It was a hot Friday afternoon, the kind where the sun sent down hot rays of sunlight with the sole purpose of burning the whole human race from the face of the earth. Not that it was ever going to be possible.
Stella George wasn't one to ditch the cool air of the electric standing fan in her room to answer the call of just anybody, but this was Nathaniel and she had to answer his call.
"I'll alight on bank road," Stella informed the driver of the shuttle she flagged who grunted a reply to her.
She stared out the window watching the bushes on the side of the tarred road as the shuttle sped down the tarred road, a ray of sunlight hit her hazel brown eyes causing her to flinch and groan.
"Ouch," she murmured.
God, it hurt her eyes.
"Bank road!" The driver called, alerting her of her destination.
Stella got down from the tiny blue and white shuttle with jerky movements and paid off the driver who sped off in no time.
This school really needs to improve our mode of transportation, she thought.
As she walked on towards the direction of the bus park directly facing a cluster of banks which earned the surrounding area the name BANK ROAD, her phone rang in her bag.
"Hello?" Stella massaged her eyes softly as she got closer to the park.
"Hey Star," Nathaniel drawled.
"Heyy, where are you?" She turned her head this way and that, hoping to see him and the person he had called her out to see. The reason she was outside in the sun instead of indoors enjoying a movie.
Nathaniel laughed in my ear, "Don't strain your pretty eyes, we'll come to you,"
"Don't keep me waiting,"
We.
Nathaniel had informed her that his father would love to meet her. He'd love to meet the girl who made his son happy, as Nathaniel had put it. Though Stella doubted his father had said the exact thing.
"Star!" Nathaniel called fondly as he walked towards her with long strides that only long legs such as his can carry.
Immediately Stella beamed with a smile, she always had a smile for Nathaniel no matter what. Even on her worst days.
"Baby boy, how are you?" She went into his warm embrace which always made her feel like she was hugging a very warm bear.
Nathaniel was a solid 6ft3 inches to Stella's 5ft9 and he didn't just grow up tall and straight, he grew up filling out in all the right areas and at the age of twenty four, was already looking like a Norse god.
His physique was a selling point for him along with the fine structure of his very handsome face. Nathaniel knew he was one handsome man-cake which he used to his advantage from time to time.
"You look tired," Nathaniel's gray eyes –another selling point for him– stared deep into Stella's eyes, nothing usually got past him which was one of the things that helped set their friendship in stone in its early stages.
He always noticed the little details about her and everything in general and it was something she appreciated.
"I'm okay," she murmured and shook her head in order to distract him when someone cleared his throat rather too loudly behind Nathaniel.
"Oh my," Nathaniel pulled out of the hug and stepped to the side to reveal the slightly older version of the young man Stella just hugged.
"Stella, meet my Father, Damian Igwe. Dad, this is Stella," Nathaniel introduced.
Damian nodded with a smile.
"Ah, the famous Stella. It is a pleasure to finally meet you," he held out his hand for a handshake which Stella took without thinking.
His palm was hard and a little bit rough against hers. Like he engaged in a bit of work using just his hands from time to time which kept his palms free of callouses.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, sir," years of home training demanded that she added the suffix as a sign of respect instinctively.
"Nathaniel has told me a lot about you," he said as he stared down at her.
When she first met Nathaniel, Stella thought she had met the tallest guy in the world but now, after meeting his father she's forced to restructure that sentence.
Truly, the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree.
Nathaniel took after his father in everything from looks to even body mass. It didn't hurt to see that this man was well built and in shape too along with all that delicious height.
Goodness gracious, Stella thought, almost on the verge of biting her bottom lip.
She gave Nathaniel a mock glare before addressing his father, "I wonder exactly what he's told you about me," she smiled.
Damian smiled, a flash of white teeth.
Wow, she thought in amazement. What a neat man.
"Don't worry, it's always songs and praises of your graciousness," he smirked and Stella giggled.
"As he should," she agreed.
"Nathaniel!" A petite, fair complexioned girl called out from across the road, waving her hand in the air.
"Oh! Uhm…Can you two catch up?" Nathaniel pleaded with Stella with his eyes, "I'll be back."
Stella rolled her eyes as he strode off in the direction of the girl without waiting for an answer from any of them.
"Oh my God," she said and stared at the girl with nothing but a bored look on her face.
"I bet she just wants to ask him random questions just to keep him talking to her," Stella said out loud.
"What random questions?" Damian asked and Stella jumped a little at the question. She didn't realize she had spoken out loud.
She looked up to see Damian staring down at her with eyes similar to Nathaniel's but different.
Sharper, mature, and deeper.
She felt a tug deep inside her as she felt herself get lost in his eyes.
Get a grip! She scolded herself.
"Questions concerning his holiday plans which she's already aware of because she asked him two days ago in my presence,"
Damian chuckled, the sound reverberating in her head.
