The party was in full swing as Emily pulled into the drive way. She asked herself again why she was here. She checked her makeup one more time with her compact and then alighted from the vehicle.
She felt a mixture of dread and anticipation as she walked up to the house. She was looking her very best. She knew without being boastful that she was slaying it today. What she hoped to gain out of it? Perhaps, she needed to see Banjo wonder about what he was missing. Perhaps, she needed to gain her dignity which, she admitted was a bit torn up by how cavalierly she had been treated by Banjo and the Adenirans. She had never felt like she was ‘good enough’ in their estimation and that had pushed her to try to be things that she was not. Things she now wondered if they had been a major reason of why her relationship with Banjo had stalled. Had she become boring? Who was she? Who was Emily Olaoye?
She tucked in her stomach as she stepped into the pool area where the guest had gathered. She admired the handwork of the event planner as she made her way over to where the celebrant and her friends were, greeting friends and acquaintances as she went.
“Happy birthday Patricia.” she greeted as she got up to them. Patricia squealed excitedly, surprising Emily with her enthusiastic welcome. It wasn’t that they were not friendly with each other, but Patricia had never been quite enthusiastic about her as Banjo’s girlfriend.
Some of the girls gathered around her said their hellos and they settled back into whatever conversations they had been having before she turned up. Emily felt herself becoming uncomfortable with just standing around so she made her way round to one of the buffet tables that had been set up around the pool. As she made her selection, she scanned the guests as they partied, laughing at some of their antics. She was trying to scout out a less occupied spot where she could go to eat when she spotted her, the lady that Banjo had been staring at the night of the party at Okwaras’ house.
She felt a sting of tears come to her eyes and blinked it away hurriedly. Apart from the fact that she was loathe to ruin her make-up, she really did not want to give the Adenirans any reason to pity her. She straightened her spine and walked to the corner where she had spied an empty seat. So intent was she on getting to the seat that she did not notice the young man who stepped into her path with a small smile on his face until she had bumped into him. She yelped loudly as she felt the damp of her drink spilt down the front of her dress.
“Oh dear, I did not see that happening.” he said in his distinctive voice as he held her by her arm to steady her.
Emily looked up into the face of Kenneth and felt her blooming frown relax into a wide, if slightly discomfited smile.
“Mr. Okorie! What... wow! Imagine seeing you here!” she stammered out.
“You are friends with the younger Adenirans?” he asked in his usual direct manner.
“Something of the sort.”Emily answered. She was sure if she was light skinned enough, her blush would have been apparent. Again, she wondered at the wisdom of turning up today. Yes, she had been invited but that was before Banjo had broken up with her.
“Hm! An interesting response.” He said as he conducted her to a table on the side. He motioned to one of the servers hanging around and asked for a cloth napkin.
“I’m hoping that was water?” he asked as he indicated the front of her dress with a subtle nod.
Again, Emily felt the heat in her cheeks and was immensely thankful for her dark skin tone as she nodded shyly at him. He smiled his nerve wracking smile again and turned to look around him cursorily.
“Is your father here then?” he asked her.
Emily began shaking her head but decided to try her voice instead. She cleared her throat, trying to not be too gauche about it and said, “No. No he is not.”
“Do you have to hang around for long?” he asked next, raising one eyebrow in such a boyishly debonair gesture that Emily found her lips stretching into an amused smile.
“Not really.” She answered on a shrug.
His face shifted to a considering frown. “When you say sort-of-friends with the Adenirans, what exactly do you mean?”
Emily felt her breath whoosh out of her lungs. He, Mr. Okorie knew how to get to the point. She had seen firsthand his no-bullshit-negotiation style in a board room.
“It’s a long, long story...”
“Simplify it.” he said shortly and then as if he had just remembered his manners, “Please.”
Emily rolled her eyes and then cringed at herself. How was it that this man reduced her to the antics of a really gauche sixteen year old? She was a full grown woman with an up and coming career in one of the best law firms in the city. Her actions should be more suave than this.
“We used to date.” she blurted out and at his questioning look, “Banjo and I used to date. In fact, we only just recently broke up.” she said.
He was quiet for a few seconds and then he said rather than asked, “He dumped you didn’t he?”
Emily felt the huff clawing up from her throat and tamped it down viciously. She would act her age. She shrugged as carelessly as she could feign even as the pain and indignity she felt at being so summarily dumped pinched at her.
“If...So why did you show up today?” he asked, his face a weird mix of consternation and annoyance.
“How do you know the Adenirans?” she asked. “The invitation to this party was pretty exclusive.” She fiddled with the cutlery in her hand and eyed her food longingly. Even though she really liked her selection, her stomach was too tense for her to eat it with any enjoyment. She felt a bit like a slow, recalcitrant student at the principal’s office.
Kenneth shrugged as he replied. “I guess I have hit the exclusive list then.” He watched her face closely as he took a sip of his drink. Emily felt a shudder go through her and hit her right in the spot. She carefully placed her cutlery down by her plate and picked her glass of water for a drink.
The server eventually showed up with the towel but she waved him away. Her dress had gotten somewhat dry in the interim.
“Are you going to eat that?” Kenneth asked, eyeing her plate of food.
Emily stared down at the plate of seafood finger foods she had made up. She really should be enjoying this. She often did not have the time to indulge and since she did not like taking herself to a high end restaurant, she hated to miss these opportunities when they presented themselves.
“What if I promised you something better if you skipped out early with me?” Kenneth offered his voice almost sugary in its proposition.
Emily cocked her head to the side as she considered his offer and looked down at her plate.
“It is a dilemma?” he asked with what she saw was patently caricatured expression of surprise. She laughed at his goofiness and nodded as she stood up clutching her purse.
“Let’s blow this joint before I change my mind.” she said smilingly.
He watched her for a few moments with a small smile playing on his lips and then he stood and held out his hand to her. Emily hesitated a scant second as she tried to consider what putting her hand in his would convey and then she thought, ‘What the heck!’, put her hands in his and allowed him lead her out of the party.