I walked with Chike towards the track. "What?" I asked when we were far away from the class.

"You were going to let him keep touching you like that?" Chike asked rudely.

"And how was he touching me?" I wasn't breathing steadily because of the exercise, and I was getting angrier by the minute which meant I could faint if I didn't calm down and regulate my breathing.

"Like that."

"He was doing his job, and that wasn't even remotely sexual. Are you going to fight off every guy that gets close to me?" I was trying to breathe steadily, but Chike's attitude was pissing me off.

"If I have to," he replied with so much gusto.

"Whatever this is, it's not cute and I'm not going to encourage it in anyway. I'm no man's property and I don't need you to protect me," I retorted sharply.

His forehead wrinkled at my reaction. "Maybe I overreacted."

"I don't like this overtly jealous vibe I'm getting from you. First, you spilled drink on a prospective client which made me miss a major opportunity, and now I can't exercise without you hovering."

Chike looked at me intensely for a while before replying, "It's not jealously, I just didn't like him touching you."

"I'm the older one here so when I say I can handle myself, I mean it. It's what I've been doing since I was sixteen and I've done a great job as far as I can tell."

"You didn't have to pull the age card. I'll back off," Chike said humbly.

"Please do," I insisted.

"Do you want to go back there? I need to get to the court," Chike asked, glancing at the dance group.

"I'll go with you and watch."

Nothing could make me resume the dance class even if it was a chance to rub it in Chike's face. We walked towards the court and I found an empty seat to watch Chike shoot ball into hoops while I replied my mails in between glances. Several girls had joined the spectators and they were screaming as the guys dribbled each other. It was a sight to behold of actually, heavily toned men playing basketball topless with sweat dripping down their body as they dissed one another. Chike blew me a kiss when he got a clean shot and I saw several girls turn back to look at me. That's right, this one is taken, ladies. Not really, I corrected myself and cringed.

As we walked to the car after the game ended, I brought up the topic that had been on my mind all morning.

"Why did you lie about wearing hats in your videos on YouTube?"

"You checked my channel?" Chike asked, looking surprised.

"I did. Why did you lie?"

"Because I didn't want the deal."

"You should have just said so then."

"I did in so many words, but you told me to take the meeting for your sake and I did."

"I put so much energy into getting you that meeting."

"And I appreciate it but I've got this. It's my career and I know what's best for me."

"I did it to return the favor, you got me a phone," I further explained.

"And I can get you another one. I was kidding about spending my life savings, for real."

"Alright. You're the one always giving, I was trying to do something nice for you," I said.

"If I need any help, you'll be the first to know. I promise." Chike smiled and pulled me in for a kiss.

I cleared my throat as the kiss ended, trying and failing to seem unaffected.

"About your ex-husband," Chike started as I drove.

"Yea?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were once married?"

"Because it's old news. He's out of the picture, has been for a long time and I hate talking about him."

"Now I have to stop listening to his songs when they come on the radio."

It was my turn to look surprised. "You know who he is?"

"I looked you up on Google. I guess I couldn't help being curious, it's not every day you find out your fuck buddy used to be a successful rapper's wife."

Welp! "I'm not your fuck buddy. What's that? It sounds so filthy."

"We do filthy things."

"We are two adults exploring each other's bodies. Friends maybe but not that."

"Okay. So why did you leave him?"

"He left me, I thought you looked me up. How come you don't have an answer to that?"

"I want to hear your side of the story. The blogs painted you to be this pathetic woman and I know you too well to know you're anything but."

"Thanks. He cheated, we got divorced, I cried for days...months and moved on."

"Do you still cry about it?"

I shifted in my seat. "Not really."

"Would you take him if he comes back pleading?"

"I believe I'm too smart to fall for him and his lies a second time."

"I would never do that to you," Chike said, holding my free hand.

That didn't change anything and I was too experienced with heartbreaks to believe him. People made promises and broke them easily without a second thought. I wasn't going to fall for promises ever again.

"Are you staying over?" Chike asked when I drove him home.

"I can't. I have several things to do and I've been slacking for a while now."

"I understand. I guess I'll also find something to do, like write new songs."

I laughed when I noticed his expression, he looked like he was grudgingly deciding to be busy. "Okay then."

"See you around. Thanks for coming along with me to the court."

"It was no problem."

Chike was still sitting in the car and I was right in front of his apartment building. I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say what was holding him up. He finally opened the car door.

"Be good, sweet face," he said before closing the door.

I nodded and drove off. I got home and took a long nap and didn't surface until evening and that was because I needed to go out. I went to the bathroom and took a cold shower to jolt me out of my drowsiness. I was getting ready to go out with my friends, I'd ignored their invites for so long that I was getting threats from them.

It wasn't easy being in their presence, they all had their lives figured out and I was sleeping with someone who called me his fuck buddy. The disconnect was uncanny. They mostly talked about their husbands and babies while sharing their experiences but I couldn't relate with either. I had no husband and I definitely had no baby that was keeping me up at night.

I decided to wear a vertical stripe, kimono inspired dress with pink, strappy, stiletto heels after I got done with my face. My hair was on its best behavior and when I parted it at the side, it moved willingly and stayed that way until I bent to oil my legs. I shifted it back in place when I finished, then chose a pair of silver hoops from my jewelry box to finalize my look.

I got my car keys and walked out of my house. We were to all meet at Sailors Lounge at Admiralty Road. There was less traffic on the road as I drove, since it was a Saturday and most people were indoors. I handed my car key to the valet as I got to the lounge. When I walked in, I understood why they picked the spot. The atmosphere of the lounge was cool and the music wasn't playing too loudly, the speakers gave off vocals from Jidenna. I gazed around and my eyes landed on my friends, they already had a table and from the look of things they had started without me. Their glasses were half empty and I could see plates of chips and fish scattered on the table.

Trent spotted me first and screamed, rushing over to hug me. She was the one in the group that was so full of life, nothing fazed her. She was always effervescent and it was almost annoying. You could tell from her physical appearance that she was highly spirited. She was wearing very high, platform heels and a white, strapless bandage dress with 26' inches long weave that she moved out of the way as she lifted me off the floor.

"Gosh, stop it," I pleaded as my feet left the ground.

"I haven't seen you in months," she explained like that was enough reason for me to be welcomed that way.

My feet touched the floor and I went over the table to hugged the rest.