And so it continues, my single life without an official breakup.
Wait, so if we did this for Lilly, and now everyone knows we're a couple, what now? What next, since Mr Perfect is in his attitude bubble over Valentine's?
This is draining my energy and last night with the girls didn't even help. Ofcourse they tried making me flirt with some guy who kept being too nice, way too nice. The nice that even Christian wouldn't do...
I'm trying to get my mind off of him. The asshole...
He can't even take time out to talk things through, instead he walks off and suddenly acts so damn cold at the site.
My phone rings, dissolving my thoughts and I find my mother's name flash on the screen.
"Mama,"
"What is this nonsense that I'm hearing about you and a white man, Imani?!" her voice is filled with fury.
Standing ovation for the world's greatest jackass ladies and gentlemen; James Kagan! And a cum laude for my close minded traditional African parents as well!
"Ima, I have told you the culture of our tribe! What rubbish are you doing now trying to get yourself involved with someone who is not even in your clan?!"
"You're overreacting, mama,"
"Overrea-! Hold on you talk to your father," there's shuffling noises before his deep voice is heard through the device.
"Imani, what are you doing? Have your mother and I not taught you our custom? Atleast if you had someone who is from this country, we could understand," he sounds calm yet firm as my mother chatters in the background and I'm holding myself from not clicking the red button on my screen to shut the both of them up.
"Dad, I understand that. But does it mean that I'm not to love someone who is not from our home?"
Love...is that it? No, I'm just stating that for argument's sake.
I don't love Christian.
I don't love Christian.
I don't love Christian... I... I...-
"Imani, please let's not go over this with you again. We told you about how we cannot wait for you to get married, but here you are doing the unimaginable!" My mother's voice can be heard loudly from afar.
"Mama, but I'm in love! And forcing me to stick to norms like as this is completely unfair. Allow me to be at liberty to love this man,"I feel my heart racing and my eyes swelled up with tears.
Ending the call after more conversing , one thing is official...I love Christian.
× × ×
I step out the car slowly and approach the barred gate.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," I groan to myself and look on both sides of the gate.
What kind of yard is this that doesn't even have a freaking bell by the gate?! No buttons, nothing!
I grab my keys from my pocket and hit the metal bar of the gate repeatedly.
"Hello?! Is anyone here?!" I shout, no response.
Maybe you're wondering why I'm not giving him a call. Well, isn't it obvious? That I don't want to be too much and start calling him, texting him like some desperate romantic! I'm not about that life.
The door creaks and I notice it open slowly, Christian's muscular build visible as he steps out.
"Open the gate... please!" my voice cracks at the end.
This isn't me, I sure as hell know I'm not the begging type. I ask less and do the rest myself. If I had a strong passion to get it, I'd have most definitely climbed up the bars and jumped in within minutes.
But no...not today.
He approaches the gate and looks down at me. His face is bare, emotionless.
"What do you want here, Imani?" He asks, his words coming out hoarsely.
"To talk, to you," my eyes don't leave his, my hands gripping on the bars tightly,stopping myself from holding him.
He looks caged behind the barred gate, I could say the same for his current mood.
"Talk to me?"
"I love you!" I say abruptly.
The words have my chest burning instantly.
"Christian, I don't know why you got tense the way you did over Valentine's, but you know me well enough. And you know that...much as I don't show it, I-"
The gate opens slowly, and my expectation versus reality is forty to sixty. He still looks cold, even after my genuine confession.
He closes the gap between us, his hand reaches for mine like he always did, placing it on his chest.
"I'm sorry," he whispers.
"Christian-?" I scowl.
"I was an ass, yesterday," there's a deep frown on his face as he said it," matter of fact, I have been an ass since Valentine's. Pete's actions didn't sit well with me, so it was better for me to walk away than stay and figure it out- let alone letting it slide," he clears his throat.
I won't act surprised because this isn't the first time he gets tense and walks off with few words.
"I'm sorry for not even making an effort to talk over this, really you shouldn't have come here first... It had to be the other way round,"
Well, credits to my conservative parents who called me out on what I'm doing.
"I'm here, eitherway," I give an assuring smile and he reciprocates, his other hand cupping my cheek.
"How about we talk this over inside,hm?"
-
My head feels heavy as I lifted it from the pillow. I hear my phone vibrating endlessly on the headboard table.
"Hello?"
"Girl, where are you? Are we going to church today or not?"
"I'm..." not home?
I lift my body from the bed and pull the white sheets to my neck, placing the phone near my ear again.
"Helloo, Imani?"
"I'm here, I'm here," I yawn.
"If you're not coming it's still fine, I'll pass by your house later, okay?"
I click on the end icon and place the phone back . My body is really tired despite my sleep being a good one.
Good because I'm in a comfortable bed that isn't even mine.
I rub my eyes and trace down to my bare shoulders, and then it clicked...
My torso is bare.
Shoot.
