When A Woman Wants.. - Episode 19

 

FRANCIS
He had been waiting at the reception for both ladies to come out for the past one hour, he had no idea what could be taking their time. They were at the shop and Angela was in the exterior room with Rosa. She had come to meet them some minutes ago and he had introduced each to the other. Angela had no problem since he had already updated her on what was going on the previous night and then she had seen the whole press frenzy on the TV and she totally supported what he was doing.

He hoped he wouldn’t regret this . They had spent too much on her clothing alone and now she was in for facials and whatever Angela had called it. She needed to keep up with him; this was the only way this would work.

He turned the page of the magazine he was reading and took another nervous look at his wrist watch. He had no idea why he was nervous but he was. He really wanted to see what difference this would all make.

What if she didn't  like it? What if she hated make-over? Why had he not even asked her earlier before bringing her here?

He couldn’t explain it but he really wanted to impress her and make her happy. Besides, what lady would get such a treat anyways and wouldn’t like it?

 He ran a hand through his curly hair and glanced around, ugh! His mistake, he had come to the wrong place. He just met the gazes of four ladies totally checking him out, two who were getting their hair done and the other two, their manicures

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/when-a-woman-wants

. This was getting out of hand. He needed to leave this place.

He dropped the magazine he was holding and was about to stand up when he heard Angela’s voice as she came out.

“Prepare to be blown away.” she cooed.

The truth was he had expected her to at least look beautiful and everything that comes with being that, but, what he hadn’t prepared for was the effect it had on him. 

She walked beside Angela with an effortless saunter. Her eyes scanned the room with determination in search of someone and when her eyes caught his, she smiled and he held his breath. 

She was wearing Denim ripped jean which clung delightfully to her hips, black top, Fedora hat was covering a vivacious jetty black hair which was hanging down her shoulder. Her feet were entrusted in low top white and black loafers.

Never had he seen black this flawless, alluring, she was glowing, radiating an intelligent beauty. It was like the stars themselves decided to rest behind the soft cushion of her painted lips. He wanted to reach out and touch. He couldn’t look away. She kept him so still and held his beating heart.

“Urm..I think it’s more appropriate to tell the lady she is beautiful instead of starring at her as if you want to swallow her”.

He felt completely stupid and embarrassed at Angela’sremark. He ran a hand through his hair and looked around surprised to see everyone starring. He noticed Rosa was still smiling, mocking his embarrassment perhaps.

“I’m sorry” He said nervously. “You really look beautiful”

“Thank you.” She replied shyly.
Just then Angela’s phone rang and seeing who the caller was, she frowned.

“Crap! Guys, I’m so sorry but I have to run, I promised my sister I will pick my niece up from school. Rosa, don’t forget what we discussed”  She faced Francis. “Fine boy, we will chat. You children, be good”

Rosa smiled as Angela rushed out of the place.

“Do you feel hungry?” He asked

“I’m starving” she replied.

“Everything you bought is in the car right”
She nodded.

“Alright come on, I know the perfect place for a beautiful woman like you”

She flushed and smiled as they walked out of the place, ignoring the pair of eyes following them. He liked that.

ROSA

"So you mean those people that came to your house on that day, were John and the rest of them?"
He nodded.

She threw her head back and laughed. She had always thought John reminded her of someone that walked the way he does, and now she just realized it had been him all along. 
She shook her head and twirled the strand of hair on her face behind her ear. 
He had just told her everything she had wanted to hear ever since that day at the hospital, he wasn't stupid or naive after all. They were in a restaurant, and had just finished eating.

 "But why didn't you say anything even though you knew it had all been a drama?" She asked.

 "I said nothing because her mother really wanted things to work out plus I knew I would leave her eventually. I knew she could never change and I was just wasting my time."

He lowered his gaze as he put the cup back on the table. She noticed regret was written all over his face. There was something he wasn't telling her. 

"You loved her...” She said quietly, studying him.  He was staring at his drink, and he nodded slightly.

"I did. Too much." He leaned back. "She was my first and the woman I loved besides my aunt, I met her not long after my aunt died and  ..." His voice trailed off, his eyelashes fluttered and he refilled his drink. "I wasted my time with her. I will never love another woman like that again."

He was getting emotional. The side of him that she had never seen before. It made him seem so fragile, vulnerable. She felt sorry for him.

