Ken Solomon did something he hardly do in his office on a particular afternoon a week later, the same day Colour gave a ride to his beautiful passenger. He rolled himself a thick weed and then lit up right there on his official seat. His jacket rested on a rack, his tie loosened and his white designer long sleeve shirt folded up to his ankle. He dragged the smoke and then stared thoughtfully at the open internet page on his laptop; a page that was now the most popular on his mind and the catalyst to his present worries. The hitherto beautiful looking website with its deep green, black and white design was now the most horrible looking vision in his subconscious. The home page, enticing advertisements and pictures were nothing but irritating blur on his face at the moment.

He dragged his weed, inhaled, and exhaled and then carried on with his thinking. Why had he allowed himself to fall so cheap and blindly to some well crafted Whaling mails - a third world trick? Why did he replied those smart swindlers that unforgettable morning after going through their proposal and asserting that the website, including the pictures of the purported corporate headquarters of the company as shown on the site were all-real? All these he had been able to verified quickly from an associate who knew Abuja the Nigeria capital very well, including some of its beautiful structures; this because of his vast interest in real estate business all over the world. However, what Ken Solomon deliberately did not asked his friend was if he was aware of any telecommunication company by the name Naija-Phones for sale. Why raise his suspicious KS had reasoned greedily, knowing his associate would want to know more and that more questions were bound to follow. He promised himself to keep this deal secretly wrapped under his hat. This was strictly a secret he had intended to surprise everyone with, especially some of his business associates who always had the erroneous impression that he was not capable of diversifying his business empire away from only buying and selling stocks from desperate frustrated American companies and individuals.

So, Ken Solomon had cleverly asked his real estate associate if he was aware of a beautiful structure that was likely to go up for sale in the Nigeria capital. The friend had assured him that he knew the structure just as he knew the popular Eric Moore building in Lagos, but was not aware if the said structure in Abuja was penciled down for sale like the others in Lagos. However, he rightly informed him that he knew that the Nigeria Federal Government had penciled down some of its public facilities and infrastructures for privatization and promised to find out more information if KS was interested. To this, KS had told him not bother himself that he was only just curious about the structure. He told his associate that he never knew there was such a beautiful structure in Nigeria, especially somewhere deep in the ‘African Jungle’. They laughed off richly, said all the sweet banters of the rich and wished each other success in their daily quest of multiplying their wealth.

The management of Naija- Phones had required confidentiality, respected him and invited him exclusively to be among the first bidders, this was an honour he promised himself to respect and work on privately and secretly as possible. He had calculated earlier. He had ensured that even his most trusted private assistant, the amiable Ms Pamela Evans was cunningly schemed out of the whole transactions from day one. She was among those he had wanted to surprise with an appointment as Vice-President of the new acquired Naija-Phones if things worked out fine according to plans. Ken Solomon had actually visualized and rehearsed the look of surprise and shock on her face as he, ‘Kenneth Edward Solomon’ the new owner, chairman, CEO of Naija- Phones or whatever tag the press or writers decided to call him break the good news to her and the rest of the world.

The name Naija-Phone appealed to him. He had promised himself not to change the indigenous name, instead, part of his plan was to re-brand the logo, the slogan and probably reshape and rearranged the colours of the company. He saw the name as an easy identification of the people and the country, aware that about eighty percent of the populace speaks the popular pidgin language fluently, both in their private and public interactions and in transactions daily. So, why not play along with it and encourage it more when his new branded Naija-Phones hit the street. He had reasoned few days earlier as he deliberated over the offer. That was about a week ago, but right now the ideas seemed to be nothing but bad nightmares as he dragged on his weed and puffed smoke across his face. Just then, his door slowly pushed open and Ms. Pamela Evans with a curious worried look on her beautiful face, sauntered into the large office and stared with an astonished look at him and then more curiously at the half-smoked weed in his hand. They both stared strangely at the weed, then quietly at each other.

