Chapter SEVEN

*Sola*

   I stared deeply at him. My eyes never wavering. My attention was fully on him. His hair looked fuller and he had those pretty scrubs on his perfect chin. We were both seated on the sand, the beach water playing with our feet and finger tips. We kept staring at each other like nothing else mattered, like no one else existed. Just the two of us. 

"God! you're so beautiful" his voice echoed to me in a tight-lipped exclamation as he gazed at me in wonder, studying every little details of my face. 

  He stroked my chin with the back of his fingers, his lips slightly ajar. I felt my eyelids unconsciously close at the feeling of his touch on my face. I wanted it to be this way. I wanted it to never stop. 

"Alex," I sighed. I leaned into him, placing my palms tentatively on his chest, not sure of what was to come next. And then I felt my self being pulled seductively onto his lap, his arms moving firmly around my waste. My breathing sped up. I was so nervous and excited about this foreign feeling, this desire for him, which was spiraling uncontrollably through my body. 

I felt his lips touch my neck, and I arced into him, marveling at the sensation. I gasped lightly, and my hands instinctively went around his neck. I knew he was going to kiss me, I was dying for a taste of his lips. Those soft pink lips. 

"You're mine, Sola. Mine" He said and began to move closer, bringing down his dark head towards me and I did the same. His lips touched my lips. 

I woke up. 

I sat up and hugged my pillow to myself. I'd been dreaming. I was dreaming of Alex, who I had met only once since about a month ago, when he didn't even remember if a girl called Sola existed. 

I frustratingly hit my palm hard on my forehead. 

"What is wrong with you Sola?" I asked my self in the dark bode of my room. Alone. 

For weeks now I'd been having dreams of Alex. Disturbing, erotica dreams, Of me and Alex together. I didn't know why, but I just couldn't control my insane attraction to him. 

I had tried my best to forget him, since it seemed like he had forgotten me since that night he came to my rescue at the hotel. Not a word from him since then. Not a text. Nothing. 

I so wish I could unsend the series of text messages I had sent to him, none that got a reply from him. 

I picked my phone from my bedside table and rechecked the stupid messages I had sent. 

Date: 18/09/2018. 10:44pm

Hi, Alex. This is Sola. I just wanted to tell you thank you for today. I hope you are back home safe. And I hope your boss did not get angry at you for helping out a stranger. Take care. 

I had kept it simple and friendly. Expecting a reply. I had waited till 2:00am before I finally accepted that he must have probably been too busy or tired or just not interested to reply. But I had hope it was not the third reason. 

I had waited two days again before texting him. Out of worry. 

Date: 20/09/2018. 1:30pm

Alex. Hi. It's Sola here. The girl you helped out in the restroom in Eko hotel and suites at VI. I've been worried sick that you might have gotten into trouble with your boss after she caught you helping a stranger. I'm very sorry I caused you that much trouble. Can we meet sometime? :-)

I'd been completely offended when I realized that he must have read and ignored. What sort of man did that? A shameless one for real. I'd been so annoyed I had vented out on Clara, ending up telling her about the whole ordeal with the Alex driver. 

"Why don't you search him online?" she had suggested. I had jumped up and hugged her for the brilliant idea I hadn't even thought of. We'd both stayed up half of the night that day, searching for Alex Okoro. But we ended up not finding a single clue that confirmed he existed. 

"Sola, are you sure you didn't just imagine this guy. I mean.. Every girl loves a guy that comes to her rescue. Maybe-" 

"How can I imagine someone like that Clara!" I'd bursted out in anger, Retiring to my room and crying hard into my pillow. The next day I decided to accept that he was just a figment of my imagination. Not real. But I still found my self thinking of him, thinking of his handsome face and his sweet voice. I calculated that God just wanted to keep me away from him. From men like him. And I was glad. Except I truly wasn't. 

I kept wondering if the reason he avoided me was because I had put him into trouble with his oga. (boss). 

I remember that night when we'd exchanged numbers before we saw his boss walking angrily towards us. 

"Is that your boss? She's beautiful" I had said, noticing he had started to look troubled. "Is there a problem?" I had asked. 

"Yes" he'd murmured quickly. "You have to go now Sola, my boss, she's a very difficult woman. I could loose my job if you don't go now" 

My eyes had widened with alarm and I had quickly bade him my brief goodbye. Not exactly how I wanted to. 

I had turned the other way to avoid the angry looking lady, But not before I'd heard her tiny, high pitched voice. 

"Alex, who's the lady you were talking to?" 

I had sped up my walk. Getting far as quickly as I could, before turning back. When I turned, they'd disappeared. With the car. His boss had surely gotten pissed at him and left the party too early. 

The last message I sent to him, I had apologized and told him I liked him and would want us to go out sometime. I had been very brave. Only to get ignored. The third time. 

I closed my eyes and lied down back on my bed. 

I really need to stop thinking of him. Was all I thought about, before drifting off to sleep again. 

                              .................................. 

*Alex*

I opened my phone and read her text messages for the umpteenth time. I really couldn't help it. She just kept going through my mind. I remember her beautiful smile, her light soft skin, her lips. Those lips that I had regretted not kissing. 

I couldn't continue to deny that I wanted this girl. In my bed. In my arms. I wanted to explore every corners of her delectable body, I wanted her warm hazel eyes to burn with fire for me. 

I had arrived yesterday from the US on some meeting with my father's old time friends and business associates. 

