Chapter thirteen
865 Words
Rayna's POV
Rayna stood in front of her mirror turning slowly while Theresa sat cross legged on the bed behind her, holding up outfit after outfit with the seriousness of a professional stylist.
It was finally the weekend of the cinema outing.
She felt slightly bad that she hadn't been able to convince Trojan to give her the second ticket — she would have loved to bring Theresa along. But here they were.
"Come back with goodies," Theresa had said approximately four times already. "And a fine man dropping you off."
Rayna had nearly choked laughing. If only her sister knew exactly who she worked with in that office every day.
"You're not even smiling — do you not like this one either?" Theresa asked, already pulling another combination from the wardrobe.
"You've done your absolute best Theresa," Rayna said turning to face her. "I'm not going to a fashion show. I'm going to watch a movie. Alone," she added, emphasizing the last word clearly.
"So??" Theresa said completely unbothered. "What if you sit next to a handsome guy and from there your whole love story begins just like in the movies??"
"Please stop," Rayna laughed. "You're being completely delusional."
After much deliberation and negotiation Rayna finally settled on a blue casual trouser and a sleeveless top that showed a little of her smooth back. Theresa approved immediately, packing her hair into a messy bun and selecting her white sneakers with the authority of someone who had been doing this for years.
Rayna looked at her reflection one last time.
She genuinely didn't know what she would do without this girl.
"Have a nice time," Theresa said as they walked outside together. "And don't forget my goodies."
"I'll try my best," Rayna laughed.
Her Bolt was already waiting. The film house was in Victoria Island — she had made sure to look presentable. Not for any particular reason.
She just couldn't afford to look cheap. That was all.
Rayna stepped out of the cab, ticket in hand.
She had googled the movie on her way there — watched a few trailer clips and decided it looked interesting enough. Or at least she hoped so.
The cinema was busier than she expected. People moving in every direction, conversations overlapping, the general beautiful chaos of a Lagos weekend. She had been here before — with Ife and Josh — but today she was navigating it alone.
She climbed the staircase leading up to the entrance, nearly losing her balance when someone bumped into her from behind and mumbled a quick apology without stopping.
She rolled her eyes.
Why was everyone always in such a hurry?
She handed her ticket to the receptionist at the entrance who scanned it and handed it back.
"Seat number 50," the woman told her with a smile.
"Thank you," Rayna replied.
The movie wasn't starting for another hour. She made a detour to grab popcorn and a cold drink — mostly to keep her hands and mouth busy in case the movie turned out to be less interesting than the trailers suggested. Not that she was expecting that.
She walked carefully toward the screening room, balancing her drink, and pushed through the doors.
The hall was still fairly empty — people trickling in slowly. She checked her ticket again and began scanning the rows for seat 50.
She found the right row.
And then she saw him.
Trojan.
Her MD. Sitting right there — phone in hand, scrolling casually, completely unbothered by the world around him.
Rayna stopped walking for exactly two seconds.
He said he wasn't coming.
Those were his exact words. "I won't be there. I have somewhere else to be."
And yet.
She stared at her ticket number. Then at the seats. Then back at him.
There was no switching seats. No logical reason to turn around. She had come to watch a movie and she was going to watch it.
She exhaled quietly and kept walking.
Go with the flow, she told herself. Act normal. You are completely unaffected.
Rayna finally reached her seat and settled in, balancing her popcorn and drink carefully beside her.
She looked at the seat next to hers.
Of course.
"Fancy seeing you here," she said.
Trojan looked up from his phone slowly like he was only just noticing her presence.
"Oh — hi," he said, setting his phone down.
"Came after all," she said, more statement than question.
"My other plans fell through," he said with a casual shrug. "Seemed wasteful not to use the ticket."
"Right," Rayna said simply.
She made herself comfortable as the hall continued filling up around them. The movie was starting soon.
She could feel his eyes on her briefly before he looked away. His cologne was strong — something expensive and warm — and the armrest between their seats suddenly felt very thin.
This is not going to be as bad as I thought, she told herself.
It was just three hours. Just a movie.
The lights dimmed.
The room fell dark and the screen burst to life. Rayna settled back into her seat and focused forward.
She was not going to be distracted.
She wasn't.
- Writer
