Chapter Eight
1888 Words
After Hours
Amara told herself the rain had changed nothing.
It had been weather.
A slippery pavement.
A perfectly ordinary reflex.
Tobe had caught her because any decent person would have caught someone who slipped.
The fact that her hand had landed against his chest was irrelevant.
The fact that she could still remember exactly how his arm had felt around her waist was even more irrelevant.
She was very committed to irrelevance.
At the studio, work made that easier.
Mostly.
Chisom had other ideas.
“You’re quiet.”
“I’m working.”
“You’ve been staring at the same invoice.”
“I’m reading.”
“For six minutes?”
Amara looked up. “Do you have a job?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, part of it involves observing you.”
“No, it does not.”
“It should.”
Amara returned to the invoice.
Chisom smiled and left.
Across Lagos, Tobe’s morning was not significantly better.
Tara placed revised projections on his desk and remained there.
He looked up.
“What?”
“Are you expecting a call?”
“No.”
“A message?”
“No.”
“Interesting.”
“Finance, Tara.”
“Of course.”
She opened the file and began the review.
Tobe kept his attention exactly where it belonged.
Until his phone lit up beside the document.
He looked at it.
Not Amara.
Tara stopped speaking.
Tobe looked up.
“Continue.”
“I was going to.”
“Then do.”
She did.
Barely hiding a smile.
By late afternoon, Amara’s week had improved considerably.
Production was moving well.
The supplier negotiations were progressing.
The due-diligence requests had become less terrifying now that she understood what the investors wanted.
Then Chisom walked into her office carrying a black dress.
Amara looked at it.
“No.”
“You haven’t even heard the question.”
“The answer is still no.”
“Zina’s restaurant opening.”
“It’s a lounge.”
“Restaurant. Lounge. Place where adults leave their homes.”
“I know what it is.”
“And you’re going.”
“I have work.”
“You always have work.”
“That is because I own a business.”
Chisom placed the dress across the back of the chair.
“Wear this.”
Amara looked at it.
Black.
Asymmetric.
Elegant.
Simple enough not to look like she had tried too hard.
Which meant she immediately liked it.
“I hate that you’re right.”
“I know.”
That evening, she wore it.
Her hair fell loose around her shoulders. Gold earrings caught the light when she moved.
Then she stood in front of her shoes.
Her hand reached automatically towards one pair.
Stopped.
She chose the black heels beside them.
Sensible.
Amara stared at herself.
“This is ridiculous.”
She wore them anyway.
Zina’s opening was already busy when she arrived.
Music.
Warm lighting.
People moving between the restaurant and lounge.
Zina found her within minutes.
“You came.”
“I said I would.”
“You say many things.”
Amara hugged her.
“You look beautiful.”
“So do you.”
Zina stepped back.
Then looked at Amara’s shoes.
A smile appeared.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Why is everyone in my life suddenly saying nothing like it means something?”
Zina laughed and pulled her towards the table.
Across the city, David was doing something similar to Tobe.
Dinner tonight. No excuses.
I mean it.
You owe me after cancelling last week.
I didn’t cancel. I rescheduled.
That is cancelling in a suit.
8pm. I’m choosing the restaurant.
Tobe should have refused.
Instead, he arrived.
The place was louder than he preferred.
A photographer stood near the entrance.
A DJ occupied one corner.
David looked delighted by Tobe’s discomfort.
“You’re forty in spirit.”
“I’m leaving.”
“You just arrived.”
“That can be corrected.”
Someone called David’s name from across the room.
He looked over.
“I’ll be back.”
“David.”
But David had already disappeared into the crowd.
Tobe exhaled.
Then he saw her.
Amara stood across the room laughing at something Zina had said.
Black dress.
Bare shoulders.
Gold earrings.
Hair down.
Tobe stopped.
For several seconds, he simply looked.
Then he started walking.
Amara saw him halfway across the room.
Her expression changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
“Tobe?”
He stopped in front of her.
“Amara.”
Her eyes moved over him.
“You’re here.”
“So are you.”
“That is usually how restaurants work.”
He ignored that.
His gaze remained on her.
Amara noticed.
“You’re staring.”
“I am.”
She blinked.
“You’re supposed to deny it.”
“I’ve reconsidered.”
Her pulse shifted.
Tobe’s voice lowered slightly.
“You look beautiful.”
For once, Amara had no clever answer ready.
“Thank you.”
Zina appeared beside her.
Amara recovered.
“Tobe, this is Zina. Zina, Tobe.”
Zina’s eyes lit with immediate understanding.
“So you’re Tobe.”
Tobe looked at Amara.
Amara closed her eyes briefly.
Zina smiled. “I’ve heard absolutely nothing.”
“That sounds convincing.”
“I thought so.”
Amara gave her friend a warning look.
Tobe’s mouth almost curved.
Amara looked around.
“Are you here alone?”
“No. I came with a friend. He disappeared somewhere in there.”
“Voluntarily?”
“His disappearance was. Coming here wasn’t.”
