Please Break My Heart E24 by Tomi Adesina
I hailed a cab. “Osborne.” I said to the driver hastily. “#5000 naira, nothing less” he said, staring at my LV Handbag. I hissed. “Just drive!” I looked through the mirror and saw Dare give up the chase. I gasped and sent an SOS message to Dora. She called back almost immediately. “Are you home?” I asked. “Yes. Are you alright?” I sobbed. “Please stay at home, I’ll be there soon.” I replied and hung up. I handed the cab driver his fare and raced upstairs. Dora made herself available for a bear hug as soon as I ascended the stairs. We left for the kitchen; it seemed to be Dora’s office these days when she wasn’t taking pictures of the leaves and animals in the house. “Tell me everything.” She said, as she handed me a glass of water. I took a heavy gulp of the water. “Dare loves me.” She stared at me for a while and then laughed. “Why then are you making it look as though you just had someone maimed? You can’t tell me that you didn’t see this coming.” She said, collecting the glass from me. “And to think I thought you just got fired.” She sipped the rest of the water. I hissed. “You don’t understand, Dora. He can’t love me. I don’t want him to; I am already in love with him.” “I am confused.” Dora said seriously. A proud girl always has a lot going on in her life that she never lets anyone in on. For me, the case wasn’t any different. The day I ended things with Paul in the most ‘non-classy’ fashion ever paved way for a new beginning in my life. I felt disturbed about how I ended things with Paul, but it never got to me until Valentine’s Day when I met Paul at the central market. Paul had said to me, “One day you will meet the man you will love, how would you feel if he treated you this way.” The first day I stepped into Ade-Cole firm and met Dare, I had liked him. Well, it was just the ‘like’ factor. Then after the suicide threat by Paul, I was consumed with the idea of getting my heart broken. All through my high school days, I had been seen as the ‘Amazon’ lady. I found it hard to ‘love’ or care with the extra attention. I crushed like every normal girl, but it faded almost immediately. I understand that crushes are meant to fade especially when it was just for the natural attraction, but I never really saw a guy as special. No HOMO! I really wanted to be in love. Dare Ade-Cole had all the features of my dream man-Athletic, Good physique, Handsome, and most of all, Classy! I would be well represented. That’s was what I saw him as initially, a good representation! Who wouldn’t want such a man? So it was easy to fall in love with him, but I only didn’t want it reciprocated. I wanted to feel hurt. Not normal for any girl, but absolutely perfect for Darlene Williams. Dora shifted her weight against the sink. “Ezra Pound was so right when he said ‘we humans are the most complicated beings’. I can’t believe you have this wish.” She started. I inhaled deeply. She paused a bit and continued, “You are beautiful, smart, professional and everything a man would be proud to have as a wife. Why would you want something less than love? You deserve to be in love, it’s the most perfect feeling.” She stopped with a smile. I was about to speak and then she put her fingers on my mouth. “Just in case you care to counter me, even Modupe Ozolua says she’ll love if her object of affection loves her return.” We both laughed. Modupe Ozolua is typically the envy of any Nigerian woman. I’ll take that back. She’s the envy of any woman who wants to go under the knife. She is also a true definition of class, so I could relate to Dora’s statement. “I am not really Ozolua’s fan.” I said, cleaning a pear. “You care?” I asked, reaching for another. She nodded. “Here you go.” I choked slightly on the pear. “All I wanted was for Dare to break my heart, is that too much to ask for?” “It’s not going to happen the way you want it.” She replied. “Moreover, it’s a strange and complicated wish. You don’t expect that to happen so directly, it won’t come to you when you want.” She said, eating her Pear. “Oh my dear, you can’t be faster than life.” I nodded. “I guess I always wanted to be.” “Don’t be afraid of a little bit of pain, it won’t hurt to let down your guard a little. You are too serious for life.” She added. The land phone rang. “Dad should move this thing to his room.” I said. “I agree with you. The calls are always from the firm about one case or other. I say we don’t answer it.” She suggested, cleaning the dishes in the sink. I nodded in agreement. The phone rang for the second time and then went to the answering machine. “I know you girls are at the phone.” Dad