His Temptress

Abeni sat on her bed, staring at the laptop screen that read, "Sorry, you have not been accepted for the job. We will contact you if a position becomes available." With a sigh, she closed the laptop and leaned her head back against the headboard. It had been 3 months since she lost her job, and the bills were piling up. Rent was due, her sister was hospitalized, and her mother was too weak to find work. The responsibility for it all fell on Abeni. She paid the rent, her mom's care home fees, her sister's hospital bills, and living expenses.

Standing up from the bed, Abeni walked to the small apartment's living room. As she got a drink of water, her phone buzzed on the coffee table. Looking at the caller ID, she rolled her eyes. It was her dad.

"Abeni omobinrin mi ololufe" said her dad.

{Abeni my dear daughter}

"What do you want?" she asked, annoyed.

"Please lend me some money to pay off my debts", he pleaded

Abeni rolled her eyes again. This man was always asking for money, despite having no job and perfect health. All he did was gamble.

"I don't have money to lend you" she stated flatly before hanging up.

"Foolish man," Abeni muttered, dropping her phone back on the table. She had enough problems of her own to solve before trying to fix other people's.

There was a knock at the door. Abeni opened it and Naledi jumped into her arms, her beaded braids hitting Abeni's face. Naledi was Abeni's childhood friend, having met in elementary school. She was dark-skinned with brown eyes and tall.

"Whoa!" said Abeni. "Naledi, why are you so excited?"

"Girl, you won't believe what happened!" Naledi exclaimed.

"What?" asked Abeni, intrigued.

"Chris..." Naledi started.

"Chris what?" Abeni asked.

"He asked me out on a date!" Naledi shrieked.

Abeni scoffed but was happy for her friend. "You and white men," she said, going to sit on the couch.

"Who doesn't want pasta and lobster?" said Naledi, sitting next to Abeni.

"What about your ex? Wasn't he Gambian?" Abeni asked.

"Ons praat nie van daardie bedrieglike skelm nie," said Naledi.

{We don't talk about that cheating scumbag}

Abeni laughed as Naledi threw a couch pillow at her.

"So how's the job hunt?" Naledi asked.

"Horrible! Who would've thought finding a job in New York was so hard?" Abeni shouted.

"Uhm, everybody thinks jobs are hard to find in New York!" said Naledi.

Abeni looked at her friend before screaming into the couch pillow.

Just then, Abeni's phone rang on the coffee table. She grabbed it quickly.

"Who is it?" asked Naledi.

"It's Camille, and she wants to FaceTime," said Abeni. They looked at each other in surprise, as Camille was supposed to be in Fiji with her boyfriend. Camille was Abeni's friend from her last job before the bookstore closed down. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and though they had both lost their jobs, Camille had a rich boyfriend supporting her while Abeni struggled.

Answering the call, Abeni and Naledi's faces appeared on the screen for Camille.

"Hey girls!" shouted Camille brightly.

"Hey," Abeni and Naledi responded in unison.

Then another person joined the FaceTime - it was Elena. Abeni and Elena had met in high school. Elena had tanned skin, black hair, and brown eyes.

"¡Hola chiquillas!" Elena shouted excitedly.

"Hola!" the three responded together.

"So Camille, what's up?" asked Naledi.

"Something happened..." said Camille, drawing out the suspense.

"What?" they all asked eagerly.

"I'M ENGAGED!" Camille screamed.

Abeni's mouth dropped open, Naledi covered her mouth with her hands, and Elena froze. Then they all screamed in excitement.

"Oh my gosh!" Naledi shouted.

"I can't believe it!" said Abeni.

"Took him long enough!" said Elena.

"Congratulations!" they yelled together.

They continued congratulating Camille, thrilled about her engagement news.

Later that night, as Abeni lay in bed, she felt happy about Camille's engagement, but her mind wandered to her own love life. She had never been in a relationship, never held a boy's hand or had any romance. She had never even had her first kiss, obviously still a virgin. Abeni had always wished for a relationship but was too shy to approach men. She pushed those thoughts away - she had too many problems for romance to be a priority now.

Then her laptop dinged with a new email. Checking the time, she saw it was 10pm - who could be emailing so late? Opening it, she read: 'Thank you for applying to Haven Bakery. We reviewed your resume and would like to schedule an interview on Monday, September 10 at 10am.'

