PART TWO: Wale's Monologue

And there I sat listening as Kaine went all chatty-chatty about her good fortune with a smile on my face.

"Oh dear, I've done it again. I've let my mouth run off. Aii luv, u should get back to work now", Kaine said.

I was about to brush off her concern and urge her to keep on talking when Tola, my colleague walked in.

"I'd call you once I'm done. Bye baby", I reluctantly brought the call to an end.

"You can wipe that smile off your face lover boy", Tola said as he dropped a folder on my desk and whistled out the office.

I hadn't even realized I was smiling. But as usual, Kaine made me smile.

Talkative yet sweet; Stubborn yet wise. She had all the qualities a guy would want in his woman.

All the qualities I wanted in a woman.

I wanted Kaine.

I had wanted her from the very first time I set eyes on her.

She had this magnetic quality about her.

To know her was to love her.

And love her, I did. Though she had no idea. Any form of love I expressed to her was taken to be platonic. To her I was her best friend. Her guy. She once told me I was like a big brother to her...I almost choked on my drink. If only she had known the thoughts that filled my head even as we spoke. Big brother my ass!

That was back then when she was with that Subomi. How I hated his guts...Mr. Smooth Talker. But she'd never have guessed..I was a real sport about their relationship. Giving her advice on how to deal with her man issues. Ever so supportive even when it killed me to be.

And now? I was right there torn between telling her how I felt and risk loosing our friendship or keeping my feelings to myself and never finding out if they were mutual. Tough place to be in especially for a best friend figure who had kept his feelings well hidden for two years. And trust me that wasn't an easy feat especially as I had no inkling as to how she felt about me. It had been a trying two years. Sometimes I just wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled and scream "Can't you see this guy is head-over-heels, socks inside-out in love", and then gather her up in my arms and kiss her till she was out of breath!

I had to tell her how I felt. I had waited long enough and Heaven forbid that another guy take her from me while I was yet dulling..being the best friend while I could be both best friend and boyfriend.

Yes...I had to tell her. The sooner the better too. What was the worst that could happen? She would brush it off as a joke and I'd take whatever I'm served. At least I'd know I gave it a shot and it just wasn't meant to be.

Tomorrow I'd tell her, I resolved.

Haven made a decision, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my chest. I opened the folder Tola had brought in and as I looked down at my note pad I saw a "chicken scratch-like" doodle spelling "K-A-I-N-E"...and I burst out laughing at myself.

"Dooood...you are way in over your head!" I said aloud, shaking my head and getting to work.

PART ONE: Just Friends

"Hey sweetie, guess what?"
I excitedly typed into my blackberry, still in my high horses at being chosen to partake in an event I'd been pining for, for the past three weeks.

Wale: Hi lover.
What? Lightening struck and as your life flashed before you and you realized I was your one true love? ;)

 Me: Oh please, take another guess.

Wale: As you were dozing off mid-lecture, it was revealed to you to propose to me before midnight or your ass will get smaller?

Me: Lol..silly nilly.
Ooooo..Wale be serious jo

 Wale: But I am baby, I am.

 I sigh and repeatedly roll my eyes at his semi_flirty_jokes.

Wale: Ok..Ok..I've run out of good guesses. Tell me.

Me: So I received a text message 30 minutes ago saying that I'd been invited to partake....

ON AND ON I TYPED. This was going to be a long one.

Suddenly I was interrupted by Yemi Alade belting out.."leave me alone..fimisile..I just wanna party..fimisile..you've been here a while..." as my phone rang.

I cut her off mid-falsetto.

"Wale, I was replying u already, u didn't have to call",
I said on picking the call.

Wale's baritone voice caressed my eardrums. "I know of your excruciating love for details, I couldn't wait that long. So spill. What's got lil miss prudy pants all excited?", He replied.

"I was invited to co-host The Love Me Project. Can u imagine!!! Me! The message was so random I didn't know what to make of it.....", I excitedly began to explain.

And there Wale sat listening to me going all chatty-chatty about my good fortune.

"Oh dear, I've done it again. I've let my mouth run off. Aii luv, u should get back to work now", I reluctantly said, catching myself.
"I'd call you once I'm done. Bye baby" He replied and Click went the phone as the call was disconnected.

Call duration: 12:43sec.

Had I really been talking for that long? I shrugged. After all it was Wale. The whole world and their neighbor knew we spent forever talking on the phone anyway.

Claire who had been right beside me all along threw me an "oh_please_you_and_Wale_get_together_already" look.

I was VERY FAMILIAR with this look.

"What?" I asked defensively. "I was just telling him my good news."
"Of course you were darling", she all too sweetly replied.

They just didn't get how Wale and I could remain "just friends" for all of two years.

"Come on," my friends would tease me, "can you honestly say you feel nothing for him?"
"All the hours spent in each others' company and you've never kissed?" One will ask.
"You weren't jealous of his ex while they were together?" Another will chime in.
"And all the ‘darling_hunnie_sugarplums’ mean nothing? A fourth will ask.

As I adamantly respond negatively to all the questions thrown my way.

"And what about him?" My sister'd ask. "He's never tried to….you know?", giving me a pointed look.
"He kinda did when we first met, but you know I was with Uche at the time so it was a No-No, and besides we've since fallen into a friendship that works fine for both of us...So..." I let my words hang unfinished in the air.

And to my mum, "He's my best friend" I'd say, as she smiles knowingly in return.

Why was it that nobody wanted to believe there was nothing going on between Wale and I? WE ARE JUST FRIENDS, I'm tempted to scream at all the disbelieving eyes staring back at me.

"But why are you trying so hard to convince everyone" a gentle voice called out.

I'd never heard this voice before but I immediately recognized it as my conscience. The voice I'd always relegated to obscurity in "Wale-related" matters.

Weren't you a basket case that week that you had a fight and didn't speak to each other?

Doesn't your face light up when you receive his calls or messages?

Didn't it light up just now?

Weren't you jealous when he almost dated that Barbara chic that hated your guts?

Didn't you say to me on saturday at the movies when his arm hung lazily around your shoulders, how you'd have given anything for him to lean over and kiss you right then?

Why do you share a favorite song?

And all of songs, Michael Buble's The More I See You?

Why do u get so shy and take your eyes away when he throws you that smothering gaze that makes you warm all over?

WHY???