- Hope's POV -

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Above is our J.K boo boo.

How was your valentine yesterday.... Enjoy ❤
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Fucking orange jacket shouldn't be hard so find, so why was it so difficult?! No jacket on the reading table, in bed or any visible area in his room. It wasn't under his bed either and wasn't in his adjoined bathroom. I had the thoughts to go downstairs and tell him I couldn't find his jacket, but that would be proving Yemi's words. I couldn't protect her boyfriend because of my incompetence.

"This is crazy," I almost pulled out my wig out of frustration. Orange was a bright colour, I could have seen it by now.

"Can't find it Cherry?"

"No, I can't!" I cried out in frustration. "It's just a jacket, how hard could it be to find a freaki-" Jesus christ was the only thing that filled my thoughts as realization sets in.

God, let that voice be from my head. I promise to pay tithe in church and increase my twenty naira offerings to fifty and hundred naira. I promise to put something down when it comes to pastor seeds. I'll even partake in building funds too. Just.... Mbok, let that voice be from my head.

My prayers turned into deaf ears as my village people decided to display their talents again. Jackson stood fixed at the door post, hands folded across his chest with a smug look on his face.

"C-c-cherry?" I laughed it out in a deep voice. "I don't know this Cherry you speak of."

"Wow, you've got a connection with Baby and Christy who's obviously connected to Cherry and you don't know Cherry?" The tone of his voice showed he wasn't buying any of it. "You know I did hear your voice in the car and saw you the other day in the single bathroom across the hall."

"S-"

"I just completed the math and you still chose to lie to my face. Safe the stress defending yourself, Cherry." Jackson turned to leave to my dismay. My eyes widened as I rushed to stop him.

"Sir, sir please I'm sorry. I really really really need this job." I pleaded while trying to stop him but Jackson wouldn't listen. He reached for the stairs and began to climb down. "If you let Henry in on who I am, he'll sue me and I won't ever show my face again to the world. He hates me and I need this money."

Still no words from Jackson as we got to the door leading out of the living room.

"Jackson, abeg." I whispered before stepping out of the entrance with him.

"Henry is smart." Jackson stopped so sudden, I almost ran into him. He turned to look me in the eye. "He might not figure it out now, but I'm certain he's sensing something off from you. He'll catch on eventually."

"I know, but please." Jackson ignored me and moved over to Henry. I stood behind, shaking like I just got pulled out from a freezer.

"Where's the jacket?" Was the first thing Henry asked. His eyes moved from mine to Jackson's. "I knew you were lying."

Jackson snickered. "I wanted to play a little trick on your bodyguard and it worked." I closed my eyes to pray in silence. There was no way my village people were bigger than God. "Well I'm off to read in your library. Have fun with your bodyguard."

My eyes promptly opened as I stared at Jackson. He looked back at me and smirked a little.

"You just made me late," Henry snapped at Jackson.

"Like they'll ever start without you," He responded, spun around and laughed to himself while moving into the house.

"Dick head," I heard Henry curse for the first time. It would have been amusing, if it wasn't for the fact that my heart was beating hundred times harder and faster.

Henry eyes moved to mine and I quickly looked away before he could catch me staring. Well, that was if he hadn't already. "Let's go, I'm driving."

"Sir," I tried to protest but Henry was already moving to his car. This was gonna be another long day.

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The ride was a quiet one. Henry was a good driver as he perfectly maneuvered his way on the road. Compared to his, my driving skills could be labeled as horrible. It made me wonder why he didn't scold or correct me with the way I normally drive but instead, ignored me. Same way he was ignoring me now.

The silence didn't bother me cause every chance I get, I glance at him with so many thoughts in my small head. Henry is smart, he'll catch on eventually.

What would happen when he does? Send me to jail for gender impersonation? Was that even a thing? I wish I could just collect my first month salary, why the hell did I think this was gonna be a piece of cake? Korean series made it look easy. But even they get caught by the male lead. Was Jackson my male lead?

"I can't concentrate with you staring at me like that." Henry's voice came in deep yet calm. "If anything is bothering you, speak rather than staring."

I shook my head and cleared my throat. I shouldn't have stared, it was generally considered rude. I decided to look for a lie. There was no way I would tell him my predicament. "I was thinking if you've considered my friend."

"Christy?" Knowing her name was a good sign, right? Right?! "Yeah, no."

I breathed, seeing I hadn't blown my cover. But on the other hand, I wished he'd said yes so Christy would leave me the hell alone. She was obsessed with this dude and obsession was considered dangerous.

