C H A P T E R  E I G H T E E N
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Normani felt hours of travel and exhaustion slide off of her body like an old, plastic veneer under the spray of the shower.

The temperature was far too scorching to attempt to bath with anything hotter than lukewarm and even in the shower, Normani found beads of sweat clamped on her forehead.

Soon after, she closed the tap and walked out of the large, modern shower with great caution as her feet were still wet.

Once she located a towel, she wrapped it around her body and sighed in relief in the fluffy, cotton feel of it against her body.

Keith's en-suite bathroom was quite frankly, the most lavish bathroom she'd ever used, renovated with marble, granite and cool metal.

His bedroom was another story, decorated in stone and light wood, overlooking a gorgeous mini garden and adorned with French-style windows that stretched from the ceiling to the floor.

Normani found Keith perched on the king sized bed covered in faux animal skins and Egyptian cotton sheets, deeply engrossed in a newspaper article. He looked up when he heard the patter of her semi-dry feet and he smiled at her.

She perched herself on the foot of the bed and held a tub of lotion in her one hand. As soon as she slid the towel off of her, she lathered her body with lotion while Keith watched with avid fascination.

Even after more than eighteen months together, the sight of Normani naked never failed to fill him with awe. Something about the way her muscles rippled into one another to form her lithe and supple form weakened him.

He especially loved the two dimples on her lower back and even then, he couldn't resist leaning over her and pressing a palm over one of them. He leaned his head close into her neck,

"Have I told you how gorgeous you are?"

Normani stiffened under his touch and he knew the effect he had on her and couldn't keep the smug satisfaction off of his face.

"A few times today," she replied. Her pitch was higher and Keith couldn't help but place an open-mouthed kiss on her neck and another and another.

"Keith," he heard her mumble as his lips enclosed around one of her pulse points and began to gently suck at the skin. Normani felt a thrill shoot down her spine and she squirmed.

Her mind had already begun to take her to other places and now was not the time for any of this. There was less than an hour until dinner would begin and the idea of facing Keith's family with the taste of Keith on her lips made her burn with mortification.

Keith's hand had shifted from her lower back to rest on her naval and she knew without a doubt where that hand was headed. His lips were fervent against her neck now, licking and kissing away at all of her sensitive spots and she felt her self control slipping.

"Keith, we can't," she said.

The hand dipped down to her legs and for a moment, there was a voice that screamed at her to spread them wider and to let him in. He wouldn't take long and it would all be over well before dinner. He could still wash his hands and she could wipe herself down again.

But the more rational part of her brain reminded her that it wouldn't end there. They'd both want more and more. It was with a lot of restraint that she grabbed her boyfriend's hand and murmured, "Keith, stop."

He obliged instantly, letting his warm hand fall away from her skin and detached his lips from her neck.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded and placed a gentle peck against his lips.

"Just peachy now that you've stopped trying to seduce me," she replied.

"There's more where that came from," he said.

"Oh, I know and I'm looking forward to you showing me  after  dinner," Normani replied and with a wink she rolled off of the bed and went to get a fresh change of clothes.

×

By the time Keith and Normani made it into the dining room, the table was already set. Two clear containers of ofada rice and akara beans rested on the table with six plates and their accompanying cutlery laid in front of the respective chairs.

The temperature was much cooler now that it was evening and Normani was grateful for the relief from the heat. Matilda and Keith's parents were already seated when they entered the dining room.

"Ah, there you two are. Take a seat, we're about to start eating," Mr Ikande said.

"E ku ale , everybody," Normani said before taking a seat next to her boyfriend. She figured now was as good of a time as any to show off her Yoruba.

"Ehe, you can speak Yoruba?" Matilda said, turning her attention to her brother's girlfriend. The surprise was clearly written on her face but so was the impressed smile on her lips. Mr Ikande and Mrs Ikande looked intrigued too.

" Bee ni, die ," Normani replied.

Keith smiled at her like she'd brought home a pot of gold and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his embrace to place a tender kiss against her temple.

"Let's open in prayer," Mrs Ikande said.

"Where is Joseph?" Keith asked.

"He called to say he'd be bit late so we will start without him," Mr Ikande said.

"Oh, alright," Keith replied.

Mrs Ikande said a short prayer and no sooner had she finished, the main entrance to the dining room and a young man entered.

"Good evening everyone," he said and flopped down on the nearest chair.

" E ku ale, Joseph. We just finished praying," Mrs Ikande said, "Ayoola made akara, I know how much you like it, actually, Ayoola, come here!"

The young housemaid came scurrying into the room almost instantly and came to a halt in front of Mrs Ikande. She had her head bowed and her hands folded in front of her.

