"Ivan?" Callistus looked up at him.
It was dark, but bits of moonlight shone from the window, illuminating their faces.
Ivan laughed softly. "I don't think it's good for you to always work overtime, Callistus," he said. "Plus, your mentor filed a complaint about you."
"I'm sorry—," Callistus stuttered again. "I can't—can't understand what she's saying." He looked at his table, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Ivan stayed silent for a second, his arms crossed. "Open your laptop. I'll teach you," he said.
Callistus looked at him for a moment before getting out his laptop and turning it on. He showed Ivan what he didn't understand from the woman. Ivan took one look and smiled, trying to suppress a laugh.
"You don't know?" Ivan's voice had a teasing edge, hiding his amusement.
Callistus stared at him blankly, not finding it funny.
"Alright, recording transactions is quite easy," Ivan said gently. "Let's start with that."
He moved closer. "First, open the accounting software and click on 'New Transaction'."
Callistus moved the mouse but accidentally clicked on the wrong button.
Ivan gently placed his hand on top of Callistus's, guiding him to the right spot. "Here, let me help."
Callistus felt a surge of warmth as Ivan's hand guided his. "Now, imagine we've made a sale of $100. We'll enter that amount under 'Sales Revenue' and also record it under 'Cash' since it's a cash transaction."
Ivan demonstrated, typing in the details while still guiding Callistus's hand. "Next, we debit the 'Cash' account and credit the 'Sales Revenue' account. This keeps our records balanced."
Callistus followed along, his confidence growing with each step. "I think I understand," he said, looking at Ivan.
"Good. Now let's move on to accounts payable," Ivan said. "Let's say we received an invoice for office supplies. We need to record this as an expense. Click on 'New Expense'."
Ivan gently placed his hand over Callistus', guiding him again. "It's this one," Ivan said softly.
"Enter the amount under 'Office Supplies Expense' and then under 'Accounts Payable'. This shows we owe money for these supplies," Ivan explained, typing in the details while guiding Callistus's hand.
"When we pay the bill, we'll debit 'Accounts Payable' and credit 'Cash'. This shows we've paid off what we owe," Ivan said, demonstrating again.
Callistus nodded. "Thank you."
Ivan smiled. "It's fine. Remember, it's all about keeping track of where the money goes."
Callistus smiled back, momentarily forgetting about the deal he had made. Ivan stood up, heading to the door and turning off the lights as Callistus packed up.
"We can go now," Ivan said as he walked out. "Hopefully, everything is off."
Callistus picked up his bag, asking for the time: 11:30 PM.
"I'll drop you off, don't worry," Ivan reassured him as they walked out.
In the parking lot, they approached an Aston Martin. Both got in, with Ivan behind the wheel.
"You hungry?" Ivan asked as he started the car.
Callistus shook his head in response.
"You sure? You haven't eaten since lunch."
"How do you know everyt—"
"Let's just grab a bite. I'm hungry too," Ivan insisted.
They drove through the city, the streets quiet and lit by streetlights.
"There's a 24-hour diner not far from here," Ivan said. "They have the best late-night snacks."
Callistus nodded, finally feeling his hunger catching up with him.
As they pulled up to the diner, Ivan parked the car and they went inside. The warm, cozy ambience was a stark contrast to the cool night air. They found a table and sat down. They ordered their food and waited, chatting in the meantime.
"I don't have a licence," Callistus admitted. "I usually ask a friend or take public transport."
"Not surprising," Ivan replied. "You have anyone at home waiting for you?"
"Nah, I plan to live and grow old alone. I've been in some relationships, though."
"I was asking about your family, but never mind—" Ivan began, but the smell of freshly cooked food made Callistus' stomach growl, cutting him off.
Ivan noticed and chuckled. "See, I knew you were hungry."
When the food arrived, they continued to chat, sharing stories. Ivan talked about the old friend who reminded him of Callistus. After finishing his meal, Callistus looked around the place and said, "This looks like a date."
Ivan, still chewing, stopped and looked at him, making Callistus stutter nervously. Ivan laughed, breaking the tension. By the time they finished, it was past midnight.
"Thanks for this," Callistus said as they walked back to the car. "But I could've paid for my own food."
"No problem, and don't worry about the cost," Ivan replied with a smile. "Sometimes, people just need a break."
They got back in the car, and Ivan drove Callistus home, the night winding down peacefully. As they reached Callistus' apartment, Ivan opened the car window and looked over.
"Take it easy. You just joined and you've already worked overtime three times. Go rest."
Callistus nodded. "I will. Thank you."
"Anytime," Ivan replied. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Callistus said as he headed inside.
—
The next day, Callistus rested at home, taking advantage of the weekend off. His position allowed for weekends off, although he had worked through the first week due to pressing deadlines.
Lying in bed, he checked his bank account. The 2 million from the deal stared back at him, untouched. He hadn't dared to spend a single penny but the next month's payment was coming close.
He thought about using the money to pay off his rent and student debt, but the weight of what it represented made him hesitate.
A notification popped up on his phone. It was a message from Danish, an invitation.
"In a few weeks, me and the others are having a small celebration for taking the risk to make Everlasting Chase Estates Auctions," the message read. "Although we know you weren't involved in this, Myiesha, Star, and Mia said since you knew them, it would be nice for you to be there."
Callistus thought for a while. He wasn't outgoing, but it was a small party, so why not?