JASMINE’S SECRET
CHAPTER 3
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“So, what happened next? Tell me everything and don’t you dare leave anything out!”
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“Nothing else happened. I already told you everything.” Jasmine replied before she continued typing on her laptop.
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Shaking her head, Jasmine chuckled at her friend’s crestfallen look. Amanda could be such a busybody at times. In all the ten years of their friendship, Jasmine had never known Amanda to shy away from juicy gossip. Especially if it had anything to do with her love life- which was practically non-existent.
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“What do you mean: ‘Nothing’? Didn’t you exchange cards or something?” Amanda sounded vexed.
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Jasmine cast a wry look at her friend. Trust Amanda not to give up so easily. She sighed. “If you must know, he asked for my card and… I gave it to him.”
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“Yes!” Amanda pumped her fist in the air.
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Jasmine laughed again at Amanda’s antics. Amanda had tried every matchmaking trick in the book, to get Jasmine to come out of her shell, all to no avail. Jasmine imagined that her friend considered this a victory of sorts.
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“We must celebrate,” Amanda announced suddenly.
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“What! Celebrate because I gave a guy my number?”
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“Of course. Isn’t it worth it? At least that your ice queen façade is beginning to melt.”
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Amanda was correct… to an extent. Where Amanda was an extrovert with a bubbling personality, Jasmine kept to herself and rarely ever socialised. Amanda was the only friend she had allowed to get close to her. But Jasmine didn’t think giving her number to a guy she had helped and who also happened to be her neighbour was cause for any kind of celebration.
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“No, it isn’t worth it, Amanda. Besides, I have work to do.”
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Jasmine gasped in shock when Amanda reached over and abruptly shut her laptop. “What did you do that for? I didn’t press save!”
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“Abeg, Word will auto recover the file.” Amanda flipped her hand dismissively. “Back to our important gist. I saw the way your eyes lit up while you described the ‘handsome stranger with dimpled cheeks and muscular arms’ who needed your help.”
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“I never said that.”
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Jasmine lowered her head, shielding her eyes from Amanda’s knowing gaze. Had she really told Amanda that? She was unsure. All she remembered was feeling a rush of excitement while talking about him. She still did.
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“Oh yes you did, Jas. In fact, you sounded like you liked him. Very much.” Amanda wiggled her eyebrows at Jasmine.
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Jasmine groaned. Nothing she said would stop Amanda from teasing her now. Why had she even said anything about him in the first place? When Amanda had popped into her office earlier, Jasmine had thought telling her about it would be a way to keep her entertained. She surely hadn’t expected Amanda to infer so much from her story.
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“Oya, it’s time. Get up, let’s go”
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Jasmine eyed her friend sceptically. “Go where? I’m not stepping out of this office with you. Not after…”
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Jasmine was interrupted by her phone ringing. “Excuse me”, she said and took the call. “Hello, who’s this?”
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“Hi. It’s me, Ben. The guy you assisted yesterday… remember?”
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“Hi, Ben. Of course, I remember. How is your ankle now?”. ‘It’s him,’ she mouthed to Amanda, who rubbed her hands together in glee.
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A short while later, Jasmine ended the call. She looked at her friend. Amanda was grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.
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Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Don’t start, please. He only called to thank me.”
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Amanda snorted. “I have heard you. I have my eyes on you though.”
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“Don’t worry, NOTHING is going to happen between us.”
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The words sounded like a lie, even to Jasmine
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“If you say so,” Amanda said, looking like she didn’t believe a word Jasmine had said. “Since you’ve refused to come with me to celebrate, I’d better tell you the reason why I’m here.”
Jasmine listened as Amanda told her about an important document for her business she had been trying to obtain. She had experienced a few hitches during the process and needed a little help.
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“Don’t worry. I shall speak with my uncle. I’m sure he’ll be happy to intervene on your behalf”. Jasmine assured her.
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“Thank you. I would really appreciate it.” Amanda said, sighing wistfully. “You really are fortunate to have someone like him as your uncle. He’s so generous, setting up this NGO for you and … just being there for you whenever you need him.”
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Jasmine only acknowledged her words with a small nod. She really doubted if Amanda would think her uncle a paragon if she ever learned the truth about him.
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Pushing all thoughts of her uncle and Ben aside, she opened her laptop and continued working.
©Hafsah bint Nurein
#secret
