PLANNING TIME

                                                                  Chapter 3

Geoffrey

The pencil made a tap - tap noise as it repeatedly struck the table, leaving tiny dents in its wake.

I scanned the newspaper in my hands, my eyes moving rapidly from one line to another, sometimes skipping large chunks of information in a bid to get to that one important piece. I hoped I wasn't going to skip it with the way I was going.

I decided to use my fingers to aid my eyes, as they traced the fine print.

And. . . finally.

My hands stilled on some particular words.

Below it was a full blown picture of some executives of a company. As I gazed at the picture, my eyes rested on one figure in particular -- a woman in a trouser suit.

I smiled, but it didn't contain any warmth.

Throwing the newspaper to one side, l opened the laptop that was idling by on the table and began searching the internet. I clicked on LinkedIn application, and searched for a name and face.

Thereafter, I checked F******k to gain more information on my prey, for that was what she was.

I would woo her and ruin her.

No woman was safe from me.

When I decided I wanted something, nothing stopped me from achieving my aim.

I wanted this woman --- she was my next pay check.

I had sought her out when I had dried up my last victim's finances. I didn't see any further use for her and so on learning she had gone bankrupt, she'd committed suicide.

Baa! What a waste!

Good riddance!

I made sure to get all the recent news on this present one. She was married and that had thrilled me further, because I always liked a challenge. The married one's were always better to use, because they had more money to give and they always fell prey eventually.

Why, you ask?

Think about it --- same boring routine everyday.

Work, kids, husband, same bed, same body to touch . . .

This goes on, until they're almost ready to pull their hair out of their scalp. . .

Until something new comes along, and voila . . .

They fall for the excitement of someone new, someone different.

They always do!

And I knew this one would fall too.

No woman could resist me, my charm -- that invisible charm that no one knew about.

She had fallen like a pack of cards before, so this wouldn't be much different. Though, there was still much work to be done. This time, it was for a different reason.

I already had her heart. What I wanted now, she wouldn't get to know until it was too late.

She was easy and naive. Matter of fact, women generally were naive things --- tell them you loved them and they believed you -- even better -- buy a few gifts here and there and you would easily gain access into their hearts, and bodies as well.

And this one -- was a simpleton, always believing everything I tell her. Even when we had met back in the university, all she had talked about was getting married and settling down - such a nag.

She said she'd gotten pregnant --- seriously??

I'd told her to stick the baby somewhere the sun don't shine --- at least, in my head.

I'm not that evil.

I decided to feign happiness and go along with it, but when I found my next prey, I had dumped her like a hot pot of scalding soup, because let's face it, I go where the wind blows, or where the money blows, more like.

And she didn't have nothing to give, so I bailed.

But damn -- she was great in bed, but man can not live by bed alone -- no pun intended.

I thought about the past as I got up and walked into my secret room. I came out holding a calabash which I held at a safe distance in front of me. I placed it in front of my laptop and took a red wooden object out of it.

Looking directly at the object, I spoke into it. "Osagiede, you are now my slave, you will do as I say from now on. You will never escape me."

As I blew on it, purple smoke emanated and wafted towards my laptop.

Action and magic. A terribly wonderful duo.

I laughed maniacally, my eyes gleaming madly.

And it begins.

The next day

I looked at myself in the mirror, trying to assess how women saw me.

I had light green eyes that turned into slits when I smiled. They were my redeeming feature and I used them to my advantage.

I liked to smile at women, reason being that I loved to get a reaction out of them in doing so. "Oh I love your eyes, they're so expressive, and the colour, my goodness, so beautiful."

And I'd silently reply. "And I'd love to get my hands on your money, so gaze away."

I took one last critical look at myself, checking for flaws.

Plain white tailor long sleeved shirt cut to my exact dimensions with gold cuff links at the sleeves, paired with dark brown chino's with gators so sharp, they could carve wood. This was worn well over a body I worked to perfection. The whole ensemble looked simple, yet screamed elegant and chic.

Black, pure crocodile leather shoes finished off the look.

A very distracting look that worked all the time.

I looked good and I knew it.

I spared no expense on my looks, because it was important for business and it helped make me more credible, so I always bought expensive things that suited me.

My style ranged from casual to business casual, but I never went headlong into full business wear. I found it auster and boring.

As I smiled at my reflection, my eyes became slits. I was ready for the dinner date.

This is the defining moment.

*

I came down from my car, a Prado Jeep, the latest model.

