The Cleaning Girl

Kunle was angry; angry at himself, angry at Sheila, angry at everything and everyone in general. He had been in a very bad mood all week. Why? Why did this always happen to him? He would give his heart to a girl, and all they did was shatter it at his feet. First it was Lola, and now Sheila. Sheila's baffled him more. What had happened to make her so angry? The date had been going smoothly. Something must have happened for her to act the way she did. He attributed her behavior to her young age. Perhaps she was not mature enough for a relationship. Maybe he should let go of her. It would be easier for him as it was just the beginning. Perhaps take a break from women for now, he thought. Give him some time off women in general.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ring from his phone. He picked it up and stared at the screen. It was that number again. Should he pick up? He didn't have the energy for this. He let it ring on for a while. The phone went silent and the call came in again. Sighing, he hit the receive button and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello Lara."

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Sheila stayed at home for the whole week. She called work to say she would be away for a while. She did not want to run into Kunle. She hated to admit it, but she missed him. Badly. She wanted to see him, but knew she had to stay away. She had prayed and hoped he would call, each day staring at her screen, at the pictures they took that day, but she didn't have the nerve to call him. The thoughts of all that weighed on her mind. When she didn't hear from him by Thursday, she began to believe that maybe she had lost him. She decided to take it as her fate. Well, she was not the first person to lose someone she loved dearly, she thought. But why did this hurt her so much? Why did this one feel like she was going to take a long time to get over?

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"Hello Kunle. Long time."

"What do you want?"

"Come on, Kunle. Is that how to greet someone?"

"Lara look I don't have time for all this. What do you want?"

"I just want to apologize to you for the way I treated you the other time."

"Fine. Apology accepted. Have a nice day."

"Kunle don't hang up. I really want to see you, apologize in person."

"That will not be necessary."

"Please Kunle, don't do this to me," she began to cry. "I...I know I hurt you so bad...I've really missed you. I thought I wanted something else, but I later found out that what I wanted had been in my arms all the time, and I let it go. Please Kunle, I'M SORRY!!!" she bawled.

Kunle sighed, he wanted to hang up. but on the other hand, this was Lara. He hated to admit it, but he felt his heart tingle.

"Okay Lara. Calm down.," he said, "I will try and find some time to come see you this weekend."

"Thank you dear, " he heard the sigh of relief in her voice, "I promise to make everything up to you. I will not let you go. I love you Kunle."

"Yeah, yeah, talk to you later."

"Aren't you going to say you love me?"

"Lara, I have a bunch of papers to sort out before closing time. We will talk about that when I see you."

"Okay. I will wait for you all day tomorrow. Kisses."

Kunle hung up and groaned. What the hell was going on?!!!!

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Lara smiled as she ended the call. Next stage of her plan to win her man back just completed.

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Two nights later, she had a dream. She stood above a waterfall, scared she might fall over. He suddenly appeared. "Grab my hand baby!!!!" he cried out. She reached out and grabbed him, and he pulled her to safety. "You are okay baby. I will not let you go." Suddenly the other girl appeared from the waterfall and grabbed his legs. He struggled to kick her away as she pulled him under. She screamed, trying to pull her man back from her clutches, unsuccessful as his grip on her hand slipped. She watched in horror as she pulled him away.

"Kunle!!!!!!!" she yelled, lurching forward and waking up from her nightmare. She was sweating. She thought of the discussion they had and came to a conclusion - she had to fight for him if she was to get him back.

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Lara observed herself once more in the mirror. She looked stunning. She was ready to unleash her sexuality on him, knowing very well he couldn't resist. She wasn't going to wait for him to come before she sank her jaws in. A predator goes after its prey and she had him squarely in her sights.

She walked down the stairs and told her maid to take care of the house. She grabbed the keys to her new SUV - a gift from her regional manager - and guided the sleek ride carefully out of her compound and onto the busy Lagos roads. She drove the twenty-five minutes to his place.

Kunle was watching a movie when he heard a knock on his door. He was not expecting any visitors and he quietly sulked as he opened to see who it was. He was shocked when he saw who stood at his door.

"Hello Kunle," Lara greeted him. He gaped at her dumbfounded. It had been almost six months since he last saw her. She looked stunning, even more beautiful than he remembered. He just stood there staring at her.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" she jolted him back to reality.

"Oh sorry, I...I was just..."

"Surprised? You didn't expect me here?"

"Yes."

"Well, lover boy, I'm here," she replied as she cat-walked past him into the room.

