A Hazel Romance

Chapter 9

Last time she'd kissed heatedly, mocked him with the passion. She'd enjoyed it--he knew even though he was sure she'd deny the truth with her whole being--and so had he, but that  had been their bodies talking. This was something else. He didn't understand it, and from the expression on her face,neither did she.

She hadn't returned the kiss, and he was content with that.

"I needed to get that out of the way," Lawrence said. Frowning, Uche looked ready to say something. " I won't do it again, not unless you want me to," he smiled. " Or you do it. Whatever you feel will be more romantic. I can't make any promises though. I'm a man and you're a very enticing woman. But I'll do my best." He picked up his lantern and stretched out a hand.

Dazed, she stared at him.

When he took Uche's hand, linking their fingers, and began pulling her along, she resisted, remembering herself.

"What are you doing?"

"Holding my girlfriend's hand?" He still couldn't believe it.

"Don't you know what they'll think if we walk there like that? Do you want to announce it to everyone?"

"That is sort of the point."

"You have no idea, do you? Once your bevy of  bimbo admirers discover this, there will be trouble."

"For them, I imagine." He gave a soft laugh. " You didn't strike me as the sort of type who cared what people thought."

"I don't," It was what they'd do she was wary of. Isolating her was enough. She didn't want some woman confronting her over a man. Speaking of confrontations. "What about Jidenna's mother? Where does she fit in in all of this?"

"We are not together. And you won't be hearing from her."

"I better not. I'm no one's side chick." She walked off while he grinned behind her. At some point she stopped, eyes drifting.

"What is it?" He asked, watching her face.

"On second thought, you go on ahead. If they see us together some people might just take a really good guess. I want to avoid that for now." She said, digging a hand into a pocket. " I also need to make a call."

His gaze lingered on her for a moment.When Lawrence was out of sight, Uche turned, holding up her lantern. " You can come out now. I know you're there." She was not surprised when Henrietta stepped out from the darkness, clapping slowly.

" Impressive." Her skin was one with the night, the perfect camouflage. "Such keen senses."

" You know, I really don't get it," Uche said as Henrietta approached her leisurely. "What exactly is your problem? Why do you keep pestering me?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Henrietta said, smiling and feigning innocence. "I just happened to pass by, that's all." She still had her cigarette, and puffed it

"Bullshit. I'm not stupid."

"You got me," Putting out the cigarette with a slippered foot, Henrietta's smile fell off, her eyes which reflected the soft glow of light from Uche's lantern seemed like balls of fire. " I didn't just pass by. I was here the whole time." She inclined her head to a side. "I heard everything."

She waited a beat. Uche said nothing.

"You're also right about pestering you. You interest me."

"And why would you be interested in someone like me?"

"Hmmm," Reaching into the outfit she wore, Henrietta produced a small knife--a jack knife.  Uche stepped back, eyes  on the deadly object, as the woman grinned devilishly. " I have everything on record, Uche. All stored in the cloud. And just to be thorough I've sent them to a host of other systems. Even if you get my phone, which is somewhere around, it'll do you no good. So must hassle. Now, I'll take what I have to the cops, and you know what that means. You, him, Rita, even your cute little friend will all be in so much trouble. Now the only way you can prevent that from happening is if, and only if, you kill me. That's if you can."