Chapter 5: "A Surprising Gift"
I walked into the office, expecting to find it empty, but instead, I saw Rubie sitting at her desk, a suspicious smile plastered on her face.
"Hey Rubie, what are you doing here at this hour?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought we'd already edited your book. Did I forget something?"
Rubie's smile faltered for a moment before she replied, "No, everything's alright."
I could tell she was hiding something. "Okay... So, why are you still here?" I pressed.
Rubie stuttered, "Well... I... Um... Eh..."
My curiosity was piqued. "Rubby, is everything okay? What's going on?" I asked, using her nickname.
She hesitated before pulling out a gift bag from behind her desk. "This... I wanted to give you this."
I was taken aback. A gift from Rubie? It had to be a joke. Or a trap. "For me?" I asked, eyeing the bag warily.
Rubie nodded, and I reluctantly accepted the gift, wondering what kind of prank she had in store for me.
As I opened the bag, Rubie explained, "My boyfriend, Jamal, said I should give this to you. He thinks my award belongs to my editor, and I agree. Thank you, Kim."
I was stunned. Rubie apologizing? And mentioning Jamal? This was getting interesting.
But then it clicked – Jamal was dating Kina, with Rubie. This gift was meant for Kina, not me. What was Jamal playing at?
I tried to process my thoughts, but Rubie kept talking. "I know it's unbelievable, a gift from me, but I wanted to thank you. Please take it. I'm sorry for being a bitch!"
I gulped, still trying to wrap my head around the situation. "Well, I'm the one who should be thanking you, Rubie. Thanks for the gift."
As I saved my work and prepared to leave, Rubie said, "It was good working with you, although you can be arrogant at times."
I smiled wryly. Some things never changed.
"Your lover must be lucky," Rubie said, eyeing me with a hint of curiosity. "You're so calm and collected. How do you control your temper?"
I chuckled. "It's natural. I don't put in any effort. Guys like me are rare. Nobody deserves me."
Rubie raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... I see. My boyfriend must be waiting for me. I should get going. Thanks again for the gift."
I nodded, eager to leave the awkwardness behind. Little did Rubie know, I was already planning to expose Jamal's games to Kiandra. The drama was far from over.
As I left the office, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Jamal was playing a dangerous game. I called Kina.
"Hey, girl! What's up?" Kina answered, sounding carefree.
"Rubie just gave me a gift," I said, skipping the small talk.
"What? That's weird. What kind of gift?" Kina asked, curiosity piqued.
"Some expensive-looking necklace. But here's the kicker – Rubie said Jamal told her to give it to me." I paused for dramatic effect. Jamal had no idea what he was getting himself into.