CHAPTER 11

IVAN:

I'm so gonna give this girl a good enough insult to last her a life time. I jumped out of my Audi.

Whatever I'd planned on saying disappeared from my mind as I crotched down and a tear stricken face looked up at me unfocused.

"Are you alright" I found myself saying as her gaze becomes focused and big brown eyes lock with mine.

My throat went dry, I'd never seen eyes like this one before and the sadness in there tore at my heart.

"Listen,  I'm sorry, I wasn't, hmm- i- you- I- was" I shut my mouth to stop my blabbing.

"Are you Ok?" I asked again.

"Yeah! I'm fine its Just" she broke into a sob.

Jesus, what have I done! "I could take you to the clinic if you're hurt, I'm so sorry!" I said helping her up.

That was when I took in her formal entire is she going to work?

is that why she's crying?

This girl doesn't look legal, she shouldn't be working this young and she looked like she been crying for hours.

"Please let me get you to a doctor" I pleaded.

She looked at me as if she'd just noticed me, from my hair to my suit to my skin then my car and she gasped.

"oh no-uh, I'm sorry" she swallowed "I'm fine" she said and broke into a run leaving me standing dumbfounded.

I don't even know her name.

"well, Soy Ivan Martinez! " I said to my self before going back to the car.

Nollywood movies didn't teach me how to handle this.

And, those eyes I don't think I can forget.

**********

RUFI:

Almost there!

I told my self as I ran home. Could a day get any worse?

I just disgrace my self in front of a stranger. He is white or at least white skinned but I can bet my last kobo that he has something to doing with "Honey source".

Yanking the door open I ran inside the house thankful Ana-Blaire wasn't home. I couldn't bear to face her solo panel right now.

I sat down and cried like a little child, I cried for my life, cried for my baby, cried because I almost died and cried for life in general .

"Ruf! what happened?" Maria's concerned voice brought me back to reality. She wasn't here when I came in which meant I didn't hear her come in.

"Come here" she smiled opening her arms.

I crawled willingly into her arms and she held me while I cried. she did not say anything, she just patted my arm.

After the truck load of tear had left my face I looked up tearily at maria who smiled down at me

"Thank you" i said.

"You welcome dearest"

We sat there for a few more minutes before maria eased me out of her arms and smiled "Enough of me cuddling you ,I have my baby to cuddle"

I smiled, that was maria way of telling me Ana-Blaire is the only one allowed to crawl unto lap. bottom line she wants me to grow up.

Whatever!

"You want soup?"

Hmm!

Maria pepper soup was the best you could ever wish for "yeah!"

F**k the interviewer, he could go to hell for all I care. I have people who loved me and don't look down on me. She has no idea what I have gone through and yet she see me as an inferior.

Rubbish!

"Thanks sis you're the best, l love you" I said with gratitude

Maria studied me critically "I love you too. Look i need to get something down the street" she sighed  looking worried "you be OK right?

Laughed at her mama-bear face "of course, with a bowl of pepper soup and a cool show to watch I'd be more than OK"

"If you say so"

"I say so"

**********

RUFI:

The day you realise you have something special you appreciate them more.

Maria hasn't asked me about yesterday yet I know she really wants to but she's scared how I'd react.

I don't blame her one bit. I sure looked scary yesterday.

"Rufina Brown" Henry called me questioningly for the third time today.

"I'm ok Henry no worries, I just feel i haven't been working hard" i said for the third time.

Henry gave me a serious look "Is there something I'm missing here?"

"No!"

"Look young lady you have 5min to leave this kitchen or I'll come drag you out" he said before leaving.

"Henry!" I called after him.

"I mean it" he answered back.

Ugh! You go to one place they treat you like trash, you go to another and they treat you like a gift.

"You're still there?" Henry shouted from his office "You have two seconds left"

Crap!

I withdrew my hand from the plates I was watching, the new girl would finish that, I looked around for the towel as I replied "Almost done!"

"One second left Rufina Brown!"

"Fine! I'm done" I ran out of the kitchen and went to take orders.

"Take tables 9-16, I got 1-8 already" Samuel called out

"Alright!" I went for it.

I froze when I got to table ten as the bluest of of all eyes locked with mine.

"Do I get an introduction this time or do you plan to run out on me again?" He finish with a grin that made his eye sparkle and my heart skip a beat.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything but to keep staring at him but my voice seemed to have travelled, I shut my mouth and opened again, this time words came out "I, hmm i-i I'm sorry" I finally managed to say through my stutter.

"You're sorry?" he cracked his brows in question

Why can't I form words? I kept staring at him for God knows how long until Samuel's "Rufi? What wrong?" Shocked me out of my spell.

"Oh! i am...he" I shut my mouth again as Mr incredible crooked his brows.Again.

"It's nothing" I replied before running out on him.Again.

*********

IVAN:

Bernice was definitely getting a lift tomorrow I swear!

Everything that happened in that bar was like a dream.

It started with me saying I wanted to eat at a local restaurant, I had asked my executive assistant and best friend for a good place to eat and she said Hen's Bar.

I came, waiting to be attended to and the most amazing brown eyes I had ever seen appeared in front of me looking like she was ready for flight.

It took all my will power to get those word I'd said out of my mouth.

Then she ran out on me again but thanks to that dude I'd gotten her name, Rufi.

My version;

Rufi Brown eyes.

There definitely wasn't  no better place to eat than  Henry's bar.