After standing by the window for God knows how long, I started feeling a combustion of emotions. I wanted to cry, laugh, and scream at the same time. Jesus, why did this hurt so bad?
I walked to the refrigerator and poured myself a glass of chilled water. I gulped it all at once, thinking it was going to calm down my burning heart... But unfortunately, it didn't. The emotions began to change to anger, I stamped my feet around the house, from the living area to the master bedroom, then to all the other rooms, and back to the living area.
"So it was just business to him?" I asked myself. My head was pounding so hard right now. I could bet anything I owned, that painkillers were not the solution to this excruciating pain in my head.
"I guess it was just business to him after all." I said slapping my forehead with my palm. I sat down on the floor, then rested my head against the wall, and bit my bottom lip. To think everyone was warning me not to break his heart... Who's heart was broken now? "Oh Valerie, Valerie. Why do you feel so hurt? This was what you wanted right? To come back home, renovate the mansion and sell it then return back to the United States where you already have a thriving career, right? And everything played out the way you wanted it to, right?" I placed my palms on my warm eyes, then whispered "Right?"
*************************************************************************************
The next day came, after having a sleepless night of tossing all over the bed, I decided to put a call through to Pamela.
I picked up my phone and I was about to dial her number, but something inside me knew for sure that she wasn't the one I ought to be speaking to, cuz she wasn't the reason for my sleepless night. I decided to text him instead.
"Let's meet up at City Cafe by 9 AM, I have something important to discuss with you." My text to him read. I held my breath, then clicked send.
I looked at my wristwatch, it was 7:21 AM. I went on my knees and said my morning prayers. The prayer was short-lived, I had to plead with God to have mercy on me because while praying my mind was entirely focused on Alan.
By 7:30 AM I wore my body spray and headed out of the mansion. For someone who was a neat freak, leaving the house without bathing was not a usual thing for me at all. Anyway, I wasn't really my usual self now, was I?
"Bala, open the gate for me." I said as I entered my Range Rover Sport. I turned on the ignition and drove towards the opened gate, Bala was shining his gap tooth at me, but I wasn't in the mood for any bloody conversation, the only conversation on my mind, was the one I was about to have with Alan Tayo. I zoomed past Bala without even honking which was very unusual, but like I said earlier, I wasn't my usual self now.
Before meeting up with Alan, I had to stop by my hotel room, freshen up and put on clean clothes. I decided to throw on some light makeup, cuz this was war, so I had to go prepared, and looking attractive was one of the most important weapons for me now. I got my things, checked out of the hotel by 8:10 AM. Of course, there was traffic en route, which kept me on the road for about an hour, but it still gave me time to strategize how I was going to compose my speech.
Now, my excuse for meeting up with him was definitely to hand over the check to him. Then, I was going to tell him my second reason for meeting up, which was... Heck! What was the right way to put this into words? Or was I going to call the Mariachi band to serenade him? I facepalmed. "Bloody damnation, that will be so dramatic."
Pim piiiimmmm!!! Horns were blaring behind my ride. I was totally unaware the traffic before me had eased.
"Kilode! Ọmọbinrin naa gbe ni bayi!!" The furious danfo driver behind me shouted. There is this popular saying that 90% of Nigerians are frustrated, but I guess 99.9% of the Nigerians in Lagos were this close to going crazy, especially these danfo drivers, the moment you pick up a fight with any, you are dead meat, so I carefully took up my side windows, and jejely moved my ride.
I got to City Cafe at 9:15 AM, my eyes quickly ran a check at the spot we sat the last time we were here, but there was no sight of him. Did he get my text? I thought wearing a disappointed frown on my face. Then I looked to the other end, and my eyes caught him, he was wearing jean trousers with brown designer boots and a black turtleneck which made him look so cute and hot at the same time. Damn! What a fine man!! I thought to myself.
He sat down comfortably on the seat, with that confident facial expression that could send shivers down the spine of any straight woman. I walked towards him, swaying my hips a little, just a way to arrest his attention, I guess it was working because he didn't take his eyes off me.
I sat down beside him. Then extended my hand, he accepted the offer and we shook hands. "Thanks for meeting up with me." I said, jeez why did that sound so formal?
