The Perfect Seduction

CHAPTER TWO: TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

Packing her bag was the last thing that Semi had wanted to do but deep down she knew that her decision was of the utmost necessity. The race had begun and she was more than determined to win it at any cost.

Looking down at her bed, Semi was proud of the monstrosity that she had created her bag not neatly packed, as she would have wanted it but the mare fact was that she had all that she needed was enough to put her at ease.

“All done,” She told herself, both hands on her hips, proud that she had finally locked her bag with much difficulty. Choosing to remove her hands from her hips after her battle with her suitcase, she looked at the watch on her wrist; she had two hours left before she embarked on her great trip.

“I am going to miss you but while you are gone, I will bring in as many partners as I can into this place” Semi turned her head towards the entrance of her room, and there stood her best friend and roommate Blaine.

Always with a smile on his face, without waiting for her permission, Blaine walked into her room and his eyes scaled Semi’s stuffed suitcase as he shook his head, disappointed that Semi had chosen to rush things like she always did.

“Blaine, do you always have to be you?” Semi jokingly asked her roommate who smiled back at her. Once more without asking for her permission, Blaine reached for her suitcase with both his hands and drew it closer to him.

“I do not want to do this but I have to ask, did you even pack your bag properly?” Blaine asked her knowing the obvious answer and Semi simply rolled her eyes, between the two of them, Blaine had always been a neat freak whereas Semi had been messy when it came to keeping her property tidy.

“There is no need to pack anything properly, after all, I am leaving soon” Semi found reasons yet again to evade neatly packing her bag, perhaps hoping that her reason would deter Blaine from pestering her more. Blaine raised a questionable eyebrow at Semi and she knew that once again she had lost.

 Without Semi’s permission, Blaine swept in and unzipped her bag and her clothes sprung out and were sprawled over her bed. Semi’s eyes nearly popping out of her head as she realized that all the effort she had put into sitting on top of her suitcase and zipping it up had gone to waste.

“Hey, do you know how long it took me to zip it up?” Semi asked Blaine, but he was too busy unpacking her bag, one piece of clothing at a time.

“Well if you had just packed it neatly then we would not have been here would we?” Blaine asked Semi, knowing quite well that he had won this round and had left Semi speechless because as always he was right.

 Semi watched in silence as Blaine folded her clothes and packed each one at a time, neatly into her suitcase and when he was done, he zipped her bag shut without much difficulty. Being close friends allowed the both of them to communicate without the use of words, so watching Blaine pack her bags whilst she kept still was nothing new to her.

“There you go, it looks good as new” Blaine said as he admired the wonderful work that he had done then turned his attention towards Semi who stared at him in silence.

“I am going to miss you” Semi blurted out and this only made Blaine walked toward her and wrap his arms around her, embracing Semi like he would do to a family member, only that Semi was not related to him in any way or form. Deciding to swallow the lump in his throat, Blaine let go of Semi as he looked into her eyes with tears in his.

“You deserve this opportunity more than anyone in that office, you need to go out there and make your mark in the world” Blaine passionately told Semi and she smiled at him.

For the longest time that Semi could remember, she had always wanted to be a respected reporter but until now, she was not. All she could boast about was that she had a tiny office cubicle and all she ever reported about was celebrities that were often obsessed with their image.

“You are starting to sound like my father” Semi confessed as she tried blocking out the memories of her late father. Growing up without a mother had been hard but her father had always made sure that he tried to fill the gap, he was there for every step she took and he was her number one cheerleader.

The three years since her father had passed away had been the hardest for Semi and even thinking about the incident still haunted her but she knew that she had to remain calm.

Three years ago, her dad had passed on. Her father had tried for months to keep his illness from Semi but after he collapsed onto the kitchen floor, the doctor had revealed to Semi the one thing that she would never have guessed, her father had stage four cancer of the brain.

Just barely four months after finding out the news, her father had died peacefully in his sleep and Semi was glad that she had been with him every step of the way.

“Your father would be proud of you,” Blaine told her and that made Semi’s heart fill with joy. The trip to Kenya was not one that Semi had expected to make, although she was half Kenyan on her mother’s side.

Never in her life would Semi have ever dreamt that she would be visiting her mother’s motherland until circumstances had left her with little or no choice.

“Thank you; let’s just hope I get the story that I am hoping to” Semi responded. The risk of her trip to Kenya was great, one that would rear her to her biggest story yet or nothing at all.

“I have known you for the longest time and I also know that you’re not one to give up easily and you always get what you want. Go out there and get your story” Blaine cheered her on.

 Semi knew that she was stubborn enough to get the best and hottest story but what she was about to face was different. The man she was after for her big story was not just any man, he is ‘The man’ and any wrong move on her part could get her fired from her job or he might even sue her employer.

Semi took a deep breath in and then exhaled again, this time she would not allow negativity to get her down, and she simply had to treat this story as she would any other story, her ladder to success.

“Looks like I am ready” Semi confidently told Blaine who flashed a fresh smile at her, just the confirmation that Semi needed. Semi had her eyes on the prize and she was damned if she allowed anyone to come between her and her goal.

The ride to the airport was a quiet one and up until they arrived at the airport both Blaine and Semi had kept silent.

“We are here my princess!” Blaine yelled out loudly, Semi smiled at her best friend’s energetic outburst. The both of them had worked together and lived together and yet she could never quite understand him. Blaine had always been like a character straight out of a storybook, so full of life and wonder.

“I can see that” She smiled at Blaine’s abrupt behavior but he did not seem bothered by Semi’s straightforward manner and rigidness.

Choosing not to say anything more to Blaine as they sat in his car, Semi had sat still and taken time to study her best friend. She could see so much more than she had ever seen before. She saw past his pale skin, dark shoulder-length hair, pink lips, and round cheeks. What Semi saw was a loving friend who wanted nothing more than for her to succeed in life and for that she truly appreciated it.

“Stop looking at me like that and exit my car before you make me cry” Blaine teased and this broke Semi’s heart, she was leaving her best friends for an unknown country. Reaching for Blaine, Semi wrapped her arms around him, taking in the subtle smell of spiced fragrance.

“I will miss you so much” Semi whispered into her best friend's ear.

“I will miss you too girl” Blaine told her and just like that, she exited Blaine’s car and made her way into the airport. Semi could not remember when last that she had been to an airport; her life consisted of her work, staying at home, and little or no vacations per year.

Deciding that there was no use in worrying over matters any longer, she boarded her flight. Semi had no idea what the country of Kenya held for her but she would leap of faith.

“Here we go,” Semi told herself as she took her seat on the plane, unluckily for her, she sat next to a mother with her crying baby, deep down Semi hoped that this trip would be a pleasant one.

**

For someone like Semi who was accustomed to being on her feet for most of the day, sitting in an airplane for almost sixteen hours was draining. To make matters worse, she had spent that sixteen hours next to a woman who had a crying child. Trying to get some sleep was near impossible, so when the pilot had announced that they had arrived, Semi was tired but pleased with this new development.

Feeling the bumpiness of the plane landing onto the earth pleased her and she could not help but feel the need to jump out of her seat and make her way out of the plane as soon as she was given the go-ahead.