"Everything is gonna be great tonight," Jessica squealed as the car drove up to our gate.

"Hmm-mmh" Gillis answered absentmindedly, he was still thinking about what he was gonna wear.

Gillis wasn't exactly unfashionable, it's just that being fashionable cost money and that was a luxury he couldn't afford. He couldn't even remember the last time he actually went shopping for even his casual house wears. This was one of the many problems of that resulted from his upbringing; growing up, Gillis was always taught to manage his things till whenever his parent was ready to get him a new one and that was a very long time. So, till this very day he had managed the few corporate shirts he had and even 4 pairs of the trousers he wore with them interchangeably. He had only two pairs of shoes that is excluding the fancy suede shoe his younger sister bought for his wedding day and that was all of his wardrobe.

So what was he to wear to his wife's welcome party to be attended by various high and mighty people?

"Gillis!"

"Eh?" He snapped back to reality.

"Are you okay?" She asked sucking her fingers, she was eating the bole Clifford bought for her in the car. She used her left hand to hold the bag of bole as she opened the door to alight the vehicle, she said, "you just zoned off. Is anything the matter?"

Quickly trying to change the subject he flicked her forehead, "I've told you to stop eating food without washing your hand," he hissed as she frowns in annoyance, "Village girl."
"Leave me alone jhoor," she pouts alighting the car.

"You say?" He asked.

Knowing her husband was going to tickle her to death, she ran out and into the house. Gillis laughed as he walked in after her into the house. He saw at the kitchen, she had set up the bole bag on the worktop and was already devouring it. Shaking his head he leaned on the kitchen doorframe and said, "You can eat!"

Jessica cheeks were swollen with the huge yam she had just stuffed into it and giggling she showed off her oil-stained teeth and the mashed up yam in her mouth. She got herself a plastic cup, filled it with water from the faucet and after using it to wash down the yam she said, "Go and freshen up so, we can leave here on time."

He nodded and started walking off slowly, trying to come up with an idea of what he would wear that would make him look presentable tonight.

He sighed again as he walked up the staircase to their bedroom. He pushed opened the door and then, while pulling off his laptop bag he stepped into the room. He walked to the toilet while undoing his tie and put on the water heater, he loved a steamy bath, anytime and any day. As he walked out of the bathroom, he froze at the sight on his bed.

A designer suit lay on his bed, a Carlotta Club VIP Men shopping bag and a shoe box down at the feet of the bed. Before he could utter any words, Jessica popped her head in through the door saying, "I thought it would look nice on you for tonight."

"Jess-"

"Now wait Gillis before you say anything," she said entering the room, her oil stained hands out in front of her gesturing him to cool down, "Can you please just try it out, first?" He didn't say anything but, looked from her to the bed three times, "please?"

He swallowed his pride and stepped to the bed as his wife smiled saying "Thank you." He quickly undressed till he was in his briefs and then grabbing the suit from his bed, he slipped it out of its pack revealing the smooth black fabric and matching pants.

He turned to his wife who was literally glowing and then, he quickly put on the attire and boy did he love it! He loved the slickness of the shirt and the suit, he loved the way it fit his body and as he walked over to their room mirror, he fell in love with the attire again because it blended so much with his physique and his complexion giving him a strong, classy masculine look.

It was perfect.

He stared at Jessica who from the mirror was grinning from ear to ear. He chuckled as she tried to cover up her blush by placing her oil stained hands to her lips. Her grey eyes glistened with tears and he couldn't help himself but grin broadly.

He looked back at his reflection, he couldn't believe this was him looking so...wait oh!

He strained his eyes at the mirror once again staring at the HC design on top of his lapel.

What is HC? Haxen Couture. Only the most expensive fashion house in all of Africa and even Gillis who wasn't up to date with trends knew that a true signature HC outfit had their couture's name embroidered at the lapel.

Looking closely he saw the label hanging from the hand of his suit. Pulling his hand up to view, he confirmed that this indeed was a designers HC suit and it also confirmed something else.

