POLLEN “Wait a minute, he paid for therapy and also hired a critique to go through every single thing you’ve written?” Mia sat up from her beach chair. “Yea” I nodded with a coy smile. “And that was after he took you shopping?” “Yea” “This guy likes you” Mia fell back in her chair, “I’m very sure he does” “Come on. He is just being nice” “This is beyond being nice, Pollen. I’ve been with a lot of men, so trust me when I tell you he likes you” I suddenly went quiet as I tried to let her words sink in. At that point I was battling the urge to tell her we kissed. He has a girlfriend, saying I kissed a man who has a girlfriend makes me feel pathetic. Especially after the chaos I had caused their relationship when I popped up with a pregnancy. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Mia adjusted her sunglasses to peek at me. “Nothing at all” I responded abruptly. “You are hiding something from me, aren’t you?” “No” I stressed. “Okay” She reached for her glass of champagne
NATASHA“You think Susan can pull this off?” I asked my mum who was at the dining table having fruits.“Why not? Your cousin is a very smart girl, just like my sister. I told you my sister…”“Your sister helped you with tricks that got you that abuser you call a husband” I rolled my eyes, leaving my mother speechless.“Your father wasn’t like that from the beginning” My mother said in a low tone that made me think she was missing the evil man I was unfortunate to have as a father.“Are you trying to make excuses for him?” My eyebrows furrowed in shock and disgust.“No.I just…”“Look, mother. I have paid those guys a huge sum of money to ensure that man rots in there. I won’t have you let some flimsy emotion ruin our new chance at having a respectable life”“I never said I missed him or still have feelings of any sort towards him. If there is anything anyone should worry about, it’s your increasing likeness for Raymond”“What’s wrong in liking Raymond? He is good looking, rich and ev
RAYMONDThe air was heavy with the scent of good bourbon, as we, myself, Alex, Damien and Lamar reunited. Our banter and laughter, rich and warm, echoed through the house.“I can’t believe I’ve been out of The States for half a year” Lamar started, “Men, I thought I was going to run back here as soon as I stepped foot in Nigeria”“Why?” I asked.“The stories being circulated” Alex who had joined them a month after they had left chipped in.“Yeah. The stories. Bro, they painted that place in a bad light and made it look like some place only people with supernatural abilities can survive”“I know right” Alex chuckled. “To be honest, I was scared when you asked me to go check what they were doing” Alex confessed and we all laughed.“What a coward,” I teased.“But it was fun, not going to lie. I’ll miss their savory foods” Alex stated.“Yea, and beautiful women” Lamar addsd.“What beautiful women? The ones throwing themselves on my crotch for a 100 bucks?” Damien threw back his head
POLLENAs the tires rolled into the mansion, my heartbeat accelerated. I didn’t understand the gravity of the crime I had committed until Mia and Laura left and Ken brought me home.“We are home already, Miss Pollen” Ken announced when I didn’t budge moments after the car engine became quiet.“Oh! I didn’t even realize” I lied.I opened the door and got out. I walked unwillingly to the door, hoping and praying I wouldn’t bump into him.“Why did I even agree to move upstairs?” I stumped my feet like a child.Then I remembered that Ken was still in the car just behind me. I spun to find him standing outside, with a little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. I turned to face my front instantly, my embarrassment already heightened at this point.If I hadn’t listened to Raymond and moved to a room upstairs, even though I had no reason to do that. Sneaking into my old room which was down stairs wouldn’t have been a problem. But now the chances of being seen by him before making it to
RAYMOND“The meals are still as bomb as ever. Don’t ever fire Pamela, bro” Alex warned.He and the others trailed behind me as we walked out of the dining room after filling our stomachs. I stepped foot in the living room first,then quickly turned to my friends with a finger on my lips.“Who is that?” Lamar whispered as we all watched her try to shut the door in the most silent way.“Shhhh” I placed a finger on my lips, asking them to be quiet.“What is wrong with him?” Lamar asked, still in whispers.I was looking forward to the look of shock on her face as she quietly spun. Pollen looked like she had seen a ghost the moment she turned to find my friends and I in the living room.“Hi” She made a little hand wave,but put it down immediately.“Hi” I answered with a smile I didn’t even realize was obvious. It was meant to be a mental expression.I watched as she hurried up the stairs.“Hey. What’s wrong with you?” Lamar punched me lightly in the chest, but I didn't bother as my eyes we
NATASHAMy mother adjusted herself and checked her lips for a thousandth time in the little mirror she brought out of her purse when the chauffeur pulled into the venue for the sorority party. Seeing that everything was okay, she waited for the chauffeur to get the door.Still seated in the car beside my mother, I peeked at the tall building where the meeting is scheduled to hold. It will be their first time holding one in such a luxurious space.“Aren’t you coming?” My mother paused on her way out of the car.“Patricia has seen me before. Do you want her to recognize me and ruin our plan?” I said and brought out a pair of glasses to put on.“Who is Patricia?”“The Pauper’s mum. How can you not know the name of someone who is likely to ruin your chances of being sorority Chairperson?”“You know I don’t care about those women, so keeping their names in my head is hard”“Well, you have to keep this one. She is not someone to play with, unless you want to lose to her like I did to her
