The Cleaning Girl Pt. 07

Saturday afternoon. Sheila had been around for the past several hours. She had arrived around ten that morning and had made his room orderly again. Several times he would surprise her by grabbing her waist, tickling her, squeeze her breasts from behind. It was all fun and games for them. Sometimes after lunch Sheila was stooped at one corner of the room going through a box of books he had kept there.

"You might need to get rid of some of these books. They look like those my grandpa read in his time," she called out to him.

"Leave my books if you don't want me to descend on you," he threatened, hovering over her. He smacked her round butt where she squatted, and she squealed. Laughing, he returned to the TV and switched it on.

Sheila continued to arrange the books and her eyes fell on an envelope tucked away under one side of the box. She looked inside and saw it was a bunch of pictures. She went through them. Most were of him during his school days.

"You have some funny pictures here," she laughed.

"What pictures?"

She waved them at him. "Seems like some you took in the university."

"Oh, I thought I had misplaced them."

She continued going through the pictures. She saw some of his time in NYSC. One particular face caught her eye. She put on her glasses to have a closer look. The face was very familiar. She thought back to where she had seen her, and when she remembered, she jumped, almost toppling flat on her face.

"You okay baby?" Kunle asked, remote in hand.

She showed him the picture. "D-do you know this person?" she asked, her heart racing in her chest.

He looked at the face she was pointing at. "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

"That's her."

"Who?"

"The lady at the restaurant. The one that told me all that trash."

Kunle jumped to his feet. "Are you sure?"

She peered closer. "I'm hundred percent positive."

"Seriously?"

"Yes Kunle. It's her. I'll never forget that face."

Kunle began to seethe. Everything was beginning to become clearer now. Sheila saw the anger in his face, and she backed away in fright.

"Kunle, what's wrong?!! Did I do something..."

"I now understand why you acted that way that day," he replied, his hand growing into an angry fist.

"Who is she? How do you know her?"

Kunle didn't respond. He got up and grabbed his shirt.

"Sheila, get dressed. We need to go somewhere together."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't worry. You will know when we get there."

"But..."

"Just get dressed, Sheila. You'll soon understand."

Sheila heard the edge in his voice obeyed without another word.

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"Kunle biko, you are scaring me. Please talk to me," Sheila begged.

Kunle didn't respond. He was thinking really hard. He had bundled Sheila into her clothes and dragged her out quite roughly by the arm. They were now headed to God knows where. The look of rage in his eyes scared her.

"Kunle what's wrong? Why are you so angry? Tell me what's going on," she pleaded.

Kunle stared at her without a word. He wanted to tell her. She wouldn't understand. How dare she? Who the hell did she think she was? Did she think she owned him?

She had sent him a message on Friday stating she had returned from her trip the morning before. She told him to come see her that Saturday. His plan was to visit her once Sheila had left and end it all with her. He thought it was going to be hard, but this recent discovery was going to make it much easier for him. He had allowed her to treat him as her puppet for too long. He had given her his heart and she had smashed it to the ground and dashed it to a million pieces. Well not anymore. He wasn't going to allow her to treat him like a mindless puppet anymore. He reached out and caressed Sheila's scared face.

"Sheila, baby, please, you will certainly know soon. It's just a matter of time now."

"But why the sudden anger?"

"Be patient baby," he leaned over and gave her a small kiss on her lips, "you'll soon know why."

He pulled out his phone to send her a text.

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Lara was stepping out of the shower when she heard her phone buzz. Towel wrapped around her curvy frame, she walked over to see who had just sent the message.

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

"Lara...baby, I will be with you in a few minutes. I've already given all a serious thought. I'll see you soon. Kunle.

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

She chuckled. Baby indeed. So she had finally lured him into her trap, and the boy had once again blindly fallen in. She knew she was irresistible to him. On her trip she had finally realized it was just infatuation she felt for him - that feeling of longing for the taste of something you had cast away a long time ago. She had long decided to treat him like her love puppet and nothing else. It was just the "whore" phase she knew she would snap out of after a month or two, if it would last that long.

