She was enraged.
And charged into her bosses office.
Eyes blazing behind her glasses.
Pen in hand.
Curvaceous body ramrod straight.
Beautiful Light complexioned face taut with frowning.
Her words were harried.
So he said.
"Calm down and speak slowly."
She calmed down.
And then spoke.
"Sir, I feel very disrespected. The client you told me to call and discuss logistics for the delivery is openly flirting with me over the phone."
"And?"
"I cannot take it, sir. I am a married woman."
"But you want your job?"
"Yes, sir."
"Would you do your job for free?"
"No, sir."
"How will I get the money to pay you, if my client cancels the contract?"
"But sir, it is morally wrong. I am a professional and..."
"It is money they use to pay professionals."
"My husband will be enraged to find out that men are flirting with me at work."
"Are you working for your husband?"
"No sir. But that doesn't mean that he will tolerate men flirting with me."
"Please call your husband."
"Now?"
"Yes, I want to talk to him."
"Sir, I don't understand why you..."
"Please, call your husband."
She stood there undecided for a moment as she stared at her unsmiling boss.
The she slowly brought out her phone from her pant suit pocket and placed the call.
It rang once, twice and he picked up.
"Babe, how far?"
"My boss wants to speak to you."
"Your boss?"
"Yes."
"Hope nothing?"
Her boss leaned forward on his seat and signaled to her to pass the phone.
"Let me give him the phone."
She handed the phone over to him and stood there uncomfortably.
Her hands behind her back.
Whittling in the aura of power that was emanating from her boss.
He placed the phone on his giant polished antique mahogany desk.
And put it on speaker.
"Good afternoon, my oga."
"Good afternoon, sir."
"Apologies for the call but there is an issue here concerning your wife that I believe I will need your take in solving it."
"I hope its not serious, sir."
"I am afraid she says it is serious."
"Ahhh. Is she in trouble?"
"Not with me, no. But I think there will be some kind of trouble if we do not resolve this amicably."
"Hmmm. Okay sir... what exactly is the issue?"
"She is handling a very important client account for the company. An account that brings in nearly 50% of our revenue. It is an account that normally only my high performing staff handle and seeing that your wife has been recently promoted and I believe now able to handle our major clients, I personally had the account handed to her."
"Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome. You see the client is a personal friend of mine and your wife just angrily came into my office unannounced."
"I am sorry, sir."
"It is okay, I am a reasonable man, and she is like a daughter to me."
"I appreciate that, sir."
"The problem is that she says my friend, as in the important client she is handling is flirting with her."
"Flirting?"
"Yes, my Oga. Over the phone."
"Oh, it was over the phone."
"Yes, my Oga."
"She has not met him in person?"
"Not yet, my Oga."
"Hmmm... will she meet him in person?"
"Depends on how this is handled. But for our major clients, the staff personally in charge of the account will have to meet them in person from time to time, depending on the demands of their needs."
"Hmmmmm."
"My Oga, I understand how this sounds but I have a company to run, salaries to pay and my family to take care of."
"Hmmmm."
"Your wife is a high performing staff and I see a bright future for her in this company. Someone who might one day sit on my chair if she does the right things. But right now my Oga, I have been put in a very difficult position and at times like this I have to first and foremost thing of the balance sheet of the company."
"Hmmmmm."
"My Oga, I am sure you understand my predicament."
"Hmmmm. Yes I do, sir. Shebi it is just ordinary flirting..."
Lagos
Jude Idada
June 28, 2022
