Chapter 25: Chapter 25

She picked up her bag before getting down from the car, then she banged the door and smiled to herself. She opened her arms widely and raised her head heavenward while breathing in the fresh air. How she'd so much missed this place?

"You're even smiling to the sky, I hope you don't start this new year with your crazy nature," Jimi whispered into her ears.

Lisha flinched before dropping her hands and then jerking her head towards him.

"You're indirectly calling me mad niyen?"

Jimi shook his head before raising his hand in surrender, "I wouldn't dare, when I don't plan to start a new year with broken arms."

She smirked before moving closer to him in a dangerous manner and he stepped back.

"So, I heard today is your birthday, Happy birthday oo," she said while eyeing him.

"Just because you wanted to wish me, you had to scare me?"

"When did I do that?"

"Anyway, is that the only greeting? Nothing special or grand for me?" He teased.

Lisha pursed her lips, "And why would I do anything special for you, do you worth it?"

Jimi shook his head, "You know I do."

"Keep hyping yourself," she turned to leave but turned back to him, winked at him and then blew him a kiss.

At first Jimi looked stupefied at her act as he watched her swing her tiny waist in the white bubble gown she was putting on, then he followed suit.

As the elevator door parted, their eyes met with that of a grinning Mark.

Mark coughed behind his hand as they walked into the elevator, while Lisha stayed by his left, Jimi stayed by his right.

"Enough with the fake coughs," she slapped his back and Mark quickly straightened up.

"God, Lisha, don't you know how painful the blows from your hand is?" He groaned while Jimi chuckled.

"That's what you get for shaming coughs," Lisha replied.

He smirked before turning to Jimi, "So, the one that you guys came together, tell, something is already going on right?" He raised his brows.

Jimi opened his mouth to talk but Lisha beat him to it, "You were coughing because of that, right?"

Mark shook his head before facing Jimi, "So, you guys are already a couple? Why didn't you tell me? So if I didn't see you guys today, I won't know abi, but then I know Lisha can never disobey me."

"It'll shock you," she interjected.

"We aren't a couple yet," Jimi told him and Mark's smile disappeared.

"And who told you we could ever be a couple?" Lisha glanced at Jimi before turning to Mark.

Mark and Jimi swung their gaze to her that instant, she rolled her eyes and shrugged before the elevator door split open, she got down before any of them and then threw her bag to Jimi, then she walked away quickly.

"What's in the bag?" Mark questioned as he tried peering into the bag while the door closed back.

"That's only for me, you didn't even wish me a happy birthday," he kept the bag by his side and looked up at his friend.

"I already wished Kemi a happy birthday and I told her to wish you, her twin brother for me," Mark replied with a smug smile.

Jimi nodded, "That's a good excuse to you, right?"

Mark smiled, "Sorry, the appearance of you and Lisha made it escape my mind."

Jimi bobbed his head, "Okay."

"So, are we throwing a party?"

Jimi squinted his eyes, "Of course not."

"Why not?"

Jimi lifted his brows, "You know I don't fancy parties likewise Kemi."

"But your mother loves throwing party?" It came out more like a question than a statement.

"We didn't allow her do that," he replied and Mark nodded.

************

He switched on the light and immediately the light came up, screams came from the corner of his room. Jimi tiptoed to the corner while wondering where the noise came from, as he bent down to look at the edge of his bed, someone jumped on him from the back.

"What…" he turned back gently and Lisha turned her body with her hands wrapped around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Were you the one that screamed?" Jimi queried as his hand went around her back and finally rested on her hips.

"You were afraid right?" She teased

He shook his head, "No, I wasn't," though he was surprised to see her in his room and now that her legs were wrapped around him, he was still finding it hard to believe, maybe he was dreaming or something.

"I know you were, you should have seen your face," she poked his nose and he smiled.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"I wasn't," he countered and Lisha smiled.

"You were."

"I wa…" The taste of a warm and soft lips pressed against his shut him up. Jimi's eyes widened and it took him some seconds to realise Lisha had her lips on his, without hesitation, he kissed her back. Their lips finally moved together, their tongues intertwined, stuck and every other thing came to a stand still. It was a slow and satisfying one, she tasted so much like sugar and…she bit his lips before resting her head in the crook of his neck, just when he started enjoying the kiss, she had to cut it short.

"Why?" His voice came out in a gruffly tone.

Lisha giggled, "I just decided to bite you."

"When the kiss was just getting interesting, you should at least mute your crazy nature during the kiss."

"Seems I couldn't help it," she jumped down from his body and walked away.

"That's one of your birthday gifts," she said while scanning the luxuriously furnished room with her eyes dashing everywhere.

A smile crawled up Jimi's face, "But it was brief, you…"

"Where is my bag oo?" Lisha shouted.

"I dropped it there when I heard your screams," he pointed at the door and she walked up to the door, bending down to pick it, Jimi continued.

"Why did you even give me your bag? There was nothing special in it."

She picked up her bag and turned to him with a smile.

"Something special was actually there but you were blind enough not to see it," she shrieked before unzipping her bag.

Jimi scrunched his brows, "What? I searched the whole bag."

Lisha chuckled, "You searched the whole bag, if to say my negligee, pants or pad was there nko?"

