From The Heart – “A Night of Magic”

“Please, spare me,” he cut in with a disinterested drawl. “I think you were well aware of your actions that night, Feyi. There are no excuses. I don’t even want to know why. But I’ve been fantasizing for a long, long time about the day you’ll be made to suffer for it. And I think it’s finally arrived…”

“I see,” was Feyi’s ragged reply, when she could finally speak. “You’re obviously hell-bent on revenge – so nothing I say can change your mind. Well, go ahead, Lanre. Take your best shot.”

“Oh, I intend to,” he put in smoothly.

“But not before I see you locked up for trying to sexually blackmail me,” she choked with anger. “I’m sure the police will be glad to know your methods of debt recovery.”

“The police?” he scoffed, then actually laughed. “And what will you tell them? Just what have I said or done that could possibly implicate me? You know what sexual harassment means, I’m sure. I don’t think, Feyi, that I’ve exactly asked you to jump into my bed.”

“But…that’s what you want, isn’t it?” she spluttered.

He merely eyed her with scorn. “Face it, you’ve got nothing to threaten me with. And you know, I think you should be more concerned about persuading me to help you, not getting me locked up.”

Feyi loathed the mocking look on his face. “I don’t think I need your kind of help,” se said, her voice now more controlled as she faced him with a raised chin. “You haven’t quite got me on my knees yet, Lanre, but nice try. One thing’s for sure, I’d kill myself before I agree to what you’re asking – and we both know exactly what that is.”

“Still saying no?” he murmured, casually regarding her from where he sat perched on the edge of his desk. Feyi had never felt such murderous tendencies as she did at that moment. She could kill him for making her go through this!

“Suit yourself,” he added with a shrug. “Waste what little time you have left. It will soon get to the point when your integrity will be the last thing you’ll be hanging on to. And I’m going to just love seeing you crawling back on all fours to me.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” she snarled, and with that slammed her way out of the office.

Feyi wasn’t sure how she made it out to where her car was parked, or how she was able to drive herself all the way back home. But seated there, behind the wheel, she finally allowed herself to break down in tears as she went over the last hour. Hands covering her face, she sobbed and sobbed in self-pity and rage. It just didn’t seem possible that this was happening. She’d just lost her beloved father, was almost left to her last dime, and now this. How was it possible that her past had come back to haunt her this way?

Once again she allowed herself think of Lanre; his hard, ruthless face, his taunting words. She still could not believe he’d been serious about his proposition. Oh, he’d denied it, but they had both known just what he was getting at.

And he was crazy! she thought frantically. How could she sell herself. And how could she be sure he wasn’t tricking her, and had no intention of helping her no matter what she did?

Well, could she really blame him? she reluctantly asked herself as she wiped at her face and then stared vacantly into space, letting her mind play over that fateful night two years ago…

*****

She was lying in bed, her face buried in her pillow as she willed herself not to cry. How was she ever going to get over the fact that her fiance, Chuka, had dumped her for her best friend?

It was the same old story; trust someone too much and they took you for granted. She’d never guessed that Chuka and Issy, her closest friend since playschool, had been going out behind her back for months. And now, just two days ago, he’d called Feyi to tell her that he was leaving her and getting married to Issy. He said he was sorry to hurt her, and hoped she’d forgive him someday.

Feyi remembered how the receiver had slipped from her nerveless fingers, how she’d have collapsed if her father, who had also been in the living room at the time, hadn’t rushed forward and hastily caught her up. It was he who’d stood by to help her through the following dreadful hours of pain and despair.

She still felt so hurt and betrayed. She’d loved him since she’d been in her teens; he’d been her childhood sweetheart and she’d never seen anyone else but him. They’d all been close: she, him and Issy. Little had she known that they’d both grown closer than she could ever have foreseen. And now, she was left all alone…

Just then, there was a knock on her bedroom door. “Feyi sweetheart, can I come in?”

It was her dad, and her heart melted at the sound of concern ringing in his voice even through the closed door. “Yes, of course, Dad,” she called out, turning over to sit up in bed as he appeared, his expression tender.

“Just checking to make sure you’re okay,” he said with a smile as he sat on the corner of her bed. He tapped her chin gently with his knuckles, then asked softly, “Still blue?” And his kindly tone almost set her off into tears, but instead she managed to shake her head. But she knew she couldn’t fool him.

“Look, I can’t stand you being so gloomy. So, I’m going to make sure you go to the party tonight.”

“Party?” Feyi frowned. “What party?”

“It’s this big housewarming your mom and I were invited to by our close friends – you know them, the Waziri’s. However, your mom is a bit under the weather and I decided I can’t leave her alone tonight. So you’ll just have to go.”

“But Dad, do I?” she groaned.

“I insist. Someone from the family has to honour the invitation. I really want you to attend, Feyi. It will be fun.”

“I’ll probably be the youngest there,” she sniffed, not convinced.

