As Ainsley and the man walked away through the back door, Jessie looked on, irritated at the two. Her disappointment and betrayal was clearly written on her face. This was the man she had brought to her friend's birthday party, and though they just met, she didn't expect him to act like a jerk. Wasn't it a few hours ago that he was jerking deep inside her? He sure had great stamina if he was going to take on her friend right after that. She was exhausted from their rendezvous all day. 

Watching the two, she suddenly felt there had to be an intervention. And that was only coming from her as all their other friends were busy ogling the man themselves. It was so unlike Ainsley to trip all over herself for a man. But that was what Damian had reduced everyone to. Now, Ainsley; the bad flirty queen herself was drooling all over him. She was going to have to stop them. How was she to sit back doing nothing while she watched her man gets drained dry by another woman?

Your man? Her conscious self, smirked at her. He isn't even your acquaintance, she scolded. Fine! She admitted. It was true that she barely knows the man. But he was her date. She had invited him to this party. Didn't that count for something? The man had betrayed her in every way. He had been gentlemanly when they met earlier today. He bought her white wine and had listened as she ranted about the horrible things her boss did to her. This she did partly because the wine got her tipsy. She wasn't the type to rant over her miserable life to a total stranger. But the man had been so kind that even in comparison to Mark, her boyfriend, and the kindest man she knew, he won her over. He had paid attention as she explained how Mr. McCarthy constantly abused her verbally, including how this evening, he had called her to the office to tell her that horrible nonsense which had made her so angry and got her in this foul mood.

She had bared her soul as well as her body, and for a moment, she assumed they had chemistry. The sex had been amazing too. He kept going at it like he was some insatiable beast, all the while whispering how she was doing this to him. That turned her on more than anything. But the slightest chance he got, he ditched her. That she was angry was an understatement. She was furious with him. The clues had been there as they walked into the hall. His romping eyes had started to check out the ladies. And he smiled as they ogled him too. Whatever she had been thinking bringing him to the party anyway when she knew her boyfriend would be coming too. She had totally forgotten Mark would be here.

 At first, all she felt was a pity for the women. They could only stare. She was there with him. She had the piece of art they so admired. Even when her friend Ainsley, who usually didn't get swayed by such men, had almost tripped when she introduced them, she knew she had hit the jackpot. This was the dream man. Not even the thought that Mark would be devastated when he found out that she cheated on him made her worried.

"Easy." he had said as he caught Ainsley quickly, so she didn't fall. Then he had looked at her amused. He knew that face. They had met at several events but never bothered with each other. They were okay to admire each other from afar. He let his eyes take in her sumptuous body. "Lovely." he said and held her hand.

Jessie looked at them both. Her friend; smiling like a fool at the man. Wait, is she drunk! The Ainsley she knew would never trip over a man. But then again, Damian was no man. He's a god! Screamed her flirty self. A being she never knew resided in her until now. I caught a god, she smiled. Turning to admire the god in flesh, she felt like hitting him. He was literally undressing her friend. The ease with which he quickly jumped in to save her friend made her raise her brow. Thinking of what to do to break this stupid lustful gaze on their faces, she moved towards them. And before she could introduce them, he smiled and did that himself.

"Don't I know you?" he said

She acknowledged it. They have indeed met many times. "I know you." she replied

"You're the celebrant." he said, looking at her like she was a fairy princess

Ainsley smiled and replied that she was, "Welcome to the party."

But he had kept on holding her friend's hand, and she looked from the hand to their faces as the two seemed lost in a locked battle of some sort. She had coughed and stylishly separated them by stepping in firmly between them. "Ainsley, meet..." and the lights went off before she could make a formal introduction. He left her side with some flimsy excuse then. When the lights came back on, he had moved to a corner in the room to sip his wine, while taking in the whole scenery. She wanted to go there and talk some sense into his brain, but she was too angry. Not trusting herself to be rational, she had gone in search of her friend to celebrate with her instead. Moreover, he really was just an acquaintance after all. There was nothing to get all pesky over.

à

The MC mounted the stage then and called for a dance with the celebrity. As they danced, Jessie kept throwing daggers at the man. He was busy dancing with almost all the ladies in the most provoking way. As the night wore on, she found herself getting more and more irritated with herself for bringing him here. Finally, after a while, he had seen her and worked her into his arm. Their dance had been offending as she tried to leave his arms, but he kept pulling her back to his arms. "Hey." he whispered gently in her ears, his brows raised questioningly.

She glared at him. No, he wasn't going to make her spell it out. If he really didn't know what he did to make her get this angry, then he was a nitwit when it came to women. Refusing to say anything, but stuck in his tight embrace, she danced with him. All the while, she noted how the other ladies eyed them with envy, and she felt like screaming at them all. And when she thought she couldn't lose it anymore, he pulled her closer, tilted her head up and kissed her.

