CHAPTER 18

NORA

Nora's phone rings interjecting the music being

played on her phone, with high hopes that the caller would be Spence, she applies her lipstick and rushes to the phone. She picks it up

before it trails off "hello" she speaks seductively, "Hi Grace.." the voice from the phone replies, Nora looks at the screen of her phone confused "this is not Grace, you must have dialed a wrong number"

"No, it's not a wrong number... Grace, Why have you been avoiding my calls? I recognize your voice anywhere I hear it, this is Alfred" the voice added before Nora could cut him off

"Oh, Shit!" Nora muttered quietly "Hey Alfred! Been a while, what have you been up to?" Nora

manages to sound friendly knowing that

she has been caught and there is no way she could pretend to be someone else, Alfred on the other end of the phone starts a conversation swiftly narrating what he has been up to, and how he has relocated to another state due to a job transfer. Nora who is at the other end of the phone rolled her eyes in regret of asking him that question because she expected he was going to reply like every normal person with 'fine or great' to keep the conversation brief, only for him to give her a total breakdown of his life history when she sincerely doesn't care what planet he has been in. Nora who is getting bored already knew the only way she could get away from this discussion without permission or any excuse is to put her phone on flight mode which as well might keep others from being able to reach her but at this point, she has no choice, this is the

only chance she has and she needs to take it. The call disconnected as she turns her Airplane mode on, she releases the breath she has absentmindedly been holding for a while "This Alfred guy doesn't just get it! I am not attracted to him, all this calling and calling will just make me feel disgusted the more" she sucks her teeth "But how on earth does he always manage to get off my blocked list?" she looks confused ad she goes through her call settings, adds the number to her blacklists again then drops her phone. She returns to her makeup, smacks her lips, powders her neckline, and pushes the off-shoulder top downwards more. She blushes as she catches her reflection in the mirror and walks out of her room.

Nora meets her parents in the dining as she

stepped into the living room, "Good morning dad,

Mom! You are having breakfast already without

me" Nora's dad looks up from his meal and smiles at his beautiful daughter like she hasn't aged a bit

"Ada nwa, good morning my princess, I hope you

slept well? Errr... and where are you going all

dressed by this time of the day?" Nora rolls her

eyes "I slept pretty well dad although my night was short" Nora's dad cuts her quickly "It has to be, you know when two or more women gather or meet, even the day will break before the eyes are shut" Both Nora and her mom burst into laughter, "well, a friend of mine is around the block here, so I will be rushing out early" Nora kisses her dad on the cheek "So you

wouldn't be having breakfast before you leave?" her mom asks drawing the chair out for her daughter to sit and join them but she declines "No, I will be having breakfast with him". Her mom and dad exchange glances "Him.. hnmnn.. That sound more interesting, make sure you invite him home for lunch" her mother teases her "and perhaps an introduction can start from there and lead to a dinner" she added and laughs while Nora's dad almost choked on his food "Easy dad! and mom, not so fast, it's just a meeting" Nora hands the glass of water resting on the dining to her dad which he collected and takes a long gulp from

"yes a meeting attended in a sexy off-shoulder top and barely knee-touching skirt, I attended that kind of meeting with your dad thirty-three years ago and I got pregnant with you " her mom replies her looking at her from head to toe, Nora shakes her head sarcastically at her mother after that response of hers "I will see you all later in the day, bye" she closes the door behind her without waiting to hear the next thing her mother has to say.