The thing we had going on...

...So its 3pm on Thursday, as I run around the hotel trying to make sure all the finishing touches are in place for the monthly Jazz night at the boutique hotel I feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I am really excited because a guest of the hotel where I work, who started off as a customer is coming into town and could possibly end up becoming my boyfriend.

We met in December at the hotel, one of those crazy afternoons that I had spent running around the hotel with nothing achieved at the end of the day because, I had spent the entire day doing everything but the very things I set out to achieve. That was when I spotted my assistant with this particular guest who could end up becoming my boyfriend. He was interested in renting our conference hall for one of his IT networking events and wanted to know what discounts I could offer him. I spotted my assistant talking to him in the foyer but she did not seem like she had his full attention because the longer she spoke to him the more distracted he seemed. Finally I walked up to them to see if I could help, I introduced myself to him. My assistant looked over at me with a defeated look, she had been trying to gate him from me and I had just broken through the barriers.

I introduced myself to him as the COO of the hotel. He looked at me and carefully told me about his business and what he was trying to achieve. He spoke in a clear American accent not one of those forced accents a lot of Nigerians visiting from the US had. He was about 5 feet 11 inches dark in complexion and had not yet outgrown his baby face. He looked very sophisticated, the kind of look that áge-butter children in Nigeria had. He smiled a lot at me and seemed very charming. As we talked business he cleverly asked me questions about myself. Questions like: what I studied in university as he tried to explain the new technology he would be showcasing; other questions like my age when I told him about the customer demographic of the hotel.

He visited every day to discuss the rental of the banquet hall and on the last day he visited he brought his business partner. His business partner was not as handsome as my new possible boyfriend nor did his accent impress me as much but he was more open about his personal interest in me. As we concluded on business talks he invited me to ‘hang-out’ with them that evening. I politely declined but he would not take no for an answer and after much persuasion promised them I’d ‘hang out’ with them sometime in the weekend. I remember thinking by then I’d be sure if I was single and free to date or not. My boyfriend or recently ex boyfriend at the time was giving me the run around telling me he was not sure how he felt about me anymore since I dumped him one evening after a fight. He said he had turned off his feelings for me but I was still very hopeful he’d reform like NEPA and turn them back on very on soon. Idiot! Anyway, it’s been three long weeks since our fight and he’s still off. The anxiety is killing me and to think I only dumped him to drive home the point I was mad at him. Maybe this is how God wants it and that’s why when I promised the American Nigerians I’d come out in the weekend asked God to use it as a sign to let me know if it was permanently ON or OFF with my marriage phobic boyfriend.

That Saturday I had still not heard from my not-quite-ex boyfriend and even though my deal with God was that I’d go out with the Nigerian Americans if we were not back on I decided not to go out after all. I stood them up right at the last minute. It was for this reason I was most surprised when my possible new boyfriend kept in touch via email even after they flew back “home” to America. He wanted to know why I stood them up and I told him one day I’d tell him. He visited again in March and we said polite hellos and had longer conversations; and then again in May and had even longer conversations with frequent evening drinks. By now I was well and truly over my marriage phobic boyfriend who never found the switch to his heart amongst other organs. Even though I was now undoubtedly single my possibly new boyfriend was not the only one interested in me. There was Ike. After the recent let down with my ex marriage phobic boyfriend I decided I was now only going to date the very men I spent my twenties avoiding...my very own Igbo brothers. Yoruba men just never seemed to take me seriously because I was not one of their own you know...mi kin se omo yoruba and all so I think I am always left off the possible wife to be list.

So again as soon as I made the rule, I see myself breaking it as Dolapo my possible new boyfriend told me just like he read my mind that; he did not like his own Yoruba women and always had an intrigue for the Igbo culture. So once again I reconsider dating this Yoruba guy especially as Ike seems to be a social retard. Ike seems incapable of understanding it’s not ok to go missing for two whole weeks and then turn up to carry on with the thing we had going on.
So...three visits and three months of long distant everyday texting and calling he arrives in Nigeria today and will be coming to the jazz concert. Finally he walks in looking only slightly chubbier than he did almost a year ago when I first met him and I know there and then that even though: he lives in Texas and I now live in Nigeria; even be it he is not a dog lover and I have just gotten myself the cuttiest puppy; even that he does not drink nor smoke and I have indulged in both at some point in my life and even now he is five years younger and I have always thought dating a younger man was an act of witchcraft until now...somehow he just seems perfect for me.

We looked so good together even his friends ask how long we’d been seeing each other and when I answer not long he counters sternly "long enough". He's been telling me how much he loves my good looks, my intelligence, my ambition, my hard nose business approach, my no prisoners attitude to business, my no nonsense management style and that’s why he thinks we should speed up business partnership prospects and slow down any prospects of romance.