…
[NARRATED]
Kago cannot help but marvel at the sight of Mac getting lost in his element – working and jamming to the music blasting from his earphones. She gets up to go brush her teeth and wash her face, with zero intentions of disturbing him. His peripheral sight catches a glimpse of her movement and he turns around.
‘Hey you…’ he greets with a smitten smile.
‘You wear glasses? So you’re a nerd nerd?’ she starts picking on him and he take them off.
‘They’re blue light. I’m always in front of the screen so I don’t have much of a choice’
‘You look like a serious, respectable person when you have them on’
He chuckles. ‘Am I not a serious, respectable person in general?’
‘Pshh. Where?’ she sits on the bed, facing his direction.
He explodes in laughter.
‘What time did I fall asleep yesterday?’ she asks.
‘Fifteen minutes into the movie, disappointingly’
‘So you carried me from the living room to the bedroom? How romantic’
‘What was I supposed to do? Leave you on the couch so you can sprain your neck, wena combat warrior? You sleep like you’re practicing martial arts, for a competition that’s very near’
She swallows her smiling lips in embarrassment, knowing that he might not be lying since Larona has accused her of this multiple times on the times they’ve shared a bed.
‘That’s not true’
‘I swear. I’m just glad you don’t talk or snore in your sleep because you would’ve woken up in the other bedroom’ he stands up.
‘So you’d rather be pushed and kicked than having to listen me say incoherent things?’
‘No. I’d like you to practice better sleeping skills, if there’s such a thing because we can’t live like this’ he pulls her into his arms.
‘Good morning sweetheart’, he greets properly after a kiss.
‘Morning mister’
He takes her by the hand and they go to the kitchen. She continues chatting away and asking plenty of questions while he makes breakfast. He breaks an egg against a bowl and stops to look at her.
‘Are you gonna answer me, Mr Block Chain?’ she prods, wanting him to respond to her endless questions about what he does.
‘No, BC is not limited crypto however it is a way of ensuring that the system of trading, amongst other things, is never hacked or manipulated. Once you tamper with one thing, it affects the whole digital chain and data structure. That’s the simplest way I can put it. Enough about me. What are you busy with?’ he asks while going through his spice rack.
‘I told you I’m a junior lecturer, linear algebra. I’m conflicted on whether to continue chasing my PhD or take a completely different route in academia. The only good thing about my life right now is that my manuscript is almost done. That’s what I’m busy with’ she rambles without pause, as always.
‘Oh you write? I’d love to read that’
‘Never’ she laughs.
‘Why not?’
‘You’ll judge me heavily and I’ll end up thinking the whole plot and concept is trash’
‘What do you take me for?’
‘You have no filter, Munene’
‘Okay, fair. But don’t you think it’s better I give you my review first before you show it to the whole world?’
‘Nice try’
‘What do you write about?’
‘Take a wild guess’
‘Romance?’
‘Five stars for you’
He laughs. ‘Can you at least give me the synopsis of your book, at least?’
‘What’s that smell?’ she asks.
‘Now you want to dodge the topic?’
‘No seriously’ she rushes to the pan and removes it from the stove, throwing it into the sink. It makes a crackling and sizzling sound when its heat comes into contact with the water.
‘Holy crap…’ this comes out with low, defeated energy from him.
‘Look at you wanting to burn this whole house down. Your olfactory senses are dead’ she mocks. He takes the dishcloth off his shoulder and throws it on the counter.
‘That’s it. Let’s go out for breakfast. I blame you for pulling all my attention’ he says after washing his hands.
‘Lack of accountability. Red flag’
He laughs out loud, while pulling her towards him.
‘Give me three titles from your TBR list. Books you don’t already own back home’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t want you to get bored while I work. So?’
‘I don’t like reading from the screen. I’m a hardcopy kinda girl’
‘Relevance?’
She narrows her eyes, threatening him.
‘I’ll have them delivered if they’re available to find, of course’
‘You caught me off guard’
‘Okay then, I’ll help you. What was the last book you read about? That’s a good starting point’
‘Uhm… a postgrad student, Olive falling in love with one of the supervisors in her department. Their relationship was initially supposed to be fake to prove a point to her bestie but things took an unexpected turn. His name is Adam. It’s a grumpy-meets-sunshine trope’ she explains and he lifts a brow.
