"Why have you been disturbing me with calls?"
Derin looked up at Prince Ire almost in tears. She touched his cheek like she would have done when they were still together. Now she regretted leaving him alone. She missed his smile, his laughter, how he allowed her to tease him playing the victim. How he loved her with so much passion and how he would always forgive her no matter what she did. Now, she felt like life had gone out of her. She missed his touch. She missed him so much. Derin suddenly burst into tears, hugging Prince Ire with all of her strength. "I miss you babe. I really miss you. Why have you stopped picking my calls? Did I offend you? Tell me so I can apologize. I came to Abuja the moment I heard you are here."
"Derin." Prince Ire gently released her hands from his waist. Before, he would have kissed away her tears and captured her lips to say sorry. He would have hugged her from behind kissing her neck to feel all of her. He would have allowed those hands to hit him if the owner was mad at him even if she was at fault. He would have kissed the hell out her even before she says jack! But not anymore. Even though it was hard, not anymore. Even though he desperately wanted to have her, not anymore. She was someone else's woman now. He would respect that. Prince Ire moved back a bit. "I'm not comfortable with us being--"
"Baby trust me..." Derin quickly said. "Look at me. He does not touch me at all. All I get to do is just appear with him anywhere he's going. This is just a contract that will end in four years. Then we can get married babe. Babe if you miss me, we can just do it somewhere here." She brought Prince Ire's hands on her breasts.
Prince Ire slowly moved his hands away. "Derin stop it." It was hard for him, but he couldn't do anything stupid. "Because I agreed with us remaining friends doesn't mean I want this with you. We came back to Nigeria together and you broke up with me Derin. You didn't explain to me that you signed a contract with one governor who couldn't show off his uneducated wife and decided to snatch someone else's girlfriend. What am I even saying... You agreed to it because of the money he's gonna give you."
"Baby I did it for us."
"Are you kidding me right now! Fuck that!" Prince Ire yelled, suddenly angry by her statement. "Do I look like a broke guy! Do I look like I want his money? Do I look like a greedy guy or what do you fucking mean!"
Derin started crying. "Babe you are scaring me. I'm sorry." She hugged Prince again.
"Hmm..." It was Caroline. She had been looking for Prince Ire and finally saw him outside the hall at a secluded corner with Derin clutching her hands tightly round her cousin. "Hi Derin," she greeted without a smile. "I hope you are taking care of Governor so well. When I heard, I was really happy for you. God bless your home. I'm glad you've moved on." Caroline forced a smile. Now facing Prince Ire. "Your girlfriend has been complaining of headache so I volunteered to look for you. You should check up on her before it becomes serious."
"Girlfriend?" Derin muttered completely lost, staring at Prince Ire's face for answers but he wasn't looking at her.
Prince Ire raised his brow at his cousin. You know that girl is not my girlfriend.
Stupid lover boy. She loves money more than you. The old man isn't touching her and she needs your prick. Caroline raised the upper part of her mouth before spreading it quickly into a smile at Prince Ire. "I'm glad you've moved on too cousin. Happy for you both. That's how it should be. I should go now." Caroline said with a forced smile. The moment she turned, she spoiled her mouth and eyed Derin from the picture in her head wishing she had threw some slaps on her ugly cheeks.
After some minutes, the figure they've been waiting for appeared. "He's coming, he's coming." Caroline quickly said to Ara the moment she spotted Prince Ire. She got up and winked at Ara who immediately poised like someone with headache.
Getting to where Ara was, Prince Ire smiled to himself. He stood beside her with his hands in his pocket. "I was told you suddenly develop a serious headache. How can I help you?"
"Hmm...yea. it's so serious sir." Ara rubbed the side of her head. "With stomachache too. I guess the juice does not agree with my stomach."
Prince Ire smiled and sat next to her. "I think the juice is really in love with your stomach." He pointed to his glass cup and his bottle asking Ara who drank the juice in his glass and almost finished the one inside the bottle.
"Huh!" Ara raised her eyes at him like she was oblivious of what he was asking her, then coughed.
"Yea, I know. That's how you cough at night." Prince Ire said picking up her bag. "Let's get you back to the hotel."
Ara got up slowly. She almost burst into laughter. This guy is a criminal. He's guilty for always deceiving people. She made jest of herself because she knew she couldn't fool Prince Ire with all her act. They got inside his car and he drove out of the place. Prince Ire didn't leave the place because Ara pretended to be unwell, but because he wanted to get the hell out of the stupid gathering too. Nothing much was happening that night, and he didn't want to stay anymore because he couldn't stand seeing Derin. The minutes he stood with her, he felt like grabbing her, kissing the hell out of her. He felt like feeling her like the old days, but he realized he couldn't go on with that. He found someone that interest him more, but was scared to experience another lost of love if he couldn't get to be with her. While they were inside the car, Ara began opening and closing one of her eyes to watch Prince Ire secretly. He caught her but she instantly shut the two eyes like nothing happened.