Kunle was beginning to regret not going out like he planned earlier. He wasn't expecting this. He had decided earlier NOT to honor her request, giving her an excuse on why he couldn't come. The last thing he had expected was for her to show up at his place. She sat cross-legged on his bed as he stood at the door.

"Lara, honestly this is a surprise. I...I didn't expect you to show up here. I was going to come over tomorrow..."

"Well, I wasn't doing anything today and I thought what the hell. I'll just come over."

"You should have told me you were coming."

"So you could find an excuse to go out? Not likely my dear."

Kunle didn't know what to do. She was so sexy in her tan overcoat. It parted slightly and he caught a glimpse of her gleaming laps. She really took care of herself.

"Kunle," Lara said softly, "let me cut to the chase. I missed you. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did, especially with the issue of your...problem. I should have been more patient and sympathetic to it and stood by you."

"Well," he tried to struggle for his voice, "i-it's too late for that now."

"Kunle, please, jo dari ji mi(please forgive me). I'm so sorry." she pleaded, "I don't know what got into me."

"Lara, mi o binu(I'm not upset). Mo ti dariji e(I've forgiven you). I just don't think I can take you back."

"Jo oko mi(Please, my dear husband), I thought I wanted something else but I realized it's you I've wanted all this while."

She got up and walked to where he sat and took his hands. "Please Kunle," she pleaded and her well-manicured hands caressed his thighs. "I'm ready to do whatever you want. I'm ready to change for you."

Kunle couldn't believe it, but he felt his heart going out to her. Why? Why was he feeling this way to her? He had to stop this. He pushed her arms away and stood up.

"Lara, if at all I'm going to take you back, I have a lot of thinking to do," he said as he forced his way to the window. He turned back to her, "This is something I cannot decide right now. Please give me some time to think about it."

"I don't want you to think. I want you to act. Please, for the sake of my love for you." She unbuttoned her overcoat, exposing the lovely lace push-up bra and panties she wore underneath. She let it fall to the floor as she posed sexily in front of him. Kunle's mouth went dry. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"No, Lara, I can't do this," he said as she moved to kiss him. He tried hard but could not resist the soft strawberry essence of her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him pull her body into his. They kissed for a few more moments before she disengaged.

"I'll give you something to think about, if you really need to think," she purred seductively. She took his hands and pulled him across to the bed. She pushed him down and straddling him, she ripped his shirt apart, sending his buttons flying in all directions. She began chewing and sucking his nipples, sending jolts of pain and pleasure to his brain. He was surprised to find himself responding to her touches and his dick began to harden. She felt it grow under her and she grinded her crotch into him.

"Hmm Kunle," she purred. "O ti di okunrin pada. You have now returned to being a man."

He reached up to cup her breasts, but she swatted his hands away. She slid down his body, dragging her curves along his skin until she was poised above his crotch. She planted a small kiss on his now raging tent and ran her hand over the bulge. She unzipped his pants and pulled out his hardness.

"Oh wow!" she exclaimed. He tried to stop her, but groaned as she began to stroke him. He felt his desire grow.

"L-Lara, please...stop," he groaned, but could only watch on helplessly as she brought him closer and closer to eruption. Just as he was about to cum, she stopped and moved back. Kunle gaped at her like an idiot, frustrated at the denial of his release.

"Think about that baby," she said and got off the bed, "you know no one else can take care of you like me."

Lara waltzed over to where she had dropped her coat and bent over to pick it up, staying just long enough for him to glare at her protruding round arse. She buttoned up her coat and walked back to him.

"I'm going on an official trip in London for a few days," she said and sat beside him, "I will be back before you know it. We will meet up again when I return." She bent over and planted a kiss on his lips, before heading out the door. She walked out to her car smiling. She now had him firmly wrapped around her finger.

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Kunle just sat there long after she had gone. He could not believe he didn't have the willpower to stop her. Was he that weak? His balls ached from the unreleased tension. He thought he could withstand her but her charm and sexiness overwhelmed him. What was he going to do now?

He remained that way for a long time, his head in his hands. Should he go ahead and accept Lara back? Or should he wait for Sheila? He hadn't heard from her for almost three weeks now. He had tried to call her after he had gotten over his anger, but each time his call had gone straight to voicemail. After a while he had stopped trying. She would call him when she was ready to talk, he had told himself. But now that Lara had suddenly reappeared into the picture, he was not too sure about Sheila anymore. Maybe he should let her go and forget about her. Their date didn't go as planned. He might be better off letting her be. He would gradually and eventually get her out of his mind.

No Kunle

, one of those voices in his head said,

you can't just dump her. You know she will never recover from that heartbreak if you do. She's a baby. She's young and naïve and needs pampering, caring for, lots of love, nurturing, things you promised her and promised yourself. Give her time. She will eventually return to her senses and come back to you.

