Snooping

"So do all your clients send suggestive chats?" I asked.

"No. That was not even suggestive."

"Fred, I am not as stupid as you might think I am. She was obviously trying to get your attention. Why did you not even ask her to stop?" 

"I called her and asked her to stop but she continued." Fred started. 

"You called?"

"Yes. What was I supposed to do?" He replied. "And why were you snooping on my phone? You have never been the curious type."

"Maybe I should have been curious from the start."

"Kate, stop this. Nothing is going on between us. I have been so busy with work that I cannot have time to go and start affairs."

"Can I go back to work?" I asked walking back to the office entrance.

"Yes. Ill see you later on."

I walked back in the office reflecting on how the situation had turned up. Maybe I was too quick to judge Fred. What if I was wrong? I should have weighed about everything before I came with a conclusion. He really looked so apologetic and full of regret. Why did I even think of snooping on his cell? I should have just let it to be as I have since we started dating. We have never had this issues before.

I started working on what I had to do and before I knew it, time was up. I packed my stuff and asked Fred if he was done for the day to come pick me up. Unfortunately, he was still busy so I had to use other means back home. I dialed an Uber.

I arrived in the house after about fifteen minutes. There was a bit of traffic on the way. I found Chloe seated on the carpet with the nanny playing with the rubber balls she got a few months ago. She was so excited to see me that she literally ran to give me a hug calling "Mama".

I picked her up, said hey to the nanny then went to the bedroom still holding her. She was giggling all the way. She then started talking very quickly that I could not make out the words well but I guessed she was trying to tell me how her day is.

"Mama has to take a shower. Go and stay with the nanny."

She nodded and left the room.

I went to the bathroom where I took a long shower. It was like I was trying to erase away the memories of the day. After I was through, I wore a short with a vest top and went back to the living room.

The nanny asked if she would take the weekend off and I said okay. Just then, Fred walked in carrying his laptop bag. He waved to us then went straight to the bedroom. I got up and followed him.

"How did you come home?" He asked taking off his clothes.

"I used an Uber." I replied sitting on the bed's edge.

"Oh okay. Sorry for the inconvenience of not picking you up."

"Its okay."

"Let me have a shower first." He said while going to the bathroom.

"Okay."

After he left, I sat there for a few seconds then stood up. As I was walking to the door, his phone vibrated. I wanted to know if he had contact with the chic again. I went over and checked it. The phone had a password!

Chats

I tossed and turned in bed trying to ignore the urge but I could not do it anymore. So I woke up, picked up my phone and checked the time. It was half past three in the morning. At least I have time to come back and sleep before I wake up. I dragged my body to the bathroom. As soon as I sat on the toilet seat, the urine gushed out. I immediately felt the relief from the pressure that I had. After I was done, I wiped myself and walked back to the bedroom in darkness. 

As I was passing where Fred was sleeping, I noticed his phone on the bed stand. It was flashing a blue light on the top most left corner. I bent over, picked it and looked at it. It was a 'whatsup' notification. Since he never locks his phone, I immediately opened the chat.

It was from a lady called Grace. Grace? I tried remembering who she might be but I did not get anything. Curiously, I checked the profile picture. I have not seen or met her. This was getting interesting. So I climbed back to bed, covered myself then continued to snoop on the chat. It was a long thread of conversation. I started from the initial contact and was surprised it was the lady who started this. Usual greetings and asking if they could meet over drinks. Fred had not responded. Wierd!

The chats started around three weeks ago. Although it was always the lady sending the messages, Fred did not reply nor stop her from sending more. He always read them but did not reply. At this point, I was not so sure of what to do. I looked over to Fred and he was sleeping so peacefully. I was so mad. I could feel my blood boiling. I decided to screenshot the texts and send them over to my phone. As soon as they were received, I deleted the evidence of the sent chats and returned the phone on his side. I covered myself and tried to go back to sleep. Eventually, sleep came to me.