POLLENMy hands trembled with excitement as I grabbed the ornate door handle.I have been looking forward to this moment since I moved in, but thought it was never going to happen because of the contract agreement that stated ‘No friends or family allowed’,but finally,my friend Mia and sister Laura were about to experience the grandeur of Raymond’s beautiful home. With a deep breath,I swung open the door, revealing Mia and Laura looking around the yard with their feet planted at the front door.“You guys are here!” I smiled broadly.“Finally!” Mia squealed when she saw me.Laura was too engrossed with the environment to say a word to me.We hugged briefly before entering the mansion.Mia's eyes widened, her mouth agape. "Wow...Pollen, this…this is incredibly beautiful!”Laura's gaze darted around the living room, taking in the crystal chandelier, the sweeping staircase, and the exquisite furnishings. "Pollen, this is heaven!" Laura gasped.I beamed with smiles, thrilled to share my
POLLEN “Why did you lie to me?” Mia’s face was right in front of mine as she outlined my eyes with a brown eye pencil. “What do you mean?” “You said Raymond has no friends when I asked you to introduce me to one of his friends” “That’s because I never saw him with any friends. I got back from the beach last Sunday to find tons of them in the living room, I was too shocked to utter a word myself ” “Am I supposed to believe this?” Mia paused with the eyeliner trapped between her fingers. “Believe whatever you want” I joked. “You know you are under my mercy, right?” “Talking like I can’t decide to go to the book launch with a bare face. I have a great skin you know” I winked at her. “Keep that ugly of face of yours let me finish what I’m doing” She placed one hand on my head while the other carefully drew a line on my eyelid. “Why do you want a man when you have one already?” “I have told you countless times that Jeff and I aren’t dating” “What are you doing then?” “Using eac
Laura’s POV“What are you doing?”“Giving you what you want, of course.”My body arose like a flour kneaded with yeast, my nipples erected and ready to burst out of the white crop top I was wearing.“Not here, please,” I said in a whisper that sounded more like a moan.“Shhhh!” He placed a ding on my lips. It was the first time his bare skin was touching mine. I never imagined his finger barely touching my lips would send such electrifying waves of desire through my entire body.“I will have you wherever I want and whichever way I want." His hoarse voice ordered, “Now, take that top off.”Without questioning a single word he said, I yanked my top over my head. My boobs fell out with a bounce and pointed directly at him.“Now close your eyes and touch yourself; nothing will turn me on more than seeing you play with yourself.”Like a fool, I shut my eyes and touched myself while he stared and watched. I didn’t realise how satisfying having him watch me felt until I experienced it. It w
Laura’s POV“What are you doing?”“Giving you what you want, of course.”My body arose like a flour kneaded with yeast, my nipples erected and ready to burst out of the white crop top I was wearing.“Not here, please,” I said in a whisper that sounded more like a moan.“Shhhh!” He placed a ding on my lips. It was the first time his bare skin was touching mine. I never imagined his finger barely touching my lips would send such electrifying waves of desire through my entire body.“I will have you wherever I want and whichever way I want." His hoarse voice ordered, “Now, take that top off.”Without questioning a single word he said, I yanked my top over my head. My boobs fell out with a bounce and pointed directly at him.“Now close your eyes and touch yourself; nothing will turn me on more than seeing you play with yourself.”Like a fool, I shut my eyes and touched myself while he stared and watched. I didn’t realise how satisfying having him watch me felt until I experienced it. It w
Laura’s POVThe girl I went to sit next to welcomed me whole heartedly, unlike when they will purposely put their bags on empty seats just to avoid being next to me.“Thank you” I muttered politely and turned my attention to the lecturer who immediately looked away like he was caught stealing.The entire class was unable to focus since everyone was whispering about things that were obviously about my new look. I couldn’t only hear them, I could feel their eyes on every part of me.Chase. Where was he? Why wasn’t he in class? Is he even in school? It will be a shame if he doesn’t see me in this dress.The class eventually came to an end and everyone started talking aloud.“Oh my God, who would have thought she is this pretty” A girl started.“I know right” the second girl cooed.“We should go and say hi”“Should we?” When I heard that I spring up abruptly and turned to face the entire class, but came face to face with Queen.“A swine will mistake itself for royalty because it was fo