"So, how do we deal with this headache of yours? I'm sure you have your way." Prince Ire rolled his eyes at Ara waiting for her reply just to get to listen to the gibberish she was going to say again. Immediately Ara popped her two eyes open. She sat right and smiled at Prince Ire. "Thank you sir. First of all, listening to hip-hop while in the car helps my headache a lot."
"Oh!" Prince Ire gave her a small smile. "Damola listens to Nigerian songs a lot so I should have one or two here." He searched, found one, inserted it and played it.
🎶You say you get another man...
Say you no need me again..
The kind pain wey I feel that day me I no go fit talk again...
Omoge no go do like this o...
I know your friend no like my prick
But you for know say this kind thing be real....
"Who sang it?"
"That's Joeboy." Ara replied with a smile.
"I guess the headache is finally gone."
"Hmm...yea. remaining my..." Ara pointed to her stomach. "I saw this canteen by the side of the road while coming. I don't think I want to eat all those mixing mixing thing tonight." Ara shook her head. "I want to take cow skin mixed with fried pepper. The local one."
Ire looked at her, then he laughed. "Tell me when we get there. Haven't taken that outside before. I don't think I want to try the local one. So I will wait while you take it."
"Thank you sir." It was Ara's turn to wink getting Prince Ire to just stare at her surprised. Slowly without her expecting it, Prince Ire winked his eye too. Ara burst out laughing. "I can always do it better. You are cheating with yours cause you know ladies have fragile hearts. We can't handle strong wink." Then she winked her eye again. "I know you are handling that well."
"Ara..." Prince Ire dragged out her name smiling. "I don't wish for you to know what goes on in a man's head when he sees someone he likes. It's dangerous."
Ara eyed him and Instantly wish she could know what exactly was going on in his head. "The first shop by that junction," Ara said, dozing back to what Caroline said about Prince Ire as she stared at the man nodding his head to a song by Fireboy. "You see Ara." Caroline's voice replayed all over again. "Ire is one of the sweetest person I know on earth. He can be tough, gentle and bossy on the outside, but he's very fragile. I'm his cousin and I know him well. I heard he likes you but he's not showing it. Don't worry about all the work he gave you. Damola told me. That's because he's jealous and he can be over protective. Ay likes you too and I don't think he likes that."
Caroline's sweet smile made Ara smile as she imagined Caroline's face all over again repeating that very statement Caroline said over again and again in her head. "I'm sure you know he likes you and he's pretending not to."
Ara couldn't believe how stupidly she was smiling when she heard that. But he act like I don't exist. He act like I don't matter at all. He act like I'm just his worker and nothing at all. I mean, there is nothing between us but if  you truly like a lady, you should show her how you feel. She replied Caroline with that but then, she remembered Prince Ire telling her so. She thought he didn't mean it and he was just teasing her when he told her he liked her. She remembered getting angry at his confession. Now she realized something else. When he confessed hitting her intentionally that very day. He wanted her to notice him, but she didn't. When he gave her punishment for a whole day, he must have heard or knew that she wanted to meet with Ayoola. Ara laughed slowly realizing what she never knew. "Prince Ire is actually too serious. It's hard realizing he actually likes me."
"I agree with you." Caroline told her. "The only reason he's not making any move is because Ire can't date just anyhow person. He's a Prince and you know what that means. He's trying to respect his father wish. But I'm giving you my word. He likes you. All you need to do is make him like you more. If you succeed, no one can go against him. Not even the King. Derin does not deserve him. What are we going to do about Ayoola? I mean he likes you too. He's hell bent on pursuing you."
Ara laughed. "Sincerely, I like him too. Who does not like a man with those sweet words? But deep down, I'm drawn to Prince Ire. Don't worry, I'm used to capturing a poor man's heart."
Caroline smiled at Ara, grateful she really listened to her. She gave Ara a good stare before replying. "That's because you are effortlessly beautiful. If I'm a man, helping Ire won't definitely come from me. I will join the chase."
Ara laughed. "And if I'm still a girl, I think I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. I will ignore every other chase."
The two ladies laughed. "Make Ire like you more. But I will leave you to think about it." Caroline said.
"Derin doesn't deserve him again after all she did. I really want to get to know him." Ara whispered.
"Hey! Hey! Are you eating cow skin or not?"
"Hmm... We are there already?" Ara was suddenly out of her trance, face to face with the guy that was too sexy to be ignored.