Chapter 5
FIVE
ARIELLA
‘Mason family?’ A tall woman with a sharp bob under her headset, holding a tablet and dressed head to toe in black, opens our car door as we pull up to London’s affectionately nicknamed Walkie-Talkie building. We get out of the chauffeur-driven car Isszy’s father sent for Daddy, Mommy, Gigi and me.
‘Yes?’ Daddy says, unsure about what’s going on.
‘This way please.’
The lady quickly leads us past the long queue outside, straight to some private lifts at the side of the building. As soon as one arrives, she holds the door open for us to step inside.
‘Platinum VIP in Indigo lift,’ she says into her headset, then she hits a button and exits the cabin.
‘Have a lovely evening,’ she says to us.
When we arrive and the doors open at the top floor, it is clear that this ‘intimate evening’ didn’t refer to the guestlist. There are already hundreds of people here. The host who meets us when we step out of the lift whisks us quickly to one of the restaurants that has been reserved exclusively for family members. We can see most of the venue from the restaurant and it is very clear that the entire roof garden, thirty-five floors above London’s streets, has been hired for the event. Looking through the glass walls of the restaurant, I count fifteen beautifully constructed, rustic and colourful food stations, evenly spaced out over the floor. From here, I can see that each station is dedicated to a specific type of Nigerian, British or American dish, with a chef cooking live or assembling the final plates at each one. The two hosts assigned to each station are explaining the dishes to interested guests, as an order manager from the side of the station sends food out on waiters’ trays to the rest of the guests in the space. There are also six large cocktail bars, two representing each country. The busy mixologists are speedily fulfilling drink orders for the patient waiting staff, while the flair bartenders chat with guests and keep them entertained. The live, upbeat music ties the party together, making it feel more like a carnival than a casual dinner.
‘Wow. A good number of MPs are here.’ Daddy points through the glass wall to a cluster of gentlemen talking in the main space.
‘…and senators from WashingtonDC too,’ Gigi says, adding her finger to the glass.
All Isszy has ever told us about her family is that her father owns his own business. We’ve moved on to spotting members of the House of Lords and congressional appointees we recognise, when a bubbly waitress joins us.
‘Good evening, I’m Angela and I’ll be looking after you tonight,’ she says, beaming. ‘This space will be your sanctuary for the evening and here are your menus.’ She hands one to each of us. ‘You can order any food or drink you would like through me or from the tablet on your table. If you’d like to explore, detailed maps of all the food and drink stations tonight are on the other side of your menus. The suya, jollof rice, chapman and palm wine cocktail stations are extremely popular. If you need me, please hit “Call” on the tablet and I will be right with you. In the meantime, can I get you anything?’
‘Yes! We’ll take a selection of everything from the popular stations please?’ Gigi immediately requests.
‘And a couple of bottles of water, please,’ Mommy says, giving Gigi a pointed look.
‘Dahlia!’ we hear from behind us.
‘Aderonke!’ Mummy responds, getting up to give Isszy’s mother a hug. She is a beautifully curvy, elegant woman with a big smile and a warm energy. Her dress is loose but perfectly tailored, with a bold African print. She looks bright and glorious in comparison to the solid and nude colours Mommy, Gigi and I are wearing.
‘Good evening, Ma.’ Isszy’s mother curtseys deferentially as she greets Gigi. Her arms are outstretched with her palms open, inviting Gigi to place her palms on hers. She does. There is something so beautiful and humbling about this exchange that it makes me feel like this is less about Isszy and Zachary’s marriage, and more about our families merging.
‘Hugh, Olawale is somewhere down there. I will ask someone to get him for you. He has been looking forward to your arrival with some enthusiasm.’
‘Oh no, there is no need,’ Daddy protests. He’s not a big fan of attention and I can already tell that all of this is a little too much for him.
‘Please. He will be very upset if he isn’t told that you have arrived.’ She gives him a smile that is difficult to resist.
‘Thank you for your generosity, Aderonke, I will go down there and find him.’ Daddy gets up to leave the restaurant before Isszy’s mother insists again.
‘You must be Ariella.’ She comes for me next, and envelops me in her loving arms.