Laura’s POVChase.His name is Chase.I mean the guy I saw in a class room fucking another girl whom I badly wish I could trade places with.Ever since I saw that incident I haven’t been myself, I had masturbated twice the number of times I usually do, just over the weekend. To make matters worse, it was with no one but Chase. And because of the perverted things I had done with him in my mind, I even feel embarrassed at the thought of bumping into him, even though that was nearly impossible. As I walked through the hallway to my locker that morning, all eyes were on me. If I hadn’t done something else like terminating the air with the fart spray trapped in my locker I would have sworn that someone caught me touching myself while Chase and Amelia, as I got to know was her name after so much digging, had sex. But from the way they held they noses whilst whispering and sniggering, I knew it was the fart spray incident.I exhaled deeply and paused for a second before punching in my new
Laura’s POVIt was a Thursday, two days after Queen had purposely drenched me with tea. I was having a phonology class so I stopped by my locker to get the books I would be needing.I punched in the passcode to my locker and it gave me access. I opened the little space where I keep my stuff only to be hit and nearly killed by a pungent smell that nearly sent me to the afterlife.My face scrunched up and I hurriedly used the hen of the big black hoodies I was putting to protect my nose.“Did she just fart?” A student in the hallway asked.It was only then that I was brought back to my surroundings.I spun to look at the person who spoke with frantic eyes, hoping they’ll believe whatever I was going to say.“No, I didn’t. Someone must have trapped fart spray in my locker” I tried to explain.“You think we are stupid don’t you?” Another student asked, her hands covered her nose and her mouth.“Ewwww” More than half of the crowd that had gathered said in a sync.“I swear it’s not me” I w
Laura’s POV“You definitely did, I can’t recall giving you money for such exquisite things” “Well, Pollen did”“When? Why? That selfish girl can never do anything good for another person”“Then maybe we’ve judged her wrongly all this while, because she gave me twenty grand”“Twenty what?!”“Mum, I’ll fill you in when I return. That’s if I don’t sleep over at Mia’s”“You have to come back tonight. I need to hear everything” She persisted.“Okay Mum”I rushed out of the house as I had only thirty minutes left. Since I no longer use buses, I should be in school before my class starts.The cab guy who has been waiting for a while now was staring at the door when I came out. I walked dismantled the fleet of concrete staircases that spread to pavement where the driver has been waiting.“I’m sorry for keeping you. How much will that cost?”“Seventy-eight bucks, waiting fee inclusive” he said.“Here’s hundred” I gave an additional twenty two dollars.“Thank you” He received it with a smile.
Laura’s POVFor some days now I have staring at my phone, waiting anxiously for Mark’s call.The day he took my number at the bar, he had called my phone right there. That means I got his own number that day too, something that felt too good to be true. But Mark hasn’t called me as he promised, and it scared me at first. I was even tempted to initiate a call, but that would have automatically switched my position with his. It would have turned me from the Prize to the chaser, a situation Shera Seven always warned girls about.“Is everything okay?” My mother asked, her eyes straining hard on a laptop screen.“Yes. Why did you ask?”“You seem distracted”“Well—” My iPhone dinged and I hurriedly sat up when I saw who it was.It was a message from Mark. A big smile appeared on my face. I started to punch on my keypads instantly, but paused mid-way. I locked my phone and kept it away from me.Responding immediately depicts desperation and beautiful women shouldn’t be desperate.“Laura?”
Mia’s POV I clocked in late that morning. My eyes were groggy and my hair still looked messy even after combing it like every other day. “Hello Elsie. Amanda and James” I waved at them absentmindedly as I walked to the empty chair in a corner. I plunged myself in it and sighed. “You are late. Kilan was here to look for you” Amanda who spoke abruptly just Elsie was about to say something. “He did?” I tilted my head to look at her with my sleep depraved eyes. Apart from the cleaning I had been assigned to do for two weeks, which I have been doing for only three days, I haven’t been able to sleep properly. The pains from bending and scrubbing for three days straight has left me aching and groaning in the little sleep I manage to get every night. “He wants you to clean after the chefs in the kitchen instead. He said the employees on the floors you cleaned are complaining of how you suck at cleaning. They’ve been having reactions ever since” That was absurd, I know I might not be t
Natasha’s POV When I left Raymond in a fit of rage, I went to my room to cool off. How could he tell me not to address mere servants the way I want? It felt like he was choosing someone else over me again, even after doing everything I could to get rid of the pauper. I paced the space in my room to organize my thought, but there were just too many things running through my mind which I can’t overlook. Like the pauper for instance, even though she was no longer in his sight he still find ways to think of her. Now he wants to use their failed contract as an excuse to keep in touch with her. But I wasn’t going to let that happen. I will cut every string binding them together, even if it meant paying the compensation money for her. I brought out my phone and scrolled through it for her stupid number. I pressed ‘call’ and it started to ring. She didn’t pick immediately, when she did she refused to say a word. “Hello” I went first. “Hello? What do you want from me?” “Who is it?” I h