Chapter 2

As if he was told of her deep concern about his plight, Philip had turned from staring at the horizon and his gaze had suddenly locked with that of Ame's, making her flinch involuntarily.

Ame would never fully understand what had happened to her at that very moment when her eyes interlocked with Philip's. She had felt a warm tingle run through her and she had shivered involuntarily as her hands had risen automatically to wrap themselves around her body. 

Philip had walked over to her with slow, deliberate steps, a warm smile transforming his face into the sunshine coming out on a black, cloudy day, drawing the very breath out of Ame. He had removed his jacket as he walked up to her, offering it as a peace offering as he got closer to her, his captivating smile never wavering.

"Never leave a lovely damsel in distress," he had said lightly as he reached her side. He was dressed in a simple but quality cotton shirt with floral print that was neatly tucked into a pair of jean shorts simply labeled 'Levi.' He was quite tall, now that he was standing so near Ame, and she liked the smell of his cologne. "May I?" he had asked as he smiled down at her, his jacket hovering around her shoulders. A perfect gentleman.

Ame had nodded, stupefied and Philip had covered her bare shoulders with his jacket. He had then smiled as he thrust out his right hand at her, introducing himself. "Philip Omagbemi at your service, mi'lady!" he had said.

"You're supposed to bow," Ame had thankfully found her voice at last, giggling like a teenage school girl being asked for her first date.

"But of course, mi'lady!" Philip had immediately withdrawn his proffered hand and had bowed, much to her amusement and delight. Ame too had followed suit with a mild curtsy of hers, holding the hem of her short, flared skirt gingerly. "Ame at your service, mi'lord!" 

And both had burst into laughter. Philip had shared part of his meal with her, even though she had declined but he had insisted that 'a gentleman never leave a beautiful lady hungry'. They had carried on an intense discussion, broaching on every imaginable topic under the sun and Ame had found him quite an engaging and interesting fellow. That had been the turning point for Ame, who had fallen hopelessly in love with Philip before the day was over. 

However, Philip had not told her much about his background, just that he 'just came in from Port-Harcourt'. The only thing he had offered about his family was that he was 'an only child now'. Ame, who hadn't wanted to spoil the fun they were having, had resolved not to pursue personal questions that brought the cloud back to Philip's face. 

They had planned a date just for the two of them at the same beach again. "I love nature," Philip had said as an explanation. "It just soothes me as I'm in tune with my Maker," he had smiled and looked down into her eyes as he held her hands tenderly in his. A godly man.

Ame had merely smiled.

On their next date, Philip had opened up to her and had wept inconsolably and unashamedly as he told her the tragic story of how his parents and an only sister had died in a ghastly road accident on their way to his graduation, and how he had barely buried his family members when another bout of tragedy had hit him as his father's oil company got engulfed in flames owing to the carelessness of one of his father's workers who had lost his life in the process. The man's family had raised hell and taken Philip, the sole survivor of his family, to court in a bitter lawsuit which had had an ugly ending as Philip had been forced to liquidate all his father's assets and opt for an out-of-court settlement with the bereaved family of his father's late employee. The hurtful thing was that no member of his extended family, either from his mother or father's side ever rose up to help him in his time of greatest need. They had all claimed that they were 'financially incapable.' 

Philip had then sold his family house in Port-Harcourt and relocated, at Cyrus' prompting, to Lagos. He presently worked in a renowned laboratory though he had already put in place plans to 'leave the country for good', since he had 'nobody here again.' He had looked at her with something akin to a deep longing when he said that. 

Ame's heart had shattered into a million fragments on hearing his intention to 'leave the country for good'! What about her?! She had looked up at him from where she sat and Philip had closed his eyes as he had pulled her into his arms, and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Oh, Ame! You came along!" he had simply muttered as he rocked her to and fro. He had turned her to face him, his serious expression back on his face as he frowned in concentration. "You know my story now, Ame. Will you still have me in spite of all these?"

"Oh, Philip!" Ame had only whispered as she buried her face into his shirt, her shoulders heaving. 

He had wrapped his arms around her protectively and placed her head on his chest, making her to hear the wild pounding of his heart. "This is a first with me, Ame. You have touched me in unimaginable ways." He had lifted her face to look up into his and brought his mouth down onto hers, passionately probing, forceful and demanding. Ame had responded to his impulsive kiss with a passion that startled even herself. Her arms wrapped itself tightly around his neck as his enclosed her waist in a possessive embrace. It was a soul-wrenching kiss, of one hungry soul reaching out to the other, each greedy to have its fill of the other.

They had become inseparable ever since. But Ame had been discreet about their public appearances, choosing only to go out under the cover of darkness and then only to out-of -way locations. 

Ego had been appalled initially at Ame's relationship with Philip and all the more so when she discovered that Ame had not disclosed her surname to her new boyfriend.

"Ame, is there any wisdom in this at all?" Ego had asked as they both lay sprawled on Ego's bed in the latter's house.

Ame had sat up and looked at her friend dreamily. "Ego, dear. He loves me, not my family."

Ego had pouted as she folded her arms, staring at her friend. A frown etched on her beautiful face as she had said, "You're playing with fire, Ame! He would feel betrayed o!" she had warned as she wagged a finger accusingly at her best friend. Then, Ego had cocked her head to one side and asked flippantly, "Or do you just want to toy with him like Dapo?"