A Bad dancer.
A night full of warmth.
Onyi’s POV
“Good morning ma, this came in for you from Mr chideziri” Nadia my secretary said beaming with excitement as she hands me a gift bag and a big bouquet of flowers.
That’s the only name that can make me smile like I won a lottery. He always knows how to light up my day.
I wait till she leaves before checking what the surprise might be. There’s a black garment bag inside, with a written note saying “Shima did you miss me? I’ll pick you up by 9:00pm, don’t forget to take your time.”
I stare at the beautiful dress, and smile even more till my cheeks hurt. I pick up my phone and dial my man’s number, he doesn’t even wait a second before answering.
“I’m guessing you’ve gotten my little something” He laughs and clears his throat dramatically.
“I love itttt, thank you Nkem! What’s the occasion though”
Not like he was going to tell me anyway. This man has my heart and he knows it, that’s why he keeps pulling these stunts. I’ve really fallen from Mount Everest for this one and there’s no going back.
“I love you, 9pm babe…see you soon”
“I love you tooo! Muahhh!” I squeal happily, swinging my legs. I almost can’t remember how things slowly got to this point, but I’d do it over again if I have to. He makes my heart beat more than it should. A peace I didn’t ask God for. This one is more than a wish come true.
He just came into my life and turned it around, the missing piece that completes me. The way he holds me, like he doesn’t stand a chance of existing if he doesn’t. I can almost not breathe when he’s near me like that. I think I may have fasted and prayed too much for God to do this one.
♾️
I open my door excitedly and he’s there, leaning on his posh car, hands folded holding a flower, his eyes rest beautifully on mine and I lose my will to move. Time stops, a tear from my eye falls, I realize I’ve fallen over again from the top. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.
I find my face an inch close to his, he smiles and kisses the drop off my cheeks. His other hand finds my waist and pulls me close to him, his scent washing gracefully over me.
“You look beautiful than the stars iyawo mi”
He sighs and before I can say thank you, his lips find mine, and I don’t pause, I receive them with every warmth he makes me feel, with my throbbing heart wanting to explode on his chest. He grips my chin softly but firmly and kisses me like a man starved of my taste, at this point I don’t mind him messing up my lips gloss. He catches his breath and I catch mine, as we both breathe in sync.
“Come on love, let’s go” he rubs my back and opens the car door for me. He knows how to be both my calm and chaos.
Chideziri’s POV
When we first met, the atmosphere was warm, the vibe laid back with shared comfort. I needed legal counsel on a business case, and somehow I ended up becoming her client. I was told she was the best attorney to handle my case so I took my chances.
Light skinned, head full of hair, small eyes, flawless skin, witty, open minded, brutally honest and beautiful hands. I lost my composure that day, I complimented her and maybe flirted a little even though she tried to maintain business boundaries. I was genuinely interested and wanted to know this one of a kind girl. She’s a good book on a rainy day, heavenly like a sprinkle of fairy dust. She never made it easy but she made it worth it and now here we are, the first person I’ll be celebrating Christmas with romantically. Day after day I remain thankful that she came my way.
I was beginning to doubt this evening was going to happen. I couldn’t tear my gaze off her. God knows I wanted to forget my lips on hers.
The words sat thick in the air between us, even after I’d said them only in my mind.
Inside the car, the atmosphere felt warmer than the AC could explain. The soft hum of the engine was the only sound, but it couldn’t drown the tension, gentle, sweet, expectant pressing around us.
She sat beside me, her profile lit by the fleeting glimmer of passing streetlights. I stole quick, guilty, impossible to help glances.
Her perfume drifted lazily my way, a soft floral scent that made my chest tighten. She had her hands folded neatly on her laps, fingers tapping lightly in a rhythm she probably didn’t notice. She wasn’t nervous; she didn’t look like it. But she definitely felt the weight of something in the car… maybe the same thing tying knots inside me.
The drive stretched, not in distance but in anticipation. When we finally pulled into the quiet compound, she frowned slightly.
“Where are we?”
“You’ll see,” I said, stepping out quickly so she wouldn’t notice how my hands trembled.
I walked around and opened her door. Her eyes met mine warmly and curious. We walked into the building through a narrow hallway lit only by tiny candle jars on the floor, their glow flickering against the walls. She slowed down, staring at them.
“You did all this…?” she whispered.
But that was only the beginning.
At the end of the hall, a tall wooden door waited. I pushed it open gently. The space beyond made her gasp.
The room, more like an open hall was almost unrecognizable. Normally empty and plain, it now glowed like something out of a dream. The roof open, dozens of candles floated inside glass bowls on the floor, casting warm golden reflections across the polished tiles.
In the center of the room, I’d left a wide, open space. Smooth, inviting, waiting.
The entire setup was simple, but intentional. I needed every detail to whisper this is for you.
Her hand flew to her lips. “This is… beautiful.”
I swallowed hard, trying to look casual. “I just wanted tonight to be… memorable.”
