Ex Gratia (#1 EX TRILOGY)

Chapter 11

Nii just stood there and stared at Akoma after being asked that question he found insulting. Akoma raised her eyebrows and nodded at the door. She checked the copying progress and realized it was completed, and she quickly took out the pendrive and handed it to him. He drew closer to take it, but quickly grabbed Akoma around the waist with a thick arm and pulled her closer into a kiss. Akoma pushed him away and attempted slapping him, but he evaded it and walked around the table to avoid her. Before Akoma could find a slipper to chuck at him, Nii tripped and fell backwards right next to the sofa. He quickly forced his right hand behind the curtain and kept it there for some seconds before rising to his feet to face an angry and offended Akoma glaring at him.

“What is wrong with you?” Akoma hissed. “Leave this place. You are really stupid.”

“I never said it was over between us. You are still mine,” Nii said out loud, and Akoma quickly detected what he was trying to do. “I am not leaving.”

“Nii, you be quiet and leave!” she hissed angrily and stamped her foot. “What is this?”

“Are you ditching me because of that guy you are expecting?” Nii shouted again, and he winked at her.

Akoma ruffled her hair and stomped towards the door, but hesitated and walked back to Nii, seizing him by the collar of his shirt and banging his chest with a fist. “You listen to me, jerk! Stop wasting your time trying to woo me. You’re just a neighbour and I don’t like you. Get out!” Akoma let go of him roughly and slapped his shoulder, urging him to get out.

“You want me to go through the same door he’s going to come through?” Nii lowered his voice and giggled. “You can’t hide me in your bedroom – at least? Be smart.”

Akoma remembered that the call had been muted and unmuted it to speak to Rich on the phone.

“Oh. Hello? Akoma?”

“Y-yes. Rich! I am so sorry!”

“Akoma, do you think I should come over another time? It seems – well – “

“It’s nothing. It’s just my neighbour trying to – never mind. You – um – you can come in, right?”

“Akoma, you don’t know how he looks like,” Nii said quickly and wagged a finger at her. “Bad move, girl. What if he is has an eyepatch?”

“Nii!”

“Or maybe he’s lost one leg? How about a hunchback?” Nii giggled.

Akoma pushed him towards the door and opened it finally, and what she saw made her freeze.

The gentleman had the looks – dark eyes, light-skinned, clean haircut and clean-shaven, tall, thick eyebrows, broad chested and bearing very prominent sideburns. Beyond the looks, there was something more about the gentleman that stood outside the door in a black and white checked long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves folded up to the elbows over black trousers and shoes; he bore a striking resemblance to the gentleman Akoma had seen on Gracefield’s phone – the one she had named ‘Rich Bae’. She ogled at him for a moment before finally clearing her throat and pulling herself together.

“You must be Rich?” Akoma asked slowly.

The gentleman nodded slowly and glanced at Nii who looked him over in a contemptuous manner. The gentleman cocked his head at him and gestured at him. “Who’s this?” he asked. “Your neighbour?” The voice Akoma heard was the same English Oral lessons type she had been listening to all along. It was her Rich.

But she had seen his face on Gracefield’s phone named ‘Rich Bae.’ Rich Bae?

“So you are Rich, huh?” Nii began and narrowed his eyes. “Have we met?”

Rich clenched his jaw and scoffed. “I’d be damned,” he replied firmly with a pinch of hostility in his voice.

Nii nodded slowly and appeared unsatisfied with the answer. “How’s your sister?”

Rich frowned and looked him over too. “My guy, tread cautiously. You don’t know me. I don’t know. You would want to exit without any confrontation.”

Nii stepped closer to him and bumped his chest into Rich’s, making him step backwards. “I swear – that if you dare touch her wrongly, you will have me to deal with. Your kind are liars and con artists, and you prey on weak and gullible women – “

Akoma clapped her hands loudly and startled Nii, making him turn to look at her. “Aaaaand cut! It’s a wrap. I am neither weak nor gullible.” She turned to Rich. “Good to see you finally. Please come on in while this gentleman leaves to save himself from further confrontation.” She stepped aside and let Rich in, but Nii seized his arm harshly and whispered something into his ear. Rich snorted and freed himself before walking in.
Akoma shut the door in Nii’s face, seized Rich’s arm, steered him to the sofa and made him sit. She sat on the table before him and crossed her legs. They stared at each other for about a minute as though remotely scanning each other to ensure that they both deserved the appearances they had anticipated.

Rich looked the room over and nodded his head. “Nice place. I am impressed.” He finally settled his eyes on Akoma and licked his lips. “Nice.”

Akoma folded her arms across her chest and sighed. There were so many questions on her mind, and she took time to arrange them in the best order she could.

“Is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?” Rich asked as he leaned over to touch the laptop, but Akoma slapped it shut and fixed a stern look at him that made him lean back in the sofa. “Is there a problem?”

“Who are you?” Akoma asked. “Who is Gracefield to you? Have you met my neighbour before? Have you ever been married?”