Read chapter one | Dating Mr Famous by Glory Abah #bookrelease #romance #Nigeria

Read chapter one from the new contemporary romance book by Glory Abah.

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Title: Dating Mr Famous

Author: Glory Abah

Genre: Contemporary Romance, New adult, sweet romance

Tags: fake relationship, non-one-night stand

Release date: Feb 28, 2023

BLURB

The best way to get over a man is to get under another man.

I’ve been a good girl all my life, and what has it gotten me? Nothing but heartbreak. So, when famous actor, hottest bachelor in town, and recently single Michael offers me a romantic night out, I can’t resist the sparks between us. Unfortunately, our romantic night turns into a movie marathon because honourable Michael will not touch a tipsy woman.

When pictures of us kissing hit the media, and I become the target of hateful blogs, society labels me a hussy, and my reputation is in shreds. Branded a promiscuous woman overnight and on the verge of losing my job, I need a knight in shining armour. Or a plan.

Michael has a plan which could save me or leave me more heartbroken than before. But that’s the danger of dating Mr Famous. Am I willing to pay the price?

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CHAPTER ONE

MEGHAN

The best way to get over a man is to get under another.

I had been ruminating on these words all evening, ignoring the throb of music that had my friends dancing and gyrating away on the dance floor.

Mary’s words. Spoken whilst we prepared to visit The Ritz, the most expensive club in Port Harcourt. In fact, she had been repeating them for two weeks now since I’d heard the news.

Was it really true?

At this point, I was ready to do anything, anything at all, to ease the ache in my heart. Only so many ways you could muffle the sound of your heart breaking every night to avoid waking up your roommate.

Proof of how much the news of the idiot’s upcoming marriage had unsettled me? I’m considering getting under another man. Just to see whether this heartbreak would cease.

Not like getting under a man had been a pleasant experience the few times I’d done it. Yet here I was, seriously considering doing the unpleasant deed for dis-honourable reasons.

"You look like you need a man to make you smile."

I looked up. Sure enough, one man, probably in his early thirties, was staring at me and smiling as if he were God's gift to women.

This is what you get when you come to a club. Get ready to be hit on by all and sundry. Like people didn’t come to dance anymore. The men came to pick up girls, and the girls came to be picked up by wealthy men. Maybe that was the point, but it didn’t mean I had to take this crap.

I rolled my eyes and went back to my phone.

"You are too beautiful to be rude." The man placed his beer bottle on the table, his pot belly shoving the glasses.

I glared at his protruding stomach in disgust. It always made me tired how Nigerian men proved so careless about their bodies, trotting pot belly, flabby skin and such all over the place. Yet, they expected the women to be skinny and blamed their wives' childbirth-stressed bodies for their indiscretions with small lekpa girls. The man standing before me was a perfect example of that hypocrisy, and it was appalling.

"Like what you see?" He leered, apparently thinking I was staring at his crotch.

Gross! A shiver of distaste rippled across my spine.

"Get lost," I growled at him. Why would he even think that I would be remotely interested? Oh, yeah, I am currently at a club. Apparently, girls who frequent a club are only looking for men. Idiot!

His smile dimmed. "Come on, baby. I can make you feel really good."

Oh my goodness!

Maybe the shock of my ex’s wedding with the lady he introduced to me as his ‘cousin’ had me feeling reckless. Perhaps I was just plain tired of being used and underestimated by men. Without thinking, my hands curled around my glass, then tilted towards him, and the content splashed on his face.

In shock, I looked at the drink splatter on his face, running down in black rivulets to stain his shirt, then at my hands in disbelief. Had I just done that? Oh, shit!

Apparently over his initial shock, the man galvanised into action. He cursed furiously, swiped his face, and lunged at me, knuckles fisted. His face distorted into raw rage quite easily, like something he frequently did.

As if in slow motion, his fist travelled towards me. I could have ducked to dodge the blow. But I sat still, not in fear or shock but in fascination. I had never been hit before, not even by my parents, and strangely, the urge to know what it felt like came to the fore. Would it be any different from the pain inside?

His fist whizzed past my face, missing my jaw by a hairsbreadth, probably because he was already slightly drunk. Two men, maybe his friends, appeared behind him and held him down, restraining his arms.

"Leave me. Let me teach this bitch a lesson," he growled, lunging and twisting to escape his restrainers.

"What's going on here?" Sophia shouted as she marched towards us, eyes shining with anger.

