FOUR

They lay side by side on the lush rug.

Her eyes were fixed at the ceiling fan. In the speed, the brown blades had meshed into a consistent circle.
In her mind she tried not to think about what just happened some minutes again.
But it proved hard. Very hard.

The images kept coming back. They were not ordinary pictures one could see, she felt them instead. The sweetness and all. She was nearly consumed in the pleasure.

Some of it still lingered, as if she could taste it on her tongue if she wanted to.

But a part of her was not very at home with the feeling of pleasance. The part that blamed her for loosening it all up again.

She pondered on it for a while before she blew the thought away and rested her mind on the more pleasurable feelings.

She remembered how she had moaned, screamed, groaned under him. She resisted the urge to smile.

She turned to him.

She met his eyes suddenly and was nearly startled by them. He'd been staring at her all along.

She smiled at him and he returned it.

He was really cute. Way cuter than his brother. She inhaled deeply, as if to be sure it hadn’t all been a dream.


His stare deepened.

Her eyes went narrow.

He took her hand with his free hand. His other hand held his head up at an angle that set his eyes straight at her face.

He folded her hand inside his.

A peculiar feeling of security settled on her.

'Marry me,' he said in a tiny whisper

She pretended not to hear.

'Will you?' he said again, in same quiet, but serious, tone.

'Will you like me to make something?' she said instead. Cooking was like a passion to her.

'I'm not hungry,' he said. His hand tightened around hers. 'Grace,' he called.

She stared at him, not knowing what to feel.

'I love you,' he said.

She stared.

‘I want you to marry me.’

A heavy feeling descended on her.

She got up and straightened her gown. She ran her hand over her hair twice and picked her purse.

Without a word she walked out of the room, leaving him still, staring and lost.

He jerked when the door banged shut behind her.

In her apartment she dropped on the orange and black-colored couch and kicked off her shoes.

A big lump formed in her throat.

She felt insulted. It was the same tactic his brother had used. Quick, deceptive promise of marriage. It may be what they are experienced in.

She walked into her room and changed into a casual brown dress.

She so wanted to talk to someone. She had few friends, most colleagues from work. Her best friend, Bisola, has moved to Ibadan where she
now stayed with her husband.

Her younger brother was far away in FUTO. She wanted to call her mother but thought better of it.

She was in the kitchen boiling water when she heard a knock on her door.

She opened the door at the same time she said 'Who?'

'Can I come in?' he asked.

'Come in,' she said quietly.

He stepped in and she shut the door.

The room smelt heavily flower and fruits.

'Why did you run off like that? Did I say anything to offend you?'

She stared at him.

He came a step closer. 'Talk to me.' He took her hand.

She felt the heavy lump of anger in her chest dissolve and flow away. His touch, his face, there was something so innocent about them.

'It's nothing,' she said. 'It's just your mention of marriage, it got me...got me...annoyed.'

'Really? Why?'

She signaled for them to sit.

They settled on the couch.

'Tell me,' he said.

'Your brother engaged me.'

'Dapo asked you to marry him?'

'Yes. Barely a week we met.'

'I didn't know.'

'That's okay.'

He pulled out of the chair to stare at her. 'I now understand your action. You see Dapo kept a lot of dishonest relationships way back. He yet
still pays for it till this moment.'

‘Tell me more.'

He shifted nearer her and held her. 'You see, Grace, I'm not Dapo. I will never hurt you.'

He stared down at her till she moved her head in a nod.

'Thanks. If you can't marry me, will you accept to date me?' He extended an open palm. ‘At least?’

She smiled. 'That I can manage for now,' she said. She took his hand.

They hugged.

They hadn't completed the act when his phone rang.

He reached into his pocket and brought out a Samsung phone.

'One minute please'

'Go ahead.'

He tapped at somewhere on the phone's screen and put the phone to his ear.

He spoke entirely in Yoruba. 'I'm in my girlfriend’s house, why?'

‘I now do.’

‘Since…’ He looked briefly at her. ‘…today.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Okay. Tell me.’

