So, I would have posted this earlier but Tomilola_coco paid me a special visit and we had to catch up on missed time. I haven’t seen the crazy person inΒ a long time. Forgive me.
You can enjoy her stories Here and Here.
Previous Episodes Of The Fourth Finger
Twenty-four year old Toni paid attention to the gossip that was coming from the next table. Three girls sat over meals of jollof rice, beans, plantains and plain vegetable salads. They were girls Toni disliked and on their side the feeling was reciprocal.
They were not her type. She considered them airheads, the caliber that would sleep their way to the top in their careers as advertizers. They were all interns at a top advertizing agency called DFL Creative. She had just started interning there while they were two months old in the agency. She was practically new to the profession but boasted of the best credentials with a Masters in media and communication. She knew she could have easily gotten a better position in the company but she chose to apply as an intern to start from the bottom to the top, a decision that didnβt resonate well with her boyfriend, Mark, who also worked at DFL. He felt it was better if she worked elsewhere; it would help strengthen their relationship if they didnβt see too much of each other.
Toni had her own dreams. And maybe she spent too much time away from Mark, pursuing them. The result was him seeing someone on the side. Leticia had shared with her the rumors of him and some Nkechi chick but Toni never believed her. To her, Mark was a good guy, loving, sweet and principled. He promised his future to her. The people who went about calling him a cheat were just jealous of his wealth and status. Mark was faithful.
However, the girls on the next table thought otherwise. They were accusing him of impregnating Nkechi who also a colleague at DFL Creative.
Having heard enough of the unpleasant tale, Toni left her table and marched straight to the girls. They stopped talking when she approached them. Revolting glares hit her from different angles.
βDid you say Nkechi is pregnant for Mark Ebute?β
She met silence.
βYou were just talking about it, loud enough for me to hear!β Toniβs temper rose. βNow Iβm asking and yβall keeping quiet!β
βHa-ahn!β One of them bit back. βWho is this one? What is your own with our gist?β
βMark is my boyfriend!β Toni revealed. Mouths flew open.
Her relationship with Mark was private. It was the compromise she fell into since she wasnβt planning on leaving DFL Creative. On the other hand, Markβs parents did not approve of her. They were conservative Christians and Toni came from a family that thought little of religion. For four years, Toni and Mark kept their relationship behind closed doors and were now adept in pretending nothing existed between them, although it was always difficult for Toni to watch girls flirt with him at work; Nkechi especially. She had never imagined that the seemingly harmless flirtations would lead to something serious.
βIs Nkechi really pregnant for him?β Toni was desperate for the truth.
βYou said Mark is your boyfriend?β the girl that had spoken earlier asked, giving her a full scan as if to say she was not good enough for Mark. He was rich and attractive while she was just plain Toni, as much as they knew. Flaunting her parentsβ wealth had never been her thing. In reality, if she was to go by inheritance, she was far richer than Mark. Back in Port Harcourt, everyone knew the Braithwaites. Here in Lagos, the name meant nothing.
βMark is my boyfriend.β
The girls somehow found her insistence funny, and having healed from the initial shock, they let out laughter that almost brought Toni to tears.
βMy dear, Mark is Nkechiβs boyfriend. I know you fantasize about him as we all do but heβs been dating NK for almost a year and they are expecting a baby. NK has not been coming to work because of morning sickness and all.β
βTheir baby will be so fine,β one of the other girls said dreamily.
Toniβs eyes couldnβt hold back the tears.
βAww, sheβs crying.β The first girl held her hand her as the other two laughed on. βI donβt want to believe these tears are from mere fantasy. Mark must have kept you on the side. Pele. Youβll sha get over it. Itβs not like youβre his type anyways.β
Toni pulled out her hand from the girlβs grip and gifted her with an impressive slap that almost knocked her off her chair.
That same day Toni quit her job, dumped Mark and swallowed sleeping pills to kill herself. If it hadnβt been for Leticia, she would have died. She spent five weeks in the hospital and while she was recuperating, Mark married Nkechi. When Toni got news about their flashy wedding, she attempted to kill herself again.
Recovery seemed like it was going to take a lifetime but months later, she began to piece together parts of her that were lost to the pain. She took a trip abroad to gain back her figure under a surgeonβs knife. She also endured counseling sessions with a life coach provided by her parents and made a deliberate plan to cut love out of her life.
