Chapter Two

He knotted his tie correctly around his neck and grabbed his jacket while she sat on the bed in her waitress uniform, looking ashamed and fiddling with her fingers.

He cleared his throat. "What's with that look?" He asked.

She shook her head slowly.

He rolled his eyes then reached out for his wallet which he had left on the table, brought out his cheque book and tore a piece out, filling in his name and the amount of money he wanted her to cash out.

He handed the cheque over to her and she collected it slowly, wondering what it was.

"Please fill in your name and go cash it out at the bank. That's a cheque of Five hundred thousand naira. Use it to do something," He said and began to step out.

She threw it on the floor. "What do you take me for?" She yelled.

He turned around. "What do you mean?" He retorted.

"Do you think I'm a prostitute or what?" She asked.

"Hey, I just gave that to you as a peace offering, nothing else," He said.

"Gosh. I feel so pathetic and disgusted with myself. You ordered food for room service and I came here then you lured me into your bed. How am I to face my colleagues?" She asked.

"How should I know that? Tell them you ate something which made you go to the toilet several times, it's that easy. If you're worried about me blowing your cover, that's not going to happen, okay?"

She sighed. "That still won't take away the guilt I feel though," She stated.

"Guilt about what exactly? Having fun?" He retorted.

She bent her head low, too ashamed to look him in the eye.

She rubbed the engagement ring on her finger and he grinned, finally understanding what she was so worked up about.

Tears slid down her face. "I'm to be married in two weeks from now, how do you think I should feel? I feel so guilty and torn and this is all your fault. If only you hadn't seduc..."

He cut her off. "Hey, I did nothing wrong. Don't even try to pin anything on me. You kept on screaming for more. Didn't you have a choice of telling me no when I invited you to my bed? You could have even just dropped the goddamn meal on the table and been on your way, ignoring my advances!" He said, almost raising his voice.

She shuddered and looked away, knowing he was spilling the honest truth.

He took a few steps back and bent low, sending chills down her spine.

"Listen, I get where you're coming from, but sex is just fun between two people and you've had fun which no one needs to know about. Also, I'll commend your services to the manager," He said.

She looked shaken as he completed his last statement.

He chuckled. "Of course, not the sex service. Do take care of yourself," He said and began to walk off again.

"Hey!" She called.

He stopped right in his tracks, but he didn't look back.

"You think we could do it again?" She asked.

A smirk played around his lips. "Sorry, dear. I need to go to work now," He said.

"You work at 10pm?" She inquired.

"I guess," He said with a shrug and walked out of the room, then closed the door behind him.

He felt the vibration of the phone in his pocket and he took it out. The caller ID showed that it was Drago who was calling him.

He rolled his eyes and answered the call then placed it on his ear.

"Yes?" He spoke as soon as the call connected.

"Where in God's name are you?" Drago asked in a gruff voice from the other end.

"How's that any of your business?" He retorted.

"You went partying again, didn't you? I can hear the sound of music," He said harshly.

He chuckled. "So what if I'm at a party? Anyways, I went to a club where they also have guest rooms. I went to have a good time in one of the rooms. I just checked out and I'm on my way out," He said.

Drago heaved a tired sigh. "Tade Wellington, if you get involved in another scandal, I'll do nothing to help you out," He said.

Tade scoffed. "When have I ever asked for your help?"

"Your father..."

"Exactly, my father's the one who orders you around and not me, so if you want to threaten anyone, threaten him and not me. I don't need your help," Tade remarked, interrupting him.

"Listen, Tade, it's not like that..."

However, Tade wasn't paying any attention anymore. His eyes diverted to a stripper pole where he saw her dancing in the most unusual fashion. Her steps didn't match with the beat of the song, but she definitely seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Hello. Tade, are you there?" Drago called, noticing he wasn't giving him any reply anymore.

"We'll talk later," Tade said and immediately hung up and put his phone in his pocket.

He strode to where the girl was, gasping at how enticing she looked from just her back view, thinking of how well she must then look overall.

He licked his lips and brushed his hand against her waist and she turned around swiftly then laughed as she saw him.

He was startled upon seeing her there. He had followed her up for the past eleven years and he had never suspected that she had such a splendid curvy figure that was already awakening his baby down there.

She was clad in a red tight fitting dress which was only long up to her thigh level. The dress had no straps and the nature of the dress revealed her cleavage, arousing him.

He wanted her, but of course, he couldn't have her. She was Bukunmi, the only woman he didn't have the intentions of bedding, because he knew she deserved so much more and he owed her so much that he could barely live with himself knowing what she was going through was all his fault.

Bukunmi wrapped her arms around his neck and threw a beautiful smile in his direction, wriggling like an earthworm in water.

He was taken by surprise as she held on tightly onto him, moving in diverse directions and in a very unsteady way, with the smell of alcohol, clinging tightly on to her. It was then he noticed that she was drunk and was definitely not herself.

He cleared his throat and wrapped his arms around her waist as he glided to the rhythm with her, much to her happiness.

"How many bottles of alcohol did you have?" He asked.

She thought for a while. "I don't remember... About three or four, I guess," She replied.

He chuckled. "But why? I thought you don't drink," He told her.

She frowned at him. "How did you know that? Do you perhaps know me from somewhere?"

He smiled. "I know you more than you could possibly imagine," He told her.

"Really? Have we met before? Anyways, you're wrong. I drink alcohol, but that's very rare and the highest I take is just two glasses. Today's just so different," She said.

He seemed very concerned. "Really? What made it different?"

She shrugged. "My book got rejected again," She said.

He was really surprised. "But why? You're a really great writer," He stated.

