“So, tell me about yourself,” Luna said, putting aside her phone and signaling the waiter, who promptly brought over their starters and placed them in the middle of the table. Addison moved his glass of water and a tiny flower vase aside to make room. It was a very mouth-watering spread of spring rolls, chicken wings, garlic bread, and some sauces. He salivated, betraying his previous stance of satiety.
“Umm…there’s not much to tell,” he said, eyeing the platter.
“Oh, I doubt that,” she said teasingly. “Or would you rather we talk about what happened yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
“Yea, yesterday. Not at the car park. Inside the restaurant when your girlfriend dumped you.”
He gasped. “You know… How do you know about that?” He asked, clearing his throat and reaching for the glass of water to douse the flaming discomfort in his throat.
“It wasn’t like you two were alone in a cave. You proposed in a public restaurant with other human beings present,” she said suppressing a giggle.
“Well, regardless, it’s not something I’m very comfortable talking about,” he replied with veiled vexation.
“That’s fine. Let’s talk about you then. Are you comfortable with that?”
“Mm…yes?” He answered, a little guarded and ready to ward off any unwanted invasions into his privacy. However, considering the fact that she had kidnapped him for dinner, Addison felt obliged. He picked up his fork and lifted a chicken wing stealthily from the serving dish onto his plate.
“I work with Primelife Savings and Loans Company,” he said placing the napkin on his lap.
“I see. That’s nice. What do you do there?”
“I act as a client executive.”
“Mm… And what does a client executive do?”
“Basically, when people come to us for loans, it is my job to do due diligence on them and evaluate their eligibility for the loan.”
“Wow. Sounds fancy. That means you studied accounting in school?”
“Yes, accounting, business management, and a few other courses. Mostly, I learned on the job. What about you?”
“Hmm…I’m not comfortable talking about that,” she said mimicking him. “Just kidding,” she added quickly. “I studied Biochemistry at John Hopkins. Just completed my post-grad and decided to come home, blow off some steam and go back.”
“Wow. That’s impressive. You’ve lived in America all your life?”
“No. Only for holidays and, of course, for school. My family is based here in Accra.”
The waiter came over with the main meal and the conversation continued. Addison discovered that her father owned a number of fuel stations across the country, among other businesses, including the restaurant they were in.
It was a good evening by all standards; great conversation, good food, and barring a few intrusive questions, she was surprisingly a very pleasant company. What was even more surprising was that this would happen again the next night and for the rest of the week. Each evening her driver would pick him up from the office and take him to a different restaurant, and each time, she picked up the tab. Over this period, Addison dropped his defenses; opening up to her about his ambitions, struggles with his family, and how he bore the burden of their upkeep, being the oldest son of a single mom and all. He even became comfortable enough to talk about his relationship with Amerley. By the end of the week, his breakup with Amerley had become a distant memory.
The following week, the repairs on his car were complete and Luna had it brought to him at his office. Both tail lights had been replaced, his boot and bumper fixed, and the paint job on the car was exquisite .It looked brand new on the outside, except for the old and very used interior. In a short time, he’d gotten so used to being driven in a Mercedes AMG that his car seemed like a pile of faux leather seats encased in recycled aluminium sheets.
He drove home that day rather unhappily. Things turned worse when the rains started. He rolled up his windows except for the driver’s side, where he hung his duster against the crack of the window to keep the rain from coming in. The inside of his car steamed up with condensation because the AC didn’t work and he had to work his hand over the windscreen constantly. Fact is, his AC had never worked, but today it upset him because he’d tasted better. He decided to sell off the car and buy a less embarrassing one than this piece of junk he trundled up and down the streets of the capital.
When he got home, he was suddenly aware that he was alone. Being in Luna’s company as often as he had been the previous week had taken his mind off of Amerley. Not wanting to be reminded of her, he packed up all of her items that were left in his home, dropped them into her sleep-over bag, and sent it in an Uber to be dropped off at her place. She didn’t call to let him know she’d received it. He didn’t care. Either way, he was over her and that was that.
Luna was away for about 3 weeks after that. According to what she told him, her father had sent her on an errand to South Africa. She didn’t say much else, save that she would be back in time for his birthday, which was about a month away. In the absence of dinners and lunches with her, Addison filled his free time daydreaming and making plans to upgrade himself in life. Luna had given him a taste of the good life and now he craved it. Why couldn’t he drive a flashy car and eat in fancy restaurants every day as Luna did? He was every bit as capable and competent as she, or even her father, was. All he needed was the right move with the right people. He picked up his notebook and wrote down a business plan for a car rental company, a lifelong dream.
As promised, 3 weeks later, she returned. When they met for lunch, Addison noticed a bandage on her left forearm. She claimed it was from a minor home accident but didn’t go any further on details. Concerned, Addison probed but she became furious and almost walked out on him.
Addison’s birthday was two days after that. Early that morning, her driver arrived at his house with 2 birthday cakes and a large package. Inside were the following: an iPhone 13 Pro Max, an Omega watch, a PlayStation 5 and a gold Cartier bracelet with his initials engraved in cursive lettering. Included also, was a birthday card and a note to invite 15 of his friends and family to dinner that evening at any restaurant of his choosing. Ineffable joy and gratitude filled him. On the phone, he thanked her endlessly for the generous gifts but she downplayed the gesture. They decided on The RedBowl, a scenic spot along the coast of the capital, for dinner that evening.
Next, he phoned Kumi who was all too ready for the dinner. Addison’s mother called shortly after to wish him a happy birthday. She was on her way with his favourite ɛtɔ, but was told to hold on and come for the dinner instead.
Later that evening, Luna picked up Addison from his place. He looked dashing in a short-sleeved black/gold-tone Versace print silk shirt paired with black slim-fit trousers, and black suede loafers that she got him. He hopped into the front seat and saw Luna looking gorgeous in a FENDI print shirtdress that revealed a bit more cleavage than usual. Her braids were held up top in a bun, accentuating her narrow jawline and high cheekbones. Three gold necklaces adorned her neck. The pendant on the longer necklace matched the loop earrings that dangled gracefully from her ears. Her watch, an exquisite timepiece, was an original Cartier as was the bracelet on her wrist which matched his.
To be continued…
