Rae Of Sunshine

Surreal

It had been a week since Chris Black had transferred $40,000 into her account. That was his apology for taking her to a farm in the middle of nowhere and making her miss a job interview. Raella was still in disbelief.
She hadn't touched the money because she was sure that he'd call her and say he mistakenly added the last zero. But, a week had gone by and he hadn't done so much as text good morning. For a guy who had practically given her undivided attention in one day it reminded her too much of her ex.
"Mama, up!" Angelica, her daughter demanded pulling her out of her musings. Her cherubic face was marred by a frown at the lack of instant compliance. In that moment Angelica looked like her father.
Raella smiled and picked up her daughter tickling her at the same time. Angelica squealed and wriggled trying to escape the fingers assaulting her ribcage. The squeals mixed in with screams and laughter.
Raella's phone rang. She looked at the number. It wasn't Chris. With a sigh she put Angelica down and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Hello! May I speak to Miss Grey?" A man she had never spoken to before asked.
"Speaking."
"Ah, fantastic. Miss Grey, my name is Colby Gilbert. I work for Belle Mot, when can you come in for an interview?"
She hadn't applied for a job at Belle Mot. She told Mr Gilbert as much. She hadn't even thought of applying.
"Yes, that is true. We asked for a referral from an organisation that you've dealt with in the past and your CV came up. Would Friday or Monday this coming week be better for you?"
Friday suited her well and she told him so. They set up a time and she hung up in shock. She could not believe her luck.
Belle Mot was one of those mythical organizations that paid top dollar to it's staff. Almost like Econet in the days of old where if you were hired by Econet you knew you were set. Quickly deciding that she would check out more information about the board of directors and the company vision in the morning while Angelica slept she listened for sounds of her child. The silence alone told her Angelica was up to no good.
Sure enough, as she rounded the corner she found Angelica with a super powdery face and bright red lips and big dark brown eye brows. Angelica sat on the floor of Raella's bedroom with a vanity mirror carefully painting her lips in Raella's only and favourite red lipstick. Powder was scattered on the floor and on the mirror.
When Angelica saw her mother her face broke into a big toothy grin. "Peety mama!"
Raella smiled at her daughter forgetting the mess for a second and pulling out her phone and taking a picture. She picked her daughter up and kissed her on her cheek nearly choking on the powder. "Very pretty baby."
Angelica smiled an even wider smile and put lipstick on her mother's lips. Raella laughed. She compared this to getting her daughter to sleep last night which had almost been impossible to do. Lipstick moments she could live with...bedtime fights were exhausting.
Just as quickly Angelica became bored with the makeup game after putting the tan powder on half her mother's face. She dropped the lipstick on the floor and walked out of the room in search of the next game. Raella looked at her favourite lipstick as it fell lipstick side down onto the beige carpet of her room. She sighed and picked up after her daughter.
Making a mental note to clean the mess up when little one took a nap she followed the little minx out of her bedroom. Angelica sat on the floor, in the passage, with her made up face with a book waiting to be read to by none other than mama herself. Raella amused at the gesture picked up the book and began to read. Ten minutes later Angelica nodded off to sleep in her mother's arms as if she hadn't been trouble at all.
With her little angel fast asleep Raella prepared for her interview. She had three days. She spruced up her CV, set aside a few wardrobe ideas and contemplated what to do with her hair.
She also typed up a proposal for Chris for his deal with Stefan. They had probably already dotted the I's and crossed the T's but this would be the cherry on the cake. She would drop it off at his office tomorrow. He still technically owed her dinner. Not that she was going to push it after he gave her forty grand to babysit him.
She couldn't understand why he spoke to Greg Dande but they met with Stefan. She was dying to ask. It really wasn't her place though.

