Heist - Element of Surprise

Q wondered if Thando was right. Would Steve return in three weeks? Was he really involved with the Godfather? She didn’t know. But she couldn’t explain away the transfer of money to an offshore account. She tried to be optimistic for her friend’s sake, but she didn’t have a good feeling about this.

She heard a knock at the door and she looked up. Khaya Luvo, Q’s high school sweetheart, was standing on her doorway, wearing a full security uniform complete with a bulletproof vest. He was wearing a belt holster with two guns in it. Fortunately, he wasn’t carrying a machine gun, like many armored trucks security guards usually do.

‘Don’t tell me, you were in the neighbourhood and you thought you’d come by and say hi!’ Q said.

Khaya walked in. He closed the door. ‘It’s nice to see you too, Q.’

Q pointed at the chair in front of her desk. ‘You’re gonna scare my colleagues with your gear or worst you gonna make criminals think we have money in our offices.’

He sat down. ‘I don’t have much time. I have a problem. Well, it’s not really my problem, but for some odd reason I’ve inherited it.’

Q was silent, listening.

‘You know I drive armored vans now,’ he said.

‘I heard.’

‘I just found out that there’s a group of people who are planning a cash-in-transit heist.’

Q stopped him by the wave of her hands. ‘Have you contacted the police?’

‘I can’t.’

‘Why not?’

Khaya shifted in his seat. ‘The guy I usually travel with seemed a little fidgety, a little worried, nervous even. So I confronted him, but he wouldn’t tell me what his problem was until I threatened to report him to our boss. Then he told me that someone approached him and forced him to be part of a cash-in-transit heist.’

‘Forced him?’

He nodded. ‘They threatened his family. But he still said no, so they kidnapped his wife. That’s the reason we can’t tell our manager because he’ll change the route, maybe cancel this trip, even fire him.’

‘And you thought I would do what?’

Khaya took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. ‘I don’t know. I guess I needed some advice. And please don’t say the police, because they’ll involve our bosses and if this cash-in-transit heist doesn’t happen Tim’s wife is dead.’

‘How do you know he’s not lying?’ Q asked, raising her eyebrows.

Khaya took out his cell phone. He opened a video, pressed play, and placed the phone on the desk in front of Q.

The image on the screen came to life. A white woman sat awkwardly on the floor. She was gagged and blindfolded with soiled cloths. Her hands were tied behind her back. A man appeared on the screen and removed the gag. Q couldn’t see his face; he had his back turned towards the camera. He instructed her to state her name. When she didn’t obey, he struck her on the face with the back of his hand. She screamed, fell on her side and struggled back to a sitting position. The man instructed her again to state her name. The man had a thick accent that Q couldn’t place. Perhaps from Eastern Europe, she thought.

‘Ann Jacobs,’ the woman on the screen said. On the screen, her voice came out as squeaky mechanical sound. The video was not of good quality. Q guessed that it was shot with a cell phone camera. After the woman said her name, the video came to an end.

Khaya reached for his phone.

‘That was the first video they sent him.’

‘You mean there’s more?’

‘On one of them she was tortured.’

Q leaned on the desk. ‘You can’t go through with this; you could be killed in the crossfire. You see what they’ve done with Tim’s wife. You have to think about your wife and children.’ She lifted her handset.

Khaya ended the call by pressing the switch hook and he kept his hand there on the cradle of the phone.

‘If you tell the police, the news will reach the Godfather and then there’s nothing you could do to save Tim and his family.’

The mention of the Godfather arrested Q’s attention. She placed the receiver back to its cradle.

‘What does the Godfather have to do with any of this?’

‘Everything.’ He stood and paced around the office. ‘You know Vojta?’ He turned and faced her.

She nodded. ‘Of course I know him.’

‘He’s the one who approached my friend. He works for the Godfather.’

Emil Vojta was a South African citizen originally from the Czech Republic who’d been linked to the Godfather on numerous occasions. The other reason they were often linked was because they were both former Czech Republic citizens.

