Chapter Two - This Is Awkward

"We should have gone to the bar bathroom. "I'm afraid this walk to your house will zap the joy from our systems."

Mario was right. Leaving the warmth of the bar and feeling the cool evening breeze caressing my hair has brought me back to my senses. But not completely. I was still lusting after this man who towered over me, and I could not get over the scent of his perfume, which smelled far too good for my liking. I could tell he was a very tidy person. I winced at the thought of my apartment, which was still in disarray.

"In any case, it's probably filthy." His deep voice pierced my thoughts and drew me back to him.

“Huh?”

"The bar's restroom."

I responded by nodding. It's a good thing none of us thought to go to the bathroom because things would have turned out differently. Mario paused to exchange pleasantries with a man halfway on his knees in reverence.

"Why do you let these people worship you like that?"

"I did not ask for it."

"You're basking in the glory."

We walked silently, my ears perked up, waiting for him to respond and tell me he would end the madness. But what was I thinking? This man and I had just met. Why was I expecting him to please me in anyway? My shoulder had dropped when we arrived at my door, and I retrieved my key from my purse and opened it.

"My family is quite powerful, but that does not mean I enjoy the attention. I love mingling with people, so I come to Bolu's bar. But they have refused to see that I am a man just like them." Mario shrugged.

He is a good person! A sigh of relief washed over me. I was mainly relieved that I did not have to bear the burden of despising him.

Mario noticed the relief on my face and said, "Can I get a kiss now?" I nodded, trying to keep my smile at bay. Mario leaned and pressed his lips to mine and kissed me passionately. The way our tongues merged made it seem as if we were two long-lost souls. He led me into the apartment without breaking the kiss, and his big warm hands found their way under my shirt. When I heard the alarm bells in my head and broke the kiss, we were both panting. I strolled to the kitchen without saying a word, carefully navigating the boxes left in the dimly lit room.

I went straight for the tap and lapped water into my mouth with my palms. I had to do the right thing or risk exposing myself.

 When I returned to the room, Mario lay shirtless on the foam I had laid on the floor, surrounded by my unpacked stuff. I took a second to appreciate the human before me. He was godlike! I wanted to run my hand over his smooth dark skin, but I held back and fixed my gaze on the box behind him where I had scribbled "random stuff."

"You should go." My throat tightened as I spoke. I paused, cleared my throat, and looked at him. "I can't have sex with you."

"Because I'm insanely hot?" Mario smirked. My eyes lingered on his perfect lips, but I only let this distraction last a few seconds.

“I have seen better.” I snapped and wished I hadn't, but Mario laughed in response. He knew I was lying. “Right,” Mario snorted as he slowly buttoned his shirt. This irritated me even more. I retorted, "You don't want to get attached right now, do you? Because after just one touch, you'll be hooked." Mario nodded and allowed me to feel giddy as he admired my body. "Who is cocky now?" he said, and I shrugged. "It's getting late." I shuffled to the door and held it open for him to leave. He walked past wordlessly, and I wished he'd give me one last look and insist he was not going and then kiss me again till I was out of breath, lead me to the bed, and make sweet love to me, but he didn't. I slammed the door and slid down the woody frame. Just one night in this town, I was already rearing my head. I hated to admit it, but my stay in this town might not go as planned, except I am willing to avoid Mario. 

I awoke the following day, blasting music from my speakers as I bathed and sang off-key in the bathroom. It was my first day at a real job that I liked. My first job was washing dishes at a buka, and it ranked second on my list of the worst jobs I had ever done. As you might have guessed, the first on the list was being a prostitute.

Teaching kindergarten class children would be difficult, but I knew it would be a delight because I adored children.

The pupils warmed up to me when I was introduced to the class, which made me tear up a little. By the end of the day, I was exhausted from talking and spinning, and all I wanted to do was lie down. On my way to the teacher's lounge, I found Kayla, a girl who could quickly become my pet even though I was obligated not to have any favourites. She had the most adorable big eyes and the sweetest smile. Shy, but not silent. Kayla had complimented my afro puff, glasses, and everything I wore in the first minute of class. Her smile was gone because she was upset and needed me to escort her to the lavatory because she needed to poop. However, she decided she didn't want to poop anymore after she made me listen to her story about a magical elephant. This story took so long to finish and had no plotline, but I grinned anyway. Finally, we rejoined the other chatty kids in the waiting room. When Kayla saw her guardian, she let go of my hand and ran screaming, "DADDY!!"

I raised my eyes, and there he was, Mario. He was stunning, as usual. He had Kayla in his arms now, big smiles on both faces. Beautiful pair of eyes twinkle with delight. It made sense now why I was drawn to her.

When was he going to bring up Kayla? Would he have ever? Oh my God, I kissed a married man?!

My heart was pounding now. It felt like I was playing with fire, trying to find a way for the townspeople to learn about my past.