THE CONTRACT
EPISODE 29
Tobi had returned from Ibadan quic-kly, eager to see Abena, so he was surprised to see that she didn’t feel the same.
She had been giving him one word answers, and spending more time in her room. He suspected that it was because of what had been trending on the news, so he decided to put an end to it.
Abena had no idea what heartbreak felt like. She had re-ad it in books, and watch it in movies, but if this was really how it felt, then she wondered why people bothered to fall in love.
She had tried to st©p crying, knowing that it would affect the babies health, but the more she tried to push everything to the back of her mind, the more it pushed back.
She berated herself for being so stupid.
How could she easily forget?
He was the Tobi Ademi, and she was a poor girl with a dysfunctional past and a bleak future. Yet she thought that it didn’t matter. Of course it did.
Clas-s defined a person.
She tried to think of a life without Tobi. One thing was for sure. Without him, Demi would be dead.
…
“What are you saying?” Joseph asked in irritation.
“I’m saying that it’s probably better like this. Okay? This-” he gestured with his hands, “was not supposed to happen. Love was not supposed to be involved. I’ve told you, I’ll hurt her over and over again. I’m just not made for love.” Tobi snapped.
“That’s just bull$h!t. Everyone is made for love. You’re just a coward. You enjoy taking risks, yet you can’t take this one. Why? Because you care what other people think? scre-w them!” Joseph retorted.
“scre-w them? I’m sure you want to say that I should scre-w my business p@rtners too ehn? Investors? I have to have a good image, without that, everything that I’ve ever worked for goes down the drain!” Tobi replied in frustration.
“So what? Abena gives you a bad image? How? Because she’s poor? Dude. I’m really disappointed in you. Who cares about where she c@m£ from? She makes you happy, thats all that matters. And in the business aspect, if you didn’t notice, ever since you realised that you like her, profit increa-sed by forty percent, you’ve been doing so well in pres£ntations and bringing in investments. You’re better with her. Look at you now! You can’t even draw up a single pres£ntation.” Joseph slumped in his seat, staring at Tobi with intensity.
“I just don’t want to hurt her. But that’s all that I find myself doing. And you know how much she hates attention. I thought if I could draw the attention away from her, she would be happy. But telling everyone that I’m d@t!nga girl whose step mother killed her parents and whos raising her late sisters child and is also pregnant for me, that’s messy. Its like everyone would be watching, waiting for us to fail.” He sighed, burying his face in his palms.
“She doesn’t mind the attention, as long as it’s with you. And her past doesn’t define her Tobi. Just keep this in mind. If it makes you happy, ignore the crowd and go for it.” Joseph advised, standing up and giving his friend a pat on the back before leaving the office.
Tobi hated himself at that moment.
Yes, he loved her.
But yes, he was afraid he would hurt her.
He had hurt her before, and he didn’t know if he would do it again.
Scratch that!
He was going for her. He wasn’t about to lose her, ever.
He gr@bb£d his blazer from the chair and walked briskly out of his office.
…
Abena couldn’t remember the last time she had an outing with a girlfriend. So when Dera called and asked if she could meet her at Coldstone, Abena agreed immediately.
.
.
They sat by the window side, Dera was backing the window and facing Abena as she narrated the whole fight with Tobi.
The only thing that was st©pping Abena from crying, was the big tub of Rocky Road ice cream in front of her that she was hurriedly digging in.
“He loves you. You know that right?” Dera asked gently.
“Pfft. And then he loves his reputation more.” Abena replied sarcastically. “He’s just afraid. And it’s not only about his reputation and business, but he’s afraid of hurting you.” Dera continued, ignoring Abena’s outbur-st.
“Why?” Abena asked with a mouth full of ice cream, suddenly interested.
“His father used to cheat on his mom before he died. Tobi has this sick perspective that families don’t last, and if he makes one, he’ll do something stupid and break it.” Dera said, taking a spoon of her French vanilla ice cream.
“Well how is any of this going to work if he can’t even trust in himself?” Abena asked with frustration, stabbing the ice cream with the fragile spoon.
“Well I’ve asked Joseph to speak, and if necessarily, sl@p some s-en-se into him. Go home, you guys can work it out.” Dera advised.
A young man walked towards them with a boyish grin on his face. Dera smiled at him and waved him over to seat down.
“Abena, this is Dalu, my brother. Dalu, meet Abena.” Dera introduced. Dalu took Abena’s hand and gave her a wi-nk.
Dera sl@pped her brother pla-yfully. “She’s taken.” She warned him.
“Calm down jare. I wasn’t trying anything. I can see she’s pregnant. Am I stupid?” Dalu asked.
“Yes.” Dera replied pla-yfully and Abena laughed.
“Well you’re my twin sister so that means you’re stupid too.” Dalu joked.
“That makes no actual s-en-se.” Dera said, rolling her eyes.
