Chapter 35

“I’ve been bitten by the billionaire bug,” Chichi confessed a couple of days later after Tiara and Dare returned to Nigeria from their exciting holiday in St. Barts. The friends were having a light lunch in a chic Italian restaurant located on Victoria Island. Chichi had been the brains behind the hangout and she wanted to treat her friend to a relaxed afternoon on the expensive side of town.

“What do you mean?” Tiara asked before taking a delicate sip of her wine. Her table manners had become so refined since she started dating Dare. He’d given her a crash course in dining etiquette, and she’d had lots of practice, thanks to the classy events he always made sure she attended alongside him.

“Chief Bamiloye,” Chichi said.

“What about him?” Tiara asked.

“We, uh…sort of had sex,” Chichi stuttered.

“You did what?”

“Look, it was one time, and it was more of a quickie, you know.”

“No, I don’t know,” Tiara said incredulously. “Chichi, the guy is married. Didn’t you know?”

Chichi sighed. “I did. I didn’t want to have sex with him, it just happened.”

“What do you mean it just happened? Did he force you?”

“Of course not. I just didn’t think he was my type or that I could ever be attracted to a man of his age but… I guess I was wrong.”

“When did it happen?”

“At the barbecue party.”

“Jeez, Chichi! You fucked the guy in his house where he lives with his wife?” Tiara was shocked.

“Do you need a megaphone or something? Because it seems everyone here can’t hear you very well,” Chichi remarked dryly.

“Sorry,” Tiara lowered her voice. “I’m just so… surprised. I didn’t think you could do such.”

“Oh, are we judging now?”

“Absolutely not. I would never judge you and you know me better than that. What I meant was that you never struck me as a girl who would go for that sort of guy.”

“Exactly what I thought until Atanda, and I got talking and I realized that he was such a cool guy and not as old as he looked. Mentally, at least.”

“Atanda?”

“Yeah,” Chichi giggled. “That’s his first name. Sounds primitive, yeah?”

Tiara laughed. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m literally blown away by this tea. You, who like your men young, tall, and smoking hot, now the same babe shagging a short, round, old dude. Wonders will never end.”

“I know right. I feel so guilty getting down and dirty with him even though it was super banging.”

“Dude, you’re crazy!” Tiara laughed.

“Don’t I know it!”

“Why didn’t you tell me all this while?”

Chichi shrugged. “I wanted to keep it a secret, but it just kept gnawing at me, so I just had to tell you about it. Plus, there’s more.”

Tiara’s eyes bulged. “There’s more?”

Chichi nodded. “He’s been sending me tons of expensive gifts ever since, even though I told him plainly that there won’t be a repeat performance of what we did. It seemed like I’ve been talking to a brick wall because he keeps sending stuff to me at work and my supervisor is already getting curious. I don’t want anyone to know my deal with that man, but he just won’t stop.”

“Well, if you keep accepting the gifts, he’ll keep sending more. It’s like you’re encouraging him, and the only way to stop that is to reject his gifts.”

“Are you crazy? Would you return an original Hermes bag? Or a box of Cartier bracelets? Or a Louis Vuitton purse? Or a bottle of limited edition Fenty Perfume?”

“Jeez, the guy is going really hard, isn’t he?”

“Babe, the list is endless. My apartment looks like a high street boutique. My closet can’t contain all my stuff anymore, and I’ve even had to give out some of my old stuff. That’s how serious it is.”

“Wow…” Tiara was mystified. “So, what do you want to do now?”

“To be honest, I don’t know. I’m afraid if he keeps this up, someone will eventually find out and maybe tell his wife, and if that happens, I’m toast.”

“Well, I guess you already know what to do then. You just don’t want to do it.”

“Ugh, can’t you just lie to me for once?”

Tiara laughed. “Nope. You know I can’t do that.”

Chichi sighed. “I’m going to have to call him and tell him to stop sending me gifts then. I’ve acquired quite some goodies anyway, so no need to be greedy.”

“That’s my girl,” Tiara cheered. “You’ll find another unentangled billionaire soon, ok?”

Chichi giggled. “You better get me one ASAP,” she joked.

“That was the plan at the barbecue party, but we never got around to doing that since Chief I’m-too-sexy-to-be-old Bamiloye whisked you off to fuck your brains out.”

“You’re such a buffalo,” Chichi laughed. “You didn’t have to say it like that.”

“But that’s what your testimony sounded like,” Tiara countered.

“You’re so silly. It wasn’t a testimony; it was a confession.”

“Whatever. Same difference.”

“So how was St. Barts?”

“Girl, it was heaven on earth!” Tiara gushed and proceeded to tell her friend about her fabulous five-day trip with her beau.

By the time they were done eating, talking, and laughing, it was nearly 7 p.m. After paying the bill, the friends walked out of the restaurant arm-in-arm, approaching the parking lot where Chichi’s car was parked.

“Don’t you think we should go crash at Dare’s place tonight, instead of driving to the mainland at this time? The Third Mainland Bridge is probably jammed with traffic by now,” Tiara said.

“I think you’re right,” Chichi agreed. “I’m not too pumped to drive back there either. Why don’t you call your boo and ask him if it’s ok for me to come over with you?”

Tiara scoffed. “He has dozens of rooms in his house, so that’s not an issue. Come on, I’ll call him when we get inside the car.”

As they continued to walk towards the parking lot, a black van drove up behind them at top speed and it screeched to a halt when it reached where they’d halted, startled by the sudden noise of the vehicle. Two tall guys dressed in black with their faces covered with ski masks jumped out of the van and rushed towards the ladies. Without hesitation, they grabbed Tiara by both arms and carried her into the van while she screamed and kicked all the way. Chichi ran after the men, shouting at them to stop, but immediately they threw Tiara in the van, they pushed her away and slammed the door shut before zooming off into the distance.

Horrified by the implication of what had just happened, Chichi stood in the middle of the road and screamed at the top of her lungs until passersby came running towards her to calm her down.

“They kidnapped my friend! They kidnapped my friend!” She screamed repeatedly.

“Calm down, Miss. Take it easy,” the strangers around her tried to console her, but Chichi would have none of it. She continued screaming until her lungs were sore.

They’d taken her friend away and she’d just stood there helplessly unable to do anything meaningful. Who were those people? Where had they taken Tiara? What did they want from her? How would she even explain the nightmare that had just occurred within a split second to Tiara’s family or her boyfriend?

In a moment of clarity, she pulled out her cell phone from her purse and dialed Dare’s number. He answered on the third ring.

“Dare, Tiara is gone,” she screamed into the phone, her voice broken by the tears that she couldn’t keep at bay anymore.

“What are you talking about?” Dare asked, alarmed.

“She’s gone. They took her, Dare. Tiara has been kidnapped!”