Ayoola Faleke

The first time she came into his bar with her friend, she barely left her seat while her friend got their drinks and danced as if there was no tomorrow. She just sat in a spot, nursing a drink she barely touched and the beautiful smile on her face being the only indication that she was enjoying the music. That day, his barman,Chike,had an emergency and he had to cover for him. The bar was unusually crowded and he didn’t have time to acknowledge her in any way.

The second time she came in with a man who seemed to be her boyfriend from the way she clung to his arms and hung on his words. It was obvious the man wasn’t into her as much as she was into him. He could tell the attraction wasn’t balanced between the two but his attention was always on her. He was drawn to her beautiful face, flawless skin and quiet demeanor. Those shapeless blazers she wore over her dresses didn’t reduce the allure of her voluptuous curves. 

He wasn’t the kind of man who prey on another man’s property , so he had kept his distance and never approached her. She never left his mind though and her face gave him wet dreams.

The beautiful ones were always taken. An ironic smile turned up his lips as he bent to tie the lace of his sneakers and rose to find his mother, Adesewa Faleke, watching from the doorway to her room. She had come visiting him , unannounced the previous night. They lived in the same city of Lagos but he barely had time to visit her.

“So you are going to leave me alone in this house, right?” 

He swallowed the groan in his throat, “Mum, you know better than to visit me in the middle of the weekday, nah? You should have waited till I paid you a visit.”

“And when will that be, dear son? When Jesus comes back ,right?” She moved to sit on one of the sofas in the sitting room. “If you have a wife and children now, I won’t be alone in the house.”

“Mum, please. Stop behaving like a typical Nigerian mother.” Exasperation coloured his voice.

“But I am a typical Nigerian mother. A proper yoruba one for that matter. So tell me what you meant by that senseless statement you just made.” She rearranged her bum, untied and retie the wrapper around her chest and glared at him.

Swallowing the chuckle that was bubbling to the surface, he glanced at his ringing phone and gave his mother a pleading look, “Mum, my clients are waiting. I have a client to pick up on the next street and she is going to the Island. Please don’t let me lose this ride.” He used one of his Cars for Uber transportation.

“Ayoola, making money is good and you have made enough to take care of a family. You are not getting younger neither am I. You are 35 years old for crying out loud.” An hiss escaped her mouth as she leaned over to pick up the remote Control from the stool beside the sofa.

“I know my age, mum and I love you. See you later.” He was laughing as he opened the door and escaped before she could continue.

*****

Kelvin Ikeduba

Kelvin’s jaw dropped in shock as the Cabman dropped him in front of a ten-storey building that was the Wright Oil and Gas administrative building. Dear God, he hoped he hadn’t bitten more than he could chew. His heart beat in excitement and nervousness as he made his way to the Reception desk. The moment he mentioned his name, he was given the direction to the CEO’s office.

Jonathan Wright’s office was located on the first floor of the ten-storey building, and Kelvin tried not to stare in awe at the opulence that was on display around him. These people were the creme de la creme of society. A little pang of envy lurched in his throat but he pushed it away.

“Have a seat, young man.” Jonathan gestured absently to him. His attention was fixed on the screen before him, and Kelvin assumed he was in a virtual meeting with his team, who were in different parts of the world. 

He moved to the comfortable loveseat on the right side of the office. The entire left wall was made of glass that looked directly into the blue waves of the ocean. Sunlight filtered into the cool room. There was absolutely nothing as good as great wealth.

The meeting ended and Jonathan turned his attention to the lounging young man. Kelvin straightened up in his seat abruptly and rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his jeans.

“I have a job for you. The package is attractive, but there are terms and conditions attached.” He extracted a file from his drawer and threw it at him. Kelvin caught it and flipped through the contents.

He was rich already. There was little question about it. His friends were in trouble. He didn’t know he was grinning openly and widely until he saw the terms and conditions detailed in the document. 

“I must woo and marry Evelyn?” His jaw went slack with shock. “This contract had to  remain a secret between the two of us?”

“You don’t need to read it to me. My lawyer drafted it and I instructed him to do so. You only need to sign it if you are okay with it. If you hurt her or she has any reason to complain about you, you are a dead man.” His cold voice sent shivers of dread down his spine.

“Can you give me a few days to think about it?” His voice trembled.

“I am not in a hurry to lose my daughter to any asshole, but she seemed to like you genuinely for whatever reason. Take your time and return the contract to me when you are ready.” Jonathan dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

******

Evelyn Wright

Kelvin swept her off her feet. He practically love-bombed her. He wooed and courted her in a way few women could resist. If she had concerns about some of his attitudes that seemed to slip through a facade or her instincts kept telling her to slow things down a bit, she ignored it and let herself be pampered by a good-looking man for the first time in her life. When he eventually proposed six months after their first meeting in the quietness of her favourite restaurant, she accepted.

Was it a decision she would regret for the rest of her life?

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 chapter four of Hidden Desires will be posted next week Sunday, 09th February,2025.

Don’t miss it and don’t forget to leave a comment!

Thank you.