My Instagram Love

Episode 13

I was still nodding my head coolly, acting as if I was really listening to music on my phone when I felt somebody’s hand tapping my shoulder. I looked up at her, took off the earbuds and she said ‘Hi’ nervously.

“Hello?”
“Um…” She seemed to be lost for words the exact moment she heard my voice. “Uh…”
“Can I help you?”
“D–n.” She gasped, fidgeting right on the spot like an epileptic patient. “Is this really how you talk?”

“Yes.” I was basically trying my best to be nice. I forced a smile and added: “Is there a problem with that or something?”
“Oh, no. None! Not at all.” She shook her head and replaced the surprised look on her face with a big, alluring smile. “The thing is, I just love your voice. You sound as cool as you look.”

“Thank you.”
“Can I sit here?” She asked, pointing at the vacant seat opposite mine. “I mean, you look like someone who could use some good company right now.”
“As much as I would’ve loved that, I really prefer the solitude and the vibe I’m catching in the air.”

“So, in other words…?”
“You can’t sit there.” I clarified politely, smiling at her so she wouldn’t think I was taking anything personal.

“Are you expecting someone? A lady?”
“Sort of.”

“Well, then, I hope she wouldn’t mind me sitting here for the time being.”
This lady had real guts. She actually sat down without my consent. I gaped at her in total disbelief.

“Did you even listen to anything I just said?”
“Relax. I’d be gone before she even knows what’s up.” She said, making gestures with her fingers. “I won’t take much of your time.”

I sighed heavily, unsure of what to say to her. She kept on ogling my face, my lips and my muscular chest, blinking her eyes and biting her lower lip as she did so.
“D–n. You’re so hot.”
I said nothing.

“Good looks, on point. Accent, superb. Height, magnificent. Outfit, so d–n dope!”
I still kept quiet, acting cool even though I was getting pissed off already.
“You’ve got to be the finest guy I’ll be meeting all alone in a place like this, especially with so many ladies around here.” She confessed, placing her hands on the table as she continued ogling me thoroughly. “Someone like you shouldn’t be left all alone.” She licked her upper lip and winked at me. “Any lady who takes a man like you for granted doesn’t deserve to be called a woman. A real woman should know how to respect a man and keep to his word.”

“His word?” I raised an eyebrow, confused. “Which is?”
“You know, anything he says and asks of you should be honored and treated with deference.” She explained, smiling graciously. “For instance, the lady you’ve been expecting for a while doesn’t seem to be honoring your word. She just kept you waiting here like a sheep in the midst of hungry wolves. Isn’t that some sort of disrespect to you?”

“You won’t understand.” I said, picking up my bottled water on the table.
She shrugged a shoulder, smirking indifferently. “Well, I guess that’s left to you. I won’t invade your privacy anymore.”
“Yeah. I’d really appreciate that.”
Finally, she stood up, walked over to my position, unzipped her purse and took something out of it.

“The name’s Tonia, just so you know. Here’s my business card. Feel free to give me a call whenever you feel like talking to someone.” She extended her hand and I collected it reluctantly.

She smirked again. “Your name, please?”
“Trust me, you really don’t wanna hear it.” I took a big gulp from the bottled water, covered it again and dropped it back on the table.

“For your information, I’m literally dying to know your name!” Tonia confessed, entwining both hands in a rather pitiful manner. “Or are you ashamed of your own name?”

“No.”
“Then why are you shy?”
“I’m not shy.”

“Then tell me.” Tonia persuaded me to speak, still keeping her hands entwined and grimacing like a sad chihuahua, so I did as she asked just so I could get her weight off my neck. I told her my name and shut my eyes tightly, expecting her to laugh out loud the same way everyone does when they hear it for the first time, but to my utmost surprise, she didn’t even blink her eyes, much less burst into laughter.

“Say hi to my friends over there, Tunde.” She pointed behind me and I opened my eyes, looked back and saw her friends sitting at a little distance, staring at us. I waved at them and they did the same.

“Do you come around here every weekend?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Could you please give me a straightforward answer?”

I sighed and started to clarify my previous statement as the pitch of my voice went higher than normal, saying the words very slowly so that it would sink into her ears. “See, it depends on my schedule. Sometimes I’m chanced.