Fighting Temptation

Jite smacks her lips as she applies another coat of lipstick.

She smiles at her reflection in the mirror - smokey eyes, mascara coated lashes, highlights and red lipstick makes her look like she walked out of the page of a beauty magazine.

Her phone beeps, she picks it up and sees a message from Bayo, it reads "Will see you in 20 minutes, hope the food is steamy hot".

She smiles knowingly, he definitely isn't referring to dinner and she types "See you soon" with shaky hands. A part of her feels guilty but she still hears Adaora's voice in her head "You can't keep holding onto a man that is too busy for you when there are other men waiting to treat like a queen...you dey dull o."

She smoothes her hands over her peach lace gown and strikes a pose in front of the mirror pushing out her right hip as she puts her left leg in front of the right. It is the gown Tosan her boyfriend of thirteen months had bought her on his last trip to Ontario, she had promised him that she would wear it on a special occasion - in her head that would be on her birthday.

 She glances at her reflection one more time and drinks from her glass of Irish cream, she needs the drink for extra confidence.

She thinks to herself 'enough of dulling' and heads out phone in hand to the kitchen to serve the food she had made - Pasta with Turkey and vegetable stir-fry and Dodo.

As she scoops the Pasta from the pot to a bowl her mind drifts to the events that led to this moment.

It started on her birthday three months ago when Bayo hosted her and her friends Cynthia, Mena and Adaora to dinner and drinks.
She was supposed to spend the day with Tosan who was billed to return that day from his trip out of town but he called to say his trip had been extended by two more days promising to make it up to her when he returned.

Her friends had promised her a girls' night out when she noted that even though she knew Tosan loved her she was hurt and that he couldn't make it. He was always either out of town for business or locked in long meeting sessions at work but it turned out that Bayo had planned with Adaora to surprise her.

That was the night Adaora noted that she was dulling by holding onto a man that was too busy for her.
She had decided that night to give Bayo who she met at Adaora's sister Oge's wedding a chance and had gone on about four dates with him.

So when Tosan called yesterday that he had an impromptu meeting to attend outside town even after they had planned to spend the weekend together, she reached out to Bayo and invited him to dinner.

She is jolted to reality when she hears her phone ring, it is a message from Tosan.
As she reads it, a smile spreads across her face and she realizes she cannot destroy what they share.

It would take Bayo another 10 minutes to arrive but she calls him to cancel. She tells him she has an emergency at work, she has to cover for a colleague and will make it up to him another day.

He offers to drop her off at work as he is already on his way but she insists on going on her own.

At this point she hears a knock on her gate, she had heard Dauda open the main gate but thought it was a neighbour or their guest as she isn't expecting anyone.

She hurriedly walks to the room to get her house coat which she wears over the lace dress, takes off her scarf to let her hair fall and heads for the front door.

As she opens the door she sees Tosan standing outside all smiles.

"Surprise!" He exclaims and adds "Wow, you look so beautiful".

Before she can speak he bends to kiss her and continues "I have spent the past days rehearsing but now I can't even remember my lines..."

As he continues thoughts run through her mind and she feels her heart beating fast.

She hears Tosan say "No matter how busy it gets you are always on my mind. I want you on this journey with me forever, I love you and want to raise our children with you. Please have faith and take me as I am"

Then he goes on his knees as he brings out a ring from his breast pocket and asks "Will you marry me?"