‘Bizarre…’ he remarks and she lightly hits him on the chest.
‘Come on. It’s a fun read. See why I wouldn’t allow you to read my book?’
He bites his lower lip, trying to tame his smile.
‘I still maintain that an honest review is a good review, especially before the book goes to print’
‘The only good thing I want from you is a fvck. Thank you, but no thank you’
He pulls her back by the wrist when she attempts to walk back to the bedroom.
‘There’s something I need to tell you’
She frowns but doesn’t say a word.
‘I have an ex and she lives in this building. She sometimes drops by but our thing is over’
‘What do you mean by “drop by”? she asks – actively punctuating with her fingers. He struggles to find the words.
‘Is it a situationship?’ she asks. Speak of the devil and she shall appear. A knock sounds from the door and Mac gets it. Candace walks in before he can even say a word.
‘Thank God you’re home. I thought I wasn’t going to catch you on time. Listen, Atlas just had a baby and he—‘ she stops midway when she realizes that he isn’t alone.
‘I’m sorry. I did not realize that you had a guest’
‘Err… yeah. Kago, this is Candace. Candace, meet my… girlfriend, Kago’
‘Girlfriend?’ Candace asks – leading her hand to Kago for a handshake, who politely greets her back. ‘I assume you’re from SA? Welcome to Edinburgh’
‘Thank you’
Mac awkwardly watches this interaction, waiting for it to end.
‘Well… since you have company, I guess you won’t be able to make it’
‘You wanted me to come with you to go see Atlas’ baby?’
She nods.
‘Yeah, in the afternoon. But it’s okay. I’m off to go buy the gifts now’
‘I’ll do a transfer. You’ll write the note for me?’
‘Sure!’ she agrees in jolly spirits. She walks out and he closes the door behind her.
‘Girlfriend?’ Kago asks with a provocative smile.
‘Don’t start’
‘GIRLFRIEND???’ she strongly emphasizes the question marks.
‘What did you want me to say?’
‘I have a name. It works just fine, independently’
‘Is that right?’ he chases her and she screams before running off. They end up on the bed. He slides her pyjama bottom and underwear to the side and begins fingering her.
‘Mmh!’ she exclaims – feeling his middle finger digging into the most sacred parts of her. The kissing continues while he works her insides. Minutes later, he has her moaning and panting. He pulls the finger out and puts it in her mouth. She smiles while cleaning her juices off it.
‘Please say yes’
‘Yes to what?’ she asks.
‘To being mine?’
‘What if I end up wanting more after the whole demo thing?’
‘Forget the demo thing. Please say yes to being mine, Kago. I mean this. I want more than this’
‘I want to hear you say it. I want to hear you say exactly what it is you want’
‘What I want is for you to stop haunting me from the other side of the fence. I want to claim you without doubt, without any guilt. I don’t want to be your sneaky link. I’d rather not have you at all than have you make me your fvck buddy’
‘But I’m enjoying this; our fvcktionship’ she pushes it with a smile.
‘We can have more. I wanna make proper love you without the fear of overwhelming you’
‘I wonder what that looks and feels like’
‘What?’
‘You making love to me’
‘All it takes for you to find out is agreeing to be my partner, no hoax’
‘I wanna experience it first, then decide’
‘No can do because if you allow me to open that door, I’m immediately closing it once I step inside’
She swallows and gets serious. ‘I don’t know. Let’s do the trial first, like you first suggested?’
He sighs.
‘You’re determined to make me earn my spot in that heart, ain’t you?’
She gently shrugs. ‘Twice shy…’
He nods a couple of times. ‘When I get my hands on the motherfvcker who turned you into this…’
She laughs out loud and wraps her hands around his neck, going in for a kiss.
‘Trial?’ she blinks innocently.
‘It was my stupid idea so… why not?’ he gets up.
‘So my demo boyfriend doesn’t give me any rounds?’
He picks her up from the bed and legs tangle around his waist.
‘He needs to make sure you’re fed first. Come on, let’s go get your flawless a** cleaned up before that place gets packed’ he walks with her to the bathroom – hugging her bvttocks so she doesn’t fall.
CHAPTER 42
Start from the beginning
