Preordained #ProjectNigeria

57- The Meeting

"Tasha, this is Nwanyieze, my girlfriend," Maduka says. My gut somersault again and I suddenly find it difficult to hide my grin. "Nwanyieze, Tasha, my friend."

But Maduka doesn't call me Queen.

"Nice to meet you, too." Tasha gives me a smile that I think is too bright. "Thank you for coming here."

It sounds like a dismissal, like she is trying to make me feel unimportant. Her attention moves back to Maduka. My phone rings and I am grateful for the interruption. Maduka hears it and looks away from Tasha to me, his eyes narrowed. I excuse myself and leave the room.

So, he finally calls to gloat. About time.

I stare at the name for a few seconds, letting it ring, letting him get a bit impatient.

Saheed should be a codename for ekwensu.

"I'm only answering this call to congratulate you."

"For what? Winning your heart?"

"Saheed, I didn't expect you to go that low. That was the dirtiest thing you could ever do to me."

He chuckles. "Are you sure, Queen? Because I can show you dirtier stuff, if you let me..."

"How did you do it? Hire a professional photographer?"

"Wait, what are we even talking about? The incident at Sailors Lounge?"

"This is the wrongest time to play dumb!"

"You sound confusing and confused. Rewind, darling. What exactly are you accusing me of doing?" His voice has gone from seductive to annoyed.

"Are copies of those photographs kept in a secret folder that you can look at for your pleasure?"

I so badly wish I can put my hands into my phone and strangle him. Damn him for playing dumb with me.

"What photos, Queen? How do I get them, when you won't wear red lace and strike a fierce pose for me?"

"Saheed, why did you send photos of our scene to Maduka?"

"What?"

I sigh. This man must be having fun right now. He takes those photos, sends them at the right time, lets me suffer for a bit, and calls me to play dumb.

"Queen, that must have been a smart move, but I wouldn't try that. Regardless of what you think, all I wanted to do was enjoy your company. You must have another not-so-secret admirer. You're becoming popular, my little queen. Or should I say, quite unpopular."

Maduka's POV~

When she returns to the room, her countenance is different. Nwanyieze is restless.

"I'm going home," she announces. She comes closer to the bed, determination showing in her eyes. "Tasha, I'm sorry we couldn't meet under more pleasant circumstances. I wish you a speedy recovery. Take good care."

Before Tasha or I can say a word, she has literally flown out from the room. I excuse myself and follow her.

"Wait."

Nwanyieze turns in the hallway close to the stairs, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Is something wrong?"

"If something wasn't wrong, would we be like this?" She points at the distance between us, a distance I cover to get to where she stands.

"What happened?"

She contemplates before saying, "Saheed denied sending the photos."

I feel annoyance seep into my thoughts at the mention of that name. The person who thought it was a sensible thing to kiss her when he knew that she belonged with me. But if he didn't do it, then who did?

"We shouldn't talk about him now. Tasha needs you. Go back to her," she says in a quiet voice.

I just want to hold her. It was only her I could think of calling in those tense moments after Tasha had fainted in my arms. It was her hand I wanted to hold while waiting for Tasha's ultrasound to be done. It was her arms I wanted around me while the doctor told me Tasha would be fine.

"Don't be intimidated by her."

Nwanyieze huffs and I laugh inwardly.

She smells of soap, that black soap amd coconut oil. Her hair is tangled, but I still love the way it stands up in coils.

This past week has been difficult, I complain to myself. Can I just...?

Before I know it, I'm cupping her face in my palms. Her eyes spend a few moments on my lips before moving back to hold my gaze. Our lips are almost touching when I realise what I'm doing. I know that the moment I kiss her, my resolve will melt and all reason will fly out the window. I'll be sucked in again, unable to keep to my word.

"Damn," I whisper before releasing her and stepping backwards.

Nwanyieze automatically takes a step to follow me, equally drawn. Her teeth clamp down on her lower lip and she blinks those dark eyes slowly, surprised by my withdrawal. "Bye," she says breathlessly.

"Three weeks, Nwanyieze."

And with that, I turn on my heel and walk in the opposite direction.

A/N: How did the meeting go?
P.S., Ekwensu means 'devil' or 'Satan' in Igbo. I hope this doesn't offend anyone who is answering Saheed or knows a Saheed. This is not my opinion, just fiction!

Treatment for Tasha from : Bentov Y. et al., 2004. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2004 Jul 15;115(1):108-9