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A Christmas Party Ch. 02

By: lannasage



The party was starting to gain steam thirty minutes into it, the DJ was phenomenal, playing the right songs according to the mood, nothing less would be expected from the team that was put together to achieve this, making the infamous party animal of the office, Luke Herman, head of the planning department was definitely a good decision.

Jeremy took a swig of his rum, he swirled it a little in his mouth and swallowed. He raised his wrist and looked at his watch, he had to be here at least another hour and half, unlike the other employees, he didn't have the pleasure of just leaving whenever he got bored, he had special 'duties' as the vice president that couldn't be overlooked, besides his father would be highly pissed if he pulled the same stunt he did two years ago.

He sighed deeply as he thought of the best way to spend the next hour and half. He had barely picked up his glass to take another drink from it when someone bumped into him so that he almost spilled his drink all over his pants, he was all set to yell at the wasted bum that thought him the most deserving to crash into and probably slip in a threat to relieve him of his job, when he turned and saw Claire, he bit his tongue and held his harsh words, she was apparently far too wasted to even comprehend whatever it is he was going to say.

"What the hell Claire! The party's barely started" he said as he helped her to a seat next to him. He watched the pretty, green-eyed, blonde-haired woman as she stared at him blankly for a few minutes with hooded eyes, she was one more drink away from losing consciousness.

She waved his concern away, "I'm not drunk, I'm just a little unbalanced, must be these heels" she slurred.

"No more alcohol for you, you'll have to remain here for at least ten more minutes"

"Don't be a party pooper Jerry, I've not even had that much to drink" she replied, as she fell back into the chair.

Jeremy scoffed, "Yeah right" he murmured. He stood up and made his way to the temporary bar that was set up across the room to inform the bartender that Claire wouldn't be having any more alcohol, if he failed to do that, Claire would definitely be ordering more.

He got to the bar without having to push away any drunk partier- thankfully. He tapped the counter to get the bartender's attention and shouted over the loud music, "Hey, there's a lady here you shouldn't serve any more alcohol" he said when the bartender turned to him, "She's over there, she's over the limit so she shouldn't have any more drinks, alright?" the bartender nodded, "Thanks"

"So much for being the center of attention" he heard a sweet, velvety voice say as he turned to leave. Normally, he'd ignore such comments, but the voice of the speaker thrilled him in a way he hadn't experienced in years, it was what he had always imagined the voice of a phone sex operator would sound like. His curiosity won over after a while of debating whether he should return to his seat or see the speaker.

He turned to the speaker and grayish blue eyes met beautiful, dark brown ones, dang! He should have ignored the comment. He surely wasn't prepared to meet the most gorgeous little goddess he had ever laid eyes on, he gulped audibly at the sight of the little woman sitting next to him, her caramel skin looked almost edible, her head was topped by a mass of thick, dark brown hair which was in nice curls, brown eyes framed by long, full lashes looked like they could read his every thought, he bit his lips and groaned inwardly when his eyes fell on small, full, pink lips he ached to discover the softness of, he couldn't get a full view of her body because she was sitting, but the view of her upper body was good enough to stir his interest, suddenly loins he had previously termed docile came alive.

Jesus Christ! There really was an Adonis! Kachi had to fight to swallow the drink she had in her mouth, she hadn't taken so much as a glance at him when he spoke to the bartender, but as her eyes moved away from the stoned woman, it landed on the man. He was hot personified. Her eyes performed the same survey on him as he did on her, only, from the bottom, she eyed his long legs, encased in a pair of well-tailored pants, she could imagine the toned, muscular calves that lay beneath those pants, she purposely ignored the slight bulge in the crotch area of his pants, letting her eyes move higher to his body, ooh la la, what a bod! Even in the jacket, you could trace the outline of his biceps, and his broad chest and broad shoulders made that suit look like it was straight off the runway, her eyes lingered on lips she wanted worshipping every spot on her skin, and then moved on to soulful eyes and hair so blonde he had to be German, in fact KGB. 

She looked away when she realized she was more or less gawking at this Greek god who would never have the time of day for her if he was with the pretty woman; who despite being stoned, still looked worthy of the front cover of Vogue. But when she realized the man hadn't walked off like she thought he would, she did what she always did when she was around a gorgeous man- act goofy.

"You know if you stand close to a bar, there's a 90% chance someone will throw up on you"

He couldn't help the smile that came upon his face, it disappeared when he realized he was smiling, that was odd, he couldn't remember ever smiling at a complete stranger, even less, a comment from one- and a female?, "Is that so?"

She nodded her head as she took a sip of her drink and said, "mhm"

He smiled again, she looked so cute sipping on her drink and nodding, it wasn't one of those cheesy attempts to look sexy like he had gotten used to seeing, or a failed attempt at flirting, she probably didn't even realize how cute she looked, now that was a record in his books, two consecutive smiles?

"Wouldn't want to ruin your nice suit" she added, "Kachi" she said as she extended her hand for a shake.

The gesture looked so much like a 9 year old introducing herself to a new friend, she was too cute for her own good, "Jeremy" he replied as he took her small hand into his large one, he looked down to see the contrast between their hands, his totally enveloped hers, he had definitely never had such a small hand in his, thirteen-year olds had larger hands. He wanted to pull her off the seat and hold her small body in his larger one, and maybe taste those tempting lips , and run his hands over her pert, inviting brea....she was speaking.

"...call you Jerry?" he caught her last words

"What?"

"Jeremy, Jerry, you know"

"I really don't like being called Jerry"

She laughed, "Guessed so, big guy like you shouldn't be bearing the same name as a mouse" 

He laughed at her insinuation, he never would admit it, but to an extent the cartoon had influenced his decision concerning the name, he took a free stool next to her, "So, Kachi, catchy name" 

She rolled her eyes with a smile, "Was waiting for that" she had gotten used to people over here mispronouncing her name, and then using the word 'catchy' as an added touch.

"Were you?"

"Yes, I was, the name isn't pronounced 'catchy' like you all have changed it to, but there's no point making corrections your accent won't allow...the full name is Karachi, but when I got here some people thought I was Japanese, thinking of going back to my Japanese roots now" she joked

"When you got here...where are you from?"

"Most populous black nation in the world"

It took him a while to process that information and come up with an answer, "You're Nigerian?"

She looked surprised-no, she was surprised that he had gotten it right at his first try, "Congratulations, you're the first American to get that at your first try"

"Do I get a prize?" he asked with a grin, he was already imagining his prize- her pretty little body naked on his bed, he would play that game over and over again just for the prize.

She thought on it for a while, "Order whatever drink you please, bill's on me" 

He chuckled, "Sweetheart, it's the office party, you're not paying for drinks"

She hit her hand on the table in mock anger, "Dang it! And I gave the bartender two dollars for this" she indicated the glass of what he guessed was guava juice in her hand

He laughed, "Really? You should get your money back" 

She shook her head, "Nah, he earned it" a bit of silence reigned between them for a short while before she spoke up, "So have you heard about the vice president?"

Jeremy's ears perked up at that, "No, what's the news on him?" 

"Oh, it's a he...the stories vary, I've been here a month and the stories are everywhere, he's like a ghost"

"Really? So what do you think of him?"

"I don't know, what am I supposed to think? Not everyone wants to be the office celeb, some people like their privacy, he could be one of them...the women here say he's hot though" she said with a twinkle in her pretty eyes, "..even some men"

He smiled, "Do they?"

"Yes, you ask a lot of questions"

"Do I?"

She laughed, "You're still doing it"

He laughed with her realizing she was right, "I am, aren't I?..." they exchanged knowing looks, "...still doing it" 

She nodded in the affirmative.

There was another reign of silence between them, and after a while, she broke it again, "So why haven't you run off?"

"What?" he asked, she didn't sound like she was just playing this time, like she really thought he'd up and leave at something she said.

"You know, everyone who hears I'm Nigerian scoots away minutes later" she replied almost nonchalantly, but he could tell that fact disturbed her more than she wanted to show, she leaned closer to him, "I think it's got something to do with my country" she whispered as though they were sharing some kind of top secret information.

He smiled, she was back to her goofy self, he liked that, but what he really liked was the sight of those lips of hers up close, what he would do to have a mistletoe hanging above them...

"Well, I don't care about where people come from, I base my judgments on what I think of a person, and you, my dear, are a witty, interesting, beautiful woman, and that's all I care about" 

She stared at him, did he just call her beautiful? Did Jeremy Adonis just call her beautiful? If she wasn't in a public place, she'd do one of those silly dances she had come up with, but without that option, she did the next thing that came to her just knowing her decision would come to haunt her sometime later- she kissed him. It was supposed to be somewhat of a peck, but Adonis didn't think so...

Jeremy couldn't believe his luck, she was kissing him? He'd be damned if he didn't grab this opportunity with both hands, he got off the stool as his arm came around her waist and he brought her little body flush against his chest and probed for something deeper, when she parted her lips and gave him entry, it was like an early Christmas gift for him, God! She tasted heavenly, his taste buds were attacked by the taste of guava and a hint of cherry. 

Kachi froze momentarily, feeling his tongue invade her mouth, she placed her hands on his hard chest as he ravaged her lips in ways that moistened her panties. She could never have imagined in a million years that this would be happening to her, she definitely never thought herself the kind of girl that would attract a man like Jeremy, she was much too goofy, from the wrong race, and most importantly, the wrong country, all that was needed to complete this was the sound of her alarm waking her up from what had to be her best dream ever.

"Jeremy?"

And there goes the alarm!

Jeremy let go of Kachi reluctantly, his hazy eyes met hers and by the look she gave him he just knew she had felt the same thing he just did in that one kiss.

He turned around to meet Susan's questioning gaze, "Hey Susie" he said casually, as though his default mother hadn't just caught him kissing a lady for all he was worth.

Susan's eyes left Jeremy briefly to rest on the female he had just had in his arms. She was definitely small for a man his size, but she was undoubtedly very pretty. Her godson suddenly used his large frame to block her perusal of the lady and her eyes returned to his.

"Your father was looking for you" she said, though it was obvious she wanted to see more of Kachi.

"Okay, tell him I'll be with him in a few minutes"

Susan raised her brows, this was a side to Jeremy she hadn't seen in years, he would usually drop whatever he was doing, leave whoever he was with, whenever his father needed his attention; but that was a topic she thought would be suitable for a later discussion, she definitely wanted to know more of this female that was able to hold Jeremy's attention because God knows Claire had been trying to do same unsuccessfully for the past three years.

"Will do" she replied as she turned around and left, glancing back at them until she got on the elevator.

Jeremy only noticed that Claire had left the position she was sitting in when he had come to the bar when his eyes moved in that direction and found the seat empty, but he wasn't about to go hunting for Claire just yet. He heard the sound of what he knew to be the theme song for Total Drama Island right behind him and turned to see his little goddess reaching into her purse and then getting out her phone- her ringtone was the theme song of a cartoon? Her cute level just reached the ceiling.

Kachi took out her phone and looked at the ID, it was Donald, her one hour of partying was over, she had totally forgotten she asked him to come pick her up at 10:00pm, what with meeting her dream hunk and everything else that followed. She answered the call and put it to her ear, "Yes?...I'm coming, I'm coming...give me three minutes Donny, I'll be right down" she cut the line and shoved the phone in the purse.

She would be right down? She was leaving already? He had barely basked in the afterglow of their kiss, "What's going on?" he asked, hoping she wasn't about to leave him hanging.

"I have to go now Jeremy, my friend's waiting for me outside"

"What? Already? Stay a while, please" he sounded much more upset than he intended to.

She smiled at him, "I wish I could, but I can't, I'll see you at work Monday" she said as she walked away without giving him a chance to say anything more.

Jeremy stared on at the path she had taken long after she was out of sight. He took his seat and buried his face in his hands, he so was not expecting this at a Christmas party, he sighed deeply as he shoved his hands in his hair. Kachi. He would go through every file containing the information on the company's employees until he found hers, there could only be one person bearing that name. 

A Christmas Party Ch. 03



***Hey guys, thanks for the encouraging comments, hope you like this chapter. Happy New Year***

The sound of the alarm sent Kachi flying off her bed. She groaned when she turned to her phone which was kept on the bed-side cupboard, maybe using Davido's 'Dami Duro' as the alarm tone wasn't as smart an idea as she had thought...knowing the kind of deep sleeper she was though, it was the most appropriate song she could get in terms of loudness, either that or metallic rock, and she would rather hit her head on the wall repeatedly than wake up to that.

She drug herself to the bathroom and stared into the mirror as her mind replayed the events of two nights ago, even now she couldn't believe all that had happened, it seemed like some sort of weird dream... she could bet when she got to work, she'd discover that 'Thor' neither worked in the office nor even existed to begin with...yes, by the end of today she'd be flipping through another GQ or Cosmopolitan Men magazine and wishing she had someone who looked like any of the men that graced the covers or the pages of those magazines fawning over her....okay, so maybe he wasn't exactly fawning, but still, it was nice to think he was.

She had barely stepped out of the bathroom when she heard her phone ringing, she rushed to it and picked it up to see the caller ID, it was Phumi, her closest friend after Donald, she clicked the answer button, "Hey Phi, how are you?"

"I'm okay, so how did the party go?"

Kachi shook her head, she should have known Phumi would be calling for that, it was a wonder she hadn't called much earlier, "Really Phi? Over the phone? On a Monday morning? Don't you have a certain work place to be?"

"Ooh, something happened, didn't it?" the mischief in Phi's voice was pronounced over her yet to be lost South African accent, Kachi was glad Phi had no problems speaking in her accent, one she swore never to get rid of, that was something they both had in common. Though she had to admit, hers wasn't as pronounced as she would like it to be.

"What are you? Sherlock Phi searching for clues in a mystery?"

"Sweetie, there's no mystery here, I KNOW something happened, else you'd have been rambling on about how much the party sucked by now, so spill it" 

Kachi smiled, she always knew, "When did you say you were travelling to SA?"

"Changing the subject? Really Kachi?" she asked, using the exact tone Kachi had used on her minutes ago.

"How about lunch this afternoon at that café....what's the name?"

"The one close to your office or mine?" Phi joked, they both worked in offices located on the same street and there was only one café in that vicinity

"Haha, very funny Phi"

"I love to make you laugh. So, I'm guessing Donny isn't invited"

"Of course he is" she put the phone on speaker and went about preparing for work knowing if she didn't begin now, she would never get off the phone with Phi

"Are you sure about that? We are going to talk about the guy you met at the office party right?"

Kachi paused at that comment as her eyes flew to the phone which was sitting on her dresser, "Guy? What guy?" She asked after two minutes of silence

She heard Phi scoff over the phone, "I was hoping to hear more about him from you" she replied, "Donny will freak if he hears you met someone" Phi laughed.

Kachi snorted, "He would do no such thing, Donny and I are cool" she said, but even she didn't believe that. She had been friends with Donald since she touched down on American soil, literally. He was the first person she had met at the airport who was her mate- technically, that had been friendly towards her, it had helped that they were both immigrants, though his family came from Monaco. She considered what they had a platonic friendship, but Phi constantly made it clear to her that Donald wanted more- she disagreed, but sometimes she couldn't stop that feeling....

Phi scoffed again, "Yeah right, even you don't believe that"

Eager to speak no further about whatever it was she and Donny had, she decided to bring an end to the call generally, "Phi, we'll talk later. I have to prepare for work, and you too. Can't believe I have to go back to that place, if not for this rent..."

"I know, I know, you would've been a gypsy" Phi finished.

Kachi laughed, "I wasn't going to say that Phi, later abeg" she said and immediately disconnected the phone to avoid any more attempts to continue the conversation

She was thankfully through in twenty minutes, a quick look at her wrist watch as she slipped it on revealed that she had about ten minutes until Donny came by to pick her up. They had a working agreement, that had him take her to work thrice a week, and social events on the weekends. He ran his father's supermarket and a carwash, it afforded him some time to himself, especially as he had a few employees to look after the place in his absence. It was one of those things she had always wished she had, but no, little Kachi would rather be someone's employee just to show her big brothers that she could do fine by herself, God! she really needed to think through some of the decisions she took before jumping right into them blindfolded.

As she walked out of her apartment, she spotted Donny's car on the driveway, and her best friend waving to her, his million dollar smile on display and coal dark, wavy hair with more hair products in them than she could say for hers, he was a sight alright. She had always wondered why he didn't have any girlfriends after Matilda, a girl he had dated for a few months in their freshman year in college, he definitely wasn't short of admirers. Her thoughts briefly touched on Phi's comment, could there be some truth in it? As she exchanged greetings and a customary hug with Donny and she took her place in the passengers' seat of his car, she dismissed the thought; Donny had no ulterior motives towards her, they were just really cool with each other.

*****

Jeremy stared absent-mindedly at his computer screen. He was supposed to be going through the end-of-the year financial records of the company, but his thoughts were far from that, he was committing a crime he absolutely loathed- cheating on the job.

All because of her.

He licked his lips unconsciously as he thought of that mind-blowing kiss they had shared for what had to be the thousandth time since it occurred. He shook his head to clear it of thoughts of his little vixen, but that had no effect whatsoever, bringing him to question how possible it was for one's thoughts to be held hostage so by a mere woman, a small one at that, was that normal or was he coming down with some illness?

Kachi.

Jeez! Even her name awoke his sleeping cock...that hadn't felt warmth in a while, but still, his lack of some action couldn't possibly be the reason of his infatuation with the woman.

He picked up the slip he had printed out that contained her full name, basic information like her date of birth, and place of origin, and the position she held in the office. She had only begun working here last month, why he hadn't noticed her...okay, maybe he would've taken a year to notice her if it wasn't for the party, he was more than a little detached with the staff of this establishment, only dealing with those he absolutely had to deal with; he would never have had to deal with the position she currently occupied, except she was promoted, even then, he doubted he would have noticed how good a company she made. He was sure he would have dismissed her as just another pretty face- much prettier than he was used to though.

He looked at the intercom which was just a few inches within his reach, he had refrained from asking that she report to his office for the past 3 hours, postponing the inevitable mostly because he didn't want to seem too eager, but the urge to see her was eating so deeply into him, he felt like in a couple of minutes, his life would depend on her presence.

He clicked on the intercom before he could stop himself and asked his secretary, Lee-Anne, to ask Kachi to his office.

******

Kachi stared at her sweaty palms, if she didn't calm her nerves she was going to have a freaking seizure right in front of the Vice President's office...oh no, wrong thought! Her nervousness had just tripled.

What was she doing here? Why did the VP summon her? A thousand thoughts ran through her mind when she was told that the VP wanted her in her office, what did he want with her? She didn't even know the guy, she had barely been here a month and the demigod of the office wanted her as the sacrificial lamb for what had to be the dumb mistake of one of her colleagues who she planned to cuss out and even cause bodily harm to if she was fired because of said person. She had checked up every single report and document in her possession for any shortcomings before she got here- twice! She knew she had been delaying the VP, but hell! She wanted to be ready for anything he threw at her.

She found no faults on her part, so it had to be one of those bitchy women she worked with who would do anything to sabotage her job here-despite her not offending them in any way- framing her up.

"Are you sure it's me he asked to see?" she asked Lee-Anne for what was definitely the fourth time since she got here. The secretary had on a smile; she seemed to be enjoying her nervousness.

"Of course. You really should go in now, you've wasted over ten minutes of his time and Mr. Blair doesn't like being kept waiting"

Kachi rolled her eyes, great, one more thing to add to the list of reasons she should be shaking in her pumps.

With one heavy sigh and a mental talking-to, she braced herself for impact as her small hand turned the door knob and she pushed the door open. She took another minute to finally gather up her wits to step into the office, and the sight that greeted her kept her feet rooted to the spot they were in for what she assumed was at least two minutes.

Him? Jeremy Thor Adonis Narcissus the Sixteenth was the VP? This had to be one of those prank shows on MTV. Really? They were now taking those to peoples' places of work? Phi had to be somewhere hiding by the corner...or was it Donny? They both had a thing for really expensive pranks.

As though to assure herself she wasn't a victim of one of those extremely annoying pranks, she did a double take and stepped out of the office to look at the sign she had been too nervous to notice at the door previously, and it read much to her shock: Jeremy A. Blair, VP.

She walked back into the office, slowly this time as it dawned on her that she had been fantasizing about the Vice President of her office, her employer, even more importantly...oh my God! She had said something about him that day, thinking back on it and confirming that it was nothing insulting, she gave an inward sigh of relief.

She stared at him for a while, without moving, waiting for him to give the go-ahead as she studied his still brilliant features. The lights at the party had definitely not done justice to him, and she thought he couldn't get any hotter than he had been that Saturday, shame on her! He looked every bit the executive hard-at work, the sleeves of his grey shirt were rolled up to his elbows, showing off strong hands she didn't doubt had done their own share of manual labor, he was leaning against his desk, arms crossed, and his long, athletic legs were crossed at his ankles, just the sight of him in that position made her all kinds of horny, the room suddenly seemed much too hot to be habitable.

A small smile crossed Jeremy's features when he noticed how shocked she was at seeing him here, and then the way she ran out of the office to assure herself that she was in the right place, got him grinning, only until she came back in- she wasn't smiling. He had pictured this differently, he had thought she'd have on a large grin when she realized he was the Vice President, and probably even give him another complimentary taste of her intoxicating lips, not stand there and stare at him like a child who was being scolded.

Seeing that she wasn't going to make any move to approach him, or even speak to him, he figured he'd break the ice.

"Hey" he said softly. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Hey" she replied. She wasn't sure what to do or even, if she was in trouble, she hadn't exactly familiarized herself with all the rules of this company, so she chose to take his lead.

Jeremy knew this wasn't the same care-free, witty woman he had met at the party, she seemed withdrawn all of a sudden, had his being the VP shocked her that much? Maybe he needed to do something to revive her.

With that thought in mind, he was inches away from her in four powerful strides, his arm took what had to be its rightful position around her small waist and he pulled her to him slowly, "It is me Kachi" he breathed just before his lips claimed hers as though to certify his claim. She went still in his arms only briefly and then loosened up. With the letting down of her guard, came access to what was presently the favorite coven of his wanton tongue until it was granted access to a part of her it desperately wanted to taste. 

Kachi's mouth welcomed the warmth of Jeremy's tongue, an amazing reminder that she hadn't been in one of her many silly dreams on Saturday, this was real, the way he kissed her, how good she felt when he held her-and the fact that HE wanted her. Her tongue dueled with his as her hands slid up his broad chest and came together in a knot behind his neck, thank God for these pumps, else she'd have been stretching like hell to reach that high.

He ended what had to be the most passionate kiss he had given anyone in years with a playful tug on her swollen bottom lip which he had between his teeth, "God! I missed you" he confessed as he pulled her closer in a hug.

Kachi said nothing in reply, her brain was too busy manufacturing questions she planned to ask him later. She couldn't deny she missed him too, hell! He had been the only thought in her head the entire weekend and most of the morning, but how come it never occurred to her that he was the Vice President? She had to admit, she wasn't one to look closer at anything, but it should have hit her that he bore somewhat of a resemblance to Jonathan Blair, the President.

She thought no further on the matter, not wanting to ruin this wonderful feeling of being in his arms, or the afterglow of having his lips on hers and his tongue in her mouth, she could only imagine Phumi's reaction when she gave her the news.

*****

The harsh, cold wind provided the right excuse for a steaming hot cup of coffee in the late hours of the morning that was lunch break for Kachi and Phumi.

