Chapter 3: Gist, Pride, and Office Cruise

Farouk no gree:

“No be say person no wan treat, but the ladies too dey make money. Even if you wan pay, dem fit no gree.”

Farouk voice firm, he no gree back down. Some girls dey nod, e clear say dem no be small girls for here. These days, Lagos girls dey hustle too—e no be like before.

Tunde just laugh like say he sabi pass:

“You no understand. No woman wey no like make man treat am. My ex no dey carry purse whenever we go out. Men suppose dey spoil women. For this one, abeg, guys go split, girls go chop free.”

As he yarn, you go see pride full him body. Him dey act like love doctor, dey use story impress the babes.

Some of the female colleagues quick talk:

“No need, no need, we agree say we go split.”

Girls dey protect pride too. For Naija, no girl wan look like liability, especially for work. Everybody dey form 'I get my own'.

One girl sef throw joke:

“Ah, Brother Tunde too generous o!”

Laughter scatter everywhere. Some girls even dey side-eye am, dey tease with that fake admiration. Everybody dey catch cruise.

Tunde come dey ginger, eyes dey shine as he look Halima.

E clear say na Halima be main target. E dey arrange pose, dey throw smile, dey hope she go notice.

Halima just join us before New Year. Na her first group outing—light skin, fine girl, long legs. Tunde dey try impress am.

You know that kin girl wey step in, everywhere cool. Even the guys, body language change. Halima just dey observe, no rush to talk.

Halima just raise eyelid, give Tunde thumbs up.

She raise am sharp, fake smile for face. That kind thumb wey go mean anything.

Tunde happy, just carry beer down one shot.

He swallow like champion. Him dey hope say Halima dey impressed, but e no sabi say wahala dey near.

But e miss am—because next thing, Halima turn her thumb upside down, point am down.

Na shade—one girl beside her cover mouth dey laugh. Even some of the guys dey catch the cruise, but Tunde no notice.

Tunde, still dey form, come dey talk again:

“To be honest, I for treat everybody. But the guys sef be men, dem need pride. We be team, I gats give dem face. So na final: guys go split, girls go chop free.”

The speech dey long, but e just dey try cover own pride. You know that feeling when guy dey use grammar dodge responsibility.

He finish, lean back, cross hand, dey look all the guys like say dem no reach.

That pose—arms cross, chin up—na Lagos big man move. Some guys just dey squeeze face, dey look phone.