Damien's attraction

Chapter 2

"Come home." Aaron said as he watched October eat. He had brought her to a restaurant after their trip to the boutique. They had left everything they had bought in his car. She looked at him.

"To where? No thank you."

"Everybody's worried."

"Except dad." October said knowingly.

Aaron sighed. "All the drama you're causing- -"

"See," October dropped her fork. "Forget the fact that you're older than me with three minutes. I will beat you up if you dare tell me that I'm causing any drama."

"You wish." Aaron laughed. "But seriously, dad has stopped mum from coming to Dutse to see you."

"Good for him. Tell him I hate him too." October continued eating.

"At least live in Gwarimpa or something.I don't like that place where you are staying."

"You don't have to. It's my life." She stated as a matter of fact and bit into her chicken.

"Just so you know, if you don't oblige, mum's going to send Aunt Ayo, and you know she will make sure you leave Dutse."

"Please, tell her not to come. I'm happy with where I live."

"Are you? Are you really?" Aaron asked.

October gulped. "I- I- maybe." She stammered.

"The only way I can plead to mum about your issue is if you get a job."

"I'm way ahead of you on that one." October said.

"With O&R." Aaron completed.

"Never." October disagreed. "You of all people should know that I'll rather starve than work for dad. That would be me bending to his will. I can't hold on for five years and let it all go."

"Then you're moving out. Even if it's not to a house in Asokoro, you'll move to a better place. But if you get a job, mum won't be worried again."

"Fine. I'll find a job." October said.

"You're just like him, proud."

"He threw me out. I don't even want to see him again. I've endured my new best friends that feed on my blood every night and sing in my ears; I can endure more hardship. I'll rather get a job."

"Speaking of jobs, you had two choices and since you refused O&R, that leaves one more." Aaron smirked as the door to the restaurant opened and a woman walked in, her perfume wafting in the air and filling the atmosphere. Anyone would smell it from a mile away. She was wearing an expensive black dress with a huge golden necklace embedded with diamond studs. Even her sunglasses looked fancy. Her hair was packed in a chignon and October noticed the perfume smelt familiar. It had been years but she knew that scent anywhere. That same brand of perfume.

October gasped and looked at a smiling Aaron when she realized who it was. He brought out a bundle of one thousand naira notes and dropped it on the table for her.

"If you need me, you know where I'll be." He said and left the table. He walked to where the woman stood. She smiled when she saw him and they exchanged a few words before he pointed at October's table. She lowered her sunglasses to reveal her eyes as her gaze caught where he was pointing at. October buried her head on the table as Aaron left the restaurant completely. She had noticed that the woman was with two guards behind her as she walked towards her table.

Was she here to take her to jail?

A lot of thoughts began to run through October's mind. She was jumping to funny conclusions again. The woman cleared her throat as she got to the table. October rose her head. The woman pulled off her sunglasses. October faked a smile nervously.

"Aunt Claudia." October said. "Good afternoon." She greeted.

"Nwam," Claudia held her hand. "How are you?" Claudia asked smiling. October looked at the guards and then back at Claudia. The words 'I'm fine' could not come out of her mouth.

Claudia noticed how tense she was and then laughed."They're not for you. They're my bodyguards." Even her laughter sounded wealthy. October eased up a bit.

"Aunt, why are you here? The last time we spoke was two years ago."

"Can't I see Nwam again?" She pursed her lips. "And Adesuwa told me you are living in Dutse with no job."

"Hmm? No ,I have a job."October lied.

"Where?" Claudia asked.

"At- a school canteen." October said the first thing that came to her mind and regretted it the moment it left her lips.

"That's even worse." Claudia said and smiled. "But don't worry, I came to help you. I can't let you work there. How much do they even pay you?"

October sighed,
"I'm not working anywhere."

"That's more like it." Claudia said.

"You knew I was lying?"

"Have you forgotten I knew you since birth?" Claudia asked her and clicked her tongue. "I want to offer you a job at the company."

"Which company?"

"E-holdings, or better still since that will be stressful,Aso's Elite."

"The five star hotel?"

"Exactly. You'll be the middle manager, earning two hundred per month."

October's eyes widened. "Two hundred thousand?"

"Nwam, you know I can't let you suffer this way. I feel bad that that stubborn father of yours left you like this. You had the right to say no. I was against the forced marriage right from the start. I told Jim and William but they wouldn't listen." Claudia said, referring to October's father and her own husband.

"But- But what about Damien? He's your son. I don't think he would agree. I don't think this is a good idea Aunty." October said.

"Damien? He's not even in the country. He's been away for years. Even if he comes back, he won't come near the hotel. I won't allow him to disturb you, mba. He won't even know you're around. I won't bother you to move out. You can come to work from where you are." Claudia said.

"But- "

"Do this for me, Nwam. He might hate you for humiliating him but do you want to see me die unhappy?"

"Aunty God forbid. You're barely even fifty." October said.

"Who knows tomorrow?" Claudia asked, sighing like a woman who had been mourning.

"Stop talking like that Aunty."

"Come to the hotel tomorrow. Someone will be there to put you through on everything." Claudia reached for her hands and squeezed them gently. "We're all worried about you, even your uncle." She was referring to her husband again. She stood up to go. "What happened before was in the past, Nwam." She sighed. "Let me do this for you, please. I feel guilty enough."

October sighed too. This was why she didn't like having these types of conversations with the older people she loved. She couldn't say anything, she couldn't object. She licked her lips. At least it wasn't her aunt Ayomide.
She would have had a migraine from the drama. She nodded and Claudia smiled as she signaled her guards to get ready to leave.

"Plus, I don't like that Jessica of a girl." She muttered underneath her breath before she walked away with her guards after her.

A/N:
Mba: means no
Nwam: means child
(Both Igbo language. One of the three major languages in Nigeria)