Happy Birthday ifesinachi2000🥂🍾. This one's for you.😘

*
Thank you, all you beautiful people. Amazing how positive vibes and kind words can heal a soul. I easily went from zero to a hundred and I'm not shitting you. I'll never ever take you guys for granted. You're my rock.❤️

*

❝Make the bomb, bomb beat
I'll give you melody
Make the bomb, bomb beat
I'll give you melody
Make the song so sweet
You gon' come home with me, oh❞
*

She screamed when she saw my car, high-pitched and loud enough to be heard over the loud music. Loud enough to frighten a drunk couple slobbering over each other. Loud enough to nearly pierce my eardrums.

I suddenly remembered what a fantastic singer she was.

"Fuck me, this is you car?!" She gasped, going over to practically worship my favourite Porsche I actually thought was very modest.

"Um... Yeah."

"Oh my God." She mouthed, looking at the car. "I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming. I'm fucking dreaming. Fuck, you think I'm gonna sit in there?!" She asked, aghast, turning to look at me with wide brown eyes and simultaneously pointing at the car.

I chuckled, unlocking the car. "Get in."

She carefully slipped into the car, as if she was worried she'd stain the leather.

I started the car, sighing in satisfaction when the engine purred to life.

It was quiet for a while and I glanced at her only to find her studying me, eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" She breathed.

"Just... Someone." I shrugged. "I'm not abducting you." That only made her narrow her eyes even more.

"I don't know anything about you. How can I be sure of that?"

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Your name would be a great start." She muttered sarcastically.

I chuckled a little. "Amir... My name is Amir."

She waited. When it became obvious I wouldn't say anything more than that, she lifted a perfect eyebrow. "I take it that's how much you're willing to share."

"Yes."

She folded her hands and wouldn't look at me. "I'm scared. Take me back."

It was the way she said it, not her actual words that made me stop the car and stare at her.

She sounded... Scared. Small. A broken whisper, almost like she was afraid to say it.

She was regretting leaving with me in the first place. Of course, I was an absolute stranger with a cool ride, in a city like Lagos, that was bound to raise suspicion.

"Hey." I tried to reach out to her but she shifted away from me, leaving where she was staying at the passenger seat and climbing into the back, folding her hands petulantly.

"Who are you?" She was desperate to know now, seriousness, lacing her voice.

I sighed, rubbing my face. This was... Different.

Bringing girls home was no longer difficult to me. Pathetic as it sounds, I had perfected the art. Usually, they softened up with just the right amount of compliments. Some fared better with dinner. Others wanted to go straight down to business.

Sex.

That dreaded three letter word that had become my only coping mechanism that helped me forget.

It was a sick, twisted, unending cycle of emptiness that left me feeling even more shallow.

It was unhealthy. It was toxic... But it was effective... For a few hours, it was effective.

It was usually so easy, picking a distraction for the night. Girls were quick to leave with me, the moment they saw how rich I was. My car was literally, eww, a  chic magnet.

This was a first. This was different. This was difficult.

I sighed, stopped the car and joined her at the back. She made room for me, curious eyes, peering at me as i sank into the leather seat. "My name is Amir Aleikzandre Aziel. Eighteen. Lagosian. Spoiled rich kid."

She giggled at that.

"I'm just an average guy."

"More like, above average." She scoffed. "Who are your parents?"

I got tongue tied, fisting my palms. "That's something I don't like to talk about."

She looked at me now. She was calmer. This time, it was she who draped her hand over my fisted knuckles, stroking gently. Warm soft hands that made my breathing easier, less strangled.

I exhaled a breath. What is she doing to me?

"Families can be so fucked up sometimes, yeah?" Her voice was soft, and she was looking right at me.

"Yeah."

Her eyes were squinting at me in worry. Tell me.

I sighed. "My dad is this rich king in the north. As a northern royal in the country, a male for that matter, I get a percentage of everything the country earns from the day I was born till the day I die. It's like an inalienable right or something. That's why I can afford the car." I licked my lips worriedly. Looked away. "My father is the Sultan of Sokoto."

Her eyes went wide. She stopped breathing. Staring at me like I just grew a second head.

"T... The Sultan?" She whispered. She looked like she was calculating something in her head. "Blood of Jesus, you must be a billionaire!"

"Close, but no."

I don't think she heard me.

