Grace
"We are sharing a suite."
Those words alone drew my attention from the smiling toddler held by who I supposed to be his Dad and a lady holding on to a pink handbag as we stood in the elevator each waiting for our stop.
"No," I mouthed, with my eyes wide as I veered around. Just then, the 'ding' of the elevator came through, indicating a stop as the three stepped out.
"Don't argue with me." He pulled me to his chest by my elbow.
"We are not sharing the same suite."
"Yes, we are."
"Never," I protested, moving away from him.
"It has an adjoined room, so don't worry you can still sleep and turn like a lion."
"Ah! I don't sleep like a lion."
He smiled, brushing his hands on his hair as he leaned on the steel walls of the elevator. "You need to watch you sleep, I don't think you will have any defences."
"Well, you snore like an elephant," I countered with folded hand.
"I don't snore sweetheart."
"You snore and I will prove it."
"How? We are not sleeping on the same bed remember?" His brows were raised and his smirk a priceless one as the elevator came to a stop.
Narrowing my eyes, I huffed and walked out. Leaving him behind as I suddenly felt annoyed.
"What?" He inquired, jogging to catch up.
"I hate you."
"And I hate you more baby."
***
We drove into Kenneth's lot after few hours of chatting none stop and rest in Lucris his hotel in Abuja. The flat was decorated with masquerade tree's at each corner and a garden with a little red brick hut that was surrendered with well crafted local bamboo bed and chairs at the left side of the building.
Stepping out of the car, I stared at my surrounding that was as beautiful as the little boy who ran out of the building with his hand stretched out.
"Uncle Kunle!"
The moment he was clutched in Kunle's arms, he was whirled around and bathed with kisses on his cheeks causing him to burst into laughter.
"Uncle Kunle, mummy brought a baby home yesterday," He announced, with a smile as Kunle settled him on his neck while holding on to his legs.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah and her big tummy is gone, I wonder where she kept it?"
Staring at the pair, I smiled baffled by the level of his Inquisition and closeness to the man I was attracted to.
"So who is she?" He inquired out of the blue, with his eyes fixed on me.
"Grace meet Elvis and Elvis meet Grace," Kunle introduced the kid who gave out a boyish grin.
Still on his uncle's shoulders, he said, "It's nice to meet you ma'am."
"It's nice to meet you dear."
Bending he whispered to Kunle, "Uncle Kunle, can I tell you something?"
Kunle turned to me, winked before nodding to the little boy who stole glances at me.
"I think she is beautiful, will you marry her? If you won't, I-"
"Elvis, leave your uncle alone!"
Though shocked by the little boy's word, I turned towards our intruder who slowly strolled to us in a khaki and plain white shirt.
"Grace thanks for coming, I appreciate," Kenneth said the moment he got to us.
"Its nothing, congrats on the baby."
"Thanks dear." He turned to Kunle whose shoulders were now free from Elvis weight as Kenneth sent a playful blow to his shoulders. "Finally a man in the house, you don't know how it feels to be the only man. I think those women gossip about me."
"Daddy, I thought you said I am a man?" He asked in a tone that showed how close he was to tears.
"You are a young man and I am an old man," Kenneth explained to his son who held on to his hands as we walked into the building.
***
"What is his name?" I inquired as Temi and I watched the baby who led in a convertible crib placed in a room that was furnished with love sofa's all in different colours but still matching the white walls and children paintings hung on the wall.
"Ayomide," she whispered.
"A very beautiful name," I whispered, scared the child might wake from the sound of our voices.
Smiling, she moved to one of the sofa's and arranged the pillows while I watched the baby with a smile.
"You must stay for dinner. You missed the other, though I heard all that happened.*
"I'm sorry for missing that appointment it's j-"
"It's nothing, I am glad you are safe. C'mon, let's move before this old man wake's up."
Just then, the tiny scream of the baby filled the air cutting any escape plan Temi had.
***
Leaving the Kenneth's house with our tummy filled from dinner, I rested my head on the car's window, exhausted as Kunle drove back to the hotel.
"So what are your plans for the night?"