Whatever anger she had felt towards him melted with the kiss. She was swept into the mood instantly. Damian sure knew how to handle a woman was her last thought before she felt the silence all around them. He must have sensed it too. The music had stopped, and everyone was out of the stage. He released her gently, his eyes not leaving hers for a second. Then they both looked around to discover they were in the middle of the hall with every eye on them. They moved away partly because that spot was for the celebrant and to avoid the eyes. Not that any of them cared.

"Next, we will go for a lap dance for the birthday girl."  Announced the MC in a bid to break the silence. That was when the issue had started. She had been put in charge of getting strippers for this particular episode. Between work, her boss and Damian, she had forgotten. A look at the time shows it was too late to get anything done. She rushed to whisper this to the MC, who herself was at a loss and didn't know what to do.

"It appears we need strippers for this pretty lady here." she announced finally as Ainsley walked up the stage.

"We have men here to fill in." shouted a man, who walked up the stage and flexed his muscle. "We can do it." he teased, twisting his waist.

"Yes. Yes." echoed the ladies in the room as five more men joined him on stage.

And just like that, the MC asked that the interested men should file out. Over twenty stepped forward. The screening for the single male dancer to give the lap dance began with the ladies eliminating the men they didn't like his physique. They were down to three when Damian decided to join. This was fun! He walked upstage with his shirt off, and there was an uproar. The ladies had screamed.

Jessie, who had been busy on the phone trying her last resort to call a client, looked up at the noise. She was shocked to see her date going onstage. And she watched as each man got eliminated, leaving just Damian standing. He won effortlessly. With a beaming smile, he pulled his trouser, leaving just his brief and sit down in the chair provided as instructed by the MC.

The MC seeing how the women wanted a piece of the man, herself included, threw the floor open. "Before the birthday girl can have her, I want the ladies to come out and admire him. Also to see if he's fit for her." The ladies were all out instantly, kissing him and touching him. 

Jessie was shocked even as her friend quietly waited her turn. She wanted to scream at them all, to let them know this was her man. Her voice failed her. What got her infuriated further was the flirty look on her friend. Didn't she know this was the man she had been about to introduce to her earlier? Why wasn't she backing out of this? There is a girl code, isn't there? Why was she waiting her turn with her best friend's man? That was all she thought about while the ladies enjoyed themselves with the god on stage for the little time they had with him. She could have joined the lot, and have a good time too. But she was so out of it that she missed out on everything.

Ainsley couldn't even wait her turn. Once she was tired of waiting, she had walked onto the stage and claimed her prize. The ladies had instantly moved away, leaving her man for Ainsley like she owned the day. Well, technically, she does; her inner self chided her. But not the man! She screamed back. When Ainsley kissed him, she looked away, and though everyone wooed and wowed at whatever they did, she could not bear to look at them. When she did look, they were headed out of the room. Why? To do what?

She stormed after them, prudence and whatever it was called be damned. She was going to stop them from doing anything tonight. It was that time that the lights went off, leaving her temporarily blinded. What she didn't know was she had stepped on the socket in her bid to rush after them. The light out had been her doing. By the time lights came back on, they were gone. Foolishly, she kept on searching. How big could this place really be? Tired and angry, she gave up the chase. What was the point anyway? If she found them, they'd probably be tangled and naked, and she didn't want such an image stuck in her memory.

Fuming over whatever was going on with her friend and her man, she sipped her wine angrily. It was more of downing than sipping. In less than a minute, she had taken four shots. A guy noticing her obvious discomfort walked up to her, and she let herself be taken back to the dance floor. As she danced, her mind went over the rough day she's had. Her boss had called her back to the office to her that shitty idea of his. Not only would he be mounting pressure on her, she now had something even more significant to dread. Everyone started to leave the dance floor. Some were crawled in a corner with their man. Some were already sleeping it off. She had been too filled up tonight to ask for any drink. She walked to a corner and laid down quietly, looking somewhat disturbed.

She suddenly remembered her boyfriend. Where was he, and why wasn't he here? Was he still waiting for her? She started looking for her phone in a bag.

"Jessie"

Jessica looked up to see the lady who had caused her mystery coming out of the room just behind the stage. She didn't know that was where they'd gone to. She had been looking for them in the opposite. The tear that dropped on her face had nothing to do with stress, she was mortified as her friend walked back in with Damian in tow, and the look on their faces said it all.

Jessica Gilbert had never been so angry. She stood up to her friend for the first time in years, and slapped her. "How could you?" she screamed

"What was that for?" Ainsley rubbed her cheek. "It stings"

Smirking, she approached her friend with a menacing look, "You really don't know?" she asked, looking every bit as mad as she felt. Pointing at Damian, who was at the bar stand pouring himself a drink, ignoring them. Maybe even enjoying the show "I brought him here."

