Saved by Love - Episode 14

 

     Some minutes later, they were at Chubby Cheeks Restaurant, a section of Lantern Hotel. They were ushered to a table at a far end beside a window. The other customers in the restaurant were not up to ten and so the atmosphere was conducive and quiet.

They ordered after studying the menu card and within minutes they were served and as they picked up their cutleries, Akinola asked,

“Can I say a short prayer before we eat?”

“Of course.” Adara agreed. He did and she responded, 

“Amen.” Then they started eating, and Akinola said, 

“So, ma'am...”

She cut in “ Adara is okay please.”

“That is if you will call me Akinola.”

“That's mouthful though, but I want to imagine I was your mother, she must have had a hard time calling you because she can't just say 'Akin', I bet you would all run forward.”

He laughed “You are so right . She used to make the mistake most times and as growing boys, we used it to tease her such that when she calls, we will all run to her. She would then fake frustrated sigh and say 'My next child had better bear another name or we will have a house full of 'Akins'

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/saved-by-love

. I miss her.” He ended with a wistful tone that made Adara want to reach out to him and comfort him and she did, her hand covering his, instantly there was this electrifying feeling that made her aware of his hand, of her actions, of him and she pulled away.

Read " Meant To Be " by the same author ( Olufunlola Adeola )

. There was an uncomfortable silence then Adara cleared her throat and asked, 

“How did you get saved?”

The question made him relax and he smiled, remembering the experience, 

“Interesting story that is. I got saved two years ago, before that I was a Casanova. I loved flirting with ladies like a lady loves shopping and I don't like long-term dating so it all ends as soon as I get tired of the sex or see a hotter girl. 

So, while I was serving as a manager at a branch of Starling, we got a new receptionist for the bank and she was just the thing to turn me on then, before you could say Jack Robinson, I dropped the girl I was sleeping with and decided to pursue her but there was a problem.”

“What was the problem?” Adara asked, enjoying the story, the waiter had come to serve them dessert and she was devouring it already, 

“She was a Christian, still is though. Not just a church goer or bench warmer but an active Christian and I wanted her, I didn't care if she was a Christian or not and so I kept pestering her, she decided to invite me to her Church and so as to get to her heart, I agreed. That was where had my first encounter with Christ.

“Wow!”

“Yeah, I was sobered but just a little bit, I still wanted to get into a relationship with the lady, she looked responsible and I could even marry her, I told myself back then, but when she kept inviting me for another program, I went and that was the day I said goodbye to the world, August 19, I stopped smoking, stopped drinking and womanizing came to a dead end.”

“Glory!” Adara exclaimed 

“You could say that again, dear. About two weeks later, she introduced me to her fiancé now her husband and that was how I started growing spiritually, Dre, that's her husband has really helped me and he is my best friend now.”

“Wow, that's quite a story.”

“It is, so what about yours?” Akinola asked and she narrated her experience. As she finished her narration, there was a flash by the window, they turned to look and the camera man captured their faces, 

“Paparazzi?”

“Yeah, I am sorry, those people are so determined.”

“It's okay.” He said and signaled to the waiter to give them the bill and he paid then they left, as they were going towards his car, he asked, 

“Why do I feel like the night is still young?”

She laughed “Because you've been enjoying yourself all night, but we could go to the game house on the other side of the hotel if you want.”

“Would you like that?”

“Yes.” She replied and they went to the game house. They looked around for some minutes before deciding which game to play. 

Some thirty minutes later, they left the hotel and he drove them to her apartment and as he walked her to her door, 

“I really enjoyed myself tonight, thanks to you, Adara.”

“You are welcome.” She replied, loving the way her name enrolled off his tongue with his American accent. 

“So where are we going tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow will sort itself out. Just come anytime from 10 am.”

“Okay then, uhmm, can I have your number?”

“That's not a problem.” She dictated it to him as he typed it on his phone and saved it. Then he left after biding her good night. 

Later that night, while Adara was checking her WhatsApp messages and replying unread chats, she checked her contacts status updates and there she was on Akinola's update, two pictures, one was a selfie and the other was the full picture a stranger took with his phone, both was at the game house. 

She smiled as she read the caption, 'What better way to start the weekend than to have a beautiful date night with a beautiful woman'. 

This guy was definitely getting to her and she felt she was getting to him. Over one date! Adara, you have more sense than that but a girl can dream right and that was what she told Bolade over video call because she had threatened to castrate her if she did not give her every details of her date with Akinlolu's brother.