When the door to Chi's house opens, Paul is the first person I see. He steps aside for me to enter and leaves right before I can say a word to him. I groan and find my way to the dining room to drop the packages I brought with me. I hope the pringles appeases him.
The parlour is dim-lit, music is playing in the background, and Chi and Paul are nowhere to be found. A sound goes off, light floods the room. I spin to face the culprit, a similar smile on my lips when I see it's only Chi. She pulls me in for a hug and my arms wound around her thin waist. Her presence causes some of the tension in my shoulder to ebb away, I pinch her cheeks and giggle.
"Did you bring it?" she asks and eyes my outfit. "I like your shorts, will you give me?"
A giggle escapes me and I nod in response to her first question. There's nothing on this beautiful earth that will make me give her my blue Miami shorts. It took a few days for me to get it from the online vendor and that was after much cajoling because they were already out of stock. Mine was a special order, I had to pay extra, so there's no way I am giving the shorts up or the freedom of movement it allows me. She can buy hers.
"Go and buy your own," I say and stick out my tongue at her. "It's not even expensive."
She rolls her eyes and her nose crinkles. I run a finger over the white spaghetti strap top I am wearing and laugh. "How much?"
"4K. From Tranne Culture," I volunteer. "She makes them, then sells it on IG. If you check her page, you will see other colours."
Chi's head bobs like she's giving it a serious thought and I laugh again. She spares no cost when it comes to her wardrobe and a Miami short will be a good addition to it. I wrap a hand around her elbow and pull her in the direction of the dinning. I came here for Paul not to discuss vendors and shorts.
"Have you seen him?" Chi asks once I settle down. Without his name being mentioned, I know who she is referring to. Why won't I? This night is happening because of him.
The hand on my bag on her table stills and I nod. "Yes, he's ignoring me." I bring out four different flavours of pringles and set it on the table. "I don't know which one he likes."
She points to the red one, the original. "That one. Did you really have to buy all four?" I pout and she continues, "I will help you keep the rest, there's space in my room."
No sooner do those words leave her mouth when I grab the other three cans to dump them inside my bag. She frowns, I laugh and bring out the onion flavoured pringles with green packaging. I can keep the rest by myself, I have space in my room too.
"So what's the plan?" I ask, minutes after we are done with one can of pringles. I bring out another, begin munching then stretch it in her direction so she can have some.
The silence that descends in the dining is comfortable, our conversations so far have been light-hearted but I just want Paul. I came here for him. Now that everything has been settled, the only thing in the way of us getting to know more about each other is us.
Him especially. I don't understand him but I want to, at least the way Chi does, maybe more than she does. That is why I am here.
Chi takes one long look at her phone which pings and says, "He's coming, wait small."
"He has been coming for the past one hour," I grumble. He knows I'm out here yet he has refused to come out, what is his problem?
"It's not even up to thirty minutes, aunty," Chi starts to say but quickly shuts it at the glare I send her. She doesn't have to always defend him. He's a grown man, let him act like one, he should come and face me.
I huff, setting the pringles on the table. Chi sighs, rolls her eyes and stands. My mouth pulls into a small smile when she heads in the direction of one of the rooms, her hips swaying from side to side. Laughter bubbles in the pit of my belly and dies in my throat when I remember Chi's choice of outfit.
She is wearing a red tank top and jean bum shorts. Her flawless, fair, slim thighs are out on display for anyone who cares to see. Anyone like Paul. I gasp and a hand goes to cover my mouth, what have they been up to? Why did she invite Paul over and then dress that way? Is she trying to seduce him? I shake my head; they are just best friends.
The thought doesn't sit well with me but for now, I am not in a position to say or do anything about it. I want to be the only female Paul calls his best friend, I want to know the name of his favourite pringles without having to ask anyone. I want to kiss him and have him kiss me back in the same manner, I want to touch him again.
Clearing of a throat pierces through my subconscious and my eyes lift to Chi. A sigh of disappointment leaves me when I see she's alone. She notices this, winks and giggles as she sets a tray in front of me.
"I'm not a visitor," I say when she drops the steaming plate of food on the tablemat with a care I will expect from a trained server. "You didn't have to start cooking for me."
My mouth waters at the sight of the meal before me and my insides knot violently. I pick up the fork to have a taste of the diced yam, sighing in approval at the crispiness.
"This one thinks I cooked for her," Chi says between giggles and I laugh out loud. "It's Paul's handwork. You skipped lunch today again and he noticed. He doesn't know you are watching your figure, your figure ten."
The fork hangs mid-air, I stare at the fried yam, frown, and insert it into my mouth.
"I'm not watching my weight," I say with an eye roll. Between Chi and I, I can't say for sure who's slimmer but I am taller. "I don't even have any figure to watch. I just forgot."
After tendering my apology to Mr Adams, he put me in charge of a new project. It's a lot of work, also time-consuming but I have to put my money where my mouth is. I can do it and I will do it, I deserve my position here at Pavilion. I am fit to be a manager.
Lunch is something I can always catch up on at any point in the day. Besides, I had a heavy breakfast, all thanks to Paul. If he is so concerned about me, he can come to check up on me himself, he knows where to find me. I am always locked up in my office.
"You always forget to eat," Chi murmurs.
My shoulder sags, I dip the yam into the fish sauce and chew slowly. "I won't forget again. You too, start coming to drag me."
