Stay Away From Me Mr. Panla Face
Tunde and Gold were still standing there, both unsure of what to say next.
“Listen carefully, you’ve entered my room, but you can never have a place in my heart. You may be the daughter-in-law of this house, but you will never be my wife. So, stay as far away from me as possible, it will be better for you. Don’t expect anything from me; you will always remain a stranger to me,” Tunde’s harsh words made Gold feel like crying. She didn’t know Tunde well, but his words affected her.
Since he was standing with his back to her, she couldn’t see his face. Hearing such words from Tunde, she silently turned to go towards the bathroom.
“And listen…” Tunde turned to her as he spoke, and Gold froze in her steps.
“I hate you,” Tunde finished, and hearing this, the tears that Gold had been holding back for so long started to fall. She turned and walked into the bathroom without saying anything.
“Wait…” Tunde stopped her again, and Gold paused.
She muttered under her breath, (What more does he need to say? After saying all this, isn’t he satisfied? Does he have to say something worse about me?)
“What… are you muttering like a rabbit?” Tunde didn’t hear her clearly.
“This room is still mine, and this bathroom too. I’m going to take a shower first, not you,” Tunde said, grabbing his towel and heading towards the bathroom.
(Did he just call me a rabbit? A rabbit? Oh, we’re doing animal comparisons now? Fine. Let’s play this game.)
Gold muttered, turning around with a smirk. “Honestly, who’s the frog that’s been croaking dramatically in this corner all morning? Mr. Panla Face struts around like he owns the entire street, but I’m not impressed. Not even a little bit.”
Just then, Tunde, on his way to the bathroom, bumped into her, and they almost fell. They managed to stay upright, but as Tunde tried to move forward, his foot got caught in Gold’s heavy lehenga, and they both fell onto the bed with a loud thud that sent rose petals flying everywhere like confetti at a Lagos party.
At that moment, Tunde was on top of Gold, and both of them looked into each other’s eyes. This was the first time they had seen each other so closely and carefully.
Tunde got lost in Gold’s beautiful and innocent face, while Gold couldn’t stop staring at Tunde’s handsome face. She thought, (How can someone look so good?) “Honestly, God must have been showing off when He made this man. But the attitude? He probably forgot to add a personality that matches the face. Typical.”
On the other hand, Tunde thought, “Olamide was right, she does have innocence in her eyes. But this girl has serious fire in her. I can tell she’s not the type to back down from a fight—and honestly? That’s a little impressive.”
Both of them got lost in their own thoughts, forgetting the awkward position they were in.
Then, both realized where they were, and Tunde quickly got up from Gold. Gold immediately stood up and started adjusting her clothes, her cheeks burning like she had just eaten a bowl of extra-spicy pepper soup.
“Um… you were saying something…” Tunde, trying to ignore what had just happened, blurted out.
“Who… me? Oh… what did you say? That I was muttering like a rabbit? What rabbit murmurs like that? You’re calling me a rabbit…” Gold stopped herself in the middle of her sentence, a playful grin tugging at her lips.
“What? Why did you stop? What were you saying about me? Say it out loud, what did you mean? You are scared?” Tunde asked, raising an eyebrow with a teasing smirk.
(Why would I be scared of you? Is there something to fear in you? You think a ‘panla face’ will scare me? Please.)
Gold boldly replied, squaring her shoulders like she was about to serve in a tennis match. “Alright, Mr. Panla Face, let’s get one thing straight. You think your grumpy attitude frightens me? Please. I’ve seen scarier things at the market on a Saturday morning. Your little angry-boy act is nothing but comedy to me. You’re not scary—you’re just… loud. And honestly? A little cute when you’re flustered,” she fired back, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“What? You called me a panla face?” Tunde glared at her, but the corner of his mouth twitched—he was fighting a smile.
(Well, if you’re a panla face, then I’ll call you that. Don’t you get it?)
Gold glared back, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. “You see your life? Exactly what I thought. Runs in the family, does it?” she teased just loud enough for him to catch.
“Ohh… So you’re not afraid of me, huh?” Tunde said, slowly stepping closer to Gold like a cat playing with its food.
Gold, seeing Tunde come closer, started to get nervous and stepped back until her back hit the wall. “Why is this man not listening? What does he want now? Hasn’t he said enough? Oh wait—he’s enjoying this, isn’t he?” she panicked internally, but her face showed nothing but playful defiance.
Tunde came up close to her and whispered softly, “I’ll deal with you later, Miss Rabbit. But for now, just know this—you may talk big, but we’ll see who laughs last. Try not to fall for me too quickly. The fall we just had was more than enough for one day,” he teased, a rare, infuriating smirk playing on his lips.
Gold wanted to push him away, but Tunde didn’t budge. She tried to shove his chest, but it was like pushing a brick wall. Panicking, she did the only thing that came to her mind—she reached up and dug her fingers right into his sides, tickling him without warning.
Tunde wasn’t prepared for that. A sudden, genuine laugh burst out of him—loud, surprised, and completely unguarded. He stumbled back a step, clutching his side, his composure completely shattered.
Gold’s eyes widened in shock, then sparkled with victory. “Well, well, well… who knew the panla face could finally laugh? And it only took a little tickle to crack that grumpy shell,” she teased, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.
Tunde caught his breath, straightened his shirt, and tried to regain his usual stern expression—but the remnants of that laugh still flickered in his eyes. He cleared his throat dramatically.
Tunde smirked and turned back to face Gold, who was still pressed against the wall. “Go ahead, try to tickle me again,” he challenged, a teasing glint in his eyes. He took a slow step closer, daring her with his gaze.
“Stay away from me, Mr. Panla Face,” Gold said quietly, but this time there was no real anger in her voice—just the thrill of the verbal sparring match, like two rivals who secretly enjoy the game.
Tunde chuckled and went into the bathroom, towel in hand. For a moment, he caught his reflection in the mirror and paused. “Panla Face? This girl has a mouth on her.”
For that brief moment, Tunde completely forgot about his marriage and Gold being a stranger to him. He was simply smiling, forgetting his worries like a man who had just escaped Lagos traffic on a Friday evening.
Meanwhile, Gold’s heart was racing rapidly—faster than a danfo driver navigating the Third Mainland Bridge during rush hour.
After all, Tunde was so close to her, and his smile made his handsome face even more attractive. “Why is he so annoyingly good-looking? And why did that laugh sound so… adorable? No, no, no. Focus, Gold. He’s still the panla face,” she thought, pressing a hand to her chest.
Gold had always wondered if the so-called panla face even smiled. Now she knew—and not only did he smile, but he laughed. A real, unguarded laugh—and the sight was proving to be far more dangerous than his angry glares. Because when he laughed, he was utterly irresistible—and that was a problem.
And so, their very first meeting was filled with bickering, playful banter, tickles, and enough tension to cut through with a knife—or maybe with a cold glass of Zobo on a hot afternoon.
They had spoken for the first time today, so it was their first real meeting, right?