His boss…a widow…in love…he fell (Part 1)

Bimpe Adeolu-Williams is a widow. She has a beautiful daughter that she adores. Her name is Mercy. They are very close and would often call her “My mini me”. Mercy’s way of reasoning and behaviour at 7years old was way beyond her age. She would say things like “But mum, you should know better” and Bimpe would look at her in shock. When she was at her age, as bold as she was, she dared not speak in such a manner to her own mother. Most of the times that she said that to Bimpe, it was actually fitting for the situation, she just wondered how audacious Mercy was at her age.

Bimpe and her husband ran their oil and gas business efficiently. They were the couple to admire, especially for couples who swore they could never be like them in going into joint businesses with their partners.

“Me, get in joint business with Frank? Not on this side of the earth. Let’s not even have this discussion Bimpe, please. He is a good husband, and I am okay with that, not perfect but good however, you see that joint business matter, ‘forrgerrabourrit’, it cannot work.” Bimpe’s friend, Lilian would say whenever Bimpe suggested it to her.

Bimpe and her late husband, Soji were so close and business united that they even go for programmes together to inspire couples on how joint businesses with your significant other can work.

So, when Soji died, it left a hole in her heart, not because she couldn’t handle the business efficiently, but because she missed doing it with Soji.

Desmond was a staff at the company. He was quite close to Soji and Bimpe and was regarded as ‘family’. He felt very responsible to the company and offered assistance when Bimpe and Soji needed it.

He was very vast in the dealings of the company and got promoted to executive director just before Soji passed on.

He ensured, as usual, to always be there for Bimpe, just like he was for the couple when Soji was alive.

Desmond is a handsome man and any woman’s dream. He was well behaved and efficient at work. The single ladies admired him greatly and the young men tried to meet up with his dressing and like Wale, a staff in the accounting department would say “Compete with Mr Desmond on fashion at your own risk.”

Before Soji died, he would tease Desmond on getting married and say “dem no dey use fine boy for heaven o, na earth e dey shack, go marry” and they would both laugh. His response was always “God’s time is the best.”

Desmond was very supportive of Bimpe. He would sometimes help her pick Mercy from school when she had a workload to sort out. Mercy had gotten so fond of him. He would sometimes take her out to eat when he picks her from school. Bimpe knew because Mercy doesn’t play with food, so whenever she comes back from school and the chef asks her what she wants to eat and she says she is not hungry, everyone knows uncle Desmond has taken her out to eat.

Desmond began behaving really weird and though Bimpe noticed, she just believed he was going through something. If Soji was alive, she would have nudged him to ask Desmond what was wrong, but she did not want to be “forward”.

Truth is, Desmond had fallen in love with Bimpe. He actually felt it was just a mere feeling and that he was being there for Bimpe because he had always been there for her and Soji.

There was nothing he didn’t do to kill the feeling, but it wouldn’t go away. He started avoiding her but that didn’t work too because he had a lot to report to her.

One day, he made up his mind to damn all consequences and tell her exactly how he felt. “She would sack me at the worst, but I would have told her, and my heart will be lighter” he said to himself.

So, one beautiful Monday morning, after management meeting, he stayed behind and said he wanted to talk to Bimpe.

Bimpe was worried, “Desmond is a good man, I hope he hasn’t been involved in a shady deal? That would be so heart breaking” she told herself.

So, he stood by her table and unconsciously stared at her in silence for like three minutes. She was looking through some documents and when she realised he hadn’t said anything, she looked up to ask why he wasn’t saying anything and by the time she looked at him, from the stare, she knew he definitely had been staring all the while.

The stare was quite confusing, so she looked quickly at the documents she was going through and asked again, not wanting to look at him but rather pretending to be neck-deep into what she was doing “Desmond, what is it? Is everything okay?” she asked.

“I am in love with you Bimpe”. She froze and acted like she didn’t hear. She was too shocked and also did not want to embarrass him. “Desmond, did Mr. Stephen agree to strike the deal with us? He hasn’t gotten back, has he?” She asked. Indeed, a total diversion but Desmond wasn’t going to leave the office without telling her how he felt.

“I mean what I just said Bimpe. I am in love with you” Bimpe got up from her seat and walked away “Look, I heard you the first time Desmond, I just didn’t understand where that came from, so I had to pretend like I did not hear you.”

He walked up to her, lifted her hand and put it on his chest by the left where his heart is and said “It came from here Bimpe, it came from my heart, where you can feel the pulse of my heartbeat… TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK