My testy reply took Hakeem aback, and he fumbled his napkin searching for a save, \u201cNo. I just- The sex was good that night.\u201d<\/p>\n
I managed to calm down, deciding to let his ill-made comment slide by, \u201cNo action tonight. I\u2019m getting past my period.\u201d I threw back the remainder of my drink, adding with a smile, \u201cBut I will take some dessert.\u201d<\/p>\n
A disheartening look appeared on Hakeem\u2019s face, he was clearly hoping to get lucky tonight. He sighed,<\/p>\n
\u201cWell. I guess I\u2019ll call Mr. Alabi over here to get us some cake.\u201d He managed a joking smile, looking around for our waiter.<\/p>\n
I laughed, \u201cYou would like that, wouldn\u2019t you? Mr. Alabi waiting on you for once.\u201d
\nHe smirked, \u201cA man can dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
Almost on cue, my husband\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n
Before he even had a chance to reach for it, I nearly shouted, \u201cOh no. Not tonight. Hakeem don\u2019t-\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me in defeat, \u201cFolake, please. It might be an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo sex for a week if you answer it.\u201d I challenged him, already knowing he would still pick it up.
\nI leaned back in my chair in disgust.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Alabi.\u201d Hakeem spoke, sitting up at attention as he waited for his boss\u2019s reply.<\/p>\n
I watched as my husband nodded, speaking into his phone, \u201cMr. Femi, I remember him. Yes. Certainly.\u201d
\nHakeem spoke with such overt professionalism when speaking with Mr. Alabi, it was almost comical. He looked up at me. \u201cOkay. That shouldn\u2019t be a problem. Alright sir. I\u2019ll add it to the calendar. Okay. Enjoy your weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs the world ending?\u201d I chided as he put the phone down on the table.
\n\u201cNo, but you aren\u2019t gonna like it.\u201d Hakeem replied.
\n\u201cOh god. What is it?\u201d I braced myself for whatever might come.
\n\u201cTwo weeks from now, dinner at Mr. Alabi\u2019s apartment. Do you remember Mr. Femi?\u201d He gently answered.<\/p>\n
I sighed, nodding my head, \u201cBig client of yours. Lives in the same building as Mr. Alabi.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis former business partner is flying in, has a lot of money, and is looking for new software for his new business venture. Mr. Alabi would like me there to close the deal, and since Mr. Femi\u2019s wife will also be in attendance, he\u2019ll like you there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you need to frame it so professionally Hakeem? I\u2019m your wife, remember? Can\u2019t you just say we have a dinner?\u201d
\nHe frowned, realizing his own odd habits, \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
I added, \u201cI just don\u2019t understand why that couldn\u2019t have waited until Monday.\u201d<\/p>\n
My husband shrugged, \u201cYou know how he is.\u201d
\n\u201cYes. I do.\u201d Was my reply.<\/p>\n
My day job, and career, was that of a Math Teacher. I love Algebra, and currently teach it to SS2 students at a private secondary school. I was sitting in the teacher\u2019s lounge, the day of the scheduled dinner at Mr. Alabi\u2019s apartment. The news was on, and the weather report was troubling.<\/p>\n
I called my husband, who answered, \u201cHey love.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHi honey. I\u2019m calling because I\u2019m guessing the dinner tonight is cancelled.\u201d I probed.
\nHakeem was already in tune with what my concern was, \u201cNo actually. Mr. Alabi promised that it\u2019ll wrap up early, the storm shouldn\u2019t hit until tomorrow morning.\u201d
\nI sighed, frustrated. \u201cI really hope so Hakeem. I don\u2019t want to get stuck in a flood.\u201d
\n\u201cDon\u2019t worry. If it runs long I\u2019ll tell Mr. Alabi that we have to leave, to beat the weather.\u201d He replied.
\n\u201cSure you will.\u201d I replied, amused by that idea.
\n\u201cI will. Look, I gotta go. I\u2019m walking into a meeting.\u201d His voice was hurried.<\/p>\n
To say I was angry, would have been a serious understatement. It was already coming down heavily on our drive into town.
\n\u201cThis is honestly ridiculous Hakeem.\u201d I voiced my distaste as we arrived at Mr Alabi\u2019s mansion, the rain was coming down around us as we headed into the lobby. The security man even looked surprised to see a visiting arrival, and made sure to note that services would be shutting down early tonight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be quick.\u201d Hakeem promised.
\n\u201cNo we won\u2019t.\u201d I knew.<\/p>\n
His voice boomed when he opened the door. \u201cHakeem, Folake. Thank you for braving the weather, we\u2019ll try to make this quick.\u201d
\n\u201cNo problem Mr. Alabi.\u201d My husband replied, shaking his boss\u2019s large hand.<\/p>\n
Mr. Alabi gave me a look with his piercing, dark eyes, adding, \u201cLovely as always, Folake\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d I replied, both annoyed by, and glad to receive his compliment. I expected to be somewhat angered to see Mr. Alabi again, considering what happened last time. In reality, I wasn\u2019t, and<\/p>\n
I actually found myself feeling strangely excited to be back in his company. I slowly moved into the large open space that took up the majority of his loft-style penthouse.<\/p>\n
His apartment was always impressive, large vaulted ceilings with an incredible view of the city below. It was beautifully lit, and elegantly furnished, with tasteful finishes on nearly every square inch of the home. The large main space made it an ideal place for the various parties; it also included his bedroom, an office, and a large kitchen.<\/p>\n
I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach when I noticed how heavily the rain was already falling outside one of his expansive windows.<\/p>\n
The anxiousness only increased when I then felt Mr. Alabi place his hand on my waist, as he casually led me deeper into the apartment. Hakeem followed in tow. Once again, my husband was bearing witness to his more assertive boss, and simply followed behind as Mr. Alabi held me by my waist. Why was Hakeem so willingly submissive in this man\u2019s presence?<\/p>\n
I glanced upwards at his towering frame, noting his handsome profile. My nose picked up on Mr. Alabi\u2019s patented scent, some kind of cologne that had tinges of vanilla and masculinity. It was hard to describe, but I had grown to love it. I even asked him what it was once, for Hakeem to use. He chuckled, joking that it was his natural aura.<\/p>\n
We passed his free-standing wine bar, filled with expensive liquors, reds, and whites. It was then that I saw three people sitting around his large dining table, sipping on various cocktails.
