After the storm (20 page)

"Just
some little things here and there,"

She
sighed. "Talk to me, Akeem. What little things?" She sat down
beside him on the bed.

He
rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "It's Sonakson," he said,
referring to the vendor that Ka-Tell was using in the
implementation of its services. "They're being very funny all of a
sudden. They're not coming out to say what they really want, just
kind of dragging their feet about signing the contract."

By the
time she got more of the details out of him, she knew it was not as
light as Akeem had initially wanted her to believe. If things were
not straightened out soon with Sonakson, it would result in delays,
and she knew they had a deadline from the government. In fact, it
could possibly lead to Ka-Tell losing the license.

"Just
try to find out what they want," she said to him, wishing there was
something she could do to help him. "But I'm sure everything will
work out fine."

"Oh, I
know it will." There was a resolute look on Akeem's face. "Ka-Tell
is going to be successful, no matter the odds against
it."

Yemi
looked at her husband. She often wished she was as confident as he
was. Even in the face of difficulty, nothing seemed to faze
him. He might brood over it, but he always had this deep conviction
that everything would work out the way that he wanted it to. And as
far as Yemi knew, it always did. Maybe there was some truth to his
beliefs after all—belief in one's self and abilities.

Chapter
11

Akeem
was not in a good mood as he strode into the bar at the La Reaz
Hotel in Abuja. He had been staying at the hotel for the past three
days while he met with the officials of Sonakson. He gave a cursory
glance around the bar. There was no one he recognized; at least
that was something. He was not in the mood for company.

He took
a seat at a table, and almost immediately, a waiter approached him.
A few minutes later, the waiter returned with his drink. He took a
sip of the double martini and felt the fiery liquid hit his
stomach. Good, he needed that.

His mind
drifted over to the meeting he had just had with Sonakson. It was
the last of several meetings they had held over the past few weeks,
and they had finally told him that they were backing out of the
deal. Sonakson had cited a number of reasons why they did not want
to continue with Ka-Tell, but what they had failed to say was that
they felt the terrain was not very well known to them and that they
considered Nigeria to be a high-risk place to invest their
resources.

Akeem
did not blame them for having concerns, but he had tried to allay
their fears as best as he could. They already knew the history of
the various businesses under the umbrella of KH, and he had
volunteered more information than he had ever done with any other
business venture KH had gone into. Sonakson was also aware that he
had solid government connections and knew of his excellent track
record. But that had not been enough to satisfy them, and they had
formally pulled out.

Their
backing out at this stage had hit him like a sucker punch. He had
been so sure that their business sense would prevail over their
prejudice. Nigeria had so much potential, and there were few
countries where profit could be made so readily. But it seemed that
Sonakson did not even trust the government and felt the whole
privatization issue could be pulled at any time.

Akeem
took another sip of his drink. The news would be all over the
papers in the next couple of days. He could just imagine how some
of his competitors would gloat over it. They would think he had
bitten off more than he could chew this time. He smiled
mirthlessly. They would be wrong, so very wrong. He was a fighter,
and the grimmer the circumstances, the stronger his fighting
spirit. KH had sunk too much money into Ka-Tell, and they had a
deadline they needed to meet, otherwise the government was going to
withdraw the telecoms license. That couldn't be allowed to
happen.

As he
took another sip of his drink, he looked towards the door. A woman
had just walked in. He glanced casually at her and then looked
again. At that moment, she looked in his direction, and their eyes
met. It was Coral, Emeka's cousin. He sipped his drink again as he
watched her approach him.

"Hey,
good to see you again." She smiled as she got to his table. "How're
you doing?"

"Good,
and you?"

"I'm
doing great. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at
all," Akeem said, pulling out a chair for her. "How are things with
you?"

"Very
good. I flew in yesterday on business, and I'm staying at this
hotel. What about you?"

"I'm on
business and staying here too. What would you like to drink?" He
beckoned towards a hovering waiter. She ordered a drink, and the
waiter left. "How's your cousin?"

"Oh,
Emeka? He's fine. I saw him last week. He was just about to travel
out of the country for a holiday."

"Lucky
for some. I sure could use a break right now."

Coral
raised her eyebrows. "Then have one. You are your own boss. You can
go off anytime you choose to."

Akeem
smiled. That's what most people thought, but it was not that easy.
"I'll do so as soon as I can find the time to spare. I plan to take
my family on a long holiday soon."

Coral
looked at the wedding band on his finger. "Lucky girl." Her eyes
were playful as they met his. "I'm sure you left a trail of broken
hearts behind when you got married."

"I think
it was the reverse. I was glad to finally find a girl who would
have me."

She
laughed. "Very funny…" She broke off as the waiter brought her
drink. She sat back a little in her chair after the waiter left.
"So what has the great Akeem been up to?"

He
grimaced. "Great? Quit the flattery." She was good for his bruised
ego, though. Sonakson obviously didn't share her
opinion.

"I'm not
flattering you. I always try to keep up with what is happening
around me." She took a sip of her drink. "How long are you staying
here for?"

"I've
actually completed what I came here to do. But I'll visit our
office here for a couple of days more before I go back to Lagos."
Truth be told, he was not in the mood to go back to Lagos yet,
otherwise he would have flown back that night. He wanted more time
to think about the next move to make.

"Oh,
great. I'm here for another four days or so." Her eyes roamed over
his face as she smiled. "Why not turn this into a working holiday?
There are some really nice places I know in this city, and I could
take you round."

