Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

He cursed under his breath as he remembered he was still babeless.

"Veronica…" he called out with a smooth deep tone. She remained still, as she felt goose bumps suddenly. She then slowly turned to him with a glare.

"You are not allowed to call me by my real name," she frowned with a sheer look of disapproval.

"Why? Isn't that your name?" he asked with an eye brow raised.

"It's Nike, Call me Nike or don't call me at all!" she frowned looking away as she heard him sigh.

"Olanike…" he called out again with a little force in the voice. Her response made the atmosphere to soften.

"Wanna do something fun?" he asked with a glint of hope in his eyes.

"What's that?"

He then showed her a picture on his phone as he explained. "Team up with me, act as my girl, lets win that freaking cash price of one million naira," he smirked like a gamer ready to take down the ultimate challenge. "Are you…"

"Am so in!" she exclaimed immediately as she joined her with him in an agreement handshake with the same grin.

He quickly took a pic, before she even processed anyting, although it was her side view and she was with the unripe mango.

"That's the boss here!" Darey exclaimed showing Adesua the message he had just received from Jimi with the caption. 'Teamed up with the hottest babe *fire and drool emoji*'

****

"Awwn, I can see you are progressing in your love story. That's cute!" Darey said as they came out of the premises. They had just been accepted to participate but that will be right after this showcase they will be having tomorrow. It was a big event and Darey felt they were all prepared for it.

"Keep quiet abeg! Like I'm not seeing your own," he rolled his eyes.

"My own what?" Darey asked innocently like he's so oblivious of what Jimi was talking about.

"Your love story with you and Adesua na!" Jimi said stating the obvious. "Like your hands were literally around her waist throughout!"

"Bros, wetin carry you eye go there?" Darey scoffed. "By the way, I had to act my part properly!' he defended.

"Oshey!! Nollywood actor!" he said in a very sarcastic tone. "Though…"

"Hi Darey! Hi Jimi!!" a girl with a vibrant voice shouted as she hastily walked towards them from nowhere.

"Hi," they both chorused dryly. It was Tonia but of course she had to introduce herself all over again.

"I'm Tonia" she grinned flaunting her expensive bone straight hair backwards to show her face properly.

"We already know who you are," Jimi spoke on behalf of both of them.

"Oh, that is just lovely to hear," the way she smiled her cheeks seemed to be hurting already. "Well, I brought you guys some treats," grinned even wider as she excitedly gave them the package she had brought for them. And they both hesitated shortly.

"Bro, collect it na!" Darey whispered.

"Wetin do your hand?" Jimi whispered back. "Wait, what if na bomb?" he asked stopping Darey in his tracks.

"Tah! Be positive for once," he knotted his brows the collected it with a smile from her. He was even shocked that she was still grinning widely. They both looked inside only to behold a fancy looking food flask inside.

Darey looked back up forcing a smile, "Well, thanks a lot! Remember to be early tomorrow we have a shoot, and please sleep early so you will look twice as fresh ok?" he smiled.

"Alright boos," she said with a wink. "Wait! What shoot?" she asked in confusion. And before she could answer, she got an urgent call from her dad and had to leave immediately.

They stared in disbelief then looked away with a sigh.

"So like the girl look us finish, and concluded we were hungry, so she brought food?" Jimi asked like he was trying to solve a critical puzzle.

"We really need a glow up," Darey said shaking his head like they were pitying themselves. However, he just remembered that she just asked him what showcase he was talking about. "I hope it was a slip of tongue when she asked that?" he said out loud.

"Well, maybe, she has been practicing right?" Jimi asked looking around for whatever.

"Come to think of it, I never asked Nike on the progress on the rehearsals," Darey said with a serious face now and Jimi cleared his throat. Like as soon as he heard her name, his heart skipped. Why?

Before he could dwell on that thought, a guy ran towards them from literally nowhere the same way Tonia had come before. Only that she was less of a mad human being than this.

He and Darey exchanged pleasantries and Jimi reluctantly greeted him. When he was asked why, he preferred to meet people giving him life and money updates.

"So, I saw this really fine girl," they guy by the name Victor said.

"Go and toast her na!" Darey said casually and Jimi just shook his head, like he predicted that's what he came to say.

"I'm hungry, I never chop since morning," he said with a sigh and Jimi was more than glad to give him the food. At least, they had helped a brother in need.

"Thank you!!" he said gratefully with a grin as he settled in a nearby table to dig in which he went for the chicken first and foremost. "Hmmm, so like I got the girl's name. It's… uh, Nike, yes Nike!" he said casually tearing the pepper spiced drumstick so passionately and Darey burst into a fit of laughter.

"Oga, no try am," Jimi finally spoke with a stern warning look.

"Wow! Yoruba girls de hot sha," he said nodding his head slowly both enjoying the food and the sight of Nike's fine face in his head.

"Victor, in whatever steps or actions you take in life, please don't go near Nike or Adesua. Those two people!" he warned with a low tone.

"So you can talk now?" Victor hissed. "Who is Adesua by the way, is she hot?" he asked with an innocent look.

Darey chuckled darkly immediately again. "Jimi, let's go oo, there's work to do" he said as they began to leave.

"Ah! Are you people going already?" victor asked behind them.

"Yes, we are coming," Darey answered back sarcastically and Jimi laughed.

****

"So, you have a shop?" Darey asked Adesua while looking around the mini boutique. He was actually going home that night and decided to take the route leading to the main hub building when he spotted Adesua as she opened the shop that night. He already went to meet her to confirm.

"Nah, I'm actually a fashion designer… by talent though and I don't have a sewing machine. My parents are thriving for other important things for me right now like school, so I can't disturb them over that, so I have to agree with the owner of this shop who is a petty tailor to use her machine and give her 65% of my earnings" she explained all at once.

"Sixty five percent? What? That's a whole lot!" Darey exclaimed in annoyance as he he felt she was being really unfair.

"Well, I agreed yesterday, and I have to cause I don't want to forget it and I don't plan on going to a school for it. I will improve this way instead." She said with a yawn on her fair beautiful tired face.

"Wow! That's crazy, so why are you here by this time?" he asked more.

"I'm setting things up now that I'm in the mood, I might feel lazy when the need to do it comes urgently," she replied.

"Ah, lazy kid," he chuckled. "Have you made any? Can I see it?" he asked curiously.

Immediately, her tired face brightened up. "Sure!" she squealed and ran to the inner store room for a while and later brought out some clothes. He took it from her with a grin. It was a matching shirt and loose pants all black. The dress was decorated with small golden diamonds arranged in a beautiful pattern that unfailingly connected the top and bottom together in perfect sync. They were big silver diamonds fixed on each side of the pocket for the top and trousers making them to form a star shape.

"Whoa!" he said in awe as he stared at the gorgeous dress. He had never seen such rare design ever.

"So, what do you think?" she asked in anticipation.

"Can I try it on?" he pouted. "Sure it's for sale," she replied with a smile.

He proceeded gladly to unbuttoning the top of his collar shirt when he suddenly paused on remembering he wasn't alone in the room. He already had his bare chest revealing hints of a modelled sculpt in there.

"Oh, am sorry," she realized she was lost staring at him and had to look away immediately with a red face.

"Are you okay with me changing in here?" he asked thoughtfully not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "Or…"

"Don't worry, I'll look away" she said awkwardly in a rush as she turned her back arranging the already arranged shop. 'Cute!' he chuckled lingering his gaze at her back for a while before completely changing.

"I'm done," he said with his calm voice which he had only when he was around the girls. Unlike Jimi who was adamant to everyone.

Then she turned to see the most beautiful thing ever.

 Between Darey ND jimi?