The First Time

14. Breathless

Debbie's POV

I still couldn't feel my legs as they carried me into my bedroomoom. I felt like I was floating on the air and the only thing that seemed to be working in my body was my racing heart.

How I got here from their mansion to the amount I paid the Uber driver was all a blur.

I closed the door behind me and took shaky steps to my bed, sitting down gently at the edge and exhaling deeply. I sunk my face into my hands and my braids fell over covering my face to my lap.

He was going to call me tonight.Tonight! I picked up my phone and tapped on the screen twice to open it. On the screen, the time read boldly 5:25pm and my heart trembled.

What was I going to say? Was this all a dream or- was I still asleep?

Pinching my cheek, I flinched and robbed the aching spot with a frown. I definitely wasn't asleep.

Then how did everything go from me planning on stealing the number of one of the most successful and handsome men in the entire Lagos to him asking for mine. How? And why?! And did he keep staring at me like— like that.

Remembering the heat deep in his eyes as he stared at me, I shuddered.

Nobody had ever looked at me like that and it made me feel different. Made me feel womanly things that I never felt before.

Biting my lip, He kept walking closer to me and— how he touched me. Was he also attracted— I shook my head. No he can't be.

The smell of his expensive musk was still present around me. Closing my eyes, I breathed it in and let out an involuntary small moan.

The door to my room suddenly jerked open and I saw my mum standing there wide eyed, looking at me with a combination of fear and shock and also there was our frying pan in her hand.

I almost laughed at the expression on her face but knew better than to,

'Mum?-'

'What is wrong with you?!' She yelled with her eyes blazing I'm anger. 'Do you want to give me an heart attack you this girl? You came in and walked straight to your room without coming to my room to greet me first and I got scared and thought it was a thief that had entered our house.'

I watched her as she stood by the doorway yelling and her palm tightened on the handle of the pan like she was itching to beat me. Oh Lord!

My little brother peeked his head in and when she saw the angry stance my mother was in, he scurried away from her and came into the room to sit beside me.

'I called and called and called your name, but you chose not to answer me abi! Scaring your mother to death like that.' The dangerous tone in her voice made my already numb body come back to life in an instant and I stood up from the bed, my eyes carefully moving from her face to the pan she was clutching in her hands.

'Mummy i- I didn't hear you when you called my name. I didn't hear anything.'

'You didn't hear me calling your name? With the way I was yelling 'Debbie is that you? Debbie is that you? You didn't hear abi? Your ear is not working well or what?' She spat angrily, making me bite my lip in regret.

What was I going to tell her? That it wasn't my fault? That it was the most intense and handsome man that I met minutes ago that made my mind preoccupied. And yes! Will I also add that he literally touched me. He placed his warm, rough hands on my skin and moved close to me that I could feel his warm breath on my face and his masculine cologne filling my nostrils making me light headed.

But when i felt my brother tap me gently and my head snapped up to my mum narrowing her eyes at me, I knew that would be the worst idea ever.

'See the person I'm talking to. Are you ignoring your mother? 'She walked closer to me in a threatening manner.

Oh Lord, she's really mad. My heart went from fluttering deliciously to the fear of my mum's anger at me.

'No mummy I would never do that. I just- I just- I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. My mind was preoccupied with something and I was just tired.Wanted to go straight to my room and sleep.'

'So that's why you didn't come to my room to greet me first and you scared the living life out of me and your brother?'

I nodded sheepishly. 'Yes ma. I'm sorry I won't do it again. I promise.'

Her eyes softened a bit and she nodded curtly before signalling at my brother to come to her.

'Your food is in the kitchen if you are hungry. Freshen up and rest. We would discuss what was on your mind later that you didn't hear me yelling your name.' She said the last part sternly and closed the door with a thud. Leaving me confused with how quickly her mood changed.

I exhaled deeply and laid on the bed. That was close. At least, I didn't feel the back of pan on my head and most importantly, how did I not hear my mum yell my name?

Maybe I was taking this whole Timini thing too seriously. I thought with a sigh and closed my tired eyes falling into a deep slumber after hours.

