Tiwa The Therapist (Vol 1)

six: "...a joke"

Six

"...a joke"

"Can I ask why?" I dropped the note and somehow it made her relax.

"I've been speaking to my producer lately, you know?" She paused and I took it that she wanted me to ask what she was speaking to her producer about.

"You intend to make a new movie?"

"Yes. About how mothers; unfulfilled mothers especially the unfulfilled ones, beware of them and how they tend to project their fears on their daughters hereby placing those innocent kids into shackles of life that they literally have to battle out singlehandedly."

"Hmm that's deep. Care to expatiate on what the movie would entail?"

"You'd get more of me when I'm drunk trust me. Where's that wine?"

"I'd rather have you sober, Mrs Oh-gah-ji."

"I thought we were beginning to warm up to each other, call me Stephanie please and there's not much you'll get from me sober if I'm going to be honest. As you might have noticed, I tend to have a massive ego when I'm not drunk."

"It's not a problem."

"For you? of course not. But for me? Hell yeah! I literally have to share my feelings if I'm not going to jump off the bridge by the end of tomorrow, and the only way I can do that, you know? Share my damned feelings and shit? Is when I'm on something strong and I'm pretty sure you don't have cocaine or weed laying around here?"

'Oh Wow!'

"Let's just...the wine," I smiled.

"Of course, the wine." She responded with a fake smile that bore so much unspoken pain and hurt.

"I'll just call her again," I said and just when I was about to pick the phone up, a knock came in followed by the screechy noise of the soundproof door being pushed open.

"Finally!" Stephanie clapped her hands playfully as Mosope placed the bottle of wine, a bucket of ice and a long wine glass in front of her. "Wait, there's only one glass?" Stephanie looked puzzled.

"Yes please." I smiled. "I don't drink on duty."

"Too bad. What about you?" She looked up at Mosope who was struggling with the cork.

"Oh no ma!" the room went tense as the loud pop of the wine filled the air. "I don't drink."

"Really?" Stephanie squinted her eyes at Mosope in a playful manner. "I guess I'll be having all this to myself then," she grabbed the bottle from Mosope before she could start emptying the content into the glass.

"Is there anything else you would like ma'am?" I watched Mosope ask with a smile.

"Yes. That ring, can I have it?" Stephanie threw her a smile that sucked the air out of the room for a second before she released the air with a loud laugh. "It's just a joke" she said and I watched as Mosope sighed.

"Thank you so much, Sope." I gave her a dismissive smile.

"She thought I was serious?" Stephanie asked as she filled her glass with the blood red content from the bottle.

"She's just timid like that," I dusted my skirt as I watched her pick the ice gingerly with the icepick. 

"Oh really now? Do you believe what she said about she not drinking?"

I shrugged. "Could be true?"

"Nah. That's bullshit." Stephanie tooted before carefully lifting the glass to her nose and sighing in relief after sniffing it. "Good stuff. Not a Domaine De La Romanee Conti, but good stuff irregardless."

"Cool" I smiled.