For the next week and a half, Jess and I are busy overseeing arrangements for the St. Ives hundredth anniversary party. The event would be hosted at the St. Ives Event Center so we spend most of our time between the headquarters and there, taking care of both the event arrangements, and Richard's day to day schedule. It's hectic to say the least and Richard and I haven't been able to meet up as much due to that.

Finally, it's the day of the event and I'm ready for it to be done and over with so I can go back to my normal work routine.

An hour before the event is set to begin, I quickly hurry home to change into my dress. It's a custom evening gown that Richard had made for me just for this occasion. The dress is black with a tight lace bustier and fitted satin material from the waist to the tail emphasizing my hourglass figure.

I quickly change into it after a shower, not allowing myself much time to appreciate the dress in the mirror. I do a very light and natural make up before leaving back for the event center. Thankfully, the Lagos traffic isn't as aggressive today as it normally is so I get there in record time.

I meet Jess at the entrance and she too has gotten changed into a lovely blue evening dress. It's fitted at the top and has beautiful silk halfway down to the tail of the dress.

We make our rounds around the place crosschecking with security first. Since it's going to be a big event with a lot of important people, most being business partners of Richard, we need to ensure that there is no security hitch. We check in with catering and then everything else. It all checks out fine and we briefly allow ourselves let out sighs of relief.

Soon, the guests begin trickling in looking beautiful in their most expensive outfits, each dressed to upstage the other. It is truly a sight. The hall is decorated in gold ensembles and the crystal gold chandelier adds an elegant touch to the place. The servers are already in their positions, dressed in their white and black uniform with the tray of champagne in their palm.

Thirty minutes in and everything seems to be going well. I converse with a few guests that I am familiar with and other times, I allow myself to blend into the background, preferring to observe.

Finally, I sight Richard and his wife, Cassandra (who everyone just calls Madam Cass) walk in. As per usual she looks absolutely dazzling. Today, she is dressed in a gold and black kaftan, her hair covered up in a tied gold scarf -something she loves wearing- and her neck adorned with beautiful white pearls. I almost envy her ageless beauty but not quite.

She and Richard go around greeting the guests as the ever noble hosts they are. I try my best to stay faraway from them both, busying myself with other matters instead which isn't really hard to do. In my haste to avoid being in their hindsight, I bump into someone, my notepad falling out of my hand and unto the floor. The person who I hit immediately goes to pick it up and then hands it back to me.

"Here you go." He says, his voice smooth and deep to my ears.

I take the notepad from him, my eyes stuck on his face. His handsome face. His dark skin, and by far one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, so smooth and clear and a striking contrast to his white teeth. His jaw is strong and lined by light facial hair which looks good on him. I can see the bulging muscles slightly making themselves known from inside his crisp blue suit and I immediately perceive that he will look as good there as his face does.

Finally, I force myself out of the trance I was momentarily in. "Thank you." I say referring to my notepad.

"It's no problem. I wasn't watching where I was going, I apologize." He says, a small grin on his face. He stretchs out his hand to shake mine. "I'm Damilare."

I'm tempted to ignore him and walk away, very tempted. But I decide against it, opting instead to not be rude to a guest. "I'm Ada." I tell him, allowing his big hand to swallow mine in a handshake.

His grip is firm and his hand is strong, like that of a man that works out. I realize a moment too late that we had been holding hands for too long, which leads to me pulling away from him like his hand was on fire. He doesn't look the least bit bothered by that, a small smirk slowly slipping unto his face . "It's nice to meet you, Ada,"

"Same here. And now, I really have to get going." I tell him, raising the notepad slightly.

He nods at that. "Of course. I hope to see you around." He says as he goes to move out of my way.

"We'll see." I tell him as I walk away with every intent on avoiding this handsome stranger for the rest of the night. His presence seemed to do somethings to me and I didn't like that one bit.

I go and rejoin Jess and together we just hover around and make sure everything is going smoothly. I feel a certain pair of eyes on me occasionally but I ignore it, not even bothering to look his way.

Richard gives his speech and ends it to a standing ovation from the crowd. One thing I always loved about him was how he commanded a room and the way people respected him. As he walks off the stage, he shoots me a brief look, seeming to know exactly where I was standing in the audience. I quickly avert my gaze away from him.

The event continues with the presence of wine, good food and good music. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

"If being in the corporate world doesn't work out for us, we can sure go into event planning." Jess says as she comes to stand beside me.

I let out a small laugh. "True."

"Anyway, Madam Cass asked to see you," She tells me with a wink before walking away.

I take a deep breath before making my way to their table. It's not easy having to face the wife of your lover, and it's even harder if she's a sweet woman who constantly dotes on you. It's hard to not like her beautiful personality so I just try to avoid her but she always seems to seek me out at every event we both find ourselves in. She treats me like I'm her daughter and every encounter with her always leaves me feeling a weight of guilt on my chest. Not enough to stop me from sneaking around with her husband though.

