bites in ten minutes. I took an extra five minutes before my potential business partners arrive. The meeting lasted for over an hour, but we didn’t reach an agreement. I want Lawson, my lawyer, present for the agreement. This meeting is solely for the first stage of negotiation.
As soon as we end the meeting, we leave Sweet Bites. I’m about to head to my car when I halt my movement. Standing a few steps from me is none other than the woman who broke my heart into pieces without care. The woman who, after all these years, is still the most beautiful person I’ve ever set eyes on. I wonder if this is an illusion, but it’s not. She stands as frozen as I am; at least she remembers who I am. This last thought fills me with distaste. I can’t help but notice the difference between the girl from nineteen years ago and the woman standing across from me. Time and place cease to exist as I stare at her. Aside from her more defined womanly features, she is still as I remember. Even after everything, my heart starts beating frantically as I stare at her.
No, don’t go there. She left, remember.That’s all the reminder I need to force my legs to move. I take quick strides toward my car. It takes everything not to stop when I reach her side. Instead, I walk to my car and get in. My eyes go back to the woman who has haunted me for close to two decades. She remains rooted at the spot until Mrs. Briggs, her aunt, walks up to her. That’s when she turns towards the direction of my car. Our gazes lock through the windscreen of the car. My emotions are all over the place. The only thing I can think of is that I want to leave right this minute. I start the ignition and drive out of the parking lot.
“What the hell was that?” I whisper as I zoom off. I run one of my hands through my hair, wondering what to make out of this. Even after so many years, and the betrayal, Phebe still manages to have a hold on me. All my vows not to allow Phebe’s presence to rile me up turn to dust. I need to get rid of these uncontrollable emotions.
6
PHEBE
“It will be a delight to have you as my interior designer,” Uncle Tyler says, and I force a smile. My mind is elsewhere. All I can think about is the encounter with Jeffrey at the restaurant four days ago. I should have stayed home when Aunt Maryann suggested the lunch date. I never expected to run into the person I’ve been avoiding all this time. The memory of Jeffrey’s cold expression haunts me, as he passed by without a word. It hurts so much to be treated like nothing.
“I paid my previous interior designers by commission on each project. They go away with ten percent of each project.” My uncle’s next words effectively bring me out of my thoughts.
“What did you say, Uncle Tyler?” I ask in alarm. Uncle Tyler frowns and says,
“Is the commission too small for you?” He asks in disappointment.
“What! No! It’s just perfect for me. I’ll take the job,” I tell him. His offer is so juicy that I find it hard to resist. What he is saying is true, then I have no doubts that within a couple of months, I’ll be able to clear my debts. All my worries will be over in a blink of an eye.
“Thank you so much!” I can’t help it as I wrap my arms around my uncle and hug him tightly.
“You’re welcome,” Uncle Tyler chuckles as he pats my back.
“What’s the next plan? Are there documents I’ll need to sign or something?” I ask, barely able to curtail my excitement.
“Not anything serious, just some company contracts. You can start as early as next week on Monday,” he says. This is the best news I’ve gotten in weeks. I beam with a smile and tell him,
