"What are they doing now?" Chioma asked from where she stood behind her door, while Kachi was watching Michael and Sochima from the stairway, giving Chioma update.

"Nothing, they are just mixing in with friends and your mother is going to talk to them...Wow! They look like a nice couple," Kachi said smiling as she watched from above, Sochima was resting her head on Michael shoulders while laughing.

"Who cares what they look like?! Why are they even here— not 'they', Michael. He is meant to be working on the case, not going to parties with girls. I am the one meant to be relaxing. And... do you think this was planned? I mean... how is it possible that the only guy Sochima happens to bring here is my annoying partner?" She turned around and walked to her bed, falling face flat on it, she pressed her head into her pillow.

"Why don't you go say hi," Kachi suggested, walking back into the room.

"Noooo! Puffcont hu wah hi are yousb frexy!"

"You might want to raise your head and talk, you are speaking in the mumble jumble language." She walked over to Chioma sitting down beside her.

"I said..." She turned around, facing the ceiling. "I can't go say hi, are you crazy?"

"Why can't you?"

"Because, I don't think Michael knows where he is, he and Sochima might have met somewhere, and he had no idea she was my cousin, this is just one big, stupid, coincidence and..." She jumped up immediately, and ran to her bag. "I have an idea."

"Ok, what's that?"

"I am going to call him," She said, scrolling through contacts, searching for Michael's own. She found it, just under a contact she didn't know

I have a friend named Mimi?

She shrugged and dialled Michael's number.

"Why? I don't think that's a good id-"

"Shhhh." She said putting her left index finger on her mouth, "it's ringing." She whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael felt his phone vibrating in his chest pocket, he was going to ignore, but suspected it to be Chioma.
"Excuse me ladies, I am going to go take this."

He freed his hand from Sochima, gave a small smile to the elderly woman who was the host of the event and walked away to an area where the music wasn't so loud. Bringing the phone out from his pocket, it showed ‘Chioma’ on the screen. Sighing, he swiped to the right, answering the call.

"Hey partner!" Her voice came through the phone cheerily.

"Chioma?" It was her voice he heard, it was her name he had seen, but the tone she spoke with wasn't one he was used to.

"Yes, it's me Michael. So any update?"

"Uh...yeah! Yeah, I was going to talk to you about it tomorr-"

"Is that music I hear?"

"Music?"

"Yes music."

"Maybe...look, can we meet tomorrow?" Michael sighted Sochima approaching with what seems like a couple behind her, "talk to you later." He ended the call. He watched as Sochima walked towards him in a strutted manner.

"Michael, let me introduce you to my cousin Somto and his fiancée, Jennifer." She said as she halted, standing beside Michael.

"Hey, nice to meet you." He said, plastering the fake smile he has been giving to the couples who had approached them since he got here.

"Nice to meet you too, I can tell you that you made the right choice my man, any man would be lucky to have my cousin," He said, his arms around his fiancée face, who was smiling brightly at Michael and Sochima, who was now holding his hand again.

Michael gave a nervous laugh. "W-What are you talking about?"

They burst into laughter, over a joke Michael didn't understand.

"You guys make a beautiful couple." The lady, Jennifer said smiling at them.

After they had exchanged greetings and walked away, Michael turned around to Sochima.

"Couple?" He asked, an eyebrow raised

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"He cut the call, can you believe that?" Chioma had a look of disbelief on her face.

"Yes, yes I can. I was here when it happened." Kachi stood up and walked over to Chioma. "You should act fast because your mother will soon come looking for you and drag you downstairs or Sochima will come up looking for you, whichever one happens first, it may end up with Michael seeing you."

"If they come, I will run to the toilet and you will tell them I am pudging."

"Speaking of pudging, my tummy has been doing me somehow." Kachi rubbed her flat tummy which responded with a rumble, Kachi groaned as though replying, her tummy grumbled even louder. "I am going to go use your toilet."

"What? Now?!"

"Yes now, anytime my tummy start to rumble like this, it means something is about to pop out," She said walking fast towards Chioma toilet, which was located in her room.

"You mean poo-poo? Don't scatter my toilet oo!" Chioma laughed as she watched Kachi running to her bathroom before the bomb dropped.

Chioma sighed, not knowing what to do she walked to her bed and sat down. Here she was, hiding from a man, in her own father house.

Her mother should be looking for her by now, probably she has seen a prospective suitor she deems fit for Chioma.