Still rubbing her cheek, Ainsley answered, "But he's not your man. We all know your loser boyfriend". Now, she was every bit as angry as her friend.

Jessie felt like slapping her even more. She knew she should be angry that she called her boyfriend a loser. But she wasn't mad over that. What annoyed her was the fact that her date had been stolen, "Even if he wasn't my boyfriend, he's my date." she retorted angrily. "Didn't I introduce you two earlier?"

She stepped back, "Oh, did you? Isn't he the stripper replacement?" It was a lie. She knew exactly who he was. She had seen them both when they walked in. And though she knew he wasn't her boyfriend, she had somehow guessed he came with her. But how was she to know they had a thing going? They were besties. Besties share their secrets always. This secret, the one with Damian in it, had never been told. They even spoke this morning, and no secret admirer or date had entered the conversation. That meant they just met, and he was just a fling. It couldn't be anything more. Jessie had her own man. Why was she fighting over Damian? Did she even know who the guy is?

The man who started this war walked up to the two ladies, holding a drink in hand. "What's going on here?" he asked, smiling sheepishly. The two friends turned on him and shouted, "No one's talking to you". He backed off immediately and went back to the bar. Some of their friends had gathered around now. The MC was particularly dazed. She had warned Ainsley about this.

"Look, I know him. We met..."

"I don't want to hear it." Jessie shut her off, "You're just some spoilt, rich kid who can't stand the world not revolving around them for one."

"Hey"

Jessica and Ainsley turned angrily at the interruption. It was Mark, Jessie's boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, Ains, for coming in late. Work" he apologized and brought out a gift box he had gotten on his way here. He didn't notice the tensed situation he had walked in on. "Happy birthday." he said cheerfully and stretched out his hand to give her the gift.

Ainsley looked at him and scoffed angrily. She didn't collect the gift as she stormed off. "Nerd." she murmured, walking away.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked Jessie, whose back was turned to him.

Jessie turned to him, looking guilty. She had totally forgotten all about him. They had plans to come to the party together. His car was faulty, and she was supposed to pick him up. How did she even forget that? Mark Davies was a good guy and didn't deserve all she had done tonight. "No, forget about her."

He held her and tilted her head to look at her face. He was a short man. "Did you forget me then?"

"I'm sorry, I had so much to deal with today." she lied. Of course, you didn't. "There was the situation at work, Damian..." she shook her head, trying to get herself together

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

His gentility only made her want to cry. He really doesn't deserve this. "I'm fine. How did you get here?" she asked, "Your car broke down, and I was to pick you up, but I forgot."

"I ran." he said

And that was when she noticed his uneven breathing. "I'm sorry." she apologised. She knew he didn't understand what the apology was for, but she said it anyway, "Let's leave."

"Did I miss something?"

"Never mind." she told him, "I'm not done with that bitch."

As they walked out of the hall, Ainsley Jones hissed at her friend. Everyone knew she was not one to hang onto a man. Men to here were like toys he played with and discarded. He had no use for Damian aside from what they had just done. But Jessie had slapped her over a man and almost ruined her party. She was going to pay for it. With that singular decision, she had just declared an open war with her best friend.

To understand how these two besties got here, you'd have to know what happened a few hours earlier.

It was a cool morning. The fresh October breeze was just settling in. Everywhere was dampened and cold as winter cold started to wind in. Occasionally, there were thundering rainstorms. Some are so heavy that it threatens the peace of everyone. Sometimes though, the rain came just in few drops, and everyone sleeps peacefully with the calm droppings. It wasn't unusual to awake to a wet day where clothes get soaked when you're met unprepared, as a result dampening one's mood. Most people try to alleviate their moods without relying on the weather forecast, as this month was as unpredictable as change itself.

For Ainsley Jones, who try not to let the weather dictate her mood, knew no matter what the weather says, today was going to be exceptional. First, because it is October 24th and it's her special day. Every year, all her friends, the few ones she had, always gathered around to celebrate with her. This year, she would be thirty. Yes! The big thirty, and she planned on having something extravagant. Thankfully, money wasn't the issue. She was a successful business tycoon running her father's business and was doing quite well. Her parents left her in charge of the company and were having a swell time touring the whole nation. Today, they called from Germany a few hours earlier to wish her a happy birthday. To celebrate it, they were sending her a new Chevrolet, 2021 model and some cash, not that she needed the money.

"Thanks, mom, dad." she said, blowing kisses into the camera when they announced their birthday present for her. Then shaking her head in mocking pity, she watched her mom struggle to hold her wrapped towel in place. Her mom had been peeping all the while behind her dad, and she knew it was partially because she was undressed. She could see it wasn't even a proper towel she had tied around her waist. It was the bed cover. Her mother slept naked, and she could picture what happened to have her like this. They probably woke up to an alarm announcing her birthday, and her dad reached for the phone to call while her mom quickly wraps the bedcover around herself. Ainsley would make a sly comment on why they couldn't dress appropriately before calling, but she let it slide for now. Something told her she would need that later.

