Chioma found herself wrestling with what to do with her first paycheck: hand it over to her mother or treat her to something special.
'I'll give the money to my mother. She'll know what she needs,' Chioma muttered, although she doubted her mother would accept it.
As she contemplated her decision, a man in a simple blue shirt and jeans approached, his voice breaking the silence. 'Who's Chioma?'
Turning, Chioma met his gaze. 'That would be me.'
'Here,' he offered, a bouquet of flowers momentarily stunning her silent. 'These are for you.'
'Sir, who sent these?' she stammered, confusion blooming.
'Over there!' he gestured towards the door. Chioma and her friend Chisom followed his hand. Then, the man headed out, leaving Chioma stunned.
'Chioma, do you know him?' Chisom whispered, eyebrows furrowed.
Chioma shook her head, uncertainty heavy. 'I'll... go check.'
She made her way towards the door, scanning the area until she spotted a man in a black suit talking to someone. It seemed likely this person had entrusted the blue-shirted man with the flowers.
Approaching the suited figure, Chioma's voice firmed. 'Do we know each other?'
'No, we haven't met. Let me introduce myself. My name is Peter Peterson. I am an assistant to the vice president of one of the top companies here in Abuja. You're Chioma Chima, right?'
'I don't care who you are... You could be the President of Nigeria, and it wouldn't sway me,' Chioma replied sternly.
'My boss likes you...' Peter began, eyebrows rising at her boldness.
'Well, I don't like him.' Chioma looked at the flowers, then back at Peter, and said, 'I'm sorry, but I choose not to develop any liking for your boss.' She handed the flowers back to him.
'My boss really likes you,' Peter persisted, annoyed by Chioma's rejection of his boss.
Chioma dismissed him with a wave. 'No, no, I don't care if your boss likes me. How can he like someone he hasn't even met? This feels like a bad soap opera, and frankly, I hate it. Thank you for bringing the flowers, but I decline.'
'Chioma, are you sure about this?' Peter pressed, clearly disappointed.
'I'm in a hurry. I need to go. Thank you.' Without waiting for Peter's response, Chioma hurriedly returned inside the restaurant.
Peter watched her leave, a sigh escaping his lips. Was this girl foolish enough to reject his boss's affection? Well, in a way, he couldn't entirely blame her since he hadn't mentioned Felix's name. It was his fault for not clarifying things, perhaps. Maybe that was why she rejected the flowers. With a sigh, he turned away, clutching the flowers in his hand. Felix had never fallen in love with any woman before, and unfortunately, his first experience of love was with a woman he deemed unworthy. It was a bit disheartening, Peter thought as he climbed into his Mercedes Benz and drove away.
Chisom approached Chioma, a mischievous glint in her eyes. 'Well, well, well,' she chirped, 'looks like your dramatic love story has just begun! Welcome to season one of 'Fight for Love'! I can't wait to see what happens next!' With that, she burst out laughing and darted away, leaving Chioma with a smile tugging at her lips.