Traffic & Sparks (A Lagos Romance) Chapter 3
785 Words
The week after their rooftop dinner felt longer than usual for Adaora. Work was hectic — back-to-back meetings, a client who hated every jingle idea, and the usual Lagos rush. But in between, her mind kept drifting to Chidi. The way he laughed when she teased him. The gentle touch on her cheek. The way he listened like her stories actually mattered.
They texted every day. Simple things at first — “How was your site today?” or “Client from hell again?” — but the messages slowly became longer, flirtier. He sent her a voice note one afternoon singing off-key to an old Asa song, making her laugh out loud in the office pantry. She replied with a short video of her dancing in her kitchen while making dinner.
By Friday, she was both excited and nervous. Chidi had kept his promise: another date, this time something simpler. He picked her up at 6 pm in the same silver Toyota, wearing a casual polo and jeans that made him look even taller.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they drove out of Chevron.
“You’ll see. No rooftop pressure tonight. Just Lagos the way I like it.”
He took her to a quiet stretch along the Lekki Conservation Centre — not the main tourist part, but a side path he knew where the trees opened up to a small lake. They bought roasted corn and coconut from a roadside seller, then found a bench under the fading evening light. The air smelled of earth and rain that had fallen earlier.
As they sat eating, the conversation turned deeper.
“I’ve been thinking,” Chidi said, peeling the husk off another cob. “You told me you wish you could write full stories instead of jingles. Why don’t you?”
Adaora shrugged, staring at the water. “Life, I guess. Bills. Fear that no one would read them. In Lagos, you have to be practical.”
He nodded slowly. “I get that. Engineering pays the bills, but sometimes I stand on a site and wish I was building something that actually made people feel something, not just concrete.”
She looked at him. “You make people feel something, Chidi. At least… you’re making me feel something.”
The words slipped out softer than she planned. Their eyes met. The space between them on the bench suddenly felt smaller. He set the corn aside and turned toward her fully.
“Good,” he said, voice low. “Because I’ve been wanting to do this since the night it rained.”
Chidi leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away. She didn’t. His lips met hers in a gentle kiss — warm, unhurried, tasting faintly of coconut and the sweetness of the evening. Adaora’s hand found his shoulder, fingers curling into his shirt as the kiss deepened just enough to make her heart race.
When they pulled apart, both a little breathless, he rested his forehead against hers.
“Too fast?” he asked.
She smiled, still close. “In Lagos traffic, everything moves slow… except this.”
They stayed like that for a while, talking softly as the sky turned darker. He told her about his younger sister who kept pushing him to settle down. She admitted she hadn’t dated seriously in almost two years because most guys couldn’t handle her long hours and big dreams.
Later, as they walked back to the car, Chidi took her hand. It felt natural, like it belonged there.
“I don’t want this to be just dates, Adaora,” he said quietly. “I want to keep seeing where this goes. No pressure, but… I like you. A lot.”
She squeezed his hand. “I like you too, Engineer. Even when you try to defend this crazy city.”
He laughed. “Then let’s keep escaping it together — one date at a time.”
The drive back was quiet in the best way. Soft music played, and every red light gave them another moment to steal glances and small smiles. When he dropped her off at her gate, he kissed her again — slower this time, his hand cupping her face like she was something precious.
“Goodnight, Adaora.”
“Goodnight, Chidi.”
Inside her flat, she kicked off her shoes and lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a silly smile. Work stress, Lagos chaos, and all the usual worries felt farther away than ever.
Sometimes the best escapes aren’t about running away from the city… they’re about finding someone who makes staying in it feel like the sweetest adventure.
To be continued… 💋
- Writer
