Forbidden Passion: 16

Damola drove into the hotel premises where the party was happening. According to Adejare, it was a small get together of friends to celebrate another friend's achievement but what he saw didn’t look small.

From where he parked, he sighted a few familiar celebrities in the entertainment industry that he went to say his hellos before heading towards where his friends were seated.

“The king arrives.” 

One of the guys on the table where his friends were sitting announced. They used to be well acquainted when Damola was still actively involved in the industry but now they only saw one another at very important functions.

“It so hard to get hold of you these days.” The man continued. “How have you been?”

“Good.” 

Damola replied as he took the seat next to Jare.

“And how have you been too, Mike. It’s been ages?”

“Great. We are where you left us. Heard you and Jare now run creative schools. That’s a nice ‘give back to the society.’”

Damola laughed. 

“What can I say, man.” 

He exchanged pleasantries with the other friends at the table. Two were old-time friends but the last one was a friend one of them came along with. A sever arrived at the table to serve him food and wine but he declined the meal and the drink and instead ask for a bottle of soft drink or fruit juice.

“So, how's the best man doing?” 

Jare asked as he waved a waiter with bottles of alcoholic drinks over to the table.

“Stressed. I haven’t had time for anything aside from the wedding. And to think it’s not until six months.”

“Planning wedding ke! When you’re not a woman.” Segun, one of his friends remarked.

“I thought I was the only one who thinks it’s all shade of wrong. I mean we just provide the resources and the women do the preparation.” Bright, another friend added.

“Well, it’s not the typical women's stuff. I'm in charge of ensuring the couple's new home is ready before the wedding, invitation cards, one of those who went to visit the bride's family, to ask them to give us their daughter. And other things.” 

Damola explained. This wasn't the first time he had explained what wedding preparation mean. Maybe not as hectic and tasking as that of the women but still stressful. He almost turned down Jare's invitation but remembered he had promised and it had been a while since they all hanged out.

“You dey mind them? They are just pulling your legs.” 

Jare said as he put down another emptied cup of the cocktail he just got from a waiter. He reached out for the cup in front of Segun but the latter snatched it before he could reach it.

“Guy, chill. Are you trying to get yourself drunk? No more cups for you. Remember you are driving us home.”

Damola watched as the conversation stirred away from him to other topics. Politics, entertainment, business and then girls. He usually was not one to discuss relationships and flings as he barely had any experience with such. In fact, he had none. Not because he was the shy type or not man enough but he had not just given this part of his life much thought and had mostly focused on his career and what his legacy would be. But since Shina, his older brother pulled that surprise on them at the family dinner, he had started to consider it. 

And his mother, that woman had in recent times stylishly been asking him if he was seeing anyone. It was not like they were both not of marriageable age even but none of them could pinpoint Shina's love interest who's now his wife to be. He on the other hand had no love life at all but he hoped that was about to change. He could still hear his mother's warning about not being secretive like his brother. And he smiled as a face popped up in his mind. The same one that had been haunting his sleep as well as his daytime.

It’s been like two months since he last saw her. Ten weeks and a day to be exact. He should call her. He could imagine her gasp of surprise when she realised it was him and go on to ask how he got her number. But the reaction on her face would even be better if he chose to visit her instead.

...to be continued.