'Fifty thousand?'

'No. I can't raise that in so short a time.'

'What?'

'It has to be till Monday...that's what I'm saying.'

'Please, Brother, I will call you back.' He ended the call.

She noticed the lines on his face. 'Who is that?'

'It's Dapo.'

'Dapo? Your brother?'

'Yes. He said he needed 50k urgently now.'

'He is asking you for money? What happened to his Shell job?'

'He lost it. It was a long story. But I don't pity him. He is actually paying for his sins.'

She found some consolation in that. But she still would like him to help his brother, if he could. Grace may not be the softest of people but she
is not stone.

She stood. 'Let me fix you something to eat.'

'Thanks,' he said.

FIVE

She laughed out loud and flashed a tongue at him.

In the screen facing them, she had just slaughtered him and he dropped to the ground with a near-human groan. Graphic blood stains splashed
at the screen.

He looked at her and said nothing.

He couldn't believe that barely thirty minutes of teaching her the game, she was now beating him to it.

He somehow found satisfaction in her victory. He knew he would win her if he put in more effort, but he somehow was happy with her winning, smiling, flashing a clean, red tongue at him.

He restarted the game and chose another player. He was now a samurai warrior and she a white-topped bad ass bitch still.

Her player had let out a shrill growl to mean the game has started when the knock landed on the door.

'One minute.' Alex paused the game and stood.

The knock came again, twice, before he could get to the door.

Grace could sense the impatience. She wondered who it might be.

Perhaps his landlord? Is he owing rent? She has her chequebook. She wouldn't mind signing him a cheque if that was the case.

But it wasn't.

The face that met her eyes sent tiny sharp sands flying all around her. She stilled for a second. But she recovered quickly and turned her face

away.

'Brother mi, ekabo,' Alex said.

Dapo nodded, his eyes down on Grace.

She knew he was staring at her. She could feel it. She didn't want to feel captured. She stood, threw out a flat hi at him and sat on the couch.

'That's my girlfriend, Dapo.'

'Oh,' Dapo said. 'Meet me in the room.'

'Actually, the money is downstairs in the car. Let's—'

'Ayodeji tele mi!' Dapo led the way into the room.

abeg don't allow this Dapo guy to spoil her joy for her ooo.let him go and die... nice one bro, wants more

Ur story is similar to what happened to me,but i knew dating his brother will only complicates issues for me,Dan ride on

Ride 0n dear, ur story is xooo making sense.....m0re strength 2ur thumb.

nessaluv:
Ride on dear, ur story is xooo making sense.....m0re strength 2ur thumb.

Thanks, Nessa.

adefunke62:
abeg don't allow this Dapo guy to spoil her joy for her ooo.let him go and die... nice one bro, wants more

Thanks, adefunke.

Costlybabe:
Ur story is similar to what happened to me,but i knew dating his brother will only complicates issues for me,Dan ride on

Good to hear you had a similar experience. Actually it was friend's sharing that inspired this story.

Costlybabe:
Ha Dan,how can you say you happy i had a similar experience,its not something pleasing biko,lol,no mind me jo

Hahaha. Didn't mean it that way o.

‘Are you insane?’ Dapo did not wait for Alex to get through the door.

Alex wondered why he asked him into the room if his voice was going to be so loud. He could as well have thrown the tantrums in the sitting
room. In her front. But whatever he did would not matter.

His brother has lost the right to mentor him many months back when he found out what he did. That he still talked to him was just for same
blood’s sake.

‘What’s that woman doing in your house, Ayo?’

‘That woman is my girlfriend, Brother. I introduced her.’

‘You are very silly.’ He said this Yoruba. ‘Do you not know who she is? Do you not know her? That woman destroyed my life.’

‘Nobody destroyed your life, Brother!’

Dapo pulled back in surprise.

‘Yes, you set the fire that burned your feet yourself.’

‘Ayodeji, so you can now insult me? Over some cheap omo-Igbo girl?’

‘No no, Dapo, I will not have you insult her like that.’

