Mrs Mahmud, Mrs Mas'ood

25

Mahmud met Hauwa waiting for him outside the restaurant. Like the first time they had seen themselves in June, they wore the same outfits; loose jeans, inner shirts tucked into the jeans' waistband and then button down shirts that served as jacket. They both wore sandals too.

Hauwa smiled at him, pushing the conversation she had with Kaycee the night before to the very back of her mind. "You made it."

Mahmud smiled back. "I did tell you I'll be here. I'm not late, right?"

She shook her head. "No, you aren't. Everyone's here though. We're just waiting for Kaycee. I came out to ensure you didn't miss it."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She gave him a quick look over. "Another coincidental outfit. This should be the third time, yeah?"

Mahmud quickly did the maths. "Yeah. The first time at Zayd's, then Eid, and then today. Do you mind it?"

She shook her head, her smile much wider. "Not at all. Come on, let's introduce you to the others."

Mahmud, who did not do well in social gatherings, exhaled and let her lead him into the restaurant that had been booked for the event. His heart thumped as he followed her up to the VIP lounge where everyone else was. They – except Siddeen – were her colleagues from Ekpoma and they were all welcoming.

Afe looked ready to collapse. "I'm much friendlier than this," He told Mahmud. "I'm just really nervous."

Mahmud found himself sincerely laughing. "It's totally understandable. You'll be fine."

Afe smiled; he managed to do so. "Thank you, Mahmud. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"You're welcome."

Cassie – one of Hauwa's best colleagues – smiled teasingly. "Hauwa, is he your boyfriend? You've never introduced a man to us before. You two look good together too."

Mahmud's chest constricted almost painfully. He turned to look at Hauwa whose cheeks were rosy. She shook her head at Cassie. "No, he's not my boyfriend." She then turned to look at Mahmud with a small smile on her face. "He's someone really close to me though." She turned back to Cassie. "That's all."

Cassie folded her arms. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I'll try to believe you." She turned to Mahmud. "In case no one has told you, Mahmud, you're a very fine man. God bless the man and woman that birthed you."

Mahmud's cheeks burned and they all found it heart-warming. He reached up out of habit to rub the back of his neck. "Thank you."

Cassie grinned. "You're welcome."

Khadija stepped away from the window. "Places, everyone! Kaycee is here!"

~*~

Kaycee angrily matched towards the front doors of the restaurant, muttering under her breath.

"The day I kill Hauwa ehn. After wasting time in the bathroom, she had the mind to leave me in the hotel to find my way here by myself." She hissed. "Lokoja better have enough places to bury bodies because that woman is not going to Ekpoma with us. Maybe I'll even throw her in the River Niger sef."

She pushed the glass door open and stepped in. She frowned at the empty restaurant. "Hian. Am I in the wrong place?"

A female employee walked up to her with a polite smile. "Welcome to Gerald's Place. Are you here for the after party of Khadija and Siddeen?"

Kaycee nodded. "Yes, I am. Why is the restaurant empty? We're only using the VIP lounge."

"They had the whole place booked so they didn't end up disturbing any customer we would have had. You can take the stairs up. It seems as though you're the only one they're waiting for."