Facade (Romola 1)

81: Sunset Hotel

Romola alighted the taxi, still shivering. The shivers had nothing to do with the cold night. Bukky had explained how to make sure that the men were beyond satisfied. Romola shook her head. She didn't even want to think about it. How Bukky could remain so calm, she didn't know.

"Smile, it'll make them more excited." Bukky pulled Romola's cheeks.

Romola pushed her hand away, pulling up the sweetheart neckline of her dress that ended mid-thigh.

Bukky pulled it back down, then pushed Romola's breasts up till they threatened to spill out of the dress. "I'm only trying to help."

Romola chewed her lips. She wanted to dive back into the taxi and get as far away from the hotel as possible. She watched it drive down the tarred road. She could take to her heels and run. It would not take her long to find an Okada. Bukky's hand clamped around her wrist and drew her back to the present. Her friend glared at her like the thoughts of her mind were plain to see.

Her eyes travelled up the side of the wall. Behind the wall, the Sunset Hotel housed the men who would decide her fate. She managed a smile. "Thank you for coming with me."

"If you do as I said, it would be over, quickly and painless."

Bukky cat-walked towards the gold ornate gates.

Romola swallowed. She couldn't forget everything that Bukky has shown her. Nausea danced in her bones as she recounted the lessons; where to touch the men, where not to touch them, how to act so that they would think they were powerful and in charge, how to make satisfy them so that they would think they had benefited most from this event.

"Bukky, will once be enough?"

"Don't think about that." Bukky barked as the security man opened the gate.

Romola saw his eyes fall to her breasts and from the corner of her eyes, she saw his eyes stray to her buttocks. She tried to keep her legs together but it was challenging to follow Bukky's hurried pace when she her dress only allowed her to take small steps.

Romola chewed her lips and allowed her eyes to find the pattern in the interlocking stones beneath their feet. The statue of a man pouring water from a jug failed to keep her attention.

Quick. That was how fast she wanted all of this to go.

Soon. She forced the bile in her throat back into her chest and wrapped her hands around herself. She had worn lesser clothes than this but this dress was a step away from naked. Romola eyed Bukky's clothes. Bukky wore dark distress jeans and an halter top. Her friend looked reasonable. Romola looked away. She felt like something belonging to the show glass and that would be sold for less than what it was worth. She felt like the very thing that Yetunde had accused her of. Prostitution.

Bukky observed the large four 11-storied building in front of them. "Your lecturers have good eyes oh."

"Let's just get inside."

"Chill, I want to take some pictures." Bukky fiddled with the zip of her furry purse before releasing her Iphone. She passed it to Romola and posed beside the fountain. "Take fine pictures. I'm going to post them on Instagram ."

"Bukky, not now."

Bukky pouted. "You won't have strength when all of this is over. Trust me."

Romola's heart thundered. She clicked on the camera button several times without staring at the screen. Her eyes bounced from one building to the other. The men could be in any of the rooms, watching her. Bukky grabbed the statue's butt and Romola dropped her hands.

"That's enough."

"Just one more, pleaassse." Bukky giggled, sliding her hands from the butt of the statue to the pelvis and under.

Sour vomit filled Romola's mouth. She spat at the floor and marched towards Bukky, handing her the phone. "Take your phone."

"Relax now." Bukky reached out to Romola but Romola continued her journey towards the hotel doors where, she was sure, the security man would not be leering at her.

"Did you drink the alcohol?"

"All of it." Romola fired back.

"Will you just chill for a second?"

"You're not the one who has to sleep with three old lizards."

Bukky sneered. "Holy Romola, daughter of God. One man or three, what's the difference? You do this once. I get to do this every day. So, stop acting like this is the end of the world. In fact, I think you should take these now."

Bukky fetched some pills from her bag and Romola slapped away.

She walked towards the automatic doors. "I said I don't want them."

Bukky picked the pills and chased Romola. "Try one. It makes everything easier."

Romola faked a smile then grabbed the pills from Bukky. She hurried towards the fountain.

"What are you doing?" Bukky clutched Romola and tried to pry the pill from her hands.

"It was drugs that got me into this problem in the first place. Do you think I would be stupid enough to get drugged again?"

"Do you know how much these things cost?"

They struggled to hold the pill and it flew out of Romola's hand to the other side of the fountain. Bukky dashed towards it first. Romola struggled to gather speed and freedom from the clutch of the dress' hold of her thighs. Bukky fell. Romola swooped in on the pill. This was her chance. She picked it, her eyes glinting with triumph as she faced the fountain.

"Don't."

"Bukky?" Romola heard a deep male voice call.

Did someone here know Bukky?