“ What is going on here?’’ She demanded like a big sister.
He grinned at her with a ‘high look’, took another drag at the weed, inhaled and exhaled and then finally smiled up to her. “I am doing some serious thinking…?” He responded still smiling.

“Really…thinking, over rolled marijuana, right inside your office, in-between working hours?’’ She announced the words slowly one after the other and then moved closer to him, her eyes still staring strangely at the weed. “Finally, I have long been suspecting you of doing this, but not right here where we hourly receives clients and do business. And right now more than six important clients are waiting out there at the reception, waiting patiently to see you…and here you are… doping you brain away,” she finally announced with a disapproved tone her eyes never leaving the weed in his hand.
Ken Solomon once again grinned at her with his high look, and then stared thoughtfully at her for some seconds.

“But I told you I was doing some serious, important thinking, Pam.” He finally answered.

“ God! KS – I am getting paranoid with your sudden eccentric behaviors these days. Now you are here busy smoking marijuana on a working hour in your office. I demand to know what is going on. That is why I am here and part of the reasons why you’re paying me as your Personal Assistant – I swear, I can see that something is wrong or is happening somewhere.”
She suddenly paused and stared more strangely at him, studying him like a big sister whose younger one had just committed a mischief.

“So, what is it KS? I am all ears and listening. Please remember, I am always here for you”, she added her disapproving tone now sobering a little.

Ken Solomon dragged the last drag of his weed, inhaled, exhaled and then stared thoughtfully at her beautiful curved shape and her seductive hips, hidden under the cover of a black designer French suit and a snow-white shirt. Her black hair was cut low and neatly arranged with the edge slightly brushing her rimless glasses. He glued his eyes at her busty boobs, and then grinned away with a mischievous look. She stared confusingly at him and then frowned. KS was still lost in his thought; he was asking himself why he had not laid her when he had all the opportunities in the world. In fact, some of his associates, including almost all his other staff had the illusion that they were actually dating. This, he knew through the office grapevine, Adams. The sixty something year old informal employee of Shares.com was one of his most reliable informant on earth. Though not officially employed as a staff, but his hanging around the company was a tremendous benefit to Ken Solomon and by extension to his company.

KS discovered him one day on his way to the office about six years ago when he was still a squatter with one of the struggling stockbroker firms on Wall Street. Adams, he discovered was an encyclopedia on anything going on in or around Wall Street. He had the names of almost who-was-who and what-was-what on Wall Street stored safely inside his old brain. They became instant friends that morning and since then had passed through the good and bad sides of the popular street together. Adams was there when KS made his first million and was equally still with him when he made the other millions subsequently. Although, he had offered him a full partnership or employment when he opened his own company Shares.com but Adams had declined with his mocking grin and his consistent phrase “The present belongs to those with education”
This was something he had foolishly and stubbornly abandoned many years ago, as a third grade student; the quest for fast money and his insatiable lust for women had tricked his brain and blindfolded his eyes to know and see the value of education then. The old encyclopedic Adams, had personally opted to just hang around Shares.com, listen, gossip and report all the important and relevant reportable to KS, and in return have some of his essential bills settled on Shares.com’s account. Ken Solomon had first thought about his proposal and finally accepted the arrangement. He directed that his name be included in the monthly expenditure of the company and since then they had remained reliable loyal friends in and off the office.

At the moment, KS still feeling high on his seat grinned at Pamela, his mind reminiscing on Adams and some of his gossips (Reports) as he likes to call them. He pushed himself forward in his chair, quenched the last drag of his weed in an ashtray and then smiled up at her again. She stared back at him with a confused frown.

“What is going on?” she demanded.

“Good things, Pam. Good things are going on” Ken Solomon responded with a confident air. He pushed himself up from his swivel chair and strolled to a glass shelve, fetched out a Ralph Lauren Polo perfume, spread it on his palms and then rubbed it over his temple with a wide smile.

