Tomi (A short story)

Chapter 8

Song for the chapter: Ma pariwo by DRB Lasgidi (feat. Boj, FreshL. ,Lady Donli.)

Seun

I watched as she turned down the tenth man that had tried to woo her this night with a forced smile etched on her face. She had been sitting on the same chair for almost one hour now, sipping slowly on her Chapman.

She was the definition of beautiful. Caramel skin, an oval face with no makeup on and her curly hair was packed to the back in a sleek low bun with a few loose strands around her ear.

"Bro isn't that the chick from the supermarket?" Demola asks as he gestures to her direction and I nod in reply. "Oh boy this girl is hot!" He whistles.

"I must confess."

Ma pariwo by DRB lasgidi featuring my fave of all time, Lady Donli and others blasts through the speakers and I bob my head to the sides, singing along to the song.

"She looks like she doesn't want to be here though." He nearly shouts over the loud music. "I was just seated there, having drinks with some of guys." He points to the table close to us where some guys were standing. "And they were talking about how she already turned down over eight men."

"Ten." I tell him and a look of confusion marred his face before I explain what I meant to him. "What I meant to say was that she turned down ten men not eight." I sipped my iced cola. "Quite a hard catch if you ask me."

Demola cocks his head to one side, regarding me. "And I think you've been staring at her for way too long if you ask me."

"You know what?..I'm going to talk to her." I dropped my cup on the stool beside me and Demola holds me back.

"You well so? What makes you think that you'll not be the eleventh man that she'll reject?"

I shrug. "Doesn't hurts to try, Demola."

"I don't think you'll like to do that even after how she treated you at the supermarket."

"Like I said, it doesn't hurt to try."

"Oh I can't wait to see this!" He exclaimed bringing his phone out from his pocket. "I'll record this so that your children will know how their father was rejected badly." He nudges my shoulder and I stand up, laughing.

I leave my seat and walk towards her table with a confident smile on my face. A waiter passes me with a tray of drinks and I beckon on him to come closer and I pick a drink for myself.

A little alcohol plus a confident smile to boost my confidence level to a hundred percent.

I stop walking when someone blocks my path and I groan internally when I see who it is.

Leila.

"Seun? I didn't know you were here with Demola."

"Hello there Leila." I say to her in a calm tone.

She places her hands on her chest and sighs dramatically. "Sorry where are my manners? Hi Seun! Fancy seeing you here."

Fancy ko Fancy ni.

"I have to be somewhere right now." I make a move to walk away but she grabs my arm softly and I'm forced to look at her but I try to not give her my stink-eye. "Is there a problem?"

She withdraws her hand immediately like I was burning hot.

Of course, I am hot.

"None actually. It's just that you haven't been picking up my calls and I just wanted to know if you were fine."