The Unlikely Friendship

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Everybody in the office turned to see who entered the room as the heels of Teena's shoes clicked on the the tiled room. Rumours of her coming to the office had been spreading like wild fire. Everyone wanted to see this "down to earth" lady who didn't blink an eye.

Orientals Communications was a company in the Island part of Lagos State. Teena who was a financial analyst has just been transferred over to the Lagos branch. Her job on paper was simple to do; which was to tighten up expenses.

Over in a transparent office is Dev who was discussing about the Chelsea game He watched on Sunday the day before. His discussion was cut off as Teena surfaced.

"Hello welcome to Oriental communications, Lagos branch; hope the flight wasn't turbulent" he said as he stretched out his hand to shake Teena. Looks like he was already ready for her to arrive.

Teena who had a laptop in her hand had to put it under her arm as she stretches to catch his hands. "You must be Dev right? I have heard a lot about you" she responded as she couldn't take her eyes off his wristwatch. Wow such a nice wristwatch - she blurted out. Dev jokingly said it was one of his collections.

But Teena on the other hand was already studying the kind of guy Dev could be just from his jewelleries and the way he spoke..

She was shown to her office - a wonderfully set office with everything she needed to feel comfortable.

It occurred to Dev that she was no Santa Claus when he jokingly told her that their branch is where the real money moves and straight away she replied that she was there to make sure every cent of money moved properly.

She already drew her battle lines and made sure every invoice was submitted on her table. Every travel tickets, every money was to be accounted for and spendings be reduced drastically on transportation. As a financial analyst, Teena wasn't scared to say it as it is.

But soon she saw that all reckless spendings had the signatory of Dev. Immediately she went to Dev's office with some files, dropping them on Dev's table with a stern face.

"You signed every reckless spendings on officials who travelled out... Even on private vacations?" She blurted out.

Come on!! You don't get clients by staying in one place, you spend now and win big later; he said smiling.
It seems he wasn't even perturbed by what Teena had shown him. She stormed out of his office. They had their disagreements daily. Teena who was seemingly strict couldn't agree with a carefree Dev who didn't care how much he spent as far as he was getting results.

Soon their Monday Board meetings turned to a court room. Teena was always on the side that the travel expenses were unjustified and Dev was always answering thatshe doesn't see the bigger picture.

How do you justify this numbers? She says at the top of her voice as she scatters files on the table.

Some meeting days didn't end well, officials witnessed meetings being dismissed abruptly and everybody going out arguing from the top of their voices as they walk to their different offices.

Soon workers started talking about the toxic nature of their once loving work environment. They all saw Teena as being strict.

Things don't seem right - Teena said to herself as she looked at files more thoroughly on a Thursday evening. Everyone had gone home while her office was the only bright light in the building. She focused on the travel invoices from Lagos to Abuja in the past years and something was missing.

Taken over by different thoughts she paced around the office to catch some breathe. She saw that Dev's office was opened and his laptop was still in the office, he didn't put a password on it.

Hmmmm, always careless, she says as she enters to turn off his laptop

While she was trying to turn it, on the wallpaper is the logo J.T group of companies; that name rang a bell. It is the same company that employed her to handle the Oriental communications case. With questions raised on her mind on how Dev had the logo on his laptop. She went back home to browse about J.T group of companies and she discovered that Mr Joshua Tunde who is the CEO of JT group of companies has just a son and three daughters. Lo and behold, the picture of this son is Dev. So Dev is Mr Joshua's son who is handling Orientals Communications a sub company of JT group of companies.

But why will he be so carefree with his own company... A whole lot of questions on her mind throughout the night. She needed another strategy to best understand things better.

In the morning Teena entered the office with a cup of coffee for Dev and with a smile Dev hasn't seen before.
He was sceptical at first but why is she so nice all of sudden...he thought to himself.
As he took a sip, he asked her why she is being nice too sudden.

Why didn't you tell me you were Dev Joshua Tunde, the son of J.T group of companies? She asked.

You never asked until now; he answered.. is that why you are being overly nice? He said further.

No!! I am not being nice, I just want to understand better why you allow such spendings.

With a smile, he asked her out for a food date in his favourite restaurant so they can talk away from the office.

Teena and Dev had a wholesome discussion, he revealed that his father didn't take care of the workers at Oriental communications. Workers weren't rewarded for their efforts. So this brought down the revenue generated annually in the company.

He said he came into action when he saw the company dying. So as a way of resuscitating the company's revenue; he implemented vacations for the workers quarterly and he saw massive increase in the revenue.

She then understood better his point of view but still told him that they have to work together to achieve something better.

She was employed to make sure there was no extravagant spendings; to clip his wings bit his careless giving was bringing the revenue the company needed.

They bought agreed to work together, make sure that every spending brings back a ten times result. The workers worked happily which was Dev's strategy and the company also saved more money as enabled by Teena. The strict Financial Analyst and the carefree Dev turned the fortunes of Oriental communications around.

He appreciated her for being upright and strict as it has also helped him to put the company in the right path. She appreciates him too for allowing her so see things better.

The unlikely friendship produce the best results Oriental communications has ever seen in years.

I invite @ujunwa01, @imohmitch and @onlyonefave to participate in this contest