The next week at work was super busy for him as usual. He had just returned from a lunch meeting with one of the banks at a restaurant; the bankers are all rushing him because they all want to collaborate with the Company for the Gas project.

They've not even been awarded the contract yet but the Bankers are so sure HydroTerra will get a block. They know at least one or two of the top 5 indigenous oil companies will get something so they are all pressuring the CEOs before the ministry of petroleum allocates the blocks so they can get juicy financing deals. But Dare wasn't falling for it. He is not partnering with anyone of them now till they win the blocks. He can raise the money from his former Company if he wants to.

He really wants the Company to diversify and increase their gas production because the world is moving to cleaner fuel sources. Gas is not completely clean but it is cleaner than crude oil, so he really wants them to get this right. The gas project will save the Company from extinction at least in the next 10-15 years and give them more time to shift into renewables.

He has been warning Chief about this for years now but it's like Nigerian Oil Companies were relaxed because the Nigerian Government does not send climate change and there are not enough green activists in the country to pressure them.

It is only Yinka Bakare's organization that is the loudest and no one in the industry takes them seriously. However, the House of reps accepted a petition from her organization and even formed a climate change committee three months ago. He knows those ones are unserious and it will probably take them 100 years before they do anything serious but he is not going to wait until then before he starts acting.

Most Nigerian oil companies are reluctant to move into gas because it is much more expensive to extract and transport, but Mr. Obaze has developed some engineering and financial strategies that can help them save costs if they venture into it.

He was headed to his office from lunch when he saw a woman and a baby in the elevator. When he got to his office he asked Ada why there was a woman with a baby in the elevator and she informed him that the Company runs a crèche on the 6th floor for Company employees.

That week he did a cost-benefit review of the crèche, held a meeting with the HR head and the two female employees currently using it then asked the building managers to shut it down next month.

It is not safe to bring kids here. Don't they understand the risks of this job?

****

He was on the phone the following morning with a crude oil trading company in Europe, when she stormed into his office furiously. He looked up at her and she looked like she was ready to fight someone, when she noticed he was on the phone she stopped.

She was livid but she tried to keep her cool. He looked her straight in the eyes as he continued talking on the phone, he dragged the phone conversation a little by asking some irrelevant questions as he watched her. He did that to give her more time to calm down but she looked like she was getting angrier just by looking at his face. Lol.

He really hates confrontations because he always loses he temper, there is no middle ground for him he is either extremely mean or indifferent. He knows she is here because of the creche. 

His eyes were still on her as he pretended to listen to the crude oil trader rambling away on the other end of the phone. Today she was wearing a white chiffon blouse and a black midi length skirt. The Skirt wasn't even that tight but the curves were very visible. She was wearing the same pair of shoes she had on the first day, those ones that accentuated her legs.

Her perfume that has been ingrained in his memory since the very first day she walked into his office filled his nostril again and flirted with his senses. Inhaling it now actually reminded him of that morning on his birthday. When he entered his office that morning he could smell it, at first he thought it was because she was standing at Ada's station. However, when he saw that the theme his birthday cake was inspired by the horrible painting that the interior designers put in his office he knew she had been in his office that morning, the cake was nice though. 

So she reduced his whole persona to an artwork hanging in his office. Very funny.

"Any other questions Mr. Madaki?" The trading agent's voice on the other end of the phone brought him back to the present. Oh! he even forgot about him.

"That's enough Lorenzo; don't forget to attach your proposal to the email?" He said. "Okay, gracias"

He hung up then raised his brow inquisitively at her. He was not going to acknowledge her presence with a word.

"You can't shut down the Crèche Mr. Madaki" She said almost breathlessly. For some reason he felt like if she had spoken at the time she barged in, that would come out offensively.

"What do you mean I can't? It's done," He said a little bit irritated by her nerve.

She moved closer. "It is....the crèche is a perk for our female personnel, you should have at least consulted with me first" She looked like she was pleading but he had to stop her right there.

"Why consult with YOU?" Does she have a kid too? He wondered.

"Sir, the thing is Chief started that crèche 4 years ago to support new mothers and encourage....."

"I am not Mr. Bakare?" He cut her off "You need to get used to that"

She looked like she was shocked that he would even say that. Did he lie though? She is still acting as if she doesn't know  there is new boss is in town. What makes her think she can tell HIM what to do?  is she trying to challenge his authority? 

"Please" Was the only thing she could bring herself to say next.

He didn't like the new direction she was going with the confrontation. He kind of wants her stay mad, but she was switching her strategy. She is trying to guilt him into reversing the directive.

"NO....and that's final. Please leave my office," He said to her snappily.

She sighed, nodded respectfully, then walked out quietly.

Good. Why was he even tolerating her rudeness this wasn't part of his plan. This why he needs to strip her off her excessive powers to keep her in check. Can she talk to Chief like that? He needs to stop getting distracted by her charms and focus on clipping those little wings of hers and he doesn't care if Mr. Bakare gets offended.

Why is she even against him shutting down the crèche he had genuine security concerns for the babies. Is she really that much of a control freak .....or she is she 'expecting'. He paused then frowned. No, he will go with the control freak theory. He prefers that one.

****

Dare was on his way to work the following morning when his phone started ringing. It was a call from Indonesia. Definitely Mr. Bakare.

"Hello Dare, how are you?" Chief said. Pronouncing his name wrong on purpose. Lol he is used to it.

"Good Morning....evening. Sir" it should should be 5-6pm-ish over there.

"So, i know you have no plans of getting married. Yinka says marriage is not for everyone and that is fine, it is your life. But, do you also have a problem with Kids too?" Chief said jokingly, stifling a laugh.

Dare smiled, so she went to report him. 

"Is your Doctor aware that you are still bothering yourself with Company matters?" Dare asked the old Man.

Chie laughed wholeheartedly at his question. "Honestly, I am bored and curious to know how you are faring with my people"

Dare sighed "I don't hate kids. This was a well thought out decision. Miss Ireti is just being emotional about this and jumping to conclusions without checking the facts"

"Who is Miss Ireti?" Chief sounded genuinely confused.

"Sofi," Dare said her name with irritation "she told you about the crèche right?"

"No one calls Sofi Ireti" Chief was laughing hard again.

"You have to trust me, we're doing great here, stop listening to gossip" Dare was super pissed at this point but he tried to stay calm.

"Okay, I won't bother you again. However, listen Dare, don't fight with Sofi o, you will lose. That girl is a warrior" Chief added before hanging up.

It was supposed to be a joke to pacify him but it pissed him off more. So Mr. Bakare is truly the one enabling her bad behaviour, that Senator Dele was right after all.

What pisses him off the most is the fact that she, more than anyone else in the Company knows about the Man's health condition, yet she still went to disturb him with this silly crèche issue just to show him that she has power abi.

This shit she just did is enough reason for him to get rid of her because she just violated a confidentiality rule. Mr. Bakare is the owner of the Company but he is not a Staff of the Company and she leaked confidential information to him.

It is not enough for him to fire her but he can transfer her to another branch that is not a Head Office. He can move her somewhere far away from him, like Port Harcourt. 

She is one of the project managers that would be on the Gas project if the company wins and Mr. Obaze is the one heading it. She should kuku go and start working with him.

Perfect. He smiled wickedly as he went strolled into the HR Manager's office. This should be fun.

⬇️⬇️⬇️Please vote for your girl, don't be a ghost.