THE UNEXPECTED MEET: A whirlwind royal romance

The Meet

CHAPTER 1

I was seated in a mini bar with my camera still hanged around my neck as I try to to capture beautiful images of the bar. Dressed in a baggy vintage blouse and black palazzo pants with a black scarf beautifully tied on head. I know I looked the part of a photographer, especially in this art convention here at Transcorp Hilton.

This is where the real big boys and girls of Abuja usually hold events. From the décor to the dresses, to the suits and expensive rides. This is not a place for me except the fact that there is art and money is involved. Besides my photographs where part of the ones unveiled today so I had to make an appearance. It is not everyday I get such an opportunity.

In the middle of my snap sessions, a man, the man approached the bar and sits on the chair right next to me, before ordering for a drink. I have been eyeing this light skinned, Arab looking, handsome man since he was announced as one of the special guests for today's event. I knew him, At least from afar. He looks handsome in his fitted black suit.

He turns to look at me after ordering as if wanting to say something, but he didn't say a word as he brings out his phone and pays all attention to it.

Me not wanting to let this opportunity slide as this may be the only chance I'll get to ever see him, I turn to look at him before saying

"Having a wonderful evening?" I ask him not controlling what I say

he turns away from his phone and looks at me.

"So far so good yes" He replies. He is about to go back to reading whatever boring stuff he was reading, but I'm not about to let my only chance of a conversation with him slide easily.

"Is that all, any favorite piece from the exhibition?" I ask him, he smiles then turns to me again

"Yes I do have one, um that image with the write up umm, My distant lover, was it?"

I blush and look down knowing the man I idolize, loves my work

"The Photos used was a perfect compliment for the words written, I love the depth of emotions I see and get when reading the piece and looking at it. Makes me want to get to know the owner better"

He stops talking as his order came and he sips a little from his mock-tail. Without any word or time to think of my next action, I leaned closer to him and whispered

"I wrote it about you" I lean back enough to see his cute grin before going back to snap my pictures or should I say pretend to take some shots. I see him put his phone back into his front pocket as he turns, now with his full attention to me.

"I didn't get your name miss?..."

"Saida Abdullahi"

"The photographer?"

"The one and only" I reply now forgetting to keep snapping

"I suppose you know who I am by now" he says it because no one truly knew him in this part of the world. To people in the hall, they only saw him as another white dude in Nigeria. Until he was announced as the Crown Prince of Awsan (a small kingdom in the middle east).

"I have known even before you stepped into this room, Crown Prince Hussein"

"hmm" he says with his feasted hand on his cheeks staring into my face trying to study me I guess

"I know you must be wondering why I'm straight with you?"

"I'm guessing you have a reason" he tells me, urging me to explain.

"Yup, I've been a huge admirer of yours and have always wanted to meet you once in my life at least, and here we are. So I thought why not make the most of meeting you and loose my guard because I will not see you again after today really"

"Well then Saida, let us make the most of our meeting because I am quite fascinated with your work and will like to know every thing about you today because as you said we may not meet Again" he finishes his drink then gets up. He forwards his hands to me and I placed my hand on his.

Oh the spark that went through me when our hands touched, is a force I want to feel often.

*****

That evening I came back home baffled by how my day went. It was a dream day for me. Meeting my long time high profiled crush!. Even my sister Amira did not understand what was making me blush at every single talk we have. She doesn't know that my attention and mind is not in the conversation at all.

Amira is my younger sister and we are just two my parents gave birth to. She is like my confidante and we tell each other everything, but I want this memory all to myself.

Now alone in my room, in my pink pajamas lying down on my bed, staring at my phone's screen which by the way is Hussein's picture on there. I recall every moment of the rest of the day spent with him.

I remember him seizing my waist bead after showing him it had my name and his on it.

Saida's Memory:

At the rooftop cafe opposite Jabi lake Abuja

Saida comes back from the toilet with a turquoise blue beads in her hand. The beads had her name and Husseins name written on it. She hands it to him and he wears it around his wrist as she sits opposite him

"Wow, I have never met an admirer as intense as you" he tells her. She laughs

"You can go ahead and say it I am crazy" He joins her laughing.

"I think I will hold on to this bead, to remember you and this day"

"Why do you want to remember me, we will not meet again remember?"

"I think one meeting will not be enough for me"

"That meaning?" She asks him

"I want to see you again"

"Why? I am crazy"

"Hence my reason, you are fun, and creative and knows what she wants"

"I don't know... meeting you is a risk for me, I might fall in love with you. I'm trying to keep myself at crushing levels"

Back to present

I blush as I fall asleep daydreaming about Hussein.