“Come off it. This is marriage. I don’t want to be bound by its shackles” Alex waved it off. The thought of it makes him want to puke out blood.


    “Take your time buddy and weigh the consequences of saying no” Festus advised.


    Few hourster, Alex heads to the restaurant in thepany of Festus. They were going to have lunch, the same kind of lunch they went for when they met E.


    As Alex was going to use the elevator with Festus, they sighted E stepping out of her office. She saw the men and quickly turned her back to them.


    E waspletely avoiding Alex. He had humiliated her and she had made up her mind to get a job elsewhere and resign from the Foster cooperation.


    Sighting Alex with his friends, she doesn’t want to ever cross paths with Alex Foster if it was ever going to be possible.


    “Hi E. Let’s go for dinner” Festus gestured, beckoning to her toe over. He knew she was yet to recover from the harsh words Alex Said to her.


    But to create a free atmosphere between them both, he decided to invite her for lunch and at the same time make it appear as if Alex made up with her.


    “Oh.. no. I am fine” E stuttered. Lunch, with this arrogant brat? No, not in her wildest Imagination. She would rather starve for an entire day than think of staying anywhere close to that fellow surnamed Foster.


    “Common E. Don’t act modest. Let’s go”Festus dered with a tone of finality. It was not negotiable. He wasn’t asking her to make a choice.


    He is giving it as a verdict and he hopes E will not make him lose face before Alex. He stared at her intently without blinking.


    First time he looked at her intently. This woman is a beauty to behold. He’s never seen her through the eyes of ady the few times they had met.


    She would have been ady, worthy of being seen around him. But, she has no ss and she has no name to reckon with.


    E sighed. She wanted to insist, to refuse him vehemently but he didn’t give her a chance for that. His words were full of finality, no other option but topromise with him.


    She nced at Alex and thetter had a poker face. He nced at her with an expressionless face. But Festus kept his eyes fixed on her.


    She shrugged.


    E was surprised when Festus made her ride with him  in his car. She least expected him to treat her better than Alex.


    Festus’ car was ck Lexus and Alex’s car was white. The colour is the difference between them both. The two men were wealthy and from the little she had known about them, they had been friends from childhood.


    She alighted from his car and walked directly behind him. Alex stepped out of his car and soon, ady joined them.


    E didn’t know thedy but she knew she shared a special rtionship with Alex considering how he crossed his arms around her slim waist.


    He was with Lisa the previous day and the next day he was with someone else. Anyways Alex Foster was rumoured to be a womaniser.


    He goes after anything in skirts. How can someone be so arrogant and at the same time be a womaniser? Such abination will lead to his eventual ruin.


    They were ushered to a private room and soon, a waitress approached them and asked them what they would want for lunch.


    Alex was seated next to his girlfriend and she circled her arms around Alex’s upper arm, gently cing her head on the nook of his neck.


    E felt she was going to choke on her saliva. Such an open affection to a man who will probablye to lunch the next day with another woman?


    She is not even conscious of the fact that they were not alone. She looked down, shy that ady can be so shameless.


    “Make your choice E” Festus urged her. That was when E looked up and her eyes locked with Alex. He stared at her briefly and turned to his girlfriend, and kissed her temple.


    “Snacks and a bottle of soft drink will do” E requested with a smile towards the waitress. She was polite and as if her smile was contagious, the waitress smiled back.


    “Ok, miss,” the waitress answered. Thedy appeared more sweet and modest than the one who almost wants to curl into the arms of Alex Foster.


    Alex Foster had been a regr customer at the restaurant. Each time, he seemed toe with a different woman. She had lost count of how many women she had seen him with.


    Alex watched E from his split vision. The way she smiled at the waitress. She looked really beautiful, especially when she smiled.


    Festus nced at her and smiled too. E’s politeness makes him like her more. He likes decent, politedies.


    “What would you love?” Alex asked, holding her palm and giving it a soft squeeze. He smiled at her with his seductive lips and eyes, blinking.


    “Chicken rice and sd” she said ring at E. The woman looked too simple and didn’t appear to be Festus’ girlfriend at all.


    Who is she and why is she sharing their table?


    E felt like shooting her a hostile stare. How can a woman be not reserved? She looks slender, a blond with her cleavage clearly exposed.


    She wore a heavy make-up that appeared as if she was looking rather irritating than beautiful.


    Their meal was soon brought in and they all started eating. E ate her snacks quietly but Alex didn’t stop staring at her at intervals.


    When they were through,  E excused herself to visit the restroom. She was passing by when she stumbled upon two lovers engrossed in an intimate kissing.


    E pretended not to see but just passed by. She wondered why two adults wouldn’t control their desire for each other and got into such an intimate act as kissing in the corridor to the restroom.


    But as she passed by, a cold shiver ran through her spine. She paused. Why does she have this feeling again?


    We usually have it whenever she encounters an unpleasant surprise. She carelessly nced at the lovers and felt the man is someone familiar.


    She had nced once, but she’s going to nce at them again and this time, she would do so with an inquisitive stare.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    She deliberately walked closer to the lovers and nced at them again. She stood, and stared at them with a puzzle.


    No, no this can’t be happening. No, he can’t be who she suspects him to be. He was standing with his back to her but she cannot be mistaken.


    From a distance, she should be able to recognise him. He was already in town and was seeing someone else already?


    No, this is just her imagination, only her imagination. It can’t be him. She had been obsessed with the thoughts of him for a while now.


    That might be what is making her hallucinate. But staring at the lovers who seemed to care less about anyone and everyone going anding, E blinked her eyes and pinched herself.


    Yes, she’s not hallucinating.


    She wants to be sure she was seeing the right person. Unable to keep staring on, she called his name:


    “Bill!”