THE BLACK BIRD ||COMPLETED||

CHAPTER 6

Aliyah sang her way into Kendra's office that evening and Kendra looked down at her wristwatch and rolled her eyes.

As always.

The lady had just spent a night with her hubby and she was already glowing! Aliyah was a beauty from birth. She had always had little effort attracting the opposite sex but the lady had always been known to be the crazy one. The one who loved to live in the moment. The type of lady no one would want to mess with.

     And all of a sudden, Kendra was thinking how it would be for Connor, had he married Aliyah instead.

Bad friend.
Her subconscious mind said to her and she blinked.

    Aliyah was saying something about the Lagos traffic. Of course, traffic was always tight on Mondays in Lagos. And then her friend swam straight to how wonderful her husband was to her and how she really couldn't trade him for someone else.

Kendra made a mental shrug.
Give me a beggar and I'll trade Connor.

If what Aliyah had with Ben was love then what would she call her relationship with Connor.

Death!
She sighed.

"Alrighty! Ready to come on board?"
Aliyah said, imitating a British accent.

Kendra was forced to laugh.
"Try harder."

Aliyah groaned.
They made their way to the car. Kendra's car of course.

"Let me remind you. Till 6p.m."

Aliyah rolled her eyes and laughed.
"Fine."
She pushed her friend into the car and got to the passenger side.

"Why do you want to go shopping all of a sudden? Its your honeymoon, Liya. Tired of Ben already?"

Aliyah scoffed.
"Who says?"
She said, grinning. Both ladies laughed.
 

   Just as she thought. By the time it was past two hours,Kendra was already groaning and urging Aliyah to get it done quick so they could leave already.
"You have so many clothes to last you a life time, Liya. Why do you always want to tell everyone that you love having a shopping spree all the time?"

"Awwn. Kendra, it's just one more. There's a dress I've been looking at since we got in here. I wasn't really interested in it but now I am and I don't want it gone by the time I come back here. Let me just try it out."

"Aliyah. Its already 7p.m."

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me Connor will be mad if you tell him you were hanging out with me. He'll understand, he loves you."

Hmm! I wish!

"You should try out some clothes too. Don't tell me there isn't anyone here that caught your eyes."

"There are. But I have enough clothes."

"Yeah, yeah. Connor buys you clothes on his way back from trips. Right. But try one of these."
Aliyah pulled out a silver stripped low v-neck gown and handed it to her. Kendra looked at her.

"You're only doing this to bribe me. But no thanks."

"Don't be such a kill joy,Kay. Try them out, or admire them. Whatever. I'll be back."
She blew Kendra a kiss and took the dress she picked to the change room.

Kendra sighed. When had she ever said no to her best friend? Kendra turned to the cloth rack, running her hands through all the clothes there. One of them caught her eyes and she pulled it out.

"Hello."
A bold voice said.

She paused, trying to process it first. Was it Connor?

Nope.

She turned and came face to chest with someone. She looked up and what do you know?!

Alex
He smiled at her.

She rolled her eyes.
"So what now? You're stalking me?"
She said to him and he puffed.

"Are you Beyonce?"
He asked.

She shook her head at him and turned back to the cloth rack.
"That dress won't look good on you."
He said, behind her.

She paused and moved to another dress.

"That too."
His voice said.

She turned to face him with a frown.
"What do you want? And what in heavens are you doing here?"

He raised his hands as if in surrender and looked at her with laughing eyes.
"Easy, Tigress. I'm not here for you. Stop getting your panties in a twist."

Kendra's jaw dropped.
"Then what?!"

"Are you always this rude to everyone? Or is it just me?"

"Are you still going to keep bugging me?"

"No. If you give me your name of course."

"You don't need it."

"Why? Are you a ghost?"
She smiled with him.

"So, you do smile?"
She looked up at him and the smile vanished.

He shook his head.
"I didn't say that so you can give me the prim and proper school teacher look again. I wonder why people with the most beautiful smile, hardly smile at all? Do you know why?"

She raised an eyebrow.
"Do you?"
She turned to check out another cloth again.

"I wonder why you keep bothering those fabrics when you're obviously not even interested in them."
He said.

Was this guy following her?
"How would you know that I'm not interested in it?"

"Okay, I have a sister whom I came with...She dragged me here actually and I whenever she's not interested in a dress, she does that. Touches it like its contaminated."

She inhaled and exhaled.
"Is there a reason you're getting on my nerves?"

"I already told you. I want your name."

"And I already told you. I don't want to give it to you."

"What do I save your name with then?"

"Whatever!"
She snapped and went to the next rack, hoping he didn't follow her.
She saw a red evening dress. She had red dresses but this one was lovely.

"That's the one that'll look sexy on you."

She started and turned.
"Jesus! Why are you following me?"

"As much as I would love to kiss you right now, I just need you name. That's it."

"Kendra."
The name flew out before she could get hold of it. Was it the fact that her heart skipped at his blunt confession to kissing her, or just the way he had startled her just now.

Hmm! Slut!

"Kendra."
He repeated.
"I love the name. It suits you. Maybe Princess Kendra would be lovely."

Princess Kendra. Yeah, right. This guy is a charmer. Aliyah's type.
She thought.
But she couldn't help but smile at that.

He smiled when she did.

"Now I think you're mocking me."

"No. I'm not. You look more like a Princess. A Princess knows how to act like a lady."

She chuckled. Why was she acting like a school girl.

"So, now that we're well acquainted, can you please stop calling me Mr. Alex? Its just Alex."

"We are not..."

"Kendra!"
A strong and bold voice said behind her.

She froze.
That voice could send her straight to coma, had she heard it in her sleep.
She turned slowly.
"Connor."
The whisper came out with a shaky breath.