His Phoenix

■On a Mission ■

We went for the show the next day. As expected, Kelsie outdid herself, filling the atmosphere with her amazing voice and leaving her audience screaming, crying and begging for more even after she left the stage. Throughout the day, I kept an eye on Dee and Giovanni and for the first time, I noticed some things I hadn't noticed before. Sly looks, intentional yet subtle touches and way too much eye contact. I wondered how I had never noticed before.

I knew there was still a possibility that they knew I was on to them so I tried my best to avoid them. I didn't know how to act around them anymore, especially Dee. Whenever I was in the same room with her, I'd look at the ground, the wall, the ceiling, the mirror; anywhere but her. If she realised, she didn't say anything but rather continued to act as though everything was normal.

After the show in Nigeria, we went to the most extravagant after party i had ever seen. I recognised a few big musicians in the dimly lit VIP section of the club and had to stop myself from fan girling over each one of them. I was standing in a corner, feeling extremely awkward, self conscious and out of place when a famous singer sidled up to me with a drink in one hand and a thick cigar in another. "How're you doing babe?" He asked, moving his body to the music booming from the multiple invicible speakers in the room. My heart raced as he glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. I had grown up listening to this man's music. This was freaking wild. I couldn't wait to tell my girls about this moment. I muttered that I was fine and he came even closer, bringing his ear to my lips. I was about to repeat myself when I felt his hand on the small of my back.

As he grinned, I caught a whiff of the pungent smell of tobacco mixed with alcohol. His hand slid lower, dangerously close to my butt. I could tell he was drunk and I wasn't about to wait for things to escalate. I took a step away from him just as he was about to grope me. Scowling, I clutched my bag to my chest and backed away. He chuckled before sucking at the cigar he was holding. "You." His voice was dripping with condescension. "You are no fun. Prude." He exhaled, shrouding me in a cloud of ashy white smoke. As he moved on to a call girl who was loitering around, scanning for the room for a potential client, I shook my head. This was why you should never meet your heroes.

He grinned, snow white teeth reflecting the different coloured lights flashing in the dark club. The girl he had turned his attention to welcomed his advances whole heartedly. She run a pointy red claw down his chest as she leaned in and pressed her body to his. I watched them join the dance floor together and soon, they were swallowed by the crowd.

"Aren't you one of Fumi's girls?" Someone said suddenly. I tore my gaze from the dance floor and turned to the source. A beautiful, oddly familiar, petite woman was standing next me, gazing at me with a disturbing amount of intensity.

"Sorry?" I asked, confused. She cocked her head to the side, her eyes slowly analysing me. I felt like a bug under a lamp. "You're with Fumi. Is that right?" She had that polished accent that upper class Africans seemed to share. Hers had a hint of the Nigerian accent though.

I shook my head no. "I came here with Kelsie." I pointed to my boss who was currently seated among about five gorgeous men in suits. All of them were hanging on her every word, bewitched by her charm. I chuckled and scanned the crowd for Giovanni. He had come to the club with Kelsie and I, Dee had stayed back in the hotel. Looking around now, I was sure he had gone back to the hotel to join her.

"Ah, so Ghanaian?" The lady next to me asked. She nodded as I said yes. The more I looked at her, the more familiar she seemed. I didn't think I had met her before. Until recently,  we didn't run in the same circles. Maybe she was a model or an actress or something. Whoever she was, she looked famous.

"I'm sorry for the mix up. I hadn't seen you around here before so I assumed. That was rude of me. I'm sorry." She paused for a moment before smiling and holding out a perfectly manicured hand. "Shalewa Macauley."