Her Baby’s Secret

Arike’s POV

“Are you guys together now?” She asked.

“No! We are not together.” I responded in a way that won’t make her ask anymore questions but I was wrong.

“Why? Don’t you like him? Is he not nice?” She questioned frantically.

“Bamidele is a nice guy but I don’t think I want to be with him like -” I paused.

“Like what?” She sounded annoyed.

“The feeling is not just there like it’s supposed to be.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah.” I mumbled.

“Do you intend to remain single forever?”

“Of course not.” I laughed.

“Listen to me, I haven’t seen you with any man in years except Dayo. You keep turning every man down as if your body is made of steel. Don’t you want to be happy like Adedayo?”

“I am happy sister Busayomi. I am doing well at work.” I answered.

My career comes first before anything else.

“Pele o career woman. Listen to me! I can’t let you continue living like this.. and if you are not going to be serious with a relationship, I will start hooking you up on dating sites.” She said

I bursted into a laughter. “Ahh no! Sister mi there’s no need for that.”

“Then give a man a chance to love you.” She persuaded.

“Okay I have heard you.” I sighed.

“You have heard me or you’ll do it?”

“Both.”

“Bamidele is there o.” She added

“I know…. sister mi please…”

“I should shut up right?”

“I didn’t say that now.” I rubbed my temples.

“So when are we meeting?”

“For now I am not too busy at work. So you can come around any time you want.”

“Okay I’ll visit you this weekend.” She said.

“I’ll be expecting you.”

“Take care of yourself.”

She disconnected the call. I heaved a sigh of relief.

Some minutes later the office line rang.

“Yes Chioma,”

“Ma’am someone is out here to see you.” My secretary informed me.

“Who is the person?”

“He is not a client but claimed to be your friend.” She answered.

“Doesn’t he have a name?”

“Barrister Bamidele.” She added.

“Oh! Let him in.”

“Okay ma.”

A knock sounded on the door after some seconds.

“Come in,”

Bamidele walked in. “Hello Damsel.”

“How are you Bamidele?”

“I am okay and you?”

“I am fine too. So to what do I own this visit?”

“Well I just came around to check on you.” He replied.

“That’s so nice.”

“Can we go out for dinner?” He asked. It wasn’t the first time Bamidele was asking me out for dinner but I have always turned him down.

“Ahm.. ahm.. Bamidele.. I -”

“Please don’t say no again. We already won our case.” His eyes pleaded with me. The case had been an excuse to not have dinner with Bamidele.

“Arike, I know you already made it clear that we can’t be more than friends and I respect your decision. But having dinner with me as a friend is not a bad idea.” He said calmly.

Bamidele was indeed a gentleman, any woman’s choice but something isn’t right between us. The spark you feel when you love someone isn’t there in me. And I am still yet to figure out why Adedayo doesn’t want me to have anything to do with Bamidele. I should turn him down but then I remembered Busayomi words.

“Well it’s alright if you don’t -”

I cut him off. “Yes! I mean… I’ll have dinner with you.”

His face lit up in sheer surprise. “Seriously?”

“I just said yes Bamidele.” I smiled.

“Okay… so what time should I come pick you up?” He asked, excitement in his tone.

“Let’s meet up by 7 and you don’t have to come and pick me up just send me the address.”

“Okay.. if that’s what you want.”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“So what case are you handling now?”

“A rape case, a young girl was gang raped at a birthday party. The boys involved are sons of notable men in the country.”

“So they are likely to get away?” he asked.

“Not when I am involved. They claimed that they girl gave her consent.”

“Is that true?” He asked feeling furious.

“No! My client is minor and she never gave consent to such terrible act!” I seeth my teeth in anger.

“This is really bad.”

“I have evidences that she was raped.”

“Let me see.”

I gave him some paper files. “Medical reports and a recording of one of the boys apologizing to her.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“This is enough evidence to put them in jail.” He said.

“I will get more and make sure those bastards are put behind bars!” I spat angrily.