Bosom on Fire

XI - Rippened Pepper is Sweeter

Lawrence looks over at Bassey as he rolls paint on the living room walls of Solace. There is a wide smile on his face. He had made a little joke that has Bassey laughing. A joke about how people fasted and prayed many weeks before the singles summit. And also how the event was what Shiloh thought it was. He made sure to skip the part where he prayed for the first time this year.

Bassey lifts her hands to her chest as she tries to finish her laugh. She rounds it off with a few coughs and chuckles to steady her breath. Lawrence darts his eyes to Bassey's yellow-painted fingers on her chest and stares at it. She has changed the polish from his favorite new color—the rose pink she had worn throughout the week. The vivid reminder that those hands had touched him. If Bassey changed her nail color every week, then he'll have a hundred favorite colors. She only has to make memories on his skin after every change.

     "What?" Bassey asks Lawrence through rasped breath. She recognizes that faraway look in his eyes. He has had it on all week.

Lawrence clears his throat. "Nothing. You look different today. You changed your nails. Also, I don't think I've ever seen you laugh this hard."

     "Hmm. And?"

     "Well, uhm. Maybe I was also thinking: can we attend the singles summit together? Me as your date and you as mine." This proposal has finally escaped Lawrence's structuring hell of 5 days and 16 hours. For some reason, it is easier for him to ask her for a kiss in her house than to demand a public appearance.

"Pastor Lawrence, I think it will be better if I am totally honest with you," Bassey replies about a minute later.

     "Okay...I'm listening," Lawrence responds, gently dropping the paintbrush he is holding into the bucket of paint by his feet.

     "I lied to you on Monday," Bassey starts, not looking up.

Lawrence's heart drops. "You did?"

     "Yes," Bassey kicks the air with her black Jordans, "I think I kind of lied that I was in on us kissing."

     "Oh," Lawrence stains the top of his nose with white paint from a tight pinch.

     "The thing is, I had a lot on my mind that night. I had just found out that my best friend knew that Akamba and my sister slept or are still sleeping with each other since the lockdown. I was in a bad place and wanted out, yunno? Then you asked and I couldn't help considering it because it seemed like an exciting escape. I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression."

     "I'm sorry to hear that," Lawrence bows his head in dismay, distrusted by the hidden pain in Bassey's voice. Now he would have to find Akamba and do more than drag him by his mustache, "How have you been holding up?"

     "I'm okay," Bassey says, pulling her wide-legged jeans higher up her waist.

"Bassey, why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried.
     "I would have told you yesterday while we were watching 'The Notebook' but it was your first time seeing the film and I didn't want to ruin the moment. That would have been criminal."

     "But I stayed the night. You could have told me over breakfast."

     "What I should have told you over breakfast was that I really liked your coffee. It was so good. I'm craving it right now."

     "Bassey..."

     "Hmm?"

     "What about Colette?"

"What about her?" Bassey quips, her tone switching to haught.

"Are you angry at her?"

"Of course, I'm angry at her," Bassey chops, "Do you want me to be angry at you too?"