Hi guys sorry for keeping you all waiting. I've been dealing with some serious issues. I promise an update (lengthy) on Saturday. Thanks.

******************
"Hello?"
Eno didn't recognize the man's voice. "Um, hello. Is Nic there?"
"May I ask who's calling?"
"Eno."
There was a brief pause and then the person on the other line said, "Sorry, he's not here. I can take a message." "Um, okay. Can you just tell him Eno called and for him to call me as soon as he can? That I'm worried about him."
"Sure," the voice said, and then hung up.
Eno just stared at the phone. He's not at his house, and he hadn't called her. What was going on? She was really starting to worry. She knew that Nic wasn't in the friendliest of businesses, so she hoped nothing bad had happened.
After her third glass, Eno kept switching back and forth from worry to anger. Surely he could have reached a phone to let her know he wasn't coming? Or that something had happened? God, she wished she knew Jimmy's phone number. After pacing back and forth for a few hours, off and on, Eno laid down on the couch. She thought of last night and this morning with Nic. He was such a different person than when she had met him several weeks ago. Then, he had been cold and distant. But now, he was so different, and she knew...even though she was scared to admit it, she was falling in love with him. Maybe it was Stockholm syndrome or something like that, Eno thought. She laughed at the idea and then quickly fell asleep.
***********************
When Eno woke the next morning, for a brief moment she didn't know where she was. Damn those sneaky three glasses of champagne. She rubbed her face, smearing last night's eyeliner into her eyes. She yawned and then sprinted over to the phone to see if there were any messages. Zero. She dialed Nic's phone again. No answer. Then she tried the house phone again, but this time it only rang and then went to voicemail.
Eno paced back and forth again, trying to figure out what to do. She was tired of being stuck in this loft with no explanations, and she was scared that something had happened to Nic. Was he okay? She tried not to be irrational, so she took a shower and changed into a cute outfit with a skirt and low cut top. She tried to sit down and think about this reasonably, but she couldn't come up with any answers. Nic hadn't been apart from her for more than a few hours since the first night she came to his loft.
She tried to keep her mind off of Nic. She tried to watch some movies, but that didn't work. She tried to play Scrabble, but her mind kept drifting to him. It was now late in the afternoon, going on almost a day and a half that she hadn't seen Nic. Something was definitely wrong.
That's it, she thought. She grabbed her purse, his keys and went downstairs. Ola helped her find his parking space and she pulled the Large Silver SUV out onto the street. She wasn't familiar with driving to his place, so she missed a turn and got confused, but she eventually found the road she needed. For some reason she had butterflies in her stomach. Would he be mad at her for taking his car? What reason would he give her for his absence?
It was already dark by the time Eno reached the iron gates leading up to house. She pressed the intercom button.
"Yes?" a voice said.
"Hi, I'm Enobong I'm here to see Nic," she said, looking up at the several security cameras that were turning in her direction.
The voice paused and then she heard some muffled sounds, and then a voice she did recognize finally answered.
"Hey Eno, it's Jimmy," he said in his usual warm manner.
She smiled. "Hey Jimmy, can I come in?"
She could have sworn he hesitated for a moment, but then the gate opened. Eno drove up to the house as she saw Jimmy coming out to greet her. She noticed that he had quickly shut the door behind him. She got out and walked up to him.
"Hey!" Jimmy said, while wrapping her in a bear hug. She laughed and hugged him back.
"Hey Jimmy, how are you?"
"I'm alright. Can't complain. So, what brings you here?" he asked, but Eno could tell he looked uncomfortable. And what an odd question. What was going on?
"Well, I'm just worried about Nic. He hasn't contacted me since yesterday afternoon. Is he okay? Is he here?"
Eno watched Jimmy's face closely. "He's, um...well, he was bombarded with so many meetings. I mean, they've been back to back to back, you know."
Eno wasn't buying it. Something was definitely wrong. Even if Nic were in back to back meetings he would have called her. Or stopped by after they were done. But she hadn't received anything from him.
"Is he here?" she asked again, walking towards the door.
"Uh, no. He's gone," Jimmy said, a little too quickly for her liking.
Eno walked around him and up to the door, before Jimmy could grab her. She was about to enter when she heard Jimmy's plea. "Eno, please don't go in there," he said softly. Immediately she felt her stomach twist into knots and her breath quicken. Her head was hurting and she was getting nervous for some reason. But she ignored her feelings and his warning, and pushed the front door open.
Inside, everything looked normal. Nothing was out of place, no blood splattered on the wall, no wild stripper party. Why was Jimmy worried?
She glanced to the side and noticed a small guy with glasses walking towards her. She hadn't seen him before. He walked up to her and extended his hand.
"Hi, Enobong, right? I'm Eddie," he said.
Eno shook his hand, but his eyes looked cold. Almost as cold as Nic's could look at times. And then she realized she recognized his voice. He was the one on the phone when she had called...and the first voice on the intercom. Eno immediately tensed. Something about the way he was looking at her put her off.
"Yes. Nice to meet you," she lied as Eddie tightly gripped her hand. Jimmy walked over to Eno.
I think it's best if you go back to the loft. I'm sure Nic will come see you when he gets a chance," Jimmy said.
"Yeah, that probably is the best thing," Eddie chimed in.
"Jimmy, what the hell is going on? Just be honest with me!" Eno said, ignoring Eddie's comment. She then looked back and forth between both men, waiting on someone to clarify where Nic was.
Before either could answer, Eno noticed Jimmy's eyes dart behind her. She turned to see what he had glanced at, when she saw her.
A thin, brunette woman in a skimpy black dress came walking toward them while texting something on her phone. The girl looked up at Jimmy.
"What the hell is taking him so long?" she asked in a lazy, high pitched voice. She placed her skinny elbow into her side and stared at Eno before turning to Jimmy. "Is she coming with us?"
"Kim, why don't you go wait back over there, okay?" Jimmy said, irritated.
