Journey to 'I do'

10- First date

The next morning, the blaring alarm disrupted my brief sleep, signaling the start of another bustling day in Lagos. Despite the late-night escapade, duty called, and I dragged myself out of bed, determined to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Fortunately, for Bimpe she had a day free from work, blissfully snoring while I wrestled with getting ready for work to finish the last bits of the project plan and presentation. Battling fatigue, I opted for comfort over style, donning a black abaya over a matching Bodycon dress. A touch of makeup concealed my under eyes, and heels were thrown into the mix to feign effort. My feet anticipated the toll – heels this many times in a row were bound to leave them sore.

In need of an energy boost, I headed to the hotel café for a black and strong double espresso, jesting about my preference, which had always leaned toward light-skinned men – just a preference.

Work dominated the day, meetings and an impending deadline for tomorrow. Rachel, a true ally, was invaluable, ensuring I had all the necessary information for my file. Her morning words echoed in my mind – "You deserve this project! You'd absolutely kill it, so we have to make it happen." A mental note to get her a thoughtful gift formed as gratitude filled my heart.

Lunchtime brought relief, and Bimpe, now awake, invited me to her house. Arriving hungry, I headed straight to the dining table where a delightful spread awaited – pounded yam with spicy egusi soup, and catfish pepper soup. By far, one of the best meals since my arrival in Lagos. Over lunch, Bimpe and I delved into random conversations. Amid desserts, Muhammad's call interrupted our moment, a reminder of his arrival in Lagos today. I had completely forgot even though we had texted a bit in the morning.

"Salam A'isha," he greeted through the phone.

"Salam Adam," I replied, looking down at my plate and avoiding eye contact with Bimpe. Pleasantries exchanged, Muhammad expressed his desire to meet, citing a craving for for his favorite smoky jollof.

"I don't know if meeting today will be possible," I hesitated, mindful of my morning presentation and my general aversion to dates.

"Come on. To work on your presentation, you need to have a good dinner for energy. I'll take up just like 2 hours of your time or less. Depends on you even," he persuaded.

Bimpe's pinches and enthusiastic thumbs-up signaled her approval, pushing me closer to reluctantly agreeing.

"Okay in shaa Allah" I replied accepting defeat.

"Bet. I'll pick you up from your hotel or work?"

"That's fine I can meet you I have a driver"

"Hotel or work?"

"Hotel. I'll be ready at seven"

"I'll pick you up at seven-thirty send me the address"

"Alright" I replied and he ended the call.

Bimpe, eager to find out who it was, looked at me with questioning eyes and a smirk when I finished.

"Sooo will you tell me or should I force it out of you?" Bimpe asked impatiently.

"It's just a friend. We recently met, and he's in Lagos for business, so he wants us to eat together," I replied briefly not wanting to get into details.

"A date then?"

"Not a date."

"It's a date joor! What are you going to wear?"

"What's wrong with my outfit?" I asked, looking from my outfit to Bimpe, and she rolled her eyes.

"Aisha oh! ko ni pa mi oo ah." It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Okay, tell me about him? Who is he? Do I know him?" she asked. (Aisha you will not kill me <yoruba>)