Song: Beginning by Joeboy
CHIDINMA GENTLY TOUCHED the forehead of a little 3-year-old girl and shook her head. The girl's head was burning to the touch and she definitely had a fever. She looked at the mother who held her daughter tight as she caressed her hair.
"Hey, get some sleep, okay? I'm just going to talk to your mom outside," Chidinma said to the little girl quietly. The mother looked extremely worried as she stepped out with her.
"Everything will be fine, she just has a fever. Nothing that Tylenol and rest can't fix. Her temperature is a little high, so get a cloth and soak it in cold water. Wring it and use it to warm up her body if she's feeling feverish, "
"It's just that she was a premature baby. I just worry every time she gets sick," The tired mom admitted.
"I was a premature baby too and even though I always got sick, I always got better. She'll be fine,"
"Thank you so much,"
Chidinma headed to the staff room and banged her head on the fridge. Multiple times. Ah ah, small fever and you dey bring her come hospital. Jesus. You no get Tylenol for house? (Pidgin: A small fever and you bring her to the hospital. Don't you have Tylenol at home?)
Her coworker and best friend, Imani with her peach nurse outfit, that showed off her ass by the way, came in and smiled.
"Let me guess. Another paranoid white mom."
"Yep. The kid had a fever,"
"My Arabic mom would have force-fed me Tylenol and told me to take care as she left for work,"
"Tell me about it," Chidinma looked at her sneakers and wondered if she should announce that she was dating again so that when she would get married, it would seem more believable, "So, I'm dating someone," Imani turned from the coffee machine and raised an eyebrow.
"Name, address, ethnicity Instagram handle, social security number. Everything. Now," Imani replied in shock.
"Xante Deliano. I haven't been to his house yet. Italian. How would I know that? We've been dating for 6 months." Chidinma said in response, her voice lined with humor.
"And his dick?" Imani asked with a whisper.
"I'm waiting till marriage and you know that,"
"Is it serious?" She asked more seriously, "It's just that after Tim, you were broken. And I don't ever wanna see you like that,"
Chidinma smiled at her best friend.
"After Tim, I was scared to even admit that I loved Xante, you know. What if it fails? What if I end up even more broken and shattered than I did after Tim? But, he made feel loved and safe. I can laugh and joke and be myself. He's the one, "Chidinma told her best friend, upset that she had to lie to her.
"Well, Lolade still's gonna interrogate him. And Fatima's gonna stop her from killing him,"
"I won't stop her. I have to go, my shift is over and he asked me out tonight," She paused and whispered, "I think he might purpose," Imani's eyes widened with surprise.
"How do you know?"
"He's been really nervous around me lately. He keeps complimenting, telling me I'm beautiful. Either that or he's cheating. And I know he's not cheating," She said, placing her stuff in her Gucci tote.
"Your mom must love him then,"
Chidinma stopped. Jesus, I haven't told my mom , she thought in pure shock. Fear filled her heart. How would she tell her mom that she was dating someone who was not even African? Imani looked at the fear on her face and cackled.
"You haven't told her? Girl, it's like you don't appreciate life. Good luck with that," Imani said as she walked out.
Jesus, help me.
As Chidinma sat in her Tesla and rang her mom, she prayed she didn't answer. Don't pick up, don't pick up, don't-
"Hello?"
"Mummy, ndewo,"
"Ahh, so you finally remember your mother shebi?" She could hear the sound of pots clanging and taps running. Her mother was mostly cooking.
"Mummy it's not like that, na"
"What is happening with you?" Chidinma took a breath and prayed.
"I'm dating someone, mummy. It's really serious. Like, I want to marry him. His name is Xante Deliano. He's Italian and he makes me feel like a queen. I love him and I can't imagine life without him," Chidinma said meekly. Her mom was quiet.
"I'm sorry, I think my ears are not working. Chidinma, you said he was Italian?" Her mother asked in surprise, "You did not find any good Nigerian man to marry? Even Hausa sef?"
