Osato sank onto her tiny studio bed, rain still pounding against the window like a frantic drum. Her umbrella was soaked through, her hair stuck to her cheeks, but she hardly noticed. She grabbed her phone, her fingers trembling with excitement.
First, she called her mother.
"Hello?" came the warm, familiar voice.
"Mama! Mama, I… I got the job!" she blurted out, almost tripping over the words.
There was a pause. Then a sharp, delighted laugh that made her chest ache with relief.
"Oh, my Osato! God bless you, my daughter! You did it! You made it!"
Tears brimmed in her eyes—not from despair, but from triumph. "Mama, it's everything I dreamed of… I… I don't even know where to start, but I had to tell you."
Her mother's laughter filled the room. "Start by thanking God, my child. And then, embrace this life—one they'll never forget!"
Next, she called Barney and Jannet, her friends in London who had become her lifeline in this cold, indifferent city.
"Osato! Girl, are you dead or alive?" Barney's voice boomed through the phone. "Why do you sound like you're screaming into the void?"
"I… I got the job!" Osato cried, voice trembling, clutching the phone.
There was silence. Then… a squeal. "WHAT?! Are you serious?! You really got it?!" Jannet shouted, her voice mixing joy with dramatic disbelief.
Barney howled on the other end. "Stop shouting, Jannet! This is Osato's moment! Girl, are you sure they're not scamming you? Maybe they'll call tomorrow and say 'just kidding!'"
Osato laughed through her tears. "No! It's real, I promise. I… I even met someone today—well, kind of. It's complicated…"
"Someone?!" Jannet shrieked. "Omo! Spill! Don't believe leave us hanging! Is he cute? Dangerous? British or… Nigerian?"
Barney groaned dramatically. "Jannet! Calm down! But yes, we need details, Osato. You can't tease us like this."
Osato bit her lip, a grin tugging at her cheeks. "He's… commanding. Calm. And I think… he might be hiding something."
Jannet's squeal nearly made Osato drop the phone. "Hiding something?! Omo! This is it! London, job, mystery man—this is straight out of a movie! You're living a movie, Osato! I'm officially jealous."
Barney's voice softened a bit, teasing but sincere. "Look, girl… just promise me you won't get caught up too fast. The city's big. People aren't always what they seem. But… if he's real, you're lucky."
Osato laughed, a sound that had been missing for months. "I promise, but… I have a feeling today isn't the end—it's just the start."
Jannet groaned playfully. "Oh, Osato… my life is so boring just listening to you. You better keep us posted, or I'll catch the next flight and drag you back myself."
Barney chuckled. "And I'll bring the popcorn. London's about to get wild, and we're getting front row seats."
Osato leaned back, letting their laughter and chatter wash over her. For the first time in weeks, she felt light, alive, and full of hope.
But as she hung up, her thoughts drifted to the tall man in the chauffeur uniform—the one whose presence lingered in her chest like a secret heartbeat. His faint, dangerous smile, the quiet authority… it unsettled her in ways she couldn't quite explain.
Some doors, she thought, only open once. And she had just stepped through another.
She barely had time to hang up before there was a knock at her door. She opened it to find Barney grinning like a mischievous hurricane, Jannet trailing behind, arms flailing.
"Get your coat, girl! We're taking this celebration to the streets!" Barney announced, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"What… streets? I just—" Osato began, but Jannet grabbed her arm, pulling her into the tiny hallway.
"Don't you dare sit here and brood! You got the job! You conquered London! This calls for fireworks, dancing, and… cocktails if we can swing it!" Jannet shouted, spinning dramatically.
By the time Osato slipped into her coat, umbrella in hand, the trio was rushing down East London's rain-slicked streets, laughter bouncing off brick walls. People dodged around them as Barney flung his arms in mock triumph.
"You're officially unstoppable!" he bellowed, spinning in a puddle. "Hamilton & Rhodes can't even keep up with your energy!"
Jannet leaned in close, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "But tell us, Osato… who's the man? Come on! You've got mystery, danger, and… did he flirt with you or scare you more?"
Osato bit her lip, trying to keep her composure amid the chaos. "He… he's not what he seems. Calm, commanding… like he owns everything and everyone around him. I… I don't really know."
Both friends froze mid-step, exchanging exaggerated, dramatic gasps.
"Girl! You're already tangled!" Jannet whispered, eyes wide. "This isn't just a crush—it's… suspense!"
Barney's brow furrowed. "And London's full of surprises. Don't forget: someone that powerful doesn't just show up to admire your CV. He's got plans… and you're part of them."
A chill ran down her spine as Osato felt it—the faint, familiar presence of someone watching her. Somehow, even amidst puddle-jumping and laughter, she sensed it.
A sleek black car swept past, headlights cutting through the rain. And for a heartbeat, she was sure she saw him—Ebenezer—sitting behind the wheel, eyes on her. Barney turned to her and asked if she was okay.
Her breath caught, but before she could say anything, Barney snapped his fingers in front of her face.
"Girl, earth to Osato! What are you looking at?"
Osato blinked rapidly, the car already swallowed by the night. "I… I don't know. Nothing. I thought I saw—never mind."
Barney narrowed her eyes, suspicion written all over her face. "That 'nothing' better not have broad shoulders, a deep voice, and a mysterious aura."
Jannet gasped. "Is it the sexy chauffeur again? Omo! I knew it! You're already in chapter five of your romance novel!"
Osato laughed too quickly. "Leave me alone. Let's just dance."
And dance they did.
They lost themselves in the music, shaking off the cold rain and their worries. By midnight, the club's lights made their faces glow neon pink and electric blue.
At some point, Barney sank onto a nearby couch, her hair damp with sweat.
"You know what, Osato?" she said softly. "Forget about mysterious men for a second. I'm proud of you. Truly."
Osato smiled. "Why?"
"Because London's wicked," Barney sighed dramatically. "Back home, I was a princess. Come here and bam—this London turned me into a modern-day housegirl. My boss? That woman doesn't walk—she floats on stress. She made me redo a spreadsheet six times because she 'felt the energy was off.'"
Jannet burst out laughing. "Energy! Barney, abeg!"
Barney placed her hand on her chest. "I swear on my father's slippers, her energy needs deliverance."
Osato giggled so hard she nearly choked. "At least you have a job."
Jannet rolled her eyes, sipping from a glass that looked way too fancy. "Job? My last manager made me work double because her cat was 'emotionally unstable.' Can you imagine? The cat had mood swings, so I suffered!"
Barney clapped. "This London is practically a documentary."
Jannet leaned closer, lowering her voice. "But we keep going. Every single day, we survive."
Osato's chest tightened. "Sometimes I feel like I'm just trying to keep up."
"Girl," Jannet said softly, taking her hand. "We're all in the same boat."
"Exactly," Barney agreed. "We've cried on buses, argued with Oyster cards, fought with hot-tempered grocery scanners—and look at us tonight. Looking good, dancing like we own the city."
"Even if the city's draining our bank accounts," Jannet added.
They burst into loud laughter, drawing stares.
Barney raised her glass. "To survival."
Jannet raised hers. "To the hustle."
Osato lifted her glass too, feeling warmth in her heart. "To new beginnings."
They clinked their glasses.
And the music swallowed them again.
By dawn, their voices were hoarse, their feet hurt, and their hearts a little lighter. They staggered out onto the quiet, misty street—three tired silhouettes laughing into the grey morning.
But as the sun rose over the rooftops, Osato cast a final glance down the empty road.
No black car.
No shadow.
No watching eyes.
Still…