“I’m relieved you like it.”
The mid-calf sparkly dress, boasted just one sleeve, leaving her other hand open to his admiration. He continued to inhale her scent while he stared at her.
“Are we going to sit, or what?” Her lips curled into a heart-thudding cute smile.
Shaking his head, he gestured at the chair.
“Please have your seat. Sorry, I was staring at the beautiful woman in front of me.”
Lola laughed, placing her bag on the table.
He ogled her curvy lips glazed in deep-red lipstick a moment longer before he returned to his chair.
“Thanks for coming to dinner with me.”
She nodded without averting her gaze.
“I’m glad you invited me.”
He tapped his fingers against the linen covered table for two situated in the centre of the room. Palm fronds from four potted plants provided privacy, something he wanted for their date.
As if planned, both of them erupted in laughter.
“Why are we suddenly sounding so formal?” he asked, leaning forward.
“It beats me.” She shrugged, taking a look around the chic restaurant. “We’re nervous, I guess. First dates can be really awkward. I usually avoid them.”
He raised both eyebrows. “Oh, so you just skip to the part where you take your clothes off?”
Laughter ripped through her lips. Her head swung left and right and so did her fancy ponytail. Her sandy-brown eyes glinted with vivid clarity he could see his reflection in their brilliant depths. Her cheeks ballooned and glowed as she rocked on her seat.
His chest filled with soothing warmth. Wondering how he got lucky, he took out his cell phone, tapped the camera icon and clicked. He wanted to retain her stunning image forever. Then he went to her side, leaned his head against hers and clicked to take a selfie of the two of them.
One young male waiter who wore white shirt, black tie and black pants approached their table.
“I’m Dipo and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Here’s the drinks menu. What would you like to drink?”
Without a fuss, they ordered cocktails and selected their three-course meals at a stretch.
“Have you had many first dates?” Lola asked once the waiter was on his way.
He rested his chin on his hand. “A few too many.”
“And?” she prompted with a chuckle.
“And what?”
“Are they usually awkward?”
“Sometimes. Awkward silences are part of the date, I think.”
The stunning woman seated across from him inspired him in many ways.
The waiter returned with their drinks stalling their chat for less than a minute.
“I’ve never had a Fabiola before,” she purred after the server let them be. “Do you know what’s in it?”
Her suspicious tone made him grin.
“The recipe?”
She nodded. “Mm-hm.”
“Trust me, you’ll like it. Dry vermouth is paired with Grand Marnier, if I recall correctly.”
Lola fingered the orange rind hanging from the rim of the glass.
Then he added. “The orange is a charming contrast to the dryness of the fortified wine and the sweetness of the decent brandy.” He grinned. “I’m hoping the brandy is decent.”
While he sipped from his drink, she closed her eyes briefly and opened them before she took a slow sip.
She smiled. “What’s your cocktail called again?”
“Negroni.”
She twisted her lips. “Negroni? Never heard of it.”
“It’s an iconic aperitif. It’s gin and vermouth and it’s perfect to prep my palate before any meal.” He offered her the crystal glass filled with amber liquid. “Taste it.”
A little hesitant at first, she handled the glass and sipped once, twice and then a third time. “Hmm. Negroni. Decent.”
He chuckled, watching her slanted eyes flutter open and close.
Lola pushed her glass toward him. “Have some.”
A gentle flutter happened inside his chest. This was an intimate thing to do–drinking from each other’s glasses. He received her cocktail glass and took a long sip. Their eyes connected above the glass and they both smiled. Peace and joy zoomed to his heart.
“Lola, do you have to pray every time you eat or drink? Even on the beach, you prayed before you drank out of the bottle of Fanta.”
“Yeah. It’s normal for me. It’s my faith. Grandy raised me that way, you know, to be grateful and all.”
Grinning, he nodded. “Yeah! You’re lucky to have her in your life. What about your parents?”
“Lost them ages ago.” She did not pause, or flinch when she said it.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did it happen?”
“My dad has never been in the picture. My mum and brother both died in a fire when I was five, or so.”
How awful! He felt a pang in his chest. It was weird how he thought life singled him out to hand down painful curve balls. But the woman he had treated like crap had also not been spared life’s bitter blows.
Deep regret ate his gut. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Lola tilted her head and shrugged. The smooth chocolate skin along her exposed round shoulder and arm glowed in the dim light. He felt the urge to slide his fingers along her collar bone and supple arms.
“It’s been so long,” she said, putting her lips to her cocktail glass. “Where are your parents?”
Of course, he knew the question would come up some time, so he tried not to recoil. But he must have revealed his inner turmoil somehow because Lola’s beautiful eyes narrowed further and she sat forward.
“Something wrong?” Her gaze steadied on his own.
If he shut down again, she would probably walk away and never look back. He needed to control his moodiness.
“My dad, Elliot isn’t in the picture either,” he admitted. “He mapped out a different path for himself and his other family. He married Annie, a woman who’s twenty years younger and they’ve got a teenage daughter, Sharon.” Why did talking about his dad’s family deepen the pain inside?
