Adebola hugged Debby tightly as his friend Fred walked in without a sound to his footsteps. Witnessing the passionate embrace between them, he smiled giving Adebola the thumbs up, to which Adebola responded with the middle finger with a scowl, knowing that Debby's back was turned to Fred.
Disengaging slowly as though reluctant to leave his presence, she kissed him on the mouth. "See you later." She murmured. Turning to see his friend Mr. Fred, it made her blush again. "Good morning sir". She greeted him in a shy manner . "Good morning Mrs Adedotun, pardon my intrusion.My wife is on a retreat and I wanted to eat breakfast with yours." Fred explained as though seeking her permission.
"It's okay sir. You are most welcomed to do so". she replied as she walked gracefully out of the office swaying her backside seductively and Fred bursted into laughter as soon as she shut the door and was gone for a few seconds.
"Ade I was not born yesterday." He blurted out to his friend.
"What is that supposed to mean! Did I ask you for your birth date? Please help yourself to the breakfast table" Adebola said sarcastically, gesturing to the breakfast tray as he made a fresh cup of coffee for himself.
"Ade you can't tell me this is all about a seduction game, because it is not!"Fred mocked.
"So what is it? If it ain't seduction, what can you see happening you fool?" Adebola attacked.
Fred bursted into another round of laughter at his friend's insult before replying him. "Ade I can swear on my father's grave that you absolutely have strong feelings for this girl whether you admit it or not and this girl, I think she loves you too".
It was Adebola's turn to laugh the hardest, dropping his tea cup on the table. He drummed his fingers on the table. "What's so funny Ade?" Fred asked, looking confused as to why Adebola is laughing when no one had told a joke.
"You say love my friend? A girl that went to buy vibrator this morning, love me? Please Fred, change your observation skills. Because as for me, I have made up my mind,am going to bed that chick. I like the way her body responds to mine and it's simply natural. As a matter of fact, I paid her bride price so why won't I?" Adebola challenged.
"Ha my friend, you have really gone crazy oo!Before I go further, please which vibrator are you talking about?". Fred asks, sitting down with his stuffed plate of breakfast.
Adebola narrates the episodes of all the happenings since the last time they met,which Fred listened to carefully.
"Ade come to think of it, why not open up to her. She no longer thinks about the late guy I believe. You have given her a new memory. So make it official".
"Meaning what Fred, make what official? you are starting to talk nonsense right now and It's annoying me. Please eat your breakfast in silence" Adebola snorted at his friend.
"Ade, like the famous singer said "love is a beautiful thing". Just open up and enjoy the beautiful gift of love"Fred said smiling.
"Yeah right, until your father screws your cheap fiancee to prove a point of how useless love can be." Adebola replied changing the atmosphere to an intense one.
"Ade please let this thing go, stop bringing it up every time as an excuse not to commit," Fred commanded authoritatively in anger.
"I can't let it go Fred" Adebola barked at his best friend hitting his desk in the process.
"Let it go, my guy it's been years. Your father is sorry, so is Maureen and even your mother" Fred appealed to him, knowing the depth of hurt his friend went through.
"Fred, I can't and I won't, I lost 250 million, the right to a software I designed with my sweat and blood, all because I fell in love with a girl who was screwing my father and i at the same time."
Adebola's face became as stone thinking about how he stabbed his father in the shoulder when he walked in on him and his fiancee a week to his wedding in London having sex on his couch, in his own house. He was almost persecuted by the first responders unit who called the police but his father did not press any charges. A single tear dropped from his eyes as the memory of his 25 year old dark self emerged.
"Ade I knew how hard it was for you then. I knew how you suffered to get to where you are today." Fred appealed calmly to him.
"You don't Fred, you don't know how low I sank to. I almost took my life..
Maureen was everything to me and she fucked my father right in my own house!!! Love is giving someone the right to hurt you and I ain't going to give any other woman in this world, the right to make me gullible. I will bed Debby senseless and push her to the streets like I should have." He declared standing up from his rotating chair to his window with his coffee mug in his arms.
"I just hope you are not hurting yourself in the process. All these anger and tactics for evil is not necessary" Fred advised.
"My guy eat your breakfast and let's discuss contracts. You are not a marriage counselor" Adebola teased him.They bursted into laughter together and he wiped his wet eyes dry.
The breakfast went well, from then henceforward. They talked about the layouts that Debby had drawn up for more profitable shipping income. He also helped his friend connect to the Lagos state governor for permits in building a state of the art telecommunications gallery. This was Adebola's way, always helping someone,so they can be wealthy together.
At the close of work, Debby was at his reception, smiling like a school girl obviously anticipating what was to come at home. She stood close to Felix and Patrick as he emerged from his office. On seeing him, Patrick quickly rushed to his side, collected his briefcase, opening the elevator to go downstairs.
"Hold on Patrick, we would join you in the elevator. Felix we are going for a retreat the day after tomorrow, so we won't be in from tomorrow. The retreat is for 7 days. I will be on my cell. Tell the head of Accounting about it." "Yes sir. I will sir. Goodnight sir and safe trip" Felix replied immediately.
Holding her soft fingers, not replying Felix's best wishes, they walked into the elevator. He watched her smile like a young school teenage girl in love with a teenager boy but he was a predator about to feast on this prey and remove her thoughts from his heart.His cell phone rang while they were descending the elevator disconnecting him from his thoughts.
"Hello" he barked into it
"Oh Bola, yes what is it?"
"How serious is it?"
" Okay which hospital?"
"Alright, I will be there."
"What happened? Who is in the hospital?" Debby asked anxiously.
"My mother had an accident on her way to the airport" Adebola said coldly. "Oh my Goodness, father save her" Debby bursted into prayers shaking visibly. He could see anxiety wearing all over her.