Abena watched the two of them with their pla-yful banter, occasionally laughing at Dalu’s expense.
“You guys should chill for me. I nee-d to use the restroom.” Dera stood up and left, leaving Abena and Dalu alone.
…
Tobi decided to pas-s throu-gh Coldstone to get Abena some ice cream as a peace offering for being such a j£rk.
He parked his car and stepped out, ma-king sure he took his wallet with him. As he approached the entrance, he noticed Abena seating down with a large tub of ice cream, digging in like there was no tomorrow. Opposite her was a guy. A guy.
Tobi clenched his fists together. He was here, worrying about he would make amends with her, while she was there with another man, laughing. Was he jealous? Yes.
Was he confused? Also yes.
Was he hurt? Definitely yes.
Was he that unimportant, that she was able to get over him so quic-kly and move on?
He shook his head walking back into his car, angry and hurt, and drove home. …
“Where have you been?” Tobi asked Abena immediately she walked into the house.
“Out.” She gave him a curt reply, going towards the stairs.
“With?” He pressed on.
“Dera.” She said, still walking away.
“Liar.”
Confusion everywhere…
Who’s to be blamed?
THE CONTRACT
EPISODE 30
She spun around in confusion, and noticed he was angry. “Excuse me?” She asked, hoping that she heard wrong.
“You weren’t with Dera.” He said matter-of-factly.
“Yes I was. We went to Coldstone to talk.” She pointed out.
“I saw you, at Coldstone with a man Abena. Last time I checked, Dera isn’t a man.”
“No she isn’t. But her brother is.” She retorted.
Tobi looked her with confusion, then realisation.
“Oh. Dalu.” He said quietly.
“Yes. Dalu.” She said mockingly. “You know I was re-ady to come home and give you a chance, give us a chance. But you’re angry because you saw me talking to a man! You self conceited j£rk! After how you made me feel, all you cared about was the fact that I was talking to a man! Gosh! You’re unbelievable.”
“Ife mi-”
“Save it.”
“No. Listen to me.” He wiped his face with his palms nervously and walked towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes. “I love you. And I’m sorry I thought that you wont be good enough for me. I was afraid, and I was letting my past cloud my judgement.”
“You love me?” She asked with a grin.
“Um, yes.” He replied carefully.
“You, Tobi Ademi, you love me?” She asked again.
“I think we’ve alre-ady established that fact.” He said and she laughed.
“Oh my God, say it again.”
“I love you?” Tobi said, with confusion. “Joseph didn’t tell me that girls react weird when you tell them you love them.” He muttered un-der his breath, but she heard him.
“For someone who has sle-pt with a lot of women, you know nothing.” She joked.
“Wait, so I tell you that I love you, and I get mocked in return?” He whined.
She stepped closer to him and wra-pped her hands around his n£¢k. “I love you too. Although you’re an idiot, and an ode.”
“Well it’s not as ro-mantic as it sounded when I said it, but it’ll do. I’ll manage.” He joked and she rolled her eyes.
“As I said, ode. Now make me dinner.” She instructed.
“Wait. Nothing for the boys? Not even one k!ss?” He grumbled.
“Who are the boys?” She lifted an eyebrow.
“Me, and Tobi junior. Down there.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“Oh my God Tobi! What the hell! Go away. Go and take a shower or something.” She laughed, leaving his n£¢k and stepping aside.
“You’re wicked.” He crossed his arms across his che-st and tried to glare at her, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.
“Maybe later. For now, the twins are hungry.” She said, walking into the kitchen.
“But your ice cream, was this big.” He wi-de-ned his arms in an exaggerating manner.
“Well am I the one that asked you to put two human beings in my b©dy? Better behave yourself now.” She warned, wagging her f!nger at him. “Sorry ma.” He tea-sed and she rolled her eyes.
“So, what can the boys make for you? I’ll be in charge of dinner, and Tobi junior can take care of desert.”
“Tobi!”
…
“For the billionth time, where are we going?” Abena asked.
They were sitting in his car, with luggage in the back. Tobi was taking her on a surprise trip, and she didn’t know where.
“You’ve only asked me eleven times. And for the eleventh time, it’s a surprise.” He replied, keeping his eyes on the road.
“But I don’t like surprises, I want to be prepared.” She whined.
“The only thing that you can do for me, is not faint. Abeg, don’t even try it.” He joked and she sl@pped his shoulder pla-yfully.
“Well if I faint, you would catch me.” She replied.
“Who would catch who? You’re not as small as you used to be.” He said.
“Are you calling me fat?” Her eyes wi-de-ned and he visibly gulped.
“No. Not at all. You’re not fat. You’re pregnant.” He said carefully.
“Same thing.”
“No it’s not.”
“Yes it is.”
“Do you really want to argue with a pregnant woman?”
“Good point.”
“Oh my! We’re going to the airport?” Abena asked.
