HIDDEN PASSION

CHAPTER SIX

       Lillian stirred awake, embued with the flow of adrenaline in her car. She had fallen asleep there after leaving the restaurant. Was that a dream? Had she been dreaming? What kind of a dream was that? It seemed so real.

She heard another knock and looked at the windscreen beside her. There was a man in cop uniform standing and looking through the untainted screen at her. She wound it down and saluted the officer.

        "You've been here for over an hour, is something wrong?" asked the cop.

"Oh! No, sir. I'm okay. I will get going now," Lillian uttered with a smile that flushed every sad expression from her face.

        "Okay. Can I see your licenses?"

"Yeah, sure." She gave the documents to him. He flipped through it and then returned it. "Thank you," she added as the policeman was about to leave.

        "Drive carefully," the cop advised and took his leave when she nodded in response and then drove away.

***

The following Monday, Dorcas went to her best friend's office during their lunch break and asked her to eat together with her in an eatery outside the company.

        Lillian agreed and went with her and  ordered. They'd started to eat when Dorcas started a conversation.

         "So, dearest, what do you think of Nath? A playboy?"

Lillian became mindful of her choice of words as she didn't want what happened in her dream to come true. She didn't want to deprive her friend of happiness. If that happiness could be in the man she loved, then so be it. "Do you really love him?" was her question.

          Her friend nodded before saying, "Yes. At least, for now, I know I really love him." Her mind drifted to the waiter that had attended to them that Saturday, who she'd found a way to exchange numbers with, but she shoved the thought aside and smiled at her friend.

"Well, if you love him and he loves you too, go ahead. He's not a playboy. He's warm, trustworthy and honest."

        "You sounded as if you've known him for a long time," Dorcas tantalized with a smile.

She said nothing.

         "Anyway, thanks," Dorcas appreciated and noticed she had barely touched her fried and jollof rice. Not even the big chicken that was screaming to be touched through its distinct aroma.  "Why are you not eating?"

"Nothing. I suddenly don't feel like," she complained with a forced smile. Who would feel like eating when giving up on something so special to them?

        "But you told me you were hungry," Dorcas put in.

"I lost my appetite all of a sudden," she confessed and gave a smile which could convince the whole world she was the happiest girl in the world. "Take your time to eat, sweet. I will wait for you," she added as she called a waiter to take her food away and paid for the two of them.

She started wondering if she had made the right decision. Should she have thought about herself first before anything and everything else?

Dorcas seemed happy with him,though she could not tell about Nath's feelings for her friend since she left early on their date. Perhaps, that was the reason why they hadn't found each other in these twelve years.

Maybe it was because they were not meant to be together. Perhaps, all they could ever have was that little friendship.

Perhaps it was time to let him go.

Her mother had been right. Lagos was not too big for him not to find someone within his geographical area. He did not love her. That's why he did not look for her.

They were really not meant to be. Her friend should have him and be happy.

***

Dorcas got to the house on the address she was given to be Nathaniel's. She knocked a few times before he answered. It had been eight days since he'd taken her out and hadn't called. She had asked him for his address but he wouldn't budge, so she found out in her own way.

She walked past him when he opened the door. He looked surprised to see her and didn't hide it.

"What are you doing here so late? How did you even get my address?" he asked, curiosity taking the most part of him and anger filling the rest of the space.

        "It's a secret since you wouldn't give me," she informed.

"Whatever! Will you get out now, please?" he asked formally.

         "Come on, babe," she seduced and sashayed toward him, but he kept moving backward as she came closer.  "Won't you kiss me welcome?"

"Are you crazy? I already told you I am not interested in you. How many times do you want me to repeat that for you to get it stuck in your head?"

        "But I love you and until I find someone who I love more than you, I won't ever let you be,"she announced and his jaw dropped hard to the floor.

" What kind of a woman are you? What do you mean till you find someone? Look, are you just shameless naturally or you've got some loose nuts up there?" he asked with all seriousness as he gestured toward her head.

       Dorcas only smiled at his question." I am absolutely fine, baby. And you don't need to get angry. It doesn't suit you at all."

"Dorcas,please get out of my house. I am not in the mood for any of your drama," he pleaded, then walked toward her and held her hand to drag her up.

"Why are you not in the mood? I can help you with that. I'm excellent at setting up the mood for anything," she circled her hands around his neck and a leg went about his waist, making her center meet his.  "Gosh! I will love to see you aroused," she muttered shamelessly in his neck, but in the next minute, she found herself on the floor. He had pushed her hard and without remorse.

Dorcas laughed and rose to her feet. "That aside, I'm here to enjoy the weekend,"she said, moving towards the mini wine bar in his living room and brought out a red wine and two wine glasses. She sat on one of his chairs and opened the bottle.

*****