Utianle

Loud chatters filled the restaurant, glasses lined the long table with different dishes set in front of us. Amidst all the noise, you could hear it: the sound of the wave as it crashed gently against the shore.

Someone said something, whatever it was, it must have been really funny because the whole table erupted in laughter, except me. Their conversations continued and try as much as they did to carry me along, I had little or nothing to say.

The after-party was more of a dinner than a party, a gathering of snobby elites who spoke only to very few people. You had to know someone who knew someone important or was a member of the high class themselves. Otherwise, no one paid you attention.

My gaze strayed to Umar, the father of this clique, patiently waiting for him to look my way so I could excuse myself. But he never once broke his stare with the young man he was engaged with.

Junior was sitting opposite me and from time to time, he would make funny faces at me, much to the annoyance of King who grumbled each time he did that. I could tell Junior was the baby of the group with the way he reported anyone who teased him to Umar, even if he was the one in the wrong.

Tomiwa was in a league of his own, his dark, brooding expression made you give serious thoughts to your words before saying them out loud. His face was hardened like he had a bone to pick with the world. The few times his face softened was when he was speaking to his fiancee.

Uche, on the other end, was drinking all of the wine, that of his and his wife. It was fun watching him snatch the glass of wine from her each time she attempted to drink it. Other times, he would push the bottle aside only for her to request for another one from the ever available waiters.

Cynthia was having fun at his expense, the smile she offered him each time he huffed was similar to the one she offered me when King introduced us. Though she had nothing but good things to say about my outfit, her red, floor-length backless gown put mine to shame. She was truly a fashion goddess, a kind one at that.

Her full lips set into a disapproving pout when Uche snatched the glass from her again and tears pooled at her eyes. She dabbed at the tears that never fell, turning away from Uche who was now trying to appease her.

In exasperation, he held out the glass to her, letting her take a long, satisfying sip. When she was done, she blinked back her tears, blowing kisses to her displeased husband. The OAP-Celebrity designer duo was everything like the media had always portrayed them: beautiful and in love.

A squeeze of my right knee brought my attention back to the man sitting by my right-hand side.

King.

He was talking but all I could focus on was his face, his lips as they moved, uttering words that never reached my ears; he was the most handsome man on this table. The black, fitted senator he was wearing was undoubtedly the one I sewed and he did not fail to announce it to his friends or anyone else who cared to know.

Everyone's outfit looked new except his but he didn't seem to mind, neither did his friends. The love they shared for each other could be seen in their eyes, the silent jokes they all seemed to be in on and it only served to reinforce my thoughts about being the odd one.

Umar slowly turned to face me, concern evident in his eyes at my untouched glass of wine. The others noticed his gaze and five pair of eyes turned in my direction. I felt like a fraud, undeserving of the spotlight King or any of his friends were giving me.

"Uti!" The voice was familiar but I couldn't place it, not with the numerous thoughts swirling in my head.

The restaurant suddenly felt too hot and all I wanted at that moment was to be anywhere but here.

"Excuse me." My chair scraped noisily as I pushed it back and my glass of wine tumbled, its content spilling all over the chair I just vacated. The pin drop silence that immediately took over the restaurant was very suffocating and my embarrassment tripled.

Furiously wiping the stain, I ignored the voice telling me to leave it be, not stopping until King grabbed both of my hands in his. When the waiter came to swap the seat, I mumbled an apology in a voice that barely resembled mine, scurrying out of the restaurant.

Outside, I inhaled feverishly, like a swimmer that had been underwater for too long. I was unusually jumpy and I didn't know why. I sensed a presence behind me, its owner's fragrance invading my space but I didn't mind; I was glad he was here.

"Are you okay?" King's voice was gentle, as soothing as his woody fragrance with a hint of papaya like he was fresh out of the shower. I nodded, shivering slightly with my arms coming to wrap around myself.

"You are very tense." His fingers hovered above my right shoulder, causing me to slightly lean towards him.

Billows of smoke floated into the sky and my eyes traced the source to a young mallam roasting fish on a very old grill. A bar, well-stocked with alcoholic drinks was behind him and the occupants of the bar all looked below the age of twenty-five.

