The Dice#18

“Here’s my phone, Moses is on the line.”
Dunni looked at him quizzically, “has he been on the line all this while?”
“Yes, and please can I have my phone when you are done?”
Toni rolled her eyes at him, “Of course you’ll have your phone back, or maybe I should have it?” she asked mischievously. Ola wagged his finger at her, and he was out of her office.
“Hello, stranger,” the sound of Moses’s voice made her almost want to cry. Dunni closed her eyes, letting the sound of his voice wash over her.
Taking in the sound of his breath over the phone. She smiled at his silence. He always did that thing – greet and wait for her to speak first. It was a game they played, and she was always the one to give in and break the silence.
This time around, she was taken aback by the power in the sound of his voice and how she could literally feel him standing in her office.
“How are you?” she asked, forgetting she was waiting for him to speak.
“Ahhhh! Are we not too old for this game?” Dunni queried, miffed that he had beaten her to it as always.
Moses held his phone tightly, allowing the softness of her voice cut deep into his soul. He was not sure how long he could stay away from her. He wanted to see her, gaze into her eyes and feel the connection they had. The project was taking longer than expected. He’d been tempted so many times to take a week off, but he knew what that would do to the project, and he was not ready to take that risk. This was a massive project, and not only did he need to do a perfect job, but he also had a reputation to maintain for future projects. He heaved. Savouring the sweetness of Dunni’s voice and the smile he could imagine on her face would do for now.
Ignoring her question, he asked, “How are you?”
“Fine as can be. So much work to do here but we got it under control. And yourself?”
“These guys here are slave drivers. I don’t think they ever rest. Trying hard to keep up.”
“I think you are the chief slave driver. They must be rushing to finish the project to get rid of you.”
His peals of laughter could be heard over the phone, which brought a smile to Dunni’s face.
“I don’t mind getting rid of me too if it would bring me to you.”
“Is that a line engineered by the toss of your dice?”
Moses groaned in frustration.
Dunni laughed. “I am not the one who makes critical decisions from the toss of a dice.”
“You should try it sometime,” he retorted drily.
“Yeah yeah!”
He wanted to ask of Mr Flowers, he heard Ola alluding to over the phone but was not sure if he really wanted to know. Ignorance they say is bliss.
The jealousy he felt was suffocating him. For all, he knew this could be one of Dunni’s many admirers that would fade away with time. The thought of anything else was too scary. Losing Dunni would make life not worth living. This was no cliché. It was his reality.
“It’s been so hard to keep in touch. Your phone is either dead or just ringing.”
“Guilty as charged. It’s the timing. I have called you a couple of times and gave up. On other occasions, it’s the wrong time. Your midnight over there is morning the next day here. It would be nice once you are back.”
“That should make me feel better, but something tells me, the work you have for me will be worse than the slave drivers here.”
“You could not be more right,” Dunni concurred.
Moses wanted to spend more time talking with her, but he knew he had to let them go, she had work to do.
“You sure you are good?” he asked Dunni again.
She wanted to tell him of her heart troubles but changed her mind. He was facing a challenging project, and she was insensitive by wanting to dump her personal problems on him.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” she replied.
They chatted for a few more minutes before Ola came back for his phone.
Dunni rounded up with Moses and passed the phone to Ola.
“Guy, I need my phone,” Ola spoke into the phone now on video.”
“Dunni, your phone should be charged by now, but I don’t think you should be using the business time to chat.”
“What!” she grabbed his phone back while he objected throwing his hands up in resignation.
“That’s precisely what I have been suffering since you left. Please wrap that project up, or you may not find me in Designtex upon your return.”

” Why did I not think of a video call, Moses you look like a stone age man. I could walk past you and not recognise you.” Dunni teased him going around her table to Ola so Moses could view the two of them at the same time.

Moses swallowed with no come back for her as he drank in her beauty like a thirsty soul. If her voice was making a mess of him, seeing her was breaking every resolve to be patient. He had to find a way to make Dunni begin to see him in more than the capacity of a friend and business partner.
“Now I think you need to leave. You are using business time for frivolities.” Dunni smirked, happy to have the last word as she ended the video and handed Ola’s phone to him, pushing him out of her office.