fantishu
A Success
Chapter 26 A success?
X&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK. Dani and Carlos almost collided as they rushed into the office breathlessly. “Nina!” They called out at once. Nina stopped her call with Tania to look at them. “I will call you back, Tania. I have something to attend to.” She said, ending the call. “What is it?” “You won’t believe this!” The two of them chorused. “Can you stop imitating me?” Dani sneered at Carlos. Nina sighed softly. “Alright, let Dani tell me, Carlos, please.” She had to beg because Carlos might take it personally and refuse to let anyone speak. “Thank you.” She mumbled when he huffed in response, folding his arms. Dani squealed. “Guess who is raving the markets?” “Who?” “The veggies package we made. People are going crazy over it.” She announced. Nina blinked in surprise. “How do you know this?” Dani scratched the back of her head and looked towards Carlos. “We have our ways.” He responded on her behalf. Nina wasn’t sure to smile just yet. As suggested, they got to work with the veggies package. The review team put out small bits for the company testers, and they would get feedback after three days. Anxiety has had a chokehold on her for days. To cap it all, she had no one close by to share it with. Tania had resumed classes, leaving her all by herself. Sometimes, she has to talk to her growing belly. “W.. we can’t be sure just yet. I think it would be best if we wait for the board’s feedback.” She said. Joshua held a thumbs up. “You know you did an amazing job.” Just then, they were interrupted by the entrance of Xander and Dawn. Like a proud parent, Xander had a delightful grin on his face. “You did as promised, Nina. I had to come to inform you myself. We are starting mass production next week. You have made us super proud and extra rich.” He commended. “Well done, everyone.” He waved at the rest. Nina smiled widely, covering up her mouth with both hands. Even though she knows her ability, it doesn’t stop her from having doubts about whatever projects she puts out. “Thank you so much for trusting me and my team, sir.” Dawn scoffed. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself just yet. The sales will determine if you did well or not. For some people, hunger drives them, and they might not have a true sense of judgment.” Everyone went silent. Xander groaned inwardly; there was no need for Dawn to be here. But she just had to nose her way in. “Don’t be so shallow-minded, Dawn. You know that this determines the market value, and it has successfully passed the stage. Anyway, congratulations once again, guys. I will see you all around.” He said, dragging Dawn along. Matilda kissed her teeth. “That witch never gets tired, does she?” “If I didn’t know better, I would think she has a personal vendetta against Nina,” Joshua added. “She sure does. Seeing how she leeches unto the boss every time.” Dani said. Nina chuckled dryly. “Let’s not be bothered about any negative comment. We should focus on proving that we are well aware of all that we are doing. Thanks for your hard work, guys. I owe you a dinner date.” They all rejoiced at the promise of free food and returned to work. It’s only been six weeks since Nina started work, and Dawn hasn’t hesitated to show her claws. Nina keeps ignoring her for the time being because of how important it is to her to make her stance known. Until the charts show that X&J Foods is leading in the food industry, she will only have the time to respond to a pest like Dawn. She doesn’t need a seer to tell her Dawn is madly into Xander. It surprises Nina that Dawn sees her as an enemy when she has never looked at Xander twice. Yes, they dated in the past, but it’s such a long time ago that she can no longer remember what it felt like to love him. Moreover, Xander doesn’t seem to show intense affection towards Dawn. Their feelings are not mutual. Her phone rang, bringing her out of her reverie. She snorted at the caller ID. “Yes, sir.” She mumbled into the receiver dryly. Xander chuckled on the other end. “Don’t tell me I will be at the receiving end of the cold shoulder? Just ignore Dawn.” “How am I supposed to ignore her when she is always against me?” Nina questioned. “There is always that kind of boss lying around. I will talk to her.” “Yeah, right. I hope Dawn listens.” “I wanted to ask if you have moved into the house the company gave to you.” “Oh, not yet. I will be doing so this weekend.” “Will you be needing help?” “I don’t think so. My things are very minimal.” “Doesn’t matter. With Tania not being around, you will need someone to help you arrange things. I will come around to help you. You can’t say no to me. I won’t be taking it for an answer.” He listed, not catching his breath. Nina couldn’t resist the laugh. “Sure. You have given me no room to turn it down.” There was a slight pause on the other end. “So, what do you have planned for today after work?” “I am leaving work early to meet with Tania for lunch.” “You want to drive down to Brooklyn in your condition?” He sounded off the edge. Nina chuckled. “Yeah, I am not handicapped, neither are my legs refusing to move. Don’t worry about me, and I can handle myself. I want to finish up quickly before leaving. Have fun, boss.” She teased, ending the call. “Joshua?” “Yes, ma’am,” Joshua replied. “Can you help sort out the documents I just sent to your mail? I will be heading out for lunch early, but I will return to work late. You can put it on my desk when I return.” “Sure.” Nina picked up her bag after taking off her lab clothes. “Alright, guys. I will see you later.” She said, waving at them. “She looks so lonely,” Matilda commented after Nina left. Joshua smacked his lips. “There must be a lot on her mind.” Dani and Carlos exchanged looks like they know something the others don’t. “Of course.” They chorused, giggling. ~~~~~
The drive to Brooklyn was about an hour and thirty minutes. Nina had intentionally chosen to make the trip even though Tania had told her not to worry. It was Tania’s birthday, and she considered it a must to celebrate the person who had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go. Also, the drive would help her get her thoughts together. She had gone to the hospital to do her usual routine check, and with every visit, it dawns on her the reality of her life. She would soon start showing obvious signs of being pregnant, and in some month’s time, her life would be completely different. Nina feels scared and excited at the same time. She worries she might be unable to make a good enough parent or provide for her child as required. The thought alone makes her determined to put X&J on the food industry map to retain her place. She has to gather more than enough to keep her life together. Tania was shocked when Nina called to say she had arrived at the campus. When she went to meet her, she gasped to see a cake and gift box placed in the car. Nina had stopped by the way to get her the gifts. “Oh, my goodness, Nina. Didn’t I tell you not to bother?.” Tania said. “I just couldn’t leave you to celebrate your day without making it memorable. Happy birthday, Tania.” She pulled her into a hug. “Thank you so much, Nina. It means a lot.” “You are very much welcome. Can we head out to lunch now? I think I am starving.” Nina admitted. Tania giggled. “I keep forgetting you eat for two. Come on now. I have an amazing place to show you.” She invited picking up her cake and gift bag. Nina followed her closely with a smile plastered to her face. It should ease her discomfort a bit.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g