51: A Ride of Romance

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The waiter popped the wine bottle open and then poured the sparkling champagne into their long flute glasses.

"Cheers." Jude raised his glass to her.

"Yes, to a successful sale." She nodded.

"I almost thought he was not going to sign." Jude set his glass down and leaned into the round red velvet plush chair.

Although, it had taken a lot of convincing to get their client— a 77 year old Minister in Nigeria— to sign off on a house for his sugar baby. he had eventually done so. It was truly a cause for celebration, even more so because the client had trusted them to sign off on the house, instead of one of their many international partners.

They were in the restuarant just beside their hotel; a small rectangular room of dark tonned plush velvet chairs set against muralled wooden boards. Close to the entrace was a grand piano where a musician played classical music. Their table was just like every other one in the resturant; round but sturdy wood. She sat on the settee against the wall while Jude sat on the plush single chair opposite her.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself so far?" Jude rasied his glass to her.

Although her bright blue dress felt out of place, and she was the only woman with african braids here, everything else felt right.

They had been in Italy for four days; two weeks after her last fight with Osa. The funny thing was, Osa seemed to ignore her cold shoulder, giving her as much attentions as before, responding to her as if they had not had a major fight recently. Even now, he called her every night. He had called her a few minutes ago, when she and Jude stood at the host stand. She had simply slid her fingers over the surface of her phone to end the call.

"You don't look happy."

"I'm fine." She put her hands around herself.

She hadn't prepared enough for the cold. She had asked her friend, Jadesola, how cold Italy. Jade said Italy was warm. Yes, probably very warm, for someone who had lived in Italy for two months before relocating to Canada.

"Here." Jude unbuttoned his jacket and put it over her shoulders.

His skin touched hers briefly and she felt a zing of electricity course through her as warmth spread over her face.

"How do you feel now?"

"Fine." She kept her eyes on the menu in front her, hoping he would not see the emotions runnig through her.

Chemistry was easy. It was even easier to find with a man as handsome and tall as Jude. It had to be the atmosphere. The low lighting and soft music of the resturant created a lovers' ambience. In the cold, Kemi wanted to be touched. Not by Jude. By a certain dark man with soft, almost round facial features, who understood her needs but had ignored them for over a month. Her body was just reacting to the closeness of another male in her physical proximity.

She and Jude had been close all week. The days preceeding their travel, they had gone to the embassy together, then shopping together, then prepred their files together. From the morning of their flight, he had picked her up at her house, then sat beside her all the way from Nigeria till they got to their hotel. Their rooms were even side-by-side. And his smile...

Kemi lifted her head and smiled. He smiled back. That beautiful smile was golden and there wasn't a teeth out of place or crooked. He gave his smile as easy as he could breath.

"I hope this wine tastes better than the one in the room."

"You tasted that?" Kemi's eyes widened.

"You didn't?"

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