The two women sat across from each other inside the café, their usual position was out in the sunlight, but they retreated inside during winter, nine and seven years respectively in the States hadn't quite change their dislike for the weather, while Kachi had a valid reason for hating the season, she was yet to wrap her head around Phumi's considering the fact that it snowed occasionally in SA as opposed to Nigeria where this time of the year was escorted by dry, cold wind that got people's skins as dry as sunned fish and provided the best time for those who sold body creams and lip balms. It had taken her two years to decide which she preferred between snow and harmattan, but considering the fact that there weren't as much road accidents during harmattan period as she saw here when it snowed, and she definitely didn't have to go out looking like a stuffed toy to avoid getting the flu or worse still, pneumonia, back in Nigeria, she had come up with her preferred weather.

Phumi's black eyes studied Kachi, they had met at one of the meetings organized for African Students in Diaspora, five years ago while in college at University of Columbus. She had been a freshie and Kachi was a junior, they had hit it off after Kachi had made one of her many jokes to loosen her up. It was her first time at the meeting and she didn't want to do leave a bad impression by doing something silly, thereby single-handedly ruining whatever social life she expected to have while in college. Once she had left that meeting with one new friend, she didn't feel like she needed any more, and her being introduced to Donald had increased the number of people she could be herself with outside of her family members, the three had been inseparable since then- except for when Kachi and Donald had graduated.

She considered Kachi her sister, even though they didn't exactly look alike; while Kachi was small and curvy, and had caramel skin, an aquiline nose and small, full lips, Phumi was much bigger, she was taller at 5 ft9", she wasn't exactly fat, just thick, especially around her hips and ass as was the nature of most women of Southern African descent, she had mahogany skin, a small, button nose that Kachi sometimes teased was almost non-existent, and fuller lips, it was undeniable that both were beautiful in their own way- but when they walked down the street together, Phi's rump earned her more cat calls than Kachi's smaller one. In fact if one wasn't told, he'd think Phi was the older of the two, when she was actually younger by two years.

"So, are you going to spill the beans already or you're saving it for when Donny comes to achieve the desired effect?" Phi asked apparently talking about the guy Kachi had met at the party. They had been here for ten minutes now, and Kachi had spoken on everything but the party, they had only twenty minutes till they had to return to work, and she expected Donny here fifteen minutes into this, and he was sure to take up ten of what would be their remaining fifteen minutes, doting on Kachi like she was the next Monalisa, Phi had nothing against that, but it was now getting boring; the whole thing with Donald and his subtle messages and Kachi's total inability to grasp them. She more often than not felt like an intruder in their conversations.

Kachi rolled her eyes, "What desired effect Phi?" 

Phi smiled, now thinking of the frown Donny would sport once he heard of Kachi meeting a man, and imagining how it would grow into a large scowl when Kachi gave details, and then the way he would dramatically leave their table to 'use the restroom', she missed that show, she hadn't seen it in up to a year since the last time Kachi had met a new guy...maybe lunch would be worth it.

"I shall speak no further, just get ready for at least a whole week of grouchy Donny, and if you and Mr. Perfect begin a relationship, Donny will do EVERYTHING within his power to make sure you and him break up"

Kachi frowned, "Stop it Phi, I've told you, Donny doesn't like me like that, and he isn't as scheming as you're making him seem, he would freak if he knew you said all this about him" she scolded. Phi had a wild imagination, and for the past three years, she had her mind made up that there was more to Donny's friendship than there really was, she made it a priority to analyze everything Donny did as an act to please Kachi, recently though, her suspicions had been getting to Kachi more than she wanted them to. She couldn't bring herself to think that Donny liked her like 'that', there couldn't be any romantic relations between them, that would totally upset the balance of the entire universe.

Just as Phi was set to give a reply, there was the clinking of the bell which was hung by the door to signify the entrance of a new customer, Phi, who was sitting in the perfect position to see who was coming through and going out the door, smiled, "Speak of the lover-boy" she said.

Phi turned to look over her shoulder to see Donny's light brown eyes searching for them, he gave a lean smile and a small wave when his eyes caught them. They watched with interest as he got his coffee, totally ignoring every attempt by the lady at the counter to flirt with him.




A Christmas Party Ch. 03



"Give it up already hoochie, that dude is sprung on a certain lady friend of his" Phi said as she sipped on her coffee. 

Kachi glared at her, but said nothing, she wasn't about to go at it with Phi again.

Donny and indicated for Kachi to scoot over while he sat beside her- too close for comfort.

She purposely kept her eyes away from Phi knowing the 'I told you so' look she'd be sporting by now.

"Hey guys" Donny began enthusiastically, just before he pecked Kachi's cheek and squeezed Phi's hand across the table.

"Hey Donny, how's the supermarket?" Phi asked, the smug smile, which was directed at Kachi, not leaving her lips.

"It's doing well, so what's up with you both?" Donny asked, he was vaguely aware of the looks they were exchanging, he was going to ask, but on second thought, he figured they would tell him when they wanted.

"Nothing" Phi replied, stirring her cup of tea absent mindedly, she paused and smiled mischievously, "I think Kachi has something to tell us"

"Really? What is it?" He turned to Kachi, just the sight of her did things to his body...things he wanted to acknowledge, but would rather keep mum about to prevent any rifts between them, he definitely didn't want to lose his best friend to something like that.

Kachi hesitated to speak, seeing that glow in Donny's eyes made her re-think the whole idea of talking about Jeremy in his presence...but doing that would mean she believed Phi, and she didn't...right?

"Kachi met this guy at their office party" Phi spoke up seeing that Kachi wasn't about to.

Just as she predicted, Donny's smile faded almost as quickly as the words had left Phi's lips, his demeanor changed and one could literally feel the disapproval oozing from him.

"Really? Who's he?" He asked drily as he picked up his cup of coffee and drank it, it soothed his throat and cleared it of the dryness that he wasn't aware was there. He just couldn't stand the thought of Kachi with another man, at least when she was single, there was a glimmer of hope that he could still make his move on her, but with the presence of another man...

"His name's Jeremy" Kachi replied, she didn't sound as enthusiastic as she wanted to be, she had just met a really successful, ambitious, good-looking guy, who liked her as much as she did him, stuff like this rarely ever happened to her. Being so small, she had lived in the shadows of the bigger girls, those who were taller, with more pronounced curves, not to say she wasn't curvy, but considering her small frame, she was definitely no Nicki Minaj, hence, the attention from boys and men was minimal. Finally, she had what he had always envisioned as her dream man, and her best friend's lack of enthusiasm had totally dampened hers.

"And?" Phi asked with a large smile, she was apparently oblivious to the fact that she was the only one really interested in knowing anything concerning a new man in Kachi's life.

"He's my boss" 

Phi stared at her wide-eyed, "He's what?" the story was definitely getting interesting

"My boss"

"Boss as in supervising officer, manager..."

"Boss as in the Vice President of the company I work in" 

There was a brief silence among all three of them, Phi stared at her like she thought her friend had just hit a gold mine. Kachi didn't quite think so, she knew to an extent, a man's financial status ought to be a factor in a relationship, but that was the least on her mind.

"So he must have a lot of money" Donny said coldly. He knew the company Kachi worked for was one of the biggest in the state and the entire country in fact, hence he expected the Vice President to earn nothing less than a six figure sum yearly, that was definitely more than his yearly income, so his rival- that was the position this Jeremy guy was taking as of today- definitely had the upper hand in the wealth section.

"I don't know" Kachi replied softly, she could guess Jeremy was worth a sizeable fortune, his father owned a company that ranked eighth in the richest in the country, so he should own an impressive amount...but what good would that information do her...or Donny?

Phi, the only excited person at their table presently, continued her interrogation, "How do you mean you don't know? You work in the finance department..."

"I've been there for a month Phi, it's not like I'm a walking ledger for the company's finances"

Phi shrugged, Kachi didn't sound like she wanted to continue that train of conversation, she didn't get the tension...okay, so she got Donny's, but she couldn't understand why Kachi was so. She knew Kachi had no romantic feelings towards Donny, it sucked when you really liked someone and the person wasn't as into you, but she wouldn't be mulling over that if she were in Kachi's shoes.

Not quite done, she flung in one last question, "Have you kissed him?"

Twice! Kachi screamed in her head, and each was as mind-blowing and arousing as she had always imagined kisses should be. She noticed both her friend's staring expectantly at her, though for different purposes, while Phi was more interested in knowing as a girl to girl thing, Donny wanted to soothe his restless mind...she kept quiet much too long, thereby relaying the reply.

Donny was speechless, she had kissed him, and this wasn't just some random 'it doesn't mean anything' kiss, she had had those, and had come to them rambling on about how terribly the guy kissed, or how his breath smelt like tobacco or garlic, he had reeled in laughter from every episode of 'Date Gone Wrong' from Kachi, partly because she really did have a humorous perspective to even the worst dates, but mostly because he was glad there was still a chance for him to take his rightful place as her man, but now, her silence...she had NEVER remained silent at any of these questions, it spoke more than she probably intended to divulge; she really liked this guy. 

He suddenly felt very hot, his lips were in a tight frown, his strong jaw clenched and his light brown eyes suddenly turned dark.

"I need to use the restroom ladies, 'be back in a few" he said as he stood up and headed straight for the restroom without waiting for either of them to acknowledge his comment. He couldn't stay here and listen to this, if he knew Phi well-and he did, she'd be asking for further details, how it felt, if he was a good kisser...information that would have a few glass cups shattered and in the bin when he got home if he listened to them. Kachi was HIS, he may not have claimed her yet, or even called dibs, but there were some things he needn't do to get that across to every man-including this Jeremy person.

Phumi gave Kachi a knowing look; she knew this was going to happen, but she wasn't about to stop getting under Donald's skin concerning his feelings for Kachi if he wouldn't spill it out already. While he was busy living in lala land and thinking Kachi would always be there for him to move in on when he finally grew the balls to, real men were noticing the gem that was his best friend, and it was only a matter of time before he was permanently fired from his voluntary post of Assistant Boyfriend.



A Christmas Party Ch. 04



The sound of Lee-Anne's voice over the intercom drew Jeremy's attention from the work at hand.

"Sir, Miss Iloh is here, do I let her in?" she asked.

Kachi.

She was the sole purpose of the extra time he was putting into his work, in an effort to ward off thoughts f her, he had drowned himself in his work-that didn't do him a lot of good, so he asked to see her, the only way to get something our of your system was to confront it....right?

"Yes, please do" he replied.

Kachi was in his office in a matter of minutes. He looked up from his work and felt his heart momentarily stop, God! She was gorgeous! Her small frame was wrapped in a grey, knee-length, bandage dress that accentuated her curves so well he felt his dick stand at attention at the sight, who in the hell let her walk the streets dressed in that?!

"You asked for me Sir?" she asked softly in that oh-so-sexy Nigerian accent that complemented her sexiness.

That question and the tone with which it was asked carried a promising message, he would confront this problem alright; and have it screaming his name and begging for him in every language known to man.

"Yes, I did" he replied after clearing the dryness in his throat, what powers did this woman wield over him that got him so nervous? He who had addressed top shots in the world of business and politics all over the globe was suddenly nervous because of a mere woman, what an irony.

He was going to stand up and approach her, but the obvious bulge in his pants halted that movement- she would come to him.

"Well, what for?" she asked when he made no attempt to give further explanation on his purpose for asking her to his office. She approached his desk slowly in her four-inch heels which performed the double tasks of elevating her and showing off her toned, caramel legs that he could already imagine wrapped around his waist while he pounded into her little, tight, wet, willing...

"Mr. Blaire?" she called, breaking him out of his reverie

His eyes moved upwards to meet hers, there was a mischievous smile on her lips- those small, full lips he had wanted wrapped around his cock from the moment he laid eyes on them.

She leaned over his desk- the only item keeping her safe from his ravaging, and stared deeply into his lust-filled eyes, "Do I turn you on, Mr. Blaire?" she asked throatily.

The flowery scent of her perfume, the sound of her sexy, arousing voice, that accent, and the sight of her mouth-watering cleavage calling to him, merged into one and sent his brain-and cock on overdrive. Before either of them knew it, he literally pulled her across the desk and onto his lap, and his hands and lips were attacking every part of her they could reach.

With her moans and sighs egging him on, and her lean fingers digging into his thick, blonde mane, Jeremy's hands roughly fondled Kachi's 36C breasts, and his lips sprayed kisses along her slender neck. He tweaked her beaded nipple, eliciting a moan from her lips, her heavy breathing was like sweet, melodious music to his ears, he had never wanted so badly to pleasure and be pleasured by a woman.

One hand slid lower to her exposed thigh, her dress had ridden up three inches over her spread legs, He took in a sharp breath when he felt her grinding her soaking wet crotch against his bulge.

"Oh God! Mr. Blaire..sir, you're so big" she breathed. 

There was no overstatement there.

He hadn't given his size much thought until now, but he knew he was at least ten inches long at full girth- and Kachi was going to testify to not just his length, but his sexual prowess, once he was through with her fine ass. 

"Call me Jeremy" he said as his fingers finally found her snatch, pushing her lacy panties aside, he slid one, two fingers into her tight cunt.

"Oh! Jeremy" she damn near screamed as his thick fingers fucked her into oblivion, he reveled at her sounds of unadulterated pleasure and her facial expressions which mirrored how good she was having it, he bit at her erect nipple through the material of her dress and bra, making her whimper, a few more thrusts from his finger and her body's sudden stiffness and consequent wild jerking was enough to let him know he had brought her to an orgasm.

With his dick all set to explode, he slid his soaked fingers out of her and had her on his desk, her dress bunched up around her waist and her legs spread in open invitation. With a speed he wasn't aware he possessed, he had his belt unbuckled and his pants pooled around his ankles. His boxers followed suit, and his 11-inch cock danced for joy at it's freedom, he smiled seeing Kachi's amazed expression, it was time to put this baby to work.

He pulled her closer to the edge of his desk and slowly slid his length into her treasure nest.

"Oh, Jeremy...Jeremy...oh" she moaned. He couldn't get enough of the sound of her calling his name.

"Jeremy, Jeremy.."

Her voice had changed, perhaps receiving the pounding of her life aktered her voice. As she repeatedly called hus name door, the voice grew more distant, he swore he could hear a totally different voice, familiar, but certainly not Kachi's, perking his ears up for better hearing, it sounded like...

Susie!

Jeremy's eyes flew open to find his godmother hovering over him, concern written on her face.

"Are you alright son?" she asked, checking hi temperature, he was sweating profusely.

Jeremy blinked once, twice, and frowned when he realized he had been having another one of those frustrating wet dreams where Kachi was the lead, he had so many of those recently, he considered seeing the family doctor, surely there must be some sort of medication to end this torment.

"Susie, what time is it?" he groaned, wondering what his godmother was doing in his house so early.

"It's 9:o8 am Jeremy" Susan replied as she went to draw the curtains open.

"What the fuck?!" he exclaimed as he sat up fully, he had NEVER slept this late on a weekday- not even on weekends.

He noticed Susie's eyes trained on his lower region, once the sun streaming in, provided some light in his previously dark room, his eyes followed hers and he all but died of pure embarrassment at the sight he got, his cock had formed a tent in his sheets.

"Holy crap!" he turned over, lying on his chest to hide his too-obvious erection from a now smiling Susan, she might be his godmother, but she definitely had never seen this side of him.

"I'm guessing a certain Kachi is to blame for that?" she asked, her brows cocked, and her lips upturned in a mischievous smile. She had walked into the room to sounds of him breathing heavily and groaning 'Kachi' repeatedly.

Jeremy didn't reply, the embarrassment hadn't quite washed off.

"I'll give you some privacy" she said as she made her way out of the room, "There's a public holiday today, it's Christmas eve and we're going shopping for presents" she said just before she walked out and closed the door behind her.

Jeremy grunted at her exit as he pushed the sheets off his body and flung long, muscular legs off the bed, he frowned at the sight of his cock which was yet to be completely flaccid. As he went into the bathroom with thoughts of jerking-off to the image of Kachi, her nubile body spread on his bed, awaiting his conquer, he felt his dick come back to life- it was going to be a long, long shower.

             *****

 The sun was shining, bringing some warmth to the usual cold, the roads had been cleared of last night's snow and the streets were crowded with people hurrying to make their final purchases before Christmas. 

Christmas was literally in the air, the aromas of everything from ginger bread men to apple pie and baked turkey filled the air, it was enough to make anyone hungry.

Jeremy and Susan were sitting inside a coffee shop, which boasted not just the best coffee in the area, but the best confectionary too. It was a simple place, not the over decorated restaurants he was used to. Only Susan could make him come into such a place, when having business meetings or the likes, the place of choice would be some five star restaurant with overpriced dishes that tasted as bland as the price tags on them and an interior that looked like Michel Angelo and Da vinci vomited in the place.

As he ate a very crisp croissant to go with his cappuccino, he relaxed in the ambience of the place, he could definitely get used to eating here

Susan studied her godson, from his birth, she had always known he'd grow into an attractive and smart man, but he had by far surpassed what she had imagined both in looks and success. She knew how much the death of his mother had destroyed him, and seeing him so broken all those years had made her pray to God that some day he would find peace and happiness. When Claire had come into his life three years after the unfortunate incident, she had thought a woman would sooth him and lighten him up, unfortunately, Claire's presence did little to help his situation. He remained in that little shell he had crafted to keep him away from the world, he paid her no mind, and even when he did, it wasn't in the way she knew Claire wanted, he just wasn't attracted to her despite her glaring beauty, but this new woman...

"Do you like her?" she asked with her eyes fixed on Jeremy, the question had an obvious answer, but she wanted to hear it from his lips.

Jeremy's eyes left the window through which he had been watching pedestrians go by, "what?"

"This lady, Kachi, do you like her?"

He dropped the croissant in his hand and swallowed the bite he had been chewing, "Maybe" he shrugged. He wasn't willing to admit he liked Kachi, it seemed too...easy. He who had been beyond an introvert was suddenly growing feelings for a woman he had met only a week ago? And why? Because she was funny, witty, beautiful and had the body to ensure World peace? That definitely wasn't enough to bring down the multiple steel barriers he had built around him...but what if it was?

Susan smiled at his hesitance to admit his feelings, "Maybe? You're having wet dreams about a woman and ignoring you father's call and you're still on a 'maybe' with your feelings for her? Come on Jeremy, don't lie to me"

Susan's ability to read through his façade was both a blessing and a curse depending on the situation on ground, "I don't know Susie, I can't say" he admitted

"But you're attracted to her"

He nodded, "That I am"

Susan smiled at that admission, "Well, that's a start" she was just glad there was a light at the end of the tunnel for her baby's love life, no matter how dim. This girl was definitely a good addition to Jeremy's life, and she planned to do some investigation concerning her, what kind of godmother would she be if she allowed her godson walk into a trap?

There was a dearth of conversation between them, during which neither noticed the entrance of Claire.

"My,my, who do we have here?" she began with a pleasant smile as her emerald eyes gleamed in excitement. She had only come here to get a sub sandwich and some donuts for her father who loved the snacks this restaurant offered. She didn't like this place much, because she found it a bit low-class, but her father's likes came above hers when she wanted a favor from him.

Jeremy looked up at her, his expression flat, mostly because he thought it would be rude to frown at her- which was what he really wanted to do. He had been so pissed at her since her little show during the office party, not only had she thrown up on one of the office directors, but she had gone on to dance uninhibitedly on the bar. He found her actions unbefitting of a lady and disappointing...and to think she passed herself off as some prim, proper lady..well, she was all of that- when her system wasn't overloaded with alcohol.

"Hello, Claire. How are you?" Susan spoke up with a bright smile when she saw that Jeremy was in no mood for a conversation with Claire.

"I'm fine Susie, may I join you both?"

"Of course" Susan replied, Claire sat on a vacant seat between Susan and Jeremy.

"Are you still mad at me because of the party Jerry? I apologized" Claire began staring at Jeremy with puppy-dog eyes.

"You really should stop calling me Jerry, Claire, you know how it pisses me off" he said coldly.

"I'm sorry" she said softly, "Hey, I was thinking, there's going to be this New Year's eve party at my friend's place..."

"I'm not interested" he cut her off before she could even finish, it was just like Claire to go for more social functions than a sitting President, and then get wasted at such events, and he would only follow her to make sure she got home safely. He was sure he could find better things to do on New Year's eve- like fantasize about Kachi.

"But it'll be fun"

He said nothing in reply, just downed the rest of his cappuccino and looked at Susie, "You ready to leave Susie?" He stood up without waiting for her reply, "It was nice to see you Claire, my regards to your parents" he gave a lean smile and walked out of the coffee shop as both Claire and Susan watched him in shock.

             ******

 How dare he treat her like that?!

Claire seethed in her car as she drove to a high-and jewelry store where she planned to get herself a nice Christmas present courtesy of her mother's credit card. He had no right to walk out on her like she was nothing, she deserved more from Jeremy, why di he always have to treat her like trash and act like she was the one chasing him...but wasn't she?

Claire Gareth had always gotten everything she wanted. The daughter of a Texan oil magnate and a heiress worth millions, it was safe to say she had NEVER lacked, all she had to do was ask- verbally or non-verbally, and people would literally be falling over themselves to please her...until now.

In all of Claire's life she had never met a man that could resist her feminine charms, she was trained in the art of seduction- hell! She took an eight hundred dollar per month class just to learn how to attract and keep a man. It irked her to no end that the one man she wanted to put all her training to use on was totally immune to her charms.

There was nothing humanly possible she hadn't tried to capture Jeremy Blaire's attention, but she could have as well been a speck of dirt on his $12,000 Italian leather shoes by the way he treated her. She was fully aware that her family wanted her to reign as queen in the heart of the most eligible bachelor in all of Ohio, not only did the title come with prestige, but it strengthened both families and made them an invincible force in the state, but she was starting to think Jeremy might not possess a heart after all. He was so cold to her, if he had to warm up, it was nothing more than a passive glance of acknowledgement, or a few words- of advice.

Every time he spoke to her, she felt more like his rebellious teenage sister than a twenty-five year old woman who was vying for his heart. She didn't get him. She knew losing a parent cou;d be gut-wrenching, but Jeremy gave that word a whole new meaning, how could a man who was 6ft 5" of pure sex and carnal desires shut himself down as far as women were concerned? At first, she had thought him a closet homosexual, but she couldn't even name one man he related with after his father, there was Lee, his high school friend, but he was married and Claire could swear Lee was as straight as Ricky Martin was gay.

As she parked her 2011 Bentley- a Christmas gift from her unclem in the parking lot reserved for the jewellrt store, her phone rang.

She fished the diamond-studded gadget from her purse and rolled her eyes with a grunt when she saw the caller ID- it was Lee-Anne, that girl could snitch on her own family with the right 'motivation', hence she had been the best candidate to plant as a spy in Jeremy's office to 'infiltrate; his dealings. It had only been a minor push to get her the job as his secretary, and she had been her diligent informant since then.

She contemplated ignoring the call, it's not like Lee-Anne ever had any useful information for her concerning Jeremy, all she ever got was a schedule that included business meetings and lunch with Susan and Dillan- Jeremy's father- nothing that interested Claire. 

She answered the call after further thought, "What is it?" she began, her tone icy, making it clear to Lee-Anne that she was in no mood for her blabbering.

"Good afternoon, Miss Gareth, how has your day been?" Lee-Anne began pleasantly, like she hadn't just been spoken to like some pesky servant.

"Do you have anything for me, Lee-Anne?" Claire asked totally ignoring her question.

"Ye...yes ma'am, I do have something to tell you"

"So? Spill it already!" Claire said. Her tone dripping with impatience.

"He asked one of the employees to his office some days ago, a female"

"And? Is she the first female to be asked into his office?"

