19 Leonard Salvador

The pain and disappointment on Emma's face brought bitter tears to Diane's eyes too.

'Oh, God! What have I done?' Diane thought to herself and started crying... 'What have I gotten myself into!? How could I ever think Emma would be okay with this!? How am I ever going to settle this!?'

"Emma please I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I hurt you... It wasn't intentional... I-I just..." She wailed on, not able to complete her statement.

"I-I just what Diane!?" Emma's voice was sharp and hard, making Diane flinched and recoiled back into a sitting position on the floor while hugging her knees close to her chest.

Diane looked bereaved. She couldn't find any traces of her loving friend in this person in front of her. She has never felt this lonely before in her life.

"Why Diane!? Why did you decide to throw away ten years of friendship over a fuck-up boy!?" Emma screamed this time. She was furious and finding it difficult to keep her temper in check.

"You were my family Diane! My sister!... After grandma, I'd pick you over anybody else in the Da-Silva family without a second thought. That was how important you were to me..."

"I fell in love..." Diane whispered, her voice was barely audible enough for Emma to hear.

"You will have to speak up cos I can't hear you with your mouth half-buried in that sheet"

"I fell in love with him..." Diane said louder this time.

"You fell in love with who!?... Daniel!?" Emma asked unbelievably. What the fuck Diane!? How could you fall in love with him knowing the kind of person he is!?

"It just happened... I don't know how but it just happened okay? He said he loves me too and we were planning on telling you before... Because I know you don't love him a-and..."

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!... You know I don't love him because I confided in you as my best friend! Does that give you the right to slide in and start fucking him? Whatever my feeling towards him was, he was still my boyfriend for goodness sake!

Besides I don't love him because unlike you, I refused to let myself be fooled by his sugar-coated mouth. How can I love a gold digger who thinks he can get to my family's money through me!? How could you, my best friend and confidant, stand before me now and claim to love such a man!?

You are shameless! How much does this room cost you, huh!? How much does a night with him cost you, Diane!?

You betrayed my trust in you because of a man!... You betrayed our friendship! I can't even look at you right now cos you disgust me to high heaven..."

Diane started crying harder and Emma stood up. "Have fun with your sugar boy while it last..."

She walked towards the door and stopped. "Oh, I'm changing room. I'll be coming to get my stuff by next week Friday while you'll be busy with your man whore at the TGIF party. For both our sake, I hope we don't cross paths when I come." She said finally before leaving the hotel room.

Emma walked out of the hotel premises to the Lakes club and lounge, dejected. Who would believe Diane would put aside years of friendship for a man? A gold digger for that matter!

She badly needed a drink. Enough drink that would make her forget and sleep peacefully for the night...

''I don't want to think about Diane right now.''

"I don't want to think about Diane right now''

"I don't want to think about Diane right now...''

Emma continually muttered to herself till she walked into a random lounge, going straight to sit by the bar.

Emma who badly needed something to occupy her mind before the drink she ordered began its work in her system found the room she entered boring.

Except for a slow live band playing in the background and some guys who were arguing about sport, there was not much going on in the lounge.

Some few feet away from Emma, the guys who Emma thought were arguing about sport were Leo, Christian, and Ladi. Three friends who were enjoying a night of casual, low-key fun.

Ladi and Chris were giving Leo the In-depth analyses of the Champions League football match that were shown the previous night.

"Guy I still can't believe you missed your team playing at the finals..." Chris said when they were done talking about the match.

"Yeah me too," Leo replied tiredly. He's been working all day. If not for Christian who came to his office and forced him to take a break, he's sure he would still be at his office by now.

"You know the board is meeting in three weeks for the formal handing over. I have to finish up all the work that has been left undone since grandpa's stroke... You know cross all the T(s) and dot the I(s)... It was tiring."

The friends usually meet at the Lakes every Friday to catch up and unwind after working from Monday to Friday. But ever since Leo's grandfather suffered a stroke almost three months ago, they've been unable to meet because of Leo's now heavy workload.

"So when was the last time you got laid!?" Ladi suddenly asked with a serious look on his face.

"The last time?..." Leo smiled and thought about it. "I was with this girl... Lizzy... Lillian?... Can't remember her name... We were about to get down to business when I got the call about grandpa... I swear my dick went limp immediately. That was about ten weeks or thereabouts..."

"Ten weeks!? Both Chris and Ladi exclaimed in unison.

Leo smiled when he saw the look on his friend's faces. "Unbelievable right?" He asked them still smiling

"Fucking unbelievable! Your joints would have gone stiff by now out of lack of service." Ladi exaggerated

"Lack of service?..." Leo repeated and laughed. Does my body look like an engine to you?"

"I can't believe one of the founding fathers of Yoruba demons in Lagos has not gotten laid in ten weeks! So fucking unbelievable!" Chris exclaimed.

"What about your girlfriend? Couldn't she spend the night with you or something?"

"Nah!... The last time Fola spend the night, she conveniently left her earings hidden away inside my bedside drawer, even though I reminded her several times not to forget.

She wanted to start marking territory in my house! If I pretend I didn't notice, the next time I'm sure she would forget her panties, and then after it would be a dress. Before you know it she'll have a complete closet filled with her stuff...

I'm a free man, free to sleep with whoever I want. Don't want no woman marking territory and claiming rights that are yet to be handed to her.

"Omo you're right."

"Facts only..."

Chris and Ladi agreed with him and they laughed before Leo continue.

"Besides you guys know I've moved back to the family house because of grandpa. I can't be bringing girls into grandpa's house. That old man sure knows how to nag and I'm trying to avoid it at all cost"

"Guy you still need to get laid as soon as possible... Ten weeks is too long man..." Chris said

"Speaking of getting laid... Guys check that out" Ladi nodded towards the bar where Emma was sitting with her back to them.

"Who's she? Didn't we get a private lounge?" Leo asked looking at Emma's back view.

"Who cares! I'm sure she's a student. All these universities and polytechnic girls are always hanging around here, looking to pick up rich guys for the night or a rich old man who could sponsor their expensive lifestyle." Chris said.

"Even from here, I could tell she has a beautiful piece of ass. Look at how round and balanced it is on that chair... I'll pick her if you're not interested," Ladi asked

Leo looked at the girl. Indeed one could tell by looking at her from the back that she has a beautiful body. He stood up immediately... "Hips don't lie. I just hope she has the boobs to go with those round hips of hers...

Chris, you're my ride home... Give me two hours with this one and we'll be on our way." Leo said and walked towards Emma.