Chapter 1

Aduke got off the uber ,throwing a friendly wave at the man before walking towards buka pot ,a fancy restaurant located in the ever busy road of BDPA ,Benin city. The sun was shining in all it's glory and she hasten her footsteps so as to get into building. She smiled at the security men, walked in and took the stairs leading to the upper floor. The place was quiet unlike downstairs where all the kids were screaming thier head off, throwing tantrums at each other and towards their parents.

She looked around, her eyes landing on a gorgeous, elegant looking man in white shirt and blue pants with matching sneakers, it took a lot of self control for her not to just stand and drool in his beauty. Aduke appreciate beautiful people, she liked people who dazzle, people who commanded attention where ever they step into and christ!, Yomade was and still is the epitome of good looks and the perfect charm, a stinkinly rich young man and a social lord, the ladies ideal kind of man.

She smiled at him after taking her seat, stretching her hands for a handshake, Yomade ignored her and stood up, dragging his chair closer and sat beside her instead. Aduke grew nervous immediately, wondering what he was up to. He raised her chin with his right hand and stared into her large eyes with an intensity that was very alarming. His seductive masculine scent hitting her nostrils with a force that send her crumbling in desires. She gulped as Yomade drew closer, dropping a kiss on her forehead, she hastily slapped his hands away, pushing her chair backward to create space between them, he chuckled darkly.

"That is not how you greet a man after dragging him all the way from lagos to come see you in this bushy area." He complained in a deep voice.

Aduke scowled at him, now he is playing the victim.

"I was expecting a warm hug, a kiss and maybe a sit right here on my lap". He tapped his lap gently with a mischievous smile, his eyes never leaving her face.

Aduke looked away, pretending to adimire out the restaurant interior decor. There is no way she would leave this place with a sane head should they continue to maintain eye contact. She knew what he was capable of and the last thing she needed right now was to be another pawn in his dangerous games.

Yomade would never had come this far without a reason, the last time they saw each other was four years ago and although he insisted he wanted to see her because he missed her yet she was aware his excuses were all planned lies. His sudden appearance in her life scared her and had been giving her sleepless night for weeks.

"I didn't force you to be here Yomade. I remembered telling you not to come" she defended harshly.

"You refused to come, someone has to do the coming", he said signalling at the waitress.

He passed a menu to her as he thought of what to order. She ticked what she could afford on the menu and the waitress smiled warmly before walking away to get their orders.

"How's Sheryl?" She questioned, which made him stiffened in his seat. He quickly composed himself before she noticed how uneasy her question made him.

"She's okay but we are not together anymore."

Aduke laughed heartily, as he watched her in sheer awe. He couldn't remember seeing her laugh so much and carefree. The skinny teenager who lived opposite his house never laugh, even her smiles were so rare that they called her names.

She wore a frown always and her eyes looked into space like she got all the world on her shoulders. She never played games or chat on social media and never went out to have fun with the other kids. She never retaliate when she was insulted and disgraced before her mates, and she didn't care about boys or the best fashion trends like other girls. She wasn't interested if her skin glowed or not or if she could afford the latest hairstyles. Aduke was always with books, different books, ranging from silly romance novels to horror stories. she read the newspaper daily and jumped at every opportunity to read something new. Everyone in the neighbourhood saw aduke as a plain, boring, irritating retard.

"What happened, did she catch you with a bare ass girl on the table, enjoying your dick? Did she get hurt, did you yell at her to get out?". She questioned, slurring each words, with mockery etched on her beautiful face.

Yomade mouth fell open, he didn't expect aduke to immediately talk about four years ago. He growled inwardly.

"Sheryl cheated on me". he blurted out. she smiled, raising her eyes slowly to stare directly at his before looking away to adimire the scenery outside.

"So it was karma dealing you a devastating blow then? Come to think of it, am not sure you got hurt, i mean there were numerous girls waiting in line to get laid by you". She said lightly, her lips curling into a mocking smile.

"It's been four years Aduke, it's high time you let it go", He pleaded with his voice.

She laughed again, squeezing her hand into a tight fist under the table, as she pushed away the thought of what happened on that day. She has managed to keep that part of her life locked away for years, promising herself never to visit it again but his sudden appearance was making it difficult for her.

Maybe she hadn't gotten over it and everything she told herself for four years were all lies, lies to make her survive, lies to make her stronger, lies to convince herself just how special she was ,lies to tell herself yomade was very wrong.

