Riding At The speed of 40km/hr, Clint sang to Nina by Ed Sheeran blasting from the car woofer. His phone vibrated, and he pulled it from his pocket. He grinned at the message.
“Who was that?” Iyke asked.
“Tina”
“Osheee! Baddo!” He hailed him.
His grin widened. “On my way,” he replied using a voice note.
“Bro, hafa? I fit reason one or two with that your Tina babe.”
“What?” His attention shifted from the phone, “Wetin u tok?” He rephrased in pidgin English.
“I said, ah go like reason one or two with that your babe,” Iyke repeated with a smirk.
“Based on what level, oga?”
“Based on one or two, you know.”
Clint gently applied pressure on the brake pad. “Iyke, e be like say we don reach your destination. Begin dey go. Oya!”
“Ahh!” He laughed, “e never reach like this nahh.”
“Your head, there!” He cursed.
Iyke's chin blew with laughter.
He slowly applied pressure on the accelerator, his speedometer slowly adjusting position and the wheels fastened up.
Clint Walked Towards Tina who conversed with a guy. The average height brown skinned guy faced Tina, leaving Clint with a back view of himself and little physical details of him under the grey sky.
He hugged her, in what looked like they had rounded off their discussion, and left for a Lexus 330 saloon car in fast strides.
Clint continued towards her, after a momentary break caused by the hug. She watched him approach, like he was coming with a golden cart to lift her towards the car. The last time he checked, he didn't have any. Anyway, he had “the Clint effect” to compensate for that; Petrificus Totalus. Unlike members of the wizard world, he needs no wand to use the curse.
He covered her in a warm embrace, accompanied with a peck. “How did your day go?” For the fourth time in the day, she had to answer him about her day.
Smiling, she looped index finger and thumb touching to make an open circle, “good”.
He might have to take a long time to learn those hand signals, but those facial expressions were exceptions. With his hand around her tiny waist, her head leaned against his shoulder, they walked to the car.
On getting to the car, he shifted his gaze to the transparent walls of the showroom lit with bright lights. He met a pair of eyes watching them like a hawk. Just then, the black Lexus 330 saloon car rolled past them. The man at the wheel looked like he wasn't much interested in the car's path.
Wait, he knew this man. He couldn't really place the face, but he was certain that they had met. On the other hand, the expression on the guy's face showed nothing friendly. He took his seat at the wheels, and slammed the door after him.
“Who was that?” He asked Tina, “the Lexus guy.”
“My friend,” she signalled.
“He works here?”
She waved her head. “He deals on furniture,” she typed and showed him.
He nodded and brought the car's engine to live.
“Nahh! That's Poor,” Chidi argued, “the colour is so dull, the design is so 1960 too. See nah!” She shoved her phone before Tina. “I prefer that silver one with a glass heel. The heels are pointed too.”
“Good day Ma,am. Good day Ma’am.” The waiter greeted, clad in his short black apron tired over his waist. His hair was made into a short hanging dread, which dangled into his face as he bowed. He wore a frown and looked uninterested in serving anyone.
“Took you long to get here,” Chidi complained.
“I'm sorry, ma'am.”
“What's with the face?”
He forced a smile.
“Much better.”
He handed over a menu to them.
Chidi slid her index finger through the menu. Her glistening navy velour stiletto nails gliding smoothly on the laminated sheet, as she went through the menu. “Uhmm, you're going for a pie today?” She asked Tina.
She nodded in affirmation.
“I think I'm going with that too,” she looked up to the bored waiter, “two servings of chicken pie with Chi Exotic juice.”
He scribbled on the blue stick not he had at hand as she spoke.
“Please, be fast about it.”
“Yes, Ma'am!” He responded afterwards.
“Hey, has anyone told you how handsome you are today?” Chidi spoke as the waiter turned to leave.
He blushed. His cheek puffed up, giving him a new look.
“Golden! Keep that face and get a fat tip from me.”
The flattered young man left smiling.
Tina raised her brows at Chidi’s flattery. It amazed her how Chidi was able to lit the poor boy up in seconds. How she graduated easily from anger to affection.
“What?” She smiled at Tina.
Tina rolled her eyes in-between smiles, showcasing her boldly arranged dentition. She pointed at Chidi’s phone.
“I almost forgot.” Chidi muttered.
“I feel like having a piece of all of 'em.” She adjusted from her position to show Tina the samples, “but this one, this one, this, this and this… I prefer them.”
Tina scrolled through the designs, checking them herself. “This one too,” Chidi tapped on her screen with her index finger. Tina went through the collection and pointed out some designs for Chidi.
“You picked this over this one?” Chidi scrolled back point and pointed at a design. “Your choice, anyway. I would go for this one,” she said and scrolled through the pictures. “Eehmm . . . Tina, look.” She pointed towards the counter, “Clint. . .”
Tina held her by hand. She stopped her from calling him.
Jenny clung to Clint. She hung her hand around his neck. They watched disappointedly as they leisurely walked away from the restaurant. The waiter returned with a plate of pie and box of juice like they requested, “here are your orders, ma'am. Here's your bill,” he handed over a printed receipt to Chidi.
Chidi collected the receipt from him. She glanced at it and proceeded to extract some Naira notes from her purse. “Keep the balance.”
The waiter grinned, “Thanks, ma'am.”
“Do you know her?” Chidi asked.
“Jenny,” she typed on her phone.
“The one you told me at the boutique?”
She deleted the former text. “Yes,” she typed again.
“Why not text and ask him? You may be getting the wrong signal.”
Tina shook her head in disapproval. There is nothing good about the signal she got.
“Ask him,” Chidi urged her. “You can't just conclude.”
Tina: Babe
Clint: Xup babe
Tina: Great. You?
Clint: Same here.
Have you had lunch?
Tina: Yeah
With Chidi
You?
Clint: At the office
Tina was at lost on when she received his response. He lied. He lied to her. She swallowed hard.
Tina: Aiit.
She replied.
Clint: [Heart emoji] you.
Tina dropped her phoned on the table and looked at Chidi helplessly.
*****
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