King

Rustling of papers broke the silence of the boardroom, I scoffed as Tibi placed a hand over Wole's. The duo were sickening to watch, they were not as subtle as they thought with their affection and their stolen glances did not go past me. Besides, this was an office, not their bedroom, the display of love should be reserved for a private place without observers. They could stare at each other for as long as they wanted but not in our--my presence. I didn't need to witness that shit or see Tibi's visible baby bump.

If the other men in the room noticed, their mask of indifference gave nothing away and maybe I should have acted like them, masked my jealousy, no, annoyance better but the simple gesture was bringing back memories. Memories of my beautiful Uti, she still wouldn't talk to me. How could one woman be so stubborn, naughty and cute?

I missed her.

My chest tightened, I exhaled. A baby bump would look good on my Uti, she would rock pregnancy with grace. I was yet to send her my usual text, I didn't expect the meeting would go on for this long. She never replied but I liked to picture her reading it with her legs crossed at her ankles, blanket pulled to her chin and a small smile playing on her lips. I hoped to God those texts made her smile, that she mouthed an 'I love you too' while reading even though I couldn't see her and I looked forward to resuming my position as her lover and kitchen assistant.

Did we break up? She had better not end things because she was stuck with me for life. Or was this also part of space? The boys said to give her space, I wouldn't have listened if Cynthia didn't agree with them. But two weeks. Fuck. Two long miserable weeks, didn't she miss me too? I missed her and our babies. God, I loved that woman.

I dug my nails into my palms, Wole's words went into my right ear, came out of the left. This was odd, having him sit at the head of the table with Tibi by his side while I was seated among the others, pretending to listen to his boring speech. I exhaled slowly.

"Miss Tibiebi Edwards," he paused to smile at a grinning Tibi, "is giving us the land for the extension as a gift. A show of solidarity on our partnership for project Pavilion 2.0." I scoffed, the other board members offered her a round of applause and she beamed at them. "We will do great things together."

Yes, great things such as making babies to get a position. I let out a low hiss. At least his dress sense has improved greatly. Our eyes clashed, a ghost of a smile appeared on Wole's lips and he winked. If there was a word stronger than hate, it would best describe how I felt about the overambitious bastard.

Trying to rein my violent thoughts because one bald, beautiful woman told me violence wasn't the answer, I picked my phone that was lying face down on the table. Five missed calls stared me in the face, the time at the top left corner of the screen had me jumping out of my seat. My goddaughter's birthday party already started and I was still here, I didn't even have her gift yet.

"Mr Daniels?"

Seven pairs of eyes turned in my direction, I gulped and offered them a tight-lipped smile. "Excuse me," I murmured and stepped outside with the phone in my grip.

Excitement rushed through my veins when I tapped on the notification bar to see Uti's missed calls and I fist bumped into the air. Finally. My smile grew as the image I used to save her contact appeared on my screen, I pressed the phone to my ear, waiting for her soothing voice to come from the other end. The call ended without her picking, I shoved the rising disappointment aside and redialled the number, she could be busy.

Two trials later and no response from her, I let out a deep breath. She could be busy, maybe she was at the party, helping out, she liked to help. I sighed, would she go? I promised to take Emma but his stubborn mother wouldn't even speak to me. Women.

Dialling Umar's number to explain the delay, also find out if my woman already arrived the venue of the party, a low growl of frustration escaped my lips when he picked and answered in the negative. Okay. I was done with this bullshit, this space of a thing everyone insisted she needed, I would be the first one she sees tomorrow morning or the last person she sees this night if the party permits me. I groaned, this was the part of relationship no one prepared me for. Why couldn't it be kisses and good times?

I pulled down the notification bar, gave myself a mental slap for missing the texts she sent. Some of my frustration ebbed away as my eyes landed on her last message.

Where are you?

I'm here baby and I miss you. Please pick up.

With more conviction than before, I dialled her number again but it rang uninterrupted until it ended. I nodded, she could be busy, my baby would not miss or ignore my calls. Never. Or would she? I made it a point of duty to only send her text messages until she was ready to speak to me but now, that felt like a bad, stupid decision. Smoothing the front of my jacket, I ambled to the door of the boardroom and pushed it open.