Who was Kim? And why was she here?! Eno prayed to God that this girl was here for Eddie. She couldn't even speak. She just stared at the girl, who was completely ignoring her. As Eno's mind was busy twirling, she heard a door shut upstairs and she glanced toward the sound. She saw Nic coming around the corner dressed in a nice suit. He stopped at the top of the stairs when their eyes connected. For a second, she could have sworn he looked surprised, but that was quickly replaced with his nonchalant mask. He quickly descended the steps and walked up to the small group.
"They're meeting us in fifteen minutes, right?" Nic asked, not bothering to turn to Eno.
"Correct," Eddie said.
Nic then settled his cold glare on Eno. "Enobong," was all he said with a nod, before he grabbed Kim around the waist and escorted her out the front door.
Eno just stood there, still trying to make sure what she was seeing...she was REALLY seeing. "How...what...why?" she mindlessly muttered to herself as she followed the couple out. Jimmy tried to grab her, but she jerked her arm away from him.
"Nic, what the hell...?!" Eno shouted, walking up behind him. She tried to grab his arm and swing him around to face her, but he caught her arm instead.
"Get in the car," he barked at Kim, and she quickly obeyed. Nic turned around and stared down at Eno.
"I'll talk to you later at the loft," he said, as he released her arm and walked over to the driver's side of his Aston Martin.
Eno glanced through the windshield at the other woman, who was trying her best to stare her down. Eno looked back at Nic shaking her head. This wasn't right. Something had happened. She grabbed the back of his jacket as he was opening his car door.
"No! I want to know what is going on. Who is she?!" Eno said, pointing at the skinny brunette.
"Eno, let go," Nic growled out, while turning to face her.
Eno pulled on his jacket even harder. "Why are you ignoring me?! What happened?! I just—I just don't understand!" By this point, Eno was becoming hysterical and she hated herself for it. To let this asshole know how much he was hurting her. She couldn't understand what had happened in such a short period of time. Why was he with another woman? Why had she not received a phone call?
Nic tried to push her hands away, but Eno held on tighter. Jimmy started walking towards them, while Eddie ignored the scene unfolding and got into his car.
"What the hell?" Kim said, as she got out of the car. She rushed over to Nic and tried to pull him from Eno's grasp. "Let go of him!" she shouted in her nasally voice.
That was it, the last straw. Raw emotion came over Eno and she snapped. She launched at the girl, just barely missing her face before Nic grabbed her and swung her around to the opposite side, placing his body between the two of them. Eno was crying so hard at this point, she couldn't even really see through her blurry swollen eyes. She was completely embarrassed and humiliated...again.
"You almost hit me, you stupid bitch!" Kim screamed. Eno tried to wiggle out of Nic's hold to get to that annoying twit again, but he gripped her tighter.
"Shut the Bleep up and get in the car," Nic snarled over his shoulder at Kim. Kim hesitated for a second, but then hopped back into the car. He was still struggling to keep Eno from breaking free as he spoke calmly to Jimmy. "Take her back to the loft in my car so I can have it there, have Raymond follow behind you so he can then drop you off at dinner."
Jimmy stared a Nic for a few seconds, then sighed, "Alright."
Eno went limp against his body. She felt completely drained. And confused. "Why did you not call me or come to see me? What happened?" Eno whispered in a soft sob, completely horrified that she had broken down this bad in front of everyone.
"Go back to the loft" Nic ordered again, staring at her with cold eyes. "I will come by later."
Nic released her as Jimmy grabbed her shoulders and gently guided her back to Nic's SUV. He felt her shaking and she kept looking over her shoulder at Nic. Jimmy turned to see Nic getting into his car with his date. He pulled away without another glance at Eno, while Eddie followed behind.
Jimmy walked over to the passenger side door and opened it. Eno stood there a moment watching as the car disappeared down the driveway. She just didn't understand.
In the car ride on the way back to the loft, Jimmy tried to talk to her.
"Eno, he's under a lot of stress, you know. He's just—"
"Don't try to defend him, Jimmy!" Eno said, quickly cutting him off. "You're twice the man he is." She was still trying to quiet her sobs, which had turned into dry heaves. She hated she appeared this weak in front of all of them, but it had caught her off guard. She wasn't prepared. His attitude and lack of...caring had completely blindsided her. That wasn't the Nic who had just left her a day ago. What had happened in such a short break to make him treat her this way?
When they reached Nic's loft, Jimmy parked the car into the parking space and turned off the engine. Raymond was waiting for him out on the street. He turned to Eno and felt ashamed. How could Nic leave her like this and walk away? Her face was tear-streaked and she was still shaking. He shouldn't have let her in the gate. He just didn't know what else to do. Eddie had planned on letting her stay out there, but Jimmy couldn't treat her that way. She was such a sweet person, and he was sick of these games that Nic was playing with her. He knew it was coming. He was going to have his own argument with Nic about all of this before too long.
Eno finally unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out. She didn't even look back at Jimmy, as she made her way into the building. She got on the elevator, pressed in the code and rode up to the top floor still in shock.
Once inside his loft, she removed her shoes and placed herself into a ball on the couch. Her body felt as though she had run ten miles. Her eyes hurt, her throat was sore. She was actually still a little in shock. The only person she had ever attempted to hit in her life had been Nic. And both times he had deserved it. But tonight she had lowered herself another notch to something she never thought she would do. She had actually tried to fight another woman. And over a man at that! Something she used to laugh about when she saw women do it on shows like Maury Povich and Jerry Springer that her mom still watched. Stupid women, she would call them, while shaking her head. And now in her mind, she was no better. A part of her wanted to walk out of the door right then. She was sick of letting herself get humiliated over and over again. She had thought they were past all of that, but apparently not. But part of her wanted to hear his excuse. She wanted to know what had caused this. So she fought against her need to leave, and stayed to give Nic a chance to explain. Her eyes began to feel so heavy, until she finally closed them and fell into a deep sleep.
TBC