To my chagrin, I realised my friends were standing behind me, and we were the focus of the whole club. I hated public attention.

"Stupid girl, I will teach you to respect a man. You're not even happy I came to toast you, ugly toad." The man was screaming, spittle flying out of his mouth.

I looked away, twinges of embarrassment and remorse stealing up my spine like creeping vines. Why had I done it? I was not the confrontational or fighting type.

"Hey, look here, mister. You can't touch her. You hear me? I will arrest you," Sophia The Bold declared.

"Stupid girls. Ashawo with no home training. Go and marry and stop living useless life," the man replied as his restrainers began to drag him away.

"Woman wrapper. Wetin you dey find woman for club for?" Jane retorted angrily.

Frankly, I never thought Jane could get angry. Or raise her voice. Or speak Pidgin. Tonight was bringing up new revelations, and it was still early.

Mary turned to me with concern. "Are you okay? Did he touch you? What happened?"

I snickered. "He didn't touch me. The useless man wanted to pick me up, and I refused. See me see wahala oh."

"Don't mind them. Some men are just dogs. So he wanted to beat you up here, in public, too?" Sophia grimaced, arms open in amazement.

"I'm sure that's how he beats up his mother and wife," Jane said, picking up her glass and sipping from it. It was safe because I’d been guarding their drinks while they danced.

"But babe, you no try. You shouldn't have poured your drink on him, no matter what," Mary cautioned, sitting down on the booth and bringing out her phone from the small purse slung over her shoulders.

"Yes. I don't support it either, Meghan. You shouldn't have done that. You know how men, especially Nigerian men, behave. It would have turned nasty." Sophia looked at me with concern, frowning.

I glowered at them. "I thought you girls wanted me to have fun. To get drunk and go crazy. That’s why we came here, right?"

"That means partying all night and maybe shagging a random guy. Remember, the best way to get over a man is—" Mary said.

“—to get under another man,” we all yelled, rolling our eyes.

“What? It’s true.” Mary huffed, flinging her hands and scrunching her nose. “Who your good girl help? Is it not part of the reason for ..." she halted and looked at me as if seeking my permission to say the dreaded words aloud.

I glared right back, daring her silently to mention the forbidden name.

"All I’m saying is that you need a rebound guy, someone to sleep with and get over this nonsense," she said instead, chin jutted out in a stubborn angle.

My anger dissolved, and I burst into laughter. I need to get this night back on track. Discussing the failure of my love life was definitely not on today’s agenda. “Point of correction, I am over that toad. It’s just that hearing about the wedding threw me off a bit. And I don’t want to get under any man anytime soon.”

I couldn’t tell them the only man I’d gotten under was the idiot when I thought our marriage was a done deal.

“Fine. But you can’t sit here by yourself and nurse one drink all night. We came out tonight to cheer you up, and you are not even dancing,” Sophia interjected.

“Or checking out any of the fine young men here,” Mary cajoled. “Don’t be a killjoy. Come and dance with us. At least kiss a stranger since you don’t want major action. Get drunk. We will make sure you get home safely.”

Even Jane was nodding.

They were right. I had been stewing in a quagmire of pain and bitterness for weeks. Time to loosen up and try to put my past behind me. Besides, I was grateful to my friends for caring enough about me to bring me to this stupid expensive club. We should get the best out of our money.

I smiled at them. "Find me a hot guy, and I will kiss the hell out of him."

"Whoooo!" Mary hollered and raised her glass up. "To having mad fun tonight."

"Yes!" we cheered and drank deeply.

Mary filled my glass again, and I downed it in one gulp. Then Sophia topped the tumbler, and I swallowed it again. The alcohol made my blood sing, and I didn’t feel so angry and bitter anymore.

"Dance time," Jane said.

We promptly went to the dance floor, basically a small opening in front of the bar.

It had been so long since I’d danced my heart away. The music built up in my body, the beats thumping in my chest.

Of course, I never believed that I would still be on the party scene at this point in time. No. My future had been set and laid down when I met the idiot. Engagement, marriage, three kids and happily ever after. I’d loved it and eagerly anticipated it.

The future I knew was gone, which left me feeling afloat. I had no idea where to start building my life. All I had was my family and my job. And these friends, right here dancing with me, who’d taken me to an expensive celebrity hangout bar just to cheer me up.

And by God, I would cheer up if it was the last thing I did.

I removed all thoughts from my mind and began to dance, using every part of my body and every skill I knew. Dancing came really easy for me. Soon, the crowd parted and made way for me as I twisted and turned and twirled. They clapped and chanted.

