Chapter 2
The ladies’ room was empty when I get in, and since I am not really pressed, I decide to touch up my makeup before returning to the table to rejoin my friends. I look at my reflection in the mirror and my round face stares back at me. Cute has always been the word that people describe me with, thanks to my full cheeks, Barbie eyes, small nose, and pouty lips on a petite 5ft 4inches frame.
For the longest time, “Baby” was my nickname because of my cherubic looks but I finally outgrew that moniker in university, when I shed a little weight and looked more ladylike. That was when I met my ex-husband. Segun was my real first boyfriend and he swept me off my feet with his compliments and his admiration for my academic intelligence. He was my dream man; tall, dark, ruggedly handsome and had a great sense of humor. It only seemed natural that we get married after graduation and that was exactly what we did.
Someone walks into the restroom, jolting me out of my daydream. I smile at her through the mirror, and she smiles back and says, “Hi,” before disappearing into one of the empty toilet stalls behind me. I powder my face lightly, then apply a thin layer of lip-gloss on my lips before finally stepping out of the restroom. As I make my way towards the lobby leading to the restaurant floor, I see the man from across the room approaching me. For a split second, my heartbeat skips, and I feel my stomach tie itself into a knot.
“I was hoping I’d run into you,” he says. His voice is a deep baritone that seems out of place for his lean frame. It’s the kind of voice you would expect from a heavyset man, not an athletic young man. He looks familiar, but I’m sure I have never met him before.
I look around me to check if he is speaking to someone beside or behind me, but it is just me and him in the lobby.
“Are you talking to me?” I ask him.
“Of course,” he replies with a charming smile. “It’s just the two of us here.”
Obviously! Duh.
Running into the very person I am trying to get away from may be creepy, but this man is handsome – no, gorgeous. His dark brown skin glowed with health; his facial features are perfectly defined with such an impressive bone structure like that of a model. He continues to smile at me with straight teeth that are whiter than white, and full luscious, moisturized lips. This is a man who clearly looks after himself, plus, he smelled like new money – like freshly printed cash, straight out of the mint.
“Do I know you?” I ask, squinting a little in concentration. There’s no way I would have met someone like this before and not remember him.
“If you’re asking, it means you don’t,” he says, his bright smile still intact. “I find it very refreshing when I meet people who don’t recognize me because it allows me to make a good first impression. My name is Dominic Inyang. Everyone calls me Dom.”
He extends his right hand toward for me to shake. I shrug internally and accept the handshake. “Uzezi Folawe,” I reply.
His hand is soft, but his grip is firm. Something about his touch makes my body grow warm and the sensation confuses me. I try to retrieve my hand, but he’s not ready to let go of it just yet.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss or Mrs.. Folawe?”
“Miss,” I reply with a smile. It feels odd referring to myself as a Miss. I’ve been a Mrs.. for nearly a decade, so this new title will take some getting used to. “You can call me Uzezi,” I add.
“Great,” he says and finally releases my hand. “You seemed to be deep in thought when our eyes met back in there. Everything ok?”
I smile at him and say, “Of course.” There’s no way I’m giving a total stranger any information about my personal life. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my friends.”
“I didn’t mean to be nosy,” he says quickly as if reading my thought. “I just didn’t want you to think that I was some kind of creep, staring at you out there like that. For some reason, I just couldn’t look away.”
I’m not all that, I think and roll my eyes internally. I may be cute, but I’m not knock-em-dead beautiful like Jennifer or Deola. Those are the women who make men stop in their tracks and gawk because of their beauty. I’m not in that category.
“It’s ok,” I say, trying to reassure him. “I don’t think you are a creep. It was nice meeting you though. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
I begin to walk past him, but I trip on a low step and nearly fell face down, save for Dominic reaching out just in time to catch me. He holds me around my mid-section, pulling me back on my feet.
“Are you ok?” He asks. His face is close to mine as he looks into my eyes to see if I am alright.
At this point, I’m speechless. I used to think Segun was the finest man I have ever laid eyes on, but his handsomeness paled in comparison to Dominic’s. My eyes stroll down his face until they land on his wide, firm lips. On impulse, I lean forward and press my lips against his. If my action surprises him, he doesn’t show it because he remains still for a few seconds before parting his lips to give me access, and I do not hesitate to accept the invitation. He let me set the pace and I kiss him ever so slowly, exactly the way I have always imagined I would kiss – wait, what?
I break the kiss immediately and push Dominic off, as my sanity returns to me. What on earth was I doing? With a strange man for that matter?
“I – I’m sorry,” I stutter as I try to regain my composure. I am so embarrassed; I can’t even look at his face. What will he think of me? Why did I even kiss him? What is wrong with me?
“You don’t have to apologize,” he says with that charming smile of his.
“Oh my gosh, is that Dom Inyang?” Someone squeals behind me. I turn around and see the lady from the restroom, staring at Dominic with eyes that are so huge, it seems like they might fall out of her head.
“Guilty,” Dominic responds with a patient smile.
“OMG! Please I have to take a selfie, please! My girlfriends will never believe that I ran into you of I don’t have a picture to prove it. Please!” She begs shamelessly.
Dominic shoots me an apologetic look and obliges the lady who appears to be close to tears by now. Her interruption is the perfect opportunity for me to escape and I slink away with the little shred of dignity I have left, as Dominic and his “fan” begin to take selfies together.
As I hurry back into the restaurant to join my friends at our table, I wonder who Dominic is and make a mental note to look him up on Google once I get home later tonight.