Chapter Ten
Jason woke up nervous. he didn't sleep well and he felt anxious. He was forgetting something but he couldn't place his finger on it. Jason's mother had called to tell him she would be sitting in on the meeting and it was enough to make him nervous. But what was he forgetting?
Jason has never admitted to anyone that one of his greatest fears is not living up to his mother's expectations and it was a pretty big expectation. He stood up from bed after hours of tossing, took a cold shower, dressed and went to the sitting room. Jason thought that his secretary would be ready by then but he found her sleeping in her room.
Her room was a mess and for someone like Jason who thrived on everything been clean and in order, it felt like a criminal offense. Jason looked at her and she was lying on the edge of her bed about to fall down, her legs were resting on her pillow and she snore gently. He bends down to get a good look at her, she looked peaceful and so beautiful even without her makeup, he tapped her on the shoulder and she opened her eyes and stared at him.
"It's you again, get out of my dreams" she said and closed her eyes again
"Oma" he called her
"I'm not dreaming, am I?" McKenna asked and blinked
"No" Jason simply answered
"What time is it?" McKenna asked
"7:45 a.m"
"I'm late" she said and jumped up from the bed
"No shit" Jason said and stood up himself "You know Miss Chukwuka, most boss don't wake up their secretaries in the morning"
"I'm sorry, sir. I will get ready at once" McKenna said so embarrassed that she was looking at the floor instead of Jason's face.
McKenna was surprised when she found out that she wasn't dreaming that Jason was in her room and her room was a mess. She didn't know what Jason thought of her now.
"Meet me in the conference room when you are done" Jason said and left her.
McKenna didn't leave Jason's thoughts, all the girls Jason has ever dated except Tammy, were societal perfect ladies- fake appearances and fake lifestyles. They were afraid of what Jason thought of them so they worked hard to please him and to hold his interest for as long as they could but not McKenna, she did what she liked and dared the world to do their worst.
The conference room could hold up to one hundred people and the decorations were okay by Jason's standard. He sat down and glanced through his documents one after the other but one was missing. A major Chunk of his presentation was missing an other shareholders were already moving into the conference room. He panicked and picked up his file and just as he was about to move out, he saw his mother walk in.
"Jason" she called out
"Good morning Mother, how was your flight?"
"It was as smooth as it can get" she said
Jason made to move out but his mother stopped him
"You will do great with this presentation" she encouraged
The child in him that longed for the day his mother would finally encourage him, leaped in joy but the man he had become told him it was a trap.
"I thought I was a disappointment to you, mother" he voiced out calmly and sneered
Jason had gotten used to her stern, no nonsense tone and attitude towards him that he didn't know how to act when she encouraged him.
"Do you know what my greatest achievement is?" His mother asked
"No but I am sure you will tell me, mother"
"You"
"What?" Jason slightly raised his voice in surprise
"You are my greatest achievement Jason and I am so proud of you baby" she said and walked past him but he stopped her.
"Mom, are... you... dying?" he asked genuinely frightened
"Sorry to disappoint you son but i am not" she said
"Believe it or not, I don't want anything to happen to you mother" he said and left
Jason was now in full panic mode. For the first time in a long time his mother had encouraged him and now he was going to let her down again. He entered the suite and found McKenna there fully dressed.
"Aren't you supposed to be giving your award winning presentation?" McKenna joked
"I can't" he said" the presentation is not complete. We've come all the way to this place for nothing" he said and threw the whole documents on the floor. McKenna bent down and starts picking them up, examining them at the same time
"Only page 6 is Missing"
"I know and that is the most important page" Jason said frustrated
"Give me a minute" she said and took plain sheet and started writing things down
"What are you doing?" Jason asked
"Here, take this and problem solved" she said and handed to him the papers
"This is almost…the same thing" he said surprised as he glanced through the pages.
"I know… I typed it" McKenna said and shrugged it off
"But how can you..."
"I have a photographic memory. Anything I read, I remember"
Jason was speechless, he was grateful
"Thank you" he said
The presentation was a success, McKenna waited for all the shareholders to congratulate him. She made a move but saw Jason talking to a woman, so she stayed back with his briefcase like a normal secretary. After the woman hugged him and left. McKenna walked up to him
"I hear congratulations are in order, Mr. Yagazie" McKenna said
"You just helped me with a contract of 300 million naira… thank you Oma and because of you, my mother thinks I'm exceptional" he said and smiled
"Wow, if the boss lady thinks you are extraordinary, who am I to disagree with her?" McKenna said and smiled also.
"Let me take you out" Jason suggested. Jason couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Are you asking me out on a date?"
"No….of course not. I mean let's go out just to celebrate" he said becoming serious.
McKenna eyes went to her feet and her cheeks burned. McKenna was so embarrassed that she wished the earth to swallow her up. Why would she ever assume that Jason Ekoh-Yagazie would ever want to go out with her?
"I would love to but I have a date" she lied
"Oma I didn't mean to sound like a jackass about the date thing. I just wanted to be honest with you but you don't have to lie about going out" Jason tried to pacify her.
"I do have a date" she said and walked out awkwardly before she made the situation worst.
McKenna thought about a way out on her supposed date and she then remembered the woman's number. Maybe she was still in town, so she called her.
"Hello, Mrs. L, this is McKenna"
"Hello my dear, I was hoping you would call. Do you have time this evening for dinner? I have great news"
"Of course, is 7:30 p.m okay" a little pause "I will see you then ma"
By 6:30pm McKenna took her shower. She opened her wardrobe to check if she had anything to wear to her fake date. She picked a red grown but it was too elegant for a date with an older lady friend but on a second thought she decided to wear it. After dressing up, McKenna looked herself in the mirror.
"This is not you McKenna. You don't lie or dress up for a guy" she said to herself in the mirror and started pulling the gown off
"He doesn't want you, why not take the little respect you have left and quit" she said out loud to herself
She pulled off everything and decided to wear a jumpsuit and boot. she tried sneaking out but got caught by Jason
"Are you going on a date dressed like that?" Jason asked
McKenna stopped in her track
"I'm sorry I lied to you. The truth is that I like you Jason… a lot and I don't have a hot date with a hot guy. I am just going to meet my new lady friend. So think about it and tell me how you feel so I don't keep having false hope"