Hey guys, from the depths of my heart, I’m sorry for the long break. It was unintentional and won’t ever happen again. I hope you keep reading while I work on winning back your trust. The Bro Code is here to stay😊”
You can catch up with the series from the start by clicking HERE
TUESDAY, 31st DECEMBER 2013
Pablo checked his watch and tried not to smile back at Ayo as she teased him about being dressed like an armed robber. His black clothes, black hoodie, black shoes and black bucket hat had been carefully selected to enable him withstand the bitingly cold harmattan breeze, given that he was not particularly fond of the weather. But at eleven thirty-five pm on New Year’s Eve; surrounded by wasted friends, nodding along to boisterous music, sweating from every pore in his body and having a swell time, even he had to admit that his clothing was not entirely conducive for the present environment.
Obi was talking to the curly haired chick, the same chick they had both agreed not to have a go at until the new year. Pablo shook his head and chuckled. “This guy blood dey always hot,” he muttered under his breath.
“Hmmm?” Ayo looked at him.
“What?”
“Did you say something? I thought you said something.”
Pablo shook his head again. He made a motion with his fingers. “I’m going for a walk,” he mouthed. She patted his shoulders as he brushed past her and walked out the door of the house into the garden. He took a deep breath of fresh air and held it for several seconds before exhaling slowly. He turned to look at the house. He hadn’t been upstairs yet, hadn’t even thought about it. But Mahmoud had promised that upstairs was where the real party would go down, and Mahmoud always threw the best parties, according to Obi and Ayo.
The duo had met him during NYSC orientation camp before all three redeployed to Lagos where Mahmoud’s father was a serving commissioner. He invited them to his annual New Year’s Eve bash and Pablo had tagged along, not wanting to remain alone in the apartment they had all just started to share. Now however, he was considering how long it would take to spin a random babe from the party and back to their apartment before Obi and Ayo were ready to leave. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Obi was able to convince the curly haired chick to come back with him, and he was not ready to lose this particular bet.
Out of nowhere, he saw her. It felt like actual electricity, and for the first five seconds he could not breathe as his eyes focused on her red dress. When he finally caught his breath, she had crossed over to the garden seat right in front of him and was pulling out her phone to answer a call. As the blood rushed back into Pablo’s head and the midnight breeze wept over him, wave after wave, he forgot about the blunt he had come outside to light. He forgot about bringing anyone else over to the apartment just to win the bet with Obi. Her Arabian oud wafted around in his nostrils, and for the first time in his entire life, he knew he was in love.
“Hi,” he said, covering the rest of the distance between the both of them. She looked away from her phone and up into his eyes. Her eyes, they were incredible. Pablo was lord and master of maintaining eye contact during flirting, but when she looked into his eyes, he just had to look away.
He looked back, trying hard not to blush and found her smiling.
“You’re so damn big,” she said, “You must work out a lot.”
Her voice reminded him of afro juju music, the type Fela used to sing with such energy and drama. He would never be able to explain it, but she sounded exactly how he had expected her to.
“I do. I’m a fitness trainer, among many, many other things.”
“That sounds interesting. Things like what?”
Pablo had never felt so compelled to naked himself in front of a total stranger. Something about her made him want to confess everything of himself.
“I’d love to tell you, but I’m pretty sure you would bolt immediately after.”
She laughed. “You think I can’t handle it? Think I can’t handle you, big guy?
He recognised the test in her eyes and smiled. “I don’t even know your name; I don’t know anything about you.
“So why don’t you ask me a question?”
Pablo pulled out the garden seat beside her and lowered himself to sit. He reached out and took both of her hands in his, she did not resist. In his head, he could hear all the love songs play out, from start to finish. This was not him; he was not the type of guy to become smitten by a woman, any woman at all. But still locked in her gaze, he felt the universe tilt and knew in an instant that his life would never be the same.
“What’s your name?”
“Uju. What about you?”
Out of nowhere, someone yelled out ‘Pablo’ and a lanky guy wearing a navy blue kaftan walked over to them, interrupting their conversation.
“How far? Pablo?”
“What’s up, Mahmoud?” He shook hands with the lanky fellow and waited, cursing him all the while in his head.
“No vex say I come disturb you abeg,” Mahmoud bent low to whisper, “I talked to Ayo, she said you might have some…level, here with you?”
Without a second thought, Pablo reached into the pocket of his hoodie and retrieved a tiny, translucent plastic bag containing a single white pill. He handed it to Mahmoud.
“I’m all out of weed bro, so this will have to do.”
“This is perfect, thanks. Do I give you cash here or…?”
Pablo looked at the woman across from him, she was still smiling, her focus still entirely on him, the phone in her hand ignored. He looked back at Mahmoud. “Don’t worry about it, it’s on the house.”