His eyes nearly plummeted from his head as he turned around to his wife and wearing a completely mortified look, he shouts, "JESSICA! FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND NAIRA SUIT!"

His voice reduces to a weak whisper, "As in ego?"
*ego: money*

His wife nods very slowly.

"The blood!" he exclaimed as he quickly but gently pulled off the suit and dropped it on the bed.

"Gill-"

Rising up to loosen his tie, he said, "Jessica please, biko nu," he said also dropping the tie on the bed, "I cannot wear a suit of four hundred thousand Naira! Four hundred thousand Naira?" He says still in shock.

"AH!" He screams startling Jessica.

"For one suit only oh," he says, "do you know how many suits, as in 'suitssss' I can buy with this money at Mile 1 market? That is original suit oh! Three-piece suit sef oh! In fact, any style you want is there and highest you will buy is at 5000 Naira. In fact, if you price well or if it's your customer you fit even buy am for as low as 2000 or even 1000 Naira."

"You're very smart," he pulled off the shirt and working on his fly, "Do the math, at 2000 Naira that's about 200 suits, babe. 200 SUITS! You've used 200 suits money to buy one as in just one suit! That outrageous babe!" He sighed, "and I'm not wear..."

Jessica chest was heaving in rage as she snapped, "I've heard you!" She then moved and dragged the suit off the bed.

"Jess, I'm sorry, I did-"

"You know," she said hitting the suit on the bed.

Gillis heart skipped a beat as she did that and he thought, Jessica easy, that's 400,000 Naira! 400,000 Naira oh!

"Even though you don't like it because of the cost, the least you could've said is 'Thank you honey, I appreciate the gesture' yknow?" She tuned to face me squarely with a raised voice, "I mean, I left a heap load of work! I pushed everything aside just so I could make out time to get you this suit! Because I know you didn't have anything fancy to wear, I also know you won't allow me to update your wardrobe and I most definitely know that my family would literally eat you up alive for using your wardrobe to my welcome party!"

She threw the sit to the ground and throwing her hands up she yelled, "Do you even know how embarrassed I felt today walking up to a fashion couture and not even knowing your size or anything but, just yelling at the salesperson to get me something huggable? Do you know how stupid I sounded turning down every outfit because they weren't huggable? I have never shopped for a guys outfit in my life and not even for my dad! But there I was screaming huggable and somehow it works out and the suit is your perfect size."

"Now after all that, you just dump the suit like nothing talking about Mile 1 market! The nerve!" She puffed exasperatedly.

"You know what?" She eyed him, "Do whatever you want, okay? Wear whatever you want to wear, you hear? In fact, why am I so bothered?" She scoffed, "You did tell me that you never did like parties so, you can stay here and do whatever you like!"

Gillis watched Jessica stuff the suit and all the other items roughly into a shopping bag and he couldn't help but smile. She was right, he didn't act maturely and he wasn't being considerate. Jessica wasn't like other woman who just wanted to take from you, but she was always willing to give to him and although he turned her down several times, he was definitely grateful to be blessed with such a woman for a wife.

He walked over to the bed were she was bent down cussing angrily because the suit refused to enter into the bag, she stuffed it in several times but, it still wouldn't enter. He contemplated telling her that the bag was too small for such an item but she was after all angry and most people didn't know how to reason again when they got angry.

As she groaned in frustration, she collided with the body of her husband and she warned him, "Don't you dare touch me, Gillis," she turned and rolled her eyes at him, "Don't just try it."

Smiling broadly, he slowly wrapped his hand around his wife's waist and despite her struggles, he refused to let go but, instead chuckling he whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry."
"You can shove your apology down the drain for all I care, Gillis," she said.
"I'm sorry," he repeated with in a softer voice.

"I don't care," she snapped, "let go!"

"I'm sorry, Jess," he whispered into her ear and planted a kiss to her temple (a.k.a. He pressed her major mumu button). Jessica melted away like butter on a hot pan and instead of snapping like she did previously, she just merely hissed and dropped her hands to her sides.

