Читать книгу Lucky in Love - Cheryl Ntumy S. - Страница 4

“Welcome to Paradise,” Lucky Nthini whispered as she pushed open the doors of the building she had worked in for the last five years.

There was something magical about the showroom of the Chemtex warehouse at dawn. Slivers of reddish light slipped in through the blinds, spilling over the rolls of fabric, and the whole building seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for the day to begin.

Chemtex was an internationally recognised textile company and Lucky was proud to be the head of design and technology – or D&T as the staff called it. Although it was the Pretoria-Johannesburg traffic that brought her to the Midrand warehouse so early each morning, she was always eager to get to work. Chemtex was so well known for its cheerful working environment that the industry had dubbed it “Paradise”.

She walked across the floor, running her hand along the fabric on display, relishing the different textures. Lucky loved the way they felt against her skin. The scratchiness of tweed, the liquid softness of pure silk; the seductive, grown-up allure of lace. It was why she had chosen textile design over her parents’ dream career path for their only daughter – medicine.

Lucky had almost forgotten that she wasn’t alone until she heard Randy Thompson clearing his throat. He worked in the Chemtex labs, and he and Lucky lived in the same block of flats in Fourways. They drove to work together each day, alternating cars. That morning they had arrived in Lucky’s Audi.

“Are we making love to the extra-stretch cotton blends again?” he asked.

She smiled. “Don’t start.”

“Seriously, doll, this has got to stop,” he said firmly, placing one hand on her shoulder. “Falling in love with fabric – even if it is the prettiest fabric south of the equator – is not ayoba.”

Lucky heaved a theatrical sigh and threw the back of her hand against her forehead in a lovesick pose. “I can’t help myself. Every time I see those exquisite brocades, my heart melts!”

Randy laughed and swatted her arm. “Silly. I’m concerned about you, and you’re making jokes.” He linked his arm through hers and marched her out of the room. “You’re not going to find love among these walls, Lucky. You need to get out there.” He waved a hand at the windows as they walked past, heading towards the lift.

“I like it better in here,” she replied wryly.

Randy sighed. “That’s the problem.”

He was always trying to convince her to get into the dating scene, but Lucky found the idea of hunting for men distasteful. She wanted her road to love to be guided by the hand of God, not flirty glances and a few glasses of wine.

“The new CFO’s coming today,” she remarked, eager to change the topic.

“Lord help us. Though I hear he’s kind of hot,” Randy added with a sly smile.

Lucky wrinkled her nose. “A hot money guy? Is that even possible?”

The last CFO had resigned without warning, creating a curious buzz among industry insiders. Rumour had it that she’d fallen out with the CEO, Kgosana Sedibe, but Lucky didn’t buy it. Who could fall out with a man like Kgosana? Everyone loved him; he was bubbly, loyal, fair and sympathetic to his employees’ needs.

The lift opened and Lucky and Randy stepped into the dark corridor. Lucky reached for the switch and the corridor was flooded with fluorescent light.

“I’ve got to run,” said Randy with a sigh. “I’m supposed to test the dust-repellent coating and I still have a million details to take care of.” He yawned.

“I told you it was a bad idea to have a Leon Schuster movie marathon on a weeknight,” Lucky said, wagging a finger at him. “Now look at you!”

“Oh, whatever, Miss In-bed-by-ten.” Randy flashed an insolent grin. “At least I’m not resorting to fondling fabric.”

“Hey!”

Randy chuckled. “See you later, doll. I’ll tell you when I’m ready to leave, okay?” He winked and hurried off.

Lucky shook her head at his retreating figure, then turned towards the design studio. It was empty, but the designers had left their work out, knowing she’d want to have a look at it. She walked around the studio, studying the small pieces of paper cut in the shape of fabric swatches. There was some good rough work coming up, but she wouldn’t expect anything less.

She moved on to the printing room, checking the silk screens for dust and scratches, then went to the weaving room to see the work that was still on the looms. So far, so good. There were still a few weeks to go before they would be ready to show their newest material, but she wanted everything to be perfect.

By the time she headed back towards the studio the designers had started to trickle in. She greeted everyone warmly, made a few constructive comments about their work and then left them to it. She had a major international textiles convention coming up and there was a lot of preparatory work to do.

