VVIP Lounge

DAY 16

Phina got up early and left the house to get her hair done at the hair salon owned by her closest friend's sister, close to her father's house, just minutes after Patrick did.

After getting her hair done, she intended to visit her father. Samuel and the twins will be at school, so she won't be able to see them, but she promised to get them something and leave a note.

She met Avery at her sister's store. She wanted to see her best friend, so she decided not to go to work that day. She was missing her.

After greetings and hugs, she exclaimed, "Dear, I miss you so much." when Phina came.

Phina said, "It feels like ages since I last saw you."

She looked earnest and added, "You are right. I thought it would just be normal for me not to miss you. It is a lie; I missed you a lot."

Phina merely grinned. She had the same feelings. However, Avery is skilled at making anything appear serious. To be exact, dramatic.

*******

The two women start talking as she's fixing her hair.

Avery questioned, "So he is the one who asks you to change that hair?"

"Yes. Thank God that Sara helped me. You know how much I hate taking out my hair extensions." Phina replied.

"You will never change.."

"Sorry."

Avery chuckled.

Concerning Patrick, Avery enquired, "So how is he now?"

"Well, he is still the same. Today, he acts normal. In a few seconds, he had changed. The man can be so confusing and annoying." Phina responded.

Avery laughed.

"I'm sure you two would have to make a good couple with this constant fight."

Phina said, "Hmm. Don't start, Avery." She referred to herself as the princess of love at times. She always appears to know who's the right fit for whom, who they'll make a good match for, when they're going to date, and which relationships will end badly.

"Hmm. Hmm. Am I lying?"

Phina nodded and rolled her eyes. "Yes," Even the woman doing her hair grinned.

She whispered the last line, "But don't you have any pictures of him? We need to see this, Mr. Handsome the Billionaire."

"I don't have pictures of him. Moreover, why do you want to see him?" replied Phina.

She gestures to Phina's body and says, "Well, I need to see the man behind all this, at least." "He is doing some good on my friend. And if he is so popular, we should at least be able to boast that we know one rich man through our friends. We can't tell. We might meet some handsome, rich guy like him that Mia and I could hook up through him."

"Avery, you can never change. I wish you good luck with that. I don't have a picture of him and don't think I need one."

Avery rolled her eyes and murmured, "God! Phina, sometimes you can be so annoying and boring."

She merely chuckled. Her sister, who was doing her hair, agreed.

After that, Phina visited her father. After a brief conversation, she left the gifts she had bought for her siblings and returned to the Patrick estate to prepare for the evening's activities.

********

Later in the evening, the driver picked Phina up. She was ready. She wanted Patrick to stop insulting her, so he took her to his business by car.

He was most likely already waiting for them at the parking lot. However, he was conversing with a man in a suit and a woman wearing a form-fitting dress and high heels.

The way they seemed to nod and stare at him, Phina assumed they were working for him.

He nodded to the man, who assisted him in opening the car door and remarked, "Till tomorrow." Patrick murmured, "Thanks," and got inside the car.

"Goodnight, Mr. Ricky." remarked the attractive woman. As the driver turned to start the car, he nodded and averted his gaze.

Phina said, "Good evening." when he eventually noticed me.

He said, seeming bored, "Evening." Then his gaze came to hers.

She'd dressed in fitting blue jeans, a light chiffon shirt-like blouse, and black cover shoes because he'd told her it was a night out at a club with his friends. There's no need for her to overdress. She wore no makeup at all. She wants to appear at ease around Patrick's friends. That day, anyone who has issues with her will find out.

As the driver turned into the main road, he said nothing about her dress and turned his head to avoid looking out the window at the Lagos traffic. The road and street lights were on, and it was getting close to nighttime outside.

When the driver eventually pulled onto a street after an hour of silent travel, Phina believed they were almost there. The trip and the solitude had already worn her out. She hasn't spent much time sitting in a car in a long time.

Patrick undid his necktie and took off his suit jacket. She observed him take off his tie and fold it on the chair next to him before taking off his cuff-link and placing it by his bag's side. He removed his waistcoat. Additionally, fold it next to the jacket. Subsequently, he undid the shirt's sleeves to expose his arms and golden Rolex watch. He undid the buttons on two of his black shirts. He also appears to be different from the suave, attractive businessman to a wild man.

He pivoted to face Phina, who was fixed on him. A tiny smile pulled at his lips.

Quietly, Phina remarked, "I thought you were going to change your clothes." wishing he would respond.

