REFLEX

#2: FRIENDS FOR BENEFITS

Bolu watches Teni move aimlessly in her room, rummaging her cosmetics.

Left to her, Teni is already set for work but she keeps checking her wardrobe, adjusting her outfit, thoroughly searching everywhere with disregard for the way her stuff was arranged.

She isn't always like this. She's very articulate, neat, calculated.

Until Femi.

"Teni," Bolu decides to break the silence but gets no response. "Teni." She tries again, since she hasn't stopped wandering to and fro without direction.

"Teniola!"

"Yes! Yes?" Teni snaps out of her reverie, looking confused.

"What are you doing?"

She looks around, appalled at her oblivion. She gawks at her messy bedroom. "I was... arra- trying to- this place looks... weird."

"Teni..."

"Yes?"

Bolu immediately wraps her hands around Teni's tall, slender frame. "I'm sorry."

"It's just eight months. No big deal. I mean people break up after six years you know, ten, twelve. You know..." She starts blabbering, still hugging Bolu. She scoffs. "I'm okay, I'm fine."

Bolu sighs, pulling her closer to her thick body. "It's okay to feel this way Teni but you know you have to take care of yourself. It doesn't matter the period of time. Heartbreak is heartbreak. You were looking into marriage with him."

She releases her, intertwining her fingers with Teni's. "It's okay to feel disappointed. Just be gentle with yourself through the process. It'll be fine eventually."

"Yeah yeah. It'll be fine." Teni turns her head away, hiding her tear filled eyes.

Bolu nods. "Ready to go?"

"I need to get dressed." Teni steps away from her, heading towards her wardrobe.

"You're dressed Teni. You have a whole outfit on."

Teni drops her head, seeing that she has had the orange silk blouse with black skirt and black heels all this while, she clears her throat and motions to the black Chanel handbag in the rack. "Bag."

Bolu nods. "Yeah, bag. Let's go now."

Teni picks up her bag, heading out of her room and out of her house before Bolu.

Bolu smiles at her as they approach Teni's car. "Madam," she turns to Teni, opening her car door. "Your chariot awaits."

Teni reveals a small, almost invisible smile before hopping in, letting Bolu take the wheels.

♠♠♠♠♠
Teni stares into space, sitting in the comfort of her well-furnished office. Thinking about the other night.

I'm single again.

If I believed in supernatural or external forces, I would have said they are doing me.

This can't be it. There has to be something I can do, just something to change all of this.

Should I call him?

I can call him. She stares at her phone, remembering Bolu's words.

"Don't call him. If you call him, I will know."

She had rolled her eyes when Bolu said that this morning. She was about to enter the building when Bolu pulled her back.

"I'm serious Teni. Don't call him. For your sanity."