"You brought me to Abuja, what are your plans?" I inquired, stretching forward to switch the radio on.
"My plans are dangerous, trust me."
"I don't think I am ready for danger, so let's just stay far from each other." With that, I increased the volume of the radio and nodded to the voice of 'Santi' as his song 'Maria' sent me vibing with the sweetness of the night.
"Are you for real?" He reduced the volume which I immediately brought to it's highest.
"Yeap," I said as he drove into the hotel and pulled into the parking lot thirty minutes later.
Minutes later, we proceeded into the elevator with two men both in a business suit and a case that would have looked quite suspicious if it was a Nigeria movie.
"What are you doing?" I asked as he pulled me to the back.
"Nothing, I just love standing behind," He said, just as the men stopped on the second floor.
Now alone, he held on to my hand sending a cold feeling down my toe's. "I've always longed to kiss someone in an elevator."
"I am not that someone," I said, fleeing from his advances but he drew me back laughing lightly as I struggled for my freedom.
"Calm down."
"Ku-" The elevator opened, indicating a new member to our little party as he let me go.
Arriving at our stop on the grand floor suite, I rushed out knowing he was behind me as I swapped open our door with its card.
"Goodnight Kunle," I said, smiling and moving to the adjoined door.
"How about we do an all-night vigil?" He inquired but I pulled the door open not interested by both his proposals and his reason. It was obvious he was ready to flirt and I wasn't.
"I promise not to make any crazy advances, I just want us to spend the night together," he said.
I turned around with a smile that showed I wasn't offended by his action. "Keeping me awake is impossible trust me, I am exhausted right now."
"What about I watch you sleep? it's not the first time but I will love to do that tonight."
"Nope."
He moved closer with a down casted shoulder and a smile that made me feel guilty. "Alright, let's make a deal."
"I'm listening."
"I will sleep by your side on one condition."
"What?" He inquired with interest flickering in his brown eyes.
"You will dance for me," I said, trailing my eyes down his muscular body as the thought of seeing him in action drove all sleep into a deeper crater.
"Dance?" He Inquired as I erupted into laughter from his facial expressions. "Why are you laughing?"
"You can't dance, I can tell."
"Oh sweetheart, you know nothing about me." He adjusted his sleeve and stretched his hands. "It's a deal then, I dance to have you for the night."
"You are not having me, we are just going to sleep beside each other," I slowly clarified while shaking his hands.
"Play the music ma'am."
"I will play the first song that's on my playlist, blues, hip-hop, soulful, rap, whatever it is, you must dance ok?" I said as he unbuttoned his shirt and started a stretch with both hands raised and his chest exposed.
"Then you have to top your offer."
Turning on the radio, I said, "Ok, you get to kiss me."
"I can do that now." With long strides, he got to me and matched our lips in a sweet bliss that had my knees weak.
"See?"
"Just dance Kunle," I said.
"Play the music then."
I nodded to his command and connected my Bluetooth to the Soundsystem of the room. I pressed play and immediately felt a shiver ran down my spine as Gorilla by Bruno Mars blasted the speakers creating image's only I could see.
"Get ready to be wowed," He said dramatically raising his hands and striking a pose that opposed his words.
I rushed to the bed and crossed my legs as I waited anxiously for the drama that was surely going to unfold. He turned his back to me and waved his ass like a stripper would and snipped his fingers before whirling and taking slow steps to the large king-size bed.
Smiling, I said, "You are not even dancing."
He turned his head like a model and did the moonwalk probably injuring his toes as he stopped, kicked off his shoe's. Throwing them aside, he swayed his stiff waist before dropped to the floor in an attempt to do a split.
"Just stop, please stop," I pleaded, wiping my eyes as I choked with laughter. "You are horrible I swear, your moves did not tally with the song in any way."
"I know." He stood from the floor and jumped on the bed. "Now let's freshen up and go to bed."
"You didn't dance Kunle."
"What do you mean? What do you call what I did?"
"Watching that is a death sentence," I said still smiling as my lower abdomen ached from laughter.
He kissed my forehead before saying, "A deal is a deal baby, I kept my part. it's time to keep yours."
***