MEETING KEVIN

Since she was feeling bad for the many lies that she continued to tell, Kiara decided to go to Two-Sons without her boyfriend's knowledge. Using her pregnancy as an excuse, she asked for an afternoon off from work, and drove to Two-Sons. She was supposed to pick Jeremy after his lectures, because she was the one driving the car on that day.

Kevin, although curious to know what Kiara wanted, did not appear as quickly as the latter would have preferred. The day was seriously busy, with a company having a team building meeting there. Kevin was busy rushing up and down, serving the guests.

Kiara was not able to enter into the main dining room, for it was reserved. She waited while sitting on a bench in the hall, anxiously looking and hoping to see Kevin coming through.

Finally, Kevin hurried down the hall and said, "I'm very busy. Come here, we cannot afford to be seen by anyone. I should be at work." He pulled her to a corner.

"Why then did you agree to see me on such a busy day?" Kiara could not help but wonder.

"Today's function was a last minute booking. Ok, get to the point…oh!!" Kevin pointed at Kiara's protruding tummy. Then he quickly covered his mouth before going on to say, "Oh, pardon my manners, I shouldn't have done that. You're expecting! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Listen Kevin, about the night when I served the Pinkertons, may you do me a favour of never telling anyone about that incident?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" he frowned.

"You were busy blabbing about the night when the Pinkertons came here…"

"Slow down, what are you saying?" Kevin asked, genuinely confused.

Unknown to both Kiara and Kevin, the events manager had realised that Kevin was missing. She furiously looked around and managed to spot him talking to a lady. The manager did not even realise that it was Kiara. On the corner on which they were standing, there was a door leading to a conference room. So the manager rushed into the conference room, using another door. She stood very close to the door, such that she could be able to eavesdrop and get every word that Kevin and Kiara were saying.

Thus, on the one side of the door, Kevin and Kiara stood talking, with the latter leaning on the said door. Just on the other side of the door, the events manager was also leaning, listening intently.

"I said, it's not allowed to talk about guests, yet I know that you were telling people about the night when the Pinkertons came here," Kiara explained.

"What…who told you?" Kevin was shocked.

"The man that you told."

"I didn't say anything personal. I was just telling him that we do host events here, and he was interested in knowing if it was true that the Pinkertons came here as well," Kevin said in a worried voice.

"You spoke about guests! From what the man told me, you were giving out confidential information!"

"I did speak about the Pinkertons, but not on a personal level. I only…"

"Listen, Kevin. I will get straight to the point. The reason why I am here is to caution you to learn to keep your mouth shut."

The events manager, on the other side of the door, wondered who the lady was. Although Kiara had previously worked at Two-Sons, she and that manager hardly ever spoke to each other, and that was why the lady failed to recognise her voice. Telling herself that she had heard enough, she walked off with a smile.

"Kiara, why are you doing this?" Kevin asked in a sorrowful vice.

"You shall not tell anyone about me or about anything which happened during that night, do you understand me, Kevin?"

"I do understand you, but where is all this coming from?"

"Well, besides you and that spoilt Pinkerton boy, no one else knows that I got drunk and he had to carry me to some fancy hotel. I prefer that it stays that way."

Kevin thought for a while and then widened his eyes in shock.

"What! It's his child, isn't it? This is his child that you are carrying!" he jumped a few times on the same spot, seemingly in great excitement.

"Shh, keep your voice low, Kevin."

"Why on earth would you not want him to know? The dude is loaded! Tell him!" Kevin said excitedly.

"Keep your voice low! You don't need to know all that. Just keep your mouth shut."

"No way! I can't keep this to myself unless if you pay me, and you should pay me handsomely."

"Kevin please don't do this…"

"Why not? Go to that rich dude and get me some money. I think I could use a best friend like you."

