Derinsola's POV

“I look forward to working with you, sir” I spoke as I shook his hands, before he gave me a slight nod and left with his assistant and lawyer.

We watched them take their leave as I turned to my father who looked at me with a familiar glint in his eyes.

“Great job, son. I'm so proud of you” He spoke with a smile as I forced up a smile, nodding my head slowly before turning around and walking out the door.

I heard Rita trail behind me, towards my new office as I stretched my hand to check the time on my wristwatch.

“Hand me the minutes if the meeting, and go get me a cup of coffee.”I instructed her, not even pausing for a moment.

“Black” I added as I dropped my hand back to my side.

“Yes sir” She spoke as I suddenly halted and turned towards her before she stretched out a file in her hand towards me.

I collected the file from her hand before asking “So what's next?”

I opened the file and scanned through the pages, awaiting her response.

“Actually, sir. I.... cleared up your schedule” Rita informed me, slightly stuttering.

What?!

“Why?! Do you know how many things need to be attended to?! This is not why you are paid, Miss Rita” I yelled out in anger and frustration.

“I.. I am sorry sir, but...” She trailed off but was cut off abruptly.

“I asked her to clear your schedule, Derin. We would be having a lunch meeting today.”My father spoke out from behind Rita as my gaze moved from Rita towards him.

What the hell?!

I hated when my plans are changed like this.

“What meeting?! I wasn't aware of any meeting” I asked him, trying hard not to sound rude and disrespectful.

“Well, I'm telling you now.”He told me in a superior manner as his head turned towards Rita.

“You! Go tell the driver to get the car ready. We'll be heading out now” He told Rita who immediately bowed her head in understanding before shuffling away from us.

“C'mon, let's go” My father spoke as I stayed silent and just turning towards the direction he was heading to.

I felt enraged and frustrated but I knew better than to speak.

It was a business meeting afterall.

This is for the company.

The past week, working in the office has been quite strenuous and tasking.

I have had absolutely no rest. It was even worse than I imagined.

And worse of all, I was to busy to speak to anyone.

I haven't heard from Kola since I arrived, so I didn't know what was going on there.

I was dying to know, how she was doing.

Or if she was happy with Peter.

But now, it felt like it was all in the past.

This was my life now.

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“We would leave earlier, so you should get to know each other better” I heard her father speak as I looked at them blankly.

“Dadd!! I don't want to do this” She whined in some sort of hushed tone but I could hear her clearly.

I had better things to do than whatever this was.

“You don't want to loose your credit card, now do you?!” He spoke before standing up straight and turning around, walking out the restaurant with my dad who shot me a wink before he left.

What the hell?!

I was not in the mood for this?!

“I'm really sorry about my Dad. He can be a little extra sometimes” She spoke in a nice tone as I exhaled before forcing up a smile.

She was pretty and extremely classy. Every inch of her screamed luxury and the make up on her face, made her seem like some attention seeker.

But the way she spoke clearly convinced me otherwise.

I should get rid of the habit of judging people at first encounters.

Just like I did with Lola.

Calling her a thief and all.

“It's fine” I responded as she looked at me before saying in an apologetic manner.

“I actually have a boyfriend, so...” She spoke as I nodded.

Well, good.

Absolutely nothing is going to happen between us.

“Ohh, I understand. I have someone too” I replied before immediately biting my lip at my words.

Did I?!

Would Lola still remember me at all?!

“Or at least I think I have someone?!” I muttered as she shot me a questioning look.

“Uhn?!” She asked in confusion.

“It's nothing. There's just this girl and...” I trailed off before stopping and looking back at her.

What are you doing?!

“It's nothing” I concluded as she looked at me with a wide smile.

“Nothing?! Come on, you can tell me. I am an expert at relationships” She said in a pleading tone as I laughed at her words.

She just sounded like she wanted to kill time with my story.

She reminded me of Lola. Lola was always a forward and outgoing person.

“Alright, she...” I started off, rambling to this complete stranger.

*after thirty minutes of heartfelt words and unbottling feelings*

“Damnnn!!” She exclaimed letting out some air before looking at me straight in the eye.

“First, you really like this girl. I can even see it in your eyes. And you took too long to realise it.”She spoke as I exhaled at her words, with a small nod.

Sadly, she was right!

“And, you really shouldn't have set her up on a date. That is so not cool. Girls hate that” She spoke as I looked at her questioningly.

“I didn't set her up. She agreed to go to the date” I clarified as she rolled her eyes at me.

“First, you gave the guy her number and did you really think she would reject it, especially knowing him before?! And what you did, gives 'just a friend' or like a 'sister to me' vibes. It was not cool, at all” She spoke shaking her head in disappointment.

Damn, I really messed up.

“Also, you left suddenly. You are basically making this girl believe you don't give two shits about her. Girls don't like that too. They want a caring and loving man, who won't leave the state abruptly” She lectured as I stared at her, with my thoughts trying to come up with ways to make this right.

“The solution is to go back to Lagos and kiss her ass” She concluded.

“And, as for your concerns, just be honest with her and make things right”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“That was some date.”She spoke as I nodded.