"No ma'am..but, this one is different, she's the lady he was talking to at the office part, and when she walked out of the office, he gave her a peck on her forehead"

Claire's eyes widened, "He did what?!" she asked in disbelief, Jeremy wouldn't even touch her purposely in private and he was openly pecking this...this...intruder! In the presence of someone else? What the fuck?!

"I was as shocked as you are ma'am" Lee-Anne said sincerely. After working as Jeremy's secretary for eight months, she had peggen him as one of those really hot guys who preferred to let women imagine what could have been, a tease. Not intentionally though, but he was still one. 

Claire comported herself as her mind worked on overdrive thinking of all the things she'd do to the little slut who had the nerve to step into her territory, by the time she was through with the twit, she'd wish she had never entered Ohio, even less met Jeremy Blaire, "Do you know this woman?"

"Not really ma'am, she just began working here a little over a month ago"

Claire bit her thumb in thought, "Is she pretty?" perhaps some women would find that information irrelevant, a rival was a rival, right? But Claire needed to know if she was going to have an easy fight or a hard one.

Lee-Anne hesitated before answering, "Not as pretty as you are ma'am"

Claire was no fool, her hesitation and consequent reply only meant one thing; this woman was just as pretty, if not prettier than she was.

"Get close to this...woman, and find out EVERYTHING you can about her and get back to me, you understand?"

"Yes ma'am"

Claire disconnected the call at that, how could he? Virtually everyone in that office knew she and him were supposed to be an item, and he had the guts to even touch another woman romantically- an employee at his office! Was he trying to mock her? No worries, she was going to kill off this seed before it could germinate.



A Christmas Party Ch. 05



**Hey guys, thanks for previous comments. Hope you like this chapter, please drop your comments so I know how I'm doing so far**



       Donald 'Donny' Iliamson had always been self conscious. Since his childhood, he had never quite fit in with the crowd. While in elementary school, he had been one of the dullest students in class, and whatever he lacked in academics, he definitely didn't make up for in sports, he sucked at everything he tried his hands on so much so that he constantly felt the word 'SUCKER' was stamped on his forehead for all to see.

He had been taunted, bullied and damn near abused due to his then scrawny figure, somewhere between all of that psychological and emotional abuse, he had learned to shut everything out, he numbed himself to the taunts, thereby becoming an introvert. All through Junior high and High school he had barricaded himself from every form of socialization, despite the changes he went through during puberty from a scrawny little boy to a tall, broad-shouldered hunk of a man, he hadn't let it affect his attitude. He paid no mind to the many advances of horny teenage girls who viewed him as just another stud whose virility ought to go through rigorous testing and consequent approval or otherwise. It was quite amusing that the same girls who were drooling over him in High school had been part of the bane of his existence all through Elementary and Junior High, laughing at and mocking him at every chance they got. His being a defender in the school's soccer team- and an extremely reliable one at that, had made him more popular than he wished to be, and with steady grades, he had managed to extricate himself from the roll-call of the dumbest students in class.

He had graduated as the fifth best student of his class, a feat that not only excited, but shocked some of his many relatives who had always envisioned a miserable, wretched life for him, or at most, a life as a trader in the fish market.

A month after his graduation, his father came home with the news that the entire family would be immigrating to the U.S.A, after he won a visa lottery.

Suffice it to say, it was with a large grin and a glad heart that Donny waved goodbye to his homeland and the source of all his psychological torture for seventeen years of his life as he, his father, mother, and little sister boarded the plane to the land of the free.

When he had first set eyes on /Kachi at baggage claim in the airport, his breath had hitched in his throat, she was only fifteen at the time, but damn it if he didn't think her the most beautiful creature upon the earth. He had watched her intently, noting the fact that she was trudging behind a man he assumed to be her father, and two huge guys he later discovered were her brothers.

She had looked so cute with them, her small frame dwarfed by their much bigger ones. He had admired her nice ass which was accentuated in a pair of blue, form-fitting jeans, and had ogled at her perfect breasts, which as at then hadn't reached their present size, and he had gotten a 'stiff' reminder that he was a man. 

He temporarily left his family and went to introduce himself, with every step he took toward her, he marveled at the confidence that seemed to pop out of nowhere, back in Monaco, he would never have even considered walking up to a girl, but here he was doing something he hadn't thought himself capable of. He had stopped in his tracks, a few feet away from where she was when she turned and her eyes fell on him, he had suddenly panicked, wondering if that dorky part of him that was a constant repellant as far as other humans were concerned had resurfaced, in a tumultuous fit, he had considered turning around and recoiling into his shell, his earlier confidence gone like smoke, but his doubts were cleared when she gave him one of her heart-warming smiles and looked away, her angelic face was a sight to behold, trumping all other females within a mile. From that moment on, it was a done deal- Donald Iliamson was head over heels in love with Karachi Iloh .

That night, for the first time ever, he had masturbated to thoughts of Kachi and promised himself that some day, she would bear his last name.

Fast forward nine years later and he was nowhere near fulfilling that promise, time and time again, he had considered asking her out on a formal date, but he had allowed fears and uncertainty deter him from doing so. All through college he had gone everywhere with her, he had dam near stalked her, making known to every potential suitor that she was taken in a non-verbal manner, only two guys had been able to infiltrate his fortress, and he hadn't had to bother himself concerning them, they were out the door once they realized that Kachi didn't plan on giving up the 'goods' anytime soon, and he was a phone call away from giving them the bruise if they dared to try anything funny with her.

He had been by her side those four years, protected her when she felt threatened, cared for her when she was ill, comforted her when she was sad, laughed with her when she was happy, sacrificed his time just to help her complete a report before the deadline for submission, but most importantly, he had loved her even when there were no assurances that she would reciprocate the feeling.

Even while he was dating Matilda, he had felt like he was cheating on Kachi, the fact that his best friend was happy he had found some girl to occupy his time with instead of hounding her every chance he got had annoyed him. He had expected a different reaction, he had WANTED her to be jealous, make several tantrums to carry that message, he had wanted her to fight for him...

But who was he to want such from her when he never made any attempts to fight for her? What other way was there to prove that one was a true man apart from fighting for what or who he loved? 

For seventeen years of his life, he had been given the emotional beat down by others, but for the past nine years, he had been the reason for his heart-break, his inability to voice out his feelings to Kachi for fear of rejection had resulted in constant self-pity, and Phi's poking had done nothing to ease that feeling...despite being grown, he couldn't help but think that all the emotional abuse he had faced from his peers when he was younger had contributed to his lack of confidence and his fear of rejection. It didn't matter how much money he made, how buffed he was, how handsome he was, he just would never be able to take away that feeling of not being up to par.

He looked at his reflection from his side-view mirror once more, he knew he looked smashing, but for Kachi- smashing was never good enough. It was their usual Christmas day get-togther, and by get-together, he meant a time for just himself, Kachi and Phi to eat a nice meal, dance to good music, call loved ones, goof off, watch the funniest comedies they could lay their hands on, and bid each other goodbye- or stay over, depending on how intoxicated they were at the end of the day.

With the outfit of choice ranging from casual to formal, depending on the preference of the 'host' for that year, they made it seem like some high-end party of the year...with friends, even the smallest things were viewed in a larger perspective.

This year's gathering was at Kachi's place, and the agreed upon outfit was formal. Dressed up in a suit Kachi had gotten him for his birthday, a white shirt and a red, slim tie to celebrate the season. 

Satisfied with his appearance and with a large bowl of Brandamincium, a traditional Monegasque dish, in hand, he walked up to Kachi's apartment and gave a slight knock. It was the highlight of their get-together that each person share a traditional dish with the others, not only did it help them reminisce about the good times of their home country, but it also educated them on the foods of their different nations, so far, Donny could mention at least five different Nigerian and South African dishes, and confidently cook two from each list, but he had promised himself he'd learn more of Nigerian dishes to surprise and please Kachi when they were married...oh, the many unfulfilled dreams of Donald Iliamson.

The door was opened by Phi who had on one of Kachi's shirts and a pair of shorts, there was an apron tied around her waist to signify that they were still preparing the meals for the day.

She looked him over, noting how nice he looked in his suit in contrast to her under-dressed self, "Na wa o, na you dress pass." she commented in Nigerian pidgin, hanging with Kachi had taught her more than a few things...Donny too.

"I thought the agreement was formal, it's already ten, you guys should be dressed by now"

"We're women, we have to cook and do a lot of things in the kitchen before getting dressed. My Valentino dress won't look good with tomato splashed all over it" she replied as she made her way to the kitchen, "Kachi he's here."

"Finally, give him an apron, we'll need an extra hand to get this finished in less than an hour." Kachi said from the kitchen.

"Apron? I don't think aprons and suits go together." Phi replied

"Suit? What su..." Kachi didn't finish her sentence as she came out to see Donny looking suave and every bit a heart-breaker in the suit she had bought him, but never thought he'd ever wear. Donny didn't exactly like suits- or ties, or anything that had to do with an office, but she had gotten him one for 'emergency' purposes, some day he was going to upgrade his father's business to a million dollar venture, and he needed to look the part on the way to the top.

"I'm sorry sir, we aren't holding auditions for the part of James Bond here, you sure you're in the right place?" she asked with a serious expression, which grew into a smile.

Donny grinned, genuinely happy that she found his appearance good enough for a James Bond role, he was flattered, ecstatic, over the freaking moon...funny what the right compliments from the right woman could do to a man's ego, "Hey" he greeted.

She walked up to him and gave him a small hug, "Merry Christmas bestie."

"Merry Christmas, love." he inhaled the scent of her perfume mixed with the aroma of the food she was cooking in the kitchen, having her so close did things to him, he would kiss her right here if Phi wasn't present- and if he didn't fear the repercussions, 'fear' being the operative word here. He held on to her much longer than normal, reveling in how good her small body felt in his, he could hold her like this forever.

Kachi left his embrace when it got a bit uncomfortable, "Let me not spoil your nice get up here, with all of this..." she indicated the various stains on her apron, she needn't give an explanation as to why she moved away, but it somehow appeased her feeling of guilt when she saw the disappointed expression on his face- Donny was no master in the arts of hiding one's feelings, "...you can sit out the whole cooking thing, I and Phi will finish up soon." she said, "thanks for this." she took the bowl from his hand and leaned up to him, placing a light peck on his cheek. 

That small gesture returned the smile to Donny's face, "You're welcome." 

She smiled and returned to the kitchen, "Smells lovely, what's it called?" she asked from the kitchen, apparently referring to Donny's dish.

"We'll save that for the show and tell." Phi replied, she walked up to Donny, "I hope this is the Christmas you tell her how you feel." she said to him, making sure to lower her voice so that Kachi wouldn't hear her. She didn't wait to hear his reply as she joined Kachi in the kitchen before the expression of shock left his face.

               *****

   "Okay, Merry Christmas again. Love you"

Kachi got off the phone with her immediate elder brother, I.K and gave a deep sigh. She missed her family. Since she moved to Ohio for college, she only saw them six times each year, her father had tried talking her into moving back to New York to help in running the family's restaurant- one that offered the best of Nigerian cuisine, but living in the shadows of her men was not what she visualized herself doing for the rest of her life.

Being the only female of four kids, it was no surprise that Kachi received 'special' attention from her family, and her mother's death eleven years ago had only worsened matters for her, as the only female left of her family, her father and brothers rarely let her out of their sights, it was only by the grace of God- and the presence of Donny, that they let her go to college in a different state.

"So, that's the last call." Phi said.

"And what an earful it was." Donny added, I'K had read him the riot act on why he was giving in to Kachi's whims and hiding 'important' information from them, and by important information he meant Kachi's new job. So they hadn't called to break the news, but it was only because Kachi wanted to give it some time. He would admit to giving in to Kachi's whims, her brothers didn't know it yet, but he would literally move mountains for their baby sister.

"Don't be a sissy." Phi joked, "You shouldn't be hiding stuff if you don't want repercussions"

"So, what's next?" Donny asked.

"Show and tell." Phi replied, having already eaten some hours ago, it was time to bring out the traditional dishes. Kachi went into the kitchen to get the dishes just as there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Phi shouted. She opened the door to see a deliveryman with two large bouquets, "ooh, flowers"

"Good afternoon ma'am, are you Miss Iloh?" he asked

"No, but this is her apartment" Phi replied, "Kachi, it's for you" she called as her eyes roamed the flowers, and her mind did a roll-call on who could be sending Kachi flowers. The first name that came to mind was Donny, maybe he had finally fished out his balls from the red sea and decided to make his move this year, what a way to start! 

Kachi was at the door in minutes, "What is...?" she stared at the bouquets in the deliveryman's hands, they were a compilation of her favorite flowers, red roses, violets, and lilies. It was a beautiful sight.

"Miss Iloh?"

"Yes."

"These are for you." he said as he handed her the bouquet. 

Phi grabbed them.

"Sign here please." the deliveryman said, genuinely amused by Phi's action

Kachi signed, her thoughts racing on who could be responsible for this, it was definitely a nice gesture, "Thank you."

The deliveryman nodded in reply and turned around and walked off to his next destination. Kachi had barely closed the door when she heard Phi speaking

"There's a note." 

She came into the sitting room to see Phi and Donny standing over the bouquets which were sitting on a table. Their postures reminded her of a scene from CSI when the officers found a dead body.

Donny was scowling, he looked deep in thought...well, that struck him off the list as a possible sender. As she moved closer, her thoughts suddenly fell on Jeremy, could he be the one? It gladdened her to no end that he had actually thought of her on Christmas day, it was a good sign, maybe they could actually go somewhere...assuming this was from him of course.

"Come over here and open the note already." Phi said, she was about to burst out of curiosity, she needed to know this mystery man.

Kachi picked up the note and opened it. Inside was a poem written calligraphically. It read:

 " Jingle bells, Christmas cheers

 Lovely flowers for a lovely girl

 It's kinda cheesy sending a poem

 But never so, if to a gem

 Lilies, roses and violets I've sent

 Hoping to my lady, I make a perfect gent".                 



           Merry Christmas,                        

               Jeremy.

Kachi's smile grew wider with every line she read, he was no Shakespeare, but considering the effort, she found it the best poem she had ever read, much better than whatever John Donne or Andrew Marvell could have ever come up with.

Phi snatched the note from her seeing that Kachi wasn't about to share the info, her eyes widened in disbelief at the name, of course in Phi style, she read the name of the sender before she did the poem, "Ooh, Mr. Vice President is a poet."

Donny's frown deepened. HIM. He sat on the couch, his eyes briefly caught the tray of food, there would be no eating for him, hell, his entire Christmas was ruined already. Here he was, trying to think up a way to make known his feelings to Kachi before the end of the day, and Mr. Smooth-talking, lover-boy, executive had more or less stolen the show before it even started. Why hadn't he thought of a poem and flowers? Whatever he couldn't utter with his lips, he could have written down, it would have saved him the humiliation- or at least made it a lot easier to deal with, if Kachi turned him down.

If Donny thought the flowers were a dent on his plans, the following hours proved that they were nothing but a mere scratch. First, it was five boxes of chocolate at the stroke of 1:00pm, then what had to be the most beautiful pair of platform shoes any of them had ever seen- Christian Louboutin, an hour later, came an emerald green dress that was nothing short of breath-taking- Vivienne Westwood, the next hour, a jewelry box arrived, containing a diamond bracelet, and then another came, inside lay an elegant, diamond necklace with the pendant being Kachi's birthstone- topaz. 

The final gift was another bouquet of flowers, this time it was a monotonous affair- white roses, with another note attached to it.

"Open it, open it, open it!" Phi urged, jumping around like a hyperactive toddler. The entire scene that had played out for the past five hours felt to her like something ripped out of a romance novel, who knew romantic men still existed on this planet? The men she usually encountered were only interested in hitting it and quitting it, none was interested in the art of wooing a woman, none cared for the thrills that came with chasing a woman, those were just antics of a pussy-whipped man as far as they were concerned, 'real men don't beat around the bush, they zone in on what they want, and take it', those were their lines for defense, well right now, she was craving a 'fake' man, one who bothered to make her smile before making her scream, one who cared what she thought of him out of the sheets as well as between them, one who wanted to please her heart, before pleasing her pussy. Her definition of a real man. And it seemed to her that Kachi had snagged one out of a handful. Was she jealous? Hell yeah! What woman wouldn't envy the good luck of another for finding the perfect gentleman? But the happiness she felt far outweighed the feelings of jealousy she harbored.

Donny's eyes drifted from Kachi to Phi and back again, neither had acknowledged him since this festival of gifts began. He assumed Jeremy was wealthy, but to send this many gifts- whose combined worth could pay the salaries of everyone in his employ for at least four months, to someone he had met just over a week ago, had to be one of the most extravagant action Donny could think of, never in a million years could he have been able to get Kachi all of this in one day. His jaw ticked as he struggled to keep his temper on a leash, this was definitely not a level playing ground by any standards.

Kachi opened the note, it contained another poem:

" If milady finds my gifts pleasing.      Let it be known, this gent means no teasing     If willing you are, to simply take part       A date with you, would gladden my heart."

This one seemed more like a really corny version of Shakespeare, but it was all the more heart-warming. Kachi felt so much like a teenager being asked out on a date by her crush- no, much better, she couldn't even think up a word to describe how she felt. 

She bit her bottom lip as she thought of Jeremy, who knew he could be so sweet? He was so reserved and quiet, she never assumed he was a hopeless romantic...and he was asking her on a date? Oh, it was a Merry Christmas alright.




A Christmas Party Ch. 05



"He asked her on a date, he asked her on a date" Phi sang and danced around the sitting room like a six year old who was promised a trip to Disneyland.

What the fuck?! A date? He was going to ask her out today! Who did this guy think he was making moves on a woman who was spoken for? Donny seethed, his brown eyes had turned dark with rage, his hands were balled up into fists, if Jeremy had been within his sight, he would have given him a punch to rival that of Mike Tyson's, in the absence of the object of his anger though, he could do nothing but glare at the purchased items with an intensity that could set them ablaze. 

Suddenly anger turned to hurt, and pain, this wasn't about the fact that this Jeremy was rich enough to buy Kachi these expensive things, it was all about the fact that she liked him, she REALLY liked him. 

Kachi had never been the materialistic type, he had seen her turn down expensive gifts from potential suitors, he had seen her cuss out guys who thought they could buy her affections. The fact that she hadn't returned these gifts or said an ill word concerning the aim behind the gifts, the fact that she had been grinning since the plethora of gifts began arriving, that she found his poems lovely despite the fact that she absolutely hated poems, and found his flowers beautiful, irrespective of the countless times she had made fun of actresses in chick flicks who found flowers romantic, said more than he wanted to accept...she was probably falling for this guy.

He had seen- and heard enough.

He stood up and regarded the two women again, "Um, guys, I have to go." he said coldly.

Phi, who had been too busy thinking up the right hair and make-up that would go with Kachi's dress, finally focused her attention on Donny, without having to ask, she already knew the reason for his wanting to leave.

"Why? It's barely six, I thought you were going to stay over." Kachi said, Donny had slept in her home the past two Christmases, she had gotten used to having him somewhere around the house in the middle of the night, after Christmas.

Donny shook his head no, he wasn't going to go through that torture this year, having her within his reach, but not quite, drove him crazy, he was sick of it. He didn't want to be her 'best friend' anymore, he wanted to be more than that, he wanted to mean more to her than a friend to hang out with when she was bored, one to escort her to the cinemas when she didn't want to go alone, he was tired of being the guy who was a shoulder to cry on when another numbskull with more sperm than sense broke her heart...but in Phi's terms, he lacked the balls to just spill his heart out to her and damn the consequences.

"No, I have to compile the total earnings of the businesses for the year before it comes to an end, and I'm not even half-way through" he lied through his teeth.

"Mm hmm" Phi said, making it clear that she didn't believe a word he said.

Donny really didn't care what she thought, she wasn't the one he had to convince.

Kachi could detect Donny's lie, he wasn't exactly a good liar. She wanted to press the matter, but on second thought, decided to let it go. If he didn't want to tell her his true reason, it would be wrong to force it out of him, "Fine then. Good night, send my greetings to pops." she went to him and gave him a hug, this time, she didn't withdraw immediately, she wanted him to know that she knew something was up with him, and he could tell her whatever it was.

When she finally withdrew, she leaned in and pecked his cheek, "Merry Christmas Donny" she said with a small smile.

He managed to smile back despite the pain he felt, he didn't get her, if she didn't like him the way he liked her, then why did she do these things? Why the pecks and the warm smiles? Was she not aware how those made him feel? How much hope they gave him, only to have them crushed when he got home and realized that another day had ended and he still hadn't officially made her his girl?

"Merry Christmas Kachi." he replied, he wanted so much to return that peck with a passionate kiss on those full lips that would have her swooning, to touch her just a bit more intimately than those friendly hugs, to fill his hands with her ample bottom while he held her so close she could feel the hard-on he was getting from holding her, to bury himself so deeply inside her that she would have no doubts who she belonged to and would never have to look twice at another man- especially Jeremy, and claim her in the way every man wished to claim the woman whose mere gaze could turn their once confident selves to blubbering messes.

But instead of doing all of this, he stepped back, hugged Phi only briefly, and walked out the door without a second look. Christmas sucked!



A Christmas Party Ch. 06



*so here's chapter six, intended for it to be longer, but I couldn't resist leaving you guys in suspense. Thanks for the comments and feedbacks, please rate and vote.*LS

*

Chapter 06

Maybe she's not that kind of girl.

Jeremy paced around his office trying to settle his nerves and make sense if his conflicting thoughts. It was two days after Christmas and everyone was back to work- well, except him

He couldn't put himself to work when all his mind was interested in was if he had done the right thing sending those gifts to Kachi on Christmas day. Various questions vied for answers which he couldn't yet provide. Had he sent too many gifts? Perhaps he had come on too strong? What if she didn't like them? Was she less of a romantic than he (and Susan) had thought? Worse still, what if she hadn't received them? What if he had gotten the wrong address? But that couldn't be, he had cross-checked it at least three times before sending it to the florist, jewelry store and boutique, and twice again after, even this morning, the first thing he did once he sat in his chair was check her file, sure enough he had gotten the address right.

He chastised himself for not giving her his cell number or sending it with the notes- the notes, those poems were another factor that plagued his thoughts, he had found them so corny, but Susie had convinced him that women liked that sort of thing. He had never given it much thought though, because he had never had to court...what the fuck?! Court? Was that really what he thought if this? A courtship? Jeremy Blair, the rigid, stone-hearted son of Jonathan Blair was thinking of...no, had begun courting a woman? 

He shoved a large hand into his hair- which had to look a mess considering how many times he had done that in the past hour- there had to be some other word to describe what he and Kachi had here, one that didn't indicate as much depth or seriousness as that word, courtship, a much simpler term that didn't get his pulse racing and his mind reeling when he thought about it, something like...lust? Is that what he thought of this? An avenue to sate his sexual appetite? A route to douse his hunger? A way to extinguish his raging libido? He knew there was no truth in that, Kachi meant more to him than a living blow up doll, he really REALLY liked her, but there were just some things a man couldn't easily come to terms with in his love life...what the hell?! Where were these words popping out of? Love life? He didn't have one of those, he was a businessman through and through, a 120% dedicated to his work, the goings on of the world was no business of his, he didn't care for things he considered trivial and of no addition to one's life; love, sex, women... 

He paused when he heard what he knew- from many fantasies and dreams- to be Kachi's voice, outside his office, she was talking to Lee-Anne and asking if he was in.

Before he could stop himself, he rushed to the door and flung it open, "Kachi" he said, sounding a little too excited when his eyes fell on the cause of his worry, she was every bit worth the trouble alright.

She smiled at him, that heart-warming smile that made his stomach do more flips than an Olympic gymnast and his heart race faster than Usain Bolt, what was she doing to him?

"Hey. Good morning, I just..."

"Come in" he cut in without letting her finish what she had to say, there were more pressing matters to attend to presently. He turned and walked a few inches into his office knowing she was right behind him but not bothering to confirm this.

Kachi followed him slowly, noting the smile on Lee-Anne's lips, she seemed much...friendlier today. She didn't give it much thought though, there was no space for that when her mind was trying to make sense of Jeremy's sudden change of attitude from what she had thought of as excitement to a much calmer, indifferent one- definitely not the expected attitude of a man that had sent her those gifts.

She closed the door behind her and watched his back for a minute, noting how the muscles underneath his shirt flexed and wishing she could get her hands on his bare skin and trace the definition of his taut muscles with her fingers. Instead, she entwined said fingers and looked down at them, "I came to thank..." firm hands cupped her heart-shaped face and hard lips crushed hers before she could even realize what was happening, she whimpered and opened her mouth to welcome his invading tongue, she moaned softly at the contact as her hands held on to his shirt fearing her legs may fail her.

He could never tire of kissing such lips. He was addicted alright, the feel, the taste, the warmth, no sort of drug could be as intoxicating as Kachi's lips , hell, his cock could already feel the effect. It was like she had gotten better after their last kiss, matching his vigor, fuelling his lust, and amplifying his desire. His body moved of its own volition, pressing it's self against hers so hard he could feel her peaked nipples through the fabric of their clothes, he groaned, wanting so much to fill his hands with her perky breasts and tease those tits until she begged to have his lips on them. Feeling one small hand snake up into his hair , pulling his head closer for a deeper kiss, had his dick jumping in anticipation and his mind thinking up the many ways he could take her in his office...his OFFICE! 

That thought made him end the kiss, if he took her here, he was sure to have her screaming loud enough to alert the entire building of their office romp, and the last thing he wanted was to make the headline for tomorrow's news, besides he had bigger plans for Kachi than a reckless office romp.

They were both breathing hard from what had to be at least two minutes of tongue-fucking each other's mouths, her lips were swollen, her shoulder-length hair disheveled and her eyes, which had only just fluttered open, were still hazy with desire. The sight made him want to re-consider his decision to not take her on his desk like he had often dreamt.

They stared at each other for over five minutes, both unsure of what to say after sharing such a phenomenal kiss.

Kachi's thoughts were messed up, she knew she had come here to tell him something, but her brain was still trying to recover from the discombobulation it had just experienced in the form of Jeremy's kiss, "...you for the gifts" she completed when she had finally regained her composure- partly.

"You're welcome" he replied, his eyes never leaving her mesmerizing ones.

Kachi, unable to hold his gaze; mostly because she had been overcome by shyness considering what she was about to say, looked downwards, "The notes were lovely"

He smiled, so she did like them after all, "Just like you" he placed a finger under her jaw and raised her head so that her eyes met his, "And the date? You do know that the request wasn't just placed there because it rhymed, right?" he was now grinning.

Kachi couldn't help her blushing, he made her feel so shy, "Really? I could've sworn it was there solely for that reason" 

He laughed, he liked laughing- or maybe he just liked laughing at what she said, "So, where would you like to go?" he asked, as he leaned down and peppered kisses all over her face.

Kachi sighed, that felt sooooo good, "Well, considering the dress and the shoes, I'm guessing...oh..." she breathed when she felt his lips on her collarbone.

"You like that?" he breathed, he kissed her on that spot again, it excited him that he had found her sensitive spot.

"Yesss" she hissed feeling her panties moisten

"I like it too" he said as he gave her collarbone one last kiss, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume, before restraining himself for the second time and putting some distance between them this time to ensure that he didn't do something he would regret.

"Saturday, 7:00pm, is that okay for you?" he asked.

She smiled, "Yes it is" 

"It's a date then"

"Where are we going?"

He smiled mischievously, "That's for me to know, and you to worry your little head about"

"Don't I get a clue?"

"Why spoil the surprise?" 

If there was one thing Kachi liked, it was definitely surprises. She nodded in agreement, "I should return to work, earn what your father pays me"

"You're earning every dime you make, spending time with me"

She laughed as she shook her head, "I don't think so"

He closed in for one last kiss before letting her go, "I'll see you after work? Give you a ride home"

"You're the boss"

"I am, aren't I?" he asked as he opened the door and let her out.

She laughed.

She noticed Lee-Anne's grin once Jeremy closed the door and felt an uncomfortable stirring.

"Hey, Kachi, how about we have lunch together today?" she asked sounding all bright and sunny.

Kachi raised a questioning brow, the last she checked Lee-Anne didn't like her, she didn't dislike her either, but still..., "I thought you usually have lunch with Gretchen and Danielle" those women were renowned gossips in the office, and Kachi didn't doubt for a minute that Lee-Anne was one of the contributors.

"I just feel like switching up today, wouldn't it be nice if we got to know each other?"

Got to know each other? Was it her or did Lee-Anne sound like she had forgotten to take her meds this morning?, "I don't know, I usually have lunch with some friends"

"I could join you guys"

Kachi knew she should think this through, there was something off-putting about Lee-Anne's sudden change of attitude, but she chose to forego that thought, what the hell, one lunch wouldn't bring the world to an end, "If you wish" she shrugged.

"Great, we'll meet at the lobby"

"Okay"

"Later then" she said with a wave of her hand and a large grin.

"Later" Kachi replied suspiciously. As she went to her cubicle, she couldn't help but wonder what had come over Lee-Anne. After a while of thought though, she just assumed the girl pitied her, she was like an outcast here, so why push away someone who was trying to be a friend? It wouldn't hurt to have a go at it.

*****

"So...you're a friend of Kachi's?" Phi asked to end the rather uncomfortable silence among the three women as they sat in the coffee shop during their lunch break.

Phi had been more than surprised to see Kachi with a colleague from her office, especially going by her previous comments concerning her colleagues. She had gotten the feeling they were a bunch of judgmental, stuck-up bitches and sons-of-bitches, and hadn't expected to ever meet any of them- well, unless they were new. She didn't exactly like this one, she creeped her out, who wouldn't be creeped out by someone who had been grinning for over five minutes when there was absolutely nothing to smile about?

"Yes, I am. She's a very nice person" Lee-Anne replied chipperly.

Phi raised a brow at Kachi, who shrugged in reply, how in heaven's name did she become friends with this one? She assessed the woman, her auburn hair was held up in a pony-tail, she had light bangs, her blue eyes had a queer brightness about it, she had a slim, oval face, and her lips were so thin, you could barely see them if not for the gloss applied. She had on a light green camisole over a yellow blouse, paired with a grey pencil skirt, she wasn't exactly a plain jane, but she was no startling beauty either, her general appearance did not sit well with Phi, there was just something...suspicious about her.

"So, did Donny say why he couldn't join us?" Kachi asked, not just because she wanted a topic to take her mind off Lee-Anne's presence, which was really unsettling, but also, because she wanted to understand Donny's behavior. He had taken her to work today, but he was a bit too distant, yes, their little rituals had taken place, but it lacked warmth and enthusiasm, she could've as well been hugging a cardboard box, and then, they had barely spoken the entire way, and he had only given her a lean smile when she said goodbye, she was confused and disturbed, she couldn't have wronged him in any way, except...

"Something about paying bills, balancing account...I don't know" Phi dismissed with a wave of her hand. She knew full well what was going on with Donny, it was a little thing called jealousy, and it would eat into his system slowly until he made an effort to fight for what he thought was his.

Kachi nodded wondering why he hadn't told her this in the morning.

"Who's Donny?" Lee-Anne asked looking at both women, she sensed that whoever this Donny was could make for good detail when she spoke to Claire.

Kachi glanced at her, she had almost forgotten she was there, "He's a friend of ours" she replied simply, unwilling to go TMI on someone she barely knew.

"More like an obsessed, love-struck friend of ours" Phi murmured as she sipped some of her now warm tea.

Lee-Anne knew Phi didn't intend to be heard, but she had always had a keen sense of hearing, and her ears grabbed on to that little information like a squirrel would an acorn. She noticed Kachi's glare which was directed at Phi and her immediate cover-up once she realized she was looking at her, it was apparent there was more to this Donny than Kachi wanted exposed and she almost smiled at the prospects of finishing this assignment in record time.

As if to lend further credence to Lee-Anne's suspicion...

"Um, Phi, can we have a little chat?" Kachi began as she stood up, she knew Phi could be a loose cannon, but sometimes- in the presence of certain people, one needed not utter every sentence that came to mind- times like this

Phi sat unmoving

"In the ladies' room?" Kachi asked in exasperation, sometimes she likened the relationship between herself and Phi to one of Renee and Lynette in /desperate Housewives, she being Lynette of course.

Phi shrugged and stood up unaware of the talking to she would be getting behind those doors.

"Please excuse us for a few minutes, Lee-Anne" Kachi said with a warm smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Of course" Lee-Anne replied with a smile, her mind already working on retrieving this Donny's number in their absence. An action she promptly began once they were out of sight by reaching for Kachi's phone.

The two women made their way to the ladies room, passing by the unavoidable men's room where a group of four guys stood having a chat by the door.

"Well hello there ladies" one of the four said as he stepped in their path, his tall, bulky frame totally hindering any chance of their getting past him in the narrow hallway. He was about 6ft 2", his skin was dark, and his hair in a neatly trimmed afro, "Call me a seer, cos I definitely see you in my future" he drawled as he eyed up Kachi.

She knew him- and his rascal friends, from the many times he had tried one silly line or the other on her, he was a regular here, though she couldn't say if they came for their services or other attractions.

"We don't have time for this Mister..."

"Mister? Sweetie, you can just call me daddy" he said as he reached for her hand, but she pulled it away before he could touch her bringing a smug smile to his handsome face, "Don't be scared love, I don't bite...much"

"Careful Ty, she's with that white boy: another guy in the group said.

Kachi couldn't believe her ears, someone else had noticed Donny and her? She turned to see who had made that comment and her brows shot up, this guy was as white as they got, his pale skin matched his head of curly, dark hair and grey eyes, he was an inch or two shorter that Ty and not half as muscular, but equally handsome, with just a little make-up he could pass for a vampire, and HE was calling Donny 'white boy'?

"Who are you? Eminem?" Phi voiced out Kachi's thoughts

The guy smirked at Phi, his eyes took in her voluptuous body with such brazen lust it disgusted Kachi, "Nice ass" he finally said.

Phi smiled, "It'll look much better when I walk away. Let's go K" she said as she grabbed Kachi, they had learnt to not mention each other's full names in the presence of weird guys. They both retreated to their seats, forgetting their talk and totally unaware of Lee-Anne's actions in their absence.

"I call dibs on the feisty one" Eminem- Keith said as he watched the women walk away, she was right; her ass did look better when she walked away, and he could bet it would look awesome with him drilling into her from behind, he sure wasn't letting go of that one.

*****

Date night.

Kachi smoothened her emerald green dress with sweaty hands as she stared at her reflection in her vanity mirror trying to decide if she liked her look or not. If the dress fit just right or too right. In honest, she loved the fit of it, how he had gotten her size in such a lovely dress was beyond her, with such a small frame, it was something of a Herculean task finding something that fit so well without looking like she just stepped off the set of a 'Barney and Friends' episode. She was grinning on the inside, it was nice to know he cared that much.

She eyed up her delectable figure, patting her hair, which- thanks to Phi's magic fingers- was pulled back in a lovely bun, with a few loose strands framing her face, it was a look she couldn't see herself carrying as frequently as she would like mostly because she just wasn't the dress-up type, it seemed a little too much for her, but with Phi, this was as far as she could get to 'toning it down'. Phi had thought the hair-do complemented the dress. So who was she to argue with her fashionista friend?

She had to admit though, the final look was breath-taking- well, she hoped it would take Jeremy's breath. Her fingers danced along her neckline, touching the necklace, it's diamonds complementing those on her wrist and the sequins slanted across the bust of her Grecian-style dress. Her make-up was simple, another act of Phi, there was already enough going on with her clothes and jewelry, so minimal make-up was the best choice.

She sighed deeply as she picked up her little black purse and did a double-check to make sure she had all she would need, after which she went to the living room to meet Phi standing by the door with a large grin.

Phi gasped audibly when her eyes fell on her friend, she had always known her to be pretty, but this...

"How do I look?" Kachi asked self-consciously.

"oh my God, girl! If that man doesn't give you the fucking of your life tonight, we'll have to question his sexuality."

"Phi, I'm not looking to get..." Kachi's voice trailed off with her hesitance to use the 'f' word, she wasn't as liberal as Phi was with her words.

"...your cherry popped?" Phi completed

Kachi's eyes widened alarmingly, Phi used her words liberally alright, a little too liberally, "Phumi! You know how I feel about that"

Phi laughed, "Well, going by this dress, we know how he feels about you, and something is getting popped tonight, whether it's your cherry or his dick is up to him"

Kachi shook her head with a smile, "I swear I should've introduced you to one of my brothers for the 'friendship' test before certifying you, now I have you corrupting me with all your nonsense talk" she replied.

"Yeah, yeah, take it to Oprah"

They both heard a car pull up close to her apartment and exchanged glances, "You think that's him?" Kachi asked, the sound of a car door opening and closing and approaching footsteps answered that question

And then came the knock.

Kachi moved to open the door, but Phi stilled her movement and shushed her away from it, just before she said, "Be right there" she shook her head in exasperation when Kachi stared oddly at her, even as the older one, Kachi had a lot to learn in the art of dating, everyone knows not to answer the door at the date's first knock, that was a desperado move. 

She cleared her throat at the second knock and slowly unlocked the door, only to find- a stunt-double for Chris Hemsworth? Kachi hadn't exaggerated Jeremy's looks, dude was foine! Even as tall as Phi knew she was, she was eye-level with his broad chest. She was just as dumbfounded as Kachi had been when she had first met him- and was staring just as long.




A Christmas Party Ch. 06



A slight cough from him brought her attention to his silver screen-worthy face. She could swear she was drooling.

"Um...good evening" Jeremy began, choosing to start up a conversation the pretty lady at the door couldn't quite begin, he felt a bit self-conscious being...ogled.

"Good evening" Phi mumbled, her eyes still taking in the god in her presence.

"I'm here for Kachi, this is her place, right?" Jeremy asked, suddenly doubting himself again, maybe he had gotten the wrong street.

Phi suddenly snapped out of her Jeremy-induced trance, "Yes, yes, it's her place, you must be Jeremy. She'll be here in a few minutes, just putting some finishing touches." She said with a beautiful smile, "I'm Phumi, Kachi's friend, everyone calls me Phi though" she said as she extended her hand out to Jeremy for a shake.

He received it, "Jeremy Blair, nice to meet you."

Phi signaled to Kachi to come over from behind the door, making sure Jeremy didn't notice, "Oh, here she is" she said as she stepped away from Jeremy's view of Kachi.

Holy freakin' Mary! She was smokin'! Jeremy's eyes drank in Kachi's appearance, he knew she was attractive, but he would never have guessed this dress would fit so...right, the green of the dress blended nicely with the earth tone of her beautiful skin, the cut of it achieved the desired aim of showing off her slender neck and collar-bone, the satin material clung to her small, curvy frame like a second skin, leaving no doubts that this dress had her name written all over it in bold letters. He gulped feeling that familiar twitch in his nether regions, he was fully aware he was gawking, but he couldn't wrench his gaze away long enough to construct a meaningful, audible sentence- and this was what he would have to put up with for the next two to three hours?

Kachi blushed, truly embarrassed by the raw look of hunger in Jeremy's eyes and his speechlessness, she could just melt under his gaze and Phi's presence only heightened that feeling. She looked him over in an effort to take her thoughts away from the examination he was giving her.

He looked good in a pair of black dress pants, a pristine white shirt and a black suede jacket that was a perfect fit on his lean, toned torso, his thick blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, so that his handsome, masculine features were much more pronounced, he looked incredibly...delicious. That thought made her bite her bottom lip unconsciously as she felt a strange heat between her thighs, one thing was for sure; she had never been this sexually attracted to any man.

"Hey" she breathed once she realized her door was still wide open, and the cold wind reminded her she wasn't exactly dressed for the weather.

"Hi" he breathed, "You look beautiful" he complimented with a grin that made his bluish-gray eyes sparkle delightfully.

"Thanks, you too..." she almost laughed at her insinuation, "...I mean, you look handsome yourself" she said with a shy smile.

He returned her smile, "I know what you mean" they stood there taking in the view of each other, neither having the right words to continue their conversation- or end it and be on their way, hence, the awkward silence, which he finally broke, "You're ready to leave?"

Kachi nodded, "Yes. Lemme just get my..."

"Coat" Phi completed as she shoved the thick material in Kachi's hands, "Have a nice time. Feel free to spend the night if necessary" Phi added with a sly smile and a wink.

Kachi gave her a stern look catching her meaning. She had some nerve saying that in Jeremy's presence and by the grin on his face, he had caught her meaning as well. The last thing she wanted was Phi putting ideas into his head, especially ideas she wasn't sure she'd be able to resist if he chose to implement them.

Jeremy's presentation of his arm and a consequent, "Shall we?" saved Phi from a tongue-lashing- for now.

"Of course" Kachi replied as she wove her arm around his and let him walk her to his car, a 2012 Maserati that oozed class. He opened the door to the passenger's seat and helped her in. letting his eyes take in her toned legs, his cock telling him it had other plans for her that didn't include a nice dinner- except she was on the menu. He shook his head to rid it of the inappropriate thoughts that were flooding in and went over to the driver's side and got in.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look?" he asked in all seriousness.

Kachi smiled, "Yes you have, and I already blushed"

"Mind if I see that again? I didn't catch it the first time" he leaned towrd her and took her lios before she could register his intention. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue shot into her mouth and assaulted it and his fingers dug into her hair.

Kachi found herself inching closer, wanting to take in more of him in one kiss as her eyes fluttered close to enjoy more of this amazing feeling, how one kiss from him could set her entire body on fire so quickly was still a mystery to her- one she never intended solving, lest the feeling died with it. Her small hand came upon his bulging bicep, she could feel its sinewy muscles beneath the fabric of his jacket and shirt. She inhaled his intoxicating scent, his manly cologne, everything about him screamed MALE!

He broke their kiss reluctantly, "You look incredibly beautiful" he breathed, he withdrew from her knowing that if their kiss had gone on a minute longer, their plans would have been cancelled and he'd have had to come up with other forms of 'entertainment' for them.

His eyes darted from her hooded gaze to her full, swollen lips and back again, the temptation to return to that action that stoked his desire, strong and almost overpowering. He sat back, adjusted the restless python in his pants- hopefully inconspicuously, put on his seatbelt and started the car driving off once the engine came to life.

Kachi's breathing became a bit more regular and her body re-adjusted to the loss of Jeremy's heat, Lord helps her she wanted this man like she wanted to live. The beep from her phone indicating an incoming message, brought her back to earth. She fished the gadget out of her purse; the message was from Phi, she clicked 'view'. It read: "You go girl!"

Kachi smiled, she must have seen the kiss, she shook her head, Phi was a real piece of work.

*****

"Where did you say we were going?" Kachi asked for what was definitely the hundredth time.

They had been driving for over twenty minutes, passing by various restaurants and the likes- places she assumed their formal outfits were better suited for, and he didn't seem to be slowing down. She asked that question every timethey passed another restaurant, or club even, and his reply remained the same.

"I never said where we were going" with a smirk on his gorgeous lips.

Her next question would go, "So, where are we going?"

And his reply, "Patience, little one, we shall get there soon enough"

And she would drop the matter. This time though, she noticed they were leaving the bright lights of the city behind. Her curiosity heightened, she pressed further.

"If we're going to some underground lair for a ritual, do tell so I can jump out of the car while I can still find people"

He chuckled, "Underground lair? Rituals? What kind of weird shit have you been watching?" 

"The kind that tells me it's not safe to go beyond the light" she replied

He laughed at her pun, they were going beyond the light alright, but what lay on the other side was far more enthralling than whatever the light offered on this side. He had this date planned to the T, he was going to make sure it was the best she would ever have- as far as first dates went, because she had definitely earned herself a second date with him.

"Don't you trust me Kachi?"

"Well, I didn't bring along my pepper spray, that should say a lot" she replied.

He glanced at her, "Pepper spray? Really? You take pepper spray on dates?"

"You never know when it'll come in handy...lots of psychos in this country" she replied, the smile on her lips accompanied by a gleam in her beautiful brown eyes.

He could just stare into those lovely orbs forever. He smiled to himself as he muttered, "Interesting"

The car finally pulled up right on front of what Kachi had always known to be a recreational park few minutes later. She looked out the window, turned to him to stare incredulously, and then looked out the window again- a park?!

"Are you out of gas?"

Jeremy raised his brows and then laughed when he realized she was actually serious, "No. this is our destination" he replied and then got out of the car and helped her out in her puzzeled state.

The first surprise came when they went through the gates which were unlocked.

"Are you sure we aren't committing a crime?" she asked warily as she followed him, her eyes scanning the place for any trace of the presence of some other person or people.

"Positive" he replied, a grin stamped to his face as he thought of the greater surprise that awaited her.

"So the dress, the shoes, the jewelry, for the park? And I thought we were going to one of those cheesy restaurants that serve a bottle of water for a hundred bucks"

He laughed heartily, "You're exaggerating, no one pays a hundred for water"

She paused in her steps and stared at him in mock shock, "Really? Not even the Kardashians"

Jeremy shook his head, holding back another burst of laughter as he pulled her along, "No, not even the Kardashians" he wondered to himself how easily their conversation flowed, like he was talking to an old buddy, but not quite. He couldn't think up anyone who could get him laughing like a hyena on steroids the way she did.

His thoughts were interrupted by a gasp from her. He looked ahead and smiled to himself once he sighted the cause of her gasp- it was the venue for their date, she had to love it if it gained that reaction from her.

"You like it?"

Like it? She had never seen anything so...beautiful! Kachi's eyes took in the myriad of lights, each attached to a line of beautifully decorated poles on either side of the entrance of a large tent. They weren't close enough for her to make out any other objects, but the dazzling lights had definitely caught her attention, "Let's go see" she replied as she pulled him along, her platforms preventing her from breaking into a run.

Jeremy laughed at her enthusiasm, she reminded him of an eight year old going on her first roller coaster ride.

Her eyes widened in amazement when they got to the tent as they swallowed the breath-taking view before her, the tent was brightly lit, it's decoration, classy, reminding her of something out of the many event and interior decoration magazines she had come across. She inhaled the scent of lavender and smiled to herself, as her eyes fell on the medium- sized round table placed right in the middle of the tent. There was a vase of freshly picked, pink roses on the table, which was set for two, and an ice bucket containing an unopened bottle of wine.

It was apparent he had put a lot of thought into this dinner...into everything in fact. She had never had a man who bothered to go this far to please her- she had never had a man who bothered to go this far for any reason whatsoever.

"It's beautiful" she whispered. And then went ahead to communicate her appreciation the only way she knew how- by kissing him- long and hard.

Jeremy pulled away as they both panted from the intensity of the kiss, "We really should start that dinner, before I do nasty things to you on that table" he said huskily as his lust-filled eyes looked her over to emphasize his point.

Kachi felt her temperature rise and goose bumps spread against her skin at that comment, he sounded so...primal. She smiled as he led her to the table.

She looked at him in surprise when a fairly old man, of average build joined them in the tent and introduced himself as their waiter for the evening. This was going to be a very interesting evening.

