Chapter Six

Adaeze was not feeling okay at all, not in the least. She was jumpy with nerves, wondering how the rest of the night was bound to go. She was about to do something she had never before done in her life with a stranger, and she had to admit that this was beyond just nerves. She was a little scared as well.

What if Femi turned out to be a ritualist? Had she just given her hotel and room number to a potential murderer? She shrugged off the thought, she could tell it was just her fears speaking. There was no way Femi could be dangerous, they had been in communication for far too long, and if anything she would have seen the signs. Everything was definitely going to go great. She was not backing down at all.

She knew this was going to be the starting point of a new trajectory in her life, and she was willing to see it through and discover for herself where it took her. It might be a place she would come to love and not want to go back from, and then she would find a way to adjust it so that her fiancée would be able to fit into the picture. Because wherever she went, she was planning on taking him right along with her.

She loved her husband deeply, but this was absolutely something she had to figure out. She believed it was only through this that she could become the kind of wife that Eche needed in his life. But there was absolutely no way she was going to make that discovery if she did not at first try it out.

As they said, only time will tell.

She checked the time on her phone; she was going crazy with apprehension. She needed something to occupy her mind while she waited or she would go insane with this inactivity.

She got up from the bed and looked around; the room was sparkling clean seeing as she was habitually a neat person. And then, it was a room in a fucking five star hotel, there was nothing much to do that the hotel staff had not taken care of already. She sat back down on the bed with a sigh, picking up her phone once more.

She decided to call her mother; a chat with her would always cheer her up and take her mind away from this aching desire that was plaguing her.

Her mother picked up the call on the first ring, “hello baby. What took you so long to call me back? I was beginning to get worried.”

“I am sorry, Mother.” Adaeze fell back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling as she held the phone to her ear, “I got carried away.”

“Carried away? Ada! You just got to Lagos, what is getting you carried away?”

“Mom…”

“I am calling Eche right now! What is that boy even doing allowing you to go to Lagos alone? He must join you there tonight!”

“Mother!” Adaeze sat up in the bed, shouting at the phone “what the hell are you talking about?”

Mrs. Onuoha paused, “you said you were stressed.”

“No Mom, I said I got carried away. I had gone to the supermarket to get myself some things, I just came back and finished arranging them. I decided to call my mother, is that a crime?”

“Don’t use that tone with me,” the elderly woman sounded hurt.

“Just letting you know that calling Eche is pointless,” Adaeze let out a sigh, lying back on the bed and folding up her legs as she watched the TV.

She knew her mother, that woman could very well call Eche and have him get on the next flight to Lagos. It did not matter if he had to work, all that was important was that she had a daughter in faraway Lagos State and she needed her fiancée with her. She had a way to make people do what she wanted, even though she claimed they never did anything for her. So far, Adaeze believed she was the only one immune to that power of her mother’s. Hell, even her father falls to it from time to time.

Mrs. Onuoha let out a sigh, “you are sure you are okay? Hope the groceries were not too heavy for you?”

“I am fine mother; I did not call you for you to be worrying about me. I just wanted to talk because I was bored. And I had said I was going to call you back.” Adaeze picked up the TV remote that was beside her on the bed and put the television on mute. The sound was beginning to distract her from the ongoing conversation. “So what is the update on the wedding plans?”

“Well, the stupid caterer I told you about…” her mother began.

“Have you given her the money already? I thought you said it was going to be when she came to the house tomorrow,” Adaeze cut her off.

“Just shut up and let me finish joor,” Mrs. Onuoha tutted. “This is not about her upcoming visit, no. Instead, it is about your cake. She sent the sample cake this evening, I wish you were here to see it with me.”

“What do you mean by sample cake?”

“You this girl, is there anything you know? The sample cake is made in the exact design and taste of what the original cake will be. It will be like a model of sorts, scaled down from that of the original. So when you see it, you have a glimpse of what the original cake will be. You also eat it and get a glimpse of what the original cake will taste like. Most caterers here operate with this method.”

“Huh…” Adaeze muttered, pursing her lips as she thought about this. “It all sounds like a waste of good cake to me. So what if you do not like what the sample tastes like? What then? Will they stick to that model? Or they will give you another one?”

“They will give you something else until you find the one that will go best with you. After you have given the go ahead, it is only then that they will begin to bake the major cake itself.”

“As I said, it all sounds like a waste of good cake to me. No wonder they charge you guys so much.”

“My sweet daughter, we are rich. We can do whatever we want.”

Adaeze let out a chuckle, reaching behind her head to rearrange the pillow so she would be more comfortable, “that does not mean we should waste it all on the cake.”

“Well, your father is not complaining. And speaking of your father, the money he sent concerning the wedding is running out.”

“What? Mummy, how come na?”

“Do you think it is easy organizing these things? Do you know how many people I have to employ to give you the best day of your life?”

“Oh come on! How on earth are you even using the money? I know that the money Daddy gave you was a lot and then including the one that Eche gave to you. Mummy, why?”

The elderly woman burst into laughter on the other end of the phone, “you this foolish girl! In this economy, you think planning a big wedding is cheap? Do you think I am eating the money? Don’t be silly girl, I have my own money. And even if I did not, my husband will give me some if I ask. And even if he did not, my future son-in-law will give to me if I ask. So, do you see that I do not need your wedding money?”

