chapter Six
Sophie was talking about profit margins, advert sales and other such things, Ada wasn’t really listening, she was thinking about Eddie.
She had done that almost nonstop since their date, almost a week ago. It was embarrassing. It was also pleasurable. She couldn’t have stopped if she tried, and she didn’t want to try.
The morning after her date with Eddie, he had surprised her by calling at about six am, to ask when she would be leaving for work. Every day since then, whenever she came out of the house, his car was there, waiting to take her with him on the long drive to the Island.
His behavior was faultless. He was always the amusing, ultra nice, ultra friendly Eddie, with no requests for dates or anything that vaguely resembled an attempt at seduction. He would pick her up, engage her in friendly conversation throughout the drive, and drop her off at her office. She had gotten to know him a lot more than she did before, and she hadn’t found anything not to like. Spending time with him was getting very comfortable, too comfortable in fact. She had started to look forward to those morning drives with too much excitement, and he wasn’t even pursuing her. Now she understood why it was so easy for all those girls to succumb to his charm. He wasn’t even using it on her and yet, here she was, dying for him.
“What do you think?” It was Sophie’s voice, cutting into her thoughts. What do I think about what? Ada wondered, looking blankly into Sophie’s face.
Sophie sighed. “You weren’t listening, were you? Where does your mind always go these days? I wonder.” She gave Ada a quizzical look. “I was talking about… oh never mind.” She frowned.
“I am sorry.” Ada apologized. “I just seem to have a lot on my mind these days.”
“Yes you do.” Sophie replied, sitting back on her chair. “I would ask you if it was something I could help with, but I’m sure you’re just mooning over some guy. Your face tells the whole story.”
Ada felt her face heat up in embarrassment. Was it so obvious? She really had to get her feelings under control. She didn’t want to fall head over heels for Eddie just because he had taken her out to dinner…. Once! The thought was embarrassing.
“We’re expanding.” Sophie was saying now. “We have to. We have to increase our pages to support all the advert requests we’re getting. We are all going to be doing much more work very soon, and I won’t be around for some of it.” She eyed Ada to make sure she was really listening. I have enrolled at the Lagos Business School.
Ada smiled. “That’s wonderful.”
“Don’t rejoice yet.” Sophie said. “You’ll be doing much more editorial work than usual.”
“But please no interviews.” Ada pleaded in panic. Convincing people to open up to her was not one of her strong points.
Sophie smiled. “Err no, I know you too well for that. No I’ll still handle most of those, but you’ll still be doing more work, so you will need an assistant. I’m going to send out advertisements, but you will conduct interviews yourself.”
“Okay.” Ada said, thinking about it. “I could use an assistant.”
Sophie nodded. “I’m promoting Oliver to my assistant, and hiring a real receptionist, someone who doesn’t simper at all the men like Fadeke does.” She smiled fondly. “Fadeke can take over some of Oliver’s old responsibilities.”
Ada nodded. So far so good.
“And you will be getting a car.” Sophie added, almost as an afterthought. “As features editor and head of our graphic design department, it really is high time you stopped scooting around Lagos on commercial motorbikes.”
Ada started. A car! Yeah she would like a car. She wanted to jump up and let out a whoop, but she caught herself. A car? It must have been Eddie’s idea. He had been trying to ‘cure’ her of her habit of using commercial bikes, or death instruments, as he called them. He had even offered to pick her up every day after work, but she had refused and there hadn’t been anything he could do about it, because she always left the island earlier than he did.
Well… nothing except get Sophie to buy her a car.
Sophie was studying her quizzically. “Aren’t you pleased?” She asked.
“I am.” Ada replied earnestly “I am. I’m just in shock….” She sighed. “Did Eddie ask you to do this?”
“Eddie Bakare?” Sophie asked.
Ada nodded. Was there any other one? She thought.
Sophie sat back in her chair and smiled. “What is going on with you and Eddie?” She asked. “Please tell me he has something to do with the way you’ve been smiling around the office and make my day.”
“I haven’t been smiling around the office.” Ada denied hotly. “And if I were I’m sure Eddie would have nothing to do with it.” She finished, lying through her teeth.
“So why do you think he would ask me to give you a car?” Sophie frowned, and gave Ada a stern look. “I’m totally in charge of our management decisions. Eddie sometimes advises Ada, but I am the one who runs this company.”
“I am sorry.” Ada apologized, feeling small. Her lies had earned her a chastising. If she had only told the truth, Sophie and she would right now be huddled over the desk talking about every single thing that had happened between her and Eddie…. Oh well.
“Anyway,” Sophie gave her an ‘I-am-still-annoyed-with-you’ look and continued. “Your car will arrive in a couple of days at the most.” She paused. “And don’t think I am not going to find out why you think Eddie went behind you and used me to get you a car.”
“I was just surprised,” Ada said contritely, “and I know you understand that the bikes are more convenient when I need to get from place to place really quickly.”
“Well the days of bikes are over.” Sophie said. “I heard from a very reliable source that they will soon be banned from most roads. So get used to the traffic, you’re going to be getting stuck in it from time to time.” She smiled mischievously. “So are you going to tell me about the guy?”
“There’s no guy!” Ada exclaimed, wondering who the reliable source was.
“I’ll just tell you now that I suspect that it’s Eddie.”
Ada tried to keep her face blank. She knew Sophie would be studying her expression very closely. “Why would you think that?” She asked calmly.
“Well,” Sophie shrugged. “He’s been acting much the same way as you, you know.” She considered for a moment. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s in love.”
Ada could almost hear her heart beating. Stop it, she cautioned herself. He is in love doesn’t mean that he is in love with you.
