When A Playboy Loves

|| 34.

Utianle

"See as you're glowing, single life fits you o."

"Faith, it is not even up to a day yet." I grinned, resting on the chair to support my weight while she continued folding clothes.

We were in the dressing room, packing the clothes the models used into different luggage. The heap of clothes in the chair had reduced and I sighed in contentment; the show was a success. It didn't matter that my catwalk hadn't been as professional as some of the models hired, I was happy.

"I know." She dumped a jacket into the box without folding it, stood with her hands akimbo, "he was holding back your shine."

Glancing at one of the many vanity mirrors in here, I pursed my lips and stared at my reflection to see the glow she was talking about. There was none. If there were any changes, it would be internal ones. An inner peace, a deep sense of relief or freedom like a load had been taken off my shoulders. It made me wonder why I had wanted to go through with the wedding when the mere thought of it weighed me down.

The answer was simple, with two, young kids, my heart was the last thing to be considered. I had everything to lose and marriage would have easily elevated my societal status. Besides, I was used to routines and I would have easily settled into life as a married woman. But. I was glad that it didn't happen, not to Umoh at least.

I passed my duplicate in the mirror a fake grin, why did the men I was involved with always have to cheat on me? What was it about me that made them look outside or was I not enough?

It's not you, it's them. I quickly reassured myself. They didn't deserve me.

The sound of metal hitting the ground forced me back into the present. I turned right in time to see a mini shift dress threatening to fall off the chair and gestured wildly for Faith to pick it.

"Why did you keep it?" She asked, the dress was in her hand and her eyes were resting on my fingers that were pointed at her.

"This?" I rubbed the tiny cut diamond on the centre of the ring and she nodded. "This is payment for the emotional damages."

She laughed and I joined her. I couldn't tell her that it was for the sole purpose of making King jealous or at least scaring him off. A break away from men or a short vacation to emotionally detoxify was what I needed in my life right now. If what Faith said about the authenticity of the ring was true, then it would fetch enough money to spoil me and the kids rotten for a weekend.

"Faith?" I called out when she started moving towards the curtain, "what are you doing? We are not done."

Her head was poking out of the curtain that separated us from the other guests outside and I was grateful for the privacy we had. I didn't want to mingle or plaster any more fake smiles on my face. Faith wiggled her butt in response to me before turning to face me with a mild look of irritation.

"That girl is still with him," she answered with a scowl, closed the curtains with a huff and moved to an empty seat.

She was referring to King and the petite lady that had been hanging by his arms all evening; they were like five and six. She had kissed him. I tried to banish the image of her lips on his but it stuck. She had kissed him and he had let her do it even though he knew I could see them.

How could he bring a lady to an occasion that he knew was of so much importance to me and allow her to do that? I shook my head, it was none of my business, I shouldn't and I didn't care what he was doing with one of his many conquests.  

Men were scum anyway, they couldn't be trusted. For all I knew, they were probably making a deal for her to be his baby mama.

Slapping myself gently across the cheek, I reminded myself that it wasn't any of my business. I pulled the ring out of my finger, the plan had failed. I was supposed to be the one making him jealous, not the other way around.