Utianle

"See as you're glowing, single life fits you o."

"Faith, it is not even up to a day yet." I grinned, resting on the chair to support my weight while she continued folding clothes.

We were in the dressing room, packing the clothes the models used into different luggage. The heap of clothes in the chair had reduced and I sighed in contentment; the show was a success. It didn't matter that my catwalk hadn't been as professional as some of the models hired, I was happy.

"I know." She dumped a jacket into the box without folding it, stood with her hands akimbo, "he was holding back your shine."

Glancing at one of the many vanity mirrors in here, I pursed my lips and stared at my reflection to see the glow she was talking about. There was none. If there were any changes, it would be internal ones. An inner peace, a deep sense of relief or freedom like a load had been taken off my shoulders. It made me wonder why I had wanted to go through with the wedding when the mere thought of it weighed me down.

The answer was simple, with two, young kids, my heart was the last thing to be considered. I had everything to lose and marriage would have easily elevated my societal status. Besides, I was used to routines and I would have easily settled into life as a married woman. But. I was glad that it didn't happen, not to Umoh at least.

I passed my duplicate in the mirror a fake grin, why did the men I was involved with always have to cheat on me? What was it about me that made them look outside or was I not enough?

It's not you, it's them. I quickly reassured myself. They didn't deserve me.

The sound of metal hitting the ground forced me back into the present. I turned right in time to see a mini shift dress threatening to fall off the chair and gestured wildly for Faith to pick it.

"Why did you keep it?" She asked, the dress was in her hand and her eyes were resting on my fingers that were pointed at her.

"This?" I rubbed the tiny cut diamond on the centre of the ring and she nodded. "This is payment for the emotional damages."

She laughed and I joined her. I couldn't tell her that it was for the sole purpose of making King jealous or at least scaring him off. A break away from men or a short vacation to emotionally detoxify was what I needed in my life right now. If what Faith said about the authenticity of the ring was true, then it would fetch enough money to spoil me and the kids rotten for a weekend.

"Faith?" I called out when she started moving towards the curtain, "what are you doing? We are not done."

Her head was poking out of the curtain that separated us from the other guests outside and I was grateful for the privacy we had. I didn't want to mingle or plaster any more fake smiles on my face. Faith wiggled her butt in response to me before turning to face me with a mild look of irritation.

"That girl is still with him," she answered with a scowl, closed the curtains with a huff and moved to an empty seat.

She was referring to King and the petite lady that had been hanging by his arms all evening; they were like five and six. She had kissed him. I tried to banish the image of her lips on his but it stuck. She had kissed him and he had let her do it even though he knew I could see them.

How could he bring a lady to an occasion that he knew was of so much importance to me and allow her to do that? I shook my head, it was none of my business, I shouldn't and I didn't care what he was doing with one of his many conquests.  

Men were scum anyway, they couldn't be trusted. For all I knew, they were probably making a deal for her to be his baby mama.

Slapping myself gently across the cheek, I reminded myself that it wasn't any of my business. I pulled the ring out of my finger, the plan had failed. I was supposed to be the one making him jealous, not the other way around. 

Move on, forget about him, but it was hard. Every little thing reminded me of him, I was here today because of him.

"If Junior asks you to be his baby mama, will you say yes?" I asked Faith, I had not told her the outcome of yesterday's meeting but she had guessed it didn't end well, or maybe Junior filled her in. After all, it was both of them that got us into that position. 

Her hand halted on the bottle of wine on the dresser. "No." She reached for one of the empty glass cups, filled it to the brim as she muttered, "what's baby mama?" I waited for her to ask my reasons for that question but she didn't. She probably already knew. 

"Where are you going?" I asked when she started walking towards the curtain with the glass in hand. She didn't drink from it.

Our alcohol tolerance was low so the wine had been left untouched since a server brought it in here. The alcoholic content was above ten percent, I didn't want to find out what would happen if we took it.

