Let's Assume

Once she was sure he had left, she returned inside the house and called out to Victoria to come out. Victoria opened the bedroom door halfway and brought out her head, "Are you sure he has gone?"

"Yes. He just drove out, so you can come out. I don't even know why you're hiding," Joan said as she sat down on one of the couches in her sitting room.

"How will you know before?" Victoria asked dryly as she joined her on the couch. "So did you tell him you were sacked?"

Joan sighed. "Yeah. And he suffered the same fate too."

Victoria wasn't surprised. "Hmm. I figured that was why he was here. Your parents are sha not joking about their demands."

"Not just that, even worse, his accounts have been frozen as well," Joan added, raising a hand to her head which seemed to be aching all the time now.

"Oh no!" Victoria gasped. "What is going on? Why do your parents want you to get married so badly?"

"I really don't know, I have tried to make sense of it. The more I think about it, the less I understand them."

"So because you both refused to get married, they decided to make you two lose your job. Talk about hitting where it hurts," Victoria said, as she tried to figure out exactly why the marriage was so important to their parents.

"And to think that I was so close to making partner at my firm. My..... my..." Joan's voice broke as tears pooled in her eyes.

"My parents know how important my career is to me yet they decided to punish me by taking it away," Tears were already streaming down her cheeks, "Is it by force to get married? Do they know if I want to remain unmarried? This.... this..." Joan couldn't finish her statement she buried her face in her palm and started crying.

"Oh, Joan!" Victoria leaned closer and pulled her in for a hug. She felt sorry for her friend and really wished there was something she could do to help her.

"I'm sorry," she said as she gently patted Joan's back, "Please don't cry. We are going to find a way to sort this out, don't worry."

Joan pulled away from the hug to look at Victoria's face. "How? How can we solve this when they moving mountains just make sure we are frustrated enough to have no other choice but to go on with their plan?" Joan paused and wiped her cheeks with the back of her palm. "Steve's landlord just called him and requested that they meet, I'm very sure that call has something to do with his parents. And I know that my parents aren't done with me either," Joan said thoughtfully.

Victoria took a deep breath, "Oh boy! Both of your parents sure do know how to frustrate someone."

"Oh God, what am I going to do?" Joan covered her face with her palm and started crying again.

"Joan you need to stop crying. I don't think crying is going to solve this," Victoria calmly said to her.

She got up from the couch, went to the refrigerator, and got Joan a cold bottle of water.

"Have some water." Victoria handed the bottle to Joan as she joined her back on the couch.

"Thanks." Joan drank some of the water and when she was done, Victoria took the bottle from her, replaced its cap, and placed it on the table.

"So now let's think of a way to get you out of this," Victoria said thoughtfully.

Joan scoffed, "What other way is there other than I get married to Steve? Besides, he just told me they're expecting us to get married within a month."

"What? A month? Why the rush? Wetin happen? They wan sell you? (What's wrong? Are they selling you?)" Victoria asked Joan who was also wondering the same thing.

"I have no idea. I honestly wish I knew what these people are thinking," Joan said, resting her back on her seat and closing her weary eyes.

"Okay. Let's assume you are going to marry Steve. Calm down. I said ASSUME before you chop me raw," Victoria quickly added when Joan's eyes snapped open and she glared at her.

Joan said nothing, giving her go-ahead to continue.

"Let's start with your relationship with Steve, how is it like?"

Joan's face drew into a frown "How do you mean? You know very much about my relationship with him," Joan pointed out.

Victoria readjusted her sitting position. "I meant since after you both had sex, how are things with you both? When you talked to him about it what did he say?"

"Well__" Joan gulped, "Things have been kind of awkward between us."

"On whose part? Yours or his?" Victoria asked.

"I think it's mostly on my part. You know Steve na, sex isn't a big deal to him. He doesn't seem the least bit affected by what happened between us, or if he is then he has a really great way of hiding it."

"When you guys talked about what happened between you two, what was his response like?" Victoria asked curiously.

"Are you sure you're asking to find a solution, abi you're looking for gossip?" Joan asked suspiciously, and Victoria giggled.

"Let's just say both reasons. I'm curious, but I also think it's important we know how you both feel too," Victoria explained.

Joan sighed, "Well, we both agreed not to make a big deal out of it," Joan replied with a straight face.

"Mmm. Why do I get the feeling that that's not exactly what you want? Or is it?" Victoria asked, watching Joan closely.

"What are you talking about? Of course, that is what I want," She picked up the bottle of water on the table and started to sip.

"You are beginning to have feelings for him aren't you?" Victoria asked suspiciously.

Joan spewed out the water in her mouth. "What?! No, of course not!"

Victoria gave her a knowing smile. "You can deny it all you want, but I see it in your eyes that you now like him as a man, not just as a bestie. The sex must have been very good," Victoria said with a giggle when Joan glared at her, "Maybe you both should just get married," Victoria suggested.

"Victoria! How can you even say that?" Joan had a look of horror on her face.

"Well, if you look at it critically, it's not such a bad idea. For starters, you both are besties, he likes you and you like him too. You have already had sex with him and from what you said, he is really good in that department and....."

"And what?" Joan angrily interrupted her.

"Joan people marry for even less than what you have with Steve. You are best friends, you know each other very well and understand each other. You both might as well just get married and have your parents off your back."

"That is a ridiculous idea and I can't even believe it's coming from you. God!" Joan sounded mortified.

Victoria spread out her arms. "It was just a thought though."

"And it isn't a wise one. I am going to find a way out of this. A solution that definitely doesn't involve me getting married to Steve. He is my bestie, and I love him. But marriage? To Steve? No way!" Joan said with a shake of her head.

"If you say so," Victoria said as she got to her feet, "Are you still up for that noodles?"

Joan's stomach made a rumbling sound at the mention of food, and Victoria smiled, "I will take that as a yes," She said as she went to the kitchen to cook for them, leaving Joan alone to rack her brain on how best to get her parents off her back. Something she was beginning to think was not going to be possible.