Binary Hearts

13| Oh! No 😑😶‍🌫️

It had been almost a month since Adaora started her new role as Senior UI/UX Designer at Paystack. The team had been working tirelessly, and now, the software developers had completed the new version of Paystack, ready to launch next week. Meanwhile, Tunde Adewale had made significant progress at Spike Technologies.

They had successfully built over 100 Arduino gas measurement devices, set to go on sale tomorrow. The success had kept Spike Technologies in the news, making it a hot topic among university students and tech enthusiasts. Tunde had even been interviewed several times about his innovative project.

One evening, Tunde called Adaora. "Hey, Ada. I miss you," he said, his voice carrying a hint of longing.

Adaora, smiling to herself, tried to dodge the emotion in his words. "How's everything at Spike Technologies?" she asked, deflecting.

"I miss you," Tunde repeated. "Do you miss me?"

Adaora hesitated, her heart racing. "Of course, Tunde. But let's talk about something else. How are the preparations for the launch going?"

Tunde sighed but let it go. "Things are great. We’re making strides. How about Paystack? Ready for the big launch?"

Adaora’s voice brightened. "Yes! We’re almost there. The CEO, Chidi Okoye, has promised to treat everyone to dinner to celebrate our hard work."

At Spike Technologies, Tunde was deep in conversation with Sam, one of his most trusted employees.

"Sir, I have a suggestion about the gas measurement device," Sam began.

"Okay, go on," Tunde replied, genuinely interested.

"You’ve designed a great structure—circular and flat, making it easy to place gas canisters on it for measurement. But what if we added a handle?" Sam proposed.

"A handle? What type of handle, and what would it do?" Tunde asked curiously.

"The handle would allow people to push the gas measurement device along with the gas canister on wheels, instead of carrying it. This would make it easier to transport heavy gas canisters," Sam explained.

Tunde pondered for a moment. "Hmm... that’s an interesting idea. Come to my office, let’s discuss it further and see what we can come up with," he said, leading Sam to his office.

That night, Tunde couldn’t stop thinking about Adaora. The longing to see her overwhelmed him, so he decided to drive to the island. When he reached the garage, which was his first company and where Adaora resided, he found no one around. "She must be working overtime again," he thought to himself, feeling a bit disappointed. He then drove to Paystack HQ, but still, there was no sign of her.

Frustrated and about to give up, something told him to keep searching. Meanwhile, Adaora and the Paystack staff were at Yellow Chilli Restaurant and Bar, enjoying the dinner arranged by their CEO, Chidi Okoye.

The atmosphere was lively, filled with laughter and chatter. They played a game of "Never Have I Ever."

"Never have I ever had sex," Adaora said, surprising everyone when she didn’t drink.

"You've had a deep romance before, right?" Mark, one of her colleagues, asked, but Adaora didn’t respond.

Shallewa, another staff member, continued the game. "Never have I ever escaped beating from my strict mom throughout primary school," she said, and everyone burst into laughter.

"Who hasn’t been beaten by their mom?" someone teased, but only Chidi Okoye drank from his whiskey bottle.

"Our CEO is a rich kid; no surprise," another joked.

But Chidi kept drinking, his mood becoming increasingly sentimental. Mrs. Abosede, a senior staff member, noticed. "You'll get drunk, Sir," she cautioned, but Chidi ignored her, continuing to drink.

As the evening wore on and the atmosphere grew awkward, everyone began leaving one by one until only Mrs. Abosede and Adaora remained with the CEO. Realizing that Mrs. Abosede wouldn’t leave until she did, Adaora decided to head home. However, her mind wasn’t at rest. She worried about Chidi.

"Sir, take it easy. Let me drive you home," Mrs. Abosede suggested.

"Don’t worry. I’ll be fine on my own," Chidi replied, clearly inebriated.

Mrs. Abosede had no choice but to leave. "Take care of yourself, Sir," she said before walking away.

Unable to shake her concern, Adaora turned her car around and drove back to the restaurant. She found Chidi stumbling towards his car, clearly drunk. "Sir!" Adaora called out, rushing to his side. "Oh my God! You reek of alcohol. Can you drive home like this?" she asked, worried.

"Adaora," Chidi slurred, smiling before collapsing onto her.

Adaora struggled to maintain her balance, calling his name with no response. She crossed his hands over her shoulders, slowly moving towards her car. As she did, Tunde was driving towards the restaurant, following his gut feeling that something was wrong.