Wake up and smell the coffee called reality

I have occasionally had the life many women dream of, and other times I have been through nightmares or simply been in limbo…like I am right now. I told you about running into Emeka a few weeks ago and I also told you about the message I saw on TK’s phone. The message has been taunting me…every time my husband tries to touch me the message pops up in my head…” Missed you tonight, call me”. TK saved the sender’s name as Bee… and all of a sudden every Bola, Bisi, and Belinda on the planet has become a suspect. The text has been driving me crazy so I need a distraction. Unfortunately, Emeka has been a good source of distraction. I have a confession, we have been texting and mailing each other every day…it’s almost like we are trying to make up for lost time.

Every time something funny happens I immediately want to tell him…I know it’s wrong but I can’t deny the fact that I am enjoying myself and TK is not even helping. He has been traveling so much lately and half the time, I am convinced he is with “Bee”! Yes you don’t have to tell me, I am obsessed with this Bee issue but I am not ready to confront TK. Anyways, Emeka got a really good job in an oil and gas firm here and has moved back to Nigeria and yes he lives in Lagos, in a service apartment in Ikoyi to be precise. I have been consoling myself about the fact that we have only been texting and not doing anything bad until I ran into him at the supermarket the other day. I was with Oladunni and Rosemary buying groceries for the house and he was with Ronke… his fiancée.

Hmmmmm Dear Diary, I don’t mean to sound narcissistic but the girl reminds me so much of myself. We are about the same height, have the same dark skin, the same build…and she is pretty. Okay, let me be honest she is not just pretty, she is beautiful. We greeted casually and he introduced me to her as an old friend, I was offended and I decided to ignore his texts for a few days. I don’t know how exactly I was expecting him to “tag” me but I just knew “old friend” didn’t cut it.

After two days of completely ignoring his messages, Emeka graduated to calling of course, I ignored his calls too…until one day I got a delivery in the house. Twelve long stemmed red roses with a card that read “Angel…Please say something“. I didn’t have to guess who sent the flowers, I knew it was Emeka. But guess what??? He had used the same florist TK uses to send me flowers. How was I going to explain the flowers to TK if he found out? Fortunately he was out of town as usual but I called Emeka immediately.

Emeka: Ah…Finally! I was going to send a delivery to your house every day until you picked my calls.
Me: Why would you send something to my home??? That is the same florist my husband uses. You could put me in trouble you know.
Emeka: Oh please! He would actually have to be around to find out now wouldn’t he?

Me: My husband’s schedule is none of your business and please don’t ever send anything to my home again. How did you even know my address?
Emeka: Ronke lives a couple of streets away from you. I have seen you and your husband drive out a couple of times.
Me: Oh now you’re a stalker too? Just leave me alone.

Emeka: Obviously I have upset you. Tell me what I did wrong so I can fix it or are you just jealous that Ronke is young and beautiful?
Me: Why would I be jealous? I am young and beautiful too! I just figured you have a lot of old friends to catch up with since you just moved back.
Emeka laughed out loud on the other side of the phone. Emeka: Now I know what this is about. How should I have introduced you Angel? Should I have called you the love of my life? Because that’s what you are.

Me: Please stop Emeka: Have dinner with me. We need to talk. Me: I can’t! Are you out of your mind? Emeka:When it comes to you, I am always out of my mind. Have dinner with me just once. I need to talk to you about stuff. Me: We can talk on the phone. Emeka: I need to see you. Meet me at the Blue Crescent Restaurant at 7pm tomorrow. TK won’t find out I promise. With that he hung up. I couldn’t sleep that night, I kept tossing and turning trying to make up my mind on whether or not to meet Emeka the next day.

The next morning as soon as I dropped Oladunni off at school I headed to the salon all the while convincing myself that I was trying to look good in anticipation of TK’s arrival in a few days. Linda came to join me at the salon and we got our hair and nails done and eyebrows waxed. I was very convinced I looked good afterwards. Linda: So what time should I pick you up for the charity cocktail this evening? I had totally forgotten I promised Linda I’d accompany her to a cocktail she and some other politician’s wives were organizing to raise money for some charities.

