Facade (Romola 1)

82: Show Me Your Friend

Romola stuffed the drug between her breasts. It could wait till later. She hurried to the muscled man that aided Bukky and ignored Bukky's death stare.

"What are you doing here, Bukky? I've been trying to reach you or weeks."

Bukky smiled, clinging to the man's chest. "I've been busy."

"Who's is your friend?" The man's eyes ran over Romola's body before stopping on her face. He licked the bottom of his lips and disgust filled Romola's mind but she drew up a smile like Bukky had commanded.

She stretched her palm. "I'm-"

"Romola?" The voice that pronounced her name wasn't hers.

Her hand dropped as she looked towards the car park, a few feet away. Olumide stared at her. Her jaw fell. What he was doing here?

"Romola eh?" The muscled man winked. "I didn't know Olumide had a lady... friend."

"Bukky, let's go."

Her eyes roamed over Olumide and the gang of people between him and her. Dami stood between them. Romola didn't know the other two men, nor the one that watched her like he wanted to run his tongue over her body.

"Oh, come on, you're not going to leave without a proper introduction." He licked his lips again.

"Romola, this is Esosa. He's one of my..." Bukky's voice trailed. "clients. Esosa, This is my friend."

Olumide released a bitter chuckle. None of the party looked at him. None but Romola. His laughter was like cold water running down her back. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be here. She couldn't stand his self righteous look.

"Bukky, let's leave."

Esosa placed his hand on Romola's shoulder, pulling her to him and facing the party of friends. "You can't be in a hurry to leave. We just got here."

Romola struggled under Esosa's meaty hand even though she would rather stay at Esosa's side than remain under Olumide's glare. If anything, she ought to glare at him. He and Yetunde were the masterminds behind her destruction. No doubt, her village people had sent them to destroy her.

"Bukky, you don come again." A feminine screech filled the space behind Romola's back.

She turned around in time to see a catty female land a slap on Bukky's back.

"Naomi!" Bukky swung her arm at her assailant. "Wetin dey do you?"

*What is wrong with you?*

"How many times wey I go talk say Esosa na mine to service."

*How many times will I tell you that Esosa is mine to service?*

"Which kain? Na because say I no get your time. My friend get client to service, if not, walahi ta lai," Bukky's index finger rubbed the ground, before she placed her hand on her tongue and pointed towards the sky. "I go show you pepper."

*What? It's because I don't have time for you.*

"Client?" Olumide asked.

Was he expecting her answer? She pushed Esosa's arm off her and walked towards the building.

Behind her, Esosa's voice boomed. "I can be serviced by two girls, you know. Or maybe three. Romola, where are you going?"

"Yes, where are you going?" Olumide's snide voice reached her.

"What do you want?"

"So Yetunde was right? You are a whore."

"Oh god, don't say that!"

"Don't say what?"

She met his eyes, yelling. "You made me into this."

"Me?" he laughed. His face straightened as he glared at her. "Are you delusional?"

"I should be asking you that. What have you gained by sharing my pictures to the internet?"

He blinked. "What? When I saw those pictures, I didn't want to believe what I saw."

"Can you stop looking at me like that?"

"Like what? Aren't you are a cheap prostitute?"

"You're wrong."

Why did she need to explain herself to him? His knowledge of the truth would not make the pictures and videos disappear. Her mother hated her. She lost her job and now she had only one chance to save her education.

He stared at Esosa who tried to keep Naomi and Bukky from clawing each other apart. "Show me your friends and I will show you who you are. Yetunde is a junkie. Bukky is my friend's private prostitute. That tells me who you are."

Romola swallowed her defence. Why should she try to justify herself to the person who had condemned her in front of the whole world? "I could say the same about you. Your friend wants a foursome and you didn't think twice about releasing my nudes. So tell me, Mr. Olumide, how are you better than me? It is men like you who need women like me. No supply without demand."

"Don't pin this on me."

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

"It was all a game to you. Wasn't it? The desperate attempt to force yourself into my life. The way you pulled me into the hospital bed with you. The way you kissed me. "

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He stuck his hand in his pockets. "I was the perfect catch. I mean, you probably thought, service Olumide enough and you'll be set for life. How could I not see this?"

"That was never my intention! I was the stupid one for believing that you had good intentions towards Yetunde and I."

"At least, I can understand Yetunde's messed up reasoning. She was on drugs. What about you? Did you ever have amnesia or was that part of your web of lies."