She turned to face me, her free hand on her waist. "I'm going to pour this drink on her."

"Faith, it's not necessary," I chuckled; it really wasn't. She was probably bored out of her mind since Junior, her mischief partner couldn't make it. "Besides, I need a break from men. I think I need space."

"What is a break? Space? No." She took a step towards me, "I did not fast and pray for you and Umoh to break up so that one girl will snatch your husband." She made a circle above her head with her right hand and ended it with a snap of her fingers. 

"My God will not allow it. That break, you will take it with him and if you need space, there's enough space in this room for two of you," she finished, continuing on her way.

"Faith," I drawled out and she wheeled to face me, a cute frown on her lips, "sha make it look like an accident."

"Before nko?"

When she stepped out, I stayed behind the curtains, peeping with amusement as she strolled to the pair, pretended to trip before emptying the glass on the girl's gown. The scene made me erupt in a fit of giggles. Faith was a terrible actress, there was no subtlety in her actions. Luckily for our victim, she was wearing a black gown which made it easier to hide the stain.

I giggled, even more, when one of Faith's hands went over her mouth in fake shock, moving my head side to side. I could picture her lips moving to form a string of insincere apologies that followed her bad acting. 

The girl cast a desperate, pleading look at her partner and I followed her gaze. The corners of his lips seemed to move, I could have sworn he was fighting back a smile. She tried to latch onto him but Faith wasn't having any of that. With a hand around the girl's waist, she dragged her out of King's presence.

She was the same height as Faith but the scowl on Faith's face told you not to mess with her. I giggled, no one could stop a determined Faith, my bestie of life. I caught the horror that was written on the girl's face and it made me remorseful for a fleeting second. I shook that feeling off.

King didn't want her there, the relief on his face was proof of that. In as much as I pretended not to care about who he came here with, I was happy that we got rid of her. She didn't belong with him.

Faith was halfway across the auditorium when she sent a wink my way, my cue to walk to King. If I didn't, I was certain she would drag me to him but I still hesitated.

As if he knew I was thinking about him, he turned in my direction and my breath hitched in my throat. The noises around me faded to the background, faces of people beside him blurred and the world slowed. At that moment, my anger seemed inconsequential. Nothing else mattered. We were in a bubble of our own and I wanted it to stay that way for a long time.

My lips moved of their own accord into a smile and I gazed dreamily at him, watching as the corners of his lips lifted to reciprocate the action until a head blocked my view of him. I coughed into my fist, annoyed at the lady smiling cluelessly in front of me with child-like innocence.

One look around me showed that I was no longer in the comfort of the dressing room.

"Hi, I love the dresses." She gushed with the same smile lingering on her lips.

"Hi," I responded with a smile while trying to gather my thoughts, "thank you."

"Flourish, nice to meet you." She stretched out her hand for a handshake and I took it.

The name sounded familiar, maybe one of the sponsors of today's occasion but I couldn't figure it out, not now. My thoughts were scattered all over the place. I badly wanted to see him again.

My eyes searched for King, he was no longer there. "Uti, the pleasure is all mine."

"I love your collection, everything about it is incredible. My friends and I want them."

On cue, a bunch of ladies styled in a similar fashion like they belonged to the same calibre with Flourish gathered around me. I should have been glad for their interest in my collection but their sudden appearance stunned me. The words I should have said evaporated and I forgot how to breathe.

"Hi."

"I love the gown on the third lady."

"That short will look good on my son."

They took turns to speak but it felt like they were all talking at once. I couldn't identify the voices because their faces were starting to blur and their gazes which were still trained on me only served to heighten my panic. I looked towards Flourish, hoping to communicate with my eyes the need for space, she didn't get it. The distance between us was so small that if I took one step forward, our bodies would be touching.

"I ... I," I stuttered. I wanted to thank them first then politely exchange contacts and leave but the words remained stuck in my throat. I wasn't great at social gatherings and it was telling on me now. My chest tightened, my breath quickened, my hands shook by my side; I needed to leave. "I ... I"

Where's Faith when you need her?