‘You have to contact the police! These men are dangerous.’

‘No I can’t. The Godfather has so many police in his back pocket.’

‘This is bigger than you. This is bigger than any of us!’

Khaya walked to the window and looked out as if he was scanning the peripheral for something or someone. He closed the blinds and just stood there.

‘Is someone following you?’ Her chair was now turned around, facing Khaya.

He turned to her, still leaning on the wall. He didn’t respond. The way he looked at her sent chills ridding up her spine.

‘Oh my gosh! Really?’ She stared at the window as if she could see through the blinds to whomever could be out there staring through her office window with binoculars.

‘We’re just gonna have to be careful, that’s all.’

Q nodded. ‘I know someone who can help us.’

‘Can we trust him?’

‘Absolutely,’ she assured him. ‘When is this cash-in-transit planned for?’

‘Two weeks from today.’

‘I was hoping for more time.’ She felt a sharp panic that had developed somewhere within her gut rise up to her chest.

Khaya walked around until he stood in front of the desk. ‘Thanks, Q. I didn’t know who else to turn to.’

Khaya clearly has no inkling that she was panicking. She forced a smile. ‘Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t done anything.’

Khaya gave her a weak smile and started leaving.

Q called out to him. He turned.

‘I need the copy of the video.’

He nodded. ‘I’ll email it to you.’

Q watched him go. She placed her hand on her chest and took deep breaths in and out, in an effort to calm her nerves. She had no idea how she would help him. She was no superwoman and she knew nothing about guns and hijackings and kidnapping but she had a friend who did and she knew she could trust him. He would be able to help them. She reached for her phone and dialed Craig’s number from memory. Even though he was with the police, Q knew there was no way on earth he was in the Godfather’s back pocket. No way at all.

Friendship Test

A true test of a friendship is not when the going is good, when there are parties and birthdays to celebrate. It’s not when babies are born or engagement rings are slotted into wedding fingers. It’s not during overseas holidays or during a drive along the coast. A friendship is tested when things are bad, when businesses are going bankrupt and when people are dying. A true friend sticks around no matter what.

Q thought that her friendship to Sbu was being tested prematurely. They’ve only been friends for little over a week and here she was consoling and advising her now bankrupt friend.

From the little she understood from what Sbu had told her, he wasn’t broke, he still had his many millions, however his company was bankrupt, which in turn would affect his net worth. He still had other businesses not linked to this one and they were doing OK, but they were smaller, much smaller than the now bankrupt business. It didn’t make much sense to Q, but she listened and offered a shoulder to cry on. Because that’s what friends do.

While she was consoling Sbu, she was thinking about her best friend Thando, who at this moment had no idea that her boyfriend had skipped the country with all “their” money, which meant that Thando was now broke. She mentally prepared herself for the tears and the rage that was still to come. Thando would be devastated. Not just because of the money, which was devastating enough, but also because she really was in love with Steve and she had trusted him.

Q decided to call for reinforcements. She couldn’t do this on her own, and besides, Thando will need all of her friends there to console her.

They met at a café outside Thando’s penthouse. They chose a table furthers from the entrance. Q faced the door and Matt and Ed sat with their backstowards the door. They sat next to each other facing Q. She told them the bad news over a cup of coffee.

‘Are you absolutely sure?’ Matt asked. He wore his gym gear complete with sneakers. ‘This doesn’t sound like Steve at all. I’ll admit, I didn’t know him that well, but still…’ He let the words trail.

‘So where is he right now?’ Ed asked.

Q shrugged. ‘I have no idea, neither do the police. They’re looking for him.’

‘Looking for him, why?’ Matt asked.

‘Apparently he was involved with…’ She looked around the café and leaned on the table. Ed and Matt moved closer. She whispered, ‘The Godfather.’

Their eyes widened simultaneously.

‘The Godfather?’ Ed asked, also in a whisper. ‘You mean the guy who shoots people because he didn’t like the way they looked at him?’

Q nodded.

‘Clearly there’s a lot we didn’t know about Steve,’ Matt said.