Chyksbae:
Please when is the next update please

Thanks for your messages. Next update on Wednesday

LMAO. Irikefe Na fool shaku shaku on top person agony. �

"Nic," Eno lazily laughed, "You're going to give me a bruise on my lips if you don't stop!"
"I don't want to stop," Nic admitted, as he pressed his lips against hers again and slid his tongue inside her warm, sweet mouth.
Eno soon quit resisting his kissing attack, as she quickly fell asleep. Once it looked as though she were out for the count, Nic stared at her. He lightly rubbed his index finger over her full, luscious lips. He smiled as he traced his name over them. That's right, those were his beautiful lips. At least for a few more days.
Nic leaned against the headboard and thought about his life. If...by chance Eno stayed in it, what kind of girlfriend would she be? How would she fit into his lifestyle? Would she accept the things he did? She was too good of a person to turn a blind eye forever. Bisi had loved it, but then again, she had a cruel streak in her. Eno didn't. He looked down at her. Eno had an innocence that Nic wanted to protect. He had done his best in the beginning to destroy that, but now, he wanted to protect it. There was no innocence left in him, and her being in his life, somewhat made up for that. She still believed there was good in all people, even someone like himself. She just didn't know all the people he had hurt. The lives he had ruined...or taken. No, she had no clue how ruthless he could be. And he hoped she would never have to know.
Another thought popped into his head. He wondered what kind of mother she would be. She would probably be—what the hell? What was he thinking? In the three years he'd been married to Bisi, never once did he ever think of kids with her. The idea never crossed his mind. That's why it was such a shock when Bisi had mentioned it during dinner on some random night. He had almost choked on his food. There was NO WAY in the world he would purposely ever impregnate her. If she wanted kids, who was he to deny her, but they wouldn't be from his sperm. Not a chance. But then why did that thought cross his mind with Eno?
Nic tried to quickly shake the idea from his head. Besides, in his line of work...the more loved ones you have around, the more heartache you might find. People who hate you don't strike at you, they strike at the ones you love. Luckily, Nic had only had that problem once—with his mother, and he solved it. Anyone that knew him figured it would have been a waste of time going after Bisi. He didn't want anything to happen to her, but he damn sure didn't love her. He didn't even like her. But Eno, he...cared, admired...those weren't strong enough, but he was nowhere near ready to admit the other word. That four letter word...no. That wasn't it. No matter how amazing the past few days had been, it would all end soon, and he would go back to his life. He thought of Eno going back to her life. Possibly finding a boyfriend. Nic's jaw tightened at the thought.
***********************
The next morning, Eno woke up and found Nic asleep and leaning against the headboard like he had sat up all night. She had never woken up before him. Usually, he was either fiddling around in the living room or gone. But this morning...she had beaten him. She smiled as she stared at his face. His perfect nose and lips, and thick black eyelashes that somehow made his eyes stand out even more when they were open. She rose up and quickly pecked him on the lips. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her.
Eno was feeling rather...playful. She decided to do something she had never done before. Ever. She slid her hand down Nic's body until she found what she was looking for. She looked him in the face as she slowly lowered her face to his groin. She noticed his lips gradually part as she took him into her mouth. He immediately started growing to attention, and in no time was hard as a rock.
She began to lick his shaft, while moving further down to his balls. She gently sucked on them and then traveled back up to the tip of his cock before covering it with her mouth again.
"Holy shït," Nic whispered as he watched her move her sexy mouth up and down over his rod. It was a beautiful sight. She accidentally gagged herself and he felt heat rush through him. So she was new at this...which made him feel even better that she was inexperienced. Had she gone down on him like a pro, he would have questioned her only having that one boyfriend. But her warm mouth and doe eyes were causing his balls to tighten. He tried to pull her up, but she refused. Well...who was he to deny what she wanted. He gripped the sheets and lifted his hips off the bed pushing himself further into her mouth as he came. And she never backed away. She continued to suck on him until he had to gently push her away.
Eno swallowed the salty mixture and licked her lips as she stared him in the face. She never thought she would ever do something, so "slutty". But she liked it. No, she loved it, and judging by the look on his face, he did too. In a weird, twisted way...she would miss being with him. If anything, he taught her things about her body that she didn't know existed. But that's not all of why she would miss this. Actually, there was something she would miss more than the sex, but she refused to think of it.
"Good morning, Nic," she said as she straddled his lap.
"Good morning, Eno," he whispered back as he kissed her.
After they finally drug themselves from the bedroom, into the shower, and into clean clothes, it was already late in the afternoon.
Nic walked up to her and kissed her for the hundredth time since their shower the night before. "Mmm," he moaned as he pulled away from her. "I'm going to cook for you tonight."
Eno smiled. "You can cook?" she asked, surprised.
Nic arched an eyebrow. Eno laughed and locked her arms around his neck to deliver another kiss.
"So—mmm---be ready---by---eight, mmm...damn, Eno," Nic said, as she continued to kiss him through his words. "Okay, wear something sexy and I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"
Eno nodded and Nic gently gripped her hair and pulled her neck back and kissed her hard and deep, his tongue exploring her mouth. He almost had it memorized. He quickly pulled away from her and exited. He had to get out of there before he stripped her down and made love to her again. Make love? That word usually didn't come in his mind oft—ever.
In the lobby of his building, Nic smiled at Ola. "Good morning, Ola."
"Good morning, Mr. Ibe. Nice day, abi?"
"The best," Nic returned. In his car, Nic grabbed his cell phone to call his house, but the battery was dead. And he had no charger in this car, because he rarely used it. He would just have to wait until he got home. But for some reason, now that he was away from Eno and the powerful spell she cast on him, he felt as though he were forgetting something. Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. What was nagging at him? It was probably nothing, so Nic tried to ignore it.
When he arrived at his house, he walked inside and saw Jimmy sitting on the couch eating a sandwich. "Good morning, Jimmy." Jimmy was about to take a bite into his sandwich, when Nic greeted him. He held it there for a few seconds, before he lowered it. "Um, good morning to you too, Nic."
Before Jimmy could say anything further, Nic hopped up the stairs, entered his office and closed the door. He sighed as he thought of Eno. He wished she had come with him. He should have just kept her by his side today, since he'd be back over there in a few hours anyway. But they never could have any peace at his house. Too many people always around. He walked over to his desk to check his messages.
"Hello, Nic."
Nic swung around to find Eddie sitting casually on the couch. What the Bleep? Why the hell was he in his office?
"Eddie, what the Bleep are you—," then it hit him like a ton of bricks. Eddie's expression and reason for being in his office. The nagging feeling he had in the car. No, no, no. Now Nic remembered...the Russians.
"Bleep!!!!" he shouted. Goddamn it! How the hell could he forget the most important meeting? That wasn't him...he didn't make mistakes like that! Shït!!
Eddie sat calmly on the couch with his briefcase open. "Yes, the Russians. Want to know the update?"
Nic really didn't. He could only imagine. He had wanted that deal with Anzor and he had just blown it. Not Eddie, or Jimmy or anyone else that worked for him. Just him. It was his fault.
Nic sighed and leaned against his desk.
Eddie pushed his glasses further onto his face. "They waited for an hour, and when you looked to be a no-show, Anzor said they were meeting with Sunny instead."
"Shït," Nic mumbled to himself. How in the hell could he forget a meeting like that? THE most important one to date. They literally had flown all the way from Russia to meet with him. And in the underground crime world, first impressions are usually all you get. No second chances. It was one thing to be late...which he never was. But to not show up at all...out of the question. What was wrong with him?
Eddie cleared his throat. "Can I say something, Nic?" Nic nodded. "Look, we're friends, so I'm saying this with the utmost respect for you. I think you're an incredible businessman and that's one of the reasons I left my legit bank job to come work for you. You always have your shit together...and I've admired that over the past couple of years. But, for the past few weeks, you haven't really been paying close attention to the business. I mean, I have documents that you haven't sat down to read because you've been spending most of your time with En—at your loft. Things are slipping, and they have been for a while now. I tried calling you several times last night, practically begging Anzor to stay, but he was pretty pissed that he wasted his time. He's like you...only Russian."
Nic sat there thinking about what Eddie had just said. Nic also had a lot of respect for him. Unlike Jimmy, Eddie kept in business mode all the time. No family, no friends...just numbers and business. Most people never sacrificed relationships to excel and become the best at something, at any cost. But Eddie had...and for most of his life, so had Nic. Until Eno. Nic felt like a fool.
"I mean, please correct me if I'm wrong Nic," Eddie continued, "but I thought this deal with her was strictly sex. Nothing more. I mean, is she your girlfriend now?"
Nic cut his eyes toward Eddie and narrowed them. "No, she's not." Nic knew right then what he had to do. He needed to cut this bullshit and get his business back on track. He had worked ten damn years getting what his father had left off the ground and really making something of it, and he almost destroyed part of that in a few days all because of Eno. She wasn't his girlfriend...she was...just a girl. She didn't matter. What was important was that he didn't let down the people who had worked for him and been loyal to him over the years. They depended on him to keep it together and make the right decisions. Not some girl who was only supposed to have been in his life for seven days.
Yeah, it was time for the old Nicolas Ibe to step up.
"Get me Anzor's contact information," Nic commanded as he went to sit behind his desk.
"Nic, they said that was it. They're going with Sunny now," Eddie said.
"That's not what I asked you," Nic stated cooly. "Do your job."
Eddie sighed and handed him Anzor's number.
***************************
Eno was so excited about her date tonight with Nic. She was beaming from ear to ear. Mr. Big Bad Boss was going to cook her an authentic meal. Just the thought of him maneuvering around the kitchen made her laugh. Nic didn't seem like the domestic kind. But she believed it was the thought that counted so when he got there, she would let him off the hook, and cook something for him instead. Her little surprise. Her mother was an amazing cook, and had taught her some tricks of the trade. She couldn't wait to show them off.
Eno browsed through her now full closet, and slipped into a cute, short dark pink dress with loose straps and sexy heels. She figured Nic would like what she was wearing.
Around seven forty-five, she grabbed a bottle of champagne, opened it and started celebrating their mini break-through from the night before. She sipped the glass and sat down on the couch.
Around eight fifteen, Eno had still not heard from Nic. He was usually very punctual...so being even fifteen minutes late wasn't like him. She grabbed the phone and dialed his cell. It rang a few times and then went to voicemail. She left him a quick message and then poured herself another glass of champagne.
Around nine and still no Nic, Eno called his cell again. No answer. She then looked in her purse and found his house number that he had written down for her. She dialed it.