She carved her brows in suspicion. "What makes you say that? You don't even know me," She said.

He chuckled nervously. "Ummm...that is...ummm.."

"It's fine, really, it is. You're just trying to be nice and I absolutely understand," She said.

He smiled, glad that he had not in any way blown his cover.

"You..umm... You look so beautiful," He told her.

She smiled at him. "Thank you. You look handsome as well, just like a prince," She said.

He blushed uncontrollably. He got so many compliments all the time and he knew he was really handsome and the dream of every girl, but hearing her compliment him felt different and special. It wasn't like the usual ones; it was heart-warming.

"Thank you," He finally said.

"You're always welcome," She said, acknowledging his gratitude.

He nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "I actually thought you were drunk. You suddenly seem so normal," He stated in surprise.

She giggled. "Guess the alcohol has worn off then," She said.

"Wow! That was so fast," He said.

She soon lost her balance due to the drowsiness that had been seeping through her and was about falling when he caught her in his arms.

He held her waist and hugged her closely, not letting her go, ensuring she was safe and well protected in his arms.

She, on the other hand, felt like a superhero had saved her life. She stayed right in his arms, unflinching; not moving.

His embrace brought her peace, comfort and soothed her nerves, making her feel better than she had in the last few months.

"Thank you for not letting me fall," She said.

"You're always welcome, dear," He told her with a smile.

"I should probably get off the dance floor now, lest I fall and break my teeth," She said, exhibiting humour in her tone.

He giggled at her sense of humour and freed her from his embrace, after which their eyes locked, making the moment intense and sparking up emotions between both of them.

His phone began to vibrate in his pocket, making him come back to reality.

He immediately took out the phone and saw it was Drago who was calling once again.

"He always has a way of ruining everything," Tade muttered under his breath and hissed.

"Is anything the matter?" She asked, concerned.

He waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing's wrong. Please, just give me a moment to answer this call," He said.

"Sure," She said.

He thanked her, and she watched as he disappeared outside to go and receive his call.

"Girl, that guy is hot," Nneoma screamed in glee as soon as Tade was out of sight.

"Where have you been?" Bukunmi asked upon recognising her friend.

"Close enough to know you and that cute guy were getting in the moment," Nneoma said, with a wink.

"I have no idea on what you're talking about," Bukunmi lied.

"Deny it all you want, but you know I'm good at reading in between the lines. You guys had something like a chemistry," She argued.

"All that is in your head, okay?"

"I know exactly what I'm talking about, dearie. You even pretended you were drunk just to gain his attention, you little wench," She said.

"I wasn't pretending. I was kind of a little bit tipsy, drowsy, drunk... whatever. It comes and goes, and I wonder why," She said, truthfully, this time around.

Nneoma rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The fact remains that going out can help you meet the right person. Your mum was right after all," Nneoma said, sticking out her tongue.

"Right about what?" Tade asked, suddenly announcing his unnoticed return.

"Don't mind her. She's a crazy girl," Bukunmi immediately said, flashing Nneoma a stern glance before she could say a word.

"Okay. Do you guys know each other?" He asked.

"Yeah. She literally forced me here; she and my mother," She explained.

"Your mum lets you go clubbing? Didn't think of her as that kind of a person," He said.

She chuckled. "You sound like you know my mum."

"Well, I don't," Tade said.

They both burst into a fit of laughter.

"My mum is so unusual and very petty. She joined forces with my best friend of over two decades to punish me," Bukunmi explained.

"Punish you? How?"

"She feels I'd get a rich husband by going out instead of staying indoors all day," She replied.

He chortled. "That's interesting, but she's not totally wrong," Tade told her.

"Oh! You wanna take sides with her now? Honestly, all I need is a good job so she can just leave me in peace," She said.

"What about writing?"

"He knows you write?" Nneoma asked in surprise.

She nodded. "He knows. I already told him. Since no one likes my book, I may just get something else doing; as long as it can take care of my basic needs."

"When did you make this decision?" Tade asked.

"Just today. I'm tired of my mum always making me feel small cause of my joblessness and it's worse now that she's trying to force me into getting married," He said.

"But sincerely speaking, you're old enough to be married. Anyways, hang in there. I'm sure you'll get a job that involves doing what you love the most with a brilliant salary, okay?"

She smiled. "Thanks for your kind words," She said.

He smiled back at her. "I should probably get going, I'm running late," He said to her.

"Bye then."

"Bye," He said to her, put his hands in his pocket and began to walk off.

"Why didn't you collect his number, dummy?" Nneoma asked immediately he had gone out.

She shrugged. "He's the guy, he should've been the one to collect my number and not the other way round," She stated.

Nneoma groaned. "What the hell did you just say? We're in the 21st century, girlie! There's nothing wrong in asking for his number. Now, you've lost this golden opportunity," Nneoma said, sounding moody.

"I've lost nothing. Better guys will show up, and as for him; if it's meant to be, then it'll definitely be," She said.

"I love your spirit," Nneoma told her and they both giggled.

As he unlocked his car in the driveway, he smiled upon remembering the way she had smiled so beautifully at him with her white set of teeth and perfect dimples which added heavenly to her beauty.

His heart pounded loudly without him knowing why.

Never had he thought he'd see Bukunmi again face-to-face without her yelling and cursing at him, but fate had played its game well, and she didn't have the slightest idea about who he was; else, she’d have caused a scene.

He was going to meddle in her affairs now that he was aware that everything wasn't okay with her, and because he wanted her to trust him for no reason he could point out, he decided to play it safe...At least, for the meantime.

It was really weird writing the beginning of this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it though.

Please, vote and comment.

Much love.