HIS FORCED WIFE

The Perfect Date

It was a Saturday night, the night of my date. I was in my apartment waiting for Anna. She had given me special instructions that she’ll be coming over to make sure I don’t chicken out.

She wasn’t wrong because I was going to chicken out. I decided on a black dress with a brown scarf and brown shoes. I had straightened my hair when the doorbell rang. My heart gave a quick shoot at the sudden sound, and I made my way to the door, looking through the peephole. It was Annabelle.

I slid the lot and open the door greeting her. She invited herself in and gave me a once-over while I looked at her giving me a once-over. “Good thing you haven’t dressed up, I’ll be choosing,”

“What, No, I have already picked out my dress,”

“Which is?” She asked. She walked up to my room and looked at the black dress lying on the bed. She then looked at me and I gave her a tight smile. She squinted her eyes at me.

“I knew that,” She announced, “You’ll choose the most boring outfit out o your closet. Does this scarf belong to your grandma?”

“No,” I shook my head, “My grandpa,” She sighed in disappointment.

“What! I don’t wanna give him a wrong impression that I was trying too hard,”

“Every woman on this dear human-infected planet tries hard for their dresses on the first date. Especially if the date is the first ever in their life,”

She ran through my closet, gasping at every dress claiming it was beautiful and I should wear it and me saying no to every one of them with many valid reasons. I love to dress extra but not on a date. nhuh!

Finally, we both decided on a white sweetheart neck top with a silk peach pink skirt. A beautiful chain bracelet, and rings.

She settled my hair with a gush of hairspray and helped me with my makeup. It was almost 8 PM and I was all ready. I looked good. I smiled at the final result. Was I excited? No. Was I anxious? Maybe. Was I looking forward to it? Yes.

My phone rang and Anna announced it was Justin, he said he was outside my apartment. My heart did a flip. so, I was anxious. I gave Anna the an extra key and instructed her to lock and door, and check carefully after I leave. She can be trusted. She was silly but responsible, A weird mix but life is a weird mix.

I opened the door and there he was. Justin Hudson. He had flowers in his hand and a bright smile on his face. He approached me and held out the flowers. I almost wanted him to grab my hand and kiss the back, but I realized how absurd that would be.

Justin lead me to his car. It was a Toyota Corolla. I opened the door and settled in the passenger seat, while he did the same sliding into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and the car was riding the roads in no time. I sniffed at the flowers. It was a bunch of Jasmine flowers.

“How did you know my favorite flower?” I asked.

He smiled, stealing a glance at me, “You didn’t seem like the kind of girl wanting a rose on the first date, The next flower that smells amazing is Jasmine,”

I smiled. “I have a garden in my backyard full of Jasmine, I picked these myself,” He said proudly, making my grin widen.

Till now he was a thoughtful, polite, and flower-loving guy, with a cute smile. I glanced at him, He was wearing a white Turtleneck black jeans. It suits him. One more point to dressing sense.

“You want some music?” He asked.

“Yeah, Why not,” I replied.

“What would you like to hear, Your favorite music genre?”

“Anything other than Metal and electric guitar,” I said and he laughed. here goes another point to Beautiful laugh. I am going crazy.

He played something soft and I looked out admiring the city.

“Where did you grow up?” He asked.

“All I could remember ever in New York,” I replied.

“Ever went out?” He asked.

“Nuh, My family, which is only uncle’s family, are not much of a traveler,”

“Are you?”

“Traveler? I love it, I wanna see the world, every part of it, Every city, every town, every street,” I realized I sounded crazy, “Which is not possible so…But I would love traveling,”

“Why not go?” He asked.

“Oh, I would hate to go alone, also I don’t have money,” I laughed and he laughed.

“What about you?”

“Yeah, I would like traveling too, it’s healthy,” He said.

He took a few turns. The weather was cool, not hot, not cold. I hope he picked out an outdoor place.

“You look really beautiful by the way,” He complimented.