‘Good evening, Aunty,’ I respond, as Isszy suggested I do as a sign of respect. I bend my knees into a small curtsey and bow my head slightly. Nigerians are open, warm and loving people. Formality, politeness and a deep respect for age and life experience runs through their veins. While some cultures may chase youth, according to Isszy the wisdom one acquires as one gets older is what is truly cherished in Nigerian culture.
‘Good evening, my dear. Now please, Dahlia, Grandma…’
I see Gigi’s face fill with shock and devastation at being called Grandma. I do everything I can to stop the laughter from erupting. Mommy isn’t so successful and Gigi throws her a dirty look.
‘Aderonke, we refer to her as Gigi. You are our family now, we’d be delighted if you would do the same.’
‘Thank you, Dahlia. Please, if you don’t mind coming with me, I would love to introduce you to my mother. She arrived last night.’
The three of us go over to meet Isszy’s grandmother. She is a quiet woman who exudes an indescribable calm and knowing from where she is sitting, between other female relatives. When I see that Mommy and Gigi are enjoying themselves with Isszy’s family, I excuse myself to find a quiet space, but it proves impossible. Everyone is happy, chatty and unafraid to introduce themselves. After I’ve had a third person ask me why I’m sitting alone and if I’m enjoying the evening, I decide that it will be better to find a different kind of quiet space.
Hey Jas, are you here yet?
Yes, where are you?
In the restaurant reserved for family. Where are you?
In the brasserie next door for the bride and groom’s friends. It’s like a nightclub here and it’s PACKED. You’re not going to like it.
Right now I feel a little exposed. I’d be happier hiding in a crowd.
I’ll be over there shortly.
Jasper is not wrong. As I approach the entrance, the Afrobeat music gets increasingly louder. I look inside to see everyone talking excitedly, laughing, drinking, and quite a few people are dancing. I give my name to the list holder at the door, and spot Jasper waiting inside the entrance for me.
‘There you are!’ He gives me a hug, laces his fingers through mine and pulls me close to him. He helps to guide me through the jubilant crowd singing at the tops of their voices to the music. The atmosphere makes it impossible not to feel happy. We weave through until we reach a circle of couches around a large table with ‘VIP’ branded in the middle. Sophia and some of our old friends are sitting there, chatting away.
‘Hello,’ I say, and Jasper asks everyone to move up to create a space for me.
‘Aari,’ almost everyone responds cheerfully as they quickly shift up.
‘What are you drinking?’ Jasper asks me, grabbing the tablet.
‘I’ll have a clementine martini,’ Sophia requests loudly.
Jasper pauses to give her a look I don’t quite understand.
‘Are you sure?’ he asks.
‘Yes,’ Sophia responds defiantly.
‘Okay,’ Jasper agrees quietly. ‘Ariella?’
‘That sounds delicious, Sophia.’ I smile at her. She doesn’t smile back. ‘Please can I have one too?’
‘Okay, anybody else?’ Jasper places a few more orders for our friends on the couch.
‘How are you, Sophia?’ I ask, trying to break the odd tension that seems to have developed between us in the last few seconds.
‘Fine,’ is all I get. She doesn’t even look at me. Instead she stares at Jasper.
Just when I am about to try again, she speaks, keeping her eyes on Jasper.
‘Ariella, where is Caleb?’
‘Oh yes. He told me that you got along at the engagement party. I’m not sure if he is coming tonight. I can check?’
I pull my phone out and text Caleb to see if he is coming.
‘You don’t know whether or not your boyfriend is coming?’ She finally looks at me.
‘Fi—’ Jasper starts.
‘I’m not speaking with you, Jasper,’ she responds coldly. Uh-oh.
‘Come on, Sophia.’ Franco, our childhood friend, puts his hand on her arm. ‘How is Singapore, Aari?’ he asks me, trying to release some tension. Sophia turns to face him.
‘Why ask her when you can ask Jasper? He’s been there often enough.’
‘I—’ Just then the drinks arrive and Jasper distributes them, safely starting with Sophia’s.
‘Clementine martini for you, Fi?—’
‘Excuse me!’
Sophia stands abruptly and pushes past me.
Jasper sighs and gets up to follow her.
‘Jas, please can I?’ I ask.
