loving the twins brothers

--- *CHAPTER 1: The Wrong Kiss* The rain for Ring Road that evening no be small I, Adaeze, 24 years old, makeup artist for Sakponba Road, I just close shop. My phone don ring three times. Na Efosa, my new boyfriend of two weeks dey call. "My love, come meet me for Chicken Republic, Upper Sakponba. I get surprise for you," he talk, his voice sweet like Agege bread. I rush enter keke. My heart dey beat. For my mind I think, _this boy wan propose? After only two weeks?_ I reach there, everywhere dark small because NEPA don take light. I see am sit down for corner, black shirt, fine beard, that necklace wey I like. I no waste time. Love don catch me. I waka go, sit for him lap, hold him face, and I give am the deepest kiss of my life. He freeze. I freeze. Because voice wey talk behind me no be his voice. "Adaeze... na me be Efosa. Who you dey kiss so?" I turn. My blood cold. Two identical faces dey look me. The one wey I kiss dey laugh wickedly, cleaning his lips. "So na you be my brother new girlfriend? Interesting." My boyfriend — the real Efosa — his face don red. "Osas! I tell you make you no come here!" Twins. Identical twins. I just kissed my boyfriend's twin brother. Osas stand up, tall, smiling that bad-boy smile. "Sorry, babe. You kiss well sha. If my brother no treat you well, you know where to find me." He wink, then waka comot. I want make ground open make I enter. Efosa no talk for like one minute. Then he sigh. "Adaeze, I suppose tell you. Na only me and Osas for this world. We no dey separate. If you wan date me... you must endure both of us." I look am. "Wetin you mean endure both of us?" He look outside for the rain, then talk the thing wey change my life: "Osas don swear say any girl wey I love, he must test her first. And he never fail." My phone vibrate. Unknown number. Message: _"That kiss sweet pass your boyfriend own. See you tomorrow, wife of twins. - Osas"_ --- *CHAPTER 2: Double Trouble* I no sleep that night. That message from Osas dey burn my phone screen like pepper. _"See you tomorrow, wife of twins. - Osas"_ Wife of twins? Which kind talk be that? I block the number sharp sharp. Then I unblock am after five minutes. Then I block am again. Lagos girls fit call this _situation-ship_, but for Benin, we call am _wahala wey wear agbada._ Next morning for my shop, I dey do bridal makeup for one customer when the door bell ring. I look up. My hand shake, powder scatter for bride face. Na dem. Efosa and Osas. Standing together for my door like Nollywood poster. Same height. Same beard. Same necklace? No — Osas own get red bead for end. That na the only difference. "Good morning, our artist," Osas talk loud, before Efosa fit open mouth. "My brother say you be the best for Sakponba. I come support him girlfriend business." The bride dey look them like say she don see ghost. "Adaeze, na twins?" I force smile. "Yes... dem be... my cousins." "Cousins?" Osas laugh, enter inside, sit down too close to me. He dey smell like strong perfume and trouble. "Cousin wey you kiss with tongue yesterday?" Jesus! Efosa pull am up. "Osas! I warn you!" But Osas no fear. He bring out phone, show me picture. Na me — yesterday for Chicken Republic, sitting on his lap, kissing him. My heart stop. "If you no follow me go lunch today by 2pm for Grand Hotel, I go send this picture to your mama for village. And to all your customers for w******p status." I look Efosa. He look helpless. "Adaeze, sorry. Just follow am go. One hour only. He go tire." One hour? With this devil? I get no choice. 2pm sharp, I enter Grand Hotel, GRA. Osas don already order food for two. He wear white singlet, him muscle dey show. Efosa no dey. "Where your brother?" I ask. Osas smile that wicked smile again. "He travel go Auchi for family meeting. Na only me and you for the next 3 days." He push one small red box across the table. "Open am." My hand dey shake as I open am. Inside na key. Hotel room key. Room 203. Upstairs. "Adaeze," he whisper, leaning close, "my brother dey love you with heart. Me... I wan test you with body. If you pass my test, I go leave una two forever. If you fail..." He stand up, carry the key. "You go belong to both of us." Behind us, I hear camera shutter sound. _Click._ Someone just snap us. I turn back — na Efosa younger sister, Itohan, with her phone up. She smile. "Aunty Adaeze, so na true say you dey date two brothers? This go blow for family group chat!" --- *CHAPTER 3: Room 203* My legs no gree move as I follow Osas climb the stairs for Grand Hotel. Room 203. The key dey shake for my hand. Not because I fear Osas — but because small part of me... wan know wetin go happen. He open door. The room cold, AC full. Big bed. White sheets. One rose for top. "Sit down," he talk, voice low now. No more joke. I sit for edge of bed. He lock door. _Click._ My heart jump. "Relax," he say, bring two bottles of malt. "I no be animal. I just want talk." Talk? For hotel room? With rose for bed? He sit opposite me, look me deep. "Adaeze, you know why I dey test all my brother girlfriends?" I shake head. "Because three years ago, one girl, Blessing, lie to Efosa say she pregnant. Collect 800k from am for abortion. She use am open shop for New Benin. Efosa almost kill himself. Since then, I swear — no girl go play my brother again unless she pass me first." His eyes soft for first time. Not wicked. Just... pain. "So wetin be the test?" I whisper. He stand, waka go window. "Simple. Stay here with me for 30 minutes. I go try everything — sweet talk, touch, money. If you tell me yes... you fail, and I go show Efosa say you no worthy. If you tell me no till the end... you pass." He bring out wad of naira — like 200k cash — drop for table. "First test: If I give you this 200k now for just one kiss, like yesterday own, you go collect?" My mouth dry. 200k? For my shop, na two months work. I stand up. My voice dey shake but I talk am: "Osas, keep your money. I no be Blessing." He smile small. Step closer. Now his face just inches from mine. That same beard, same lips wey I kiss by mistake. "Second test," he whisper, his hand gently touch my cheek. No force. Just... soft. "Push me away if you want. Or..." The door KNOCK loud! _Gbam! Gbam! Gbam!_ We both jump. "OPEN THIS DOOR! NA EFOSA! ITOHAN TELL ME EVERYTHING!" Efosa voice dey shake with anger outside. Osas eyes widen. He no expect am. He rush to hide the money under pillow, but too late. Door burst open — Efosa get spare key from reception. He see me for bed edge. See Osas too close. See rose. See 200k cash wey fall from pillow. His face change. "Adaeze... so na true? You and my brother?" "No! Efosa, no be wetin you think—" But Itohan dey behind am, recording video live. "Family group chat, una don see am live! The cheating girlfriend catch for hotel with twin brother!" My world scatter. Osas suddenly talk, loud: "Yes! She fail! I tell you! She collect my money!" Wetin? He dey lie! I look the pillow — the 200k still dey there, I no touch am. But for camera angle, e look like say na my own. Efosa tears don dey come out. "Pack your things. We don break." He waka comot. I run after am, but Osas hold my wrist, whisper fast: "Good. Now he don leave you. Plan don work. Tonight 11pm, come back to this room alone — I go tell you the real secret why I do this. If you no come... that kissing picture go go viral." He release me. I stand for corridor, half confused, half crying, while Itohan still dey do live video: _"She don chop breakfast! Twins don serve am breakfast!"_ ---