"But you know cherry too, don't you?"

Thousands of glasses chattered in my ear as Jackson's words replayed in my head. Henry was smart, he said. He's gonna catch on eventually, he said. What the hell was I supposed to do?!

"Hope!" I blinked back to reality, gulping as I turned to Henry.

"Sir?" I winced a bit. It wasn't like I could control my nerves at the moment.

"I asked you a question then lost you." He pulled his eyes from the road just for a few seconds to stare at me. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"The question?" I gulped, scolding myself not to become too obvious.

"I asked if you know Cherry?" Henry asked again. "I just want to know how she's fairing with the whole you know...."

"O-oh!" I clapped my hands, sighing in relief. For a second there, I thought he was gonna gang up on me just like what Jackson earlier did. "Y-yeah, she's chill. It hadn't been easy, boss. But Cherry is a strong girl. Can pull herself out of every situation without help."

"Yeah," Henry pulled towards a bar, I was guessing it was today's set. "Saw her post today."

Henry parked at a suitable spot and we both got down. The fact that someone like Henry must have seen the blog that stated I posted on Twitter, made me realize how big my issue was. Of course, he saw the blog. There was no way he'd seen that from my official handle.

"Henry!" I hated that voice. Why wouldn't I? She was a wolf in sheep clothing. A good face with a horrible heart. "You drove?!"

"I have a license," Henry locked his car with his remote control and proceeded to walk passed Yemi.

"But you've got a bodyguard, isn't that his job?" She kept blabbering, trying to catch up with Henry while I spread my arms wide, bouncing behind both of them.

"He's a human, even he needs rest." Henry simply said. Though short and simple, it made my inside feel weirdly warm. I spotted some crew ahead and they looked totally different from the normal film crew, waiting patiently at the luxurious bus.

"Eniola's here," Yemi said and I spotted the girl that normally did those TV entertainment stuff. "So you know-"

"Don't act like yesterday didn't happen," Henry stopped so sudden that I almost smacked my forehead against his broad back. Yemi was also forced to stop.

"I spilled ice-cream on your bodyguard by accident. Why you care so much? Besides, he's being paid by you, just like your other staff."

"Yet I warned you to stop treating them like garbage. It took you two years to stop calling them servants but staff."

"But I did, didn't I? I'm now calling them staff." I wasn't paid enough to watch couples fight. They should increase my money to a hundred and fifty. "What do you want me to do, Henry. Stop making a scene."

"You already know what I asked you to do." Henry's voice became low and intimidating.

"I can't apologize to a mere bodyguard!" Yemi whisper-yelled. Wait, what? Henry asked her to apologize to me. I let out a frustrated sigh. Who her apology help?

Henry was about leaving when Yemi's perfectly manicured fingers wrapped around Henry's biceps.

"A-alright," She sighed bitterly. "I'll do it."

I became stiffed as Yemi turned to me, eyed me in distaste and grumbily voiced out. "Sorry."

I guess it helped me.

As horrible as that apology was, it made my heart fuzzy. Maybe it was because someone who considered me as dirt, apologised to me. My eyes moved to Henry to see he was already staring, his eyes on my lips that had a small smile. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't so bad after all.

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We got to the entertainment crew, with Henry and Yemi's hands linked together. Eniola spotting the couple, signaled for her camera man to take shots and videos. Soon, Eniola stood in front of her camera man with a news mic wrapped around her fingers.

"Hi and Hello Nigeria. This is your favorite host, Eniola Davis and welcome to stars entertainment updates! With me is our very own heartthrob Henry Williams and our beautiful nation's fairy, Yemisi!" Eniola stepped aside so the camera would zoom on both Yemi and Henry. I also stepped aside too, I already had enough spotlight that would last me for a life time.

"We are all here on set, where the movie of the year is being created with our very own power couple." Eniola kept rambling. "Let's hear from them, on the progress of the movie. Henry?"

"The movies going great, all cast and production team are talented and nice to be with. Made few friends in the process." Henry didn't feel nervous at all, maybe because he had been doing this countless times.

"The viewers would like to know how it feels like to act with your real life lover. Is it different from other movies where you get peered with someone else? Yemisi." Eniola threw out another question.

Yemi let out a cute giggle then flipped her hair to eventually reveal an angelic look. God, was she good. Both of them! Minutes ago they were having couple fights, now they both look like someone who doesn't know if couple fight ever existed.

