Rival Lovers

Friendship

Meanwhile, Fey, who was many kilometers away and was completely oblivious to how bad she was going to be broken while signing a deal for another big client whom she had once again convinced easily because her reputation for being the best always went before her, smiled and conversed with her clientele.

“So Mr. Jude, don’t you think us having dinner would be the perfect topping to this sweet deal?”

“I completely agree. Allow me to host you.” He replied.

“No way. It’s all on me. It is also a way to welcome you to do business with us.”

“If you insist, then. Thank you.”

“You are welcome. I’ll have my assistant send the details to you. Will Friday be okay?”

“Any day at all, just as long as I get to spend time with this beautiful and smart woman sitting before me.”

Laughing, Fey said, “ Oh Jude, you do not have to flirt with me. You know business and pleasure don’t miss well.”

“Yeah, I know you do not date clients but I just had to try, right?”

“Right. See you Friday evening. Do have a good day Mr. Jude.” They both stood and shook hands while she walked him to the door of her office and called her assistant in.

“Prepare a file for Mr. Jude’s company and set up a staff strictly for all his business with us.”

“Yes ma’am. Should I order your lunch or will you eat out?”

With no immediate reply, he assumed he had to order.

“What would you like for lunch and where would you like it from?”

“Its okay Pat. I’ll go out instead.”

After Pat left the office, she called her girls to know if they were free to join her for lunch as she was in a happy mood and didn’t want to go alone.

Catie agreed immediately as she needed a break and Viv would not miss a free meal (in her words actually). So they agreed to meet at their favorite spot in fifteen minutes.

“Oh ladies, it's so nice to see you. I missed you so much.” Fey said.

Viv replied. “When you’ve been busy working and refused to come do your hair. Look at that. I’m so ashamed to call you my friend at this moment because I would be judged as a bad friend who can’t even convince you to let me do your hair.”

Catie and Fey laughed and she (Fey) said, “I would never make you ashamed of me. So I’ll come in this weekend so you can make me look beautiful as always.”

“That’s my girl. I have a new style I want you to try and, since you kill every look, I’m not worried about that.”

Catie jokingly said, “Hey, I’m your friend too and you do not give me such preferential treatment.”

“Come on love, you get your hair done every weekend and you enjoy the beautiful hairdo I make for you. Unlike this workaholic who waits till she is reminded to make hers.”

They all laugh and continue their playful banter while waiting for their orders.

The chef who knew how they liked their food always took special time in making it as this was where they almost always chose to hang out and they always complimented his cooking.

Their friendship was an odd one. They all met at Viv’s salon when both Catie and Fey went to get their hair done (Catie a regular and Fey a first timer). Fey was unsure of the style that Viv was suggesting to her but was finding a hard time telling her (Viv) an outright no because Viv was just too sweet and it would be bad to hurt her feelings. After all, she just wanted to make her (Fey) look good. Catie was waiting as she only let Viv be the one to do her hair. Since she was watching them, she heard Viv’s suggestion and agreed that it was good style and Fey had the looks to pull it off.

At the end, Fey agreed and she was never sorry she did. After getting her hair done, she also allowed herself to get swayed into having a manicure and pedicure (this she maintained at a regular but not her hair). While it was being done, Viv did Catie’s hair, after which they all just kind of agreed they were hungry and went to eat at this spot and now here they are as regulars.

As they ate, they were unaware of the private investigator seated close to them who had listened to every word of their conversation since they came in. He had been stalking Fey so it was easy to just sit close like another customer and when he was sure that no one was joining them, he had texted two of his colleagues to wait outside for him.

After the ladies were done with their lunch and agreed to meet by the weekend, they bade themselves goodbye and went their separate ways, happily unaware of being watched.

When they had stood to leave, the P.I stood as well and signaled one of his men to follow Catie and the other to follow Viv. They knew what had to be done, so there was no need for words.

The P.I who had followed Catie saw that she had been going to an antiques shop and after waiting for a few minutes and she didn’t come back out, he decided to go in to confirm if she was still there or had known of the tail and went out through the back door. Going in, he saw that the shop was quite bigger than he thought when looking from outside and was a little disturbed when he didn’t immediately see Catie. Then, he saw her at a corner being attended to by an attendant, but on getting closer it was just the opposite. She was attending to a customer.

He went out to give a call to his superior, who told him to watch her some more to find out her routine and they proceeded from there.

Viv got to her shop unaware of her escort and in so much high spirits that she was literally dancing into the shop. She went about her day as usual and when it was time to close shop, she did and went home fully unconcerned about the world around her.

Fey went on her way and continued working like there was no tomorrow.

When Kiki called the detective to get an update, she was told of the findings so far and though it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, it still gave her the feeling that they were close to having a breakthrough on the mystery of Fey Adams, which was good news in her opinion.