Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Adesua and Darey

She turned to see the most beautiful thing ever. Apart from the fact that Darey was strikingly handsome, she was more than happy to see her design and creativity on someone like him who made it fit so perfectly like some amazing masterpiece creation.

"God! This is so beautiful!' she squealed failing to control her excitement. She felt so proud of herself for even coming up with something this amazing. For once, she felt exceptionally great with her handiwork and she felt like she was gonna cry.

"Yeah, I know right?" Darey grinned joyously. "I want to buy it!" he announced to her surprise. "How much does this cost? I can't let it go!" he said almost sounding desperate.

She chuckled for a while then paused seeing that he wasn't actually joking. Now to think of it, she had never thought that anyone would want to buy this product so soon so she has never thought of the price to fix on it.

"Hmm, lets say… ten thousand naira?" she said quite unsure with a knotted brow on her face which made her look so cute.

"Eh? Ten thousand?! My dear, are you actually okay? Oga oo!" he exclaimed with a horrific look as he stared unbelievably at her.

There was a brief silence, as she stared at him wondering why he exclaimed like that. Was the money too much for him to pay? Or…. She couldn't even guess anything more again.

"Sorry mi love," he sighed with a playful tone then spoke calmer this time. "What I'm saying is that, why are you asking for ten thousand for this kind of clothes?" he asked with a hint of humor in his expression.

"So, I don't grab? What am I supposed to say? How much is it supposed to be?" she asked with an eye brow raised.

"Nah, it's actually way too cheap for all the designs and materials and the creativity and the uniqueness of this," he paused and reduced his tone like he just finished saying a speech. "I'll pay sixty thousand naira for this," he fumed.

She was shocked and lost her voice for a while. "But…"

"Shh" he silenced her blocking her lips with his index finger in the cutest way which made her heart to flutter. He probably didn't know the gravity of what he just did cause he continued talking casually. "No buts, give me your account number ASAP," he said taking out his phone.

She sighed silently. Oh how she wished he would one day ask for her number or chat her up. But she has his own number na! What is wrong in taking the first step? "One zero four…" she began to call when he cut her short again.

"Wait! My Opay is having some issues," he lied obviously. "Can you give me your number, so that…"

"What? You want my number?" she exclaimed in shock and excitement. 'Adesua, get a grip of yourself!' she yelled at her inner self, she must act with composure intact.

"Sorry," she said clearing her throat and adjusting herself uprightly. "So, is your bank really having issues?" she asked, her tone and facial expression dripping with sarcasm.

"Y-yes na, I h-have reported…" he suddenly began to shutter. Since when did he start shuttering when lying… even in front of a girl?

"Sure you can have it..." she said with a low tone of satisfaction in her voice as she gave him the number.

They closed the shop and he took his new purchased clothes to his house. While they were walking home, he bought suya steaks for them and they had a chill walk.

"So, tell me a lil' about yourself…" he inquired. "And, what's the motivation behind this cool name 'Nicks Filtz' he asked referring to the brand on the nylon package.

"Feels like an interview," she chuckled cutely. There he learnt that her english name is Nichole. She grew up in Lagos but completed her secondary school with Nike in Abuja. Stuffs like that.

"Hmm, Nichole…" he muttered smoothly and she smiled in return. He just listened to more about her story and he found every little bit of her interesting. Its good he finally collected her number after how many million years?

They reached home and immediately, she received an alert of seventy thousand naira from Darey accompanied by a message.

'Sorry for the delay *wink emoji* Sleep tight bby *love emoji*'

"I hope she doesn't think that I'm trying to impress her with money?" he thought with a sigh.

****

Jimi scrolled through his Whatsapp chat log with a blank expression. He came across he and Nike's chat few days ago and he sighed aloud. Seeing the messages he sent since that day still on one tick, he sighed louder. He wondered why he was suddenly feeling too concerned about this, he should just get another number and do what he will do.

Shaking his head crazy, he pulled of his shirt revealing his perfect frame that Nike wasn't impressed with. Ugh! Nike again? He hissed and went to sleep but did not sleep.

****

The next morning, at the hub,

In few minutes time, the talent showcase featuring Nike and Tonia would kick off soon. Serious preparation were going on with the crew, Jimi and Darey were just standing there talking and overlooking everything as the senior men that they were, looking as handsome and sharp as they could.

"So, it was really crazy that day, like bro!" Jimi was the one talking. "Nike was so… I don't even know how to describe how she was doing sef. She was so savage, scary… it's like she know me before and I did something to offend her, like bro she was… unlike any girl have behaved to me before and do you know the worst part? Is that… bro are you even listening to me at all?" he raised an eyebrow realizing that all through his narration, Darey had just been giggling on his phone throughout.

