Nine | Another letter?

Anyone can catch your eye but it takes someone special to catch your heart— Max Lucado

~•~

Nnamdi sat alone on a lunch table, Kelechi had ditched him at the last minute saying he had something to attend to.

Nnamdi wasn't much of a social butterfly. He found it awkward to sit with other people and not take part in the conversation and more awkward to sit with them and be asked stupid questions about work, family and stuff when they didn't really care about it.

Nnamdi wasn't an introvert, he just preferred to be left alone sometimes.

He felt really bad about the way he had reacted to Kemi at his place and really wanted to apologize but didn't know how.

He glanced briefly at her table, she was laughing at something either Ada or Nife said. She looked so carefree and beautiful— without any flaw.

"Lookey there, your prince charming is alone and bored," Ada said using her fork to point at Nnamdi's direction.

"Stop pointing!" Kemi slapped her hand, "and he is not my prince charming."

Ada rolled her eyes and drank some of her Chi Exotic fruit juice, "I know you're still in love with him," she stated.

"And when did you become a love doctor?" Kemi queried.

Ada shrugged casually.
"It's a gift."

"And why don't you have a boyfriend hmm?" Nifemi countered while putting a French fry in her mouth.

Ada eyed her before answering, "Oh please, you know after Charles cheated on me I'm taking a break from the relationship drama."

Charles was Ada's ex-boyfriend, they had been dating three months back before Ada found out that he was sleeping with the girl he claimed was his cousin from 'the abroad'.

Their relationship had been six months then, Ada was still heartbroken and too scared to date anyone.
Ashamed to admit it, she told anyone to that cared to ask that she was taking a break.

"Kemi why don't you go and sit with him," Nife suggested.

Kemi choked on the Jollof rice in her mouth and was thankful when Ada handed her a glass of fruit juice while rubbing her back.

"And do what?" she whispered. She really wanted to talk to him again but didn't think she could do it. What of if I make a fool of myself? she thought.

Ada looked at her childish friend and clicked her tongue as if she was in deep thought, "you could make out on the lunch table, that will work," Ada suggested with sarcasm. Nifemi choked as she laughed.

"Adaeze!" Kemi snapped, "it's not funny Nife and I can't believe you think this is funny!"

Nifemi apologized still laughing, for a moment she thought Ada was about to say something useful.

A pep talk and some minutes later, Kemi found herself —with her lunch tray in hand— walking towards Nnamdi's table. She mentally spanked herself for listening to her friends, she felt like a lovesick teenager going to talk to her crush for the first time.

"Hello," she greeted him nervously when she got to his table.

Nnamdi looked up at her and mumbled a reply. He noticed that she had changed her hairdo to a bob which framed her oval face and the formal purple jumpsuit hugged her lovely figure.
He looked down and continued eating his food, fried yams and egg sauce.

Kemi sat down on a yellow chair, "May I sit," she asked looking at him intently.

"You already did," he chuckled slightly.

She smiled and admired him. He had allowed his hair to grow slightly and trimmed it into a low afro, his side jars still linked to his beards just beneath his nude coloured lips. She also noticed he had a little scar by the side of his left brow close to his eye.

She glanced at her friends and gave them a confused look, Ada mouthed the words 'talk nah' and Nifemi have her a thumbs up.

Kemi looked back to see him giving her a questioning look. "So..." she let her voice trail off. This is the part where you say something handsome, she thought.
Nnamdi looked down at his food without a word.

Kemi racked her brain on what to talk about;

Weather; nah too cliché.

Work; no too boring.

Long term goals? The next thing you'll be talking about kids.

She cleared her throat, "well let's just start over," she suggested and Nnamdi looked at her his confusion visible on his face.
"Hello, I'm Kemi Bankole. I don't think we've met before," she said stretching out her hand for a handshake.

Nnamdi laughed understanding what she meant, "Nnamdi Okwundu, nice to meet you too," he replied taking her dainty hand with his rough one.

Kemi liked the feeling of his hand in hers, it felt so right.

The conversation flowed freely from then. They talked about many things ranging from work to family, she found out that he wanted to own his own business and he was working towards it. She observed that he was a man that always got what he wanted.

Kemi noticed the determined look on his face when he talked about his goals and at a point she stopped listening admiring the way his lips formed the words. She was mesmerized by the way he licked his lips on several occasions probably because of the dry weather.

Kemi remembered the note she had gotten the week before, she had not told anyone about it shoving it off as a prank.
"But who would write such a letter? Maybe Emmanuel that two timing toad," she thought angrily. Nobody would ever make her leave her Nnamdi she promised herself.

Your Nnamdi?
Girl you are joking!

"So what about you?" He asked cutting into her thoughts.

"Huh?" Kemi asked feeling stupid.

Nnamdi laughed, "where do you live?"

Kemi felt elated. "Oh! at G.R.A with my parents," she spooned some rice into her mouth still surprised that he asked. "What about you? You haven't talked about your parents at all only your grandma."

Kemi noticed his change of expression. "I don't want to," he said flatly.

She noticed the change of tone as well but curiousity got the better of her, "why?"

"Because I don't want too. Mind your business!" he snapped dropping his fork noisily in his plate.

Kemi stared at him aghast. She opened her mouth say something but nothing came out, words seemed to elude her.

"I ermm..." he rubbed his face and stood up. She had just reminded him the reason he didn't want to get close to her in the first place.
He picked up his phone and left the table with Kemi looking at him with her mouth agape.

"What just happened? What did I do wrong this time?" she asked herself.

Men such egotistical creatures!
She sighed, straightened her clothes and stood up just as her friends caught up with her.

💎💎💎💎

While leaving the office, Kemi made her way to the reception, her boss had ordered her to collect some files from the Nancy at the close of work and Nancy in turn had left it with the receptionist.
She had to work on them overnight and report back the next day.

She gave the pretty dark skinned receptionist a small smile as she collected the files from her. Rita returned her smile and bade her goodnight.

"Kemi can I get your number? I–I don't have it," she stuttered while patting her Ghana weaving 'all back' making Kemi halt and turn back to her. She smiled and drawled the numbers lazily, she wasn't herself after what happened at the cafeteria.

Rita muttered her thanks making Kemi wonder why Rita kept acquaintance with Nancy. She believed someone as nice as Rita should not be seen three feet close to someone as horrible as Nancy but they were the best of friends.

She sighed as she stepped out of the office complex and tried to dump the files into her big bag.
She frowned as a pink paper fell out of a file and with feeble hands she opened the folded paper. This time the words were printed in italics;

Life can be sweet or bitter
Life can be a living hell

Life can be a bed of roses
Even roses have thorns as well

I can make one's life miserable
I can make one cry

Leave Nnamdi the hell alone
Or I'll be sure to try

Hola Sweetums (or sweetumses)

How are you doing?😄
What do you think about the note, took me ten minutes to get that out I tell you!😰
I'm not very good at poems😪

Make that star shine my sweets 🌟 if you think this chapter deserves it.

Okay bye bye 👋

Buenas noches,
Sky_teddy✌