Sofi:

When they got to the reception venue she had already called the VVIP usher so the woman was waiting at the entrance to usher him to the reserved table. As soon as the woman started greeting him she wanted to take off and go find Toyin but, he caught her by the wrist.

"You're coming with me" He said firmly.

"Noooo I can't go there" She laughed. Is he crazy? High table is for big people.... dignitaries she does not have mind to go there. It's going to be billionaires, politicians etc. with their spouses in that section.

"But you're my plus one" He looked terrified, he had that look in his eyes...the one he had that moment on his birthday when they marched into his office with the cake, and it looked like fear....she saw fear in his eyes.

Her gaze went to her wrist where he was holding her because his grip was getting stronger then he quickly released her.

"Sorry" He said.

Is he afraid of crowds? Social situations? That's a psychological disorder right? she has heard of it before.

At that point, he looked like he was about to deadass turn back and enter his car. The VIP usher was watching them in confusion as she waited by the side so she impulsively held out her hand back to him and smiled warmly, he held her firmly and they followed the usher. The MC announced his name and the live band started singing for hydra petroleum lol.

The event was crowded, the hall was massive and it was filled to the brim. They had to walk a very long distance to get to the table which was in front. As they walked up to the table they turned some heads and she low key enjoyed the looks of curiosity on their faces as struggled to figure out who he is. The photographers fell over each other trying to get a picture of them.

When they got to the table he still had the energy sef to pull out a chair for her before he took his own seat. It's like this his 'gentleman thing' is in-built. When they settled down he told her there is no way he would have walked up to that high table without her and she laughed.

Like 5 minutes after they settled Banky appeared, he was wearing Agbada and sneakers, he hugged her first then greeted Dare.

"This is Bankole Bakare, Chief's last born" She said and Dare nodded, they shook each other and Banky hopped to Dare's side and opened one of the drinks on the table, he said he wanted to sit with them because he knows they'll serve food first there lol.

He looked at Dare then smiled roguishly, she just knew he was about to start marketing his mixtape lol. They started talking and she saw him showing Dare his SoundCloud account.

"Are you signed?" Dare asked him.

She was surprised that he was even interested in Banky's career, well he is Oga's pikin they have to patronize him.

Banky said yes but he started lamenting about the record label he is signed with, he said they are not promoting enough and he wants to leave and start his own record label.

"That's good I'll check out your music later" Dare said to him and Banky smiled gratefully.

After they presented the gift, Dare was talking to one CEO from another oil Company when Yinka showed up too at their table. She looked like she had just arrived. Her asoebi was very pretty, classy she wasn't even wearing gele but she looked so pretty like a doll.

"Oh no!" Banky muttered as she took the seat next to him.

She grabbed his ear and twisted it "Where is my ATM card you little brat?"

He looked at Sofi pleading for her to save him but she just laughed at them. Yinka and Banky are actually the closest despite the fact that they are not even from the same mother, so she is not going to chook mouth in their matter. Their other sibling; Segun Bakare is in his own world. That one does not even step foot in Nigeria he only comes when there is a serious family event. The last time he came was when Chief had that stroke.

"Hi Yinka, your dress is lovely" Sofi said to her.

"You too! I couldn't tie my gele because that annoying Gowon is so impatient" She ranted.

Ahn ahn her and Gowon again?

Dare returned to the table and she wanted to introduce Yinka to him the way she did with Banky but she saw that Dare was staring at her already. He was looking at her intensely and her heart shattered into pieces. All the fluffiness and sweetness she had been feeling from the moment he picked her up disappeared into thin air.

"Dare!" Yinka smiled at him and quickly released Banky's ear.

She pronounced his name correctly.

"I didn't know you were coming too" He hugged her.

"How is it going at the Company" Yinka continued.

She started talking to him about how the Company needs to reduce its carbon footprint and how oil is bad for the environment.

"This is where I take my leave! Sofi, see you around!" Banky stood up, carried two bottles veuve cliquot, from the dozen of drinks they piled up in the middle of the table, shook Dare and ran away.

Yinka took his seat, moving closer to Dare because of the loud music. They were engrossed in a serious discussion.

Sofi sighed silently as she opened her phone. What was she thinking? She is only here to assist him with his 'Chief-representation' duties, she is only his guide, why was she catching feelings? Because he held her hand? Because he picked her up. She is confusing he gentlemanliness for interest in her.

I'm so dumb. She said to herself.

Just look at him and Yinka together. They looked so good together, they'll make the perfect big-man-pikin couple. Their wedding would be just like this one. Abuja Power + Lagos Money.

And honestly if you put Yinka's werey aside, she is a stunner and a very interesting person, her mother is Igbo/Lebanese, she is very down to earth, she and her brother lived with their mother in France for some years after her parents' divorce, she has Ivy League education just like Dare up to PhD level .