She started hyper-ventilating. "Oh my God, oh my God. Oh my God." She was fanning herself. "Ash, what have you done? What are you doing? He's way above your league. Way way WAY above your league."

When she calmed down, she was looking at me in awe. "I honestly thought you were just the son of some millionaire or something... But... The Sultan?! Blow my mind! You're a king?!"

"Uh no."

"Why me?" She asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

She gestured at me. "You're pretty. Rich. Privileged. You can get any girl you want. Any distraction you want." She emphasized heavily on the word. "So, why did you pick me? I'm certainly not the prettiest or most fascinating girl you ever met."

In a way... She was. She was definitely fascinating but then... She was just a distraction.

"The girl I want doesn't want me back." I said, instead.

"Ouch." She mumbled.

"Yeah."

"So... You're going to use me to fix your broken heart and forget about her. For a few hours."

"When you put it like that, yeah." She was silent for a few minutes and I panicked. "Are you cool with that?"

She nodded. "Yes. Yes, I'm not an idiot. I knew what I was doing when I left with you." She bit her lip and avoided my gaze.

"Do you regret it? I can take you back if you want."

She shook her head. "Uh uh. You promised me dinner. I'm getting dinner... I mean, who can say no to free food?"

Lots of people actually.

It wasn't until we grew silent before I realized that her hand was still on mine, stroking softly.

For the fact that I was someone that treasured my personal space, this was a big deal. I was okay with her sitting close to me. Touching me.

We were close together. Thighs, pressed together. Her soft cherry scent was pleasantly suffocating.

I wanted to extract my hands from her grasp... She's just a distraction. Nothing more. But I didn't. It felt good. Too good.

"Just to be clear, you're not using me. I'm using you." She suddenly stayed.

I chuckled, staring at her pouted lips. "Yes ma'am."

"Which means..." She whispered, shifted towards me and placed a soft hand on my lap. Creamy coffee eyes, finding mine in the dark.

"Which means?" I couldn't help the lazy smile on my face.

"I have to try something." She whispered and that was all the warning I got before she sat on my lap, straddling me, her knees, resting on either side of my body.

Automatically, my hands banded to her hips, pulling her close, muscles, clenched and tightening, my entire body, overheating in anticipation. As she made herself comfortable on me.

A sick, never ending cycle that left me feeling even more shallow.

"Yeah?" My voice was husky, drawled and slowed by desire, tracing lazy circles around the exposed side of her waist.

She shivered, biting her lip and adjusting herself on my lap, sending pleasant tremors throughout my entire body.

This was familiar. This was good.

"It's a test." She murmured. She gazed at me, dark eyes, boring into mine, as if she was trying to figure something out. I found myself admiring the piercing on her nose. Diamond nose stud, glittering in the darkness. Dark painted lips, smiling like she knew all my dark secrets. She rested her forehead on mine, the tips of our noses were touching. My heartbeat accelerated in anticipation as my fingers stopped tracing the skin of her waist. "A compatibility test."

She pressed her lips softly on mine. Watermelon. She tasted like watermelon and whiskey.

Forget Asa. Forget her. Forget her. Forget her.

My hands roamed up and down her body as I welcomed her kiss, pulling her closer and closer. It was soft at first, hesitant, glossy, gliding of our lips over each other. Soft fingers sank into my hair, grazing my scalp. Soothing. Healing.

The exact things I didn't want.

I grabbed her nape, taking control of the kiss, hungry, hard, deep kisses that conveyed my desperation. Loneliness. Pain. An animalistic desperation that left me writhing and aching for more.

"Jeezus, do you have to be so annoying and pathetic!"

"No, Asa, I-"

"You're like a goddamn pest, how do I get rid of you?!"

Her cold, angry eyes flashed in my memory. The humiliating, numbing pain, attacking me all over again. Raw. Harsh. Crippling... Just like the first time.

The kiss turned rough now. Desperate, hard, with a painful, insatiable urge that frightened me. I grabbed fistfuls of her hair, hungrily invading her mouth, tasting watermelon and vodka and whiskey until my vision turned blurred and hazy. I didn't know if it was clouded by tears or lust. And she cooperated beautifully, giving me back with equal intensity, kissing me like she was starving, drinking me in, eating me up and rubbing her soft, soft body all over mine, destroying me, completely.

