Always Yours.

Five.

DESIRE  

I added the finishing touches to my makeup just as the doorbell rang. I closed my makeup box and placed it back in the closet and turned the key. Tara likes to play dress up, I wouldn't put it past her to tamper with my makeup box.

I rushed to the door and opened it, Jenny comes in and greets me with a hug.

"Where's my favourite goddaughter?" She asked and dropped the bag she was holding on the sofa.

"Don't you mean your only goddaughter?" I asked, stressing the only, "She's in her room probably tinkering with her toys."

"I'll go say hi to her." Jenny got up and heads to Tara's room, as if an afterthought she paused, turned back and gave me a thumbs up.

"By the way you look smashing," she said and continued on her way.

"Aunty Jenny!" Tara squealed from her room just as the doorbell rang again.

Nathan didn't even wait for me to open the door for him before he walked in. He stopped at the doorway and gaped at me.

"Wow! Desire you look..." He stared at me at a loss for words and I twirled for him, "...hot." He finished.

"Thank you." I smiled. Today being the first time I'll be going to a party in a while I decided to go all out. I had gone to the salon earlier in the day to get my hair and nails done. Being a lover of flashy colours; I picked a red mono strap dinner gown that fitted my body like a glove, for easier movement it has two slits up the sides ending mid thigh and finished with a gold gladiator heels. For added effect I'd chosen a red matte lipstick to make my lips pop and I knew the end result must be – in Jenny's words – smashing.

"Shall we leave?" I asked and he shook his head in the negative.

"No, I can't leave without saying goodbye to my princess." He winked.

Tara walked out of her room hand in hand with Jenny like she had bionic ears and jumped up when she spotted Nathan.

He picked her up and planted a kiss on her forehead which made her giggle.

"Hello to the princess of my heart." He said and she pouted.

"I thought I was your queen?"

"Nah, your mum is the queen of my heart," he winked at me and I blushed. I can't help it, he's such a charmer and they looked so cute together.

He puts her down and she plopped herself on the couch.

"Hey Jenny," he waved at her. "Shall we leave now?" He directed his question at me and I turned my gaze at Jennifer. 

She looked at Nathan wistfully but he dipped his hand in his pocket and took out his phone. He didn't notice her staring. Suddenly I felt bad for going out with Nathan, Jenny has always had a thing for him since the day I introduced them but he didn't notice her because he was hell bent on pursuing me.

It was flattering to have a man as gorgeous as Nathan wooing me despite knowing I have a child and I wouldn't lie, I loved every bit of attention he bestowed on me but not at the expense of Jenny's feelings; especially when she agreed to babysit Tara for me so I could go out with him.

"Jenny?" I called her attention and she snapped her gaze to me.

"Yeah, don't worry she'll be fine with me. Don't forget to have fun," she plastered on a smile but I knew she was anything but.

"Okay." I hesitated and Nathan took my hand.

"Come on let's go, they should be done at the church already and must be on their way to the reception." He said.

I picked Tara up and she wrapped her legs around me, I gave her a kiss on the cheek and she giggled.

"You look..." she seemed to think of the word for a moment "...beautiful, mummy."

"Thank you, my baby. Mummy will miss you okay." I told her.

"I'll miss you too, mummy but I've got this," she showed me a chocolate wrap Jenny must've gotten her. I hugged her to me and breathed in her baby smell. I didn't want to leave her alone, I wished she could go everywhere with me.

She squirmed in my arms and I dropped her. "Bye, mummy." she waved at me and starts peeling her chocolate wrap, effectively dismissing me.

I inhaled deeply to quell the sudden emotions running through me and faced Nathan with a smile.

"I'm ready now." I took his hand and we walked out the door.

  ***************

We arrived at the venue, Balmoral Hall at Federal Palace Hotel and Nathan led me to table with a placard that said friends of the groom. The hall was decorated in pink and white, the design was both classy and playful– if that's even possible– there was an archway made with white lilies at the entrance to the hall and in front of the bride and groom's throne– I could call it a throne because it was massive– a big white settee shaped like two swans with two pink fluffy throw pillows on it.

The cake was at least five feet tall and from the design, it looked like each step of the cake was a different flavour. I don't know either the bride or groom but if what I'm seeing is anything to go by they must be loaded.

"It seems we're slightly early, the bride and groom aren't here yet," he commented as he glanced around.

My eye caught the sight of the banner I must've missed when coming in. 

Toyosi ❤ Femi; it said. The name didn't ring a bell, it wouldn't anyway I didn't know everyone in Lagos.

Waiters and waitresses dressed in all white went round serving refreshments. A chubby lady dressed in a blue cord lace iro and buba two tables to my left caught my attention and I stared transfixed as she dug into the small chops just served to her like there was no tomorrow – some people don't know how to eat at parties– she packed some of the drinks off the table and threw them under the table not so discreetly; probably into her bag. 

Her companions sitting at the table with her at least had the decency to watch before attempting to clear anything into their bag. The couple wasn't even here yet and they were already clearing the food. 

A man dressed in a burgundy agbada and black cap took the stage and announced that the bride and groom had arrived. The DJ started to play Woju by Kiss Daniel and the groomsmen followed by the groom danced in. 

A lot of people got up with their phones out to take a video of their dance and some blocked my view of the entrance. The excited sounds of the guests watching the groomsmen piqued my curiosity and I got up to take a good look at their entrance. I moved a few tables away from where I sat and collided with a waiter carrying a tray full of glasses, the tray upends and the contents poured down my dress, the cold liquid seeping into my underwear.

I gasped in shock and stared at my dress incredulously, the whole front from my bust down to my waist was stained a dark red with what turned out to be cranberry juice. The waiter apologised profusely and took some napkins off the table next to him and handed them to me. 

I wiped my dress with it but it only made it worse. Sighing, I asked the waiter for directions to the washroom and he pointed to a side entrance.

I followed his directions and entered the washroom. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and my dress was nothing short of ruined, even if I were to take it off and rinse out the juice, there would be patches all over the dress when I dry it. I had no other choice but to do just that; the dress was already sticky and I certainly didn't want to smell like fruit juice throughout today.

I locked the door behind me and took off my dress, rinsed it in the sink making sure to only wash the stained parts and dried it under a hand dryer installed on the wall. It took minutes and I'm fairly certain Nathan was already looking for me.

I even forgot my purse at my table. God, I was so clumsy today, my phone and belongings are in there. I just prayed Nathan had the foresight to keep it for me and no one makes away with it.

As I suspected, there were patches all over the front of my dress. Great! I decided to have fun today and I was already off to a bad start; the party wasn't even in full swing yet.

I unlocked the door after wearing the dress and walked back to the party. Nathan grabbed my hand just as I made it back into the hall.

"Thank goodness I found you, I've been looking all over for you. Where did you go?" He asked and I tried to explain what happened but he cuts me off. "Anyway it doesn't matter, come I'd like you to meet someone."

He pulled me with him and I followed like a ragdoll past the rows of chairs to the front and as he halted, my dress hooked the end of the iron chair we just passed. I tugged and tried to free the dress. 

Seems like the universe has it in for me today, first the juice mishap and now this. If I pulled too much the material would tear.

"Desire meet my cousin, he's the best man," Nathan said and I looky up. My blood turned cold and I froze.