‘I know. I was also shocked.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s hard to believe.’

‘Does Thando know?’ Ed asked.

‘That’s why you are here. I thought it would be best she hears the bad news from us and not from a stranger.’

They both nodded in agreement.

Armed with caffeine in their systems they entered Thando’s penthouse. Thando was in good spirits when they found her. She was admiring the dress that Gert had designed for her. The dress she would be wearing to the Mandela film premier. She led them to her walk-in closet to show it to them.

‘Gert has outdone himself this time, what do you think?’ she asked.

They all looked at the dress. Ed examined it closely. Q admired it and Matt was not interested in the dress, he was more interested in breaking the news to her before he burst out.

‘I love it. It’s stunning.’ Ed said.

It was the truth. Q thought it was a lovely dress.

‘I was thinking of wearing it with these.’ She picked up a pair of heels from her shoe display that contained only designer shoes. They were Prada pale leather laser cut heels.

‘I’m not sure whether the colours will work well together.’

‘But they do! Pale goes with everything,’ Ed said.

Thando smiled. ‘All I need now is a handbag to go with it,’ she said.

Q hated to be the one to break her spirit, but she’d rather do it, then let Agent Forster be the one to break the bad news. She looked around the penthouse, one that probably Thando could no longer afford.

Thando sensed the mood. ‘What’s going on guys? You all look like you’re in mourning or something.’

‘It’s Steve,’ Q said.

‘What about him?’ She carefully put her shoes back in their right slot, right between a pair of Manolos and Michael Kors heels.

‘He has disappeared.’ Q relayed the story to her. She told her everything she knew and about his alleged involvement with the Godfather.

When she was done, Thando shook her head. ‘I don’t believe it. Steve is coming back to the country in three weeks, you’ll see.’ She smiled. ‘He’s not a criminal. I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding. He will return. In three weeks. You’ll see,’ she said again.

Steve never returned.

Dead or Alive

As soon as Agent Forster left the building, Q picked up her phone and dialed Craig.

‘Thank you very much, Craig, for throwing me under the bus,’ she said, as soon as the phone was picked up.

‘I have no idea what—’

‘Oh please, don’t pretend you don’t know what you did,’ she said cutting him off. ‘I had a visit from Agent Forster.’

‘Oh…’

‘Explain yourself!’

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice. They threaten to suspend me.’

‘You couldn’t warn me?’

Craig said nothing.

‘Start from the beginning.’ She took a deep breath and leaned back on her chair. ‘Is Steve in trouble?’

‘While I was doing the background check on your friend Steve—’

‘He’s not my friend,’ she said, interrupting him.

‘I had a visit from the Hawks who were asking me all sorts of questions about him. They told me that they would report me to my station commander if I didn’t tell them why I was snooping around their case.’

‘Their case? I don’t understand.’

‘Steve is in trouble. He’s involved with the notorious Czech businessman that the Hawks have been trying to nail for years now without any luck. And from what I could find out, Steve cut a deal with them so that he won’t be charged.’ He paused. ‘But now he’s disappeared.’

‘Excuse me? What? What do you mean he’s disappeared?’ she said in a whisper as if afraid that someone might be listening in.

Craig took her cue; he also lowered his voice. ‘Yep. No one can find him. The Hawks don’t know whether he’s dead or whether he’s skipped the country. All they know is that they cannot find him.’

Q was silent, assimilating it all. Steve involved with the Czech mafia? No, she corrected herself, the Czech Godfather. The most dangerous man in the country. Anyone who double-crossed him died and the police could never link anything back to him, hence he’d never been charged.

She began to worry. Steve’s disappearance was cause for concern, especially if he was involved with the Godfather.

She wondered if Thando knew anything about the disappearance. She had not said anything to her about it. She shook her head. Craig must be mistaken, maybe—

‘Did Forster say anything about me?’ Craig asked, speaking normal again.

‘What?’

‘Forster.’

‘He didn’t say much. I think he was trying to intimidate me.’

