Black Widow
Episode 2
How it started…
Many years back….
Nigeria Shelby sat down by the garden, she had a pair of headphones tucked into her ear and was busy pla-ying some beautiful tunes to herself. Every second she would look up as if expecting someone to appear all of a sudden but so far no one has come. The compound of her father’s empire was pretty large and so was the garden. It could accommod@t£ like fifteen more houses.
Sometimes she wondered why her father would build such a large house when it was just the two of them in the house except for the servants.
She never knew her mother but that was okay by her, her father made sure she was fine and she was always fine
. She had just graduated from one of the best universities in the UK and she was finally home. It was so good to be back after so many years. She was yet to see her father since two days ago since she had been back, she was yet to see him..as well.
She quic-kly di-pped a hand into her purse and brou-ght out her hand mirror, she checked her reflection for the hundredth time that afternoon. Herl-ips were glossy alre-ady and her long black hair was well packed.
Just then, she heard a noise behind her and she smiled.
“It’s about time Fabian, I expected you would come meet me at the airport and now here you are two days later.”
There was no reply. She looked disappointed. Probably it was just her imagination, and she quic-kly turned around but she smiled as it was who she had expected.
Fabian was all dressed up in a hite shi-t and a blue jean, his curled black hair glistened in the sunlight. He looked far more muscular than the last time, like a seasoned warrior.
She remembered how they had grew up and were so close and…
“Hi.” He said almost in a whisper.
“Hi.” She replied. She was excited quiet alright to see him but this has always been their normal routine since they both st©pped being children.. He was her father’s most loyal son.
“So how was school?” He asked, trying to sound as cool as he could.
“Fine.” She replied, trying not to sound awkward. Many years ago, they could discuss anything but now, it was just so awkward. Just then he stepped forward, coming closer. Her heart ceased for a minute as he stepped closer, his gaze fixed steadily on herl-ips…her heart kept beating ra-pidly…finally, he was going to k!ssher….he c@m£ closer and just as she p@rted herl-ips…his hands reached out to her hair…
“You’ve got some gras-s in your hair.” He said quietly, brushing her hair lightly and stepping back.
The beat of her heart began to slow down as she felt so stupid and ashamed of her stupid thoughts…
You are 23 Shelby, grow up!
The garden gate opened stealthily and an elderly man with a cowboy-ish hat covering his almost-completely gray hair c@m£ in. He was suited up with a large pair of his glas-ses covering almost his entire face, there was a long piece of tobacco hanging inbetween hisl-ips. His face ha-rd ened as he sp©tted the two of them standing so close. Fabian took this hint and stepped back a little.
“Daddy!” Shelby shouted and rushed to hvg the man who was now all smiles.
“Oh my God! Look at this beautiful young lady.” He shouted, k!ss!ngShelby all over her face.
Later they pu-ll-ed away but he was slightly bent so they could be of the same height.
“Oh my darling. You look so much like your mother. I am so proud of you darling.”
Shelby smiled shyly but frowned as she sp©tted something red around his ear-lobe. She reached out to clean it and was surprised it was a liquid thick red substance.
‘Daddy look, you’ve been beaten by a mosquito, it su-cked all your blood and vomited the rest.” She said with a chuckled. “You have such a lot of blood to spare.”
Fabian and the father exchanged glances before he f0rç£d another smile.
“So, why don’t you go inside darling, I will come meet you very soon.”
“Alright Dad.” Shelby said quic-kly, took a quic-k glance at Fabian who wasn’t looking at their side. quic-kly she brushed past her father.
*****
Just as she left, the father advanced to Fabian
“I saw the way you both were standing so close earlier…” He whispered to him, his face ha-rd ening. “I don’t like that. Once you become her handler it will become difficult for you if you can’t handle whatever stupid feeling you have for her.” He exhaled a ringlet of smoke directly to his bent head.
“ I don’t have any…”
“Shut up. You can’t lie to me you know that. Besides, do you think she is re-ady to take over the business?”
