THE RUN AWAY BRIDE

LONG NIGHT

Demmy waited at home anxious, waiting for Kelvin to come back early, she has never been this excited about anything before, the last time she was excited and anxious was when her mother was in the labour room for hours. She tried to keep herself busy drawing different styles she planned to sow, and cutting the fabrics of the ankara to her size, but she couldn't concentrate well because she was still waiting for night time to come.

While Demmy was working on her designs, Mama knocked on her door, she stood up immediately and ran to open it, upon seeing mama, she calmed down, it was like her high holes were shattered, she forced a smile and asked if Kelvin Was back, then she told her that Kelvin would be late, he was in the middle of a surgery, and it was important that he took his time. Demmy understood the situation, doctors life. Mama enters her room to keep her company just as Kelvin has told her on the phone, although Mama never told Demmy that Kelvin ordered her to keep her company.

"this is beautiful dear"

"thank you ma, its a new design i am working on, and hopefully, i can make money online for this, it will save Kelvin the stress."

"i see, but he us not complaining is he?"

"no he us not, but i hate being a liability, or commodity, i believe that it is not good for a woman not to have a job."

Demmy continued her work peacefully, Mama seemed to think for a while, then she smiled

"kelvin rarely smiles, not to talk of laughing, the oy women he trusts are his younger sister and me, he hates women, after the things he went through with his stepmother. his dad's new wife."

Demmy left her fabric alone and sat down beside mama

"what did she do to him?"

she sounded worried, because she was worried

"after the death of their mother, Kelvin's father married a new young woman, the woman hated them because they are the one to inherit their fathers property, you see she had no child of her own yet. So she planned to kill Kelvin and his sister, but they somehow escaped. when kelvin was sixteen, she r***d him, i was the one that saved him from her, so i discussed with their father but he never believed me, or Kelvin, he forced Kelvin to do things for the sake of his wife and company, but when Kelvin turned eighteen, he left their house and came to Jabi here, his sister was sent abroad to study. So Kelvin has been working here and living here for a long time and i have never seen him have a nice time with women, he dislikes even having s*x with them, he only keeps them with him for his father's sake, and rumour sake. he sees women as gold diggers alone."

Demmy sighed sadly, she held mama's hands and smiled to her

"i know you are also a contract girlfriend of his, but you are the only one that has managed to put a smile to his face"

"how can i help him?"

Demmy asked, mama squeezed her hands softly and looked down

"just continue to make him smile even when your contract is over."

Demmy nodded, she could do that, she herself needed to smile and let stress go. After a while, Mama encouraged her to go back to her work. While cutting the fabrics, a question popped up in Demmy's head, she simply had to ask else her curiosity will not let her sleep in peace.

"mama, what does Kelvin do for fun?"

"kelvin never played, he only plays chess for fun, and he plays alone, or with his father while talking business. and sometimes he goes out for a stroll, he says he wants to talk to nature"

mama chuckled, Demmy frowned worriedly, here she was thinking her life was very boring and miserable, at least she had a friend's house to sleep in amd go to, when she is down, and there is no wag she would go to Tolani and not laugh out her guts.

"things must change here, at least for the few months i will spend here"

What could she possibly do? she is also one of his staffs, she is even supposed to be calling him boss, if not because her position was weird.

She ignored her thoughts and continued with her work.

The clock struck 11:30pm, Mama was already asleep in Demmy's room, while Demmy was still sowing, and taking pictures of every part she sew. She noticed that Mama might be uncomfortable with her sleep position, so she gently woke her up to go and sleep

"is Kelvin back?" Mama asked sleepy

"not yet, you should go and sleep, when he comes, i will serve him, please do go and sleep"

mama yawned and obeyed Demmy

"you should also sleep dear"

mama said just before she opened the door

"i will once i am done with this part ma"

Mama nodded and yawned again, then she opened the door and went to sleep

"goodnight"

Demmy said, and sighed softly,

"kelvin, where are you? Does he come home this late?"

she asked her self and continued sowing, she wasn't tired at all, she was so determined to start making it here in Abuja.