“Hey, Thank you, You too,”

“Your welcome and thanks,” He can make me smile many times, also a plus point. Why am I even counting these points? Maybe I wanted this to work? No, I cannot do that, I know better than that. So, Am I playing him? Oh God, I am messed up.

“I heard you did good in the Contest,”

“I don’t know, Maybe,” It was a sheepish reply.

“Event planning huh?” He asked.

“Yup,” I nodded my head.

“At least you know what you want with life, I still haven’t figured it out,” He said.

“You will Don’t worry,”

“I hope whatever it is, It is easy money and less work,” He said. Minus points!

After a half-hour drive, we reached the front view of a tall glass luxurious building. It was a five-star restaurant. s**t! I do not possess enough money. How am I gonna pay? On monthly basis.

“We are going there?”

“Yeah,”

“We can go somewhere else,”

“You don’t like this,”

“No, It’s beautiful. I just,” I moved closer to him, “It’ll be too much for my wallet,” I whispered to him.

He looked at me as if I had grown horns on my head. “I’ll pretend you never said that,” He said and held his hand for me.

“I am serious,” I said.

“Romaisa Shaw, we are on a date and I happen to be the one with a Y chromosome, So It is my utter duty to pay the bill for the X chromosome with me,”

“I…I would like to pay my own bill Justin,”

“No, ain’t gonna happen, not a chance,”

“Justin, I…I don’t even know if it’s gonna work out or not, I don’t wanna be the b***h,”

“If it won’t work out, You can repay me with a treat of you winning your scholarship,”

“What if I don’t win the scholarship?”

“You can give a treat for that!” He said and pulled me behind him. We walked to the reception and were directed to the top floor.

The elevator opened and we got in, as it closed behind us. I hate elevators. I am claustrophobic and I hate these small places. but as I have many times this evening embarrassed myself, I didn’t wanna tell him I want to take the stairs to the top floor and make him run away. So, I decided on self-control.

The lift moved up and my heart moved down. It came to a stop on the third floor, and the doors tinged open. A man walked in. Just as my eyes landed on him, My heart went up, up to my throat. That creature right in front of me knocked me off my feet. No man ever passed this level of beauty ever. He was tall and well-dressed as if on a formal occasion. The man was standing beside me and a dusky sandalwood scent filled my nostrils.

As if catching me practically harassing him with staring, he looked at me. He raised one eyebrow as if he registered something, gave me a once over, and looked at someone beside me. That was when I remembered where I was and what was I doing. I immediately looked at Justin and caught his eyes at me. s**t!

I don’t know much about dating, but I do know how morally unethical it was to look at other men on your first date, no matter how unnaturally and illegally handsome hunk they are.

I gulped and looked down. I am not a decent person to be seen outside with. I hate myself. I was trapped in a small place caught ogling at a greek god and a pretty boy as my date. Where did I go wrong in life!

I side glanced at the man, my eyes catching his hands moving. Big, strong, veiny hands. I looked at my hands. Too small. His large. I glanced at Justin’s hands, big, but not large enough as this lovely thing standing beside me.

Romaisa behave!

The lift opened at the twelfth floor with a ting. We arrived. At least the embarrassment saved me from anxiety. The man beside me walked out in a hurry. I caught a glance at something shining in his back belt.

My stomach somersaulted at the sudden image in my brain. Was it a gun?

That was it, I was losing my mind, Why would someone have a gun so open in a restaurant and they would let him pass? It must be something else.

Justin placed his hand on my back and guided me out to our seats.

I’ll act as if this never happened. Romaisa shaw, Queen of acting.

We settled on a table right next to the window. One could see a hell of a sky from here. There was the moon. There were stars, there were clouds, there was everything that can be called as enchanting in the sky. I Love the sky.

“That guy was handsome,” Justin said.

“Who?” I asked while I could’ve sworn on my life whom he was talking about.

He laughed. “The one in the lift,” “Yeah, he was,” I said dismissively. So much for acting.

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One thing Tristan didn’t expect was to see the same girl again. What a strange world.

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