chapter 8

"It is Saturday and in the middle of winter. Mpho is wearing one of her favourite winter coats which she bought while she was in London visiting her staff in the London office. She likes to go to her office on Saturdays because it is nice and quiet and she can catch up on some outstanding work she could not do during the week due to her busy schedule. 

Mpho is a busy woman as she is the owner of one of the most famous Interior Design Companies in Africa. She hardly goes out with friends and boyfriends are a no-no as she is too busy building her empire and does not need a man to distract her. Mpho is surprised to find her personal assistant Memory in the office when she arrives.  She is aware that most staff members work on Saturday but not Memory.

"Morning Ms, Lesiba, how are you today?" Memory greeted her boss. Memory had been with Mpho for five years and they have a good relationship together.

"Morning Memory and please call me Mpho, how many times must I tell you that I like it when you call me by my first name?"

"I am sorry Ms Le….. I mean Mpho it’s a bad habit. It is very cold outside today."

"Yes, it is and what brings you to the office today? Last time I checked Saturdays is when you have your ‘me time’, what’s going on?"  Mpho was surprised to find her PA at work because she is someone who never compromised her weekends.

 "Well, ma’am I wanted to make sure that everything regarding Monday’s meeting with the Taiwanese visitors is all set and ready. I know this meeting is important especially since you want to extend your empire to Asia and investment by one of Taiwan Business Moguls will benefit THE PINKZ so much."

"I am very lucky to have you as a PA Memory,  you are so efficient and you know how to run things here at home, well let me not disturb you see you later. "

Mpho left the main reception and takes the lift to her office which is on the fourth floor. She has a big office with an adjournment to a boardroom which she uses in some of the meetings if she does not want to use the two boardrooms downstairs. Her office is spacious and painted in deep cream colours with paintings hanging on the wall collected from different parts of the world but the picture is of her and her son in Rome.

She smiles to herself thinking of her childhood and also feeling lonely as her parents are not here to see her success as they died in a tragic accident when she was just four years old. Her thoughts are caught by a vase with beautiful flowers, tulips, her favourite, Memory surely knows how to brighten up her office. She moves closer wanting to smell the scent of the flowers until she sees a card…

Thinking of you…meet me for lunch.

Kat.

As a yellow bone, her face turns red and she dials the reception number. Memory is busy laughing with the handsome security guy who ensures that the PINKZ is protected when she sees Mpho’s line blinking on the reception phone.

"Memory…can you please come to my office."

"Ms Lesiba…I mean Mpho, I am coming through."

Memory quickly hopped into the lift and by the tone of Mpho’s voice, she asked herself if she had done something wrong.

"You have called me, is anything alright?" Mpho was angry when she was asking Memory how did the flowers got to her office.

Memory smiled and says "They are beautiful, aren’t they? They were brought by a handsome man that I have never seen such beauty from a man  before and the car he was driving OMG out of this world!"

"Memory, please do not let that man in my building ever, actually you must send a memo to security to not allow him in future do you hear me?"

"Yes, ma’am, I thought he was your friend, I am sorry." Memory did not want to see Mpho angry and she needed this job so it was important that she should not let some mistakes that can cost her the job happen... a job that she really wants. With the way things are going in Zimbabwe, she is better off in South Africa and this job is everything to her.

"It's ok, I am sorry to snap at you. You may go back to work."

Mpho is left by herself looking at the flowers and wondering what the hell Kat is up to. He cannot just resurface after all these years, especially after she has dealt with the whole breakup issue and focused on her career...dammit Kat, why do men like to do this to women? She took the flowers and threw them into the rubbish bin, the cleaning ladies will empty the bin on Monday at least.

Well, I am not going to let Kat or anything distract me. I must focus on my preparations for Monday, a deal with Taiwan is more important than a stupid man who hurt me so much and think that flowers and lunch can erase the pain he had caused…never! While she was busy with her thoughts, her mobile phone rang and the minute she says ‘ hello’ she recognised the voice and immediately dropped the call switching off her phone. Kat, where did he get her number? Did memory gave him her number, no Memory knows very well that is not allowed to give out any employee cell phone number to anyone, that is a company policy.

She took her laptop bag which was lying on the table as she just walked in and took the lift and go downstairs.

"Memory, please have security next to my office and screen all my calls as from Monday. I am going home, I will work from there. Don’t forget to speak to the catering company to include Braised pork rice and Beef noodles in the menu for our Monday meeting with Mr Chih Ming and his delegates he loves his pork rice and I want him to be happy. Also follow up with Palazzo hotel to include glutinous oil rice, oyster pancakes and oyster vermicelli for dinner later on Monday."

"It’s all done Mpho, relax everything will go well. I have also booked them with 'Ride Chauffers’ to take them to different exciting places in the city when they are free."

"Thank you very much Memory and please go home when you are done and go and have your ‘me time’.

Bye Memory."

Mpho went to the open parking lot where she prefers to park than basement parking as she finds it easy to get inside her car if she is in a hurry. There are few cars on the parking lot because is Saturday. She looked at the building and its structure and she smiles and says ‘Thank you Lord for blessing me’. She put on her music and off she goes, home is where she is going but she thought of passing by the store to get herself a bottle of Chardonnay as she loves drinking it when it is cold after she is done with her work.