Light Reflected On her face in the semi-dark room. She lay on her mattress facing the intricately moulded square shaped plaster of Paris that radiated blue lights from the edges. She operated her mobile device with both hands, smiling at intervals as she conversed with Clint late into the night.
Clint: Weird you
Clint's text appeared on her screen.
Tina: [Laughing emojis]
Good night
She bid him goodnight.
Clint: Sleep tight dear.
The "dear" in his message sent butterflies down her belly. She re-read the message before she turned off her phone and dropped it by her pillow. She rolled around on bed thinking. She has grown cosy with Clint overtime. She wondered if it called for an alarm.
"He's cool to chat with. Great sense of humour," she tried to justify the growing fondness between them.
"But he's not totally off the grid, the signs are still there. He's trying to play a gentleman," she countered.
"No, this is Chidi's effect. She has a way of installing her thoughts in you," she debunked her initial thoughts.
"What if it's true?" She countered again.
She rolled around again and buried her head with the pillow.
She pulled her head out of the pillow, laid face up, and crossed her arms.
"Why is he sticking around?" She pondered.
"Why is he stalling?" She questioned again.
Would he join the queue of guys who liked her but wouldn't commit to her because of her disability? This particular thought made her sober.
"Does this have to do with business? Maybe he's trying to . . . . No." she shut the thought. She realized that going further in this line of thought could cause her more harm than good. Besides, her life is not some kind of movies. But the thoughts didn't stop coming.
"Tina, maybe he's trying to be a friend. Don't read meanings into his actions until he comes plain," She admonished herself, willing to keep an open mind. She rolled to the other side of her bed again. This time, she hugged a pillow tight to her chest.
"But I think I like him," she admitted, and began to dig her face into the pillow again. She reached for her phone and went back to their chats. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. She couldn't get herself to stop. She was getting tired of scrolling when she caught herself smiling. She supported it with an even wider smile.
Impulsively, she opened her diary,
"I'm getting fond of him. Is this a good sign?
Seriously, I don't think it is. Catching feelings with his kind of person is suicidal. Playboys are not to be trusted.
I like him. I think I do now. I have lots of reasons to. I still have my reservations about him, but I like him."
She dropped her phone and went back to her thoughts, from where she slowly drifted to sleep.
"Hey Man, What's up?" Iyke voiced over the phone in his baritone.
It was evening, and Clint sat in his sitting room moving his cursor on the screen of his laptop.
"Good," Clint replied from his relaxed position on the hand rest of the couch.
"Uhmmm, Clint, Anna and I are planning a hangout this weekend. It's a dinner and we are thinking of a double date."
"Not me, man. I don't have a date."
"Hey, bro, you are not turning me down like that. Ken's out of town. You are the only one I can ask."
"I know, guy, but not now. I can't."
"Come on, bro," he pleaded.
"I would love to, buhh I can't right now. How about she brings someone? Or maybe just do your date," he suggested.
"Just come with someone."
"So your Babe would be on my ass?"
Iyke stifled a laugh, "I would have said you two are meant for each other, but nah my babe we dey talk about. So it's easier to say that you are meant to be eternal cat and dog."
"E don do, Oga. Get off my phone."
"Find a date for the weekend." Iyke ended the call laughing.
Thinking about his relationship and sexual life, he had gone on break to get himself together. He had had a fair share of ill luck, but he also had dished a lot of it, when it comes to that.
Currently, he could not even trust himself around any lady. He feared that he might end up hurting her unintentionally, like Kamso. It took him no hassles to quit just as quickly as he could get involved with another person. No emotions attached. But, it looked as though the other gender was void of its true meaning. It was a common issue among them.
At the moment, this aspect of his life was better left unscathed. He had nothing to reconsider about it. He was determined to guard his emotions to avoid being messed up again. Yes, it was all about himself, and it didn't matter if others got hurt. It had to be that way, at least for now. This may not be the best option, but that was his preference. He had discovered he lacked the mental strength to readily recover from his emotions when invested.
His phone rang again, disrupting this line of thought.
He swiped at the green button.
"Oga, you're not calling to mock me again, are you?"
"Bro, be calming down," Iyke said laughing.
"What is it?" He asked impatiently.
"I'm thinking," he took a breath, "Tina."
"What happened to her?" Clint asked.
"I'm thinking, maybe, you should invite her," he suggested.
"You must be joking. Ha-ha, funny you," he deadpanned.
"Calm down joor. I know say you like that babe. You guys are that close."
"Iyke . . ." Clint began to say but got choked by words. He couldn't complete whatever he wanted to say.
"Fine. Sorry, bro. Just saying," Iyke apologized.
"Bye," Clint ended the call.
Hours later, Clint, subconsciously, still pondered over their conversation. Iyke's words kept popping up in his head. But be it whatever, he had assured himself that he was going to keep the relationship casual. He couldn't bring himself to do just more than that for many reasons.
The lunch and visits, which had long stopped, were ways to make up for the night at the party and offer a hand of friendship. They had been kept casual. Being her client's daughter, he wouldn't want some rich kid to come in between his business, because the Clint he knew could not sustain a relationship.
Should he start a relationship, it wouldn't be her for anything, anyway.
Besides her disability, which he couldn't ignore, she didn't share his relationship ideology, which was all about benefits. He can't afford another episode of Kamso-drama. As a matter of fact, she looked like Kamso pro-max. She believed so much in emotions and savoured relationships — a clear opposite of himself at the moment, and these were turnoffs for him.