She picked out a nice knee length gown but changed her mind and put on her lingerie and draped herself in a velvet robe. She was going to seduce him today, putting the final part to her plan. She was going to make sure he forgot that little girl he thought he was in love with. She sprayed herself with a touch of perfume, slipped on a pair of high heels and cat-walked down the stairs. She had told her maid to take the day off and return on Monday, and she had the house to herself. She did not want any interruptions. She poured herself a glass of wine and sat down in the plush leather sofa and awaited his arrival.

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"Kunle, where are we? This is a beautiful house!!!" Sheila exclaimed in admiration as they walked towards the building. "Whoever lives here must be very rich." They walked up to the door, and Kunle stopped her.

"Sheila, I want you to do me a favor," he said. Lara had already texted him back, telling him to come in immediately. "I want you to wait for me here. I will call you in as soon as I'm ready."

"But Kunle..."

"Trust me baby, everything will become clear to you soon."

He gave her a kiss and left her with a confused look on her face.

"Kunle darling." Lara greeted him as soon as he stepped into the living room. She stood and welcomed him with a hug. Swallowing the bile that was rising in his throat, he managed to keep his face deadpan and returned her embrace. She gave him a kiss on his lips and Kunle had to force himself to respond. They broke off and she walked towards the bar.

"Drinks?"

"No thanks."

"Come on don't be coy. Have some wine."

"No thank you Lara."

"Okay. Whatever rocks your boat."

She refilled her glass and walked back to where he stood. She pulled the slip on her robe and let it fall open, revealing the expensive brassiere and matching panties she wore. She looked exquisite and hot at the same time. Kunle forced himself not to stare. She turned to him and sat down cross-legged.

"So tell me Kunle," she said "did you think of what I said?"

"Yes I did. I had a very long thought about it, and I accept." Kunle replied.

"Good," she smiled, "I knew you wouldn't disappoint. I think a toast is in order."

She stood up and walked back to the bar to get him a glass of wine. In her way back, she let her robe fall and she stood in only her underwear and high heels.

"To us?" she toasted, clinching his glass.

"Yes to us."

"Mazal tov."

They sipped their wine. Kunle stared at her body for a while and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked smiling.

"Nothing really. I was just wondering - how long have you been planning this?"

"How long? What do you mean?" she raised her glass to her lips and took another sip.

"Yeah. Was it before or after the restaurant?"

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Lara almost choked on her wine. Kunle smiled as he watched her cough.

"Restaurant?" she croaked, trying to get her breath back.

"Yes, the restaurant. About a month, month and a half ago?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? Maybe I need to refresh your memory a bit then."

He whipped out his phone and dialed.

"You can come in," he said into the phone.

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A few moments later the door opened. If Lara had been hit with a sledgehammer in the face she wouldn't have been more surprised. In stepped the very pretty girl from the restaurant, the very one she had tried to get rid of. Her heart began to race.

Sheila stopped, surprised to see Lara. "Y-y-you!!!" was the only word she could form from her lips. Kunle watched the reaction on Lara's face and smiled.

"I believe you now remember. Please meet Sheila, but yes, you've met her once before already."

Lara was stunned. This couldn't be happening. She looked at Kunle with anger in her eyes.

"Kunle ki ni gbogbo trash yi(what's all this trash)? Who the fuck is this?"

"Oh you're acting like you don't remember? Don't insult me woman. You know who she is."

"How dare you bring one of your cheap girlfriends to my house? I should have known you were this useless and untrustworthy."

"Cut the crap," Kunle replied, his anger now boiling over. "She may be young, but she is ten times the woman you are and will ever be."

"Kunle?!!!! How dare you?!!!"

"Yes I said it."

"Kunle," Sheila said, alarm clearly written on her face as she watched them exchange insults back and forth, "who is she?"

"Sheila, meet the nemesis of my life, the woman who ruined my heart. Meet Lara."

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"L...Lara?" Sheila stammered, stunned.

"Yes, Lara. The very Lara I told you about."

