“Still a classic, though.”
“And like hell you’re that good.” Obiora snorted, though the words came out challengingly.
“Is everything with you a competition?” Ejiro asked dryly, bringing out some pots and pans and extra ingredients from the cupboards.
“Yes,” Obiora deadpanned.
Ejiro laughed.
It shouldn’t have been arousing, watching Ejiro as he began to prepare the food. The way his hands deftly moved across the chopping board was nothing short of artful. He genuinely seemed to get lost in his own world, not feeling the need to fill in the silence.
For some odd reason, Obiora felt something thick build up in the back of his throat—pure, aching longing rising inside him like the tide. The silence between them already felt full, sweet and easy, like they did this all the time. He remembered how Ejiro had just … sat with him the previous night and let him grieve; no comments or judgements or questions—no forced cheer or toxic positivity. Obiora subtly clenched his hands into fists, tried to shove the longing down and away—pretend it didn’t exist.
When Ejiro began preparing the chicken, he added chopped onions, a sprinkle of salt, two cubes of Knorr, and a dash of mild curry powder.
Obiora’s eyebrows flew up.
Ejiro glanced at him. “Secret ingredient,” he said, miming a shushing motion.
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Obiora said, pretending to zip his mouth shut.
Ejiro laughed softly.
Fuck, Obiora felt warm all over, his pulse slightly faster than normal. Ejiro got back into the zone, while Obiora watched him, entranced, like Ejiro was some kind of siren and Obiora was caught in his thrall.
By the time he was done, it was the best Jollof rice Obiora had ever eaten, but he would take that truth with him to his grave. Though something about the smug curve of Ejiro’s lips as he’d watched Obiora eat told him he already knew how good he was anyway. Which was all kinds of hot.
Since that moment, something within Ejiro had loosened, and the walls he kept up for the other bachelors completely disappeared when he was with Obiora.
Now, instead of hanging out with Chris Wu and his other roommates, when Obiora was within the vicinity, the two men found themselves gravitating toward each other; Ejiro because he probably saw Obiora as his only genuine friend amongst the bachelors, and Obiora because his attraction was quickly blooming into a little crush.
Okay, a huge crush.
A massive fucking crush.
He was so fucking fucked.
FOURTEEN
“WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE, TO A brand-new episode of Cupid Calling!” Ameri Shae said brightly, her focus on the camera mounted directly in front of her. She had her back to the bachelors, who were lined up behind her. “Today is going to be a game of wit—a game of puzzles, and speed, and teamwork, but most importantly, it will be a game to test how well our bachelors know our bachelorette and vice versa. Some of you must’ve already guessed it, so I won’t leave y’all hanging—today’s challenge is an Escape Room!”
She paused while the bachelors applauded and made excited noises on cue. “That’s right. Our bachelors will be divided into four teams of four; the members of whatever team that makes it out of their room first will all have the chance to take the bachelorette on a private date! The catch is, the bachelorette will also be participating in an escape room. If she ends up coming out before the bachelors, then she gets to pick her four winners from any of the teams, regardless of when and with whom they finish.”
The bachelors made noises of dissent, some of them loudly talking about how unfair it was because Sophia would definitely be biased in picking her winners.
“Exactly.” Sophia smirked at them. “If you don’t want me playing favourites, then I guess all you’ll have to do is win.”
The men oohed, to the sound of Ameri’s laughter.
“And there you have it, folks! Without further ado, let the games begin!”
Diana was already waiting with the numbered cards in the fishbowl.
Beside Obiora, Ejiro was vibrating with energy. “I’ve always wanted to do an escape room,” he said, voice high with excitement. “I’ve just never had the time.”
“I’ve done it once,” Obiora said, looking for all who saw like he wasn’t internally losing his shit. Ejiro did that to him a lot, when he spoke to Obiora like this; in a private whisper while in the midst of the other bachelors, like Obiora was the only person in the room that mattered. “That is, if my mother turning our house into one counts.”
Ejiro laughed. “I’d say it counts.”