Somebody pushed a drink into my hands, and I gulped it down without looking at who had given it. My friends would look after me if I got drunk. I skirted away from several guys who went behind me to rock my ass, and I laughed at their disappointed faces. For the first time in months, I felt free, ready for a new life. Maybe it would not be so bad to have a new life.

For now, I’d sworn off men for good. So let my friends frimp and framp over them. They were so not worth the stress.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," Jane yelled and rushed to me. "Look! It's Michael Ruskin."

She pointed quite rudely at the VIP lounge. Sure enough, I spotted him over the throng of dancing bodies and the dim strobe lights. Sexiest Bachelor of the Year, looking hot as hell and surrounded by two groupies in shiny leotard dresses and heavy makeup.

Okay, I’d sworn off men, but damn, Michael could make me re-think. In a white cotton shirt and blue jeans, he resembled the proverbial tall glass of cool water on a hot, sweaty day.

And I wasn’t the only one noticing or thirsting for that drink. Suddenly, all the girls in the club were twisting and rolling their waists madly. Some shook their hair vigorously, and others sucked on their fingers and looked straight at him.

And The Wanted One just sat coolly, looking at the club like a king surveying his kingdom through his shades. Who wore sunglasses indoors and at night?

Only a hot, pompous fool. No wonder his famous model girlfriend dumped him publicly weeks ago. It had been a scandal. Apparently, she had screamed at him to leave her alone while at Genevieve Nnaji’s birthday party. Everyone said it was because he had been caught pants down with another woman at the venue.

"I told you guys my source is reliable," Mary yelled into my ear, and I smiled at her. She had told us that Michael may or may not be here tonight. He and the other celebrities frequented this club. Probably the reason for the ridiculously high prices of the drinks.

"He's so hot,” Sophia bubbled.

"I want to heal his broken heart with my love," Jane said, moving mechanically to the music with a love-entranced expression.

I rolled my eyes. "He's here with two girls. I don't think you have a shot."

"Whatever. I'm just content looking at him. We have to take a selfie with him. Let's go ask," Mary said, moving to make way.

I held her hands. "The man just arrived. Give him a moment to breathe. Besides, they won't let you into the VIP lounge."

"Ha! Just watch as I use my ammo against them." She juggled her overly large boobs, and we all laughed. Mary was known for using her ammo to get what she wanted. Just a wiggle, and men climbed over themselves to do her wish.

I lowered my lashes, lost in the rhythm of the music. Right now, I felt normal, whole, sane, like I used to before my heart got ripped out of me. Here, I didn't have to worry about anything. No pain. Just a dull emptiness, a reminder.

I’d make the dull ache go away … by snatching the drink from Jane’s hands and gulping it down. Then grabbed another from Sophia. My head was spinning, and I was dancing wildly, almost un-coordinated, not wanting to stop.

A hand settled on my shoulder. Mary. "Take it easy."

"I want to let loose for just tonight. I need this."

She smiled in understanding and yelled, "Somebody get her a drink!"

The crowd hollered in cheers, and drinks kept coming.

Then she came to me. "I think he's getting ready to leave. Let's go for the selfie now."

I smiled wolfishly and boldly led the way. Yes, I was drunk, but I felt invincible, floating on top of the world. Nothing could hurt me now.

We trailed to the VIP lounge and ignored the set of girls just denied entry. Instead, I walked up to the bouncer and jabbed my finger in his chest. "Let us through. We just want a selfie with Michael."

He simply stared down his muscular chest like I was a pesky fly.

A hiccup escaped me, and I held my mouth, then burst into uncontrollable laughter. I couldn't stop. Jane held me back as Mary went to the bouncer.

"Come on, we just want a picture with him. We're not armed or dangerous." She smiled and wiggled just a bit.

The bouncer must’ve been made of stone. He didn't even glance down at that décolletage stuck at his face.

"Mr Michael is not taking pictures with fans tonight," he said in a stern voice.

"Oh, come on!" I yelled, barely able to stand. I would have fallen if not for Jane holding me. "We just want a teensy weensy picture with him. He owes us that."

He owed his fans that.

"Yes," Sophia echoed and walked up to the bouncer. "He signed up for this when he became a movie star. Now he must live up to the expectation of his fans."

"Yes!" I shouted, feeling bold. Why hadn't I done this before? I opened my mouth and screamed with all my strength, a ‘George of the Jungle’ yelling style. "Oh...oh oh....oh...oh”"

"Let us in! Let us in!" I started chanting. "Let us in."

