Song of the chapter: Mad Over You by Runtown

...

"You do realise that I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself, right?"

Tobi had insisted on carrying Abena bridal style when they got back from the hospital, and although she liked the closeness, very much, she was obviously not going to show it.

They had gone to the hospital first, to drop Joseph, much to the displeasure of the doctor.

Apparently, he was a handful.

Then, after Abena had her check up, they came home.

"Abena, you know the doctor said that your body would be sore. So be a good girl and shut up so I can set you up in the bathroom." He easily manoeuvre through the door, up the stairs and into her room.

He dropped her gently on the bed, and went into her bathroom. She heard water rushing and after a while, he came out.

"So, I've set the bathtub for you. It should relax your muscles. What would you like to eat?" He asked, wiping his wet hands with a towel.

"You are acting so nice, it's weird." She pointed out.

"I'm always nice, you just didn't know. Now answer before I change my mind."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. Well, it would be good to make good use of the situation.

"Fried rice please. Chicken included, and bananas too."

"Okay then. Get into the bathtub before it gets cold, or would you need help in there too?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she started laughing.

"No, thank you. I think I can manage."

"Suit yourself." He shrugged with a smile. "Shout if you need anything."

After he left, Abena peeled off her clothes slowly. She remembered that they forgot to get her phone back from the kidnappers. Her gaze wandered to the iPhone that Tobi gave her. She shrugged to herself; nothing wrong with accepting his gift. At least, now, she would be able to video call with Demi.

Demi.

She missed that boy so much, it hurt. But she knew they had to be apart. He had to get better. She knew he was going to get better, that was why she was pregnant for a price.

And now, she was getting more than she bargained for.

...

"Tobi, what time is the interior decorator coming tomorrow?" Abena asked as she walked down the stairs, wearing her old sweatpants and the shirt Tobi let her wear the day they went shopping.

"I buy you a whole closet, yet you still wear my shirt?" Tobi raised his eyebrow and gave an amused smile.

"It's comfortable. Don't ask questions if you find out that your shirts are missing." She shrugged and sat down on the stool, resting on the kitchen island.

Tobi was flawlessly chopping the vegetables and she could see that the rice was already cooking. He was wearing an apron, and she realised that the situation seemed domestic again.

"The interior decorator would not be coming tomorrow. I moved your appointment to next week." He said, while getting the frying pan from a cupboard.

"Why?"

"Because, you've had a rough day, so I decided to stay home for this week to take care of you." Her skin warmed up at his words. "You need to rest na, and we have plans tomorrow."

"Plans? What kind of plans?" She said, while taking a carrot from the bowl. He slapped her hand playfully and removed the bowl, placing it far away from her.

"That's for later." He said, referring to the carrots. "And we have lunch at Joseph's place tomorrow, you've been specially invited by Dera. He is leaving the hospital tomorrow morning, and we are coming to celebrate his 'freedom', from the apparently evil doctor." She burst into laughter.

"Joseph is a handful." She smiled.

"And after that, I'm taking you out."

"Where?" She asked curiously.

"The Quillox club." He shrugged.

"The Quillox club? You need to be worth at least millions of naira before you can even enter the parking lot!" She pointed out.

He just smiled at her, then mixed the chopped vegetables together. He poured it into the frying oil and it made a sizzling sound.

"Babe, I own the Quillox club."

She just rolled her eyes, not looking surprised at all.

"I'm not even surprised any more jare. Before I know it now, you'll tell me that you own half of the Nigerian Government." She said sarcastically.

"I don't own half of the Nigerian Government Abena. Maybe just about one eighth of it." He shrugged.

"Well, you are the third richest man in Nigeria." She pointed out playfully.

"Almost the second. I would be in a month." He said, pouring the vegetables into the rice, then stirring it.

"It smells so good." She complimented.

He smirked at her. "Of course yes, it does. It was made by me."

...

They pulled up into the parking lot of Joseph's modest duplex, and noticed the kids coming out of the house excitedly.

"Okay. They have three kids, the oldest is James, he's eight, then Jesse is five, and the youngest is Juliana. She's two. His kids hate me by the way." He said nonchalantly and stepped out of the car.

"Why?" She asked, a smile tugging at her lips. She brought out the cake she had baked from the car, and balanced it expertly on one hand.

"They're annoying." He grumbled and she rolled her eyes.

The kids ran out at the sight of them, screaming excitedly. The two boys got to them first, while Juliana, the toddler, squealed excitedly while running as fast as her little legs could take her.

"Uncle Tobi!" They screamed, hugging him.

"I though you said they hate you?" Abena lifted an eyebrow.

"They do. But I always give them money when I come, so when I come, they take my money and then go back to hating me." He replied.

She just laughed and looked down on the children, who paid her no attention. Their attention was on the wallet that Tobi had fished out of his pocket.

"Okay. So James is the oldest. He gets two thousand." He said, bringing the notes out of his wallet. James snatched it quickly, as though he was afraid that Tobi would change his mind.

"Jesse gets one-five." He said giving the notes to the second child. He took it from him shyly and muttered a thank you before following his brother inside the house.

