When love finally found me

THREE:Ijem

It was a quiet Thursday evening, one of those slow, thoughtful evenings that seemed to stretch longer than usual.

Exactly one week had passed since Ijem had exchanged contacts with Trent.

Seven full days.

And not a single message.

Not even a simple hi.

At first, she hadn't thought much of it. People got busy. Life happened. Maybe he had work, family matters, or something important that needed his full attention.

But as the days slipped by, silence settled in.

And silence, she was beginning to realize, had a way of making a person overthink everything.

Now, sitting on her bed with her phone loosely held in her hand, Ijem let out a small sigh.

What was the point of asking for my number if he wasn't going to use it?

Maybe she had misunderstood everything.

Maybe that day had meant more to her than it did to him.

She frowned slightly.

Or maybe I'm the one reading meaning into nothing.

Still... he had saved her number as Ijem.

Not "the girl from..." or anything vague.

Her actual name.

That had to count for something.

Right?

Her thoughts were cut short by the soft vibration of her phone.

A notification.

She glanced at the screen absentmindedly, then froze.

WhatsApp Message:

"Ijem kedu."

For a second, she just stared.

Then, slowly, she opened the chat.

Her eyes scanned the number.

Her breath caught.

It was him.

Trent.

A small, disbelieving smile tugged at her lips.

"Speak of the devil... and he appears," she muttered under her breath.

She straightened slightly, as if he could somehow see her.

Don't be too excited.

Don't make it obvious you've been waiting.

Quickly, she typed:

"Who is this?"

She hit send before she could overthink it.

Almost immediately, a reply came in.

"Ow! That kind of hurts. Don't tell me you didn't save my number."

Ijem let out a soft laugh.

Drama king.

She typed again, letting a little warmth slip in this time.

"Oh, Trent. How have you been?"

A short pause.

"I'm good. You?"

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

She didn't want to sound too eager.

Didn't want to sound upset either.

So she settled somewhere in between.

"I'm fine."

Another pause.

"Are you okay?"

Her brows drew together slightly.

That was... unexpected.

"Yes, I am.

His reply came quickly.

"Are you angry at me?"

She paused at that.

Stared at the screen a little longer than necessary.

Angry?

She exhaled softly.

"I don't have any reason to be."

It was subtle.

Careful.

But it was enough.

Because on the other end, Trent understood.

His next messages came in longer, more intentional.

He explained.

Work had been overwhelming. Back-to-back responsibilities. Things that had piled up without giving him room to breathe.

It didn't sound like an excuse.

If anything, it felt like someone who hadn't realized how much time had passed until it already had.

And somehow... that mattered.

As Ijem read through his messages, the tightness in her chest eased.

The quiet disappointment she hadn't fully admitted to herself began to fade.

By the time she replied, there was a lightness in her again.

And just like that,

They started talking.

What began as a simple exchange quickly turned into something else.

The conversation flowed effortlessly.

No awkward pauses.

No trying too hard.

Just... ease.

He asked questions, not the surface-level kind, but the ones that made her pause and think.

What she liked.

Her favorite foods.

Her goals.

Her dreams.

She found herself opening up in ways she didn't usually do.

Talking about how she loved cooking, not just as a chore, but as something that made her feel capable.

About the small event planning jobs she had done for family and friends, and how proud she had felt pulling them off.

About being a homebody, choosing quiet over chaos.

Even the things she didn't like.

The things that annoyed her.

The things she avoided.

And Trent,

He listened.

Not just to respond, but to understand.

Like he was taking mental notes of everything she said.

When he spoke about himself, it felt just as natural.

Easy.

Unforced.

It didn't feel like two people who had just met.

It felt like catching up with someone familiar.

Time slipped by unnoticed.

Minutes turned into hours.

And before Ijem realized it, she glanced at the time.

11:00 PM.

Her eyes widened slightly.

How?

It felt like they had just started talking.

She shook her head with a quiet laugh.

Not a single boring moment.

Reluctantly, she began to type:

"I should probably sleep..."

But before she could send it-

A new message popped up.

She opened it.

And read:

"Ijem, I want you to be my event planner for my parents' anniversary."

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then she laughed, actually laughed out loud.

"This boy must be joking."

Shaking her head, she typed back playfully:

"I don't think you can afford to pay me. I charge in millions."

She smirked as she sent it.

But the reply that came next wiped the smile right off her face.

"Will five million naira be enough for you?"

Silence.

Ijem stared at her screen.

Her brain struggled to process it.

Then she let out another laugh, this one lighter, almost disbelieving.

This has to be a joke.

She had never handled an event worth two hundred thousand naira.

And here he was... casually talking about five million.

Before she could respond, another message came in.

"I'm going to take that as a yes."

Her laughter faded.

"I'll pick you up by 10 AM tomorrow for your first assignment as my event planner."

That was when it hit her.

This wasn't a joke.

Her smile dropped.

Her heart began to race.

She sat up straighter, suddenly alert.

Her fingers felt stiff as she typed:

"Wait... you're serious?"

A pause.

Then:

"Very."

Her throat went dry.

She swallowed.

"You want to hire me to plan your parents' anniversary... for five million naira?"

His reply came almost instantly.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow at 10."

No hesitation.

No backtracking.

Just certainty.

Ijem stared at the screen long after the message had been delivered.

Her mind spun.

Shock.

Confusion.

Disbelief.

All at once.

This couldn't be real.

Could it?

A small flicker of doubt crept in.

What if this is a prank?

What if I show up and what exactly?

She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself.

But another thought pushed through the doubt.

What if it's not?

She glanced around her room.

Everything looked the same.

But something had shifted.

Slowly, she typed:

"Okay."

And hit send.

The chat went quiet.

But her thoughts didn't.

She dropped her phone beside her and leaned back against her pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

Five million naira.

For an event.

Her first real event.

With barely any preparation.

And happening tomorrow.

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest.

Excitement crept in sharp and unfamiliar.

Right alongside fear.

What if I mess this up?

What if I'm not as good as I think I am?

What if this is too big for me?

But then-

Another thought followed.

Quiet.

Steady.

What if this is the opportunity I've been waiting for?

Ijem closed her eyes slowly.

A small smile formed on her lips.

Tomorrow...

Everything could change.

And for the first time that night

Sleep didn't come easily.

Her mind refused to stay still.

Caught somewhere between fear...

And possibility.