CALEB

 If I don't beat that rubbish newbie today, I might live to regret it. The thought sat comfortably in my head, like a plan waiting for execution. I straightened my shirt in the mirror before leaving the house, adjusting my collar until it was perfect so I didn't look angry. I looked put together. Respectable. That mattered. Men like me didn't lose control in public. We managed situations. The drive to work was longer than usual. Traffic. Horns. Noise. Food sellers. Even the gala people had started running around this early morning. Everyone in Lagos moved like they had somewhere important to be. I was cramped up at the back sitting in between two fat women that smelled like they had not taken their bath in two days.... It was early morning for Christ sake, the least they could do was BATH, jaw tight,I started replaying the last couple of events that had happened in my head. My girl is laughing. Not with me. With him. That girl is beginning to lose respect for me. Abi is it because I don't have a car yet, and that small boy does? I quickly removed my mind from the whole event and noticed I had passed my normal bus stop "DRIVER"!!!!!!!!! I screamed  The bus came to a stop abruptly pushing a few people out of their seats. I couldn't even offer an apology because those two women suffocated life out of me. And now I have to trek back to my office. stepping into the office building, I greeted musa  the security man with a nod.  No one needed to know what was running through my mind. Then I saw him. Mike. He was already there. Of course he was.  Standing too straight. Too tall.very masculine. He has very broad shoulders too, compared to mine. I  looked like an SS3 senior.  Oh my God this man was built differently. like he belonged somewhere better than this office. Men like that always arrived early. They liked being seen. I watched from a distance. People noticed him. I noticed them noticing him. The glances. The whispers.  He soaked it in quietly, pretending he wasn't aware. That annoyed me more than confidence ever could. I quickly gathered myself, walked towards where he sat, gave him a very stern look and walked to my desk. Aida was yet to come. She has been quite different lately  I clenched my fist. No weapon fashioned against my relationship will prosper. She is mine and mine alone I picked up my phone to call her and just then I smelt her familiar perfume. She was smiling as she walked in, but not at me. AT HIM. She didn't smile at him the way she smiled at me before. It was smaller. Controlled. But it was there. That same softness she claimed she didn't have energy for anymore. I made it my life's mission to watch both of them like a hawk throughout the day. I watched her walk towards her cubicle. She has a higher position at the office which made her have her own cubicle while we with the lower positions shared a center table that has been divided into 6. I stood up and followed her to her office. " we need to talk" "And good morning to you too," she said sarcastically. Why the sudden change of attitude, wasn't she the one who was begging me the other day. But then she didn't actually return my texts on Sunday. Was she with him? "Babe," I said casually. She looked up. Just for a second. "What." No pet name. No warmth. I noticed Mike glanced up too through the glass. I held his gaze. He didn't look away. That was mistake number one. I smiled. Slow. Polite. The kind of smile that showed my intentions to kill very clearly. Men like him thought silence was strength. Though being calm made them untouchable. They always forget one thing. This was my territory. And nobody took what belonged to me and walked away clean. Not today. Not ever. I dragged out a chair and sat down opposite her.  I was just about to speak. When the door swung open. "Ah-Aida!" Mercy. Of course. She barged in like she owned the place, heels clicking sharply against the tiled floor, with half of her breasts pouring into our eyes, why didn't she just come naked. And yet Biodun allowed it. "I've been looking for you," she said briskly. "I need help with something ." I turned slowly, irritation flashing across my face. "Can't you not see we're in the middle of a conversation?" I asked, voice calm but edged.I was already pissed and I didn't need anyone to add to it. Mercy blinked once. Then laughed, short and dismissive. "Oh please," she said. "You people should stop bringing relationship issues into the office. This is not your living room." The words landed like a slap. Aida's shoulders stiffened. I could swear I heard her laugh.  Mercy didn't even look at me again. She turned fully to Aida. "Abeg, help me show Mike around properly," she continued. "Teach him the ropes. Mr. Biodun said you should handle it." "You and I both know that that is a lie, you this deceptive daughter of jezebel"  I watched them in silence while they bantered. My chest tightened. Mike. Mercy gestured toward the glass partition. I followed her hand without meaning to. Mike was standing there. Watching. Aida hesitated. She looked at me. Then at Mercy. Then back at Mike. "Okay," she said finally. "I'll do it, but you owe me one." That was it. Just like that. She walked past me, not meeting my eyes, grabbing her notepad as she went. Mike stepped aside to let her pass. As he did, his eyes met mine again. And this time, I didn't hold it, I looked away .  I waited in the office as I watched the both of them walk away.

This was getting out of hand.