For

For

For

For

****************** continued
And she had looked so beautiful tonight, and almost happy, but he had to go mess it up by putting her back in her 'place'.
Nic sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He stared at the chair opposite of him and realized that just a few weeks ago, Eno had sat in that chair to explain her situation to him. She had come to him, probably scared and ashamed, looking for help...and how did he treat her? Like she didn't matter. If he were being truthful, he had just planned to Bleep her that night and get rid of her. He was sure she couldn't satisfy him the way he wanted, so he'd just take a few thousand off what her father owed him and call it even. But, when he had gone into his apartment, and she hit him and then threatened to cut him, that lit something in him. She wasn't a pushover like he had taken her for during their brief meeting. His stomach turned to think of how she looked at him when he had asked her to remove her clothes in front of him and Jimmy. He knew that if she had any other option...she would have taken it and probably kicked him in the balls on the way out. But she was desperate and he had taken advantage of that. He'd ripped her cheap black dress, not caring that it might be the only one she had. He could be an asshole sometimes. It never bothered him to be called that before, but now...for some reason, he didn't want Eno to think that of him.
Nic leaned his head against his desk. He knew that their arrangement was something that would end eventually, and she'd go her separate way, and he'd go back to his life. But, in the meantime, he'd try to make it up to her. He would treat her differently. Yeah, starting tomorrow, he'd turn over a new leaf with Eno. He smiled just thinking about her.
************************
Over the next few days, Nic tried keep his promise to himself to treat Eno better. But she didn't make it easy on him. At first, she barely said two words to him. He would ask her a question, and a simple "yes" or "no" would be her only answer. And when he tried to ask a question that would require more than those generic replies, she would simply turn to him, plaster on a fake smile and say, "whatever you want is fine". Oh, she got under his skin so bad. But he kept his cool. It was just a part of his nature. Remain cool and calm at all times. But Eno was seriously trying his nature. But he also realized it was her only defense against him. She couldn't physically beat him, so she would try to mentally overpower him. And damn, if it wasn't working! And just when he would be ready to snap, her words about 'guilt' would slowly creep back into his mind. He did feel guilty, and he found himself wanting her to be happy.
So, on several occasions, he would show up and beat her in a game of scrabble, or just sit and watch a TV show or movie with her. She seemed to like those sappy Zee world movies, and although it was painful for him to watch, he would. And during these times, slowly but surely, she started to warm up to him again and he even caught her smiling a few times.
The other day, he took her to an art museum. He actually never cared much for those types of things, but she seemed fascinated with it. She told him that she had never been to an art museum before. When she was in primary school, they had taken a trip to a museum, but had to pay for their own entrance into the museum. Her father was so tight with money, that she wasn't able to go, and instead spent that class period reading. That had made Nic feel even worse. But watching her bounce from painting to painting helped to quell some of that negativity. Although he found it all boring, she especially loved the paintings. She stared at them for several minutes, while he had stared at her. He also couldn't keep his hands off of her, and he kissed her neck or squeezed her ass every few minutes, while she would 'ooh' and 'aah' over each painting.
Eno didn't know why the change in Nic had happened, but he seemed different towards her. He quit taunting her with the fact that he was using her. At first she had resisted and tried to act like a robot. Only answer yes and no, and lie there in bed as he had his way with her, but no matter how hard she tried not to cum, it always happened, and he grinned at her, because he knew she was trying to withhold.
And another new development was the fact that she was able to spend more time at his mansion now. She started meeting more and more people that worked for him, as he openly flaunted her around. He even held her hand as they entered into several places. He still didn't introduce her as anything more than just 'Enobong' but at least he wasn't ignoring her anymore when there were people around. He would actually laugh and have conversations with her about different things. Yes, he had changed ever since Jimmy's party.
***********************
"Whatever, you don't know anything about me," Eno stated, as she rolled off Nic, and onto the bed. She was exhausted from their intense sexual workout.
Nic placed his hands behind his head and nodded. "I know more than you think Enobong Grace Obaseki. Born in 1995. Lived here your whole life. You attended Bright Lights Secondary School and two years the University of Lagos. You've been working for your father since you were thirteen, you've had one boyfriend and were a loner. Oh, and you can't keep away from my dick. Anything else I miss?"
Eno scoffed. "Please, I can keep away. You can't! And besides, I don't have a criminal record, so how did you pull all of that?"
"I have people who keep me well informed."
"Still doesn't mean you know me though. And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Tell me something about you."
"Nicolas Ibe and I'm a successful businessman. End of story."
"How about something I don't already know," Eno said, wrapping the covers over her naked body.
"I remembered you from when I went to visit your father that day in his restaurant. You were wearing that shirt and short, tight khaki shorts. Yeah, yeah, I checked you out. You looked like a deer in headlights when I glanced at you."
Eno didn't believe him. He couldn't have remembered her. She had barely gotten a glimpse of him that day, before he entered the kitchen with her scared father.
"Was my hair up or down?" Eno quizzed.
"It was down and you had it pushed away from your face with a headband or whatever they're called," he answered.
Eno couldn't believe it. How the hell could he remember that? She had remembered him, but it wasn't every day that you got a guy like Nic walking into your restaurant. But he probably was just really observant, because he had barely spared a glance at her then.
"Okay, now a question for you. Grace? How did you get that middle name?" Nic asked.
Eno laughed thinking about it. Okay, growing up...my mom was obsessed with Grace Alele Williams.
"Are you leaving tonight?" he heard her ask in a small voice. He looked at her, wrapped in his sheets. He tried not to stay over too often, in order not to give her the wrong impression, but some nights, he'd be so exhausted, he couldn't help it. He thought she didn't care either way, but her look was hopeful. Did she want him to stay? He knew they had been getting along, but he still doubted that she actually wanted his company. He thought she more or less tolerated it.
"Do you want me to?" he asked.
Eno slid the sheets above her breasts until they reached her chin. She slowly nodded her head. She did want him to spend the night. She watched as he stared at her for a moment, as if deciding what to do. Then he pulled his boxers back down and got back into bed. She knew not to expect any type of cuddling, but just knowing he was there and not running out made her feel less like...well, less of an 'arrangement'.
"Goodnight," Eno whispered to him. She hugged her pillow, not really expecting a response. He didn't like anything sentimental. But as she was scooting into her sleeping position, she heard him say it.
"Goodnight, Eno."
*************************
Eno was still on cloud nine from meeting one of her favorite actors. She had seen most of his movies, and when Nic had told her he was throwing the actor's thirty-third birthday party, Eno flipped. She was so excited! Nic had shut his club down for the private event. Apparently Nic had grown up with Mr. Big actor, and the two had stayed close throughout the years. And even during Mr. Big's speech, he thanked Nic, because for one of his best roles as a tough, street-smart guy, he had copied Nic's behavior from when they were kids. He then imitated Nic's cool demeanor and accent, and everyone laughed. It was a pretty good impersonation. And when Nic finally introduced Eno to the birthday boy, she was smiling from ear to ear. She tried to shake his hand, but he pushed it aside, and grabbed her for a big bear hug. But after about five seconds, Nic jokingly started to pull her away...but he also didn't remove his arm from her waist until after the conversation had wrapped.
The music was amazing, and Eno danced with groups of strangers most of the night. She had tried to call Nic over to dance with her, but he waved her off and continued to conduct a meeting in a dark corner of the club. 'He can't even have fun for one night without doing business,' Eno thought.
