I turn to Andrea, and she smirks.
“I told them to beware the fury of the silent man, but they didn’t listen. I knew you wouldn’t back off that easily.”
I return a smirk to her.
We wait in palpable silence for Jordan to return. It feels like I’ve been standing for ten long hours. All the determination, confidence and wit I always carry with me is long gone; just my heart pounding at the beat of a loud gong is all the sound I hear. Andrea is quiet and watching me closely. I hear the steps of Jordan approaching.
“She’s in the room, third door on the left.”
“And?”
He takes a breath. “You can see her but if she tells you to leave, please leave. I don’t want this to get messy.”
I nod again. My steps quicken as I get closer. I gently open the door to a floor-to-ceiling window, flooding the space with city light. A soft brown carpet anchors the room, its brown palettes adds elegance and comfort. She’s lying in bed, sheets pulled to her chin and doesn’t get up. I move fast to her side, kneeling next to her.
“I’m sorry,” I say cupping her face.
“I’m pregnant,” she replies, staring right at me. My heart slams in my chest as a warm feeling overcomes me. “I don’t know what to do.” Her voice breaks and a tear falls from her face. I gently wipe it.
“Please, marry me.” She pulls away from me. “I love you, Anu, and I’m sorry about last night. She lied to you. I put you in that room to keep you away from danger, outside and inside, while I quickly conducted business. Please, believe me,” I plead. For someone so good at getting things right, seems I keep fucking up when it comes to her.
“Did you fuck her? Is that why she was jealous?” she asks, locking gaze with me.
“No, I haven’t touched her in over five years. She’s just crazy,” I answer without breaking eye contact. I know she’s examining my reaction.
“Just crazy is an understatement. I doubt she only had Jude in mind for me,” she sneers. More tears fall; I try to wipe them, but she knocks my hand away.
“Anu, please, I didn’t want to take you there, but I had to make that stop. My sister’s best friend was getting blackmailed by her ex-husband because he lost in court. The guy had been hiding. Bruce found him last night. I paid him the blackmail money and got all the stuff from him. Anu, I only took you there because I thought we could get in and out quickly and not lose the guy I was after, and Sophie is just a bitch that feels she’s entitled to me, even though I don’t talk to her.” I stare at her, my heart racing. I need her to believe me and trust me.
“Is your sister’s friend going to be okay?”
“Yeah. Bruce got the information; he deleted and wiped it out completely.”
She nods.
“I believe you; Marie told me Sophie was lying. I was very upset and didn’t want to speak to you in anger.” She pauses for a moment; I hear uncertainty in her voice. “Then I found out this morning that I’m pregnant, and I didn’t know what to do—"
“So, you ran,” I interject. Smiling at thought of her pregnancy, the best news I’ve ever received.
She nods.
“I’m sorry, Anu.”
She nods again.
“Please, marry me,” I repeat, my heart banging against my ribcage in anticipation. I know she loves me, but her fear of us failing may affect her decision. She gently sits up in bed, her back to the headboard. I want ‘us,’ her pregnancy, though scary with her condition is still a blessing, if her parents can risk having her, we can risk having our own too.
“Has anyone told you that the timing of your proposals on a grading system will earn you an F?”
I exhale. At least she’s not saying ‘no’. There’s hope for me yet. And yes, she did hear me the first time I asked.
“No one has told me about my proposal grading, because I’ve never asked any woman before.”
She rolls her eyes at me. I dip into my pocket and take out the ring box, opening it. She stares at the ring, and I turn her face to me, keeping my intense eyes, as she calls them, on her. “Makayla Anuoluwa Kuti, I love you so much. Would you please make me a less grumpy happy man and sayyesto marrying me?” I ask. My racing heartbeat is all I hear, a complete contrast to the steady beat I always get in her presence.
“It’s a beautiful ring.” She smiles. The first smile I’m getting.
“Is that a yes?”
