K.C Philips

Chapter Ten

"I thought I told you to leave me alone." Jessica began. It was obvious she didn't want to speak to K.C again for the rest of the day.

"Jessica, please, listen to me. I'm sorry for what happened today. I really am. I never expected to cross paths with her ever again. Today just kind of happened."

Jessica was silent. Then she spoke again. "I have to take the next available flight to Abuja right now. It's my dad. He was coming out of a meeting when he slumped. Someone just called me, telling me to come right away."

K.C felt a wave of static electricity flash through him as he jolted up. "Oh my God...When will you return, then?"

"I really don't know, K.C. And don't say you want to come with me. My answer is an automatic no."

K.C took a deep breath. "I hope it's not too serious."

"Me too. I'll see you when I return. I love you." Jessica's last words hit him hard. More shocking was the fact that she hung up after she said so, so that he wouldn't add to her anger. He laughed.

He was moving towards his wine rack to get a bottle of wine when his phone rang yet again.

Jessica again? Maybe she has forgiven me.

The caller ID wasn't Jessica's. It didn't display any name. Nonplussed, K.C picked up the phone; he received a lot of calls like this.

The caller spoke first.

"K.C?"

K.C slumped.

Fisayo again?

K.C dispelled his surprise. "I don't remember giving you my number. You planned all of this, didn't you?"

"What did I plan?"

K.C began to boil up. "Don't play dumb with me. You met my brother last December and planned a meet with me. You told my brother of my past feelings for you. You convinced him to go on leave. Why on earth are you doing all of this?"

"Ohh that. You see, I just wanted to see face-to-face the man, who, as a boy, beat up the guy that raped me. Is there anything bad in that?"

"You know what, let's keep it strictly business. I spoke to my brother....."

Fisayo cut K.C short. "I spoke to your brother before calling you. The deal has already been struck. I don't know why you deferred your feedback to next week. Trying to get over your soft spot for me?"

K.C was silent. Fisayo was right. He would still give her the deal. He had already given her the deal in his mind. Why the wait?

Fisayo went on. "I want you to come over to Helping Hands, to check it out. The address is on the proposal I gave you. I'll be expecting you." She hung up after that. K.C buried his face in his hands. He had been played by his brother and Fisayo all this while. He felt every decision he had been taking had been predetermined long ago, including the next decision he was going to take. He didn't change his clothes. He took the proposal, stepped out of his house and into his car. He read the address out to his driver.

"I know the place, sir. No be helping hands?

K.C was surprised. But he answered positively. He wondered, once again, if Ikenna hadn't already told the driver the address. The whole deal was a sequence he had no choice but to follow.

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The car pulled up in the building's parking lot. K.C didn't expect the foundation to be as big and classy as it was. If anybody saw the main building from afar, they would have considered it to be a mini-resort. K.C stepped out of the car and made his way to the main building. Emblazoned boldly on the building was a symbol that read 'HHF'.