"Kevin stop! I am not in love with him…"

"Silly! Love? What does love have to do with anything! You're carrying his child and…"

"It's not certain…"

"What's not certain? Oh, this has to be the best day of my life! Kiara, go get me some money, girl. Once you deliver the cash, I will keep my mouth zipped!" Kevin moved his fingers across his mouth, showing a zipped up mouth.

Kiara had not expected Kevin to do what he was doing. Part of her heart regretted going to meet him, but it was too late for that.

"It's not his child!" she said out loud.

"It is!" Kevin laughed. "You have my number, call me when the money is ready!" he laughed and walked away.

"I don't have any money! How much do you need?" Kiara called out after him.

"Hey, don't be too loud. I will tell you the amount. Check your phone messages. But trust me, it won't be much. It's an amount that the young master Vine can definitely afford." He laughed.

"How much?" Kiara's desperate voice whispered.

"Something that you, a beautiful lady carrying a Pinkerton heir, can afford."

"Kevin please."

"I have to go, junior lady Pinkerton." He laughed heartily before disappearing into the huge dining area.

Kiara walked off, feeling defeated. She asked herself many questions and failed to find answers to them. She regretted coming to meet Kevin, but part of her heart told her that it was necessary, because what if Jeremy came in to meet Kevin, and the waiter ended up spilling the beans!

With teary eyes, Kiara drove off and went to pick Jeremy.

"Hey babe," Jeremy kissed her. "Now let me do the driving, my lady," he held her hand and assisted her out of the driver's seat.

They were talking happily on their way home. Kiara was seriously depressed but she did a good job of covering it up. She was becoming a very good actress by the day.

In the kitchen, Kiara and Sharon were cutting vegetables when a phone rang.

"Is it mine?" Sharon wiped her hands on her apron.

"It's my ringing tone, mum," Kiara laughed.

"Oh yes, I'm getting old," Sharon laughed.

Kiara picked her phone and saw an unknown number calling.

"Hallo?" she answered.

"This is my personal number. That other one is a business line," a voice said.

"Hallo? May I know who this is?" Kiara asked.

"It's your best friend. I have finally made my decision. I need the latest Samsung phone. Go check it online, visit their shops and buy one for me."

"What!" Kiara briskly walked out of the kitchen and stood outside, closing the door behind her.

"Their latest phone. You will find it. It's not the most expensive on the market. I actually wanted the most expensive i-phone, but I have been lenient on you." Kevin laughed.

"Are you listening to yourself right now? From where will I get the money?"

"I need it in one week. You better start talking to the young master, Vine!" he laughed and ended the call.

Kiara wiped the sweat off her brow and walked back into the kitchen.

"Is everything ok, my child?" Sharon asked.

"It's ok. It's my manager, she was saying I didn't finish up all my reports so I have to make sure they are all done tomorrow." Kiara shocked herself at how good she was becoming at telling lies.

Sharon put down the knife that she was using to cut the vegetables and looked at the young lady with concern.

"Are you coping at work, my child?"

"Yes mum, don't worry about me. I am coping. It's just that when I took some sick days off, those two days, the work piled, and I now have to clear that backlog." She smiled.

"Ok, I understand. Do you think you may need to work extra hours in order to cover it up?," Sharon asked.

"I will assess tomorrow. I was planning to work through lunch breaks, and probably add in just one hour after working hours, I will see."

"Ok my child. Here, put back these peppers," Sharon smiled.

***.

Meanwhile, in an office in Two-Sons Hotel, the events manager was making a call to her niece.

"Listen, I said get everything ready. Prepare your resume and post everything on our website. There is going to be a vacancy soon. One of the waiters made a small error, but I am going to magnify it and use if against him. The job will be yours, just do as I say."

"Yes aunt," the excited niece responded.

"Remember to go through the documents I e-mailed to you. You must know our code of conduct. Sharing confidential information about guests in a big no. Someone made that error, and I will make sure that you get his position."

"I understand aunty, thank you aunty," the happy niece responded.