The secretary approached two men standing beside a sleek car.
"Sir, this mechanic here will handle and supervise your repairs. We've checked the fault it's minor. If you wait, we should finish within one hour."
Francis nodded.
"Sure, no problem."
He crossed over to the passenger seat to speak with his friend.
The secretary turned back to Julius, whispering,
"Ha! See the way that man dey glow , na money be that."
Minutes later, the men were led to the customer relaxation lounge a stylish space overlooking the workshop, with comfortable seats and a barmaid ready to serve drinks.
One of them stood out immediately:
Tall. Dark-skinned. Athletic but slender, with soft masculine features. Tinted glasses rested on his face, and designer canvas shoes polished his casual elegance.
This was Darl a fashion model known across Nigeria and beyond.
As they seated themselves, Francis grinned.
"Guy… I never think say Tola go be this fun. I think say she go be like other baddies, forming no-care. But she different."
Darl smirked.
"After all this, your babe be celebrity, mansion owner, why you still dey borrow money from me?"
Francis sighed.
"Abeg, I go pay you. I no fit get money from her I be man. I suppose show say I fit take care of my woman."
Darl laughed loudly.
"My brother, if you wan impress woman, choose woman wey you fit afford not person wey fit take care of you and me join body!"
They both burst into laughter.
Darl leaned back.
"Anytime una dey date you fit dey spend almost one million. Who pocket dey cry? My pocket. You don owe me millions because you wan impress your queen."
Francis scoffed.
"Small money dey worry you, when you dey feed all this your fine women? One phone call from you fit move billions."
Their banter paused when Darl's phone rang repeatedly.
"My manager dey call. This week I wan rest she no dey hear word. I need space."
Francis chuckled.
"You and that manager… una don do am?"
Darl shrugged.
"Of course. Why she go stay around me if I no 'chop' am? She know say na only that one, nothing more. The day she mix emotion inside na that day I fire her. She understand."
Francis laughed.
"Me? I don find my queen. Tola."
"Queen ke? Nor be that Tola sef?"
They both laughed again.
Francis continued,
"I don date many babes, but this one sweet pass. Her body, na to die for. I don stop looking outside. I have found my woman."
Darl drifted into silence.
A memory rose — a woman he hadn't seen in years. She wasn't thick like the others — but her beauty was gentle, breathtaking. He missed her voice… her touch… her quiet smile.
With other women, passion was empty.
With her, even a kiss once filled his soul.
Why didn't I see what I had? he wondered.
He snapped back to reality when Francis spoke again.
"This shop big oh. I hear say na only branch."
Darl nodded.
"Owner get shops all over Nigeria. E no be inheritance. I see interview, the guy suffer pass all of us. Before him wan do music. Na family push am into business."
Just then, the secretary returned.
"Your car is ready, sir."
"Already?" Darl asked, impressed.
They paid the bill.
Before leaving, Darl tipped the apprentices generously.
"Share this 100k among una."
The boys shouted in excitement.
Julius shook his head in awe.
"100k tip? Repair na 120k only tip be almost same money. God bless these boys well-well."