Jadel tapped on her message icon and texted Tee "Hey baby girl there's a hang-out at the good beach in a fortnight, would you like to join?"
Who's buzzing? Tee whispered as she quickly reached for her phone "Yes please, I would love to join, you don't know how much I need a breath of fresh air, girlie, I wanna unwind, it's work, work work."
Jadel was excited and quickly replied, "Okay then, I would add you to the group I created on WhatsApp, all you have to do is introduce yourself and just go with the flow until D-day."
A few minutes later, Tee's phone buzzed, "Oh, okay, let me quickly join the group and go with the flow" She whispered as she clicked on the link sent to her by Jadel, and in no time she introduced herself and was vibing.
On the WhatsApp Group Chat
Mario one of the group members who was the life of the party typed "Okay Tee you're welcome, you've got a very pretty name, can we have a picture to identify you, and if possible can you just drop a voice note too?"
"Oh, okay, well I can only send my picture, not sure about the voice note thingy."Tee typed back.
She sent her picture to the group.
"Dayumm!! you're so beautiful," Mario typed.
"Cute!" Jadel typed
"Beautiful!" Lisa typed
"Awesome! Maggie typed
" Welcome here pretty," Dera typed
Tee in her element quickly texted back "Thanks, y'all, I would be going off now."
A private message popped up in her inbox.
"Hi Tee, I would love to know you better aside from this group thingy, that's if you don't mind. It's Mario from the group chat."
"Oh, okay, that's not a problem, we'll get to see soon."
"Yeah sure, but before then, let me properly introduce myself to you, My name is Mario Bryan, and I work with NNPC, based in Lagos, I am 28 years old, very single, and ready to mingle."
"hmm, nice eye. Well, I am Tatiana Moses, but I love to be called Tee for short, 24 years old, Self-employed, and based in Lagos too."
From that day on, they kept tabs on each other after having the group chat, they continued to chat with each other via direct messages.
The Beach Hang-Out
"Welcome here guys! The only person you guys haven't met in person is Tee, so here she comes." Jadel excitedly spoke to eight of her colleagues who were the members of the group chat.
Tee walked in looking so stunning, she was in her pink kimono, a white singlet tucked in white shorts, a white beach hat, but sun shades to go and a lovely pair of sneakers to match.
"You are finer in person," Maggie told Tee.
"Oh, thanks," Tee Flipped her hair to the other side as she responded, and then sighed Mario who was on a white shirt, vintage shirt, face cap, and a sun shade too.
"Here you are, Mario.." They both hugged each other.
Clears throat "Hugging already?" Maggie questioned.
"And what's bad about that?" Jadel snapped back. "Aren't we all here to mingle and have fun?"
Maggie this time focused her gaze on Mario's and Tee's outfits "Wait oh, why are you both wearing white shorts?
People laughing in the background, "It's probably a coincidence," Dera replied.
Maggie being sarcastic "Hmmm, I hope so oh, Mario, Mario, sharp guy!"
"Okay," Jadel interrupted "so Tee, here is Maggie, Mario, Joe, Dera, Lisa, Kunle, John, Mike, and my humble self Jadel. You know me Nah" and then she chuckled.
"Yeah, my bestie, I know you..haha" Tee responded.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you, I learned you all work together, My Friend here Jadel told me about the group hangout, since I wanted to unwind, I decided to join". Tee confidently spoke.
Lisa set the table for the order of events, "Please, it's about time to mingle and have fun, shall we?"
"Yes, we shall," They all chorused.
Throughout that day, Mario and Tee acted like a newly married couple, locked hands with each other, danced together even ate together, and Maggie other than having fun, began to assume what was not, "Hey God, so these people just met each other today and already in love?" She kept murmuring.
Dera who was quite observant tapped Maggie "You will just die of hypertension oh Maggie! Or is there something you are not telling us? Do you like him?"
Maggie hissed and pretended to be unbothered. "Like who?"
Well, that day was a fulfilled one for every one of them except Maggie who acted as the FBI.
At the office
Maggie, finished up the task she had on her desk and headed straight to Jadel's desk, "Ermm Jadel, the scuttlebutt has it that Mario and Tee are in love, Is that true?"
Jadel who was still focused on her laptop snapped back, "Why are you so worried about them? Aren't they old enough to be in love?"
"Mario is a playboy oh, better save your friend before he breaks her heart, I am just trying to be a good friend here." Maggie stood up and walked out as she was almost late for lunch.
Jadel followed her swiftly, "This is what Jealousy does oo."
A few weeks later, Tee texted Jadel
"Is this right? I think Mario is in love with me and I feel the same, but Maggie told me he's a playboy, girlfriend I don't want anybody to toil with my emotions."
"Hey girl, do just what makes
you happy, people ruin what they wish they had, I've known Mario for over three years and he seems to be a good guy, Maggie is just a busybody, if you love him, take the chance on him," Jadel replied.
Tee smiled sheepishly at her response "Okay, I'll give this a shot, I kinda like him so much."
"Go girl, that's spirit, Do what makes you happy!" Jadel excitedly responded.
And that was the game changer for Tee, she took the chance on Mario and never regretted that decision.
Two years later, Mario proposed to her and they got married, turns out that Maggie had a crush on him but couldn't spill because of the company's policy which says: "Colleagues cannot date and marry."