Silent Seduction (18)

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Boys seem to like the girls
Who laugh at anything
The ones who get undressed
Before the second date
Girls seem to like the boys
Who don't appreciate
All the money and the time that it takes
To be fly as a mother
Got my both eyes out for Mr. Right
Guessing I just don't know where to find 'em
But I hope they all come out tonight
Where do the good boys go to....?
Daya (Hide Away)
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Tobi was completely stunned and it took him some minutes to actually find his voice.
'Huh, why are you here?' He asked scanning her bright face for clues and letting his eyes rove from the pink peplum top to the blue trouser she wore and the black bag she carried. He also noticed she changed her hairstyle to one massive afro hairstyle he had never seen on her before.
It did look good on her.
'Stop joking around. We can talk inside, can't we?'Jo said.
'Huh.....' Tobi's words appeared to be stuck in his throat. He wanted to lie but no inspiration came forth
'Is your mum in?' Jo said nudging him aside as she entered, the heel of her black shoes making 'click' sounds with the tiled floor as she moved into the living room when it seemed Tobi wasn't ready to move away from the doorway. She settled on one of the green couches.
'Ah! Johanna...' His mum was holding a white mug and it appeared she was coming from the kitchen.
'Good evening Ma.' Jo greeted standing up and smiling up at his mum.
'You are just in time. Come over here and join us for dinner.' His mum said smiling back at her and proceeded to the dinning room while Jo followed her.
'I won't be staying for long and since it's getting late already, I'm sorry I won't be able to join you for dinner.' Jo explained still smiling
'Oh. Okay.' His mum said placing the mug on the table.
'And Tife...' Jo started, her eyes roaming to the opposite end of the dinning table and finally settling on a figure she thought was Tife who sat down staring back at her with a spoon full of rice raised halfway to her mouth with her right hand. And she stayed like that for minutes.
And, No. It wasn't Tife.
It was that intern at the hospital.
Or an undeniable lookalike which is unlikely the situation here.
Jo's eyes lingered on her still stupefied by her presence.
'I see you've met Tori.' Tobi's mum said, obviously to Jo. But she was quick to read the look on Jo's face which doesn't seem to agree with her statement.
'Or Tobi didn't introduce you two to each other?' His mum was surprised and gave Tobi a questioning look but his face was expressionless and she couldn't get anything out of it.
'Tori is an intern at the hospital and I thought you already met.' She continued. 'She had troubles with one crazy senior register who had been giving her a hard time. Tobi was going to ask you to be her guardian there but I didn't know he never asked. ' She stated trying to clear the confusion in the air.
And about that crazy senior register, has that girl been spreading rumours about her? Jo wondered
'Actually, we've met before. She is in my department but I never knew she was a family...' Jo said trying to state the situation of things from her own point of view and indirectly trying to find out the actual truth.
'She isn't really a family member. She's Tobi's friend but she has grown to be family ever since she starts staying here.' His mum seemed really into her.
'Oh.' Jo said almost to herself as she ruminated on every word Tobi's mum said.
How long has the girl been staying here? She pondered.
That explains Tobi's suspicious visit to the hospital.
And by Tobi's friend, does his mum mean his girlfriend?
She jolted out of the internal monologue she was having with herself and gently unzipped her bag producing a small box which she gave to Tobi's mum. Tobi's mum opened the box to reveal a pair of gold earrings and a matching necklace
'Mum said to give you this. She had been busy and would be travelling tomorrow..' Jo said the forcing a smile now.
'This is nice.' Tobi's mum sajd smiling at the opened box. 'Just the way I want it. Tell your mum I'm thankful.' She said to Jo.
Jo nodded. 'I think I should get going now.' She added.
'So soon? You can just stay and have something, a drink maybe?' Tobi's mum offered moving to the large fridge beside her.
'No. I'm just fine. I would get going now. It's getting late already.' She smiled at Tobi's mum who frowned at her refusal to stay. 'Good night Ma.' She added moving to the living room and to the door.
'Good night. And extend my regards to your mum.' Tobi's mum said to Jo's turned back
Tobi knew better than not to go after Jo who was now outside the building.
He walked her to the gate and the two couldn't even say a word to each other. Tobi guessed several ideas must be going on through her mind especially since his mum had slipped and narrated the whole situation to her without trying to dilute it with any lie.
He would have done a better job if he had found his voice.
'So...' Jo began and Tobi swallowed, dreadfully expecting what she was about to say. 'Are you guys official now? Like dating?' She asked looking at him in the face. Tobi tried to maintain the staring competition until it got intense and he just had to look at his feet, folding his palms in his trouser's pocket. Completely lost on what to say.
