The salty ocean breeze tickles my hair tresses as the yatch smoothly glides in the water. The music is low and the chatter is loud amongst the men.

My attention is on my phone, texting my mom to check up on her as Richard's hand is wrapped tightly around my waist, my small form pulled into his side, as he leisurely holds a glass of champagne in his other hand, joining into the men's conversation occasionally.

The men he is speaking to, his friends -Dele, Wole and Tony- all have beautiful women on their arms and they are all married. I don't feel some type of way because I know by the time we all go on another outing, the girls on their arms will change but I will still be here.

I look up from my phone, to see the girls looking bored as they try to get the men's attention, one looking down at her phone absent mindedly. They are all very beautiful girls who I know for sure are social media 'influencers'. The pictures they take today will go up on Instagram, they will be alone in them with no one suspecting that they had been here, on such a luxurious equipment, because of these old rich powerful businessmen. That's why I never believe anything I see on social media.

I tuck myself a bit deeper into Richard's side, the cold causing goosebumps to rise on my arms despite the fact that I have on a short cover up to hide the bikini underneath. He looks to me, his warm brown eyes staring down at me with concern. "Are you cold, love?" He says, his slightly accented words like music to my ears. I could listen to this man talk all day.

"Just a little." I admit.

"Do you want to go inside?" He asks, his hand gliding up and down my arm creating friction to warm me up.

"As long as I'm with you." I tell him honestly.

He lets out a small chuckle before shifting to stand up. "Let's get you warm then. Plus, I have something for you."

"Really?" I ask eagerly as I accept his outstretched hand to help me up.

"Really." He tells me before quickly excusing us from the lounge area. We go up to the top deck which has a few rooms, the master bedroom included where Richard and I usually stay.

I immediately jump on the bed as soon as we are in, burying myself under the covers as he goes to the small closet to bring something. His gift, I suppose. He comes out with a bag and then hands it to me before taking a seat on the bed, beside where I lay.

"I saw it and I thought of you." He tells me, stretching his hand over my legs as I sit up on the bed.

I give the bag a curious look before shifting my gaze up to him, a small smirk on his face, and then back to the bag. I open it and see a small box with the Tiffany and Co logo printed on it. I open the box to reveal a dazzling pair of white diamond encrusted tear drop earring. The sight makes my eyes bulge as these looks easily to be about 2 or 3 carats which would definitely have cost a lot.

"Richard!" I exclaimed, my eyes immediately going up to look at him. The grin he is spotting is wide. "Baby, you didn't have to do this." I tell him.

"I know. But the look on your face was worth it. Plus, you've worked so hard these last few weeks, I thought you deserved a little something."

"Little? This is not a little something. These damn earrings look like they cost more than my rent." I tell him outrageously.

"Well, then, I think we'd have to get you a more expensive place." He says with a laugh, standing up and coming to lay beside me.

"You already bought me a car, baby. I really don't need all this. Getting to spend time with you is enough for me." I tell him, moving to press my lips to his. He immediately slants his head, biting my lips softly before taking it in his mouth.

"You deserve it." He tells me in between kisses, his voice low for only me to hear.

"You know what I would really like?" I ask him as I pull away, my fingers going to swiftly unbutton the loose white beach shirt he has on.

"What?" He asks, his eyes lazily gazing down at me.

"A date at Pasquini's." I tell him referring to my favorite Italian restaurant in Ikoyi. He knows how much I love the place but we've never actually been there together.

He lets out a low sigh and I know what is coming next even before it does. "You know that can't happen."

I know that, and I also know why but I ask anyway. "Why?" I move to kiss his neck, to placate him, still hoping that he will change his mind this one time.

"You know why, Ada. We can't have anyone finding out about us. We've been so careful, we can't afford to be reckless now, my love."

"Why can't we just be reckless for once? Why can't we do what we want?" I blurt out in frustration. I pull away from him and heave a sigh of annoyance before saying more calmly. "Okay, how about we just rent out the place for just us for a few hours? It'd be private and we wouldn't be seen. It would make me so happy."

"Or how about," He begins to suggest lowly as he sits up, bringing my face close to his. "I get you and your friend, Diana, a reservation there after a spa appointment and then we can go to the country club sometime next week."

I let out a deep breath before conceding and saying, "Okay."

He seems happy with my response, his hand coming up to slowly remove the white cover up I have on covering the black tiny bikini I have underneath it from sight.

I'm not happy about what Richard said at all. But for the sake of not ruining such a good day, I decide to just go along with the flow and indulge him as usual.

I really just hope that one of these days, we do something for me. Ever since Richard and I got together the only places we go to together in the city are the Nirvana Country club, our penthouse suite in Eko Atlantic hotel, his yatch, and sometimes we go out to other expensive hotels to spend time. Once in a while, we travel out of the country to a secluded place and I love those the most. We haven't done that in a long while though.

The secrecy is beginning to get old. He says he loves me yet he never actually makes concessions for me, once in a while at least. I don't ask him for much. The cars, the house, the expensive gifts, I never actually asked him for them although I do love them. All I've ever asked is that we do normal things. I just want to be able to go out in public with him, to introduce him to people as my man, to hold his hand in public, to do things that normal couples do. But I know that we aren't normal. My greatest worry now is if we'll ever be and if all this would have been a waste of my time later on.

~*~

Monday rolls around soon enough and I'm back to my usual routine of working for Richard and pretending that we did not just spend the whole weekend together. I'm mentally drained by the time my break rolls around and I excuse myself to clear my head. After taking a short walk around the environment, tall office buildings on every turn, I find my way to the small restaurant where I usually eat lunch.

I order my usual and take my sit, my attention immediately going down to my phone to drown out the loud thoughts in my head. The food soon arrives and I dig into the delicious Spaghetti bolognese with shrimp.

I'm halfway through it when I'm approached by none other than Damilare Coker himself again. Doesn't this guy give up?

His smile is dazzling as he says, "Hey. Surprise seeing you here."

"Are you stalking me?" I ask him seriously.

"No." He rushes to say. "I just came by to grab some food."

"Mmhmm." I sound, turning my attention back to my food.

"Mind if I take a seat?" He asks after I'm quiet for a few seconds, eating my food and ignoring his presence.

I give a shrug and taking that as a yes, he pulls out the chair and settles into the seat opposite me. I notice that he has no food with him so I ask, "And where is the food that you came to grab?"

"I just ordered it, but honestly I'm just here because I was told by your partner, Jessica, that you would be here. So I decided to stage our 'chance' second meeting." He confesses with his hand up making quotation marks.

I let out a small laugh before going quiet again. "Well, I guess now I have no choice but to give you my number, huh?"

"A deal is a deal." He tells me with a sharp nod and a glint in his eye.

"Okay then. Give me your phone." He does so and I quickly input my number into his iPhone X max before handing it back to him. "Here you go."

He dials the number and my phone begins to ring beside me. "There. Now you have mine too." He says with a grin.

His name is called out by the attendant to get his order and he stands up from where he was seated, his 6 foot form hovering over me at he stares down. "I'll call you." He tells me.

"You better." I say and he leaves with a small chuckle.

I shake my head at him before finishing my food. I dial my mom's line hoping to hear her voice briefly but she doesn't pick up so I leave her a voicemail. "Hey mama. I hope you're fine. Just calling to check up on you. I love you." I say before ending the voicemail and going to pay for my food.

I leave the restaurant feeling a bit lighter than I was when I entered and I am forced to admit that it's because of a certain dark skinned man.

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I need a Damilare in my life🥴
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