Fabian looked up slightly. “ I don’t think so sir.”
“Nons-en-se. Get the lessons re-ady, I will speak to her tonight and next time when cleaning me up, make sure there is no blood on my skin. You get that!”
“Yes boss.”Fabian watched as his boss walked out of the garden. He sighed and was about to leave when he sighted something within the gras-s.
. He bent to pick it up and realized it was a pas-sport ph0togra-ph of himself and Shelby when they were still kids. They were both holding her puppy of many years ago who later died from an accident.
He smiled as he looked at her and now imagining the woman she has become. If only things were different, maybe he would have asked her out a long time ago. But now things would start changing once she joins the business.
He sighed, if only he could protect her longer, maybe she wouldn’t nee-d to be p@rt of whatever they do. She was too sweet to become a member of the Black Widow. Once anyone joins, the person will never remain the same again, he knew that.
That was what changed everything about him.
Black Widow
©Tobi
Episode 3
Shelby and her father were in the study. Her father was busy re-ading from a newspaper while she was re-ading a novel, she wasn’t actually re-ading anything, she was just pretending all the while
. Her mind was somewhere else, seven years ago, she would have been chasing Fabian up and down the house but now, they were all grown up and it would be so stupid of her to even suggest that. The man she has come back to find has become a grown man, just like she has become a lady, something’s would just be too childish right now.
“Once you finish pretending to be re-ading that novel, I hope you will tell me whatever has been bothering you.”
Shelby smiled and looked up from her seat. “You know me so well dad.”
“Ofcourse, if I don’t, who will?”
She smiled. She loved her father, he could be so caring and he was one person in the world, who knew almost everything about her, well, there was Fabian as well, but he was just not her Fabian anymore.
“Dad, is there any reason why you told me not look for job at all?”
His father smiled. “Yes darling, as you know, there is the family business.”
Her eyes beamed with excitement
. She had always been interested in the family business even though all her life she never could tell what kind of business her family was into. It wasn’t her fault. She had lived majorly all her life away from home at various boarding houses of her various schools and she had gone to the best of them in Russia, Paris and UK. It was a relief that she could finally come home.
“Thank God! Dad, I’ve always loved the family business…I mean, I’ve always been interested in it even though I never knew what we were into actually. Do you know half the time I was in school, almost everyone asked me what business my father was doing and it was just an embarras-sment that I had no clue.”
Her father chuckled. “Well, you don’t have to worry about anything. I have s£nt you all over the world to get the best education and now that you are here, I believe you wil be a good as-set to the company once I retire.”
“Oh my God! You want me to take over the business once you retire. That will be really splendid. But what kind of business is it again?”
“Don’t worry, Fabian will tell you all about it.”
****
Fabian l@yon his be-d, his arm wra-pped around the b0ss0mof the n-ked lady beside him in the be-d.
“So your childhood crush is back right?” she said with a hint of jealousy.
“She is my not my crush, she is the boss’s daughter, that’s all.”
The lady looked unconvinced, gathering the blanket to herself. “You can keep telling yourself that. One question though, is she really going to take over the business?”
“That is not your concern is it?” He asked dryly, standing from the be-d. He walked completely n-ked to the mirror.
The lady raised her head slightly. “It is my business if she is going to be here completely, because I know once she is around, that is when you start acting funny like now.”
Fabian snickered. “Well, if you are so concerned, why don’t you go ask the boss, Laura?” Just before Laura responded, his phone rang. It was just beside her so she took it, scre-wed up her nose in disgust as she saw who the caller was.
“Speaking of the bit-ch.” She said before pas-sing him the phone.
Fabian paid no attention to her statement but collected the phone all the same, it was Shelby and for some reason, he picked a shi-t to cover his n-kedness even though he had no reason to.
HE cleared his throat. “Hi…” He frowned. “Ofcourse I have your number……” He cleared his throat again. “You are here, okay, I will be right out.” Then he dropped the phone on the be-d and motioned towards his big closet.
