4. I love Lara.

TONY.

I remember her. Why wouldn't I? The same girl that made me had such an overwhelming feeling I'd never felt such that I had to just take off immediately?

Her red dress was still etched on my memory, so was her face as I pounded in and out of her with ecstasy. I felt it, whatever it was, I do not know but I felt it and I do not like it, so I left. It seemed like the best option.

I remember her but I don't want to, so I'll pretend not to. I love Lara now, I want my future with her and that was a past before her, the past should stay in the past. No one needs to revisit it, things might get awkward and I do not want it, not for me, not for her and definitely not for the woman I'm now in love with.

I love Lara. I first met her at my cousin's wedding. She had a comely figure which was stem-thin. Her curvilinear waist didn’t surprise me as much as the saffron tint to her complexion. Her fingers moved so expertly over my cousin's eyelids as she dotted them with glitters and what not, so much focus was etched on her face as she put final touches on the bride turning her into a beauty to behold. As soon as as was done, her crescent shaped eyebrows inclined slightly as she saw me staring at her. I yelped at being caught. Her languid eyelashes of velvet-black blinked once slowly, as if to invite me over and I did. When I came closer, I noticed her scrolled ears and her elegant nose. Her luminous, heavenly-white teeth flashed as she pawed at me with her film star nails. Her hair was a glorious tumble of puffy black and her vbrown eyes set my heart a-thump.

And then she opened her mouth to speak, as confident, bold and bubbly as ever, she was a sure extrovert. She never ran out of things to say and she confidently carried herself, she knew she was a beauty and she didn't try to be modest about it, she flaunted it whenever she could. To be honest, she was my kind of woman. One that can never be put down, one that knows her worth and doesn't need to prove it, a confident queen that likes herself very much and doesn't let insecurities of any kind to get to her, not that she had any reason to have any though, she was literally built like an African goddess.

When I walked into the club and saw her, as Lara's friend, I was shocked, our eyes kept meeting and I could feel her stare on me as if trying to check if I could remember but I masked it well, or at least, I hope I did. Feigning forgetfulness is better, it's better than starting to reopen an old case that doesn't really make any sense.

""I'm so sorry. Her boyfriend recently dumped her so she's still grieving. She's even the reason for this outing." Lara had said to me after stopping her from taking more drinks and I simply nodded even though in my head, I kept thinking about the last time she was down and was drinking so much too, which had led to our encounter.

I couldn't help but wonder why any man at all would keep treating a damsel like her so bad, I've heard a lot about her from Lara who talked way too much about her personal issues to me, although I had no idea that it was the same woman I once had a thing with and had a hard time forgetting.

"I'm going to the restroom." She announced, louder than necessary. It was very obvious that she was drunk as she struggled to keep her balance as she walked, soon enough, Lara asked one of their friends to help her and she succeeded in dragging her away.

As soon as she left, Lara brought her up.

"She keeps giving these useless guys chances in her life and they keep fucking it up for her. She has never been lucky when it comes to relationships."

"Well, you know what they say, you can't have it all. She's practically rich because of her father and has every thing she could ever want, she just wants too much, if I were her, I'd be contented. Life can't give you everything." One of Lara's friends whose name didn't stick replied.

"Oh please. It's karma, her mom went around seducing people's men in her prime until she finally landed a rich man and gave birth to a child for him even though he was married. It's just karma telling on her if you ask me. Maybe she should just settle to be a mistress too, you know?" Lara said nonchalantly and I found myself getting disappointed as she spoke so bad without filter about who she called her best friend.

It's not that I haven't noticed a lag in Lara's personality when it comes to things like shallowness and whatnot, but I decided to live her with her imperfections as that was what love was all about, nobody was perfect anyways, not even me, I've corrected her about it so many times and she had said she would try to stop being condescending and shallow. And even though I'm yet to see changes, it doesn't change how I feel about her and I've just decided to give her time.

The other lady that went with Beth to the restroom came for Beth's bag saying something about Beth saying she wants to leave early and then she disappeared again only to reappear with some guys. Lara came up with some excuses and told me to go home, promising to call me the next morning.

Asoon as I hit my king sized bed, my thoughts were clouded with a certain black dress and black heels, one that didn't belong to Lara and I found myself shaking my head vigorously only to get it replaced by a long blonde hair and a pale white skin.

It was happening again.