"Any man to match the occasion?" Mrs. Jones asked, leaning into the camera over her husband's head. She had on her big head wrap and no make-up.

Ainsley shook her head, not surprised. Her mother had been bugging her for a husband since she turned 25. And each year, she continued to taunt her relentlessly about it. "What occasion, mom? It's a birthday". Men, she could get those quickly. But she knew what her mother was asking for.  She wasn't asking for her flings of men. If that was the case, she could get five of them in here, right now, without much hassle. There was David, CEO of FOUNTAIN company, a billionaire. George ran a press company. Matthew was her latest catch, the strong, fit gym owner. They had met at his gym recently when she went to train to get off the fats accumulating in her thighs. But they were all just flings. Men she called when she needed them buried deep inside her. And those weren't the ones her mother wanted. Her mother wanted to meet the man she would call her husband.

Perhaps being the only child, she was always asking to see her grandchildren. Ainsley got tired of her demands and started to come up with intelligent remarks instead. It wasn't her fault that the man she wanted wasn't available now, was it. She had foolishly given her heart to her first boyfriend, who had trampled all over it like it meant nothing.

"Yes, the more reason to have one. You're thirty now. I gave birth..."

"Thirty is just a number, mom. The right man will come in good time." she quickly put in. Her mother had been about to give her another lecture of how she had her when she was twenty. Good for her. But not for this one. She wasn't ready for any man just yet. What fun was there in settling down with a man when she had the excuse to have them all? James, her first man, had left her for that exact reason. He wanted to have the world. Settling down with one woman would ruin his career. Like her father, James was an artist. His songs were loved and sold hugely. At twenty-five, James was raking in crazy billions. And as he made more money, so did his fame.

à

She met James at a pool party where he was the guest speaker. After his performance, he took a stroll down the pool and found her sitting, legs in the water, alone. Everyone had gone in for some dessert. "It's just you here." he said, joining her at the pool. "I was waiting for everyone to leave before stepping in."

His smile was a killer. She loved it. "I got carried away." she told him, getting up to leave

"Please, stay." he said quickly

"I thought you wanted some privacy." she said, standing unsure, looking at him

"No, I don't mind the company." he said and patted the floor beside him, "Come on."

Ainsley had sat back down and let her legs back in the water. She squealed, "I love how it warms me up."

He looked at her, "You're not like the other girls, you know."

"Sorry?" she wasn't following his words, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, most girls just see me and scream, you know. Sort of got used to it." he smiled at her, "But you don't seem bothered by my..." he shrugged

"Oh, that." she shrugged, "My dad owns SMUGSHOT." she told him. "I see a lot of artists."

He applauded, "Wow, SMUGSHOT?" he laughed, "It's no wonder you didn't get affected. So tell me, the musicians you've met"

She laughed too. He had a burst of contagious laughter, "I, well, does it matter?" she asked, "You must have met so many yourself."

Spreading his hands, he replied sincerely, "I have...a few." he moved closer to her, "Just indulge me."

Since he put it that way. "Well, I've met Queen Bey."

"Beyoncé. Wow"

His enthusiasm made her carry on about the musicians she's met and their character. "She's cool, and her voice is.... exhilarating! very soothing"

They had stayed at the pool talking and having a lovely time. When his manager came to pick him up, he collected her number, and they had started communicating. Falling in love with him was easy. He was a gentleman and loved listening to her. Many of his songs after they met had been written for her. And she had complained about it. It was the music world. Her father owns one of the most successful companies. She knew how these things work. Soon, his manager would tell him it was bad for business.

"Oh, relax. That won't happen to us." he had said when she complained about it to him.

Then one day, when it came down to it, he had chosen his career over her. His manager told him he couldn't settle down with a girl right now. It was going to make him lose his female fans that way. Apparently, his female fans mattered more to him than anything. He didn't have the decency to break up with her in person. He broke up with her over the phone.

"It's the same thing she said last year, Ben." Mrs. Jones said to her husband, turning away from the camera and murmuring about how girls these days don't like to marry early.

Ainsley had to force herself back to the present. She smiled at the camera

"Hey." her dad called, smiling, before mouthing, "Don't listen to her." then speaking out loud, he said, "Happy birthday, pumpkin".

"Thanks, dad." she replied.

"Happy birthday, sweet." said Mrs. Jones said too, turning back to smile at her daughter on the phone. But she couldn't resist the urge to add, "And please get a man".

If only it were that easy, "Okay, mom." she replied with a yawn, all to wave off the topic. "Are you coming over?"

"No." replied her mom, "We're stuck here."

