THREE IS A CROWD

For a while now, I have been very preoccupied with work and with professional exams. So I haven’t had much of a social life. Friends, family and acquaintances have been slamming me with those “You have abandoned me” texts and calls, and I always apologize sincerely and profusely. Being a grown-up is hard, for real.

It was a Friday, and I’d managed to close early (early for me, being 7pm). There was minimal traffic, which is like a miracle if you have ever entered the Apapa axis of Lagos.

So I found myself collapsing on my couch as soon as I walked in through my front door by a few minutes past 8pm.

My agenda was simple: eat, shower, watch that day’s episode of La Impostora on Telemundo, be in bed by past 10, wake up and start studying by 5am till 8am in the morning, go back to sleep, wake up 11-ish, clean and do laundry till like 3pm, then read till whenever. Keeping in touch and reaching out to people I care about could be done with any free time I could find.

However, as I waited for La Impostora to start, I decided to glance briefly at my phone. There were of course tons of emails and Facebook notifications, some Whatsapp and BBM messages, and one Twitter notification. I glanced at the TV; commercials were still on, so I decided to check my messages.

I opened BBM first, and the most recent ping was from Chibuzor, a former friend with benefits. (Remember Chibuzor, from Emotions Are Messy, who moved on from me to a steady boyfriend) He’s still a friend of course, but sans benefits, as those belonged solely to his boyfriend, who I know he cared about a lot. We had spoken about him a lot and I remember rolling my eyes at the way Chibuzor gushed about his beau. And they had a lot of cute pictures together, where they looked all goofy and in love.

‘Runaway friend, how far na?’ his message read.

‘I’m fine o. I no run away o, I dey here,’ I replied.

‘Nice, nice. It has been a while. How’s work and the fam?’ he returned almost instantly.

‘All good, I thank God. It’s been a bit hectic with me for a while actually, that’s why I haven’t had your time.’

‘Eiyaa. Just take it easy. Stress is not a good look on anybody, especially a fine boy like you,’ he typed back, adding a wink smiley.

I laughed and glanced at the TV. La Impostora was almost starting! I had to round up this conversation fast. But I was feeling a bit naughty, especially after that wink smiley. Chibuzor had never sent me a wink smiley, not since he ended what we had and started dating his boyfriend.

‘Fine boy ke? Don’t let your boyfriend catch you complimenting someone else and sharing sexy smiley o. Acid bath will not look good on me,’ I replied, sending a tongue-out smiley.

‘Lmao,’ he replied. ‘Na, Steve isn’t the jealous type. Besides, he knows about you and what you mean to me.’

‘Oh? Aww, but what exactly do I mean to you? I need a refresher course,’ I replied with a batting-eyelash smiley.

‘LOOOL! You are looking for trouble. You know very well I liked you a lot. I don’t want to use the other L word, to avoid generating old feels.’

I bit my lip as I read his reply. Maybe it was because I was lonely and hadn’t had physical contact with anyone for months, but in that moment, I wondered if I hadn’t lost out on a good thing when Chibuzor asked me to be his official boyfriend and I turned him down. He was a great guy; handsome, honest, caring, with a great body, and the sex was amazing too. But you can’t force feelings to exist where they didn’t, and I wasn’t ready to even be in a relationship anyway.

‘You’re a sweet guy. And Steve is a lucky guy,’ I replied. It was the safest yet most sincere reply I could give.

‘Na, I’m the lucky one. Having two amazing guys like you and Steve in my life. Which is why I think it’s high time you guys met.’

For what na? I asked myself, struggling to form a reply that wasn’t acidly sarcastic, while trying to follow the ongoing conversation going on TV.

‘OK?’ I replied finally. ‘And what would we be talking about when we meet? Sounds like an awkward arrangement tbh, no offense.’

‘Lol. It won’t be. You over-think things.’

‘Maybe your boyfriend wants to size up the competition?’

‘Oh please. Steven isn’t the jealous type, and he’s already aware of your existence and what we had. Just come and hang out with us sometime; a friendly outing.’

‘Alright then,’ I typed against my better judgment. ‘It’s a date.’

‘Haha, yeah. How does tomorrow sound?’ he asked.

‘I actually have plans for my weekend,’ I replied.

‘Next weekend then?’

‘Ok then, next Saturday.’

‘Yeah.’

Perhaps Chibuzor sensed my lack of enthusiasm, because he quickly said his good night and ended the chat.

For a moment, I frowned at my phone screen, my mind trying to figure out if I should be excited, apprehensive or unbothered about meeting the present boyfriend of a past lover. But then onscreen, Eduardo Altamira announced his presence at the Guerrero residence, and Blanca, who was pretending to be a rich heiress, was at home! Would they catch her? I dropped my phone, all my attention focused on the TV. Next weekend would come soon enough. Why worry now?

TO BE CONTINUED.

Written by Santa Diaba