In the morning, I woke up early, prepared myself and then started making breakfast. All we were having today was cereals and bananas. Soon after, Fred joined me and ate his portion. I managed to hold my anger in although it was really hard. I also did not show that anything was wrong. I would do it in another way.

After we were done, we took his car to work. Mine had refused to start. He dropped me off at the office and he continued to his. I settled in, and made a few calls to the staff that were a bit urgent. After I was done, I went to my whatsup, sent the chats to Fred's phone and thereafter, wished him a goodnight.

He called immediately he received the chat.

I did not pick the call. I changed the setting to silent and continued to do my work. I cannot explain why I did that but I felt bad. He should have stopped the chats from the lady. Since I am not so good in confrontation, I decided the cold treatment would work. The guilt will kill him.

At around ten, I received a call from the receptionist. I had a visitor. I walked to the lobby only to see Fred standing waiting for me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked leading him out of the office.

"I came to see you. Why are you ignoring my calls?" He asked angrily.

"I think you know why!"

"Is it become of the chats? I never replied anything to that lady!"

"But why did you not tell her to stop?" 

"Because....she is my client." He said putting his hands on his pockets.

"Oh really?"  

Lisa

"What a surprise!" I shouted when I entered the house waving the bouquet of flowers he had bought and delivered to me at the office.

Fred smiled, stood up and gave me a hug. "You liked it?"

"Yes. It definitely made my day." I replied. "Thank you. I had a busy day and this really was a good way to end it."

"You are welcome." He said and gave me a kiss.

"Mama! Mama!" Chloe shouted as she walked in on us. She was carrying her doll named Lisa.

"Hey baby." I said and picked her up. "What were you doing?"

"Wash Lisa." She replied laying back the doll's hair.

"Is she clean?" 

Chloe nodded.

"Have you eaten your fruits?"

She replied "Yes."

I put her down gently and she continued to pamper her baby Lisa.

I sat down next to Fred and looked what he was upto. He was installing a program on the laptop in front of him. 

"Did the nanny cook before she left?"

"Yes. She has prepared some chicken stew with rice." He replied.

"Wow. That is interesting. I can't wait to taste it." I replied while removing my shoes.

I stood up to go to the bedroom but I accidentally stepped on Lisa's feet. I swear I thought I broke it.

"Mum!" Chloe shouted trying to raise my feet up. 

I stepped aside to look at the damage. I had cracked it. I looked at Chloe's face and I knew I was in deep trouble. She had tears on her eyes. One blink and all the tears would stream down her face. I knelt down slowly, picked up Lisa and tried to make her leg all straight up. The dent was still visible though. 

"I'm so sorry Chloe. Lisa will be all good." 

"No. You hurt her." She said amidst sobbing. She rose up and went to her dad for comfort.

I looked at her and knew I had messed up. As I was still trying to figure out how to calm the situation, Fred whispered to me what to do. What a brilliant idea! I went to the kitchen, removed the first aid box which was on top of the fridge, removed a band aid and went back to the couch.

"Chloe, Lisa is hurt. We have to make her better. Come help me." I pleaded with her.

She moved slowly towards me and stood upright. I took the doll, laid it on my thighs then placed the band aid on the leg where there was a crack. It looked funny but Chloe suddenly stopped crying. She picked up the doll, inspected it then placed it on her chest and went back to her dad. I looked at Fred and he nodded while smiling. We had managed to calm the situation.

I went to the bedroom, placed my handbag on the rack and went to the bathroom for a quick shower. The warm water was so soothing. After I was done, I slowly walked back to the living room. Fred had already finished the installation of the program.  I turned back, went to the kitchen and heated food for the baby. I fed her and soon after, she fell asleep. Since Fred had already served himself food as I was feeding the baby, I served myself and we watched a series on Netflix before we retired to bed.

Interviews

On Friday morning, I finished on the payroll planning and sent over the data to the accounts department for salary processing for the staff. Hopefully, we will get our salaries as the weekend checks in.