Abeni stared in shock. She didn't remember applying but had an interview! Letting out a silent scream, she checked the date - today was the 8th, so the interview was in just 2 days!

Closing her laptop, Abeni smiled as she placed it on the bedside table. She had been wondering how to pay next month's rent after draining her savings. Now she just had to ace this interview and get the job!

The next day, Abeni was getting ready to visit her sister in the hospital. She put on a crop top, jacket and baggy jeans and left her hair out in her afro. Putting on light makeup, she picked up her phone and checked the time.

"Oh shoot, its 12.30! The bus is coming in 10 minutes!" she said before grabbing her bag and running out of the apartment. She locked the door before running to the bus stop. The bus stop was 5 minutes away from her apartment complex. Reaching the bus stop, she saw the bus. Entering the bus and paying for herself, she sat down on the bus waiting for her stop. When she stopped at her stop, she started walking to the hospital. The hospital was a 35-minute walk. After the long walk, Abeni arrived at the hospital. As she entered the hospital she heard a lot of commotion, ignoring the noise, she walked towards the reception.

"Hey Grace!" said Abeni.

"Abeni! So good to see you!" she said "Ada is being moved to room 120!" she said.

"120? Why is she being moved?" Abeni asked.

Grace looked around before leaning to whisper to Abeni.

"You see the Kuznetsov family is here."

"Who?" asked Abeni

"What do you mean who?" asked Grace, confused. "You are telling me, you don't know one of the richest and dangerous family in New York?"

"One, no and two, what the heck does that have to do with moving Ada onto the lower floor?" asked Abeni slowly getting annoyed.

Grace sighed "Well you see, someone in the family got hurt, and they are currently staying in a room on that floor, so they asked us to move 'regular' patients off the floor" said Grace.

"What?" shouted Abeni. People looked at her and she whispered a quite, sorry.

"So, because an obnoxious rich family asked for something unethical, you complied?" asked Abeni.

"They own the hospital..." continued Grace.

Abeni rolled her eyes, tired of this conversation. She thanked Grace before walking to room 120. When she got, there was nobody there – not her mother nor her sister. Confused, Abeni decided to walk to the floor where Ada was, room 550. She walked towards the elevator as she entered the elevator. It was full and she managed to squeeze in. Then, when it arrived on the 2nd floor, a hushed tension filled the air. A line of imposing figures, all dressed in sleek black attire, formed a protective barrier around a man of undeniable authority. His presence commanded attention, and a subtle air of danger surrounded him.

The man they guarded possessed piercing dark eyes. His gaze was intense, betraying a depth of experience that spoke of a life lived on the edge. Those eyes, a shade of deep brown, bore witness to both the ruthlessness and resilience that defined his existence.

His sharp jawline accentuated a face that exuded a mysterious charisma, with a hint of ruggedness that hinted at a life filled with both struggle and triumph.

Tousled dark hair added to his allure, falling effortlessly in waves that hinted at a disregard for conformity. Despite the controlled chaos that surrounded him, his appearance remained impeccably composed, from the tailored cut of his suit to the polished leather of his shoes. Abeni's heart started pounding, this man was FINE!

He looked like he was around his mid - thirties. Everyone stared at them before they all exited the elevator. Confused by what was happening, Abeni stood still. They looked at her, and she looked at them. Although she found this man fine, she was starting to get annoyed.

"Are you coming in or not?" she asked, annoyed.

The men dressed in black looked at the man, most likely their boss, Abeni thought. The man looked at her and an undeniable expression on his face before he smirked and walked into the elevator. The men followed behind him as people looked at what they had just witnessed.

"What floor?" Abeni asked.

"The 5th floor" said one of the men in black. Abeni pressed the button as the elevator closed and started moving. The elevator ride was awkward, Abeni felt the man staring at her and her heart almost popping out because of how handsome this man looked. Arriving at the floor, she exited the elevator quickly. Coincidently, the men also exited the elevator. Abeni walked through the hallway when she saw her mother. Her mother was holding her sister's hospital bed. The nurses looked like they were trying to move her bed to the first floor where room 120 was.

"You cannot do that!" she cried "She is a cancer patient! Do you think its safe to keep her in the same room as random strangers!" her mother cried at the nurse. Running towards her mother, she held her mother's hand.

"Abeni, ọmọbinrin mi {my daughter}" her mother said "They can't do this to your sister!" she said.

Abeni turned to the nurse. "Why is there a requirement for her to move?" she asked.

