Lydia

I am in the office early today. I have a lot of work cut out for me on this project we have put in place. I am proud of the fact that my strategy has been approved and brought together to turn this company around. I am not leading the implementation of the strategy but hey, it’s my idea and I’m playing a significant role in making it happen. 

I work quite closely with Portia now. She works in the warehouse and has been selected to be the person who consults on this project as a representative from the warehouse. She is a cool lady, but she complains a lot. That annoys me. She seems to have a lot going on in her life, but I wish she left that all at home and not talk about it so much. I already know about her four kids and husband. Hai!

I’m working late today because I’m reporting on actions thus far as well as gaps that I’ve picked up. Palesa and her PA have gone home. It’s 8pm, so I suppose that most people have left… except…
“You are beautiful, you know that?” He says. 
I chuckle. He is a very charming man.
He smiles and says, “I’m serious”. 
“You are trying to get me fired”, I say. 
“With the work that you are doing around here… I’m quite sure you’d have a good case against us at the CCMA”. He says. 
I chortle. 
“How’s the report coming along?” He asks me.
“I just need one more hour then it will be in Palesa’s inbox. I’m sure she and Blake will have it in your inbox after they’ve proof-read it and made some adjustments.” I explain.
“Take me through it”, he says. 
“Huh?” 
“Take me through it, come on. This is your work. You are the best person to take me through the report and answer any questions I have.” He says as he sits down next to me, focusing his attention on my laptop screen. 

Indeed I take him through my 33 page report. He asks me questions and when I answer him, he tells me to put those answers in the report. We work on this until 1am. I send the report to Palesa then pack up. He watches me pack up. His eyes are suddenly small and dreamy. 

“What does your boyfriend say when you overwork yourself like this?” He asks. 
“He doesn’t exist. Goodbye Tom and thanks so much for all your help”, I say. 
He smiles. 
I don’t even stay a minute longer to see what would happen next. I just leave. I can see that he is very attracted to me. I’m attracted to him too. However, I’m just an intern. What would become of me if I start sleeping with the CEO so early in my career? No Lydia, no. You are not a whore. 

…

It is a new day and as usual, I’ve dropped off my coffee flask on Tom’s desk and am now working at mine. Portia is here as well and we are working on the administration of the project. I deliberately put headphones on because I’m not interested in how Portia’s drama unfolded this morning. My vagina is still recovering from being wet because of how Tom looks at me. 

Palesa walks in, followed in by Pearl. Pearl is in a very good mood. She is glowing, smiling and looking absolutely gorgeous. She feasted on his penis last night. I made it hard for her and she enjoyed the benefits. I suddenly feel jealous. This could have been me. 

Pearl and Palesa go into Palesa’s office without saying good morning. Blake follows them in a few minutes later. Palesa’s PA, Jane, is not in yet. This is very unusual. 

Thando walks up to my desk and knocks on my desk for me to take off my headsets and pay her some attention. I take down my headsets. I’ll have you know that I wasn’t even listening to music. I just didn’t want to be bothered by Portia this morning. She is in a bad mood so that tells me that she has a lot to get off her chest. 

“Babe, I need your help”, Thando says. 
“Sure. What’s up?” I ask. 
Thando sits next to me. Now I am sandwiched between Thando and Portia. 
Thando opens her laptop and shows me an email from Pearl. It is an email that is asking her to put together a report that covers the resources, talent mapping and overall human capital of and for the turnaround strategy project.

“I can give you the names of all the people who are on this project. Then we will go to HR to get their details so we can do their mapping and ask HR for the cost to the company”, I say. 
She looks confused, but she smiles at me. 
Palesa peeps out of her door and says, “Lydia, please come here for a minute”. 
I stand up and say to Thando, “ngiyeza neh“.
She nods her head. 

I go into Palesa’s office and sit on the available chair. 
“Your report is outstanding. Well done”, Palesa says. 
“Thank you”, I say. 

Pearl is on her phone. Blake is engaged in the conversation with us. 

“Lydia, my PA is ill and cannot come in today. I was hoping you’d be in meetings with me today, please? I appreciate that your workload is piling up too, but- 
“I’m happy to do it, no worries”, I say. 
Palesa nods her head and gives me an iPad. She says, “This is my schedule for the day. Let’s have a good one”. 
I take the iPad and leave her office. I think we are beginning to get along. 

I spend about 30 minutes giving Thando the names of the resources who have been assigned for the project. HR is already here, as called in by Thando, and we are doing the mapping and costing together. 

Pearl, Palesa and Blake walk out of Palesa’s office. 
“And then? Omunye uku-facebook and the rest of you are hosting a gathering outside the door of my office?” Palesa. 

Portia is on Facebook. She loves Facebook this lady.