Jimi shrugged, "It wasn't there and I didn't see anything except for some books and papers."

"Well, there was something special between the two you just mentioned," she stated as she unzipped her bag.

Jimi furrowed his brows, "What?"

She pointed a book at him, "You're so dumb not to have found out, anyway, flip through this pages and bring out the paper there."

He looked at her before collecting the book from her, then did as instructed and brought out the well decorated paper in the middle of the book.

He glanced at her before reading:

* I asked for a wonderful man who will make my stars shine in the darkness

Or a fantastic man who will look at the moonlight with me

Or a slick man who will make me forget all my worries

Instead I was blessed with the awesome one who has everything

An unsurpassed one that surpassed my beliefs

A groovy guy that brightens my day, gifting me all the grooves

Your attractive face alone attracts every tiny filament in me

Your laughter brightens my day

On this day, I wish you a happy and felicitous birthday

One filled with joy, happiness, gladness and most of all love.

Happy birthday to the man of my dreams,

The love of my life and the only one I ever want.

He looked up at her smiling face and the smiles that had been on his face since he started reading the letter increased, then he moved towards her. Jimi held her gently, cupping her face with one hand, he leaned closer and softly placed his lips on hers, at the contact, her stomach churned and she closed her eyes and wrapped her hand around his neck, relaxing into his kiss, their lips moved and parted in sync, it was a slow and soft one that conveyed their feelings, 'I love you' he whispered in between the kiss and she bit his lips in return.

"Why are you fond of biting me?" He asked as they both withdrew from the kiss but he still had his hands cupped around her face as he gazed deep into her eyes like a wall of mirror.

"Maybe because you deserve that," she replied with a smug smile before dropping his hand, then she inched her way towards his balcony while he followed suit.

She drew the curtain to reveal the starry night and stepped onto the balcony.

"Wow," Jimi exclaimed as he saw the well decorated table on the balcony, a white table cloth was laid on it with a white cake and wines around it. Colorful lights were scattered around and he couldn't help but marvel at its beauty.

"Do you like it?" Lisha inquired as she pulled out a chair from under the table.

"I love it," he admitted before sitting opposite her.

"Let me sing you a birthday song," she proposed as the cool night breeze filled the moment.

Jimi chuckled, "I don't want my eardrums suffering, so, I'll pass."

Lisha eyed him before throwing the bag by her side at him, he was quick to catch it. He glanced at her before opening the bag, then he brought out a plain white shirt that was well- embroidered at its hem.

"Your last birthday gift from me today," she announced.

"Wow, I'm so thankful," he looked at the shirt again in awe.

"You should be thankful because I stayed up late last night to make this shirt, I didn't sleep a wink and even embroidered the hem with my hand," she enunciated.

A smile shadowed his lips, "I feel so loved, it's so nice of you, I'm more than grateful."

"The pleasure is mine," she placed her hand on her chest and gave a playful now while Jimi chortled.

He took another look at the shirt before folding it back into the bag and placed it by his side.

"So, how did you come up with all this?" He asked as he picked up his fork and dug it into the cake.

"It just came to my mind, I thought if I would even accept your feelings, I might just do that today,"she admitted as she picked up her fork too.

"Now I have the best girlfriend I could ever wish for, Hmmm, yummy yummy, this cake is so rich, where did you get it from?" He moaned and Lisha smiled.

"I made that last night too."

His eyes suddenly grew wide, "Really? This is so good, I didn't know you could bake."

"It's my hidden talent," she joked before chewing on the cake.

"You must have lots of hidden talents then, there are still things I don't know about you."

"Yeah, one is me loving the moon, I love staring at it in the night which you'll certainly do with me tonight."

He smiled, "Sure, I would."

"So, what's the next one?"

She shrugged, "As time goes on, you'll know them."

He chuckled, "And Soil is already planning our wedding when I don't even know everything about you?"

Lisha squinted her eyes as she dropped the fork.

"Mama is already planning our wedding? How is that possible?" She asked with her face being a picture of astonishment.

Jimi giggled like a kid, "Soil has been planning it since, first it was Mark and Kemi who she claims must get married before the end of this year."

Lisha guffawed, "That's hilarious."

Jimi bobbed his head, "How did you even get into my room?"

Lisha raised her chin and placed her index finger on her mouth like someone thinking, "It was Mama, you should see how happy she was when I arrived, she was more than joyous, then I told her about this and she allowed me enter your room."

Jimi nodded, "Soil is just something else, she'll fit for your mother."

"Sure," she replied in a low tone as she tried not to remember her mother, someone she never met, someone she'd only seen in few pictures, some...

"Hey," Jimi shouted and that brought her out of her reverie.

She smiled at him before picking up her fork and then cut out a portion from the cake into a plate, then she stood up to sit on the bubble chair at the far end of the balcony.

"Come and join me oo," Lisha called as she devoured the cake.

Jimi smiled before joining her on the bubble chair that contained the two of them so far Lisha was thin and he wasn't fat.

"Look at the moon, it's so peaceful and it gives me peace," she pointed at the sky and Jimi looked up.

"Seems, I just found a new hobby with you then," he said as they both curled up on the bubble chair, she rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his hand around her while they both stared at the moon in silence till sleep visited them.