“Maybe you’re mistaken.” She told Sophie.
“Maybe I am.” Sophie mused. “He was over at our place a few days ago and he actually asked Michael how he knew he was in love and wanted to settle down.” She chuckled. “I think that’s telling.”
Ada realized that she had been holding her breath, waiting for Sophie to finish. She let it out slowly. “That doesn’t really mean he is in love.” She said, forcing a laugh.
Sophie shrugged. “He seems to want to talk about you a lot.” She said. “No matter what we’re talking about he always seems to somehow bring the conversation back to you.”
“He does?” Ada asked before she could stop herself. Was that eagerness she could hear in her voice? She grimaced.
Sophie didn’t miss a thing. She gave Ada a measured look and chuckled. “Well I hope he is in love.” She continued. “I’ve definitely become that smug married girl who wants all her friend to settle down as soon as possible,” She winked at Ada, “and that includes you.”
Ada sighed and got up. “I had better go and finish my work for the day.” She said. She was travelling early the next morning to see her granny in Owerri. “Please try not to match-make me with someone old and ugly.”
“How about someone who we can all agree is young and handsome?” Sophie asked innocently.
Ada’s mind immediately went to Eddie. She pretended to laugh. “Those ones are all taken.” She said, as she left Sophie laughing in her chair.
Her phone rang as she was about to leave the office. It was Eddie.
“What’s up?” He asked. “How was your day?”
“Fine.” She replied. His voice still gave her shivers up and down her spine.
“Have you left yet?” He asked.
“I’m just on my way out.” She told him.
“Why don’t you wait for me?” He urged. “It’s Friday, I could pick you up in less than thirty minutes. We could have a drink or do anything you want.”
Ada smiled. Ah! It was tempting. “You’ve already had your one date. Remember?”
“Yes.” He agreed. “And admit it, you like me a little bit more now.”
Ada sighed inwardly, if only he knew.
“Just a drink,” He cajoled. “I promise I will get you home before late.”
Ada almost relented. “I can’t.” She said finally, “I have to get ready for my trip tomorrow.”
“Okay.” He said. “I’ll just drown my sorrows alone then.” He chuckled. If I didn’t have to go to Abuja this weekend, I would come with you to Owerri and introduce myself to your granny.
Ada almost choked. “You wouldn’t!” She exclaimed.
“Try and stop me.” He replied, laughing.
“Introduce yourself to her as what?” She asked.
She heard him chuckle. “That would be a surprise.” He said cryptically. He paused. “When will you be back in Lagos?”
“My flight leaves at about 5.30,” She told him, “on Sunday evening.”
“So you’ll be arriving Lagos the same time as me.” He stated. “Do not, I repeat, do not leave the airport until you hear from me.” He instructed.
“Is that an order?” She asked.
“It’s a plea,” He said, “Thinly disguised as an order.”
She laughed. “Of course I will wait for you.” She found herself agreeing. It was hard to believe that she was the one on the receiving end of all this attention from Eddie. It was hard not to be thoroughly pleased by it, really, hard.
It was still light outside when she got home. Some of her neighbor’s kids were playing outside. She smiled at them, as they greeted her, even the very little one who still had a childish lisp in her voice. As she left them, she wondered what it would be like to have her own cute darlings. Hmm, such thoughts! It was strange! She had never thought about things like that until Eddie started his campaign to make her like him. Now she wanted children, his children, how silly could she get!
She was packing up her small travel bag, when her phone rang again, at first she thought it was Eddie and she started to pick it up with a smile. The smile vanished as she saw the number. For a moment, she considered not taking the call at all but finally, curiosity got the better of her.
“Hello.” She said, her voice showing all her displeasure.
“Ada baby!” The masculine voice cooed in her ear. “Ada baby.”
She sighed. It was Dele Solanke. He owned one of the more popular publishing houses, one of the few she had approached to publish her book. After telling her that they didn’t support unknown writers or in her case photographers, and asking her to put up the money for the publishing and book launch herself, he had started a very infuriating campaign to get her into bed. It wasn’t funny at all. No matter how many times she told him not to call her again, he just didn’t give up.
“Ada, talk to me.” He continued, in a baby voice that would have been exceedingly annoying in any man, much less a fully-grown, married one.
“How is your family?” She asked pointedly. “How are your wife and children?”
“They are where I left them.” He answered dismissively. “I give them money and they leave me alone. It’s you we want to talk about.” He continued. “How are you?”
She sighed. “Did you want to talk about publishing my book?”
“Ah! Ada! You like business too much.” He laughed. “You know that left to me I would publish and market your book just like that but I can’t justify such an expense to the shareholders, especially for a coffee table picture book. If only you were willing to let me personally give you the money.”
Ada knew where that was leading. She just wasn’t willing to render the services he required for his generosity.
“No. Thank you.” She said. “I don’t want your money.”
He sighed. “I am going to Abuja this weekend, for a wedding. My wife can’t go with me. Won’t you come?”
“You want me to attend a wedding with you in Abuja?” Ada asked incredulously.
“No, Ada baby, you will stay in the hotel.” He laughed lecherously. “ But I won’t spend long at the wedding. I will be back with you before you know it.”
Ada shuddered with revulsion. “I’m not interested.” She said. “Stop calling me and saying things like this, you are harassing me.”
“Ada baby…”
She cut the connection and threw the phone on the bed, feeling sickened. How she pitied his poor wife. What a vile disgusting man.
At least there were still decent men in the world, she thought as she continued her packing.
Like Eddie. The thought came out of nowhere.
She sighed. Whom am I fooling? She thought, with a sense of both resignation and pleasure. I am falling in love with Eddie Bakare.