Jide is in the good graces of all the females in my life. Once I narrated how he apologized to me and how I turned his marriage proposal down, he went from being the bad person to the good one and I the worst person.
My mum couldn’t believe I turned down his marriage proposal. I know she likes him a lot, but she is meant to be on my side, not his, even though in the end, she told me no matter what, she would always support me and I was right in my decision to say no. But every now and then when we talk, she exclaims she can’t believe I turned down such an eligible husband candidate. When she does, I have to remind her that it’s not that serious because we would eventually get married, but she scoffs when I say this, and I’ve just learnt to not comment anymore. I think she just does it to tease and rile me up.
My girls couldn’t believe I told him no because they were the ones who’d told him to go for it and ask me to marry him. I couldn’t believe them, and I gave them an earful when next I saw them in person. Because they didn’t consult me at all, they did not even try to find out my views about marriage with Jide, or if I was ready.
I informed them that they were not only bad friends but also bad researchers and informants, which proceeded to make all four us burst into laughter and kiss and make up. At least now, if my boyfriend or their future boyfriends, fiancés, or husbands recruits us for help, we will always find out without giving away clues about our current headspace and opinions on whatever it is that is being planned.
Even though it’s kind of their fault Jide proposed, thinking I would say yes. I am the bad person because they don’t understand why I said no because in their opinion, being engaged doesn’t mean I’m getting married immediately, and I’m forfeiting some of the benefits of being engaged, such as spending even more time with Jide, without old aunties being judgemental. But I’ve said no, and there’s no changing it because, in the end, it’s my and Jide’s relationship. We’ll know our timeline, and when the time is right, we’ll both know it.
Dupe is driving Jide’s car today and not the Lexus I have gotten accustomed to being driven around in. Jide and I are heading to my workplace together, and I am a bit nervous because we have decided to officially go public with our relationship at Palm and Co. We have a meeting scheduled with the Head of Human Resources, for we don’t know what the protocol for a boss and an employee dating is at the firm, especially since Jide isn’t directly my boss.
Today at Palm and Co., there’s going to be an unveiling. The firm has acquired the rights to and will be publishing something huge, so it is holding a press conference to share the news with the general public. The board of directors, shareholders, and other official bodies are to be present at the conference. I am excited because there has been a hush around the place as only the heads of the various departments know what is being unveiled while we, the remaining employees, have to wait like the rest of the world to find out what the news is.
Jide is basically killing two birds with one stone because now, he doesn’t need to pave time out of his busy schedule to come down to my office for this meeting at a later date.
Ever since we made up, our relationship has only amped up the love between us. I feel like I’m floating in a happy bubble and all is right with my world, and I’m trying so hard not to get so ahead of myself because it’s been only a week since our late-night candlelit picnic.
Not a day has gone by without Jide and me seeing each other in person, and we have now become inseparable whenever we are free of any of our obligations and responsibilities. I have even slept over at his place a couple of times, and all I am going to say is it was always wonderful. Wherever we are, in public or in private, when we are in each other’s presence, we can’t help but keep constantly touching, brushing up against each other, having our elbows linked, or holding hands. Just like we are doing right now, in his car.
I am being held in Jide’s arms, and there’s no space between us as we discuss how we think the Head of HR would react to our news. We both agree she would more or less treat us as grown adults and not make a big production out of our announcement and send us on our merry way in no time, only because today is an eventful work day.
My day is beyond eventful. Not only am I coming out to my firm about Jide and me officially, I am also to be present at my first huge work event and will be attending the concert of the summer with my girls, courtesy of Jide. I can’t help but love today because it’s a day that’s packed with cheerful and happy events.
I don’t have a lot of friends at work apart from the people in my department, but I am on friendly terms with many other employees, for example Bose, the secretary of the Human Resources department.
