~𝗠𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿~

11

"Hey, good to see you again!"

Bukayo had spotted Afya walked over and began smiling as she finally crossed the road.

"Question," she replied. "Why do you want a Meal Deal when you are literally staying in one of the best hotels in England?"

Bukayo shrugged as they began walking. "They don't have Meal Deals," he responded simply.

"Fair enough."

They continued walking in surprisingly in un-awkward silence before Afya spoke up again.

"So, what's new with your football stuff?" she asked, but then giggled. "Stupid question really. Lots of stuff is new, obviously."

The young man chuckled slightly. "It's alright," he replied. "The fact that I'm actually here is-"

"Overwhelming because it's the first time."

Afya and Bukayo said the rest of the sentence in unison, before looking at each other and laughing.

"Finishing off sentences already?"

Afya brushed herself off. "I just know how it feels to do something out of the ordinary for the first time. It's how I felt the first time I performed onstage. I mean, it was terrifying. There were all these fans that expected something amazing out of me, and I would feel terrible if I couldn't give them that."

Bukayo nodded."We're here now!"

Afya looked up to see the slightly familiar store name above the building, along with the automatic doors. She smiled.

"Let's go then."

They burst in and Afya followed Bukayo around the shop, listening to him select his preferred choices, which would eventually impact what Afya would choose.

"Okay, I'm gonna go get some popcorn," said Bukayo, pointing to the isle on the other side of them. "You get your drink and whatever else you want. Meet me at the checkout?"

The girl nodded, and Bukayo smiled once more before walking away.

Afya scoured over the different choices for offer. Fanta. Coke. Sprite. Which one?

"Sorry miss, could I just get that?"

"Oh, sure, of course."

Afya stepped out of the way to see the one person she thought she would never see AGAIN. And by the looks of it, he was thinking the same thing.

"Afya?" whispered Zain. "Ifemi?" (my love)

Afya kissed her teeth. "Tani olufẹ rẹ? Please leave me alone." (who is your lover)

Zain reached out a hand to hold Afya's face, and was quickly discouraged by her glaring face.

She began walking towards Bukayo's isle, in the hope that he would leave her alone.

That unfortunately did not work.

Surprisingly, the boy was not in the Isle. And unsurprisingly, Zain had followed her.

"What did I tell you?" she snapped. "I cannot force you to leave the shop, just don't follow me! Leave me alone, just like you always did."

"I said I'm sorry, didn't I? Please just come back to be, I miss you so much."

"So after you leave to go and post with those girls when you were up East and cheat on me, you are sorry? After you argued with me over things that you KNEW were your fault, you are sorry? Zain, I don't have your time. Go away!"

Zain could see that his ex had no interest in speaking to him, but he was determined to make her stay and listen. So what did he do?

"Oh my-Zain let go of me!"

He held firmly onto her wrist of course.

"Cmon man let me go!"

"Not until you listen to what I have to say!"

"I. Don't. Care! I said let go, so let the fuck go of me!"

"Bro, she said let go."

Afya turned around as best she could to see to suddenly see Bukayo with a stormy expression on his face.

Zain rolled his eyes. "Mind your business," he snorted. "Me and my girl and just having, uh, a slight problem. Aren't we babe?"

Afya cringed but still resisted, and Bukayo looked angry. Realising that this fucker wasn't going to let go of his girl - I mean, his best friend - anytime soon, he walked towards them and forcefully removed his hand.

"You don't ever put your hands on a woman," Bukayo spat. "Especially not my girl. I'm pretty sure she told you to piss off, so you go ahead and do that."

Afya nodded, even though she was screaming on the inside. 'His girl? I mean, I wouldn't complain about that offer. And anything to make Zain fuck off.'

Zain raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you saying?" he sniggered. "All of a sudden she's yours?"

'YES!'

"Not that it's any of your fucking business, but yeah, she's mine. What about it?"

'This boy smart.'

Zain looked from the livid, taller man to the unimpressed woman and kissed his teeth once more. "Well, if you ever want in again, you know where to find me!"

He winked at Afya and glared at Bukayo, who would've properly clocked him one if Afya didn't hold him back. She didn't want him to do something he might regret.

"Thank you," said Afya, as they walked out of the shop. "Thank you so much."

"It's nothing. It's what friends do for each other, right?"

Afya nodded and smiled. "Sabrina must be one lucky girl if she has you then."

Afya looked up at her friend to see a saddened expression on his face. "Yeah. Right," he responded. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Would you, um, like to come to my game tomorrow? I mean, I know you're busy and all, I just wanted to ask in case you wanted to. You don't have to, though, it's-"

Afya swiftly turned around and placed a single finger on his lips. "When you're nervous, you tend to ramble," she observed. "It's cute. And yes, of course I will. How come she's not going?"

"She hasn't come to any of my games to be honest. The one time she came to an Arsenal game was so that she could establish herself amongst the WAGs."

Afya hummed in response. "I'm sorry about that," she replied. "I would love to see you play!"

Bukayo smiled once again, grateful that finally someone other than his parents and brother would be their to support him along with the fans and the public.

They had made their way back to the hotel now, and it was a little over 1pm.

"Well, I have to go sort my list out," said Afya, with a determined smile on her face. "Thanks again!"

"But I don't wanna leave," the boy whined. "Cmooooon I wanna stayyyyyyy."

Afya raised her eyebrows, pretending to be in deep thought. "I suppose you could be useful," she remarked in a posh accent. "Let's go, and we meet Yaw or Kweku on the way, please don't mind them."

"Who are they?"

"They're my friends, they're also really good artistes and they're performing too. Yaw will try and interrogate you, but he's literally only 18," Afya chuckled. "Then there's Kweku, slightly reckless, and always threatens to call his boys back at Ghana if anything goes wrong."

"Sounds like they're just trying to protect you."

"True," Afya replied. "But I think that I have the perfect defender riiiight here with me."

Bukayo rolled his eyes. "I don't play defensive, you know that right?"

"Whatever."

"Then again," he continued. "When you like someone, it makes you do new things, and I guess that's one of them. This your room?"

It took Afya a few seconds to process what the man before her just said, and she discreetly smiled to herself.

'He likes me.'