Night Like That (gxg)

3. a craven's bad idea

Now

Baba Chichi's office was magnanimous. With the tall windows and the spectacular view of Nairobi. The mahogany desk and the not very uniform cupboard that was always spilling things. The extra desk with the various drinking choices Chastity always helped herself to. It was the kind of office that had a way of making it rather obvious that Chastity was being perfectly stupid in her impulsivity.

Her uncle was leaning deep against his seat, his suit wrinkle free and black as he always preferred. He was smiling, his eyes dancing between her and her absurd project called Brent Wafula who was very confused but overall happy to be there.

"I miss your visits," Baba Chichi said, pointing at the thermos that was probably filled with tea. "Have you had breakfast?"

Chastity nodded, slouching on her seat, examining Brent who was also smiling but had made it painfully obvious he was uncomfortable. "So, I brought him," she pointed at him, waiting for him to take over.

Brent did not.

Baba Chichi turned to look at him. "Mama Chastity says you are a hard worker and that you need a job?"

Brent cleared his throat and sat even more upright. Chastity could not help the snort that left her. He was exactly like what she'd imagined – a person who liked pleasing others. As far as she could remember, she could not pull out anything that had him on the no side of things. That had been the propelling reason why, in a moment of inhibited thought processing, Chastity had thought he was going to be the best project pal.

Brent nodded. "I am. I have worked with the ministry of forestry, volunteered for a small NGO in Wajir and have just cleared KSL. I can speak four languages and I am a very fast learner."

"Mhh," Baba Chichi said mindlessly, "I've heard all these things from her." Chastity couldn't help but smile. Doing good for the world was very rewarding. "I've gone through your CV, it's impressive. As far as the firm goes, I don't know if we have a position that will shoot you straight up to partner in a year but we have a position that can take you there in two... three years."

Brent's eyes widened. Chastity could not blame him. That was even bigger than he had anticipated. It was even bigger than she had anticipated. But it was incentive enough to hire him. A friend of a friend connection was always just as good as a relative connection.

"I think now you have to go to HR and have them tell you everything. Sign papers here and there, possibly start as soon as they give you the go ahead." Baba Chichi got to his feet and so did Brent. They shook hands and an almost giddy Brent excused himself and left for what was hopefully the HR office. Chastity hadn't shown it to him. She wondered how he was going to find it.

"Two people," her uncle said as he poured tea for both of them. "Two people you've brought to me. Are you planning on going to heaven or something?"

Two sugars for her, as she had always liked. He sat down and studied her. Maybe it was a shrewd look, she could not tell over the tea steam. "I am giving to the world. One day I want it to give me back something when I need it. Besides, I've brought you accomplished lawyers."

Baba Chichi nodded. "True, though you should be working hard for your department, not mine."

She shrugged. "I don't know any accountants. I seem to have an influx of lawyers, doctors and engineers around me though. Let me know when you have any openings on those last two." She got to her feet, cradling the mug she was planning on stealing. "Now, I have to go to work before Sharleen decides I am lazy."

"Buy me lunch today?"

Chastity laughed. "You're the rich one. Buy me lunch."

"Selfish," he muttered with a smile then chased her out demanding his mug be back the moment she was done with it. Five had been lost to her and he, siting expenses, could not afford to get anymore. Chastity vowed to steal three more.

She had been careful not to bump into Ivy all morning. Like a very suspect person, she had chosen to walk through corridors that were mostly empty and ones she knew for a fact Ivy would not pick. She got small heart attacks every time she would hear the clucking of heels and see the blur of anything black. These things very heavily signalled Ivy and that was not good.

Chastity understood she was being an ass of a friend. So they'd slept together after one too many. What the fuck did that matter? Ivy said it hadn't mattered so it was not supposed to matter to her. She was a mature and sophisticated woman and frankly, Ivy was too good a friend for her to suddenly drop like she did with the others. She was her forever.

Maybe bringing Brent into the mix had been a colossal mistake. Just one night and she was going about planning elaborate ways to emphasize it was a casual thing. A craven's way if she'd ever seen one. One that she was cringing each time she thought about it.

He was smart and like a puppy, he followed and hardly ever disagreed. It did help that her mum liked him and that his mum and hers had long decided they were destined. It also did help that it had once been very obvious he had a little something for her and she'd wanted something like that at the moment. A little liking could help lessen the awkward feeling she was having at the mere thought of Ivy.

Then there she was, Ivy, in a black skirt, feet, clad in black heels, propped up her desk as she leaned lazily over the seat. Her eyes, much like Saturday morning, were slits as she looked at Chastity who was battling the very real urge to escape. She closed the door to her office and walked in.

"What are you doing here?" Chastity picked up random documents she was pretending to be busy with.

"Are you, per chance, avoiding me?"

Chastity laughed. She desperately hopped it was a very nonchalant laugh. That she was very heavily cool as she laughed and threw her head back like they always did on telly. "Why the hell would I avoid my bestest friend in the entire world?"

Ivy dropped her feet from the desk and straightened herself out. "I don't know. We haven't spoken since Saturday and it feels like you are sleuthing around."

"Stop it," she straightened the meaningless documents then placed them back on the tray. "I was just occupied. Remember Brent? I was trying to get him a job here. Mum had been pestering me, talking about how I can't let my future husband not be employed when I have the means."

Chastity had thrown the word out to see exactly what would happen. See if they were still the pals that had been on Friday before the booze.

"Did you get him one then?"

Ivy hadn't even hesitated in asking. Her voice hadn't spiked an octave and none of her limbs seemed to have been momentarily frozen. It seemed that they really were pals just like before. It gave her interesting things to ponder on. "Yeah. He's at the HR I think. You'll meet him soon enough. I think you might end up in the same office."

Ivy got to her feet, dusting out nothing on her skirt. "See you tonight then?"

She did not want to spend time with her just yet. "What's tonight?"

"The new Marvel movie? I don't want to risk spoilers."

"Right. I guess we are on for tonight then." Ivy was at the door, looking satisfied before Chastity said, "Brent can come too, right? It's like his first day here and I've been tasked with caring for him. You know how the mum thing goes."

Ivy shrugged. "Sure. Bring him if he wants. I'm not buying either of you snacks though so come prepared. Don't be late. I want to see the trailers and also get to bed early."

"We won't, promise."

With that, Ivy left the office and for the tenth time that morning, Chastity wondered why she was pushing the idea of Brent in her life so hard.