She walked slowly into the hall, her fingers brushing lightly at the streams of light as if they were tangible. When she turned back to me, her eyes sparkled.
And then because I had planned it to the very last detail, the first notes of Johnny Drille’s soft music swept through the room. Gentle. Slow. Full of warmth.
Her gaze shot to me.
“You planned music too?”
I shrugged, stuffing my hands in my pockets. “Well… I hoped you’d dance with me.”
She smiled. Or smirked. I wasn’t sure which.
“But you don’t dance.”
I groaned. “I know. That’s why the title of my life tonight is ‘A Bad Dancer.’”
She laughed, the sound bright and warm, echoing around the candlelit hall. Then she walked toward me slowly, deliberately, stopping right in front of me.
“Come on then,” she whispered. “Let’s see how bad you really are.”
I hesitated for only a second before placing my hands on her waist. Her arms slipped around my neck, soft and certain. The music swelled gently as we began to sway, awkward at first, painfully slow, but perfect because it was us.
I stepped on her toe once. She hissed dramatically. I apologized too quickly. She laughed too loudly.
And somehow, the clumsy moment made everything easier.
Soon, we were moving in sync, her head resting lightly against my shoulder, my fingers brushing the small of her back. The candles flickered with every turn, painting our shadows on the walls like two lovers stitched together by light.
In that moment. Just the two of us, surrounded by glow, music, and the soft warmth of something dangerously close to deep love, I realized something: Maybe I was a bad dancer. But tonight?
She made even that feel beautiful. The stars blinked like a sign from heaven.
Oyin’s POV
The music softened into a mellow hum, almost as if it understood that the moment didn’t need much help anymore. We had stopped really dancing, he’s a bad dancer but keeps asking me for one. Now we were just… holding each other, swaying slightly in the warm glow of the candles.
My fingers brushed the back of his neck in slow, absent circles, each one sending a soft shiver down his spine. He leaned back just a little, just enough to my face. The glow from the fairy lights kissed his skin, and his eyes! God, those eyes held mine like they were reading something I wasn’t saying aloud.
“You know Nkem” i murmured, “you’re not as bad a dancer as you claim.”
He huffed a quiet laugh. “Trust me, I’m terrible. You’re just being kind.”
“Maybe…” i teased, tilting my head. “Or maybe you just needed the right partner.”
Something tightened in my chest. He was close, so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. He didn’t even realize his hand had slid gently up my back, resting just beneath my shoulder blade. He drew in a soft breath, and that tiny sound undid me completely.
I didn’t plan the kiss.
I just leaned in because everything in the room, every candle, every soft note, every heartbeat seemed to pull me toward him.
Our lips met slowly, like the moment had been waiting patiently for us to stop pretending. My hands slid into his hair, and I felt myself melt into him, soft and warm and certain. The kiss deepened, not rushed, not demanding, just full of everything we’d been holding back.
When we finally pulled apart, my forehead rested lightly against his. We were both breathing softly, the kind of quiet that comes after something honest.
He cupped my face gently, brushing his thumb along my cheek.
Chideziri’s POV
I didn’t want the music to ever stop. I felt every part of my being subduing to how she made me feel.
“I need to say something,” i whispered, my voice lower than I meant.
She looked up at me, eyes searching. “What is it?”
I swallowed, feeling the truth rise in my throat with a weight I couldn’t hold back anymore.
“That…” I exhaled, steadying myself. “That feeling I just had… the way it felt holding you, dancing with you, kissing you…”
Her lips parted slightly, waiting.
“I want to do that forever,” I said, the words trembling but real. “I want to plan stupid surprises just to see you smile. I want to kiss you in candlelight and in daylight. I want to dance terribly with you for the rest of my life if that’s what it takes to stay close to you.”
Her breath hitched, soft and surprised.
“I don’t want tonight to be a one-time thing,” I continued. “I don’t want any of this to be temporary. I want… us. Every day. Every time. Forever, if you’ll have me.”
She didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she leaned forward, slipped her fingers under my jaw, and pulled me into another kiss, slow, deeper this time, filled with everything she couldn’t put into words yet.
And in that kiss, I knew her answer.
“I love you, nkem” she says in a whisper, pulling me closer.
Only if she knew I’ve been a better man since i met her. She keeps my heart safe. She’s entirely more than i asked God for.
God really wrote my story well.
The end.
In a world full of noise and motion, loving you feels like finding the one rhythm my heart was always meant to dance to.
I enjoyed this a little too much too. This was inspired by Johnny drille’s song BAD DANCER. I listened to it a million times, got in my feelings and wrote this. Let’s just say it’s my Christmas gift to you all. Seasons greetings my loves. Thank you for lingering softly in my space. I love you all plenty😭❤️
Oh Lordddd, when am I gonna find a love like thisssssss.
Now this is amazing!
Thank you for the gift 🖤🖤🖤🤭