flirtatious grin. “I’m just sorry I won’t be seeing you when I’m over here for meetings and stuff.” He stretched out a hand. “Congratulations.”
Efe shook his hand. “Thank you.”
“ We should go out and drink to your promotion, what do you think? Just the two of us,” he tacked on at the end as she was about to accept.
Efe looked up at him in confusion. “What about Kate?”
“ What about her?” he smirked.
Efe just raised her brows.
“ Oh yes, we are not together anymore. But it’s all good,” Stanley said, “It means I can take you out now. What do you say?” The look in his eyes was full of mischief.
She smiled at him. “OK, sounds great.”
“ Yes!” Stanley punched the air. “I’ll call the Blue Martini for reservations.”
And so their relationship started. She thought he was a player who she could use to forget her pain for a while. She guessed he was still in love with his girlfriend, and she would be the rebound girl. It had worked out for both of them at first, but then things had become complicated. Now here she was, about to break up with him again. Efe flicked her hair behind her ear and squinted when a tall figure came into view on her left. It was Stanley. She rubbed her palms over her cropped jeans and tugged her yellow blouse.
“ Hi, babe,” he drawled. He’d called her ‘babe’ since the first time they dated.
“ Hello Stanley…” She stretched out a hand for a shake but he pulled her into a close hug. “Welcome to Abuja,” she finished.
Efe bore his hug for a minute and then wriggled free. She always knew she was not in love with Stanley while they dated, and wondered how she’d ever thought they could have a more serious relationship, or of getting back with him. After being with Kevwe again this weekend, and thinking about their past more than she had in the past few years, some things were now so clear.
She took a deep breath and gestured for them to enter the Papillon restaurant, away from the prying eyes of the lobby crowd. Luckily, there was no event, so the music was muted and slow. She needed privacy and quiet for her speech to Stanley.
“ You look good, Efe.”
Efe took the seat he held out for her. Stanley had his faults, but he was a decent guy. She wished she could untangle her heart from Kevwe and give Stanley a chance.
She smiled at him. “You do too, thanks. So how was your flight?”
“ It was shorter than I thought, and I’m overjoyed to be here with you.” He said, with his flirtatious side on full power.
Efe diverted the subject. “Tell me what you think of my city.”
“ Honestly?” Stanley laughed. “Someone I know called it a ghost town. She says few people live here.”
Efe smiled, “You don’t want it overpopulated, do you?”
“ That’s true… hmmm…but I think I prefer Lagos.”
Efe shrugged. “My parents are there, but I don’t think I can live in Lagos. Maybe I just haven’t ever stayed there long enough. Don’t get me wrong, Abuja is not all about good things.” Efe sat forward on her seat. “There’s lack of dependable electricity and water.”
Efe laughed again as she remembered a conversation with Nneka the other day. “It drives my friends crazy, but thanks to the great place I have, courtesy of Hilton, that’s not a huge problem for me. The outskirts are a different story altogether.” Efe was proud of how quickly she’d acclimatized. A lot of her returnee friends still complained, and some had been living here for years.
Stanley took her hands on the table. “I almsot forgot how beautiful and smart you are.” He smiled into her eyes, “Did I tell you I came back to marry you?”
Efe looked at him in horror. She had expected him to ask to revive their relationship, but not to pop the ‘m’ question. Had he too somehow found out about Kevwe?
“ You can’t be serious, Stanley!”
“ I am. This year apart showed me I missed having you. I need someone like you in my
Efe shook his hand. “Thank you.”
“ We should go out and drink to your promotion, what do you think? Just the two of us,” he tacked on at the end as she was about to accept.
Efe looked up at him in confusion. “What about Kate?”
“ What about her?” he smirked.
Efe just raised her brows.
“ Oh yes, we are not together anymore. But it’s all good,” Stanley said, “It means I can take you out now. What do you say?” The look in his eyes was full of mischief.
She smiled at him. “OK, sounds great.”
“ Yes!” Stanley punched the air. “I’ll call the Blue Martini for reservations.”
And so their relationship started. She thought he was a player who she could use to forget her pain for a while. She guessed he was still in love with his girlfriend, and she would be the rebound girl. It had worked out for both of them at first, but then things had become complicated. Now here she was, about to break up with him again. Efe flicked her hair behind her ear and squinted when a tall figure came into view on her left. It was Stanley. She rubbed her palms over her cropped jeans and tugged her yellow blouse.
“ Hi, babe,” he drawled. He’d called her ‘babe’ since the first time they dated.
“ Hello Stanley…” She stretched out a hand for a shake but he pulled her into a close hug. “Welcome to Abuja,” she finished.
Efe bore his hug for a minute and then wriggled free. She always knew she was not in love with Stanley while they dated, and wondered how she’d ever thought they could have a more serious relationship, or of getting back with him. After being with Kevwe again this weekend, and thinking about their past more than she had in the past few years, some things were now so clear.
She took a deep breath and gestured for them to enter the Papillon restaurant, away from the prying eyes of the lobby crowd. Luckily, there was no event, so the music was muted and slow. She needed privacy and quiet for her speech to Stanley.
“ You look good, Efe.”
Efe took the seat he held out for her. Stanley had his faults, but he was a decent guy. She wished she could untangle her heart from Kevwe and give Stanley a chance.
She smiled at him. “You do too, thanks. So how was your flight?”
“ It was shorter than I thought, and I’m overjoyed to be here with you.” He said, with his flirtatious side on full power.
Efe diverted the subject. “Tell me what you think of my city.”
“ Honestly?” Stanley laughed. “Someone I know called it a ghost town. She says few people live here.”
Efe smiled, “You don’t want it overpopulated, do you?”
“ That’s true… hmmm…but I think I prefer Lagos.”
Efe shrugged. “My parents are there, but I don’t think I can live in Lagos. Maybe I just haven’t ever stayed there long enough. Don’t get me wrong, Abuja is not all about good things.” Efe sat forward on her seat. “There’s lack of dependable electricity and water.”
Efe laughed again as she remembered a conversation with Nneka the other day. “It drives my friends crazy, but thanks to the great place I have, courtesy of Hilton, that’s not a huge problem for me. The outskirts are a different story altogether.” Efe was proud of how quickly she’d acclimatized. A lot of her returnee friends still complained, and some had been living here for years.
Stanley took her hands on the table. “I almsot forgot how beautiful and smart you are.” He smiled into her eyes, “Did I tell you I came back to marry you?”
Efe looked at him in horror. She had expected him to ask to revive their relationship, but not to pop the ‘m’ question. Had he too somehow found out about Kevwe?
“ You can’t be serious, Stanley!”
“ I am. This year apart showed me I missed having you. I need someone like you in my
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