Borrowed

Friday began with celebration.

The signed NorthBridge agreement finally arrived.

After months of presentations, revisions, samples and negotiations…

The deal was official.

The entire company gathered in the showroom.

Someone ordered small chops.

Another person brought cake.

Music played from a speaker near reception.

For once, nobody talked about deadlines.

They simply enjoyed the moment.

Raymond stood in front of the team.

“This achievement belongs to every single person here.”

“You all sacrificed something.”

“Time.”

“Sleep.”

“Family.”

“And today…”

“…it has paid off.”

The applause lasted almost a full minute.

When it finally died down, Raymond added,

“I have one more announcement.”

Everyone became quiet.

“As part of the expansion, we’re creating a new position.”

He looked toward Zai.

“Zainab Adebayo…”

“…effective next month, you’ll become Associate Creative Lead.”

The room erupted.

Funke hugged her first.

Chinedu whistled loudly.

Even Daniel smiled.

Zai couldn’t speak.

She had joined LuxeThread less than a year ago.

Now…

She was being promoted.

She looked at Raymond.

“Thank you, Sir.”

He simply nodded.

“You earned it.”

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

That evening, most of the staff left for a nearby lounge to celebrate.

Adanna couldn’t attend.

She had promised Zara they would spend the evening together preparing for the charity event.

Before leaving, she smiled at everyone.

“Don’t let Chinedu drink too much.”

The office burst into laughter.

“I’ve changed!”

Chinedu protested.

“That’s exactly what worries me.”

She left smiling.

The celebration continued.

There was music.

Laughter.

Stories from old projects.

People teasing one another.

For the first time in months…

Everyone relaxed.

Around nine o’clock, Daniel received an emergency call from his father.

He apologized and left.

Funke also excused herself.

Her son’s breathing had become difficult again.

One by one…

The group became smaller.

Eventually only four people remained.

Chinedu.

The Sales Director.

Raymond.

And Zai.

Then Chinedu looked at his phone.

“My wife has been calling me for the past fifteen minutes.”

He stood up immediately.

“If I don’t leave now…”

“…I’ll be sleeping outside.”

Everyone laughed.

The Sales Director offered him a lift.

Within moments…

They were gone.

The lounge suddenly felt different.

Not awkward.

Just quieter.

Raymond looked at his watch.

“I should leave too.”

“So should I.”

They walked outside together.

The valet brought Raymond’s car.

Just as Zai opened her ride-hailing app, a notification appeared.

No drivers available due to heavy rainfall.

She sighed.

“Lagos.”

Raymond glanced at the dark sky.

Rain had started again.

Harder this time.

“I’ll wait.”

She said.

“It should reduce.”

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

The rain only became heavier.

Raymond looked at the nearly empty parking lot.

“I’ll drop you.”

She hesitated.

“No, Sir.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll wait.”

“You could be here another hour.”

“I don’t mind.”

He shook his head gently.

“I’m not comfortable leaving you here alone.”

She looked around.

The security guards were locking one side of the building.

Most shops nearby had already closed.

Finally…

She nodded.

“Thank you.”

The drive began in silence.

Rain hammered against the windscreen.

Traffic crawled.

At one flooded junction, cars stopped moving completely.

Neither of them complained.

After several minutes, Raymond spoke.

“My father used to say rain forces honest conversations.”

She smiled.

“Why?”

“Because nobody can pretend they’re in a hurry.”

She laughed.

“That’s actually true.”

Another silence.

Comfortable.

Then Zai looked out of the window.

“Can I tell you something?”

“You can.”

“When I first came for my interview…”

“…I was afraid of you.”

He laughed.

“I’ve heard that before.”

“I thought you were the kind of man who never smiled.”

“And now?”

She smiled without looking at him.

“Now I know you’re just…”

She searched for the word.

“…lonely sometimes.”

His hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.

He didn’t answer immediately.

Because she wasn’t completely wrong.

Finally he asked,

“What made you think that?”

“You always stay after everyone leaves.”

“You work during lunch.”

“You answer emails at midnight.”

“You celebrate everybody else’s success…”

“…but nobody celebrates yours.”

The car became quiet again.

No one had ever described his life that way.

Not even Adanna.

Not because Adanna didn’t care.

Because she had been carrying her own responsibilities too.

Raymond spoke almost to himself.

“I don’t remember the last time someone asked if I was tired.”

Zai turned toward him.

“I wasn’t asking.”

“I could see it.”

Their eyes met for only a second.

Then both looked away.

The rain continued falling.

When they finally reached Surulere, the streets were almost empty.

Raymond stopped outside her building.

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them wanted to create the wrong impression by lingering.

“Thank you for the ride.”

“You’re welcome.”

She reached for the door handle.

Then paused.

“I hope…”

She smiled softly.

“…someone remembers to ask if you’re tired.”

Before he could respond…

She stepped out into the rain and hurried toward the building.

Raymond remained where he was.

Watching until she disappeared inside.

Not because he wanted to.

Because he wanted to make sure she entered safely.

Upstairs, Mama Zainab had seen the headlights through the curtain.

She wasn’t spying.

She was simply waiting for her daughter to come home.

When Zai entered, dripping from the rain, her mother handed her a towel.

“Who brought you home?”

“Our CEO.”

Mama Zainab stopped drying a plate.

“He drove you himself?”

“There were no taxis.”

Her mother nodded slowly.

“And?”

“And nothing.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I’m not.”

“I’m… confused.”

Mama Zainab looked at her daughter for a long time.

Then she asked quietly,

“Confused because something happened…”

“…or confused because you wish something had?”

The question landed like a stone.

Zai couldn’t answer.

Because for the first time…

She wasn’t sure.

Across the city, Raymond entered his house.

Adanna was asleep on the sofa with an open book on her lap.

He gently picked up the blanket and covered her.

She woke slightly.

“You’re back.”

“I’m back.”

She smiled sleepily.

“Was the celebration nice?”

“It was.”

“I’m proud of you.”

She reached for his hand.

He held it.

Yet somewhere deep inside…

Another hand still lingered in his memory.

Not because he wanted it to.

But because the heart sometimes remembered moments the mind desperately wished to forget.

For the first time…

Raymond realized he was no longer simply resisting temptation.

He was carrying it home with him.

Engagement Question

Do you think emotional cheating begins long before physical cheating, or is it only wrong after a physical line has been crossed?

To be continued…