"You are creating the impression that i cheated on you...", he chuckled, "we weren't even in a relationship, you were just my neigbour, a girl in a world of her own". He added.

She smiled warmely. The waitress returned with their food. Yomade watched her toy with her plate of vegetable salad, while he took a sip of his fruit juice.

"Long ago, i have come in terms that men are naturally polygamous in nature, it's in their tendency to want more so whether you cheat or not is not of my business." She paused for a brief while, the silence filling the atmosphere.

"There is no perfect man." She spoke icely.

He studied her without saying a word. What games was she trying to play?

"But what exactly are you here for? you should have left the girl to remain in a world of her own" she added, sipping her water slowly.

"I don't see a girl anymore but a woman, an enticing, attractive, seductive woman with a touch of mystery. Isee a ticking bomb, a woman who is quiet on the outside but what goes on in her head, nobody knows. I see a woman who loves power, who is obsessed with power, a woman who can't wait to be in control". He paused, examining her expression.

Her face was without expression but her large eyes stared at his with a new intensity, an intensity that shocked him.

Those eyes, he remembered clearly had always scared him off when they were younger. They conveyed emotions he could never understand nor underestimate.

"I see a woman i don't know ". he added. She remained mute, chewing her salad slowly, while he picked up his fork and knife to eat .

"Are you perhaps scared of my return?" He questioned.

"Who is the current unfortunate girl?" She asked ignoring his question, he winced. She clearly detest him.

"There is no current woman". he replied and she mouthed an oh, shrugging her shoulders.

"No woman", her voice were filled with false surprise, "Why yomade, did you get tired all of a sudden? I think you're lying to me and yeah i do understand, you don't have to tell me the truth." She said with all seriousness.

He began to feel guilty. After four years, the last thing he wanted was for them to start on a dishonest note, it will end badly.

"I am considering Tarah, a 400l medical student at unilag, we haven't started courtship yet, just considering." he explained slowly .

She whistled, relishing the taste of her salad, he studied her intensely, imprinting every of her actions in his head.

"I don't think you should waste Tarah time, maybe you should start dating already or tell her to move on. No lady, especially in this part of the world has all the time .you need to remember that."

"Didn't the elders say that a woman's night approach faster than the other gender?" She asked him, as he sighed in frustration.

"You talk like i am a bad person, a monster, a man who is interested in only fun." He attacked, cearly getting pissed and irritated.

She appeared shocked though he doubted if she was genuine. She has always been a drama queen, acting like everything was a competition and she had to emerge the winner. She chukled fixing her gaze straight at his as if she could see through his soul. This forced him to look away for the first time. She chuckled again.

"Judging from the past, you are not only bad, you are a player, a dangerous player and a very good one at that." She replied calmly.

"Time changes people." he retorted, "I am not the man i used to be." He quickly added.

"So you are a changed man? indeed you are, the yomade i know would never leave Lagos to come see me. Who am i, a godess? " she asked reaching for her water. He winced for the second time.

"What i did four years ago was very wrong and i have come to sincerely apologise. I want to right all my wrongs, a mere phone conversations or calls won't have be of any help, that's why i am here." He explained, she shrugged her shoulders feigning a lack of interest.

"Did your pastor or imam told you that i was angry at you, or do you perhaps see me in your dreams with a cutlass?". She asked

"I left your words where you uttered it yomade, there is no point going about with apology as an excuse" she quickly added without giving him any chance to reply. They both fell silent for several seconds, each with thoughts.

"Babe, we both know you haven't forgotten about it and it still hurt you, am begging you, stop shutting me out like you always have done", he pleaded with his voice. She hissed in annoyance.

"Oh please, cut the self pity crap out of this. Did you just say i shut you out? You don't even know i existed", her voice rising, people began to watch them closely, ready to record should anything interesting pop up.

"And whose fault is that Aduke, you simply didn't want to associate with anybody. You only exist in your own world, should we have worshipped you to come down to our level?" He questioned harshly.

"I saw the looks of contempt everybody threw at me, have you forgotten just how much i love reading, i learnt at a young age how to understand people's expressions, how to read in between the lines of words and lord Jesus, you all were cold bastards, gossiping the very worst about me. Opening your silly mouths to spew nonsense you knew nothing about. I do wonder just how much my uncle said to make everybody treat me like shit." She said with her eyes turning red as shehe squeezed both hands into tight fist under the table wishing she could kick him till he becomes unconscious for making her feel this way. He frowned deeply.