Akeem
knew she was flirting with him again. He also knew that he should
give her an excuse and leave, but he didn't want to go to his hotel
room just yet. He knew he needed to think through the next plan
Ka-Tell would make, but at the same time, he just wanted to switch
off and clear his head.

He
turned his attention back to Coral. He wondered if she was in a
serious relationship. He doubted it; otherwise, she wouldn't be
giving out those kind of signals to him. She was an attractive
woman, and he wondered what her story was. He took another sip of
his drink and half listened as she talked, watching the flash in
her eyes and her easy smile as she told him funny
anecdotes.

"You
haven't changed much, have you?" she asked him after a
while.

"How do
you mean?"

"You are
just letting me talk. That was exactly what you did that first day
we met."

"Is that
so?" He knew some people liked to talk and, if he had the time, he
let them do so.

She
leaned forward slightly. "So tell me, what are you thinking about
right now?"

"How
much are you willing to pay?"

She held
his gaze, her eyes challenging him. "Just name it, and it is
done."

Tough
lady. "Mmmm, interesting, but I'll have to pass on that
one."

"Scared?"

"Of you?
No way."

"Then
prove it."

Akeem
smiled. He used to be a master at this kind of game, but he wasn't
interested in such things anymore. It was time to call it a night,
anyway. He needed to call Yemi. He knew she wouldn't sleep until
she had spoken to him. "I'm afraid I have to go now. I have a long
day ahead tomorrow."

Coral
looked slightly disappointed, but she recovered quickly. "All
right, what floor are you on?"

"I use
the penthouse suite."

"I'm on
the fourth floor, so we can take the elevator together."

They
finished their drinks and made their way to the elevator. At her
floor, he walked her to her door, and then he rode the elevator up
to his own suite.

He
stretched out on the bed. His body told him that he was tired, but
his mind was still alert. He knew he would have a hard time
sleeping that night. He called Yemi.

"I've
been trying to reach you," she said when she answered the phone.
Her voice sounded sleepy. "I'm missing you, and Aleena wanted to
say goodnight."

"So
sorry, baby. I went downstairs for a while, and my phone was on
silent."

"Are you
okay? How did your meeting go?"

"I'll
tell you about it when I get home."

They
talked for a few more minutes before ending the call. Her tone was
a bit quiet. He knew that she was already sensing something was
wrong, but he didn't want to tell her about Sonakson because he
knew she would fret over it. There would be plenty of time to tell
her tomorrow.

He took
a shower afterwards. His head was beginning to bang, and he felt a
little light-headed; he had been drinking on an empty stomach. As
he reached for the phone to order some food, his doorbell buzzed.
Strange, he was not expecting anyone. He opened the door and found
a smiling Coral on his doorstep. She had a couple of takeaway bags
in her hands.

"I
remembered you said something about not having had any dinner yet,
so I thought I would get some for you." She smiled slightly and
raised her brows at him pointedly when he still stood by the
doorway. He stepped aside, and she made her way to the table and
put the bags on top of it.

Akeem
didn't quite know what to make of her visit. "Thanks. I was just
about to order some food."

"Good
timing, then." She brought out the food along with two disposable
plates, cutlery, and a bottle of wine. "You'll like the food. I've
been ordering from this restaurant since I arrived here, and I
still can't get over the taste."

They
made small talk as they ate. She was witty, and he found himself
relaxing and enjoying her company. He needed the distraction
anyway, something to take his mind off business and
Sonakson.

After
they were done eating, he disposed of the plates. Then they sipped
on the wine and talked some more. She had a very expressive face,
and he found himself watching the emotions dance across it as she
relayed a funny incident that had happened between her and her
cousin.

She
paused suddenly and looked at him for a moment; her eyes had that
teasing light again. "Where's your mind?"

"I'm
right here with you." He told her the last thing she had said, and
she laughed. He had to listen to a lot of people all the time, and
he had learned how to pick the relevant points as quickly as
possible so he could move on.

"Yep,
you really were listening to me," she said, still smiling. She
gazed into his eyes for a moment. "You really are an attractive
man. You know that, don't you?" she said, changing the topic
suddenly.

"Am
I?"

She
leaned forward a little. "You know you are. I wonder how you keep
the ladies off you?"

He could
smell the fragrance of the perfume she was wearing, something light
and feminine. She had changed her top. She had been wearing
something more formal earlier on. This one was of a lighter fabric,
more feminine. It also had a lower neckline, made even more so as
she leaned towards him. He kept his eyes on her face. "I'm a
married man now."

She
leaned in closer, touching his face lightly with her fingertips.
"Well, this particular lady does not mind. Actually, it works
perfectly because there is no fear of commitment."

Warning
bells were going off in his head. He knew what he should do now:
thank her for the meal, plead tiredness, and make her leave.
"Coral, I think we should call it a night now," he said, drawing
back and trying to put some distance between them.

Her eyes
were teasing him, challenging him. She touched his arms, running
her fingers lightly over his upper arms and then moving on to his
chest. "What are you scared of, big boy?" She leaned in closer
still, and when he was still trying to recover, she kissed him. Her
lips were soft and pliant, promising more. "We're two adults,
what's stopping you?" she asked softly before kissing him
again.

Akeem
sighed, his breath quickening. He tried to fight for control, but
it seemed easier to just flow with the feelings she was stirring up
in him. He needed the distraction, anyway. He found himself kissing
her back as she wrapped her arms around him.