"It is what a family requested, they would like the whole floor to themselves, and they have paid for the whole floor!" said the nurse.

Abeni laughed sarcastically "What use is a whole floor for 1 person?" asked Abeni. "Does each room have magical powers that heal people?" asked Abeni.

"My client would like privacy," a voice suddenly boomed, loud enough to carry through the entire floor.

Abeni and her mother turned to see the handsome man from the elevator. The nurse quickly bowed her head at his words.

Abeni stood there, shocked. Who on earth was this man? And why did everyone treat him with such reverence and fear?

As he stared intensely back at her, Abeni realized she was dealing with someone very powerful and dangerous. Her heart pounded with a mix of fear and something else... unrecognizable.

What did this mysterious man want? And what would he do now that she had dared to defy his wishes? Abeni held her breath, unsure of what was to come next...

Naldei laughed, "On second thoughts it's too much responsibility."

"Okay, what about me?" asked Elena.

"Girl, you hate public speaking more than Abeni, unless you wish to talk in front of 300 people, you can be my maid of honour" said Camillie

"Chica! Nevermind, Odio hablar en público y 300 personas! ¡Nunca!" she announced.

{I hate public speaking and 300 people! Never!}

They all laughed. "So, what do you say?" Camille asked Abeni again.

"I would love to be your maid of honour!" declared Abeni.

"Thank you! And we'll find you a sexy Russian man," Camille teased.

"No, nope, absolutely not!" Abeni refused adamantly.

"Girl why?" asked Naledi. "You've been single forever!"

"Twenty-four years is not forever!" argued Abeni.

"Same thing, it's technically forever," insisted Elena.

"Guys, leave me alone, I don't want a relationship yet," Abeni maintained.

"More like you're too scared to talk to a man!" Naledi teased.

The girls continued poking fun at Abeni's lack of dating experience until she finally had to say goodnight. Exhausted, she got ready for bed after a long day.

The next day, Abeni woke up and decided to go shopping for clothes for her upcoming interview. Leaving her apartment, she walked into the busy town center. She browsed through various clothing stores, trying on different shirts, pants, and jackets. After finding two sharp yet affordable outfits, she stopped at a quaint coffee shop on the corner.

Ordering her usual coffee, Abeni was walking out of the shop when she suddenly bumped into a solid chest, spilling coffee all over the stranger.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Abeni exclaimed.

"What the-" the man snapped.

Looking up, Abeni realized it was the rude man from the hospital.

"You!" they both said in unison.

"On second thought, I'm not sorry at all," Abeni retorted, glaring at him.

"How dare you!" he shouted angrily.

Abeni laughed. "It's just coffee, not poison!"

"You did that on purpose!" he accused. "This is about the hospital room."

"Oh please," Abeni scoffed. "If I wanted revenge, I'd do much worse."

"Is that a threat?" he asked, stepping towards her.

"If the shoe fits," she shot back. "Now excuse me."

As she turned to leave, he called out "Aren't you going to pay for damages?"

Abeni rolled her eyes. "For a rich man, you seem very upset over a shirt! Consider it compensation for kicking out my sister."

With that, she walked away confidently, feeling his glare on her back. But she didn't look back once.

His POV

Dmitry Kuznetsov, sat in his office, overlooking the city from his high-rise building. He couldn't stop thinking about the girl who had slapped him at the hospital and spilled coffee on him. Anger coursed through his veins, but something else lingered beneath the surface.

He remembered the feel of her soft skin, the way her brown eyes flashed with defiance, and the way her afro hair cascaded down her back. She was curvy in all the right places, and he found himself captivated by her beauty. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have her under his control, to feel her body writhing beneath his touch.

Dmitry's mind drifted back to the encounter at the hospital, the way she had challenged him, daring to stand up to the mighty Dmitry Kuznetsov. He couldn't help but admire her courage, even if it was misplaced. He knew that he could make her pay for her insolence, but there was something about her that made him want to keep her close, to see what else she was capable of.

He decided that he needed to find her, to make her his own.

Just as one of his men entered his office, Dmitry looked at him.

"What do you want?" he asked, annoyed at the interruption to his thoughts.

The man hesitated for a moment, then handed him a file. "Sir, this is the information you requested about the girl."

Dmitry took the file and scanned through it quickly. Her name was Abeni, she was Nigerian, and she was unemployed. Her mother was weak and couldn't work, and her sister was in the hospital sick. Worst of all, her father was someone who owed Dmitry money. He smiled, dropping the file on his desk. "Bingo!" he thought.