Craig laughed. ‘Intimidate you? Really? He should have asked me how to approach you. You’re not easily intimidated.’

‘You still owe me for throwing me under the bus, but thank you for this information.’

‘Does that mean you’re no longer gonna set me up with your hot friend?’

‘Exactly.’

She ended the conversation with Craig and called Thando. She asked her where Steve was. Thando told her that Steve left the country two days ago on a business trip oversees. He won’t be back for another three weeks. Q took down the details that Steve had left. The country, the hotel name and the business he was visiting. She ended the call with Thando who clearly had no idea of what was going on. She was about to do some investigation on Steve’s trip when her phone rang. She lifted the handset.

‘Q, Steve has left the country with all our money.’ It was Sbu, he spoke before Q could even say hello. ‘The company is bankrupt. He transferred all our money to an offshore account.’

Q didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know why Sbu had decided to call her with all of this information. Maybe it was because they were now friends. She  didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the challenge she had been presented with. No one asked her, but she knew that if she didn’t do it no one else would. So she decided she would find Steve. Wherever he was, whether he was dead or alive she would find him.

50 Shades of Brown

Q woke up with an uneasy feeling that morning. She’s not one to worry, so waking up feeling as if her world was coming to an end was cause for concern. She tried to dismiss the feeling, but it just lingered on. As a result, she woke up earlier than usual. She wanted to call her mother and find out if everyone was fine back home. She picked up the phone, but put it back down when she noted the time displayed on the screen. She didn’t want to wake up her mom for nothing. She swung her legs off the bed and sat there for a moment, trying to think back to the previous day. What could have happened that gave rise to this anxiety? Her mind drew a blank. As far as she was concerned, she had no reason to worry.

By the time she left home, dressed in her favourite Zara yellow tight-fighting suit and powder blue peep toe Prada heels, the feeling had disappeared. She even forgot about it. But it returned when she got to work and found a man she didn’t recognise, wearing an ill-fitting suit waiting for her. He was an average man, nothing memorable about him. Nothing at all. He was of average height and average weight; he had brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a three-piece brown suit with a khaki shirt and a striped tie with different shades of brown. Q knew there was no way he could be from her past and there was no way he was in the entertainment industry. So who is he and what does he want, she wondered. He sat at the waiting area outside her office.

‘May I help you?’ she asked, opening the door to her office. She switched the lights on and placed her Louis Vuitton handbag inside her cabinet. She’d owned it for little over a year. She’d received it as a gift from her friends on her birthday. There was no way she could afford one on her salary.

The man followed her inside her office and closed the door behind them.

The uneasiness grew. ‘May I offer you something to drink?’

The man shook his head. ‘I’m not gonna be long,’ he said. ‘My name is Agent Forster from the Hawks.’

Q raised an eyebrow. She wondered what the Hawks wanted with her.

‘I heard that you were asking about Steve Pule,’ he said.

She wasn’t sure whether to be honest with him or lie. After all, it was illegal to do a background check on someone, especially when you were not part of law enforcement.

‘How do you know him?’

‘He’s my friend’s boyfriend,’ she said.

He noted this on his tiny notebook. ‘Does this friend have a name?’

‘Why are you asking this? Is he in trouble?’

He was silent for a moment. He was considering how much to tell her, Q could tell.

‘Steve is involved with very unsavoury people,’ he said.

‘That’s it? That’s the reason you came to my office so early in the morning? Come on, detective, I’m not dumb.’

‘Agent.’

‘What?’

‘Agent not detective.’

Q rolled her eyes. ‘Just tell me what’s going on. I don’t want my friend to get mixed up in whatever Steve’s been up to. She’s an innocent bystander.’

‘What has Steve been up to and how do you know that your friend is innocent?’

‘How the hell should I know what Steve’s been up to? You’re the detective here?’ She paused. ‘The agent here.’ She continued, ‘And Thando is innocent; she’ll never be involved in anything shady. Trust me.’

He noted something down. ‘So her name is Thando,’ he said.

Q could have kicked herself for letting that slip. She had to be more careful, she told herself. ‘If you’re not gonna tell me anything about Steve, then I’ve got nothing more to say to you.’

‘Just tell me why you were doing a background check on him. You had to have a reason,’ he said.

‘Am I under arrest?’ she asked.

He shook his head.

‘Then I’ve got nothing more to say to you. If you have any more questions you can contact my lawyer.’

Agent Forster said nothing. He didn’t move. He was sizing Q up and it made her feel uncomfortable. He drummed his average fingers on the desk for a second, then he slowly stood. ‘That won’t be necessary.’ He placed his notebook on the inside pocket of his jacket. Q thought that all he was missing was a pocket watch and he would look like the detectives in those black and white movies.

‘A word of warning, if you know something about Steve, you better tell me. And if you are involved with him, be careful,’ he said. He reached into his pocket for his wallet, peeled one of his business cards and handed it to Q.

‘If you think of anything else or suddenly feel an urge to talk, call me.’

Q studied the business card as Forster left her office. There was nothing memorable about it. Nothing at all.

A Silent Cry for Help

People ask for help in many different ways. Some scream their lungs out for the entire world to hear. Some ask quietly, hoping to keep their unfortunate situation only between friends. Others ask for it without uttering a word. That was the feeling Q got from Steve. She’d detected a silent cry for help.

Q couldn’t stop thinking about the way that Steve had looked when he entered Sbu’s office. He’d been covered in sweat. He’d kept on looking over his shoulder as if he was suspecting a tail. And the words he’d uttered had scream “HELP!” to Q. He’d been nervous about something. That was for sure. She wondered what.

She picked up her desk phone and dialed Thando. She hoped her friend could shed some light, as she was Steve’s partner. And partners know everything about each other, don’t they? She asked about Steve as soon as she picked up the phone.

‘Why are you suddenly so interested in Steve?’ Thando asked. ‘You don’t want to steal him away from me, do you?’ she joked.

‘Don’t be silly, Thando. I’m being serious.’

‘He left early this morning. When I woke up, he was already gone.’

‘You didn’t notice anything strange last night?’

‘Hmmm… No. He was his fine jovial self.’ She paused.

‘What?’

‘Well, there was a call that he received around midnight. He stayed on the phone for quite some time. I thought that was a little strange, but nothing to worry about.’

‘I see,’ Q said.

‘What? You think he’s cheating on me?’ Thando said, concern in her voice. ‘You think there’s another bitch out there trying to wreck my home?’

‘No, of course not,’ Q said too quickly. She didn’t know what to make of this. Was the call Steve received the reason he was a nervous wreck? Now her interest was piqued.

‘I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. It was probably business. What are you up to?’

‘Shopping a storm,’ she responded. ‘And later, I’m meeting Gert for a fitting. He’s designing my dress for the Long Walk to Freedom movie premiere.’

Q would also be attending the film, but she’d be working on the day. Gail had tasked her with interviewing the stars of the film on the red carpet. She was especially looking forward to interviewing Idris Elba, Naomie Harris and of course the gorgeous Terry Pheto.

‘Guess what?’ Thando said, hauling her back to the present. ‘Steve bought me a Louis Vuitton luggage set. There’s a large suitcase, a hand luggage case, complete with a toiletry bag.’

‘That’s very nice of him.’

‘I think he’s planning a vacation for us. I can’t wait!’

After chatting more about the details of her dress, what shoes she’d pair it with, and about possible destinations Steve could be taking her to, they ended the call.

Q couldn’t shake the feeling that Steve was in trouble. But she didn’t know him well, and she decided that was part of the problem. What if Steve was involved in some shady business with some shady characters? And Thando would be caught in the middle of it all. She had to do something. She rummaged through her desk drawer looking for a business card she hadn’t used in a while. She picked up the phone again when she found it. She dialed the number.

‘Craig here.’

‘Craig, it’s Q. I have a huge favour to ask.’

‘Q, it’s been a while. I was starting to think you forgot about me.’

‘What? Never!’ she lied.

