Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Red Flag?

By ‘Layemi Olusoga
19 November 2016   |   2:54 am
I knew I was asking for trouble and yet I was excited about it. I wasn’t sure if that made me a bad person or simply an irresponsible young woman who was afraid of starting a family of her own.
‘Layemi Olusoga

‘Layemi Olusoga

I knew I was asking for trouble and yet I was excited about it. I wasn’t sure if that made me a bad person or simply an irresponsible young woman who was afraid of starting a family of her own.

I was to see Chigozie that night for what was supposed to be our first proper date. After my agreement with Tosin that I was going to have fun till I got married, she had sent him a message from my phone asking him if he would like to have dinner with me. His response had been immediate and of course, he had consented.

I had never asked a man on a date. Tosin had been trying to school me on how it worked and she had given me a few pointers. I was to ensure I drove myself to the venue and back, this was to enable me come up with a good story like “I just ran into him…” if I got caught. I was also to ensure that I paid for dinner because according to Tosin…Dating 101 “whoever asked for the date should pay”. She also insisted that there was not to be any talk about Tunji or my upcoming wedding or my rich and famous family. I was only to enjoy a light flirtatious conversation with the young man and finally… she insisted I had to look hot! I wasn’t to look nice or cute or classy…

I was to look steaming hot!

Tosin had travelled and now as the time for my clandestine date drew closer, I developed cold feet. Colder than the ones I had developed regarding my upcoming wedding, at least I hadn’t called off my wedding but I was a few seconds away from calling off my date.

As if on cue, as I picked up my phone to call Chigozie to cancel, Tosin’s call came in.

“Hey, how was your flight”? I asked.

“It was alright just settled into the hotel which has a Jacuzzi by the way. I am never checking out”. Tosin said in between giggles.

“You better come back to Lagos and sort out this mess you have put me in. There is no way I am going through with this date Tosin”. I said as I stared at my reflection in the full length mirror in front of me.

“Don’t be such a wimp! You can do this, just pretend you are someone else and let your hair down”. She advised.

“Ok, since you are the expert on the subject, why don’t you teach me how to pretend I am someone else?” I asked.

“I can sense the sarcasm in your voice but because I am in love life drought and intend to live vicariously through you for the next couple of weeks, I will forgive you and be your coach through what I am sure would be the most exciting weeks of your life”. Tosin said in a tone that I was sure matched whatever expression of frustration was currently on her face.

“You’re so arrogant and annoying. But because I need your help here, I am going to swallow my pride and say the words I know I will regret soon; I am listening”. I said with a chuckle in my voice.

Tosin laughed out loud and then said “You have to create an alter ego. Whenever you spend time with him, just pretend you’re someone else…let’s call her Ginger”.

“Ginger”? I asked confused

“Yes Ginger. Whenever you are with Chigozie…your name is Ginger”.

And so it officially began…the adventures of Ginger.

That evening, when I got to the cosy restaurant I had chosen for date, Chigozie was waiting. Oh I forgot to mention earlier one of
Tosin’s many rules was that I was supposed to keep him waiting…always! The look on his face as I approached him told me he approved of my outfit…sorry Ginger’s outfit. I put an extra sway in my steps as I got closer to the table. He stood up and waited for me to sit down…how gentlemanly.

I noticed he had ordered a drink…it looked like whiskey on the rocks. I reached for the glass and took a slow sip.

“Hmmm…Smooth”. I said as I set the glass down back in front of him.
Chigozie who had remained quiet, laughed out loud.

“Who in the world is this? And what have you done with the real Adesewa”? He asked in between giggles.

“My name is Ginger”. I said stretching out my hand towards him. He took my hand and kissed it.

“Nice to meet you Ginger. My name is Bond. James Bond”. He said

At that point we both laughed out loud.

“You think I’d make a good Bond girl”. I asked batting my false eyelashes at him. Yes I had gotten false lashes fixed for my date.

“Honey…in that dress, you’d make a good…anything”. He said pretending to fan himself with his hands.

“It’s Ginger not Honey…young man”. I said

Now back to his comment about the dress, he was right. In that dress, I could really be anything I wanted to be. It was black, it was short, it was missing a back and it had a fringe that started from my hips, so when I moved it swayed. My feet were clad in a pair of nude sandals and I had on a long weave, false lashes and a bright red lipstick Tosin had specifically insisted I wear. It had taken me a while to get dressed but it was worth it. I looked stunning and I knew it.

We ordered dinner and then Chigozie asked;

“So what is all this about”?

“All what”? I asked innocently as I took a sip of my cocktail.

“The message just a few hours after you had told me to forget about you, this dinner date, your little black dress which by the way now makes me realize you have been hiding a lot under your clothes, the false lashes you keep picking at, the blood red lipstick, the whole my name is Ginger act….what’s going on Adesewa”? Chigozie asked staring into my eyes.

I took a deep breath

“It’s complicated. Can we just have a good time and leave the heavy stuff for later”? I asked. I knew pursuing this was going to ruin our date and I really wanted to have a great time.

“Let me “uncomplicated” it for Ma’am. You are getting married in a few weeks. You just realized you haven’t really sown your wild oats. You have been with the same guy since you were a teenager and knowing you, you have never stepped out of your relationship or defied your parents on any front. So you realized suddenly that in a few weeks you officially lose out on any opportunity to discover if there is any other side to you and so you think to yourself…there is this guy that is crazy about me let me have a good time, sow my wild oats and then marry my knight in shining amour. Am I right”? He asked with an expression on his face I couldn’t identify. It was somewhere between angry and amused. It was a very confusing expression.

He was right but I wasn’t ready to admit it, especially because he had just sort of admitted that he was crazy about me. I was such a horrible person to be taking advantage of him like this.

“I am waiting for a response Adesewa or I am going to get up and walk out of here”. He said in a very stern voice.’

“You’re right”. I whispered. Lowering my head to hide my embarrassment.

He laughed out loud. His previous expression had now been replaced by a smug one.

“You didn’t really think this through, did you”? He asked.

“Of course, I did. I may be childish but I am not stupid”! I exclaimed.

“If you had thought it through then you’d know that after spending so much time with me, if you indeed get married in a few weeks, you’d be marrying me and not someone else”.

Oh-oh. Tosin had not mentioned that this could happen. This was not in the script. Was this a red flag? Was I supposed to call the whole thing off at this point? SOS!

Stay connected: @bourdillonnights

In this article

0 Comments