“Mad oh,” Mahmoud exclaimed.
“Any friend of Ayo is a friend of mine,” he said, laughing.
“Thanks Pablo, na you be boss.” He looked over at Uju for the first time and smiled politely. “I’ll leave you guys to it, thanks again bro.”
They waited to watch Mahmoud walk back into the house and into the party.
Uju laughed her perfect laugh once again. “So, I guess your name is Pablo.”
“That’s what everyone calls me…”
“Of course, because you sell drugs.”
“Of course.”
“So, fitness trainer, drug dealer, what else is there to know about this beautiful, black, muscular man?”
Pablo chuckled long and hard, almost ending up in a fit of coughing for no apparent reason. He uncrossed his legs and reached for her hands again. “I’m usually not like this,” he breathed out slowly, “I’m a lot more…steady, normally.”
“Don’t worry, I can tell. You’d have to be really…steady to do both of your jobs.” She winked at him in such a comedic fashion that Pablo chuckled again.
“I’m really enjoying talking to you, Uju.”
“So am I, big guy. But I kind of have to go, right now.”
“What? Why?” He checked his watch. “It’s just eleven forty-five… “
“And that means, I’ve been with you five minutes longer than I should have.” She rose from the garden seat, smoothened down her dress and reached forward gingerly to caress his face. He instinctively leaned into her touch as she slowly ran her fingers through his beard.
“I really do have to go, Pablo.” Their hands remained linked as he got to his feet. He could not believe they met only minutes ago, it felt like they had known each other many lifetimes.
“Will I see you again?”
“Definitely. In case you haven’t realised yet, this is fate, you and I, we’re destiny baby.” Uju laughed in her special way, and Pablo continued to laugh even as she swayed briskly to the house, pausing briefly at the door to turn and smile at him, before walking in and closing it behind her.
He was tempted to chase after her and almost took off in a giddy moment but, commonsense prevailed. His knees shook so he sat back down and tried taking long, deep breaths. Then he noticed his hands were shaking as well and Pablo finally had to laugh at himself. He was in love. And nothing had ever felt so damn good.
*********************************************
Obi continued to stare at the bridge of her nose as the curly haired chick went on and on about a question he could not remember asking, but he deeply regretted having asked. Damn this bitch can talk, he thought, with a plastic smile plastered on his face. She had looked incredibly hot with her natural hair and big breasts packed into a tank top, so incredibly hot that Obi had disregarded his agreement with Pablo and gone after her, before the clock struck twelve.
Which kind wahala be this one? Why I no just wait? It was almost funny; he had been so determined to be the first one to bring a casual lay back to the apartment in the New Year, and win the bet, that he had ignored all the signs and was now stuck with a woman determined to talk him to death.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the door open and a woman wearing a red dress breeze into the party. Woman or angel, he was not entirely certain, and he paused for a moment just to be sure he was not dreaming. He turned quickly to Ayo and found her sitting down, using her phone; she had definitely not seen what he just saw.
All of a sudden, Obi could no longer stomach another second of conversation with the curly haired chick, and he stopped her abruptly.
“Hi! Yes, hello. Err, I can’t do this anymore. You’re a beautiful woman, curly hair, but you’re boring as hell. You talk too much, and I really only wanted to fuck and win a bet, so what’s all this?”
Her mouth remained open, mid-sentence. He continued.
“I mean, you told me your name, but right now I don’t have a clue what it might be, that’s how boring your gist is. So I have to go. I wish you good luck in 2014, just leave me behind in this year abeg. Thanks.”
Obi grinned suddenly and raised his hand for a high five. The shocked girl responded automatically, before catching herself, as he glided past her and straight into the kitchen after the angel in red.
She was standing by the kitchen table, sipping from a bottle of water when he walked in and she lifted her eyes from her phone to meet his. Obi grinned. She grinned back.
“Did you rush in here like that just because of me?”
“Yes!”
She laughed. “Everyone is so honest tonight, what did they put in all your drinks?” Obi had no clue what she was talking about, he just laughed along with her.
“You know, I actually saw you with this natural afro beauty when I first walked in, so what happened to her?”
“She bored the life out of me.” He watched her lips closely as she burst into laughter again.
“I’m sure she did, but a guy like you shouldn’t care about that yeah? Isn’t everything just a means to an end?”
Obi chuckled as he joined her at the table, barely giving her any breathing room.
“A guy like me?”
“Yes, a player”
He grinned again, inching his hand forward on the table until he grazed the tip of her fingers. In his experience, once a woman acknowledges that you’re indeed a player, you’re only hours away from taking her clothes off, as long as you play your cards right. And Obi was the king of cards.
“So you don’t like players?” he asked, a teasing tilt to his voice.
“Well, I do love a good game every now and then.”