Lucky’s office was upstairs with the other executive offices, above the display room. There were times when she missed working down in the studio where all the action was, but she had earned her position and she loved it.

She had barely sat down behind her desk when her cellphone rang. It was Sizamile, or Siza, as everyone called him – one of her four brothers.

“Morning, Lucky Charm,” he said brightly. “How’s my baby sister?”

Lucky rolled her eyes and smiled. She had tried for years to get her brothers to stop making puns on her name, but her protests fell on deaf ears. She never knew which nickname her siblings would use on the rare occasions when she got to see them. Siza was the worst. As the family comedian, he considered it his duty to mock her every chance he got.

“I’m good, Siza. How are Zihle and the kids?”

“Zihle is beautiful and the kids are impossible, as usual. Listen, I’m in Jozi for a couple of days and I thought we could meet up. I haven’t seen you in ages.”

Lucky’s smile widened. “Of course! What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I’m free in the evening, as luck would have it.” Her brother chuckled.

Lucky groaned. “That was terrible, even for you.”

“Luckily I have until tomorrow to improve,” he replied with a fiendish cackle.

“Siza!”

“I know, I’m hilarious. Got to go, Lucky Charm – I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

Lucky hung up and shook her head. At thirty-three, Siza was the youngest of the boys and six years older than Lucky. Although he was the one who teased her the most, they had a special bond and she was looking forward to spending time with him. He lived in Port Elizabeth, just a short drive from their parents’ house, and they hadn’t seen each other since Easter – two months ago.

Besides being the baby of the family, Lucky also looked nothing like her brothers. They had all inherited their father’s muscular build and small, slanted eyes, while she was of average height and slender, with big, expressive eyes and a wide smile. She wore her hair in a no-fuss brush cut.

It was almost half past eight when the new CFO arrived. Lucky looked up from the portfolio she was preparing for the convention. There was the sound of excited voices in the corridor and a moment later Lucille, the deputy head of PR and marketing, stuck her head around Lucky’s door.

“The golden child is here,” she said with a wry grin. “Aren’t you coming to bask in his glory?”

“Do I detect a little envy?” asked Lucky.

“What can I say? I would love to have people describe me as ‘a financial brain to be reckoned with’.”

Lucky laughed. Lucille was referring to the words in the memo announcing the CFO’s appointment. As soon as Chemtex’s board of directors heard that the “financial brain” was returning to South Africa from the UK, they reeled him in with what was rumoured to be a very competitive pay package.

Lucky knew very little about the new employee besides his name – Eric Rukhava – and the hype that had surrounded him since Chemtex sought him out. She imagined him to be a portly man in a loud tie and spectacles. She wasn’t a fan of CFOs. They spoke in long-winded jargon and had no concept of the value of artistic freedom, especially when it clashed with the budget. Nevertheless, she was curious.

“Don’t you think we should tone down the enthusiasm a bit?” she suggested, getting to her feet.

Lucille giggled. “Don’t want to appear too eager, do we? Well, I want to know whether he’s worth all the drama.” She waved and disappeared.

Lucky shook her head and followed, amused and a little exasperated by the fuss. As far as she could tell, if you had seen one CFO, you had seen them all.

She was wrong. When Eric Rukhava walked into the packed showroom on the heels of Kgosana Sedibe, her eyes widened. He was tall and thin, with broad shoulders and light-brown skin, and carried himself with the grace of an antelope. He had a neat brush cut and an even neater goatee. Even in his smart navy-blue suit and crisp white shirt, he looked more like a basketball player than a corporate executive.

Kgosana began with a joke to break the ice, followed by a reminder of his upcoming trip. He was going on leave, leaving the company in the capable hands of the managing director. “And now,” he said with a wide smile, “we come to the part you’ve been waiting for. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the whispering.”

There was a muffled ripple of laughter across the room as all eyes turned to the newcomer.

“Well, the wait is finally over.” Kgosana chuckled. “I’d like to introduce our new CFO, Eric Rukhava. I trust that everyone will do their best to make him feel at home and give him any assistance he might need while he familiarises himself with the company. That goes for D&T too, Lucky,” he added, wagging a finger at her.