I hadn't expected to take so long, 3 weeks to be exact. But due to some glitches in our business centers abroad, I'd had to stay and work out the issue. All the while thinking about Sola.

Sola Ojo. 

A 23 year old lady, who graduated from the college of tech finishing her OND with a good looking GPA. Working as an assistant supervisor in a local restaurant located in festac, Lagos. 

Those were the information my chief of security had gotten when I'd asked him to search everything he could about her. 

"Guy, you look lost" my friend, Ekene said, sipping his drink. 

We were at an exclusive bar, in Lekki. A well known area in Lagos. 

"I'm not lost." I said, glaring at him because deep down I knew I was lost. In my thoughts. 

Ekene chuckled, taking another sip. 

"When last did you get laid?" 

I glanced at the stage, where a very tiny lady was dancing erotically on a pole. She was wearing practically nothing and her boobs seemed to be flying each and every way. The sight didn't move me a bit, I was shocked because it used to. 

"Last week, I think" I said with a sigh. I'd had sex with a distant girlfriend, but all I'd been seeing was a certain fair, innocent looking girl with her witchy brown/hazel eyes. 

"You need to get laid tonight then. An eligible bachelor like you shouldn't go a day without sex." my friend said, smiling at me. 

I snorted in displease. "Please," 

"I don't have time for fun Ekene, there are so many responsibilities on my neck, I can't even spare a time for fun" I said. The words heavy on my heart. 

"There's something called, mixing business with pleasure" Ekene replied. 

"Or," he continued, raising his eyebrows "why do I get the feeling that you're pinning over a lady?" 

He must have noticed my reaction because he burst into laughter and hit the table with his palm. 

"That's it! Homeboy is finally in love!" 

"Nah, not in love.." I replied. Smiling back at him. The guy was a stupid teaser. 

"But there's a girl. Tell me about her. Where did you meet her? Who's she?" He asked curiously. 

I explained to him how I'd found Sola in the rest room and taken her to my car, exchanging numbers and then I told him about her text which I had ignored. 

"Dude! Why would you ignore her texts??" 

"I didn't want to keep her hopes up, Ekene. Believe me, I was tempted to. But... She didn't look like the kind of girl to play with. I don't want to start what I cannot finish. Even though I want to." i explained. 

"You're too nice for my liking. If I were you, I would have gotten down with her and had her out of my system by now. Guy you dey dull o" my friend said. I laughed lightly at his accusatory tone. 

"I'm never dull, Ekene." 

............................... 

*sola*

"Sola, you'll have to go with Adesua, we need to be sure they're not rigging the price for us here." 

Mr Ben said, dropping a large amount of money on Clara's table. 

"But, Mr Ben." Clara said "It's a Monday. Food stuffs may not be readily available in the markets, I think we should just wait for the weekend" 

"We're out of stocks. And the chairman will be coming in next tomorrow. There will be a big problem if he finds that out. We need to find anything we can. The kitchen must be fully stocked." 

"Okay sir." I replied. 

"Sola, I'm sorry you have to go through this problem because of my incompetency" Clara said to me, apologetically. 

"It's fine Clara. I'll just-" 

I was interrupted by the knock on the door. 

"Come in" said Clara. 

Joseph, the bar man walked in. 

"What do you want!" Clara snapped at him. 

"Sorry to disturb you" said the bar man. "Miss Sola, a man is here, asking to see you." 

I wasn't expecting anybody. "who is that?"

"He said his name is Alex, ma" 

My eyes widened immediately I heard the name mentioned. Could it be.. ? It couldn't. 

"Sola! It's Alex!" Clara shouted, jumping up from her seat behind her desk. 

"Who's Alex?" Mr Ben asked, confused. 

"I'll be right back" I said, my face flaming with the heat that was suddenly gathering around me. 

I got to the dining area, and there he was. Sitting on a chair that made him look too big. I felt dizzy. Every other person in the room didn't seem to matter. As if on cue, he glanced my way and stood up from the chair, and he began to walk towards me In powerful strides, like he owned the place. 

As he got closer, My heart thumped and bumped as my bones began to loosen in the shell of my skin. 

"Hello, Sola" that velvet thick voice, so smooth and perfect waved through me. And I felt my head bead with sweat as I fully realized he was standing right in front of me. With his hand out. I silently breathed in his smell, that perfect cologne mixed with a tantalizing smell that was totally Alex's. 

I was about to reply when someone ran into me from the back. It was Clara. 

"Sola! Introduce me to your mystery man!" she said so excitedly that I gave her way to get a better look at him. 

"You. You-" Clara stopped short. Staring at Alex with shock. 

"Alexander Williams. It's you. In flesh and blood." Clara whispered with disbelief, And I felt my heart froze, I felt my palms go hot. 

"What?" I whispered, looking at Clara. She turned to look at me, with anger and accusation in her eyes. I was confused. What was happening here? 

"You told me he was Alex okoro, this is Alex Williams, the rich guy. You lied to me Sola!" Clara accused, her voice higher than the normal. 

I stared back at Alex. Fear gripping me. Was that why his face looked so familiar? And was that why I was unable to find out anything about Alex okoro? Was that why I never got a reply? 

"Who are you? " I asked him in a soft whisper, I doubt if he even caught what I Said. But then he heard. And he confirmed the obvious. 

"I'm Alex." he replied with a wide smile. "Alex Williams." 

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