The Sweet Revenge………….Part 5

"Here we go," I thought.

The bar wasn't very busy on a week night, which was one of the reasons I picked it, and the low lighting also suited my purposes. But when she walked in the door, it was as though a spotlight was shining on her. She saw me stand up nervously, and she walked over and shook my hand confidently. "Hello, Femi," she said in that musical voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person."

She sat down and I followed. I must have been staring, because she laughed and said, "Well, how do I look?"

We've all seen movie stars on the big screen or models in magazines. They're gorgeous but they're not "real." But now I was meeting one of them in person, and the impact was overwhelming. The young woman seated across from me was absolutely stunning. The dark eyes, high cheek bones, pouty lips, the way her hair framed her face, her athletic but womanly figure – I could go on and on, but the fact was that for a few moments all I could do was stare at her in silent wonder.

She smiled and broke the silence. "I'm going to take that to mean you approve," she said.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," I stammered, "I just, for a moment, that is . . ." My voice tailed off in embarrassment.

Thankfully, at that moment the waitress came over to take our orders. I don't even remember what I ordered, but Latifah settled for fried rice and green salad. As the waitress listened to her order, I could tell that she had fallen under Latifah's spell as well. She kept glancing at her until finally she burst out, "Aren't you on television?"

Latifah smiled at her sweetly. "No, I'm afraid not," she said, and the waitress walked away mumbling to herself.

Their little exchange allowed the rational part of my brain to re-engage. I looked at Latifah curiously. "I'll bet that happens to you often."

She nodded unselfconsciously. "Yes, it happens quite a bit."

"Can I ask you a question? Why aren't you on television or modeling, instead of, well, you know," I asked, stumbling a bit at the end.

"I've looked into it," she acknowledged, "but that's a very cut-throat world. I may look good to you, but I'm just one of many in that world. The odds against making it are about the same as a basketball player making it in the NBA. But in this line of work, I stand out. And unlike modeling or acting, I didn't have to starve for years paying my dues. From the day I started I was making top dollar. By the time my looks start to go, I'll have put enough away to live off my investments for the rest of my life. And if I'm really lucky, I'll find a rich man who wants a trophy wife and doesn't care what she used to do for a living."

I couldn't help nodding. I didn't agree with the career she had chosen, but she had certainly approached it sensibly.

At that moment, the waitress brought our dinners. After she'd served Latifah, she looked at her again and said, "Are you sure you're not on TV? I just feel certain I've seen you before."

Latifah shook her head. "I don't think so. If I had been, I'm sure I would remember it."

I tried to smother my laughter as the waitress beat a hasty retreat.

When we began eating, she looked at me carefully. "So, Femi, why don't you give me an idea of what you have in mind? Madu indicated that this is something a bit out of the ordinary."

I blushed and began to tell her my story. When I replayed my conversation with Fidelia after catching her and Dele in bed, Latifah gave me a sympathetic look. "That was pretty cold," she said. When I described Dele Oyebanjo and the way he was acting, she nodded knowingly. "I've met a lot of his type."

She wiped her mouth daintily and then folded her hands on the table. "So what is it exactly that you want to do, and how do I fit into the picture?"

I spent the next fifteen minutes describing what I hoped to accomplish over the next month or so. When I finished, I admitted that I had a lot of doubts about what I was trying to do. "But I just can't sit by and let the two of them run roughshod over me without fighting back. And now that I've met you, I'm beginning to think this just might work."

She broke into a big grin. "What a lovely compliment!" she said. Then she leaned forward across the table. "You know what? I think I'm going to enjoy this."

"Great!" I said enthusiastically, and reached across to shake her hand to seal the deal. She laughed at that and gave me a firm handshake in return. "To partners in crime," she said with a sly smile.

Then she sat up and did something that I didn't quite catch with her body, and suddenly she exuded raw sexuality. I realized I had a hard-on. "Well," she said in a low, sexy voice, "now that we've concluded the business portion of our meeting, shall we adjourn to someplace cozier for the recreational component?"

My mouth was suddenly dry and I had to take a sip of water before I could speak. "No," I said, "tonight is just supposed to be a get-acquainted session."

She gave me a crooked little smile. "You don't find me attractive?"

"Oh, gosh, no," I stammered, "I mean yes. I mean it's not that. It's just I'm trying to keep focused on what we're planning to do here, and it would be better for me not to get involved with you that way, don't you see? But I do have the extra for you." With that I slid an envelope across the table to her. I stuffed a large amount of N1000 notes in it earlier.

She solemnly picked it up and it disappeared into her purse. Then she changed her posture again and her sexual side seemed to recede. "I think maybe I do understand, Femi." She tilted her head slightly to look at me. "You're a very interesting man. I think I'm going to enjoy our little adventure together."

With that she rose and left, while I remained seated in the booth. For some reason I felt wrung out. "That is some woman!" I thought.

To be continued………………………….