Chapter Seven

IRIS

 "What's wrong with you Iris Adelana?" I asked myself quietly, immediately I found myself in my bedroom. I placed my right hand over my chest as if to check my heart beat. I knew if I was a light skinned person my cheeks would be pink from a blush.

How did it even happen? How could a random question that was not even romantic in the least bit affect me this way?

Think straight Iris; you are an Adelana and the Adelanas are not easily given to emotional attachments. I chided myself.

It was quite evident that Enyinnaya was only sexually attracted to me, and that being the case any further emotional attachments by me would only be dangerous for me. I stood up to get a glass of cold water. Whiskey was a no go area for me, as I needed my sanity to think and whiskey would take every little bit of sanity left in me.  

I laid on the cold floor as everywhere suddenly felt too hot even as the air conditioner was turned on. 

You don't love him, your heart body, and soul is still for Gregory Malik. I cautioned myself again.

Gregory Malik was the last boyfriend I had, so telling myself that I was still inlove with him was the only rational way to keep my heart from misbehaving. At least being hung up on a humane ex boyfriend was a lot more better than having feelings for an ill raised arrogant Savage of a man; the likes of Enyinnaya Amadi. After all, it's not possible to be in love with two people at a the same time, or is it?

Picking up my phone from my bed table, I dialed Nelly's number, it rang once before she picked up.

"That was quite fast, don't you think so?" I jokingly asked.

"Oh!  I was actually chatting with someone on WhatsApp when you called, that's why " she responded light hearted too.

"Is anything wrong ma?" She questioned from a worried heart.

"Nelly, can you drop the formality for now, please. I need my friend not my personal assistant." I begged Nelly.

"Okay, I'll do just that. Tell me what's wrong and what I can do to help."

"Nelly, I think I'm heading towards the path of damnation." I said, eagerly awaiting her response.

"Well, unless you committed murder and you aren't planning to repent and ask for forgiveness of sins, then my dear friend, I would say you are." Nelly said jokingly with noble intention to calm the pressure she thought I was feeling.

"It's not that bad yet, but it's most certainly not good for me now, either."

"Can we just hit the nail on the head. What's wrong, Iris?

"Nelly, I think I may be......" I abruptly dropped the phone on my table, took a deep breath and picked it up again to continue with our conversation.

"You know what, don't mind that I called you, let's forget about this discussion." I said, abruptly putting an end to the call. 

What was I thinking calling Nelly? Wait, was I really going to tell her that I thought I was falling in love with the same jerk who was responsible for the delay in my accelerated success. No. I wasn't going to do that yet, atleast I needed to be sure this wasn't a hormone induced temporary emotion. Come to think of it, how could someone possibly fall in love with a person they've been with only thrice?

 That was damn right impossible!

Almost immediately Nelly called me back. "Nelly" I began "I told you it was a mistake and I'm sorry I called you okay." My voice showed distress and she was quick to catch on.

"Your voice says otherwise. Besides, Iris you know you can talk to me about anything right, I am your friend and I will really feel disturbed knowing that you are in distress."

"Nelly, for now I feel I can handle my situation, but if I feel the need to talk about anything troubling me, I will make sure to call you." 

"If you say so. Bye, then." She said and cut the call.

Nelly wasn't just a personal assistant to me. She was my best friend, not just a best friend, she was my only friend. 

As the first child and daughter of Mr Adelana Ayomide, I had grown up conscious of the fact that I was the heiress to the Adelanas Empire, a multi-million dollar fashion industry. Thus, I had lived a sheltered life as a child with no one to call a friend. Growing up, I lived a life of solitude since I was already accustomed to that kind of life. During my days in the university of Lagos, one would have expected to have made friends but that wasn't the case, the only close acquaintance I had was my boyfriend who also was my only friend, the other people usually seen around me occasionally were just my colleagues. Salvation for me came in the form of my personal assistant Nelly. Nelly was the only one I could go to spa with, visit the cinema with as well as go shopping and clubbing with. I shared every trouble and pain with her, my joyful moments wasn't left out too. 

NELLY

"I'm guessing that was your boss again, right?" Chike asked immediately I ended the call with Iris.

"Yes, it was her. Do you have a problem with your girlfriend communicating with her boss who happens to be a female?" I asked in return, hissing and rolling my eyes at him, as if asking for trouble from him.

"Really, Nelly? You of all people know that I don't have a thing against your boss except the fact that she's always playing the damsel in distress and you are constantly acting the role of a knight in shining armour. I am your boyfriend Nelly and I am not comfortable with that."

"Beat it Chike. This is my career we are talking about here, what do you want me to say this her, ehn? Should I go to her and just say 'Good day Madam, my boyfriend is against the way you constantly reach out to me when you are in distress, so I am quit!' tell me is that what you expect me to do?"

He smiled, then bit his lower lip; something he almost always did when angry or tensed up. Responding to me, he began "Maybe that is what you should do."

"What! What are you saying right now Chike?" I questioned, way beyond shocked.

"I am saying that you should quit your damn job! Think about it, how much do you get paid to do all this."

"Am not earning peanuts chike and you know it. I get paid well for my efforts and time thus, I don't have to be on your neck for everything I need." At this time, shock was quickly turning to anger and if Chike wasn't careful with his next words I was going to explode. 

"I'm not asking you to leave your job and become penniless "

"So what are you now saying if not that?"

"Come work for me. Become my personal assistant instead, I will pay double whatever amount Iris pays you to be her assistant."

I laughed so hard at what he said, to think I once thought he was Mr flawless. Who knew he had this much insecurity and jealousy in him.

"Chike ogini?" I queried in Igbo language. "Ogini kwa? Can someone not love you and love their career simultaneously? I love my job and I don't see any reason to quit my job. Let's face it, this isn't about my job, it's about you and your insecurity, perhaps your arrogance too. So, I'm not quitting even if you offer to pay me ten times what Iris pays me. Inugo?" Chike was a wealthy man and I knew he could pay me more than ten times Iris payed if he chose to, so I had said that just to make sure my words hit home.

"So you are choosing your job over me Nelly?" He asked, this time, completely furious 

"On the contrary I'm not choosing anything or anyone over the other. I'm simply telling you that I plan to not resign and I also don't plan to give up on us. So let's just stop this unnecessary argument please." Honestly, I was already tired of constantly arguing with him about my job and Iris. 

"Seriously Nelly, you are beginning to get on my last nerve and if care isn't taken you might have to make that choice someday, because I don't see your boss becoming any better." He finished, angrily got off the bed and was about leaving the room when I jumped up quickly from the bed to stop him.

"Where are you going to" I anxiously questioned. If was already past ten P.M and it worried me where he would go to by that time of the night and in the state that he was in.

"To find peace and a breath of fresh air." He replied, his eyes completely holding mine in their depth. He was hurt and I was the reason behind it.

"But I thought you said I am your peace and breath of fresh air?" I queried shakily. Was I suddenly going to loose what I had sought, for a long time?

"Right now I don't know if that is true anymore." He said, peeled my hands off his and walked out.

Muddled in my thoughts, I felt too  tired to chase after him, so I fell ran back into my bed and covered myself with my blanket. I decided to let go of every worry and thought so that I could sleep peacefully, but a question kept nagging me.

Was this a real break up or just a pre break up?