"Don't start a fight you can't win, Amir. Don't do this to our friendship." As angry as Kam had been at me, the last thing he wanted to do was fight with me.

A sick part of me wished he had thrown the first punch, so that I'd have a reason to hit him back. A sick part of me was waiting to inflict as much pain on him as he had on me. A sick part of me was waiting for golden boy to fuck up.

And the better part of me was disgusted by that sick part of me.

Fuck you! And fuck your friendship!

I guess I wasn't over the hard feelings after all.

I pulled her against my body until I couldn't tell where she began or where I ended, smooth skin, sliding against mine, demanding kisses and electrifying touches. We were grasping at each other, her hands in my hair, on my chest, grabbing my shirt and pulling me to her, like she couldn't get enough.

She started moving against me, grinding against that part of me that seemed to amplify every sensation a hundred fold. I groaned, my hands tightened around her waist as her lips traced kisses down my neck, shivers erupting down my spine. I wanted her to stop. I wanted to pull her close. I wanted it to end. I didn't want it to end. She felt so good.

Her skin was so soft as she rubbed her body against mine, further disintegrating my senses, my breath, coming out in harsh pants.

Forget. Forget. Forget. Forget.

My back hit the leather seat, her little test had turned into a full blown makeout session. I was lying on the seat, her weight, intoxicating on top mine. Soft skin. Softer lips and she was rubbing her body all over mine in that sensual way I was slowly realizing that I couldn't get enough of. My hands roamed all over her body, the soft curves of her waist and hips squeezing. Stroking. Rubbing. Worshipping.

I suddenly remembered a piece of poetry I read sometime by Jasmine Scroggins.

"I have never tasted
Passion like this
Pain like this...
If we play too much
With the unstable flame right now
It could burn out."

She broke our kiss, resting her forehead on top mine, the ghost of a smile on her lips. Our arms were still around each other and we were both panting heavily.

"You passed the test." Was all she said, sliding off of me and climbing back into the front seat.

"What?" I blinked, slow and confused, sitting up.

She giggled, turning around to look at me, laughter in her eyes. "The compatibility test. You passed."

I rubbed my face, exhaling deeply, trying to get my breathing back to normal. It proved difficult after the mindblowing makeout session we just had. My heart was racing out of control.

"So, where to, from here?" She asked when I climbed back into the front seat.

"Wait. Give me a minute." I exhaled again, resting my head on the steering wheel, my breath, coming out in harsh pants. I looked at her now, only to see her smiling contently to herself. "Don't do that again."

"What?" She blinked innocently. "Kiss you like your life depends on it?"

"It doesn't."

Her smile turned challenging. Devious. With that foxy eyes of hers and her dark make-up, it was an altogether very dark, very sensual look. "Wanna prove it?"

I looked away from her, my heartbeat racing again. "We're going to Offshore." I answered her initial question.

"Woah!" She whistled, clearly excited.

I smiled at her excitement. "First of all, we'll hit the mall. I've not been home in a while, so I don't know if there's any food left."

She giggled. "You know, when you asked me to leave with you, I almost thought you were taking me out to eat."

"We could do that if you want." I said quickly.

Why am I so eager to do what she wants? Why do I want to please her?

"Nah. I want you to make me dinner." She leaned forward, easing into the idea of having free food, and started turning the knob of the radio, pausing, for a satisfied moment at a chanel that was playing Afrobeats.

She started humming softly to herself, a calmness and warmth, settling between us like a soft, effervescent blanket.

And somewhere between the silence and her humming, I felt a lighter, different kind of peace. The kind of peace I had no words to explain. The kind of peace that was tired of fighting for sanity and just wanted to let go.

Forget. Forget. Forget. Forgotten.

_

"Whore oshi. See what she's wearing." Was the first thing that greeted our ears as we stepped into the complex.

Before stepping into the building, she had latched unto my arm and I had looked at her, confused. She giggled. "Humour me. I want to pretend you're my boyfriend tonight and we're having an honourable relationship."

Her skin was warm. Soft. Much of her body was exposed in her outfit.

Much of her beautiful body.

But when she heard one of the cashiers hiss acidly at her, she froze, "I..." She gulped, taking a step back. "I think I'll just wait outside."

I glared at the lady that just spewed crap, successfully stopping her acidic chatter.