"And?" He asked as he stared at his son smiling down at the girl who appeared to be excited about something.
"Other similar questions," Stella said simply.
"Hmm," Damian replied.
Though they were a few feet apart from each other, Stella couldn't help but notice how Damian Igwe commanded attention without even a flick of a finger. A lot of stares have been thrown his way but he paid them no mind.
After watching his son converse with the stranger for a few moments, he turned to face her, stepping a little bit closer which brought a heavy whiff of his scent unrestricted access to her nostrils.
Oh my goodness, this man smells delicious. Stella thought as she fought to keep a straight face which was beginning to get difficult by the second.
Damian made eye contact with her for a moment, just staring.
"My son thinks highly of you," he began.
Here it comes, the lecture. Stella thought.
"He may have not told you this, but I usually have rules about his…girlfriends. He seems to have a lot of them, I'm not complaining there but I prefer them to be at a very safe distance as far away as possible and he knows that, but you managed to surprise us. Both of us," he said.
Stella's throat had suddenly gone dry and she had to clear it hoarsely.
"Uhh, sir… I.." she began.
"For that, I say thank you for making my son happy," Damian finished.
Stella could only stare up at him and hold the stare as her eyes searched his.
"It was just me being a kind person, that's all."
"Well, Stella thank you for your kindness to my son,"
Stella smiled and nodded as she nibbled unconsciously on her bottom lip.
"Nathaniel is a really good influence to have around and I'm all for surrounding myself with positivity," her eyes strayed to where Nathaniel stood, smiling when he glanced over and waved. It appears he wouldn't be let out of the girl's sight so easily.
Perks of being the type of guy every girl wants.
Maybe I am lucky, Stella thought.
"He is," Damian agreed.
"He's also smart too and knows how to keep positivity close,"
That got a chuckle and a nod from Damian.
It's really difficult to keep in mind that this man is the father of my very close friend. Stella thought to herself.
Where have I seen single dads looking this hot?
"So, you two never had…anything?" He asked suddenly.
Stella turned her head to the side to meet his gaze, "like what?" She furrowed her brows.
"A relationship,"
"Isn't that what we have?"
"No," Damian laughed, "did you ever want to actually date my son?"
"Oh!" Stella exclaimed and then shook her head, "no, Mr Igwe, your son and I never had that kind of relationship," she noticed he seemed to frown when she addressed him formally.
Though the question left her mildly miffed, she expected it. People usually don't believe that a beautiful girl and a handsome boy can have the perfect platonic relationship even though that's exactly what she and Nathaniel share.
Every relationship is not about sexual activities and she made sure to let him know from the very first day and they have been good for the past three years.
"I hope you don't mind my asking," Damian's voice brought her out of her reverie, "I just had to be sure," he said apologetically.
"I understand. You're his Dad."
He was about to say something when Nathaniel showed up behind him and gave him a pat on the back, grinning from ear to ear.
"All caught up, yeah?" He winked at Stella.
"Yes we are," Damian stared at her for a few more moments before cutting his gaze to his son, "I'll wait for you in the car. It was wonderful to meet you Stella," Damian addressed her.
"Likewise, Mr Igwe," she replied in a sweet voice, the voice that was a trigger to something Nathaniel kept ruthlessly hidden deep inside him.
It made him wonder why she used that tone to address his father and stared at his father to see if he seemed affected by it. He felt a wave of relief when he saw that his father's face held no expression as he strode to the car.
Apparently, Dad is immune to everything female. This officially confirms it. He thought.
Stella oozed sexiness even when doing simple, mundane things which had men going crazy and he had gone really crazy a few times in the past. It was all behind them now anyway.
"I'm so sorry I had to call you out of the blue," he moved closer to her, "but Dad insisted especially when I told him that I paid for your flight home," he held her right hand softly.
"It's okay. I understand. Thank you again for the ticket even though you didn't have to buy because you're so sweet."
"For you, it's nothing," Nathaniel smirked.
"Don't keep your father waiting, call me when you get home. I'll be joining you in two days," she urged.
She really couldn't wait to get back to Lagos so she can enjoy the holidays the way she wanted.
"Be safe baby girl and keep in touch. I'll call you," Nathaniel murmured in her ear as he gave her a long hug, wrapping his arms around her slim waist and kissed her neck softly. It was one of the reasons people refused to believe that they were nothing but friends.
The intimacy they sometimes shared usually had everyone assuming they were also going at it in the sheets using friendship as a guise.
But it wasn't so because as perfect as Nathaniel Igwe is, he didn't quite have the thing Stella needed in a man.
"Bye," she waved at his retreating back.
Time to go enjoy her holiday.
"Fuck yeah," she murmured and flagged down a shuttle that would take her back to the school lodge.