Sinners and Saints II

Chapter 28

"Take out this part right here," Olivia gestured into her tablet so the young intern beside her could see just what part she was talking about. "Take it out too in Naomi's copy. We don't want her talking about it on air today. It could stir up trouble."

"Yes ma."

Olivia took a deep breath as she watched the intern walk away with the tablet. She turned around to the rest of the broadcast team. The room was so rowdy. It was exactly how it always was when there was an 'on air' presentation, everything just had to be perfect.

Olivia checked her wristwatch.

Twenty minutes left before they kicked off.

"Lights!" She could hear the director yell on the top of his lungs as he walked from one end of the room to the other with two workers tagging along behind him. Olivia rubbed her arm, she was beginning to get so cold from all that air from the air conditioning or was she just falling really sick?

Now she missed her bed. She couldn't help but wish she had just stayed back home but she knew she didn't want to. Being at work was the only way to take her mind off everything that had happened the day before, everything she didn't want to remember. Plus being at work was her only reasonable excuse to avoid him, to avoid Rafael because she knew the moment she saw him, she was going to have to tell him everything and it was going to make him so mad at his parents. That was the only reason she left the house so early just so they didn't have to bump into each other at breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, her belly rumbled. She was so hungry.

She rubbed her belly for a short while and raised her fingers up just so she could take another look at her shiny engagement ring.

"Mr Okonkwo?"

Olivia's thoughts were cut short the moment she heard someone call his name. She hesitated for a while, wondering if she probably heard wrong, right before she smelt him. His cologne filling the air as she heard footsteps approach her. It was his.

Olivia turned around quickly, a look of surprise in her eyes as her eyes met his the moment he got closer, walking as briskly as he could with a huge frown on his face, ignoring everyone that greeted him on his way to where she stood.

"R-"

He walked past her, his eyes glued to the bench behind her where some of the ladies had dropped their bags. Olivia turned too, narrowing her eyes on him as she watched him approach the bench, going straight to her orange Prada bag. It was like he knew exactly which was hers. Why wouldn't he? Her bag was the only branded one on the bench, at least the only real designer and Rafael was really good at spotting expensive items.

He grabbed the bag from the bench just as she walked as fast as she could to him as he opened it, his attention focused on it. Olivia watched him turn the bag over, emptying all the contents to the ground even before she got to him. She halted with her mouth wide open in disbelief as she watched all her items, her powder, lipgloss, book, pens, glasses and phone fall to the ground making loud noises on their way down. And there it was, the small piece of paper, taking its time, moving lightly with the direction of the wind like it was a feather until it landed right on top of her book.

Olivia could see how Rafael's eyes were glued to the paper. At that moment she knew what he was after. She knew he already knew about the cheque. She made a quick step to reach for it before he did but she was too late. He was one step ahead of her. Olivia watched Rafael bend over slowly, reaching for the paper and then coming back up with it.

She blinked hard.
It was like she was numb all over the moment he opened it to read what was in it.

She swallowed hard. Rafael raised his head slowly to meet hers, raising the cheque a little bit in the air.