"This is crazy!" She said aloud to herself.

"What is crazy!" Kachi shouted from the toilet.

"Everything. Also Kachi, I am not comfortable talking to you while you're doing your business."

"Like you don't poo-poo too, my shit is not even smelling!" She said laughing.

"Ok, can we stop talking about feaces before I puke out my last meal."

"Whatever!"

Chioma stood up and walked to her dressing mirror. She looked at herself, admiring her features. From the hair that cascaded over her shoulders, to her catlike eyes, her small pointed nose, to her full lips. She brought her hands to her lips, closing her eyes, as she remembered Michael's lips on hers. A smile came over her face as she got lost in the memory.

With a shake of her head, she brought herself back to reality, "this is stupid." She said to herself, looking at the mirror. "This is really stupid." She walked back to her bed, laying face down, pressing her face to her pillows.

Suddenly, a strange noise came from the toilet, followed by Kachi's grunts.

"Jesus Kachi! Take it easy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael looked at his watch, the time showed five minutes after ten. He looked around for Sochima who he had manage to slip away from minutes ago. He brought out his phone and sent her a text, telling her he was about to go home and he was going to wait for her in the car.

He walked away quickly before she sighted and got hold of him and try to make him stay for a little more time. He walked out of the mansion, and towards his car, got in and stayed, waiting for Sochima.

Soon, he sighted her walking towards his car. She still held the strutted step. This was one of the reason he broke things up with her. She wanted the attention on her in every occasion, one of the reasons she couldn't go to a dinner party on her own. She was just not his type and she was too smitten over him, she agrees with everything he says even when he needed her to argue. But he couldn't deny that she was one sexy woman, that was what drew him to her in the first place.

"Hey, you left in such a hurry," she said as she got in the car, shutting the door behind her. "You didn't even get to meet my cousin."

"Is there a reason you want me to meet your family?" Michael said starting up the car.

"None."

"Good." He drove away from the building, not seeing the figure, standing behind the window, watching his car drive away.

After five minutes in silence with Sochima sighing every thirty seconds, Michael got fed up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said, adjusting to her side, to watch Michael drive. Suddenly a mischievous idea crept into her head.

She placed her hand on his laps, and Michael jumped a little at the contact because he was not expecting it.

"Remember that time..." She said in a seducing voice, a sultry look on her face. "When we were coming back from the cinema and then you wanted to go naughty."

"Yes, we were dating then, not anymore." He reached out removing her hand from his tight, which she placed back seconds later.

"Well, it doesn't matter Michael, you didn't complain the last time, in fact I think you loved it." She work her hands up again.

"Stop." Michael said, feeling his member throb, he hasn't had sex since he broke up with her. He was still a young man and yes, he was sexually active.

"You say that but your body says something else." She gave a low laugh and started working his zip, bringing it down slowly "I could give you things Michael."

"Ok, that's it." He parked his car to the side, Sochima smiled in success. "Look, you are a beautiful woman and all. But the thing is I am not interested in you, and you should stop pining over me and find someone else, because there will never be an us."

"But Michael-"

"No buts, please we can't be anything more than friends."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the car had gotten out of sight, Chioma stepped out of the window.
"They are gone." She told Kachi who had stepped out of the toilet minutes ago. She was sprawled on her back, laying on Chioma's bed. Her arms wide apart and like leg crossed over the other, like Jesus on the cross.

"Do you know because of you, I didn't get the chance to toast any guy. I plan on getting married one day you know."

"Blah!! The party is still going on, now that they are gone, you are free to go toast whoever— except my cousins or anyone related to me."

"Why?"

"No reason."

Kachi rolled on the bed till she fell off "Ow!" She got up slowly and dusted her dress and walked towards the door, twisting the knob open, "When you are ready to leave, I will be waiting for you beside any cute guy I see downstairs," She said and shut the door behind her.

Chioma walked towards her bathroom as she opened the door, the stench that hit her, flogged her out of the bathroom. Kachi had sprayed the air freshener, but some stench were even more powerful.

She heard a beep coming from her phone, it was Michael.

I'm sorry for cutting the call earlier. I will talk to you tomorrow, I found something in the Edward's house. Take care of yourself and dream of my fine face.

A smile came to her face as she read the last part, but she couldn't help but wonder what Michael found. Walking over to her bed, she laid down face flat for the umpteenth time.

          **********************

That's it for this chapter, next one will be dropping in real soon.

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Stay safe.