“They have a daughter your age, so you don’t have to worry,” he assured her. “Besides, the Waziri’s know how to throw a great party, trust me. There’s bound to be lots of young, handsome men…”

Feyi’s face hardened at that. “But I don’t want to meet any more young or handsome men. Not after – ” She broke off, turning her face away as tears stung her eyes. Reaching out, her father embraced her comfortingly.

“No one’s asking you to get involved again,” he said quietly into her hair. “At least, not so soon. Just try to have some fun.”

Fun, she mused as she rubbed at her runny nose like a little girl. Maybe that was just what she needed…

“Alright, Dad,” she said at last, pulling back to look into her father’s kind, handsome face. “I’ll go.”

“That’s my girl,” he said with an approving grin, patting her cheek. “I’ll leave you to get ready.”

When he was gone, Feyi rose from the bed and went to her walk-in closet. She decided she needed to look her best that night, so she took her time picking out her favourite drop-dead dress, a clinging black number with a vee neckline that plunged a little. It was a sleeveless halter which meant there would be a lot of skin on display. She’d bought it from a famous designer on her last trip abroad. Then she chose some gorgeous gold ear rings and necklace. Her shoes were black with ankle-straps, and she knew they made her legs even more killer-looking, exposed to advantage by the short length of her expensive black dress.

As she laid the outfit out across her bed, she decided there and then that she really was going to enjoy herself. For a few hours, she would be willing to forget how cracked and broken her heart was inside. Her father was right, she didn’t need to let her problems get to her this way. Chuka was gone and that was that. But Feyi swore she’d never believe in love or friendship again.

After pampering herself with a long, perfumed soak, she did her hair and put on her clothes before carefully applying her make-up, choosing a dramatic look to go with her daring attire. She knew she looked a lot older than her twenty-two years, and decided she liked the overall results. No one was going to be able to tell how much she was hurting beneath the beautiful mask she had on. The final touch was her favourite perfume, a gift from her father, which she dabbed on strategically.

Her parents exclaimed in admiration when she went to their bedroom to tell them she was off. They told her she looked fabulous, which lifted her spirits higher.

Outside, she took a cab and gave the address, which was a swanky neighbourhood on Victoria Island. Less than half an hour later she was dropped in front of a palatial white mansion, complete with wrought iron gates and a garden, a paved walkway leading to the brightly lit doorway. There were several flashy cars parked around the place, and from the music coming out from the house, she could tell the party was already well under way.

She took a deep, long breath before finally ringing the front doorbell. It was opened by a very slim, lovely girl, who smiled in welcome when she saw Feyi.

“Finally! Someone my age!” the girl cried, giving Feyi a hug. “Hello, please, come in.”

“Thank you,” Feyi replied with a demure smile, amused at the cheerful girl’s friendly attitude as she was whisked into the house. “My name is Feyi Daniels, and I’m sorry my parents couldn’t make it…”

“Oh, yes, yes, they called that you were coming. I’m Alia, and my parents own the house. They can’t wait to see you. Don’t you just love the place?”

“It’s stunning,” Feyi agreed, looking round at the grand surroundings. They went past the wide, pillared hallway and into the main ballroom where the party was being held. It was beautifully decorated and filled with several well dressed, notable people. Feyi was glad now that she’d taken so much trouble with her dressing, especially as most eyes seemed to turn to her when she appeared.

Feyi understood now what Alia had meant; many of the guests were middle-aged though dressed exquisitely in differing attires both traditional and foreign. There were some young men though, and other women though not their age group. Feyi allowed Alia to introduce her to several other people, and her parents too when she finally found them. Everyone was so nice and charming that Feyi was put at her ease at once.

It was truly a fantastic party, with superb food and wine. The music too, was great, a mix of the modern and the timeless. Throughout the evening Feyi found herself hardly ever managing to stand still for a minute before being whisked to the dance floor by one partner after the other. She began to feel like the girl in that ABBA song, the Dancing Queen, and it was refreshing to actually let go and just give in to the moment.

But try as she might, she could not completely erase the pain shadowing her heart, lurking behind every smile or laugh that crossed her lips. And the minute any of the men she danced with tried to get forward, she fobbed them off each and every time. She was always courteous about it, but firm. Dance after dance she had, and then of course there was the all that champagne and wine she drank. Which, in a way, she found was good for drowning out a lot of things she didn’t want to remember. Tonight, she wanted to forget…

“That guy hasn’t taken his eyes off you all evening.”

Feyi turned to Alia, who was standing beside her as they took a break from the last dancing session. Feyi’s new friend had an indulgent smile on her face as she tipped her chin in the direction of a man standing across the crowded room.

Feyi glanced his way with interest, and noted at once that he was absolutely gorgeous. Dressed in a well cut dinner suit and dark, open-necked shirt, he had a tall, broad-shouldered build and a face that was square-cut, dark and handsome. Two long dimples slashed his lean cheeks, and he had a reckless charm which came across even with the distance between them. And the fiery look in his midnight-black eyes set her young heart fluttering in moments. She could hardly look away, and just then, he held up the glass in his hand in a dashing salute.

“Gorgeous, isn’t he?” Alia teased, unknowingly echoing Feyi’s initial thought.