When Toni returned to Nigeria, she was changed. She applied to work for Covet Advertizing, a firm just new off the ground but competing with the best. She chose them because of their fresh ideas and cutthroat approach. Their greatest competition was DFL Creative. Toni saw pleasure in filling in for a post in the public relations department. It was the same post Nkechi was handling at DFL Creative.
Nine years later, Covet and DFL Creative were still going head to head. Mark now owned a major share in DFL. Nkechi was managing partner. They had two adorable kids.
Mark had tried on many occasions to meet with Toni but she always turned him down. He would persist still, especially during the holiday periods.
She was staring at an email message from him now. It was way past Christmas and Valentineβs but he had sent in a poem. He was getting audacious these days. At the end of the poem was an invitation for dinner, followed by three Xβs. This was the way they ended their texts to each other back then.
Gist had it that his marriage to Nkechi was on the rocks. Nkechi was cheating on him. Karma was being ever faithful to her nature. But Toni wasnβt elated by the news. She actually felt sad for Mark because as much as she lied to herself and everyone else that she hated him, she still loved him. Nine years did nothing to her feelings which were tucked in some place nothing else could reach. Every time she slept with another man, it was Mark that was there.
However, Andre was trying to break the spell. And he was not even a major feature in her life. How he managed to do it was still a mystery.
Her date with him on Christmas Day had actually turned out to be great. The first part of it, actually. She had fun. He was amazing company. He knew how to make her laugh, something only a few men could accomplish. He broke down her defenses with no difficulty. It was as if he knew intimate parts of her and how to stimulate them.
Yet he was unromantic. Maybe it was something with Ivoirian men. He was more African than French. In the middle of conversation, he broke and said, βYou have the hips of a woman that can bear many kids and yet you waste your fertile years with taken men. Age is not on your side; you know that, right?β
He had left her speechless but it hadnβt bitten much; she was getting used to his jarring manner.
His smile too⦠It always came off as if he was mocking her with his lips.
She also liked the way he easily veered off into French when speaking, as if English was too much stress. At such moments, she would snap a finger and bring him back. But then there were those eerie intervals when he left unreadable eyes on her for an uncomfortable stretch. It made her lose focus and at the same time, turned her on.
But the best thing about him was his ability to stimulate her mind. She found it more enthralling than the promise of what his body could do to hers.
She wanted Andre, only because in her estimation, sex with him would be the easiest way to control him. If she was to leave things on a platonic level, it would mean something more was waiting for them. She didnβt want more; she wanted him under her thumb. It was dangerous the way she liked him already.
She was somewhat glad that their date that night had gone wrong towards the end.
Just as they concluded their dinner, he disappeared into the restroom and took quite some time. The waiter brought their bill and when Toni looked at it, she panicked on his behalf.
βTwenty-seven thousand?β she asked the waiter.
βYes, ma.β
βBased onβ¦?β
βItβs all there in the list, ma. The food, peppersoup, drinks and service charge.β
βOh.β
The bill was nothing to Toni. But she didnβt want an embarrassing episode. She felt it was better to help Andre out before he returned from the restroom.
βGet me your POS.β
The waiter disappeared and came back with a POS machine. Toni paid the bill with her card and just as she was about taking the receipt, Andre appeared. His steps lost vigor as he approached her.
βThank you.β She dismissed the waiter hurriedly.
βDid you just pay?β Andre questioned.
βYeah.β
βWhy?β He remained standing, hands in his pockets.
βWhy not? Weβre both on a date together. Youβre handling the transport and Iβm handling thisβ¦β
βI never asked you to handle anything, Tone. I brought you here. Itβs my job to take care of you.β
βOkay. No need to get angry. The money was a lotβ¦β
βAnd hence, you concluded I couldnβt afford it.β
βCalm down, Andre. Itβs no big deal. If you donβt have the moneyβ¦β
βAnd who says I donβt?β
Toni felt uneasy. He was calm and yet she felt uneasy.
βCan we go?β she requested.
βWith all pleasure.β
Andre started out without her. She followed him, trying to catch up with heels that wouldn’t let her walk fast.
