In the Stars ✅

Chapter 5- Close shave

                                           Kano City Hall
                                                       Khayra.

   

      I felt a bit out of niche with the glamour that encompassed me, instantly rueing my decision to accompany Sayida and her brothers to the charity event where I was now stranded. The woman has left off with her brothers to God knows where telling me to mingle with the crowd.
   All we had was the weekend off the busy work at the hospital. I would have chosen an ample amount of rest over all of this.
   Regardless, I played it cool, not giving away my annoyance. Such events weren't my type. I'd give up my wealth to stay away from it.
    To say the least, the auction was remarkable. I wasn't surprised to see Zayn there. He and his entourage were only five tables away from Sayida and me. All of them, I had seen on his page the last time I                     investigated him. They looked better in real life though. Especially, his sister. She was gorgeous. And the fact that he purchased that portrait for forty million naira. Looked like I had underestimated him.
   Talking of him, I looked up from my phone, where I was texting Sayida, only to meet with his gaze. As if he had been staring at me, with his right hand tucked in his pocket. My eyes scanned his figure before my lips shot up in a genuine smile, followed by a subtle wave.
    I didn't expect what was to come. The man proceeded towards me, mirroring my smile.

   " We meet again," He greeted, numbing the activities around us. Although he retained a respectable distance between us, I could smell the fragrance of his cologne wafting into my senses. I refused to give in.
   The dinner was supposed to start by now.

  " Ranka ya dade," I responded curtly.

   He quirked up a perfectly arched brow, cocking his head a bit. I already knew what it was about.

    " Allow me to confess," he began, summoning a waiter with the flick of his hand. " Your Hausa marvels me," he finally confessed.

   When the waiter got to us, he grabbed two flutes of champagne and handed one to me before turning to offer a word of appreciation to the waiter.
   " Nagode," I voiced out as the waiter walked away.

   " You looked bored to death, so I thought of keeping you company."

   Did I let it show? I bet I didn't. That was so thoughtful of him, actually.

  " I came with a friend, but she's nowhere to be found," I explained to him and took the first sip of my drink. He was already halfway through.

  He nodded, acknowledging my predicament.

   Simultaneously, both of us swivelled our heads to my right, where a flash flickered from. At a perfect angle, two reporters took pictures of us. A part of me wasn't pleased with it. Even Zayn didn't look pleased with it. But what could I do, considering his position in society, and the fact that I didn't have the right to question anyone for being in the frame of their pictures during a social event? With a past like mine, this could be another scandal.
   I turned to him with a subtle crease on my face.

   As if sensing my qualms, he assured me, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

   The universe would taunt me for attempting to trust a man I was meeting for the second time. At the end of the day, I had no choice.

   " How about we find a place with less prying?" Zayn suggested, and I couldn't agree less.

   " Sure,"

    We headed out of the hall, disregarding the announcements that the dinner was just about to commence.
   We didn't know where we were headed, but we found ourselves in the lowly mowed backyard of the hall. It could hold an event as big as the one going on inside. With a breeze that could carry one's problems away, that was just the right place to cool off from such a crowd. There was enough shade provided by the canopies and trees.