The Adventures of Flo: Kevin #47

“Now that you’ve accepted to have lunch with me, have you died?” Kevin said with this smug look on his face. He wore a black suit which was unbuttoned. He had loosened his neck tie too.

Kevin and Flo sat behind a plastic table in one of the popular restaurants in town. It was no Panache but the smells that wafted through the hall was appetizing.

Flo picked up the menu and scanned through it before she could make her order. She turned and noticed that the restaurant sold pastries too. Kevin caught her looking.

“What is it? You came to a restaurant and you want to eat snacks? When there is real food? It’s snacks you are looking at.” He gave a little chuckle that made Flo want to hurl something at him but she kept her cool.

He smiled at her running his hands through his scruffy beard. He must have thought it was sexy but Flo was finding it very irritating. She asked herself why she was doing this. Why on earth had she accepted to come to lunch with this douche bag. Was it boredom? Even getting to eat some free food wasn’t worth it.

When the waiter came to take their order, Flo ordered Fried Rice instead. Kevin asked for Pounded yam and Eguisi soup.

“So how is corper life so far?” He asked once the waiter left.

“It hasn’t gotten any better, but it has grown on me. I just want to do what I have to do and get out. I’m just glad I only have a couple of months left and then I can hightail out of this hell hole.”

Flo wasn’t pleased. Recalling her experiences in the NYSC so far added to the nasty feeling that Kevin’s statement had given her.

“So you aren’t staying back after you are done?” Kevin asked.

“No way.” Flo spat out, appalled even by the idea.

“Not even for me?” He said as his eyebrows shot up. Flo couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She noticed that her response had offended Kevin. Good.

The waiter brought their meals and they started to eat. As they ate, Kevin kept looking up at her.

“What?”

“You are such a small girl. Now that I’m seeing you in daylight, I can tell that you are not above nineteen.”

“Has it occurred to you, that maybe, you are the one who is old?” That one hit close to home too.

He stopped eating and said aggressively. “How old are you? Tell me. See, you won’t. Girls never tell anyone their age.”

“I’m twenty-one. And that doesn’t make me a child.”

“Oh my God. You are a baby. Do you know that I was twenty-one fourteen years ago?”

Flo didn’t bat an eye. She was smart enough to know that this guy got his high from making people feel low. “Congratulations on being closer to the grave than me.”

He spat out a laugh that obviously was not provoked by humor. “You are a comedian huh? Anyway, what are your plans for work when you are done with your NYSC?”

Flo shrugged. She honestly did not have any idea what to do next.

“My bank is recruiting very soon. If only you wanted to stay here, I would have talked to my superiors on your behalf. You know how hard it is to find work in this country.”

Flo considered it. She had no plans for finding work. There was no way on earth she would go back to selling toilets. She thought of Max’s marriage proposal. If she got the job, she would be one step closer to making that a reality. Her parents wouldn’t find it absurd if she talked to them about Max and their plans anymore. She could finally take steps towards being on her own. The down side was the fact that the job would be in this town, but maybe after a few years of working, she would be able to transfer. She looked up at Kevin. Somehow, she didn’t want to receive a favor from that man. But she had never had an opportunity like this.

“I can’t do that.” She said painfully. “I have people in Abuja. I can’t leave them?”

“We’re talking about a job here and you are going to turn it away? I don’t expect you to realize how hard finding employment is. Na small pikin you be. You can even afford to sit down in your parents house for the next six years doing nothing. You still have time.”

“Hey, it’s not the only job in the world. And it’s not even in my field.” Flo said in her defense.

“So naive. Oh, I forgot. You said you are a writer.” He gave out a laugh that made Flo feel smaller than an ant. “You never see anything. Or maybe it’s that your indomie boyfriend that is turning your head like this. Ah, young love.”

Kevin was grinning but Flo didn’t find it funny. “You have no right to talk about my dreams like that. You don’t know Max nor what he is capable of.”

“Abeg jor, miss writer. Now I understand why you are living in a fantasy.”

Flo was fuming. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes. Kevin had thrown a jab at the two most important things in her life. She was beyond insulted.

Kevin reached out and touched her face. “Are you crying?” He attempted to wipe away her tears but she inched away. “I’m just joking nah. You don’t have to be so dramatic.”

“You were just joking. Guess what? I’m not laughing. You just insulted me and my boyfriend. You just disrespected everything I stand for.” Her voice was clear but her eyes showed fury.

“C’mon Flo. Stop being a kid.”

“Enough with that. I am not a child. Neither am I stupid. You know, I blame myself. Ilya warned me about you. I should never have even picked your call. Who on earth steals girls numbers from their bank slips? Huh? And even considering your first impression.”

He rolled his eyes at her and gestured for the waiter to bring the bill. “You can run your mouth now because you have finished eating free food.” He muttered.

Flo stood up. She wouldn’t take any of this anymore. She picked up her bag and started to leave. Kevin stopped her.

“It’s okay. no vex you  hear? I’m sorry okay? See, I will drop you off at your place. You don’t need to walkout like this. I mean this is the first time we are really talking face to face so just forgive me, you hear?”

Flo considered it. She calculated the amount of money in her purse. The distance between the restaurant and her apartment would translate to an expensive transportation fare. She didn’t have that much money on her. Maybe she was being too dramatic.

Kevin stood up, paid the waiter and grabbed Flo’s hand. They walked to his car and he opened the door for her.

“Before I take you home, I will have to stop by at my place sha. I have something I have to pick up from house. On the way back I will drop you.”

Flo nodded and got into the car but deep deep deep in her mind, something was screaming. GET OUT!

To be continued.