"Am I forgiven now?" He asked still smiling softly. She didn't reply so, he did it again, he planted another soft kiss to her temple but, this time it was a bit longer than the first.

"You forgive me?" He asked now.

"Leave me alone," she grumbled.

He moved from her back and sat on the bed before her. He held her hands in his and smiled at her but, she turned away her face frowning. He smiled, "So you don't even want to look at me again?" She didn't budge, "Your darling husband?" He wiggled his brows but she still didn't budge, "The only cockroach in your cupboard?"

"Thank God you know you're a cockroach," she murmured.

"Shade!" He gasped dramatically, "Jessica has finished me oh!" He fell back on his bed expecting her to laugh or say something but she blatantly ignored him.

Pulling himself up, he sighed and took hold of her hands again caressing them in his he said, "Baby, I'm sorry, okay? I really am. I was wrong to act that way, I was just overwhelmed..."

"You don't defend yourself in apology," she retorted turning to face him, "it clearly shows that you don't mean it."

"I'm not trying to defend myself, I'm just trying to say this is all new to me, Jess," he replied softly looking into her eyes, "I've never had anything that cost that much given to me in my entire life, babe. In fact, you know the state of my workplace and you know that if you sum up all my earnings for the last year, it wouldn't reach that amount."

She dipped her head down and he used one hand to tilt it up so, she looked into his eyes and he said, "Thank you Jessica. I really appreciate it and I love the outfit," he smiled and he caught a ghost smile across her face.

"And as much as I want to enjoy such gifts from you," he started, "I also don't want to be seen as some kind of leech by outsiders. Y'know, like I married you to become rich and..."

"Well, that's their problem not mine!" She grunted, "You didn't marry me for my money."

"I didn't," he said firmly, "I married you because, I absolutely love and adore you Jessica," he caressed her cheek, "and I want to spend the rest of my life here on earth with you my love, even till our next life," he said and she blushed.

"So, I'm gonna wear this suit for you to tonight, okay my love?" He said and smiling broadly she nodded severally. He chuckled at her behavior before saying, "But, I would love if you consult me before you make such decisions again, okay?" She nodded and he smiled.

"So does that mean I can update your wardrobe now?" She asked smiling brightly.

"No," he said and her smile faded.

"Jessica, men are in sizes and life is in phases. At this phase of my life, wearing a suit that I cannot afford with the money I earn is not a reasonable thing to do. I get that you are doing this willingly and I am grateful but I'm pleading with you to give me time to grow, so, I don't unconsciously learn to be satisfied with my current status quo. Do you understand me, Jessica?"

She sighed and said, "I don't want to," Gillis chuckled and then she said, "but, I understand."

"Thank you," he smiled.

"You're welcom...woah!" She screamed as he pulled her down to bed and in a fluid movement and pinned her down to the bed. She looked up into his eyes and couldn't help but bite down on her lips, smiling sheepishly she said, "Gillis what are you doing?"

Smiling smugly he said, "Now it's my turn to spoil you."

"Oh?" She blushed as Gillis leaned down to her neck and--

"Gillis!"

"Ah!"

"Oh!"

"Hmmphn!"

"Oh my Go...hmmm!"

"Ahhhh!"

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🙄🙄🙄Uhh...*clears throat* Uhhh... *coughs* I dunno know what's going on up there. I mean those two are being nasty and stuff... I mean 😳😳😳😳😳

TORRI CORNER <let's talk>

How many of you can price something at market and price weeeellll? 🙋🏾🙋🏾🙋🏾like your bargaining game is lit?

Well, I think I price things well but, somehow I always get chased away form market women stalls and they're always yelling, "You dey price my thing for 5 Naira, cos me I thief am come? Rubbish!"

🤔I don't still get what makes them so mad *shrugs* but oh well the show must go on, right? 😌

Anyways, Don't forget to VOTE⭐️ COMMENT 🗣 and SHARE👫