Chapter eight

Femi kept sending me Flowers and gifts but each time they came, I told the dispatch rider to return them. After one week of steady rejection, they stopped coming. I thought I'd be relieved but instead I was worried.

Does it mean he no longer wants me and all he said about being soulmate was a lie? I became restless and the dreams and imaginations increased. I could barely focus and several times I made mistakes with my coding.

"Madam, you seem to be under a lot of stress, maybe you should take some time off. I can take it up from here" Ayomide said when I made the hundredth mistake due to my wandering mind. He was one of my best staff.

"I don't need a break, I can handle it. This project is very important, I cannot afford a break. Don't worry, this won't happen again" I lowered my gaze in embarrassment. I hate flpoing in front of my employees.

I did make another mistake and it was then I realized that I taking a break was better than jeopardizing my project with silly mistakes. I closed my system and told my assistant I'll be back in an hour.

I drove out of the premises into the warm fresh air. I had no destination in mind so I kept driving in circles while my mind drifted to recent occurrences in my life. It was then I knew I needed to talk to someone but then who would it be? I needed someone who would not judge, someone who would be open minded and listen to me.

Only one person came to my mind, she was my roommate back in Uni, she was a carefree person who lived carelessly and wildly. She would, go clubbing almost every day, sleep with every Tom, dick and Harry not minding if they married or not. Jasmine hated her the first time I introduced them and she didn't hide the fact that she doesn't want me to bring her into our friendship group. So I kept Rita at arm's length away from Jasmine. We hang out together once in a while.

"I really don't know why you would have anything to do with such a wilding" Jasmine would complaino anytime I go hang out with her.

"Rita might look wild to you but trust me, she's such a sweet soul, she has a good heart and you can count on her to help you whenever you're in need" I would reply and she would give me the jealous eye.

"What kind of sweet soul sleeps with people's husband?"

"You don't understand, This girl was there for me in my worsts moments back then in school. I can't just throw her away because of the way she live her life" But Jasmine never seemed to understand. She hated Rita and the feeling was mutual for Rita who always referred Jasmine as a "snobbish bitch"

I parked my car by the side of the road and dialed her number. "Hello my runaway friend" the familiar bubbly voice reverberated over the phone.

"Hello dearie, I'm not your runaway friend"

"Oh please! When last did we hang out, a month? But I bet you always meet up with that snobbish rich bitch of yours" I rolled my eyes. I'm so used to this tussle.

"It's not like that, I've been so busy at work, I've started working on that project I told you about and it's taking my entire time" I said but I knew she wasn't going to buy it

"And there's me with no job and no project and probably no life too" she said sarcastically, "But I bet you always find time to hang out with that bitch, don't you?"

"How about I make it up to you by taking you out to dinner this evening at the best restaurant in town" I quickly said trying to change the topic so she can leave Jasmine out of her mouth.

"No, how about you make it up to me following me to the club tonight"

"Girl you know I don't go clubbing during the week I have to go to work tomorrow" Rita was unbelievable, I wonder if she would ever change.

"And so do I. It's either that or you go meet that bitchy friend of yours"

"Okay okay, fine. I'll meet you at the club this night"

"Great, I can't wait to see you, bye" She hung up and I drove back to the office. This time I was able to concentrate and no mistake was made.

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The night club is definitely my least favorite place. I only hang out there due to peer pressure. If not that I needed to talk urgently, I would have turned Rita's invitation down. Who goes to the club on a Tuesday? Only Rita and her fellow weirdos. No wonder I and Jasmine clicked the moment we met. We love to hang out in the same kind of places, we have the same music and movie tastes, the same fashion sense and of course the same love of money and the good things of life. Only that she got hers the easy way which was marrying a billionaire while I decided to get mine by myself which is o f course the hardest way. But we were so much alike in many ways and I genuinely love her as much I love Rita too.

I got the the club before Rita, the loud music with the smell of cigarettes mixed with alcohol turned me off immediately. I left the sweaty dancing bodies and went upstairs to the VIP lounge. I had barely sat down when Rita buzzed in like a fly and dragged me from my seat

"I didn't bring you here to come sir here, come on, let's go to the dance floor"

I tried my best to smile and sway my hips to the beat of the music but the burden I carried outweighed my will to loosen up

"What's going of girl, you're so uptight. I guess hanging out with an uptight bitch do have it's effect" I couldn't help laughing.

"What's wrong with you? Aren't you tired of dragging Jasmine at every opportunity?"

"Not a chance. I'll keep dragging that snob who thinks she's better than everyone else simply because she manged to get her gold digging claws on a billionaire"

"Well I keep telling you Jasmine is not like that but you don't listen and speaking of billionaires, there's something I really need to speak to you about. It's serious"

"I knew it the moment I heard your voice over the phone. Hit me girl"

"Ummm! Can we at least go somewhere more quiet?"

We went into my car and I told her everything. When I finished she was staring at me, her eyes were wide and unblinking.

'Are you just going to look at me without saying anything?"

"I-i-i I don't know what to say" She stuttered and it occurred to me that she must be really shocked because this might be the first time I heard her sttuter. She's never short of words.

"Well say something, anything but staring at me like I just fell from the sky"

"Of course you look like you just fell from the sky. You mean you kissed Femi twice?"

"He was the one who kissed me" I said trying desperately to exonerate myself.

"Yeah but you kissed him back and you enjoyed it. You also can't seem to get him off your mind. Now once can be a mistake but twice is definitely something"

"I know, but what do I do?"

She kept quiet for a whole minute before answering. "Do what makes you happy"

"What?"

"Yes, you heard me, what if Femi is truly your soulmate, are you going to jeopardize your chance of finally finding true love because of Jasmine?"

"Nooo, you're kidding. You're just saying this because you don't like Jasmine"

"No, I'm not saying this because of our beef which is not personal by the way"

"Are you saying that you could sleep with my man too?"

"Well I hope we don't get to that but if I'm madly in love with him and he makes me happy, I will" There something in her voice and the way she said it that made me feel shivers. I knew she wasn't bluffing

"Well remind me to keep my man far away from you as possible" I said trying to smile away the effect of harsh truth she just told me.

"Look, have you stopped to think that Femi might actually be the man for you? He might actually be your soulmate? And he's perfect for you. He's madly in love with you. Not like all those scum you've been with in the past. He's not after your money and he's not going to be insecure about your success either"

I sighed, I didn't know what to say, there seem to be an atom of truth in what she said but I couldn't help thinking of Jasmine.

"Wouldn't I be betraying a friend?"

"And how sure are you that she wouldn't do same if she were in your shoes?"

"I don't think so" I said.

"You don't know for sure besides this life is too short to forfeit happiness. My motto still remains do whatever makes you happy, as far as you don't kill anyone. Do you really want to miss Femi and spend the rest of your life thinking what if?

"Well what if he doesn't even love me as much as I think? What if he just wants to get laid?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out and there's another possibility of what if he truly loves you and you live happily ever after. Look, I'm not telling you to go after him, if you can't live with the thought of hurting your friend a little just to be happy then so be it. Just know that whatever you choose, I'll be here for you. I understand that not everyone can be a rebel and bad bitch like me?"

I gave her a long and hard stare, how did I end up knowing someone like this? Maybe talking to her was a bad idea after all.