ONE

“Good morning, love. Hope you slept well?”
Kelvin was half awake when his wife’s voice drifted into his subconscious. He grunted in response, turning his back to her. He could feel her gaze on the rippling muscles of his back.
“Merry Christmas to you. What would you like to have for breakfast?”
“I will let you know when I am fully awake,” His response was a mumble.
Rolling out of bed with a huff, she said, “I will be expecting you downstairs.”
He turned to watch her with open disgust as she wrapped the large robe around her protruding stomach, effectively hiding the folding slabs of flesh around her body. She walked slowly out of the room on heavy, fleshy legs that ended on small-sized feet.
He flopped onto his back immediately the door closed behind her and stared at the ceiling, morosely. How did he end up with such an obese, ugly thing?
But he knew.
The first time they met about a year ago, it was her pretty face that had hooked him. She had an innocent air about her. A beautiful face topped with slanted, angelic eyes in the oddest colour of brown flecked with silver, a tiny nose, and a small, pouty mouth topped with rosy pink lips. Her skin was soft, smooth, and flawless.
Under the influence of alcohol, every woman looked like a mermaid that fateful evening. He would pay for that indulgence for the rest of his life.
They had met at his friend, Jeremiah’s wedding reception. It was an evening event and he was among the groomsmen. The previous night had been spent partying at the bachelor’s eve and they were only able to catch a few hours’s sleep before they began to prepare for church.
He had been fueling his body with energy drinks and alcohol all day as there was no time to sit down and eat proper food. He was introduced to Evelyn and her friends shortly after the reception ceremony began. Her perfectly made-up face captured his attention; she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He kept returning to her table to make sure they were served with foods and drinks, then he requested for a dance when the opportunity presented itself.
He couldn’t remember how or when they left the party. When he woke up the next morning, someone was knocking consistently on the door and he was in Evelyn’s bed, buck-naked.
“Baby, my dad is at the door. It was the sound of the knocks that woke us up.” Evelyn’s voice was apologetic as she pulled the duvet over her body self-consciously but not before he caught a view of her protruding stomach.
“Did you just say your dad? Whose apartment is this by the way?” He looked around the room with interest. It was a feminine room with its flowery pink and polka dot colour scheme but it was expensively and tastefully furnished.
“It is mine. I will take you around when you are fully awake,” She sounded shy.
“Evelyn, will you come out here right now?” A male voice bellowed from the sitting room. Evelyn jumped, startled. His eyes narrowed at her.
“I am coming, Dad. I just woke up,” She grumbled but he heard the indulgence in her voice. What kind of trouble had he gotten himself into?
“How old are you?”
“I am 36 years old. I am an only child and he treats me as if I’m still his little girl of five year old,”
She was a year older than he was, and she was a Daddy’s girl. He groaned as he put his head in his palms. He was in trouble.
With a look of amusement on her face, she slid out of bed, “Don’t be scared, baby. He is not going to kill you,” She had wrapped the duvet round her body.
He couldn’t help glancing at her backside, and taking note of the extra fat. He hated chubby girls.
“I am going to kill him for touching my girl. Both of you should come out right now before I barge in on you.” Her father’s voice had grown threatening.
Kelvin’s insides tightened into a knot as he briefly glanced at her window. He instantly dismissed it as a means of escape. The blinking security light and the burglar-proof bars around the window looked stronger than those at a maximum prison. He knew because he had been there once to visit a street brother, Emeka Egolum, who was picked up from a street fight and dropped there without any court hearing.
He squared his shoulders and got out of bed in his glorious nudity. He noted the way her gaze travelled the length of his rock-hard body.
“You like what you see?” His voice was low and husky, the words meant for her ears alone. His dick seemed to nod in acknowledgment at her blatant admiration.
She blushed, turning away. “Let’s dress up and meet my father in the sitting room before he loses it,” Opening the wardrobe, she hid behind the wardrobe door where she quickly changed into jeans and t-shirt.
He was fully dressed in his discarded trousers and white shirt when she joined him. He slung the jacket over his shoulder casually. “Are you ready to face your father, princess?” His grin was boyish.
“Yes, I am. He can’t kill the two of us.” She giggled, clinging to his arm possessively.
The meeting with Jonathan Wright, Evelyn’s father, gave him the opportunity to either choose his paradise or hell.
%%%%%
“You slept with my little girl, you idiot!” Jonathan Wright, Evelyn’s father bellowed as he stared at him. His hands were curled into fists as if he wanted to wrap them around his neck.
Kelvin was wise enough, not to interrupt the irate father. He stood still and refused to meet the older man’s gaze. Afterall, he was the one who looked for trouble with his dick.
“Dad, will you just stop it? You have no business interfering in my relationship. Are you the one who will marry me?” To his surprise, Evelyn spoke up on his behalf, glaring at her father ,even though her hand was still clutching his arm tightly. He wished he could just sidle past the two of them and went on his way.
Her father’s scowl deepened before he turned it on him, and he took an involuntary step backward. “What is your name?”
“Kelvin Ikechukwu, sir.”
“Where do you work?”
Kelvin was silent for a while until he felt Evelyn’s curious gaze on him at his continued silence.
“I am an engineer, but I am out of a job at the moment,” His voice was gruff, a picture of embarrassment.
