Gone Bad (Nigerian Novel) -Editing

Chapter 9: What Do You Want

"As tempting that sounds I'd rather not, you may be every inch a woman, but that's not on paper yet," he remarks and while his brazen desire flatters me I'm slightly disappointed by his refusal.

The waiter arrives by our table with a pos in hand and he takes his eyes off me saying some words I couldn't make out to the waiter.

This allows me to stare at his lips and I wonder what it would be like to have the famous first kiss many girls my age fantasized about.

"You ready?"

I blink forcefully tearing my eyes to the head behind him before I can look him in the eyes again.

He seems not to have noticed my staring so I cement my act with a smile. "Yes let's go."

....................

I admire the rich interior of his car from the nude. It screamed affluence and I fought the urge to fall asleep all at once in this car.

I didn't know much about cars and could barely tell it was a convertible but I'd be an idiot to not know this cost a fortune in naira.

"You may be older than me but there is no way someone as young as you could afford this car. What kind of 9 to 5 do you have man?" I question him ready to bolt if he was an internet fraudster or ritualist. I surreptitiously glance at the locks wondering how I would figure out that thing.

Maybe I should have thought of that before being so brash with my questioning.

Isren laughs. "You don't know me do you?"

I look at him wondering what he was on about. I knew every handsome Nollywood actor so there was no way he was a star.

"Isren Olubode, son of Chief Olubode, and Vice President of the Multi-Million-dollar, Lucrosse Hotel Chain," he says and I almost faint on the spot -well as close as I could get to pass out.

"You're the multimillionaire playboy I've heard about on Liza Nkechi's blog," I say finally connecting the dots on my we met at an exclusive club and money was never an issue for him.

"For the record, I am not a playboy I have had unsuccessful relationships with two women and have recently been spotted with the woman my mother is trying to pawn off on me," Isren says taking a second to look at me before returning his gaze to the road.

"Still if you have a million women at your disposal why would you want some fresh-faced girl barely out of high school," I say and fold my arms under my chest.

I was not going to let him use and dump me.

"Because I'm reckless like that," he says with a charming smile and I fight the irritating butterflies in my stomach.

"I'm being serious, I don't want some Lagos socialite drama in my life. You're way out of my league." I retort my insecurities eating me alive. I just don't add that I'm flat, young, and can be easily categorized as his sugar baby.

He parks a few houses before my fake address, my real house was two streets down. When he's done he turns to face me propping his hand on the neck of my car seat.

"I'm not out of your league. I'm filthy rich with old money and live a life that's been chosen for me. Most of the women I've dated in the past were business arrangements and though I wouldn't categorically say younger girls are my type, you're different. You're not just a fresh-faced girl you're a breath of fresh air." he says begging me with his eyes to believe every word he just said.

I let out a shaky breath starting to feel heady at his proximity. I could see every fleck of brown in his eyes and smell the scent of peppermint mixed with our lunch on him.

"I just don't want to be wrong about you. All my life I've been told to stay away from boys and now here I am in the car of a guy ten years older than me. My mum will skin me alive if she finds out and if gossip columns start carrying news about me being seen with you I'll become a pariah in church." I respond letting my vulnerability slip through the cracks for once.

He sighs, using a finger to pull my chin back to him as I look away.

"What do you want Nimi," he asks and I look for an answer to give him.

I've never had a relationship. Understood very little about God with my heart despite knowing everything about Him, or so I thought, in my head. People will always judge me and tell me what's acceptable in this society without any regard for what I feel.

Yet here he is asking me what I want.

I look at him with a determination I did not know I possessed. "I want to take a chance on you."

He narrows his eyes searching for the truth. "I want you to be sure of what you're saying Nimi."

"Positive. I know no one can make any promises, but I don't care I want to live my life on my terms." I say with a tone of finality.

Slowly a smile breaks onto his face and I release the CO2 I didn't know I had been holding.

High on euphoria, I don't stop talking. "You didn't ask me the second thing I want."

His brows squeeze together and he asks me what.

I move an inch closer so my lips graze his ever so lightly. I see him visibly swallow and hesitation is written all over his face.

"A goodbye kiss," I whisper looking at him through my inked lashes.

Author's Note
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