Zara || A Nigerian Lesbian

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎

𝙱𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙰
━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

It had been one week since I got a call for the job; the day I had been dreading was here. I sat at the Le Château Hotel bar, thinking about what I was doing - this wasn't me.

I had never done this, but the lady who contacted me was willing to pay an enormous sum for the job - I needed the money. All I had to do was pretend to be in love with her friend. The glass of vodka in front of me was all I needed to make me calm.

"Listen to me," the lady continued. "Act like we have been friends for ages. We don't want her sensing that you're a total stranger to me."

I nodded in agreement and took another gulp of my vodka. "Another glad please," I told the barman.

"What is glad? Already getting tipsy abi? Easy on the alcohol. You shouldn't even be drinking at all."

All I knew about her friend was that she was a wealthy young lady who her friends believed was into women but wanted to make sure they were right. She had been jumping from one man to another but did her best to avoid the media. My job was to provide evidence that she was a lesbian - in Nigeria. I knew whatever information I got would be used as blackmail. That didn't bother me - the money did.

"Are you listening to me?" She asked again.

"Madam, you are paying me to do my job. Let me do it, don't bicker about in my ear."

She was about to respond before a young lady joined us at the bar. The lady looked classy in her white chiffon blouse tucked into her pencil leather skirt. Her black Chanel purse complemented the outfit.

"Hello," she waved. I smiled and finished up my drink.

"This is my friend Bella," the nagging lady introduced.

"I've been here for a while, but I have to go." She hugged the young lady and walked away.

Lord have mercy, I prayed. I didn't know how to begin, and I didn't know what to say.

"Bella, my name is Zara. Nice to meet you, even though we just met," she smiled.

The tension in my bones began fading away, and I was feeling a bit more comfortable - comfortable at manipulating my way into her good books. "Nice to meet you too! Don't worry about your friend. You know she can be a busy bee that would rather spend her free time working instead of hanging out with friends."

Her eyebrows formed a crease, but I wasn't quite sure why. "My friend? Oh, you mean Lolia. You should have just said her name."

I never knew her name. "Don't mind me; blame it on the alcohol." All the reasons not to go ahead with my plans came flooding in, as though my body simply sent them a sweeping greeting. I felt the soft panic that may grow or fade, depending on what I do next. It'll fade if I pull back. On the other hand, I know I've got to try and do it if I need the cash - five million naira was no joke.

"Bella, why are you nervous?" Zara asked.

I shook my head immediately. "No, no. I am not nervous."

A smile appeared on her face as she held my hand. "You've been shaking profusely. What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath - it was time. "Zara, you are a very nice person, and I know that even just talking to you for a brief moment."

"Ok..."

"You know what, forget I said anything."

She began to laugh and didn't say anything - she began to ask about me and what I did for a living. I knew I had to lie. I had to be who I was not - just to fit in.

We talked for almost an hour before she decided it was time to go home. I was tipsy and wasn't sure I could get a cab at this time. "I think I'll spend the night at the hotel. I don't think I can drive home," I lied. I didn't have a car, nor did I have the money to pay for even one night at this hotel.

For a moment, it looked like she was going to take my word for it, but the reverse was the case. "That's not a problem. You can spend the night at my place. Will call the manager and let her know about your car - it should be safe here."

"So, this is my place." pushing the door open and letting me go in first. Zara scooted her shoes close to the doormat, then stepped over to the side to place her belongings and the server. "You can have a seat."

"Sure," I replied. Looking around, I knew that this lady was swimming in money. The car she drove - Ford Explorer 2020, the area she lived in, and then the interior of her house.

The house had a modern style to it - simple but elegant. From the leather sofa to the artistic paintings hanging on each wall. "Your place is amazing, Zara."

She only smiled and walked towards what I thought was the kitchen and came out a few minutes later with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Wine?" She asked.

"Yeah." Sitting down, I looked around the house once more and looked at her. "I'll be so embarrassed if you see where I live," I told her. "It's the size of your living room."

"Come on," she half-whined, looking away. "It's no big deal."

She sat cross-legged on the sofa, our bodies only a few feet apart, and she faced me as she held her glass, swirling the contents. Her smile was humble, almost timid, like she was awaiting me to break the ice.

"Hope you don't feel awkward spending the night here?" She finally said.

Only if she knew. "Not at all. I am glad you asked me to come over," I said teasingly. I grinned impishly and squeezed her knee.

"Hey!" she said, squirming a little, tickled by my squeeze. She was batting at my hand but not hard enough to say she wanted me to stop touching her.

"Since we're still getting to know each other, we might be able to hang out, order dinner, and watch a movie. How does that sound?"

"Awesome. That sounds like a chillaxing Saturday night."

I could feel a little courage building up inside of me like a balloon was slowly inflating in my heart, and I didn't realize it until it had grown big and noticeable. It may have been her laugh when I squeezed her arm, her friendly touch of my hand, the lightness of her sweet, young face. Or maybe it was how we sat close together on the couch, the implication that we would spend the evening together, or her willingness to forgo whatever it was she did at this time of the night. It was convenient for me, whatever it was. I knew she liked where I was going because I could see it in the blue-grey eyes of the steel.

Before I knew it, I felt myself leaning slowly towards her, my hand firmly against her knee, and another arm draped over the back of the sofa. As I closed in on her, I could see that she was breathing deeply, her eyes wide with anticipation and excitement.