"Here." I shrugged off my jacket, placed it over her.

She looked up at me gratefully, whispering a soft, thank you, before she shrugged it on and grabbed my arm again, pressing herself close to me.

"So what do you want to get?" She asked me, idly looking at the prices of mayo on the shelves.

"I don't know yet."

"You don't know yet." She deadpanned, eyebrows raised in skepticism.

I shrugged. "We'll need drinks."

"Oh good." We found the aisle arranged with bottles and bottles of vodka and champagne.

I pulled out a bottle of white wine and she frowned in distaste.

"What?" I asked.

"I prefer whiskey."

It was my turn to frown in distaste. "I prefer wine."

She scowled for a few seconds but I held her gaze. Suddenly she smiled slyly, resting her palms on my chest. I felt my entire body stiffen, buzzing with electricity. She looked at me, her sly smile, widening and gently pushed me against the shelf, leaning into me until her body fitted into mine. "How about..." She whispered in my ear, soft breath, sending tingles down my spine.

"How about...?" I smirked lazily, eyelids dropping, liking the feeling of her soft body pressed against mine.

She grinned now and suddenly stepped back, destroying the seducing haze she just created. She held up a bottle of whiskey, I didn't know when or how she got it. "You, be my glass of wine and I'll be your shot of whiskey."

What?

She didn't wait for my response but proceeded to grab the cart from me, loading it with cookies and snacks and more alcohol.

I chuckled silently, walking beside her as she literally just grabbed whatever she felt she wanted.

In the end, we settled on making stir-fried noodles, Indomie, to be precise, with lots of green vegetables and canned meat and she insisted on ice cream for dessert, so we got that too.

"That's everything, I guess." She murmured, looking distractedly at her phone.

The guy, Corey, wouldn't stop calling. She had turned off the ringer on her phone, but once in a while, it'd vibrate in her hand.

This time, she took it out and scowled at it in annoyance, typing angrily.

Deciding she needed some space, I left her side to browse through the 'devices' section, remembering I needed a temporary phone at the moment.

I found a neat Samsung that had all the specs I needed and I had just paid for it, when I heard the commotion.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, bitch! Don't fucking walk out on me!"

Dread rose in my throat.

The noise was coming from where I just left her and I speedily re-traced my steps.

Like I expected, she seemed to be in a heated argument with some guy, who looked ridiculously drunk. But when I reached her side, I realized that, as angry as she was, she was also shrinking back in fear.

She looked up at me in alarm, her eyes, breaking into a hundred thousand frightened pieces, red lips, trembling, a thin sheen of sweat, appearing on her forehead.

I looked at her, my muscles tensing up.

She took my arm hastily. "Let's go." And proceeded to drag me with her, pulling the cart along.

"You're leaving?" The guy called out, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Don't you want to tell your new boyfriend about the time I fucked you on my kitchen floor?"

She froze, her entire body, trembling in trepidation. "I don't know what you're talking about. Leave me alone."

"The time you begged and begged me to let me fuck you?! Don't you wanna be my bitch anymore?!" He laughed, loud, irritating, obnoxious.

I stopped walking, turned around. "Take it back."

The man scowled at me, annoyed and confused. "What?"

I stepped closer towards him. I was aware that she was tugging on my arm, quietly begging me to forget the guy. "Your words, I said, take it back."

"Let me tell you what you don't know about this fucking cunt-"

I lost it.

I didn't know when I did it. All of a sudden, I heard the satisfying crunch as my fist connected with his jawbone, throbbing pain, shooting through my knuckles.

Long story short, we got kicked out of the mall.

_

A/n

Sigh. (Dnt go punching strangers, Kids. You will die.☺️)

It's going to be a long, long night for these two. Some of their secrets and backstory will be revealed. I'm trying to squeeze a promise of forever into a tale of a one night stand and it definitely won't be easy.

That said, I forgot to mention this at the beginning of This collection... I'm going to rate this entire collection 17> (seventeen and above...) I've not decided yet but there may be semi-mature scenes.

Hmm🤔 sha, it all depends on wat Amir and his bae wants, so fingers crossed that they catch feelings tonight.

Next update will be today, later in the evening. Lemme properly redraft the next chapter. See you😘...

Once more, happy birthday ifesinachi2000!!! Have a beautiful, beautiful day ahead❤️