Clint also had trust issues. Even people who pretend to understand get insecure along the way. They, like Kamso, accepted his ideology just as a way of getting close to him. They either got emotionally attached or overstepped their boundaries, and most times, tried to hook him on by many means.
He shrugged that off and faced the monitor, continuing with what he was doing. He liked Tina, he knew, but starting anything with her was untenable he knew even better.
At Work The next day, his conversation with Iyke popped up in his thoughts again. After another round of deliberation, he decided to go ahead with it. "It's just dinner," he concluded. He was going to ask her to dinner with his friend.
"Besides her disability and little snappy attitude, she has an amazing personality," he thought. He was going to define their relationship so there wouldn't be any misconceptions; he believed she would understand. It was purely casual. He picked up his phone.
Clint: Good morning Tina
How are you doing today?
He texted her and went back to what he was doing.
Tina: Good morning
I'm doing just fine
You?
Tina replied hours later.
Clint: Same here.
Do you have any schedule for Friday night?
He replied the message and dropped his phone
Tina: Nope
She replied almost immediately this time.
Clint: Was thinking, would you like to hang out?
My friend invited me to dinner, but I'm a single man
I won't like to be alone
Tina: Lemme check on myself
I will give you a reply
Clint: Waiting
He went back to working, conflicted between whether to be happy or worried. At one point, he prayed that she turned down the offer.
Tina: I'm sorry
Tina's message came in hours later.
I can't
Next time, maybe.
Clint sighed heavily, relieved that he won't have attend the dinner with Tina, but felt bad that he would disappoint Iyke. He wasn't sure if coming alone was an option.
Clint: No probs
He sighed.
Tina: Talk Of the devil, he asked me out for dinner." she texted Chidi
Chidi: (voice note) you don't mean it, awwn! Babe, this guy is into you. Like seriously, he is.
Tina smiled. She doesn't think so. Clint might have approached her at first because he was attracted to her but nothing suggests to her that that attraction still exist. Again, his noncommittal lifestyle is a very bold red flag.
Tina: [Laughing Face emojis] Relax ma'am.
Dude said he's inviting me because he doesn't have any other option.
Said he doesn't want to feel lonely
Chidi: As per chipmunk wey he be nahh
Tina: Lols, Yeah
Chidi: That's bad of him
Problems with cute guys
His name might probably change from Clint if he comes straight
Tina: Lols
She was relieved that she shared same opinion about Clint's excuse with Chidi. That was a very coy to invite her to a dinner. There isn't a way Clint would have been alone if she didn't come around. Clint is neither the shy type nor the one woman type, so she doesn't see the possibility.
Chidi: Or come to think of it, perhaps he's kinda trying to minimize the embarrassment, should you turn him down or something.
Tina laughed
Tina: Snap out of it, miss.
You sef nah anoda pesin [Eye roll emoji]
Chidi: Babe, I'm not doing anything on Friday night.
Tina: So?
Chidi: Can I go with you?
Tina: You must be kidding
Chidi: No I'm not [Pleading face emoji]
Tina: You better be
Because I turned him down already.
Chidi: I will keep you company, should he be a jerk.
Tina: Not enough reason
Chidi: Babe you can't just shut him out, he might be genuine
Tina: Omg, I'm beginning to think you know something I don't know
Tina adjusted on her seat. Chidi stated the obvious but that wasn't what she wants to hear. She needed reasons to stay away from Clint. She needed justifications to her fears. She needed reasons to shut her heart from Clint.
Chidi: Noooo [Laughing Face with tears emoji]
My hands are clean o!
Tina: Just saying
Chidi: But Babe, I really wanna hangout this weekend
Tina: But, I have already turned him down
Think of something to do.
The idea of going to the dinner with Chidi wasn't bad, but She doubts Clint would welcome the idea, however she could ask him.
Tina: Fine, let me ask him
Clint Received Tina's message asking if she could come with her friend. He smiled, it sounded like a good idea to him. That way, the ground would be more neutral. He didn't bother opening the app, he replied from the status bar.
Clint: I will like to meet her.
She thanked him in response.
Clint quickly put a call across to Iyke.
"Hey man, what's good?" Iyke asked.
"I'm in," he broke the news.
"Gee. I know I can count on you," Iyke said gleefully.
Clint smiled.
"Do you mind if I ask?" Iyke asked.
"What?" Clint queried.
"Who is that?" Iyke asked.
"Who else did you ask me to invite?"
"Tina?"
"Reserve an extra seat, she's having company," he notified Iyke.
"Owwk, maan," Iyke stressed the syllables in the words with a laughing undertone, "would have preferred a couple though."
"What?"
"See you, bro!" He ended the call.
Chidi replied with dancing emojis when Tina informed her of Clint's approval.
Chidi: You're such a darling [Face blowing a kiss emojis]
Tina: [Laughing emojis]
Enjoyment minister
She replied laughing.
She turned the screen off and dropped her phone. She returned to a 3D interior design plan displayed on the desktop screen before her but merely concentrated for a while, as she got engulfed in a frenzy of thoughts. Her thoughts wandered from her conversation with Chidi to the more frequent conversations with Clint, her confessions in her diary a few days back, the double date and her possible attire, and many other things. The thoughts exhausted her.