~Sarima's POV~

I entered through the heavy glass doors and looked around the hall. The scent of lavender musk was faint in the cold atmosphere.

I sighted the female worker I'd seen here two weeks ago. The teenage boy at her side during my last visit was absent today.

I smiled at her making my way around the furniture; toward her, but she didn't return the gesture, and I regretted my friendly act.

"Is your oga around?" I asked her, skipping the greeting I initially had at the tip of my tongue.

She looked up from the book and placed it on the counter like she had just noticed my presence.

Her fake eyelash was coming off at the ends, and her red lipstick didn't suit her face. She could have looked better without it.

"I don't know," she gave a vague response, her stare blank.

Really?

I dipped my hand into my pocket to reveal my–not so worthy for the public's eye phone.

"I mean, he must have stepped out," She tried to explain as she saw what I was doing.

"Don't worry. I'll just give him a call."

"No, I'll call him," She brought out the landline from under the counter.

I ignored her and dialled his number.

He picked on the first ring.

"Gingerbread," came his drawl from the phone, his manly voice simultaneously echoing in the hall, and I turned around to see him making his way into the hall from the back entryway. He wore a surprised look on his face when he sighted me, and he ended the call immediately, smiling happily at me.

He is happy to see me.

I was elated.

I hid my blush. Smiling back, forgetting about his nasty employee and leaving the counter as my eyes accessed him, he was on a brown leather slide and black jean trousers with the signature customised button-down vintage shirt he mostly had on; today's had a beach design of palm trees all over it on a blue background.

His low-cut hair looked wet, and his handsome face was fresh from being washed. He must have been busy earlier on. I was lucky to catch him free.

I had yet to inform him that I would visit him.

"What?" My grin increased as he stood before me, hands folded across his chest, giving me an amused look.

"You didn't tell me you were missing me when we spoke on the phone two days ago o." He quizzed.

"Who's missing you? I came 'cause I got something for you," I tapped my old blue satchel drawstring bag slung over my right shoulder twice.

"Your bag is nice. You made it too?" He asked, his eyes leaving there to rest on my face.

"Yeah, it's a year old already," I returned proudly. Falling into slow steps beside him as he walked towards the counter.

"So what did you get for me?" He asked, relieving the sales attendant from her duty post.

I looked around. The environment was calmer than it was the last time I was here.

I voiced my thoughts, and he replied.

"Workers are dismissed earlier on weekends, apart from the sales manager," who was the young lady that initially occupied this counter.

"Okay," I nodded, opening the bag and bringing out the first male slide. It had a leather material with his initials woven into it at the top.

"You make male footwear too?" He asked in surprise, taking it from me.

I felt satisfied by the look he had on his face. He didn't have to tell me he loved it; his smile said it all.

I nodded, a tight smile on my face. "You like it?".

"Absolutely," he looked up. "how'd you know my shoe size?"

"You told me during one of our phone conversations, asides that, I can tell by studying your feet for a long time."

He grinned at me, raising both hands in a salute, "oshey, professional shoemaker."

I laughed. "You're sick upstairs, Ekene."

He removed his old slides and put on the one I had made. It was perfect on his feet.

"Aww, my baby knows what's perfect for her man," he cooed, playfully pulling my chin.

"Tarh," I swatted off his hand, "I brought it as a gift for your encouragement of my crafts with your ugly feet." I gave him a side-eye.

"Admit it or not." He replied casually, his eyes still on his feet.

"I got you this too," I brought out female furry slippers. "You can give it to your sister or any of your female friends to publicise my work." I winked at him, "business strategies."

"Who told you I have a sister?"He asked, inspecting the slippers he'd collected from me.

"I thought you'd mentioned something like that to me before. Well, I didn't realise."

"Well, I do, and I will" he looked up from the slippers to my face carrying an admiring look on his countenance. "You're good at this. Have you signed up for the Instagram and Twitter accounts I spoke to you about?"

"Yeah, RiRiz HANDiCRAFT, follow me." I was smiling too much today.

His smile matched mine as he stared at me from under his lashes.

