The Client Who Changed Everything That Christmas Night

She was stunning, wealthy, and one of the key clients of my small business, which specializes in repairing and servicing Apple products. All the computers in her office were Macs, so whenever they needed maintenance, I was the go-to person they called.

Our customer relationship evolved into a friendship, and before long, I became someone she confided in. My friends speculated that we were dating. I would tell them, “Come on, let’s be realistic. Have you seen the car she drives? What could she possibly want with me?”

They urged me, “Come on, take a chance! You never know, she might be interested in you.” I thought to myself, “What if she says no? I’d risk losing her friendship and the income I earn from working with her.” So, I never made a move.

Then she invited me to her end-of-year Christmas party. I enjoyed the food, drinks, and had a great time. On our way home that night, she began sharing stories about her love life—what went wrong and what didn’t turn out as she had hoped. Some of it was amusing, and we both laughed.

As we approached my place, she suddenly paused. I sensed a shift in her demeanor, as if she was about to reveal something important. She asked, “Do I intimidate you?” I replied, “No.” She continued, “You’re ambitious. I admire who you are. Just be bold, and things could change between us.”

I understood where she was headed, so I said, “I have everything to lose, so I need to tread carefully.” We fell silent, and she dropped me off.

We kept chatting for the rest of the night, and I finally found the courage to express my feelings. She replied, “Let’s see how it goes.”

The next day was Christmas, and I knew I needed to get her a gift, but what? She had given me a watch and a pair of socks and said, “You can bring your friends over this evening.”

My friend Chinedu tends to speak without thinking. Albert is laid-back but can’t resist free alcohol. And Godsway doesn’t have decent clothes to wear. I decided, “No way, I can’t take these guys with me; they’ll embarrass me.”

When she saw me, she said, “Oh, you came alone?” I replied, “Yeah, all my friends have gone to Abuja for Christmas.” 

—Abio