βOkay, that was rude!β she said to him. βYou donβt just walk out on a woman like that!β
βI just did. What will you do about it?β
Toni couldnβt come up with a quick answer. She kept her calm until they were in the backseat of a cab headed to her house.
βAre you always this egotistic?! All I did was help out with the billsββ
He faced her. βYou do not help a man out with his responsibilities. You only do so if he asks. What you did back there was embarrassing. And the fact that you concluded that I didnβt have the money was even more humiliating.β
βBut it was you who told me the other day that you couldnβt afford Shaunz Barβ¦β
βSo? My money, my problem. Not yours.β
She shrank back.
βYouβre mad at me.β
βYou caused it. You did wrong and instead of apologizing you put up an attitude. Youβre the egotistic one.β
βMe?β
βYes. Flaunting your money in my face, making me feel inadequate because I didnβt come to pick you up in a posh car, acting snooty all evening.β
Toni was hurt at his words. She had enjoyed her time with him. She didnβt recall ever being snooty.
βBut I had fun, Andre.β
βOn your own tab, abi? Tomorrow youβll go telling your friends that some delivery guy took you out and couldnβt afford to pay the bills and you came to his rescue. You Nigerian women irritate me always.β
Wow. The man certainly had issues either with himself or with Nigerian women. Toni couldnβt figure out which it was. She sensed there was a needy man inside cloaked by the manliness and self-importance he exuded. She felt a need to reach out to that man. But it was a passing need. She corrected her reasoning faculties immediately.
βThank you for a wonderful night β on my own tab,β she muttered in sarcasm. If he was looking for an apology for what she just did, he was poking in the wrong hole.
He gazed at her for a moment. She held his gaze, surprised to find that he wasnβt carrying a frown.
βThereβs just something about you, Tone. I donβt know whatβ¦ But I want it. I want all of it, all of you.β
Toni turned her face in another direction. βI canβt give you what youβre looking for, Andre.β
He scoffed. βExactly. You have nothing to offer asides your body.β
Toni was aghast. Her palm itched to assault his face but for the love of her pride, she held back.
βDriver, stop the car.β
βEhn?β The cab driver slowed.
βStop the car!β
βWhat are you doing?β Andre asked.
βGoing home. Oga stop this car immediately.β
The cab came to a stop. Toni stepped down, got out her phone and dialed for another cab. As she did so, she expected that Andre would come out to her and apologize for his rudeness but all she got was a mention of her name. When she didnβt answer, the cab fired up again and drove away, leaving her stunned to her bones.
βFor real?β she asked out loud in the silence of the street. No man had ever treated her that way. They usually begged; even when she was at fault.
Andre was clearly in error here. He had been ungentlemanly and disrespectful to her. He owed her a thousand apologies and it wasnβt only his statement that irked her so much. It was the fact that he actually stood his ground by leaving her out on a lonely street. She could not wrap her head around his behavior.
Two months had passed since that night and she was yet to recover from the shock.
βYou should probably reply his text.β
Leticia was having a salad lunch in Toniβs office. It was lunch hour and Toni had stepped out to her balcony for a smoke.