"So, how long have you known Nic?" Mr. Big asked, sneaking up behind her. He handed her a drink. Gosh, he was beautiful, Eno thought.
"Um, not long. We're just friends," Eno said, sipping her drink.
"So, since you're just friends, does that mean you're open to 'other' friends?"
Eno couldn't believe he was hitting on her. He was gorgeous and could probably have any girl in this club. "Um, I g-guess," Eno stuttered, and then quickly took another sip. She didn't know what to say to him, and he was eyeing her up and down.
"Good, here's my number. You should call me sometime, beautiful," he said as he jotted his number down on the back of some card. He handed it to her, right as she felt arms wrap around her waist.
"Hey," she heard Nic say behind her. But he wasn't talking to her, he was talking to Mr. Big.
"Hey Nic, mi hermano menor! Thanks for the party, I enjoyed."
"Glad you did," Nic answered, but Eno could feel his arms tighten around her and his voice sounded distant. Then she felt his cool lips against her skin, and he lightly bit and kissed her neck. Eno couldn't help it, before she could even think, she closed her eyes, loving the feel of his hard body against her back. But then she quickly opened her eyes to see Mr. Big, sipping his drink, looking really uncomfortable.
"Nice to meet you," Eno said to him, before Nic pulled her away. "Nic, that was rude," she whispered to him. Nic yanked the piece of paper from her, ripped it up and deposited it in the trash can before he took her hand and led her outside, where a limo was waiting on them.
"I have a surprise for you," he said, when they got inside. Eno kept asking what it was, but he just told her to be patient. But it was about a thirty minute drive away, so to keep her mind from wandering, she decided to teach him a game.
"Okay, you place your hands on top of mine and you have to look me in the face. When you think I'm going to hit your hands, you remove them, okay?"
"Alright."
Eno waited two seconds and then smacked his hands.
"Ow, what the hell?" Nic asked, looking at her.
"Nic! You're supposed to move your hands. Okay, you try to hit mine instead," Eno offered, placing her hands on top of his.
Nic still looked puzzled, but he stared her in the face.
"Ow!!" Eno screamed, as Nic's hands smacked hers before she could even blink. "That hurt!"
"Hey, you're the one that picked this pointless game," Nic said as he smacked her hands again.
"Oww! Stop hitting me so hard," Eno pouted as she shook off the sting on the back of her hands. "Besides, this is my secret way of getting all of my aggression out on you," she smiled.
"Yeah...how's that working for you," Nic smirked as he smacked her hands again.
"Shit! Stop it!" Eno shouted as she tried to land a punch to his shoulder. But before it could connect, the limo shifted and she fell on him, straddling one of his legs in her extremely short and skimpy deep orange dress. She tried to quickly push off of him, but he grabbed her hair in one hand and her ass in the other.
"Now, if you had told me this was the endgame, I would have played it a long time ago," Nic joked, as he kissed a trail from her earlobe and down her neck. Eno tried to move, but his grip tightened in her hair as he smacked her ass.
"Aah!" she squealed, but her body involuntarily started dry humping his leg.
"Damn, I want to be inside of you right now," he whispered, while he removed his hand from her butt and gently placed it underneath her dress to rub her wet slit. He had asked her not to wear panties, so he had all the access he wanted. "Mmm," she moaned into his ear.
"We're here, sir," Raymond said through the speakers. Nic gently pushed her back and pulled her out of the limo, before they got too carried away and forgot why they were here.
Eno searched around to see if anything looked familiar. But they were parked in a back alley. Nic grabbed her hand and led her inside a building and through the back hallways. Everything was so dark, but when they reached a set of double doors, Nic whispered for her to close her eyes. She shut them tight and followed closely behind him into the room.
Underneath her eyelids she could see the room getting lighter. She waited for his signal, and she felt him get behind her and nip her earlobe as he whispered for her to open her eyes.
When Eno looked around, she couldn't believe it. She sucked in a breath. Was this Tiffany and Amber? She was surrounded by so many diamonds she couldn't believe it. She had never walked into this store before because she knew she could never afford anything in it. The paper they print their receipts on was probably worth more than she had in her purse at the moment.
The way the light sparkled off of each piece of jewelry, lit up the entire room very brightly. When she finally came to her senses, she realized there was another man standing in the room. A short, tiny man with thick black rim glasses.
"Hi Mr. Ibe. Always a pleasure," he said, while shaking Nic's hand.
"Thank you, David, likewise. This is Enobong," Nic said, placing his arm around her waist. "Eno, this is David."
"Nice to meet you," Eno whispered, still a little in shock.
David smiled at her and turned to Nic. "May I, sir?" he asked, while reaching for Eno's arm.
"Sure. Eno...pick out anything you want. I'll be over here," Nic said, while he stepped to the side and pulled out his cell phone.
Eno looked at Nic, then at the jewel cases. This was too overwhelming.
"It can be overwhelming," David said, as if reading her thoughts. "Let's start with this," he suggested, while placing a thin rope with a sparkling diamond heart around her neck. Eno looked in the mirror at the beautiful necklace wrapped around her neck. How many women would kill to be in her shoes tonight. In the reflection of the mirror, she saw Nic leaning against the wall on his cell phone. He was dressed in his signature black coat. He was so tall and good looking that at the moment, this all seemed like a dream. Eno focused back on herself in the mirror. She stared at her reflection for a while, as she tuned out David's voice. Who was this girl looking back at her?
"Eddie, I'll be there. Aren't I always? Just make sure our figures are straight. And tell Jimmy--," Nic started, but stopped when he noticed David standing in front of him. "Hold on, Eddie. Yes?" he said to David.
"Um, sorry to interrupt Mr. Ibe, but she said she doesn't want anything."
"Come again?"
David wiped his brow. "She said she doesn't want anything," he repeated.
Nic looked towards Eno and found her standing by the door, looking at him. "Eddie, I'll call you back," he said as he clicked off his phone.
Eno watched as Nic walked toward her. She braced herself. She knew that he was probably so pissed at her throwing his gift back in his face. But she just couldn't accept it. Not this time.
"What's wrong," Nic asked.
"Nothing. I just don't want anything," she whispered back to him. He stood there staring at her for a few seconds. Then he turned and walked back over to David. "Thank you. And sorry for wasting your time," Nic said as he shook the tiny man's hand.
"Not a problem at all, Mr. Ibe. And please let me know if there's ever anything else I can do for you."
"I will, thanks," Nic said as he walked back over to Eno. He held the door open for her, and they walked back down the hallway. Raymond opened the doors to the limo and they got in. Nic sat leaning against one door, while Eno sat leaning against the other. Both were deep in thought and neither said a word the entire trip back to his loft.
When they entered, Nic removed his coat and turned to Eno. "I'm tired, so I'm going to go lie down for a few minutes before I have to go." She nodded her head, and he turned and walk to the bedroom.
Eno stood by the bar, just thinking about the night. What a strange night. A few weeks ago, she wouldn't have cared...she'd actually probably be glad...but now, she felt like shit that she had hurt his feelings. She should have just taken something small, but something was keeping her from doing it. Pride? Or something stronger than pride that was telling her that this isn't the way. Stand your ground and in the end you'll get what it is you really want from him. And what was that? His...love? Eno shook the thought from her head. She had too much nervous energy to go to sleep. So she crept into the bedroom and saw him lying on his back with one arm covering his face. His shoes were still on. She wanted to take them off so bad so he could be more comfortable, but she resisted. She wasn't his girlfriend. She walked into the closet and grabbed her bathrobe. She tiptoed out and shut the door.
Eno turned on the faucet and removed her clothes. She stepped into the large shower and immediately exhaled. The hot water massaged her body and she leaned against the cool tile, loving the contrast to the water. She closed her eyes and started humming 'In My Life' by the Beatles. She had heard the tune while waiting on the bus one day, and instantly fell in love with it. She was in the middle of humming the second verse when she heard the shower door slam. She jumped and turned around to find Nic staring down at her. He looked pissed.
She looked up at him while the water rained down on her neck and back. She pushed her hair out of her face and waited for him to speak.

