You Of All People | A Nigerian Gay MM Love Story

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

At the settlement meeting with the lawyers, Annie agreed to print several retractions, as well as film and write very public apologies to Chuka and Folarin to be posted all over social and print media. The guys waived the hefty compensatory damages they were entitled to and only asked that she pay all the legal fees for the process. They weren't trying to bankrupt the girl; just teach her a lesson. Besides, her page had been taken down permanently. Wives Coalition had seen to that.

After the meeting, Chuka stopped Annie by the door to the litigation room, as everyone else trooped out. "Now that we can assume this is all over, can you finally let us know what this was all about? I know you talked about everyone, but this felt very personal sometimes. Wetin we do you?".

Annie looked at Chuka, then turned to Folarin. "Are you saying you really don't know? You?"

Folarin was taken aback. "Me? Know what?"

"Oh wow. He has already forgotten." She said, with an incredulous scoff. "Of course nau. Why won't you forget?"

"What are you talking about, Annie?" Folarin asked.

"On Chikeluba's job. 6 years ago. Dazzling Lights. When we were supposed to kiss, and you told me to go and brush my smelling mouth before you will kiss me. In front of everybody."

Folarin recognized the memory she was recalling. "What? That was not what I said. What I said was, you should freshen your breath before the next scene. You had eaten yam with vegetable soup, and it was all over your breath. We were the only two people in that area. How was I supposed to know your mic was still on?"

"Wow! Why did you even have to say that at all?"

"Why did you have to let it be said? You should be more considerate of your scene mates." Folarin retorted. "And the 'everybody' you're talking about was just the sound guys so stop being dramatic."

"Just the sound guys. And those sound guys laughed at me and carried my gist everywhere that Annie's mouth is smelling."

"That's not my fault nau. First off, I didn't even know. I was simply giving a colleague a tip for a scene we would be working together. And I don't control other people's actions."

Annie stayed silent.

Chuka gave him a look that said, 'Just say sorry'.

Folarin rolled his eyes at him. "But fine, I'm sorry if that hurt you." He said to Annie. "I didn't mean it to."

"Colleague.", she said suddenly, after a moment of silence.

Folarin looked at Chuka then back at her. "What?" he asked, confused.

"Still that fucking word - 'colleague'. That's what you always called me. You knew that hurt me more because I liked you a lot."

Folarin sighed. "Annie..."

"No, look at me nau." She said, doing a 360. Nice enough body for her stocky frame. Slightly heavier than average but stacked in the front and back. "I'm any man's wet dream and you never gave me the time of day. And then you add insult to injury by calling me your colleague."

Folarin rubbed his eyes, exasperated. "Yes, you're a very good-looking woman. It's just.."

"You just prefer the toothpick-that-did-BBL look." She scoffed. "You've been running from me since day one." She looked off to the side and then back at them. "Both of you."

"Ah ah! What's my own inside?" Chuka asked, surprised.

At their confused faces, she shook her head. "I should be so insulted that neither of you even remembers me at all. Maybe if you had just let me copy that number, it would be three of us not just two of you."

It took a few seconds but soon enough Folarin and Chuka's eyes widened in recognition and their mouths fell open as they looked at each other, then back at her. "Oh shit, you're that..."

"Oh shit, you're that..." She mimicked them. "You can see now that your sins are many."

"Wait, it wasn't even like that. We just couldn't risk –", Chuka volunteered.

"Whatever." Annie said, putting her palm up and then looking them both in the eye. "You deserve each other."

As they watched her walk away, Chuka and Folarin stared at that ass again, with the information they now had.

"Shebi na wetin you dey chop." Folarin muttered under his breath, alluding to Chuka's comment the first time they'd seen her.

"Abeg, this one go purge person." Chuka quipped, also staring.

Folarin snorted a laugh but held it in.

They continued to watch Annie leave and as soon as she was out of earshot, both men burst out in raucous laughter, shaking their heads as they headed out of the building and made for the parking lot; both just glad this whole thing was finally over.