βIβve told you a million times that I donβt respond to apologies that come in text messages.β
βFacebook inbox nko?β
Toni turned sideways. βHow does βokay, I screwed up. Letβs have lunchβ qualify as a proper apology?β
βHe said heβs sorry.β
βHe couldnβt even call!β
βHe called twice, Toni.β
βAnd stopped?! Heβs supposed to call and call and call until I get tired of refusing his calls and then answer him!β
βWow.β Leticia picked a lettuce from her salad and flagged it left and right as she spoke. βYou have issues. I donβt know why you wonβt admit that youβre crazy about the guy.β
βI am not.β
βI rebuke that feminist in you. Depart from her this minute! Bitch be gone!β
βHave you Googled him?β
βWhy would I Google him? Iβm not the one who wants his dick.β
Toni made an expression akin to rolling her eyes. βI donβt want his dick.β
βThen why is it disturbing you that he hasnβt called?β
βDonβt distract me, aunty. As I was saying, I checked him out on Google and discovered that he has accounts in Google Plus, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, all of it. But when you click on them, there is absolutely no info about him. Nothing!β
βSo?β
βSo Iβm thinking that Andre is richer than heβs letting on. Babe, his perfume is Great Britain by Roja. You know how much that costs?β
βNo.β
βAlmost two thousand dollars. How does a delivery guy afford a perfume that costly?β
βMaybe itβs an imitation fragrance or a gift from someone?β
βHow about the clothes he wore on our date? They were all designer labels.β
βSecond-hand maybe?β
βWhat about the wine? How did he know about such an expensive wine?β
βYeah, I havenβt forgiven you guys on that one. You both owe me.β
βHow did he know about the wine?β
βErmβ¦he schooled in France?β
βAnd then everyone at the lounge bar was calling him βsirβ.β
Another lettuce went into flag mode. βWeβre in Yorubaland, sisi. They would call even an ant βsirβ in this town.β
βNo. Something does not add up.β
βWaitβ¦ Let me get this clear. Youβre mad at him becauseβ¦what exactly? That heβs egotistic or that he is secretly rich?β
βBoth.β
βWow.β Leticia ate the lettuce. βThatβs my second wow over this issue and it means Iβm officially worried about you. Have you seriously considered giving your life to Christ, Antonia Braithwaite?β
βIf Andreβs rich and heβs pretending, then it means he is lying to me.β
βDuh!β
βAnd you know I canβt stand that.β
βYet you teabag old crinkling men but wetin be my own? Let me just Kermit.β
Toni eyed her. βAnd leave too. Lunch break is over.β
She clomped on her half-smoked cigarette and returned to the office, shutting the balcony door.
βJust call him and agree to that date.β
βNo, Tish.β
Toni dabbed on some oil-based perfume on her wrists to mask the cigarette smell.
βIβm back with Sylvester.β
βToni, that manβs explanation as to why he drugged you still makes no sense to me.β
βItβs his fetish.β Toni took her seat. βHe loves to drug women.β
βAnd that doesnβt spell danger to you, Antonia?β
Leticia was upset. In fact, she had been that way since Toni got back with Sylvester a month ago.
βSly is harmless. Heβs just a weirdo.β
βNo! Heβs a rapist or serial killer or worse! Why would a man drug a woman if he doesnβt want to do something sinister?!β
Toni laughed. βYouβre really so cute when youβre worried about me but seriously, Sly is harmless.β
βHeβs not slept with you yet.β
βMaybe he canβt. Or heβs gay. Totally not my problem. The money is good and he engages my mind, plus heβs brought a client our way. So itβs all win-win for me.β
Leticia put a lid over what little was left of her lunch. Her appetite was gone. βJust be careful.β
βI will.β
Leticia stood. She clutched her food pack to her tummy. βIzu is getting serious about us. He suddenly wants to start coming over to the house.β
Toni who was in the process of typing out an email, stopped.
βRepeat yourself.β
Leticia sighed. βOkay, on Saturday while talking on the phone, he was like he was in our area and was wondering if he could come over for lunch.β
βIs he insane?β
βI told him Iβll ask you about it for next time.β
Toni sprang up, hurled herself over the table and grabbed Leticia by the collar of her shirt. βDo not bring that filthy thing into my house.β
βOur house, Toni.β Leticia made a pout as she moved backwards. βI paid for my own half.β
βI donβt care what you paid for, just donβt bring Izuchukwu into my house. Jeez! Tish, heβs someone elseβs husband. He doesnβt love you.β
βHe does.β
βHe doesnβt.β
Leticia took another step backwards. βWhatever. Just leave my blouse.β
βItβs a shirt. H&M shirt.β
βLeave it.
βUmβ¦β Toni stared behind her. βI canβt, actually. I think I stretched too far. If I let go, Iβll fall.β
βGood for you.β
βOuch. Tummy muscles killing me,β Toni squeaked. βPlease help.β
Leticia put her arms around her and helped her down. Toni hugged her. βPlease keep Izu away. Far, far away.β
Leticia pushed away. βThatβs the difference between me and you. I donβt give you stress over your decisions or threaten our friendship. Like this Sylvester thing. I am very worried but you donβt see me going βif you continue with him, youβll lose meβ. I let you make your decisions. So, just leave me with Izu. Weβre both keeping each other company. His family is in the US and my fiancΓ© is God-knows-where. Izu and I get lonely, so why canβt we both help each other?β
Toni exhaled. For Leticia, that had been a long speech. It meant she was speaking from a place of hurt or she was probably on her period. Toni decided to stop aggravating her. They would talk later.