My smile turned shaky as his stare gradually became intense, lasting longer than it should.

I played naive, avoiding his gaze, placing the slippers side-by-side on the marble counter, and pushing it towards him. Then, finally, I looked at him, and he looked away when our eyes met again, sensing my uneasiness.

He took the slippers, and we both turned to the noise at the far end of the entrance door as a pot-bellied short man on a senator with a dark young lady made their way into the hall.

Kene excused himself and stood up from the stool, attending to them.

He exchanged a handshake with the man, who gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder like they'd known before now while they conversed in a very familiar way.

The young lady, maybe in her late twenties, stood beside them, smiling at their exchange. She was in a red shin-length gown with a slit stopping almost above her panties.

I might have exaggerated that part, but the slit was very revealing.

She was beautiful with her long human hair extension and perfect make-up.

Kene made a gesture with his hand towards the bed and vanity table area, and she walked there with the short man in tow behind her, his eyes fixed squarely on her swaying behind.

I cringed.

She turned to Kene and pointed at a table with a polished coffee exterior.

Her hand rested on his arm lightly on the older man as she spoke to him.

She moved away from them as they started conversing again, this time in Igbo language, and her eyes met mine. She looked away after a few seconds, her eyes going to rest on the intricate decorations on the ceiling.

She found the beautiful large table before her, and her fingers trailed on an African-themed artefact on the mahogany desk.

Shortly after, she was looking at me again.

I stared down at the slippers on the marbled counter.

I sensed her approach with the clicking sound of her heels on the floor. Her strong perfume filled the atmosphere.

I looked up to find her smiley face hovering above my sitting position.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Hi," I smiled.

"Did you add an afro extension to your hair?" She asked.

"No?" I gave her a confused look.

"Really? I'm jealous right now," she laughed lightly.

"Why?" my smile was increasing.

"Your hair's gorgeous...I can't keep my hair this way to save my life." She said dryly.

I touched the hair I hadn't bothered to put a comb through this morning after losing out the cornrows.

I gave her a genuine smile of gratitude; her compliment made me blush.

"Thank you."

"Can I touch it?" She asked, and I nodded my approval.

She dug her manicured nails into my thick afro, her chunky bracelet making a slight noise as her hand moved.

" It's soft, too; what's your name?"

"Sarima," came my quick response.

"I'm Ronke. Ever considered modelling?" She asked.

"No," I chuckled. "I'm quite busy."

"Too bad", she gave a playful grimace.

Her eyes landed on the slippers.

Oh yeah, my opportunity was before me.

"You like it?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's beautiful," she picked it up, inspecting the design.

"I made it. I make footwear, bags, chokers, hats, and custom designs too."

"Ronke," Her name echoed in the hall as the old man called her with his thick Igbo accent.

Oga don't come and spoil market for me o, biko.

She pretended not to have heard.

Good girl.

I mentally gave her a thumbs up.

"Sweeri," he called louder, and she frowned uneasily.

"I'm coming, chief," she replied and turned back to me.

"Can I have this one?" She asked hurriedly.

"Errr, it's taken already, but we can exchange numbers. I'll call you."

"Okay," she breathed, bringing out her phone from her shiny black purse.

I called the number to her, and she gave me a call. I could feel the vibration in my bag.

She raised a perfectly drawn brow as I nodded, tapping my bag and indicating that I felt it ring.

"Save my number. I'll call you later today," she smiled.

"Thank you," I replied with a smile of my own.

And She left.

Yes!

I mentally fist-bumped into the air.

She left to join them outside as I celebrated secretly in my heart.

I'm sure she'd have rich friends too that would patronise me through her.

Moments later, Kene came inside, and I chuckled happily, unable to contain my happiness.

"Look at this one," He teased me as he approached, twirling a bunch of keys in his hands as they made clicking sounds hitting each other.

"Ken!" A high-pitched voice rang out in the hall.

We both turned again to look at the entrance door as a stunning white-skinned, not my kind of light skin that escaped caramel by a few shades; hers was white.

She stood at the door; face contorted in _was it misery I saw.

Her face held the exact look of a damsel in distress with her designer turkey gown and classy light make-up. She screamed 'class'.