"Did you just say your uncle? Mr Williams isn't your father?", he was surprised and this made her burst out with laughter.

"We lived in the same neighbourhood for six years Yomade, for six good years we got to see each other face from time to time but let me ask you and i need a sincere answer. Apart from my name being Aduke, what else do you know?". She asked softly, her eyes never leaving his face.

He became mute. His mind went down memory lane, he realized with a painful feeling in his chest that she was right. He didn't knew anything about her, she has always been strange and mysterious.

"And he was saying just few minutes ago that i, Aduke shut him out. Idiot!.". She murmured under her breath just loud enough for him to hear but he couldn't protest.

"I don't know anything about you babe and am sorry but i am here now, we can make things work, we can be friends", he proposed.

"What an irony, hasn't life always been ironic?". She asked sarcastically.

Yomade braced himself for what she was she about to say next, the babe was full of sarcasm and knew how to turn people's head with words.

"The same guy who chased me away four years ago like a thief did not only come visit me in this bushy area but also want to be my friend, i never imagined such a perfect day. WOW!" she mocked.

He remained silent, she didn't look like she would stop there.

"I don't want to be your friend, i have friends who are worth it in my life and am sure you do too. I don't want to have anything to do with you and i don't care how much effort you have put in this. I don't know how you got my number, i don't give a shit either. Everything happened in the past and its best we let it remain there. Leave me alone." She warned without batting an eyelash.

He digested each and every word. The painful feeling in his chest got too intense to the point he couldn't breath. He sighed, looking outside, he was confused as to what to say next. When he booked a flight to Benin and got on the plane, he was filled with excitement because he was so eager to meet her after chatting her for five months now, begging to see her, ignoring every insult she threw at him. Even When she told him nothing good will come out of his visit, he chose to ignore.

"If you think i am going to give up because you don't want anything to do with me, you must be joking. I am here to stay." he declared.

"To stay where? if you are talking about my life then maybe you are mentally unstable because i have made it clear that you don't belong here and i have absolutely nothing to do with either you or anything related to you. Let's see just how long you can last." She said signalling the waitress, she appeared almost immediately with a warm smile which made her wondered if her cheeks doesn't hurt from having to smile so much.

"How much is my bill?." She asked, the waitress widened her eyes, it was rare for a woman who came to the restaurant accompanied by a man to foot her own bills.

"If you take a naira from her, i will burn this whole fucking restaurant down to the ground", he threatened grabbing her purse. He practically threw some clean bunch of naira notes at the waitress.

"Keep the change!" He yelled. The frightened waitress picked up the notes and hurried off.

He turned towards her, "what was that for? Trying to prove to the world how independent you have become?". He fumed with anger, and she remained unfazed.

"I was trying to prove how much i detest your ass". she replied calmly. "i want to go home', she said suddenly, standing up.

His mouth fell open, what the hell. He grabbed her hands with gentle force. "Go home, we aren't done here". he said clearly agitated.

"If you don't let me go this instant, i will scream sexual harassment." she threatened which caused him to released his grip on her hands immediately. He knew she could do it because she's crazy.

She smiled, grabbed her bag and walked away, and he followed behind. He didn't do anything until they got outside. he held her hand and drew her close to him, their chest touching, her heart jumped, beating rapidly in her rib cage. He wrapped his hands around her waist, locking her in place should she decide to struggle. She understood his tactics and remained immobile.

"Let me take you home". he suggested.

"I don't need a ride from you." she answered.

"When are we seeing again ?" He asked.

"It's better we don't see anymore", she replied curtly. Yomade smiled, his well manicured fingers travelling down her waist to give her ass a light squeeze. She gasped, clearly not expecting such move from him.

"hmmm, so soft, this is pure bliss baby i could remain here all day". he said huskily.

What a pervert, a shameless pervert! she peeved. He's trying to make sure they see again and this is the best he could come up with, choosing to embarrass her in public.

"So tell me aduke, when are we seeing? " he asked again. She gulped.

"Next week, Wednesday." she quickly replied without thinking, all her brain was screaming right now was his large warm hands on her ass. He flashed her a sunny smile and she snarled.

"Good girl." he commented, releasing his hold on her, and she slapped his hand harshly. He winced in pain. She hissed, drew in a deep breath and walked away. Yomade watched her walk away, few seconds later, she boarded a cab and left. He walked towards his car, changed his mind and took another cab instead, instructing the driver to follow the cab aduke had taken earlier.