βFine. Just be careful.β
Leticia turned away. βThat goes without saying.β
The door shut in a hostile manner. Toni went back to her seat just as her phone began to ring.
She picked it. The caller was a friend from DFL Creative. In the past they had been intimate. She did it purely for business, benefits of which she was still reaping three years after.
She listened to the guy relate a detailed account of unsavory news she was not supposed to know. Her anger rose with each word he spoke. But she stayed quiet until he was done.
βAre you there, Toni?β
βI am. So youβre saying she used pussy to snatch that campaign from under us.β
βClearly.β
βI am so mad right now. So mad.β Toni kept her voice short. βYou have no idea how my boss worked hard to bring those guys in. She has been pursuing that campaign for more than six months. Because of it, she had broke her leg and was stuck in a wheelchair for a whole monthβ
βWell, what can I say? Bottom power is clearly at play here.β
Toni let out a sigh. βThank you, jare.β
βHow are you these days, though? I miss you.β
βGo back to work, oga.β
She heard a snigger.
βTalk to you later.β
The line went dead and Toni marched straight to Christieβs office. Raji and Izu were there.
βAfternoon, bosses. Sorry for barging in like this, Christie.β
βWe were having a meeting,β Izu mentioned, his eyes regarding Toniβs body in a barefaced manner.
βNo, itβs fine,β Christie replied. βWhat is it, Toni?β
βI have bad news.β
βWhat happened?β
βNkechi is at it again. She snatched our client right under our noses.β
βWhat client, Toni?β Christie sat up; so did Raji who was comfortable on a couch by the door.
βThe phone company guysβ¦β
βThe ones from Finland?β
βYeah.β
βWhat?!β
βThey had a meeting yesterday, apparently. While everyone was enjoying the Sabbath, they began making negotiations with DFL Creative.β
βThis cannot be happening. Toni, tell me youβre joking.β
βI am not, Christie. Nkechi slept with their marketing manager to snatch that campaign. I got this from a credible source. Thatβs why they have been stalling.β
βNo, this is not happening. At all. What is wrong with this Nkechi person nau? Does she have a personal vendetta against us or what? What did we ever do to her?β
You are not her problem. I am.
βItβs just competition, Christie. And I think weβve been playing with kidsβ gloves for too long. This is a new year. We have to get nasty again; weβve gone soft over the years. No ad agency survives by playing nice.β
βSheβs right,β Raji concurred, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. βAnd I think they have a mole here who tells them everything weβre up to. Thatβs why they are always one step ahead.β
βWhat happened to the inside person we had with them?β Christie asked.
βDead,β Toni answered. βHIV-related.β
Christie made a face.
βAnd we donβt have another person?β Raji questioned.
βNo.β
βWell, thank you for this info, Toni,β Christie rubbed her nose. βI will call and confirm. Canβt believe I hurt my leg for those guys.β
βWould you want me to handle them?β Toni asked. βBecause I totally can.β
βYes, she can. She has herβ¦ways,β Izu commented, his eyes coming to rest on Toniβs bum.
βNo, just leave it to me,β Christie replied.
βOkay.β
Raji rose up and got to the door before Toni did.
βIn my office, Antonia.β
Toni followed him. They entered his office, a grey space with little to inspire any form of extracurricular activity. It was different from Christieβs, which was feminine and warm, with soothing colors.
He shut the door.
βI need you to get back into DFL again.β Raji rested his butt slightly on his desk.
βYes, sir.β
βJust as Izu said, I know you have your ways. I donβt want to know what they are, I just want you to get in there and do your thing. We need to bring them to nothing.β
βBy all means, sir.β
She loved Raji. He was the most ruthless of the three. One could easily be deceived by his calm looks.
βRemember that whatever you do, it canβt be traced back to us.β
βDonβt worry sir. They wonβt see me coming.β
Raji nodded. βDo it and youβll make senior partner.β
Toni smiled. He angled his head at the door, dismissing her. Keeping her smile, she walked out. When she entered her office, she revisited Markβs latest email and reread it. She toyed around with the idea of calling him but her pride wouldnβt let her. Eventually, she typed out a reply that was quick and plain.
