THE ENCOUNTER

 I've not given it a proper thought if I wanted to do this until I'm standing among the crowd gently sipping away on an iced tequila cocktail glass. It's hard to get drunk on a Friday night, the next day is all about work for me. I don't know why Ara wouldn't understand that. The whole arena was dusty and Big Bass hasn't confirmed his presence. I like the guy doesn't mean I'm obsessed enough to buy my way into his concert. Ara didn't understand that either. All she ever wanted was to get me out of the house, perhaps to meet one of 'those new blood with hard currency' as she had put it. If God had decided to put a stop to my suffering, would it have been at Big Bass's concert where everything about God doesn't even exist? But like the Pastor said, you find God in most unlikely places.

She clutched onto him wriggling her waist almost up his ass. She whispered something in his ears and the latter inhaled before smiling sheepishly. They both stole a glance in my direction, and I grimaced. Was she trying to introduce me to this guy she had been kissing non-stop for the past few minutes? There is nothing she is not capable of doing. I looked away. There is more to life than waking up every day thinking of how miserable my life has been at age twenty-seven. I mean, who forced their kids to get married early in this generation? I can count different celebrities who have decided to stay single all their lives. Money speaks. They don't have to depend on anyone. They make men do their bidding. Unlike me, I'm like a featherless bird, like a failed plan. I don't fit anywhere. I don't know why no one would understand that my father especially. Here I am, the least of places, playing hardcore girl, blinking uncomfortably in these big overturning eyelashes Ara plastered on my face earlier. It's disgusting! But I guess I have no choice.

Her laughter reverberated through the inner space we managed to share at the first five rows in front of the stage. She kept her legs wrapped around the guy, holding her wine glass right at the guy's occiput with the straw getting the best tap on the guy's skull. She was looking straight into his eyes and laughing at whatever lame joke the guy was throwing at her. I'm going to hear everything in detail once we get in, there is no point eavesdropping, besides, it wouldn't matter, the noise from the speaker won't allow me. 

We've been here for the past one hour and the celebrity of the day hasn't shown up. His songs kept blaring out from the speakers and crazy fans jumping up and down. Lucid dreams. I need to get out of here or the smell emanating from the armpit of the lady beside me is going to put me to sleep. I glanced toward her, she was totally into the guy. I'll text her. I'm out of here. I can lose my mind if I wait any second. Outside was rowdy. Journalists and their microphones. Celebrities and their absurd choice of dresses. I can't believe they spent millions on dresses that made them look that ridiculous. I guess when you have lots of money you just lose track of how well to manage it. The red carpet geng were all smiley and stuff. Heavy makeup and redundant outfit, couldn't get any worse. I stood rigid when I noticed the figure resting on my car, smoking. I don't know what's wrong with these Lagos people. What did he think he was doing? Not minding my stilettos and slit cocktail dress, I marched angrily towards the car but stopped abruptly. He is vaping (what's the difference anyway). God! Who is he? 

He was wearing sunglasses at night but not one of those ridiculous outfits. He wore a well-tailored suit shining through the rays of light coming out of the arena. He looked calm and collected. Collected? Geez, the guy is vaping!

It doesn't matter. I walked up to him briskly, catching my breath. He didn't notice my presence until I had my hand on the door ready to jam it open. He shifted, surveying me from head to toe before letting out the smoke he had consumed earlier, shaping it out like the rest of the obsessive creatures do. It's not cute, he is just making a fool out of himself. I scoffed, blinking my eyelashes uncomfortably at him.

"Excuse me. This is my car and I need to leave."

"I thought you came to see Bass," he muttered. 

For some minutes, I thought I heard wrong. This accent. This posh accent. Do they think this is all fancy and all? There is no way he is faking this because I'm sure as hell this guy looks fancy enough to have that voice but I'm not going to let this get in the way of the fact that he is rightly resting on the car that doesn't belong to him and I need to leave. 

"I don't come here for Bass." That's right. Ara made me come here.

"Too bad. Dude is on his way. Mind waiting a little longer? At least seeing him might be a plus to why you're here in the first place."

"Can you excuse me please?"

"I'm Francis. What's your name?"