At exactly ten o'clock, the secretary called and informed me that the first candidate had already arrived in the office. I went to the scheduled meeting room where the interview would be conducted and found the rest of the panel already seated. I joined them then we called our first candidate.

We grilled her for about thirty minutes. It was a long one. She had all the necessary attributes but I did not feel like she expressed herself well. She was a bit hesitant and she stammered. When we finished her session, we rested for about fifteen minutes before we called the next one. He was good. He answered questions well and did not find it hard to ask us questions too. 

After we were done with the second candidate, we had a break for about an hour. It was lunch hour. I went down the stairs, to the streets then took the first left corner then walked about two blocks. There was this new restaurant that had opened a few days ago that I had been wishing to try it out. The place was a bit full. The ambiance was beautiful. I had never seen something like this before. The lights were strategically put to brighten up the area and the bog windows gave a sense of space. I took a seat on the table next to wide windows overlooking the street. A smiling waiter dressed in black trousers and a blue shirt came and gave me a menu. I choose steak. Well done. He was back after about six minutes with my order. Sizzling hot. The steak came accompanied with a few fries on the side. I also ordered a large glass of orange juice. I took my sweet time to enjoy the meal. It was heavenly! A must place to come back again.

I went back to the office and started the interview again for the next two candidates. I think all two of them were good but ill have to discuss with the panel. We finished the interviews at exactly three o'clock and we discussed how it was. The panel was to give points depending on various factors as presentation, posture, questions answered, and the overall 'wow factor.

We came to the conclusion that the second interviewee was the best. The male candidate. He scored an average of eighty nine points. I was to call him on Monday morning to inform him of the good news. The meeting was adjourned.

I returned back to my desk only to find a bouquet of flowers neatly placed on the desk. They were pink roses. I took the card and read it. They were from Fred. Sweet!! I could not wait to get home and give him a big hug. This was a nice surprise. I closed my computer, packed my stuff and carried my flowers to the house.

Progress

The bedside alarm rang at exactly 6am. I stretched my hands and put it off. Slowly, I turned to the other side of the bed only to find Fred missing. I sat up and saw a beam of light under the door so I walked to check on what he was upto.

I found him in the living room with one of his friend's laptop. He seemed so distracted. 

"Good morning." 

"Morning dear. You are up already." He replied not raising his head up.

"Yes. What time did you wake up?" I asked.

"At around 4am." He replied placing the laptop on the table.

"So any progress?" 

"I have managed to work on the two laptops. Only this one remaining." He said then stood up.

"That is nice. Let me prepare something for breakfast." I said.

I walked to the bedroom, made the bed then took a shower. After I was done dressing up, I went to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. I tried removing sausages from the freezer but they were stuck. I decided to boil two eggs. Next, I made some coffee, then boiled some milk and put aside since I was not sure if he will have cereals or just coffee. I put all the items on a tray then added four bananas and took it to the living room. I found him already dressed up and was watching CNN.

"Thank you." He said.

In silence, we had our breakfast while watching news. After we were done, I washed the used utensils then went to check on Chloe. She was still sleeping.

"What time will you leave the house?" I asked Fred. 

"At around 8.30am." He answered. "I am to be in the office by 9am since other staff went for training."

"Okay. Ill be leaving to the office now. When the nanny comes, please ask her to give Chloe the cereals set out on the kitchen counter. Milk is still in the fridge."

"Okay."

"See you later." I said then leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

I drove to the office and started looking at the applications that had been sent in. I narrowed it all down to the best five candidates then asked the receptionist to call them for me. I asked them to each come a particular time from 10am on Friday for the interviews. I selected the best in terms of experience. Most times, experience outweighs a degree.

I followed with an email with different heads of departments to inform them of the interviews. I also invited the Accounts Department manager, Mrs. Wright, and my assistant to be avail themselves as panelists for the interviews.