Abeg Irikefe is a true friend. Ride or die nigga. It's a good feeling knowing someone has your back most times.

I'm so happy for Ndifreke and Maya.

*******************
Later that night, after he left his loft, Nic stopped by his restaurant. Even though it was closed, he wanted to stay there for some peace and quiet before he had to go back to his house. There always seemed to be people around him there. Truthfully, he'd rather sleep at the loft tonight, but after he and Eno's angry sex, she rolled over and didn't say another word to him, so he was pretty sure she didn't want him there.
Nic stared down at the blank sheet of paper. He had a secret passion that only two people knew about, one being Jimmy. When he had tough decisions to make or was just stressed, he would draw free-style designs of buildings. He had actually gone to university for architecture and design, but he knew it was all in vain. He knew he would take over for his father some day, and when he graduated, he did. Even though he wasn't the oldest son in their family, he and his father both knew that he was the only one with the mindset to keep the 'business' afloat. But every now and then he was able to resurrect his private hobby. He had designed his club and the second restaurant. Both had turned out better than he could have imagined, especially his club.
But tonight, his stress didn't come from his job. It was coming from Eno. He had promised himself that he wouldn't let her get to him, but he wasn't making too good on that promise. Her words tonight at dinner affected him more than he thought. More than he wanted to admit. 'The power decent people hold over those who aren't, is guilt,' she had told him. He wanted to laugh it off. What power could she possibly hold over him? But...he did feel guilty. There he was trying to tell her not to let other's words affect her so much, but yet her words had touched him. In life, he usually had a take no prisoners attitude, but with Eno, she was a better person than he was. And she wasn't as weak as he thought. For a person who has no money or power, to hold her head up high despite feeling humiliated on a daily basis...that took some courage.

TBC.