"Mummy, no be you talk say make I get married?" Chidinma said exasperatedly. (Pidgin: Is it not you that said that I should get married?)
"Yes!" Faith Ndidi answered with the same volume, "To a man that might be understanding of your predicament! Does he even know?"
Chidinma was silent and kicked herself for her next words, "Yes, he does. And he still loves me, mummy,"
God, Chidinma hated lying to this woman, because her mother, like most Nigerian women, had an extra sense about everything. Her mother was quiet for a moment. Then, she sighed, "Let me call you back, Chidinma, Mama Ejiro is here for dinner,"
Breathe, Chidinma, just breathe.
Chidinma arrived at her townhouse and parked her car in her garage. After she got ready, she looked in the mirror and smiled. She wore a faux snake print fitted midi dress, her wine Gucci purse and red strappy heels. She put her light brown wig in a low, pulled back ponytail, making sure her edges were laid into perfect swirls, and carefully placed a bedazzled hair pin by the right side. Chidinma did her makeup very naturally, going for a more matte look with brown, glossed lips.
She had to make sure she looked perfect for the proposal. After all, Chidinma had some money to spend.
"DAMN. I KNOW I'M FINE, but don't we have somewhere to be?" Chidinma asked, with a knowing smile as she approached Xante. Xante did not know why his mouth was suddenly dry and his palms were incredibly sweaty. And the annoying butterflies. The whole herd of fucking butterflies roaming his stomach.
"Hello, Dr. Ndidi," He replied, voice steady as he flashed her a bold smile, "You look..."
"Beautiful? Gorgeous?"
"Adequate. May we?" Xante finished, eyes quickly roaming her outfit. She flipped him off with a sneer and he opened the car door for her.
"M'lady," He said as he gestured,
"Thank you, kind sir," She replied with a fake British accent. When he entered the car, he saw her admiring the interior of the car. He smirked, flashing his two dimples.
"Do you like it?"
Chidinma gave him a fake smile and sweetly retorted, "I'm just looking at how much I can sell the parts for when we get married, baby," This woman-
Xante scoffed as his lips began to tug in a smile, "If you are so angry at me, why did you even agree to this?"
Chidinma replied, amused, "Angry? You think this is me angry? You are in for quite a shock, Xante Deliano,"
Xante tried to ignore the sound of his name from her lips. It sounded so precious, especially with that special accent of hers. He never thought his name would sound so nice. It would probably sound better when she's moaning it, he thought, but wiped that thought immediately from his conscience. This would work a lot better if feelings were not involved.
"Wow, the beach looks amazing during sunset," She remarked as she sat in the velvet chair. He sat in his chair, in turn, admiring her. Not that he would willingly tell the proud woman that.
"If you are trying to get me to compliment you, Dr. Ndidi, I'm afraid that would not be feasible," Xante replied bluntly.
She scoffed, and leaned back into her chair, "I don't need you to compliment me. I already know I'm fine. I don't need human reassurance to confirm something set in stone,"
A waiter approached with the menu and hot towels for their hands, with a huge smile on his face. As he passed it to them, his eyes and hands lingered on Chidinma a little bit longer than necessary. Xante did not know why he felt the urge to punch the waiter.
"Welcome to Mastro's Ocean Club. My name is Sam. Can I start you off with anything to drink?" Xante was about to reply with a snarky response but Chidinma cut him off.
"Yes. How about not looking at a girl like she is a prize you want to win, Sam? And then, can we have the Cristal Vintage 2012 Dom Perignon Champagne. Right, darling?" He was shocked and looked at the owner of the innocent voice in front of him. When he saw the twinkling gleam in her eyes, he smirked and turned to the waiter.
"You heard the woman,"
As the waiter left in a hurry, the couple proceeded to try to hide their laughter.
"It seems that this marriage of a thing might work better than I hoped," He announced with a grin.
"Of course, it's going to work. You're getting-" Chidinma's spark seemed to burn off as she observed something behind him. Her expression turned sad as she played with her fork. Her change in the expression made Xante confused.
