Richard lay on the couch with his head on my lap. I toyed with the little hair he had as we discussed the movie we were watching. Just then, someone arrived at the door and judging from the voices I heard, I knew exactly who was there. I rushed there to open the door.
“Hey Pric, what a surprise, I am so happy”, I said hugging her. I gave Tony a brief hug too and felt someone tugging at my cloth.
“Aunty Beyina, aunty Beyina”
I looked down. “Oh you little lolly, come here” I said and lifted a giggling Patricia into my arms. I kissed her cheeks and tickled her.
“She has been calling your names all week. How are you guys?” Prisca said sitting down.
“Well, we were having a sitting room honeymoon before you arrived” Richard said with a smiling face.
“Woah, I hate to feel we disturbed you guys. You can continue while we watch” Tony said and we laughed.
I looked at them. “Well you all look good in your shorts and small tops especially my little lolly here, where are you going to?” I asked
“Well, we were off to the beach for a little fun so we decided to stop over to see if you would love to come along”
“We definitely are coming along, right honey?” I said with a look in Richard’s direction.
“Uhhh… no” he said with a suspicious frown then slowly smiled. “Of course we are going. It’s been a long week and a wonderful time at the beach is perfect”, he said and got up dragging me along with him to the room to have a change of clothes.
**********
**********
Kelvin left his abode despite the inner battle he was fighting. He told himself that it was best to have nothing to do with Belina but he neglected that voice in his head. He had received that phone call about five days ago and hadn’t been able to rest from a strange lady whose name he could not remember. She had called on Monday evening, mentioned her name which he forgot immediately, and talked about things that were none of his business. He already had his thumb on the red button of his phone when he heard her mention the name he had tried hard to erase from his memory. His interests had been pricked and, try as he may, he could not turn down the offer of meeting the lady in person. Though, she did not mention the real reason for calling, he surely wanted to find out as long as it had to do with Belina.
The very day she had got married, about two years ago, he had drunk himself to stupor knowing that he had lost a good woman. He was finding it hard with women because he always compared them with her. His hatred for Richard Branson grew at an alarming rate but there was nothing he could do against a public figure. ‘I don’t even have any rights over her’, he thought.
He arrived at Da Queens Hotel and asked for Room 45, following the instructions sent to him via text. He was at the door barely two minutes later and he gave the door a slight pat. The door flung open and directly before him stood two exceedingly tempting ladies.
His eyes roamed their bodies hungrily. “Hello ladies” he said breathlessly.
They smiled and invited him to the bed to sit. He cautioned himself and put up a passive front.
“Can you make this weird meeting as fast as possible? I have an appointment”, he said.
Oyinade moved in her micro-mini gown to the chair opposite Kelvin, sat down and crossed her leg intentionally. Kelvin’s breath became caught in his throat and he diverted his eyes towards another direction; a wrong choice of direction because the other was virtually naked. He had had enough.
He jumped to his feet instantly. “What is the meaning of all these? Did you call me here to be seduced?”
Not the reaction I was expecting, Oyin thought as she said calmly. “We are not seducing you, you are probably imagining things. Please sit and let’s get down to business”. She said.
“Then, make it snappy”, he said sitting down forcefully.
Oyin removed a piece of paper and handed it over to him. “Everything is written there. I don’t want to say it because the walls have ears”.
Kelvin scanned the paper and looked up. “You girls must be crazy. I won’t do this to her, and even if I tried, she won’t make it possible. She despises me and even if she didn’t, I won’t do this to her” he said with a straight face.
For the first time that evening, Ronke spoke. “Oh c’mon, we all know that you are in love with her. Yes, you offended her but you apologized right? Everyone needs a second chance. All we are asking is that you try to get her back while she also tries to get Richard back. As you have read, Richard was her boyfriend some years ago and she loves him so much and wants to get him back. I am sure Belina still loves you because you are her first love, you just have to try”, she said. Amazing what the mixture of lies can do.
Kelvin was silent; probably thinking. Oyinade decided to back her up. “I am sure she would accept you back, with the right approach. I am also willing to pay you five hundred thousand if you accept”
Kelvin looked up. “The money is too small, do I look broke to you?” he said slowly.
“We don’t have more money”, Oyin said impatiently.