********************
That's between Anto and me," he whispered as he started unbuckling his pants. He slowly peeled her dress over her head, and removed her bra and panties. He licked and sucked her taut nipples as he massaged her swelling clit."Ohh, Nic...," Eno murmured.
"Do you want me inside you?" Nic teased, as two of his fingers worked their way into her tight, wet pussy. "Tell me, say you want it," he commanded, as his fingers seized her hair.
"I-I want you inside me," Eno whispered.
Nic removed his fingers and pressed his erection against her soft love nest and pushed roughly until he was completely buried inside her. He wrapped one of his hands around her neck and squeezed. Her eyes grew wide and she immediately tensed underneath him. She quickly grabbed his hand, trying to push it away from her throat.
"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Just relax and enjoy it," he whispered as he tightened his grip and began fücking her brutally. He was driving in and out of her pussy with so much force that the couch started to slightly move under the intense pressure. He lifted one of her legs over his shoulder so he could have more access, and his hand flexed and released around her neck several times.
Eno couldn't breathe. Literally. Her head was becoming light, but her pussy was quivering. She didn't know what the hell he was doing to her, but she didn't want him to stop. There was a slight chance that she could die of strangulation. What an embarrassing...satisfying way to go. Her mind was saying, "Focus on breathing!!" which placed all of her focus on the top half of her body, while he banged the lower half. It was a different, extreme feeling. She felt her orgasm building and her eyes rolled back as her body trembled. She felt the pressure of his hand leave her neck and he placed her other leg over his shoulder and banged her even harder, if that were possible.
Aargh, this girl's pussy was like kryptonite to him. He seemed to go weak and silly every time he was inside her. This is where he constantly wanted to be. He thought about it while he was on important business calls, when he should have been concentrating. He hadn't enjoyed sex this much since...well, a long time. And partly because he knew that there was a part of her that hated getting this turned on for him. She fought against it, and THAT caused him to get really turned on. Knowing in her own way she was playing hard to get.
He was hoping he wasn't hurting her, but right now, he was about to come and he wanted to get as far into her tight cunt as he could. He finally stilled himself inside her and released his first load. "Ugh! Damn, Eno...," he mumbled as he continued to pump his seed deep inside her.
Once he was completely emptied, he let her legs drop down beside him and he lowered himself on top of her. He could feel her heart beating. A steady fast pace. They stayed like that for a while.
"Me vuelves loco," Nic muttered to himself, before he sat up and slid his underwear back up.
Eno rose up and stared at him. "What does that mean?" she asked. "Nothing," he said as he stood and grabbed his shirt. He needed to get out of there. She was messing with his mind.
"Hey, I need you ready by seven. Jimmy's wife is having some guests over for dinner and they invited you. I'll be back then to pick you up," he said, as he rushed out of the door.
Eno sighed and walked to the bedroom to take a nap. She was already exhausted, and didn't really feel like going out again. She fell asleep thinking about Nic helping her with the rent. She still didn't know how she felt about it, but perhaps that was one less stressful matter off her plate.
When she woke, she decided to take a warm bath in his humongous tub. She leaned back and let the water pressure streams massage her back. She placed a warm washcloth over her eyes and tried to block out her crazy life.
After a few minutes, Eno decided to get out. She felt a little better, but she only had a few hours before the party, and she wanted to finish reading her book. She placed a white robe around her and walked into the bedroom to pick out an outfit.
Eno was about to slide on a pair of panties when she heard the TV turn on in the front room. She sighed. He was early and she was sure he was ready for round two. She made her way down the hall.
"Nic, you're not going to leave me with much energy for—" Eno started and then froze when dark eyes turned to glare at her. But they weren't Nic's eyes. God, give her strength. These eyes belonged to Bisi. She was sitting on the couch, shoes off with her legs pulled up underneath her. She had been flipping through the TV channels when Eno entered the room.
Both women stared at each other. Awkward.
"Hello," Bisi smirked, turning the TV off.
Eno tried her best to hide her frown. "Hi, Bisi. What are you doing here?"
"Well, technically I live here. This is, after all, my husband's place. So what are YOU doing here? I thought you didn't know him," Bisi said, standing up and slipping back into her 4 inch heels, placing her a little over six feet tall.
Eno sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Bisi, whatever is going on between you and Nic is your business. None of mine."
"Well, since you're fucking him, I guess it makes it your business too," Bisi stated, walking towards her. Eno braced herself. Because if this bitch touched her, she would smack the hell out of her. She didn't give a damn if it was Nic's wife or not. She was sick of people trying to run all over her.
"I mean, trust me, I know my husband is no angel. He was running around with other women before and after our marriage. He's handsome, he's rich, and in the bedroom...well, you and I both know what can happen. So I figure one little flaw like infidelity...who cares, right? As long as at the end of the day...he comes back to me."
Bisi continued to stare at Eno as she circled her.
"But that's where I'm confused about you. Why is he letting you stay here and attend parties? You can tell me. It will be our little secret."
Eno exhaled. "I have to get dressed. Excuse me," she said, as she pushed past Bisi and walked into the bedroom. She heard Bisi's heels following behind her. Why won't this crazy woman just leave?!
"I see he left his mark on you," she heard Bisi say. Eno turned around, "What?" she asked, irritated. Bisi pointed to her neck. Eno quickly turned around and rolled her eyes.
"You must be an even bigger slut in bed than I am, for him to still be with you," Bisi said.
Eno was done with this woman. She turned around quickly and walked up to her. "You know what, why are you here? Since you're so determined to make your business with Nic, 'our' business, then fine, I'll jump in. Why the aren't you with him? You're obviously not living with him and I didn't even know you existed until the party that night," Eno huffed out.
Bisi's eyes widened and then narrowed at her. "See this small girl, I can have him back anytime I want him," Bisi said, while flicking her hair behind her back.
"Then go get him and leave me the hell alone! If you want him so much. I'm not going to stop you, trust me!"
Bisi opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but then closed it. She turned and stomped out of the room. Eno heard the door open, but then heard Bisi yell, "Don't get too comfortable, sweetheart. Nic gets bored really easily...and it's just a matter of time before you're right back on the streets where you came from!" And then the door slammed.
Eno grabbed a hanger and threw it across the room. Damn, Nic. Damn, damn, DAMN!!!
**************************
Eno hated these types of things with Nic. No one knew her, so she was pretty sure they all assumed she was some loose girl that Nic had picked up for the night. At least Jimmy would be there. He always made her feel more at ease. He treated her like a person and not some expendable trash.
Nic picked her up exactly at seven, and when they arrived at Jimmy's house, a tiny woman with brunette hair opened the door to greet them. "Hey Nic, looking good as always," she laughed, while giving Nic a hug. "Likewise—when can I steal you away from him?" Nic returned. She laughed and patted him on the shoulder, then turned her attention to Eno . "Hi, I'm Isabel, Jimmy's wife," she said, offering her hand.
"Oh, hi, I'm Enobong. Nice to meet you."
"Nic," Isabel said, "Jimmy and the guys are in the living room. Make yourself at home while I become acquainted with your guest."
Eno watched as Nic left her with this stranger. She stared at the woman. She was a cute petite woman with big brown eyes. She seemed the complete opposite of Jimmy, who was big and burly.
Eno felt a little at ease considering this was Jimmy's wife. Maybe she was as nice as he was.
"So, you're Eno...Bisi's rival," Isabel laughed, as she handed her a glass of champagne. Okay, maybe she wasn't as nice.
