Sensitive Affair

sun sneaked past the spaces on the window blinds. Lolia opened her eyes, the ringing and banging

as met by pain around her throat. She rose h

ned last night? Whe

side of the room. The bed faced a large bookshelf filled with books and trinkets alike. The door

and beside it a translucent orange vial with white pills inside. On the vial was a note that

and nothing but glistening sweat ran down his toned body. His shirt hung over his shoulder. Lolia did not know w

door shut behind him. He seemed extra relieved by

?" Lola asked. "My memory

Nik asked cutting her off as h

hook he

om and returned without the shirt, then he came to bed and sat down. Lolia watched his hands work as he picked up the

anding Lolia the

It was like her mind was telling h

aw her hesitation. "

to her neck. She through the pills back and took so

t!" He in

"I ordered breakfast." He began rising from the bed. He placed

s on the coffee tabl

outcome. Nik was already in the bathroom, he left the door open so maybe he was still clad. She rose from the bed and walked

ched as his knuckles turned white from the force of his grip on the porcelain sink

was trapped in place by shackles unable to escape. He hated her understandable reasons but she had never hated him for tha

and he was still watching her. He knew that look, the look of pity people shot the way of someone who seemed hurt. H

put her in. The reality was that no matter how many peace treaties she initiated, N

e. He thought Lolia had left but when he entered the living room

till here?

shes. It was Nigerian home training, it kicked in

ave?" She asked, her v

land and pulled the paper bags filled with

e asked as he pulled out the packs of food. In a

ia asked as she pulled out

range juice." except his mother. She hated orange jui

" Lolia's voice pierc

pushed the mango juice toward her. Lolia smiled as she took the bottl

pper." Sh

Nik replied "The ca

e Nik had said but she doubted she could reach it. Asking Nik for help was an o

it was not. His eyes roamed down her skirt to see that the short material had ridden up so high exposing her

smell warped around her sealing its scent, a mixture of coffee, mint, and wood. She moved backward it was a foolish reaction because

the hell was wrong with her? She pi

ank

ate in silence unt

, I'll call yo

ked. "Did we..." she trailed off but gestur

eplied. "I h

aised brows. "Not good one

o you want me

Lolia replied usin

hat. It was a lovely sound and the best sight but it did not

I'll call you a c

I stink?" Lo

you." Lolia opened her mouth to speak but he continue

ell me nevertheless." She

nued. "Her blood, her pain, her suffe

that?" Lolia interjected. "She

d while he reigned the accusations on her made his words hurt even more, like a dull knife being stabbed i

her to be engaged in fights so she avoided them. Nik's words cut like a bullet, her mouth could not

closed the distance between them. He knew was not going to hurt her, his mother raised him better. He ha

rang putting a sto

athy and angry. H walked to the inte

a asked with a frown.

w any Taye?

a no

up." He

y weary. The door dinged open and Taye stepped out.

ay

s. Nik has terrified her seeing Ta

started. "Eric has not stopped cal

too much," Lolia replied as t

Taye asked, "Y

forced a smile. Her eyes drifted to Nik who leaned by the elevator prob

urt you?"

"No. He took care of

y between the two was in the air. "Well thank you." She threw at Nik with

a no

e walked inside and returned with h

u." Nik n

ilently. Outside, Taye and Lolia en

s." Lali replied "I just want to

he window. Nik's words continued to play in her head

ad up and down with his groin in her mouth. His mind had remained

muttered, "

man co

op." He or

rolled her eyes and stood up from the floor. Sandra was the daughter of one of the shareholders in the company. She had an obs

why he could not see more with her. He could not see more with anyone. He arranged himself and swi

oing to ignore me n

ra thank you," Nik repl

." she screamed "You are

him but today, he was grateful for it, at least now Lolia, and the guilt he felt for what he did

f his door and knew

could do the only thing that brought him peace. He could pa

**

as in no mood to talk to him. So after a simple apology for not returning

wever, today's words were gripping and throat-wrenching for some reason

ia smiled into he

er father chimed.

as replied.

her way from work. So for the past thirteen years, her father had played the role of both mother

said to someone

. It was a female voice, probably an aunty f

ushed away. "Let me go to the car." He informed Lo

chuckl

you?" She

erian parents always expected you to remem

," Lolia

ar as he explained. "The both of you used to

once when she was six and even

nversation to be over already.

led in the car now.

ng her knee up to her ch

ncer which he had survived but its effects lingered. Nevertheless, he was a s

Southern Nigeria. It was a thigh-length kaftan with matching trouser

new he very well. Lolia was always a happy child with so much

worry creasing into his forehea

as tears threa

even like

ibution to his health but he wanted his daughter to marry a young

ndstill with Eric being ill. Her father did not need to know that Eric could no longer please her in t

cold feet and caused a thirty-minute delay, her father sat with her in the

o pidgin, a creole popular with Nigerians. "

or us Papa." Lolia rem

will forever be grateful to him b

crie

m at all?" Her

ddy." She answered "And

Lo." He advised, downtrodden by the s

ts were what filled the loveless gap in the marriag

ed. "I am just worried about

as this need to make everyone happy and like her. She was a people pleaser. This

bit right from when you were young." He gr

ith a thump. She held the phone above

er father already knew this but she reminded hi

this. "You could try and show them how lovely yo

ked for a while longer b

e sat in the driver's seat, a man. She seemed drowsy and half asleep or drugged. Two thick hands wrapped

atching through the side mirrors, eye

her, It was not a dream, it was the memory she was missing. Nikolia