***

Kelvin slowly locked the door of the living room, he thought everyone was asleep, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and a snack. he heard the sound of sowjng machine and knew that Demmy was still awake

"what us she doing up at this hour?, 12:42, and Miss Demmy is still awake."

he smiled mischievously, he went back to grab two more snacks and ran through the stairs to her room. he knocked on her door, but she didn't open it, he knocked again, but no response, then he opened it himself and found her busy with her clothes, she was listening to music from her phone and was sowing, Kelvin raised a brow, her room was so dirty, filled with pieces of clothes and thread, Kelvin hated dirt with passion. He frowned and tried to ignore the dirty room, at least her bed is neat.

"hello" he managed to say, Demmy finally turned back and saw him, he was still dressed in the same clothes her wore to work, she stood up and smiled to him

"welcome back Kelv, how was work?"

"as a good girlfriend, you are to come and hug me or give me a kiss, on the lip"

he said seriously, and rested on the door

"spare me Kelv, your sister is not here yet... go and freshen up then if you are not too tired, we can continue with the lesson, and me repaying you."

she reminded him, Kelvin smiled happily and went to his room. After some minutes he came back in his night wear, he closed her room door and sat on her bed

"i am taking the day off tomorrow, we need to go somewhere"

Demmy left her machine and went to sit beside him on the bed

"where?"

"my father found out about you, and i think he wants to see you."

Demmy's jaws dropped

"what? how? who told him? i thought you said next month?"

"well, it turned out that, the lady you chased away today, oh its now yesterday, its past 1am already. So she was sent from him, my dad to be my girl, so i can finally settle down, like he wants me to. She must have reported back"

"ohhhhh, no, this is bad, so bad, what am i going to do? what are we going to do? we barely know each other you know."

Kelvin began to laugh hard, he laughed and rolled on her bed, she was wondering why? has he gone mad?

"i was just joking"

Demmy gave him a bombastic side eye and hit him on his chest, he winced in pain and she panicked

"whats wrong with you there, did you hurt yourself?"

"no, but i am afraid you will. But not everything i said was a joke, she was sent from him, so i believe she will report back, and he... i don't know, he is unpredictable"

he tucked her hair to the back of her ear.

"your room is as messy as your hair, why is that?"

"well i am sowing, and cutting, so it is expected, and about my hair, i...i..don't know, its just messy"

Demmy tried to stand up, in order for her to continue her work, but Kelvin stopped her, he held her waist and made her sit beside him, then he cuddled her, Demmy tried not to be suprised anymore.

"are You not tired? a good girlfriend should always allow her man to cuddle her"

"kelvin, is this part of the lessons or what?"

"not at all, if it was part of the lessons, we would be in the middle of the bed, under the sheets, naked"

Demmy widened her eyes and tried to free herself, but he didn't bulge

"kelvin, don't forget the agreement"

"no i can't, but it also says if you demand it, i must give."

"i am not demanding anything Kelvin"

"yes, and it is not part of the lessons, it is a way of repaying me, i don't have a teddy to cuddle, but you are as soft as a teddy, so if you want to repay me, allow me to cuddle you every night, it helps me to sleep well."

"oh, wow, but you can't sleep here"

"yes, that's true, i am allergic to dirt, so i can't, let's go to my room"

he did not wait for her reply, he carried her and took her to his room, Demmy rolled her eyes, well at least he ask her for something, as long as it is not intimacy, she is fine with it.

Kelvin dropped her gently on his bed and laid down in the other side, then he pulled her towards the middle of the bed, she obeyed

he cuddled her and they rested their heads on the pillow, somehow Demmy was also beginning to enjoy the cuddles, she snuggled closer to his embrace unknowingly to her it made Kelvin smile wider.

"so are you truly taking the day off tomorrow?"

"yes, i have not been able to sleep peacefully for many years now, a day off won't ruin the companies"

Demmy nodded and smiled,

"then you can be my photographer tomorrow."

"tell me more D"

she explained all he ideas, her drawings, her plans of posting her designs online and tagging dress companies so she can become popular. They exchanged ideas and before they could say anything more, they fell asleep in each other's embrace forgetting about the snack they planned to eat.

***

Demmy woke up still in Kelvin's embrace, he was deeply asleep, so she tried not to disturb his sleep, she gently left his arms and went out of his room to her room to pray. After praying, she cleaned her room and decided to sleep some more, it was still too early to wake up.