"This is all on you, Nkechi. A little liquor brought out the cheeky girl I've known all along."
"Did you just pronounce my name properly?" Augusta gasped.
"Surprise, but don't change the subject. Your dad will be furious if he catches you." He laughed and shook his head. "Promise me that you will call to let me know you're safe when you get home."
"We share a back fence. I'll be out and in before he wakes up." Augusta whacked Pedro's bare chest and giggled as she drew her hand down his torso. He caught her hand and bit his lip. Their eyes met and a distinct tension sparked in the air between them.
"Don't play provocative games when you've been drinking, babe," he said in a husky voice.
Augusta growled as she sang in an impression of Beyoncé's voice. "I've been drinking, I've been drinking-"
"Shush! Dont you know what time it is? Where the heck did you get alcohol from anyway? You're hammered."
"Don't blame the wine. I don't want you to be the end of me. This love is takin' all of my energy," she sang in high pitched voice.
"What if you fell from the lattice beside my window?"
"Aww. You care about me. Thank you so much for today, Pedro," she said, without attempting to draw her hand away.
Pedro arched his eyebrow at her sudden sober moment. "Yesterday," he said.
"Yeah, that's right. It's after midnyght," she slurred.
Another silent moment passed between them, and Augusta reached out to ruffle his hair. He leaned into her hand and closed his eyes.
"I have a confession to make," Augusta whispered.
"What?"
"I came here um-"
"Hoping that I'd make a move on you?"
Augusta covered her face and groaned. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. You must think I'm some kind of lascivious-"
"Don't you ever be ashamed to express yourself," Pedro said. He inched closer to her and put a finger on her lips. "I'd like to," he admitted, "but I'd never take advantage of you when you're drunk."
"But I'm not drunk. I'm just kinda tap dancing!"
"Tap dancing? Do you mean tipsy?"
Augusta shrugged and burst into another fit of laughter. "I wanted to do two things on my eighteenth, but I couldn't at my party." She looked left and right and whispered, "One, having my first bottle of wine. Check. Two, doing the tango with le hombre de mi vida."
"No. I don't want your first time to be something you'll regret later, babe."
"Fine," Augusta huffed. "I guess I'll just go and do it with Tre-"
What happened in the next few seconds took place so fast that Pedro clenched his jaw to bring his indignation under control. Augusta attempted to storm out, and an animalistic force came over him. He tackled her, and pinned her on her back with her hands beside her head.
"Odiegwu. This is wonderful," Augusta murmured.
Her big, brown eyes twinkled with delight as she looked into Pedro's fierce ones. The hardened length of his body on top of her soft one tempted him to abandon his decision to wait, but that would be inexcusable. His breaths came out in short, shallow puffs.
"I'm sorry, Pedro. You're the only one for me," she said.
"I didn't invite Trevor to your party, and I'm glad he didn't gate crash. He would have been effed up," he hissed. "I don't want you to ever mention his name in a threat, joke or anything to me again. Is that clear?" Pedro growled.
Augusta nodded and her lips tilted upwards.
Pedro smirked. "You like me being domineering and possessive. Is this turning you on?"
A naughty chuckle and eye roll was her response but sufficient in itself. "This is the best birthday evaaa," she declared.
"Alright, sugar plum. It's time to sleep," Pedro said. He got her a big glass of water, and instructed her to sip it slowly. When he checked his bedside alarm clock, he noticed it was a quarter to one.
"I don't wanna go to sleep," she whined. "Mummy reads me bed time stowies."
Pedro flipped over to lay on his back, but Augusta held on and ended up lying on top of him. She folded her hands under her chin and looked at his face. When he remained quiet but put his hands on her waist, she raised an eyebrow.
"What?" he asked.
"You are so handsome. Best eye candy evaaa. You'll never stop blowing my mind."
Pedro laughed. "Thanks. You make me feel the same way."
"I have another secret. I constructed a portable, multipurpose robot."
"That's cool."
"I call it the Multi Milian," she giggled.
"What? You don't use it for anything naughty, do you?"
"Don't be ridiculous. It's not a humanoid robot."
Pedro raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon, Einstein," he teased.
She flicked her hair and bopped his nose with an index finger. "My name is Madueke. Tell me my bed time stowie."
"Alright, alright. Once upon a time-"
"Time, time," Augusta interjected.
"What?"
"Don't worry, it's just something Nigerian kids say for fun. Carry on."
"As I was saying...Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful, busty and intelligent princess. Her hair was black as ebony, her lips were deep red and her skin was dark brown. She was gifted in science and philosophy, but also very stubborn and naughty-"
Augusta poked her tongue and smiled. "I'm not stubborn."
"Yes you are, but this isn't about you. It's about Princess June."
"Okay, a different month," Augusta scoffed.
"One day, a handsome, young prince came to her kingdom. His hair was like the golden sun and his eyes like turquoise gem stones."
"Wow! This prince is full of himself," Augusta quipped.
Pedro spanked her and she gasped. "Quiet, or you'll be spanked again and sent to bed without supper. No more interruptions. Etiendes?"
Her lips tilted sideways. "Yes, daddy."
"The princess was very unfriendly and right after they met, she challenged him to a duel to test his strength and wit. The more they fought, the greater her love grew for the prince."
"Really?"
"What she did not realize is that the prince often teased and provoked her because he was crazy for her too."
Faint snores and the way Augusta unconsciously stroked his chest captured his attention. She had fallen asleep before he could finish the story. Pedro rubbed a gentle hand down her back, and reached for his alarm clock. He set it to go off at six a.m. They would be in each other's arms till dawn.
"After an intense, internal struggle, the prince confessed his dark past to the princess," Pedro whispered.
She was fast asleep, but it was liberating to say it out loud. "She forgave him and he asked her to marry him. Their Speakerverse fans threw a kingdom party to celebrate their engagement."
Augusta woke suddenly and looked up into Pedro's eyes with her big, chestnut ones. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Babe, I can explain. I um-"
"Mechionu. Be quiet. I'm trying to sleeeep," she drawled. After tapping his mouth to silence him, she pecked his lips and continued dozing.
Her lips were warm and soft as pillows. Though brief, Pedro would always cherish their first kiss. If she did not remember in the morning, it would be his secret. Pedro quickened heart beat slowed back to normal. Dude, that was close, he thought.
After shifting to the side, he massaged her back in soft strokes till she sighed and her quiet snores resumed. Pedro dreaded the inevitable moment that he would have to tell her about the experience that changed his life forever. He prayed she would stand by him when he opened up.
The trouble about meeting someone special is that when they take your breath away, they abandon you without air if they leave.