Chapter 1 Present Day

Danielle was in a daze, looking at the boss with lust and twinkle in her eyes. She was so lost in her lustful thoughts that the boss had to snap his fingers to catch her attention, she jerked back to reality. He looked at her weird behavior with a tiny frown, handed the file back to her and said – “Go and give it to the accountant and make sure you follow it up, I don’t want any delay in processing the order”.

She answered – “Yes sir, right away, do you need anything else?” He looked at her sternly. And she quickly left his office. She closed the door and whispered- “oh my God! He is so hot!” She walked back to her work station with a big smile thinking of only one thing, how she will easily win the bet.

Janet on the other hand was at her place of work worried about the pile of files on her desk and if she will be able to meet the deadline given by the clients. She doesn’t have much time to think of anything else, and the bet, she has totally forgotten about it.

The Bet

Danielle and Janet were hanging out with two of their other friends at the beach, eating suya, joking around and talking about men and relationships. Danielle laughing said – “Jay Jay is a saint, forget about taking the initiative to ask a man out she can’t even look a man in the eyes. She just can’t. I am 102% sure that she can’t”.

Janet looked at her with side eyes and said – “I will surprise you. Shebi u de always look at me like say I dey shy abi, I will shock you one day”.

Bibiana was laughing hysterically when she said – “Dee I agree with you, she won’t even be able to toast a chewing gum boy not to talk of a full blown hunk”.

Still laughing Tokunbo replied – “Bee abeg make una no de trouble my sweet Jay. She can toast her mirror at home but definitely not a man”. They all burst out laughing.

Janet stopped laughing and said with feigned seriousness – "it’s ok, I will show you I can toast a man, I will walk towards the next man that walks this way and ask him out. I will show you all today”. They were all still laughing when an old man with a pot belly, wearing brightly patterned Hawaiian shorts and a white unbuttoned T passed by.

Janet looked at him and said – “which kain bad luck be this, see this old man” and they all burst out laughing.

Bibiana's eyes lit up as she suddenly thought of something– “I have an idea, since Dee said you can’t ask a man out and actually make him fall for you and you said you can. Why don’t you two make a bet?”

Dee & Jay both chorused – “A Bet?”

Bibiana said – “Yes, a bet. We all know Dee can’t keep a job for more than one week” to which Danielle looked at her with a scowl, she smiled and continued – “but now that her dad has gotten another job for her as usual. If the boss turns out to be a man, single of course. Both of you will have to make him fall in love with you. Whoever turns out successful is the winner and the other will be tagged a wimp”. She paused for effect “for life”.

Tokunbo with a big smile, tapping her fingers together in excitement said- “oh yes, good idea, oh this is going to be sooo much fun. How I wish we can record the process. I will like to see Jay Jay try. And I like the fact that no one knows who the target is, so there will be no cheating”.

Janet frowned and said  – "but wait oh Tee, what if her boss turns out to be a woman, then what?”

Tokunbo scrunched her face and said – “then any other single high ranking guy at the office will do. But under one condition, he must be fine as hell, we don’t want easy targets, ugly guys will say yes quickly without batting an eyelid to the both of you”.

They were all laughing again when Janet with a straight face said – “challenge accepted”. Well she accepted knowing she will fail anyways but since this is fun for her friends, she will just go along with it and have fun in the process too.

Danielle looked at her with a sheepish smile and said– “you will fail woefully”.

Janet was complaining about how Dee will have the upper hand though since she will be working with him directly and will see him every day when Tee’s phone rang. She picked it up and stepped outside, few moments later she came back and said – “girls we will have to meet up some other time, something important just came up, I have to go. We will set more rules, Dee, I agree with Jay. We don’t want ojoro, no cheating”.

Danielle said – “I am up for it! I am going to win anyways”.

And that was how the bet that will change their lives forever was made.

Danielle was still fantasizing about the boss when she got a call from her mum. “Hello Danielle, come home quick your dad just had a heart attack”.

She screamed – "What!? Hello, mummy?” 

beep beep beep. 

She picked up her car keys, bag and ran outside, she didn’t even notice that the boss was talking to the receptionist at the front desk. The boss looked at the door and then the receptionist and said sternly – “Type her dismissal letter”.