“Definitely” I agreed as a black car stopped right in front of us.

“This is my ride. Do call me and tell me how it went.”She spoke as she turned towards me.

“Sure will. Sorry, I kinda forgot...”I started off as she cut me off.

“Eliza. Eliza, with a boyfriend and a brother who loves Indian girls” She spoke as I laughed at her words.

“Don't mess this up, Derin!” She warned me as I nodded before she moved towards me and gave me a little goodbye hug.

I won't!

I definitely won't.

She immediately pulled away and waved as she walked towards her car and got in, while I helped with the door before waving slowly.

After the car was out of sight, I pulled out my phone from my jacket pocket and dialled a number.

The number immediately picked up at the first ring.

“Rita, book me a flight heading to Lagos tomorrow” I ordered.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lola's POV

“Thank you” I appreciated with a small nod as he walked out the restaurant.

Stupid Jerk!!

He handed me a tip, after completing eye-raping me.

But there was absolutely nothing I could do because I needed to provide for my family.

I walked out the counter as I grabbed a rag and cleared some dirty tables but I was interrupted by the sound of my phone beep.

Peter:
Hey, I'm outside.

I read the text before slipping my phone back in my pocket and letting out a small sigh.

I went ahead to change at the back room, before heading out the restaurant and scanning the area for Peter.

“Heyy!” I greeted with a forced up a smile as he looked at me worriedly.

“Are you okay?!” He asked me as I nodded.

“I'm just a little tired” I told him, letting out a sigh as he smiled comfortingly.

“Then, I'm glad I arranged the perfect place for today” He spoke before guiding me to his car.

This!

Whatever this looked like?!

.... was Kachi and Kosi's idea.

“Come on, give him a chance and forget that scum”

I remembered their exact words.

“Thanks” I told him as he opened up the door for me, while I lowered myself into his car.

Peter, is a gentleman.

He has been so nice and sweet to me, I kinda feel bad about it.

He looked like he really was expecting a genuine relationship, while I was busy thinking of the guy that set me up on a date.

I immediately thought back to Peter's words the last time we met a few days ago, and I just had to ask.

“Why did Derin leave Lagos, again?!” I asked as he started the car engine, before looking at me questioningly.

“I... I'm sorry, but I'm just curious” I explained as he nodded before turning his head to focus back on the road.

“He's taking over his company and would have to work in Abuja.”Peter told me as I still couldn't wrap my head around this information.

“But he is still coming back, right?!” I asked him, sounding a bit more desperate than I wanted to.

“I doubt it. He can come for meetings or events but I don't think he would move back here permanently” He told me before giving me a questioning look again.

“Oh!” I responded, failing to hide my disappointed look.

I slowly turned to look out the window as I tried to take in this news.

He is really gone now.

I was too hard headed to accept my feelings earlier, and now that I had, it was too late.

But, whatever.

I didn't need him.

Feelings fade away quickly, so in the next few months, this would be old news.

“Has he.....” I started before pausing abruptly and looking at Peter apologetically.

I wanted to know if Derin's parents knew we had broken up and if he was still in contact with Derin.

But I felt awful about trying to ask him these.

“Can you please, stop the car?!” I asked Peter as he looked at me in confusion.

“Is something wrong?!” Peter asked me as I nodded, feeling an emotion of sadness swarm through me.

He immediately pulled over as he stared at me with worry filled eyes.

I immediately opened the car door and got out, hurriedly breathing in the fresh air that hit my face.

He got out of his side of the car as he walked towards the front of the car, where I had moved to and standing in front of me.

“Are you alright, Lola?! Is something wrong?” He asked me worriedly, raising his hands to hold unto my shoulder, comfortingly.

“I am really sorry, Peter. But the truth is I...” I started off as he cut me off, giving me a look of complete heartbreak.

“really like Derin?!” He completed in a questioning tone as I looked at him in utter disbelief.

He...he knew?!

“You knew?!” I asked him in confusion as he slowly took his hands off my shoulder.

“Yeah. It was quite obvious.”He spoke in a sad tone as I looked at him in an apologetic manner.

“I'm sorry, I might have led you on.”I apologised as he shrugged with a genuine smile.

“It's fine, I wasn't only hanging out with you because I liked you. I truly enjoy spending time with you, so don't let this stop us from being friends. It's the least I could get” He spoke with a sad chuckle as I stared at him pitifully.

Yet, another man who was captivated by my beauty, but ends up heart broken.

I felt really bad but this....

is a proud girl moment.

The way I think sometimes.

“You got it” I told him with a genuine smile.

Immediately, I heard my phone buzz in my pocket and I reached to grab it.

“Excuse me” I told him before picking up Kosi's call.

“Open the link I sent to you” She told me and immediately hung up.

What a rude child!

I immediately unlocked my phone and navigated my way to Kosi's message.

What link could this be?!

I immediately tapped the link and it took me to some blog site on Instagram.

And the caption, I read made my eyes widen and my heart shatter to a million pieces.

What?!

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Author's Note

Hello,
Sorry it's sorta late. I just resumed school and I'm trying to balance school life with writing.

I hope y'all understand😚

Ifeh_love💖