Chapter 2 - Jealous friend

As Patrick went inside to get them some drinks, he first checked his bedroom to put on a singlet top and cover his bare chest.

He assumed that was probably why Tina didn’t want to look at him or speak to him.

Patrick put on his singlet top and finally stepped out of his bedroom. He went to his kitchen fridge to get them some drinks. When he returned to the parlor to serve them, Patrick noticed that Tina was no longer there; only Prisca sat on his blue couch, stretching her long, slender legs seductively as she stared at him.

Patrick frowned as he approached Prisca. She smiled and dropped her legs down from the couch, standing up to collect the two cans of drink from his hand. 

Patrick immediately asked her, “Where's your friend Tina? Has she gone home?"

“No… I don’t think so. Tina went outside to wait for me; she wasn’t comfortable sitting in here with me," Prisca replied, taking the cold cans from Patrick's hands. She added, “I’ve told you, Patrick, to forget about my friend Tina. Tina doesn't like associating with guys, and yet you're still eyeing her over me. I’ve told you how much I love you, but you're still picking Tina over me. What does Tina have that I don’t? Look at me now; I’m cute.”

Prisca swirled around so Patrick could properly examine her figure and beauty. She was a brown-skinned lady, and Patrick sighed, saying to her, “Look, Prisca, I do not love you, and that’s the truth. It’s Tina that I love, and I’ve always been looking for a way to meet her. Remember that I asked you to bring Tina here because I appreciate our friendship. I know that you’ve also been dating some of my friends behind my back, but I kept quiet about it because I just want to meet Tina. Please try to understand me.” 

Prisca frowned and said, “Tina won't accept you, Patrick, and that’s not why I asked her to follow me here. I truly love you, Patrick, please..."

Prisca attempted to persuade Patrick again and tried to touch his hand to forget about Tina, but Patrick refused. He said, “Fine. I will think about it later, but not now. Let me first find out what Tina is doing outside before she gets lost or wanders away. She won’t know her way back to your village."

Prisca sighed and moved aside for Patrick to pass. She walked back to the couch, still holding the two cans of drink she had collected from him.

Prisca popped open one of the cans and drank from it while waiting for Sharon to arrive, as they had something important to discuss. 

*****

Just as Patrick approached the exit door to open it and step out, Sharon arrived from her various outings with her two best friends. 

She smiled sweetly at Patrick as she stepped into the living room with her friends. 

As Sharon wanted to greet Patrick, he immediately dashed out of the house to search for Tina, leaving Sharon and her two best friends speechless.

Patrick then saw Tina standing beside the exit gate, talking to the security guard who was stationed there.

Patrick calmly walked up to Tina beside the gate and asked her, “Why are you standing out here all alone?" 

Tina stared back at Patrick but ignored him, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn’t say a word and instead looked away toward the slightly opened exit gate, after Sharon and her two friends had arrived.

Tina's attitude clearly irritated Patrick, but he remained calm and walked closer to her. He gently touched her folded arms, startling Tina, who stared at him in shock. 

She glared at him for touching her.

Tina released her folded arms and glanced at the gate that was slightly opened, wanting to run out. However, Patrick immediately caught her and pulled her back against his body, as he saw Tina looking at the gate and quickly realized her intention was to run away.

“Let go of me!” Tina screamed, clearly irritated by Patrick’s touch. He pulled her closer to him, sending shivers down her spine. Tina had never been with a man before.

Patrick saw that Tina was indeed beautiful, but she was also stubborn, struggling to free herself from his tight grip.

Tina screamed, “Prisca!!” but Prisca was still inside the house and couldn’t hear Tina’s screams.

Patrick’s gatekeeper didn’t intervene as he watched them and returned to his gatehouse after locking the gate. 

Patrick then kept holding Tina as he inhaled her sweet scent. He felt the urge to kiss her soft pink lips but controlled his arousal as he felt his bulge forming in his shorts. 

He replied, “Fine, I will let you go, but only if you calm down and give me a little audience. Why act so immature? Aren’t you a big girl? Is this how you truly behave? Honestly, I really do like you, and I want us to be friends.”

“Friends?” Tina asked, staring up at Patrick's face and meeting his dark, handsome gaze. She saw that he was truly handsome, causing her to gulp nervously. She turned away shyly and replied, “Well, I’m sorry, but I cannot be your friend. Besides, aren’t you and Prisca friends? Just leave me alone and let go of me.”

Tina grew angrier, scolding herself for following Prisca to Patrick's house in the first place, and realizing what type of friend Prisca was. 

Patrick then released her arms and apologized, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Tina asked, staring at him again. 

Patrick smiled, stepping away, saying, “Fine, but why not wait inside for Prisca to be done? Sharon has arrived, and the sun is too hot for you to be standing out here alone.”

Patrick turned to walk back into his house, and Tina thought about his response. Eventually, she went back inside with him, following Patrick from behind as she gazed at his muscular physique.

Just then, the sun began to set, and the clouds changed, suggesting that heavy rainfall was imminent. 

The cold wind blew, and Tina became worried about the sudden change in weather. She immediately said to Prisca as she stepped into the parlor, “Prisca, let's start going home.”

Prisca ignored Tina’s request, clearly jealous at seeing Patrick follow Tina. She refused to respond to Tina, while Patrick had gone back into the kitchen.

 Sharon and her two friends sat there and continued their discussion.

Tina felt angry, knowing that her mother would soon be home and her two brothers might be searching for her. She then yelled at Prisca, “What’s wrong with you, Prisca?! Come, let’s go home now!”

Prisca sighed and finally stood up from the blue couch, replying to Tina, “I’m not going home yet.”

“Why?” Tina asked, surprised at Prisca's response. But Prisca didn’t answer her; she just adjusted her black gown. Tina said, “Okay, if you’re not going home, at least you can help me with transportation fare or give me directions so I can start going back to my house.”

Prisca hissed and walked away from Tina, not replying. She walked to the corridor to use the restroom. But Tina immediately pulled Prisca back by her arm, asking, “What’s wrong with you, Prisca? You brought me here, and now you aren’t saying anything about how we should go back home?"

Prisca yelled back, “Just stop it, Tina! Stop it already! Yes, I brought you here as a friend, not for you to come here and act up or try to break my friendship with Sharon and her brother! And please, if you want to go, then go! Don’t talk to me again.”

Tina's jaw dropped as Prisca pushed her aside and walked away to use the restroom. 

Tina stood there, speechless, just beside the corridor.