"Don't look at me like that" He snapped at her angrily. "You are looking at me in a sorry way and I don't like it"

"I'm sorry. I just got caught up in what you were saying" She replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Tell me about you". He demanded, signaling to the waiter.

"Nothing much to say about me. I am an orphan, aspiring author who is now working with the long lost but found son of the billionaire Frannicky." She started jokingly.

He scoffed. "Please, don't even try that, what I will love to hear is something I don't know about you"

"Like what?"

Just then, her phone which was lying on the table rang. It was Luke.  She sighed and was about to take it but Francis beat her to it. Holding the fan in his hand.

"Now, tell me about your stalker."

"What? Luke?" she laughed. "He isn't a stalker."

"Really? You sure about that because He has been calling you all day and you haven't picked it once."

She sighed again. "I don't want to pick it because I'm feeling guilty for having left him at the cafe and didn't even bother to call him?”

Francis stared at her. "I don't quite follow"

She explained her last encounter with Luke on the day Francis had came home. He only laughed at her.

"You like him don't you? “He teased but she gave no reply, she had no idea why she was too shy to discuss Luke with Him.

"I don't want to answer that"

"Oh. Look at you, you are blushing." He teased her further but she ignored him.

"I like him but...I don't know, he's just so cute and I don't know why he even likes me"

"Awwww" He cooed. “So you are saying he's cuter than me?"

Her mouth fell. She had no idea if to answer that. Is he being serious?

He kept starring at her intensely, waiting for her response.

She was dumbfounded, comparing the both of them now; she couldn't tell who was cuter. Why would he even ask her that?

"Well...” she started but then he burst out laughing and then she realized he had been toying with her. She exhaled and playfully lifted her cup up, attempting to spill her drink on him.

"Oh come on, that's not a good behavior for a pretty lady to behave"

"Oh really? So I'm pretty now?"

"Of course. I remember the first time I saw you" He burst into laughter.
She bit her lips. "Oh! Look at you. So now that you are now rich and everything you have forgotten how you looked like?"

"Nothing has really changed about me apart from my clothing and my hair you know."
She pouted her lips, arms akimbo. "Your ego too"

His brows bustled together. "My what?"

" Your ego. You are more pompous now, have you noticed?"

He grinned. "Yeah, I think you are right but what do I say? I take after my pa and its fun, kind"
She smiled, shaking her head again.

"I like you Rosa"

She was surprised. She hadn't expected that but she may have liked the way it sounded.

"You do?” 

He nodded.

"Why?"

He leaned closer, the way he looked at her made her extra conscious of herself. 

"I like your spirit. You are lively and sincere and playful and stubborn too"
She laughed.

"I remembered I said something like that before I traveled and I don't want anything to change about that. I want you to always be yourself with me. You are not Debby; you don't need to feel guilty because of her.  What she did was for her alone and I don't blame you for anything okay?"
She was touched by that and she nodded.

"I will not say anything to my father, fate has been doing her thing and if she knows what is right, she would know she has to leave but her greed wouldn't let her be. She will get what she deserves"

Rosa had no idea what to say to that.  He had made it clear now that he has no plans against Debby. She could tell Debby that.  But who could she trust between them? Obviously she was stuck between the two of them and she has to decide who she has to trust. Can she trust this man who is looking at her with all sincerity and whose heart Debby had broken so many times or she remains loyal to Debby and tell her everything they just discussed.

Debby brought her here, if not for her; she wouldn't even have known Francis. Francis... 
She looked at him, he was busy typing on his phone and wasn't aware of her starring at him. He was looking so handsome in his white shirt. The curls really made him look even more handsome.

Read " Ichabod " by the same author ( Tobi Loba )

. He was going to help her with her novel and would she betray him by ratting out his every plan to Debby?
What if he found out Debby had asked her to stay close to him?
He would be so disappointed and so hurt. She couldn't do that to him. She was not Debby! The way he had grown so emotional some minutes ago made her realize how vulnerable he could be.
She studied him, his eyes, his brows, his lips. She knew she liked him... she had always liked him. Spending all this time with him is making her realize she may probably like him even more than she thought. 

The moment their gazes met at the shop  folded back to her, she had never felt so tingly from a man's stare before. She knew he was attracted to her at that moment, it was too obvious and she had felt it with the way he was staring at her.
This was wrong. This game of playing as a middle-woman was so wrong. She knew something would happen. Something bad and exciting would happen but how could she quit when her novel. Her career was along the line..?