"Um..... Why does it feel like answering such question would make it look like I'm discrediting the other actors I co-star with in the past?" Eniola laughed lightly along with Yemi.

"Well I'm not discrediting the others cause they were great actors, for real." Yemi linked her fingers around Henry's bicep, and leaned towards his broad shoulders. "But Henry can't be compared. Not because he's the best actor in Nigeria," Talk about not discrediting the other actors. This girl was sly. "But because he's my boyfriend. It doesn't feel like acting, but like our everyday life behind the camera."

Why does it feel like they were doing more acting in real life than in the movie they were working on?

"Well, you've seen it here first..." Eniola trialed, moving to the camera man. "Do well to check in - same time, same channel, love you Nigeria!"

Eniola did some signal to the crew once they were off air. They nodded and moved to the bus. Eniola turned to Henry and Yemi. "Sorry for keeping you both-"

"Who squeezed in time for you to get an interview from us?" Henry cut Eniola's earlier words off.

Eniola let out a small smile as if communicating with Henry before hand. "Dorcas."

"Of course," Henry breathed. He soon took long stride, walking ahead and forcing both Yemi and I to catch up with him.

He finally got to the production team and everyone turned to Henry and Yemi like they were the most precious things in the world, as they tried to get them ready for their scenes.

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It was finally time for break. Yemi the Queen was taking a nap on a white chair that had a long stretcher for her to place her legs and a huge umbrella above her to block the sun. Henry on the other hand was seated far from Yemi. He was munching on crackers that was set on a plastic plate on top a medium round table. I on the other hand, stood behind Henry. My legs were aching but who was I to complain?

"Sit," I heard Henry say. It didn't take me twice to obey as I sat on the chair across from his. My leg dey pain me. I looked around, trying to form activity when Henry slid the plate containing cracker biscuits towards me. "Eat."

I knew I was younger, but it was only by a year. Henry shouldn't see me as a younger brother he felt responsible for. It was annoying for some strange reason. "Thank you."

I took a piece, broke it with my front teeth then munched on it. This, I did while looking at some other celebrities acting on the same movie.

"You're done with school?" I turned my attention to Henry, when I saw he was trying to start up a conversation. Why start up a conversation with me?

"Yes sir," I said deeply with a nod, then my next sentence came out a bit sarcastic. "It was one of the requirements to be your bodyguard. I'm thinking your management needed someone on full time."

"And you speak very well too," Henry complemented? That was a first.

"I'm a first class graduate from the University of Lagos, sir." Reason why I found myself hustling in this state.

"First class?" Just like everyone else, Henry also couldn't hide his surprise. I was used to such reactions though. What was a first class doing hustling? Why wasn't job lining up for me? Well here's a simple answer, my village people.

"Yes sir," I gave a small nod.

"At what age?" Henry asked. "I mean, when did you finish your studies?"

"Age nineteen," I responded, grasping another cracker without permission.

"That's probably three years now you've been jobless." Wow, he chose the right word. Thanks for reminding me about my predicament, not.

I thought Henry would want to go in debt but he surprisingly didn't. He just decided to focus on his phone after it beeped. I breathed out, nice chitchat with a celebrity. Thinking back, I never thought my life would ever look like this. I knew how many lecturers and course mates thought I'd have an easy job after school cause of how intelligent I was. But it turned out to be the opposite.

"I was thinking," My eyes moved to Henry. "Well Jackson just texted me the idea and I think I'd consider it. He wants you to stay at my place for the time being. Well until my schedule becomes less hectic than what it is now."

"Ah, no sir, I'm okay with the way everything is right now." What was Jackson thinking. I'll of course get caught. Was that what he wanted?

"He said you have to cause you.... Owe him?" Henry lifted a brow at me. I could tell he was confused and needed answers but wasn't getting any. But what was I supposed to say? Sir, my name isn't Hope but Cherry. Well it's actually Hope, not Cherry? Sir to cut it all short, I'm complicated. I'm also the girl you loathed and humiliated. "He's now asking for Baby's number."

That I could do as it didn't take me seconds to search my contact list and call out Baby's number which he typed and sent to Jackson. But leaving with someone that probably wants me dead and someone that could reveal my secret at any chance he gets, was something I couldn't do.

Sapa, nice attack.

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Nice attack indeed. Jackson isn't making it easy on her, now she's asked to live with Henry. Do you think she will accept?

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Word count : 2815

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-Eddy