Jonathan’s eyes twinkled with dark amusement as he turned to his daughter as if to say, Was this the kind of man you want to settle down with?
Evelyn raised her chin in a challenge and gave her father a direct look, “Dad, is that really a problem?”
Her father stared back as if he wanted to argue, but sighed instead. He removed his card from his wallet and held it out to him.
Kelvin stepped forward to collect the card, perused it, and his eyes nearly came out of their sockets. Wrights Group of Hotels & Suites? Wright Downstream Oil & Gas?
“You are the owner, sir?” His voice came out in a croak with reference as he tried not to ogle the tall slim man who stood before him.
“See me in the office on Monday.” The older man walked to the wine cabinet in a corner of the room.
“I will. Thank you, sir,” He couldn’t help the smile spreading over his face at his luck. “I will give you a call, Eve.” He winked at Evelyn before he turned and walked out of the sitting room. He was a lucky man indeed.
%%%%%
She had always been a chubby girl who grew into a chubby woman. Being the only child of her pampering, doting parents didn’t help matters. After her mother had the last miscarriage which nearly claimed her life, they had given up on childbirth and focused on their only child. She had the best of everything while growing up and had never lacked anything in her lifetime as long as money could buy it.
She had friends who flock around her, mostly because of her privileged background and who wouldn’t tell her the truth until the day she lost her first boyfriend, Felix at the age of twenty-two to one of her supposed best friends. She had gone to his apartment without prior notice, hoping to surprise him, only to find him in bed with her best friend, Melissa. His apartment building security man had given her a pass at the entrance only for her to get the shock of her life that fateful evening. To her dismay, the two of them were not even remorseful.
“Evelyn, count yourself lucky we hid this from you for this long. Do you honestly think any man in his right mind would look twice at you, talk less of marrying a fat, shapeless thing like you?” Felix didn’t mince words as he confronted her, shielding Melissa, who was naked, from her view.
“Really? This is all you have to say for yourself? I love you with everything I have and this is the way you will repay me?” The pain slicing through her was profound and tears filled her eyes. “Melisa, Is this the way you pay back our friendship?”
“Get off your high horse, Eve. Everything that is good shouldn’t belong to you alone nau.” Melissa had stepped out from behind his back, flaunting her hourglass figure. It was like twisting the knife in Evelyn’s festering wound.
“Well, you have gotten the surprise you wanted. Simple courtesy demands you call before coming for a visit.” Felix’s mocking smile was the last straw. She had turned around and fled his presence before he completed his sentence.
She had cut off her friends and stuck solely to the routine of work. She may not have a banging body that men wanted but she had the brain that business minded companies and individuals were willing to pay heavily for. She had gotten several offer letters from Oil and Gas companies and worked for a year in another company before her father decided she should start working for him. Now, she was the brain behind her father’s company. The empire had grown in leaps and bonds under her unwavering determination since she took over the oil and Gas sector.
However, behind closed doors, Evelyn couldn’t look at herself in a mirror. Apart from her face, nothing else appealed to her about it. She wore oversized clothes and hid behind expensive Blazers. She didn’t have a social life and didn’t bother mingling. Meeting Kelvin Ikeduba was a stroke of luck.
Jeremiah, Kelvin’s friend, was a friend to her colleague, Titilola and she was the one who dragged her to the party. His attention flattered her and was a balm to her self-esteem. They had ended up in her apartments and it had been a wild night. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt like a woman. It had taken her fourteen years to get another man to look at her and she wasn’t about to let him go.
“Why are you here this early in the morning? You could have called me.” Evelyn linked her arm through her father’s and led him to a seat.
“I did call, but your number was switched off. Your mother told me you were at a friend’s wedding party and may have forgotten to charge your phone.” He sat down beside her.
“She is right. I am sorry for making you worry about me. What can I offer you?”
“I had breakfast before leaving the house. I need you to handle the meeting with Exxon Mobil. I want positive feedback before the week runs out.”
Evelyn mentally juggled her appointments for the week, “I should be able to handle it. I will call Linda to rearrange my appointment.” Linda was her personal assistant.
“That is settled. Now, tell me about your new boyfriend.” A reluctant smile tugged at his lips.
“Dad!” She began in a chiding voice but dissolved into giggles at his raised eyebrow. “We met last night and spoke a lot. I really like him though. He seems to like me a lot too”

Finding Solace is now available on the Blog Shop for your reading pleasure.

The Blurb

Araire Falade, a beautiful, wealthy, and single woman in her 40s, is trying to slow down her ticking biological clock, and her boyfriend, Bamidele, has said he will only propose if she gets pregnant. 

Seeking help, she approaches the sexy, handsome but married fertility doctor, Chibuike Azuke, and they soon become great friends. 

Glowing and pregnant, her happiness doubles or so it seems when  Bamidele finally proposes.

All hell breaks loose when Araire discovers she has been duped, not only by the man she was engaged to, but also by the man she had come to trust and love with her whole heart.

Will love find her again or she is destined to remain single and alone forever?

The Full Story of HIDDEN DESIRES will be out on 26th December.

Watch out for this space