She went with some friends to do some amateur modeling shoot
She wasn't a model, his friends were (Aspiring)
She just tagged along for the shoot out of boredom
The photographer was her boyfriend, he talked her into tagging along for the shoot so that he can
He was bidding for a calendar project
He needed to present his previous projects
He didn't have any
He was one of those guys who starts a project with enthusiasm but never completes it
He had wanted to be many things in the past only to change his mind at the last
She wasn't sure she wanted to be with him for a lifetime
They were together as an excuse not to be alone
She knew this as surely as she knew her name
But while they were still together, she was determined to do everything to help him make a headway
He was the play and fun kind of friend with whom you never imagine doing anything serious
The type you can tell you are in love with another guy or you are developing feelings for another guy and all he will say is "As long as you are happy, it is fine"
That kind of guy
She went to pick a birthday gift for her godfather who was an art aficionado
She met him at the art gallery
They talked a little
She was caught in between two different but interesting portraits
He helped her make up her mind
In the
He made her laugh selflessly
She really liked him
He was easy company and he made a difficult decision so easy for her
They exchanged numbers and parted ways
He called her later that evening around 9pm
They continued where they left off earlier in
That was how their story began
She had high hopes then
he just returned home from France and was hoping to set up an art gallery somewhere in Lagos
Three months later, he had changed his mind
He no longer wanted a gallery, he wanted to start an art magazine
Another week
From that he moved to books, book reviews and book writers and so on
Within six months, he had changed his mind more times than an agama lizard would nod its head in a minute
She found that nature unsettling
He spent recklessly (He came from a very rich background) and was more concerned about his reputation as a rich boy than building a solid future for himself
He took everything lightly including their relationship
He always told her he was in it for the
He was a free bird and didn't want to be tied down by life
They had kissed a few times but she refused to have sex with him
She was more of a "touch& stay" babe
She couldn't bring herself to be so sexually irresponsible
it is one thing to be sleeping with a guy you thought
It is another thing to be sleeping with a guy who stated clearly that he wasn't interested in a conventional relationship that leads to anything tangible
You just hang out together and flow with the tide...
She had
So she worked on it
She insinuated herself into his space for three months hoping to become indispensable and earn his trust
It was fun
He welcomed her moves and acted like her boyfriend
Then he said "I know what you are doing, i played along because i like you but don't think you have found a Romeo, I want to be very clear before you start crying foul and dragging me on social media. I am a free bird, if you chill with me, you get
His words made her feel very cheap, even though she had set out to do what he was saying, the way he said it deflated her
She cried that day, his words stung her like a bee
She was not a bimbo and what he really needed was a bimbo who would be there to do his bidding until he grew tired of her and discarded her like trash but she found herself slipping into loneliness and depression
She was twenty-seven and
She was by nature very reserved
She needed him or perhaps she needed his company, so she stopped rejecting his calls and started hanging out with him again
This time she told her heart not to seek love, only friendship
And so their
She became the friend/babe to Sugar boy as he is popularly called
She told him she would keep an open mind and keep him out of trouble (He had issues with substance abuse and the law before they met)
He was 32 and he was a big headache for his family
She knew what his father meant
He was wild, like a badger and she was calm and soothing
They were opposites
Often times his parents would insist they must
She was his conscience, his friend
Their relationship was symbiotic
He kept her out of the dark abyss of depression and loneliness
She kept him out of the extreme of drugs and violence
His time abroad had done a
Capitalism is a curse
9-5 job was slavery
Everything was rigged against him
She found herself hopelessly lost in between her extreme and his
He was far from what she desired in life but he was all she had that season
Then he took up photography and really
He traveled to New York for six months to learn the rudiments
His parents paid a lot of money
He bought all the necessary equipment
He was going to establish photography studios and make something of himself
Finally, the aimless drifter was going to cast anchor
He applied for a loan with Bank of Industry
He needed to present evidence of the viability & sustainability
The competition was fierce
All his father could do was get him a foot in the door of a textile company in need of some materials for their annual calendar
If he could land the job, he would have something concrete to present at the bank
It was a moment of destiny for
She had never seen him so serious about anything
He practiced for many days
Finally, he got the models and decided to do some shoot at the beach
He made her tag along
He knew his demons were not gone, they had only gone silent due to the purposeful channeling of his energy
He was busy doing the shoot when she walked off to get the novel she was reading from the car
And there, right by the car, he stood
He looked at her and smiled
She smiled back & waved
He walked up to her and said "hello"