A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 67: SOFIA

Chapter 67: SOFIA

My feet kept tapping arrhythmically and I bit on my index as the cab I had boarded to the East side of town sped towards my destination.

We had been trapped in Dorsal bridge for almost an hour, and the sweeping winds now did nothing for the beads of perspiration on my forehead. Or the wetness of my pits.

I was already late, not that I booked an appointment, but having worked with Anna Wintour, I knew the mood she would be in now.

The best time to approach her and get positive outcomes was when she just came in. When she’s still oblivious to the errs and mishaps of her staff.

I was supposed to be there by 9am, and now it’s 10:23, meaning it has been an hour and 3 minutes she’s been in. Anna was always punctual, or at least as punctual as expected of the Editor-in-Chief.

She always came in by 9:20 am or earlier, but never later. And knowing her, an hour and some minutes was more than enough for her entire demeanor to change and it’s rarely for the better.

"Perhaps things have changed. Or Anna has changed." My mind tried to console me, but I couldn’t be consoled.

A man’s job was hanging on my shoulders and I fear I’ve lost already. When Anna is in her tantrums, be you who, she doesn’t care, a no will be all you’d be getting.

I doubt she would even want to see me, seeing that I didn’t book an appointment, talk more of listening to me or agreeing to my request.

"Here we are, Miss" the middle aged cab driver announced as the car screeched to a halt.

Handing him his fee, I alighted from the car.

Cars, that of employees and distribution vans with Bogue logo, lined both sides of the sidewalk and I had to walk from where the cab dropped me to the main building.

Bogue New City branch, stood tall at All Times Square, Hanttan. The sleek, modern building boasted of a gleaming glass and steel façade. A distinctive, curved entrance. A sprawling, digital billboard showcased Bogue’s latest covers. A chic, black awning bore the iconic Bogue logo.

A large cursive blue ’B’ entwined with a mannequin and a pen.

Making my way in, I stood enveloped in splendor. Even after walking in and exiting this lobby for a year, I was still in awe of it.

Polished, white marble floors to soaring, 20-foot ceilings. A stunning, modern chandelier, its warm light mirrored on the floors. A sleek, minimalist reception desk where two ladies like airplane hostesses sat talking to customers who stood in a queue.

"Sofia?" The lady at the right side of the desk asked.

"Hey, Tema" I replied, waving at her from the back of the line. It really wasn’t much, three persons stood between me and the lady with a shiny head void of hair and a pair of loops on her ears.

Tema rocked the look like a true African princess. She was one of those persons with stunning skin tone and she knew

just how beautiful she was.

"Knew I recognized that face, so what are you doing here?" She asked, waving me forward and politely telling those in line to go and be attended by her colleague.

"Still looking as gorgeous as ever"

"Oh please, spare me all that" Christine, her colleague said, glaring at the both of us.

Christine and Tema have been at war even before I became an intern and apparently, even after I left, they still are.

"Hello, Christine" I greeted.

"Nice of you to finally see me" she quipped.

"Oh Christine, don’t be like that_"

"Baby girl, let her be. She’s always with the attitude and you did her no wrong. So, you were saying?" Tema said, stopping my conversation with Christine, who raged, but kept mute.

I wasn’t really surprised, Tema had shown her what’s up when she beat her ass and after that humiliation, Christine has been avoiding a repeat.

I expected her to tell those formally in Tema’s line to go back to her, but she didn’t. Instead she fumed and raged red without uttering a word.

"I’m here to see Anna, hope she’s in already or has she changed her coming in time?" I answered, feeling slightly sorry for Christine.

"Girl, you know her, Anna Wintour would sooner quit than come in a second after 9:20. So, do you have an appointment? Does she know you are

coming?"

"Erm, no, she doesn’t, but um_"

"Girl," she said, using her manicured finger to shush me quiet, "you know I like you, but girl, Anna can be at it most times and you know this. Her bitchy ass might fire me if I allow you in."

"Please Tems, this is very important and you know Anna kinda likes me as well, so please help your girl."

"Fine, you don’t have to make that face. Wait one sec, let me call her office and tell her you are here, if she’s okay with it then you may proceed."

I stood aside near the floor-to-ceiling Bogue logo staked with the latest columns and publications as she dialed, took a deep breath and stuttered as soon as the line connected,

"Hello Ma, um... someone, sorry, Sofia Blake is here to see you, should I let her in?"

A pause.

I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding as Tema added,

"Okay ma, I will do just that"

A second later as Tema clicked the telephone in place, I found myself rethinking those words.

"I will do just that" could mean something else. It wasn’t necessarily a good sign or an affirmative. It could mean that she was asked to lead me out.

And as Tema approached me, I feared she was indeed being asked to lead me out, if anything, her silence spoke volumes.

"Girl, relax. You asked me to let you in, so what’s with the face?"

"Tems, why didn’t you just say that? Your silence had me thinking otherwise"

"Oh please, I ended that call like just now and I didn’t see the need to say anything when she asked me to bring you in myself"

"Oh oh, someone’s in trouble" Christine thrilled.

"Mind your fucking job" Tema threw back, leading me to the stairs.

"But she knows that I know my way around, so why did she ask you to bring me?" I asked as we mounted the stairs.

"Fuck if I knew, but you know Anna can be like that. She needs no reason to act like the Boss Bitch"

"That she doesn’t" I muttered, smiling.

After the stairs, we walked down the blue and white painted hallway with vintage Bogue issues lining the walls.

Anna’s office was at the end of the hallway, after what was junction, two parts leading to the printing offices, the offices of the editors and cubicles of content writers.

The walls were made of glass, not really transparent, and not really opaque. I could make out the interior, even Anna lounging behind her glass desk, but it was all a blur.

I had been inside the office before and from within, one could see everything outside clearly. I guess that’s how they wanted it to be, a medium to spy on others, but remain undetected doing it.

On the glass door, it read,

Anna Wintour

Editor-in-Chief

With a light knock, Tema ushered me in.

Perhaps it was due to my time away, but it seemed her office looked more spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Hanttan.

A comfortable, cream-colored seating area with a plush sofa, towering bookshelves filled with fashion tomes and art books. Iconic fashion photographs and artwork adorning the walls, a striking, modern chandelier, Anna’s signature bob-shaped mirror, all accented by Bogue’s signature blue.

Anna Wintour lounged behind her sleek desk, her crustae manicured fingers steepled as she glared at us.

A photo of Beth, her daughter and Lee, her cat stood near her laptop, and strangely they weren’t any of Collins, her husband. Not even the family portrait she used to have with the four of them, huddled on their front lawn. Now, it was just a portrait of her, Beth and Lee outside Disneyland.

Awards and accolades formed part of her desk and fresh pale pink roses stalked in a vintage Chinese dragon vase.

"Hello Ma" I greeted.

"You may go now, Tema" Anna said in that singsong voice of hers, waving her hand in dismissal.

With a slight bow, obviously out of relief, Tema withdrew from the room.

Returning her gaze to me, she purred,

"Well, well, well, Sofia Blake, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

She rose from her desk.

Dressed in a gray tailored pantsuit, soft pink blouse, low-heeled loafers, and a simple silver necklace, looking every bit like the Boss Bitch she was, while also maintaining a sexy look, it appeared Anna was still sticking to my advice.

"Come sit with me, something tells me I would very much like what you have to say and as boring as this morning has been, I need it" she said, tapping on the sofa beside her.

Whispering a prayer, I forced a smile as I walked to where she sat, waiting like a cat about to devour a prey.