"Get this man" he said, pointing at the picture of her father. The man who gave him the file nodded, exiting the room.

Dmitry leaned back in his chair, imagining what it would be like to have Abeni at his beck and call. He could see her in his bed, her curves wrapping around him, her eyes wide with desire. He grinned to himself, feeling his blood pump faster through his veins at the thought of claiming her as his own.

Abeni jerked awake to the blaring of her alarm. "9 am already?" She bolted upright and grabbed her phone. The screen glared back - 9:00 on the dot.

"The interview!" She leapt out of bed, heart racing. How could she have slept through her alarms? She had set three just to be safe.

Abeni rushed into the bathroom, splashing water on her face to shake off the last remnants of sleep. She had laid out her best interview clothes the night before - a white blouse and sleek black trousers. She threw them on in record time.

9:15. There was no time for coffee. She swiped on a bit of mascara as she waited for her Uber. The minutes crawled by.

Finally a car pulled up. She locked her front door in one swift motion and jumped into the backseat. "220 Park Avenue, and step on it please!" she told the driver. She checked the time on the way - 9:25. Her interview was at 10.

The toast she had hastily prepared sat untouched on the counter. Her stomach rumbled, but nerves overpowered her hunger. She spent the ride trying to calm her nerves with deep breaths. This interview was too important to mess up.

Abeni stepped out of her uber and took a deep breath as she looked up at the Haven Bakery sign. The building was painted a warm, buttery yellow and had large windows that showcased the various baked goods inside. She smoothed down her black trousers and adjusted her white blouse before walking confidently into the bakery. The smell of fresh bread and pastries filled her nose, making her stomach growl.

The bakery was bustling with activity as employees worked quickly to fill orders and serve customers. A young woman with blonde curls and a bright smile approached Abeni at the counter. "Welcome to Haven Bakery! My name is Emily. I'm the assistant manager. How can I help you today?"

"Hi Emily, I'm Abeni. I have a job interview for the cashier position." Abeni smiled politely as she spoke. Emily glanced down at Abeni's resume, which she had been given earlier by the boss. "Ah, yes. We've been looking forward to meeting you. Follow me, please." She led Abeni through the bustling bakery to a quiet office in the back. The office was decorated with framed photos of the bakery's various products and a large window overlooking the baking area.

There were three people in the room: Emily, who introduced Abeni to them; a tall, middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a warm smile, named Mark, who was the bakery's owner; and a younger woman with dark curly hair, named Sarah, who was the head baker. They all greeted Abeni with friendly smiles and invited her to take a seat across from them.

Emily began by asking Abeni about her previous work experience. "Tell us about your most recent job, Abeni. What did you enjoy about it, and what were some of the challenges you faced?" Abeni shared a few stories from her time at the bookstore, emphasizing her customer service skills and ability to multitask. The interviewers nodded and took notes, seeming impressed with her examples.

Next, Mark asked her about her knowledge of baking. "It says here that when you were 16 you worked in a bakery. Since you've worked in a bakery before, we'd love to hear about any baking techniques or recipes that you're familiar with." Abeni explained that she had learned a great deal during her time there, but her specialty was cake decorating. She shared some of her favorite techniques and designs with the interviewers, who seemed genuinely interested.

Sarah then chimed in, asking her about her creativity. "At Haven Bakery, we pride ourselves on creating unique and delicious pastries. How do you think you would contribute to our team in terms of bringing new ideas to the table?" Abeni smiled, telling them about how she often experimented with different flavor combinations and decorating styles in her spare time. She also shared an idea for a new type of pastry that she had been thinking about. The interviewers exchanged glances and seemed pleased with her response.

Finally, Emily wrapped things up by asking Abeni about her availability and any questions she might have about them.

Abeni had been so caught up in the conversation that she hadn't even considered asking questions until now. She glanced at her phone, mentally running through her schedule. "I'm usually pretty flexible with my hours," she said, "and I don't have any major commitments outside of work right now. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know about me?"

Mark smiled. "Well, Abeni, you seem like a very promising candidate. We'd like to give you a few hours to think about it and let you know our decision by the end of the day. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to Emily or myself if you have any questions or concerns."

Abeni thanked them and stood up to shake their hands. As she left the office, she couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation.