"Hi," Kiera said with a wink.
"Hi," I replied, keeping my cool.
"So, you guys introduce yourselves and get to know each other while I drop these veggies in the kitchen and make us something to eat. Abam, take Ade's bag up to his room," Eva said with a big smile as she disappeared into the kitchen.
An awkward silence swallowed the room as we sat stiffly on the couch.
"I'm Adejoke Francis Chiemelie Onuigbo," I said, finally breaking the silence.
"Kiera Kowei Leila," she replied, smiling.
"You've got a cute name."
"Really? Thank you."
"Welcome."
"So, you working?" I asked.
"Both schooling and working," she answered, settling into the conversation.
"Which part of Nigeria do you stay in?"
"Lekki, Lagos State."
"Wow, nice!"
"So how long have you been staying here?" she asked, resting her chin in her palms.
"It'll be two years next month."
"Do you love Ghana?"
"Ghana's nice. Got pretty women."
"What! I can't believe you're a flirt. The only thing you love about Ghana is the women?" she asked, chuckling.
"You're Ghanaian, right?" (She nodded.) "That makes me like you." I smirked.
She blushed and smiled, and I caught myself staring at her. Kiera was light-skinned with heart-shaped lips, feline eyes, and the face of an Arabian princess. Don't get me wrong—Eva was beautiful too, with her glowing brown skin, an hourglass figure, and natural assets in all the right places. But Kiera was different. She was stuck between thick and slender, with the same curves as Eva, but a more oval face and... yeah, the kind of beauty that made a man pause.
"Food's ready!" Eva's voice cut through my thoughts. She placed fried rice on the table.
"Hope you've improved your cooking skills, lady?" Kiera teased with a fake frown.
"Do you want us to tell the world how your food tastes?" Abam chimed in, laughing.
"I'll put you in the pot and boil you!" Kiera threatened, laughing along.
"Not funny," Abam muttered, pouting.
"Okay, can we pray already?" I interrupted.
"Sure!" they chorused.
I prayed quickly, and then we dug in. We ate, we laughed, and the conversation bounced around unimportant things.
"I think I'll be off to work," I said, standing up.
"You work at night?" Kiera asked, wide-eyed.
"Yeah."
"When will you be back?"
"Maybe 11:30 or so."
"Whoa. Dangerous."
"Okay, gotta rush. Eva, I'll be back. Abam, what should I get you? Pizza? Pork? Skittles?"
"Chocolate!" Abam grinned, lips shiny with oil.
"Done. Bye, see you!" I said, running up the stairs. Sometimes, I wished there was an elevator in this house. I changed into my work clothes, grabbed my bike key, and rode off to the bar.
At the bar, I went straight to Miss Mira's office.
"Come in, Mr. Adejoke," she said, heart-shaped glasses perched on her nose.
"Good evening, ma."
"You're welcome. We noticed you've been absent the past week—may I know why?"
"I was hospitalized."
Her face softened. "I'm sorry about that. Well, the main reason I called you here is to inform you that a man from our partner hotel wants to meet you. Here's his contact card. He'll be coming to watch your performance."
"I've never seen him before," I admitted.
"Be patient. You'll meet him soon enough."
"Okay."
"You may leave now."
"Thank you, ma," I said, leaving her office.
Later that night, after my performance, a tall, dark man in his late forties approached me. Diamond necklace, diamond wristwatch, black tuxedo, and—ugh—a light green tie. (Sir, why?)
"How are you, boy?" he asked, his Nigerian accent immediately softening my nerves.
"I'm good. And you, sir?"
"I'm fine. Your boss must have told you someone wanted to meet you."
"Yes, sir."
"Would you like to join the music industry?" he asked casually, sipping his wine.
My heart skipped. For real?
"Yes, sir. I'd love to!" I said, smiling wide.
"Good. Here's my record label's contact card. Call me when you're ready." He slipped it into my hand.
"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome. I'll take my leave."
As he walked away, my whole chest buzzed with excitement. Me? Music industry? Lord, you did it! I could already picture the fame, the lights, the stage.
I rode home, eager to share the news, but the house was dark—everyone was asleep. Heading upstairs, I suddenly bumped into someone. Instinctively, I caught the person before they fell.
"Geez! I almost fell!" Kiera whispered.
The light flicked on. Eva stood there, blinking at us.
"What are you guys doing?" she asked, suspicious.
"Kiera was walking in the dark. I just got back," I explained, letting her go.
"I wanted to see who was coming home late," Kiera said, hands on her hips.
"Well, it's me."
"Ade, you make the worst noise when you come back," Eva complained, rubbing her eyes.
"I'm sorry, princess, but men aren't gentle. Especially handsome ones like me." I smirked.
"Princess? Do I smell something fishy? Handsome? Please. More like 60% out of 100." Kiera rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, Kiera. I need sleep."
"You are the most handsome, Ade. Don't listen to her," Eva said, patting my back.
"Goodnight then," Kiera muttered.
"Night, baby Kiera," I teased.
She snapped her head toward me, blushing furiously. Was she... crushing on me? No way. She couldn't be.
Could she?
---
Hi guys, how y'all doing?
So, is Kiera actually crushing on Ade? 👀
And what about this music industry offer? Is Adejoke finally about to blow?
Stay tuned for Chapter 24!
Love y'all 😘
Your favorite teen authoress 🔰📑
Oziomajasmine 💝💝