A hand snaked around my waist as if in answer to my prayer, my body relaxed at the familiar woody fragrance and I found myself leaning into the muscular frame. His hands moved in circular motions at the small of my back and my head rested on his shoulders. I didn't need to see the face to know who it was. His scent was enough.

Though King was by my side, when he spoke, his voice sounded far-off. "Excuse me, ladies. Oh wow," he paused, maybe to take in their looks, "beautiful. You all are looking great tonight."

He lied. They were not ladies, they were older women, possibly in their early fifties.

They rewarded him with a fit of giggles and shy glances. "May I borrow Uti for a bit? She doesn't do well with cramped spaces."

A string of apologies followed his statement and they took a step back to give us room. I watched morosely as he gave them my phone number, Instagram business account, not once did he consult his phone.

He didn't speak when we were back inside the dressing room, instead, he took deep breaths, gesturing with his eyes for me to do the same. I followed his movements and soon enough, I began to breathe normally.

"Thank you," I murmured.

Fashion business required me frequently meeting new people, socialising, faking smiles and exchanging contacts. I could do all that but the sudden appearance of Flourish friends felt more like an ambush; I had not been prepared.

"Thank you too," he smiled, eyeing my hands as if seeking permission to touch them, "that girl was a pain in the ass."

A pain in his strong, firm ass.

There was a lull in the conversation after that. When he was not yet here, I had a lot to say, now he was here, the words refused to form. So, I took one of his hands instead.

"What's your favourite snack?" He asked, squeezing my hand that was in his grip and I chuckled; he stole my line.

Asking people for their favourite thing was my go-to in awkward situations, it always worked. "Does Akara count?"

He nodded. "Mine is cupcakes."

King grinned and my smile widened. I could have guessed that. We already established his love for sugar on our first outing, date?

Was that a date? It probably wasn't, to him.

"You blocked me."

Yes, you deserved it.

Instead, I said, "yes," and looked away.

"I deserved it." I nodded, his eyes lowered briefly to my bare shoulders and he continued, "are you still angry?"

My silence greeted him. Was I angry? Not anymore. I shook my head and he smiled. He placed a finger under my chin, tilting my head up. There was a tingling sensation that came with his touch and when his thumb ran across my lower lips, a moan slipped from me. I wrapped both of my hands around his wrists, the need to touch every part of his body intensely consuming me.

I took one step back, we needed to talk first.

"I didn't like that man touching you, his hands were on your waist for too long."

My eyebrow rose as if to say, really and I folded my arms across my chest. Was he being serious right now? The man in question was happily married and I only played along because I knew King was watching. Also, what right did he have to tell me what to do when he was just doing the same thing a while ago?

He sighed, his hands ran through his face in frustration. Yes, wrong move, start over.

"Alright, Utianle, you win," he started; his eyebrows furrowed and an unnamed emotion crept into his eyes. This was his first time of calling my name in full and I didn't know whether to take that as a good or bad sign. I settled for a good sign.

He fiddled with his tie, tugged on his beards painfully before balling his hands into a fist by his sides. He opened his mouth and closed it, not once, not twice. It was unusual seeing him this way and I was tempted to draw him close, tell him everything would be alright but I wanted to hear what he had to say. He looked like he had a load to get off his chest, a load I was hoping wouldn't mar our chance at a future together.

"I'm scared."

"I don't want you to marry him," I won't be marrying him, "but I'm afraid that I won't be able to give you what you want. I'm afraid of taking something away from you and not being able to give you something bigger and better." He took a deep breath, "most importantly, I'm afraid that if I give myself entirely to you, you will end up leaving."

Oh, King. I'm not going anywhere.