breathed into the machine. Dora and I exchanged a look and chuckled softly. “I now know why some clients can’t get across, you choose to ignore calls. In any case, Darlene, I want you to meet me at the country club in thirty minutes. No excuses, no apologies.” He said and hung up. Dora held my hand firmly. “You’ll be fine my dear. We’ll talk about Dare later.” “Sir Williams is calling for my head.” The Country club was roughly twenty minutes away from home. I was lucky to have a driver drop me off at the club. Dad had instructed him to change the car tyres so he helped me to the country club. Dad and I have been long standing members of the Ikoyi Country Club since I was a kid. Getting past the security was no hassle. I just had to say, “Darlene Williams.” “Welcome ma’am. It’s been a while since you last visited.” The receptionist said as she clicked my name on the system. I made my way to the bar looking for Dad but he wasn’t there. The other place where I could find him had to be the squash. He must have been playing squash with friends if he wasn’t at the bar. I stood outside the door and signaled to him. He dried his face and joined me outside with Mr. Tobi Shodipo. “You are now a fine woman, Darlene.” Mr. Shodipo said, running his eyes through me. I stared at Dad. He immediately cleared his throat. “You remember Tobi Shodipo, don’t you?” he asked. “Yes, I do. Thank you.” I replied, staring at Mr. Shodipo I had never liked the Shodipo family. His daughter, Wura, was best friends with Jumoke Bankole and they always tried to make life hell for me at high school, and Wura was once Jake’s girlfriend. His son wasn’t any better, Wole Shodipo, picked up fights with Jake. It has been around nine years since I last saw any member of the family. “Tobi just returned to the country with Wole and Wura. I thought you guys might want to catch up on old times.” I rolled my eyes. “I was never really friends with them.” “It doesn’t seem that way with my kids, they speak highly of you.” Mr. Shodipo interrupted. Dad smirked. “I was thinking that you might want to invite them for Dora’s coming out this weekend. It will help everyone to socialize. They are just returning to the country, probably, yourself and Jake could find some of your high school mates and you all could kick back old times.” “Thanks Dad, but I’ll have to talk about this with Dora. The guest list for the event is full and is just a few days away; I can’t possibly cancel out on one of our guests.” Dad shook his head. “Two of your guests” He corrected. “Wole and Wura” He added with a smile. “See who ever you have to eject from the list, but make room for Wole and Wura.” “Thanks a lot Darlene, you are such an angel.” Mr. Shodipo said as he turned away. I stared at Dad angrily. “What was that for? You didn’t have to call me here. You have already made up your mind.” I said in a fit. “Mind your tone, young lady.” I nodded. “I am a busy person. I have a high profile case in roughly a week; I won’t have you pulling me around the city to make room for some ghost friends. Dora doesn’t even know them.” “I know. But you are to help Dora know them. I am good friends with Tobi Shodipo and you know I enjoy continuity.” I nodded in agreement. “Of course, just like you are enemies with Ayodeji Ade-Cole and you won’t mind if I continue that with his son.” “Darlene, I am not going over this issue with you. All I need is 2 spaces for Shodipo’s kids, make it happen, will you?” he concluded and joined his friend at the bar. I immediately dialed Jake as soon as I stepped out of the club. “SOS! Wole and Wura Shodipo to be added to Dora’s invite.” I could feel Jake’s groan. “No!” “Sir Williams made the rule; we have to stick to it.” I said, flagging down a cab. I paused to give the driver the directions and then continued the call. Taxis are perfect for calls. “I really hate those guys.” “Me too, Jane just seconded that.” He said, laughing. “Don’t worry; we’ll have them included in the list.” I hissed. Jake just reacted momentarily to the news. I expected a fit, maybe that’s the difference with a guy and a girl. “Are you gonna be cool with them around?” “I have no choice Darlene. It’s your Dad’s rule, and Dora’s party, not mine. Let me call you later babes, I have to wrap up the payments for the event planners.” I nodded and handed the driver his money as he turned in front of the house. “Bye, we’ll talk later.” I hung up and stepped out of the taxi. I leaned on the giant coconut tree beside the gate and sighed deeply. Wole and Wura? Oh no…although I expect a mature showing from them, I couldn’t be relaxed. “Hey Darlene” I turned swiftly to see Dare.