"Meghan, you are very drunk," Jane whispered.

"Yes, and I’m loving it. Ha! Why don't I do this more often? Why am I so uptight and stuck up?" I looked at her. She seemed so wise and strong, like a guru or Darth Vader. Ha. Darth Vader. The thought of him made me burst into giggles that ended with a hiccup.

"Let's go," Jane said and started to pull me away.

"No. I must get a picture. I'm not leaving without a picture." I stomped my foot.

At that moment, getting past the bouncer was the most important thing I had to do. Those muscles on his body seemed like the heaviness I had carried around, and I needed to get past them.

I feigned a move to the left, and when Jane's arms fell, I slipped past her and rammed right into the bouncer.

Ooomph!

Did I just hit a wall or a man?

All I saw were blinding stars, and I looked up at the wall of a bouncer and started to laugh. Funny how hard I’d tried to get past this mountain, but it kept defeating me. Would I never get past this pain?

My laugh turned to tears, and I struggled against my friends as they tried to lift me from the ground, twisting, turning, and yelling.

"No. Leave me alone. I must get past this mountain. You will not defeat me," I yelled at the bouncer, who was now listening to another muscular guy whispering into his ear.

"Well, you're in luck. You get to go past this mountain," the bouncer said and removed the chain. Apparently, his second-in-command had brought good news for us.

"Yes." I shot to my feet. I'm never talking normally again. I'm going to yell and scream always. Everybody will just have to get used to it. It's so freeing.

"Keep that one away from drinks," the bouncer cautioned my friends, pointing at me.

Who did he think he was, the alcohol police? I stopped and saluted him as I passed, laughing at his stone-faced expression. Seriously, that man needs to chill. He took his job way too seriously.

Goodness! That's exactly what my friends always said about me. I might be having an epiphany. I would never take anything too seriously again.

The second bouncer led us to the lounge, and I saw him, Michael, sitting with his groupies.

Emboldened by what could only be the enormous amount of alcohol I had consumed, I strutted up to him.

"You have been a naughty boy." I wagged my fingers in his face.

He smiled. His dimples came out, and even in my drunken state, I couldn't deny that this man was the most handsome one I’d ever met. As he stood, his muscles stretched his shirt.

I reached out and touched his arm. "You've got strong arms, Mr Michael. I'm sure you can lift me up quite easily or fight five men at once."

He just grinned at me. I wanted to see his eyes. Without warning, I reached out to remove his sunglasses. The man sitting beside him immediately held my arm in a firm grip.

"Let her go," Michael said. Even his voice was hot.

I glared at the bodyguard as he released my stinging arm.

"I just wanted to see his eyes.” I turned to Michael. “You know, normal people don't wear sunglasses indoors and at night."

Mary came forward. Where had they been?

"Ignore her, Michael. She's drunk," she said.

I laughed because it was true.

"Okay. Let's take those pictures," Michael said, rubbing his hands together.

Sophia stood beside him, trembling, squirming when he placed his arms around her shoulders. Her smile grew unsteady, her gaze a bit hazy. She was totally starstruck. Thank God I wasn’t affected by men anymore, celebrity or not.

When it got to my turn, I smiled at him and held up my hand as he attempted to wrap his hands around my shoulders. "Ah-ah! No touching this precious cargo."

So we stood side by side, and, for a second, I regretted not letting him put his arm around me. At least then, I would be engulfed in his warmth. And he smelled so good. I moved closer unconsciously. Too soon, the picture was taken, and our business at the VIP lounge was done.

"Thank you so much," Mary cooed at him, wiggling her ammo in his face.

He looked down but only for a second. Wow! He must be made of stone, like the bouncer. In fact, all men were made of stone, heartless and wicked. A giggle escaped me.

"All men are made of stone," I boldly declared and staggered, giggling again. How come we hadn't known this before? It would’ve saved us a whole lot of heartache.

Mary came to hold me, and I peered into her face, seeing a black dot hovering over her nose.

"Mary, you have a fly in your nose. Fly in your nose, fly in your nose. Let me swat it." I raised my hands to swat the fly, and she pushed it away.

"Thanks, Michael," Jane and Sophia cooed, and we turned to leave.

Then someone held my hands, and I turned. It was Michael.

"Won't you say thank you?" he asked with a grin, and those ridiculous lovable dimples appeared again.