"Yes, Ma?"

"Bring the juices and pour them for us."

"Yes, Ma," she said with a small nod and returned less than thirty seconds later with two jug-fulls of orange juice.

She placed one on the table and with an eerie carefulness, she went around the table and poured juice in every glass. Normani was the last person Ayoola poured for and once she was done, Normani reached out to touch her arm,

"Thank you."

Ayoola only nodded without making any eye contact and made herself scarce once more.

"Sorry for being late, I was sorting out a few things with my modules with administration and you know how frustrating the online system is so I thought it better to do it in person."

"You missed the introductions, but Joseph, this is my girlfriend Normani, Normani this is my brother Joseph."

"Hey, I'd shake your hand or hug you if I wasn't so far --"

"Her hands work just fine," Keith said, effectively interrupting Joseph's train of speech.

"Right, but anyway, welcome to Nigeria and welcome to our home."

"Thank you," Normani replied. Out of everyone she'd met since arriving, he was the most laid back.

"So, Normani, I presume you are in university too?" Mr Ikande asked.

"Yes, I just completed my sophmore year at New York University."

"That's excellent what is your field of study? Here in this household we're more of an Information Technology-strong unit. What's you family's? Humanities? Science? Economics?"

"I'm a Dance Major," Normani replied.

"Really?" Matilda said with a squeal.

"Yes, she's quite the high-calibre dancer," Keith said.

Mr and Mrs Ikande had different variations of the same thread of shock on their faces. Keith's mother especially looked like she'd been told that Normani was a Satanist or something. Normani felt her cheeks burn under their scrutiny.

"What kind of dancing do you do?" Joseph asked. His interest was genuine – as was Matilda's who stared at Normani like she was an enchanted creature of some sorts.

"At school my main focuses are ballet, contemporary and African dancing, but I'm also formally trained in hip-hop."

"But she can also do anything that she sets her mind on really, the other day I saw her do the salsa like she'd been doing it since birth," Keith said.

Normani felt flustered under all the attention so she took a long sip of her juice.

"That is rather very interesting and unorthodox. You barely hear of people pursuing the arts in a formal institution here," Mr Ikande finally said.

"Was dancing your first choice?" Mrs Ikande asked.

"Yes," Normani replied, "I've been a formally-trained dancer from a very young age. I knew from then that I wanted to pursue a formal career."

"What can you do with a dance degree?" Mrs Ikande asked but Normani noted the slight condescending tone in her voice and she tried to swallow her offence down.

"There's lot's of things, uh, choreography, dance therapy, formal dancing."

"I do ballet at school, too," Matilda said added, her high-pitched voice and enthusiasm put Normani at more ease.

"Yeah?" Normani replied, "do you like it?"

"I love it," Matilda replied, beaming from ear to ear.

"And where did you two meet?" Mr Ikande asked.

"Church," Keith blurted, "I was attending one of the morning services and the pastor said 'turn to your neighbour and say hey neighbour' and when I turned she was there. She carried this big Bible and I just knew I had to get her number."

"Aww that's so sweet," Matilda said just as Normani stifled a laugh.

"Ah yes, I definitely remember that day. The pastor was preaching about sexual immorality."

She felt Keith's thigh bump against hers under the table and she had to resist the urge to burst out laughing.

"And now we've been together for a glorious eighteen months," Keith said.

Dinner came to an end some thirty minutes later.

"Goodnight everyone, I have an early morning ahead of me. Normani, it was a pleasure to share this meal with you. See you tomorrow," Mr Ikande said. He and his wife retired to bed.

"There's a new episode of Orphan Black," Matilda said to Joseph.

"Okay, I'll go get the popcorn and you get the TV ready," Joseph said.

"Yes Sir," Matilda said and giggled as her brother tickled her sides on his way to the kitchen.

"We'd extend the invitation but this is two-person party only, sorry," Matilda said and skipped her way to the TV room.

"They're so cute," Normani said.

"Those two are thick as thieves," Keith said with an endeared smile.

"Do you want to take a walk?" Keith asked.

"Sure," Normani replied.

They walked around the garden that was just outside the parlour they'd been sitting in that afternoon.

"How are you feeling?" Keith asked.

"Relieved. Do you think they liked me?"

"Oh yes, I definitely think they liked you."

"I hope they do, I don't know I just don't want there to be any complications."

"Is this because of the way they reacted when they found out your major? Baby that's nothing personal, I promise. Like my father said, they're not accustomed to hearing of people doing arts. They like you. You're a well-mannered, beautiful Christian girl – how can they not like you hmm?"

