Third Person's POV
Warri didn't rush.
It moved slowly, like it had something to prove,but not to you.
Nathaniel noticed it immediately.
The heat clung to his skin as he leaned against the car, watching the street like a man trying to understand a language he didn't speak yet. Hawkers moved from car to car with practiced ease. Laughter came easily here. Loud. Unfiltered. Alive.
Kelechi shut the car door and stretched. "You go stand there dey observe life or you go enter inside make we move?"
Nathaniel didn't answer immediately. His eyes were still scanning. Taking in. Calculating.
Then quietly, "People breathe differently here."
Kelechi smirked. "Na because dem never carry your kind problem for head."
Nathaniel glanced at him. "Or maybe they just don't show it the same way."
That was the thing.
He was used to control. Structured environments. Spaces where every move had intention, every smile had meaning.
But here?
Things felt… real.
Unfiltered.
Dangerous in a way he couldn't quite explain.
"Come," Kelechi said, already walking ahead. "If you wan understand this place, you no go do am from inside motor."
The meeting replayed in Nathaniel's head like a film that refused to end.
Not the business.
Not the numbers.
Not even the negotiations.
Her.
Imani.
The way she stood, calm but not submissive. Respectful, but never small. Her voice carried weight without trying too hard.
And then…
The food.
He exhaled slowly, running a hand over his jaw.
It wasn't just food.
It was memory.
Connection.
Something deeper.
The jollof rice had layers, smoky, rich, intentional. Not rushed. Not careless. Every bite carried thought.
The soups… God.
Egusi that felt like home even though he couldn't remember when last he had something that tasted like it. Ogbono that stretched just right, thick but balanced. Bitterleaf that didn't fight you, just sat gently, like it knew its place.
Even the pastries, small chops, puff-puff, meat pies, everything had character.
Nothing was ordinary.
Nothing.
And the way she spoke about it…
Not like someone selling food.
Like someone building something.
"Food is not just what people eat," she had said, her eyes steady. "It's what they remember. If you get that wrong, you lose them before they even understand why."
Nathaniel had watched her then.
Really watched her.
And something shifted.
"You're thinking about her again."
Kelechi didn't even look at him when he said it.
Nathaniel scoffed lightly. "You say it like it's a crime."
"It is, if you don't understand what you're getting into."
Nathaniel finally turned to face him. "And what exactly do you think I'm getting into?"
Kelechi stopped walking.
Turned.
Looked him dead in the eye.
"Something you can't control."
Silence stretched between them.
Nathaniel's jaw tightened slightly. "Everything can be controlled."
Kelechi shook his head slowly, almost pitying. "That's where you're wrong."
Olivia's boutique smelled like fabric and perfume and something distinctly hers, bold, unapologetic, warm.
Nathaniel stepped in, adjusting his cuff slightly, eyes scanning the space with quiet appreciation.
Details.
He always noticed details.
"Welcome again don't tell me that is because your mum and sister like the things you bought, that's why you are back again,"
Olivia said, her voice smooth but observant.
She was already studying him before he even spoke.
Nathaniel gave a polite smile. "Good afternoon."
"What can I help you with?"
He watched her, not knowing what say, or rather he doesn't want to look desperate, like some love stuck puppy who couldn't control his feelings, everything felt foreign to him, he has never felt this way.
"I don't know, I came here looking for answers, to help me understand, Imani .
But Olivia didn't move immediately.
She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing just a fraction,not suspicious, just… aware.
"You don't look like someone that walks into places without knowing exactly what he wants."
Nathaniel chuckled softly. "well change is constant."
"And what exactly do you want to know?" Olivia asked, stepping even closer now, her tone softer but sharper.
Nathaniel hesitated.
Not because he didn't have answers.
But because for once…
He wasn't entirely sure which one was the truth.
"She's… different."
Olivia laughed softly. "That's the understatement of the year."
"She's careful," Nathaniel added. "Intentional."
"She has to be."
That shifted the energy.
Nathaniel noticed it immediately.
The lightness dropped.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Olivia held his gaze for a moment, then looked away briefly, like she was choosing her words carefully.
"Imani didn't have the luxury of being careless," she said quietly. "Life didn't give her that option."
Nathaniel's expression hardened slightly.
Not out of anger.
Out of understanding.
Or maybe…
Interest.
"And you?" Olivia added suddenly, looking back at him. "What do you want with her?"
Straight.
No hiding.
Nathaniel exhaled slowly.
Then, calmly, "I don't know yet."
Olivia studied him for a long moment.
Then nodded.
"That's the most honest thing you've said since you walked in."
Back at home, Imani sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nothing.
Her mother's voice floated in from the kitchen. Abraham's laughter followed shortly after.
Normal.
Everything felt normal.
But she wasn't.
She could still feel the weight of Nathaniel's gaze from earlier.
Not inappropriate.
Not disrespectful.
But intense.
Like he was trying to figure her out.
Piece by piece.
And that unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.
"I no like this kind thing," she muttered under her breath.
Because men like that?
They didn't just come into your life quietly.
They changed things.
" I will not let a man treat me less than I deserve again."
That night, Nathaniel lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
Sleep didn't come.
Not because he couldn't.
But because his mind refused to settle.
He replayed everything.
Her voice.
Her confidence.
Her food.
The way she didn't try to impress him,but did anyway. And for the first time in a long time…
Nathaniel felt something familiar. Something he has felt since he met her.
Not attraction.
Not curiosity.
Something deeper.
Something slower.
Something dangerous.
He turned to his side, eyes finally closing.
But the last thought that stayed with him was simple.
This isn't just business anymore.
And somewhere, deep down…
He knew.
He wasn't going to walk away.
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