In exactly ten minutes, it'll be two days to Valentine and the entire staff of Tee's World worked tirelessly. Well, it wasn't because of Valentine but because it's also ten minutes to their C.E.O's birthday. Hence, it was too noisy to hear the agonizing cries of their C.E.O in her brutal death throes and it was too rowdy to recognize the unfamiliar one among them.

"Media?" Seyi, the event planner called. She needed to make this work. Though it was enough good news that she of all event planners in Nigeria was awarded the contract of planning Tee's birthday, it would be great news that the party was successful. Seyi really needed this to be a success, it'll help her climb to the next level of her career. She smiled to herself, she was getting calls already.

"All set."

She smiled contently at Dami, who was in charge of media. "Decoration?"

"All set."

She smiled widely at Tiana. "Light?"

Yeah, it wasn't too rowdy to recognize the unfamiliar one. It was too dark.

Tiana whistled and tapped the table. "Orhh that one? He's always sluggish and late an--"

Dami hissed. "If you don't know where he is, don't talk na."

Seyi looked from Dami to Tiana. It was obvious Tiana never liked Eben, she also made it obvious that she disliked him because he had taken her boyfriend's place.

"Light?" She called louder, realizing the fact that the room had been dimly lit since five minutes ago.

Cole, her assistant spoke. "He'll be here soon, Seyi. We still have time."

Time. Time. She scratched her head and looked at her watch.

Seven minutes is enough time for everything to go wrong.

"Light?" She screamed even louder.

The door opened and closed. "All set," he smiled though it didn't cover the plastered darkness on his face.
Even though he had worked with Seyi for few days, one thing he'd learnt about the twenty-five year old event planner was that she hated excuses. Bad for her, good for him because thanks to excuses, he does all the bad without feeling a pang of guilt. And, that's good.
He walked in. "I went to pee."

Seyi was disgusted but she forced a smile. He freaked her out big time. She noted in her mental list to fire him immediately they were done with Tee's party. She wouldn't re-employ Tiana's boyfriend either. "Okay. I've put a call across to her. Let's go to the hall."

The hall wasn't far from the room and they got there in a few seconds. A satisfactory smile played on her lips as she looked around the big hall that was lit with soft light.

She grabbed the microphone and cleared her throat. "Thank you all for your patience. Once I ring this bell, we'll do a five second countdown to midnight. At the sound of zero, she'll gracefully join us and we'll sing!"

Oh! It wasn't only the staff of Tee's World that were present. Dignitaries of the entertainment industry, elites, friends, family and people of the high class were present to celebrate the twentieth birthday of Nigeria's fast rising actress-- Omotayo Adedimeji. Most importantly, they hoped to hear a brief of the next movie Tee planned to produce as it was scheduled to start shooting immediately after her birthday party.

Seyi looked around for the last time and smiled satisfactorily. Her work was a synonym for perfection. She checked her golden watch for the umpteenth time before ringing the little bell.
"Yessss. Let's start the countdown from five."

Everyone stood up.

"Five."

...she struggled for the shelf...

"Four."

...her shaky hands pulled out the book...

"Three."

...her weak fingers caressed the book...

"Two."

...she winced in excruciating pain...

"One."

...she smiled, sadly...

"Happy Birthday, Tee!"

...she closed her eyes, forever...

Everyone smiled expectantly, respecting the fact the delay was part of Tee's charisma. Seconds turned to minutes. They started the 'happy birthday' song, thinking that perhaps she wanted to come out after the song.

Three songs later, the fully air-conditioned hall seemed to be heated.
Four songs later, the well ventilated hall seemed to run out enough oxygen to fill everyone's lungs.
Five songs later, they started to exchange worried looks that perfectly hid behind fake smiles.
Six songs later...

Seyi grabbed the mic and voiced everyone's thoughts. "Something...is wrong."

She walked hastily to the door that led to the room Tee was, aware that the whole world was watching her, she politely knocked at first.

She knocked, banged. A few people joined her.

"Break the door!"

Seyi froze at the sight before her. She took her glasses that hung on the V of her dress and placed it on the tip of thick nose.

There Tee lay, in the pool of her own blood, still dressed in the once snow-white dress that was specially designed for her birthday by a Swiss fan. A silver knife stuck out of her heart.

Seyi could hear screams around her but she forced her mind to think. "Call an ambulance. We can still save her..."

A young woman and two men reached for Tee's body with the hope of reviving her but a masculine voice stopped them.

"Don't bother. Two minutes ago, she breathed her last."

They all looked back to see a man dressed in black suit, white shirt and a red bow tie. His left hand clutched a black, shiny suitcase. He looked like a business man.

Seyi blinked, he was a stranger yet there was something familiar about him that she couldn't decipher.

"And who is this one? Eh tell me, who are you??" Seyi didn't speak this time, it was Tee's mother who had already thrown her gele on the floor.

The man sat on the nearest arm chair, dropped the suitcase on the floor and crossed his legs. "Her fiancée."

Now, he made a mistake. A day ago, when Omotayo Adedimeji was interviewed by the Punch Metro, she clearly stated that she was in no relationship and wasn't planning to be in one.

***
The first chapter of DOTS will be out FEBRUARY 12... Yeah, two days to Valentine. Don't miss it, I look forward to your support. Tag your friends too...
LhoneSatrrh😘