Don’t mess up your chance of a good Christmas by having a fling?

Heaven only knows what intriguing capers lovers will be up to this festive period.

With all the disappointment we’ve had since the beginning of the year, looking into our bags of tricks and coming up with something cheerful, looks a bit daunting. But look we must – after all, it is Christmas, a season of being merry.

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Gloria told me she was still licking the wounds from last Christmas’ nightmare. She’d planned to spend it abroad with her partner.

Unfortunately, something came up and he had to cancel his trip. “You know how it is with these businessmen”, said Gloria, a banker.

“The nod he was expecting from government to start a multi-million Naira project hadn’t come and he would be foolish to take any trip until it materialized.

Since we’d booked the flight, he urged me to go alone, especially since I would be attending my niece’s wedding”.

“One of the advantages of flying first class is that your chances of meeting spare-

parts sellers, travelling to order new purchases with their hard currency tied round their waists, is virtually non-existent.

Instead, you’re likely to meet top of the range chief executives and business tycoons on short trips either to clinch yet another mega-deal or to take a well-deserved rest for a few days.

As soon as I got inside the plane, I found myself seated next to a vulnerable looking middle-aged businessman.

Naturally, we got chatting during the flight and the trip took an interesting turn as the man turned out to be very intelligent and friendly.

When the duty-free trolley was wheeled to where we sat, he looked interestingly at a couple of very expensive perfumes then turned to me: “I’m so hopeless at choosing perfumes”, he said, showing me what he’d got. `Can you make some selection for me?’

I like the one you’re wearing and I trust your judgement.”

“Of course, I was flattered. I helped him make a few selections and he paid for his purchase. He then gave me two of the perfumes as a `thank you gesture for helping him out. I was really surprised but I thanked him all the same, quickly putting my loot in my hand luggage.

“After we cleared customs, a driver was waiting to take him whilst I looked around for a taxi.

Chidi, that’s his name, offered me a lift and I accepted eagerly, thankful that the service flat that Toye, my partner, always got for me was in the best part of the city. The fridge would be well-stocked and other goodies would have been provided.

“Chidi looked impressed when he saw me to the flat. The least I could do was offer him a drink which he readily accepted. He quickly downed it, told me he had to go to his hotel to freshen up and he was sure I wanted to freshen up too.

But would I want dinner later in the evening?

Over dinner, I mentioned my niece’s wedding which was the next day and he offered to send me his car.

The car was to later bring me back to his place after the wedding, with any of my friends I wanted entertained. It was a real lively day and he spared no expenses in making sure we had fun.

“It was inevitable that we started an affair. Chidi is the sort of man very few women say no to – he is what you call a smoothie! He was in my flat two days to Christmas, along with a few of his friends, when the door-bell rang. Thinking it was yet another guest, I opened the door.

My jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw Toye smiling at me. He had a few free days on hi hands now that he’d gotten the nod he was waiting for and he’d come to surprise me by spending Christmas with me. I silently led him to the living room of the flat he’d paid for and there was Chidi, sipping champagne from the fridge, playing host by asking Toye what he wanted to drink.

One look at my face, and he quickly twigged on to what was going on. But he was hardly the type to scurry out of a room faced with opposition – he simply carried on with his drink. My friends, poor things, were nervous and that more than gave the game away.

“I’m glad you’re all having fun”, Toye said.

“I just came in from the airport actually. I will quickly go back to the hotel, to freshen up and come back. With a non-committal kiss on my forehead he calmly walked away, not portraying the hurt he must have felt.

A man who’d lavished love and money on his lover of over three years, walked into the territory he’d secured for her, only to find another man eating the fruits of his labour!

“So, here is another Christmas round the corner and I don’t have a regular guy- Toye is a tough act to beat. I wrote him a letter of apology and told him I didn’t expect our affair to continue.

He didn’t even bother to reply. I must have hurt him too deeply.

“Why did he appear on the scene all of a sudden that fateful day?

Did one of my so-called friends phone to tip him off?

It was very unlike him to spring a surprise like that on anyone. Why was he sure I would be in the flat?

He never even phoned from the airport that he’d arrived.

“My advice to readers this yuletide?