Prologue

Adeola and Abiodun had been dating for over six months, they met sometime in June last year at a mutual friend’s birthday party, Abiodun couldn’t resist her dazzling beauty from where he was sitting at the club, hypnotized he floated through the noisy crowd to where his enchantress was. “Hi, I’m Biodun…”, “I’m Deola…” As the saying goes, the rest is history.

Two months later, prior to much pestering from Biodun, Deola agreed to be his girlfriend albeit on one condition: there’d be no sex in the relationship. She told him she was a virgin and would love to remain one till her wedding night. It was such a big deal for Biodun at the time, yes he really liked her but  c’mon dude was a striker who had got to score. Of what good was his balls if the goalpost was taken away, that was tantamount to taking away the fun from the game. Or maybe it was time for the player to hang his boot, maybe it was about that time.

Though he wasn’t the kind of guy who allowed his women to make the rules, as an alpha male he loved to dominate and be in charge, not the Christian Grey kind of domination though. But not in a zillion years would he have thought such a day would come, the day he never dreamed of or ever thought possible, the day he’d fall in love and agree to a no-sex-before-marriage relationship.

14 February, 2016
9.13 a.m

On the morning of Valentine’s day which was a Sunday, Biodun drove down to the mainland, Kudirat Abiola Way, to attend Sunday service at his beau’s church. She had invited, compelled actually, him to the Believers Love World Valentine service, a special love edition for singles and couples. Biodun never wanted to attend. Church and religion wasn’t his thing, as a child growing up he had been active in church due to his parents influence, he lost interest when he got into the university and started living on his own.

The only time he attended church was when invited to a wedding or any special occasion to be held in one, some of his past girlfriends had tried but in the end they would give up when they realized he was never going to budge. Only love could have made him agree to give it a try once again, even if it’s just for a day – Valentine’s day. Anything for his love, whatever makes Deola happy.

Church service at Belivers Love World wasn’t that bad, unlike other churches the service was very much avant-garde in style. Biodun found it very cool. Although almost all the activities, from the music to message to the talk shows and presentations seemed to be choreographed as if it was a stage performance and they were all acting out a script to the oblivious audience.

Amidst the superfluous theatrics going on around, what fascinated Biodun most was Deola. Her beauty is like fine wine that keeps getting better by the day. He could barely concentrate during the service, at every slight moment his gaze would stray to the beauty beside him, who looked almost angelic in her burgundy gown. Her caramel face shone flawlessly in the dim theatre light, whenever she was singing or praying (in tongues), Biodun’s restless eyes would settle on her and in his mind picture those red glossed lips of hers rapping on his with the same fervour it exuded while praying and singing.

“Hope you were blessed in service,” Deola asked him on their way to the car after the close of service. “Yes I was.” But it wasn’t really the service or ministration that blessed him, he was blessed because he had Deola. He couldn’t wish for any better blessing, she was his woman, his everything.

11.15 a.m

Biodun could barely concentrate while driving, he kept stealing glances at Deola who was sitting beside him at the  passenger’s seat. Deola caught him stealing one of those frequent glances at her, she smiled, “Ahn ahn, please concentrate o so you don’t go and hit someone’s bumper o,” and they both started laughing. “How can I concentrate when my biggest distraction is sitting right beside me.” A car honked harshly behind his Lexus RX350 SUV, the traffic light had already turned green without him knowing, “you see what I mean?” He grinned at Deola who was also chuckling, then marched on the accelerator and resumed the drive.

Biodun pulled over at Ikeja Shopping Mall, to make some surprise Valentine shopping for his boo. He got a customised Valentine cake that was shaped like an heart, on the top of the cake was written: HAPPY VALENTINE; and an italicised ‘I love you’ scribbled underneath.  He also got her a big teddy bear, a box of Bulgarian chocolates, an expensive bottle of Giorgio Armani perfume and a big Valentine card. Deola was blown away, she least expected it. It was their first Valentine together.

When they were alone in the car, she cupped his cheeky face in her palms and planted a hot kiss on his full brown lips. “I love you baby.”

1.20 p.m

After they left the mall, Biodun stopped over at UNILAG hostel, Moremi Hall, so Deola could cache her gifts in the hostel before they head for the movies at Silverbird Galleria in Victoria Island. The ticket stand was crowded, it seemed as if everyone in Lagos was at the Galleria to see a movie, luckily Biodun was able to get two tickets despite the crowd and limited seats available. Suru’lere, the recently premiered movie produced by Rita Dominic who also casted in it, was the movie to be screened.

Everyone except Biodun was enjoying the movie. At some point the soundproof theatre would reverberate the sound of laughing voices, other times it was a brief chuckle. Deola would be like “oh babes isn’t that so funny,” while laughing. “Aww isn’t Rita Dominic so chic”, “the soundtrack is lovely”, “I love that dress”, “Nollywood is really improving o…”

Biodun kept nodding and smiling to all her soft spoken rambling. He wasn’t really into Nollywood flicks, he preferred Hollywood action thrillers and Sci-Fi movies, Deola was the one obsessed with Nollywood movies and rom-coms, it was because of her he was there pretending he liked the movie, when deep within he just couldn’t wait for it to be done with.