"My pleasure." He said, then kept quiet and continued staring at me, patiently giving me enough room to embarrass myself. What if he does not feel the same? I thought to myself. That made me feel goosebumps.
"So... Ehh... Uhm..." I was saying, but my words were not making sense, it was total gibberish. Take it slow Valerie, just breathe.
He lifted an amused eyebrow, but he did not utter a word. He wasn't going to make this easy for me, was he?
I picked up my purse and brought out the check, then handed it over to him. He collected it and continued gazing at me like he could see right through my soul.
Just spill Valerie, tell him how you feel.
"I just came to give that to you." I said, then got to my feet. Way to go, Valerie, so much for all the words you planned to say to him. Now, I know you might be thinking this chic is a bloody coward, but just put yourself in my shoes, will you risk messing with your self-respect like that?
I was about to take my leave when he said.
"You and I know you did not come all the way to give me this." He said, holding up the check.
"You don't know that." I said. Which of course was a blatant lie.
"You and I know that you did not go through the stress of looking all drop-dead gorgeous simply because you just wanted to hand over this check to me." He said, intensifying his gaze.
"You don't know..." I was saying when he cut me off.
"Valerie, can you state the real reason for our meeting... Because in your text message, you mentioned you had something important to discuss with me." He said, without breaking eye contact for one second.
"What exactly do you want me to say?" I said with a whiff of anger in my tone. "When I decided to come back to Nigeria and embark on this project, you were the last person I was expecting to see, talk more of you becoming my contractor... I swear, I prayed I wasn't going to cross paths with you, considering the fact that I disappeared for 10 good years without saying goodbye to you before leaving..." I said then my voice trailed off.
Then my slightly angry voice changed to one with pure frustration. "Alan, I have a thriving career in the US... Why did you have to come back into the picture? Why did you have to make it so difficult for me?" I asked staring at him. I expected a reply, but he gave me nothing, he just gazed at me quietly.
"Are you just going to sit there and say nothing? By the way, why is it so easy for you to let go? You walked out of my place yesterday... Just like that... And the only words you could say to me before leaving were It was nice doing business with you Ms. Valerie Okofu." I said.
"What did you expect me to say?" He asked, with his voice totally unruffled.
"Pfft. Maybe I shouldn't be here. Maybe I read more meaning into those kisses than I ought to." I said, trying to shield the hurt in my tone... But I guess I wasn't triumphant in doing that. I turned my back against him and I was about to leave when he said.
"Well, maybe I did not want to get hurt by the same person twice. Maybe I thought walking away was the best option for you... For the both of us." He said. For some reason that hurt me more, the fact that he concluded without even giving me the chance to decide if I wanted to fight for us or not.
I picked up my purse and walked out on him. I was walking as fast as my feet could take me towards my Jeep, this was not how I envisioned my meeting with Alan was going to turn out, but well, I guess situations like this usually end perfectly well when it is in a story written by a bestselling romance author... But in the real world, I guess it was always going to be a French ending.
"Darn it, Valerie! We both know you were always going to make me an option at the end... And even at that, I wasn't going to be the option you were going to pick." Alan said, vociferously. I wasn't aware he was already right behind me. Damn those bloody long legs of his.
I pretended not to hear what he just said. I placed my ride's key in its hole and I was about to turn it, but my hands went numb.
I guess he noticed what was happening with my hands because he came closer to me, I could feel his hard chest slightly touch the back of my head.
"The more I chase you, Valerie... The more you run..." He said, then his voice trailed off, but he continued. " Maybe that's why I walked away yesterday... Maybe I just decided to stop holding too tight... and maybe somehow, you were going to see that you also want this... That you also want us." He wrapped his arm around my waist and turned me to face him.
My eyes met with his, and at that moment, the only coherent words I could produce were. "I love you, Alan."
************************************************************
"If I am being truthful, losing my career in the US wasn't the only thing I was scared of." I said handing over the shawarma bread to Alan.
"Really? What other reason?" He asked, then tore the edge of the sealed pack of the Shawarma bread with his teeth.
"The real reason I left in the first place." I said while I walking towards the oven to bring out the grilled chicken. "Is because I was scared of losing you."
Alan dropped the shawarma bread on a tray, then he stared at me.
