I called Daniel and asked him to meet me outside as I made my way out of the club. Something wasn’t adding up with Yemi, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I’d process it later—I didn’t want anything spoiling my night with Daniel.
“How far, babe? What did Yemi say?” Daniel’s voice came from behind me. I turned to face him.
“I didn’t meet him. He sent a message saying he had an emergency at home. I really don’t understand it.”
“What don’t you understand? Why do you look worried?”
“I’m just wondering why he didn’t call to explain and why he left without checking if I was okay.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Am I sensing some affection here? Why does it sound like you’re upset he didn’t care?”
“Oh, come on, Daniel. I’m just worried about him. What if something bad happened? The days are evil. What if he was kidnapped, and the message was just a ploy to distract me? It’s even worse that he’s not picking up his calls.”
Just then, my phone rang. It was Yemi.
“Hi, Yemi. What’s up? You got me worried!”
“I’m sorry about that,” he said, sounding apologetic. “My security guard called to say my generator house was on fire. I rushed home, but when I got there, it turned out it wasn’t an actual fire—just unusual smoke. I’ve got it sorted now.”
I sighed in relief. “You scared me. I was worried something bad had happened, especially since the message felt abrupt. Why didn’t you call me instead?”
“I did, but your number wasn’t reachable. I was in such a hurry that I just sent the message and ran. I’m sorry for leaving you like that. Should I come back?”
“Oh no, don’t worry. Err… Daniel is here.”
“Really? What a coincidence. My regards to him. I hope he’s good company.”
“Yes, he is.”
“Alright then. Once again, I’m sorry about everything.”
“It’s okay. We’ll talk later.”
I could already see unease on Daniel’s face, so I ended the call quickly to avoid giving him the wrong impression. As I hung up, he looked at me with a tight expression.
“I hope you’re happy now that you know your *boyfriend* is alright?”
“Can you stop it already, Daniel? He’s not my boyfriend. Besides, someone just asked me out a few minutes ago, and the last time I checked, I don’t double-date.”
“But I’ve never heard you speak to me with such concern as you did with him.”
I hissed. “Go and set your generator house on fire, then! Maybe I’ll speak to you with concern too. Abeg, where did you park your car? Let’s go home.”
Daniel smiled, and I loved it every time I made him smile. I held his hand as we walked to his car.
The ride home was lively. We played my favorite playlist and found we had similar tastes in music. We sang, danced, and talked about everything—childhood memories, school days, traveling abroad, and work experiences. By the time we got to his house, it felt like we’d known each other all our lives, and I loved him even more.
At his place, though, things took a turn. As we walked inside, Daniel began touching me inappropriately. I knew I wanted him too, but I’d made up my mind: any new relationship would not include sex until we’d built a deeper connection. I’d been burned by rushing things in the past.
“Okay, maybe we should talk about this,” I said, gently holding his hands. “I don’t think I want to go there just yet. I want us to get to know each other better first.”
“Err… are you a child? You do know that grown adults like us do this, right?”
“That hurts,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “I’m just suggesting we wait—”
“Oh, please! What did you think would happen when I asked you to spend the night? That we’d do vigil together?”
“I mean, it’s not compulsory for anything to happen tonight. We haven’t known each other long enough for that.”
Daniel laughed, his tone mocking. “Wow. You didn’t tell me you were such a saint. You should’ve mentioned that while I was pouring my heart out and professing my love to you.”
“Why are you reacting like this? I’m just trying to have an honest conversation. Why are you making it seem like I’ve done something wrong?”
He let out a grunt, walked away, and punched the wall.
Instantly, fear washed over me. The dim light in the room cast a shadow on his face, but I could see the anger in his eyes glistening in the dark.
“I think I should leave. I’m no longer comfortable staying here tonight.”
He didn’t respond. He paced the room, then went into the bathroom and shut the door.
My hands were trembling as I tried to book an Uber, but no drivers were available. I texted Yemi.
**Me:** “Please, can you send someone to pick me up? I’m somewhere around Chevron, and I can’t get an Uber.”
**Yemi:** “What happened? What are you doing at Chevron at this time?”
**Me:** “Long story. Can you send someone?”
**Yemi:** “I’m on my way.”
**Me:** “Oh no, you had an emergency earlier. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
**Yemi:** “It’s fine. Everything is sorted. Send me your location.”
I sent him my location and waited, still trembling.
When Daniel came out of the bathroom, he seemed calmer. The bathroom light illuminated his face, showing he’d washed up.
“Can you turn on the light?” I asked, trying to steady my voice.
“This is the brightest it gets,” he replied softly. “Listen, I was way out of line earlier, and I’m sorry. When you really love someone, it hurts when they reject you. I’d been fantasizing about tonight, imagining us together—not even necessarily sexually. But when you blew me off, it felt like you didn’t trust me.”
I said nothing, still shaken but less afraid.
“Can I hold your hand? I just want to apologize properly.”
“It’s fine,” I replied, letting him take my hand.
He guided me to sit on the bed.
“Babe, I love you like crazy. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing before I sleep. I’m sorry for acting like that earlier. I really am.”
“You know,” I said quietly, “this made me question whether I really know you. I didn’t expect this from you.”
He winced. “That’s why I’m apologizing. I’m not usually like this, I swear. It was your reaction that triggered me. It felt like you were accusing me of being a beast.”
“No problem. But I don’t feel comfortable staying here anymore. I’d like to go home.”
Daniel clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
“But I said I’m sorry. What else do you want me to do?”
Just then, my phone rang. It was Yemi.