"How many ladies have you hit on since you've been here?" I was fuming. That's what the Lagos boys do. They act all fancy and possessive. I'm not some toy.

"You're a lady? I hadn't thought of that. I thought you followed your Mama come."

I lost my cool. What did he take me for? Is this how rude all rich dudes are?

"Oh, now I see. Your outfit doesn't suit your demeanor. How much did you get this out of rental? I bet that's why you're out here, you don't want a drunk dude puking all over it so you wouldn't have to pay extra on damages." 

I thought this should hit him, but instead, he smiled. Then I saw it, the neatly set white teeth complementing the round flat pink lips of his. He inhales sharply, letting out a whistle. 

"How old are you?" He asked.

"Fuck you."

I've had enough of this. I struggled to get the door opened not knowing I hadn't the key with me. I opened my bag and searched frantically, and then it dawned on me. Ara drove us here, she has the key.

"A little bit of a problem?" He asked.

"Not that it's any of your business."

I took out my phone and started dialing Ara's number. I know she won't hear the phone ring but I have to try. I can't satisfy this guy's stupidity. The phone rang away, no answer. I tried again and again and again until my face dropped. Going back in there is not the option I'm considering at this moment. I have to wait it out with Mr. Posh Accent. I walked to the other side of the car and rested my back on it, surfing through Instagram and checking out everyone bearing Francis. I heard his back leaving the car and turning to the other side where I was standing. He is coming right at me. Some guys never learn. I quickly switched from Instagram to Twitter. Scrolling through the kidnapping case that happened some hours earlier before dusk. This country is rotten. Not that I'm paying attention to the news but it's better not feeling the engrossed presence of this strange guy who seems to enjoy nothing but my anger.

"You should ask if you need help."

"Because that's what ladies do?"

"Because that's the right thing to do."

"And since when have I been someone of interest to you?"

"Since you scornfully scanned my dress earlier. I spent a fortune to look this good."

"I thought the rest of youse has lost their minds."

"I'm not a Lagos brat nor a flashy spender."

"I don't care."

"You should. Why are you here?"

"Can you excuse me, please? You're invading."

"This is private property, not governments'. And besides, I'm not hitting on you."

"Yeah, you just like making people very uncomfortable."

"I'm glad I made you uncomfortable."

"And you're going to regret that." I retorted.

"How?"

I leaned slightly against the side mirror so I could face him fear-free. This guy has to know he doesn't own my opinion. He rested his back on the last door maintaining his hands in the pocket. He bends slightly, crossing his legs at the ankle depending on the elbow he placed in the bonnet to keep him stable. He was trying not to put his whole weight on the car.

I looked away. Maybe I better not let him get the satisfaction he wants. There is no point proving anything to the likes of him, whatever the likes he is. My feet rumbled in my stilettoes, wriggling as I managed to tone down the slit a little bit more to avoid exposing the rest of my thigh any longer. I know I shouldn't have, but this man deserves nothing of me. I'm trying hard to stay in my stilettoes. His lips are damn inviting. Judging by his huge build and muscular features he is probably in his early thirties and there is no way this annoying guy will get the best part of me. He is just bored like me and picking on the weak. Not that I'm weak in this scenario. I'm not really that weak and I think he is getting the idea because why else will he keep following me? I've seen guys like that over the years, at work, in the streets, in my circle of friends and families. Guys like him exist in all phases of life. Dicks, that's what they're called. I should be hurling abusive words at Ara right now for being so obsessed with that ugly hobbit she kept smooching and laughing with all day long. She dragged me out here, how dare she abandon me like this...

"I asked a question." His voice does this vibrating stuff over the noisy crowd outside that I found quite bossy and commanding which irritates me the more. I ignored him. As much as I wanted to punch his scrotum sac and watch him wail in agony, I ignored him. He probably wasn't worth it. 

He left his position, walking calmly to stand in front of me. He is damn possessive and...masculine. He smells nice. Damn him.

"When I ask you a question young lady, you should answer."

"Because I'm your fucking servant or you paid for my trip out here? Or you're my boss or father? Which category of those do you belong to?" I am giving him the satisfaction. Is this how the rich hit on girls? This sucks. This guy sucks too. He sucks with his handsomeness shit, too.

