********
Todd notices that his Boss is in a sour mood.
“Is everything okay sir?”
Bass looks around “Did you see her leave?”
“Yes Sir, she didn’t wait for me to call her a cab, is anything wrong sir?”’
“No, take me home”
Bass sits quietly in the car, his head a maze of thoughts .
Okay, honestly he can’t stand the woman. The first time he kissed her was to shut her up.. now, now he didn’t know why he kissed her and it’s making him really unsettled. He was used to being in control..
He shakes the thought out of his head
“We are here Sir, and Sir, Miss Veronica asked that I tell her when you are home so she can come over, should I go get her?”
“No Todd, never again” he says alighting
Todd watches him, he frowns. Something was definitely wrong with Mr Jake Bass and he has a feeling that it had everything to do with Miss Samantha Brookes.
She had ran out of the place as though she was running away from something.
He looks at the rescinding back of Jake Bass, then he drives away
********
As Jake Bass takes a cold shower he thinks to himself .
He had never turned down a woman when he could have anyone whenever it pleased him, different ones at that, spoke to them how he wanted, gave them money for their time together and if he is pleased, he sends them a gift or a flower but that was it. Another face gone, another one another day. And it always baffled him that despite telling them he didn’t want something serious, these women didn’t care, and that was the reason he felt really disappointed with them and treats them as he does.. Hell he had never actually liked any woman well enough to commit to them.
He had told a girl one time when she professed love to him after their weekend together, “Love? Love is for the weak. Love made my father the fool he was for my mother despite her short comings. I rather carve my heart in stone than let a woman near it, and no woman can bring me to my knees. I do what I want not them doing to me what they want. No woman alive can make me loose sleep or have my head where it is not supposed to be. I am sorry Tasha—“
“It is Roseline”
“Sorry Roseline, but what we have is a fleeting passing moment” he had told the lady, and when Todd dropped her off, she had cried her eyes out in the car.
He hadn’t bothered. He felt sorry for her but still, it was what it was.
Sometimes he had wondered why his father never guarded his heart, he realized that his father had been so in love with his mother that when she was all about ruining him, he still loved her unconditionally and Bass never wanted that. He always wanted to be in control and letting a woman have a key to his heart was like loosing himself totally.
And for years he had built himself around that wall.. Being in control but ever since Samantha came into the picture, everything has spiraled out of control and he didn’t like it one bit.
Seeing her tonight and even kissing her, it was strangely unsettling. Women threw themselves at him, begged him, wanted and desired him on a daily, and he was with them only when he cared to, but now, he was… grabbing a woman and kissing her, when it was obvious that he never thought of her in that way and all they do is fight and quarrel when they were together and this same woman obviously hated his guts and would never want him.
It didn’t make sense.
Did he like her?
Hell no!
Was it lust, or the desire to find out what makes her thick.
Maybe!
It was a new thrill for him to have someone immune to his charms not that he was trying to win her over. Hell, Samantha was never in his radar …in fact, all she was was a constant piss on his parade..
But the mere fact that all his thoughts seem to be going to her of late made him angry..
“But Why the hell didn’t she slap him this time?’’ he groans
Leaving the shower he goes to bed, and tossed all night.
Well, good thing tomorrow was the Charity Event Ball, after tomorrow he wouldn’t have to see her again and maybe he would get back to being in control…
********
“Are you okay Samantha?’’ Jamie who was seated beside her in the car asks
“Sure, why?”
“Well you have been quiet all drive”
“I.. I erm”
“You what, is something wrong ?”
“Yes, everything is wrong … last night while I was herE, Mr Bass was still here and he-“
“Miss Samantha, you are needed inside” Sophie had come to knock on the car window.
“I would be right there Sophie” she smiles at her
“And what happened ?” Jamie holds her hands
“I will tell you later”
She alights from the car
*********
Bass makes his way greeting and meeting guests, welcoming people and getting acquainted with the welfare organizations that had made themselves available, taking pictures with them.
But all the while he kept looking around.
Where the hell was that damn woman that kept him up all night thinking about… about things that didn’t make sense to him
“Is she here yet?’’ he had asked Sophie like a hundred times
He wonders if the little incident of last night had scared her off.
She was supposed to be here, standing here beside him and welcoming people with him, he had to give some excuse to the people who asked about the pretty nice lady who had been with them throughout the beginning of this charity project over four weeks ago, telling them she would be available soon.
But was that the only reason he wanted her here?
He looks away snapping another picture, then he ushers the guests in and made sure everyone had a drink in their hand as the music began to play.
Then he turns and sees her walking towards him and he felt that thing again, his heart skipping, and this time his throat dries up, he blinks, subconsciously he massages his heart absentmindedly, he frowns
“Mr Bass, what a pleasure to finally meet you” someone says turning his attention away
******
“May I present Mr Bass to give the vote of thanks” Miss Andres says.
It’s been a long three hours, they had been dancing, drinking and eating. There had been awards presentations and gifts items gifted, they had been commissions in absentia, lots of pictures and a swam of grateful hearts shaking hands with the sponsors.
Mr Jake mounts the stage and begins to talk, there was cheers and round of applause’s . . he thanked everyone for coming, he thanked the sponsors for their contributions and also for coming together for the greater good. He spoke about how they would continue to help the needy more, and do more personally and that they would not be detached from henceforth.
His eyes and Samantha’s meets. She looks away.
He speaks well, smiling a little when he made a joke and everyone laughs, then he spoke some more thanking everyone who made this project a success, and as he closes
He looks at her, he should openly thank her right?
Maybe Mr Shelton had a reason to thank her but he didn’t. Yes the charity event was great. Okay it was more than great, even the project was a success and even if he didn’t want to admit it, he wished he had spent more time with the organizations/welfare team and representatives who came during the inception of the projects and not just to splash money and wealth on their faces.
As he met and spoke to them tonight, he realized one thing; presence sometimes means more than concealed envelops and Samantha had bridged that gap, showing them that she cared and that she amongst with others are concerned about their future and their needs.
It was commendable, something that should be publicly appreciated. No wonder Mr Shelton sees her as an asset. Everyone had praises for her tonight.
He couldn’t deny that..she did a commendable job, worthy of emulation and appreciated. Maybe he would just tell her thank you. just that…call her name and tell her thank you.
He looks at her again, and before he realized what he was really saying
“Well, I guess the vote of thanks would not be entirely complete if I don’t thank the …beautiful and talented lady who worked endlessly to make sure that this charity project and event was successful, even going knee deep, sparing her time even when she should be resting, maybe”
They laughed
“Ladies and gentleman.., allow me present to you a woman who is practical, thorough, as beautiful as her outward appearance is, it’s a reflection of what lays in her heart and this selfless service of hers has brought more smiles to people’s faces and we are thankful for that. So may I present to you, face of Shelton’s Events Management, one of her kind and the anchor of today’s events… the beautiful Samantha Brookes” he stretches his hands towards her.