Kene halted in his tracks, his initial playful demeanour turning serious and sober as surprise was also etched on his features.

"Elsie," He breathed.

Her name was beautiful too.

I frowned.

His feet were still rooted to the spot where he was standing as they engaged in a very tense stare-down.

Someone, please explain what is happening here to me.

She broke into a sob that did nothing to reduce her pure beauty in the least bit way and ran toward him.

I couldn't help but wish she would topple with her 4-inch heels to the marble floor and defile her pristine beauty so I could feel less like a tarted-up ape.

She engulfed him in a tight bear hug muttering incoherently through her sobs.

He was hugging her, too, one hand holding her body close to his while smoothening her hair.

I'm officially jealous.

My frown increased.

I'd never seen kene like this before, so sober and_

I frowned, looking away; he wasn't even sparing me a glance. All his attention was on snow-white. He'd forgotten I was even there.

I waited.

And waited.

He pulled away from the extended hug and cupped her face. He spoke to her softly, words that were impossible to make out as I tried to read his lip movement. Her face was pink now as he wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs.

She hugged him again tighter than before and broke into another sobbing feat.

Who's this lady?

Was she his ex?

Or an abandoned girlfriend.

So he had a girlfriend and started going all sweet and mushy on me?

I was jumping to conclusions, and I knew it.

It's not even like he even owed me anything.

So It wasn't supposed to be my business.

I waited

I was still waiting.

I felt awkward.

I stood up from the stool, quietly sneaking away to the other entryway from the loggia without them noticing.

You can kiss her all you want now, kene.

I know my thinking was irrational. But I just couldn't help it.

I walked down the loggia, looking around the quiet environment and studying the zinced ceiling in boredom.

In no time, I was at the second part of the building, it was tidy today, and the cubicles were shut.

I walked along the long lobby and entered the serene compound, raising my squinted eyes and looking at the sky above.

Perfectly blue, just how I thought my day was going until_

I went to sit on thick wooden roots escaping the cracked grounds with weeds around in the field, under the canopy of the heavily branched tree. I brought out my phone from my bag.

And opened a file from my WPS office to read away in hopes that he'd come looking for me.

I waited an hour, passing the time with my schoolwork on my phone.

I waited for another and became pissed and frustrated as my useless phone's battery life went low.

My ass was aching, and I couldn't feel my feet as I stood up, dusting my plaid patterned flared gown.

I brushed off imaginary leaves from my hair in case there were any and started heading back to the hall.

Once I got there, I sighted them, and they were talking now. It was over 2 hours already, and they were still together.

She laughed loudly at what he said; her laughter was Angelic, too, making my insides boil. They'd taken up a sitting position at the counter facing each other.

Hol'up! was that my slippers she had on her pretty feet?

The nerve!

I'd said his sister or friend, yeah, but not her!

I looked at Kene, and our eyes connected. He looked like he had just recalled that I was around. That I existed.

I looked away from him, overhearing her loud question.

"Is that the sales attendant?"

Wow.

"Sarima!" He called me and I stopped, giving him a blank look as he approached. "I didn't know you were still around." he ran his fingers through his hair.

He looked guilty.

Well, he should be!

I shrugged, masking the hurt from showing on my face.

"You're leaving?"

Obviously mister.

I nodded

"Let me walk..."

"...No," I gave him a fake smile.

My eyes involuntarily went to snow-white, who was giving me a once over, her eyes settling on the scar on my hand.

I self-consciously put my hand away from her sight, regretting why I'd worn this ugly old gown and cursing Somi for telling me I looked nice before leaving the house.

I looked up at him again.

"Bye," I smiled again, turning to leave.

"Hey," He held my wrist. Our eyes met, and I looked down at his grip on my wrist. He left it immediately, realising what he had done.

I tried to appear as unaffected as I could.

"See you later_maybe. I have work _I left at home_" My words stumbled out awkwardly, and I smiled to cover up my embarrassment.

I Don't think he was buying it because his sober expression didn't change a bit.

I left in hurried steps without a backward glance.

******************

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