“We just putting together a report that Pearl asked me to put together for her. We are almost done”, Thando says. 
Pearl looks irritated. 
“Okay, well finish up because our first meeting is with Mr Ramaru”, Palesa says. 
My face suddenly feels hot. Pearl is looking especially at me trying to catch my reaction. I do not give her the satisfaction. 
“I’m sure Lydia can sit this one out. That report they are working on is urgent. I need it on my desk in the next hour”, Pearl.
“Who’s going to take my minutes?” Palesa.
“Record it with your phone then send it to her to minute. Technology bakithi“, Pearl. 
Pearl and I stare at each other. 
At this rate, she is the one who will encourage me to sleep with her husband. 
…

I get a message from Thando telling me that Pearl would like to see me IMMEDIATELY. I make my way to the fifth floor using the stairs because I don’t know what this woman wants and I don’t want to bump into her husband or aggravate her before this meeting. 

I get to fifth floor and as I make my way to the escape door leading into the actual office space, I bump into Tom. I was honestly avoiding him. He is equally shocked to see me. 
“Hey”, he says. 
“Hey. I was kinda avoiding you”, I say. 
His face drops. 
“Pearl wants to see me. I hope this is not something that’s connected to you”, I say. 
“Oh. I was actually making my way to a meeting across town. But I’m glad I bumped into you. We need to talk”, he says. 
“We can’t talk now. Pearl will have my head on a plate”, I say. 
“Are you working late today?” He asks me. 
“I don’t think meeting at the office is a good idea. Everyone is watching me”, I say. 
He looks at me. He seems to be a bit taken aback. 
“You need to leave your car somewhere in case your wife has put a tracker on your car. Get an Uber and come to my house after work”, I say. 
He chuckles. 
I’m serious.  

His chuckle stops. 

“Send me your address”, he says. 
“Never. I’m not leaving any evidence of ever connecting with you. Here”, I say as I use my pen to write my address on his hand. He is laughing as I do this. 
“Now I need to go use the elevator so no one suspects I bumped into you.” I say.
I turn around and make my way to the second floor’s elevator. Then I use it to get to the fifth floor. 

As the elevator doors open, I see Pearl at Thando’s desk and they seem to be discussing something. I step out of the elevator and stand behind them. Thando hints to Pearl that I am here. Pearl turns around looks at me. 
“You know, you dress very nicely for an intern. You have expensive taste in style.” Pearl says. What the hell does that even mean? 
I don’t say anything. 
“It’s a compliment, Lydia”, she says. 
“Thanks?” Me. 
“I wanted to also say that you are clearly a very gifted and smart girl. I underestimated you. Your work is outstanding.” Pearl says. 

What the hell is the purpose of this meeting? I got called up here to listen to Pearl become my best friend all of a sudden? 

“Travel is being organized for the project team leaders to go into our regional offices and implement the turnaround strategy. Thomas and I were talking and we think there is a promotion opportunity for you here”, she says. 
I look at her, interested. 
“We want you to move to our KZN office as an operations specialist and lead this project from KZN using our KZN warehouse and the staff there. You will still work with the team up here, but it will be virtual. Your focus will primarily be in KZN”, she says. 

This woman thinks she’s clever. She’s trying to move me away from her husband. 

“Please forward me the contract and my new job description. I’ll use the next forty-eight hours to think about it. I’ll get back to you with a response”, I say. 
“It’s either the KZN region or we move you to the Kagiso office as an intern still. There’s no room for you here anymore and KZN comes with a promotion. You strike me as a smart girl. I’m pretty sure you will make the right decision”, she says.
I turn around and make my way back to my desk. 

It is finally the end of the day. My day has been a blur since Pearl dropped her big news on me. I could not even get anything done for the rest of the day. I sat on Google and searched Durban. I checked out our offices and potential apartments. 
It is 5pm now and I am going home. I miss my parents. I need to visit them one of these days.

“Sisi, please drop me off at the bus station. I’m scared that I will miss the half-past-five bus if I walk”, Portia says. 
“I’ll take you home. Where do you stay?” Me. 
“No sisi, you don’t have to do that. I live far. I stay in Soweto, eNdofaya”, she says. 
“I don’t mind. Asambe. You will get home early for a change”, I say. 
“Yho sisi, thank you so much. May God bless you”. She says. 

We make our way to my car. We put our stuff in the boot and we make our way off the work grounds. 

“Your car is so nice”, she says. 
“Thank you. My father bought it for me when I graduated from university”, I say. 
“I wish I could do that for my children. It is my wish”, she says. 

Here we go again. But since we are not in the office, let me humour her.

“Where are you guys from? You and your family”, I enquire. 
“I grew up in Soweto, eDobsonville. My husband is from King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape. When he came up to Gauteng to find work, he settled eNdofaya. We met, got married and we rented a backroom with our first child in Ndofaya. When I got a job, we rented a house and had two more children. When my husband got a promotion, we were able to buy a house in Ndofaya. We just had our fourth child”, she says 

So many kids? 
Also, am I the only person who doesn’t know where Ndofaya is? I’m trying to find a less-snobbish way to ask where this Ndofaya place is, especially because I am driving there.