Eno didn't want to be rude to Jimmy's wife, so she said nothing as she sipped on the glass of champagne. But hell, she needed more than a few sips with the way her day had been going. She tipped the glass up and swallowed the rest.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. It's just that I can't stand Bisi. She can die a thousand deaths for all that I'm concerned. Trust me, I barely know you, but I'm Team Eno all the way," Isabel said.
That shocked Eno. She stared down at Isabel and laughed. Okay, maybe Isabel wasn't so bad after all.
"Sit by me at dinner. I want to hear how you stole her limelight and her man at the party the other night. I arrived late, but I heard about it and I've been smiling ever since," Isabel said, smiling at her. She linked her arm around Eno and the two walked into the dining room together.
At dinner, Eno was introduced to everyone. Most of them were Mexican-Nigerian, and a few of them were related to either Jimmy or Isabelle. All of them knew who Nic was, and she was sure they knew what he did, but they didn't seem to care. They all told jokes and stories as the food was passed around. Food that was absolutely amazing. Isabel was probably the best cook ever, next to Eno's own mother. Isabel showed Eno pictures of her kids. She and Jimmy had three girls. Eno laughed at the fact of a big, scary guy like Jimmy having three little girls. Eno glanced at Nic, who was sitting opposite her at the table. She thought about Nic with a kid. He'd probably have a boy...who would get into as much trouble as Nic probably did as a kid. Eno looked at her empty champagne glass. She had already downed her second glass. She normally didn't drink, and especially not this much, but Bisi's words were still messing with her. Why was Nic doing stuff like this? Helping her with her rent and bringing her to an intimate dinner with his close friends. She was sure this was reserved mainly for family and girlfriends. Sure, she was invited by Jimmy, but Nic could have declined. She wasn't his girlfriend or wife like he kept reminding her.
Eno picked up the champagne bottle and poured herself another glass. 'Bleep Bisi and Nic,' she thought. Well, she wanted to hate Nic, but he had come to her rescue against evil Mr. Kehinde. But why? She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Nic nod to Jimmy who was sitting beside her, and Jimmy moved the champagne bottle closer to him and out of Eno's reach. Well, at least she'd get to drink this third full glass. She started downing it. When she was done draining the glass, she knew Nic was probably staring at her, but she tried not to look at him.
Somehow the topic of conversation moved to the economy, and Raphael, a cousin of Jimmy's, decided to voice his opinion. "Man, the economy is so bleeped and those assholes in Aso Rock started all of this shit."
"Yeah, well perhaps there's no place for decency in the modern world," Nic chimed in.
It's like, get yours while you can and screw everyone else. Man, it's so cutthroat out there nowadays. You really have to watch your investments," said Isabel's brother Joe, while shaking his head.
"Well, regular businessmen fall by the waste side now. You have to come to the table with something extra or different," Nic added.
"That's right," Joe said. Eno was really starting to feel her buzz. She had been quiet the whole time, while everyone chattered on around her. But Raphael just had to call her out. "What do you think, Eno," he said. The whole table got quiet, waiting for her to respond.
Eno quickly glanced around the table. Shit. "Well, I always think there's a place for decency. At the end of the day, money isn't everything. It never was," Eno said. She shouldn't have had that last glass. She felt herself leaning in her seat. They might not be able to tell she was a little tipsy, but she could feel it.
"Yeah, but where does decency get you?" Nic asked. All eyes flew to him. "Some people live their lives trying to be decent human beings, and all that they get is screwed over by the world. Friends, lovers...," he turned to stare directly at Eno. "Fathers, landlords and even me. So I forfeit decency for power any day."
A couple of the men around the table mumbled in agreement. Eno just stared at him, and then down at her bread and picked a small piece from it.
"Well, decent people hold some power over the people with power that you just mentioned," Eno disputed.
"How so?" Nic asked.
The entire table were leaning on their elbows watching this verbal volley back and forth between Nic and Eno. She glanced at Isabel and noticed that she was smiling from ear to ear at her. Eno was nervous. She didn't want everyone paying so close attention. You could only hear the dogs barking in the background.
"Guilt. The power decent people hold over those who aren't, is guilt. Those that screw over people feel guilty," Eno stated. At least she hoped they felt guilty.
"Usually the people screwing people over, Eno don't have a conscience. They don't care who they hurt to get what they want. And at the end of the day, it's more about the chase than it is actually getting what you want. Once you have it, it becomes boring. And people like that also don't spare a glance back at the lives they've ruined. And when they lay their heads on their pillow at night, they sleep peacefully, and guilt free, because they don't have any sympathy for the weak," Nic stated calmly, and then took a sip of champagne.
Everyone was quiet for a moment, letting Nic's words sink in. Eno felt a familiar sting behind her eyes. He was talking about her. She wanted so badly to get up from the table and leave. But not before she told Nic off. She thought of the scene in 'The Color Purple' where Celie confronts Mister at the dinner table with the carving knife. That image made her snort out a laugh. Everyone looked at her again, but she quickly stared at her plate. She had drank way too much.
To break the uncomfortable silence, Isabel chimed in. "But, if you believe in Heaven, then your decency can buy you a one way ticket. Those who have sacrificed their humanity for the sake of a few bucks...may never see that." Jimmy smiled over at his wife.
"Issa, you are right. For those that believe in that, I'm sure the decent ones do go to Heaven. And that's probably not where I'm going, but I can tell you right now...the devil is going to have one hell of a battle for my soul," Nic said with a grin.
Everyone finally relaxed and laughed. Everyone but Eno. She stared at Nic. Why did he affect her so much.
"Speaking of battling the devil for our souls, I don't think there's a decent man among us tonight. So you're not alone Nic. We'll be fighting the battle with you," another friend said. More laughs erupted from the table.
"Us women are decent by nature. I'm a loving wife and mother of three," Isabel smiled. "So while you men are sweating an eternity in hell, we'll be living it up on the other side."
"I'm not decent," a woman over in the corner said, while smiling devilishly at Raphael. "Amen," he said, while he kissed her.
"What about you Eno, are you decent?" Joe asked. Eno looked up. Hmm, why hide the truth. Thank God for alcohol.
"You know, I don't think I am. I mean, I used to be a decent person before I came here and started fucking a married criminal for mon--," was the last thing she said, before Jimmy jerked her up. "Hey Eno, let's go outside for some fresh air," he said, practically picking her up. Isabel excused herself and followed behind her husband.
Nic remained seated and calm as the eyes around the table quickly glanced at him then down at their food. He got up from the table. "Excuse me," he said as he walked toward the back.
Outside, the cool air felt good against Eno's skin. She needed that. Jimmy placed her gently on a bench in their back yard, while Isabel wiped her face with a cool, wet cloth. "I'm sorry about that," Eno slurred to them.
"It's okay honey, we all drink a little too much," Isabel said.
"What am I doing here?!" Eno shouted at no one in particular.
"I'll take it from here," she heard Nic say from behind. Isabel handed her the cloth and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you," Eno mumbled as Isabel and Jimmy walked away.
Nic came around to stand in front of her. She didn't even have the energy to look at him.
"Eno, look at me," Nic said.
She slowly looked up at him.
"You can't let what people say affect you so easily. You have to be stronger than that."
Eno scoffed. Was he really trying to give her lessons on how she should live her life? Please.
"I'm serious. I'm not going to hold my tongue because you get pissed and cry."
"Why are you trying to give me words of wisdom? You don't give a damn about me, so just take me back to the loft, fück me and then leave, okay?"
Nic narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine, get your stuff and let's go," he bit out and turned to walk back into the house. But then he stopped and said, "Just know that for that little outburst and your disappearing act at my party...you've earned another fourteen days. Congratulations."
So much for trying to play the game his way, Eno thought.