“What does she want?” Lara asked angrily but he said nothing. Minutes later, he was fully clothed.
“Don’t come out like this, if you are coming out, make sure you are dressed. “
“Because of what? You don’t want her to know that you moved on?”
Fabian said nothing before leaving the door, he had wanted to say something but now wasn’t the time.
He took the elevator which shifted immediately un-der him and in seconds later it opened and he stepped out.
She was in the living room, her back was turned towards him, she was dressed in a white jumpsuit and her hair was packed in a ponytail. She seemed to be looking at one of the artworks on the wall.
“Hi shel.” He said as warmly as he could. When she sprung around, he had to keep himself steady..
“Hi.” She said with a warm smile and he had no choice but to manage one.
“Hi.” He replied.
For a while neither of them spoke.
Fabian had to be sure he wasn’t going to do anything that would put him on the bad side of her father. For her to be here right now might even be a test…
“You have actually did so well for yourself Fabian. I mean look at this house. This is really good. Your parents will be so proud.”
He smiled. “Thanks Shel, your father pays me quiet well. Come to the bar, what do I offer you?”
She didn’t move but kept looking at him sternly.
“I will like you to offer me my old friend back.”
He was taken aback. “What are you saying?”
She shook her head and moved to another of the art painting on the wall.
“I mean what you did to the Fabian that I used to know. IS it because you bec@m£ a man that you sank into this cold version of yourself, what happened to my old fun Fabian?’
“I’m sorry Shelby…” He started with a slight bow but she sprang up and rushed to him, punching him here and there.
“This is so not you. You are ma-king things awkward between us; I nee-d the old Fabian back.”
For some time, he kept defending himself but at a point he gr@bb£d both her hands so they were both looking at each other….
That moment was when he finally realized how much of a woman she had become, Her eyes, her hair, she had a kind of un-derstated beauty, maybe she wasn’t even aware of her beauty…then his eyes fell on her che-st….what happened to that flat che-st of those years ago. Where did those bo-ob s spring from…..?
That instant she looked at her che-st and then back at him….
“You didn’t just look at my bo-ob s Fabian….” She g@sped in horror and he re-leased her arms immeadiately. He was looking slightly embarras-sed and murmured his apologies but she only laughed.
“Why are you laughing?” He demanded, looking at her but she couldn’t st©p, she just kept on laughing and then he had no choice but to laugh as well.
During this moment he began to feel sorry for her. How would such a pas-sionate fun loving woman whom he has cared for all his life, be introduced to the life he had wished he had never been p@rt of.
Finally she st©pped, he could see tears in her eyes from having laughed too much.
“I have missed you Fabian…really.” She said, looking at him.
He knew he was supposed to say something back but he couldn’t. His ton-gue was tied, for all he cared, her father must be watching them both right now.
She walked closer to him, her expression becoming serious…”What happened to you while I was gone Fabian….?” She asked, almost in a whisper..he wished he could tell her everything but he couldn’t..if he did right now, they will both suffer for it..she had no idea what he had gone throu-gh, why he had to become so rigid and…..
He just watched as she got closer to him..placing a warm hand on his cheek as she stared at him, looking for answers.
His heart was beating so fast and he really wanted to tell her just like he had told her so many things while they were still young. He made a terrible mistake, they both did, they shouldn’t have grown up. They could have been kids forever…maybe with that they could still enjoy the freedom which was now fast becoming a thing of the past….
Taking a de-ep breath and placing a hand firmly on hers. “Shelby..I”
“Fabian did you see my p@n-ties anywhere?”
HE winced as he heard Laura’s voice and immediately, Shelby sprung back, looking at the intruder, who was wearing Fabin’s oversized shi-t which was bu-ttoned up and covering p@rt of bu-m.
Fabian was quiet as Laura c@m£ closer. He couldn’t even look at Shelby whose face sought answers.
“Hi. You must be Shelby….I’m Laura. I’m his girlfriend.”
Tbc