I named it 'THE SINGLE'S EVE'.
My hotel.
The candle lights were always lit in a big hall at night to give the hotel a romantic view.
Just two weeks after I had left Bower bound, my hotel was made.
My beautiful hotel.
I observed each room and it was right in place.
A beautiful bed, a television screen, and a stool.
Each room had a toilet.
I had made the big hall an event hall.
I was only able to afford two conditioners for the time being in the big hall while each room had a standing fan. At least that was what I could afford, but the rooms were cozy because of the trees outside.
I had already bought two conditioners and placed them in the storehouse so that I would be able to get the rest and arrange them in each room.
I had already employed attendants and securities.
I had advertised 'THE SINGLE'S EVE' on all the platforms that I could.
My hotel was strategically built beside an airport and there was a university at the front.
My next investment was my fish pond business.
I was cooking jollof rice in the kitchen when I heard a soft knock on the door of the new house that Raymond had given me.
I walked to open.
It was Raymond.
It was the first time that he was coming to my house in the two weeks that I had packed in.
I smiled and allowed him in. "Big head, what are you doing in my house?".
He giggled and hugged me from behind. "Is it a crime to visit the love of my life?".
I chuckled as I watched him release me and walk to sit on one of the cushions in the living room.
I turned on the television and I could feel his eyes on me.
"Have you been resting at all?". He asked me surprised.
I shrugged and walked to sit beside him. "I am fine".
"In a week, you will be four months pregnant, Victory"
"I know that. I am fine". I observed him. "How was work today?".
"Work was just how it has always been every day. What about you? Are you cooking something?".
"Yes. Rice. You will love it". I rushed to the kitchen.
"I am not eating! I am filled up dear!". He cried out from the parlor.
"You are eating!". I cried out.
I placed the food on a plate and we ate together.
It was the first time we were eating together.
Our eyes met and we held our gaze for a moment.
"Victory, did your parents ever quarrel?".
"My parents? Not even for a second. Even when my mother had found out that my father had kept the secret of the birth of my elder brother, all they did was cry together".
He gasped. "I have never seen that all through my growing days. My mum had always been extremely domineering and it suffocated my father. Though he never talked to me about it I could relate because I watched every communication between them and my mother's voice was always the loudest. Sometimes, it pissed me off and that was part of the reason it had delayed my marriage. I had taken so long to grow into maturity because I had been sheltered all my life".
I sighed. "What about your dad now? Did he divorce your mother?".
"My dad doesn't want to lose my mother, and all the same, he doesn't want to stay under a roof with her".
"So, they are just separated?".
"My dad is in Istanbul, Turkey. He has an animal farm there which he is currently managing. He doesn't want to come back to Nigeria".
"What about your mum? Have you ever sat her one one-on-one and talked to her? You know, a heart-to-heart discussion?".
"I have done that over five thousand times, but my mother is the type that, before you say anything, she always believes that she has a full idea of what you want to say. Though I had been so suffocated by my mum's domineering attitude, I still had it in mind to marry a woman as confident as she was...YOU". He smiled
"Yes, I accept the confident aspect of her".
He chuckled. "...and the domineering?".
We broke into laughter.
I shrugged. "Well, I am not domineering".
"You are not. You are just my perfect woman".
I smiled and squeezed his cheek. "What about you? When did you start loving me?".
"...from the very first day, I told you to abort the baby and leave the company. Your reaction that day made me thinking the whole night. That fire quenched the ice in me and kept me melting".
We broke into laughter.
"What about you, Madame?". He asked with a curious glint in his eyes.
I avoided his eyes. "The thing is that I am fine with not completely loving you".
He gasped. "...you can't do that, Victory".
"Why do you think that I have been avoiding you?"
"You don't want to fall in love with me?".
"Yes".
"What can make you totally fall in love with me?".
I blinked mischievously at him. "...when someone stops drinking...".
We broke into laughter.
"I knew you would say that. You are so annoying". He squeezed my cheek.
I cleared my throat. "I am afraid of falling completely in love and becoming a weak woman".
"Anytime you are weak, I will be your strength, Victory".
Tears filled my eyes as I stared into his eyes. "I just feel as if you will slip off my hands overnight. Anytime I see you, I feel so scared that Rosa James will take you away from me".
He cupped my cheek in his hands. "Don't ever think that Victory. I am willing to take my life if we don't end up together".
I hugged him.
I felt so loved by him.
After eating, gisting, and watching a movie, it was time for him to go.
I saw him out of the house as we walked to where he had parked his car outside.
I smiled at him as I adjusted his collar. "Your birthday is in two weeks".
He rolled his eyes. "Girls and birthdays".
We broke into laughter.
He held my cheek and kissed me lightly on my forehead "From now on, I will be your umbrella. I will protect you".
I made eyes at him. "God will protect me".
We broke into laughter.
Even if we just stood right there saying nothing to each other, it felt so good.
I reluctantly waved. "Goodbye".
He chuckled. "I wish we could just get married tomorrow".
I laughed hysterically. "Are you kidding me right now?".
He entered his car and waved longingly at me.
It was not even up to five minutes after he had left the house that I received a call from Rosa James.
I connected it.
"There is one classy hotel that recently opened in your area that they call the Singles Eve. How about if we meet over there?".
I disconnected the call and drove over to my hotel
The classy hotel was my hotel and I was so impressed at the turnout of people.
When my attendants saw me, I gave them the signal to act like they didn't know me.
I joined Rosa James at the table.
She glared at me and folded her hands. "You know it is risky for a pregnant woman to be playing games with me right?".
I smirked at her. "I don't understand what you are talking about?".
She smiled knowingly at me. "You think I don't know that you left Bower bound to successfully date Raymond without anyone threatening you with sacking you from the company?".
I met her eyes and smiled. "I don't understand what you are talking about".
She struck the table so hard that it caught the attention of the customers eating around. "If you continue doing what you are not meant to do, you will die".
I scoffed at her. "Madame has forgotten that we are both pregnant". I glared at her. "Look here, if you keep threatening my life, I will report you to the police. Look here, Rosa or whatever you call your name, if anything happens to me, you will bear the consequences because you are threatening me with my life".
I still had the recording pen that Grace Craig had given me.
It was recording our conversation.
"I give you two weeks! If you don't cut your coat according to your clothes, I will kill you".
I shrugged as I watched her closely. "We are so alike. We both slept with our boss to maintain a strong stand in our workplace".
She fumed at me. "How dare you!". She rose to her feet.
I held her hand. "Rosa James, if in two weeks, something happens to me, you will be implicated because you are the only one that threatened my life".
Rosa James smiled devilishly and walked out.
As I walked to my car, my phone rang.
It was my brother.
I connected it. "Hello, Collins".
"Who is Nelson?".
"Nelson?".
"That guy has been coming home to take care of a father for the past two weeks. Dad completely likes him and wants him to be his son-in-law".
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