In response, he said, "I don't have to. I was in the office throughout today, and it is just for a few hours." Phina was appreciative. Thankfully, it wasn't impolite, either.

"All right," she replied.

The driver answered, "We are here, sir."

Phina peered up at the massive structure in front of them. It appeared to be a hotel, and based only on appearance, the cars in the parking lot were costly. They were also colored differently.

"All right," Patrick answered. Without waiting for an answer, he said, "Come down." and opened the door.

Phina followed his instructions. Together, they entered the building. The lobby is different from the places Phina had visited. She fights the need not to stand and take in the stunning surroundings, which include the large, exquisite chandeliers above and the oak receptionist desk and marble floor.

She whispered to herself, "Wow." Thus, this country contains locations similar to this one. She pondered.

A quiet, trim woman was working at the front desk. Phina turned to face her and saw that she was an actress—a well-known actress, her eyes widening in shock. She was shocked to see a famous actress in this hotel. This wasn't just any old actress or up-and-coming star. She is a very talented actress in the motion picture business.

She felt someone close to her, so she turned to face them.

She exclaimed, startled, "Mr. Patrick." When she realized it was him, a big smile appeared.

"Ariana," Patrick grinned his trademark grin.

Phina gave Patrick a startled glance. He was acquainted with her. It's not like a fan meets her hero. There's more to this than that.

She uttered in a lovely voice, "Wow. It's been so long since I last saw you here." She was fluttering her eyelids and grinning sweetly at him.

"Yeah. We've been busy. So, how are you?" He inquired.

"I'm great."

"That's good to know. The movie industry is doing pretty well with you. Your last movie was great." Patrick offered a compliment.

"Thanks. Mr. Patrick. It's an honor coming from you. Will you be attending the charity party Director Schmidt is hosting? It has been the top topic in industries for a while now. And I heard some ministers will be attending."

"I got an invitation. I will check my schedule."

"You should come. You've done a lot to help us in the industry. It will be great to have you there. Director Schmidt has always wanted to meet you in person. So I'm asking personally for you to be there."

Patrick smiled slightly.

"Okay. Since you asked, I'll try to be there. It's so nice meeting you again, Ariana." He said.

She smiled as if she had received a price.

"It's nothing. I'm glad to see you again, too." She said.

The woman behind the desk handed her a key, which she took. "Here, ma'am." She smiled gratefully at Patrick and turned to leave.

She whispered, "Thanks." "Alright, Mr. Patrick. We will see at the charity party."

Patrick nodded, saying, "Okay." She gave me another smile and turned to face the rows of elevators.

Phina remained silent and stood there. She was aware that Patrick had overlooked her presence, but she was not sorry.

With such respect, the woman at the counter inquired, "How can we help you, sir?" She said in a timid tone. And that made her focus return.

"I need two tickets to the VVIP lounge." He said.

She nodded and grinned.

Patrick offered the woman his credit card after pulling it out. She nodded curtly and accepted it gratefully.

She smiled and gave it back to him. Phina noticed that a substantial sum had been added to their account. She found it inexplicable that they squandered money on so many pointless items.

She gives him two ticket booklets. She gave me a plastic card and said, "Thank you," in a polite manner. Have fun.

With a slight nod, Patrick started to move away. Phina trailed behind him and felt a little uncomfortable.

When they arrived at the top of the building, two enormous men were waiting at the opening of a massive door. Their attire and the pistols in their holsters gave the impression that they were bouncers.

When they got close to them, they looked up. When Patrick presented them with the cards, they grinned and gave him a salute. And they yielded instantly, opening the door.

They said, "Have a nice time, sir."

He entered without saying anything. As Phina strolled by, one of them gave her a nod. Grinning back, she followed Patrick inside.

Because of how crowded it was, she could hardly see the front of the building. The room was filled with colored lights and smoke. In the background, music was playing. People were sitting in groups and pairs, talking and drinking. Since Phina could hardly see them, some were preoccupied with tasks she was unaware of.

She was sure that the individuals in the upper room were wealthy and there to unwind after their everyday lives.

She trailed Patrick as they made their way to the back of the room, passing through a second door with bouncers. However, they cheered Patrick since it appeared they knew him. He smirked as he offered them a gratuity.

Never without a smile. Phina rolled her eyes in thinking. After one of the men informed Patrick that his friends were waiting, the others even hailed her and allowed them to pass through the entrance.