The murmurs died down as I made myself comfortable, I arched a brow as if daring them to challenge me but a clearing of throat, a clap and normalcy was restored.

Mark, the new CFO flipped to a page from the small pile in front of him, my eyes darted between Wole and Tibi, hoping his dumbass would get the hint. This part of the business was no concern of hers, she wasn't involved in this project and there was no need for her presence. I cleared my throat, Wole pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and his head turned slowly to me.

"Miss Edwards shouldn't be here," I said.

"I'll be the judge of that," Wole responded.

The boardroom grew quiet again, I spared a look at the other familiar faces, no one was interested in challenging him. I shrugged and motioned for Mark to carry on. At this point, I could care less how he decided to run the company, so long I was getting paid as at when due, we were good. He could as well bring his baby mama to the next meeting with our investors since he needed her presence for moral support. Bastard.

Vibrations from my trouser interrupted my thoughts, I pulled the phone out of my pocket and a big smile graced my lips at the caller. I knew she wouldn't ignore me. My chair scraped the floor as I stood and I muttered insincere apologies to everyone.

"Mr Daniels," Wole started in a voice laced with annoyance. "What is it this time?"

Pointing to my phone. "I have to take this."

"No, you don't." My eyebrow raised in defiance, he glared, attempting to stare me into submission. "Sit. Down." Without checking to see if I was seated, he turned to the CFO. "Apologies, Mark. Please continue."

Calls were not allowed at board meetings, it was the main reason I put my phone on silent mode and I was being a menace by disrupting the meeting to break a rule. But. But Uti, my love was calling. I haven't heard her voice in days, weeks, I couldn't miss this chance. What if she changed her mind? Women could be unpredictable sometimes.

"It's an emergency, I have to pick." The lie slipped from my lips but he wasn't fooled.

"Is anyone dying?" Wole queried. My eyes landed on his face, this dude was fucking serious. "Mr Daniels, is anyone dying?"

My face scrunched, of course not. "No."

"Good. Sit." He placed one hand on top of the other, Tibi put her arm around his shoulders and offered me a pitiful smile. I scoffed, Sir and Lady Darkness. "You can return the call when the meeting is over."

The phone stopped ringing but resumed almost immediately, my decision was made. I shook my head, I would have to defy Wole on this one. Damn the consequences and hope it wouldn't come back to haunt me.

"Mr Daniels," Wole called out as I neared the entrance, I spun to face him. "If you walk out that door, you will be suspended."

Another suspension? I scoffed, not this time, not if I resigned first. I took slow, deliberate steps towards him. "I quit." Trailing to my seat to pick my keys on the table, I said, "I will send my resignation letter on Monday."

Tibi's jaw slacked, I threw my car keys in the air, caught it and winked at her before sauntering out to the front of the elevator. I could clear my desk later. Now, onto more important matters like speaking to the love of my life and possibly getting scolded for letting my emotions rule my decision. But it was time. My resignation has been a long time coming, well, not a long time since I enjoyed working here but I didn't regret it.

The vibration in my pocket jolted me from my thoughts, I pulled the phone out and swiped right on the screen without taking a look at the caller. This better be good news.

"Ello, Mister baby daddy."

What in the name of fuckery? I pulled the phone from my ear to stare at the screen, the name and number showed it was Uti but the voice belonged to someone else. A man. I scoffed. A fucking adult male. Putting a lid on my fast growing anger, I pressed the phone to my ear. Maybe she misplaced her phone and this guy found it. That had to be the case, I didn't quit my job for this.

"Ello. Ello? Baby daddy?"

"Yes?" I voiced out and took a deep breath to calm my nerves. "This is Mister Daniels. King not..." I trailed off and heaved a sigh. Coming from Uti that title sounded cute but hearing it on another man's lips almost had me gagging. "Who is this? Where's Uti?"

Rapid broken English with the occasional switch to Yoruba flowed to my ear, I cringed, trying to calm him--myself down. I could barely make out his words but at the mention of hospital and Uti in the same breath, my thoughts came to a crashing stop. I pinched my forehead as he raged on, ignoring my cries for him to take it slowly.

Who gave this man a phone?

"Be coming," he said and I facepalmed.

The idiot was yet to give me an address, I didn't know what the problem was, all he kept going on and on about was Uti. He has not even mentioned the issue or the reason she was rushed to the hospital. Nothing.