"She is fine Debby. It's not so serious". He tried to assure her. "Don't say that", She shouted at him. "Such little things could kill". He was taken aback by her tone.
Debby suddenly was crying and it dawned on Adebola that such news reminded her of her late fiancee. "I promise you, my mother is fine, If it makes you feel better, we should go home, I will go to the hospital alone later." He told her gently wrapping his arms around her shoulders. " No no..am coming with you right now, we wont see her later. Let's go now" Debby tugged on his hand as they exited the elevator.
"Hey calm down". He said trying to slow her down as she marched towards his car. "How did you come to work this morning?" He asked not seeing any of his extra cars in the premises. "Shade brought me" she said entering the back seat hurriedly as Patrick opened the doors for them.
It must have really been a traumatic experience for Debby as she was no longer composed even during the drive to one of the expensive hospitals on the island. Adebola thought to himself, offering her comfort by rubbing her shoulders intermittently.
His mother had no physical injuries but her blood pressure was elevated and the doctor instructed strict bed rest with no travel activity for a month. Not wanting to stay at the hotel anymore, she asked to come to Adebola's house to which he refused right there in the ward when they were alone.
Debby wonder what was taking so long in the emergency room as she sat in the lobby. Her arms were so cold as she shivered visibly. Adebola watching her from a distance, strolled towards her enveloping her in his embrace.
"She is fine, just bed rest and she can't travel for a month," he relayed the doctor's message. "Oh thank God. Then Let her come over to your place. She can't continue staying at a hotel. There are so many maids to take care of her. Plus she would feel better there than the hotel she had been lodged in. " Debby suggested.
"Hmm Debby" he said looking deep into her eyes. "I like my privacy and I just bought a property which is fully furnished. The maids would go there to be with her" Adebola replied.
"Ade are you kidding me right now?"
"Debby calm down"
"Don't tell me to calm down, She could die all by herself alone or She could be in pains and you don't want to be by her side?" Debby raised her voice but it was still within only his hearing.
"But it is not that serious Debby." He tried persuading her by rubbing her shoulders.
"Ade, how can I make love to you and enjoy it when the woman who gave you life is been neglected." This analogy rendered him confused and speechless. This girl knows how to pick her lines.
"It's okay" he said turning around looking for Bola, his mother's help.
The girl had been standing by the corridor ever since the conversation began and it was easy to signal her to himself.
"Go and pack your madams things and bring her to my house" He instructed.
"Okay sir" Bola replied walking away immediately to attend to the errand she had just been given.
"Let's go say our good bye" he told Debby who was staring at him smiling as though he was a hero. "Thank you Ade. You are far too kind." She said.
"You are welcome." He replied.
She held his face and kissed him this time tasting of tears.
He held her by the waist as they walked into the ward where his mother was kept for observations.
"Ha! Debby you are here?" His mother exclaimed in happiness.
"Yes ma! Good evening ma. How are you feeling?" Debby asked after enveloping his mother in a warm embrace.
"Am alright my dear. I am just so sorry for my disturbance!"
"Mummy which disturbance, you are coming home with us. We will take care of you." Debby declared.
"Oh no Debby I don't want to be a bother. I will use the house he just acquired. I will be fine" his mother politely declined.
"Mummy there is no bothering anyone in this equation. My husband and I wants you home with us period" Debby reassured his mother.
"Really son?" Chief Mrs Lola Adedotun looked at her son who looked pained but was smiling at his wife.
"Yes Mummy, come to the house, there are enough rooms and the maids would take care of you."Adebola confirmed his wife's statement.
"Thank you so much son". she appreciated him.
"As soon as you are discharged, Boju will bring your things over." Adebola added.
"Okay son"
"Let me go and pay the bills." He turned to leave."Thank you so much son". "Thank you Ade" His mother and Debby appreciated him.
"Let's go together. I don't like leaving you for a moment." He said smiling to Debby because he could never trust his mother with her. Together, they strolled hands linked into the one another to the accounting department to settle the medical bills of his mother.
Entering the car after signing every medical documents of his mother, he told Patrick to drop them at home and come back to get his mother as her car was badly damaged.
He wrapped his arms around Debby as they rode in silence home. All he wanted to do as at that morning was to bury himself deep inside this girl and she wanted that too. Now he doubted if she would want the same thing. His phone rang again distracting his trail of thoughts.
"Hello? "
"Who is this?." He barked into the phone. "Why in this world are you calling me you asshole?"
"Don't you have her number?"
"Don't ever dial my number again"
Rubbish".
He ended the call and he was brewing in anger. Debby shifted a little away from him and he appreciated the distance.
Arriving at his mansion, he walked inside leaving her but he heard her footsteps behind him.
Dashing upstairs he went straight into his room and locked the door.
Debby heard the sounds of what would seem like chattering items upstairs, alongside loud bangs of doors as soon as she entered the house.
"Fiona" she called.
"Good evening your grace"
"Good evening Fiona. How are you?"
"Am very well ma"
"My mother inlaw is coming to stay here tonight for at least a month. Please prepare a room downstairs for her. I wouldn't want her to entangle herself with the business of climbing the stair case. She has elevated blood pressure and needs care to keep it normal" .
"Don't worry madam I know foods that can stabilize high blood pressure." Fiona boasted.
"That's very good Fiona. Please also create a budget so we can ensure the house is sufficiently filled with everything, so she doesn't lack."
"I will definitely do that ma. Please should I get dinner ready for you and The Prince?" Fiona asked in fear, afraid at the disposition of the prince this night.
"Yes you should. I am going to take my bath. I will be downstairs soon and am sure my husband would too."
She entered her room, shedding her clothes almost immediately. She opened the bathroom door and stepped inside, turning the water on to bath herself, Debby did what she never thought she had the courage to do.