“Really?” He checked the time on his watch; it was eleven fifty-three. “Why don’t we get out of here then?”
“To your apartment?”
“Yes!”
“Where we are going to fuck like animals, all through the New Year?”
“Among other things, but again, yes.”
She laughed again and Obi put his hands around her waist and reeled her in until their bodies touched and her laughter was hot breath against his neck. He looked her dead in the eye.
“I want you so much.”
“I’m sure you do, and you’ll have me as well, I promise. It won’t just be today, tomorrow or anytime soon really.”
Obi was momentarily stunned and didn’t resist as she placed a firm hand on his chest and created space between them. She took her bottle of water and stepped away from him, fanning herself with her free hand.
“See how you got me all worked up and excited,” she smiled coyly at him and Obi bit his lip in sweet frustration. What game was this woman playing?
“Where’s the bathroom?” she asked out of nowhere and Obi pointed upstairs. She placed her bottle back on the table, placed her hand on his and let it linger for a moment before walking away.
“Stay right there, I’ll be back,” she winked at him, her scent lingering behind as she left the kitchen. Obi stood at the table, confused and wondering what had just happened. And then he slapped his forehead and burst into laughter at his own stupidity. He had not even asked for her name, he was so caught up in their sexual vibes that he forgotten the most important detail.
He crossed his arms and shook his head sadly. Curly haired chick must have put a curse on him, that was the only explanation. All of a sudden, he was not so sure that red dress would come back.
*************************************************
Ayo flushed the toilet and walked out of the stall. It was still weird to her that a regular house would have bathrooms like a restaurant but, then again it was Mahmoud, and his money was anything but regular. She turned the faucet and stared at her reflection in the mirror as water gushed out of the tap. She was reapplying her lipstick when the door opened and a beautiful woman dressed in a red, straight neck, bodycon dress walked into the bathroom, smiled at her and picked the stall right next to the one she had just come out of.
What a woman, Ayo thought, almost dropping her lipstick in the sink. The toilet flushed seconds later and the woman came out to join Ayo at the sink, their eyes meeting in the mirror.
“Hi!” Ayo smiled at her reflection.
“Hey hey. Is it twelve yet?”
Ayo laughed. “Trust me; you’ll know when it’s twelve. You’ll hear a thousand drunken men and women screaming “happy new year”, it’s impossible to miss.” They laughed together as Ayo checked her phone, carefully balanced on the sink. “This is eleven fifty-eight.”
“Two minutes, yay!” She turned fully in Ayo’s direction and eyed her steadily. “Oh my god, that black looks amazing on your lips.”
“Thank you so much.” Ayo blushed.
“So who’s the lucky guy? Or girl?”
“Huh?”
The woman laughed. “The person you’ll be kissing that’s making you reapply lipstick two minutes until it’s a new year.”
“No one yet,” Ayo chuckled. “No one at the moment, I’m just…making preparations.”
“I’m sure you are,” She took a step closer. Ayo watched the woman in the mirror, as she explored every inch of her body with her eyes. “Would you mind someone to practise with before then?”
Ayo turned. “I don’t understand.”
Barely were the words out of her mouth before the mystery woman in red was clawing at her and sticking her hot tongue down her throat, as far as it would go. Ayo went from shocked to passionate in seconds, and was soon engaged in a dance of death with her, as their hands roamed over every inch of each other’s body.
The attraction was fierce and choking, and the make out session might have gone on forever if the air had not been broken by fireworks, screams, bells and whistles, all roaring together at once. Ayo thought it was all in her head, she thought the stranger was reaching places in her subconscious that she never even knew existed. Until she broke the kiss, smiled and kissed her on the cheek.
“Happy New year,” she whispered. Oh, Ayo thought, that’s what the entire bloody racket is about. She shook slightly, embarrassed.
“Happy New year to you too.”
The mystery woman smiled and let go of Ayo’s waist. She turned back to the mirror and straightened her dress. Then she winked. “If eventually you don’t find someone to kiss, I’m always available for more practice.”
She laughed at the look on her face, blew a kiss at the mirror and walked out of the bathroom, as suddenly as she had entered. Ayo sank to the floor, slowly; her legs could no longer keep her hold her up. Happy New year, she thought, God! What a woman.
*********************************************
Pablo pulled out of the driveway and waited for Ayo and Obi to detach themselves from the crowd and join him inside. It was bitingly cold, more than it had been two hours ago and he was worried that if the car battery started acting up again, it would take a lot of effort, and a lot more embarrassment, before they would be able to fix it.
Still, it had been a great party, and although he had not seen Uju again, he was not entirely worried. “…we’re destiny, baby”, that was what she said, and he believed it. It was like he had become an entirely new man in just one night, and it would truly be a new year, new Pablo.
