At Star Restaurant, the air buzzed with the hum of conversations. Chioma and Chisom glided between tables, their movements seamless as they attended to customers. Chioma handed a bottle opener to a man in a police uniform. He smiled, then pulled out a packet of cigarettes, his eyes flicking back to her.
'What's your name?' he asked.
'Chioma Chima,' she politely replied.
He offered her a cigarette. 'Care to smoke?'
'No, thank you,' Chioma declined.
'You won't mind if I do?' he asked.
Chioma shook her head, then returned to Chisom, who was waving at her from the counter.
'I can't find the other bottle opener,' Chisom sighed, glancing around. 'I'm really craving a drink.'
'I'm dying for a drink as well,' Chioma said with a light laugh. 'What can we do?' She grabbed a bottle and started picking at its lid. 'I know some terribly clever ways to get the tops off.'
'With your teeth, do you mean?' Chisom raised an eyebrow.
'Well, that's how I do it if I can't find a bottle opener,' Chioma replied with a grin.
Chisom scanned the room. 'That police officer has it; maybe you could get it back from him.'
'I can't,' Chioma hesitated.
'Go on. I'm allergic to smoke,' Chisom nudged.
'You do it.'
'You gave him the bottle opener and didn't scold him for smoking. You know the boss doesn't allow it here,' Chisom pointed out.
'I only allowed him because of his uniform. I'm afraid that if I don't let him, he might cause trouble for us,' Chioma explained.
'You've thought it through,' Chisom acknowledged. She lazily got up, took two bottles of Coke, and walked towards the police officer, who was chatting with two customers at a nearby table.
'Must be the other waitress, right?' the police officer looked at Chisom and asked.
'Yeah...'
'Well, you both look beautiful,' he complimented.
'Is the police officer trying to flirt with you?' a man with a red peaked cap chimed in, laughing.
The police officer rolled his eyes at the man, then winked at Chisom. 'What do you think?'
'I want the opener,' Chisom said, ignoring his question.
'You mean this, Miss?' the police officer asked, touching her arm and holding out the opener.
Chisom reached out to take the opener, but the police officer lifted it high, chuckling.
Chisom frowned, annoyed. 'I need to open these drinks and get back to work,' she said, trying her best to remain calm.
'Instead of drinking coke, why not have a beer?' the police officer suggested, popping open his own beer with the opener, his eyes glinting. 'Have a real drink.'
'I can't handle it,' Chisom replied, snatching the opener from the police officer, uncorking the cokes with brisk efficiency.
The police officer, undeterred, poured himself a beer, savouring the heady foam that formed. Beneath the froth, it was chilled, bitter, and incredibly refreshing. Closing his eyes, he savoured the taste of the beer.
'It tastes like you, Miss,' the officer said, opening his eyes but was disappointed to find that Chisom had already left with the opened bottles of coke.
Hearing the officer's comment, the men at the table laughed.
Sitting at the counter, Chioma turned to the food before her, broke a piece of pineapple bun, and took a big bite.
Then, four beautiful girls in gorgeous dresses sashayed into the restaurant, a tabloid newspaper clutched in one of their hands. They were discussing one of the articles, their conversation buzzing with disapproval. 'Wouldn't it be stupid for my idol Michael to leave his girlfriend for a cheap slut?' one declared, her voice dripping with disdain.
'The cheap girl is still a mystery,' another commented, annoyed.
'I'd tear that girl to shreds if I ever saw her,' one hissed.
'What if she's as beautiful as Jessica?' another cut in.
'Then we'll let it slide.'
Chisom glanced at Chioma and noticed her lost in thought. She suspected that Chioma was contemplating the girls' conversation, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for her friend.
'You're not seriously comparing yourself to Michael Njemanze's mystery girlfriend, are you?' Chisom finally asked, her voice laced with gentle amusement.
Chioma was startled for a second and did not reply to Chisom. However, deep down, she knew that she was the mystery girl referred to in the newspaper article. Changing the topic, she asked instead, 'That police officer was irritating, right?'
Chisom was a smart girl and knew that Chioma didn't want to answer the question. She didn't push it further. 'Well, we don't know who this mysterious girlfriend of Michael is. But whoever she is, she'll be intelligent and beautiful. People like us don't stand a chance, except in drama series.'
'I've never held onto such hopes,' Chioma muttered. She finished her drink and took the last bite of her pineapple bun before standing up. 'Let's get back to work.'
Chisom handed Chioma a tissue to wipe her hands. As they began serving another group of customers that entered the restaurant, the girls called Chioma over. Chioma approached their table, and they continued discussing Michael and his personal life. Chioma could only smile at them whenever they glanced her way.
One of the girls teasingly said to Chioma, 'Waitress, stop smiling. You know Michael wouldn't spare you a glance. Secret crushes are fine, but don't get cocky.'
The other girls smiled and glared at Chioma.
'May I take your order?' Chioma asked calmly, refusing to be baited.
Suddenly, one of the girls remembered something. 'Aren't you the cheap fake actress in that accident scene with Michael?' she asked, scrutinising Chioma. It wasn't a movie; it was just an accident captured by paparazzi and written about in a newspaper.
'No way, Julia! This girl? No way she's qualified to share the screen with my idol,' another scoffed, her voice thick with infatuation. 'Young Master Michael is too handsome for an ugly wife. Heaven wouldn't do that to him.'
'Is there anything you actually want to order?' Chioma pressed, her patience wearing thin. 'Since you ladies are dining on Michael for lunch, I'd rather not waste my time.'
Upon hearing Chioma's words, the girls looked up and glared at her.
'Be careful with your words,' one of them warned, clearly annoyed.
'I'm sorry, but if you ladies are looking for crushes, you should check out the lead male characters in Korean or Chinese dramas. They are handsome and intelligent,' Chioma replied with a playful smile.
'Girl, you're weird,' Julia said, looking at Chioma in disbelief. 'Everyone knows that Michael is good-looking. He was the school hunk during his days at Diamond Snow, the best secondary school in Nigeria. Don't be such a hypocrite and deny the truth.'
Chioma knew deep down that no man was more handsome than Michael. However, she didn't want to reveal her crush to the girls. She was afraid of their potential harsh comments and judgment. So, she kept the sweetness of her admiration for Michael hidden in her heart.
'Even the way he lifts his hand exudes nobility,' Julia swooned. 'He's the world's most handsome man. We're going somewhere else. Your presence sucks.'
The girls quickly stood up, glared at Chioma, and left for another restaurant.
Chisom comfortingly patted Chioma on the shoulder and said, 'I know you love him and you're afraid to admit it. But you have to be careful with what you say to Michael's passionate fans.' She sighed softly. 'You might be that mystery girl they're talking about, and those hostile fans might come after you.'
Chioma glanced at Chisom and replied gently, 'Thank you, bestie.'
Chisom nodded understandingly.