A woman's dilemma - Episode 38

 

Claudia:

 I lay on the couch in the sitting room staring down at the text Daniel sent last night. I'm just getting more angry looking at it. Because of one damn guy, I lost my job as well! He wants my account details? Well he's going to get it.
I click the reply button on my phone and punch out a text.

2147900255
UBA BANK 
N250,000 OR I'M SPREADING YOUR SISTER'S DIRTY SECRETS TO THE PRESS TOMORROW. LOSE MY NUMBER, DANIEL.

 There, I send it and drop my phone on the couch beside me . I feel a bit better for lashing back at him. I refuse to acknowledge the feeling of despondency inside my stomach as I stare at the wall of my sitting room. Damn stupid man! He should not have messed with me. I'm a vengeful bitch. I am right? I groan and rub my stinging eyes roughly.
"Hey, you okay?" Amy's voice makes me look up and a reluctant smile curves my lips when I look up at her. The mini dress she's wearing is not too extravagant to be considered formal but it accentuates her small figures nicely without seeming slutty.
"You look great​, Amy" I tell her and she smiles conservatively.
"You think so? Don't I look overdressed? I don't want him to misinterpret this." She says and I shrug.
"He's your mystery man, Amy. It's a good thing if he misunderstands." I point out.
"I don't know__" she draws out and I sit up on the couch. 
"Why are you hesitating? Your long time crush wants to cook for you

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-woman-s-dilemma

. That's green light for he wants a relationship." What's with her anyways? At least her romantic life is going great. Not everyone can acclaim to that. Not that I had a relationship with Daniel or anything but__
"He helped me all those years ago, yes. But what if there's nothing here. Like no  chemistry between us." She plops to the couch beside me and rest her cool cheeks on my arm.
"Don't over think it. Why are over thinking anyways?, it's not like there's another person you're considering outside Mr mystery man." I say. When I catch Amy biting down on her lips I know something is up. 
"There's someone else?" I ask. Why didn't I know this? Have I been that immersed in Daniel?
"Well, Benson has a twin." She says then avert her eyes. I gasp in mock mortification.
"I like his twin?! Damn girl!"
"Stop it!" Amy pouts and I laugh despite my mood.
"Come on. Fill me in on everything. How did you meet his twin? When? "
"He's my anatomy lecturer." 
"What?! Wait is mystery man that old for his twin to be a lecturer?" I ask with a frown.
"He's not old." She defends and I raise my hands up.
"Okay, you are crushing on your lecturer. That won't end well."
"Well, he quit." She tells me. 
"He quit to be with you?"
"No! Let me finish okay?" She says and I nod.
"I thought this lecturer, Benedict was my mystery man. I mean I saw the same handkerchief with the initials with him. But when I saw Benson and him together this morning, I became confused as hell."
"Hmmm. You know what I think?" I ask her. 
"What?"
"You probably think you like the lecturer guy because you thought he's the mystery guy. Now that you've met the real one, I suggest you try him out so you don't regret in the future. Or does this lecturer guy like you?" I ask and she frowns.
"I don't think so. He's out of the country now. For a basketball contract or something. I think he was an MBA star." My eyes go big at this.
"Shut up! What is his name?" I say excitedly. Okay, yeah I used to love basketball.
"Benedict William." Amy says with a shrug. She doesn't know Benedict?! 
"Babe! He's the best of the best! At least before the accident that tore his knee. Christ! He's going back on the court?!" Amy eyes me like I have two head and I shrug.
"Babe, you should check this guy up on YouTube or something. He's hot."
"Don't say that about him. Eww."
"Okay. Okay. I like Benedict as a star. But a lover? My dip with a star didn't go so well Amy and I don't want to see you end up like me. Take the easy way out. On the bright side, if they are twins, Benson must be hot as well."
"You are right. Thank you, Claw." Amy giggles when I freeze up at that name.
"Don't do that, girl. I might Claw your eyes out." I threaten. It's her turn to raise her hands up in surrender.
"I thought he was into you." She says after a while and I say nothing. I thought so as well. The bell rings and Amy's face falls.
"I think the driver is here." I tell her.
"I'm nervous. I've not been on a date for almost a decade. And it's in his house." She says. I pull her up with me and walk her to the door. I pull the door open and realize it's raining so hard.
"You call me if you feel awkward or scared okay? Be safe." I pinch Amy's nose and let her out of the house to the flashy car waiting outside the house. A older man comes out with an umbrella and escorts Amy to the car.
   I wave them as they drive off only to stop when I catch the male form crouch low under the pouring rain. I have to strain my eyes when the form starts making a run for it into my compound when my security guard starts closing the gate. Benjamin? My gate man blocks his path halfway through and I release the breath I'm holding. I don't want to deal with him. Not today. I let the guard take care of it and turn around to go back inside. 
"Claudia?! Claudia! I know you saw me! Please talk to me, please, love." I stop in my steps and grab the door knob to steady myself.
"Please baby! Just talk to me." I look at him through my peripheral vision and he's struggling with my security guard in the pouring rain. The guard letting him talk but not move closer to me.
"Get that man out and lock my gate!" I call coldly to the guard.
"Yes ma'am." I hear him say before I push the door open and enter the house with a heavy heart. I don't know why but he's getting to me. I did love the man one time in my life. 
 I go back to the couch and turn the television on to dull out the sound of the rain and Benjamin's voice. Now that I know it's raining and my mind is out there, the sound of the rain seems louder from inside. Can't believe I didn't hear the rain earlier. My phone alerts me to a text and I reluctantly pick it up, thinking it's Daniel. Benjamin's numerous texts bombard my phone as I unlock it

I QUIT MY JOB FOR YOU CLAUDIA.

 SPEAK TO ME. PLEASE. 

I LOVE YOU. 

I'M SO SORRY I HURT YOU. 

YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I SEE MYSELF WITH FOR LIFE.

WE WERE SO HAPPY. 

WE DESERVE ANOTHER CHANCE. YOU KNOW IT.

I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT YOUR HEART, CLAUDIA. I LOVE YOU. 

Exhaustion rolls over me at all the texts. I don't even know what I want.

Read " Intoxicated Romance " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. I drop my phone on the couch and turn off the television when it gets too much. I grab the blanket from the small stool beside me and pull it up to my chest, letting my eyes slip close to the exhaustion.

 The sound of dangerously loud thunder shaking the building pulls me out of slumber and I jump awake.
"Ouch." I groan at the banging in my head. Sleepy eyes catch the blinking light from my phone and I pick it up with a yawn. 32 texts 69 missed calls. 
Benjamin! I check the time on my phone. 10:19 PM. He can't possibly out there. I nervously drop my phone.
"Oh no." I jump out of couch at another thunderbolt and without putting on my slippers, I run outside, banging on the gate till my security guard comes out with sleepy eyes with the key.
"Ben?" I poke my head out of the open gate but get no answer. Of course he's left. No one will sit in the pouring rain for this long.  I start to push my head back inside the compound when​ my eyes catch a figure just across the street. Both our eyes clash as he pulls his head up.
"Claudia! You came!" He runs for me and engulf me in his arms. Familiar arms and I feel a bit better.
"I can't believe you stayed out here in the pouring rain." I let my hands come around him.