Maintenance

Fred arrived like an hour after I had arrived. He looked so wasted. His laptop bag hang loose on his shoulder. He had already removed his tie. His shirt was unbuttoned to the second hole. 

"Hellos." He said while walking past us to the bedroom. 

I placed Chloe on the floor so that she could continue playing with the toys while I went to check on him.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked standing on the doorway.

"I'm so tired." He replied lifting his left leg then removed his socks.

"Sorry about that." 

"Thanks."

"We were about to eat. Can I serve you as well?"

"No, I think I will take a shower first. Ill eat thereafter."

"Okay. We will be in the living room."

I walked back to find Chloe trying to eat her foot. Time for food! I warmed her food and went back to feed her. She ate her food well and in a few minutes, she was done. I served myself then we watched TV together. Today, we were watching Courage the Cowardly Dog cartoon.

Fred joined us wearing a white t-shirt and black boxers. He had warmed his food already. 

"Please give me the remote." He asked.

I passed him the remote and he changed the channel to a news station. Immediately, Chloe started to cry. 

"Daddy, daddy. I want Courage." Chloe started crying. Tears were streaming down her face.

Fred looked at me then changed the channel back to cartoon network. Chloe stopped crying and sat down on the carpet to continue watching it.

I laughed.

"So how was your day?" He asked.

"It was good. Busy but okay." 

"I decided to take on some other part time jobs but it is really weighing me down." Fred started.

"Since when?"

"Yesterday."

"So what were you to do?"

"I thought I should do some maintenance and consultancy work. When I spread word around, I got lots of work but crazy deadlines. I do not know how I will manage."

"Maybe you should only take one job first until you finish before you start another."

"Good idea but I already have some pending work. I was to check three laptops for my pals."

"Just try to clear it then start small." I assured him. "Just be careful that this should not distract you from your main job. It will cost you a lot."

"Okay."

After he was done, we washed the utensils and called it a night. 

Selection

I got down to my work as soon as I sat down. I was to conduct a staff recruitment process for the Accounting department as they needed two accounting assistants. After checking the exact descriptions needed, I sent the advert to few employment agencies.

I had a meeting at ten o'clock with the managers thereafter I was to finish my reports which were due today. Work got so busy that I even forgot to go for lunch. I only realized I was hungry at around 2.15pm. I quickly dashed to the restaurant nearby and had a quick lunch.

Back to the office, my email was all full. I had almost ten resumes from different applicants regarding the job. That was fast! I looked at each of them and noticed that they were all qualified for the position. I rang Mrs. Wright and gave her the update.

"I did not expect that much response especially on the first day." I said.

"So what do you think we should do?" She asked.

"I had put the deadline as two days after today."

"Then just go through the applications we have received then do the selection. I think it will be easier for you in the end." She said.

"Yes, that would be easier."

"Then we can start the interviews either on Friday or early next week. The department really needs people urgently."

"I'll do that."

"Please keep me in the loop on the interview date. You also have to inform George of the date as he will also be present." 

I walked back to my desk and started critically looking at the CVs. Since they were many, I figured I can eliminate first those with grammatical errors, the spacing and formatting. I came to a conclusion that most candidates do not take time to read what they before sending. One had done everything so perfectly but had not indicated her phone number. How was one supposed to contact her? The other one had not formatted his work well. One had sent his resume without the cover letter!

At the end of the day, I drove back to the house. I was tired. Chloe and the nanny were sitted at the balcony looking over the street. She smiled when she saw me and ran to me. I gave her a hug and went to the house. They followed me inside.

"How have you been?" I asked.

"We have been okay. Chloe ate her food well but has not finished the fruits." The nanny started. "She is picky in eating water melons."

"What about other fruits?"

"She still loves pineapples and bananas."

"Okay. We will not force the melons on her." I said. "Did she drink water?"

"Yes she did."

Chloe walked in from of us and picked my phone. She went to the games sections and opened it. As she was busy playing, I could not help but be thankful for how far she had come.