She waved at Temi as he started the car. She unlocked the gate and locked it behind her. She headed into her house. Nimi lived in a three bedroom flat in Ikeja, Lagos. This was prime real estate. It was also one of the three houses her mother had left for her in Lagos.
Her mother was the daughter of a Yoruba Chief who made his money in farming. Her grandfather had five plantations. He also had a lot of wives. Seven wives. He also had other women, he never married them but they had kids for him.
In Nigeria, polygamy was allowed under the customary law. While most people did practice monogamy, there were others who didn't, especially if they were rich and in a position of power like her grandfather.
Her mother was the first child of the first wife. She was a twin. However, Nimi knew that her mother's twin brother had died when they were young in an accident. When her grandfather had died, the funeral had been very grand. In his will, he had bequeathed a lot of properties to her mother who had then passed it on to her.
She took off her shoes immediately and walked to the kitchen barefoot for a cup of water.
She stilled. Nimi looked around, she could swear that there was something amiss.
She looked at the sink. Nimi had been in a rush this morning and had left the house hurriedly because she over slept and she didn't want to be late for work. Therefore, she didn't wash the dishes. However, she could swear that the way she had placed the plates were not the way she met them now.
She looked at her surroundings with a critical eye as if trying to check if anything else was amiss. Finding nothing out of place, she sighed. She was probably being paranoid.
Then her eye caught something. The towels in her kitchen were always arranged by color. However, now, there was a green towel with a blue towel. There was no way she put them together.
Nimi shivered. Goosebumps appeared on her arms.
What was going on? She wandered around and felt grains of sand on the tiled floor. It made no sense. It was like several things were out of place as if, she frowned in thought
As if someone had been in the house, She realized
Fear gripped her, her brows furrowed. But it made no sense, how could someone have been in the house. The door had shown no sign of a break-in. Apart from the towels and plates, nothing else was suggesting that there had been someone in the house. It had to be her speculation. Yeah, that had to be it.
She headed for the bedroom and switched on the lights. She looked carefully and noticed that nothing was out of place. She released a breath. Right, it was nothing, she was just too strung tight. Nimi undressed and took a shower before diving under the covers of her bed.
She picked up her cell phone called Temi.
"Hey" A deep husky voice
A tingle ran up her spine. What was wrong with her, she thought
"Loni" the voice snapped her out of it and she realized that she hadn't replied because she was lost in thought. She blushed, thank God he wasn't here or else he would notice how out of it she was.
She cleared her throat "Hey" she replied
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm, fine. Are you home?" She changed the subject hurriedly
A small pause
"I'm home"
She could hear rustling sounds
"What are you doing?" She asked
"I'm just going through some files"
"Oh"
He laughed "Are you okay, you sound a bit weird?"
"what, no, I'm fine"
"Really/"
"Really" She asserted
"Okay then. Um, what time do you leave for work?"
Her brows furrowed "9:00 am, why do you ask?"
"I want to pick you up" He explained
"You want to pick me up" She exclaimed "But why, I can just take a bus"
"Why take a bus when you can have your own personal driver?"
"But…." She hesitated
"I've missed seeing you everyday. So let me just pick you up"
She smiled "Okay then as long as it's not too much for you"
""How can it be too much? It's just picking my friend up"
"But you've been busy lately with the move of your company and everything"
"It's okay"
"I'm just worried the workload will be too much on you"
His voice got deeper "You're worried about me?"
Her breath hitched, why did it seem like he meant something else
She cleared her thoughts "Of course, I'm worried. You're my friend. My best friend at that"
A small pause "Right, we're friends"
She frowned "Temi, are you okay?"
He cleared his throat "I'm fine. We'll see each other tomorrow then."
"Okay, then"
"It's a date. Good night, babe"
Temi always called her babe but at the moment, why did she feel it meant something different
"Goodnight" She was probably just thinking too deeply. That was probably it.
They both hung up. Nimi cleared her thoughts and went to sleep.
TEMI
He hung up the call and looked through the documents again but he couldn't concentrate so he pushed it aside'
He sighed deeply, holding his head in his hand. He had been in love with her for years and she had no idea.
However, Temi was resolved. He wanted to pursue her, to be with her, to be hers and he would wait for however long he needed to for her to fall in love with him.
They hadn't met for such a long time but they still had that deep connection between them.
He smiled, she might still think of him as a friend but he was going to show her that he would be more than that.
-------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Nimi was dressed for work and picked up her phone to call Temi when she heard the knock on the gate.
She smiled. Some things never changed. For all his mischief and playfulness, Temi had always been punctual. She checked her watch, the time was 8:50 am. She went out of the house and opened the gate for him. She was dressed in black trousers and a peach colored shirt which she ha paired with black pumps.
He had parked his car in front of the gate and was looking at his phone when he heard the gate open.
He looked up and gave her a brilliant smile.
She shivered as he moved in for a hug "Good morning" he said in a low voice
As she hugged him, she could feel the muscles on his back. It was hard.
Her breath hitched "Good morning" she said in a scratchy tone
He drew back. He wore a black shirt with black trousers.
Temi had always been good looking. At this moment, he looked dashing.
She swept an eye over him and her breath came faster.
"Let me get my bag" She said. He nodded and followed her in
While she came out of her bedroom with her bag, she saw him staring at one of the frames on the wall. It was a picture of she and her mum on her tenth birthday.
"Your mom was very beautiful". Hearing his soulful voice, she gave a small smile in agreement.
"Just like you, really beautiful".
Her heart skipped a beat. Did he just complement her or was that an offhand comment. She stared into his eyes which kept gazing at her. She became flustered and started wringing her hands.
She cleared her throat and looked uncomfortable.
"Are you okay?" he asked
She looked at him doubtfully. He seemed sincere but she could swear he was messing with her
"I'm fine"
"Are you sure?"
Giving him the stink eye, she headed for the door "Come on, let's go"
Unknown to her, there was a small smile on his face.
She locked the door and they headed outside and got into the car.
He started the car and looked over at her. She sensed his gaze and looked up.
Seeing him staring at her, she looked at him curiously.
He jerked his head at her, she didn't understand.
She looked at him, perplexed. He kept staring at her and then sighed.
He leaned towards her.
He moved closer and closer.
Her heart started racing and she swallowed.
Why was he coming closer, he wasn't going to kiss her right?
She stared at him, mesmerized
Then he strapped in her seatbelt and winked at her.
Shit, shit, he had been telling her to strap in and she had been staring at him like a love struck fool, what the hell was wrong with her
She was absolutely mortified. She lowered her head.
"Loni, are you okay?" Temi asked
She could hear the laugh in his voice
This jerk, he must have done it on purpose
She refused to give him an answer and glared at him instead
He chuckled.
She was quiet throughout the drive, thinking seriously and refusing to give Temi any attention.
When she arrived at her place of work, she reached for the car door
"Loni, are you mad at me?"
She stared at his seemingly innocent face. She couldn't read him, she realized. Then she thought that maybe she had taken it too seriously. She calmed down.
"No, I'm not"
"Really?" It was obvious he thought she was lying
"Really" she smiled
An angelic smile "I'm glad, then"
"I'll see you later"
"Later, then"