He laughed. He laughed and it felt like the world stopped a second in honor of it. Why do the cute ones get to be the assholes? He is the king in the world of assholes.

"I don't belong to any of those. You're not married. At least there is no ring and there is no mention of husband. So I guess you came with a friend. Where is she?"

"You suck." I almost spit on him.

He smiles again. And this time, he removed his hands from his pockets and the light purposely shone on the ring. He is married. What sort of a lady marries an asshole? 

"I don't know ladies still marry assholes." I let my eyes rest on his ring so he gets the hint.

"Assholes!" He scoffed.

I looked towards the entrance in time to catch a glimpse of Ara's side walking towards me. About the damn time. She was waving to me to come over but I ignored her. She has to get her ass off here. I saw the reflection on her face and then the figure behind her, that's another guy. She smiled when she noticed Francis, or whatever his name was. She walked briskly towards me with the guy following suit. Francis was still standing in front of me, his hands in his pockets this time, tugging out his chest as if to impress me. It's of no use now that I know he is just being an asshole. He is married, so he is definitely not hitting on me. But then who knows, Lagos boys are cunny.

"Big Bass is here." Was all Ara said as she stopped on her track staring at Francis and I'm pretty sure the other guy was doing the same thing. They were both staring at him. What's with that anyway?

"Francis?!" They chorused and then the "Oh my God I can't believe this is you" that followed. Ara knew this guy? Did she set me up with him? I swear if she did, she is going to regret it. Not only the fact that he's been an asshole but because he is married. I don't do married guys. I don't do any guys, at all. She knows.

"God! I can't believe I get to meet you in the flesh." She was all cosy and happy and it pisses me off especially now that Mr Posh Accent is all smiley. The other guy with Ara shook hands with him. I guess he is one big celebrity after all. I don't blame my lack of knowledge on who he is. I spent most of my days on the computer working to get the hall booked or the flower vases delivered to the right destination. I have little or no time for celebrities except the known ones and the ones I secretly idolized, the feminists and the 'single-till-I-die geng in case my charade doesn't work out. I'll have someone to emulate. Not a big deal. But here, this guy is a celebrity. But I saw nothing of him on Instagram or perhaps I hadn't searched long enough. 

Within minutes, Ara is already demanding to take pictures with him. Pictures that'll sit in her profile for years, I can bet it. The other guy chimed in too. I watched them whining like a bunch of kindergartens because of a total asshole. We indulge in this. Society indulge this kind of guy that had no respect for humanity, at large. He is just one of those. The least of things I'd ever wished for came through my mind this instance. How I wish I could sleep with this guy tonight so he can kick the bucket before sunrise. That way, the world will have one less of an asshole. 

"Can I have the car keys, please?" The anger in my voice was quite noticeable and Ara didn't hesitate to shoot me one of her 'bombastic side eyes'. Damn that girl. 

"You have no idea who this is." She blurred out. Who cares. Just that now, he'd removed his sunglasses revealing his tiny little eyeballs sitting pretty exhausted in their sockets. He winked at me and I scoffed. I hate the fact that he knew I'd looked him in the eye for more than a second. He should revel in that for the rest of his life because that's how far this could go. He suck on his lower lip as he positioned Ara's camera to the angle that befitted his handsome face. He smiled broadly into the camera and said cheese before clicking the snap button. I would have smeared my hands all over that picture if I had accidentally met it on any of the net imagining how perfect my life would be if I got to have someone like him not knowing he was just hiding under the cloak of handsomeness to play out his guts. Witty.

Ara won't stop, now that she has started.

"I'm a big fan of you and your wife. In fact, you're my number one celebrity in the whole world. Ask anyone. Ask around. Not that you'll ask, I mean,.." she laughed uncontrollably. God this is so annoying. 

"Can I please have MY car keys?" I placed my stress on the word so she would know the car belonged to me and I had every right to demand its keys. She scoffed and tossed the key over. I murmured incoherently as I clicked on the remote and the car beeped. I don't bother asking them to move away from the car. I slide into the driver's seat and put on the ignition. To damn with this celebrity. He just ruined my day just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.