The Risk Game

Chapter 3

Can a good kiss turn your whole life around?

I typed those words into the Google Chrome search bar and actually read through some of the search results before I laughed at my goofiness. Google was telling me about all the happy hormones kissing can release into your body, but I doubt it really understood what I was feeling.

In the two weeks since Mani had coldly dumped me via phone call, I sulked my way through life. I was functioning on a broken heart and a bruised ego. Seriously, being dumped by a member of the male species was possibly the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me. It embarrassed me more than the time I puked all over my high school crush's chest at a school function.

Mani had consumed my thoughts, my dreams, my very being, for two full weeks as I tried to understand just why he'd leave me like he had. Things had been good between us--well, as good as things could be with Mani anyway--and I never saw it coming. I'd cried every day since the breakup. It was sickening. I was losing my thug points.

But then Chimwemwe came along with his broad shoulders and tall build; his dewy, warm-toned brown skin; his thick black beard; his ridiculously pretty eyes, and he kissed the pain away. In the literal sense. I hadn't woken up with Mani on the brain. Instead, I'd woken up with Chi on my lips, his hands on my hips, his hair in my hands, his eyes staring into my soul. Those were the memories that littered my mind that morning and it was such a welcome change, I felt giddy inside.

Checking the time, I decided to stop my nonsense and finally get out of bed. Chi had texted that he'd be by to get me in about an hour, with breakfast. With breakfast? A man who could feed you without having to be asked was all kinds of perfect in my books. I didn't know much about him, but I knew he'd make his soulmate very happy once he found her.

I got up and got ready for the day, dressing in a white bodycon maxi dress and black flats, figuring that keeping things simple would be helpful for the day I had ahead of me. By the time I heard the knock on the door, I was fully ready, with a light layer of makeup and my hair in a bun.

I opened the door to Chimwemwe, who was nicely dressed in dark jeans and one of his signature loose-fitting shirts. As usual, he'd left a few buttons undone, the chain he'd worn glistening against his smooth skin. No one needed to be that gorgeous at eight in the morning.

"Morning, Aisha." he said as he walked in.

"Good morning, Chi. Wagona bwino?" I responded, asking him if he'd slept well as I accepted the bag of Soil Fresh that he'd extended to me.

"Mhm, ndagona bho. How about you?"

"I slept well, too." I said with a genuine smile.

Chimwemwe looked amused, his eyes lingered on my face and he smiled broadly. "I can see that. I'm surprised. Last night, you looked a bit upset when I was leaving."