FLIRTATIOUS ; ( Part 3 & 4 ) – OPEYEMI AKINTUNDE

PART 3 “FLIRTATIOUS ”
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 asl33p” I said pointing to the sl33ping 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 stranger.”

*******
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!

PART 4 ” FLIRTATIOUS”
Opeyemi Akintunde

Titobiloluwa’s look was that of confusion mixed with shock. From where I stood in the distance, I saw how she stared at the guest in obvious shock. Titobiloluwa had been off duty the previous day, so she was meeting her for the first time. Aisha who had been given the five thousand Naira tip was off duty for the day..

For Titobiloluwa to have that look of disbelief, it was obvious the guest was asking for something she found ridiculous.

I wondered what my guest was asking for, but as much as i desired to move close to be of help to her, I couldn’t dare because of the conversation I had with Reuben earlier…

******
ONE HOUR EARLIER

” Reuben, why did you assign Bolawa to the guest?” I asked Him not hiding my anger.

” F.D, When did you start questioning my posting?” He asked

” I feel you are biased. You normally aapost me to work with high end guests, but Bolawa! You and I know how he stylishly begs guests for money!” I put it to him

Reuben was quiet, he knew I was right.

” F.D, I am doing you a favour, if what I saw yesterday is close to what I think it is, then you need to be as far away from the woman and her husband ” Reuben said as a matter of fact

” What did you see?” I asked

” You have a thing for that woman, I am suspecting she is your spec. Guy, I know what happened to you yesterday. I have been a victim once and guy it was hard detaching”

” I still don’t get you?:

” F.D, I know you, you are not a loose guy, we have worked together for over two years and I know you to be disciplined when it comes to women, but seeing you losing it at the sight of the woman tells me one thing…She is your type!”

” My type?”

” Yes F.D, we all have our types. I like to see we humans this way; When God created us, He created us in types, like Type A, Type B, Type C and so on and that’s why you realize certain people behave alike…”

” Because they are the Same Type!” I said trying to get him to say his main point.

” Yes, so I believe it applies in attraction as well. It is possible in God’s creation mathematics, Type A is attracted to Type C. For instance, though I am married, I am still attracted to any fair skinned lady who is tall and smart. When I did not understand this truth, I was falling in love with any fair skinned tall and smart girl. Now , I know better, when my path crosses my spec, I avoid them like a plague…. That’s what I am helping you to do…” Reuben said before walking out…

*******
PRESENT

” I do not want this concierge, I want F.D” She said raising her voice

” Ma, guests do not determine the concierge assigned to them” I heard Titobiloluwa raising her voice a bit, that way I was able to pick her words.

” Well, that means my husband and I will check out from the hotel right away. We can go spend our two weeks elsewhere.” I heard her say loudly.

At that point, the Manager walked into the reception…

” Madam, What is wrong?”

That was the last I heard, the Manager made her lower her voice and they had a long conversation.

********
” It seems she is also attracted to you, I hsve done the best I can do, It’s left to you. ” Reuben said on entering the office.

Earlier, When I couldn’t decipher what the manager was discussing with her, I had returned to the concierge office…

” OK?What’s happening?” I asked

” She told the manager she wanted you as her concierge.”

I had a feeling of winning, like it was an achievement…

” Don’t forget what I said, the fact that she is your spec does not mean you can be with her. In this case, God has helped you, she is married”

” And who says she can’t become unmarried?” I replied under my breath

” You said What?”

” Nothing!”

” You should go see them in their room, she needs you!”