“Oh,” she sighed. “I know what that feels like. Facing rejection and all.”
“Have you tried reaching out to him?”
“No. He made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me and my mom when I was six years old. I want nothing to do with a man who was callous enough to turn his back on his family.”
She nodded. “It’s tough. When I was younger, it hurt so bad. School mates made friends based on the kind of family you came from.”
“Let me guess, you didn’t have many friends.”
“Not one,” she confirmed, her eyes dimming. “Eventually I made my kids my friends and Grandy’s my best friend. What about your mum?”
“I–” He stopped abruptly because he could not form the words. During the lengthy pause, he searched for the right words to explain.
Meanwhile, his date folded her arms on the table and stared at him. There was no wristwatch, or bracelet on her slim wrists. But her slender neck and ears were adorned with sparkly jewellery that winked each time she moved her head.
Lola held his gaze.
It was not a you-are-hiding-something-from-me stare. Not at all. It was more of a take-your-time gaze.
“Can we talk about something else for now?” he finally pleaded after taking in a few deep breaths.
“If that’s what you want. What are you doing in Nigeria?” She took a long sip from her drink.
He shook his head. The ease with which she let him get away without explaining impressed him.
“I came to clear my head. To forget, or tried to forget what’s gone on in my life.”
“Hmm. Was it that bad?”
“Yeah!” He drank from his glass.
“Have you been to Nigeria before now?”
“No. But my colleague and friend in Chicago, Joe Ossai got me to invest in two properties on Banana Island a f
ew years ago.”
Her jaw dropped. “Um. The rich man’s island.”
“Is that what you call it?”
“Have you seen the place yet?”
“No. Maybe we can go together?”
She lifted her eyebrows.
“What?” he queried, trying to figure her out.
“Nothing.”
“Joe has been urging me to come over to see the houses for myself. He’s been going on about how great the place is, so when I hit a pretty rough patch, it was the perfect time to finally come and see for myself.”
“I can tell you straight up that you’ve invested in gold if it’s all legit because properties there are worth millions of naira.”
He released a long sigh of relief. “Ow. I’ve got all the paperwork signed and sealed. It’s legit.”
“Where did you meet, Joe?”
“Like me, he’s a doctor in Chicago. We worked together at some point. But he’s always talking about coming to Nigeria to invest his surplus dollars. From the forecast he showed me, the return on investment will double in a short time. And I get to visit Africa on vacation.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do?”
“You mean how do I make enough to invest in properties in a high brow area in Lagos?”
She smiled. “Exactly.”
“I’m a medical doctor. A dermatologist to be exact.”
Nodding. She sipped her drink. “Ow. Skin expert?”
It was common for people to pigeon-hole his expertise. “You could say that. But it also includes hair and nails. Hair loss and scars along with the management and disorder of the skin.”
The waiter intruded to deliver their first course.
“And you’ve got no kids and no wife?” She set down her drink and picked up her cutleries with both hands.
“No. I wasn’t even thinking about that until I met your kids. And for one moment, I wondered what it would be like to have kids chatting to me and making my life fun.”
Her eyes sparkled and her face glowed, mirroring the radiance of the sunset.
“Aww. I’m glad to hear that. If nothing else, you’ve now got motivation to give having kids a chance. As long as you’re ready to put everything else in your life to the side, you’ll be fine.”
He laughed. “I bet. But you’ve got Grandy, so you’re lucky.”
“Aha! I’m blessed. That woman has saved me more times than I can count.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”
She chewed and swallowed a bite of the plantain battered chicken gizzard before she replied.
“Thirty. What about you?”
The nutty chicken skewers he ordered for starters tasted great. “Thirty-six. What was it like having the twins at twenty-two?”
After she finished her meal and wiped the corner of her plump bottom lip with the napkin, she nodded. “Very scary at first. I was alone with my babies before Grandy asked me to move in with her at the time. The struggled continued, then I got my flat a few years ago. It’s been very challenging as time went on and now, the twins don’t stop talking until they fall asleep.” She laughed. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re my double blessings from God. They’re my joy and life. What was it like growing up for you?”
“What a journey! I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. Growing up with my mom was a completely different experience. I didn’t lack any material thing but she was always working. In her spare time, she was present, loving and attentive.”
“As an only child, did you have many friends?”
“Not really. All I wanted was to be accepted by my dad. I know it affected my ability to make friends. Like you, it was pretty much a lonely time for me.”
She swallowed. “We’ve got that in common.”
He chuckled. “True. What about their dad? Is he a part of your kids’ lives at all?”
“Only for the first six months.”
“Why?” It seemed many men just dumped their sperm and took a walk to the other side without a thought for the kids they left behind.
Lola pushed her napkin aside and sipped water.
“It was his choice to stay away because he didn’t want his fiancée to find out about us.”
“Whoa!” The bite of chicken in his mouth almost choked him. He cleared his throat first and then swallowed. “Did you know he was engaged?”
“Not at all. He didn’t say a word until I told him I was pregnant. I would never date a guy who has a girlfriend, much more one who’s engaged. That’s heartbreak waiting to happen. He fooled me, or maybe I was blind.”
