Korede

As soon as Leila left, I ignored whiskey and walked into my room. There are two things I hate most in this world; tight shoes and nosy people. She was trying to get in my business and I am having none of that. I needed to clear my head and have it straight again if I'm going to listen to her.

Leila needed to be put in her place. What did she think? Together forever? Give me a break. It was quite amusing to watch that scene; someone yelling he's mine and you're just like "bitch I belong to every woman and no woman."

Her antics reminded me of my girlfriend in nursery school. I still have that particular memory from twenty one years ago and it was plastered in my brain like finger prints. All I could remember was her skin fair like white coffee and the black bouncy, curly hair as she pinched another girl that tried to walk with me to the assembly. Her name was debola or something like that.

I locked my door so whiskey would not have tried to rape me or take advantage of my beautiful self. She had this mysterious vibe and I didn't mind becoming a detective to crack the case and in the process maybe we could crack some other things if you know what I mean.

Before Leila walked it, I wanted to hold her lips captive and smash it with mine, I had the insane urge to hug her lips with my lips and suck the living daylights out it. She probably went through a bad break up and needed refuge so yours truly would always be ready to save a maiden in distress.

I picked up a mars chocolate from the green bowl on my nightstand and threw it into my mouth.

Mars.

Mars.

Why do I still eat this stuff?

Why can't I simply move on?

Who am I kidding; no woman can ever measure up to her. Just like Mars she was dark and beautiful; a chocolate goddess God took extra hours to create. I still have the feeling of her smooth and velvety skin stuck to mine. The memory of her well sculpted face and lips devouring my own.

Just like a frozen mars, she was dark and solid on the outside but after biting into her, she becomes soft and sweet, making life seem like nothing but chocolaty goodness. On our first night together, we covered each other in frozen Mars chocolates and I ate it off her with burning passion. I remembered how her big deep brown eyes were closed tight as I took her to planet Mars, fulfilling her every desire.

I remembered whiskey was still in the sitting room and I was probably dumb for leaving a stranger in the house but I had a good feeling about her and that was the reason I brought her here in the first place.

After I finished with my five minutes shower, I sprayed myself put on some clothes and went back to the living room.

She was sitting on the couch watching an episode of the Johnson's and I just walked up to her and sat down beside her. Her vanilla and mint smell made me feel all tingly inside and I moved closer to get more of that nice smell. She probably used the perfume I put inside the bag earlier.

As soon as she saw me, she turned the TV off and moved back a bit. "Um I'm sorry about the TV I was just..." she said in an uneasy manner. It was obvious that she wasn't comfortable but something in me pushed me to go further.

"Its fine, its fine." I paused for a while and studied her again. For the first time since I met her, she wasn't looking me straight in the eye. She seemed to find my Mickey Mouse stuffed toy more amusing as she twirled it between her slender fingers with nails painted a fiery red.

"So, I'm a very straight forward man," I said, trying to get straight down to business. "What's wrong? Why didn't you go home immediately? Who are you? Why did you get drunk last night? Why were you crying?" I had all this questions that needed answers and I wanted them fast.

She looked up and kept her eyes fixed on me. That's the whiskey I know. "Don't you think we should start from what is your name korede?" she said with a sarcastic tone.

"You know my name? Stalker alert." She rolled her eyes which gave me the signal that she wasn't in the mood for jokes or any silly comments so I shut my mouth up.

"So what is your name beautiful one?"

"are you never serious?" girls like being called beautiful but this one, she just gave me a cold stare like she was planning murder and if I didn't shut up anytime soon, blood will flow.

"Say what?" I poked her anger button again because for some reason it gave me pleasure and I never say no to pleasure in all forms. "If you didn't here, that's your problem." She said with a tone of finality.

I moved a bit closer and to my surprised, she didn't move back. Thank God o. I looked at her for a while and took her hand; I hoped she would find this gesture sincere enough to tell me about her. Her hand was white at every inch, almost didn't seem like a black woman's hand. I can tell a woman that changed her skin tone her from a mile away but her skin looked so flawless and her hands were insanely soft like recently baked agege bread.