I’ve clearly caused some discomfort and I need to make it okay for Jasper. I wait for his nod before I follow Sophia through the crowd and into a private dining room that has been converted into a storage space.
‘Sophia?’ I call as the door shuts behind me.
‘Go away!’ I hear her choke as she cries.
‘I’m sorry that I’ve upset you. Please can you tell me what’s wrong?’
‘What’s wrong? You! You’re what’s wrong.’
‘I’m sorry, I?—’
‘Why is he so scared of you?’
‘Jasper? He’s not scared of me.’
‘He’s scared of you because he’s still in love with you!’
‘Sophia, we grew up together and we both got confused – that’s all. He loves you.’
‘No, he doesn’t.’
‘Yes, I promise you he does.’
‘He ordered me a martini!’ she screams at me, before bursting into fresh tears. Oh. The realisation hits me.
‘You’re pregnant,’ I whisper.
Sophia looks at me, frightened, like I’m scaring her. Before I know what I’m doing, my arms are around her, holding her, as she sobs loudly. This is my fault. Jasper and I may have ended things but we still orbit tightly around each other. I asked him to make amends with Caleb but I didn’t think about doing the same with Sophia. When he came out for my birthday and he didn’t bring her, I didn’t reprimand him for leaving her home alone. I definitely wasn’t thinking about Sophia when I asked him to come out to Singapore to help when things got bad. Tonight, when I was uncomfortable being by myself, I reached for him first because I knew he would come. All the while, I was hurting the person he loved.
‘Jasper loves you, Sophia. He’s not scared of me or in love with me. He’s in love with you. However, I have been asking him for things that I maybe should have cleared with you first. I’m sorry.’
‘I really don’t like you. You’re such a horrible person,’ she cries, still in my arms.
‘I’m not sure I like me right now because of how I have made you feel, but I want you to know that, regardless of what you think of me, I never meant to hurt you.’
‘Well, you do. It’s torture having you around.’
‘How can I make things better?’
Sophia tearfully extracts herself from my embrace.
‘Please leave him alone. Stop contacting him and please stay away from us,’ she begs from a place of such deep despair that it hurts. I also don’t have a choice.
‘If that’s what you need, I will.’
‘That’s what I need,’ she confirms, forcefully.
‘Consider it done.’
‘Thank you,’ she whispers as she tries to pull herself together.
‘Can I help you clean up in the?—’
‘No. I’m fine.’ She sniffs as she runs her fingers under her eyes. Without another word, she straightens her posture and walks out of the room. I wipe tears that fall when she leaves. I need to get out of here.
I leave the room, disappear into the dancing crowd and make my way carefully towards the brasserie door, away from Jasper and our friends. Once outside the brasserie, I do everything I can to pull myself together before I descend the stairs and navigate my way through the main party space, where everyone is having a wonderful time.
‘Aari!’ I hear, just before I turn left to the bank of lifts that will take me down to the building’s exit. It’s Caleb. The sound and safety of his voice alone cuts through all the strength I’ve managed to gather in order to hold myself together.
‘This party is insane! So much for intimate! Ivory Bow is going to make a killing by the time I’m done tonight. I’ve just been doing ogogoro shots with the Nigerian Minister of…Mason, what’s wrong?’
I finally fall apart. Caleb steps forward to hold me close and shield me from anyone around us who might see.
‘Come on,’ he says softly as he walks us to the lifts.
I bury my face in his jacket as he hands both our cloakroom tickets to the attendant.
‘Allow me to escort you to the Platinum VIP lifts, sir,’ one of the attendants offers.
‘Platinum VIP? Very snazzy. I had to fight like a wild animal to get into the sardine tin that brought us up here an hour ago,’ Caleb whispers as we follow the attendant, making me smile and reminding me of how much I love him.
We step into the lift and descend in silence. All he does is hold me, and I inhale his familiar, safe smell. My phone dings. I look at the notification. It’s a text from Jasper asking where I am. When I turn my phone off, Caleb doesn’t say anything, he just holds me tighter.
‘What would you like to do?’ he asks when we finally make it outside.
‘I want to go home.’
‘Ours or your parents’?’
‘My parents’, please.’