PLEASE BREAK MY HEART E24
#OpraDr
Please Break My Heart E25 by Tomi Adesina
Dare removed his hands from his pockets. “I don’t know what you did to me, Darlene. But, all I know is that I need you.” Ouch! There are two words that according to my romance books a man shouldn’t use, ‘NEED and WANT’ when a man says he wants you, he is after your body and when a man says he needs you, he has some needs to satisfy in which you are the only one with the cure. Or not? I can’t say my theory is a 100% for every man, but I could make a 95%, right? “Say something Darlene.” He said, with his eyeballs squinted. I pressed the bell for a second time. Dare touched my hand and I yanked out of it furiously. “What is it, Dare?” “Let me take you out for a proper dinner tomorrow.” I laughed. “Proper dinner?” If Dare meant ‘proper dinner’, I couldn’t fault him. Most of our outings had ended up badly. Daniel, Reina and all… The security man came out. “Welcome Ms. Williams.” He said. I nodded and dismissed him almost immediately. I turned to Dare. “Mr. Ade-Cole, you have disrespected me enough and now you are trying to buy into my privacy. This is my house, not your firm.” “Darlene, can we not go over that. I apologize for all what happened, but I have been a little bit of balance of late and you have consumed me to my thoughts.” I have had enough. “DARE! What are you talking about? You are all over me; just give me a break from all these lousy jokes.” “I admit to have gone a bit over the edge with you, I have been very aggressive, but you can’t fault me totally. You led me.” My head spanned! All the blood flowing through my veins paused and for one moment, my spines went cold. I stared at Dare coldly. ‘How could he accuse me of his feelings?’ I thought. He fumbled over a few statements and wiped his forehead. “Darlene, I am not saying it’s entirely your fault that I love you, but…” I cut in immediately. “Dare, can you just hear yourself? Am I to share in the blame of how you feel? That’s not my business, it’s entirely yours.” “I know Darlene, but you can’t say you are totally indifferent to me. I can see it in your eyes.” I laughed sarcastically. “The only thing you can see in my eyes is my contact lens, and that is if I wear any.” He smiled faintly. “I never believed that I could have love scorned to my face,” he said reaching for his breast pocket. He stretched an envelope before me. “Sack letter, right?” I asked, collecting the envelope. He shrugged. “You might just want to read that. I bet you will know what to do next.” He said and walked away into the sunset. I immediately joined Dora in the kitchen. She was assisting the maids to have dinner set up. “Guess who I saw by the gate?” “Before we go into your guessing games, you had a call on the land phone from Dotun Davis and he is expecting you to return the call.” I nodded. “I’ll be in my room then. We’ll talk later.” I replied and rushed upstairs. I returned Dotun’s call and we set up a lunch meeting for tomorrow. I went over a few notes for the court case and did a rehearsal before my mirror. I had placed Dare’s envelope beside the mirror. It was giving me some sort of motivation irrespective of its content. If he dared to fire me, his firm would be at a loss. I could bet that the Ade-Cole board would not joke with a Firm fee of 6 million naira, so Dare would not dare to have me fired. I had dinner with Dora and KP. Dad had called that he would be having dinner with the Shodipo’s and his new fiancée. “I can’t wait to meet my new friends.” Dora said, sipping her wine. I scoffed. “Hopefully Wole and Wura are no longer the monsters they used to be at high school; else this excitement of yours will die in an instant once you meet them.” “They can’t really be that bad.” Kolapo interrupted. He gestured to Dora to pass the soup bowl to him. She passed the bowl quickly across the table. I nodded my head sarcastically. “Wait till you meet them. The person I can’t wait to meet is dad’s fiancée.” I said, wiping my mouth. “Are you sure that you mom isn’t playing hanky panky?” Kolapo said, staring at Dora. Dora looked slightly irritated at the term used by KP. “I don’t know.” She said, carelessly. Kolapo hit the table hard. “I suggest we play detective on her.” “I am not gonna watch my mom, KP. She’s an adult.” He nodded in agreement. “She might be an adult, but it’s not a crime if we try to know who she’s dating at the moment, and my heart tells me that it is Sir Williams.” Dora hissed. “She would have told me.” “She might have decided to keep it secret at least until something concrete comes