“Where is Ndofaya?” I ask her. 
She laughs and says, “Meadowlands”. 

I put Meadowlands in my Google maps and drive. 

“So are you planning on having any more children?” I ask. 
“Yho ngeke. I’ve officially closed my factory. God has blessed me with four beautiful children and I believe that is enough for me”, she says. 
I smile at her. 
“Awusho, are you dating Mr Ramaru?” She blurts out. 
“Why would you ask me something like that? Mr Ramaru is my boss”, I defensively say. 
“I’m just asking. Everyone is talking about it. And the office is determined that you will be fired soon like every other person who Mr Ramaru has slept with. That, or you will be moved to one of the regions”, she says. 

I don’t believe this. I’m fuming right now.

“Is she even allowed to do that? Yaz, senior management is convinced that we don’t know our rights. She can’t just fire you without proof that you have violated company policies or any laws for that matter. What are her grounds? Ungavumi wena sisi for that woman to walk all over you. Uyimele indaba yakho. She must either charge you or stop bullying you. Icala elishisa kabi lelo le-bullying”, she says. 

I actually feel like crying. 

We chat about workplace politics for the rest of the trip. She tells me about what it was like in the warehouse and how those managers are. This one is a comrade. She knows everything there is to know about rights, but she has said very little about responsibilities. 

I drop her off at her gate after we picked up her small baby. She was very grateful and thankful. 
I drive back to my place and arrive after an hour and a half. 

I get home and shower. My helper has gone home. I change into shorts and a sleeveless LA Lakers basketball jersey. I get a call from the gate that Tom Ramaru is at the gate. I tell them to let him in and direct him to my townhouse. 

After a few minutes, he knocks on my door. I let him in. 
He freezes at the door for a while. 
Oh ja, Thando did say that his weakness is nice legs. 
He finally comes in and his Uber drives off. 

“You okay?” I ask him. 
“Sure.” He says. He makes his way to my TV room and I suppose settles there because he does not come back into the kitchen. 
I grab some wine and two wine glasses then head into the TV room. He is on his laptop. 
“What did you want to talk about?” I ask him.
“Pearl wants to move you to another region and I don’t want you to go, but I think it’s a good thing if you do.” He says. 
“She told me today. She said if I don’t go to KZN then she will send me to Kagiso as an intern. But KZN has a promotion opportunity. I was willing to go until I heard that she is sending me away because she is under the impression that I am sleeping with you”, I say. 

He is silent. 

“Why would she think that because truthfully speaking, nothing has happened between us?” I ask. 
“She thinks that I’m in love with you”, he says.
“I shouldn’t lose my job because of what she thinks, it’s not fair. I’m prepared to fight this legally if need be”, I say. 

She must have been dealing with people who did not have resources to seek legal advice. I’m a different kind of problem for her, clearly. 

“If I go to KZN, I’ll be proving the rumours right – that I’m sleeping with you. I’m not prepared to go down like that”, I say. 

He stands up and sits next to me. Suddenly his presence overwhelms me, weakens me even. His smell is incredible. He is making me want to prove the rumours right. 

“We can be good together… you and I. We can be explosive.” He says this. His penis is hard. I see it through his pants. 
“I can’t do this. My job is on the line here.” I say. 
“Tell me to go and I will. I don’t want to go. I want to wake up here tomorrow morning. But I won’t take advantage of you”, he says. 

This situation can easily turn into rape so I know that I have to communicate what I really want and make it clear. And the truth is, “I want you”, I tell him.

We waste no time. 
His suit and shirt is on the floor in no time. I’m also completely naked now. 
“I don’t have any condoms”, he says. 
Dude, his penis is at the entrance of my vagina. I’m in heat. He is in heat. How can I stop this? 
“I’ll get a morning after pill”, me. 
He smiles as he pushes himself inside of me. 
It is everything I wanted it to be and everything that the way he looks at me promised it would be. His penis fills me entirely and the moans are well substantiated. We have sex on my couch, on my coffee table and on my tile. 
We reach our happy ending and lie on the tile next to each other, trying to catch our breath. 

“I’m not going to KZN”, I say. 
“Okay. I’ll get her off your back”, he says.
“Tom, I will fight this legally if the need arises. I’ve done nothing wrong, professionally. If she wants to get rid of me, she better do it by the book”, me. 
He is quiet. 
“And you have to go”, I say. 
“I’d like to spend the night”, he says. 
“You can’t. I still value my life. Your wife seems to think that my life isdisposable”, I say. 

He gets up from the floor and starts getting dressed. 
“I think you should take a shower first. You smell like sex”, I say. 
“Come take it with me”, he says. 
“No. Hurry up. I’ll call you an uber”, I say. 

He chuckles and heads to the shower.