Keith kissed the top of her head and they walked around the grounds for a little while longer before they too, retired to their bedrooms.

×

Normani felt heat pooling at the muscles in her back and bright light burning her closed eyelids. She woke up because she felt uncomfortable with all the sunlight burning her body in the room. She felt the stiffness in her thighs the moment she sat up and stretched on the bed and was reminded of last night's activities.

Normani guessed that because they'd been tired and jetlagged, it would've been a quick affair but she'd lost count of the times her boyfriend had driven her to the abyss of bliss. She realised then that she was alone in the bedroom, the side Keith occupied had already gone cold.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth she made her way downstairs. Ayoola was sweeping the last steps on the staircase, humming a song to herself.

"Good morning, Ayoola," Normani said.

The girl paused and looked up at Normani with a large smile on her face, "Good morning Mistress Normani, how did you sleep?"

"I slept fine, it's okay if you just call me Normani."

"Okay. I'm glad you slept fine Normani, please go sit in the sitting room, I have something for you."

"Okay..." Normani replied curiously but nonetheless went into the sitting room when Ayoola all but dashed off into what she assumed was the kitchen. She returned with a plate full of pancakes, a bowl of sliced bananas and black coffee.

"Keith asked me to prepare this for you especially," she said as she laid the tray in front of Normani.

There was note tacked to the bottom of the tray and she smiled as she read the words: Had to be up early, had this made for you with love. always thinking of you x Keith. 

"Aww," Normani said with a pout and placed the note back down.

"Are you happy?" Ayoola asked expectantly, with her arms folded behind her face and the ghost of a smile lingering on her lips.

"Yes I am."

"I am so happy to hear that. I woke up the same time the men of this house did to make this for you but I am not complaining because I am a sucker for romance and you two make my heart palpitate," she said.

"What time did Keith and Mr Ikande leave?"

"Around 06:00," Ayoola replied.

"Damn and you were up before them?"

Ayoola nodded.

"Wow."

"There's a lot to do in this house, plus, it's just the way of life here for us Nigerians. No one likes a lazy person, especially a lazy girl."

Normani only nodded and Ayoola scurried off to finish her chores.

×

The traffic was non-existent at that time of morning and the SUV glided through the streets of the Wuse District with ease. Zechariah, the Ikande's longtime driver manned the wheel while Keith and his father sat in the backseat.

Keith hadn't known he needed to attend a meeting so early in the morning and he'd hated having to leave Normani behind.

With only less than fifteen minutes left before they'd reach the Ikande Tech Corp branch Keith watched his father out of the corner of his eye as he texted. The radio was tuned to a local radio news channel and it played softly in the background.

"Saul says that the meeting should commence on time," his father said.

"Alright," Keith replied.

"Once again, I am so sorry for the short-notice, I thought you'd known about it all along, but it shouldn't be long."

"Then we're heading home?"

"No, we have two more meetings in the conference room with some potential partners."

Keith resisted the urge to sigh, lest it be interpreted as insolence. He just wanted to get back home to Normani and it disheartened him to have to be away from her for an entire day.

"Okay. Father, I wanted to ask how you think dinner went?"

His father's expression remained stoic, "I thought it went just fine."

"What do you and Mother think about Normani?"

"She's a nice girl," he said with a nod.

"What does Mother think?"

"Son, you have to realise that your mother wasn't expecting you to bring her home."

"Why? Because we haven't been together long enough?" Keith asked.

"I'd reckon eighteen months is a very long time, in fact, it seems very serious."

"It is. Is Mother upset that I didn't tell her about Normani sooner?"

"Not exactly, you know how young bachelors can keep women around for years before they decide to bring them home."

"So what is it? Normani is so afraid Mother hates her."

"Your mother does not 'hate' her," Mr Ikande said with an incredulous scoff, "she's just a perplexed."

"But why?"

"She always thought you'd bring home a nice Nigerian girl is all."

"Surely Normani being American shouldn't be that big of a deal?"

Mr Ikande sighed, "yes but all mothers have certain hopes for their children. She always saw you with a rooted Yoruban girl."

"Maybe she just needs time to warm up to Normani. She may not be knowledgeable of our customs but she's eager to please and she's a good woman, I'm very happy with her."

"By the way,  the Ladipo family might be coming over for dinner tonight, I forgot to mention," Mr Ikande said, completely veering off topic. Keith resisted the urge to sigh once more. 

hello loves! i am back after what feels like an eternity and certainly feeling much better. x 

although this was more of a little filler, i'd love to hear all your thoughts. what do y'all think about the Ikande family? 

thank you for the 8k reads that racked up in my absence, your support continues to astound me 💟

-dzangie