Chapter 19 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Although that is awfully sweet of you, but I’m very sure that isn’t the reason you called.” She said in amusement.

“Why would you…”

“Really, Benne? Go on, I’m listening.” She said cutting him off as she stood up from her desk and rubbed her eyes.

Benne sighed wearily. He couldn’t help feeling embarrassed that she had seen through him as usual, “Fine. There is this girl…”

“A girl?” Jade asked with a giggle since that was the last thing she had expected him to talk about. Benne was all about his business and money, and though he had had different girlfriends over the years, but she doubted he had ever given them much thought.

“Why is it funny?” Benne asked in confusion.

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just go on. I’m sure she must be very interesting if you’re thinking about her.” Jade said thoughtfully.

“Well, she works for me…”

“When did you start mixing business with pleasure?” She interrupted again.

“I suppose there is always a first time. Now can you listen without cutting me off?” He pleaded.

“Sure. Sorry. I think I’m still in lawyer mode.” She apologized with a giggle

“I really like her and I want her, but she is so damn stubborn and self-sufficient. How do I get her?” Benne asked curiously.

“She knows who you are and doesn’t want you?” Jade asked in disbelief.

“No she doesn’t but…”

“Sorry to cut you off bro, but if I’m going to be of any help to you, then you have to give me details. How did you meet her? Why do you want her? What is she like?” Jade asked as she picked up a jotter and a pen. Call it habit, but she liked organizing her thoughts.

“I met her the club…” Benne started.

“…So that is it.” He finished.

“Holy shit! You mean you actually bought the apartment she is living in just because you wanted to be her next door neighbor?” She asked incredulously.

“Well, let’s just see it as a real estate investment. I could always sell the house if things don’t go as planned, right?” He asked logically, and Jade had to admit there was sense in what he said.

“But then the money you paid to the occupants of the house…”

“We both know it’s nothing to me. Let’s just think of it as the price I’m paying to pursue what I want.” Benne said making her sigh.

“So is it that you love her?”

“I honestly don’t know what I feel for her yet. I don’t know her well enough to be in love with her, but what I do know is that I’m interested in her and I want her.”

“Wow!” Jade exclaimedd with a giggle as she tried to process everything Benne had just told her.

“So what do you think?” Benne asked curiously.

“Well, from all you’ve said, she is a good girl… And good girls like bad boys, even though they won’t easily admit that. So maybe instead of taking the gentleman approach which I’m sure she must be used to already, you should be more fun. Be the bad boy next door.” Jade suggested.

“A bad boy?” Benne asked out loud as he thought about it. A bad boy would probably have fucked her silly that night, but he had acted the gentleman… Perhaps that was why ladies kept trying to use him? Because he seemed too kind and gentlemanly?

“Yes. You should probably ask Byran for tips. I’m sure he is the baddest boy in the whole of the country.” Jade said with a giggle, and then remembered she was yet to give him a call. She made a mental note to do that immediately she was done with the phone call.

“Maybe I will do that. Now back to you, how was your day and how is the case going?” He asked, sounding concerned now.

“I’m holding up. Things are becoming pretty intense and my only witness has gone into hiding.” She said with a sigh.

“The case is that bad?”

“Really bad. But if I’m able to do this, I think I will quit from this firm and start my own.” She confided.

“Just let me know if you need anything. You know you can always count on me.” He said, and she smiled.

“Sure. I need to get back to work now. Love you.” With that she hung up and sighed.. It seemed like both her brothers were getting all the romance and she was just here working like a maniac, Jade thought to herself.

Celsie yawned as she lay on her sofa reading Sonia’s last published novel and jotting down areas she felt Sonia needed to work on. She took off her glasses and walked over to her refrigerator to find something to chew on, but remembered she had nothing yet. She was yet to stock her house, and she doubted she would be able to do that until weekend.

She suddenly realized she had had nothing to eat all day when her stomach rumbled. She had been about leaving for lunch earlier when her boss had shown up in her office to show her her official car and driver. After that she had been too surprise to remember her hunger, and had later buried herself with work until he came to tell her it was getting late.

She knew without doubt that if she didn’t get something to eat now, she would be at a risk of severe ulcer pains, and that she wouldn’t be able to bear. She had to get something to eat, and also get some medicine in case the ulcer pain came as she knew it would when she finally eats.

She didn’t really know anywhere around the neighborhood yet, since she was yet to move around. She had spent the first night at that mansion with Benne, and then yesterday she had eaten the apple cobbler Benne had brought as a good welcoming neighbor, unfortunately he seemed like the only good neighbor in the neighborhood since nobody else had been over to say hello. Or maybe they had come while she was away at work, she would never know.

She stood up and walked over to her closet to get something comfortable she could wear. She picked up a gray colored sweatpant and an equally gray colored hoodie since the weather was sort of cold outside, and then she walked over to her dressing table and packed her hair in a ponytail before putting on her glasses. She looked at her appearance in the mirror and noticed her face was completely plain, although her face was almost always plain apart from the powder and lipgloss she often used, but it was extra plain now since she had showered and was ready to go to bed.

‘Who cares?’ she asked herself as she headed for the door, and on second thought returned to apply a touch of lipgloss on her lips. ‘Of course I’m not doing this to impress anyone, I just don’t want to look too plain.’ she assured herself as she strolled out of her house with her wallet and locked the door behind her, before walking over to the apartment next door.

She stopped by the door and couldn’t help wondering why she had decided to come there. She had tried not to think of their little exchange in the car earlier but standing here now, she wondered why he hadn’t come over after claiming he was going to bring her out of her shell.

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