up.” I chipped in. Kolapo stuck his tongue out at Dora. “For your mind KP…” she said in Pidgin English and cleared her plates to the kitchen. I stared at Kolapo. “Are you guys having issues?” He shook his head in disagreement. “None that I am aware of. But she’s been distant of late.” “I guess it’s about the change of jobs. She has more thinking to do; she even has less time for her wacked jokes these days.” He shrugged. “I don’t know, but I guess she’s nervous about her coming out event. That’s not so much concern for me like the Jake guy she’s always speaking to these days. I am a bit jealous.” I swallowed hard. More like lumps! Jake and Dora??? Okay…it couldn’t happen, right? I mean, she has Kolapo and they seem happy together. She wouldn’t dare date Jacob. Or could she? Why couldn’t she? What have they been speaking about? “But she says Jake is a cool guy and they are just friends. I think they hung out last week.” Hung out??? Now that’s a real hit for me below the belt. “I’ll be right back.” I said to Kolapo and joined Dora in the kitchen. She was drinking water by the sink looking at bit disturbed. “Are you alright, Dora? I mean you and KP?” I asked, fetching a glass of milk. I kept an eagle-eye gaze on her as I poured the milk. I wouldn’t want her thinking I wanted to analyze their relationship, especially now that Jake might just be lurking around. She nodded without looking up. I frowned slightly at her response. Dora was acting weird. ‘Could she be in love with Jake?’ I thought. God please, don’t let that happen! “We are good.” She said and laughed. “Why are you so bothered? We should be talking about you and Dare, not KP and I. We have a very healthy relationship.” I scoffed. “I hope it’s as healthy as you say.” “Of course it is sis.” She said, smiling. I rinsed the glass and then fired up the JAKE subject in a cool manner. “You and Jake hanging out of late?” She nodded in the affirmative almost confidently. “We went to see an event planner earlier in the week. I was able to meet his twin just last night.” “That’s cool. Hope you found Jane interesting.” I said, leaning against the sink for support. If by any chance something would happen between Jake and Dora, it would throw me off balance and not even the sink would be enough to keep me upright, but for now I would gladly savour the moment. She nodded. “Jane is okay, but she’s not as fun as Jake. I think she is more business oriented.” I nodded also. “Anyways, that’s by the way, let’s go and join KP, I don’t want him feeling lonely. He is already jealous of my outing with Jake for me to steer further thoughts in his heart.” She added and left the kitchen. I left Dora and KP downstairs and left for my room. They had a lot of issues to sort out, if by chance, Jake might be lurking around in Dora’s heart, she would need to flush him out quickly else she’ll risk losing Kolapo. Kolapo seems a fine man to me, nice, warm and everything appreciable in a man, but the truth is that, Jacob is a charmer. He could knock anyone over with a feather. And it seems to me that Dora might not even need the feather before she will be ‘wowed’ by him. I snapped out of my thoughts and reached for Dare’s envelope. I was relaxed that he wouldn’t dare to sack me without the consent of the board, and most especially with a high profile case around the corner. Dare and I have said everything we had to say to each other except that I have not been honest about my feelings. At this moment, everything looked glaring, but more confusing. Dare loves me, and yes, I love him. But, I now beginning to feel that I don’t want him, but what if I lose him. I loosened the ribbon around the envelope carefully, just in case it had to be returned. I wouldn’t want to change the wrap. I inhaled deeply. At the moment, there was a slight tap on the door and Dora stepped in. “KP is gone. Could we continue our discussion?” she asked, taking her seat. I stared at the envelope in my hand. “Our discussion might just be subject to what I read in this.” I stretching it forward, but not in her reach. “You might want some privacy in reading your letter.” She said, standing up. I nodded in agreement. Dora seemed a bit disturbed this evening. I fear she already likes Jacob a bit too much and that’s not convenient for me, as I feel she’ll be betraying Kolapo. Is that my only reason? Maybe I was scared of losing Jacob to her. “I’ll ping you when I am through” I replied. She nodded and exited quietly. I sighed and straightened out the letter. …
to be continued
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