Ruby's Search For Romance (A Nigerian Story)

Seven

Ruby referred to Gideon as her nemesis when she was asked about him. They were colleagues in the business firm where she worked. He had been employed the year before she came into the company. He had started in the marketing department before he was moved to the social media department when it was created as an independent department in the company.

Her relationship with Gideon had not always been this cold. In fact, he had been one of the few young, eligible men in the company that had captured her attention when she first stepped into the company. He was attractive, with a slight dusting of hair, well-trimmed and glossy. But it was his eyes that pulled her to him.

She'd felt special because of the look he'd given her when she was introduced to the other employees in the company. It was a deep look. She felt flushed with attention. He looked at her as though she was the only rose in a garden, his garden. Yes, that had been her feeling when she'd felt the look on her. At that time, she and Boye hadn't happened so her mind had gone into overdrive, mentally readying herself to be wooed.

There was no wooing to be done. After waiting a few days, during which she dressed the best she could on her then measly bank account, she slowly accepted the fact that he had no special interest in her. This was heightened when a marketing strategist had visited the company and the same look was bestowed on her. If her early encounter with Gideon had ended this way, she wouldn't be so bitter whenever she saw him. There was more.

It was on a Friday, her first outing with the company. She had dressed to kill, she believed, despite being dressed in one of her older, asoebi gowsns, one that had become her go-to whenever she was invited to a wedding or an event in the same vein. It was old, but she still felt it was wearable, especially since she had yet to receive her first salary.

The venue for the outing had been in Lekki. Her home at that time was far from the company and she didn't want the stress of going back home to dress up then going to Lekki. She had packed her party clothes and shoes as well with some make-up and ended up coming to work with her overnight bag.

Alas, she didn't know that it was just a casual outing. She didn't need to dress up. No one was going to dress up. And the worse, no one told her even when she had told the others to give her some time to change her clothes in the bathroom.

The embarrassment, hot and uncomfortable, that had flooded her as soon as she came out and saw the others still in their working clothes and shoes, while she was dressed pencil-thin heels and a glittering, classic asoebi gown. A few weird looks were thrown her way but no one stepped out to tell her that she was overdressed. The three cars meant to convey them to the venue were already waiting and they were rushed into the cars.

She entered the same car with Gideon and three other employees. They were among the youngest in the company. That was where the ridicule started. Gideon didn't start it. The other female, Kossi deliberately being backbiting had started it, saying "It's as if someone doesn't understand the meaning of 'casual'."

After a few comments here and there, with Ruby sheepishly admitting that she'd assumed that it would be something similar to a formal dinner party, it died down. But just before she could breathe a sigh of relief and mentally plan how to escape to a restroom as soon as they arrived and change at least her shoes, a sly comment came from Gideon who was sitting in the front passenger seat. "There will be a lot of male patrons there. Maybe she will find her next target there."

A heavy silence hung in the car as the implication of his words pierced through her heart. At this time, she was certain that even the driver who was also an employee but way older than them also viewed her in such light. She didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She was hurt by the statement. It was the first time such a vicious remark was thrown at her. And so she had maintained a cowardly silence all through the ride. Her night was ruined. Even changing her clothes could not salvage whatever feeling she had towards the hangout.

The seed of contempt was sown. Although he apologized the next day, his stupid eyes boring into her as she stiffly accepted his apology, she could not bring herself to view him in a positive light and whatever good feelings she had towards him, disappeared like they were never there.

Since he had been transferred to the social media department where he managed the company's social media accounts (something she had to admit that he was very good at), he suddenly seemed to be in her space more often— popping into the accounting department more often, getting to the company almost at the same time with her so that they would meet by the entrance and have to exchange awkward greetings with each other, and now, suddenly joining her for lunch.

He was surely up to no good, she thought subconsciously. She mentally ran through the reasons why he was cozying up to her and all of the reasons were not so good.

"How are you coming up with the presentation?" Mrs. Oyena asked. As usual, she was sitting behind her desk, spooning huge chunks of meat into her mouth.

Ruby swallowed at the permeating aroma of pepper-soup that filled the office and the attractive plate in front of the round woman. As usual, Mrs. Oyena was being the 'queen of premium enjoyment' as she was known in the company.

"It's coming along okay. I am still dealing with the numbers from the Enugu branch. It's comprehensive but I have to work it into the ones from other branches."

Mrs. Oyena waved her spoon in the air with a hiss. "I told those people to make sure they use the same sheets we use, it would be easier. I don't know why that Promise man likes feeling as if he is an expert, because he went to school abroad? It's not like it's one better school. Who knows which school he went to in China? If it is even a school sef." She paused to spoon a helping of the peppery water into her mouth.

Ruby didn't know which school Promise went to but she could argue that his method made things easier and the only reason she was having a problem was because it was difficult to revert it to the method they used and add it to the files. "I will soon be done with it, ma. It's not that difficult."

"Don't worry." Mrs. Oyena reached for her handkerchief and blew her nose into it. The pepper was indeed causing her some runny nose. "I will talk to him. By the way, send me the reports that came in from Awka yesterday."

Ruby frowned. She settled down behind her desk and roused her computer from sleep. "I haven't gotten any email from them," she said as she went through her email, refreshing it three times.

"Hmm." The sound of bones being crushed by strong molars filled the office. Mrs. Oyena spat out the bones into the cover of plate in front of her. "I thought they were supposed to send it in before today."

Ruby said nothing. The company had opened up new branches in Enugu, Awka, and Asaba in the past few years. She was barely used to doing heavy work that involved dealing with these three branches, but she was beginning to anticipate what would be her inception into the world of serious accounting after the annual year report.