Chapter two.

Dad worked as a neurosurgeon and got transferred here to work as a specialist. He was the reason why we came down to Florida . Mom was a fashion guru widely known but that didn't mean I had a fashion sense. I was a complete wacko when it came to dressing. Give me crazy Jean anytime, anyday and I'd be the love of your life. Mum had tried several times to get me to dress like a lady and it didn't turn out well. I had my wardrobe as proof.

I was miserable, when it came to dressing, but hey, who needed to dress like Cinderella to get noticed?

"Emmy!" My mum's shrill voice cut into my wandering though from below,"

Get your acts together and meet me in the kitchen in five."

"Aaaaaarrrrgggh." I murmured," this was the disadvantage in being an only child. I got to do the dishes and other house chores. Why they refused to get an help I'd never know. Scampering from my bed, I ran my hand through my hair and found my way down the stair," good morning mum."

"Morning." Came her Curt reply,"why you sleep early and wake up late is what I'd never understand. I expect that by now you've gotten use to the idea that as a girl you have to wake up early and perform your chores. Who do you think would do the dishes for you in your husband's house. You'd get married one day Emmy."

You see the disadvantage of having a Nigerian mum? For the love of gawd, I was just sixteen!! And who even set up those stupid rules anyway? Staying in this house, you could actually do a months job under a day.

"I'm sorry mum. I guess yesterday's stress of loading and offloading took a toil on me." Well that was a blatant lie,I was immersed in thoughts.

My parents where loving, caring and strict. Majority of times, they where overbearing but I guess it was for my own good.

"How was your night?" she asked smacking herself in the head as though she just remembered to ask,"you slept well?"

I shrugged.

"I guess I did."

"What's wrong?" She asked worry etching across her beautiful face.

"I'm just worried. Starting life anew down here just feels like something I can't describe." I said grabbing a ceramic from the kitchen sink,"what if I don't fit in? What if the people here don't like me?"

"Oh darling!" She enveloped me in a bear hug," you gonna do just fine. Just give yourself that positive feeling and vibe."

"You think so mum?"

" I know so Emmy, I don't think."

I smiled.

"Thank you mum. What would I ever do without you?" It was true. My mum has always had my back, for as long as I could remember now." Dad's left for work?"

"Yes. Over an hour now. He asked me to give you this." She dropped a kiss on my forehead .

"Ow mum, he always gives me that," I giggled,"but you should know I am sixteen now and no longer a kid. You know how much I hate PDA and those sloppy kisses."

She clutched her chest and feinged being in pains."oh my baby's all grown now and she's forgotten that even at eighty she'd still be my baby." That said she began dropping kisses all over my face again making me giggle .

"You're annoying when you want to be." 

"Only for you my baby. Only for you."

The doorbell rang disrupting our little mummy and daughter time together. Exchanging looks between ourselves , my mum half whisphered " who could that be. You made any friends already?"

"None that I can think of." I replied waving away the question.

"I'd get the door. Try and set the kitchen in array."

She turned open the door making me stop in my track. "Good morning ma'am." I knew that voice. And who it belonged to.

But what had he come to do here? Did it come to tell my mum that walking around in just bra and panties was a sin. Of course I wasn't walking around naked! I was just taking a swim. Was it because I'd walked out on him? Was walking out on people in America a sin? Oh, dang it!

"I thought bringing you cookies was the perfect way to welcome our new neighbors." He shrugge stretching out his hands with a plate of cookies,"it's more like a tradion here and mum makes sure we do it anyways."

He sounded bored.

"Oh!" My mum said surprised,"thanks so much. Where's your mum? What's your name?"

"She did have an appointment with her doctor this morning. I am Alain Greenbolt."

Mum was finding it hard to hold in a smile. She was definitely surprised. Like, who in Nigeria and in their right senses would bring you cookies. Werey wey dey disguise. It's either you're a witch or you're a stranger. And even though you brought cookies, no one was going to collect.

Reasons why you hear little children say,"thank you" when you offer them something without taking what you brought them.

Once, mum had beaten me for getting gifts from a stranger. She said it wasn't advisable that I could eat witch in the process. So you could imagine how surprised I was when she welcomed Alain with wide arms.

"Do come in please." She said stepping aside so he could pass through,"My daughter and I we're about having breakfast. Would you care to join us?"

What?! That guy had literally seen me naked. She should just get the cookies and jam the door in his face. Why was she inviting him in?

"I wouldn't mind. I have not had breakfast myself."

Before I could stop myself, I'd already blurted ,"didn't your mum teach you not to take food from strangers?!" I half yelled.

Four set of eyes turned to me. Oh dear! 

"That's no way to talk to your visitor Emmy." Mumsaid with eyes that warned me to behave.

"Well ,well, well," Alain turned giving me the once-over. His eyes raked my body,zoomed in on my chest and finally settled on my lips "a little feisty are we?"

"Not feisty," I said,"do you take it as a job to encroach in people's personal space?"

"Your mum invited me for breakfast." He said calmly.

"Underline that word 'breakfast' " I said,"she invited you for breakfast not to eat me. Why then are you checking me out?" I raised a brow.

"You wouldn't be in my top ten list of favorite dishes." He retorted,"I like them hot."

My mum gagged.

I boiled.

"Coming from someone who has a bad taste I wonder what you mean by hot? Last I checked you suffered a deficiency in that area." I folded my hands under my chest exposing more cleavages than I wanted.

"Trying to seduce me, Em? Don't worry, you still wouldn't be among my list of first twenty. Maybe hundreth." He smirked, " I love e'm busty."

In that moment I swear my mum's eyes almost bulged out. 

The nerve of this guy.

"Trust me, if I wanted to seduce, you wouldn't come anywhere close. And for the record my name is Emmy not Em."

"Who cares?" He replied obviously bored by our little outburst.

"That's not how to treat a gentleman man." My mum trying hard not to laugh and she was failing miserable at it.

"You're unbelievable mum, you just saw him check me out."

"Set the table,Emmy. Alain was just being playful." Even she doubted herself. "So what school do you go?" She asked finally offering him a seat on the dining table.

"Greenville high." He replied, pride dripping off his words,"one of it kind and best in Malibu drive."

"Really? We had Emmy registered there right before we moved down." I'd be right back she said walking off to the kitchen.

The silence my mum left was deafening and I loved it but mister talkative had a different idea.

"You know I wasn't checking you out , but if you want , we could go somewhere and see how those perky boobs fit in my palms."

Jeezu!!

I choked on the water I'd just put in my mouth. I spewed it all over his face on purpose. "You're as dumb as you look. Pity , you have a fine face."

"You wouldn't know the kind of wonders my pretty face does," I have agirlfriend and you're not even my spec." That last part seemed like a bomb.

"Good. Now you just have to stay out of my way and stop imagining things in your head. Things that would never be even in your wildest dreams."

"Not if I wanted them. Nice pair of undies you had on the other day. I never got to say ."

"You pervert!" I shrieked. "Leave my house."

He raised a finger waving it in the air, "point of correction, your parents house."

"I'd kill you." 

"Tea please," he yelled turning to face the kitchen,"my throat's patched."

"Werey." I mumbled.

"You said something?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know what that means." 

"You bet." He said rolling his eyes.

This guy was overly pompous.