"Yeah. I was scared of losing you... Just like the rest important persons I have lost so far... So, the savior complex in my head always told me that I was saving you by leaving you." I said, then heaved a sigh of relief. Wait, why didn't that sound so weird as I thought it would when it finally came out of my mouth? And why wasn't he laughing at me and calling me silly for thinking so?
Alan adjusted the tray on the counter and walked to where I stood. Then he drew me into a warm embrace and said. "Hey, hey... I am not going anywhere, okay?" Then he kissed my hair.
"You promise?" I asked.
"I cross my heart." He said. Then he hooked his index finger under my chin and made me face him. "Always remember this, you are not the reason why you lost these persons who were so dear to you. And you are not going to become some bad omen in my life... If anything, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me." He said smiling at me from his eyes.
"Awwww. You know how sexy you become when you say things like this to me." I said, wrapping my arms around his neck, then I tiptoed and pecked him on the lips.
"Ouch, I thought my speech deserved better than that?" He said pouting, but he did not release his arms around my waist.
"We have to get back to preparing the food, the guests will be here any minute from now."
"Please..." He begged "Jọwọ obinrin iyaafin."
"Just because you are too cute when you plead for kisses..." I tiptoed and planted a big one on him. My tongue met his, and that triggered him like crazy. He lifted me on the counter without breaking our liplock. He soaked his hands deep inside my hair and intensified the kiss.
"You both should go get a room!" Lewa shouted, then the rest burst into laughter. We were totally unaware we had an audience.
"I thought you locked the door." I asked in a low tone, chuckling at the same time.
"Leave them... Let them watch." Alan said and he was about to continue the kiss, but I stopped him with my finger on his lips.
"Nadah boy scout. We have guests to take care of." I said. Then pushed him aside. He frowned a little, then grumbled like a 3-year-old who was deprived of his favorite candy.
*****************************************************
Edafe and Lewa took over the rest cooking. Edafe of course had a special meal for the occasion. I can not even remember what he called it, but I was excited to taste it.
For some reason, they were so eager to get me out of the kitchen. "Go get dressed, you know you are the party maker." Lewa said.
"Yeah, yeah. I know." I replied happily. Then exited the kitchen.
Now, let me catch you up to speed with the reason behind this celebration. So, after I and Alan acknowledged our undying love for each other at the car park the other day, I decided not to leave Nigeria and most importantly not sell the mansion. Yeah, yeah, the couple who intended to buy the mansion hated my decision, I even heard the man's wife insult me over the phone when I called to terminate the agreement. She was quite elderly, so even though she called me "Oponu Oshi" I did not file a lawsuit.
So today, which marks the 7th day since I moved back into the mansion happens to be my house warming party. Yeah, I know you might be like, house warming parties are usually done for new homes and all that, but to me... this was a new home, with new beautiful memories.
"What do I wear now?" I thought aloud, after taking a shower. I looked through my wardrobe, thanks to Erica who helped me ship the rest of my things from US, I had a wardrobe stuffed with clothes now. I found one of my favorite playsuits. "Aha!" Then I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled at the person I was staring at, this person looked truly happy.
"I guess choosing Alan was the right decision after all." I said to myself. I looked at the clock, it was 6:55 PM "Alright, you have to go now, your guests are waiting for you."
I descended the steps slowly. I could hear movements downstairs, then I heard Pamela say "She is coming." Then she giggled and the rest hushed her. I noticed the lights in the sitting room went off abruptly. What was going on down there, I pondered? I increased the pace of my footsteps a bit. When I got down, what I saw stole my breath away, I covered my lips with my palms.
Right there at the center of the living room was my lover in a tuxedo, bent on one knee, with a little box in his hand. Roses and scented candles formed a path leading to him. The sight before me restrained my airflow. Once my eyes met with his, he wore that special toothy grin which had a way of driving me senseless.
How did they pull this off so quickly? I asked myself, then I abandoned that thought and hastily walked to where he knelt. We held each other's gaze.
He cleared his throat, and said, "Ms. Valerie Okofu, you waltzed back into my life... or should I say, the cosmos decided to bring us back together." We both shared a brief laugh when he made that statement.
