Keeping it under wraps
Candice puts her romance with Katlego in jeopardy when she agrees to secretly go into business with Lehasa.
There’s no doubting Candice’s (Liza van Venter) love for her business partner boyfriend Katlego (Patrick Seleka). Their relationship has survived endless hiccups, including back-andforth arguments about running their restaurant Capsy’s. “They promised each other that they’d stick together no matter what,” says Liza. But when their investor and corrupt businessman Lehasa (Cedric Fourie) proposes an idea to Candice on Tuesday 15 January and demands a meeting on Tuesday 22 January, she’s forced to lie to Kat. “Capsy’s brings in a lot of income and Lehasa wants to make changes to their signed contract,” explains Liza. The agreement was that when Kat and Candice make a certain amount of money, they’d buy out Lehasa and the restaurant would be in their name. But there’s a snag…
“Lehasa has been lying to them all along. He has never had plans to sell them Capsy’s; he just wanted to make money off them,” explains the actress. “And what’s worse is that Candice and Katlego signed paperwork drawn up by Lehasa – they didn’t read a little clause stating that Lehasa will always own the restaurant.” When Lehasa points this out, Candice realises that she has no option but to go along with his plan, hoping that she’ll be able to change his mind and get 50% of the business instead of losing it all. But rather than solve her problems, Candice is digging herself into a far worse mess.
LINE OF BUSINESS
“Candice knows that meeting Lehasa without Kat [on 22 January] is wrong, but she has to do it,” explains Liza. The restaurant means everything to her and Candice can’t accept losing her dreams of being a restaurant owner because of someone devious like Lehasa. “She and Kat are two of the youngest restaurant owners in Polokwane. If she can keep Capsy’s, she can branch out with a chain of restaurants across the country and internationally too,” adds Liza. But Candice feels guilty on Wednesday 16 January and it’s causing friction with Kat. “How can she look him in the eye after what she’s about to do to him? Candice is going against the man she loves, the man who’s been with her through thick and thin for her career goals. It’s killing her inside,” says Liza.
A DARK HORSE
While Candice’s heart is being weighed down, her head is in overdrive. Running a restaurant isn’t child’s play “and she often has to take the lead with the business side when Kat cracks under pressure. Candice knows that Lehasa is strong-willed and power-hungry. He would be a better business partner…” suggests Liza. “Lehasa would be a great mentor for her. He has the experience and he doesn’t let anything get in his way when he’s after something. That’s what she wants to be: a powerhouse in their industry.”
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Kat may have his hands full running the kitchen at Capsy’s but he knows his girlfriend well and questions Candice about her jumpy behaviour on Monday 21 January, forcing her to come clean about her meeting plan. “Candice tells him about the phonecall. She reveals almost everything about Lehasa’s deal but promises that she is going to drop Lehasa and not go to the meeting,” says Liza. Kat is furious, telling Candice that he wants nothing to do with Lehasa and that they need to get out of their initial agreement with him. But while Kat trusts his girlfriend that she won’t meet their partner, Candice betrays him and goes to Lehasa on Tuesday 22 January. “She’s being foolish,” warns Liza, “because while she thinks that Kat won’t find out, someone spots her and Lehasa at a table and word travels fast in Turfloop…”
Candice’s plan comes crashing down the very next day on Wednesday 23 January – Kat wants to break up with her and is thinking about taking the business for himself.