The following day I called Evelyn, my heart pounding as I dialed the number Jide gave me. She had a warm and friendly voice, laced with confidence and humor, instantly putting me at ease.
"So, Jide's fiancée told me about your situation," she said after we had exchanged pleasantries. "You want to make your girlfriend jealous by pretending I'm your best friend?"
"I know it sounds crazy," I started, but she stopped me.
"So really, it doesn't sound that crazy at all," she said with a chuckle. "Some of these women ought to find out what men go through for a change. Your girlfriend needs to understand how her actions affect you."
We agreed to meet at a coffee shop on Victoria Island the next day to finalize our plans. When I laid eyes on Evelyn, I was taken aback by her beauty. She was tall and elegant, with sleek dark skin and natural hair that she sported in a chic afro. She carried herself with confidence just like Cindy, and I could tell right away why Jide's fiancée had suggested her for the job.
"So here's what I'm thinking," Evelyn said once we'd ordered our drinks. "It has to be believable, but don't overdo it. The goal is to make your girlfriend feel a little jealous, not to destroy your relationship."
She was, surprisingly enough, extremely strategic, and I had every good reason to trust her judgment. We agreed she would call me after or during times with Cindy, using terms of endearment similar to those Cindy would use with Frederick. We would meet every now and then, and I would always introduce her as my "best friend from way back."
"One more thing," Evelyn said as we prepared to leave. "You need to change my name in your phone to something affectionate. What does Frederick's name show up as when he calls your girlfriend?"
"Just Frederick," I said.
"Okay, so we need something that shows intimacy without being too obvious. How about 'Evelyn Baby'?"
I went ahead and made the change while he was speaking. There was something exciting about spotting "Evelyn Baby" in my contacts. It was the first time in weeks that I felt in charge of how I felt, rather than just enduring my pain.
A week after Arabella came, Cindy and I were at my place renting a movie when my phone rang. I waited for Evelyn's name to come up and checked that Cindy saw it before answering
"Evelyn baby!" I included warmth and excitement as I spoke. "You thought of me this morning. Where have you been?"
I felt Cindy glance at my phone and it made me feel a bit happy inside.
"I also missed you," I said and went over to the window. "Oh really? You're back in town? Oh my God, I can't wait to see you, Evelyn baby!"
We kept talking for five minutes and I was getting more and more into my performance. After I ended the call, Cindy was watching me with surprised eyebrows.
"Who was that?" She uttered the request with a neutral tone.
"That was Evelyn, my friend from university," I said, sitting back down beside her. "She just got back from a work trip to London. We've been friends for year
"Okay, I understand," she said. "You probably missed her a lot. I'm very happy for you guys."
That's all there was to it. There was no hint of jealousy or worry, no matter how often I addressed this girl as my baby. I was feeling down and annoyed. Was she actually sure about our relationship or was it just that she didn't care enough?
After a little while, I made sure Cindy would come across Evelyn by accident. I arranged for Evelyn to visit me first, so that Cindy would hopefully show up during our board game session. As soon as Cindy stepped in, she saw that Evelyn and I were on the living room floor, laughing after Evelyn made a joke when we played Scrabble.
"Cindy!" I bounced up to give her a hug. "Perfect timing. I would like you to meet my best friend, Evelyn. Cindy, this is my girlfriend, Evelyn."
Evelyn stood up gracefully and extended her hand to Cindy with a warm smile. "It's so nice to finally meet you," she said. "Daniel has told me so much about you, and I promise it's all good things."
Cindy shook her hand, and I could see her taking in Evelyn's appearance—her elegant dress, her perfectly styled hair, her confident demeanor.
"Nice to meet you too," Cindy replied, though there was something in her voice that hadn't been there before. "It's funny, Daniel hasn't mentioned you much except to say that you just came back to town."
I felt my stomach drop. Evelyn looked slightly embarrassed, and I could see that Cindy was starting to notice things.