Lol, she is a clown for even getting carried away with the small attention she has been getting from him. Respect yourself Sofi. She thought to herself.

She better go find for Toyin so they can network and look for their mates.

They continued talking, at some point Yinka started whispering in his ear and the two of them were laughing hard and honestly they looked better and much more comfortable as a couple, she still felt small jealousy....she actually likes him small. He looked at her and their eyes met like twice and both times it looked like he wanted to say something to her but Yinka kept pulling him back with her gist.

Then Gowon came to their table, he shook Dare and greeted her, he even complimented her then he looked back at Dare again weirdly. Then she saw that Dare kind of glared at him and then he smiled flashing those his fine dimples again.

What was that?

"Are you ready to go?" He said to Yinka.

Yinka just eyed him and crossed her arms over her chest.

He laughed "You didn't even want to come here in the first place, what is this one you are doing again?"

She stood up and placed her hand on Dare's shoulder. "We will continue this discussion another day Dare"

"Sofi love, see ya" She said then followed Gowon out.

"I am so sorry about that" He said "Yinka always hounds me, she wants the Company to go green"

"I know" Sofi smiled.

He smiled back then just as he was about to say something the MC called him again; to come and give the couple advice. Shit! She forgot to tell him about that part.

What is he going to say? Someone that he is not even married! The other fathers of the day had left, those older big men guests don't stay long at events because they don't have the time they usually just show face leave after the couple arrives or after they present their gift. So there was no anyother designated father of the day present which is they called him.

He raised his brows first in surprise when he heard his name then he calmly drank the remaining champagne in his glass and stood up confidently. The hall was getting scattered already because people were agitating for after party and they had served food already so everywhere was chaotic.

She watched him anxiously as he walked to the front and collected the mic from the MC, her heart beating wildly in her chest, worried for him, as if she was the one.

....

You see ehhn there is something powerful about Dare's voice, that soft baritone laced with his hausa-british accent, no wonder those early days she used to get nervous around him.

When he started talking everyone stopped and paid attention, all the people taking pictures, the ones struggling for souvenir, the ones that were making noise, walking up and down. Everyone stopped to listen to him. As his sexy voice filled the speakers SHE felt like the world had stopped.

He sounded a little bit nervous at first, but then he cracked a little joke about how he is going to keep his speech short because he knows everyone here is just waiting for the after party to start and the audience roared with laughter, that was not even very funny but see how they were laughing because.....of that voice. hmm in this life have money o....and clean voice!

He started by congratulating the couple again, then listed the usual generic advice 'the wife is always right' 'respect each other' 'compromise' then he looked towards her direction from where he was standing and their eyes met, she thought he was stuck and didn't know what to say again so she freaked out all over again but then he continued...., "but most importantly Dapo and Nike, always remember why you fell in love with each other in the first place" The moment he said that one with his eyes on her like that, all the common sense that she had recollected when Yinka showed up vanished into thin air again.

Everyone clapped thunderously after his short and straight to the point speech. They positive reaction of course was because he kept it short, at that point at least 80% of the guests were drunk already and they just wanted to party.

On his way back to their table, that Toyin's friend; Osaze caught up with him and they were talking, looked like they knew each other.

"This is my friend Osaze, we attended the same Msc" Dare said and just as he was about to introduce her, Osaze recognized her.

"Sofi, Toyin's friend right?" He looked excited. And she nodded.

Haaaaaa so they know eachother! Thank God they didn't find him at that gentleman's club that night. She would have casted.

"She is over there with her parents I was with them earlier" Osaze pointed towards Toyin's parents' table.

She looked and saw Toyin's parents preparing to leave so she stood up quickly "I need to go over to my friend's table for a minute" She said to Dare.

He nodded "I actually have to leave now, I have someplace to be by 7 so Soji will come back to pick you up when you guys are done with the after party?" He said.

"No you don't have to, Toyin will drop me off"

"Are you sure?" He searched her eyes.

"Yes" She smiled.

Dare's POV:

He had to leave early to meet with Akin for some business; he was planning to invest in a hospital, they had a meeting with the owners.

As his car drove out of the venue he logged into his instagram account that he has been using to monitor his little sister and typed that Salon's handle. Indeed her pictures were uploaded, he saved all two of them sharply smiling sheepishly. He was hoping to see more but they uploaded just 2? Why? He wanted more and they were just face shots, he wanted a full length picture.

He saw that they tagged her in the pics so he sharply tapped the handle and flew straight to her account but it had PADLOCK, her account was private. Lol.

He clutched the cap she made for him gently in his hand as a smile formed on his face. He feels so strongly about this girl and he is done fighting off his feelings. He wants her so bad and he doesn't care if she is his colleague, she is an exception.

He sent her a text.

Dare: Thank you.

⬇️⬇️⬇️Don't forget to vote ;)