“Drop-dead,” Feyi agreed faintly, turning from his blazing gaze with difficulty. But then she thought of Chuka. He too, had been tall, dark, gorgeous – any girl’s dream. But he’d proven to be a two-faced cheat in the end. And suddenly, the night went sour.

Alia, seeming to sense the change in her mood, looked into her now drawn face with concern. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, fine,” Feyi said hastily, forcing a bright smile. “But I think I could do with another glass of that fantastic wine.”

“Are you sure?” Alia asked doubtfully, taking Feyi’s empty glass.

Feyi nodded, though she simply wanted to be left alone for a moment with her thoughts. Alia shrugged and then was gone, and Feyi heaved a deep sigh. She wondered how soon before she could make her excuses and leave. The party had for some reason begun to pall…

“Care to dance?”

Feyi almost didn’t want to turn around to the sound of that deep, stirring voice, as something told her she already knew who it would be. She wasn’t surprised to find the handsome stranger standing there, looking all the more lethally attractive now that he was up close.

When she didn’t reply at once, he added with a small, charming smile, “You’ve danced with everyone else but me.”

An involuntary smile crossed her lips, and she decided internally that she could have one last spin on the floor, especially with such an appealing, attractive partner. “Hmm, and I can’t afford to be partial, can I?” she said, before putting her hand in his open palm. She had to catch her breath at the gentle strength of his warm grasp.

What am I doing, she asked herself, as she let him lead her off to the dance floor. The music was a slow number, and when they got to the middle of the platform which had been laid up for the party, she found herself slipping easily into his waiting arms. His hold was light, yet there was no mistaking the charged atmosphere which surrounded them as they danced. She’d placed her hand on his shoulder, felt the hard-packed muscles even beneath his jacket. She bit on her lip in confusion, not sure why it suddenly felt a little too hard to breathe.

This guy isn’t like the others, she told herself, remembering all the faceless men she’d danced with since the night began. She couldn’t even remember any of their names. She’d teased and tantalized those, then brushed them off once they tried to make their play. And yet here she was, thinking she may have to do the same with this one. Was she crazy, or just reckless? She wasn’t ready to find out…

“I knew you’d smell as good as you look,” she heard him say softly against her cheek, which was just inches from his as they moved slowly in time to the music. His deep, resonant voice made the tiny hairs on her nape shiver with a strange pleasure. Okay, so she found this guy deeply attractive. She could tell, by now, that he was managing to stir everything that was soft and feminine within her to life. He had an effortless magnetism which pulled yet scared her somewhat.

“Thank you,” she replied, unable to look up and meet his eyes, keeping her gaze strictly level with his dimpled chin. She felt his hands stray slowly up and down her back, and she wondered if she should protest. And then she noticed her own hands were pressing a bit too firmly into the broad cords of his shoulders. Uh oh, she thought, willing her straying hormones to behave…

“When I came to this housewarming tonight, I was looking forward to a boring time,” he told her, his voice never higher than a whisper yet reaching deeply into her over the sound of the music. “And then you walked in. From where, I’d wondered. The Garden of Eden?”

“Garden of Eden?” she asked, brow cocked, as she finally drew back a little so she could look up into his face. And realized that was a mistake. His dark, almost black eyes were all but devouring as they ran over her features, his gaze narrowed, hooded with a desire he didn’t bother to hide. Feyi effectively lost her ability to breathe properly.

He chuckled, as if to diffuse the sudden tension which twirled between them. “Yes. Because you’re as beautiful as Eve – and just as tempting.”

Despite herself, Feyi giggled almost girlishly. It wasn’t the best chat-up line she’d heard, but he sounded sincere enough. “That’s really sweet,” she said coyly, making light circles on the back of his neck with her fingertips as she wondered how far she should flirt with this dangerously handsome stranger. She could almost feel him shudder faintly at her touch on his skin, and she mused if she was having the same effect on him as he was on her. Her mind reeled thinking how this was the first time in weeks that she felt anything like a woman, as the blood pumped faster through her veins and straight to her heart. The sudden adrenalin was overpowering, and she almost felt faint for a second. Sure it was due to the crowd-filled room, she stopped suddenly, drawing back.

“I..I think I need some fresh air,” she said, and then surprising herself, she took his hand and led him outside, past the other partyers through to the open French doors. They found themselves out on a moon-washed terrace, with large, leafy trees shadowing over them from above. The soft breeze wafted around them, filling her nostrils with the fragrance from the surrounding gardens. Feyi drew in a long, grateful breath, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to relax. But she hardly got the chance, not when he tugged at her hand and turned her to face him, his gaze as smouldering as ever.

“You have absolutely got to be…the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said thickly, raising a hand to trace his fingers over the outline of her heart-shaped face.

Feyi had heard those words a thousand times, from different people all her life. And yet, tonight, from this handsome stranger, it felt like it was the first time someone had ever really meant them. Her smile for him became warmer, her eyes dancing impishly as she replied,

“And you..you have got to be the kind of man my mother warned me about…”