They saw Lanre standing with his arms wrapped around a woman’s waist. The sight looked romantic. The lady seemed pleased and comfortable with Lanre’s hand around her.
Junxie, not trying to embarrass the cheerful atmosphere, smiled and shook hands with the woman standing with Lanre.
“I’m Junxie Li” he introduced himself simply and the woman replied “I’m Tara”. She equally smiled at Theresa Mo and shook hands with her.
“Congratulations once again” Tara chimed and Theresa Mo appreciated and thanked her.
“Thanks for coming” Junxie Li also appreciated her presence before moving away. But Theresa gave Lanre a cold stare before letting Junxie Li take her away.
Lanre understood what that stare meant. She was telling him not to do anything funny. She was doing that for her friend Rosa.
As The lovers were having a talk with the guest one after the other, Rosa was feeling despondent. She can’t stop glancing at Lanre.
Several times their eyes locked and each would pretend not to see the other. She can’t define the kind of relationship between Lanre and that woman who called herself Tara.
Lanre can’t possibly be dating her. This was not the woman she saw Lanre with the day she came to the hospital. This one is different.
He can’t possibly become a casanova overnight. He is reserved and not the type that chases anything in skirts.
She would carefully watch and see what their interaction would be like. Whatever she’s able to conclude, that would be the real state of their relationship.
Theresa Mo glanced at intervals at her friend. She seemed to be lost. Twice she saw her stealing glances at Lanre.
This would have been the best time to straighten things out between themselves, but he came in the company of another woman.
She doesn’t know why Lanre is doing this, but she knows that he still loves Rosa. He might be doing this to hurt her feelings or as a payback for her ruthless attitude towards him.
But neither Lanre nor Rosa say anything to each other. Not even hello. Each was maintaining his distance.
Junxie and Theresa Mo had a dance and others joined. Rita deliberately avoided dancing with Julia and said she felt a little dizzy. But she was lying.
After being insulted by him earlier in the presence of his girlfriend, she can’t imagine dancing with him.
If President Li hadn’t personally invited her, she wouldn’t have come. But she respected him a lot and after what Luciana said to Theresa Mo and her kids the day before, she was glad when Junxie said he was holding a party for Theresa.
Rita got a cushion and sat, staring and smiling at the lovers. She was cheering them on and wished them the best happiness in the world.
Others joined. Julia didn’t even ask if Rita would dance with him. He went to Rosa who seemed without a companion.
He had thought she was dating Lanre. But perhaps, it was an oversight. Lanre was in the company of another pretty woman and didn’t seem to give Rosa a glance.
Paula was in the company of her boyfriend, Lanre with Tara, Julia with Rosa. Only Rita sat back and watched.
Lanre seeing Rosa dancing with Julia makes him very uncomfortable. He knows Julia to be a playboy. He doesn’t want him to lure Rosa with his charm and take her away from him.
But he has to pretend as if nothing is happening. After all, they have broken up and logically speaking, he shouldn’t be jealous of her.
But how can he be sure that she is not still in love with him secretly? He wants to verify and would definitely do it.
While the dancing was on, Rita just sat and observed from a distance. She saw Rosa was not fully concentrating on the dancing.
Others were happily dancing with their women, especially Junxie whose eyes never left Theresa’s. They both didn’t seem to be aware that others were present.
They are only aware of each other. When it was getting dark, they decided to have dinner and end the simple gathering.
Everyone left for dinner except Rosa. She saw some missed calls on her phone and decided to call back. They were from her Mother and Hong.
Lanre saw her looking perplexed and lingered around the hall, not moving to the restaurant section. What is making Rosa look so worked up?
Just then Tara came around. She didn’t see Lanre and came back to check on him why he didn’t follow. He saw him standing a few distance from Rosa but not talking to her.
She guessed there’s something about Lanre and Rosa. The latter was stealing glances at him and Lanre was always looking in her direction.
” Aren’t you coming for dinner?” Tara asked and Rosa looked at the direction she came from. She knew Lanre was standing close by and somehow her belly was sweet.
She didn’t know Tara would come looking for him again. She hissed between gritted teeth and eyed her.
Lanre sensed it and knew the best time to test her emotions about him was then. “I was expecting you to return looking for me..” Lanre said and pulled Tara to himself.
Without waiting another minute, he placed his lips on hers and started kissing her. Tara doesn’t know why Lanre suddenly did what he did, but she liked it anyway.
She kissed him back, the gentle kiss turned into something passionate as Tara circled her hands around his neck and didn’t care that Rosa was standing and glaring at them.
Lanre was facing Rosa while Tara turned her back to her. He was kissing Tara but he was looking at Rosa. He was doing it deliberately to make her unhappy.
Rosa didn’t look away but stared at them both…