"So, why didn't you tell me your father owned the company during the party?" Kachi asked ten minutes into their dinner.

He smiled, "If I had told you, the conversation would've ended before it even begun, you would've froze up, or even worse, turned into some mumbling 'sir' robot"

Kachi opened her mouth to disagree, but when she thought better of it, she realized he was right, "True that"

He nodded, "So how did you get to America?"

"I climbed into one of those containers in the ports" she replied.

He raised a brow at her, making her chuckle.

"My dad did this lottery thing. He's not a gambler or anything, but when my mum died, he did it to get his mind off her death, and then one day, he came home, and said he had won, and it just seemed a good way to get our minds off her death"

"How did your mum die?"

"She was asthmatic, had a critical attack at work one day, she couldn't get to the hospital fast enough"

"I'm sorry"

She shrugged as she picked at the peas in her plate, she tried to downplay the effect thoughts of her mother had on her, but she was neverquited successful, "No need to be, it was her time"

"You really believe that? That people are given a specific period of time to live, and once it's over, they just die, irrespective of how old or young they are? Or their family?"

Kachi looked up at him, his tone was one of frustration, she could easily tell there was more emotion behind that statement than he intended there to be. She reached across the table and took his hand, his eyes stared into hers.

"Jeremy, if day old babies can die, why not thirty year old adults? Everyone comes to this earth for a purpose, and when that purpose is fulfilled, it doesn't matter how old or young the person is, or how hurt the family may be, the person must leave. It's God that gives and takes"

He was mesmerized by the sincerity in her voice- and the depth of emotion in her eyes. She wasn't just saying this to soothe him, she meant it, she understood him, even without directly saying anything, she could tell his words came from the loss of a loved one. Somehow, just he thought that this woman wasn't just playing with his head, wasn't just another sympathizer, but an empathizer, gave him the feeling that a ton of emotional baggage had been lifted from his shoulders.

He squeezed her hand with a grateful smile, "Thank you"

She returned his smile.

After a few more minutes of silence, he begun the conversation on a lighter note, "So, what part of Nigeria are you from? Cos I'd really like to know what part of Africa has names like yours, haven't heard it before"

She smiled, "I'm from the east, Igbo"

"Is that an ethnic group in Nigeria?"

"Yes"

"Hmm" he began thoughtfully, "I've heard of the Yorubas, but never that ethnic group"

She rolled her eyes, "Everyone has heard of the Yorubas, and Ile-ife, and Oduduwa" 

He smiled, "Well, you should tell me more about the origin of your people then"

She leaned closer, "That's the problem, there isn't a definite origin"

He raised his brows, "Really? So what? You just fell out of the sky?" he chuckled.

"More or less" she shrugged, "Though there's a particular story with widespread acceptance, the one that claims Ibos originated from Israel"

"Really? Tell me more" he urged, his attention now fully captured, he was always up for a good story.

Kachi went on to tell him all about the Ibo origin as she knew it from various books, and archaeological findings. She was tempted to lengthen the story when it finally came to an end, just so she could enjoy the feeling of having his undivided attention, and being the centre of his smoldering eyes.

"Hmm...very interesting, so there's a Bible verse to support this?" he asked once she was through.

"Mm hmm, it doesn't give further details, but historians traced the migration of one of the sons of Gad to Nigeria, it's even said that Ibo is the adulterated version of Hebrew"

He smiled, "One more thing I know that my father doesn't" 

"Now tell me something about you"

"But you haven't told me your favorite food, or music, or tv shows"

"Really? I've been talking the past thirty minutes and you're still not bored?"

He shook his head, "I could listen to you all day without a yawn"

She knew it was a line, but she'd be damned if it didn't sound a million times better and more authentic coming from Jeremy.

"Okay then, so you wanted to know my favorite food?"

"Yep"

"Well, it's not any of this" she replied as her eyes scanned the her plate, the food was good- excellent in fact, but she was used to other delicacies.

He feigned sadness, "So you don't like the food?"

"No, I love it, but, I would take pounded yam and vegetable soup over this any day, or jollof rice"

"Really? I've never heard of either of those"

"I don't expect that you have, before coming here I'd never heard of a risotto"

"You should treat me to one of those some time"

"Trust me, a trip to my dad's restaurant will get you hooked on pounded yam and vegetable soup especially"

"Well I'm looking forward to that"

They spent the rest of the evening talking about their childhood ,schools, old friends, the office staff- and Phi. 

They reluctantly left the park hours later and spent the drive back to her apartment telling jokes- actually, it was Kachi telling the jokes and Jeremy laughing hard.

They finally got to her apartment and he parked by the road, "So I guess this is your stop" he began once they had both stepped out of the car. He wasn't willing to let her go just yet, he hadn't had an outing this wonderful since...ever! he wasn't even aware he could be this open to anyone, he had told her things even Sue didn't know about him, laughed with her on matters he used to think were much too serious for laughter, and even shared some of his fears with her, it was safe to say he had allowed her into his little world, and she had given that little word more depth and color than it had previously had. Was he falling for her?

"Yes" she sighed, just as reluctant to leave him as he was to let her go, she had planned to invite him in, but once the car came to a stop and she noticed her lights were still on, she realized that wouldn't be possible, she definitely couldn't invite him in with Phi still in- why hadn't she left already?

"Tomorrow's New Year's Eve, if you have nothing planned out, maybe we could go somewhere..."

"Sure" she replied with a grin 

He returned her grin, he was elated she had enjoyed his company so much she was willing to go on another date with him that early, "So tomorrow then"

"Tomorrow" she nodded.

He stepped closer to her and pulled her into his arms, "Goodnight" he said and then planted a searing kiss on her willing lips to make sure she had a wonderful night and sweet dreams that would hopefully involve him. A low moan from her and the sight of her curtain slightly pulled aside by who he assumed to be Phi made him end the kiss, he loved the feel of her lips, but he wasn't one for PDA

"Good night" Kachi whispered. She watched him step away, her body instantly reacting to the sudden distance. He nodded in acknowledgement and then walked over to his car, he waved at her and she returned it. She watched him get into his car and drive off, standing on the pavement a few minutes extra as if she expected he'd reverse and take her home with him- more like wanted it.

If wishes were horses...

She sighed deeply and walked up to her apartment, thinking of how pissed she was at Phi for staying over, she had said she would leave before she returned, give her and Jeremy space, whatever happened to that plan. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the Lexus that had been parked a few houses away that was just driving off- it had been following them since Jeremy picked her up for their date, but neither of them had noticed it.




A Christmas Party Ch. 06



She heard the door click open as she neared it, with a turn of the handle, she opened it, but to her surprise, it wasn't Phi in her house.

She froze at the sight of the intruder and gasped at the raw, intense anger in his eyes...



A Christmas Party Ch. 07



**Hey guys. Sorry for the delay in Chapter Seven. A lot of stuff just kept me occupied..well, here it is. Hope you like it ** L.S**

CHAPTER 07

"Donny?" she breathed, she wasn't sure if she should be scared or relieved. She wanted to be relieved because it was Donny, not some psychotic killer on the prowl, but the look in his eyes, that of pure anger, uncensored pain, and raw, intense rage, made the hairs on her skin rise, it had been a while since she saw him like this, five years to be exact. The sight made her aware of how huge he was as opposed to her much smaller size for the first time in years, this awareness was escorted by a sense of fear.

"Wh...what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you." she said with a nervous smile.

He wanted to scream at her, his entire body shook with the rage that threatened to explode and rip them both apart. He had come here to apologize for his childish behavior after his father had told him in no uncertain terms that bitching and sulking would get him nowhere with women. Choosing to wait for her in her absence, he had used his spare key to get in and had been here for over an hour now. He had gone to investigate the car pulling up to the apartment and had gone frozen in shock when he saw Kachi step out from the expensive-looking car with a tall, blonde-haired guy who he instantly knew to be Jeremy, his eyes grew dark and his hands balled into fists when he saw him pull Kachi to his body and kiss her the way HE had always wanted to kiss her. He barely resisted the urge to fling the door open, storm his way to them, and pummel that bastard until he was certain he was fit for the ICU.

He didn't know what prompted him to, but he found himself looking her over, taking her in, she looked exquisite, he wasn't even aware she was this pretty, he got a hard on just looking at the fit of the dress he got her....that thought suddenly deflated his erection, HE had gotten it for her, he felt the rage return in full force.

"I came to apologize." he ground out unintentionally.

She shivered at the sound of his voice, but she managed to give a lean smile despite her uneasiness, "You shouldn't have bothered, you didn't offend me." she wasn't sure how trued that was, technically, he really hadn't offended her.

"You look beautiful." he said genuinely, the anger in his voice slowly dissipating.

"Thank you."

He reached out and brushed her cheek with his thumb affectionately, he noticed her flinch, she seemed a bit jumpy. His hand left her cheek and took her wrist, with one tug she was so close to him he could smell the scent of strawberry and cinnamon off her, he licked his lips, she smelt inviting. She looked up at him with fear and apprehension in her eyes- those were the wrong emotions, whenever he envisioned this moment, he had seen passion, desire, lust and love in her eyes, she wasn't supposed to fear him- well he was going to do something about those emotions.

Kachi saw it coming, but it didn't stop the shock of Donny kissing her, her eyes widened feeling his lips move gently along hers like he was using them to study the planes of her fuller lips. She kept her lips tightly shut hoping he would get the message and retreat without her having to push him away. Instead, he bit her lower lip, not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to sting so that she let out an "ow!" long enough for his tongue to execute it's invasion and slither into her mouth. Donny was a good kisser, but she was too shocked to notice.

She wasn't responding. Dammit! She wasn't responding! She was so rigid in his arms, it was like he was making out with a blow-up doll, this was NOT how it was supposed to go, she was supposed to kiss him with fervor, wrap her small arms around his neck, wrap her legs around his him, she was supposed to freaking dry hump him! He wrapped a possessive arm around her waist and pulled her closer so that she could feel his erection.

The feel of the bulge in his pants was a signal to Kachi that this had gone on for too long. She steeled a grip on his shirt and tried to push him away unsuccessfully, the man was twice her weight if not more, she tried again, but still he didn't budge. With that option lost, she did the next best thing- wrenched her lips away.

"Jesus Christ! Donny, no!" she said when he tried to take kiss her again.

"No?" he asked almost pleadingly.

She slowly moved away, "Donny, I can't...we can't..."

"We can't what?" he cut in.

"You're my best friend" she said softly, she couldn't think up a more convenient way to express her disapproval of what had just gone on between them without intensifying the hurt already registered in his eyes. She hated to see him like this, it was even worse that tit was her fault.

His last nerve finally broke at that comment, he had dreaded this all these years; those were the words he feared would leave her lips when he finally confessed his feelings for her, 'best friend' why did that title suddenly sound like a death sentence of some sorts? For nine years he had carried it proudly like a medal of honor, cherished it, basked in the glory of knowing he wasn't just one of her unimportant at-the-moment buddies, he actually had some worth in her life. Now the title seemed worthless, it's value obsolete, what exactly did one gain from being a best friend other than being more or less a 24/7 therapist who worked for free? In her eyes, he was just another guy, not 'the' guy, he could never have her the way he wanted, his role was pointless; he would always remain the spare. He didn't want that role, he wanted Jeremy's, he wanted what he had- HER.

"So?" he asked simply, she stared back at him doe-eyed, that didn't exactly help matters, "So, I'm not good enough, is that it Kachi? I'm not fucking good enough for you?" he asked, his temper- and voice rising.

She shook her head vigorously, "no, no Donny, that's not it."

"Then what is it?" he asked softly. She said nothing, causing him to smile, it wasn't a jolly smile, but a sad one, "Nine years, nine fucking years Kachi, I have loved you! Do you have any idea how much torture I went through watching you date one guy after another..."

"Donny..."

"Don't you dare interrupt me, don't fucking dare it!."

She went mum at his outburst, now visibly trembling with fear, the look in his eyes sent chills down her spine, she had never seen him like this, sure he had lost his temper a few times, but never with her, mostly guys who wouldn't let her be. 

His sudden outburst reminded her again that Donny wasn't small by any stretch of the imagination. Her eyes went to his bulging biceps, his broad chest and shoulders, features that could either evoke arousal or fear. She had once thought them attractive, she wondered if they could be just as well harmful. She shook her head, no, Donny would NEVER harm her, and if he did, she had three elder brothers that would make sure he never made use of those hands for the rest of his life.

He made a step toward her and she stepped back, her eyes were filled with tears that threatened to fall. His softened, this was not his intention, he never wanted to make her cry or remotely hurt her, "Kachi." he began, "Don't cry, please." 

She couldn't stop the tears that dropped from her eyes, "You're scaring me." she said almost inaudibly in an unsteady voice.'

Those words from her put an end to his rage, that was the last emotion he wanted to evoke in her, one of fear, he was supposed to be her protector not her tormentor, the cure and not the poison, "No, no, please, never." he said as he pulled her petite body to him and wrapped her arms around her, holding her the way he used to when she came crying over one douche bag or the other- this time though, he was the douche bag.

"I don't want to scare you Kachi, I would never hurt you, you know that." he whispered soothingly into her ear. She trembled in his arms, her tears now pouring out in full force, he patted her head and rubbed her back as he condemned and chastised himself for making the erroneous decision of confessing his feelings to her when he was in a bad mood, it had done neither of them any good, rather, it hampered any future chances he may have had to tell her how he felt.

Twenty minutes of her weeping and his consoling later, she calmed down in his arms, they were now sitting on a couch they had watched countless movies on together, his arm was wrapped around her shoulders, her head lay on his chest, and one arm slung across his torso, her eyes were red and her throat dry from all her crying.

They were both silent, the only noise coming from within. His thoughts were filled with ways to remedy an already terrible situation, formulating damage control, even while he knew in his heart of hearts there was nothing for him as far as an intimate relationship with her went, and struggled to accept it.

Hers were filled with thoughts if his confession, if he was being truthful if it was really love and not a misplaced feeling like infatuation, and of it was, what next? She didn't want to lose her best friend, but she couldn't imagine how awkward things would be between them after today. 

She thought briefly about Phi and her many suspicions, how come she hadn't seen all of this? Had she been so engrossed in her own selfish desires that she hadn't taken note of Donny's feelings for her? Her mind began replaying those many scenes when he has shown her more affection than should have been normal which she had conveniently ignores, the holding of hands, the hugs which went on for a second too long, the kisses against the temple, the many fights he had been in with guys on her behalf, including the one with a very insistent guy in college who had damn near harassed her sexually, that resulted in the guy being in a coma for three days and three months of jail term and eight of probation for Donny, after he literally pummeled the guy to unconsciousness. Thoughts of college brought to mind Matilda, Donny's ex, had she been the cause of their break-up? She remembered the glares Matilda shot her, the cold attitude and envious looks, had she somehow been a pawn in Donny's quest to gain her affections? 

She felt like punching herself, how could she not have known? Even those speeches he would give her concerning loving in silence, the raw emotion that lay in his voice when he would tell her he loved her and she would reciprocate playfully, they had all been hints, and she in all her self-centeredness had always thought him as one of her brothers- only white and easier to get along with.

"I'm sorry." she said in a croaky voice.

"I'm sorry too." he replied, breaking out of his thoughts.

"You should have told me earlier."

He shook his head, "It would've just hastened the inevitable, if you didn't notice despite my actions, you would never have loved me like that anyways."

She looked up at him, momentarily shocked by his words, "How do you know that? We could have tried."

"No, you could have tried, if I had told you, you would have pitied me, dated me out of pity and probably even married me out of pity, I would rather not have you than cause us such suffering."

She returned to her position knowing he was right, there really was no point arguing with that

"Do you love him?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

She went still at that question, instantly knowing who he was referring to, did she love him? She hadn't been with him long enough to be certain of that, "I don't know."

he wasn't sure of that answer appeased him pr caused him further anxiety. In order to ensure he was totally clear, he rephrased the question, "Are you falling for him?"

She didn't answer immediately, he crossed his fingers and held his breath in anticipation of the reply that would put a finality to his feelings for her.

"Yes." she responded as she played with the hem of his shirt in an effort to take her mind off thoughts of seeing the look of disappointing she knew he would be sporting.

Donny let out a heavy sigh now regretting his question, but a part of him was glad he cleared the air once and for all- a small, almost non-existent part.

Kachi waited for his next comment, she needed to hear him say something, anything, perhaps to assuage her guilt, to assure herself that whether she had made an effort or not, there really couldn't have been anything between herself and Donny, they were always meant to be as they are- friends. 

When he finally said something, it was far from what she had expected- whatever that was.

"May I kiss you?" he asked softly as he patted her head.

She went still and sat up abruptly.

"Please, I know you're with Jeremy and all, but just this last time. I always wanted to kiss you, for real."

She nodded reluctantly and watched him lean closer, the little voice in her head kept asking her if she had lost it as his hand came upon her cheek and his lips took hers softly, but she ignored it, if this was to be her penance for never acknowledging Donny's feelings, then she would serve it, repercussions or not. She probably shouldn't have, but she permitted him entry into the recesses of her mouth when he gently probed with his tongue. She gripped his dark hair feeling his tongue invade her mouth and his larger body on hers to the couch as his hand slid lower to her neck, he groaned into her mouth and swiftly placed her body under his, her grip on his hair tightened. Her eyes flew open once his hand came upon her thigh and began inching her dress higher, with a good grip on his hair, she yanked his head- and lips away.

Her eyes met his, filled with lust and desire, "Just a kiss." she reminded him firmly.

He looked own between them as though he hadn't realized his one little kiss had resulted in a change of position where she now lay beneath him, her legs firmly shut like she knew he was going to try something funny. He was straddling her, his massive erection boldly making an appearance against the crotch of his jeans. His eyes returned to her and he smiled his apology, "Just a kiss." he repeated and got off her reluctantly.

Kachi sat up and smoothened her rumpled outfit as she watched Donny try to hide his too obvious bulge.

"Hey, I was wondering if I could stay over cos it's late and all." he said as he rubbed the nape of his neck.

She nodded, "Sure, you know where your stuff is."

"Yeah, I do."

She stood up, suddenly feeling exhausted, going by the events of the day, she would be justified if she slept throughout the next day. That thought reminded her that she and Jeremy had another date tomorrow, she smiled to herself.

"And you're smiling becase...?" Donny questioned.

She looked up at him and shook her head, suppressing the smile, she doubted Donny wanted to hear anything concerning herself and Jeremy, in previous times she would have spilled every little detail, but not anymore, thos changes on their friendship were taking root already.

"Nothing, you should come get your stuff." she said as she walked past him towards her bedroom.

Donny remained rooted to his position for a while, watching the feminine sway of her hips and the slight jiggle of her ass, oh what he would give to have that ass hanging mid air while he rammed his.....Focus Donny! We're just friends. WE ARE JUST FRIENDS...for now.

******

Phi looked around her apartment to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, but she knew she'd have to come back here for a forgotten item, it was a curse. She couldn't remember the last time she didn't have to return for something.

She did a mental check of everything around the house, once she was sure she hadn't missed anything, she walked backwards out of her apartment, her eyes still roaming the entire area- one could never be too sure.

Once she closed the door, she began locking it with her key when she heard two familiar words.

"Nice ass."

She went still, recognizing not just the words, but the voice that accompanied them, how did he....?

"Mind if I spank it?" the deep, male voice asked.

Her expression grew cold, how dare he?! She turned around swiftly, prepared to lash out at him, when her eyes fell on the perv, she fought to maintain s glare, damn it he was gorgeous! She hadn't noticed this at their last encounter probably because he had been so annoying, but now as he stood at the foot of the steps to her apartment, leaning casually against the rail, a hand stuck in the pocket of his stone-wash jeans, which were complemented with a fitted green and black checkered shirt with it's sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing strong hands she could definitely imagine holding her, his extremely dark hair that looked bluish depending on what angle the sunlight caught it, grey eyes that suited a ruggedly handsome face, and a smirk to boot, she could feel the moisture pooling in her nether regions.

As difficult as it was, she put up a stoic façade and stomped down the stairs, even as she stood a foot above his position- thanks to the steps, her eyes were just leveled with his well-chiseled, masculine jaw. She looked up at him, momentarily losing her façade when her eyes met his dreamy grey, but regaining it when his smirk widened to a full grin, apparently his way of telling her he had noticed her falter.

"Nice face..." she began cockily with a fake smile, "Mind if I spank it?" she asked.

He looked up at her, his smirk unwavering, he glanced both ways of the street and looked her over again, this time with an excruciating slowness and an unhidden lewdness that made that part of Phi begin to tingle in excitement, she silently cursed him and her body's unwanted reaction to him.

"Depends..." he began, he took a step closer, invading her space as the masculine scent of his cologne assaulted her nostrils, he leaned closer- too close, and whispered in her ear, "If you let me eat your pussy while you do that."

Did she say tingle? Make that a full-blown, uncontrollable throb. For the first time since...ever! Phi had nothing to say in return, she was damn near having an orgasm from those simple words, her eyes unintentionally fell on his lips, those were definitely some good pussy-eating lips. She fought against the urge to kiss them, since when did Phumi Khumalo fall for mere words by a certified bad boy?

"Ooh, Eminem talks dirty, did daddy Dre give you a few pointers?" she teased, she didn't even sound as sassy as she usually did, she side-stepped him and began her walk to the train station, not only because she was running late, but also to stop the throbbing between her legs.

Not one to be so easily dismissed, he followed the object of his desire, taking a few precious moments to ogle that perfect derriere, , damn right he wanted all of that ass bent over, and he would have it- and it's beautiful owner.

"Word aren't the only dirty things I know, sweet cheeks" he said once he was close enough for her to hear him without drawing the attention of passers-by.

"Why are you stalking me?" she asked without turning to look at him lest she falter again, his voice and the dirty words he spoke were already enough distractions.

"What can I say? I have a thing for bootyful, beautiful women"

"I'm guessing none of your other victims have introduced you to a certain Mace."

He grinned, he liked her already- this time her ass wasn't in the equation, "Is that a new lingerie line? I'm willing to taste anything that's got your juice on it."

God! He was perfect! Looks and a dirty language to go, what more could a girl possibly want?, "The only thing you'll be tasting is my fist and your blood if you keep following me, Eminem."

The words had barely left her lips when she felt strong hands grab her waist and pull her into an alley she hadn't been aware they were passing. She couldn't even call for help due to the speed with which it had all happened. Her back came into contact with the cold brick wall of the alley and he crushed himself against her. As shocked as she was, she couldn't deny her arousal, and her peaked nipples told the embarrassing truth. 




A Christmas Party Ch. 07



He looked down between them and smirked at the sight of her large nipples straining against her cashmere turtle-neck sweater, "The name's Keith darling." he didn't wait for her to register those words when his lips came down hard on her full, succulent ones, without much effort, she allowed him entry into her hot, willing mouth.

Phi couldn't stop the moan that escaped her throat, he was nothing short of a pro in this, if his tongue could perform such wonders in her mouth, her pussy would never know what hit it. He hands came upon his chest, she let out a satisfied sigh feeling how hard it was, moving upwards, she dug her fingers into his silky hair.

Keith pulled her closer and palmed her ass, groaning when he found it was just as firm and cushiony as he had imagined it to be, all the while, his tortuous tongue never ended its continued assault on her mouth, he pressed her voluptuous body against the wall and raised one of her legs, holding it up and wrapping it around his waist.

Phi damn near screamed when she felt his hard rod grind against her, Christ! What was he packing in those pants? Her weeping pussy didn't care to know, just as long as it got a feel of that monster. Her body had never been so alive, it ached for him, every inch of her wanted to be claimed by this man that found it convenient enough to grind against her in an alley.