Bose ushers us into Mrs. Ehi’s office as soon as we step out of the elevator and onto the Human Resources department floor. We exchange morning pleasantries, and I introduce her to Jide before she gladly tells us how right on time we are because Mrs. Ehi had just finished settling down and is now ready to start her workday.
As we get closer to her office door, out of nowhere, I become a nervous wreck because I am feeling like I am reporting to my secondary school’s principal’s office because I was caught doing something bad.
Jide enters before me and lightly drags me in while silently laughing at me. Mrs. Ehi, who is seated behind her desk, cheerfully gets up and welcomes us—well, mostly Jide into her office before we all take our seats again.
Seeing that Mrs. Ehi obviously has professional respect for Jide, I choose to let him speak on our behalf, and I only speak when I feel it’s necessary I do so. Us informing her about our relationship is the right step because she gladly tells us we are the first people within the firm to acknowledge how our relationship could raise red flags if the management isn’t aware, and hopes us doing this will also inspire others to take this step in letting HR know about their interwork relationships.
There is paperwork for us to fill and sign, ensuring our relationship won’t disturb or affect our professional responsibilities and also be responsible for assuring that our relationship does not raise concerns about sexual harassment, favouritism, sexual discrimination, bias, ethics, and conflict of interest.
We leave her office smiling and holding hands. Bose grins and signals her thumbs up at us as we pass her desk on our way to the elevator. It’s almost eleven thirty a.m., and the conference doesn’t start until noon. Instead of heading down to the event hall to get settled in before the conference starts, we head to my office like we are secondary school teenagers, looking for a way to while away time and be alone with each other, even if it’s only for some few minutes because this is our only chance for privacy for the rest of the day at the firm.
Today, my firm announced it has secured the publishing rights for the franchise that is the Viola Trilogy by Tessa Monaé in the whole of Africa. Not just West Africa or South Africa, but Africa the continent.
I am still in shock. Never would I have dreamt or thought that there would come a time where I would get the opportunity to work on or create graphics for and have my name attached to such a prestigious project.
I am going to meet the Tessa Monaé, one of the women I look up to and whose success constantly reminds me that I can achieve great things, too. And I am going to be part of the graphic design team for her books—she is going to know me. As soon as I heard the announcement and my brain started calculating what it would mean, Dieko and I immediately started hyperventilating, because both of us surely just discovered what it feels like to enter, be acknowledged, and accepted in fangirl Heaven. And when Tessa Monaé stepped onto the raised platform herself, I think my heart stopped for a second before it started working overtime and my body started to shake with the rush of emotions I was feeling. I didn’t even know I was crying until Dieko handed me his handkerchief to wipe my eyes.
No matter what now, working on this book is going to boost my résumé by miles. It will give me a reputation that only a few people can claim to have, and it also means we as a team have to bust our minds and brainstorm to create the most epic book covers and inner graphics this trilogy has ever had. The pressure is real, and I love it.
The conference ended a bit after five p.m., and we were free to go home after and start the weekend on a happy note. All through the ride home, I can’t help but only gush and speak about Tessa Monaé, and Jide is more than thrilled because he just keeps on smiling endearingly at me. I guess it is because he has never seen me in full-out fangirl mode.
Immediately as I get home, parting from Jide is hard, because I feel like I’m leaving behind a part of me I need to function properly, and if I am being true to myself, I want to spend time with him instead of going out with the girls. I’m about a minute from cancelling with them and going over to his place in order for me to get even more lost in everything that is Jide.
Even though I know if I cancelled on them they would understand, it would not stop them from rubbing me not going to the concert in my face. Besides, a night out with the girls is always a good time, and it would be fun dancing and singing live to our favourite Nigerian artists. I have been anticipating seeing and listening to Lady Donli performing live because I’ve been to other concerts in the past and have seen many other artists perform, but not her yet, and going tonight would change that and make me a permanent member of fangirl Heaven today.
