I found her dancing with a guy that resembled John Dumelo, only a fairer version. She excused herself as soon as she saw me and edged towards me.
‘Where you dey since?’ she whispered.
‘Outside. Listen, I have to go.’
‘Go where? Has your friend gone?’ she craned her neck.
‘Yes…er…no.’
‘You’re fidgeting. Oh my God, you’re lying to me! Since when do you lie to me? Look at me, Kay! Who is that guy?’
‘Stop shouting jor.’ I pulled her towards the bedroom.
‘Tell me the truth then. Where are you going and with whom?’
‘A friend. It’s nothing serious, we’re just going to…er…’
‘Do some hanky-panky?’ there was a sly grin on her face
‘Don’t say that. It sounds…odd.’
‘Okay, you’re gonna…play a little?’ she winked this time and I wondered how I got this girl as a friend.
‘We’re just gonna talk.’
‘Oh, talk. That’s what they call it these days?’
I hit her playfully on the shoulder, blushing.
‘ Seriously? The white dude?’ her eyes widened. ‘He’s kind cute sha.’
‘Can I go now?’
‘We haven’t cut the cake,’ she said. ‘And I can’t cut it on your behalf so better tell the dude to wait till that is sorted out, okay?’
I sighed.
****
His apartment was cozy. He said it was given him by the school he was working with at the moment. All he had to do was move in, they’d taken care of the rest.
‘A drink?’ he smiled. ‘Ah…what’s your favorite again? Sprite, yeah?’
I nodded. The sexual tension was fading. I had gotten through the cake-cutting because Ronke refused to let me off the hook.
As soon as the niceties were done, I slipped out of the back door and met Abel at his car. I felt like a sixteen year old in the Romance-comedy movies we watch. Sneaking off to do something naughty.
The drive to his place had been done in thirty minutes, semi-groping each other and enjoying the cloak of silence that covered us.
Now, being alone in his apartment with nothing but the voice of John Legend sifting through our ears, made the moment a bit awkward.
It made me remember I hadn’t been with anyone else since Austin. But then, what was I afraid of? I had led Abel to this point. I had given him the go-ahead.
‘Sit with me?’ he patted the space beside him on the brown leather couch.
‘Aren’t you supposed to get drinks or something?” I asked, stalling.
“Drinks can wait. I’m more interested in you.”
I had no choice but to settle beside him.
‘You’re afraid of something. What is it? Me?’ he stroked my face as he spoke.
If only he knew.
‘No, not you. I’m not afraid of anything,’ I lied.
‘I can sense it. Even in your kisses. You can talk to me, you know. We used to be friends.’
‘It’s just…weird. Being with you after everything that happened.’
‘What things?’ he raised his eyebrows at me.
‘My broken engagement, amongst other things.’ I said, stiffly.
‘Why don’t we talk about it?’
‘What?’
‘Tell me what happened.’