"What? O n ro ejo mi kiri(you're gossiping about me)?" Lara asked surprised.

"But why? Why did you do that to someone you don't know?" Sheila stammered.

"Oh you need to know her. It's not something she can't do."

He stared at her in disgust for a while before continuing. "Yes. The very same Lara. I should have known. I should have figured out you were a deceitful, cunning person who doesn't want the happiness of others. I'm pretty sure she saw us at the restaurant. She just couldn't stand the sight of us together. That's why she crossed you in the restroom."

"Kunle you better stop all this nonsense. Who do you think you are?"

"Who am I? What do you think? You can no longer blind me with your charm. I've outgrown that."

"Why would you do that ma? Why would you want to destroy the happiness of someone else? I don't know you and I've never met you before. I never crossed your path. Why?" Sheila asked her.

"It's not beneath her. I wouldn't expect anything less from a bitch who slept her way to all these riches."

"Kunle!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sheila and Lara screamed simultaneously.

"You think I don't know? You think I didn't know about you and your bank regional manager? How he promoted you to the assistant manager of your branch, barely a year after our NYSC service? Is that how easy it is to get promoted, someone new to the bank?"

Lara stammered. "I...I don't know what he's talking about. How dare you insult me?"

"Oh, there's more. How about that House of reps(congress) member? The one who you are always with in Abuja? All that time you tell me you go for meetings at your head office? The one that got this place for you? You think I don't know?"

Kunle tried to calm his boiling anger. "I didn't want to believe it. I deceived myself into thinking all was a lie, until you started treating me like crap. I was blinded by my love for you. I gave you my heart, yet you dashed it to pieces. Still, that wasn't enough. You had the guts to insult me in the presence of your "high-class" friends. Yet you want to destroy the happiness I found after you shattered my heart. Not anymore, my dear. Not anymore."

He paused. "You were right about something that day. Yes, I'm no longer in your class, but you also got something wrong. You are beneath me."

He dragged a finger over the table. "You are worth less than this to me now," he continued as he blew the speck of dust away. "I don't roll with filth. Trash like you do not deserve happiness. Good luck to you as you fuck yourself into greater riches. I'm content with my life. I hope I never set my eyes on you again. By the way, thanks for the wine."

He turned to Sheila, who was too dumbfounded by what she was witnessing to do or say anything.

"Baby let's get the hell out of this place. I can't stand breathing the foul air in here."

He gripped her arm and moved to the door. Sheila turned and looked back at Lara who stood there shocked, trying to figure out what on earth just hit her. Their eyes met and Sheila mouthed "I'm sorry" as Kunle led her out.

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"I've never been so embarrassed in my life Dupe. Imagine the impotent idiot bringing that little bitch to my house and insulting me in her presence. Ko shele si mi ri(It's never happened to me)!" Lara barked into the phone.

Dupe tried not to laugh. "Take it easy. I warned you it was not going to be easy. The way you treated him, I would have been surprised if he had forgiven you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm serious Lara. A man in his right senses would not take you back. You just have to forget him and move on with your life."

"Ko le lo gbe bayen(He can't go scot free). After insulting me? In my home? Jo ma so oshi si mi jare(stop speaking nonsense)!!!!!!"

"I'll just tell you, forget about him. He's gone. It was not meant to be. Face your current man."

Dupe hung up the call and burst into laughter. Serves her right, the self-centered bitch. She was glad she had the chat with Sheila the other day and had been able to make things right. She couldn't imagine her surprise and luck when she had run into her a few weeks ago when she went to see her fiancé. Dupe had parked her car and was about to walk into the building when she saw her walk out of one of the apartments. The girl had greeted her politely as she stared at her in amazement. She would recognize that innocent face and lovely body anywhere. She had called her over and confirmed it was really her.

Over the next few days she talked to her. She didn't mention the incident at the restaurant but had subtly told her not to let anyone poison her mind or thoughts on anything. She could tell she was a smart girl and would pick on what she was trying to tell her.

Stupid bitch, Dupe thought as she flung her phone aside. Serves you right.

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