Chapter five

Bolu

The sound of buzzer and dogs barking made me stir, as I hugged the pillow tighter, pressing my face into it. The stupid barking increased and I grudgingly sat upright, and ran my hand through my wildly tangled hair. I stretched my foot looking for one pair of slipper I had worn last night.

I could feel my lips twitching into a pout.

I yawned with my hand fisted against my mouth, stretched my arms and wore the comfy bedroom flip-flops I had worn last night. The air conditioner had made them cold though.

Wondering why Alex wasn't in bed with me, I decided to head into his study.

The damn guy must've slept in there. But he wasn't there when I got in. Meanwhile, barking of the dogs had gone out of control, like the were having mental disorder.

"Alex!" My voice boomed his name, as I searched for him "You better go check up on those your dogs. Because I think they've gone nuts overnight." I searched in vain for him. And the damn man was nowhere to be found inside the house.

Finally I went out of house in search of him and saw the dogs jumping and barking, while Alex was throwing a tiny ball in the air, and the dogs were jumping to get hold of it. I felt my face transform into a scowl.

"There you go boys." He said throwing the ball into the air and grinning like a fool. His dark-brown hair had tumbled on his forehead, making him look unmercifully beautiful, like a Greek demi-god. The two giant dogs tried to catch the ball, but they couldn't. He was throwing the ball higher and higher, and laughed when the dogs jumped and fell flat on the floor since they couldn't get hold of it. I bit my lip, because there was a noiseless mystery he was enveloped in, despite being with the dogs.

He stopped and held the ball, laughing out loudly, while the dogs stood waiting for him to throw the ball, wiggling their tails sideways with their tongues out, as they panted.

Jealousy jolt on my insides, on seeing how happy he was, with his dogs. I wished he could be that happy with me. But he'd be so cold to me. He rarely ever did smile. He had never even laugh with me. But here he was, laughing heartedly with his dogs.

I was so jealous because I longed to see the man who'd captured my heart, smile and laugh with me. He was so cold, not only to me, but to himself and the people around him. Sometimes I wondered why he was like that, I suspected something made him that cold.

He always ignored me whenever I tried asking him about his past. He hardly even talked. He only did when he was asked a question.

I recalled how I had met and fall for him three months ago.

Flash back

I was in my apartment that Wednesday afternoon. Every Wednesday was my day off, so mom called me on the phone to come over to the house to deliver Dad's favourite dish 'Kpanla stew and Amala(A popular dish in Nigeria, mostly in Lagos) To dad's office. I knew mum had enough servants at home, but she called me to come over to the house, which I did.

I arrived at the house half an hour later, murmuring that I wasn't a kid anymore. And my mom bursted into a boisterous laugher at this.

"See why I told you to return to the house and start leaving here with us until you get married."

"I'm thirty-three mum, 'Emi laye mi' ( I own my life)." I protested grumpily." I'm no longer a kid."

"But you still are to me. My beautiful, beautiful girl." Mom had complimented beaming as she poked on my cheek.

"Where is the kpanla stew?"

"It's in the kitchen, waiting for you." She replied balancing her heavy weight on the couch, where she was watching a Yoruba movie.

Moments later, I made my way out  of the kitchen with the flask. The scowl was still perpetual on my face."Mom, you ought to know that I'm not a kid anymore. What if I was on duty at the hospital? Would you have called me to deliver the kpanla stew at Dad's office? Why can't you send one of your maids to deliver it?"

"My daughter, you know your dad doesn't like the maids delivering his food." She leaned closer to me, place her hand at the side of my cheek, and whispered into my ear. "He's afraid they'll poison him."

I scoffed. "Poison him? That's not true mom. Just say you want to see my face. You missed me that much?"

She rolled her eyes then broke into a smile.

"Got you." Laughing, I kissed her goodbye then headed straight to dad's office.

When I arrived, Dad's secretary informed me he was having a meeting with the lawyers. So I decided to wait until the meeting was over.

I sat on the chair, outside dad's office, the one opposite dad's Secretary. Chatting on the Facebook with some guy who I was quite acquainted with, when I saw lawyers walking out from the conference hall.

I raised my head up to stare at them. They were stealing glances at me as well. One dark stunted growth lawyer refused to take his eyes off me, until his head collided with elevator he was about going forth in. I bubbled with laughter at this.

I was still laughing when I saw dad's Secretary brushing her hair with her index finger and blushing furiously, making her resemble a freshly plucked out tomato, straight from the garden. I traced my eyes to what was source of her uneasiness and then, I saw him.

He was tall. Had broad shoulders. Long long well sculptured legs, that took confident  filled strides like he owned the place and had no care in the world. Handsome like a god, had a perfectly well chiseled face. Sharp curved jaw and thin hard purple lips. The fact that his eye lashes were longer than my own, made him not to be trusted. He was biracial. 

An Indian-Nigerian, with golden skin. His dark brown hair was short with a little swoosh in the front.

He was clad in a white ironed to crisp short sleeve shirt, tight fitted black jeans pants, and black combat boots.

I wondered who he was.