“Let’s make another deal. I take the money and bed both of you together four times for a month, meaning once a week. Do we have a deal?” he said hoping that this would make them change their minds.
Oyinade looked at Ronke who was busy with her phone. Getting a signal, she looked at Kelvin and said. “Deal”
**********
**********
We strolled on the beach enjoying the fresh air. We decided to leave the water play for the last activity as we chatted, laughed and made jests of one another, coconut drinks in hand. The coconut water itself which is sold at the beach is so fun drinking when you have straw inserted in it.
A horse man came in our direction pulling two horses. He must have sighted us from afar and decided to make some money out of two wonderful couples.
“good evening ladies and gentlemen” he said approaching us. “Would you like a ride?”
“as long as it is free” Tony said jovially and we all laughed slightly, including the horseman.
Richard looked at me slightly. “Well we would definitely like one” he said to the man, looking at me.
“What? You know I have never been on one. It could throw me over or something. I could break my neck, my legs or even my… my back” I said nervously.
He smiled. “Don’t worry sugar, you would not even break a nail, I assure you” he responded. “Let us have one” he said to the man and took one. Before I even thought of protesting, I was already off the ground and was on the horse’s back. I looked stupefied as I stared at Richard on the sand.
“You can’t be serious” I said.
“Don’t be scared now babe, I am here with you” he said and got behind me. His closeness did two things to me – it made me feel protected but it also made my heartbeat increase its tempo, not from fear though. His closeness always made me feel nervous. Tony and Prisca were already ahead of us with Patricia in Prisca’s firm grip.
Richard, fully aware of the effects he had on me, moved even closer making my breath ragged. I felt his smile even without seeing him and I was slightly upset but I knew everything he was doing also had its effects on him too.
“Shall we go sweetheart?” he asked and I nodded nervously and vowed to retaliate. I moved backwards intentionally, relaxing fully in his chest and he trembled slightly; my senses told me it was not from the breeze.
“I need to focus honey, you are not making it easy” he said. I smiled. I placed my hands on his legs tenderly without warning and the horse stopped moving abruptly. I was shocked initially but later started laughing. He is not so powerful after all. He breathed deeply and said matter-of-factly, “that was not so funny”.
I laughed more. “It is good to retaliate”
He scoffed. “That is not the behaviour of a good Christian”
“What? I beg to differ my prince, I am sure this section in the husband to wife relationship is excluded” I said with a grin. “You can do everything to make me edgy and you expect me to fold my hands and accept it all?”
“I was planning on teaching you how to ride a horse but you are not making it easy for me.” He said moving his palm through my hair. The horse resumed its catwalk again and I tried to focus on everything he was saying about how to propel a horse to movement. We caught up with Tony and Prisca who seemed to be having a wonderful time. The horse moved close to the water and it seemed like I would be deposited in it. I told Richard and he smiled, reduced my fear by moving away from the water. He stopped and looked at me. I craned my head backwards to look into his eyes.
“Did you enjoy yourself honey?”
“Yeah, a lot. But for the record, I would rather not ride with you next time”
He laughed. “Don’t tell me I have that much effect on you” he said coyly.
“Of course not” I said looking away.
“Uhn”. Richard enclosed my mouth with his and my guard was thrown overboard. We kissed for a while and when he released me, I was slightly dizzy. He kissed my cheeks and my forehead, gazing into my eyes.
“I think I would rather ride with you next time” I said and he grinned.
“What about a race?” we heard Tony say. We had forgotten totally about them but they were also too involved with each other to even notice us.
“That’s perfect” I heard Richard say but Prisca and I started protesting until they put us down in order to satisfy their own desires. I took Pat from Prisca and said, “I think it is good this way, I want to talk to you about something Pric”
“Girl, what do you think about Richard’s mother?” I asked Pric as we watched strolled on the beautiful sand of the beach.
“Sorry Lina but I don’t like her one bit. She has no right whatsoever to come after Richard after so many years. I am sorry to say this but she is just a gold-digger.” She said in one breath.
I sighed. “I don’t know if I am being stupid but I want to re-unite Richard with his mother”
“That is ridiculous. To me, that woman is more harm than good. The earlier he forgot about her, the better for everyone, including you.”
She might be right, I thought. The woman is a bad influence and having heard so much about Mother-in-laws, I was not sure I would like to have one. But am I not being selfish?