Craig had a crush on Q, but unfortunately for him, she didn’t reciprocate. She only remembered him when she needed some dirty work done. He was the member of the police service and often proved useful when needed.

‘So what’s the favour?’

‘I need you to do a background check on someone for me.’

‘Anyone I know?’

‘Perhaps. His name is Steve Pule. Anything you can get for me, I’ll appreciate it.’

‘Enough to go out with me?’

‘Craig…’

‘I know, I know. You told me you’re not interested.’

‘I didn’t say that. What if I promise to find you someone hotter than I?’

‘That’s not possible.’

‘I know someone.’

‘Deal.’

As Q placed the phone down, she hoped she was wrong about Steve and that her worry was only as a result of her over active imagination.

The Strings of Her Heart

Q was driving to work when the thought occurred to her. She got angry with herself for letting things get this far. She had unintentionally given Sbu the keys to her heart and now he was tugging and pulling her strings and she was responding like a puppet, allowing him to pull her and tag her anywhere he wished. She made a sharp U-turn on Rivonia Road and drove towards Grayston Drive where Sbu’s office was located. She was going to put an end to this. Enough was enough.

When she reached the reception area, confidence evaporated and doubt started creeping in. She was suddenly uncertain that confronting Sbu was such a great idea. What if he starts declaring his undying love for her again? What if this time he succeeds and kisses her? She didn’t think she could handle that. She turned back towards the parking lot. No! No! No!she repeated to herself. She turned around and decided to face her demons. She walked into reception.

‘I’m here to see Sbu,’ she said to the receptionist.

‘Do you have an appointment?’ the receptionist asked. She wore a black tight-fitting suit and a bright red lipstick. MAC’s Ruby Woo, Q thought.

‘Just tell him Q is here to see him,’ she said. ‘And if you turn me away, he’ll be really unhappy,’ she added.

The receptionist picked up the handset and dialed. The smile that had been on her face when Q walked in had now been replaced by a frown. Q ignored it, she couldn’t worry herself about the receptionist’s feelings when she had her own to deal with. Her stomach did a back flip at the thought of seeing Sbu; she placed a hand on it to calm her nerves. It didn’t work.

‘Mr Langa would see you now,’ the receptionist said.

She nodded.

She stood outside the office for a while and smoothened her floral dress with spaghetti straps. She closed her eyes preparing herself for battle. She reached for the door handle and pushed the door open. When she entered Sbu’s spacious office, he was leaning in front of his large desk; his long legs crossed in front of him. The office had tall windows that provided a great view of central Sandton. He smiled at her, clearly happy to see her.

‘No!’ she said. ‘I’m not here to declare my undying love for you and you are not allowed to do so either. Ever again. This is not a let’s-get-together speech, or let’s-have-an-affair or a I-can’t-stop-thinking-about-you speech. No! No! No! None of that.’

He opened his mouth to speak, but Q interrupted him with a wave of her hand.

‘Let me finish.’ She took a deep breath. ‘This thing going on between the two of us…’ she pointed at herself and then at Sbu and then back to herself, ‘…has to stop. Need I remind you that you have a fiancé; you are getting married soon. Forget about me and focus on your future with her. You wouldn’t want to ruin a great relationship you have for what might be. We are just wrong for each other. All we bring to each other is pain and we’ve never even been together. Just cut your losses before someone gets hurt.’ She took another deep breath. ‘And now I’ve said all I wanted to say.’

Sbu was silent for a while. He got to his feet and walked towards her. For a moment, she was unsure of what to do. She just wished her heart didn’t beat fast every time she saw him.

‘You’re right. I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry.’

She breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Can we be friends at least? I want you to be part of my life.’

She smiled. ‘I’d like that.’

‘Good. Friend.’ He extended his hand. She reached out and shook it. The contact didn’t pull at the strings of her heart this time.

She was glad that she’d cleared things up with Sbu. Now there’d no longer be awkward moments between them. She won’t be wondering when she’d run into him again. She smiled, pleased.