Chi's reply to that statement never comes because Paul joins us at that moment. He clears his throat upon arrival and the shock of seeing him causes me to start choking on my meal. Someone pats me on the back, I cough and tear up, accepting the glass of water shoved in my face with gratitude.
"Do you want more water?" Paul asks when I set the empty cup on the table. His hand is resting on the small of my back and sparks dance on my body at the small contact.
"Yes, please," I respond with a nod.
Paul picks the empty glass cup, makes to leave but Chi snatches it from him. "Stay. I'll get it." Then she walks out of the dining.
We wait in silence for Chi to return, seconds turn to minutes but she's nowhere in sight. Paul sighs, he is still standing behind me and his hands are resting on the chair.
"You can sit here," I say and tap the empty chair by my right. "You don't have to stand."
"I don't mind standing, thank you."
My teeth sink into my lower lip and I nod. I pick up the pringles, angle my head in his direction and say, "I brought this for you."
"Thank you," he replies but doesn't collect it.
Without being told to, I drop it back to the table. Relief floods my vein when Chi pads into the dining room with a glass of water and a carton of juice. Took her long enough.
"Let's play a game," Chi shouts and I nod.
The corner of my lips twitches as she pushes Paul down to the seat I asked him to occupy and begins to dish out the rules for the never have I ever game. I finish the glass of water and sigh, feeling refreshed. I murmur a thank you to Paul which he nods to without sparing me a glance. Chi and I share a look and I roll my eyes, I will get him to talk to me, one way or the other.
A small frown settles on Chi's lips when Paul tries to stop her from leaving to get a bottle of alcohol for our game. We debate it for a while and in the end, she rushes off to get a bottle of Vodka which she empties some of its contents into the cup of orange juice. Paul scowls and I grimace at the slight discolouration of the juice; unsure I want to taste it. I have to get all the answers right.
"I'm the anchor," Chi says but Paul shakes his head. After much back and forth, we agree to let each one of us ask two questions in a row. Chi rubs her palms and grins.
"I'll go first," she starts, "never have I ever been betrayed by the person I love."
Her eyes dart between me and Paul, from the glint in them, I know she expects him to take a sip of the orange juice and he does.
"Never have I ever been dumped through a text message," Chi continues and I freeze. That's a harsh way to end things with someone you once claimed to love. A phone call might also hurt but it's much better.
My shock at seeing Paul reach for the glass cup again is barely concealed and my heart sinks when he takes another long sip. The urge to hug him hits me hard, I place a hand over his knee but he shrugs it off.
Paul sets the cup on the table, with a face devoid of any emotion says, "My turn." Chills creep up my spine and I shiver in fear of what he will ask. "Never have I ever stalked my ex new partner on social media."
Chi is already reaching for the cup when she stops herself and shakes her head. I fight back a laugh, a bit confused with the game, it's my first time playing it. It's obvious Paul knows the answer to this question already, same with Chi, she knew the answers yet she still asked them, why?
I raise my head in her direction and I see she is already looking my way. I offer her a small smile which she reciprocates and I understand why she asked. She asked for my sake because Paul will never tell me.
My confusion heightens at the revelation and I want to more than tell Paul that he is better off without an ex who chose the coward's way out of breaking up with him.
"Never have I ever," Paul starts again, his gaze set on Chi, "cheated on my partner."
There's a long pause as he and Chi have a silent debate before breaking their stare-off. Her hand reaches for the cup at the same time as mine and the speed with which Paul's head whips in my direction has the guilt of me kissing King while still dating Edwin rising to a point of near suffocation.
"I'll get extra cups," Chi volunteers but Paul is faster, he leaves before the sentence is out of her mouth. I sigh and she turns to look at me, "What are you waiting for?"
"He hates me," I murmur and she hisses.
First, I slept with King and now he's finding out I cheated on my partner, how bad can I get in his book? Bad enough that he can't stand to be in my presence any longer.
"Really, Pauline? After what I just did?" She rolls her eyes and shakes her head with a pitiful expression. "He doesn't want to be alone with you, he has been avoiding it since. Go and meet him in the kitchen, I am going to my room. I have done my best."
Without waiting for my response, she walks out and my shoulders slump. I guess she has played her part; the ball is now in my court. With that in mind, I tiptoe to the kitchen, stopping a few feet from the door.
Chi's words of courage spurred me on up until this point but I am not sure what to do once I step inside. My eyes lower to the floor and I drag my feet till I reach the kitchen. With my head cast down, I don't see Paul and we crash into each other.
The sound of glass connecting with the floor fills my ears and I bend down to pick the pieces of the cup scattered all over Chi's kitchen floor. This is a mess; I am a mess.
"What are you doing?" Paul shouts as his hand wraps around my wrist, shaking my palm until the shards of glass drop back to the floor. "Are you trying to hurt yourself?"
He moves away from me to get a broom and I rise to my feet. "Sorry, I'm sorry," I say, forgetting that I am still barefoot. The sharp pain that shoots up my legs tells me that I stepped on the shards and I let out a small scream which grabs Paul's attention.
"This woman," he says, letting out a string of curses as he sweeps me off my feet and out of the kitchen. "What will I do with you?"
"You can love me."
**********
With the Newsfeed button gone, it has become more difficult for most of us to find new readers. So I need your help. If you have friends who you think might be interested in reading Pasquare's story, do tag or share the story with them. You can also share the link on your WhatsApp status or other social media platform, your support will go a long way.
Thank you.
M.