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Coming out of my bathroom, I felt all clean and a little bit relaxed wrapped in my cotton pajamas and a silky bonnet covered my braids properly.

Although I could still feel my heart racing wildly in my chest, I was a little bit out of it after I took a short nap earlier.

While I was in the shower, I decided to call my best friend Laura and relay every single thing that happened but when I looked outside my window and saw it was night time, I decided against it.

It was too risky. What if Timini called at the time I was on the phone with her. And then he doesn't call me back again? I would just have to wait till he calls, then I can tell her all that happened all together.

I told myself then buried myself deep into my duvet staring at my phone that was turned upside down on the bed.

What if he ended up not call-

My phone suddenly vibrated and my heart practically dropped on the bed.

I immediately sat upright and stared at the phone like it was the scariest thing I had ever come across.

What was I going to do? Should I let it ring and not pick? If I picked, what would I say?

My breathing increased and after moments of sweating and contemplating on whether to pick up or not, I slowly inched my hands towards the vibrating phone beside me.

Taking a deep breath and calming down my racing heart, I picked up the phone and with bated breath, I turned it around expecting to see an unknown number but instead, it was Laura's number flashing brightly on the screen.

I sighed in relief and picked it at once and before she could say anything I blurted out.

'Laura can I call you back? I have a lot I want to talk to you about but right now I have to go. I promise to call you back later and I love you, bye.'

I said in one breath and was about to cut the call when she stopped me.

'Wait wait, are you okay? Why are you so breathless and don't you dare cut the call on me!' She said in her usual threatening voice making me chuckle easening up the tension a bit.

' I promise I would tell you everything soon but right now I have to go please. You don't understand.'

'W..what??' She sighed then said, 'Okay fine. But don't forget to call me back o and the gist must be worth it.'

'Yes yes I promise.' I said, eager for her to stop talking so I could cut already.

When she didn't say anything for a while, I hung up and my shoulders slumped.

What if he didn't call?

Another one hour and a bucket of sweat from me, my phone rang again. I was sure it was my Laura calling me back, demanding for her gist and I groaned, picking my phone up.

The unknown number I saw flashing on the screen made me stop breathing.

Frantic nerves curled up my body making me stop dead. I couldn't move or bring myself to touch the green thing on the screen.

My eyes were glued to the Eleven digit numbers flashing on the screen, my phone vibrating violently in my hand reminding me of the call I still hadn't picked yet.

Biting down on my lip, my chest heaved up and down and on the second ring but felt like the hundredth, I pressed the green thing on the screen and placed the phone on my ear.

'H– Hello?' I muttered almost immediately.

'Hello Deborah. It's me, Timini.' He answered, saying my full name like he had done before.

The way his voice sounded rich and deep coming from the phone made my heart flutter wildly and waves of shivers flow around my body.

My breathing increased and I opened my mouth to reply but nothing came out so I closed it back.

I bit back my moan when I heard him say my name again.

'Deborah is that you?' He asked, his voice sounding slightly nervous.

'I– ' My voice came out croaky so I cleared my throat. 'Yes it's me. I'm sorry i– '

'Please you don't have to be sorry for anything.' He sighed softly and mummured the last part. 'You shouldn't be.'

I licked my lips nervously and nodded my head and when I realized he couldn't see me, I said. 'Okay-- ' and then hesitated before saying, ' Okay Timini.'

He took a sharp intake of breath and it made my grip on my phone tighten.

'Before I say anything else, there is something important I have to let you know Deborah. ' He said, his voice sounding deeper that usual and I swallowed down my spit.

The thought of what he was going to say made my heart race dangerously.

For a second, I contemplated on what to say and when I had no idea, I moaned out a 'hmm' and he breathed out deeply again.

'I want you to know that I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable in any way possible earlier and--- ' he chuckled humorlessly. 'i am not crazy or anything and I certainly don't look at other women that way. But I did all of that– not intentionally–because you're.. you are the most beautiful girl I've seen in my entire life. I couldn't take my eyes off you no matter how hard I tried.'

The sincerity in his voice strangled mine away almost completely and It felt like I was hit by a bolt of lightening.

'Timini i---'

What he said next made eyes widen and my pounding heart to pick up it's pace and..

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