Love on the Menu. Lerato Matsaneng

leaned back and relaxed in his chair, giving her his undivided attention.

      “All the women in my family are great cooks,” Lebo began. “Our cooking talent has been passed on from my grandmother to me. Our dishes are tasty and proudly African but also have a modern feel – like my favourite dish, the pork stew with dumplings.”

      He looked impressed, or was she imagining that?

      Trying hard to sound businesslike, Lebo continued, “My mother, my aunt and I have catered for a few small gatherings and have had wonderful feedback, so now we want to start a real business and make our services professional. The response has been great. People love the food and I’m even thinking of adding a series of cookbooks to the brand.”

      Lebo went on to tell Molemo about her dreams of eventually expanding her catering company to include event planning and PR. She had made enough contacts in the entertainment industry to venture in that direction, but that was something for the future.

      “You really seem passionate about this business,” he said, smiling slightly. “I’ve worked with many young entrepreneurs, but I rarely see such eagerness and drive in them. Look, I’m going to stick my neck out here and make you an offer. I want you to think about it and let me know if you’re interested.” He looked at her thoughtfully.

      Lebo felt her heart leap, but she just nodded expectantly. He didn’t elaborate any further, however.

      Later, while they were enjoying the restaurant’s signature dish, the grilled T-bone steak, Molemo again mentioned the offer he wanted to make her.

      Trying not to seem desperate, Lebo looked at him and signalled for him to continue as she ate.

      “My company is celebrating an anniversary soon and we’re hosting a gala dinner for many of our clients, as well as some potential new ones. It’s really a marketing exercise to get some business from government and the private sector, so everything has to be perfect and reflect our business as an ideal service provider.”

      Again, Lebo felt her heart racing, but she forced herself to seem calm.

      “If you’re keen and up to it, I’d like to offer you the contract for the catering. Obviously we’d want you to make a few samples for us to try out, but if you’re as good as you say you are, that shouldn’t be a problem. Or would it, Miss Mokoena?” Molemo asked, giving her a piercing look as he lifted his glass to take a sip of his whisky.

      Lebo was taken aback by Molemo’s offer. It was the last thing she had expected. She was excited and nervous at the same time. This opportunity would be a good chance for her to show off her talents, and by the sound of what he was saying, the function would also present her with lots of potential business. She made a note to herself to have business cards printed as soon as possible.

      But she was nervous. There would be many important people at the event and she didn’t want to mess things up for herself and Molemo.

      Still, she said bravely, “I’d love to take you up on that offer. Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

      “Just be sure to bring your A game to the event.”

      “I will,” Lebo agreed. She wanted to prove to Molemo that she was serious about becoming a successful businesswoman.

      “By the way, I was in a hurry when I left the office earlier and forgot something, some reading material on business I wanted to bring you,” Molemo continued. “But on Thursday afternoon I have a meeting here with one of our subcontractors. So let’s meet after that – at about five – then we can go through the material. In the meantime I’ll forward you some details about my company to give you a better understanding of what we do.”

      Lebo was pleasantly surprised by the trouble Molemo was going to.

      He smiled at her and said, “So then, tell me about yourself, outside of being an emerging businesswoman with lots of savvy.”

      Lebo was taken aback by his interest in her. She hadn’t expected him to want to know her on a more private level, but she found him interesting and attractive and was all too keen to let him into her personal space.

      She told him about her job as a reporter at the Daily Mirror and how she had grown tired of the shallow culture of the entertainment world.

      Molemo agreed that there was a sense of entitlement among some leading figures in the industry. That was why he and his friend would be taking a different approach when they entered the entertainment scene with a lifestyle company they would be launching soon.

      The two of them continued to talk about growing up in Sebokeng and the people they both knew and all the local chitchat. The more Molemo spoke, the more Lebo felt attracted to him. There was much more to him than the rumours she had heard about him indicated. He was funny and sweet, and he seemed like a genuine gentleman.

      They were still talking when their waiter came to inform them that the restaurant was cashing up and gave them their bill. Molemo looked at his watch – Lebo was sitting close enough to notice it was a Rolex – and muttered that it was midnight. They quickly finished their tea and coffee before getting up from the table.

      Molemo settled the bill and left a very impressive tip for the waiter.

      “My goodness, Lebo, you talk too much!” Molemo teased her as they headed towards the door.

      “Oh, please, you’re the one with the big mouth,” she threw back at him.

      They were standing outside and had said their goodbyes when Molemo offered to walk Lebo to her car.

      “I left it at my flat. I live just down the road, so I walked here,” she said, and he insisted on dropping her off at home.

      Lebo had never been in a Range Rover before. The vehicle was clean and smelt expensive. As soon as Molemo turned on the ignition, the CD player continued with the song it had been playing – Ringo Madlingozi’s “Nanini Na”. Lebo knew the song by heart, since she was a big Ringo fan. She was impressed by Molemo’s taste in music and had to admit that there was something very alluring about this man.

      He stopped at her block of flats and whispered a soft good night as she got out of the car.

      Lebo walked into her flat with a light step. She was very excited about Molemo’s offer and dying to tell her mother, but she wouldn’t dare call her at this hour. MaMokoena went into a panic whenever the phone rang after 8pm; she always thought someone had died or there had been an accident.

      Lebo would just have to wait until the next morning to share the good news.