THE ASOEBI GIRLS
Episode 7
“Ben?” Joy was surprised seeing Ben around that vicinity.
He winds down and steps out of the car to greet the girls.
They all knew Ben as a nice guy who liked Joy but they don’t know why he hasn’t asked her out. Ben is a subject Joy tries to avoid. She likes him too but doesn’t want to look desperate before him.
“One has to act smart with these guys to avoid appearing cheap.” She’ll say.
“Bye, Joy.” Bella, Chioma and Nancy greets as they left Joy.
As Bella was walking away, Chioma caught her turning countless times to stare at Ben.
“I spotted you girls from there.” He said pointing to a stall just by the roadside, few metres from where he parked. Beside the stall was a POS stand. He had stopped to greet his friend who owns the stall.
“Erm. Get into the car, I’ll drop you off. Don’t try to rebuff.”
She had to close her already opened mouth which was about rejecting the offer.
As she sat in the car and Ben drove, Joy couldn’t help but look out of the side window. It was awkward sitting in a car with a man she had feelings for. A man she was so sure likes her too but unable to tell her.
“Urmm. Joy please can I ask you something?”
Joy’s heartbeat accelerated by 3 beats per second.
“Does he want to ask me out”
“Do he want to open up”
Within a few minutes before her response, she has already thought about possible questions he’ll like to ask.
“Sure, go on.” She finally replied.
“Please, do you know if Bella is in any relationship presently?”
Joy’s heart stopped for a second as she tried to repeat the question Ben just asked, in her head.
She was surprised and taken aback. After all, she wasn’t expecting anything much from being friends with Ben. She thought he liked her because of how they vibbed in chats.
She mustn’t give herself away, she thought within her as she puts out an invisible strand of hair off her face.
“Bella is not in a relationship, to the best of my knowledge, she’s single. Except she’s dating someone we’re not aware of.” Joy adds.
“Wow. She’s too pretty to be single.”
Joy was trying so hard not to feel jealous about the praises Ben showered on Bella. She thought he had feelings for her.
“You’re really beautiful, Joy.” Ben said breaking the killing silence in the car.
He just said Bella is pretty, why compliment me too? Joy thinks.
“Thank you, Ben.” She replied trying not to show any expression.
“Your boyfriend must be lucky.”
She was about replying when Ben’s phone rings. Bad timing. She was about telling him that she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Does it matter anymore?
“I’ll be there, soon.” He says into the phone.
“I have somewhere to be soon. I’ll quickly drop you home and leave.”
‘He must be good at flirting.’ Joy thinks within her as she couldn’t help but regret ever developing any feeling for Ben.
“Thank you for the ride home, Ben.” She says as Ben drove off quickly.
She heaved a sigh of relief as she steps into her house and slumbs on the coach thinking about how unlucky she has been with love. She must have been there a long time because she didn’t know when she slept off.
Ben stops at a black gate as Anita steps out with her aunt crying.
“What happened?” Ben asks staring from pregnant Anita to her aunt.
No one was saying a word.
Ben walks inside to meet a more dreadly scene.
To be continued. . .