Then he continued. "In all of my life so far, I have never been so happy like I have been these past few weeks... And these few days spent here alone with you, only made me realize I do not want to wait for a fraction of a heartbeat to spend the rest of my life loving you with every fiber of my being. Will you make me the happiest man on earth, by saying yes to spend forever with me?"
The tears were already running down from my eyes like a fountain. Dang it! I was such a crybaby. "Yes! Yes!! loving you more and more with every passing second is my greatest heart desire. Yes, I will be your wife Alan Tayo." Once I said those words, a tear rolled down Alan's cheeks, then he placed the ring on my finger and got on his feet, and kissed me deeply.
"She said yes!!!" I heard a horde of voices cry out from the dining area. I was startled. Alan chuckled and steadied me with his hands
"Don't worry they are more in number, wait until they turn on the light." Lewa quickly ran to the switch and turned on the light.
Alan was right, there were actually more than what I expected. "Oh my God!" I screamed.
They all started trooping out from the dining area one by one. When I left to get dressed, there were only four guests present, which were Pamela, Chuks, Lewa, and Edafe. Now Alan's parents, Deji, Alan's Grandma, Mo, Hope, and even Bala was present.
"#Team_alval is so official now!" Pamela screamed joyously as she ran towards me.
"Well, definitely I will be the chief bridesmaid sha." Lewa said.
"When I am still alive?" Pamela asked.
"Ah! But you are married now? Married folks don't do these kinda duties... Hem hem, so leave it for the single folks." Lewa said giggling.
"Lori iro! I will divorce Chuks for that day, at least it is just gonna be for 24 hours." Pamela said.
Chuks almost choked on the chicken wing he was nibbling on. "Whaaa?"
Pamela quickly rushed to his side. "You know I was just kidding now." Pamela said smiling like a little child who just committed a crime.
"You this woman, you will definitely give me a heart attack one day." Chuks said.
"Well, I guess that's settled." Lewa's face was plastered with a smile of victory.
"Before I forget, I have something to tell you." Lewa said to Alan. "I and Edafe are kinda seeing each other now."
"Kinda?" Alan asked lifting up a brow.
"Alright, alright. We are officially dating." Lewa said, nervously playing with her fingers.
"Nice." Alan replied.
"I know I had to tell you..." She was explaining, then stopped halfway. "Wait, why don't you look surprised or offended?" She asked.
"Well, that's because my friend is such a gentleman. He asked for my permission even before asking you to be his girlfriend. Of course, as your big bro, I interrogated his entire life, as though he was some Afghanistan terrorist, before giving my approval."
"Whoa! Am I hearing correctly?" Lewa asked grinning from ear to ear.
"Yes, you are. I gave my approval with terms and conditions attached to it." He said giving Lewa a mischievous smirk. "I made him promise not to ever mess with your heart because if he did, I was going to butcher him with his favorite flavoured kitchen blade and feed the chunks of his body to Chase my Labrador Retriever."
"Yikes! I pray that never happens." Lewa said making a face.
"Me too." I said, the thought of that sounded so awful.
"Me too." Alan replied chuckling.
"I love you, big bro!" Lewa said, hugging her elder brother tightly.
"I love you too choco candy." Alan replied. Patting her on the head.
"Congratulations sister-in-law, you picked the finest of his kind." Lewa said to me, then took her leave.
I smiled at her as she walked away. "Why did you suddenly change your mind about Edafe's advances toward your sister?"
"Well, I realized I had no right to be selfish, being her big bro gives me no prerogative to rule over her life. Besides, love is a beautiful thing, having you in my life made me realize that now, more than ever.
"Awwww baby." I stood on my tippy toes, and once our lips met, I could feel our souls merge.
"Awọn ọmọde ti o bajẹ!" Alan's grandma shouted. "No kissing is not allowed till after the wedding." With that declaration, everyone in the room smashed into uproarious laughter.
The End
†
A/N
French ending? Nah😌
I am glad Valerie finally got to her senses and decided to choose happiness over any other thing.
Life is too short to deny yourself of true happiness.🥰
Glossary
Awọn ọmọde ti o bajẹ - Spoiled children (Yoruba)
Oponu Oshi - Good for nothing fool (Yoruba)
Ọmọbinrin naa gbe ni bayi!!! - This girl move now!!! (Yoruba)
French ending - Sad ending