I approach their table made up of Cassandra, Richard, some business associates of his, along with the handsome dark skinned guy from earlier. It seems like today is simply not my day.

"Ada love!" Cassandra exclaims as she stands up to give me a kiss on both my cheeks, her sweet smelling perfume tickling my nostrils in the process.

"Madam Cass. It's been so long." I tell her although I know exactly why that is.

"It's sure been. How have you been, my darling? I hope my husband here isn't overworking you." She says with a laugh as she gives Richard a small nudge on the shoulder.

The character of what I need to be right now slips in as this is a role I have had to practice and keep up for months.

Richard himself doesn't even look the least bit uncomfortable at all this but rather, he ignores us both, focusing his attention on the conversation he's having with a plump man seated besides him. He trusts I won't say anything wrong as he knows I respect his wife and even like her. He's not wrong there.

"Not at all." I tell her with a grin.

"Please, sit." She instructs as she pulls out the empty seat beside her with the handsome stranger on my left.

"I really should get back-" I begin to refuse.

"I'm sure they'll do just fine without you. Plus, I haven't seen you in weeks, darling. You haven't come around for dinner in a while." She says trying to guilt trip me. It works a bit.

I love Cassandra. I really do. Which is why I try so hard to avoid her. Richard and I's relationship has been kept a secret for the longest time but no secret ever really stays that way. Me pulling back is my way of protecting Cassandra, and myself, for the day that secret comes to light. But that is not a reason I can explain to her as to why I avoid her.

"I apologize. I've been a bit busy with work." I say to her as I take a seat, aware of the fact that the stranger beside me is obviously listening to our conversation.

"I can see that." Cassandra points out as she gestures to the place. "This place is so beautiful. You did such an excellent job, my dear. As usual."

"Thank you. Although, the team did most of the work." I tell her with a small smile.

"Ever humble, dear." She says with a wide grin before feigning shock. "Oh, how rude of me. Ada, this gentleman seated beside you is Damilare Coker. His father is a business partner of Richard's, Wole Coker." Cassandra says and I immediately know where she's going with this introduction.

I turn to him with a tight smile as I tell her. "Yes. We've met."

He shoots me a grin that I think is meant to have my panties in a twist but doesn't quite succeed. "A real pleasure it was by the way." He says referring to how he bumped into me.

I force myself to not physically roll my eyes at this corny fuck.

"Ada here works for Richard as his Personal Assistant. A really hardworking girl, she is." Cassandra recites, sounding like she's about to sell a slave off at an auction, her slender fingers coming to touch my arm softly.

I have an urge to disappear from this place, highly uncomfortable. Another person who looks to be uncomfortable too is Richard who has paused his conversation with the man beside him and is giving us a silent stare off, his annoyance slightly peaking in his countenance.

It just makes me all the more eager to leave here.

"Damilare is being groomed to take over his father's company soon." She tells me, a glint in her eye as she shoots him a smile.

I give her a 'really' look that she doesn't seem to interpret. She has always tried to hook me up with different guys ever since I told her I was single because I really couldn't tell her the truth which is that I'm in a relationship with her husband. So I indulge her and go along with her little charades, making her think that her plan to set me up is really working until I get tired and pull the strings to stop it.

But for some reason I find myself not wanting to indulge her this one time. I can already see how affected my body seems by Damilare, I'm not looking to discover any further whatever can be but won't be between us. I have a man already even though he isn't really my man. I owe Richard that much to not cheat on him. Not after all we've said and done.

"Really? That's interesting." I feign interest in the conversation when I really couldn't give two shits.

"Right?" Cassandra asks, glad that it seems like I actually care.

She then goes ahead to successfully eject herself from the conversation, leaving just myself and Damilare.

"I'm sorry about that. She couldn't be any more obvious." He apologizes. I raise my brow at his comment and he just scratches his beards a bit nervously. "I asked her to introduce us. I couldn't bear the thought of this being the first and the last time of me meeting you."

"And you think you'll meet me again after today?" I ask him straightforwardly.

"A man can only hope." He says shooting me a small grin which makes my lips curl a bit. Just a bit.

"I don't want to keep you from what you have to do, I was just wondering if I could have your number. Maybe we can go out some day, just us." He says, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"How about this?" I say as I lean into him. "If I ever see you again, Damilare, I promise to give you my number. Okay?"

He nods at that with a wide grin. "That's fair. Just know I can be a very persistent man."

"I don't believe otherwise." I tell him as I rise up from my seat. "See you around, Damilare."

"See you around, Ada." He sends me a small wave as I go on my way, every step taking me further from the two men who would eventually become my dilemma.