TO LAST A LIFETIME

The Odd One Out

Gennie

Emily had texted me. When Wesley excused himself to use the bathroom, I quickly dialed her phone.

"Can't you concentrate with your baby daddy?" She quipped.

"You're crazy!" I laughed.

"Where is he?"

"In the restroom, you texted!" I reminded.

"Oh! I just wanted to remind you a little hangout doesn't hurt!" She said I rolled my eyes.

"I swore never to take your ideas anymore, they usually don't end well!"

"Stop being so boring, take him to the movies, buy him a drink, go somewhere outside the hotel." Emily suggested, too bad, that never came to my mind.

"What if he doesn't do movies? Most men don't!" I asked, unsure of where else to go.

"Don't be coy because you're not a virgin, take your man out and spoil him!"

"I wonder why we're friends?" I hissed, my mind dwelling on what she'd just said.

"I love you too ugly! Bye!" She said, sarcastically.

The line went dead, I pouted into my screen.

Movies? Would he want to go to the movies with me? What did I care? A perfect excuse was enough for me to walk out the door and never see him until he left the country. The thoughts made me shudder, there was no harm in hanging out more with him, to stay closer to him.

I narrowed my gaze at his empty seat. It was possible he was already bored with me, he probably must be leaning on a wall in the men's'. Since I really wasn't actually an extremely interesting person I could understand if he did. A sigh left my mouth. My insecurities had kicked in again.

"Sorry I took long!" He returned, flashing me his charming smile.

"No, you didn't!" Well he did, I was beginning to think otherwise.

Maybe my presence was no longer needed, it was best if I excused myself and let him be. Emily's idea of taking him out was definitely a bad one.

"Wesley maybe you would love to have some rest?" My gaze fixed intently on his face.

Was that disappointment in his eyes? Was it?

"You only rest when you're tired, looks like I'm not!" He bit his bottom lips.

Maybe this was the right time to ask. I felt a bit awkward, but I had to.

"Then maybe... maybe you would love to.." I found his face, he raised his brows and looked expectantly at me. I breathed in sharply, "then maybe you might love to...love to see a movie with me?" I watched his expressionless face and quickly changed my mind. "It's okay if you don't, I mean you...if you..."

Wesley leaned in and brushed a soft kiss on my cheek. I suddenly went blank.

"Sure, love to, Sunshine! That'll be fun!" He grinned widely, I felt relieved.

He got up, so did I, together, we headed towards the entrance, into the sun.

When we got to the cinema, the place was filled with people getting tickets, snapping and games. The place was usually crowded in the weekend.

Occasionally, I caught Wesley stealing glances at me, it made me wonder what was on his mind. Instead of dwelling on that, I continued my unpaid work as a tour guide.

While driving here, I had pointed at significant buildings and statues telling him the story of each of them. He couldn't stop laughing when I told him one of those quirky tales about the Zuma Rock.

I pointed at various things outside the cinema with my eyes for his benefit. When we got inside. We chose a movie to watch, got a bucket of popcorn. I didn't want two buckets, just wanted us to share, I just wanted to share something with him.

Wesley didn't mind some odd stares from people, I laughed when he stated it.

"That's how I felt in one of those parties!" I whispered to him.

"I never knew it felt this way to be the odd one out! Sick!"

Other Americans greeted exchanged some pleasantries with him whenever we bumped into them.

Wesley took my hand in his, leading me towards the tickets booth for the tickets, that surprised me. As we stood in front of the glass booth, my eyes made no mistakes of who I saw, staring, oh, I mean, glaring at me.

Harold walked up to us, he wasn't alone, he was with some girl I had never met in my life..one of those girls, who wore a dress that was two sizes smaller than her figure with heavy makeup on. I watched him shift his gaze to our locked hands. Wesley was busy with the cashier.

"I can see you've extended your olosho tentacles to an oyibo!" He spatted bitterly, a glint of anger in his eyes.

"It's your business because?" I snapped.

Wesley looked back from the cashier when he heard my voice. Harold glared at him, Wesley looked from Harold to me and back again.

"Anything the problem?" He asked, much to Harold.

The other girl he came with possessively took her position by his side. I inwardly scoffed.

Relax I wouldn't date Harold again, not even in a drama!

"Nothing babe, let's get in, the movie is about to start without us!" I smiled up at him.

Harold stepped in front of Wesley, making us stop still. Damn! Harold wasn't about putting on one of his shows here. That alerted me.

"Yes, everything is wrong! I'm Harold, her boyfriend!" He spoke into Wesley's face, or should I say the neck, since Wesley was way taller than he was.

My mouth fell open. My what? What was Harold tryna do? Wesley raised a brow at me, his face expressionless.

I had to correct the impression, God forbid Wesley thinking I was seeing Harold! That wouldn't end well.

"Ex, my ex-boyfriend!" I glared at Harold.

"Oh! That's different!" Wesley shrugged. "Let's get in, we don't want to miss the beginning scenes!"

This time, he led me by the waist and we walked away from Harold. I turned my head back to Harold's glaring eyes and gave him a smirk. He frantically punched the air, shoving the girl by his side away.

What kind of man was Wesley? Why didn't he react to Harold's words, why didn't he asked me again as we left? Did he believe Harold and I were long over? Was he just acting cool like it was nothing?

The movie had started when we got in, Wesley found a spot at the far left corner of the dark cinema. I placed the popcorn bucket in the middle, taking out one at a time.

I couldn't concentrate on the big screen, not when everything wasn't okay, my eyes occasionally stole quick glances at his face trying to catch a subliminal reaction, but there was none. And then wasn't the right time to bring that up. Harold's words were strong enough to break Wesley's trust in me, it could make him think I was still seeing Harold and that would make him doubt this baby. My anger raised. Harold was an ass, a real one.