Chris looked at the contract in front of him. He bit the inside of his cheek making his dimple more pronounced. He really had no proof she would say yes.
She had a baby and an unstable income, that was reason enough.
He felt guilty. He was no better than Faulkner. His only advantage was he was better looking and far more wealthy. Not that Rae noticed or even knew.
This was for her own good. This would put her in a position to defend herself. No matter how it ended she'd be able to care for herself, her baby and her family indefinitely. He was doing this for Rae.
So why do you feel like a shady old man about to trick a little girl? He asked himself. Guilt gnawed at his stomach. Because he was trapping her.
He was trapping her for her own good. He snorted. What a load of horse shit. She was going to see right through him.
He put the contract in his portfolio. He'd drive by her place tonight after work. He cringed, this was getting dodgier by the minute.
A knock on his door invaded his private thoughts. He called for the person to enter. His temp told him his 12 o'clock was here to see him.
Chris nodded and put the next meeting's materials in front of him. He stood up in preparation to greet his guest. In walked his Rae with her hair neatly braided back halfway across her head with the rest cascading down her back.
His smile turned into a grin. He kissed her cheeks and asked her to sit. He turned to his temp who seemed shocked and told her to hold all calls and make other visitors wait.
This was better than he imagined. Well, nearly. He had imagined kissing her as she sat on the edge of his desk. His mouth anticipated that so greatly he bit his tongue to check the impulse.
"Hi, I know this is a surprise but I had a proposal for you regarding your deal with Dande." She reached into the laptop bag she was carrying and handed it over to him.
Guilt overwhelmed Chris. She wanted nothing in return. He wanted her in return. He cursed mentally.
"Thank you. Do you mind if I have a look now?" He asked sitting on the other side of his desk. "In fact, I have a proposal for you too." He pulled out the contract from his portfolio and gave it to her.
He quickly went through her proposal. For the second time since meeting her he was impressed. It was simple but definitely leveraged to his advantage.
He quickly logged onto his computer and then watched her face. If he hadn't known almost paragraph for paragraph what the document said her reaction would have been comical. Her already fair skin paled. Then it turned pink and then it went a deep red.
He could feel the anger roll off of her in waves the longer she read it. Then she stared at the bottom on the page for what felt like forever. Chris cursed his rashness. He should have waited. Not knowing her thoughts killed him. She kept clenching her small fists and he knew she would have choice words for him. Dread filled his heart.
Finally, she looked up at him. Oh bullocks, he thought. He just knew that she was going to shred him to pieces.
Then she smiled and took his pen from his pocket and initialed each page then signed at the end of the document just as the temp walked in. With the temp as a witness Chris signed the document and put it in his portfolio as if he was certain it was going to grow legs and run.
He turned back to his desk and typed a few things on his laptop and then turned to her.
For the first time in his life Christopher Black was speechless. He was trying to figure out what just happened but he was scared to jinx it. He let out a breath he hadn't even been aware of holding.
The temp lingered. Chris looked away from Raella annoyed. "Yes?"
"Miss Van Rooyen, called to cancel sir."
"Excellent, that means we can go have lunch darling." Chris smiled at Raella his eyes practically sparkling with merriment as he stood. Rae blinked then smiled back and stood up as well.
"Oh goody. After all you do owe me dinner after I nearly got shot at." She jokingly mentioned the trip to the farm.
Chris' blue eyes darkened slightly. "Dinner is separate. It will be planned. In fact, it's already planned but I won't ruin the surprise." By now he'd walked around the desk and taken her hand. Somehow he kissed her knuckles in a way that gave her goosebumps.
Maybe it was the predatory way he looked into her eyes. Or maybe it was the fact that his voice had deepened just enough to imply a multitude of sinful things. Whatever the reason Raella simply nodded and let him lead her out of the office.
Not wanting to go far Chris took her to DV8, a renowned steakhouse that had over the years become the largest national franchise serving the finest Zimbabwe had to offer in meats & their accompaniments. They were both casually dressed for the office. He wore a pair of khakis with a long sleeved shirt and matching sports jacket while she wore ironically the female version of his outfit in linen. She wore a pair of blue kitten heels that matched her blouse and his eyes.
Lunch was perfect and stretched into the late afternoon. They laughed and enjoyed each other's company. Chris reluctantly drove her home and kissed her forehead at her door.
As he drove out of her gate he felt lighter than he had in years. The drive back to work was so short. He completed more work than he had planned and left the office early. After a long chat with Rae about Angelica and her make up escapade of earlier in the day they said their good nights & he went to bed.