5.06 p.m

To make the Valentine more special Biodun had made plans for them to dine at one of the trendiest Chinese restaurant, Marco-Polo Chinese Restaurant, on the Island. A special VIP table for two was reserved for them, Biodun had already booked and paid for it in advance.

The hors d’oeuvre was Bordeaux red wine and chicken-noodle soup served with chopsticks. “Happy Valentine’s day sweet,” Biodun filled Deola’s glass and his with wine. He raised his glass mid air towards Deola’s, “to us”, Deola clinged her glass against Biodun’s, ” to us”, she replied feeling loved. About fifteen minutes later the main course was served, Yeoung-Chow Special rice. For dessert, it was Vanilla ice-cream.

There was no denying this was going to be the best Valentine Deola had ever had, but Biodun wasn’t done yet, he had reserved the best for the last. It was going to be a surprise, safeguarded in his bedroom.

7.10 p.m

The first time Deola visited Biodun in his two bedroom flat apartment in V.I she was stunned. Everything about the apartment, from the furnishing to the wall finishing and even the portraits hung on the wall was spot on. He’s indeed a big boy who got taste, she concluded.

She checked her wrist watch to know what time it was, she didn’t have any intention of passing the night over, that way one can avoid temptation she would say whenever Biodun asked her to sleep over or spend the weekend at his place.

“I got you something, something special.” Biodun cuddled her from behind, his thick hairy hands knotted around her supple waist. They were in the living room, Boys2Men was playing in the background. Unlike previous times Deola didn’t writhe away from him like she always did whenever he held her too close, close enough to stir erotic desires. Maybe it was because she was slightly tipsy just like him. They had too much red wine at the Chinese restaurant.

He curled his moist lips on her nape, at the touch of his lips on her skin she quivered, whatever wall she had erected to wade off such desires fell flat like the walls of Jericho. Her defenses crumbled.

Their lips intersected like two rivers embracing themselves in a confluence, his tongue got lost in her mouth and hers in his. The bridge had already been crossed, there was no going back, it was already too late for such cowardice. No retreat, no surrender. Their bodies were on fire, ablaze on the flames of carnal desires, yearning to be put out. To be satisfied.

The room was cool, ventilated by the split air conditioner who was going to be a witness to the arson about to be unleashed in the bedroom. To add more petrol to the brewing inferno, Biodun began to traverse the aureole of her breasts with his salivary tongue, slowly and sensually. Her moaning was like an aphrodisiac to him, he bit softly on her needle-like nipple which sent electric ripple waves down her spine. “Ahhhhhhhh baabyyyyy” she cried softly.

He lolled his tongue like a rolling pin tracing from her cleavage down to her navel, he sucked at her navel like he was drilling Coca-Cola through a fleshy straw. From there he slid downwards, her thigh lips was already wet when his tongue got there, her wetness tasted like the nectars of an ixora flower, it was warm and juicy. With the tip of his tongue, he titillated every inch of flesh on her pinkish thigh lips. “Uhhhhhh uhhhhhh just like that…” she cooed and shut her eyes tight to savour the erotic moment, “ohhhhhhhh my gawwwd, I love you Chuks!”

It was as if at the mention of Chuks, all the fire burning in Biodun’s body was doused with ice water. “Who’s Chuks?” He asked staring her in the eyes. She averted her gaze from him, awash with guilt, what a terrible faux pas she had made for allowing the name of her course mate who was also her boyfriend, the one who knew how to get her to cloud nine by the mere touch of his tongue, to slip out carelessly in the presence of Biodun, the rich boyfriend. She willed her tongue to speak, but the lies wouldn’t articulate. Her silence made Biodun boil, this time round it was anger. “I asked you a question, who’s Chuks?”

8.05 p.m

Without saying a word, she put on her clothes and dashed for the door. Biodun was awestruck, he wanted to stop her from leaving, she didn’t have to leave, all he demanded was to know who Chuks was. Just tell me it was a slip of tongue, just say something, those were the words his lips didn’t say.

Though he knew it wasn’t a slip of tongue, he was way too experienced to buy that crap, she was definitely screwing some other guy or some other guy was screwing her. It was written all over her expression, no woman would mistakingly call the name of another man while having sex or about to have sex if she wasn’t screwing him.

It broke his heart, to be taken for a ride and a fool, all because of love. Even then he would have believed whatever lie she told him had she been able to pull one, because he still loved her nonetheless.

The door clicked, and he knew she was gone. All the unsaid words and unexpressed emotions in him flowed out in tears, “Deola why?” he cried, “why?”. It wasn’t supposed to end this way, she wasn’t supposed to leave the way she did, without the surprise he had planned to give her.

He opened the drawer of his bedside table, there it was, the surprise package encased in a small red box.