Walk Of Shame (On hold)

Part 6

The next three months breezed by. It was hard. The sleepless nights and days, the baby's fussiness, the loneliness, the being a mom basically.

My neighbor, Mrs Amina was a god send. She absolutely loved babysitting Rya so I could snatch a few moments for myself. It's almost unbelievable how nice she is. Are people still this kind?

While I was waiting for Rya to turn six months, I applied to study English lit in a small private university here in Kaduna and...

"I got accepted! They sent me a letter this morning" I told Habib over the phone.

"That is amazing, congratulations!" I smiled.
"Why did you choose English lit though?" He asked.

"I have absolutely no idea" I said, snickering.

Habib laughed. I've always been very indecisive and after finally deciding, I pick something I'll regret. I hope this is not one of those times. Fingers crossed.

"Where is my baby?"

"Making so much noise here, giving me a headache." I say, referring to Rya's incessant babbling. Loud babbling, might I add.

"I know who she takes after. "

"Definitely not me. I do not talk so much" I do. I did at least.

"Sure" he drawls teasingly with a chuckle. After five minutes I had to say goodbye because it was a Monday and we both had lots of things to do.

I grabbed my car keys and my purse and headed to the university. The school registration was completed within three hours and I was about to leave when I heard my name. My full name. Oh dear God.

"Layla Amin" the girl said again and I turned with a forced smile on my face.

"Hello. And you are...?" I questioned, trailing off so she can say her name.

"Nafisa. We're friends on Instagram." She said, smiling.

More like you follow me on Instagram but okay.

"How are you?" I asked with feigned interest.

"I'm good. And how are you? You just dropped off the surface of the earth. I heard you moved from Abuja but I didn't know where to. I heard you were pregnant, where's the baby? Whose child is it? I heard you got married, is he cute?" She shot off rapidly.

People like these never cease to amaze me. We absolutely don't know each other and you think you are privy to my life information?.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too" I said, smiled and walked away. I don't owe her anything.

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I decided to get food before I head back home because why not?

I got a window view table at a restaurant close to my house. It was fancy and very beautiful. I was waiting for my food while trying to reopen my social medias when I heard someone slide into the chair opposite me. I am so not in the mood for unsolicited company.

I hesitantly looked up and it was him, OG pringles. My unwelcoming words died in my throat.

"Hi again" he said with a wide smile.

'Again', I thought. It's been months.

"Hi"

"How are you doing? You live around here?" He asks effortlessly. He obviously is a professional at talking to women, like Ahmad. That is a red flag.

"You're an entire stranger" I say blandly, getting defensive.

"Right. I'm Zayn" He says with a small smile.

I chuckled inwardly. 'And I'm Gigi' I say under my breath.

"I heard that" shoot

"But I get that a lot"

"Sorry" I muttered quietly. His name really is Zayn. Hmm.

"Is that for mocking my name or stealing my pringles?" I instinctively closed my eyes, I was mortified.

"Both."
He laughed heartily, the sound of his laughter ringing almost through out the spacious restaurant, causing a handful of people to stare in our direction.

"It's okay. It's just that now, you have to buy me food." He says.

Is he being serious? I gave him a look and he didn't budge. He was being serious.

"Okay. What do you want?" I asked just as the waiter appeared with my food; I had ordered chicken chow mein and a large mojito.

"I want Buffalo chicken wings, zucchini lemon Alfredo, any type of cheese cake you have and a large diet coke." Is he for real? Why not just order the entire restaurant then, it's on me.

And the audacity he has, asking for a Diet Coke after ordering twenty five hundred calories in one meal. He smiles widely at me after the waiter wrote down his order. I scowled lightly at him. Whatever. I dug into my food, I've been here a while and I need to get back home to Rya.

The waiter returned with several plates and laid them in front of him and He Ate!

Before I was finished eating, the chicken wings and the pasta had disappeared and he was downing the cheese cake. I was amazed. He looks like a fitness trainer, so where did he put all that food??

The waiter appeared with my bill and I was irritated that I was paying over 15k because I mistakenly took his pringles. He is an asshole. Why did I agree to this? I could have easily bought him the OG pringles ten times over.

I rolled my eyes and paid just as he got to the bottom of his soda cup. He sighed contentedly.

"There is nothing like good food" he says.

"So we're even now right?"

"Yes, very even. Need a ride home?" He asks and I cockily jiggled my Mercedes Benz key in front of him

"Mm touché" he says nodding lightly.

"When am I seeing you again?" He asks standing up just as I stood up.

"You're a literal stranger"

"That's because you won't tell me your name, Gigi" he rolled his eyes and I snickered.

"It's Layla"

"Beautiful, let me walk you to your car then, Layla" he is...charming.

We walked and he held the door open as I walked out. Points for being a gentleman, I guess.

Once I was in my car, his phone rang. Before he picked the call, he handed me a complimentary card.

"For God's sake call me" he says and rushes back into the restaurant, picking the call. I looked down at the card and my jaw dropped.

AbdulRaheem Zayn
      Chef, restauranteur
The Palm Olive.

I instantly became livid. Did I just pay fifteen thousand naira for his meal at HIS restaurant!!!!

........