taste
1062 Words
Chapter 4: Not Too Bad
Sarah stood in the kitchen at 6:00am.
The villa was too quiet.
Adeyemi Hollis had said last night: “8am. My office. We need to talk about public appearances.”
Public appearances. That meant people would see her. Judge her. Know she was the contract wife.
She didn’t want to go empty-handed.
He saved her sick mom. He paid ₦5,000,000. He gave her ₦300,000 allowance.
Even if this was a contract, even if it was no love, she wanted to… appreciate him. At least.
“What should I make, Madam?” Tina asked,
Sarah thought. Something simple. Something from home. Something that says thank you without words.
“Pepper soup,” she said. “With assorted meat. Goat, shaki, cow foot. Very peppery. Like my mother makes.”
Tina a brow. “For Mr. Hollis?He only eats steak and sushi.”
“Then he’ll try something new today,” Sarah said.
By 7:30am, the kitchen smelled like heaven. Pepper, uziza, scent leaf, all-spice.
She packed it in a silver food flask. Hot. Steaming.
Sarah went to the closet in the room. It was the size of her old living room.
On the left side, suits. Black. Navy. Grey.
On the right side… dresses.
Tags still on them.
She pulled one out.
Light pink. Silk. Sleeveless. It fell to her knees. Simple. Classy. Not too much.
She had never owned a pink dress.
She wore it.
Stood in front of the mirror.
Her mouth opened.
“Is this me?” she whispered.
The dress hugged her waist. Brought out her skin. Made her look… expensive.
She touched her hair. She had braided it neatly last night.
She checked herself in the mirror again. Turned left. Turned right.
“So money changed me so much?” she whispered. “Am I… this beautiful?”
She had always been pretty. But poor pretty is different from rich pretty.
Today, she looked like Zara she's smell like money,
Her phone buzzed. Driver. “Madam, we’re ready.”
She grabbed the pepper soup.
Adeyemi Hollis Enterprises. 55th Floor.
The PA’s eyes widened when Sarah stepped out of the elevator.
“Good afternoon Madam.”
“Good afternoon Sarah said. Her voice was soft. “Is… is Mr. Hollis in?”
The PA nodded. “He’s been waiting. Go in.”
Sarah knocked.
“Come in.”
Adeyemi looked up from his laptop. Black shirt. No tie.
And he froze.
Sarah stood there in light pink. Hair neat. Face clean. No makeup. Just her.
Holding a food flask.
He didn’t speak for 3 seconds.
“You’re late,” he said finally. But his voice was… softer.
“Sorry, sir.” She walked in. “I… I made something. For you. To say thank you. For my mother.”
She set the flask on his desk. Opened it.
Pepper soup steam filled the cold office.
Adeyemi’s nose flared. “Pepper soup?”
“Yes, sir. Assorted meat. My mother’s recipe.”
His PA would have fainted. Mr.hollis does not eat ‘local food’ in the office.
Adeyemi stared at it. Then at her.
“Sit,” he said.
Sarah sat. On the edge of the chair.
He took a spoon. Blew on it. Tasted.
Silence.
Sarah’s heart was beating in her throat.
Adeyemi swallowed.
He took another spoon.
Then another.
Sarah watched him. The billionaire. The cold man. Eating her mother’s pepper soup in a ₦50 billion office.
He put the spoon down.
“Not too bad,” he said.
Sarah blinked. “Not… too bad?”
“The food is not bad,” Adeyemi said. He looked at her directly. “It’s good, Sarah.”
Good.
He said her name.
Sarah’s chest got tight. “Thank you, sir.”
Adeyemi closed the flask. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know,” she said. “But this person is not the man I love… yet you saved my mother. I thought… at least I can cook for you.”
Adeyemi leaned back. His eyes ran over her pink dress.
“You look… different.”
Sarah looked down. “The dress. It was in the closet. I thought—”
“You look beautiful,” he cut in.
Sarah’s head snapped up.
Adeyemi just called her beautiful.
The cold billionaire.
He cleared his throat. “About public appearances. There’s a gala Friday. You’re coming. As my wife.”
Sarah nodded. “Okay.”
“Wear something like this,” he said. “Pink suits you.”
Pink suits you.
Sarah stood up. “I should go, sir. So you can work.”
Adeyemi nodded. “Driver will take you home.”
She walked to the door.
“Mrs. Hollis ” he called.
She turned.
“Thank you… for the pepper soup.”
Sarah smiled. Small. Real.
“You’re welcome, Mr. OLIS.”
She left.
Back at the Villa
Sarah didn’t stop smiling till she got home.
Tina saw her face. “How did it go, Madam?”
“He said… he said the food was not bad. He said it was good.”
Tina laughed. “Mr.hollis OLIS saying food is ‘good’? Madam, you’ve done magic.”
Sarah went to the mirror again.
Light pink dress.
“Am I this beautiful?” she asked her reflection.
For the first time since signing the contract, she didn’t feel like a prisoner.
She felt… seen.
Meanwhile: Adeyemi’s Office
Adeyemi stared at the empty flask.
“Not too bad,” he muttered to himself.
His PA came in. “Sir, the board—”
“Reschedule it,” Adeyemi said. He was still looking at the flask.
“Sir?”
“Nothing.”
The PA left.
Adeyemi opened his drawer. Pulled out his phone.
He went to t****k. Searched: .
Her video was still there. 1,500 views.
Sarah crying. Holding her brother’s hand.
Twenty-two years old. Broke. Scared.
Now she was in his office. In pink. Cooking for him.
“Scary,” he said out loud. “Cold,” he said out loud. Those were her words about him.
But she still cooked for him.
No love, he reminded himself. Clause 3.
But the taste of pepper soup was still on his tongue.
And the sight of her in pink was still in his head.
“Trouble,” he whispered.
- Writer