\n\u201cMr. Femi and Mrs. Femi. I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Hakeem.\u201d The three of them stood from the table, both men were dressed well, and of average height and stature, not unlike<\/p>\n
Hakeem, although I did consider Hakeem to be more attractive than either. Mrs. Femi was a reasonably attractive woman, maybe in her forties. All three of them looked very well to do.
\n\u201cI believe we\u2019ve met.\u201d Hakeem offered to Mr. Femi as they shook hands, jokingly. They saw each other quite often at the office.
\n\u201cI believe we have.\u201d Mr. Femi replied, adding, \u201cThanks for braving the weather, we\u2019ll try to make this quick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Everyone keeps saying that, but none of you have to worry about heading back in this mess.\u2019 I thought, to myself.
\n\u201cMy, aren\u2019t you absolutely stunning.\u201d The woman offered. Mr. Alabi gently let go of his hold on me, and I moved to shake her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d I paused, noticing her gorgeous dress, continuing, \u201cYou are as well.\u201d I replied, smiling.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re too kind dear. Please, call me Oluchi.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFolake.\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
Dinner was surprisingly pleasant. So pleasant that my worry over the weather fell towards the back of my mind. The catered meal was delicious, and as with any gathering at Mr Alabi\u2019s place, the alcohol flowed in over-abundance.<\/p>\n
The conversation between the men was mostly business, however, throughout the meal I caught Mr. Alabi looking at me with his captivating eyes. It was a common occurrence, and like I previously admitted, I had shamefully come to enjoy the excitement that came along with his attention.<\/p>\n
Unlike most men, when I would catch his eyes, he wouldn\u2019t baulk. He would simply continue to gaze at me, almost predatory in his confidence. It would always cause me to break, and to look away in embarrassment. Worse, it would even yield a fluttering sensation in my stomach, and sometimes even an inexplicable heat between my legs. I would look to my husband for relief, for some kind of safety, but he was distracted with his own conversations, consumed by the business of the evening.<\/p>\n
After an hour had passed, and most of the food had been consumed, the three men disappeared into the office to \u201ctalk numbers\u201d. I was probably better suited for the task, the Math teacher inside of me knew. Oluchi and I remained wine glasses in hand.<\/p>\n
Through the dinner, we discussed our various careers, and aspirations. Oluchi was an accomplished novelist, even penning several plays that made it to screen adaptations. I offered some commentary on education and arguments for increasing teacher salaries.<\/p>\n
She was receptive to all of it and even added her own insight on the matter. Oluchi was also riotous, a legitimate treat to converse with, unabashed, and unafraid to engage in risque conversation as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, how did you and Hakeem end up together?\u201d She probed.<\/p>\n
I could sense there was more meaning behind her question than the general inquiry of it.
\n\u201cWell. We met shortly after university, at a tech seminar. He was very bold back then, he came right up to me, asked me out. I wasn\u2019t used to that sort of thing from guys who weren\u2019t super jocky. It intrigued me.\u201d I took a sip of wine, continuing, \u201cTurns out we had a lot in common. He\u2019s great at making me laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s very important.\u201d Oluchi conceded.
\nI continued, \u201cHe asked me to marry him only six months in, and I guess the rest is history.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded in response.<\/p>\n
I added, \u201cSure he\u2019s maybe not the tallest gu-\u201d
\n\u201c-I\u2019m sure he\u2019s an excellent catch.\u201d She offered as a saving interruption, not wanting me to embarrass myself with unnecessary reasoning. She added, \u201cHe reminds me a bit of my man, when he was younger. About the same build, and a similar way about them.\u201d
\n\u201cMr. Femi?\u201d I asked, confirming what I already assumed.<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
We sat in silence for a moment, before I added. \u201cHe\u2019s also Yoruba, and if I brought home anything else, my parents would have disowned me.\u201d It was a joke, well, mostly. That comment earned a hearty laugh from Oluchi, which contagiously spread back to me. We were both enjoying the humour of the moment when a deep voice suddenly interrupted us. I looked up to see Mr. Alabi, wine bottle in hand, already filling my glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow about a top off for two beautiful women.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy thank you dear.\u201d Oluchi offered.
\n\u201cThank you.\u201d I added, once again enjoying his aura and intoxicating scent.<\/p>\n
Before he could say anything else, Hakeem called out from the other room, \u201cMr. Alabi. Please take a look at this!\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head in seeming exasperation, \u201cI\u2019m needed. I\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n
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