Abeg bone tori

(forget about it), the other voice countered,

forget about that small girl. You think she'll have the time for an old cargo like you once she enters the university? See her boobies na. See her yansh

(arse)

as e set. She is even twenty-one. Once she enters school her mates go dey run after her and shell forget about you. Lara is a big girl. She can make you look fly now that she wants to come back. What does Sheila have to offer you?

Who's it going to be, Kunle? Which of these two beautiful ladies are you going to choose? Will it be the raw, young, well endowed, naturally beautiful but naïve Sheila, or the elegant, polished, sultry, suave but flawed Lara? Or should he go for both? Keep the obviously younger one as a backup? He knew he did not want that, but now he was finding it hard to choose. Each girl held a key to his heart. He did not want to lose either of them, but he knew he may have to let one go.

He had to make a decision.

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The next two weeks went by. Two very long and hectic weeks. A new line of beverages had been in the making and had finally made it to launch. Kunle and the QA team had been swamped. The good part was the launch had been a success and the new product would be hitting the shelves in supermarkets soon. As part of the team, he had been given a couple of samples and these made his backpack seem heavier.

As he walked from the park towards his home that Friday evening, he pondered. He had given Lara's proposal serious thought. She had already left for her business trip but did not know when she was going to be back. The "few" days she said she was going to be away for had already extended beyond one week, which was a good thing as he needed a clear head to think. He knew what he had to do. He just had to be a man about it. He had to let one of them go and finally made up his mind who it was going to be. It was going to hurt, but it was best he did that. He had to let one know it wasn't going to work out between them and that he couldn't go on. His heart lay with someone else. He also had to call the other one and tell her he was mistaken. He should have read through all the bullshit. Forgive her for what she had done. He was going to make it work.

He was surprised to meet her sitting quietly in front of his door. He did not expect her to be there. She sat staring into space, lost in thought, unaware he was standing over her. Kunle's heart melted. He stared at her for a few more moments and smiled. Looking down at her, he knew he had made the right decision.

"Hello baby," he said gently.

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Sheila slowly came out of her thoughts. For the first time she noticed someone standing over her. She looked up and saw him smiling down at her. She stood up and stared sadly at her feet. She was ashamed. She didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth to talk, but he reached out, placing a finger on her lips.

"Shhhh, don't say anything. I totally understand."

She started crying. "I'm sorry Kunle. I'm very sorry. Please. I've not been myself since that day. I don't know why I doubted you. Please forgive me." she wept.

Kunle pulled her in his arms. She held onto him fiercely as she bawled into his shoulder.

"It's okay baby," he soothed her and patted her back gently, "it's okay. I'm not angry with you."

He held her sad face in his hands and kissed her tear-stained cheeks. "Why don't we go in and you tell me what happened?"

Kunle led her inside and dropped his bag. He sat on the bed and pulled her down on his laps.

"So, tell me what happened to you that day."

Tears choking her, she explained. The lady she ran into, all she had said, and how she had created doubts in her mind. She held nothing back.

"I...I don't know why I decided to believe her," she wailed. "I should have used my brain. I feel stupid. I almost lost you over my stupidity."

Kunle smiled. He held her closer in his arms and she gripped him like a little child.

"Sheila, baby, I understand. You're still young. It can happen to anyone."

"There are people in this world who are out to ruin the happiness of others just because they cannot stand the sight of them having what they don't. They prefer to spoil what they see instead of working hard to find their own happiness. I'm sure this lady was someone like that."

"I'm sorry Kunle. I shouldn't have listened to her. I should have trusted you more."

"Don't worry baby. Things like this happen. I'm not angry with you anymore."

"You sure? You won't use it against me?" she asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her palm.

"Does this prove it?" he asked, cupping her face and planting a kiss on her lips. She responded immediately. He kissed her the salty tears from her face while she whimpered. Her arms wrapped around him and he lay back on the bed, pulling her down with him. They lay like that in their embrace, not saying a word.

"I'm sorry Kunle..." Sheila finally broke the silence.

Kunle peered down at her puppy eyes looking up at him and caressed her cheek. "Can have my baby back now?" he asked.

Sheila smiled for the first time that day... the first time since that evening. "I never left."

"I did...I nearly lost you."

"I'm sorry..."

They both lapsed into silence again. "Will you be here this weekend?" he asked after a few moments.

"If you want me," she replied.

"You know I always want you around. You brighten up this place."

She smiled and gripped him tighter. She had her man back.