Hi Mark,
Frendz Bar, tomorrow. 8pm.
The mouse floated over the send button for a long time. When she finally clicked it, she let out a heavy breath.
Nkechiβ¦ Unless my nameβs not Toniβ¦ Iβll ruin you. Tear you to pieces. Bit by bit.
ββββββββ
Raji returned to Christieβs office and met her in the middle of a phone conversation. It was with her nineteen year-old son, Junior. The boy was a pain these days.
βYou want to go to Covenant University?! You want to?! Because I am so ready this moment to have your father take you there! Just push me, Cyrus!β
With a long hiss, she dumped her phone on the table.
βEasy,β Raji commented. βYouβll spoil the phone.β
βJunior gets on my nerves! God!β
βWhatβs it this time?β
βHe wants to throw a party and heβs asking Folarin for money.β
βA party for what?β
Christie spread out her hands. βHe says he didnβt throw a Valentineβs party and itβs blowing his rep. He needs to fix it.β
Raji laughed, making his way to her desk. βMaybe Junior wants to be a socialite at the end of the day. Like his father. How is that one these days sef?β
The image of Christieβs ex-husbandβs angry face the last time they met flashed in her memory. He had just discovered Junior was abusing marijuana and Christie was nonchalant about it. That meeting had not gone well. Not for her and especially not for Junior who had been shoved in the backseat of his fatherβs car and driven over to his house for some discipline.
βCyrus is fine.β
βIs he ever thinking about getting married again?β
βI donβt know.β
Christie didnβt like talking about Cyrus. He was one heck of a complicated man and their marriage had been a joke, having both been tied to each other by a teenage pregnancy. It wasnβt that the marriage was bad; it was that both of them became more of friends than lovers, and eventually ended up in a platonic arrangement. Divorce came on amicable grounds.
βDonβt stress yourself over Junior. Heβll come out good. And stop stressing over DFL as well.β
Raji had gone round Christieβs desk and was now standing behind her chair. He rotated it to have her face him.
βYou need to calm down, Christie.β
βI knowβ¦β
βWhere do you want to go today? Itβs way past lunch hour but Iβm thinking we could have an early dinner before we both head home.β
βI have a meeting in church by six.β
βSo, we leave here by fiveβ¦after management meeting.β
βRaj, whatβs going on between us? It started with the kiss, and then that night in Amsterdam happened and now weβre having lunch almost every day and I have all these gifts from you that I canβt even show Folarin. What is going on?β
Raji put out an innocent face. βNothing, Christie. Just two friends hanging out.β
βJust two friends hanging out?β Her voice went low. βRaji, in case you forgotβbecause somehow youβve been acting like it never happenedβwe had sex.β
He smiled. βIβve not forgotten and Iβve not been acting as if I have. Weβre both adults. We got carried away by a single moment. Am I supposed to start avoiding you because of that?β
βIt will never happen again.β
βIt was wonderful, Christie.β He adored her with his eyes. βOne of the best nights of my life.β
βIt was wrong,β Christie murmured in annoyance, fighting the part of her that agreed that their one-night stand in faraway Amsterdam a month ago had been amazing.
βFor that moment I was jealous of Folarin,β Raji confessed.
Christie spun her chair back into its former position.
βWe cannot have an affair, Raj.β
βWho said anything about an affair?β
She looked at him. βWe have to stop going down this path. Itβs wrong.β
βLetβs take that night out of the picture and see it this way. I make you happy. You make me happy. Ever since we started hanging out platonically, our relationship at work has been awesome and this has a positive effect on business. You have your creative hat back in full gear, so why do you want to suddenly distance yourself from me, your friend of fourteen years, just because you want to prove that youβre faithful to your husband?β
βWellβ¦β
βHonestly, I donβt want you to cheat on him again because I donβt want to betray my friendship with him either. But Christie, honeyβ¦ the chemistry between us is mad.β
βStop it.β
βBut like I said, I wonβt do anything. Just allow me fill in the spaces Folarin misses. Allow me bring back the old Christie who was full of excitement and zest. Consider it a favor Iβm doing for your marriageβ¦β
βAnd you, what do you gain from it?β
βA woman who appreciates me. A friend. Salma took all of that away.β
He rested his back on the wall.
