Now she walked through the puddles left by the April rain onto the concrete forecourt of the mall. She glanced with interest into some of the shops fronting the high-ceilinged passage on her way to Shoprite which was her destination. The supermarket was large and cool with wide walkways and wheeled trolleys to help with large purchases. Gladys pushed one down the cold foods aisle, carefully selecting the items on her list. She quickly found the chicken breasts, minced beef and fresh vegetables, all frozen and packaged in very presentable plastic bags. They were very expensive compared to what she was used to; some by up to three times as much.
As she swerved into the dry goods section, she thought she saw the man who helped her to her aunt‘s place that first day in Lagos. In her head she often referred to him as ‗her‘ guy when she thought of him, which was a lot. When she couldn‘t see him on a closer look, she continued into the bakery.
Why do I even think about him so much? It wasn‘t as if they‘d spent much time together. He was handsome but she had met better looking men; counting her ex-boyfriend. It could be because he was so fit and possessed a certain charisma. His suit had set so well over his wide shoulders and around muscular thighs. She glanced around, fearing her thoughts were written boldly for all to see. She seriously had to stop thinking about this guy.
Edward saw her immediately he stood up from collecting a can of shaving foam from a low shelf. She was standing at the checkout counter and he felt a strong urge to drop everything and go after her. His heart picked up speed and his eyes refused to move away. He forced himself to put the can into his shopping cart and start in the opposite direction. It was best to stick with the harmless liaisons that demanded little of him emotionally. The feelings which came over him any time he thought of her were not to be underrated.
After the episode on Ahmadu Bello Way, it was best if he stayed away from her. It had become clear that he didn‘t want to just date her. It seemed his emotions were involved in this need he felt for her. He didn‘t want to risk his heart in a relationship that could involve undue emotional attachment. It might not be easy to keep walking away if fate made a point of throwing them together but it was something he must do.