“The lies we tell,” he muttered. “I dated a girl once who forgot to mention she was married. There was no ring on her finger.”
Lola’s eyes bulged. “How did she cover that up?”
“Easy. She was new in town and lied by omission. I didn’t think to ask upfront, oh, by the way are you married?”
Wincing, she shook her head. “Why anyone would think to lie about their relationship beats me. If it’s over, say so. Breaking hearts for selfish reasons should be a crime.”
Grinning, he lifted up his wineglass. She lifted hers and they clinked their glasses.
“I agree with you,” he told her.
“So, do you have a girlfriend I should know about?”
He winked. “A few.”
She lifted her head and waved her fork in the air. “Are you messing with me right now, Maxwell?”
Laughing, he nodded. “Of course, I am.”
“Better be. I’m a mum-of-two, so I can’t compete.”
“Don’t dismiss yourself. Even if there’s a competition, you’ll win because you’re my choice.”
Across the table, he saw her eyes water just before she wiped the corner of her eye with one finger.
“That’s so sweet, Maxwell. What’s Chicago like?”
Reaching for her left hand on the table, he squeezed her fingers to reassure her of his feelings.
“Definitely different weather, food and architecture from Nigeria. Over there, it’s autumn now. The trees are shedding leaves. Everywhere you look, the leaves are either brown, turning yellow, or red. Hot dogs, deep-dish pizza, sausages are our staple food. We’ve got loyal sports fans just like you do here.”
“Trees are mostly green all-year-round in Nigeria. In December, we’ve got the harmattan weather which is only slightly cold. Some leaves dry up.”
“Chicago winter is notoriously brutal. Snow could be ankle deep. It can be a big pain in general.”
Her eyes widened. “For real? We see it on TV, but I didn’t really think all that white stuff fell from the sky. Come on.”
He laughed at her innocence. “Then you’ve got to see it, touch it, step on it to believe it’s real.”
Nodding, she shrugged. “Maybe another lifetime.”
“Why is that? You hate travelling or something?”
“I’ve got a different life here. Travelling for pleasure is for those who have extra income, no?”
“True.”
He had seen and experienced how her family lived on basic supplies yet she carried herself with dignity and worked hard. At that point, the waiter served the main meal, but he was out of ear shot in no time.
“Would you like to see Chicago?”
There was something about Lola that made him want to open up and to show her his world.
Her eyes rested on his for a brief moment and then she lowered her gaze to the meal in front of her.
“Whatever will be, will be, Maxwell. I’ve got my children and Grandy to think about. My life isn’t just about what I want, or desire. It hasn’t been for as long as I can remember.”
A lengthy pause filled the silence while they ate and he thought about her comment.
“I’ve got no idea what that feels like,” he said after a while. “I can only imagine it comes with added pressure.” He reached across the table again and covered her left arm with his fingers. Under hi
s touch, she tensed and her eyes flew to his.
“What are you doing?” Her voice trembled.
“Telling you, I get it. When I asked if you would like to see Chicago, I assumed you understood I meant along with the twins and Grandy.”
A big smile coloured her face like a firecracker popping in the sky, but she scowled afterward.
“My heart is too weak to be sold empty dreams. So, I dream according to what I can afford.”
He stroked her forearm and then pulled away. “Then I won’t sell you a dream. I’ll just have to show you the real thing.”
Smiling, Lola dipped her head and carried on eating the food on her plate–a mound of spicy Jollof rice, fried chicken and chicken salad. But she pushed the lettuce and rocket leaves to the side with her cutlery. Leaning over, he stabbed the green leaves on her plate with his fork and gobbled it while she nodded in approval.
“Thank you, Maxwell. I’m not in the mood to chew leaves like a goat. I’ve got chicken and rice.”
Laughter ballooned his cheeks. He bowed his head as he laughed. “Green leaves are good for you.”
Giggling, her eyes darted to his plate. “So, we’ve heard.” She also leaned across and caught two chicken slices on his plate with her fork and popped one into her mouth. She chewed his own meal that was not on offer. Inside him, warm bubbles got hotter and bigger.
Watching her smile and hearing her laugh made him feel like he had won a hard challenge. Eating from each other’s plate added an intimate touch he needed. This was an awesome experience.
The properties he bought in Nigeria had not caught his interest since he arrived. It was the woman who set him off to a bad start that suddenly made his time and stay in the country worthwhile. In her presence, he forgot his anguish and everything else.
Once they finished with the main course, he asked her an unexpected question. “Do you by any chance have my necklace with the diamond pendant on you?”
“Eh-hen now. It’s in my purse. Thank the Lord, I brought it along.”
Anytime she said a typical Nigerian word, he got turned on. Because it sounded sexy and spicy. It slipped out of her mouth in a way that excited him.
Lola unclipped her evening bag, took out the delicate jewellery and handed it to him.
Grateful she had it with her, he accepted it and murmured, “Thank you.”
Irresistible Driver ~ A BWWM Sexy Romance Page 8