She didn't mind, not with the birthday party she had planned this year. It was going to be spectacular. She might even get laid with a new guy. "Alright"

"So, tell me about this deal." Ainsley's dad asked after the birthday greetings.

It was the second reason today was going to be exceptional. It wasn't just her birthday; it was also a good day to look forward to because she had a big deal to close today. Her company with the famous singer Kelton would be merging today. The manager would be meeting with her to finalise the deal. The merger would be raking in roughly some couple million dollars every month. It was the kind of news her father wanted to hear about. Ever since her taking over, this deal was the deal-breaker. She had never been so lucky like this. Most of the artists she had brought in had been doing well, but nothing this huge. But getting a successful artist like Kelton, who already had many followers and a solid online presence, was a great opportunity. "I'm meeting with his manager today to seal the deal. I'll call to let you know how it goes. But currently, we estimated the album to bring in millions monthly for the next one year. His followers and fans are already demanding it".

The artist had run to the biggest shot in the musical world, SMUGSHOT, because his manager had difficulty coming up with the funding to release his album. Though something tells Ainsley, her father might have played a massive part in this. He let her run the company as she deemed fit, but he still pulled some strings behind the scene when the need arises. For Kelton's manager, who had been having no problem funding the albums, this was the third. It was thereby disturbing to know he ran into some sort of that left him penniless. Not just that, there was nobody to loan him the money.

When Kelton realises this, he had contacted SMUGSHOT for help. His reputation was online. He had announced the date of his album release, and the anticipation had been built. Failure to do so could be detrimental to his career, especially if his fans lose interest. He had postponed the date twice and couldn't bring himself to doing so, not when it didn't like the manager would be able to raise the money. The manager was not happy about this merger, but for Ainsley, it was good news, and she pushed too with all she had. She wondered now, though, if her dad had somehow been the goon behind the man's failure to raise the capital

"That's good news, girl. I'm proud of you." said Mr. Jones proudly.

"Thanks, dad"  she replied just as her mother's head butt in again.

"Wow. Millions?" she smiled, "That's huge. Congrats, babe." she said just as her tube was about to fall. She quickly grabbed it.

"Why aren't you dressed, mom?" she smirked, "Please put on some clothes and cover those..." she rolled her eyes and put on her mocking face.

"Young woman" Mrs. Jones turned a full glare on her daughter, who blew kisses at her father and disconnected the call before her mom would rant thunder and brimstone over the phone. Sighing, Ainsley tossed her phone on the bed and stood up to get dressed. Smiling, she meditated on how her mother would almost blow up her phone today, trying incessantly to diss her for being coy with her on the phone. Sometimes, her mother acted like she was a friend and not her mother. Countless times, they go days without speaking, even when they were in the same house. Her mother would make sure she apologises before giving room for any communication. But generally, Maria Jones is a good mother. She had insisted on having just a child and had pampered her with all the love she could give.

As a young girl, she lacked nothing. Her mother had seen to it. She had stayed home with her all through the countless trips she could have gone with her husband. Everyone who knew Maria Jones while growing up never knew she could turn out to be a good mother. She was always so self-centred and uncaring of other people's welfare except hers. She was the queen of her class, and men flocked around her. Her friends knew how bitchy she could be when they upset her. She was a dreaded start. When she brought Toby Jones home and said she was ready to marry, nobody believed she'd stay married up to five years. What nobody understood about Maria Jones was that not only was she self-centred, she was also determined too. Whenever she committed to something, she always sees it through. It was a trait she had passed on to her only child too.

Her mother's resilience had seen Ainsley through difficult times. There were times when she just wanted to be an average teenager and live life, but her mother wouldn't let her. She had been raised as an heiress, and though she hated it, there were specs to it. She had been pushed by her mother to become a strong woman. At a young age, she was being pruned to become the sole heir of her father's musical company, SMUGSHOTS, a company that had survived series of onslaughts both offline and online yet continued to thrive amongst others. Now, she enjoys the pecks of being a successor and knowing all there is about the family's business.

Walking towards the dresser, she would contemplate on her life as the sole heir to that big shot of a company. Everyone respected her whenever they hear she was the CEO of Smugshot. It was a big company with lots of artists sighed under them and still signing. Her father had built the company from scratch as he was a musician himself. He always recalls stories of his life in the slum and tells his child that he was a slum boy who made it big in life and now sits with the big shot.

It's probably why he did the things he did. He was one man who ruled with iron hands. He didn't go soft on any of his artists and his workers too. It was maybe one of the reasons the company excelled more than others. He did what he could for his artist, and though they may not like how hard he pushed them, they loved him. So did she. But she knew he pulled some strings behind the scene, like making some songs disappear from some enemy's computer. He also had a way of making even the most complicated criminal sing his praises. Somehow, she knew that wasn't natural. And though she hated the path, she knew she must someday walk it.