He pulled away just in time to hear another moan from her mouth. Keith's lust-filled eyes took in Phi, it took every ounce of will in him to not fuck her right here, never mind, one taste of her lips and he was hooked, he would definitely be back for more, "Call me when you're ready for the real thing." he said huskily as he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and tucked it in a pocket in her coat.

Phi watched possibly the man of her dreams walk away, she stood in the alley thinking of what had just occurred, sure she had a wild side, but getting dry humped by a hunk in an alley wasn't part of that. Her breathing hadn't quite normalized, her mind and body warred against each other, her mind knew Keith was all types of wrong, but her body...he was just right for her body.

She looked down and noticed the wet spot in the crotch of her jeans, she immediately pulled her knee-high coat together, tied it up and fixed her hair. It was only when she stepped out of the alley that she suddenly remembered that she hadn't taken her key out of the door lock. Darn her forgetfulness!

******

The room was in a mess, different clothes were littered everywhere, on the bed, on the floor, inside the closet, and still they didn't seem to be making any headway.

Kachi narrated to Phi all that had taken place during she and Jeremy's date while searching for an appropriate outfit for their date tonight. It was more like a one-man show though considering the fact that Phi seemed to be a little out of it. She sat on the edge of Kachi's bed, watching her fling away shirts, jeans and dresses, half-listening to her narration and her Q&A sessions at intervals when she came by an outfit she considered briefly and dismissed, she had gone through 80% of her wardrobe and still couldn't make up her mind.

"....then he dropped me off, I wanted to invite him in, but turned out I already had a guest, I was so pissed when..." Kachi stopped speaking when she turned and saw Phi, her expression was as distant as it had been five minutes ago, and five minutes before that, it didn't take a psychologist to know something was up.

Kachi went to Phi and sat beside her, in her deep state of thought, Phi failed to acknowledge her closeness.

A knowing smile crept up Kachi's lips when she observed that look a bit longer, only one thing could make the great Phumi Khumalo be so absent-minded, "So, what's his name?" 

Phi suddenly snapped out of her day-dreaming, since this morning's events, Keith had haunted her thoughts like the poltergeist, how he commanded her every though even in his absence, befuddled her, sure she had been with a few men, but she couldn't remember being so immersed with their looks or personality that she couldn't have a direct train of thought without unconsciously veering towards thoughts of them, his eyes, his body...his lips, how good they had felt against hers, how utterly wanton she wanted to be in his arms, how damn wet thoughts of him still made her, she felt like some love-struck, teenage girl with raging hormones, that wasn't Phumi Khumalo- that was Kachi Obi.

"Hmm? Sorry, I didn't get you."

Kachi laughed hysterically for a full three minutes, once she regained herself, her eyes met a scowling Phi and she was thrown in another fit of laughter.

Phi frowned at Kachi with a mixture of irritation and confusion, had she inhaled laughing gas?, "What's so funny? Did Jeremy feed you one of those drugged brownies last night?"

Kachi shook her head as she wiped a fallen tear that was a result of laughing a bit too hard, "Na wa o, whoever this guy is, he must really be something."

"It's not funny Kachi, I don't even understand what's going on."

Kachi nodded, "Okay, so? Who's he?" she asked anxiously.

Phi looked at her warily, considering if telling Kachi would be a good idea, she doubted she's be elated to hear her thoughts were being colonized by a man she considered a pervert, but she couldn't stand to remain in this state alone.

"Promise you won't freak out."

Kachi raised her brows, "Don't tell me you're dating a serial killer." she said , her eyes widening in shock.

Phi managed a small smile, "I'm serious Kachi, promise." she repeated.

"Okay, okay, I promise."

"Okay, well, remember that day we were at the coffee shop with Lee-Anne, and those guys accosted us?" she asked, in an effort to stall the impending shocker.

"Yes." Kachi replied slowly, her eyes narrowed.

Phi nodded, "Remember the one who said you were with Donny?"

Kachi's eyes widened in disbelief, "Eminem?" 

"His name is Keith."

"You're tripping for Eminem?" Kachi shouted, totally ignoring Phi's correction, in her wildest imagination, Kachi had never thought of Phi with that....Neanderthal, it just seemed wrong.

"Listen, he came to my place, I have no idea how he found out where I live, and he followed me while I walked to the train station, he kept telling me these really dirty, sexy things and next thing I knew he pulled me into an alley and...God, Kachi, he kissed me so good and ground into me so hard, I swear I've never gotten so horny, now I can't get him off my mind." she said

Kachi was staring at her like she was in dire need of psychiatric help, what the hell had she smoked?, "So he stalks you, molests you and sexually harasses you....and you think that's hot? That is twisted Phi. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked as she placed the back of her hand against the nape of Phi's neck to check her temperature.

Phi stood up, "I'm fine Kachi, it's not a joke, alright? He gave me his number and I don't know if it would be right to call him."

Kachi looked up at Phi, noting the fact that she really was confused and frustrated , she put on a straight face, "Well if you like him as much as I think you do, maybe you should call him."

For a moment, Phi stared at Kachi like she had grown another head, she had expected a good ole lecturing Kachi-style, complete with the screaming, shaking, and a proof-read, essay-long speech on the ills of dating punks, not a go-ahead, it shouldn't be this easy.

"Are you sure?"

Kachi raised her brows, "ME? I'm not the one who finds being dry-humped in an alley arousing."

Phi grinned from ear to ear, purposely ignoring her comment, she was just glad she had her approval, the entire morning she had been trying to convince herself that Keith was bad news, that she wasn't 'that' kind of girl, and that Kachi would never encourage her to call him, she had imagined Kachi snatching the piece of paper and ripping it into tiny pieces.

She jumped on Kachi in excitement and wrapped her in a bear hug, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, oh I feel so much better having your approval. I'll call him now." she said as she stood to make a dash for the living room and get her phone.

"Waoh, waoh, waoh, you haven't helped me with my outfit for the evening." Kachi protested.

Phi took a quick survey of the room and the many clothes strewn all over the place, she hadn't even realized the room was so messy. She spotted a pair of blue jeans, a turquoise, chiffon, short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of midnight-black, knee-high, leather boots, once her eyes zoned in on the three-inch boots, she knew they had to be 'the one', she had gotten them for Kachi three years ago on her 21st birthday, and apart from one-time when she had made her wear it to a friend's party, she couldn't remember the poor thing ever seeing outside of Kachi's closet.

With somewhat of a mischievous smile, she picked out the items and dumped them on Kachi, her smile grew wider when she noticed Kachi's shocked expression at the sight of 'those' boots, "Now just put your hair up in a simple pony-tail and you're good to go."

"Oh no, not these boots, I told you why I don't wear them." she argued. The first day phi had forced her to wear the boots- and the last day they ever saw her feet- she wanted to bury herself in the ground at the looks she got; the mischievous grins, the ogles, the winks, it was nerve-racking. It was only when they had gotten home that Phi had told poor, naïve her that they were called 'fuck me' boots. Well if she had known, she would have just worn a shirt with those words boldly written on it and bedazzled for extra effect, at least then she wouldn't be so offended by the eye-fucking she had gotten from men- and a few women. 

"These boots are perfect for the occasion"

"You know what they're called Phi"

"MM hmm." phi nodded, "That's why they're perfect, by the time lover boy vice President sees you in those, he's gonna have you cumming into the new year."

Kachi stared at Phi in disbelief, momentarily shocked by her words, yep, Phi was probably made for Eminem- or was it Keith? She snapped out of her shock when she noticed Phi slowly making her way out of the room, "You dirty girl!" she said as she reached for a nearby comb and threw it at Phi who dodged just in time while laughing hysterically on her way out.

"It's now or nunnery Kachi, else, you'll be begging Donny to help you out in twenty years." Phi joked.

The mention of Donny's name brought an uncomfortable end to the fun conversation, Kachi was yet to tell Phi of their discussion. She sighed as she remembered how uncomfortable she had felt hugging him this morning before her left, she had even locked up her door when she went in to sleep last night, something she had never done previously. She couldn't explain her sudden paranoia as concerns Donny, but she wasn't one to take chances so she chose to not think on it.

She looked down at the clothes and hugged them to are, maybe Phi was right, maybe if she just dived in without looking, things would go a lot better- that ideology was working perfectly for her so far.

******

Who takes advice from Phi?

You do. Kachi answered her own question. 

Here she was, ten hours after their morning conversation, dressed in all of Phi's recommendations, looking every bit as stunning as ever, and thinking of living up to the expectations of the three-inch boots on her feet.

She swiftly brushed her shoulder-length hair and tied it up in a loose pony-tail. She rushed out of the room when she heard a knock on her door, she stopped to look at the wall clock in her way to the door, it was just 6:35 pm. He was twenty-five minutes early- not that she was complaining though, it was good to know he was just as eager as she was.

She unlocked the door and opened it with a large grin which slowly faded once she discovered who was on the other side of the door. Donny. He was standing there with a thousand watt smile and a bouquet of lilies. The sight made her stomach churn, it was apparent he hadn't allowed reality sink in just yet.

"Donny." she began with a nervous smile. Why was he bringing her flowers? Why hadn't he called to say he was coming over? What if Jeremy met him here? Oh no, WHAT IF JEREMY MET HIM HERE?

"Hey, happy new year's eve." he said as he wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her in for a hug and a peck to the cheek, even when what he really wanted to do was move a bit lower and smooch the air out of her lungs- not literally though. She smelt so good, like vanilla- delicious.

"Hey." she replied flatly.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked as he walked past her and into the house, he looked around, noting how dull and lifeless the place was, like she was about to go somewhere, "Doesn't look like there's much of a plan."

"Donny, I'm..." she was interrupted by a knock at her door. She suddenly went still- Jeremy.

"Oh, Phi's here." he said cheerfully. He moved towards the door and opened it before Kachi could stop him.

What the fuck was he doing here?

Donny stood rooted to the entrance, glaring at his competition who seemed surprised to see him at first, his hands balled into fists, his jaw clenched, and he was all set to blow his cylinder on this...intruder! When he felt Kachi's small hands on his arm.

Kachi opened the door a bit wider and smiled at Jeremy, if the atmosphere wasn't so tense, she'd probably have noticed how good he looked, but all she could think of right now was how to get Donny away before he caused trouble. Sure the whole love thing had been sorted out between them, but she didn't trust him to leave it at that- funny, a week ago, she would've trusted Donny to keep his word.

"Hey." she greeted Jeremy with a lean smile.

"Hey." he replied, his eyes never leaving the strange man who was trying to have a stare down with him. He eyed him up, he was tall, but not as tall as he was, muscular, but not offensively so, his eyes were dark with an emotion Jeremy figured was anger by his general demeanor. He didn't even know this dude and he looked like he was all set to throw a punch at him- and he would return the favor if pushed to it.

Kachi pulled Donny behind her- and what a task that was- and stood between both men whose eyes never left the other, "Jeremy, this is Donny, my best friend. Donny, Jeremy, my boyfriend." she introduced. She waited...and waited...and waited....neither men seemed to acknowledge her little introduction. Her eyes darted from one to the other, well, her standing between them hadn't changed much, she might as well have been a tiny thread between two walls as both men continued their stare-down above her head.

Just when she thought she'd have to literally make them give each other a handshake , Jeremy eased the situation- slightly, by extending his hand to Donny, "Nice to meet you." he said stonily.

Even a five year old would detect he sarcasm in his voice- but it was an attempt. She looked up at Donny whose glare hadn't left Jeremy, perhaps feeling her eyes on him, he glanced at her briefly and twisted his lips.

"Same here." he replied icily, as he received Jeremy's waiting handshake. They both had a steel grip on each other's hands, their hands engaged in the same battle for supremacy their eyes had only just been involved in.

"Um...Jeremy, I'll be right with you, let me get my bag." Kachi said to break the ice, she tugged at Donny's sleeve as she said this, her own way of telling him to let go of the unnecessarily long handshake.

"I'll be waiting." Jeremy replied as he released Donny's hands, he looked down to see the now red hand and smirked at Donny- it was apparent he had the tighter grip.

Donny didn't know where he got the restraint from, but somehow, he managed to not slam the door in Jeremy's face, instead, he retreated into the house with Kachi, as the douche bag, whose neck looked good enough to wring right now, swaggered to the driveway, even the way he walked annoyed him- like he owned the entire state- then again, didn't he?

"What the hell was that about Donny?" Kachi asked sternly once the front door was closed.

He looked shocked by her accusation, "Me? It's your boyfriend who just cut the blood circulation in my hand." he retorted.

"Really? I though we talked about this."

"Well talking doesn't change everything just like that." he snapped.

For a short time, all she could do was stare; so this was what all of this was about- Donny was jealous. She had suspected something like this would happen, but she had thought he would be a bit more mature. Suddenly she felt like a toy being contested for by two 11 year old boys. She frowned.

"I will not have this conversation with you Donny, not now, not ever. I'm leaving." she said firmly. She wanted to say more, hell, she wanted to read him the entire riot act, turn him inside-out and tell him as it is, but she had no time for this, and in honest, no strength either.

Donny sighed, "I'm sorry okay? It's just...will you spend New Year's Eve with him?" he asked, his voice filled with defeat.

One part of Kachi wanted to say no, to assure him that they'd spend new year's eve together, watching every Christmas Movie they could find and making resolutions they were sure to break by mid-year like they had done the past two years. The other part wanted to tell him to get real and find some other person to stalk. But the friend part of her settled somewhere in between, "Yes Donny, I will. Maybe you should go to Greg's place or a club." she suggested, even to her own ears she sounded like an insensitive bitch, though she wanted to sound anything but. 

Donny knew what he was hearing, it was her subtle way of telling him to fuck off. Maybe she didn't mean it like that, but damn it, it hurt like hell still. He shook his head in defeat, "Have a nice date then." he ground out as he breezed past her and was out the door before she could shut her mouth.

If Jeremy wasn't out there waiting for her, she would have sat on a couch and thought long and hard on how she hadn't noticed this vile Donny that was unleashed when he didn't have his way. Unable to vent privately, she did the next best thing- grabbed the bouquet of flowers and flung it as far as she could. She snatched her bag from a nearby table and stomped out of the house. She and Donny's friendship hadn't changed slightly- it had changed massively, and it wasn't her fault anymore, but Donny's.

*****

The drive to their destination was long and silent because the occupants of the car were too focused on their thoughts to have any conversation, meaningful or otherwise.

No words were spoken between Kachi and Jeremy, rather questions and answers hung between them, an explanation was called for, an inquisition was understandable, but neither made any attempt to confront what they wanted to or clear the air, rather, they preferred to leave things as they were. The incident would soon be forgotten, right?

Jeremy coughed, he wanted to say something, he missed the playful banter between them, the silence in the car made him feel so empty. Before he met Kachi, he embraced silence, the last thing he needed was some chatter box going off about topics that he had no interest in and disturbing his much more important train of thought. Now all he wanted was to hear her talk, whether on sensible matters, or silly ones, he just wanted to hear that sexy voice of hers, he wanted to laugh at her witty jokes, he wanted to tell her how irresistible she looked in that outfit, and prove so to her by kissing her senseless, he wanted to bring her close and touch her in ways that made her coo and ask him for more. But the thought of that man in her apartment stopped him, sure she had introduced him as her best friend, but he was no fool, he saw the way he looked at her, the way he acted like she was his possession, when the only one she belonged to was him. He couldn't get that out of his mind; that another man was thinking of Kachi the same way he thought of her pissed him off.




A Christmas Party Ch. 07



Previously, he hadn't been aware he could be possessive, he thought of himself as a laid-back kind of guy, but since she came into his life, all he could think of was having her to himself, even the sight of another man checking her out made him want to rip out someone's eye balls. He wanted to trust her- no, he did trust her, it was that man he didn't trust.

Kachi had been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't bothered to ask where they were heading, nor noticed that the car was now in front of a large steel gate with the letter 'B' right in its middle. It was only when she heard the sound of a male voice from an intercom asking for identification, and Jeremy answering, that she finally broke out of her thoughts just in time to see the large gates opening automatically.

She sat up from her slouching position as her eyes struggled to accommodate the view on front of it. Meters away from the gate, a fountain with the letter 'B' carved against it, stood in the middle of a mini-roundabout, on both sides of the brick road lay greenery that took her breath away, despite the weather conditions, the grasses seemed just barely affected, with only sprinkles of snow to show, nicely trimmed rose bushes served as some sort of fence around the grasses. Her eyes grew wide seeing what served as the backdrop for such beauty, a large mansion stood tall in all it's glory, it had a beautiful array of lights that contrasted with the darkness of the evening, if she had to guess by the windows, it had about six rooms on the second floor alone, she had never seen anything like it- well, save for in magazine pages and on the television

Jeremy maneuvered the car to a garage- one of six, he parked it to join three other fancy, vintage cars, she was no expert in autos, but she knew an expensive car when she saw one, and these were the crème of the crop.

"What are we doing here?"

"This is my dad's place, he invited us to dinner." he replied simply, like it was no big deal that she would be meeting his father.

His dad? As in Jonathan Liam Blair? The owner of the company she worked for? The boss man himself? He had brought her to his father's house for dinner today of all days, when she wasn't prepared? She was wearing friggin' fuck me boots to see her boss/boyfriend's dad, what sort of impression would she be creating?

"Why didn't you tell me we'd be having dinner with your father?"

He shrugged, "You didn't ask." he got out of the car and turned around to her side to open her door, she made no move to step out when he opened it, "Aren't you coming?"

She looked up at his imposing structure, "I'm wearing 'fuck me' boots to see your father" she said in an 'in case you haven't noticed' tone

His eyes went to her feet and his lips quirked in a smile, "He's sixty-five Kachi, I doubt he knows what they're called."

She raised her brows, "Hugh Hefner is over eighty, Jerry Springer is over seventy, and I can bet they know what these are."

"Well we're lucky my dad isn't friends with them." he joked, she wasn't laughing, "Come on Kachi, he's really nice, I promise." he said with an attempt at keeping a straight face. He thought it funny that she would be terrified of meeting his father, the man was one of the most jovial people he knew, much easier to get along with than he was, that's for sure.

Kachi looked away for a short time, if she had known they would be coming here while they were on the road, she would have asked him to turn around so she could change to a more appropriate outfit, unfortunately, going home wasn't an option now. She figured his father was already aware of their presence, so she braced herself. She would wear these boots proudly and strut them as best she could- then she would devise a good vengeance plan to get back at Jeremy

"So?" Jeremy asked as he gave her his hand like he knew she would step out of the car anyways.

With a sigh of defeat, she put her small hand in his larger one and a foot on the ground, she had barely gotten her other foot out when he pulled her to his hard body causing her to gasp

"You smell so good." he groaned into the crook of her neck and gently bit it's smooth, caramel skin, her sweet smell had been wreaking havoc to his senses since she stepped into his car.

Kachi let out a low moan feeling her nipples harden. That wasn't supposed to turn her on, she thought to herself. Since when did she find biting arousing?

Jeremy's hand palmed her luscious bottom and gave it a small squeeze, she moaned louder, he moved in for a gratifying kiss, his lips explored hers tentatively, just before his tongue shot into her mouth, the sounds of pleasure she emitted as he kissed her silly made his dick hard, a reminder that he really had never gone past first base with her- well, not in reality. He couldn't remember ever being such a gentleman, even with Claire, he hadn't really cared for a meaningful relationship, once he got her in bed- which really wasn't so difficult considering her pedigree- he had grown tired of her. Now, the cold-hearted, hit it and quit it Jeremy Blaire, was waiting for the woman to initiate any further intimacy. This would make for a good joke.

"Jeremy Evan Blaire, you perv! Unhand the female!" A deep, male voice said from an intercom Kachi hadn't noticed in the garage. She nearly jumped out of her clothes at the intrusion, Jeremy on the other hand, broke into hysterical laughter. 

As much as Kachi liked the sight of this giant god laughing like a six year old kid, she was slightly disturbed knowing someone had been watching them, she looked around for any sign of a camera, she soon spotted a micro-camera in a corner of the ceiling, she paled in shock and embarrassment. Who was watching? And for how long?

"Really dad? The real perv is you who's watching."

Kachi's eyes widened in shock. Dad? His father had been watching them? Like it wasn't bad enough she was dressed like this to meet his father, now he watched she and Jeremy kiss so intimately. Well, the first impression had definitely been covered- and it wasn't as stellar as she would have preferred.

"Come, he's been wanting to meet you." Jeremy said as he took her hand and led her out of the garage toward the house.

Kachi followed robotically, her mind raced as she thought of what she would say to Jonathan, how would she introduce herself? What if he didn't like her once he heard she was Nigerian? Would it matter to him? Well, if it hadn't mattered to his son, he wouldn't be bothered either, right? Besides, he sounded fun.

In her deep thought, she didn't notice they had gotten to the door until Jeremy pushed it open and the bright light from the inside hit the darkness outside.

Kachi blinked as they stepped into what had to be the most beautiful house she had ever seen- if such masterpieces could be called houses. The house resembled something out of nineteenth century, only, more modern. They stood in the foyer, a crystal chandelier hung high above them, the ceiling was a ceramic, dome-like structure, a spiral staircase began on the left and right hand and came to a head, two levels away. She felt so small and insignificant in such a large house.

"Glad you could finally join us" a male voice said. It was the same as that from the intercom. Kachi looked up and her eyes fell on a fairly old man who she immediately figured to be Jeremy's father, they shared an uncanny resemblance, the height, the build, the facial features. The only difference was the hair color, the old man's hair was a deep russet, with streaks of grey. He reminded her of Harrison ford, he wore a smile that eased her nerves a little as he descended the stairs with such regality, one would be forgiven for mistaking him to be royalty. She took in his outfit; he wore a pair of brown slacks, a cotton sweater which was a light blue in color was worn over a yellow shirt and both were tucked into the pants. Even at his age, he looked fit, there was not an ounce of fat on his body, she wondered what he must have looked like when he was younger, some lady-killer, she thought, just like his son.

"You must be the young lady that's been making my son flout my orders." he said once he got to their position. Jonathan looked down at the little woman, she was beautiful alright, he just hadn't figured Jeremy to be the type that went for smaller women, before this cutie, all of Jeremy's women had been well above 5ft 6", he had assumed he preferred taller women because of his height, but here he was standing in front of the polar opposite of what he had assumed to be his son's 'type', small, curvy and black. How Jeremy had become so smitten with this woman, he didn't know, and he really wasn't bothered with finding out because for the first time since he came of age, Jeremy hadn't snickered when he was asked if he saw this woman as a potential wife- he hadn't given a direct answer either, but he hadn't brushed it off completely, so there was a sliver of hope that he wouldn't be the lifetime bachelor many concluded he would.

Kachi blushed and looked down at her feet, her boots looked back at her, but she didn't really care anymore. It seemed like she would have a great time, irrespective of how she dressed.

"She's a pretty one." he commented to Jeremy, "Then again, my son has always had an eye for pretty women, just like his father" he added, "What's that pretty name of yours darling?"

"It's Kachi." she replied, she was grinning so hard, it was like her face would fall off, oh he had definitely been a charmer alright, and he still was. 

He laughed, "Kachi, catchy name." he said.

Jeremy laughed, "I said the same thing dad." he looked around, "Where's Susie?"

"That old bag? She must be somewhere trying to fix her false teeth." Jonathan joked. Jeremy laughed, and Kachi smiled.