"What's wrong?" He demanded, turning to see a couple walk in the restaurant; a man and a pregnant woman, "Is it them?"
"That's my ex. And that's my ex-best friend and the girl he was seeing while we were engaged. Behind my back for a year," She whispered dejectedly while trying to hide her face. Then, she shook her head and shrugged, "It doesn't matter, anyways,"
Xante thought over her words for a second and an dark smile overtook his face. "Then, in that case, we have to make this proposal worth it," Xante said and watched as the couple sat across the restaurant.
When a new waiter arrived with their champagne, Xante opened it and poured the bubbly liquid into the two flutes. He then made a show of feeding her the drink in his own flute.
"How does it taste?" He asked huskily, pupils dilating as he stared at her plump, glossed lips. He imagined them on his own lips, on his firm torso, on a certain part of his-
"Perfect," She replied sensually, with a grin. Lord. He gulped as he got up and kissed her cheek.
"I'll be right back. Wait," He turned to face her once more, "Chocolate, vanilla or strawberry?"
"Chocolate. Why?"
"You'll soon know,"
As the waiter brought her appetizer of the Ocean Club House salad, he headed to the busy kitchen and reached the head chef, who was also his brother, Omarion. His brother was bent, focused on spraying some sauce on a steak, his bedazzled watch gleaming, as he sensed his older brother's approach.
"What the fuck do you want?" He questioned lazily, eyes on his dish, as two, young proteges watched him in awe. His title of Los Angeles' best Michelin star chef was not for nothing. If only the city knew of his family's connection to the Mafia, "You already cancelled our strip club outing tonight, X,"
"Yeah, because why do I need a strip club when the woman I want to propose to is right outside those doors, enjoying her careful plated appetizer?" Xante replied, resting on the counter with his arms folded and a sly smile on his face. His brother paused and looked up at his older brother in shock. He handed the plate to one of the awaiting proteges to finish as he dusted his hand on his rag.
"What? Nigga, I know I heard you wrong," He asked apprehensively. When he noticed the serious expression on Xante's face, he dropped his rag in shock, "Shit, first Val, now you. Soon, mom will practically force me to marry the first girl on the street," He whined.
Xante chuckled, "There's still Tini,"
Omarion gave Xante a look and scoffed, "You and I both know any fool that asks to marry Tini will not live to see the daylight. You and marriage? Do my ears deceive me?"
"Exactly. I have the ring I chose. Just make me a chocolate dessert and the words 'Will you marry me?' on a plate," Xante ordered. After his words, Omarion still looked apprehensive and Xante sighed and dropped the 'older brother attitude'.
"O, she's not like every other girl. She has humor and culture and makes me so damn happy. Felicità , like Papa, always described. The last six months have been the best in my life. Her smile, her laugh, her stubbornness, her character and personality. Don't even get me started on her body. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, "He finished with a soft smile, and Omarion softened as well.
Now, Xante thought his brother was the most annoying person on the planet, but it was in moments as such that he appreciated the blessing of having him in his life. This was because if Omarion approved it, the rest of his siblings approved it. And to think they wanted to kill each other as kids.
Omarion smiled at his brother, flashing his deep dimples, "I'll do it. Just distract her for about an hour, or so,"
"Is it also possible to get balloons and sparklers in as well? This was like a last-minute decision since I didn't even know if you worked tonight, so..." At that, Omarion flashed him a dirty look and began getting the ingredients for the dessert.
"I'm a chef, not a party planner," However, when he saw the desperate look on Xante's face, he called one of the proteges.
"Get this man whatever he needs. As long he's outside of my kitchen,"
The night progressed with Xante learning more about the surprising woman in front of him. He learnt of the reason why she was a pediatrician as she was a pretty sick child and had an iron deficiency since childhood. He learnt the things that made her tick and the things that made her glow and smile, with her beauty illuminated by the moonlight. After the main course, he noticed Omarion giving him the signal.
