Never Again, Social Media Love

Alex Past

"I want to opt-out." He said while his hands shoved into his pockets and sternly looking at his 2 friends. (James Park who is popularly called JP, Douglas as Dough) who was seated at the bar with their drinks.

JP is light-skinned with broad muscles. His physique looked like one who has received many heavyweight belts. He isn't too good-looking but has a good sense of humor, soft-spoken and these qualities have won many hearts.

Dough on the other hand is charming but a lousy brat who thinks more of himself. He is careless with words but he was good at retrieving information about people. He has a scar just above his left upper lip which made him even sexier.

Dough was the first to chuckle. "You can't be serious" he picked up a drink and sipped through his lips paying less attention.

"But why?" JP asked, his eyes fixed on Alex with concern.

Alex leaned against the bar counter, besides JP and the bartender caught his attention, he remained quiet and his gaze was fixed on him which meant he wasn't part of the conversation. The poor bartender looked away, minding his business as he served Alex a shot.

Alex turned his glance back to his friends.

"I think it's time to stop living this way. I need to have a real life. Besides, we've been doing this for 5yrs and we haven't been caught. We all need a clean slate mahn."

"Speak for yourself" Dough berated.

Alex rolled his eyes at him as he turned his glance at JP. "I'm serious. Well, I just thought to let you guys know, not like I need your blessings or anything." He giggles. "I hope you guys do the same." He takes a sip of a shot he was served by the bartender.

"It won't be the same Alex." JP said, rolling his white shirt sleeves. "Somehow I know I need to. But I've been too greedy."

Dough turned his back at JP in shock. "You too? C'mon guys you can't let me in this alone. We can't back out now. All these years we've been extremely careful and doing well. The social platforms are becoming more useful and concentrated. This is the time to be more involved."

Alex shook his head.
And technology is becoming sophisticated. It is risky. Dough get over these things and get a life, a real one.

"We need you Alex. You're the main source to this light."

"It's fine Alex. I respect your decision. JP said as he elbowed Dough who looked angry.

"You can be the source. Any way thank you JP. I have to go." Alex drank up his shot and slaps it back on the counter. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walks out of the bar.

They both watched him walk out on him.

Before now Alex was sure JP was going to be understanding and would respect his decision. But Dough would never disappoints when it comes to his greedyness. Alex somehow thought how he became part of their group. It was just JP and him until all hell broke loose when they had a conversation over at JP home, little did they know Dough was home at the time and heard everything that was discussed. They both had no choice other than to put him on.

It was a crazy journey for them to have him on board. He is careless with words and would always almost put them in trouble.

Months rolled by for Alex. A clean slate he says he desires and this basically meant everything. A new home, new friends and new business. After having broken this news to his friends, it meant they were to live separately and not be seen around too much. But it was hard to communicate this to them. They've been friends for so long, Alex couldn't bear it. Rather he decided a new location could help. Although JP understood and respected his decision.

Leaving Benin was hard on him but it was something he had to do. This was the only place he lived greater part of his life. The friends he had to leave behind, his ugly pasts, his lifestyle and everything that in anyway was associated with Benin.

It wasn't easy for him to start something this new. He only hopes his past doesn't haunt him. That's what the past does. You can so carpet them but it will always find a way to slip out. And when it does, it throws you off balance and you are left in a position where you fall and break or rise after falling. But either way you get to fall or what you do after the great fall is what makes you a hero.

On this clean slate, Alex started up a fashion brand which took off in no time and had gotten so many sales in the first 6months. It first started as an online trade before you know it he had set up a little fashion building in Abuja.

During this new change, Alex bombed into Ekom's post. He was awed at how beautiful she was. Which made him check out her profile. She's really not a social media which got him more excited and eager to talk to her. He zoomed on her post again and fed his eyes on every curves and her features. With delight and little bit of nervousness he dropped a comment on the post.

Who is she? Alex asked as he slides through her profile.

It wasn't something he was ready to do. His new change didn't mean starting a relationship. He wasn't a man of such to love. His friend JP has tried severally to pimp a lady to him. But Ekom's profile lived rent free in his mind.

And when she eventually liked his comment, his heart was gladend and all night he couldn't stop thinking of her.

I should send a dm. But what do I say?
Alex says, rubbing his head with his hands.

Kai I should have at least taken this love life seriously. He snorted. He threw his phone to the bed and went to his fashion room to check on orders he had from clients.

As he was going about his duty, he thought about the possible things that could happen if he eventually have a thing with a lady and the things that happens in keeping one, the responsibilities. And while guessing and imagining in his mind, it struck him that he had a past he can't share with anyone especially to women. He shook his head at the thought of it and made a decision in his heart he won't spill out what his ugly past if he really wanted to keep a friendship with anyone.

Later that evening after leaving his fashion room and heading to his living room the thoughts of Ekom came in strongly again. And this time like a strong wind. It felt like it was led in his spirit to private message her at all cost. It was almost like a treasure which was going to be lost again. He walked to his room, as his eyes search around his room for his phone. He picked up his phone on the bed and without much hesitant, he went straight to her dm

— "Hey first you're so beautiful and I would love to be friends with you."
He stared into his phone, reading his text a loud.

This is how to go about it. Isn't it? He shrugged and sighed.

Even if Alex liked what he saw but he couldn't conclude it was love at first because it him such things never exist. He believed one needs to grow together, be around a lot more for such thing as love to be felt. Now here's a girl he is hoping reply to his text. And if she doesn't, he moves on. His mind took him back to all times a girls would approach him, tell him how much they loved him. He never considered or took them seriously. He had one day lived in a hotel because of an obsessed who found a way to pest him. If only these girls knew what he was like on social media, if only they knew they had long time reported what a man Alex was, they may have announced on all social platforms and warned all females to stay away from him who seem like a virus, maybe they had long time had him jailed and never to surface on the face of the earth.

Alex sprawled into his ash soft chair which was placed to a table with his desktop on it and some books randomly placed, he thought of if this was a good move for him, as regards this change he so much desires. As he kept going through her profile and reading every comments she had other than his and her pictures which were taken every 2years and more. He felt in his spirit there was something different with her. He leaned back to the chair to absorb the moments with his eyes closed as he sway with his chair