Interesting

He grinned to himself again. 'I'll come around by one o'clock. I'll park the car where I parked the other time. Is that okay by you?'

There was another long pause. 'Okay,' she finally said.

'Good. I'll be there.'

The line was disconnected. Lara stared at her phone. You said okay, she accused herself. How could you say okay? So, now you're ready to
cheapen yourself and to betray your friend!

But another mind told her to go ahead. Nobody was betraying anybody, the mind said. Maggie was not in the house. She had gone out to meet her new heartthrob. You don't even have a man to go and meet. Somebody is now professing love to you, and see what you're doing! Alright, what she would do is this? She would go out with Tony, but she would spell the terms. She would say the relationship would be platonic and no amount of gifts he gave her would seduce her. If he said he wanted to marry her, good. There would be no sex until marriage. Good idea. That was what she would do.

She had her bath towards noon and picked a simple casual wear of t-shirt and jeans trousers. After all, it was a Saturday. She applied her perfume and sat on the sofa. It was a few minutes to one o'clock. She realized she was a bit anxious. Dear Lara, she told herself. How could you be anxious? How could ...?

Her phone rang. It was Tony that was calling.

'Hello?'

'Hello, Lara. I'm already waiting.'

'Okay. I'll be there.'

She stood up and switched the television off. Don't allow Tony to mess you up, she told herself. Stand your ground. Nobody can mess Lara up.

She locked up the flat and went downstairs. The car was at the spot it was the other time. It was as if Maggie was lurking around and watching
her. Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord.

He opened the door for her.

'Good after, dear Lara.'

'Good afternoon, Tony.'

He looked at her over. 'You look good.'

She smiled briefly. 'Thank you.'

'And I like that perfume you're wearing.'

'Thank you.'

He smiled at her again and kicked the engine into life. He drove to Allen Avenue and to a popular eatery. He ordered for fried rice and chicken.
They ate slowly.

'I'm glad you agreed to have lunch with me,' he started. 'I'm not surprised. I knew we would have intimate time like this together.'

'Don't overstretch your luck,' she cautioned.

He smiled. 'I'm beginning to believe it.'

Her brows went into a slight frown. 'Believe what?'

'Believe that you'll be a good wife.'

'Again, you're overstretching your luck.'

Thereafter, they ate almost in silence. After the food, he bought two jars of ice cream and they left the eatery. In his car, he looked at her over
again. 'I love you, dear Lara,' he said.

'Really?'

The car key was in the ignition, but he did not start it yet. The car provided some privacy.

'Yes,' he answered. 'Are you still in doubt?'

'Yes.'

He nodded as if he expected that answer. 'As time goes on, I'll prove it to you.'

She looked out through the window at the busy street briefly.

'What exactly do you want from me?' she asked.

'I want to marry you.'

'Why? Is it to spite Maggie?'


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Cynthia cleared her throat and told her story. She said the truth about how Maggie first came in and caught them making love. She also said the truth about how she had gone to Tony's house the following night, only to be told that she was no longer needed in the relationship.

'I felt, scorned and humiliated,' she said. It was that feeling of bitterness that made her to stealthily go inside his bedroom when he was bathing, and making that call to Maggie, though she made it look like she wanted to call a Veronica. Cynthia ended her story by reiterating that all she had said was the truth, and nothing but the truth.'

Lara sighed after the lady had finished her story. 'There are issues, here,' she said. 'Number one, how I'm supposed to know if she indeed was the lady that Maggie saw with you when she visited your house unannounced?'

Tony nodded. 'You have a point there. Please, use your phone to take her picture, and show it to Maggie. I hope she'll be able to recognize her.'

Lara nodded. 'Then, secondly, even if she was the lady, how am I sure you've not given her something to come and be saying all these?'

Cynthia immediately felt insulted. 'Excuse me, what exactly are you insinuating? I won't be so lowly as to do all that!'

Tony had to quickly intervene. 'Please, let's take it easy. Cynthia, don't be offended.' He turned to Lara. 'This lady I've brought to you today is that same lady Maggie saw. The almighty God is my witness. As long as the almighty God lives, if everything Cynthia has said today is the truth, we will be justified. But if they are deceits, then the anger of God will also swing to action.'

He took Cynthia's pictures from different angles. 'Shebi you can see her face well? I will send these pictures I've taken now to your WhatsApp number. Then you can show Maggie if she can recollect the face of the lady she saw in my bedroom that day. Lara, thanks for your time.
Cynthia, thanks for your time too. Let's go.'

Lara's guests stood up. 'Thanks for all the troubles,' she told them as they left her office. Several minutes after they had gone, Lara's mind remained in turmoil.

Could what Cynthia say be the real truth? Maggie was already out of Tony's life, so he was obviously going through all these troubles to convince her - Lara - that he had genuine love for her. If all he was after was sex or a fling, would he be going through all these? What, if it was all true?

What if indeed Tony loved her? Lara tried to imagine a love scene between Tony and her.

He was a handsome dude, no doubt. And he was also successful in his pharmaceutical business. But, how would she explain her change of mind to Maggie? Would she not see her as a betrayal, or as a cheap lady? Honestly, Lara was in a quandary. Some hours after they left, he sent

Cynthia's pictures to her WhatsApp, just as he said. Lara studied the lady's features very well.

She was indeed pretty, most likely prettier than her. Tony did not seem to be short of having pretty ladies around him. Somehow, Lara started believing this was the same lady that Maggie caught with. Somehow, she started believing that all what the lady said was true, and that indeed, Tony had love for her. But she could not tell Maggie any of these. She could not even show her Cynthia's picture to confirm if she was the lady Maggie saw in his bedroom.


Tony gave Lara four days before he called her again. At the back of his mind, he had no doubt that Lara would ultimately be convinced by what had played out. He wanted the truth to sink in, but did not want to rush her. That was why he gave her four days 'to think over it.'

Now, on a Saturday morning, he was finally calling her.

'Hello, Lara,' he greeted.

'Hello, Tony.'

'Do you now believe me, or you're still in doubts?' he asked.

'I don't know.'

He grinned to himself. Her answer meant she had started to believe him.

'Can I take you out for lunch today?'

'I ... I don't know.'

He grinned to himself again. 'I'll come around by one o'clock. I'll park the car where I parked the other time. Is that okay by you?'

There was another long pause. 'Okay,' she finally said.

'Good. I'll be there.'

The line was disconnected. Lara stared at her phone. You said okay, she accused herself. How could you say okay? So, now you're ready to
cheapen yourself and to betray your friend!




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