Till that day comes, she was content to avoid it and enjoy what she has now. Smiling, she cleansed her face and stood up to get ready to bathe. Her cleansing routine was mild and straightforward. Her mother had always told her she had good skin and how it was essential to always take good care of it. So, even her face cleansing was a work routine like everything else in her life.

Yes, the day indeed had started well for Ainsley Jones, even if she didn't want to accept it just yet. The weather was perfect. It wasn't too cold, and there wasn't any rainfall. But she wasn't one to rely on the weather for her happiness. Her excellent mood stemmed from her own conscious effort to stay happy. It was the joy that comes from knowing a satisfaction deep within. She loved her job. She cherished being the boss. Most importantly, she loves that today is her birthday!

Today, she had picked her dresses delicately. There was three of them. This morning, she would be wearing the yellow jumpsuit she had gotten from Chanel online with the matching accessory. She planned on wearing the long shimmering black dress with a front slit to her party later in the evening. Her friends had been invited, and the party planner had called her last night to let her know all was set. Then, she would change to her final out, a tube short that she had stumbled on at a boutique. The three outfits were laid on the bed. She ran her fingers through the accessories, lost in thought.

Though she ignored her mother's sly comment about getting a man yearly, she had come to miss having one especially. It's long she dated. As a rich and pretty lady, every man wanted a piece of her. Some wanted just her body, and some wanted her money. At 25, she knew she wasn't going to find the kind of love her parents had. Theirs was genuine and selfless. Most men out there wanted a sugar mummy. Someone to take care of them. But while her friends and some women might be okay with that, she was the type who believed in the old order of things. She believes that men were made to treasure and cherish women. If she didn't have that, perhaps, she should just give up on dating entirely.

It wasn't that the men didn't come. What Ainsley dreaded was the baggage they came with. The last man she had dated, George, had almost damaged her. He was himself a billionaire but not self-made. His parents paid for everything he owns and, as the last born, was overindulged. He had led her down a drug path that almost wrecked her. When they broke up over some petty stuff, she had run to her dad for help.  Spending three months in rehab wasn't a memory she wanted to relive again.

Tonight though, she was hoping she could forget her principles for once. Forget about the old order of things. Today is her day, and the universe could at least cut her some slack and let her enjoy the day. Luckily too, her friends had gone all out. They had somehow invited some men to the party, single or not. She intended to have a swell time.

She checked the time and hurried off into the bathroom to run a warm shower. She would be going to work a bit late. Thankfully, she was the boss, and nobody dares to question the boss why she turned up for work late? And today, with Kelton and his manager coming in, what better way to make them know they were at her mercy than making them wait?

à

As she strolled into the office, she smiled at her secretary, who collected her bag and walked with her to the meeting room. Ainsley smiled as Kelton and his manager were bent over something and were murmuring incoherently. She had no doubt they were arguing over some clause in the contract that they didn't like. Like school kids caught in a wrong corner, they quickly moved away from each other when she walked in. She looked their way and sat down at the head seat before acknowledging their presence with a nod.

"Good morning." they both said.

"I suppose you have questions." she nodded towards the contract file in their hands. Kelton smiled shakily while his manager was all flagged red. She took that to mean he had no problem with the contract. As a matter of fact, he didn't want to lose this deal. Good! But his manager, on the other hand, didn't like something. She knew exactly what, so she turned to the manager, "It appears you do, go on."

"It says here." the manager opened the file to look for the phrase, "Yes." he said a little louder, having found the place, "You get 60% of every signing profit and deals he makes in the two years' contract."

It was always the money. "And?" she urged him to go on, not ready to meet him in the middle. She had handled every day. Knew when they wanted some cut. It happened almost all the time. Her father had taught her this simple lesson; men always want more for less. In business, you can't let them have that. And to do that, one had to have the upper hand. Kelton and his manager will soon realise this game. She played it well. Without her money, they couldn't release the album. With her money, they rake in millions. What would it be?

"60%? That's too much. Can't we do 50-50?" he asked, trying not to look at Kelton, who was stamping him under the table.

The scuffle beneath the table made her smile inwardly. She could tell they would take the deal. Instead of rubbing it in, she decided to take the sweet path of soothing their bruises. "It's all a win-win for everyone eventually" she smiled at the artist and ignored the manager completely. "You get your album released as announced, and we make cool cash" then, leaning back in her chair, she asked, "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes, it's fine." Kelton said

"Then shall we?" she picked her pen and opened her folder to start signing her part. Kelton did the same much to his manager's chagrin. He didn't look pleased. After signing hers, she exchanged folders with Kelton and then the manager. Done, she smiled at them. "It's good to have you on board."

"Thank you." they both said, but Kelton was happier. He stretched out his hand to shake hers firmly.