‘I have to go, before Gail sends the cavalry to search for me.’

She was about to walk out when she almost crashed into Steve, Sbu’s business partner and Thando’s boyfriend. He was drenched in sweat, so much so that his shirt clung to his back. Beads of sweat were running down his face. He rubbed his hands on the side of his pants.

‘Are you OK?’ Sbu asked.

‘I need to talk to you,’ he said.

Q sensed urgency in Steve’s voice. She stood there waiting, listening even though she knew she should excuse herself.

‘I have a problem. I’m in deep shit,’ Steve began. He was about to continue but stopped himself when he noticed Q. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. He glanced back and forth between Sbu and Q. ‘I’m sorry, I had no idea you had company.’

‘It’s OK,’ Q said. ‘I was on my way out.’ She didn’t want to leave she was curious and wanted to know what had gotten Steve so nervous. However, she did the right thing and walked towards the door. ‘Bye.’

‘See you later, friend,’ Sbu said.

She closed the door behind her and she told herself to mind her own business.

She caught a reflection of herself on a mirror next to the elevator. She took out her iPhone5 and snapped a selfie. She would post this on Instagram with the caption: “dressed to kill. So glad I’ve put some demons to rest and in so doing, I have gained a new friendJ”

As she walked out into the warm Jo’burg morning, she smiled. She was happy that she’d cleared the air between herself and Sbu. She put on her large shades and climbed into her car. She drove away a happier woman.

It's Complicated

She saw him again. At the launch of a new perfume by the gorgeous actress Connie Ferguson. She was standing alone at the balcony trying to get some fresh air and to clear her thoughts. The launch was on the top floor of the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton. She was admiring the landscape below when Sbu joined her. In anticipation of bumping into him, Q had put her best foot forward. She wore a creation by her favourite designer David Tlale that accentuated her best assets, and Manolo Blahnik strappy heels. She didn’t know why she did this to herself. She couldn’t help it. She looked forward to seeing him, but at the same time, she didn’t want to see him because she knew it would upset her.

‘I was hoping to run into you here,’ he said.

Her heart started beating faster when she heard his voice. She didn’t look at him; she didn’t want to tempt herself. ‘Really?’ she said.

He nodded, but said nothing.

‘Why?’

He looked down at the beautiful landscape and then back at her. ‘Because I can’t stop thinking about you. I think about you all the times. It’s driving me insane.’

She didn’t know what to say, her breath was caught in her throat. She didn’t trust herself to respond. She didn’t think indulging Sbu was a good idea. Because the same man who claimed not to be able to get her out of his mind had a fiancé.

‘It’s complicated,’ he said, as if reading her thoughts. ‘Every time I want to breakup with her something comes up. She’s just recently lost a cousin she was really close to.’

To Q it sounded like an excuse. If he wanted to leave her, he would.

‘I want to be with you, I really do. It’s just that…’

More excuses.

Q had accepted that she and Sbu would never be. It was just not meant to be. But he made it difficult every time he declared his undying love for her. She didn’t want to hear it anymore. She decided to leave, but Sbu arrested her steps by grabbing her wrist. A throb rippled through her body to her core, as his gentle hand connected with her skin. She wanted to walk away, but her feet failed her. She was afraid she would fall, so she held on to him. They were facing each other, staring into each other’s eyes. Sbu caressed her arm; the motion was slow, almost hesitant. She closed her eyes as the warmth within her spread. She could feel his love radiating inside of her. He used his thumb to lift up her chin. He leaned closer. She didn’t protest. Her mind was dazed. She had no control of her faculties. She didn’t understand why he had such power over her.

Their lips were so close she could feel his breath falling gentle on her face. As he leaned even closer, she got hold of her conviction and took a giant step back, as far away from him as she could manage. She wasn’t about to become the other woman in this equation.

She was about to walk away when his fiancé walked in on them. For a brief moment, she felt guilty, as if they’d been caught doing something inappropriate. Perhaps it was because Cynthia would have been upset if she’d heard their conversation. Q had nothing to feel guilty about, but Sbu did. It wasn’t her fault that he was attracted to her.