"Huh? I'm listening jare," Darey laughed without even looking up… from his phone… still giggling.

"Come first, I don't trust you," Jimi said as he dragged the phone from his hand and looked into it. His eyes widening then as he scrolled through, then a smirk followed.

"Oh wow!" he said that with a teasing tone. "So, because you have collected girl number, you can't even listen to me anymore abi?" he frowned.

"Akinjimi! Gimme that phone sharp sharp!" Darey retorted trying to snatch the phone from his hand but Jimi's grip was just too firm to let go.

"Ah! Wow! Oluwa!" he kept exclaiming dramatically as he read aloud. "Thanks for yesterday, it was a cool night with you…"

"Dude privacy!" Darey said as he finally snatched the phone from his hand and glared at Jimi.

"Ah! So soon? Cool night? Already?" he asked as if he was so shocked and with teasing looks.

"It's not like that oo, abeg oo" he defended himself immediately. "Werey, I will slap you oo!" Darey threatened.

"Ogbeni Gbenusowun!" he shut him up. "You are chatting and giggling with someone who is right there!" he stated pointing to Adesua who was actually sitting right… there. Just a few steps away for that matter. "And it's not like that?"

"Yes na, we are just chilling and flowing with each other's vibes. You should be a good boy and learn from me, your master." He grinned feeling like some insane pro. "And Nike…"

"Yeah Nike!" he was glad Darey finally brought it up after their section of banter. "She doesn't even like me," he sighed plainly.

"Yes that is true," Darey replied casually and Jimi gave him a bombastic side eye. Adesua had already dismissed the message as it was time for her to do one or two things on set.

"Look guy, I know of you two daddy and daughter thing, and it's cute," Darey stated like a dad ready to advice his child.

"Yeah she's my one and only daughter," he grinned like as if he knew that she was into him and being his daughter was a thing of luck and something valuable that every girl will wish for.

"And you are not her one and only daddy," Darey stated casually as a matter of fact. "As far as I know, the shyt has lots of daddies, uncles, brothers, and whatever you have… if you think is anything special then you are just allowing pant to wear you." He concluded bluntly and Jimi was a bit shocked by his sudden bluntness.

He just chuckled seeing the shocked reaction of his friend's face. "Sorry bro, I'm trying to save you from heart break ni" he laughed and Jimi hissed.

"Which heart break? I want her to like me." Jimi declared like he was passionately reciting the national pledge. There was a brief silence and Darey began laughing at him for a while.

"Why this one con de laugh na," Jimi wailed, the reactions were so not helping matters but were all low key accurate.

"But with God nothing is impossible." Darey said after his sarcastic laughter subsided. "First, I think you need to learn how to be nice to girls and not dump them because they like you." He said throwing shade at the incident between Jimi and the girl that confessed to him that time.

"Forget that thing joor, those girls are just whores. They will eat you up for your beauty and money, nothing less or more," Jimi fumed. "And by the way, I'm nice and loved by all, I'm Santa clause,"

"Shut up please," Darey eyed him. "Don't let me start with how you reacted towards that girl that came to give us food, or that girl that confessed to you online, or…"

"I get it, I get it." Jimi rolled his eyes because of his retentive memory "But…"

He was surely about to say something really important when the place suddenly became too rowdy and chaotic.

"What's happening?" Darey asked to no one in particular with furrowed brows and creased forehead.

Tonia suddenly darted towards them like a mad diseased bull or one of those pigs Jesus casted demon into in the bible. "No way am I doing this! Seriously?!" she yelled.

"I don't get! Doing what?" he inquired patiently.

"How on earth can you pair me to mime with Nike of all people in this Lagos? That is an absolute no for me! What will people think of me when I perform with her? How can she be my voice? Me? Its not like she's hidden, everybody knows!! She's not even in my class!"

"So it's bringing food to impress guys that makes you think you have class abi?!" Adesua snapped at her immediately. But Darey gave her a sign to calm down cause he knows how hot her blood is. He decided to face the girl himself.

"Tonia, what are you talking about? You literally told me that you have been rehearsing with her since, you guys have been practicing and doing well. What's up with all these suddenly?" he asked trying so hard to maintain his cool.

"Me? Me what? Practicing what? Please please," she rolled her eyes. "See, I'm not doing the showcase with Nike, you people should cancel it. Period!" she said and walked away.

Darey stood there in shock with his mouth slightly open. Before he could process anything, his phone rang and he picked immediately.

"Hello? Yes, Darey here," he said lowly.

"The cameras are ready, all social media handles has been connected and we are ready to live stream in fifteen minutes,"