"I'm fine, a bit overwhelmed," I stretched out my hands, inhaling deeply. The air outside was purer, free from the mix of the different smells inside that threatened to block my nostrils.

"Do you," I bit the inside of my cheeks, unsure how to ask my next question. "Do you think I'm a gold digger?"

Right from the point we had met up until this moment, all I had done was take, never giving; exactly like the opportunist, his mother claimed I was. I didn't even know the name of the movie Umar starred in.

Coming around to face me, he gripped me by the shoulders, his brows furrowed. "Did any-" I shook my head vigorously. His shoulders relaxed and his head bobbed up and down, "I think you know what you want and you are not afraid to go for it.

Besides, if you were a gold digger, you wouldn't have paid for breakfast that day and we might have ended up washing plates." He chuckled lowly and that was all it took to make me feel better.

"Do you want to go home?" He asked with a hint of scepticism, shoving his hands into his pocket. I eyed those strong limbs of his, wishing he could have wrapped it around me instead.

"No," I replied, bringing my attention back to his face. The yellow glow from the bulbs that were lining the entrance of the restaurant reflected in his eyes, turning them a piercing golden colour. Standing in front of me, he looked exactly like a melanin god and all I wanted right now was to be in his presence.

"I don't want to go in just yet."

We stayed in silence and I could imagine the wheels turning in his head, probably trying to figure out the next line of action. Throughout the evening he had been careful with his words, as if afraid to say the wrong thing and I was starting to miss his arrogant remarks.

A few seconds passed and without another word to me, he started moving forward. His pace was steady so I caught up with him quickly.

"Where are you going?" I asked, unwilling to walk long distances in these block heels.

"Well, we can't just stand there," he replied like he expected me to have figured that part out.

A backward glance at the well-lit restaurant showed that we had caught the attention of some guests. They didn't try to hide their curiosity with their heads turned in our direction, probably hoping for drama they would never get.

"Well," I started in the same tone of voice, "do you know where you are going?"

He halted under one of the many trees that formed a canopy on the sidewalk, his silence telling me all I needed to know.

"You are unbelievable," I murmured, shaking my head. To think that he had no destination in mind yet he was surging forward like he owned this resort.

"I know; I amaze myself sometimes."

My face split into a massive grin, apparently, he couldn't stay humble for too long.

Silence reigned over us again, the only sound being that of the leaves as they wrestled with the wind. We remained that way until he said, "let's go," tucking my hand into the crook of his elbow.

My senses heightened with our bodies in such close contact, the soft breeze that blew around us urging me to lean into him. The ends of my gown rustled with the wind and loud laughter escaped my lips when he called it the side effects of a ghost fart. I was going to start calling it that from now on.

My hands slipped from his elbow and he easily caught it, interlacing our fingers together. Through the eyes of passersby, we might have looked like lovers on a vacation, enjoying the tranquillity of this Island.

The comparison warmed me all over until an image of a familiar baldheaded man skipped through my mind, replacing warmth with guilt. And as we trudged on the lone path with our intertwined hands swinging, I spent a greater part of the time debating internally with myself, unable to admire the true beauty of this place. This felt wrong but I couldn't bring myself to pull away from him.

We came to stop at the riverbank where cylinders of light moved across the river, illuminating the only boat that lolled in the incoming tide. Water crawled gently to the shore, lapping alluringly on the fortified edges of the harbour. The calmness of the river slowly eased my guilt, giving me a second chance to bask in nature's magnificence.

The boat continued to cruise on the water with its rider now spinning it in circles. Torrents of water landed all over us and I squealed, glaring in amusement at my outfit that was drenched from the knee below. King was barely spared but he must have found it as amusing as I did because he cackled.

When the boat drifted to a halt in front of us, I couldn't help smiling at its only occupant. His shirt was drenched and he pulled it to one side, squeezing out as much water as he could. "Una dey go?"

"Yes. Yes." I spoke without consulting King, giddy with excitement for my first adult boat ride.

"Say yes na," I nudged him with my shoulder when the skipper's gaze landed on him and he muttered an indecisive yes.

Kicking my shoes off, I curled and uncurled my toes in ecstasy, thankful they were free from their constraints; women needed more fashionable yet comfortable shoes.