“Yes my dear Pam –good things. Good positive things are about to happen to our lives…” He announced proudly.
Deep inside him, he knew he was lying. He had reasoned that he had no option now than to concoct some of the best lies to her. Over the years, he had learned how to use some positive lies on her since their first meeting over five years ago. One fact he never denies was the reality that she was actually part of his success story. He knew he had to keep inventing some fictitious lies in order to carry on their successful association and keep on with the cumbersome task of daily living in his vanity world. The Spaniards must have thought of a situation like his with their famous shrewd proverb. “Tell a lie and find troth.” He reasoned silently and smiled broadly at her. She happened to be one of the most beautiful brains he had ever come across, an excellent girl in his judgment, physically beautiful in the average standard of a fine woman, tall with green seductive eyes, enticing busty boobs and a well-curved woman shape. The most captivating feature about her was her hips, squarely shaped like an eight figure. She wore a trademark dimple smile and an air of confidence and seriousness. These were some of the attributes and qualities he wants in a woman.

Ken Solomon could never imagined the smooth running of Shares.com without the magical hands of the amiable and charismatic Ms. Pamela Evans, a.k.a ‘Dimples’ one of the rare women in the world who could pick up a phone and wake up the President of the United States of America from his short guarded sleep. Pamela Evans was among the rare species of human beings who had the skills to bring out positive result amidst tight and restricted business situations. She was smart, educated and charming. He had happily bumped into her at a business seminar in Los Angeles, and since then they had stayed loyally glued to each other in their fast competitive world of Wall Street. While he provided the settings and backgrounds, she had always successfully provided the links. They were doing great and happy with each other, despite their mutual restriction on intimate relationship. However, it seems all these would soon vanish with the present tormenting situation he now found himself. He now regretted not telling her the Naija-Phones deal right from day one. What had he been thinking about for God sake? He cursed himself silently and watched her as she suddenly dropped her beautiful frame into one of the leather chairs by his desk. If not for the hand rest that the designer had thought wise to designed with glass, everything else about the chair was in rich black leather.

“What is going on for God sake? Why don’t you cover your pride and tell me what’s happening, KS”. She finally said reluctantly and covered her face with her long manicured fingers in a sign of resignation.

“Good things, Pam – I told you good positive things are what are happening around here.” He smiled broadly at her, turned around and rested his athletic frame on the large desk.

“Then why the sudden change in you. You are not the KS I used to know. Your present ways of saying and doing things are not the same like before. I am sure of this, because I know you and I can feel it. So, what has come over you in the last one week or thereabout” she challenged him with the question, her eyes never leaving him.
KS brooded over her sensitive question and observations and then slowly smiled up broadly. He sauntered to her and gently tapped her on the shoulder with assurance

‘’ Relax your worries my dear Pam. I have good news for you. Though I never wanted to let the cat out of the bag so soon…” He paused, smiled at her, and continued. “But it seems I can no longer curtail your curiosity. So, I have no option than to tell you the news.”

He announced, his smile never leaving his face. He realized that the weed was now doing a thorough job on him. He suddenly felt the confidence he always feel whenever he took a good grass. He assumed that his best speech always flows and come freely at that high moment. He almost laughed out as he visualized what her expression and reaction would look like if he had told her the whole truth about the whole transactions. Opening from the first enticing letter of offer, to the money transfers, and then finally to the horrible day he realized that he had greedily and stupidly fell to some wiser brains somewhere in Africa, in Nigeria precisely. He visualized how stupid she would think he was and absolutely the respect, reputation and his prestige, all built over the past long years will quickly vanished in her eyes. He was sure she would stare miserably at him, shake her beautiful smart head in a disappointed gesture and that would end their successful association of almost six solid years. He was actually not afraid of the breakup or split, as he preferred to call it. He was just awed and not comfortable with the failure and let down. Moreover, one thing he hated more than poverty was disappointment. He was a man of honour who like keeping to his words, especially a promise. However, he felt he had no other option at the moment than to tell a good lie to safe himself and his threatened reputation. He concluded, smiled broadly at her and then told her his lies.

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