ALL OVER AGAIN - CHAPTER TWO

   I was so sure I saw the table number from where I stood contemplating. 

The tuxedo gave him an extra charm. 

I summoned courage and walked over to my seat;  He walked over and pulled out the chair as a perfect gentleman. I was swept off my feet.  I could feel eyes all over me.

Who would have thought that the man who will be sitting before me that evening could be Zach.  

"Can I ask you something?" I asked fearfully. "Go on" he replied 

"What are you doing here?" I asked confusingly.

"Why??" He replied like I shouldn't have asked such.

"Oh!" He exclaimed as if he remembered something. 

"The picture right?" He said and I nodded.

"He's my step brother. I'd use his picture to hide my identity". He explained.

I was stunned.

He beckoned to a waitress who came to get our order. He placed his order and waited for me to speak.

"Ma'am, what will you like to order?" The waitress asked.

I looked into the menu for seconds and finally answered "steak and red wine." I said.

....And I saw him smile in reality for the first time. His white teeth shined gracefully through his pink lips and his dark skin was flawlessly glowing.

"Is this a movie set or is it just a dream?" I thought......

I was so mesmerized by his words, tone and charm. 

  On getting home that night I couldn't tell Jade about it as she would never believe me but I had no choice but to eventually tell her about it after a few days; as usual she found nothing special about it.

Another date with him will show where we are headed.

Maybe he'll  like to see me more often or maybe I was just asking for too much.

  Luckily for me, we met again on several dates and got to know little about each other.

I was at work one day, being serious with my duty when Mr Richard came to knock on my desk.

"Jọlá Jọlá...." he teased like he always does whenever he is happy. 

I replied with a smile hoping to hear what he has to say.

"I can see your handiwork. Keep on, my dear."he said

"Thank you sir " I replied .

"Emm, Mr Zach paid the sum of fifty million yesterday into his insurance account.." he narrated and I was shocked. That was so fast; most people started less just to see how it would go before putting in their full trust.

"And I know you are the channel..." he teased again. 

"Meanwhile, I've decided to pay double of your wardrobe allowance. You are doing well." He added as he handed me a check.

"Thank you so much sir". I appreciated him on my feet as I received the check gladly....

"Extend my greetings to Mr. Zach." He said and left.

The news about Zach and I spread across town like wildfire.  I felt like he had started to trust me enough to invest so much into the insurance. 

Nevertheless, we stopped meeting outside. He took me to his home.

    It was a building like no other; amazing structure with an exquisite interior design. He sure has a taste.

   There, I met him. The first one I had hoped to see at the restaurant; His stepbrother; dark, slender, average heights, young faced and about the same age as Zach.  He was cool.

"You look more handsome in real life." I blurted.

He smiled and said " Zach had probably shown you my picture."

I replied with a smile.

"Nice to officially meet you, Jọláadé." He stretched out his hand for a handshake. 

"My pleasure!" I replied and reached for his hand and felt his mild hand shake mine.

The pleasantries ended and we all dive straight into gisting and got to know each other better.

I prepared lunch before leaving in which I was forced to eat with them.

"This is amazing!" He commented truthfully. "Thanks Christian." I answered before I started eating. 

Zach was so reserved throughout the lunch hour, I've known him to talk less. Guessed that was his charm..

I washed the plates after lunch and was surprised to have heard that Christian had left due to an urgent reason.

I picked up my bag and was set to leave.

Out of nowhere he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to his bosom.

I felt his hand gently reaching for my waist. I gasped. As if that was not enough, his lips softly brushed mine. I was stunned. He went all in at a slower pace and never minded if I was in for it or not. Deep within me, it was what I've always wanted. Then I surrendered with my eyes closed. 

       I woke up. It doesn't look like my place. I turned and saw Zach fast asleep. "Geez!" I mumbled. Yeah, it happened.

It was a quick one but I felt bad it had to happen this way again. I was so daft to have fallen into another arms so quickly.  It was an hour past midnight.

I pulled off the duvet and reached for my bag and heels; and tiptoed out of the room.

I walked down the stairs only to find Christian fast asleep on the sofa..

I hurried out of the building and drove home.

     Few blocks away from home I stopped to buy a yogurt and to my greatest surprise I saw Mommy Ẹnitan step out of a luxurious car that halted before the store; in which an aged man who seem to be in his seventies bade her goodbye from the car window.

After the car had left she realized my presence, she was frightened. "Aunty Jọláadé." She called like she fondly does.

Nevertheless,  I offered her a ride back home.

She stopped at my apartment. I offered her a cup of yogurt as I took a cup also.

"I can't  marry Otunba. Who knows if he would also become a monster like Baba Enitan. The devil I've known for years is better than the Angel I do not know." She explained. 

"Hmmm.. you are right. But all the same; your well-being and your children's future is important. " I told her

"Baba Enitan was never like this, I don't  know what happened. He would rather spend the money on other women than his own family. " she narrated tearfully.  " I once had a job but when he started waging war that I was having an affair . I don't know how it all happened but I was sacked. We all know the situation in this country; I became jobless and spent all my savings on my children." She continued.

" I went to Otunba hoping he will help me just for friendship's sake; he actually helped me with the sum of five hundred thousand hoping to start something reasonable but you know with men nothing is for free. He asked me to marry him if I wanted more of this; to become his third or perhaps the fourth wife. Never, I've collected this. I'll never go back for his help again. " she added.

 I pitied her and gave her two hundred and fifty thousand cash so she can add it up to start a business.

In which she did and everything was becoming beautiful for her again while her husband never cared. He was nothing less than a roommate to her.

She kept sending gratitude to me almost every time which I had told her wasn't important.

     I could remember the day when Jade returned home angrily from work. "What happened? Thought you were to start a new movie? I asked curiously. 

"Yes.." she replied angrily as she laid on the sofa  " imagine that stupid writer. Why does it have to be the woman that has to be blamed for sleeping with more than one man in her lifetime when men live freely as they sleep with everything in a skirt." She added angrily.

I got where that was coming from.

"Don't worry, Dear. You'll get a better story"... I told her.

Her phone buzzed.  It was an email from work.

Out of nowhere she screamed with joy having checked the content in the mail.  I was startled 

"Jọláadé!" She called.

"Did you know I just got an email from the award winning producer of the best Romantic Nollywood movie 2022?" 

"Really?" I was so excited for her because if there's just one thing Jade had cherished, it was her movie career. 

        The news was everywhere that the baddest producer would be starring Jade as the female lead role in his upcoming romantic movie. 

When the male lead had finally been confirmed. 

The news came to me while I was at work from one of the staff that the male lead has been confirmed to be Zach Williams...

What!!!!