Must Date The Chef

|| 44.

Undecided about my next move, I watch the pictures on people's status until I get bored. I don't know why I check his status again but I do, I shouldn't have. Biting the insides of my quivering lips, I stare at the female on my screen, she is not me, I don't know her.

Each second I spend gawking at the picture of the witch causes my anger to soar, my chest rises and falls and the only thing my eyes register are the similarities between this new girl and Emmanuella. Their pretty faces, beautiful banging bodies and flawless skins. I burst into mirthless laughter and hit my knees, they have the same skin tone.

The caption under the snapshot does little to reassure me, I don't care if it's a simple birthday wish, he should have used another picture. A less attractive one. I scoff, after everything we have been through, he is doing this less than a day after we separate.

Is he moving on? I close my eyes and exhale slowly, I didn't break up with him, I didn't mean it. My eyelids flutter open, maybe we do need this break. Or, whatever the fuck this is. I keep swiping right on my screen until a picture of Jennipher's baby appears on my screen and I dial her number before I am overwhelmed by second thoughts.

"Hey," I say into the phone when she picks and her scream has me wincing. Ever so dramatic, more than me. "Stop shouting."

"Quiet," she says. I roll my eyes, she is lucky I love her. "When last did you call me?" My phone beeps with a request to switch to video call, I stifle my groan. "Accept it."

Her face takes up the entirety of my screen, I chuckle when she adjusts her camera and waves at me. She flashes me a smile that reveals her gap tooth, I grin at her. Her solemn appearance contradicts her attitude, she is an argument waiting to happen, I learnt to deal with it faster than Leeleeian.

"Why haven't you been calling?" she asks.

I shrug, she swipes at the hairs falling into her eyes and a smile flits to my lips. The first time she made bangs was after she lost a bet to me, I don't recall what she did but we had a good laugh at her expense. Back then, our only troubles were getting good grades. She never dared me again but the bangs became her signatory hairstyle.

"Madam, the phone works both ways," I prop my elbows on the table and raise my eyebrows, "why haven't you been calling?"

"You are so rude," she murmurs. I burst out laughing, she frowns, the corners of her lips twitch furiously until she gives in to the urge to laugh. "Ify. I have missed you."

"I have missed you too, where's my baby?"

She takes a look behind her and screams out a name. When she turns to me, it is with an apologetic shrug. "Your namesake has forgotten you." I pout, she named her first daughter after me, I can never get over that. "How have you been?" I offer a simple response. "When are you coming home?"

We stare at each other, the birthmark under her right eye seems to twitch and I look away from her penetrating gaze. Maybe this is a sign, the universe wants me to return home. Paul can live happily without a crazy girlfriend like me, he already moved on.

"You look good." Her eyes narrow, I chuckle, she does without trying, dark and lovely. All three of us. "I don't know yet. Next week?"

Her face lights up, she claps and holds her index finger up. "I'm calling Lee." My lips pull into a smile, Leeleeian is the glue of our friendship, she keeps us together. Jennipher takes another look behind her, she stretches her hand and I catch a glimpse of a younger version of her. "Ify, say hello," she tells the toddler who peeks at the screen with her thumb in her mouth. "Say hello to aunty."

"Hello to aunty," she mutters and runs away.

We chuckle at the sound of her small feet slapping against the floor as she disappears into one of the doors. My heart flutters, the butterflies scatter in my belly. I want this, a baby, babies but with Paul. That big head.

"Don't mind that girl, she's stubborn like her aunty." I frown, we are not stubborn, just cute. "I don't know why Lee is not picking."

The words are barely out of her lips when my screen splits into three to accommodate our new guest with her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. "I'm here, bitches."

Jennipher's voice lowers to say, "It's only you that's bitches in Jesus name." We chorus an amen. I giggle, we have tried and failed to stop Leelee from using that word.

"Bitch one," Leelee says with a smirk.

"Bitch two."

"Bitch three," I say and fan myself with my hand. Jennipher growls, Leelee winks at me, if we were together, she would have given me a high five. "Playtime is over," I turn to a smiling Leelee, "how are you?"

She rubs her flat tummy, I stare at her and break out in a nervous laugh, confused by her smile until it hits me. My eyes widen, she nods and I scream my congratulations. We are expecting a baby. My head swings to the music privy to only me, they chuckle and I pout at my screen. I don't care, she is having a baby. Though our friendship has been strained, she keeps us updated, I know how hard she has been trying to conceive.

I place a hand over my chest, sharing the expectant mother's joy through my screen. Warmth spread all over my chest, I point a finger at her. "She is taking my name."

"Who are you?"

"What makes you think it's a girl?" Leelee asks. We ignore a frowning Jennipher and banter on the gender but I know Leelee's baby will most likely take Jen's Igbo name.

My child will take the name of the last one among us. I don't know who said it first but it was always a joke until Jennipher put to bed. I giggle at something Jennipher says, my cheeks hurt from smiling too much but I can't help it. It almost feels like we are back in Nsukka, chatting and cracking dry jokes.

"By Sunday, our marriage will be five years old," Leelee starts when we go quiet, "we are celebrating. Will you be around?"

The hopeful looks in their eyes make me want to nod and agree, I was only there for her wedding, never attended anymore function. It feels odd to be the unmarried one among our trio. My mouth parts open and closes without a word. Sunday is less than five days away. What if Paul doesn't reach out to me? I purse my lips and sigh.

"We can finally go on our trip," Jennipher volunteers. "Change the location to Enugu."

I chuckle, I was the one who suggested the trip be at Calabar and we all agreed. Enugu is a good vacation spot too, they will not be far from their families, I will see Mmá too. I pout when they motion for me to speak and they scowl, the best part about being the youngest of us is my ability to annoy them.

My head bobs, their lips mirror my smiles. "See you Sunday," I wink, "we have a date."

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