I wanted to lick them.

He still held my arms, and a tingling started in my spine. No, no, no. I had sworn off men. I glanced at the groupies. "I'm sure they'll thank you later tonight."

With his free hand, he removed his glasses.

All at once, I was bombarded by different needs. The room became too hot, and I needed water.

He should have kept the glasses on. His eyes looked like molten chocolate, so brown, so...

I could get lost in them. Then he licked his lips, and I wanted to do that for him, lick his lips. So without thinking, I did.

I kissed him. A really fast one, too. I just wanted to take the burden of keeping his lips wet off him.

Next thing, I was engulfed in his arms, and his lips were on mine. He was kissing me.

I stood in shock at first as his lips played with mine, then his hands touched my waist, and just like that, fire crept up all over my body, and I wanted to climb all over him. I grabbed his shirt and attacked him, returning his kiss fervently.

He abruptly stopped and pulled away.

I protested with a groan and started to reach for him again. Instead, he hugged and whispered, “Spend the night with me."

What?

He released me, put his hands in his pocket, and looked away as if uncertain.

I turned around and found my friends standing with their mouths open wide. The groupies frowned and hissed like snakes.

Spend the night with Michael Ruskin, the Sexiest Bachelor, who recently dated an American supermodel. The one who always had movie stars and musicians lined up to grace his bed?

No way.

I turned to leave, and Mary leapt to me. "What just happened?"

I smiled and touched my lips. "He wants a one-night stand."

"Don't tell me you're seriously considering it," Jane said and glared at Michael as if reprimanding him for wanting to corrupt her friend.

"And why not?" Sophia counters. "It's not as if her dick of an ex ever..." She stopped and looked at me, waiting to see my reaction to bringing up the forbidden name.

And she was right. I gave my all to some idiot, and he’d left me so scarred that I couldn't properly function for months. I'd been living on autopilot. I needed this rebound. Besides, how many girls could boast of a celebrity rebound?

"Meghan, are you sure you want to do this? Forget what I said earlier," Mary pointed out.

I considered it all, spending a night with a celebrity. What was the point of saying no? He was attracted to me, and I was clearly attracted to him, which was more than I could say for the toad and me. This was the first time I’d enjoyed a kiss. Maybe the sex would be better, too.

I turned to Michael and found one of the groupies leaning into him, her mouth on his ear, and a spurt of rage burst through me.

He was mine.

That helped me make up my mind, and I nodded at Mary. “I will do it.”

I returned to Michael, who was now sitting and smiling as he watched me approach.

"Did you get their permission?"

"I don't need their permission." I picked up the drink in his hands and gulped it down. "When do we get out of here?"

"Michael..." one of the groupies started, and he raised his finger, then nodded at the man sitting quietly. Maybe his personal bodyguard.

The man stood and pulled the women to their feet. "Okay, ladies, time to go."

He led them past my friends. For tonight, Michael was mine. I would give it up for a hot celebrity, not for an idiot who broke my spirit. Maybe by a tiny stroke of luck, I might even enjoy it.

My friends said goodbye and started to leave the lounge.

Doubts niggled me. What was I doing? I was the good girl, the up-tight do-gooder. I avoided random hook-ups and certainly wasn’t a celebrity groupie.

Michael placed another drink in my hands. "Drink up and stop having doubts."

I drained the glass quickly and immediately sputtered as the drink burned down my throat into my stomach. What was that?

Michael laughed and answered my unspoken question. "It's liquid courage."

"I don't need courage for this." How dare he think I needed courage to have a one-night stand? Even though he was right, I didn't have to let him gloat about it.

"Oh, come on. I know it's your first time doing something so dangerous." He leaned closer, his eyes fixed on my lips.

Desire shot through my stomach. I scoffed and looked away.

"I do this all the time," I declared boldly.

"Liar," he said, then kissed me smoothly, swiftly. He pulled away and looked at me as if for permission. Then he rained feathery light kisses all over my face. I waited impatiently until he went back to my lips.

I had never been a fan of kissing, finding it yucky. But with him, I could kiss all night.

I didn't know how long, but he groaned as if he’d had more than he could take. "Let's go."

He stood abruptly and helped me up.

We walked past a door I wasn’t aware had been there previously, down a quiet bar and out the parking lot. Not many cars—a private parking lot! He stopped beside a jeep and held open the passenger door.

I looked at him with apprehension. What was I doing? Then he smiled, and his dimples appeared. I squared my shoulders and entered the car.