After the storm Read Free Page A

conversation. "All
right, tomorrow is almost here anyway."
    "Yeah…so
have a good night."
    "You
too, little girl," Akeem replied softly. "Have a lovely
night."
    ∞∞∞
    A few
minutes before seven o'clock the next evening, the doorbell
rang.
    "Looks
like your guy has arrived," Tola said, peeping through their
bedroom window. "I can't see his face clearly, but there
is someone at the door. I'll just go and check."
    Yemi
quickly checked on her appearance in the mirror. She was wearing
one of the new dresses she had bought the day before. It was a
knee-length, mauve-coloured dress, and the simple cut flattered her
figure. It had thin straps, flared out just after the hips and
ended in soft folds around her knees. The evening looked like it
might be a little cool, so Tola had lent her a wrap in almost the
same shade as the dress.
    Tola
could barely contain her excitement when she came back upstairs.
"The guy is gorgeous! And he drives an Aston Martin! Peeped at it
from the study. That's the only strange car out there, and I know
it's got to be his!"
    "So
that's what it is. Thought it looked nice."
    "Nice?"
Tola rolled her eyes, as if in despair at Yemi's ignorance. "I
don't know what I'm going to do with you!"
    Yemi
made a face as she slipped on her shoes and took one final glance
in the mirror.
    "Go on,
girl," Tola said, giving her a gentle push. "You look
fab!"
    Akeem
stood up when they entered the sitting room. "Hey." His eyes swept
over Yemi. "You look beautiful."
    "Thanks," she said, hoping that she did not sound as
breathless as she felt. Just one look from those eyes and she found
herself melting like butter. He looked even more attractive than
the day before, in his cream chino trousers, sky-blue, checked
button-down shirt, and fitted navy-blue blazer.
    She
introduced Tola to him.
    "Hello
again…Tola," Akeem said with a smile at Tola.
    Yemi was
amazed to see her brash cousin shy, but it felt good to know that
Akeem had that effect on others too, and not just her.
    On the
way, he wanted to know about her day, and she filled him in. He
drove confidently and appeared very used to the road networks. Yemi
glanced subtly at his hands on the steering wheel. He had nice
fingers, long and neatly manicured. She also liked the way his
blazer moulded his broad shoulders as if it was tailor made for
him.
    Akeem
glanced at her at and caught her eyes on him. She looked away,
feeling a little embarrassed.
    He
turned off the motorway onto a side road and about ten minutes
later pulled into the parking lot of a hotel.
    "Nice-looking place," Yemi said as they walked into the
hotel's restaurant.
    "I've
been here before and really liked their service. I didn't want to
drive into London, so I won't keep you out too late."
    A waiter
approached them. Akeem gave him the reservation number, and they
were immediately led to their table. A few minutes later, another
waiter approached their table to take their orders for drinks and
left them with the menu.
    "So when
will you be done with uni?" Akeem asked Yemi after their drinks
arrived.
    "About
four months from now. Can hardly wait!" Yemi said, taking a sip of
her fruit punch.
    "Maybe
you can come work for me," Akeem said, and Yemi laughed. "I'm
serious," he maintained.
    Yemi
smiled cheekily at him. "Are you sure you can afford to pay
me?"
    He
smiled back at her. "I should be able to pay a little girl like
you. Just name your price, and it's a done deal."
    "Don't
tempt me; I may just ask to be paid in pounds."
    "I like
people who place value on themselves, even inexperienced ones my
company has to train first." He chuckled at the indignant look on
her face.
    "Inexperienced or not, I'll definitely add value to any
company I work for!"
    "That's
the confidence I like so much about you." He picked up the menu,
still looking amused. "Are you ready to order now?" She nodded, and
he beckoned over to the hovering waiter.
    The food
was delicious, but she enjoyed his company more. Akeem was easy to
talk