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*******

"Naomi baby," Freddy called out to me.

I was shocked by the sudden name and just cocked a brow.

"How should a normal person with a kind heart feel after a breakup?"

"Erm...." I shrugged. "Sad!"

"Hmmm..." he mumbled and bit out of the fried chicken leg he held. "I'm not normal then".

I burst out into a fit of laughter. Everyone in the restaurant snapped their heads at my direction. "Sorry!" I waved at the unexpected audience I got.

"Why are you laughing?" he pouted and bit out of it again. He was literally eating like a caveman. "Do you think I should order ice cream? Maybe I won't look too heartless since I am celebrating my breakup".

I couldn't help it. I held my belly and fell to my knees. The laughter was too overwhelming.

"Stop laughing, baby! It is making me feel bad. I just want to celebrate my freedom. I'm a free bird now," he chuckled. Then, his brows shot up. "I should tell my guys. They need to know".

"That you are a free bird and you can flap your wings and fly?" I chuckled and sat down on my chair.

"Yes, baby! I can flap my wings and fly," he chuckled. Then, he sighed. "But.... I feel guilty that I hurt Kate that way. She is a good person".

I just let out a small cough. "G..g...good person?" I forced out.

"Yeah! She can be sweet and nice when she chooses to be"

"Yeah! Her acting skill is top notch," I mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!" I smiled.

"I might feel guilty about hurting her feelings but I love my freedom," he said and sipped out of his soft drink. "Aren't you going to eat? We need to celebrate".

I nodded.

"Let me get your food," he rose from his chair, wiped his oily hands and walked to the counter.

I am still stunned though. The moment Freddy broke up with Kate, he left the hotel with me trailing behind. He was in the worst mood ever. His narrowed eyes could cause a storm anytime. However, when we got to the restaurant and his tray of food was placed in front of him, his mood changed. There was a smile on his features and he began to celebrate his freedom. He ordered jollof rice with a large fried chicken leg. A soft drink was set beside him and he just ate to his heart content while I sat watching him with a smile on my face.

Later, Freddy returned with a tray in his hand. He set it in front of me and said, "Enjoy, babygirl!"

I chuckled. When my eyes fell on the food, I began to salivate. White rice and chicken pepper soup! I gasped.

"How did you know?" I exclaimed.

"No what?" he sat down and waved to a waiter. "Can you get a cold drink for her?"

The waiter nodded and left.

"How did you know that this is what I was craving?"

His eyes lit up. "I just guessed. Did I really guess well?"

"Yes!" My face flushed. "I'm so glad you can tell what will make me happy".

The waiter returned and placed a bottle of fanta beside me. "Enjoy!" he said.

"Thank you!" I replied and sipped from it.

"Hmph!" Freddy voiced and mumbled some incoherent words. He rubbed his forehead with a scowl on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Hmm...." he rubbed his forehead again, his brows scrunched up. "Why do I feel a sense of deja vu?"

"Deja vu?"

"Yea....Argh!" he rubbed his forehead again. "I feel like I have experienced this before. I'm even having blurry flashes in my head".

"Hmm....Has this happened before?" I pondered for a while. "Like what's your mind telling you?"

"I'm just seeing....um....I can't really tell. I'm just feeling a sense of deja vu. My memory isn't back so the images in my head are blurry"

"Hmm....Oh yeah! Our first date!"

"Huh?" his eyes went round as a disc.

I coughs awkwardly. "I meant our first day out like....um...Er...Our first outing as friends...Yeah...erm...Friends! I ordered rice and pepper soup that day. You ordered ofe nsala and eba".

"We went out together?"

"Yeah!"

"No wonder I feel a sense of deja vu. Do you think I might be regaining my memory?"

"It could be. I'm telling you this. Stick with me and good things will happen," I chuckled.

"Tell me all about our outing of years back!" he insisted and pouted.

"We have rehearsal in the next two hours. There is no time to chitchat!"

"Please! Just use thirty minutes. I'm sure it is enough"

"I don't know!"

"Please! Just try"

"Okay!" My face flushed when I realized I will have to share our first date to him. He might not remember but that day means a lot to me.

Hmm...Maybe I will just narrate the story and cut out the fact that we were in a relationship. I don't want him to see me somehow. I want him to truly fall for me before I tell him that secret of our past.

"Do you like ofe nsala?" Freddy asked out of the blue.

"Yes!" I giggled.

I learned how to cook it few years ago. Freddy had told me he loved it during our first date. You know what, this might be funny but I learned how to cook every food that Freddy told me he loves.

"Oh!" he said with a face of disdain.

"Whaatttt?" my eyes widened. "You don't like it?"

"Yeah!"

"Why?"

"That's because I bought that soup in restaurant and regretted it. The soup wasn't sweet. It lacked taste. So I guess I am not a fan of ofe nsala soup," he shrugged.

"That's not possible. It's your favorite soup!"

"Nope! I don't like it"

"But you loved it eight years ago!" I exclaimed.

"I did?"

"Yea!"

"Hmmm....Actually, after I recovered from coma, my mom has been trying to make me forget Nigeria. She said bad luck happened to her there and that her enemies are following her. She even refused to make African cuisine. I think that's why they are suddenly foreign to me"

"Do you like the Nigerian cuisines you have tasted so far?"