 AIDA

 I couldn't even look Caleb in the face as I followed mercy outside  By the time I stepped out of my cubicle, my chest felt tight. Not because of work. Not because of Mercy's sudden intrusion. But because I could feel Caleb's eyes burning holes into my back. I wasn't ready to have any conversations with him just yet till he was ready to be reasonable since he thinks I always try to get with every guy I smiled with. Even though I already promised him not to do anything stupid, I couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to be truly loved and not controlled  I didn't even understand my anger........was I even angry? I don't even know what I'm feeling. Mike waited a few steps away, hands tucked casually into his pockets, posture relaxed like he was the first time I saw him. He had this aura. I just can't place my fingers on it. His face was neutral, too neutral. Definitely not giving out any room for me to decipher his thoughts. But I caught it. The slight tightening of his jaw. The way his shoulders stiffened for half a second when Mercy mentioned his name. "Are you okay?" Mercy asked, already walking ahead of me. "Yes," I lied automatically. She didn't press it. Mercy rarely did. "Shall we?" he asked quietly, gesturing toward the hallway. I nodded. "Yeah. Let's get this over with." "Sorry," he said quietly as we started walking. "I didn't mean to... interrupt anything." I let out a short laugh. "You didn't." "Well it seems like I'm the reason you were dragged out of your office like that" His voice was calm. We moved past the glass partitions, the low hum of printers and keyboards filling the space between us. I kept my eyes forward, professional mask firmly in place. "This place can be confusing at first," I said. "But you'll get used to it." "I believe you," he replied. "You look like someone who knows her way around chaos." I glanced at him. "That obvious?" A corner of his mouth lifted. "A little." We reached the records room first. I pushed the door open and flicked on the light. "All archived documents go here. Nothing leaves without sign-out approval." I explained filing systems. Where confidential documents were kept. What not to touch unless instructed. Mike listened. Really listened.  "You sound like someone who's been here too long," he said lightly. "I've been here long enough," I replied. There were huge piles of books in this room, which made it scary. I rarely come here, I always had someone get something for me. I couldn't help but notice how close he was standing behind me. That was when I realized how small this place was. The records room had always felt big when I wasn't alone in it. Rows of tall metal shelves, stacked with files that smelled like dust and old paper. But with Mike standing just a breath away, the space shrank. Or maybe I did. I shifted slightly, trying to create distance, but the shelf dug into my hip. Of course. I cleared my throat. "So... um. These files are arranged chronologically. Older records on the left, recent ones on the right." "I'll try not to get lost," he said. His voice was closer now. Too close. I felt it then, his presence. Not loud. Not aggressive. Just... there. Solid. Calm. Like he knew exactly how much space he was taking up and was doing it on purpose?. I turned halfway, meaning to face him properly, but that only made things worse. We were almost chest to chest. For a second, neither of us moved. I became painfully aware of how tall he was. How I had to tilt my head slightly to look at him. How his eyes dropped, not to my chest, thankfully but to my lips, before lifting back up again like he'd caught himself. Something warm curled low in my stomach. Ridiculous. "Do you usually stand this close during orientations?" he asked, voice low, teasing. I scoffed, stepping sideways. "Only when the trainee refuses to respect personal space." "Duly noted." He smiled then. Just enough to show he was amused. Was he flirting with me?. We moved on to the printing section. The noise helped machines whirring, paper sliding out, staff moving around. Normalcy rushed back in, grounding me. "This area is always busy," I explained. "If you send a job late, it won't be ready until the next day. People get annoyed about that." "Nigerians are always angry, what's there to be happy about in this economy ," he said. I laughed before I could stop myself. He glanced at me. "There it is." "What?" "That laugh. It sounds like you don't do it often." I shrugged. "Work doesn't exactly inspire joy." "And yet," he said, looking around, "you run this place like it's your kingdom." I snorted. "Hardly." "But people listen to you," he continued. "That says something." "Mr Biodun runs this place" I didn't know why I said that, so I focused on showing him how to operate the printer. "Yesterday," he added, casually but not too casually. "At the restaurant." My heart skipped. Just once. "I wasn't sure if you noticed," he continued, eyes focused somewhere past me, "but... yeah. Small world." "I noticed," I said quickly. Too quickly. "Lagos is like that." He smiled. "True." He didn't mention the girl. We reached the IT support window last. I explained who to contact, what not to touch. "You're surprisingly patient," he said. "Don't let it fool you." "I won't." Silence stretched between us. . Then he spoke again. " I hope I didn't make things uncomfortable." I swallowed. "You didn't." "You left early." "I had to." He studied me, like he was piecing something together but choosing not to ask. "That guy," he said finally. "At your office." My heart sank. "Caleb." "Is he...?" "My boyfriend," I said, before I could think better of it. He nodded once. . "Lucky guy," he said. I laughed, sharp and humorless. "That's one way to put it." We headed back upstairs after I showed him other important rooms on our floor. As we passed the glass partition, I felt it. Caleb's eyes on my back. Burning. Watching.  As I sat down on my desk, my phone buzzed Caleb. A short  paragraph.  WE NEED TO TALK.  

