Clandestine Affair

Chapter 4

Yvonne was busy in her office when she heard a noise outside her door in the secretary's office. When she looked up from what she was doing, her door opened and Tafida came striding in while her secretary followed him quickly from behind, trying to stop him.

As Tafida fixed his gaze on Yvonne, Veronica quickly curtsied to her boss and said apologetically with a little frown. "I'm sorry ma. He barged in before I could stop him."

"That's alright, Vero, you can go." Yvonne answered, dismissing the helpless Secretary and Vero curtsied and exited the office. When she was gone, Yvonne leaned back into her chair and glowered at Tafida. "You sure have a lot of nerve showing your face around here." She told him.

"Well, I had to." Tafida answered then sat down on one of the chairs in front of Yvonne's desk.

"I didn't ask you to sit!"

"You needn't ask me. It's only proper for me to sit." He simply replied.

Yvonne glared at him for a moment then asked: "What do you want?"

"What I want?" He sighed then lifted and bent his right leg over his left knee, his arms on the armrest. "I came to see you."

"I'm not going to change my mind about having you expelled from this school if that's what you are here for." She resolutely stated.

"You are not that heartless, are you? You are not going to ruin a young man's life all because of a little altercation that should be a thing of the past."

"You disrespected me!" Yvonne snapped.

"And that's why I'm here to apologize." He informed her. "I'm sorry, Yvonne."

Her eyes narrowed now to two angry slits. "Did you just address me by my maiden name?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Or what would you rather I call you?!"

"It's Dr. Suleiman to you and every other person, young man!" She retorted.

"I think I'm just fine with Yvonne." He smirked.

"That's it!" Yvonne sat up now, holding herself back from slapping that smirk off his face. "Get out of my office!"

"I figured you'd say that..." Then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a black box with a red ribbon tied around it which had a bow on the top. Leaning forward, she placed the box on the desk in front of her.

Yvonne stared down at the box in confusion. "What's this?"

He smiled now, revealing his pearly white teeth. "What does it look like? A gift of course."

"What for?" She asked with a frown.

He glanced from the box to her with a surprised smile. "Damn! You don't know what today is?"

"And what's so special about today? It's just a Friday."

"It's Valentine's day; Love day, does it ring a bell?"

"And this gift is a Val's gift?"

"Yes... It's just a little something to go with my apology for calling you a bitch the other day." He said and she could sense the remorse in his voice but she wasn't going to be swayed by this act.

Yvonne gave him a suspicious look now as she leaned forward, placed her elbows on the desk and locked her fingers in front of her. "Did somebody put you up to this?" Her tone was laced with accusation.

He gave her a puzzled look now. "What do you mean?"

"I want to know where you got such guts from or who even gave you the feeling that you can indirectly hit on a lecturer...and not just lecturer at that, a Head of Department. Are you a gigolo?"