©️ Opeyemi Akintunde
At that point, the tables turned, she was in control. She was the one directing the conversation.
” Have we met before? There is something striking about you, something close to me.” She had asked
All I could do was nod in the affirmative. I was not attesting to knowing each other, but I was confirming the feeling of closeness I was feeling towards her.
” You feel it too?” I said to her
” What?” She replied
” The feeling that we know each other or have met each other before. In some strange way ma’am, I feel very drawn to you. I know you are married but I can’t explain how drawn I feel to you.” I said to her in my imagination
This was what I wanted to say to her, but I knew that would be sending myself to an early grave and right before that I would have lost my job which was what He and Leni depended on.
Leni? I am sure you are wondering who Leni is… I will get to it.
” I am not sure we have met before, it’s possible I look like someone you have met before” I eventually found my voice and thankfully it was speaking sense.
” Oh Sure! It is possible. My mother always says Wherever we go, we will always find someone who looks like someone we know ?” She said followed by her rich laughter.
” Can I have your number, so I can call you if I need anything?” She asked
It was against hotel policy to get familiar with guests and not giving out phone numbers was one of the ways the staff had been able to overcome the temptation of getting familiar with guests.
” It is against the policy of the hotel for you to have my personal number, if you need me, you can call the front desk or the concierge office on the intercom. The number to dial is 113.” The professional in me came to the rescue.
” Very well then. Thank you. See you around tomorrow. You would be taking my husband and I around for a tour. ” She said as she joyfully catwalked towards her room still dazzling in her wedding gown…
” Take them around?” After my breathing normalized, the meaning of her departing words hit me…
” Take them around? That’s not my job. I am not a tour guide” I said to myself laughing at her ignorance.
” I am just meant to get them a tour guide” I said out loud to myself so that my inner self would stop getting excited over the Idea of seeing her the next day.
” I am not a tour guide, I am a concierge and I should not be found getting familiar with a guest. “
I found my way to the Concierge office. Reuben was seated with questions in his eyes. I pretended not to see the questioning eyes. I went into the toilet, splashed water on my face…
” What is happening to you?” I asked myself as I stared at my pale face.
” Old lover? First Love?” Reuben said from behind me. I jumped back in fear.
” That was creepy, I didn’t hear you coming” I said stylishly trying to avoid the question
” That shows you are far away, your mind is not here. Is she an old lover or first love?”
” Not sure of what you are asking?”
” The bride you chased to the 4th floor and was speaking with you some minutes ago”
” How did you kno…?” I was surprised Reuben knew I was talking to Her.
He read my shock and instead of giving me the room to deny , he showed me his phone. There was a picture of me speaking with her there.
” CCTV footage from the Control unit…” He said
” Of course!” I retorted
Reuben was ny supervisor, so it was normal for the guys in the CCTV room to update him about his department.
” She was asking for my phone number as a concierge..” I supllied the information he wanted to have
Reuben raised his eyebrow.
” I didn’t give her, I told her to call the reception or the office”
” You still haven’t answered the mother of all questions I have for you. Who is she to you?” Reuben asked
” No one, I have never met her before. She just looks like someone I must have know in the past. I guess it is a case of mistaken identity “
” Hun!” Whenever Reuben replied “Hun!”, it meant he didn’t believe your lie.
Leni had prepared my favorite; Amala and Egusi. Leni and her son Roland were the only relatives I had. Leni , my sister and Roland her child.
I walked in faking my smile. All through out my journey home, I tried understanding why I was drawn to the woman. Her name still unknown to me. I had stylishly asked Aisha ; the receptionist for their names. She had simply replied Mr & Mrs Anthony.
” What troubleth thou?” Leni said the moment I sat in the Living room.
” What?”
” Something is not right!” She said
” Can’t I pretend to be fine and you will not see through my pretence” I said to Leni.
Leni was my world, my sister, my bestfriend, my gee, my artist. She was just my other half in a woman’s body. If Killing was not a Sin, I knew she could kill for me.
” Start talking” Leni said
” I don’t know what to call it, Love, infatuation, lust… Leni, I have seen a woman I am genuinely attracted to” I said bursting in excitement.
” You are joking right? “
” No I am dead serious!”
Leni let out a big scream….
” How? Who is she? Where ? How did it happen?”
” Calm down Leni…Anthony is asleep” I said pointing to the sleeping child
” I met her at the hotel today!” I said
” Ok!” Leni said super excited
” She is beautiful, She is….” I went on and on singing her praises…
” But there is a little challenge” I eventually got the point I dreaded…
” What?”
” She is with someone ” I said
” So? We can withdraw her from that someone.” Leni said
” She is Married!” I could feel the whole world crashing under Leni.
“Are ypu Okay? Leni asked
” I am not sure!” I said…
” How can I explain how I was loving a married syranger.”
The way I wanted the day to break the next morning desrved an award. I had come to a reasonable conclusion as to Why I was deeply attracted to her, therefore I had some questions I wanted to ask.
” Reuben has assigned Bolawa to them!” I heard a terrible news on getting to work the next day, Reuben had given them another concierge….
No way!
To be continued