βI miss her. We live in the same house and yet weβre stuck in different time zones. It appears sheβs moved on without me. I regret what I did to her, to the kids but Iβm tired of being punished. I just want to experience love again, to be able to love someone else and be appreciated with no drama.β
βI canβt take her place and you canβt take Folarinβs.β
βI know but canβt we keep ourselves preoccupied, find a cocoon where the stress of everyday cannot touch us?β
Christie thought about Folarin. People believed she had everything going for her with a fairytale marriage. And maybe they were right, if marriages were to be defined by love and great sex alone.
But she wanted much more from Folarin who was the textbook definition of a perfect husband. He was faithful, loving, kindhearted and a stud in bed. The type of guy you wanted to ride off into the sunset with. And she had done just that with him at the age of twenty-five. Or rather the version of him she fell in love with eleven years ago.
At the present, she didnβt know who he was. The adventurous, free-spirited man she knew was taken over by a person she found hard to comprehend. He now lived with a limited dose of adrenalin and settled for the basics life threw his way. As an executive of one of the leading ad agencies in the country, she as a woman, wasnβt expecting anything less from her man but Folarin had chosen a safe, rudimentary life that saw him answering to bosses above him and earning less than twenty percent of what she made monthly. Coping with that reality was hard. She wasnβt in love with the present version of him and he wasnβt willing to revert to the man he used to be. Hence, their marriage was stuck in the great sex and wonderful parents zone. That was all he could offer.
But not Raji. Raji was audacious beneath his quietness. Alive. Enterprising. A leader. A spearhead. The type of man she had desired when she fell for Folarin. She would tell no one how much she was struggling with thoughts of him. Only God knew. He alone heard her pleas at night for salvation, and the silent yet racing thumps of her heart each time Raji walked past her or gave her that knowing smile.
It was a battle she fought every day but she was weakening by the second. Raji didnβt help by being around her a lot and knowing so much of her person.
βIβm not asking for sex, Christie. Just you. Your friendship, your mind, your time. Iβm a very needy boy. And you know me. I am not like this. You know how much of a cold fish I can be but Christie three years is too much. The hate I see in Salmaβs eyes whenever she looks at me β and Iβm like madam, free me, let me just go. But I think of the kids, and I know thatβs why sheβs staying too. And I respect her for that. Theyβre too young to see us fight; much less, divorce. Weβre both afraid to hurt themβ¦β
βSo, youβll keep pretending.β
βManaging. Thatβs the word. We manage our situation.β
βSo what youβre essentially asking me to be is the human version of a sex doll.β
βI said I donβt want sex.β
βOkay. A love doll. A cuddle bear. Iβll just be there to cushion your emotional needs.β
βHow is it different from what weβre already doing? What have we been to each other through the years? Folarin, hurts you, you come and cry on my shoulders. You feel down, you leave your office and come to mine to talk. Same with me. When I was cheating on Salma, only you knew. When shit hit the fan three years later, I came to you for help. So Christieβ¦darling, I am not asking you to do anything out of what weβve been doing as friends. Iβm simply begging you not to break the connection because that is what you want to do.β
βRaj, you and I know that it wasnβt just sex. You felt something. I felt something.β
βYou did?β
Christie hated to admit the truth. βI did. And it was wrong. Raji, you are my business partner. My husband is your best friendβ¦β
βYouβre overthinking things, Christie. Stop.β
βI havenβt been able to pray right since that night. Iβve asked God to forgive me but I still feel guilty.β
βThen let me help you feel better.β
He came down on her lips unexpectedly and just like the first time they kissed, she made no move to stop him. There was hunger in her, familiar and pleasurable. It pulled down the shaky fortifications she erected against her desire for him.
βThis is an affair, no?β she asked, eyes in his.
Raji groaned in exasperation as he straightened up. βOkay, Iβll be in my office, Christie. If your answer to an early dinner with me is yes, weβll go to Debonaireβs for pizza by five after the management meeting. But no pressure. And no, this is not an affair.β
He placed a peck on her forehead and left the office. Christie felt helpless. She felt betrayed by God. He was supposed to help her fight off her temptations.