“Well how else would we get to South Africa.” He blurted out and his eyes wi-de-ned.
“You sli-pped!” She bur-st into laughter.
“I can’t even get a surprise right.” He grumbled, pu-lling up into the parking lot.
“Why did you park so far from the main entrance?” She whined, afraid that she was going to have to walk far.
“Who uses the main entrance, when you have your own pri-vate airplane?” He sm-irked.
“I’m trying to not be surprised.” She grinned wi-dely.
“Is it working?”
“Nope.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
Some men has alre-ady c@m£ to take their luggage and lead them to the airplane.
“I just want you to myself for this week ife, when we get back, I’ll tell everyone about us. You won’t get haras-sed again.” He said to her, placing his forehead on hers.
“Promise?” She asked
“Promise.”
“Tobi!” She sl@pped his arm, bur-sting into laughter. “What goes on in that head of yours?”
“Oh you don’t want to know. Trust me.” He sm-irked and she averted her eyes from his intense gaze, feeling embarras-sed.
“Ife mi (my love), you have no idea how many nights you keep me up, knowing that you’re just in the next room. Or how many cold showers you’ve made me take. You’re the S-xiest pregnant woman I know, and I can’t wait to make you officially mine.” He whispered into her ear, s£nding shivers up her spine.
His eyes were filled with lvst, and she was getting turned on by that little contact.
She blamed it on the pregnancy hor-mones.
“And how exactly are you going to do that?” She finally asked when she found her voice.
“You’ll see.” He replied, planting a k!sson herl-ips. He pu-ll-ed away too quic-kly and Abena wanted to pu-ll him back to her and k!sshim forever.
Well not forever, but you get the point.
He had turned her on, and he wanted to get on like nothing happened. What was he trying to do, kill her with his h0tness?
“So. Favorite food? You know mine, but I don’t know yours since you pretty much eat everything.” He said, sitting up straight and going on as if that intense moment didn’t just happen.
Abena hadn’t recovered from her shock, and her mind was still running wild with every possible thing that Tobi had in mind for her.
“Abena.” He snapped his f!ngersin front of her face. “Are you okay?”
Finding her voice, she looked at him, managing a stern expression. “No, I’m not. You just don’t say things like that and then go back and act like everything is normal. I’m a pregnant woman, normal feeling are heightened when it comes to we pregnant woman. So don’t turn me on, and then leave me like that. I don’t even-”
“What. Exactly. Do. You. Want?” He asked, leaning closer to her.
“Just k!ssme alre-ady. This isn’t a movie. We don’t nee-d forepl@yjare.”
He laughed and granted her request, and she pu-ll-ed him even closer to her, de-epening the k!ss.
They broke ap@rt when they heard someone clear their throat. Abena looked up to see one of the flight attendants, looking uncomfortable, and obviously checking Tobi out.
“Sorry to intrude, I wanted to ask if you would like your meal now?” …
Tobi had a small cottage that he ha-rd ly used. He had bought it when he first started ma-king millions, not billions yet, and Abena was impressed at his choice of accommodation.
It had two be-drooms with restrooms, a kitchen, the living room, a room with a h0t tub and an indoor pool, a game and movie room. Tobi carried their bags inside, and went straight to the rooms, dropping Abena’s bag in one, and then going to her own room.
They were both too tired to eat, so Tobi just mumbled a goodnight, planted a k!sson her forehead, and went to his room, which was right beside hers.
Abena went to her own room, changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank t©p that catered for her pregnant stomach.
She tucked herself in be-d, but sleep evaded her.
*Ife mi, you have no idea how many nights you keep me up, knowing that you’re just in the next room.*
She could hear his words loud and clear, and although she was anticipating the moment, she couldn’t help but feel lonely in her be-d.
Without thinking, she got out and walked to his room, knocking on the door softly. She heard no movement in his room, and was alre-ady going back when she heard the door cli-ck.
☆☆
“Hey, Abena. What’s going-”
His gaze moved to her tank t©p and lingered there. She wasn’t wearing a br@.
Oh Jesus.
He visibly gulped and f0rç£d his head to look at her, although his gaze constantly fli-ckered back to her che-st often.
Abena panicked. What did she want again?
She didn’t think this throu-gh. What was she supposed to say?
“Sorry, this was a mistake. Sorry for disturbing your sleep.” She said and was about to leave.
“Well I wasn’t getting much sleep.” He said slowly, and Abena wondered why he was acting so weird. He kept on staring at her, ma-king waves of lvst rush throu-gh her.
“Well, can I sleep with you?” She blurted out and hisl-ips tugged in an amused smile.
“Not sleep with you, like that. Just sleep, on the be-d, together. Nothing more.” She clarified, looking away in embarras-sment.
“You don’t have to ask. Come in. I was just about to go to be-d anyways.” He stepped aside and opened the door for her.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 31