"Oh! Juliana!" The toddler looked up at him expectantly. "You get one thousand."

She stared at the note inquisitively before taking it from him and running back to her house.

"I actually thought you would give them like ten thousand each." Abena joked.

"Joseph gave me a two thousand naira limit. I don't even know why they expect money anyway. They give it to their mom immediately, and Joseph is almost as rich as I am." He said as they walked up to the house.

"Well they're kids. When a visitor comes, they expect some sort of payment for intruding on their privacy." Abena replied and Tobi chuckled.

Joseph was seating on a wheelchair, placed in front of the house to welcome them. Tobi gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder while Abena just gave him a warm smile.

"You're kids like money too much. They're sucking me dry." Tobi joked and Joseph smiled broadly.

"You're the one that spoilt them. Now they're used to it." Joseph replied.

He wheeled himself into the house, and Abena followed. Tobi shut the door behind them. Joseph noticed the large case she was carrying.

"Is that cake?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied.

"Why is it so big?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Ask your annoying billionaire friend." She joked.

"I decorated it. Show him." Tobi grinned, as though he just became the richest man in Nigeria.

Abena rolled her eyes and showed Joseph the cake. He burst into laughter and Tobi joined in.

The cake was sloppily decorated, but in the middle, Tobi's perfect handwriting read: 'Hurray! The Hospital is Free From Joseph!'

"Seriously dude?" Joseph asked, still laughing.

"I heard you gave the doctor hell." Tobi replied.

"He was so eager to release me." Joseph laughed.

Dera walked out of the kitchen. She smelt like lavender and fried chicken. "Abena!" She squealed like a little child. Abena gave her a shy smile.

She collected the cake from her, and dumped them in the hands of Tobi, then pulled Abena into a tight hug. Abena patted her back awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"Dera! You'll kill my daughter before I even meet her." Tobi joked.

"You're having a girl?" She asked Abena, ignoring Tobi.

"I don't know. We want it to be a surprise. The only thing I would want to know is how many children I would be having." Abena replied with a smile.

"Hopefully four." Joseph joked.

"God forbid!" Abena replied and they all burst into laughter.

"Well, let's go to the dining room. The kids are already getting impatient." Dera said, holding Abena's hand and leading them to the dining room.

"Dera. You didn't even greet me." Tobi said, feigning hurt.

"What's my business with you? I'm so happy I have a girlfriend by my side now. That's why I asked you to bring her, so I won't have to talk to you guys." She joked.

"Asked me? You threatened me!" Tobi replied and Abena chuckled.

"If you say another word, she might deprive you from taking your chicken." Joseph whispered into Tobi's ear, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The kids were already seated on their seats, staring longingly at the food.

"Come on. Let's eat."

Abena looked around her, enjoying the feeling of having friends, and a family. It wasn't going to last, so she was going to make the most of it.

...

"Are you sure my dress is fine?" Abena asked nervously.

They were walking towards the door of the club, and Abena was feeling nervous.

"I picked it out for you. Of course yes, it's amazing." Tobi replied, trying to calm her down. He placed a hand on her back, and led her to the VIP entrance.

"If anyone asks, you're a family friend."

The word 'friend' hurt her, but she didn't show it. "Got it." She said instead.

They walked into the club, and they were greeted by a short man. He smiled widely, Abena was sure his jaw was hurting.

"Mr. Ademi. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Tobi glared at the man, all warmth leaving his eyes. "The bouncers at the front, they're playing around. I don't pay them to play. Fix it. And get me my favorite table."

"Right away sir." The man said, scurrying towards a table. He stood respectfully and Tobi sat down. Abena sat down beside him. The table was on a balcony that looked down on the rest of the building. It also gave the best view of the stage.

"Get us a personal waitress. Then go take care of the bouncers." Tobi instructed, while dismissing him with his hand.

As soon as the man left, Abena looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You're ruthless."

"Well, I can't show weakness." He said, flashing her a smile.

A young woman walked up to them wearing a uniform. She had an apron tied around her waist and was holding a pen and a notepad.

"Good evening Mr. Ademi. Miss. What can I get you?" She said in a shaky voice. Her hand trembled as she tried to hold the pen firmly.

"What is one of the things you are expected to do as a waitress, Miss. Tayo?" Tobi asked, peering at her name tag and then looking up at her hair.

"I didn't tie my hair. I'm sorry sir. I forgot." She apologized.

"Good. After you take our orders, go and tie your hair. We wouldn't want people to find hair in their food." He said and she nodded quickly.

"I would have red wine. Abena?"

Abena gave her a warm smile, but that didn't calm her down. "Yoghurt. Strawberry please. And a bendy straw."

"A bendy straw?" Tobi lifted an eyebrow but Abena just shrugged.

The woman nodded, while writing the orders down.

"Bring the drinks first, then we'll consider if we want to eat or not." Tobi instructed and she nodded again and scurried away.

"You're so intimidating. Oh my God!" Abena laughed.

He just shrugged. "Runtown is performing tonight."

"Really? Wow. That's exciting. I haven't met a celebrity before."