"Coming to where?" I muttered and the phone went dead. God. The elevator pinged, I jumped and held a hand to my chest.

Once this fiasco was settled, I would put a tracker on her phone. In fact, everyone would be getting a tracker on their phones.

I stepped into the elevator, head bent over my phone with my finger repeatedly tapping on the call button. Placing the phone on loudspeaker, I paced the small cubicle, eyes on the screen but the idiot refused to pick. I ran my fingers through my hair. If anything should happen to her. I let out a ragged breath, tugged on my beards, she was safe. My body shook. She has to be.

My phone pinged with a text, relief flooded me and I found myself nodding like an agama lizard at the location on my screen.

***

Pushing the double doors of the hospital open, I fast walked to the reception area where nurses in white coats sat behind the counter, gossiping like everything was okay. Everything was not okay. I dialled Uti's number again, it was still switched off. My fingers drummed on the counter to call the nurses attention, I faked a smile when they all turned to me and my head bobbed.

Nurse one smiled, I nodded, that was a good first step. "Hi." I cleared my throat. "I'm looking for a Miss Uti, Utianle Agbah, she was brought in..." I trailed off to look at the time of her missed calls. "Around five?"

Her smile remained as her eyes scanned the desktop computer in front of her, I fiddled with my tie, soon enough, it found its way into my pocket. My suit jacket was in the car, I have no idea how I drove here in one piece with the number of traffic rules I broke but being here gave me a sense of closure. I could start getting answers.

"My name is King Daniels," I started without anyone asking and nurse two giggled, I didn't care. If my introduction would get me answers sooner than later, I was ready to introduce myself over and over again. "Some guy called me with her phone but her number is currently switched off."

Nurse one nodded, nurse two stepped out with a professional smile. "Baby daddy?" I offered her a toothless smile and nodded. Uti would explain why everyone was calling me that as soon as I was certain she was okay. "The guy who called you said baby daddy was the first number on her ICE."

"ICE?"

"In case of emergency," she explained.

A small smile flitted to my lips, my heart squeezed and I pushed down the guilt that tried to surface. Mother and Junior were the only ones listed as my emergency contacts. As long as one member of the Fantastic five knew I was in trouble, the other three would find out soon enough. I nodded, I would have to make changes to that list.

"It's a list of numbers to be contacted when the owner of the phone has an emergency."

My lips pulled into a straight line, I got her explanation, now, I needed answers. "Yeah. Where's she? Is she okay?" Worry crept up my spine, afraid to hear her reply, I pressed two fingers to my temple and massaged it. "Why... Why was she brought in here?"

"There was an accident," she answered without looking up and I gritted my teeth. Sweat broke out on my forehead, I tapped the counter until the nurse raised her head. "Yes. Yes. She's stable now but she's asleep."

My chest deflated in relief. "Can I see her?"

"No."

"No?" She nodded and I scoffed. "What do you mean no?" I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Pressing the tip of my index finger and thumb together, I said, "I need to see Uti." She shook her head. "You saw the name," I swallowed, "I'm the baby daddy."

"I'm sorry," she didn't look sorry, "but only immediate family members are allowed." Her hand disappeared under the counter, when it reappeared, she was holding Uti's phone which had multiple cracks. I glared at her but she wasn't fazed. "Her phone."

I snatched the phone from her, closed my eyes briefly and exhaled. "Please."

Patting my pockets for that box I made a habit of carrying along with me, I opened it and placed it on the counter. I shook my head, the guys would laugh their asses off if they saw me right now. "I need to see her."

"I love that woman and if I don't see her, I'll lose my mind." Retrieving one of the bands, I pointed to the name engraved inside the ring and continued, "See, this is for Esther, our first child." I brought out the other one. "This is for Uti, I'm her family." A corner of her lips twitched. "Please. Just a minute."

*****

I had to force myself to write this draft; chapter, spent all of yesterday putting the words together because I wanted to update today. Happy birthday to me, I hope you like my gift. Cheers. Stay safe.

PS: Use Google to figure out how to add contacts to your ICE list. You might need it. Also, the setting varies with phones.

PSS: This chapter is unedited, if you spot any error be kind enough to point it out.