“Then use your money for me na, am I not your daughter?”

“Of course you are, my angel. I love you so much. But why should I use my money when I can use your father’s money? Or your fiancée’s money? It does not sound wise, does it?”

“It does,”

“Not from where I am sitting.” Mrs. Onuoha chuckled, “which is why I am calling you. You will be the one to ask for more money.”

“From who? Daddy or Eche?”

“What do you mean from who? You will ask from both of them!”

“What? No Mom…” It was not that Adaeze could not ask, she could very well do that and they would release the money, after all, they all wanted the wedding to be a resounding success. But after seeing the kind of things her mother was spending the money on in the name of a wedding, she did not really see the point anymore.

Maybe, if she had not told her about that sample cake, she might have been willing to ask for more money on her behalf.

“What do you mean no?” Her mother cried into the phone.

“I think enough has been spent already―”

“You this girl, are you mad or something? I am yet to talk to the rainmaker, so that on your wedding day rain will not fall at all in the entire state, even though we are in the rainy season. Also, I am yet to finalize the contract with the artist that would be coming to perform for you both. Weddings are not all about balloons and ribbons as you see in the movies, they actually cost a lot of money.”

“Mummy, use your money na. You are only asking me to tell them because you know that if you do it yourself they will probably refuse. What do I tell them when they ask me why I am asking for money, after the huge sums they sent you?”

“You tell them the truth, it is all finished.”

Adaeze let out an exasperated breath, “sure. And when they ask me why it is finished? Remember you are the only one that knows how everything truly went down, right?”

“Uhm…” her mother mumbled as she thought about this. “Come on girl, they both love you. if you ask them nicely, I am sure they will send it.”

She let out a deep breath again, “okay. I will see what I can do. I will talk to Eche later tonight, maybe I will ask him then. But I am not making any promises on this.”

“Just get me the money, that is all I need not your promises. What about your father? When will you call him?”

“I do not know, maybe when he comes back from Australia,” Adaeze replied.

“Australia? Young lady, I told you he went to Guinea!”

“Oh yeah, Guinea. I totally forgot, Mom. When he gets back from Guinea, I will be sure to call him.”

“Since he left, you have not called him, have you?”

“I have been a little bit busy, Mom. But I will try and call him if not tonight, and then it will have to be tomorrow morning. But I am not asking him for money until he returns to Nigeria. You said he will be there for two days right?”

“Yes.”

“Then, when he comes back, I will see if I can make this happen.”

“Of course, this is all for you. I am going to give you the wedding of the century, every other woman in the world will envy you once this is over.”

“Honestly Mom, I do not care about all that.” Adaeze groaned, “I do not know how many times I will have to tell you this. You care about a big wedding far more than I who will be the bride, and all I want is just to get married to the love of my life. So if it turns out not to be as big as you want, it won’t hurt me as much as it would hurt you.”

“Oh shut up girl, what do you know? All you young girls of nowadays, think you know everything and what is best for you. I am your mother, and I know what is best for you. You are the daughter of a billionaire that is always in the eye of the media, your fiancée tries also but in time he will be making waves as well. If you do not want to be overshadowed by them, then you will definitely have to step up your game. Go big and give the media what they want and they will never stop talking about you.”

“You are talking from experience,”

“Of course, Ada. Your mother loves you very much, I will never lead you astray.”

“Okay… but what will being in the spotlight do for me?”

“Be in the spotlight first, when you get there you will now decide what you want to use it to do. The choice will always come down to you in the end.”

“No problem, Mom. I will see what I can do to ask them for the money. I will call you when I have done it.”

“Good girl, I need to go off now. I need to call your father and know how his conference is going.”

“Okay Mom, good night.”

“Goodnight my love, and do not forget to call your father tonight.”

“Thank you.” And to prevent another reminder, Adaeze cut the call.

She let the phone slip through her hands and fall to the bed. Her mother saying she wanted to speak to her father reminded her of Eche. She had promised to call him once she settled down in the hotel. And since she lodged in, she was yet to do just that.

But was it okay to do it when Femi was on his way to get down and nasty with her? Or should she just wait until it was all done with and Femi left? Maybe it was by that time that she would be able to talk to him. Because she did not think she would be able to have a straight conversation with him while she was planning on cheating with him.

She picked up her phone again, wondering if she should call Femi and ask him where he was. He was beginning to take too long. Had he gotten cold feet? A small part of her wished he had gotten cold feet so that everything will not happen again. But then, the rest of her prayed he did not. That it was all only a delay so that everything will surely happen.

Letting out a deep breath, she scrolled through her phone and pulled up his number. Just as she was about to dial it, she heard a knock on the door.

There was a slight thud in her heart as everything about her seemed to freeze up for a second. Then she dropped her phone on the bed and got to her feet as the knock came again.

“Hold on, I am coming,” she called out. But the room was soundproof so she doubted whoever it was that was knocking will hear her.

She walked to her wardrobe and wore her nightgown over her naked form, then she walked back across the room to the door. She unlocked it and pulled it open.

Her mouth fell open as she looked into the passage.

“At long last,” Femi said, his voice was sultry and sent shivers down her spine. “Adaeze in the flesh.”