An Unexpected Match

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Only five years ago, she had been completely certain that she and Yomi would be together always, would grow old together. Just like hundreds of other blissfully happy couples in Lagos. How could she have guessed that her life would turn out this way?

Farida Yusuf gripped the steering of her 2010 Honda Accord CrossTour and pulled in a deep breath. Her gaze skirted off the patch of lighter skin around the ring finger of her left hand and returned to the stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway ahead.

She sighed. It wasn’t only his fault. She’d noticed the cracks in their relationship a long time ago. She’d just refused to acknowledge them.

Farida glanced through the windscreen. The pale rays of the early morning sun washed over the stream of cars and trucks heading into Lagos.

Her gaze landed on a silver 2017 Range Rover inching forward through the traffic. What a beautiful car. If only she could afford a ride like that. Maybe some time in the future, hopefully after the launch of her reality show, the news about One Plus One would spread everywhere and pull in more clients.

Farida eased her car forward, allowing a comfortable distance between her Honda and the Range Rover.

She was grateful for a lot of things, though. The main one being the fact that she was doing what she loved to do, something she was great at, and earning a good income in the process. How many people could say that? She had attended a wedding in Ibadan yesterday, had been the Guest of Honour. Both the groom and bride had been her clients. She had matched them together and soon after, they had started dating and now only eight months later, were married. She could do it for others. How come it was so difficult to do it for herself?

If only Yomi would just give her some breathing space and stop pressing her about the money she owed him. She’d promised to repay him. All she asked him to do was give her some time.

She squeezed the steering wheel again, impatient to get to her office in Victoria Island. She should have left Ibadan yesterday evening instead of waiting till this morning. Heavy traffic into and within Lagos had become default. Every day of the week, especially weekdays. Bumper-to-bumper traffic. Ugh. She should have left the wedding reception early. She should have—

A trailer’s horn blared, interrupting her thoughts. The horn screamed again and again.

Farida scowled. She glanced to the lane parallel to hers, going the opposite way. A rickety truck lumbered along the road, slowing the progress of the impatient, horn-pressing trailer behind.

She shook her head. What would sitting on your horn do, for goodness sake? Would it make the decrepit old truck move faster?

And then her eyes widened. “No, no, no...”

Without warning, the trailer swerved out from behind the offending truck, straight into the path of the silver Range Rover.

Farida tapped her foot on the brake and swung her car to the right.

Up ahead, tyres shrieked. The Range Rover veered to the right, a sudden, sharp motion, aiming to avoid an impending face-to-face collision.

She watched, open-mouthed, as the trailer zoomed onto her lane, its horn still bellowing. The Range Rover edged away, right on time, out of harm’s way, into the tree-lined roadside. The trailer bypassed the truck, returned to its lane and sped off.

Farida’s heart pounded. Oh my. Thank God. She glanced toward the other car. It had come to a stop by the trees.

She didn’t stop to think. Farida pulled to a stop behind the Range Rover. She rushed out of her car toward the parked vehicle, stopped and then glanced into the window of the driver’s side.

A man sat in the seat, head forward, lips moving. His hands on the steering wheel were trembling. What was he saying?

Farida rapped her knuckles on the glass.

His head twisted to face hers. He frowned but then the window eased down. “Yes?”

She gazed at him. Gosh, he was handsome. With lead actor good looks. OMG. It took her a moment to reply. “I... I only wanted to ask if you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. Thanks for stopping to ask.” Kurt Achike unglued his shaky hands from the steering wheel of his car and stared up into her round face and warm, caramel-colored eyes. Nice of her, whoever she was, to come over. Good too that she hadn’t been able to hear the curse words that had been spewing from his lips just moments before.

He gulped air into his lungs, willing his heart to stop banging like a drum. God help that stupid maniac, the trailer driver. That man deserved a broken jaw and a night in jail. Scratch that. Many, many nights in jail. Maniac.

“I was behind you...” Farida mumbled. Now you can see he’s fine, go back to your car, her mind advised. But his hazel eyes, a mix of light brown and dark green, kept her there.

“I’m good.” Kurt said, dropping his hands to his lap. Surprising that she didn’t seem to know who he was. Which was great. He was tired of being recognized everywhere he went.

She tossed a glance inside his car, at his ring-free hands on grey trousers, a grey jacket on the front passenger seat. “Okay. Bye, then.”

She moved toward her car. No wedding ring on his finger didn’t mean he wasn’t married. And even if he wasn’t, a man like him tended to date only models and superstars. Anyway, the traffic was easing off. It was time to continue her journey.

Farida entered her car and started the engine. In front, the silver Range Rover slid back onto the road.