‘What? Are you— ’

The door suddenly burst open. Grace came through. ‘This meeting is over. Alex, I will like to see you in the kitchen.’ She did something with
her eyes. ‘Right now.’

The air stilled with tension.

Grace walked out.

Ayo ignored Dapo’s eyes and followed her.

In the kitchen, Grace waved at Alex to save the apology. She asked him to go downstairs and get him the money.

He obeyed and left.

Dapo was standing in the sitting room when he came back.

Grace walked out of the kitchen.

Fury has tightened Dapo’s features that he was now difficult to recognize.

‘Here is the money.’ Ayo extended the bundle of N500 notes to him.

Dapo jerked the money from him and threw it back at him at the same time. ‘I don’t need your filthy money!’

He turned to Grace. ‘As for you…’ He produced a small smile filled with malice. ‘…by the time I’m done with you, you will know what it means
to meddle into family matters.’

‘The empty threats of a sinking man.’ Grace threw this out with great aplomb. She read English, so speaking was the least of her problems.

Dapo swerved back to her. He scowled briefly, did something like a nod and left.

‘Let’s pick the money,’ Grace said.

Alex nodded his agreement.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @danielnkd

Dan, please keep it coming

Oh my,which one be ayo again please

Dan oooo, wia u dey? abeg com update ooo

Oga Dan well don ohh,may God give you more liquid for you pipe, and may you pipe never fall down, may it keep standing strong like an Army man on duty.... Bross ehn be like nah you wey Chinua Achebe give him literature brain before ehn die ohh.... You try ghonnn... Well don......

Dan the Dan,thanking ‎​you 4 dis newing 1dafuling story o,jisike my broda and more pieces of updating abeg

So sorry, guys, been quite busy on my blog - http://danwrites90..com

Just got a sponsor and needed to put things in place.

Please I will update soon and please do endeavor to visit my blog. Read new stories every day there. You can also send us stories if you have any. You will see how on the 'Get Published' post.

Danny adon show o! Welcome sir!
Lovingly following ur story, i think i like alex n grace, but patiently waiting for the rest of the story!

Am in love wit ur write up, while reading dis, i was just WoWinG, WOW!

Danwrites darling

Chapters Six and Seven now posted on DNB. http://danwrites90..com

Danwrites do u mean no more updates on ur work tru Nairaland??

Enasco1:
Danwrites do u mean no more updates on ur work tru Nairaland??

No, bro. Just that it is easier to post on my blog.
I also have someone to do it for me in case I'm choked up at work.
Please do visit. http://danwrites90..com
There are lots of other cool stories you can read too and there are new arrivals every day.

DanWrites:

No, bro. Just that it is easier to post on my blog.
I also have someone to do it for me in case I'm choked up at work.
Please do visit. http://danwrites90..com
There are lots of other cool stories you can read too and there are new arrivals every day.

ok. I will try n do dat !!!

I urge u all 2 visit his blog 2 read 6 n 7 lots of actions n suspense. Danwrite u rocks. Pls always inform us wen eva u update tru ur blog. Thumb Up!!!

Wow...can't wait 2 hear the long story....keep it up bro

Enasco1:
I urge u all 2 visit his blog 2 read 6 n 7 lots of actions n suspense. Danwrite u rocks. Pls always inform us wen eva u update tru ur blog. Thumb Up!!!

Thanks so much, Brother. New Chapter drops every evening.

missviva:
Wow...can't wait 2 hear the long story....keep it up bro

Thanks, Missviva. Please endeavor to always comment on my blog.

Danwrites nice write up. Lots of suspense, bt am nt in support 4 u 2 end d story jx lik dat...

Danwrites nice write up. Lots of suspense, bt am nt in support 4 u 2 end d story jx lik dat..

Enasco1:
Danwrites nice write up. Lots of suspense, bt am nt in support 4 u 2 end d story jx lik dat...

Enasco, can you drop this comment on my blog, please?

Danny Danny
this is sekinat.
tanks for the lovely updates on ur blog.

More update's plssss

Y stop wen its getting

Addictive