"Anjola, what's wrong, why do you seem troubled, come on, you can trust me I promise." A single tear dropped from her eyes and rolled all the way down to her neck.

Anjola

Here he was asking me about me. About why I cried why I did this and why I did that. I tried to fight the tears but I couldn't. I had the insane urge to just fold into a ball and bawl my eyes out till next year.

I still felt sore behind where that bastard raped me and took what wasn't his. He used me like I didn't matter to the world, like I was nothing. I made a mental note to check myself because the idiot probably wines and dines with an army of STDs. It was my first time sleeping with somebody without a condom but I was on the daily pill just in case.

Now I'm faced with the biggest challenge of all. How do I tell him I was raped like an animal? How do I say I study at school and pay my bills with the famous hoe business? Where do I even start about the terrible conditions I lived in and how my mother didn't care if I sold myself to the world for money?

I felt cold, hot and warm at the same time. My heart was throbbing and hemorrhaging with no plaster or bandage to hold it in. My soul felt like with was blotted with a million jars of dirt water and no soap in the world could wash it off.

My legs trembled at his questions and if I wasn't sitting, it wouldn't have been able to hold my shaky body. He took my hands in his and my fingers became all hot and sweaty. I couldn't hold the tear that rolled out back. It was a symbol of my loneliness in the world.

"You can trust me." His voice came out deep and relaxing actually. He wasn't the baby adult he usually is. His black eyeballs searched for some answers and sooner than later, I had to give it to him.

"I ran away from home after my step father tried to rape me." His mouth fell open as I said those words but he quickly recovered.

"Did he?"

"no." I quickly said in self defense. It was better to keep it to myself before becoming the laughing stock of the world. Sodiq knew what I did and if word ever got out about it, I would've just be made fun off by people that didn't know what I went through, that didn't feel the pain I was feeling.

The olosho that cried because they slept with her. Ironical right?

"Your mum?" he questioned further with a sympathetic look in his eyes. This was exactly what I didn't want. Sympathy. But I needed sympathy if anybody was going to help me right?

"If I jumped down from third mainland bridge, she wouldn't look at me twice." All this seemed weird to him. His facial expressions fluctuated between sympathy and confusion. He probably had a nice mother that made sure he had a nice future. Just look at this place.

"So what do you plan on doing now?"

"I'm never going back there, I'll probably live in one of those shelter homes and make ends meet somehow." I also couldn't tell him I was a prostitute; it's not exactly something people are proud of. This time I wasn't crying, the things I felt on the inside were so aggravated, crying wasn't even an option anymore. They don't deserve my tears.

"Then I have a proposition," He said as he let go of my hand and sat a bit straighter. "I don't know how this is going to sound but you should really think about it"

"What do you propose?" I asked curiously. Where was he getting at? His silence was eating me out.

"Since you need a job and a home, you can live here, help me around the house and ill pay you."

"So in a few words, you want to hire me as a maid?" I'm not going to be somebody's maid at twenty years old. I was in my final year and I could get another job aside from my night one and live in a shelter home. If humiliating me was what he was aiming at then he wasn't going to be successful.

"Anjola don't think of it like that Na, I'm just trying to help."

"By making me do your chores? We're done here." I stood up and headed for the elevator. No man was going to humiliate me; I was determined to take control of my life.

He ran after me and held my hand as I was about to press the elevator button. "Please stay, it's not in your best interest to leave now. Don't think I want to take advantage of you or something. I just really want to help you. And besides, I need some company here."

"Why not invite your girlfriend."

"You can be my girlfriend." He winked and I rolled my eyes unmoved by his antics.

"I don't think it makes sense, just let me leave." I press the button and the elevator divided like the red sea at once. As I was about to enter, he got a hold of my hand and pulled me back.

"Please."

"I'm the one that's at a disadvantage so why are you begging me?" he was about to enter when his phone rang. He dismissed it and continued talking. "I don't know why but I really want to help you so please?"

A/N

Wassa wassa yo, who's pumped about the way the books going? I hope you guys like the book. Don't forget to vote and comment too. Also tell me what you don't like, I'll be happy to make adjustments. Xoxo wonu out!!!