Lucky’s jaw dropped in surprise, but she joined in everyone’s laughter, feeling only slightly embarrassed. It was true that D&T seemed at loggerheads with the CFO more often than the other departments. When she glanced Eric’s way, she caught him looking at her. His eyes widened ever so slightly and her breath caught in her throat. Why was he looking at her that way, as if he knew something she didn’t?

Eric stepped forward amid the applause. He was calm and confident, unfazed by the crowd before him. “I appreciate this opportunity and I look forward to working with all of you.” There was another smattering of applause before he went on. “I have a lot of catching up to do, so I’ll be going over the records of every department.” He smiled. “I suppose I might as well start with D&T.”

A groan went up from the D&T staff, while the others laughed.

“I like a man who gets right into it,” said Kgosana, slapping Eric on the shoulder. “All right everyone, back to work.”

“Typical,” muttered one of the designers as the staff dispersed. “Why do they always pick on us?”

“Because you creative types are so difficult to work with,” teased Lucille, winking as she passed.

“Whatever you do, Lucky, don’t let him cut our budg­et,” warned Randy.

“Don’t worry,” Lucky told him. “I won’t.” She liked the look of Eric Rukhava. He seemed like the sort of man she could reason with.

“Lucky Nthini?”

She turned around and looked up into his penetrating gaze, and for some reason she felt a little short of breath. What was it about those eyes? She felt as if he was staring right into her soul. She managed to smile. “Welcome aboard, Mr Rukhava.”

“Thanks.” He held out a large hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too.” She took his hand and felt a little shiver run up her arm. Nerves, she told herself, but nerves had never felt quite this pleasant. Lucky dropped her hand quickly. She was anxious, that was all. Financial types always made her anxious.

“I’ve already started taking a look at the reports for D&T, and I’d like to discuss them with you tomorrow morning,” Eric went on.

Lucky raised her eyebrows. “Just let me know when you’re ready.”

“Excellent. See you then.” He smiled and walked away, and she noticed for the first time that he had a slight limp, as though one leg was the tiniest bit shorter than the other. If she hadn’t been paying close attention she probably wouldn’t have noticed.

Lucky watched him, feeling strangely flustered. What was wrong with her today? Was it the stress of the convention? That had to be it – there was no other logical reason for her to feel so off balance. Eric Rukhava was just a man – a money man, for that matter! She took a deep breath to calm herself and made her way back to her office. After a few steps she turned to glance over her shoulder and caught him looking at her with a half-smile on his face. She turned away quickly, her pulse racing. There was something in that smile, something unnerving … and exciting.

* * *

Lucky opened the door to her flat and was almost flattened by a tornado of brightly coloured fabric.

“Oops! Sorry!” Brenda burst into laughter. “Didn’t see you there.”

“How could you miss me?” asked Lucky in bewilderment.

“You kind of blend into the décor, dear,” Brenda said apologetically. She looked, as usual, like she had fallen out of a teen magazine from the nineties. She wore purple-and-orange striped leggings under a baggy Mickey Mouse T-shirt, an ancient pair of Doc Martens and a bright floral scarf worked into her braids.

Her style was in complete contrast to Lucky’s – neutral colours, simple cuts and as few accessories as possible. It made no sense to Lucky that her out-there flatmate worked in a bank, and no one who saw Brenda in her uniform would recognise her.

“How was work?” Brenda chirped.

“Okay. The new CFO arrived. His name is Eric Rukhava.”

“Ooh, what’s he like? No, let me guess – brooding and mysterious, pinstripe suit, thick beard and a strange ring on his little finger.”

“Uh, no.” Lucky couldn’t help smiling. Her flatmate was something of a conspiracy buff. She had convinced herself that Chemtex’s former CFO had left because she’d had a torrid affair with the CEO. No amount of reasoning could put a dent in one of Brenda’s conspiracy theories, so Lucky didn’t even try.

“No?” Brenda looked crestfallen. “Too bad. I guess one scandalous CFO is enough, anyway. Ooh – I’ve got more info on the money launderer.”

Lucky groaned. No matter how many times she told her flatmate not to discuss her work, Brenda kept sharing her crazy suspicions of the bank’s customers.

