The Forbidden Fruit

Episode 9

Florence felt more hurt than she had ever been in all her adult life. She was no innocent, and had had her fair share of intimate relationships with members of the opposite s-x. But she had never formed any intimate bond to get financial benefit, despite how rough things had been for her growing up.

Bite Fruit
Tongue Sore
Hearing Joe Babalola blithely refer to her and every girl serving food and drinks at Anita Bankole’s birthday as ‘runs girls’ hurt her pride immensely. She had been offered the opportunity to provide finger food for Anita’s guests; it was extra money that she had been only too glad to make. And when she had found out servers were being paid, she had offered her services in that capacity as well. Florence wasn’t ashamed to roll up her sleeves and do an honest day’s job and she supposed she should not care about the misconceptions people could reach, but for some reason hearing that allegation fall from Jide’s lips had felt like a red hot iron rod being pushed into her stomach.

“Ready for the next set?” a man in an apron, sweating over an open grill at the back of the house asked Florence when he saw her burst out of the back door. He eyed her empty tray and used his forearm to clean the sweat from his forehead. “Some guys by the car garage were complaining they had not gotten…”

“Can’t someone breathe in peace? give me a minute, abeg.” Florence snapped, and then sighed. The young man was also here to hustle for a little extra money, just like her. it would be unfair to transfer her aggression to him. “sorry about that. I just need to rest my legs a bit.”

The young man shrugged and returned to turning sizzling meat over the open fire, while Florence found a large stone and settled on it.

She decided she needed to calm down. What Jide had said was usual crass talk among guys, and even though it was wrong, what right did she have to be annoyed with him? he was practically her boss at the office. He could say anything he liked and get away with it; acting injured was probably a bad idea.

Florence bit her lower lip, worried. What if her reaction annoyed Jide in turn? She rocked gently on the large stone she was perched on, worried that her job could be in jeopardy.

---

On the other side of the house, in a dimly lit lonely corridor, Jide’s vows of fidelity were in jeopardy.

Anita wriggled against him, her body pressed against his in a way that made his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth. He could already feel his body responding, his resistance weakened by all the alcohol he had been drinking since he stepped into the house. Anita’s body was soft, even softer than Patricia’s, and he cursed his wife beneath his breath for starving him so much that another woman’s touch could strip him of control that easily. And yet, at the same time, he felt shame, because he knew his wife’s behaviour should not control his reaction.

God help me, I am a weak man, Jide thought in despair as another jolt of physical pleasure went through him.
“So, I hope you’re enjoying the party, darling?” Anita drawled, her warm breath filling Jide’s ear. He shuddered. “I was looking for you so we could dance, but somehow you kept slipping out of reach.”

Jide made a strangled sound as her tongue flicked out and touched his ear.

“Stop it, Anita.” He finally managed to grind out as he pushed her off slightly. “What are you trying to do?”
“What does it feel like?” Anita retorted, grinning, but she moved back, much to Jide’s relief. She swirled the glass of white wine in her hand and took a long sip from it, her eyes half-lidded. “You’re my birthday gift to myself. And Anita Bankole always gets what she wants.”

“I’m a married man…”

“And so? It’s not like I want to shout it out from the rooftops. It’ll be our little secret.” Anita cut in, giggling as she caressed his wide shoulders.

Jide paused, his protests dying on his lips. At that moment he could not think up one good reason why he should not cheat on Patricia, and the realization shook him. his marriage had grown lifeless and hostile; and here was a beautiful woman, offering him something forbidden and discreet; something Patricia had chosen to deny him for months. What did he really have to lose?

Other than your integrity, not much. So much for wedding vows eh? a mocking inner voice answered him.

Sensing his indecision, Anita moved in for the kill, pushing him back again and moulding the contours of her body against his. Before he could react, her lips were on his again. When her tongue darted into his mouth again, Jide finally groaned at the taste of sweet wine in her mouth.

And that was how Florence found Jide when she went searching to apologize for her behavior. Jide was entwined around Anita, her behind filling his hands as she m0aned into his mouth, when his eyes noticed movement at the end of the corridor where they were standing. His eyes met Florence’s shocked ones, and then she was gone as quickly as she had appeared.

When Jide pulled away from a protesting Anita and dashed to the end of the corridor, there was no one there.