Chapter Nineteen

"What on earth for? Sorry - I mean,what do you want to use them for?" James asked,trying not to overreact, that's if he hadn't already.

"James,I mean no harm to her,so don't get angry. I just realized I like her so much and I want to get close to her. Maybe, she would give me a chance." Philip couldn't figure out why he was getting angry. He had hoped James could help him talk to her in conviction to his cause. He didn't expect his reaction at all.

Before James could make a reply,the telephone on his desk started ringing. His receptionist was calling him to inform him that Joyce wanted to see him.

Oh,no! He couldn't let Philip see her now or that would make him half successful. He didn't want to say it on the phone for it would make him suspect he was referring to her. "No," he said into the phone and put the receiver back to its holder.

"Excuse me,Philip. I'm sorry," he apologized and brought out his cellphone and texted Joyce. He smiled and faced Philip. "Are you serious about her?" James asked in a more relaxed way which surprised Philip.

He had thought James was angry but he didn't seem to be anymore. He replied,"Yes,I am. I really love her. I am serious."

"That's quite saddening. What do we do now? I think that will be difficult. Impossible, even," he replied with a smile,more like a smirk.

It was Philip's turn to be angry, mildly though. "And why?" He questioned slowly as if he'd got all the time to himself.

"Because..." He paused and met his eyes as he said the remaining sentence. "Joyce.....is my girlfriend."

°°°°°

Joyce stood before Kristine, the receptionist, as she told her that James wasn't ready to see her.

She couldn't understand why her boss wasn't ready to see her. Kristine had told her who was inside,so why would he still be keeping her from going to see him. It wasn't as if he was with an official guest. Philip was someone she had seen before. He wasn't even a client. She started grumbling silently.

She didn't want to but she couldn't help not being paranoid. She was still sulking when her phone alerted a message. She ignored it thinking it was the network's silly messages on how to get two GB with a hundred naira,or perhaps the daily messages on health and dating tips.

She started to walk away but turned around at the calling of her name. "Oh,Philip! How are you doing? And Vivian?" She asked pleasantly.

Philip smiled. "I'm fine. And Vivian? I pray she is," he said rather too quickly than expected as she walked out of the building with him and into the compound.

"Joyce?" He called.

"Yes?" She smiled,looking up at him. She just realized he was a bit taller than her boss,but in structure? Her boss was way better in all the right places.

All her loving pictures of her boss went into the trash can of her head when "Joyce,I will really like to court you," found it's way into her ears.

Wow,he wasn't refraining. He had that in common with his sister. They speak their hearts out. All that was on their mind was what they say without hesitation. She was once like that,but not anymore. There were a lot on her minds that she wanted to voice out,especially to her boss,but she couldn't.

      When she didn't say anything in response to him, Philip continued in defense, "I know you have a boyfriend but I'm willing to be a friend and keep hoping you'll open your heart to me someday."

        Joyce alighted from her train of thoughts and stood straight, looking up at him. Her expression was the perfect description of confusion. He had confused the already confused situation. What did he mean, boyfriend? Boy- what?

      " What! I have a boyfriend?" she voiced out her confusion. Where did he get such false information? Come on, Joyce. Don't you know how guys are? He's just making it up just so you could open up more to him. Don't get an heart attack over that, she said to herself in thoughts.

        Philip nodded. "James is your boyfriend. He told me himself," came the confession.

         Had it been the man before her had spiritual eyes, he would have seen the smokes coming out of all places with pores and piercings on Joyce's body as a result of her ire. She was fuming. If anger could turn into water, the whole building would have been drowned with no escape.

°°°°°

  James stood at the same spot he had watched his brother talked to Joyce the day he visited. The difference now was that it wasn't Peter she was talking to. He had been replaced with someone he didn't like. He couldn't hear what they were saying which pissed him up all the more.

          "Finally, he met her," he muttered angrily and wondered if Joyce didn't see his text message or she just chose to ignore. He watched them exchange contacts and unconsciously gritted his dents. He was getting more angry than necessary.

        Philip was another hunter hunting for the prey he had first sighted and desired most. He wouldn't let him get it. No.

           "No," James repeated aloud and the door flung open.

        He turned around rather too quickly to ask the person if he lacked some manners or had forgotten them where he was coming from, but he closed his mouth just as soon as he opened it as he sighted the so - called mannerless person.

        It was Joyce, so he swallowed his words and hid them at the most darkened corner of his mind where he kept other unnecessary comments. He locked his mind and threw the key away into the ocean of his circulating blood. He would never release those.

        Jerking to the present, he looked at her angry face. He smiled as the words Angry bird slipped into his mind. Her expression remained stoic and he couldn't guess why. For a moment, he had the stray thought that she could skin him alive. He shuddered jokingly at the thought.

      "Joyce?"He called as he moved away from the window. He was going to just give her a piece of his mind. " Why did you give him your contact?"

       " Why did you tell him I'm your girlfriend?"Joyce asked, evading his unnecessary question. It was none of his business who she chose to give her contact to.

      " Why did you talk to him? Did you not see my message?"James countered.

        " Why do you make me feel so embarrassed?"

       "Why are you so stubborn?" James persisted.

      Joyce smiled inwardly. You won't back down, right? I will show you what it means to be stubborn if you keep avoiding my questions. She smirked and lashed, "Why on earth would you lie about something like that?"

         He had gotten tired of the whole drama they were staging. He didn't even know when he shouted. "JOYCE!!!" His voice could be heard even on the last floor but he didn't care. He had to deal with the stubborn P. A of his.

       She tilted her head up at him in a 'Yes? Say all the fuck you want to say. I'm ready for you' way. She seemed unaffected by his scream. Like-Who gave the fuck?

        Her boss relieved himself of the beads of perspiration that lined peacefully on his forehead and temples. "Don't - avoid - my - questions," he ordered slowly. He was stressed out than usual. Joyce was a whole level package of stress herself.

       Joyce gave a knowing smile before replying. "It seems you are too," she uttered defensively.

          "Joyce, answer my questions . Did you see my message? I asked you to go to your office that I would call you when I'm done. You did see it, right?"

        "No, I didn't. But why do I have to go to my office because Philip is here?"

         "He wants to - you know? He -," he tried to sound mature but he was not succeeding.

        "He wants to woo me, right?" she threw the affirmation at him.

        He did not reply.

       "Well, it's the generation of women that get wooed. And that's why you said I'm your girlfriend? You've ruined the chance I had with him with your false declaration. Did I meddle in your affairs with his sister? I didn't, so James, don't put your nose in mine,"she retorted.

        All she said made no stay in his brain other than the chance she mentioned." Wait, you can't possibly want to give that dude a chance, do you?"

        " And if do? What has that got to do with you? Look, James, I am tired of this whole thing. I have to go," she informed and brought out an envelope at the back of her Jean trouser, then stretched it towards him. " I came here to give you my resignation letter,"she uttered in withal.

       " Wh... Wha.... What!!!"James stuttered in shock.