Schooling Mr Bass-Episode 1

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Story by Stephanie Egberike

The Bass oil and Servicing Company stood like a giant on tenth avenue, Brooksville , overshadowing the other buildings beside it as the building boldly reflected itself on its glass walls stretching all the way to the top.

As soon as his convoy drives in, the doors are open and he swings his legs down, alighting from his car. He fixes his cuff-links to his wrists and then buttons his suit, his fine black silky hair laid lazily on his head as he ran his fingers through it, someone picks his suitcase from the car and waits for him.

“Good morning sir” Betty, his Personal Assistant says coming towards him with a smile on her face as she takes his briefcase away from the attendant, she had an iPad in her hands and some files  .

“Morning Betty, what’s my schedule like today” he walks away from the car, the doors slides open for him to enter the building , he nods his head as people turn to greet him, the ladies smile more, he gives them a half smile. They enter into the elevator, he is listening as she talks.

“The meeting with the Marks industry by 10am, the conference call meeting with the president of Tsuki ventures has been moved for 12 noon. And oh, meetings with the staffs is by 9am, and then the new interns would be around by 1 for the briefing. Lunch for you afterwards, possible prospects for new projects with our sister company is by 3. Then you have a dinner reservation by six with Miss Veronica from the fashion industry, new suits fitting would be in an hour from now because he has to catch a flight back to get work done before weekend, and oh.. “ her voice fades as the elevator door closes and they go all the way up to the last floor.

The door opens and they step out of the lift,  and walk directly to a door with the name “Mr Bass”, boldly written on it in Gold. He opens the door and walks in, before she walks in behind him, she turns

“Coffee please Sophie,” she tells his secretary before she enters his office. He sits down, facing her ..his legs are crossed,

She goes on about the rest of his schedule, Sophie knocks on the door and enters, “Just the way you like it sir” she smiles at him as she placed the coffee on his table, he thanks her and takes a sip.

“Would there be anything else you want sir?” she lingers, he smiles and tells her “No”, she excuses herself reluctantly, Betty rolls her eyes

“What’s the matter Betty?” he asks, leaning back on his chair, with a finger to his temple, watching her

“Oh nothing sir, it’s just that… can she be any less obvious?’’

“what do you mean??”

“Well…see the way she was practically gawking at you, I am sure if I had a magnifying glass I could literally see “Take me..here and now Mr Bass”  she purrs, he smiles

“And how would you know that’s what she is thinking about Betty’’

“Well because pffftt!! It’s obvious.

Have you ever asked yourself why we have more women coming to apply to work here, why they come dressed with tight skirts or dresses and make it a tad too short, and why they all fight to be on this top floor and close to your office? It’s so that they get to bump into you every now and then” she says

He smiles “Betty.. .if I didn’t know you better I would think you are jealous?”

“No sir I am not, I am just saying..’’

“Nothing Betty. I don’t pay you to analyze the female folks of this company and neither do I pay you to stand around and spew nonsensical’s just because I smile a little and let you be free; or is it the fact there was a thing between us..which was just that, a thing, a fleeting moment, nothing more. Doesn’t give you the right to act as if you own me. You work for me Betty, you are NOT any other thing to me. The sooner you understand that the Better, and if you feel as though I am being unfair because I don’t care about your feelings, you can hand me you resignation letter within the hour. After all, it was a ‘Thing’ of mutual agreement and the tip you got afterwards was worthy enough so…”

“I am sorry Mr Bass” she lowers her lashes, and here she thought since they had been together for a night, he liked her well enough to be something more. She should have known better to sleep with the Boss. “Please forgive my forwardness”

“Good, if the designer is here, do well to send him in, then I would follow through my schedules , if I have any change of plans I would let you know. You are dismissed “

She nods, and then leaves

He puts on his computer and begins to do an over view of the company. Done with all that he needed to do and the meetings, he goes out to a five star restaurant, with an escort to have lunch.

It is 12:45 when his phone rings

“Yes Betty?”

“The new interns are here Sir, how would you want me to proceed?”

“Let the head of department carry on with the meeting, I would be there shortly”

He beckons to the waitress to bring his bill,

She is pretty, very pretty with fine curves, she smiles at him as she hands him his bill, he pays, leaving her a large tip

Then she leans into him, showing him more than he needed to see… “Mr Bass, I wonder if you would like company, afterwards” she purrs,

Women, they were all the same, once they see a fine man, single or not, as long as he was rolling in box, driving a fine car and wearing expensive suits, they throw themselves at you.
He was used to meeting women like this, even while he was growing up; always the richest kid on the block or school, the girls had flocked around him like bees, wanting to be friends with him or date him, fighting over themselves just to get him to carry them along.

He had long concluded that girls could never be different, they don’t love anyone other than themselves, even his mother was no different.
She had rejected his father when he came to ask for her hand, a year later when his father had hit a oil block and flew his company, and the bucks was starting to roll in, she had appeared in front of his door one day and begged him to take her back.

And he did, because he had told him that he loved his mother and he was too happy to take her back.
But she had only come back for his money.

He loved his parents, but he also detested the way his mother was when it came to money, she spent a lot, she spent even more, buying things she didn’t need and getting those she needed only to toss them away for something more ludicrous.
Twenty years later as the fights became worse, she filed for divorce, asking him for half of what he owned, including his company.

His father had agreed, he was a simple man, he loved peace and he would give up the world to make his mother happy.

But tragedy struck, while they attended a charity concert together , on their way back, they had died in a ghastly motor accident with a few hours.

They were buried, with friends and family in attendance, their  only child and son ‘Jake Bass’ the only heir and the sole owner of all of Gregory’s Bass multi-billionaire oil block servicing company.

Jake Bass, just fresh out of college, and already taking up a huge responsibility.

But his father always taught him to be prepared at all times, to be independent, to be able to shoulder responsibilities even ones he never would have been given. His father taught him to be a man, and times when he came home for summer breaks, he worked with his father while his father showed him the ropes.

Jake knew that with his father gone, he had to continue from where his father stopped, which was making sure his father’s dream and his empire never runs to the ground.
He accepted all of his father’s values and teachings, he was grateful for that, but there was one thing he didn’t take from his father and refused to learn.

Its was that his father was too soft, too gullible, when it came to a woman, his woman, Jake’s mother.

No matter how transparent the fact that his mother was only using him was, his father never cared. If she wanted money, he gave her, if she insulted him and asked for more money, he gave her. She knew just how to press him, and all the while, after she gave birth to Jake, she left him in the arms of nannies and traveled the world..

She was an high class lady, his mother. But he loved her, he just wanted her to treat her husband, his father better.

Jake had vowed to treat women the way they ought to be treated. Women to him were nothing more than things to be used and thrown away, and go unto the next. He wasn’t exactly a womanizer or a playboy. He was simply not interested in the female folks enough to give them his time, his attention…and God forbid his heart. It made men stupid, they go around like dogs flabbing their tongues as they chased the women folk.