"Christian," I shake him a few times until his eyes flutter.
"What?" he rolls to my side, his upper body just as bare as mine.
"Where do you keep your robe? I need a robe," I shake him again.
I can't let him see me in this state. Ofcourse last night I could because we got in really deep after all our venting and confession, and him telling me he loves me...
Yes, that happened ...
We were caught up in the moment, and as blissful as it was then, now it's different. There's light in the room and it isn't as dim as it was prior to this,so I'm in need of a robe.
"Why?" his voice is still thick with sleep.
"Ugh," I grunt, grabbing the entire sheet to cover myself.
"Imani," his eyes shoot open and sits up immediately.
I glance at him left in nothing but shorts, his body carved in the right places and just as seductive as it is with his clothes on.
"I need a robe,"
"It's in the wardrobe. You didn't have to strip me, there's just one sheet here," he groans.
"Whatever," I walk to the dark wood doors he pointed at and pull the hangers to find his bath robe.
"Aherm," he coughs and I felt a whiff of air pass my lower back.
My ass is out.
"Close your damn eyes, Christian!" I grit, pulling the bathrobe off a hook and covering myself up quickly.
"You have an incredibly sexy body, Imani. Hiding it from me is, impossible ,"he says it so calmly.
"Define impossible ," I scoff, tying a knot securely round my waist as I look for his slides.
"The robe looks really good on you," his tongue darts out his mouth and glides over the bottom lip.
"Shut up," I drag my words.
"I can't help but watch your every move,"
"Then help yourself getting dressed,"I walk past the bed when his hand grabs me by the waist and pulls my body onto his.
"I will, as soon as I get my good morning kiss," we both burst into a cheerful laughter.
×××
"Patina is such an amazing colour for the exterior of the reception," the attendant praised.
"Mm, no. I specifically asked for whites and African patterns," Kenya walks around the fabrics draped over the rails.
"We can go over the white fabrics this way," the lady struts to the other side of the room.
"I swear, this lady is full of herself," Kenya says beneath her breath as we followed the store attendant to a bright room with various textiles and designs.
" Tell me about it," I add.
She shows us all the white patterned and plain fabric samples they had to offer, and we end up selecting a few to consider before Kenya makes her mind up.
"I'd have to contact my mum and Adrian so we have a look at these," she exhales as we descend the staircase and walk to the parking lot.
"Good luck. I have to head back to the office," I start the car and wave at her as she enters hers.
I swipe through my messages once I'm in the office and smile at a few from Christian.
Christian
Today
im @ Logan's Square. If you're free you can still pass by? [1335]
tried calling since lunch but it's ok. Hope your day is going well?[1400]
This feels different. Cute maybe, I'm still not used to this love thing, even though my heart is leaping at the sight of his texts. I put my phone aside and began work until knockoff time.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Wendy," I walk past her desk and into the elevator.
"Hello, Christian," I purr into the phone before a snort escapes my mouth.
"Wow, um... Hello, Imani," he chuckles lightly.
"I'm done with work for the day," I grin nervously waiting for his reply.
"I'm still at work, do you want me to pass by your house instead?"
"Can I pass by your office instead?"
We share a laugh as I walk out of the elevator and to my car.
"You can, I'm not held up that I can't have a visitor over,"
I grin at the idea to be the one visiting his office this time. Pretty cool, ain't it?
Brisk Building is a ten minute drive from Khale, and I quickly spot his truck parked by the entrance.
The reception is empty, but that was okay because I found his office number on the large directory by the elevator.
I wonder why they'd do that?
"Ms Yané," I turn at the high pitched voice behind me, Lilly.
"Lilly," my smile is sour but hey, that's only for her.
"It's past knockoff time, what brings you to our offices?" she blinks at me.
Oh please, like you I didn't tell you straight up about Christian and I the first time.
"I'm here to see Christian," obviously.
"Wow, you just never get tired of jumping to and fro when it comes to men," she sighs.
"Don't do that here," I scoff.
"So Christian wasn't enough for you that you had to go to the other man I saw you with? Or keeping things below the radar with your co-worker?"
What the hell..
"If you want to throw such things in front of Christian's doorstep, why can't you do the same inside his office? Sure looks like you want us to start an argument with all this," I wave my hand between the two of us.
"Listen here you whore," she hisses," I have every right to poke my nose in this because before you, Christian and I were very happy as friends. You had the audacity to make him sad over the past week and I saw why; it's those men that you can't seem to keep your black hands off,"
"Excuse me?" I scowl as she continued to speak.
"If you do something to him I swear to god I will ki-"
"What's going on here?" Christian walks out of the door.
This is about to get interesting...
_________________________
I've recently been having a writer's block and editing this too was a challenge but hope it's good.
Thank you for the reads, we're at 500 reads😅 ✨even though majority end at the first chapter, so thank you if you're here and reached this far❤️✨ I appreciate it so much