I got on the intercom and told my wife, Lis that Robert Magubee would be coming by for a quick visit before heading back to Nigeria. He represented our largest customer so if Robert decided he wanted to make a quick social call then we were more than happy to accommodate him. He was the newly named oil minister for Nigeria. Although new to his post we had known Robert for quite some time. Lis and I had started a company built around a unique drill bit I had developed for the oil industry. While the company was only a few years old Lis and I were multi-millionaires and we owed most of our success to Robert.
I sat on the lobby couch and awaited Mr. Magubee's arrival. I watched Lis walk down the hall from her office. In her early thirties my wife still looked and moved like the athletic equestrian rider she had been several years earlier. At 5'-8" and about 145lbs Lis was muscular for a woman but still very beautiful. She had the look of a fitness model. Her long blonde hair, blue eyes and high cheekbones stuck out in a crowd and turned most heads. She had worn the grey pinstripe suit I loved so much. The short skirt conspired with the shiny black pumps she wore to show off her gorgeous well toned legs. I smiled knowing how lucky I was as she approached.
"When is he due in?" Lis looked at her watch as if a visit from our biggest customer was a pesky interruption.
"Any minute just wanted to say good bye before leaving. He won't be back for a month." I replied as Lis gave me a knowing look.
"Will Kula be with him?" Lis was thinking ahead.
Just then the doors to our office sung open and two men walked in. They were laughing at something the shorter man had said. The taller man was Robert Magubee and the other was his right hand man, Kula. They were both Nigerians. Robert was just over fifty while Kula was in his twenties. Both men were dressed in $2000.00 suits and in great shape. I reached out and shook Robert's hand. His skin tone was as dark as onyx.
"Denny, I just wanted to stop by and thank you and our lovely wife for a very fruitful business trip. The impeller you have developed for our new pipeline system is imaginative and state of the art. We so enjoyed touring your production facilities again." Robert recited in the accent of an African educated in England.
Then the black man turned his gaze towards my wife. He smiled at Lis and she walked towards him. They shook hands. "Robert I'm so glad you could come see us before you left."
"It is our pleasure. Besides I wanted to go over some of the specifications on the new shipment." Robert said.
Before Lis could answer Tonya Conny walked into the lobby and our conversation. Tonya was our top sales person and helped Lis with the Nigerian account. A more petite blonde, she was nonetheless just as attractive as my wife. Tonya made a point of showing off her shapely legs. Today was no exception; the platinum blonde was wearing a blue one piece suit that extended down only to her mid thigh. It was Tonya that Lis had just called on the receptionist's phone.
"Miss Conny it's so nice to see you again!" Robert gushed.
"Well it's nice to see you Mr. Magubee." Tonya replied.
"My goodness! Look at the diamond on your finger. Are congratulations in order?" The Nigerian inquired.
"I guess so. I got engaged a month ago." Tonya blushed.
"Why didn't I notice that beautiful ring before today? I must be slipping in my old age. Tell your fiancΓ© he is a lucky man." Robert exclaimed as Tonya continued to blush.
The tall black laughed heartily at his self depreciation and the rest of us followed his lead. Unlike many of the arrogant Africans our company did business with Robert was pretty easy going although his ego still needed to be stroked from time to time.
"Well I'm going to let you people talk shop and get back to work myself." I announced.
I shook hands with Robert and Kula and went down the hall to the left. We had purchased the office building at an incredibly low price. Although the design of the offices was far from perfect. We decided to keep it much the same with the four executive offices located in the middle, a hallway circled them while smaller offices and a bullpen were set up on the outside of the rectangular hallway. My office abutted the other three in one way or another. Both Lis' and Tonya's offices were back to back with mine while the other, which was currently empty, was at the end of mine. What we liked about them was their spacious size. Each office had a large desk, a couch and coffee table and they were close to 500 square feet in size.
When I told the contractors that had renovated the facility that each room had to be sound proofed I blamed it on the paranoia of the Africans we did business with. I cited my own misgivings regarding the Africans when I ordered the one way mirrors from my office into the other three large rooms. Although African clients were why I decided to have these amenities installed paranoia was not the underlying reason.