Twisted

16: Old Circle

Realization dawns on her. "Okayyy, yeah yeah, I get it. Also, I can't vex you, it's my engagement party,"

I let out a chuckle, one that fails to reach my core, because, at this moment, my focus is to remove that rag from Deji's side. He may not be my man, but he's certainly mine. Do you understand?

Idia senses my urgency to leave, and she allows me, "Sha don't cause any trouble," are her last words before heading in a different direction.

Clara's presence makes me feel sick, not only does she remind me of every emotion I felt that day in Idia's room, she leaves me with one question: 'Does she have a thing for the men who find me attractive?' At least half the room saw me walk in with Deji, except she wasn't in the room when we arrived, then I'll give it a pass. But abeg, na juju? Of all the men here?

As I make my way to the kitchen, navigating through unfamiliar faces, my chest is swirling with a stupid feeling. A very stupid confused feeling.

And speaking of confusion, I might just be confused because I know deep down I don't like Deji enough to pursue an exclusive relationship with him, but at the same time, I'm here in this kitchen requesting a plate of small chops for him.

"Thank you," I say to the server as he hands me a paper plate stacked with all sorts of orishirishi.

Walking back in the direction where I last spotted Deji, my mind is set on one thing—to assert my dominance.

As I make my way through the crowd, a familiar face emerges from the chaos—Tare, looking stunning. A smile dances across her lips as she approaches, and without hesitation, she wraps me in a warm embrace, engulfing me in her elegance as we exchange pleasantries.

The scent of her perfume lingers in the air, a sweet smell. "I didn't think you'd show up today," She says.

"It's my best friend's engagement party, why the hell wouldn't I make it?" I ask with a grin.

"Cos you got home so late yesterday,"

"I didn't. After leaving your salon, I drove straight home. Thankfully, the traffic wasn't that bad,"

"You were at the nearby hotel, weren't you?"

My heart skips fifty beats. "What?"

"Yeah, my AirPods– I thought they were missing but I tracked them and it showed they were leaving Transcorp around ten, maybe even eleven-ish,"

Panic threatens to surface but I quickly gather myself, knowing I must put up a believable explanation. "Oh! I didn't even know I took them, but I had to deliver a customer's order,"

Tare raises an eyebrow, her expression, skeptical. "At that hour?"

"Yes, it was an urgent order. She was leaving for the US," I reply, hoping that my explanation would hold up under scrutiny.

Tare's eyes narrow, her gaze penetrating. "Since when do you do last-minute orders?"

"This one was high-profile, you know. And she specifically requested my assistance. I couldn't say no," I add.

Her skepticism seems to waver slightly, but she continues to scrutinize me, her curiosity piqued. One thing about this babe, she will suspect you. God abeg! "Well, I hope it was worth the trouble. You know how demanding those kinds of clients can be," she says.

I force a smile, relieved that she seems to have bought my explanation, at least for now. "Oh, absolutely. The check was fat, and I couldn't pass it up," We both laugh, "But enough about me, this dress! Jesus! You look stunning today,"