“You should have seen what he was wearing today. A really expensive suit – and a gold chain.” Brenda raised her eyebrows, as if this was all the proof she needed.

“A gold chain means nothing,” Lucky pointed out.

“That’s not all!” Brenda glanced at her pink plastic watch. “But I’ll fill you in when I get back. Bye!”

“Back from where?” Lucky watched the door slam and shook her head, then headed towards her bedroom. She caught sight of several dirty dishes in the sink and sighed. Brenda was one of those people who didn’t see why they should do something immediately if it could be left till later.

The pair first met in the registration queue at Tshwane University of Technology when they were starting their first year. They were hot and tired, and Brenda had decided to amuse herself by trying to guess what the students in the line were thinking, based on their facial expressions. The pair ended up in the same residence and had been friends ever since.

Lucky took a quick shower, and was pulling on an old T-shirt and shorts when there was a knock on the door. She went to open it; Randy came in carrying a large box of pizza and a small stack of textile magazines.

“Where’s the secret agent?” he demanded, taking a wary glance around the flat.

“Out, as usual,” laughed Lucky. “She’ll probably be home late.”

“As usual,” said Randy, making himself comfortable on the sofa. “Got some drinks? There’s no time to waste – we need to get to work.”

Lucky smiled on her way to the kitchen. Randy was a creature of habit and it was Tuesday night – his designated day for research. His flat was downstairs, but he spent most of his time at Lucky’s. She loved having him around. His outspoken comments made her laugh, but he also had a strong work ethic. Lucky liked to think of herself as the moderate member of the trio. She was creative and passionate, but she was also the one who remembered to fix leaking taps.

She returned to the living room with two glasses and a box of fruit juice. “What have you got today?”

“Textile trends in Europe,” he said, flipping through one of the magazines. “Synthetics are coming back.”

“Good – I’ve had enough linen to last me a while.” She sank onto the sofa beside him and leaned forward for a slice of pizza, peering over his shoulder at the magazine. “What did you think of Eric Rukhava?”

“The money guy?” He shrugged. “Easy on the eye, but otherwise just a money guy.” Randy turned to her suddenly, a suspicious look in his eyes. “Why?”

Lucky smiled. “Nothing. He just seems nice.”

“Nice?” Randy’s expression grew sceptical. “You hate money guys.”

“Hate is a strong word,” replied Lucky. “I just don’t always agree with their views.”

Randy gasped and wagged a finger at her. “You like him!”

“I hardly know him,” said Lucky with a laugh, but her face felt hot all of a sudden. “He just seems very … you know … efficient.”

Randy whistled. “And I know how you feel about men who get things done!”

Lucky nudged him with her elbow as she polished off her pizza slice. “He seems a little more reasonable than the others. I could be wrong – it was only his first day.” Despite her protests, she couldn’t help thinking of the way she had felt when she first looked into Eric’s piercing eyes. It was as if they were connected in some way, or would be soon.

She shook off the unnerving thought. “I wonder who Brenda’s with tonight.”

“Probably that guy from the deli.” Randy shook his head. “He’s cute, but anyone can see he’s only interested in getting into her psychedelic pants.”

“Trust me, that’s how she likes it,” sighed Lucky. She loved Brenda, but didn’t quite approve of her overactive love life. Why waste time dating random men when she could be building a future with someone kind, honest and dependable? Lucky wanted what her parents had – a relationship that would last a lifetime.

She turned the pages of the magazine, but after a few minutes she found her thoughts drifting back to Eric Rukhava. He possessed an air of mystery, as if he was much more than the sum of his parts.

Lucky couldn’t remember being unsettled by a man before. Brenda was forever prattling on about “uncontrollable desire” – it was her favourite phrase, the driving factor behind every one of her brief relationships. But as far as Lucky was concerned, everything could be controlled. At twenty-seven she was still a virgin and didn’t believe that something as basic as biology could ever cloud her judgement.

Even so, when she thought of Eric her skin felt hot all over. Maybe I’m coming down with something, she thought hopefully, but she didn’t think that was the case. For some reason the new CFO got her hot and bothered, and that could only mean trouble.