Danielle was worried as she drove towards her house. She was speeding while frantically rummaging through her purse to get to her phone. She saw some Federal Road Safety Corps and slowed down. She was still searching her bag when the phone rang, she finally got hold of the phone and answered without checking the caller – “Mum, what’s going o…”

Bibiana said playfully – “Yes my daughter, you know mummy loves you” 

Bibiana was laughing when Dee said – “Please stop it Bee, I will call you back I have to call my mom”.

Bibiana noticed she sounded worried and asked – “Are you alright?”

To which Danielle answered – “My dad just had a heart attack, I will call you back later” and hung up. She was trying to unlock her phone to call her mom when she noticed she was almost at the corner of her house.

She got to her gate so worried she didn’t even notice that there were so many cars parked on the street and inside of their big compound. The Security also opened the gate quickly. She hurriedly parked at the front of the main door and ran inside the house only to hear – “Surpriiiiiiiise”.

She was shaken but when she saw everyone she started laughing, out of breath she said - “You got me! You got me! You really did!”

Her mom and dad came forward, hugged her and said – “Happy 24th Birthday darling”. 

She replied – “Thank you, I love you two but after all this, you both will have to listen to me. I thought you didn’t remember that today is my birthday”.

Her mom replied – "Of course we do, we planned all this behind your back. Do you like it?"

Danielle– "I love it, but mom next time don't use such extreme lies, I nearly got a heart attack myself" 

Her dad looked at her mom, in a I told you so manner. 

Mrs Savage looked at her husband and sighed "ok, I won't next time"

Danielle smiled hugged her parents, turn around and started greeting the guests when she saw Bibiana  – “You son of a gun. So you called just to sway me abi. I will get back at you”.

She was done greeting all the other guests when Tokunbo said – “Dee you have a call”, she turned around and saw the projector.

It was her two brothers Mathew and Jared, both studying further in the United States. Singing – “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear lil brat. Happy birthday to you”. She scowled at the screen and happily she said - “Thank you”. 

They both apologized that they couldn’t make it, but she should save some cake for them. They said hello to everyone and the screen went blank. Danielle was so happy that she didn’t remember that she did not ask to be excused before dashing out of the office.

Janet came in some moments later and said – “I am so sorry Dee, I couldn’t leave work early, i had so much work”. 

Danielle shakes her head – “It’s alright Jay, we all know that you are madam worky worky”. 

Janet smiled handed her a gift and said – “Na you sabi, hope the plan didn’t scare you too much, I was against it, but you know how Tee and Bee comes up with the most bizarre plan all the time, they convinced your mum”

Danielle said – “I knew it! my parents can’t plan something so scary, I was scared to death, that i came running” she  remembered her work, her eyes widened and said - “Oh shit!”.

Janet asked worriedly– ‘‘What is it?’’

Danielle replied- ‘‘I didn’t tell anyone at the office where I was going”. Janet looked at her shaking her head. “It seems you just lost another job baby girl”

Danielle looked at the direction were her parents are entertaining guests with a pout – “It’s their fault, well they will have to get me another job, but I will miss my boss, Jay Jay he is so hot!”

Janet seeing an opportunity to back out of the bet said quickly – “That means our bet is off” 

Danielle replied – “Not on your life, let’s just enjoy the party, we will think about the bet later. We will go to Quiddox Club later when all the old people are gone”

Tokunbo and Bibiana joined them when Janet said – “I am sorry I can’t go to Quiddox, I have loads of work I am taking back home with me”

Tokunbo laughing  “Jay Jay miss workaholic, nawa for you o, loosen up a bit nah” 

Janet smiled, she hugged Tokunbo and Bibiana "My dear I can’t afford to lose my job o, I got it with so much difficulty”

Danielle sounding offended – “Shebi I said you to come work at my dad’s office you refused, you insisted you want to work in line with your qualifications. Anyways I knew you won’t come, even when you are not working, na holy holy you go dey dia dey do, when you should be having fun and meeting new guys”.

Janet stare at her wide eyed “Meet guys ke?, with the bet still on? shouldn’t we just focus on that one guy for now. Oya no vex, I will take you out for a treat during the weekend”

Bibiana always ready for outings of any kind happily said- “We are all coming along”