𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄

** THIRTY-TWO **

“Love is a lot like a backache, it doesn’t show up on X-rays, but you know it’s there.”
– George Burns 

     ********       

             THEN JESSE LEFT the front of the stage to the third row where Yasmine was sitting with her friends. Her heart beats so fast the closer Jesse get to her. She almost stood up to save him the stress but something kept pulling her down to her seat to be patient and go along with the flow.

Jesse flashed her a smile, a smile that seem different to her and her forehead creased a little but she shook her head, waving the thought off and kept smiling. But he did something else that surprised her even more. He looked away from her direction and moved past her seat to the next two rows behind her. And he stopped right in front of the last person she had expected.

The one person that she wished would never have him.

Tinuke.

Why her of all people?

Dumbfounded, she watched as Jesse went down on one knee before Tinuke who was equally surprised as she was.

Surprise and shock spread all over Tinuke's face. She stared at Jesse and she didn't realize when tears start dropping down her eyes. Her friends began to clap and cheer her on as Jesse knelt on one knee before her.

Jesse knelt before her and said. "Atinuke, I love you the way you are; I love your fearless spirit and I love your fly; you are a free bird in my life and I am so glad that I know you. I love you so much. So, would you, Atinuke Deborah Oduleye, do me the greatest honour of being my girlfriend?" Jesse asked with hopeful eyes as he brought the bouquet of blue roses to the front.

From their time together, he was able to deduce that blue roses were Tinuke's favourite flower.

Tinuke seems speechless. Her lips were parted but she could not find a distinct word. To say she was shocked and surprised was a huge understatement.

"J-Jesse," She stammered, stunned. She looked at her friends who cheer her on, urging her to say yes. They were more excited than she was. "Oh, my God!" She blinked back the tears that were still in her eyes, believing she was unnecessarily emotional. But she just couldn't help herself. The proposal caught her by surprise. "You did all this for me." She looked around the big hall, at the decorations and the stage then back to him. "this is too much!" She whispered to him. She sounded astounded.

Everything had been for her.

All the dancing, the songs they had been for her. She had always thought Jesse want to remain in the friendship zone with her despite the feeling that was between them. She never knew he felt the same as her and has decided to make a grand proposal.

"Nothing is too much for you babe." Was Jesse's response. He had a warm smile on his face with the bouquet still held in his hands in front of her.

"That's my favourite flower." She smiled at him which he nodded at, lowering his gaze to the flower in his hand.

He even remembered that. She thought.

Surprisingly how she never thought that she would be the lucky girl when he picked up the bouquet of blue roses from the red ones arranged on the stage.

It surprised her to the bone. She looked around at everyone, staring at her with different expressions on their faces. Most of them were surprised just as she was. "You didn't have to. It is too much." She said sincerely, brushing tear stains from her cheeks.

"No, it's not. You're worth more than that. I like you so much Tinuke and I want you to be my girlfriend. Would you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?"