"Abena. You live with one." He smirked and she just rolled her eyes.

Tayo came with their drinks and then, they both ordered for assorted meat pepper soup.

After a while, Tobi stood up. "I need to go to the restroom. Would you be okay?"

Abena nodded, taking a sip of her drink, and then he left. She was seating very close to the table, and her pregnant stomach was not noticeable.

A young man came towards her, with a confident smirk plastered across his face. "Mind if I seat?"

"Actually, I mind. Someone's there already." Abena replied politely but the man didn't budge.

"A boyfriend?"

"Just a friend. Can you please move? I'm trying to watch the dance." She said, gesturing to the stage where a dance group was performing.

"If you let me seat down, I'll move." He said.

"Someone is seating here. Sorry." She said through gritted seat.

"You know, when I walked in and I saw you. God! You took my breath away. And I wondered, what is a beautiful woman like you doing here all alone?"

Abena opened her mouth to reply but someone else did that for her.

"She's not alone." Tobi said casually, folding his arms angrily across his chest. "Now excuse us."

"And you are?" The man asked, offended.

"Mr. Tobi Ademi. Would you like further introduction?"

The man became pale almost immediately and began to stutter.

"Just leave. I don't have time for this." Tobi said wearily and the man left quickly.

He sat down and turned to Abena. "You seem to be catching the eye of every man in the room."

"Ew. I don't catch eyes. Their really slimy." She joked and he just laughed and rolled his eyes.

Runtown came up the stage to perform. Then Tobi stood up and smirked at her. "Would you like to dance?"

...

"I didn't know a pregnant woman could dance so well." Tobi slurred.

Abena had to drive them home from the club, because Tobi had drunk too much.

"I didn't know you could be so useless." Abena replied, leading him towards the house. "Keys."

He fished out the keys from his blazer pocket and gave them to her. She opened the door, and let him walk in before she walked in after him. After locking the door, she turned around to see Tobi staring intensely at her.

He stumbled towards her and placed his hands on both sides of the door, trapping her in the middle.

"Tobi? What are you doing?" She asked in a whisper, ignoring her heart pounding excitedly against her chest.

"You're so beautiful." He said in a husky voice. He had leaned in, and was whispering in her ear. "You're always beautiful. So perfect. I wish you were mine."

Her heart quickened as he stared at her, at her lips. She licked her lips in anticipation, then remembered something.

He was drunk.

He wasn't in his right senses and he wouldn't remember anything the next day.

He was already leaning in to kiss her, their breaths already mixing. She interrupted the moment with a nervous laugh, which caused him to stand upright.

"Do you need help getting upstairs?" She asked and he shook his head, acting like nothing happened a minute ago.

She nodded and forced her legs to walk away from him and towards the stairs.

But all she wanted to do that moment was run back and kiss him senseless.

...

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Tobi muttered to himself as soon as Abena disappeared up the stairs. He rested on the sitting room door and buried his face in his palms.

Of course she didn't want to kiss him. She didn't even like him.

The good thing was that he was tipsy, and so she would think that he did it because he drank too much.

He remembered her lips, and how badly he wanted to kiss them. He would have done it.

He hesitated.

If it was another woman he would have taken the chance, kissed her. But he knew Abena wasn't just any other woman.

She was far more than that.

...

The next day, Abena was in the kitchen, making sweet potato porridge for lunch while Tobi lay on the couch watching a football match.

He had refused to go to work, even after Abena tried to convince him that she was fine. He had been working from home.

The doorbell rang.

"Abena!"

She hummed in reply.

"Get the door. It should be Chinwe, the cleaning lady."

She rolled her eyes at his bossy attitude but went towards the door anyway. She didn't bother to check, but opened the door to greet Chinwe, but it wasn't her.

An elderly woman stood there, elegantly dressed and behind her was a chubby young woman who looked rich and overfed.

Abena's heart raced and her palms became sweaty. The resemblance was uncanny.

"Abena? Are you okay? Who is it?"

Tobi walked up to her and looked at the woman. A broad smile appeared on his face.

"Mama. You didn't tell me you were coming."

...

Dun dun dun!

Tobi's mum is here!

What would Abena do?

And would she accept Abena because of her social status?

What did you guys think about the 'almost kiss'? 😉

You guys should know that Nigerian mothers can be bossy and a handful, so keep that in mind when you meet Tobi's mother.

Just so you guys know, Ademi (which is Tobi's surname), means 'My Crown'

You guys should read 'The Cursed Duke' by @IsabelMourato4 it's really good. It's a werewolf romance, I promise you'll like it.

Still awaiting ship names and banners please 😊

Advice, suggestions, criticism, they are welcome. Let me know what I'm doing wrong or right.

Don't forget to:

Vote - You! Don't leave here without pressing that star button 😉

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Keep on being amazing, my lovely bananas;

☺

- Timi

P.S.

I just entered The Contract into the Nigerian Watty Awards.

You guys should check it out.

Search for Nigerian Watty Awards, it's like a book.

Please nominate the characters for the different categories.

Thanks

☺