"Remember how you feel now." she said and left the room. It was good to see he was happy about this. But a few months down, when the money would be coming in, he had wanted to back out of the deal. It's how it was in the music world, or maybe generally. The vast money makes them want more, and when they realise the company was getting the more significant share, they turned round to want to stain the company for cheating them. Everyone seems to forget the company had stepped in to help them when their career was going down the drain.

Walking away, she called her party planner to update the venue, food and the arrangements made so far. She was about to call when Jessica Gilbert, her closest friend, called to wish her a happy birthday. But from the sad look on her friend's face, she could tell her friend wasn't having a good day.

"Let me guess, McCarthy is there again."

"No"  she replied

"All of you where?" Ainsley asked, teasing her friend, "Thank you." she asked, then tried to adjust her camera, "Wait a minute, why are you wishing me happy birthday in the toilet?"

"Mr. McCarthy isn't here yet. The team are waiting in my office. I only excused myself to call you."

Jessie had told her countless times the kind of pep talks the man gave. She knew Jessie would be happy that he wasn't around to do that today. "Well, thank goodness he isn't there. No draining pet talks today?"

"It can't be missed, and I'm sure he's already here" Someone knocked on the door, and Jessica sighed, "Speak of the devil. It looks like he's here."

"Well, I was going to say you should take care of the team yourself." Ainsley said, looking excited

"What?" asked Jessica

"Give them a better motivational speech, you know. Nothing about failures and dooms." she laughed, as did Jessie. "On a serious note, though, you should talk to them. I believe you'll do a better job."

"Okay, you might have a point there"  she paused to hear some shuffle behind her, "Looks like I've got to go now." she said, turning back to her friend.

"Okay, see you at the party?"

"Sure, I won't miss it for anything."

"And don't come look so forlorn"  she warned.

"Yes, boss"

Once the call ended, she sent her secretary to get the planner to meet her at the venue. It wasn't just going to be a phone thing. She had to see the venue herself and see how far gone she was. They had barely gotten there when the planner walked in.

"Hey Boma"  she greeted the young lady

"Hi"  she replied, "Come in." she said as they walked into a big hall with all the lights and decoration sparkling. The hall was big and brightly decorated. She especially liked the wall paintings. They gleamed with the light, adding some special effects to the room. The seats were arranged in some circles of six guests. But a vast space was left at the centre for the cake and the celebrant dance. It was decorated as the stage. In the centre of the place was a small rectangular construction. White flowers were curled around the rectangle. Inside the space was a seat for the celebrant, also beautifully adorned. "It feels good to be thirty" she smiled at her secretary. "You know you have to be here, right."

The secretary nodded and smiled. "I'll be here."

Ainsley walked out of place and turned to a corner. The DJ's stand was set up there. "I don't want this here." she told the planner. "The noise would damage my ears overnight."

"I'll have it moved"

"That corner would be better" she pointed at a place farther from where she stood.

"Alright"  replied the planner, who immediately signalled some men standing at the entrance. "Move the DJ stand there"  she instructed.

Still in the centre, a circular red carpet was also there with sparkling lights adorning the wallpaper hammered to the corner for pictures. She smiled, satisfied at everything. The planner had been attentive to her demand. "I think everything else is good. Good job, Boma."

"Thank you"  she replied, bending slightly.

The lights went off, and blue shades came up. "What's that?"

"It's a special effect I added. The light goes off every twenty minutes, and this romantic blue  comes up."

"Nice"  commented Ainsley as she inspected everywhere. She asked for a tour of the place, intending to check out the rooms. For parties like this, people would want some privacy, especially since it would be till dawn. Some of her guests would wish for a sleepover. She had decided on the hotel as cleaning after the party would be on the hotel. More so, she didn't want them making a mess of her place. She liked her sheets kept clean and hygienic.

After inspecting the place, she had rushed home for a quick shower. Her makeup and stylist were already waiting for her. They spent hours doling her up. Finally done, she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Perfect. Some of her friends were around to ride with her to the venue. But Jessie wasn't there. "Where's Jessie?" she asked.

"Not here yet"  replied Mabel

"Maybe she went to get the stripper. Do you have your MC speech all set?"

"Yes"  she replied, "Let's get going now. We're late."

And they all stood up, all primed up for the occasion. The drive to the place was fun as they snapped pictures and made fun all the way. Everyone were there waiting for them. Ainsley walked in to receive kisses and birthday greetings. Her friends collected the gifts. Mabel quickly got to work. "Welcome, everyone".

The event proceeded fast from there. An artist from her company had been called on. The lady came out to sing her a birthday song with a duet. Everyone listened, enthralled. The applaud was thunderous when she was done. Ainsley beaconed on her secretary and whispered that she should remind her later that she wanted the artist to do a duet with Kelson. It would be a hit. She could picture it.

