Ejiro raised an eyebrow.
Obiora sighed, rolling his eyes. “I’m just making an observation.”
“Like you and the other bachelors did to me on night one?”
Obiora paused. Ejiro had meant it as a joke, but when he saw the look on Obiora’s face, he realised that no, he wasn’t joking at all. Like, fine, it was a competition and whatnot, he shouldn’t take it too personally, but the quickness with which the other men had written him off had honestly hurt, not to mention Obiora’s sly move behind his back.
“I’m heading out,” Ejiro clipped, wading until he was at the railing and climbing out of the pool. They’d been having a good time; Ejiro didn’t want Obiora to think he was being childish or whatever. It was a competition. The other men weren’t here to play nice. And that was fine.
“Ejiro,” Obiora called just as he climbed out.
He turned around, aiming for nonchalant and probably failing. “Yeah?”
“I really am sorry about going behind your back like that. It was a rotten thing to do.” He seemed sincere.
“You’re forgiven,” Ejiro replied, a bit of the playfulness of earlier returning into his voice.
“Good.” Obiora smiled, relieved, the sight of it making Ejiro feel even better.
“Heading off?” Chris Wu asked, approaching.
Ejiro nodded, smiling at him. “Gonna shower and get some breakfast.”
“Big day today, huh?” Chris teased. “What with you telling Ameri about your date with Sophia and all.”
“Don’t remind me,” Ejiro groaned, making Obiora laugh.
“Good luck,” he said, and dived into the pool.
Ejiro nodded. His heart jolted when he saw that Obiora was still watching him. Obiora waved the tips of his fingers, a slow grin spreading across his lips.
Ejiro rolled his eyes and turned away.
Obiora’s answering laugh had him smiling all the way to the shower.
TEN
“EYYYY!” THE BACHELORS IN THE dining slash kitchen hollered when Ejiro walked in the next morning, dressed up and ready for his date with Sophia.
The kitchen and dining area boasted large windows to let in natural light, and so much space one could skate across the floor if they so wished without bumping into anything. From the entrance of the corridor leading to the rest of the house, the kitchen lay on the right, with sinks, a dishwasher, oven, and cooking hobs lined up against the right wall. Above, below, and around those were pure white cupboards.
Against the adjacent wall were two big aluminium fridges with touch screens on their double doors. To their left were sliding glass doors which led to the backyard. An island separated the cooking space from the dining space, the latter of which held a long table fit for a king. The left wall was made entirely of glass from top to bottom, and looked out onto a small porch on the side of the house.
“Oh my God,” Ejiro responded to the bachelors’ hollers, blushing furiously, avoiding looking at any of the other men directly. He’d come to get a banana and some water to help tide him over before Ameri and the filming crew arrived to take him on his date, but sorely regretted the decision now. He’d hoped the kitchen would be empty. “What are you guys even doing?”
He’d already been feeling self-conscious and a little bit insecure as he’d gotten dressed, but now, with the unexpected audience, it was a nearly tangible thing. He resisted the urge to turn back around and walk, and then keep walking until he’d walked right out of the mansion.
“Looking good, Ejiro,” Obiora said from where he was standing by the sink, rinsing out a bowl. His dark eyes trailed Ejiro’s form from head to toe, making Ejiro blush at the unabashed attention.
Ejiro was wearing a simple, white collared short-sleeved button up shirt with flowers drawn in intricate black line patterned onto the surface. His legs were covered in stylishly ripped black jeans, his feet in black vans with white laces.
“Thanks, I try,” he quipped a tad sarcastically, dismissing the compliment without having to do so outright.
From the way both of Obiora’s eyebrows rose to his forehead, his lips twisted with amusement, he knew what Ejiro was doing but didn’t call him out on it. Which was good, because if there was one thing Ejiro couldn’t stand, it was insincere praise.
“And where will you be taking the lucky lady?” Liam asked from where he was sitting on the dining table, along with Damien, Chris Payne, and Chris Wu, all of them at different stages of eating their breakfasts.
“I’m so jealous you get to spend an entire day with her,” Damien complained, though his tone was light. He had skin as dark as Ejiro’s and was just as tall, except he was stunningly handsome with a thick body Ejiro knew Ajiri would have referred to as a “dad bod”. He was also one of the winners of last week’s obstacle course, and had picked dinner for his date with Sophia. Chris Wu had gone with lunch, and Liam, the last bachelor that Sophia had handpicked herself, had chosen breakfast. The three of them would be filming their dates tomorrow, which seemed to increase the competitiveness between them since they’d all have to impress Sophia within the span of approximately twelve hours.