I was so enthralled by the sound my feet made as I continuously stamped on the wet, wooden structure of the jetty until I felt a tug on my wrist, followed by a burst of electricity where King just touched me. I jerked away from him, offering a grimace when he eyed me questionably.

A life jacket dangled in his arms, his eyes set on me as he waited for me to take it from him. Our fingers brushed when I attempted to pull the jacket from his grasp and I felt that familiar tingle travel up my arms again. The only explanation for the sparks was the cold, it was making me extra sensitive to his touch.

After putting the jacket on, I made to signal the skipper who was humming to himself while inspecting the sides of his boat when my eyes caught King, still without his life jacket on. He was staring at me intently like a jeweller that had found some prized possession and it made me self conscious.

"What?" I ask-shouted, already getting defensive. The life jacket was a size too big but it didn't warrant that intense look in his eyes.

"I want to kiss you." His words were a whisper, if I wasn't so close I would have missed it.

His face sought mine, seeking permission with his eyes but the words refused to form. The distance between us grew shorter, his breath fanned my face and his beards grazed my cheek. His thumb reached out for my lower lip, pulling it down slightly and my breath hitched in my throat; blood pumped loudly in my ears, drowning all logical thoughts.

I wanted to kiss him too.

Our heads moved closer until our noses were almost touching. Then, our lips met.

It barely lasted a second before a loud irritating voice interrupted us, pulling us apart from the trance we had been in. "Shuu, una still dey wear jacket?"

Two emotions stood out - annoyance and gratitude, with the former dominating the latter. I managed to keep my emotions in check when I responded in a hoarse, unsteady voice, "no. Yes."

Squeezing my eyes shut, "yes, we are ready." I jumped into the boat without help, making sure to maintain as much distance between King and me when he hopped in after me.

A loud, roaring sound cut through the thick stillness of the night when the boat came to life and the skipper turned on the only lamp in his boat, adding to the intensity of the lights lined at the riverbank.

Soon enough the boat was roving steadily on the water, the only happy person present being the skipper who continued humming under his breath. King remained mute, staring far off into the night and I suddenly felt lonely.

"King?" His head turned to meet mine and a smile broke out on his lips but it didn't reach his eyes. We were on the same boat but it felt like we were in different worlds.

"Uti."

He didn't move and though a part of me wanted him closer to me, I was glad he maintained that position. With no one to interrupt up this time, there was no telling what could actually happen.

"What's your favourite colour?" I asked the first question that came to mind, desperate to diffuse the awkwardness between us.

His response was unenthusiastic. "White."

When he didn't ask for mine, I shrugged and said, "blue is my favourite colour."

He chuckled in mirth, heaving a deep sigh like he would rather be left alone to his thoughts. The next question came from him. "What's your greatest fear?"

"You first," I murmured, not at all liking the turn the questions took. At the same time, I was glad he was taking an interest in the conversation.

His gaze briefly rested on my lips then he looked away. A second passed, then another, when I was beginning to think he wouldn't answer, he did. "Failure. Commitment."

Oh.

"Why?"

"One question at a time. Your turn."

Rubbing my palms against my thighs, I shook my head. "I - I am afraid that," the words were hanging on the tip of my tongue but it was extremely hard to voice them out. I didn't want to hear my fears spoken out loud, they were safer where I had locked them.

"Go on, I won't judge." I opened my eyes to see him watching me and my tongue quickly darted out to lick my upper lip.

"I am afraid that they will never truly see me -"

"Make I go again?" The skipper's voice interrupted us again for the second time this night and I nearly cried out with joy.

King laughed out loud, probably sensing my relief but I didn't care. He got up to his feet, stretching his hands out to me which I willingly took. With his aid, I got out of the boat, surprised and unhappy that we had returned back to the dock so quickly. While he discussed with the skipper, my fingers went to my lips and I wondered if there would ever be a real kiss.

* * * * *

What's your greatest fear?

Yo! They almost kissed 😍😍 but they didn't 😑, all thanks to the silly skipper 😏.

The events of this whole chapter took place at The Calabar Marina resort, I have never been there but I hear it's a wonderful centre for tourism.

Fun fact: This is my longest chapter so far.