Me: Oh I forgot about that. I’m sorry I can’t attend…something came up.
Linda: Something like what? Abeg you have to come o…I can’t stand most of those women. I need someone to be gossiping with.
Me: Linda I’m really sorry I’m just not available tonight.

Linda: I even thought that was why you came to the salon too and TK is not back for another couple of days, what are you up to this girl?
I couldn’t believe I was going to lie to Linda, I had never done that. Me: An old friend is in town and is leaving tomorrow so I have only today to visit. Linda: Which old friend? I hope it’s not that guy we ran into the other day that made you speechless. This was the part where I told the bold faced lie. Me: Of course not!

Thankfully she dropped the subject and I went home to prepare for my “date”. I wasn’t quite sure what to call it. I changed my outfit three times and then finally settled on an orange silk shift dress. It wasn’t too tight but it showed off my curves, wasn’t too short but it showed enough leg and it wasn’t too casual or too dressy…it was just perfect…the perfect balance between naughty and nice. I completed the look with a pair of nude high heeled slippers and a matching purse. My makeup was light but well done and I let my wavy weave down, it went all the way to my waist…I knew I looked good.

I decided to drive myself which I rarely do and I took one of the few cars in the house without a customized plate number. It was the car we used for Oladunni’s school runs for security reasons and it was my first time driving it. As soon as I pulled out of the compound my cellphone rang. It was TK calling from his hotel phone in DC. Me: Hey baby TK: Hey darling. How are you? Me: I’m ok.

How’s DC? TK: Cold. Can’t wait to get back. Me: Sorry darling…just a few more days and its home sweet home. TK: Yup! Can’t wait to see my girls. Is Dunni there with you? Put her on the phone. Yikes! Me: She’s asleep actually. TK: Anjie, Anjie…she is asleep or you are not at home. Which one? Me: Both. TK: So why are you driving Dunni’s school run car, and why did you insist Akpan shouldn’t take you? Wait…were the staff spying on me? This was the first time I was pulling this kind of stunt so obviously they had never had anything to report in the past. Every sensible cell in my body was telling me to turn round and go home but my eagerness to see Emeka was no match for my common sense. Me: I am going to meet some old friends for drinks and I don’t want them to think I am showing off when I turn up with a driver and a car with tinted glasses and a customized plate number. I just want to be Anjola tonight not Mrs. Ayo-Kensington.

TK laughed on the other end of the phone TK: Ok o Anjola, have fun and be careful. Call me when you get home. Love you. Me: Love you too sweet. After I hung up I knew what I was doing was reckless but then I wasn’t bothered. What TK didn’t realize was just as he was hanging up, I had heard the faint sound of a woman’s voice, asking room service to place something on the bedside stool. He wasn’t alone in his hotel room and for that reason I wasn’t standing Emeka up.Emeka had reserved a table for two in the VIP section of the lounge…it was a bit too intimate but at least we were less likely to be “caught”.Emeka: I can see you came here to torture me. You look absolutely amazing.Me: Thank you and yes I came to torture you and I have only just started. He faked a heart attack and we both laughed. Dinner was easy and fun until he dropped the bombshell Emeka: Anjolaoluwa, I am getting married in a month and I wanted you to hear it from me.

I knew he was engaged, I had met the fiancée, I should be prepared for this…but my heart was racing and I was pretty sure I was about to have a heart attack…a real one. Me: Wow…I am happy for you. Ronke seems like a lovely girl and I am sure you will be happy together. Emeka: That sounded corny. Is that all you have to say? Me: What else do you want me to say Emeka? Emeka: I want you to say what you really want to say and stop running away everytime the conversation gets too heavy for you. Me: So what do you think I want to say since you are now in my head? Emeka: You want to tell me that you love me and you want me to call off the wedding so we can finally be together…