"You might want start acting surprised, Dr. Ndidi," He whispered as the waiters arrived at their table with rose-gold balloons spelling her name, sparklers and the dessert. Beginning by Joeboy, which she told him was her dream proposal song, began to play in the restaurant's speakers. He flashed a look at her ex's table to see the woman gaping at their table with shock as she read the name the balloons spelt out.
When the dessert was placed in front of Chidinma, her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes went over the writing on the plate. Xante went in front of her on one knee as other individuals in the restaurant took their phones to video the proposal. He reached for the ring in his pocket and when she saw the Tiffany blue packaging, her eyes widened. If he didn't know better, he would have thought she was actually surprised.
"Chidinma, the last six months have been nothing but happiness. When I decided to do this, I wanted to list out reasons why you wouldn't make a good wife. Pros and cons, you know. You wouldn't make a good wife because you make me laugh when I'm down. You wouldn't make a good wife because you wanna pray over everything that has to do with me, including the meals we ate. You wouldn't make a good wife because you're a beautiful, smart, confident, wise and incredibly strong and proud woman, "
"You would make a good wife because you're you. The woman that I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without. I want to wake up, old and wrinkled and watch my family grow. But I don't want to do it without you. So, Chidinma Adaobi Ndidi, will you make me the luckiest and happiest man on earth and marry me?" He finished, popping the box open, showcasing the beautiful, blue jewel. The restaurant was silent and although he knew she was going to say yes, Xante's heart was still beating like it was running a marathon.
This damn heart is acting up. I should get it checked.
"Yes," She whispered, with a nod as tears fell from her eyes. He slid the perfectly sized ring onto her ring finger and stood up, standing her up to pull her tightly into his chest. When Xante saw his brother look at them with watchful eyes, filled with shock and suspicion, he pulled away from Chidinma.
Then, Xante smashed his lips on hers as the crowd in the restaurant erupted in cheers.
After Chidinma had signed the final page of the iron-clad contract Xante's lawyers had drawn up under the twinkling diamonds of the Rolls Royce, Xante place the contract back into the manila folder with a satisfied grin. Chidinma looked down at the huge rock on her left hand, puzzled.
"What are you doing?" Xante inquired, curious as to why that perplexed expression was on her face. She bit her plump bottom lip in confusion and Xante had a sudden urge to pull it out of her teeth's hold. That as well as other things that required his lips. He grabbed the steering wheel tightly to ensure that did not happen.
"It's blue," Chidinma started.
Xante rolled his eyes. He thought she was a doctor, therefore smart enough to recognize the stone on her finger, "It is a sapphire. One that cost me four hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars,"
She looked at him with those big brown eyes that Xante wanted to drown in, "Yeah, I know what the stone is. I'm just curious why you decided to give it to me,"
Those eyes were so alluring that Xante had to look away. That kiss in the restaurant was a terrible idea because now, Xante had begun seeing more fantasies involving the woman in the car with him. He imagined her underneath him, bare, back arched with pleasure. He imagined the taste of her silky, smooth skin, the sounds that he could make her release. The feeling of her around him-
Xante, stop.
"Well, a diamond is common. Why would I spend close to half a million dollars on a ring that looks like every other one when I can spend that on one that makes you unique?" He noted. Silence rang through the car and Xante forced himself to stare in front of him, even though he felt her sharp gaze directed at him.
Finally, Chidinma looked away and looked back at the ring with a small smile, "That and the fact that you wanted me to carry you everywhere. The sapphire is the same shade as your eyes,"
Xante smirked. Maybe he had considered that for a second, "Is it? I never quite noticed,"
POSTED ON: SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2020
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I mean, it's a little long but I don't see you complaining, na? We finally reached the proposal and it wasn't until I was writing this that I realized what made me wanna write a book like this in the first place.
Thank you so much for supporting Sinful Desires. No, the book is not over, I'm just in the moment.
In the next chapter, both families are gonna meet and let's just say Mama Ojo will rival Chidinma's mom. (If you don't know Samspedy, you should be ashamed of yourself).
See you soon and stay safe in this time of panic (I mean COVID-19),
ada