Olaedo raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a sly smile. "And? What did you see, Mr. Observant?"
"Mixed reactions," he admitted. "Most people were impressed. A lot of them couldn't take their eyes off us, and there was that distinct 'they're perfect together' vibe in the air."
"And the others?" she pressed, her curiosity piqued.
"The skeptics," he said with a shrug. "You can always spot them, the ones who stare too long, as if they're waiting for us to slip up. But honestly? They're in the minority. Overall, I would say we've pulled it off pretty convincingly so far."
Olaedo leaned back in her seat, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Good. That means we're on the right track. Still, we need to keep improving. If even a handful of people see through us, it could cause problems down the line."
"True," Chibuzor agreed, his tone turning serious. "But as long as we're consistent and keep building this image, we'll be fine. The power couple narrative is working, and we've got momentum on our side."
"We've been doing well so far," Olaedo said, crossing her arms and giving Chibuzor a thoughtful look. "For the past three months, we've been consistent with our dates. So even if anyone tried digging up anything, they would only find proof. Like, 'Oh yeah, I've run into them on one of their date nights.'"
Chibuzor smirked. "A strong alibi," he replied, his tone casual.
"Exactly," she continued, her voice more confident. "And your grandparents are completely convinced. I mean, they've seen us out together three times in the past few months, and for them, that's more than enough proof we're actually a couple."
"My grandparents?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that's true though and they're usually not easy to fool."
"Exactly" Olaedo said with a shrug. "Though, to be fair, the effort we've put in is pretty convincing."
Chibuzor leaned back slightly, folding his arms. "True enough. Which reminds me, we haven't done this month's date yet. We should set that up soon, don't you think?"
Olaedo tilted her head, considering. "Right… But with the workload from our companies piling up, thanks to us putting so much on hold for the traditional marriage and the family ball, I don't know when we'll have the time."
Chibuzor gave her a knowing look, his voice taking on a mock stern tone. "Olaedo, let's not take too long to figure it out. Our public image depends on this, you know."
Her lips quirked upward in a small smile. "Okay, okay, I hear you. I'll check my schedule and let you know soon."
"Good," he replied, leaning back and allowing his lips to twitch into a subtle grin. "You know, these outings of ours… They're actually.....refreshing." He paused before adding, his tone dripping with light sarcasm, "Well, as refreshing as pretending to be madly in love can get. But hey, no stress, right?"
Olaedo gave him a sharp look, narrowing her eyes slightly. "You're not fooling anyone with that sarcasm, Chibuzor."
"Not fooling you, maybe," he countered with a laugh, masking his honesty with just enough teasing to keep her guessing.
"Give me the last Saturday of the month," Olaedo replied after a moment of thought. "I'll be fine by then."
Chibuzor nodded, satisfied. "Alright, we'll lock that in."
He shifted slightly in his seat, his expression turning more serious. "Now that the relationship is public, you know things are on a whole new level.
I'm talking paparazzi, people recognizing us in public, asking invasive questions. Every gesture, every facial expression, and every single word we say will be scrutinized." He met her gaze, his voice calm but firm. "Everything matters now."
Olaedo's brows furrowed slightly, and she nodded in agreement.
"But here's the thing," Chibuzor continued, his confidence returning. "With how we've been practicing, reviewing, and making sure everything is perfect, I think we're more than ready. We've got this under control."
His words settled in the air, and for the first time, a flicker of reassurance crossed Olaedo's face. "You really think so?"
"I know so," he replied confidently. "We've come this far. We're not just surviving this, we're owning it."
Her lips curved into a small smile. "Alright then. Let's keep it that way."
As they continued reviewing their relationship dynamics, Chibuzor leaned back slightly, his expression pensive yet calm. "You know," he began, his tone careful but direct, "this isn't the first time I'm bringing this up, but I still feel like you're not completely adjusted to… affectionate moments with me."
Olaedo tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
He gestured lightly with his hand, as if to make his point more tangible. "Things like holding hands, hugging, basic stuff like that. You're still… stiff with me. It's not like this with others. I've seen you with your friends, your family. You're much more relaxed."
He raised an eyebrow. "You hesitated when the Grandpa and Gradma called us up to the stage. I reached out my hand, and it took you a moment to take it. That moment of hesitation didn't go unnoticed. You looked... unsure."
She groaned, slumping back into her chair. "I wasn't unsure. I just wasn't expecting to hold hands on stage in front of everyone like that. It threw me off."
"And when Uncle Chijioke came over," he added, his tone dry, "he went in for a hug, and you looked like you were hugging a cactus. You didn't even try to make it seem natural."
"That's because I didn't know what to do!" she argued, her hands gesturing in frustration. "Who hugs someone they barely know in front of hundreds of people?"
"Uncle Chijioke does," Chibuzor said flatly. "He's known for it. And you, my dear wife, made it look like you couldn't stand the man."
Olaedo opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself, realizing he was right. "Okay, fine. That was bad. But it's not like I was the only one making mistakes," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.