Obi got into the passenger seat as Ayo got into the back and they slammed the doors shut.
“Why do you always get to sit in front?” She asked, slapping the back of his head in the process.
“Haba! On top this Pablo machinery wey suppose dey museum, you still want dey claim front seat?”
“You dey craze, na your papa dey drive machinery.” Pablo manoeuvred the car out as they both laughed at his expense.
“That’s true though Pablo, I think say drug dealers dey always get money?”
Obi struggled with the seatbelt. “Don’t mind him, he’s saving up for a helicopter instead.
Pablo smiled, waiting for the few cars ahead of him to make their way out of the compound. “Both of you are in my car, heading for an apartment where I’m paying sixty percent of the rent and everything else, and you still want to be insulting me? Una get mind oh!”
All three laughed. “That’s how you guys just ditched me sha, almost three hours and I didn’t see either of you again,” Ayo complained.
“How do you know it wasn’t you that ditched us?” Pablo asked, putting the car back into gear.
“Exactly!” Obi dodged just in time before she could slap his head again.
“Oh come on. Pablo, you said you were going outside for some air. And this he-goat was talking to that curly haired chick, before you know it they had both disappeared. Before you know it times two, I didn’t see either of you again.”
Pablo turned his neck. “Did you and that curly haired chick get down?”
“At all oh, person wey wan use talk kill me.” They laughed. Obi continued. “Nah man, I was flirting with one beautiful angel like this in the kitchen and she just disappeared. I legit did not see her again all night.”
They paused as Pablo eased the car closer to the gate and to the security men doing a routine check of the before him.
“I fell in love tonight, guys.” He announced suddenly. The car was completely silent before Obi and Ayo burst into loud laughter.
“Hard guy don end,” Ayo laughed.
“How the mighty have fallen.”
“Who be this babe abeg, Pablo?”
He took a deep breath first. “I met her outside, in the garden. Fuck, she’s so beautiful; everything about her was just elegant and reassuring. We talked and it felt like we had known each other for years. Her perfume was like lemons and happiness…”
Obi tapped Ayo repeatedly on the leg and screamed. “Oh boy! Wetin dey happen, Ayo? Shey you dey hear wetin I dey hear?”
Ayo could not control her laughter. Pablo ignored the both of them and eased the car between the gates for the security check, continuing his story.
“She was literally perfect. I never knew I could feel like this. She was wearing a red dress…”
“What?” Obi and Ayo said in unison.
“Huh?”
“You said she was wearing a red dress Pablo, what kind of red dress?” The urgency in Obi’s tone was unmistakable.
“What does it matter what type of red dress it was?”
“The babe I flirted heavily with was in a red dress, before she left me to go to the bathroom.”
“Bathroom?” Ayo asked.
“That’s what she said, why?”
She ran her hands through her locks. “I made out with a woman in the bathroom, and she was wearing a red dress.”
“What time?” Pablo asked. He did not want to believe what he was hearing.
“Right before midnight, I think. We were definitely kissing when the clock struck twelve sha, because I could hear the shouts…”
“That’s okay, thanks.” He turned to Obi. “And you, what time did you flirt with this woman?”
“Some minutes before twelve.”
“And neither of you got her name?” They shook their heads together. He tapped the steering wheel softly as a muscled guard went through his car particulars for the second time in under four hours. The paranoid life of the filthy rich, he thought.
“What about you?” Ayo asked, “Did you get a name?”
Pablo nodded slowly.
“And?” Obi looked at him quizzically. Pablo was staring to act strange.
“Uju. Her name was Uju.”
They were silent again as the guard handed Pablo’s documents back and then signalled to his counterpart to lift the barrier.
“You guys know it’s the same woman right? We all had something to do with the same woman, all in the same night.” Obi was still trying to make sense of it.
Pablo glared at him. “It’s not the same woman, and you did not have anything to do with her.”
“Come on man, make we dey logical here.”
Obi felt Pablo’s rage before he saw it. They were about to get into a fight over a woman, thus breaking the cardinal rule of the code but, just before things could erupt, Ayo screamed and pointed out the window.
“Is that her?”
Pablo slammed hard on the brakes, causing the car to screech loudly before skidding to a stop. He and Obi turned in the direction she had pointed and sure enough, there was Uju, arm in arm with an elderly man, walking into a matte black Range Rover Sport, parked by the side of the road.
All three immediately got out of the car and as Pablo made to cross the road, he screamed out her name.
“UJU!”
She spun around and saw all three, standing by the side of the road, looking bewildered. Uju shook her head and smiled, turning back to her companion as they entered the car together.
To be continued
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Ok na, bros code things
Mehn this Uju babe na problem o. Welcome back
Did this Uju girl pal all of them or what
This Uju girl is serious bad news and i feel she was intentional by flirting with all three of them