Caleb

I was furious at this point  Wasn't she the one begging me to calm down the other day, why was she now behaving like it don't matter anymore I brought out my phone and typed frantically. WE NEED TO TALK I watched her walk in with him and waited for her to sit before pressing send, while staring at her to make sure she read it. my eyes fixed on her face until I saw the slight stiffening of her shoulders. Good. She saw it. People were pretending not to look, but I could feel it. They won't ever mind their business,Even Francisca, two-eyed Francisca that should be focusing on fixing her eyesight instead of ruining it further, was watching. These office people lived for drama. Amebo was their full-time job.. . I could already imagine the whispers. Isn't that her boyfriend? Why is she with the trainee? Men are useless these days. I couldn't take my eyes off her throughout the day and surprisingly she didn't even notice me. Which was very new. Concentrating on my work was hard, I found my mind darting back to Mike. If he had been loud, cocky, obviously flirting, I would have known how to handle it. Men like that are predictable. But he's different, which is very dangerous. I told her not to smile at people like that. I told her. I picked up my phone, typed a message, deleted it. Typed again. Me: Why are you always letting people get into your space? No. Too soft. Delete. Me: I don't like the way you're moving lately. Still not enough. Delete. Mike stood up and walked straight into her cubicle. Was he doing this on purpose to piss me off? She was talking to him, using her hands. Explaining things very intensely . He leaned in slightly to hear her over the noise. Too close. Way too close. My chest burned. Did she think I couldn't see this? Does she think I'm stupid? I stood up again. Mercy passed by and gave me a look. The kind that said don't start. I ignored her. I wasn't starting anything. I was protecting what was mine. I entered her office and closed the door behind me  " Excuse me," I said coldly, "I need to talk to my girlfriend." Aida looked up, startled. "Caleb-" "E be like this guy deaf o?" I walked closer to where he sat opposite Aida and dragged his chair back, the sound scraped loudly against the floor. The noise it made drew the attention of others in the office. "I'm not done here," I said flatly. "When I am, I'll leave." What annoyed me most was how calm he looked I didn't want to create anymore scenes so I walked over to the other side of the table where Aida sat and dragged her up. "Let's talk outside" Her eyes flashed with fear.  Yes That's what I wanted  As I tried dragging her more I noticed Mike had grabbed her other hand. My blood boiled Before I could react, Aida spoke quickly, her voice tight. "Please let go, I'll be back in a minute"  she was talking to him. Why was she acting like a saint? I didn't care at this point. I made sure the next drag was harder than the first one, and it was. Within seconds we were outside her cubicle and into the hallway leading to the backyard. When we finally reached a quiet place. I raised my hand. For a split second, I saw it in her eyes, the flinch, the expectation. Like her body already knew what might come next. My hand froze mid-air. I clenched my fist instead, so tight my knuckles went white, my arm shaking with the effort it took not to bring it down. "Look at you," I said, my voice low and trembling with restraint. "You've reduced me to this." She stared at me, breathing shallow, one hand pressed to her chest. "What exactly is your problem?" I demanded. She was too stunned to speak. I know I promised not to hit her again but I think she deserved this one, if I was to hit her here. "Answer me"!!!!!!!  That was when a tear dropped out of her eyes. "You don't talk to me like that," she said quietly. I leaned closer, lowering my voice. "You don't walk around the office like you're single." Her lips parted. She looked around, then back at me. "This is my workplace." "And I'm your boyfriend." "I didn't forget that." "Then start acting like it." "You know I don't like you spending time with other guys, and this time you're doing it in my presence, is it because you're higher than me in the office?." She exhaled sharply. "He's a trainee. I was asked to help him." "You enjoyed it." "That's not fair."  Seems like the fear in her did resound her brain. She was more submissive now. I softened my tone, reached for her hand. She pulled it back. It didn't matter, I grabbed it back. "You know how people talk," I continued. "This office is not safe. People misinterpret things. I don't want your name involved in rubbish. "My name?" she echoed. "Or your ego?" At this point I was so sure I was glaring at her. "This is exactly what I'm talking about," I said. "You're changing." She was quiet again " I think we should continue this conversation at my place" I could sense her fear again. Now," I said calmly, releasing her hand, "go back inside. Smile. Act normal." I watched her walk away. No man was taking that from me. I arranged myself and quickly followed her. At least I'm still very much in control of my relationship.

I couldn't bring myself to admit that I was scared of losing her, so I opted for the very best option available, Control. 

I need to control her, she seems to be forgetting that we started together and we must finish this together.