RESOLVE

Chapter Five.

~Sarima's pov~

"Agbani Darego!" The familiar teasing voice called out, and I turned my attention away from the bustling main road to the entrance of the building. The little smile he had on his face was contagious.

Kene was not the most attractive guy I'd seen before but very handsome regardless, dark and innocent-faced.

He was far from innocent, not with the rubbish he was constantly spewing when around me.

I rolled my eyes at the name. This was a new one. He never ran short of those cheesy names. Talk about a sweet mouth.

He finally stood before me, arms folded across his chest, his height intimidating. I wasn't short, but I couldn't help but feel so when he was beside me or nearby. His countenance held that amused, playful look always present when he looked my way.

"Miss world today abi?" I asked, looking up at his face.

"Who's calling you, Miss world?" He gave me a mock condescending look. "I meant Agbani as in lekpa...You know dry fish?" He gesticulated. "Yeah, that's what I meant when I called you Agbani."

"Funny," I said dryly, my gaze moving away from him, seeing that we were earning a few curious glances from people around, with the way he stood over me intimately conversing. His steady gaze on my face.

"I'm not even slim, so I can't pass as a lekpa, abeg." I looked away from him again, focusing on the vast trucks static on the interlocked floor beside the entrance. I stepped back, trying to gain a little distance from our position.

He wasn't even paying attention anymore as he beckoned on a garden egg hawker walking across from us to come.

He bought some of it with groundnut and started heading in.

He turned when he got to the entrance noticing I was still at the spot he'd left me with my frown.

"Agbani, c'mon," he pleaded, "do you want to roast?" he nodded at the scorching sky.

"Stop calling me that," my frown was still in place as I approached him, cringing at the noise coming from the road and glancing back to the express as a lorry honked unnecessarily.

He stared at my face.

"What?" I asked, catching his stare.

He sheepishly smiled.

I didn't know when a smile escaped my lips.

"Fine girl." He gave me that admiring look that always warmed my insides when on display.

"Uncle, let's be going." I pulled him towards the entryway, stopping the tension from ensuing further and trying to control my blush from escaping.

"You just can't resist the urge to touch me, can you?" He turned due to my pull, and I smacked his muscled arm at his statement.

"You're welcome on board", he winked in encouragement.

"Tarh!"

He chuckled lightly.

He pushed open one of the heavy double glass doors with the 'push' sign on it and gestured for me to get in first.

Who's doing ladies first with you?

"After you," I said to him.

He let out an exaggerated eye roll with a sigh as he obliged.

"I hope you weren't pulling my legs when you said you'd help me get those materials. I don't want my coming here to be in vain." I pouted as I walked beside him, my eyes roving through the environment.