"You wish I was as old as you are." they heard Susan say from an entrance Kachi assumed led to the sitting room, "Hello darling." she said as she walked towards them. Jeremy leaned lower to receive a peck to his cheek, "Ooh, look who he brought, the lady of his dreams." she said as she hugged Kachi who was blushing again. She winked at Jeremy and he looked away immediately understanding her meaning.

"Come darling, let me steal you away from this predator before he gets his greedy paws all over you." Jonathan said as he placed his hand on Kachi's lower back and led her toward the living room.

"Of course Sir"

"Please, call me Jonathan, I'm not that old" he joked

Jeremy snickered, "I'm the predator? Talk about pots and kettles." he said to Susie who smiled.

"You know your father Jeremy, he has that quiz he likes to give your dates."

"He hasn't asked why they never come back once he's through with them."

"Claire came back."

"Claire didn't have the quiz, she just qualified cos her father's friends with dad."

Susan shrugged, that was the truth. In all honesty, she didn't fancy Claire either, she struck her as self-centered and manipulative, the only reason she had tolerated her was because she had thought Jeremy was going to settle down with her. Now that it was clear as day that her little boy had his sights set on a much lovelier creature, she saw no purpose for the pretences.

"You do know your father invited them over, right?"

Jeremy's eyes widened in shock. His father did what?! How could he knowing he would be bringing Kachi over? "What?! Why?"

"You may not be into Claire anymore, but your father and Maxwell Gareth are still very much friends." Susan explained, she understood his worries. Having one's ex and current girlfriend under the same roof, sitting on the same table had to be a nightmare, and knowing Claire, there would be a full serving of snide comments and sneers.

Jeremy groaned inwardly as his eyes fell on his father and Kachi. They seemed to be getting along quite well. He knew Susie was right, there was no reason to mix he and Claire's issues with those of their fathers', but his gut feeling told him Claire would do something that would mirror how conceited she really was.

Just then, Kline, their butler, announced the arrival of the Gareths. Jeremy braced himself, it was going to be a long dinneer.

******

What the fuck is she doing here?

Claire couldn't stop glaring at Kachi. This had to be the most low-down, dirty thing Jeremy had ever done to her of them all. How dare he bring his little whore to dinner with his father? Worse still, he acted like she was the only one he could see at the table, in front of her own parents, Jeremy acted like she didn't even exist.

She knew they had never really gotten along with him, sure he had fucked her once or twice in the beginning, it had been easier to lure him into bed when he was younger and emotionally broken, but that had ended years ago, it had been quite the shock when he had asked her out of his apartment during one of her 'routine' visits that involved her stripping and him taking her against anything solid like a wild animal. She had thought he was joking, or going through another phase like he was wont to do, but after months that led to years and Jeremy failed to acknowledge her in the way she wanted to be acknowledged, she realized that whatever switch that had been off in his head and had made him desire her, had finally come on, and now she was trying to turn it back off. But seeing him share this rare bonding with some woman really threw a spanner in the works for her, she had never seen him so happy, the sight burned her insides the same way she wished she could burn this intruder. Oh how she yearned to receive his attention, even if like he would attend to his sister, better that than being totally ignored.

She assessed her competition, she really was as pretty as Lee-Anne had said, she hadn't gotten a good view last night due to the distance from which she had watched them, but sitting right in front of her now, she could see why Jeremy would go for her; her small, curvy frame, her bright brown eyes, thick lashes, small pouty lips and radiant brown skin would draw any man's attention. She wondered if Jeremy had fucked her yet, perhaps not, why else would he be doting on her? Of course, normal Jeremy Blair, once he had gotten a piece of that ass, he would be on to the next one soon enough. That had been her fate anyway. She smiled at he thought of Jeremy dumping the pathetic little wench. No worries, her man was just going through a phase in his life every man went through- indecision, once he had banged these clingy sluts, he would return to where he belonged- with her. It was just a matter of time.

The man-snatcher had just said a joke that had the entire table reeling with laughter save for herself and her mother, Claire didn't get why Jeremy would laugh at stale jokes, he never laughed when she cracked a joke- hell he never laughed at all with her. She frowned as she thought of a good way to wipe the smile off of everyone's faces- especially the tramp's.

"So, Kachi, when did you start working for the company?" Claire began. Her sudden contribution to a discussion that had been on for a while without her involvement caught everyone by surprise and inadvertently achieved her aim of wiping the smile off their faces- not the way she wanted though

"Over a month ago." Kachi replied curtly. She wasn't oblivious to the dirty looks she had been getting from this woman since they had been introduced, she hadn't thought much on it when dinner began, but that unsettling feeling was back now.

"Hmm, I wasn't aware the staff could date each other, or doesn't the policy apply to you, Jeremy?" Claire teased as her eyes fell on a fuming Jeremy.

He had seen this coming. Jeremy had wondered why Claire had been so silent so far, now he knew why. She had been thinking up some nice bomb to drop when they least expected it.

"I don't believe the purpose of this dinner is to discuss office policies, Claire." he replied as nicely as he could- which wasn't nice at all.

"My bad." Claire said with a sly grin.

Jeremy grunted, the last thing he wanted was Claire making Kachi uncomfortable, or even unnerving him just a little- both seemed to be her aim this evening. He glanced at Susie who was sitting next to him and gesturing to him to calm down. Good he wasn't the only one who noticed Clair's behavior.

Not quite content with the trouble she had already begun, Claire chose to throw in a much harder jab, one that was sure to drive a nail into this little coffin, "So, you're Nigerian huhn?"

Jeremy shot her a murderous glare, willing her to shut it before she said something she would regret.

Kachi didn't answer- rather, Claire didn't give her the opportunity to do so before she spat, "I'm guessing this is some sort of sport for Nigerian girls? You just find the richest guy around and bag him?"

The speed with which Jeremy stood and banged his fist hard against the table rattled everyone- especially Claire. He was now glaring at her like a psychotic killer who wanted to rip her head off her neck and crush it until it was dust.

"You will NOT speak to my woman with such disrespect in my father's house. Apologies." he ground out.

Claire knew she should say no more- except it was an apology, the logical side of her told her she had said enough, but the emotional part went on overdrive hearing him refer to this whore as his woman and ask HER, Claire Lisette Gareth to apologize to her in the presence of both her parents. She was the one who deserved an apology for the many times he had intentionally made a mockery of her, he should be the one apologizing to her for using her and doing away with her like she was some worthless toy, HE, Jeremy Evan Blair should be apologizing to HER for bringing this heifer to dinner.

She stood to stare him in the face despite being over six inches shorter. She matched the intensity of his glare, the rage in her so hot it could set the entire dining area on fire. Their parents and Kachi watched this stand-off, each too stunned to attempt to end this battle of wills.

"Over.My.Dead.Body."

Jeremy's jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists, it took everything he had to not hit Claire so hard she would fly into the next century, he was red with anger. He would admit that he hadn't treated her fairly in the past, but he didn't think he was so harsh she would pull this sort of a stunt, besides, in all honesty, she had brought all of this upon herself, he di play a part, but everything he did, he did with her full permission. As he thought of the many ways he could kill or at least maim Claire, he felt Kachi's small hand on his, he didn't have to look at her to understand her message.

"Thanks for the dinner dad. We're leaving." he said on a final note, his eyes still steady on Claire. Oh, if he wasn't thought never to hit a woman, someone would be dialing 9-1-1 right now

He pulled Kachi from her seat and pulled her along on their way out as she struggled to keep up with his long strides.

They got to his car and got in without saying a word to each other, he started it, reversed and drove out of the compound like an insane man. She wasn't sure where to from here and by the look on his face she wasn't about to ask. She stared out the window as she replayed the events of the evening. All had been going well, she was having an interesting discussion with Jonathan, he had asked about her family, her schooling, told her how they lost Jeremy's mother and of Jeremy's childhood, and even asked when she thought would be the right time to have kids, informing her that he would prefer she and Jeremy had at least three unlike having just one like he and his late wife. She had felt so love and welcomed until the arrival of Claire and her family, even without asking she had figured there was some bad blood between Claire and Jeremy, the lady had been all smiles until they were introduced. She recognized her from the office party- only, she wasn't drunk off her feet. She looked much prettier when she was sober, but the mean look she shot at her told Kachi it would be a long, awkward dinner.




A Christmas Party Ch. 07



She broke out of her thoughts when she noticed the car was slowing down. It came to a stop in the drive-way of some nice-looking condo.

She turned to Jeremy who had a death-grip on the steering wheel.

As if aware of her eyes on him, he let out a harsh breath, "I'm sorry." he said softly.

She shook her head, "No need to be, you did nothing."

"If I hadn't taken you there, she wouldn't have insulted you"

"You didn't know she would be there, besides, how else would I have met your gorgeous father?" she teased with a light smile, hoping to ease his anger.

It worked as he finally cracked a smile, "Don't get any ideas, he's 40 years older than you are and needs aphrodisiacs to 'get up'" he joked.

Kachi laughed, "Are you sure? Cos I could've sworn he got up when I placed my hand on his thigh."

He turned to her sharply, "You did what?!"

She laughed hysterically, ""I'm just teasing."

He seemed to relax at that admission, he smiled warmly, her little jokes had taken his mind off the events of the day, "So, would you like to come in and have a drink? New year's eve isn't over yet."

She smiled, "We're already here, aren't we?"

Taking that for what it was- a yes, he got out of the car and helped her out.

They were soon inside what had to be the biggest, classiest condo Kachi had ever seen. The sitting room was masculine, from its white and grey hues to the artworks on the wall, a large couch and a love seat were the only sitting furniture around, two bean bags sat on opposite sides of a glass centre-table that was square in shape, a large, marble fireplace sat right below a 42-inch flat screen television. The entire design of the place left no doubts in a visitor's mind that this place belonged to a man.

"Cozy" she commented as she took a walk around the sitting room. An image of Jeremy sprawled on the large couch, probably chewing on some popcorn while he watched a game popped into her mind, she smiled. It would be a nice sight.

He noticed the tilt of her lips, "And why are you smiling?" he asked as he made his way to a side bar to fix them some drinks

"Nothing, just thought of something." she sighed as she lazily bent over the couch, it was so soft, it would probably be more comfortable than her bed.

Jeremy's eyes nearly popped out from the view he was getting, her rounded ass teased him, bringing to for images of him pistoling in and out of her from behind, his dick got the message much faster as it shot to life, he wrenched his gaze away when he felt the glass cup in his hand slipping, he definitely didn't plan on startling her.

By the time he had fixed both their drinks, she was already sitting on the couch, a part of him mourned the loss of the wonderful view he had been getting only minutes ago. He went to the couch and handed her the drink as he sat beside her.

Kachi collected it and examined the mixture, tipping the glass and swirling its content, "What's in this?"

He raised his brow, "You think I drugged it?"

Her eyes fell on him, her head tilted, "Did you?" she asked with a smirk

He took a sip of his drink and set it aside, she watched him move closer- too close, just before he leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, "Sweetie, if I want to fuck you, I would prefer if you were fully sane, then you would remember how good I gave it to you." he gave a sly grin. He had only meant to mess with her head, but he found himself thinking about what it would be like- not that he hadn't thought of what sex with her would be like thousands of times, but it was a different vibe having her in his presence while the thought flowed through his head and she was staring at him like that; she seemed shocked and...aroused?

It was Kachi's turn to have slippery fingers, her throat was suddenly dry, her heart beat a hundred times faster as she felt a tingle between her legs, his words sounded so dirty, and that tone he used; so raw, and masculine, was just the cherry on top.

The next words that escaped her lips totally shocked her, "Do you...do you want to?" she asked, her voice low and uncertain.

He was momentarily stunned by her question, "do I want to what?" he asked with narrowed eyes, he wanted to hear her speak those words she had screamed countless times in his many dreams.

With her sudden courage gone, she lowered her gaze to the drink in her hand and shook her head, "Never mind." even as she said that, she wanted him to mind, he had already aroused her interest- and her inexperienced body.

He placed his fingers under her chin and raised her head so that her brown eyes met his cerulean gaze, "Do I want to what?" he repeated.

"I'm not sure, I just..."

"Do you want me to?" He blurted out. She stared at him a bit shocked, his expression was dead serious as he waited with bated breath for her reply.

Kachi wanted so badly to just laugh it off like she was merely joking around, but this was more than a joke, her mind was telling her it was a bad idea, but after twenty-four years, her body and heart were feeling rebellious, she was suddenly more aware f the closeness of their bodies, how good he smelt, how nice his lips looked and how totally mesmerizing his eyes were. 

She swallowed hard before her simple reply of, "Yes"

It took Jeremy a while to digest that word, 'yes', he had waited forever to hear her permit him to explore, feel and taste the wondrous edifice that was her body, he had had countless dreams and fantasies concerning this moment, now, he wanted to enjoy the feeling just a little.

Kachi watched him, first with anxiety, and then uncertainty, whyh was he staring at her like that? Had she said something wrong? She couldn't help the gnawing feeling that just maybe Jeremy hadn't meant what he said, maybe he was just fooling around and she had taken him seriously.

She laughed nervously, "Forget I said that, I was just jo..." he shut her rambling mouth with a passionate kiss that set off so many sparks within her, she clutched his shoulders to steady herself lest she fall back from the impact of his kiss. She felt the drink in her hand taken away, she didn't know where he dropped it, she figured on the center table, but there was no time to think about that as she was lifted from her position and eased onto his strong thighs.

"Don't spoil it." he breathed into her ear and went on to bite her ear-lobe and suck on it. She whimpered as their lips met in another soul-shattering kiss that made Kachi shudder, her eyes fluttered shut, her entire sensory organs now focused solely on the sensations his kiss caused within her...and then she felt it. The evidence of his desire forming a tent in his pants and brushing against her crotch, she moaned at first, and then thoughts of how big he was and if he would even fit flooded her mind, only briefly though as that train of thought was derailed when his teeth began a slow trail, biting down her neck, taking a stop at her collarbone to nibble and kiss the smooth, caramel skin.

"I've waited so long for this K." he breathed against her skin, his hands which had been on her waist slowly slid up her torso, one stopped just below her breasts, but the other continued its journey until it was filled with her breasts, she shuddered against him as her head fell forward resting against his shoulder, he smiled hearing her helpless moans and whimpers as his thumb rubbed her bud, his index finger joined it to tweak her peaked nipple.

"All I've wanted from the day I met you, is to touch you...kiss you...love you..." he whispered as he placed chaste kisses along her neck. He slowly unbuttoned her blouse, taking his time to kiss every patch of caramel skin he exposed, he slipped the blouse off her kissing her shoulders and arms. He smiled as she shuddered against him, her full breasts filled a light blue lacy bra that did a good job of holding it up, he watched entranced as her breasts heaved in rhythm to her raspy breathing, he was all set to bust his nuts just by staring at the rise and fall of the beautiful pair. He looked up at her, her eyes were trained on him, awaiting his next move anxiously, she didn't look as uncertain as she had minutes ago, instead her eyes seemed to urge him on.

She watched him brush his pale pink lips over the swell of her breasts, his hands danced around her flat, firm stomach and caressed her back. He skillfully unhooked her bra- she didn't notice. He rubbed her shoulders and then let his hand drop to her thighs.

She gasped when his hands grabbed both her ass cheeks and pulled her up so she was on her knees, he gave her a sly grin as her shocked eyes stared down at him, "We won't be needing this anymore" he said as he roughly pulled off her bra, nearly ripping the material, her full breasts jiggled, her hershey-kissed light brown nipples at their peak heaved in his face, "God! They're as beautiful as I imagined." he sighed, staring at the teasing pair like they were the eighth wonder of the world, he cupped one boob and placed a light kiss on its tiny bud, "I could suck on these babies all day" he muttered just before he caught it between his teeth and proceeded to lick and suck on her like a lactating infant.

Kachi cried out, her hands digging into his blonde mane as he pleasured her in ways she hadn't dreamed of, every suck and nibble sent a wave of pleasure through her body that came to a head in her middle making her moan and whimper. She suddenly felt him rising from his seat as he unlatched his lips from her nipple.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, though her fear of falling off him was unfounded, he had a firm grip around her waist and steadily walked up a stairs she hadn't noticed previously, carrying her like she weighed nothing, he kissed and bit her collarbone the entire way up, successfully distracting her and keeping her aroused.

She wasn't aware they had entered a bedroom until she felt herself being lowered and her back came in contact with soft silk, she opened her eyes and they met his smiling ones.

"You didn't think I would really make love to you on that couch, did you?" he asked almost laughing at her look of surprise.

Truthfully, she didn't care where he wanted to take her, he might have even laid her across the kitchen counter and it would have felt like a king-size bed.

He didn't wait for her reply as his busy lips returned to work, making a trail from her collarbone, between her breasts, down her belly button and hovered just above the waistline of her jeans, he unbuttoned her jeans and slipped off her boots. His hands slipped into both sides of her jeans and slowly slid them off as she raised her ass to help him. The sweet smell of her arousal hit his nostrils and he grinned mischievously, the matching blue boy shorts she wore were soaked with her juices. Slowly, he slid his hand up her thighs, stopping just below her hot core, he could hear the harsh breaths, he reveled in them, glad to know he wasn't the only one who was set to burst in anticipation, as much as he wanted to damn it all and bury himself so deep inside her it would take a surgical operation to separate them, he also needed for her to remember this night as long as she lived, he needed to ensure every touch was engrained in her memory.

"Turn around darling"

Kachi looked down at him, his lips hovering where she wished he would just dive in and end this torture he was putting her through. She was tempted to ask why, but her fear of ruining all of this with such a potentially silly question caused her to keep shut and do as she was told.

The boy shorts hugged her firm, round behind so damn good, he swore he had never seen an ass this perfect, it wasn't offensively large, neither was it small by any stretch of the imagination, it was an ass that could inspire poets- it definitely inspired him, "Perfect." he muttered to himself as he splayed his large hands across her rump and kneaded them, her whimpers sounded like music to his ears.

Kachi buried her face in the silk sheets as Jeremy's hands played her body like it was an instrument, he had it humming to his every tune, her mind was in a haze, unable to wrap its self around his ability to bring such pleasure with such simple touches. She felt his hands slip into the sides of her panties, she raised her ass up as he peeled the panties off her, she lay naked and bare before his eyes, her shapely form left him speechless.

Slowly he turned her around, his breath caught in his throat, she was perfection personified. He watched those beautiful heaving breasts, that flat tummy and the flair of her hips that led to nicely toned legs, her juice coated her outer lips, her pussy was completely shaved save for a light patch of hair just above her slit.

He had barely admired her when she slowly sat up and crawled to him, "It's not fair if you get to see me nude and you're still clothed." she said as her hands went to work unbuttoning his shirt.

He hadn't even noticed he was yet to remove a fabric of clothing. She pulled the shirt off him and then proceeded to rid him of the singlet.

Her eyes roamed his hard body, she had been right after all, he did have an amazing body under his clothes, his chest was broad, leading to nice abs that ended in a v below his jeans, his tanned skin felt hot against her lips as she kissed his chest and down his body, she heard him groan when she nibbled his pink nipples. She had already unbuttoned his jeans and was well on her way down south when he suddenly pushed her off.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked with a sly grin as he lowered himself to her slit, he took a whiff of her intoxicating scent, "You smell so good" he rumbled, his eyes trained on her pussy like he was conversing with it, his tongue swept against her slit, earning him a whimper. She tasted a bit salty, he smiled, he had never gone down on any woman previously, he really had no time for foreplay unless it favored him, some kissing, a good blowjob and he would be pumping into other women almost immediately and releasing, but with Kachi, it was different, he wanted her to get the full course of his good loving.

Kachi's back arched off the bed and she muttered non-existent words as she felt Jeremy's lips eat her pussy like it was ice cream, she thrashed uncontrollably, his hands on her hips keeping them in place while he lapped at her gushing juices felt like pleasure chains. She tried unsuccessfully to move away when a sudden electrifying feeling passed through her, it was nothing like she had ever experienced, so good it felt harmful.

"Oh god, Jeremy, please..." she begged, her voice trailed off, she couldn't think up any more words, it felt like she had suddenly gone dumb as the toe-curling feeling hit her like a tsunami, she let out a loud cry that she could've sworn was heard three districts away as she experienced her first orgasm. She lay sprawled on the bed, it felt like that orgasm had taken away her last strength, rendering her temporarily numb...or so she thought.

While Kachi lay, trying to recover the breath that had been knocked out of her, Jeremy took the time to get out of the rest of his clothing. He was so hard he was sure to have a case of blue balls by the next morning, that guttural scream she had released as he brought her to her orgasm had not only swelled his ego, but other parts of him too so that he wondered why he hadn't released at the sound. He slid up to look at her sweaty face, one would never know it was freezing outside by the perspiration on her face.

Kachi looked up at his smiling face, he seemed to be pleased with himself, after that performance, he deserved to bask in his glory, she swore she had never felt so good in all her life, it was an out-of-this world experience.

"How did I do?" he asked, he dipped his head lower and nibbled a nipple, she sighed as her hands dug into his hair.

"So good." she sighed, the feel of his wet tongue causing sensations on her nipple and bringing her pussy back to life. She had thought she couldn't possibly be aroused only minutes after that shattering orgasm, so much for that thought.

"You ready for more?" he asked, as he nibbled on the neglected nipple.

"Hmmm?" she could barely hear anything above the humming in her head, all she could do was feel...and feel she did.

"I asked if you're ready for more" he repeated as he ground his hardness against her slit.

Kachi's eyes flew open feeling his hard length against her, the contact made her moan. She wanted to say no, her head told her her body had gotten enough, but her rebellious body wanted more, it needed to be filled, "Yes, I want it all" she breathed.

"Just what I want to hear." he aligned his cock to her soaking entrance.

Suddenly, every ounce of courage Kachi had felt and every sliver of arousal faded as she felt his cock slide into her slickness, "Jeremy, wait...I..." he moved deeper making her gasp.

"You what?" he asked, sliding inch by inch into her slickness, she was so darn tight, her walls were already sucking him in, and he had barely even gotten four inches in, at this rate he feared he wouldn't last long. she didn't give him a reply. She didn't have to as the head of his cock came into contact with a barrier. His eyes met hers, she was a virgin?

He had pegged her to be a lot of things, but a virgin hadn't been one of them, he had assumed she must have had sex at least once, she was twenty-four! Most girls her age had gone past at least three sexual partners.

"Why didn't you..."

"Don't ask, just...love me, please" 

He held her gaze for a while, searching in her eyes for any signs of fear or hesitation, all he saw was encouragement, he smiled down at her and kissed her, it was a long and soulful kiss, he wanted her to feel how much passion he felt for her, to know how appreciative he was of her gift.

"This might sting a bit" he whispered into her ear, "Hold on, and you can scratch me if it hurts too much" he chuckled as he placed her small hands on his shoulder.

She nodded and closed her eyes as she braced for impact...but even that wasn't enough to stop the pain that rendered her temporarily numb when he suddenly rammed his long, thick member into her hot, wet cunt, breaking her hymen. She didn't just scratch him, her teeth dug into the skin of his shoulder in her effort to hold off her scream.

Jeremy growled, not just from the sting of her bite, but the way her virgin pussy suffocated his cock, her walls clasped him so tightly it took a great deal of strength to not flood her with his seed, "Damn Kachi, you're so tight" he made no move to slip out of her, once he was able to maneuver his muscles, he began grinding her and moving his hips in a circular motion, helping her get used to the feel of him.

It didn't take long for the pain to subside, and then came the pleasure, she found herself grinding against him, loving the way his long, thick cock ministered to her pussy, her breathing was labored as her arm wrapped around his neck and the other slid down to his firm ass, pulling him deeper. She unconsciously spread her legs wider and felt her eyes flutter close, "Jeremy...oh my..." she breathed. He slid out of her and back in rhythmically. 