When the MC called for a dance with the celebrant and Jessie still hadn't shown, she got her phone and called her. "Be here fast?" she said, hoping she heard amidst the loud music. She danced awhile before stepping back and allowed her guests to have the floor to themselves. The place was already crowded, and no one noticed her gone.

After the dance, she had gone in to change to her final outfit, which was just a simple tube jumpsuit. But it fitted well with her curves. As she stepped back into the hall, she saw Jessica walked in. and who do we have here? That was her thought when she sighted the man she had with her. That couldn't be the stripper, she mused. That was Damian Gregory. What was he doing here?

As her friend moved towards her with the man in tow, she missed her step.

"Easy." said Damian as he caught her quickly, so she didn't fall. Then he had looked at her amused. He knew that face. They had met at several events but never bothered with each other. They were okay to admire each other from afar. He let his eyes take in her sumptuous body. "Lovely." he said and held her hand.

Jessie looked at them both. Her friend was smiling like a fool at the man. Wait, is she drunk! The Ainsley she knew would never trip over a man. But then again, Damian was no man. He's a god! Looking at him now, she felt like hitting him. He was literally undressing her friend. The ease with which he quickly jumped in to save her friend made her raise her brow. Thinking of what to do to break this stupid lustful gaze on their faces, she moved towards them. And before she could introduce them, he smiled and did that himself.

"Don't I know you?" he said

She acknowledged it. They have indeed met many times. "I know you"  she replied

"You're the celebrant." he said, looking at her like she was a fairy princess

Ainsley smiled and replied that she was, "Welcome to the party."

But he had kept on holding her friend's hand, and she looked from the hand to their faces as the two seemed lost in a locked battle of some sort. She had coughed and stylishly separated them by stepping in firmly between them. "Ainsley, meet..." and the lights went off before she could make a formal introduction. When the lights came back on, he had moved to a corner in the room to sip wine. She let him be as the MC called to cut the second cake now that Jessie was here.

Afterwards, it was time for the lap dance. She watched as her friends whispered something to each other. Did they forget? She had been waiting for this. It was the highlight of today's event. She leaned back and let them handle it while she posted some pictures on her Instagram page. She was engrossed in what she was doing and didn't hear when the MC announced a change of plan. All she knew was she heard some noise and looked up to see Damian walk upstage, shirtless. Well, this is getting interesting.

He was selected as the male dancer for her. She didn't mind, just watched as the ladies circled him and teased him.

"I want him." she said out loud. Her words were swallowed out by the loud music playing. She hissed at the sound even though it made her want to scream it louder. "Yes! I want that hunk." she repeated, this time a little louder. Nobody heard her. Anyone watching would just assume she was excited and was singing along with the song. Although, from her gaze, one would know she wasn't miming the music. She was looking lustfully at the man sitting on the chair in the centre of the hall.

He had stripped to the brief and sat down, waiting on the ladies to take it further. Every lady, of course, had rushed out to have a touch and, if lucky, a taste of him. Some kissed him, and some groped him while some flat out sat down on him, trying to get him to flip. He was flipped down there, but he remained calm. He must have been an expert at this. Ainsley held her glass up and stood in front of him. She was, by every way, most men's spec. As a thirty years old woman, she had good curves. Her body was one man covet after. It was one of her greatest assets, and she took good care of it. The tube short she had on luckily had all her butt and boobs rightly perched.

"What are you doing?" asked the MC

Having seen enough of his display, the birthday girl knew what to do to get him. The idea was to make him lose his cool. If anyone can do it, it would be her. She moved closer to him and slowly poured the cold drink on his briefs. "Getting my prize." she replied with a wicked smile.

"You realise Jessica brought him here"  cautioned the MC

"Well, we all know who her boyfriend is"  she smiled at the man as she let hand hands run through his chest, deliberately slowing down around his left nipple, "I think this is why she brought him here." she bent down and ran her tongue over the right nipple. "For me"

"Don't do this"  she warned again when she sat down on his lap.

Ainsley stood up angrily. "Please"  she pushed back.

From across the room, the MC caught Jessie throwing daggers with her eyes at them. She sighed heavily, "Jessie doesn't look happy about it. He's with her".

She refused to listen but went on teasing the man relentlessly. She had wanted this man for a long time. But they both had different paths. Now, he was in her lair. She wasn't letting him go till she was done with him. Soon as the lights went off, she pulled the man into the room opposite the hall. They undressed hastily amidst hot kisses. And as he plunged deep inside her, she knew she had finally gotten the man for the occasion just like her mother wanted.

Yes, the day started well for Ainsley Jones. It was her special day, and she had recruited Kelton. A deal that would be raking in millions monthly. And now she had Damian in bed to round it off. It should have ended on a good note. But why did it have to end with a stingy slap from her friend?