I flipped the keys at the valet and walked purposefully through the swing doors of the hotel, moving into the restaurant where I settled down strategically at the back so I could see everyone who came in.

I didn't have to wait long as she came in wearing a mini skirt suit. She swung her head from left to right looking for me.

She was a seductress, I'll give her that. She caught the eyes of several men as she passed them.

Sighting me, an inner light shone in her eyes and a big smile broke out on her face as she wove and made her way towards me.

She must have come straight from work, judging from the work clothes she still had on.

Time to get into character.

I got up and met her half way, appearing as the ever - polite man, a facade that always sat well with women.

She sat down and began talking immediately, so I pasted a polite smile on my lips, all the while cursing her in my mind as she talked my ear off.

Why doesn't she just shut the hell up?

"... and because of that I have been promoted to Development Manager, isn't that wonderful?"

Say what?

My ears perked up at the word 'promotion,' as the rest of what she said was lost to the wind.

"This calls for a celebration my love." I motioned to a waiter.

"A bottle of your finest champagne, please." I would make sure I got my money back later. My mind was already thinking of financial gains.

"Sugar!" l started, "I know this is a time for celebration, and I don't want to put a dampener on things, but I need to know. What happened to our child?"

I hope she doesn't leave a bastard running around asking for its daddy.

"I know for a fact that you didn't give birth to a baby, otherwise you'd have told me. So what exactly happened?

"I'm sorry my love," she began, looking like a lost puppy. "I had to abort it. I was so mad and upset at you, plus I couldn't raise it alone. What would I have told my parents. Final exams were still six months away and I would have started to show by then, the shame would have been too much for me, a single mother, pregnant and alone." She finished, her eyes downcast.

"I guessed as much and I'm so very sorry I hurt you that way, I was such a jerk." I decided to lay it on thick, so cupping her chin, I continued. "But I'm here now, and I will never leave you. We will make more babies, I promise you."

Her smile was instantaneous, she clasped my fingers tightly.

"I believe you my love, that's why you came back for me, because you couldn't stay away, right?" She asked, eyes round and big, lips parted, waiting for my reply.

Who am I to disappoint if it helps you sleep at night.

But out aloud, I chirped. "Of course sugar, I realised the futility of my being away from you. It was torture for me! You don't know how I longed for you, for your kisses and for your warm embrace."

That part at least was true. She had always known how to stir me physically. "We will never be apart because I love you," I finished, holding her hands.

Her smile was almost beatific.

We ate in silence thereafter, punctuated only with smiles and lingering touches.

I cleared my throat during dessert. "Sugar, I want you to come spend the night with me."

It'd been too long since I had a taste of her. It was long overdue.

Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets in astonishment. "I... I. You can't expect me to do that. What will my husband think?"

Who gives a hoot about your dead - beat husband.

"I am going to be your new husband soon, sugar. I need to spend time with you, we need to be together, come on please." And in a low tone, looking directly into her eyes, I added. "I command you to!"

Her body went rigid thereafter, her eyes glazing over.

"I will do as you say." Her eyes held a lost, faraway look in them and I smiled as I watched her pick her phone with slow, uncoordinated movements.

She called her husband and told him she would not be coming back home tonight, because her best friend wasn't feeling too well . . . I really don't know much more because my mind had already accelerated to the pleasure of after - hours with her.

After some more exchange of words, she cut the call and looked at me, the faraway look still in her eyes.

I smiled as I sipped my wine, assessing her keenly as seconds slipped into a minute.

Snapping my fingers in front of her face, her body went slack and she slumped against the table, a fine sheen of perspiration on her forehead.

She came around slowly, shaking her head as if to clear it of invisible cobwebs. I watched as she looked around. It seemed she was noticing her surroundings for the first time.

My charm had that effect on women.

"Are you alright sugar?" I asked.

"I . . . I'm fine, just a little disoriented." She gulped down some water, spilling some of it on her blouse with shaky fingers.

Fast forward to later that night. I ravaged her over and over again to the point that she almost fainted.

She was so weak when the morning came that she could hardly speak. I had to call her office and pose as her husband, saying she was ill and couldn't go to work that day.

Luckily for her, there were no meetings scheduled, so I called an Uber for her.

Boy, I don't want to know what her husband would say with her looking that way.

Ravaged!

Who cares? I've gotten what I want.

And I'll get more, later.

Now ... there's much work to be done.

Game on!