'It's fine if you don't want to talk about it.' Jo said moving forward to her car creating a little space between her and Tobi who was walking slowly behind her.
'I won't want to talk about her if I were in your shoes too. What even attracted you to her? She isn't even all that pretty nor does she have anything to flaunt. She is almost straight and not all that brilliant. Trust me when I say I have seen enough of her in the hospital to say this...' Jo rambled on.
Tobi snorted.
She can tell that to Marcus.
The heart of the guy whose attention you've been craving for seemed to have been stolen by this 'straight girl' with her 'according to you' not so pretty face which is pretty and cute by the way. and all I could sense in your voice now is hatred and something else laced with jealousy and it doesn't take a genius to know that you are that senior register who Tori told me about.
Tobi was tempted to ask why but he couldn't even summon the courage to.
He was really annoyed. Annoyed at Jo for looking down on Tori like that and his fist tightened his trousers' pocket
'Are you jealous?' Tobi asked not looking at her in the face to see her jaw drop in surprise. He ignored her silence, then continued.
'And for the records,' he began trying to avoid raising his voice. 'We aren't dating. And even if we were to be, shouldn't be happy for me like I've always been for you?' He wasn't expecting an answer from her. ' I guess this is good night then.' He finally said and walked back inside locking the gate behind him.
Jo watched him go with her mouth still wide open. Visibly hurt by his words. She opened her car door and jumped inside, slamming the door after her and giving the gate a death stare.
But wait a minute,
Why does she hate that girl in the first place?
She had been so petty as to dislike someone this much without a reason or because of some weird feeling she felt?
Even if she has no reason for hating that girl before, her getting in the way of her friendship with Tobi is one big reason to hate her.
She knew that girl was bad news from day one. Her instinct have always been on track.
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Tori slammed Dr Idris' car door, holding the file the doctor asked her to retrieved from it with her left hand before attending to the ringing phone in her lab coat's pocket. Seeing the caller's I.D, she hissed and locked the car's door before walking back into the hospital's premises.
Tobi.
She was still very mad at him. He didn't tell her he has a crush on someone and she even had to find out about his crush on Dr. Johanna through his mum.
She scoffed at his deceit.
Wait a minute....
Is that even a crime? She asked herself
Was she just acting paranoid over nothing?
Or the reason why she was mad was because he liked someone?
Why would she even care if he likes anybody? It's totally not her problem.
Her phone started ringing again and knowing who it was, she picked the call without checking the caller's I.D
'What?' She shouted into the phone drawing the attention of two nurses walking out of the hospital.
'Why are you shouting? I don't even know why you are mad at me!' Tobi exclaimed from the other end. 'Would you just tell me what my crime is?' He added lowering his voice.
'You didn't tell me you liked her!' She shouted again but not as much as the first time though.
'And why would I tell you? I do not even know you guys even know each other! Besides, how is that even a crime?' He asked not believing his ears at her accusation.
She thought so too.
'Are you trying to prove you are right?' She asked trying to direct his attention away from her childishness.
'No... You know it too right?' Tobi asked.
'Okay, Fine. You are forgiven. Even though you didn't ask for it and are you driving?' Tori asked.
'Yeah, why?' He replied.
'Why are you making a call while you're driving and shouldn't you be at the office now. Where are you going?'
'Somewhere. I have to park now. Bye.' He hung before she could even sag bye. She was in front of Dr Idris' office. She opened the door.
'Doctor, here is the file...' She had said the statement before realising she wasn't speaking to Dr. Idris but Marcus.
'Huh, what are you doing here?' She asked before realising how stupid it sounds.
Dr Idris was his friend and he could come see his friend anytime.
'Where is Dr Idris?' She asked the appropriate question trying to avoid his eyes.
He stood up and walked to her until he was standing before her.
'He went into one of the wards and asked me to wait in his office for him. How are you doing?' He asked smiling at her.
'Hmmm....I'm fine. So what about you?' She replied.
'Actually, I miss you.' He said and before Tori could say 'Jack', he was wrapping his arms around her tiny body. The embrace was so tight and warm Tori couldn't just wriggle herself off without some intense force involved.
'Dr Idris...' Tori's eyes widened at the sight of the owner of the voice.
Jo's eye stare at the duo with a mixture of awe and shock.
Tori wasn't over her embarrassment when she saw Tobi down the hall through the open door. He was far away from her yet he saw what was going on. He saw Jo staring at her in a warm embrace with Marcus.
©Fiyah