"Yes! I love them all....hmm...except Ofe nsala"

"Something is wrong somewhere. Maybe the cook doesn't know how to prepare the soup. I'm an expert in it. One day, I'll prepare it and you will see that you'll fall in love with it!"

"You will cook for me?"

"Yes!"

"Thank God!"

"Huh? Why such a reaction?"

"Kate has promised to cook for me many times and she never did. She always have an excuse not to do it"

"Now you have me! Fear not," I said with a smug look on my face.

I told Freddy everything I could remember about our first date.....I mean, outing! The way a certain group of girls asked him to take pictures of them. He had asked whether we also took pictures and I said we did. Freddy wanted to see the pictures. Luckily, I had saved my memory card of years back. It's in Lagos and we are in Abuja so I promised to show him later. I'm sure before then, if I am lucky, he would fall for me and showing him the pictures would be the best idea.

                   *********

"No, director! I will never allow this," Kate literally screamed. Everyone around her flinched because of the impact it had on their ears.

Director's brows scrunched up and he shook his head. "No! I want you to take Naomi's part. You will do better as the antagonist. Your glares and frowns exemplifes a person truly angry while Naomi's expression shows love. Two women will be important in this movie. One will be the protagonist. She will be the main character's true love. However, we need another lady who wants to ruin the relationship and she is also the main actor's ex. She will be the bitter one.....Naomi takes the good girl part while Kate takes the other woman. Deal. Thank you all. Rehearsal starts in ten minutes".

"No! I can't allow Naomi to win," she whined. "How can she have everything? How can she steal everything from me?"

"Steal what?" the director snorted and eyed Kate like she was spilling nonsense.

"You ruined my relationship and now you want to steal my role," she barked and with anger, kicked a plastic chair. It flew away and she scowled. "If I can't act the role I want, then I will not act this movie again. Goodbye!"

"What?" Our director snapped.

"You heard me!" Kate snarled and stormed out of the hall.

I glanced at Freddy who sat on a plastic chair with a disinterested look. I was even starting to doubt if he was listening to the drama that took place.

The director growled and stomped away, yelling Kate's name as he left us.

"Mtchew!" Someone hissed. I turned to the person and she glared at me. "Witch!"

"Me?" My brows went up.

"Ask my nyash!" she rolled her eyes. Some other ladies moved to her and they mumbled something to each other.

"Yes na!" One of them said. "She is the one that ruined Kate's relationship with Freddy. Now, she wants to steal her role".

I glared at them.

"What? Better carry that your yeye eyes and face another side oo. It is your type that use to steal someone's man," she bellowed and eyed me.

"Yes na! She took advantage of Kate's kindness to steal his man," another snarked. "But don't worry. Freddy is a sensitive guy. True love will win and he will see that Kate is far better and more beautiful that this one". They all eyed me and hissed.

"You said it yourself. True love will win. That's all I want to hear," I exclaimed and walked away from their midst. I got to Freddy and he was still on the plastic chair. "Hey!"

"Hey!" he said, his eyes fixed on the wall across us.

"What's popping?" I chuckled.

"Umm....I was hoping some popcorn could be popping!" he winked at me. "Cos our Drama Queen has a lot to present".

I rose a brow. "Our Drama Queen?"

"Kate, of course! She is making a big deal out of nothing," he rolled his eyes. "What did I even see in her?"

"I don't think you saw anything. You were just forced into the relationship," I replied with a slight shrug.

His brows rose and he burst into a fit of laughter. "That's true. I was just forced into the relationship".

I smiled as I watched him laugh. I felt a sense of satisfaction to know that he didn't love her.

Because of Kate's refusal to act, every other casts were told to take a break. I was heading to my hotel when someone intentionally bumped into me. It was Kate and her blazing eyes drilled into mine.

"Are you blind?" I asked her and began to walk away. She gripped my wrist and pulled me back.

"I see you are enjoying my breakup with Freddy!" she growled.

"I won't lie! I am," I smiled cheerfully.

"It has always been your plan. I know. Now, you have succeeded ruining it. You piece of trash!" Kate hurled.

"I hope your memory is not as bad and ugly as your makeup and hairdo because if you can recall, I didn't do anything. You ruined your relationship with your own filthy hands," I proclaimed and chortled. "How do you feel now? He doesn't need you in his life. It's like you slapped sense into his head. Thanks for making things easy for me".

Kate wanted to defend herself but there was nothing she could say. I was right and she was wrong. I won this round and she lost. This is how life should be. She needs to be the loser in every round.

Kate chuckled and began to slowly clap her hands. "Bravo! You won this round. The battleground is now fair. Freddy is single. The question here is...." She smirked. "Who will get him in the end? Me or you?"

"Me! Obviously," I rolled my eyes.

"Who will he choose?"

"You know the answer!" I said in a matter of fact tone.

"Wrong! He will choose me. You want to know why? Because I will do everything I can to get him. Whether fair or not fair. I will win"

"Why are you so obsessed with Freddy, Kate? Are you in your right mind or have you lost your senses?"

"I should be asking you that. Forget your past and move on. Freddy can never be yours! I have said my own," she spun on her heels and strutted away.

"Witchy Kate!" I hissed out and folded my arms across my chest. "Let her do her worst? Mtchew! True love will still win. Sha....I just need to step up my game. She will know that she messed with the wrong person".

              ++++++++++++

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From your 9ja Author,
Mabel. 😎