“You were forced?”
“Strongly persuaded.”
A voice came behind him.
“Tobe, sorry. That took longer than—”
David stopped.
His eyes moved from Tobe to Amara, then to Zina.
Tobe introduced them.
“This is Amara Nwosu and her friend, Zina.”
David’s expression changed.
“You’re Amara.”
Amara looked at him. “You know me?”
“He doesn’t,” Tobe said.
David ignored him.
“I’ve heard your name.”
Amara slowly looked at Tobe.
Tobe looked at David.
David smiled.
Zina noticed everything.
Within minutes, somehow, two tables became one.
Tobe said no.
Zina said yes.
David supported Zina.
Tobe lost.
Dinner was unexpectedly easy.
David and Zina developed an immediate talent for irritating their friends.
“So,” Zina said, “does he actually have hobbies?”
David looked at Tobe.
“No.”
“I have hobbies.”
David frowned thoughtfully. “Work.”
“That is not a hobby,” Amara said.
“Exactly,” David replied.
Tobe looked between them.
“I regret all of you.”
Amara smiled. “Can you cook?”
“Yes.”
David coughed.
Tobe looked at him.
David lifted his hands. “I said nothing.”
“What can you cook?” Amara asked.
“Several things.”
“Name one.”
“Chicken.”
David leaned towards Zina. “Prayer is required.”
Tobe stared at him.
Amara laughed.
It was strange.
Seeing Tobe here.
No office.
No folder.
No agenda.
He was still controlled.
Still observant.
Still unmistakably himself.
But there was something easier about him around David.
Something warmer.
He listened more than he spoke.
And when he did speak, his humour was dry enough that Amara sometimes needed a second to realise he was joking.
She liked discovering it.
Dessert arrived.
Amara ordered chocolate cake.
Tobe ordered nothing.
Then stole a piece of hers.
She stared at his fork.
“Did you just take my cake?”
“Yes.”
“You said you didn’t want dessert.”
“I didn’t.”
“You clearly did.”
He took another bite.
Amara moved the plate away.
“You could have ordered one.”
“I only wanted some.”
“You knew you would steal mine.”
“I pay attention.”
The words landed between them.
Amara looked at him.
Then pushed the plate slightly closer.
“One more.”
Tobe took another piece.
“Thief.”
“Negotiator.”
“Depends on the contract.”
He smiled.
By the time they were leaving, Zina had decided to stay because she knew the owner.
David stepped outside to take a call.
That left Amara and Tobe near the entrance.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he said.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
She looked at him.
Then smiled.
“Okay.”
Outside, the night air was cooler.
They walked slowly.
“You were different tonight,” Tobe said.
Amara looked at him.
“Different how?”
“Less defensive.”
She stopped.
“I am not defensive.”
“You are.”
“Only around irritating people.”
“That explains it.”
She laughed.
“You were different too.”
“How?”
“Less…”
She searched for the word.
“Tobe.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“That is my name.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I don’t.”
“Less controlled.”
He looked ahead.
“Is that a bad thing?”
Amara considered him.
“Actually, I think I like this version.”
Tobe stopped walking.
Amara stopped too.
The space between them changed.
He stepped closer.
Not enough to touch.
Enough for her to notice.
“You should be careful.”
Her voice softened.
“About?”
“Saying things like that.”
“Why?”
His gaze held hers.
Before he could answer, the parking attendant approached with her key.
The moment broke.
Amara looked away first.
She took the key.
“Goodnight, Tobe.”
“Goodnight, Amara.”
He watched her drive away.
David was waiting beside his car when Tobe returned.
He looked at Tobe.
Then towards the road where Amara’s car had disappeared.
“I haven’t seen you look at a woman like that in years.”
Tobe frowned.
“I haven’t looked at anyone like what?”
David studied him.
Then something seemed to occur to him.
“Never mind.”
Tobe unlocked the car.
“Good.”
David smiled to himself.
At home, Amara had barely taken off her shoes when Zina called.
“You like him.”
Amara closed her eyes.
“Goodnight, Zina.”
“The man stole your cake.”
“That is evidence of bad character.”
“He told you that you looked beautiful.”
“People give compliments.”
“He walked you outside.”
“People walk.”
“And then the two of you stood beside your car looking like the final scene of a romantic film.”
Amara sat on the edge of her bed.
“You are dramatic.”
“I am correct.”
Amara said nothing.
Zina’s voice softened.
“He likes you.”
Amara looked down at her hand.
She remembered Tobe stepping closer.
You should be careful.
“Goodnight, Zina.”
Zina laughed.
“Sleep well.”
The call ended.
Amara remained there for a moment.
Then her phone buzzed.
An unsaved number.
I heard your company made it through to investment negotiations. Congratulations, Mara.
She frowned.
Another message appeared.
It’s been a long time.
Amara stared at the screen.
Very few people called her Mara.
And suddenly she knew.
Kene.
Of all the people who could have resurfaced tonight…
Why him?
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