Cynthia smiled at them. If she had any inkling of their uneasiness, she gave no indication. ‘Here you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,’ she said. She put her arm around him and drew him closer. She was marking her territory. She was telling Q that Sbu belonged to her.

Q was taken aback. She hadn’t expected the gorgeous model that had a smoking hot body, to feel threatened by her. It just went to show that everyone had their insecurities, no matter how beautiful, how rich, or how successful. She coughed to cover the smile that was forming on her lips.

‘Come, honey, I want to introduce you to some people. Q, if you’d excuse us,’ she said.

Q nodded.

He reluctantly followed her. He seemed unhappy. Q almost felt sorry for him. She started wondering why he was with her if he was unhappy. He was an intelligent, resourceful man and yet here he was trapped in a loveless, joyless relationship. His relationship was as Q’s Facebook relationship status: it’s complicated.

Cynthia smiled at her man as they walked back inside the launch party, but she was fuming inside. She was livid, so much that she couldn’t string a sentence together. So she decided to say nothing. How dare Q lure her man outside where they’d be alone, wearing such a revealing dress? She couldn’t get out of her mind the way they’d looked at each other, the way Sbu had caressed her arm and the way he’d undressed her with his eyes. If she didn’t have a sense to interrupt them, they would have kissed. She was sure of it. More like Sbu would have kissed Q. Cynthia had seen how Q had moved back to avoid the kiss and she’d seen how her man had leaned in anyway, almost tripping over his own feet.

She grabbed a glass of wine from one of the waiters who were walking around with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. She needed something to calm her nerves so that she could think clearly. She did all in her power not to reach for the delicious tiny snacks. She was a stress eater, but she would be damned if she let that woman ruin both her evening and her figure.

She knew it was time to accelerate her plan. She had no choice; she had to take care of Q. She would ensure that Q was out of Sbu’s life permanently.

The perfume launch event was a success. The venue was packed to capacity with celebrities, businessman, and TV presenters who occasionally interviewed guests getting their opinion on the new perfume and asking them who they were wearing. Q had an unfortunate luck to run into a TV crew as she rushed back inside the venue from the balcony. She feigned a smile as best as she could and responded to all the questions patiently, giving no indication that she was in a rush. The TV presenter even made her do a little twirl for the camera so that viewers at home could see her gorgeous dress.

As soon as she was done, she rushed to the corner where her friends stood.

‘Please find me a man and do it soon,’ she said as she joined them.

Ed and Thando smiled. They’d tried for months to hook Q up, with zero results to show for it. And here she was practically begging them to do what they so enjoyed doing. They immediately started scouting around the room for a potential partner for Q. Thando scanned the room for a wealthy man, while Ed scanned the room for a handsome man.

Matt responded by pulling Q aside. ‘What happened?’ he asked.

‘I can’t do this anymore,’ Q said. She did all she could not to break down; she didn’t want to ruin her make up.

‘Do what?’

‘I bumped into Sbu outside and we almost kissed.’

‘Almost what?’Thando asked. The search for a suitable partner momentarily suspended.

‘When did this happen? Where was I?’ Ed asked feeling left out.

‘This has to stop,’ Q said.

Matt nodded. ‘Agreed,’ he said. ‘It has to stop before someone gets hurt.’

Q looked up and saw, at a distance, Sbu and Cynthia in each other’s arms, posing for a picture that would appear at the social pages of the newspaper the next day. They both smiled as the flash illuminated their faces. She could feel the tears threatening to break through.

‘I can’t do this anymore. Please take me home.’

They all scanned the room checking for an image that had caused Q to be so upset. They spotted it a few feet away. Cynthia was leaning closer to Sbu who was feigning a smile for the camera.

‘Take me home now!’

Matt immediately grabbed her arm and led her outside. Thando and Ed followed closely behind them.

Q was glad to have such good friends who were willing to leave a great launch party for her. She treasured their support. She didn’t understand why sometimes life had to be so complicated.