We climb into the first black cab we see. The driver groans when we tell him that he is going to Surrey.
‘I’ll text Dahlia to let her know that I’m taking you home and that she has nothing to worry about.’
I nod and lean against him.
‘Aari, we’re here.’ Caleb gently strokes my cheek awake.
‘Thank you,’ I croak, and get ready to step out of the cab as he pays.
I let us in and we head straight for the kitchen.
‘If you get into the shower, I’ll make you a cup of tea and bring it up,’ he says quietly, before gently holding the back of my neck to kiss my forehead.
I do just that. I go up to my bedroom, strip, enter the shower and release all the emotions I am feeling. I stand patiently as I let the water wash the edges of my exchange with Sophia away. When I emerge, Caleb is sitting on my bed, the tea he’s made me is on my bedside table. He diverts his gaze as I pull on a long shirt and put my hair up, then sit next to him and sip my tea.
‘Do you want to talk about what happened?’ he asks quietly.
‘Sophia is pregnant. She asked me to stay away from her and Jasper. She said I was a horrible person and it was torture for her to have me around.’ I feel myself welling up.
‘I’m sorry, Aari.’
‘No, she’s right.’
Caleb doesn’t argue. He just sighs, and eventually admits, ‘She is, to a certain extent. You’re definitely not a horrible person, but to someone that doesn’t understand your history it could look like you and Jasper are in love. You’re so inextricably linked, it’s difficult to explain it any other way.’
‘You don’t think that, do you?’
‘No, I don’t. He’s your best friend and I know that moving through life without him would devastate you.’
‘That’s what I’m going to have to do. I don’t want his relationship with Sophia to fail. I want him to have a sublimely happy life with her.’
‘All she needs is some time. She’s only going through what I had to. It’s a nightmare to navigate but it will all work out in the end. When she gets it, she’ll see that she has nothing to worry about.’ Caleb leans in to kiss my temple lightly.
‘When did you get it?’
‘It took a while, but I think it was when I realised that Jasper actually wasn’t terrible in bed. It was just that both of you really didn’t want to sleep with each other.’
‘How did you know that?’
‘For you it was obvious.’ He raises an eyebrow with a smirk and it makes me giggle. ‘For him though, when we met up in the name of civility after you left for Singapore he asked me when we first slept together. He didn’t want to know anything else apart from when. He didn’t care who initiated it, if you’d enjoyed it, or if I’d been attempting to seduce you. He just wanted to know when he lost you because he genuinely thought he had…plus the disgusting things he does to Sophia in bed on a regular basis should put him on at least a couple of watch lists.’
‘Ugh, yuck, Caleb!’ I smack his arm.
Caleb erupts with laughter and I join in.
‘I’m messing with you, I have no idea what he gets up to with Sophia, but your reaction to that proves my point. You love and look out for each other. You’re just not meant to be lovers.’
‘I’m going to miss him.’
‘Give it time. You have Lara to fill in. Speaking of which, are you going to that Zombie Apocalypse escape night she’s planning for after the wedding?’
‘Yeah. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. It’ll be a nice opportunity to see Honey while she’s out here, though.’
‘It’ll be a nice opportunity for me to see Honey too. We were supposed to be training every day but Lara told her I’d given her the time off. Thankfully she remembered that I asked her to join on Wednesdays for the boys’ training. Your best friend is a liability,’ he complains.
I can’t help smiling. I do love Lara, even if she is planning what will possibly be the most dysfunctional double date, by making four of us fight fake zombies during a dramatised apocalypse.
‘Anyway, I’d better head out.’ Caleb stands.
I don’t want him to go. ‘Please will you stay with me?’
I climb into my bed and move over to leave as much space as I can for him. Caleb stops to look at me. He’s thinking about it. He exhales deeply, before taking off his jacket, tie, belt and shoes. He keeps everything else on but undoes the top button of his shirt, exposing the white T-shirt beneath.
‘Okay, but only because you need a friend tonight. Things between us are still a little problematic, Aari,’ he says, sliding in next to me.
‘I know. Thank you, Caleb,’ I say, then kiss him lightly on the cheek. He holds me as I put my head on his shoulder, my hand on his heart, and fall fast asleep.