From the concert, we’ll be going to Jide’s place, and Dupe has agreed to drive us to and from the show, so he’s going, as well. Jide didn’t want to come because it is a girls’ night out, and he’s better off without being in a confined area with hundreds of people and loud noises, including the music. Because I know we would leave the concert late, everyone including Dupe will also be sleeping at Jide’s place. Jide gladly accepted our conclusion because he now refuses to let me be out late without a car or someone he trusts to drive me back home.
I love dressing up for concerts because it’s so easy to dress for. Nothing too fancy, and the more stylishly comfortable, the better. The first person to arrive is Onyinyechi, and she helps me with applying makeup to my face as we talk about life in general. I am waiting for everyone to arrive before I start gushing about Tessa Monaé, so they can start complaining and tell me to shut up at the same time, plus I don’t want to repeat the news I have to share three times.
Since Dupe is driving us all to the venue, my home is our meeting point. The concert starts at eight p.m., and we leave my home by nine p.m., which means we would get to Eko Hotel around ten p.m. and into the event hall a bit to eleven p.m. if my estimation is right, knowing the later the better, because when it comes to Nigerian concerts, they never start early, especially ones as big as this.
Never have we gone to a concert together and opted for getting ourselves a table, because tables are ridiculously expensive. But seeing as Jide had several tables for being one of the sponsors for the show, there’s no way we aren’t taking advantage of that.
As we are getting our table entry hand bands, I spot Dieko and excitedly wave him over. I wasn’t expecting to see someone from work here, especially not Dieko because we never discussed concerts. I reintroduce him to everyone, just to jug their memories, when I notice that he is wearing a VIP band on his wrist. Our table is for six people, and we are only five, so I ask him if he wants to come stay with us at our table. He doesn’t believe me at first, asking me if I am being serious, and when everyone nods that I am, he happily accepts and exchanges his VIP band for a Platinum Band, even joking that from now onwards, he’s going to be tagging along with me for shows and events.
We arrive right on time, because not up to five minutes after we are directed to a table near the stage than no other than Lady Donli graces the stage. I’m so excited, I immediately get up and start singing along with her, making my friends do the same, and I look round the hall and see many other people dancing and singing along to her songs.
I notice that Nnoli and Dieko seem to be having a great time talking, and I throw the others a look, which they give me back, telling me without us speaking that they already noticed it, too, and we would discuss it later. One of the best things about our friendship is that we can communicate with each other without speaking words, and it’s so beautiful to be connected with them on this level.
By the time we decide to leave, we are so buzzed and we more than enjoyed the show, and we are all tired and can’t wait to clean our faces and take a nice bath before we go to bed. I spy Nnoli and Dieko exchanging numbers before we go our separate ways, and I loudly cough, but they both choose to ignore my obvious teasing.
Getting back to the mainland didn’t take time at all since it was late and there was zero traffic on the road. I had to make sure everyone was settled in for the night before I made my way to Jide’s room.
I knew he would be asleep. He said he would wait up for me, but I told him I wouldn’t count on it, and here he is sleeping. As I watch him sleep, my heart is filled with peace and love. There’s something soothing about watching him sleep. I quietly go about cleaning my face and taking a quick shower, before I slip into his bed with him.
“Did you enjoy yourself, love?”
I am surprised when I hear his sleepy tone asking me the question. As I settle into the bed, I feel his arm go round my waist and pull me until my back is to his chest.
“I did. It was amazing. You should have been there.”
“It’s fine. What about your friends and Dupe?”
“They did also, and they are all settled in. I made sure of it before I came to bed.”
“That’s good. I’m just glad I have you in my arms now.”
I wiggle around a bit until I am comfortable and hear him release a soft, sleepy chuckle. I am also sleepy, and any minute now, I’ll be in dreamland, so I better tell him now.
“Babe, I am so tired, I’m going to fall asleep any second now, plus you and your bed aren’t helping with how good you’re both making me feel.”
“Alright, goodnight. I love you.”
The last thing I remember saying is “I love you, too” as I got lost in the land of sleep.