Before sleeping with Raji she had prided in being a strong, devoted Christian and a faithful wife. An affair had never crossed her mind. Not ever. So why was it that she easily gave in to Rajiβs advances in that hotel suite in Amsterdam? Why had she been unable to stop him? Why had God abandoned her when she needed him?
Her phone beeped. A Whatsapp message came in. It was from Raji himself. He had sent an intimate picture of her.It was captioned:
Just reminiscingβ¦ Youβre beautiful, Christie.
Christie shut her eyes. βLord, please help me.β
Β©Sally@moskedpages
Images: ofcourseblackisbeautiful,Β favim.com
To continue this story, click HERE
It is always difficult to resist such temptation.
It is hotel suite not suit.
Whoops whoops!!! Sally my bae is back….twas an interesting nd very long read, thanks for always bn dere to deliver beautifully, much luv ma’am
Oh lalacious, this is good. Thumbs up Sally.
Hmm, Lord help her plsss
A very interesting read I loved it
Loving this seriously, thanks sally, you just made my day
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….go sally, go sally…tomi coco, thanks for the visit, please stay in ur house ooooo(just joking)
Christie and the sex in Amsterdam reminds me of myself years ago, when i prided in “no other man can touch me”, then it happened and i started saying “let him that thinketh he stands, take heed, lest he fall”
on to the next one…..cant wait…sally is bae, everytime, anytime
Hmmmmnmmm infidelity mode activated. Truth is once you start you can’t stop on your own it takes God for you to stop. What’s next for Andre and Toni? Welldone Sally great job
A perfect end to a stressful day. The sun that dealt with me today as if its mission was to finish me. thanks Sally!
The wait was totally worth it!!!
thanks Sally. Good read and worth the wait too.
Toni is still my favorite character though i feel she needs to face the past squarely and get it off her or it would ruin her
Sally thankzz for keeping to your promise,,it was worth the wait. Christie may God help you oooo. Hope toni won’t destroy herself
Fighting Temptations!!!!
Anoda wonderful piece,, gud job sally boo.
Sally, u just the best..thanks for the wonderful piece!!!! U r the rocket always..mwahhh
hi Sally. thanks for the update. keep me waiting all day yestaday sha. how do i communicate with you one on one. Amateur blogger to
Pro blogger thinz
very nice and lengthy. thanks a lot dear.
i kept refreshing this page all through yesterday. yay. twas worth the wait. Tomi_Coco please stay in your house and face your work writing friendzone and the Squadi the originals. Glad to know two of my favourite writers are chummy.
Hmmmm, can’t wait to see how all of this will end. Toni and Andre, I can see you people fast becoming Jiney……..Well done Sally, we have missed you and thanks for not leaving us bereft but still blessing us with Temitope Ogunyinka’s story. I still await Immortals Code sha. Stay blessed
Hmmmm Christie’s case is somewhat similar to mine. In this life ehn, we should never say never!
Toni girl, week it for me!!! Teach Nk a lesson she will never forget in her life, lol. And yes, I’ve always known Andre is rich hence the attitude.
Thanks sally, it’s a beautiful piece π
Let the joy ride begin ?
Nice one Sally…keep it coming!
Fighting temptation! Its nt an easy one,one just need God intervention. Thanks sally,u rock
Hmmm sally dis is sweet.i just took my fix of ur post.welldone
Oh well…
Talk about complicated in its meanest form!
Cheating wives. My favourite fantasy
This Toni-Andre thingy ehn. The young man be weakening her at the knees with his “i-no-send-you” attitude. For someone who’s used to men pandering to her every wishes. It’ll only get interesting, and I’m salivating.
I know how our emotions always play tricks but what I can’t justify is Raji’s obsession with Christie. ’tis never easy but the head has to guide us, and boundaries should be set. Things like that don’t ever end well, especially when it’s tending towards a triangle with Folarin’s involvement.
Nice one Sally. I’m always in love with your engaging style that makes me feel I’m watching a movie. Big ups
Christie why now?
Hmmmm no wonder. ..you and Tomilola_coco writes great stories…you are friends (wow)
Lovely episode as usual!
Temptation comes in different shape n sizes oh……God help us all.
How are you doing madam? Do take care OK…..xoxo.
Wow, i can’t belief I’ve missed this for so long, let me go and catch up on the others. Interesting as usual Sally…welldone