BROWN & GREY: CHAPTER 3

LOTANNA POV

After absorbing the shock, I finally left the property with my luggage. Where would I go to now? I had no relatives here, I was stranded and worst of all? I was broke.

"Chineke, kedu udiri onwuwa but nka"( God, what type of temptation is this.) I sighed silenty.

I started walking aimlessly, my phone battery was dead so I couldn't call Lanre to deliver the bad news, he'd probably shove it in my face that he was right and I was wrong. 

It was already nighttime here in London, as I passed people kept giving me weird glances, well I wouldn't blame them. As I was still thinking about my predicament, I heard a voice screaming.

"Hey! Get back here, you thief."  Fortunately the theif ran into me, I dragged him by the collar and hit his head several times, throwing insults in Igbo language. The boy didn't look more than 18 years old, I took the purse and let him go. 

As I turned I saw the lady gawking at me. She wasn't that tall but she was beautiful. She had long dark hair and grey eyes. If I was in the mood I would definitely chyke her but I was still reeling from what happened earlier. Just thinking of how much I spent was enough to spoil my mood. I walked up to her, holding her purse.

"I believe this is yours?" I said. The lady kept looking at me, particularly my eyes. 

"Asa ( Beauty), take you purse na." I said. She looked confused.

"Asa?" She repeated in a funny way and I laughed.

"Never mind, just take your purse." She immediately took it from me and looked around awkwardly.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it." She said in a strong British accent.

"You're welcome, I better be on my way." I smiled at her, as I was about to leave she called out to me.

"Wait, let me repay you for all your troubles, how about dinner, my treat? You look pretty worn out and from your luggage it seems you just arrived here." She said in a soft voice. I wouldn't say no to dinner especially when I'm broke.

"Are there any Nigerian restaurants here, if you don't mind me asking?". She smiled at me.

"I guessed you were Nigerian, I love your country, very rich culture. Come on, there are plenty of restaurants here." She said happily.

❤️❤️❤️

After taking an Uber, we arrived at a fancy restaurant, they had all forms of Nigerian delicacies. But of course as an Igbo man, I ordered Akpu and Egusi, my favourite.

The girl kept looking at me as I devoured it like a mad man. She wouldn't understand, she looked like she didn't have to work for anything in her life.

"Won't you use a knife and fork?" she asked, eyes widening at my behaviour. I chuckled.

"Asa, food like this is not eaten with knives and forks, you use your hand to eat it, try it out." I said pushing my plate over to her. She looked at it obviously scared to go out of her comfort zone. She used her manicured fingers to take a little, after dipping it in the soup, she looked at me and then put it in her mouth. 

"Oh my God, this is delicious". She said giving a toothy grin. She pushed the food back to me and ordered hers.

"You see." I laughed.

"I never did get the name of my good samaritan." She said teasingly. 

"Lotanna." I told her.

"Lotanna." The way she said it made me laugh again. Her accent made it sound funny. 

"What's funny?" 

"The way you said my name, it was cute." I said and she laughed.

"Asa nwa." I muttered. She looked at me confused.

"This is the third time you're calling me that, what does it mean?" She said leaning on the table, waiting for me to respond.

"I'll tell you later." I told her.

"And how are you so sure there will be a later?" She said gazing at me with her beautiful grey eyes.

"Oh, there will be." I told her smiling. She laughed awkwardly and clearly blushing. I decided to put her out of her misery and ask her some questions of my own. This conversation has been me centerd for a while. 

"Enough about me though, I want to know your name, hobbies. Anything at all about you" I said.

She looked shocked, like no one has ever asked her that, strange.

"I'm Bellion." She said. 

"Beautiful name, but I prefer Asa." I said. She looked at me smiling a bit.

"You won't tell me what it means, will you?". She said.

"No, but know its a beautiful name that suits a beautiful woman like you." I said

"So, any hobbies?" I said.

"I love writing. Poetry and fiction to be more precise, but I dropped that hobby." She said smiling sadly.

"Why?" I asked.

"That's a topic for another day." She said.

After saying this, she went silent and we just ate our food. When we were done we came out of the restaurant. She turned to me and asked.

"So where are you headed, so I could ask the Uber to take you there."

"I don't have any place to go actually." I said, she looked shocked. Then I knew I had to tell her. I told her about the internship and how I got duped. She looked at me with pity but I didn't like that. I hated when people looked at me like that.

"Don't worry Asa, I'll figure something out." I said. I didn't expect what she said next. 

"What if you work for me until you can find your footing." She said.

"Work for you? What could I possibly do?." I said.

"You'll be my personal driver and bodyguard of course. I'll pay you handsomely, I promise. So what do you say to protecting Asa." She said and chuckled. I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"I accept".

To be continued…..