My arms instinctively wrapped around him but he didn't relax in my embrace. I didn't want anything bigger than a commitment from him. I broke off from the hug with my arms still lingering on his waist. A small smile lifted the corner of his lips but it wasn't enough for me, I wanted to see a full-blown smile where he displayed all of his pearly whites. His happy smile.

His forehead rested on mine, his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. His lips opened and closed like he was unsure of what he was about to say. "Don't marry him, marry me instead."

"What?" The impact of his words forced me to take a step back.

"I'll be your escort at fashion shows, I'll give you foot massages when that time of the month comes, I'll rub your scalp to help you sleep better at night. I'll carry Emma on my shoulders so we can run around the kitchen and disturb you while you cook. I'll help Esther with her assignments. We'll take turns for school runs. I'll attend the PTA meetings. I'll give you warm hugs on your bad days. I'll listen patiently when you rant because I love your lips and the way it moves. We can have any number of babies you want. I wan-"

"King."

"-want you, Uti. No," he shook his head, intertwining our fingers, "I need you and I miss you. Please don't marry him."

My heart forgot how to function at that moment and I just stared at him. To reassure myself that this was not a dream or my mind playing games with me, I reached for his cheeks, then ran my fingers through his beards. It was real.

This was real. He was here, not just here, he wanted to be with me and my babies. I sighed in contentment, taking another glance at him. He looked vulnerable and his emotions were out on display. I liked vulnerable King, in fact, I liked all versions of King and I wanted all of him. 

"Uti?" He didn't sound flustered like I thought he would after that long speech but I could sense fear in his voice. I giggled, it had better be fear of what I would do to him if we got a chance to really be alone.

"What's my favourite colour?" I had to ask.

He stared comically at me. "Blue. Blue that is the colour of the sky after rainfall because you love the smell of rain." I nodded like an agama lizard that had a bone caught in its throat; he was right. "Uti, you have not answered me."

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Utianle!"

Of course, someone has to ruin this moment. I groaned, turning to face the intruder and a look of surprise crossed my face upon seeing who it was.

"Umoh."

King's arm wrapped around my waist and I smiled, I liked this protective side of him as well. Umoh nodded in King's direction, a nod he didn't reciprocate. I sighed, why was he here? Was he no longer busy?

Standing on my toes, I pecked King on his lips, exactly where the other lady did, "I'll be back." He didn't seem pleased with my words but he made no move to stop me as I followed behind Umoh.

"So, that's it?" Umoh asked once we were in a more isolated area. "We break up in the afternoon and by evening, you are already moving on? Utianle, is that it?"

"Yes, that's it." I folded my arms across my chest. I wasn't angry with him for cheating, I was upset with him for interrupting my special moment with King.

"There's nothing I can say to change your mind? I really am sorry."

"No," I replied, shaking my head. He really did look pitiful and I felt bad that he was in this position because of me. He brought it upon himself, I was quick to remember that.

His shoulders slumped in defeat, a few seconds passed before he spoke again. "How about a goodbye kiss?" I was already shaking my head when he added, "please."

"And you will stay away, forever?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

* * *

"Where's King?" I asked Faith the moment I stepped inside the dressing room. It was empty when I got back from seeing Umoh.

I already checked everywhere I could think of, even called his number twice but he wasn't picking. Where could he be?

"King? I think he already left, he seemed pretty upset." Faith replied with her fingers wrapped around a glass cup, her next words were slurred, "what did you do?"

Did he follow me? I sighed, I could explain.

I snatched the glass before it met her lips, heart pounding in my chest. "He what?"

"He left."

*****

Media: Poem that inspired parts of King's confession to Uti. Alily, my baby love, leeleeian, thank you for writing it. I loved it from the moment I saw it.

This chapter is also dedicated to my Eni, eniola_writes, today is her birthday. Happy Birthday!!! Grow in grace.

You guys can't tell me you don't love King, he was so cute. I liked writing this chapter, got me smiling like a ram.

Q: Do you think Uti kissed Umoh?