Jeremy wished he had a camera right now with him, his eyes took in her posture. She made the most erotic sight, her back arched, her head thrown back in the throes of passion, her bottom lip caught between her teeth and her beautiful brown skin glistening with sweat as she guided him deeper within her and released the sweetest sounds he would ever hear. As he watched her, he knew the impossible had been achieved.

He was in love.

That realization made him thrust just a bit harder, he wanted to see how good she would look while she got a good fucking. Gorgeous.

"Oh, Christ, yes!" Kachi screamed. In all her life, she couldn't remember being this uninhibited, then again, she had never felt so good. He should get paid for how good he was making her feel, her every being was under his spell, and boy was he working her good. All she could do was moan and whimper as he increased his speed.




A Christmas Party Ch. 07



"Oh, fuck!" he groaned. His cock seemed to be working solely for her pussy, he had lost all control of it, all he could do was feel. He took hold of her thighs and raised them to her knees, opening up her pussy to his total massacre. He pounded her like a crazed man, his pent up desire and every other emotion he felt toward her melted into his pummeling. 

It started like a tiny spark in his toes, travelled along every muscle in his body, he felt it, welcomed it as he welcomed her moans which were getting louder with every hard stroke he took. He took in the sight of her sweaty body, her full breasts bounced erratically, the air was filled with the raw, musky scent of sex and sounds of their grunts and moans, her pussy sucked him in like a vacuum, her walls contracting and damn near swallowing his dick. His sensory organs went on overload as he let out an animalistic growl and erupted deep inside her womb.

Kachi's orgasm followed, knocking the air out of her lungs, and she could swear she screamed so loud, her throat would be sore for an entire week.

He collapsed on her, his breath uneven, his skin cold and clammy as the cold air dried off the sweat. e lay against her chest, listening to the erratic sound of her heartbeat, as it slowly evened, he heard the sound of fireworks going off as the rest of the world welcomed the new year.

"I love you Kachi" he said softly into the cold night.

He felt her hands in his hair and her lips place a soft kiss against his temple, "I love you Jeremy"

*****

This had to be a nightmare of some sorts, yes, it was a bad nightmare she was sure to wake up from.

Claire sat in her bedroom staring into space as she thought of how fast her entire fantasy world had come crashing down. She wanted it all to be a really bad joke, some sort of weird April Fool prank that would be over by tomorrow. But it wasn't, she really had fucked up this time, and there would be no make-up sex...well, not with Jeremy.

She replayed the events of last night in her head. After Jeremy had walked out with the whore, everyone had turned on her, first Susan, who had excused herself from the table after giving her a long disapproving look, and then Jonathan who had simply reminded her father of their golf game the next day and asked the butler to show them out when they were through.

Her father hadn't spoken to her their entire drive home, neither had her mother who had only been able to throw sympathetic looks her way. But she had gotten a good talking to the second they got into the house. Her father had damn near screamed the house down, accusing her of disgracing him in the presence of a family friend, being childish, and had ended his ranting by ordering her to apologize to Jeremy as soon as possible.

And then this morning, she had gone to Jeremy's condo for the sole purpose of apologizing...and more. She had gotten in with a duplicate key she had gotten without his knowledge, just in case she felt like throwing him a surprise. And dressed in nothing but her bra and panties under the trench coat she wore and a pair of six-inch heels, she had come with the full intention to surprise him. Only, she was the one who met the surprise once she stepped into the house. She didn't need to go far to know what had happened the night before, the unfinished drinks, the sight of a female's top- no, the top that little tramp had been wearing the night before and a blue bra, told all there was to tell.

Still, she had refused to believe what her eyes took in, in her foolishness she wanted to investigate further, to know without doubts if her suspicion was right. So she had proceeded to move upstairs to his bedroom. She had only opened the door slightly, but what she saw left her breathless and almost paralyzed her.

There he was, her Jeremy, her future husband, her man. HERS! In bed with the cheap slut, he looked so peaceful, she was molded against him, his large body spooning her smaller one. Unable to think of anything better to do, she just banged the door shut, loud enough to awake the occupants of the room and dashed out of the house in tears.

As she thought of the sight, she could feel the tears pooling and cascading down her eyes. Things weren't supposed to go this way, they were supposed to have a happy ever after, she and Jeremy. All of this was wrong. 

She wiped her eyes defiantly, if she wouldn't get her happy ever after with Jeremy, she was going to make sure no one else did.

With that in mind, she picked up her phone, the number Lee-Anne had gotten from the wench's phone would be useful after all.

*******

Donny dried off his dark hair as he walked out of the bathroom. He had slept in a bad mood and woke up in a worse one.

He still didn't understand why Kachi would scold him or even choose that bastard over him. Save for Christmas, New Year was the only other holiday he knew he and Kachi kept sacred. They spent it together, nothing, absolutely NOTHING kept them apart on New Year's eve and day...well, until now.

He frowned, remembering how she had blown him off last night, he didn't deserve that. He had been nothing but a good, listening, understanding friend to her for nine years, the least she could've done was be a little nicer.

Why was he complaining? He had said he was okay with being just friends, hadn't he? Truth was, he wasn't okay with being just friends, he wanted to be more, he needed to be. There was no other woman for him in this life, it HAD to be Kachi, and Kachi was made solely for him. They were soul mates. Why couldn't she see past the suave and wealth of Mr. Vice President? Sure he was good-looking, but he wasn't lacking in the looks department as well, he wasn't as rich as he was, but he would try to give her the best things in life, he just needed to get her to see that he was her true love.

The sound of his phone ringing brought him out of his reverie, he found the gadget tucked in the pocket of the pants he had on last night. Taking it out, he looked at the caller ID, it was a new number. His first instinct was to let it ring until whoever it was realized it was a wrong number, but on second thought, he pressed the receive button.

"Yes?" he began coldly.

"Is this Donny?" a female voice asked from the other end.

He raised his brow at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, "Yes. Who's this?"

"A friend." was her simple reply.



A Christmas Party Ch. 08



Hey guys, sorry for the delay, had some typo issues.some words which are Nigerian slangs may be unfamiliar, here are their translations

Toast- Woo

Abeg- Please

Aboki- trader

Hope you enjoy it. Feedbacks and ratings are always appreciated** L.S

*

Claire looked at her wrist watch. 7:22. What kind of dolt had she set up a meeting with? How hard was it to locate the ritziest restaurant in the entire city? She had been clear when she gave him the name and address- which was totally unnecessary. Everyone knew this place- well, everyone who was someone.

Going by the class of friends he had. She could understand if he didn't know the place, they probably hung out in some crappy restaurant she'd never be caught dead in. 

She snorted.

The shit she had to go through to get what she wanted. The end of all this better justified the means; if she had to be seen with a nobody, it better be worth it.

She took out her ipad and began fiddling with it idly to pass the time and avoid the curious eyes of the other customers, it wasn't everyday a pretty girl like herself sat alone. She smiled at that thought, at least others acknowledged her beauty.

She was going through some dresses on a fashion blog when she heard a cough. She looked up and was momentarily stunned at the sight of the dark-haired hottie she was staring at, he looked every bit an Abercrombie, sure his outfit of choice; stone-washed blue jeans and a fitted grey polo, was far from fashionable or eve inappropriate for this restaurant, but his looks definitely made up for any fashion flaw. Sure not the loser you're expecting. She thought to herself- but that didn't mean she couldn't flirt and have him as company, who knows? He could be a good way to temporarily forget about Jeremy, he looked like a good fuck, a man as big as him ought to have a long, thick...

"Claire Gareth?" she heard him ask.

He knew her name? How...? Damn! He had a sexy voice too.

She smiled flirtatiously, "Who wants to know?" she asked in her best Marilyn Monroe voice.

Donny nearly laughed at this walking Barbie doll's attempt at being sexy. It was no wonder Jeremy didn't want her, he wouldn't want a vain plastic doll either. She was pretty, he would give her that, but according to what he presently saw and how she had addressed him until now- like he was some scumbag she was trying to help- he figured her looks were as good as it got for her.

"Donny Iliamson, Kachi's friend" 

No way! That greedy little skank! She had this swooning over her and she still went after her Jeremy? Some people would just never be content with what they had...then again, her Jeremy was wealthy, Abercrombie here looked like he was just as broke as his gold digging friend, at least he wasn't totally useless. He seemed like he would have other 'talents'

"Um...may I sit? People are starting to stare" Donny said, he didn't feel comfortable with her staring at him like he was on the menu, and in honest just wanted to be through with this meeting and leave.

She had called him two days ago and told him she was Jeremy's fiancée, he didn't believe her, but what the hell? She wanted Jeremy, he wanted Kachi, they weren't making head way with their respective efforts, a team up would be a welcome arrangement if they got what they wanted, so he was perfectly okay playing along with her imaginary role.

"Sure." she replied. He sat across from her, his large frame making the chair and table seem much smaller- and taking her mind back to the possible size of his di...

"So, what's the plan?"

"Well, first we order something to eat."

"Order?" Donny asked with raised brows. He definitely hadn't come here to eat tasteless, over-priced meals that wouldn't even fill him up, the kind of food served here was solely for skinny, diet crazed females (and a few males)- like Claire, "I thought we were here for a plan."

She scoffed, "Well I can't come up with a brilliant plan on an empty stomach." she didn't get him, most men would be itching to be in his position right now, yet here he was acting like she was some leprosy victim he needed to get away from, it was her reputation that could be damaged by this fraternization, not his

Brilliant plan? He doubted any amount of food would make her conjure anything more than a mediocre plan, she didn't strike him as one who was remotely brilliant. He shrugged, if he had to put up with her to achieve his aim, so be it, "Fine then." he grumbled as he picked up the menu.

His eyes bulged at the prices of the meals; a bottle of water here could get him a large cappuccino and two croissants in the coffee shop he hung out with Kachi and Phi. His brows furrowed as his thoughts suddenly went to who would be paying. He looked above the menu at Claire who was glancing through the menu and humming like she was only doing this for formalities, he could bet she knew the price of every meal like the back of her hand.

Her eyes caught his, and as though reading his mind, she played down his fears, "No worries, the bill is on me."

Better. He thought to himself, and by the appalled look on her face, he had probably muttered it too.

Their waiter, a scrawny guy with scanty, brown hair who reminded Donny of himself when he was much younger, came to take their orders. By the way he looked Claire over and spoke with no enthusiasm whatsoever, it was evident they didn't have a good history, he wondered why.

Watching her give her order like the mere presence of the guy would upset her bowels, he could see why she wasn't his favorite customer, even he was getting sick just sitting across from her.

"You know you shouldn't talk to people like that." he commented once the waiter left their table.

She glared at him, slightly offended that this nobody would call her out on her manners, "Meaning?" she snapped.

"Meaning you should address people more respectfully." he stated, his tone failed to relay how pissed he was that she would dare to use that tone with him.

She scoffed, "He's the one who took this job, he'll take whatever he gets."

Donny wanted to verbally tear her ass up for that statement, instead he bit his tongue, he would get that chance some other time, not here and not now.

"Just tell me this plan you've got to break them up." his tone told her he was sick of her bullshit, he didn't have the patience to sit next to a woman who was begging for a smack down however way possible. It annoyed him to see people being mistreated, especially those who were smaller in stature, the sight hit a little too close to home.

"Like I said we eat first..."

"Bullshit! I didn't come here to fucking eat and share the grace alright?"

Claire jumped at the hardness of his voice; it was just as scary as it was strangely arousing. She could feel her pussy tingle in anticipation, oh she was going to have this man alright, he may not be good for anything more, and she did find him uncultured and totally abrasive, but that didn't mean she couldn't play with him, bulldogs had owners too.

"Tell me what you have in mind or I will leave. Now." he said firmly, his tone leaving no doubts that he meant every word he said.

Leave? He couldn't leave...well not until her wet pussy got a feel of what he had in his pants. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat to ease the throbbing between her legs. She made up her mind to stall him as much as she could.

"Okay, okay." she said testily, "I was thinking, we could set them against each other." she said.

Donny stared at her, waiting for more, when it seemed like nothing was coming, he had to ask, "And?" he didn't get it, of course they would set them against each other, how else were they to break up if not by being against each other? It didn't take a genius to figure that out, what he wanted to know was how they were to set them against each other.

"Well feel free to contribute." she replied sarcastically.

Donny found himself wondering if he really had to sit through all of this, it was obvious Barbie here was just as plastic and dumb as the doll itself. He grumbled thinking of how quickly he had jumped at an opportunity to meet with a fellow conspirator without getting any basic idea on what she had in mind, she obviously had nothing.

He stood up to leave but was stopped by Barbie.

"Wait!" Claire said, her voice held just a tinge of desperation. 

He turned. The look in his electric brown eyes sent a ripple through her body that came at a juncture between her legs. She closed her eyes briefly, looking at him brought the wrong thoughts streaming into her head, not wrong wrong, just wrong like at-the-moment wrong. She needed to say something to keep him- not just anything, but something smart.

"So?" he asked testily.

"I was thinking I could seduce Jeremy." she began.

"How?" 

"Well sit and let me finish."

"Donny sat back in his chair with a sigh, "Okay."

She smiled, "I can get him drunk and seduce him, we put up a video camera and tape the entire session, then send it to Kachi."

"Get him drunk? How drunk can you get him to make him fuck you?" Donny asked. He thought about two to three packs of beer, even he would have to be really stoned to kiss her.

Lucky for him, Claire didn't understand his comment for what it was. Reading it to mean an imperfect plan, she thought a little harder...and then it hit her, "Or, we could drug him, I have an insider in the company who can make sure his coffee is drugged, then getting him to sleep with me without seeming drunk would be much easier." she rambled on. 

For the first time in probably ever she really felt smart. She had never had any cause to actually think up any plan, but as she informed Donny of this one, she felt more and more convinced that it could work.

Donny thought a bit, finally admitting to himself that there may be a semblance of a brain lodged somewhere in Barbie's head after all. He imagined how distraught Kachi would be, she had always been a stickler for honesty and faithfulness, and though many would call that part of her a weakness- hell even he had always thought so- she wasn't one to actually investigate further before making conclusions.

As far as she was concerned, seeing is believing, she didn't care to know how, when or where, she just took things as she saw them. He almost smiled knowing that she wouldn't take Jeremy's explanations- she probably wouldn't even ask..and him? He would be just where he belonged, right by her side.

"Hmm..." he began thoughtfully, "That just might work."

"So we work together?" she asked with a large grin, not just in anticipation of the demise of 'Kacheremy', but also being in close quarters to the gorgeous man in front of her.

Donny nodded, he stretched his hand out to her, "Let's shake on it." 

Claire only smiled with a glint in her eyes, she didn't accept his shake, she had other ways they could seal the deal.

*****

To call or not to call. That is the question.

Phi stared at the piece of paper that held Keith's number, it was now worn out from days of being scrunched up, unfolded, scrunched up again, and unfolded again. She knew she had been given the go-ahead by Kachi, but still....

She wasn't used to this...this....style. She wanted to call him, but she remained unsure, she didn't want to seem desperate or eager. She had thought of giving it a few days, five days had passed now and she was nowhere near dialing the first digit of his number, whatever was stopping her, she honestly couldn't say, but she just couldn't call...Kachi would definitely laugh at her, the bold, daring, Phumi Khumalo, the one who claimed to have flashed a professor in class, the one who flirted with anything in pants- and sometimes skirts, the one who planned to get married in a bar, couldn't even call some dude...even she wanted to laugh at her own self, what a joke she must seem.

She sighed, that deep sigh of longing she had gotten used to recently, and tucked the number back in the pocket of her coat. She made her way to the kitchen, looking at the wall clock on her way, it was just past five. Too early for dinner, she didn't even know what dinner was going to be. 

"Might just go to Kachi's, she always has something." she muttered to herself. One of the perks of being friends with Kachi was a guaranteed meal whenever anyone dropped by. She didn't think it was on purpose, but 98% of the time, Kachi cooked more than she could finish. Donny was usually the lucky one who got to eat most of the left-over, even he wouldn't admit it, but she knew Donny rarely cooked because Kachi was sure to have something for him.

A slight knock came at her door, interrupting her thoughts. She went to it and opened to find Kachi at her door. She frowned, "You're not at home?"

"Well I'm at your door so....anything the matter?"

Phi's frown eased, she opened her door wider, "Nothing. I just thought I'd drop by this evening."

"And eat free food, right?" Kachi asked as she stepped into the house.

Phi smiled sheepishly, "Thank God you know." 

The two women crashed onto Phi's couch and sighed in unison. They stared at the air without speaking for a long while, it was a weird act, but they did have those moments when they went silent after a brief conversation, that moment they spent preparing their thoughts for release, and when the release came it was usually long.

"So, how are your legs?" Phi asked with a smirk.

Kachi shot a glare her way, but smiled it away as she tossed a pillow playfully at a laughing Phi, "You're a very stupid girl I swear"

Phi just kept laughing, "The first two days after your 'retirement', I almost thought I would have to get you a walking stick or even a wheelchair" she joked.

Kachi had relayed to Phi everything that had happened between she and Jeremy, she had no choice really, her body told the tale of good lovin' her man had given her, five days later she could still feel every stroke he had taken within her...well she had gotten a repeat performance two days ago.

She smiled to herself as she remembered it all. 

He had invited her to his office, even going to work had been awkward, she had gotten an odd feeling that everyone knew she had slept with Jeremy- no one gave the impression that they had, but she likened it to the feeling one got after stealing from the family kitchen or something, she had laughed at herself for being childish, but she couldn't shake off that feeling.

When she got to his office, the look on her Jeremy's face told her all she needed to know. If the whole office didn't know they had slept together previously they would definitely know now.

He had pulled her to him gently, but she could feel the strength of him in that pull, "I missed you" he said huskily, he placed a light kiss on her cheek, "Did you miss me?" he asked, his hand slid upwards and cupped her breast as his lips took hers.

She moaned into his mouth and leaned into his touch, her body already singing for him, she missed him, her body missed him....she especially missed the feel of him between her legs, an area that was now throbbing for his touch, "I missed you too" she sighed once his lips left hers to savor the rest of her body.

"How much?" he asked, his hand now playing with her beaded nipples, the other moved to the hem of her skirt, slowly raising it higher and exposing more of her thighs.

"Jeremy, in your office?" she asked breathlessly, the sensations he was causing within her made her voice a bit raspy and her knees weak.

"Mm hmm." he had only gotten half-way up her thighs, but he could feel her juices against her inner thigh, he smiled to himself, she was definitely soaked, "I see someone's missed me." he went on to discover how much as his hand moved faster and found the soaked crotch of her boy shorts, "Maybe you shouldn't wear these anymore." he suggested with a sly smile as his hand delved within the confines of the fabric and his finger found the origin of her heat.

She moaned, her legs spreading even further of their own volition as his long finger pleasured her, "God! I missed you" she cried, her orgasm building as his thumb found her nub and rubbed it.

The next thing she knew, his finger had left her wet middle, his hands hooked behind her knees and she felt herself being lifted off the ground, her skirt hiked up to her waist, in his haste, he ripped off her boy shorts and plunged himself deep into her, they moaned in unison.

She braced herself, her hands gripping his broad shoulders firmly as he began driving his thick rod into her. He placed his lips against hers, muffling her moans and cries.

It didn't take long for Kachi to reach her orgasm, the feel of her tight pussy clenching his cock in a tight grip was the death of him as he reached his orgasm almost immediately as he shot his load into her with a grunt.

"Hellooooo." 

Kachi snapped out of her flashback when she noticed Phi's fingers snapping in her face.

"What?"

Phi gave her a concerned look, "Okay, I knew he was good, but I never thought he was that good. Chic you need to break up with him if he's making you lose concentration like this, it's not healthy."

Kachi shook her head with a smile, "Who told you I'm thinking about him?"

"Mm hmm. Why are you blushing then?"

Kachi hissed, "Don't even start with me this evening, I'm not in the mood. I came to ask you about something"

"What about?"

Kachi was quiet for a brief moment, "Donny." she sighed.

Phi raised curious brows, "What about Donny?" she asked as she crossed her legs Indian-style in preparation for what she assumed would be an interesting story.

"I did something...something really bad. At least I think so, I just want to know if you think it's bad."

"What is it?"

Kachi went on to relay to Phi all that had happened on Christmas Eve, from Donny's dropping by, to the stare-down he had with Jeremy and then their consequent argument when Jeremy left.

Once she was through, she stared at Phi, waiting for her judgment as she chewed her lower lip.

"Hmm." Phi began thoughtfully. She was starting to like this position as special adviser to Kachi, not that she liked that Kachi was so confused, but it was nice to not be the only person with drama. She was younger than Kachi, still, she sometimes felt like an elder sister with her, "I think you screwed up just a teeny weeny bit." 

Kachi's shoulders slumped, "I did, didn't I?" she sulked, "Time for damage control."

"Ultra-damage control."

"You think he'll accept my apology if I take some food along?" food had always worked with Donny, but she couldn't remember being at odds with him to this extent, their usual disagreements were trivial, but this wasn't one of those 'you stood me up' arguments, this was much deeper.

Phi nodded vigorously, "If nothing else works, that surely will. Donny's a sucker for your cooking."

"But this isn't one of our little disagreements."

Phi shrugged, "Well make him a bigger meal, pack up an extra-large picnic basket if you will, but trust me, food WILL work."

Kachi thought about Phi's reply, the more she thought about it, her brain went into work-mode as she thought of the various dishes she could prepare. Maybe food would work after all. She sat up in excitement, her current sorrows now forgotten temporarily

" In fact I even wanted to ask you about that your guy, how far with him?" Kachi asked Phi in a swift change of subject.

"Which guy?"

"Eminem of course, or have you forgotten him already? What happened to 'I've never felt so good'?" Kachi asked imitating Phi.

Phi tossed a pillow at her playfully, and then sulked, "I can't call him."

"Did you lose his number?"

"No" she shrugged her shoulders, "I just..I'm scared." she admitted almost shamefully.

Kachi gave her a look of surprise, which turned to one of amusement and then all out laughter, "You? Scared? Wonders have finally ended! What happened to the baddest of the bad? I never knew you and scared could be in the same sentence."




A Christmas Party Ch. 08



Phi shook her head, "It's not like that Kay."

"How is it then?" Kachi asked, her head cocked like she was waiting for a really good explanation. She didn't understand why Phi would relent in calling a man she so confessed to being attracted to, she had never known her to be a coward or indecisive even. Normal Phi just jumped into stuff and faced the consequences later- after the fun was over.

Phi sighed as her mind tried to come up with a sensible explanation- not just sensible, but one she agreed with, "I don't know if this will make sense Kachi, but..." she released a deep sigh before continuing, "I don't want him to be just a fling, I don't want him to see me as just a fling, and I feel like calling him so early...I might come off as some desperate, horny, bitch-in-heat, sex-starved..."

"I get it, just go on."

Phi smiled, "Anyway, I know I've not known him for too long, but I really like him, looks and attraction aside, and I want....more."

Kachi nodded. She knew where Phi was coming from, hell, she was surprised Phi was even thinking in that direction, she really had never known Phi to be one for commitment, her anthem usually went 'love em and leave em', her mind was made up that one man could never stick to one woman, so she would rather do the dumping than wait to get dumped.

"Wow, I never knew you could like a man like that." Kachi spoke like she was having an epiphany.

Phi chuckled, "TMI huh?"

"No, it's just a lot to take in when it's coming from you."

Phi buried her face in her hands with a shy smile, "I feel so silly Kachi, like some love-struck teenager."

"I know how you feel." she replied as she rubbed Phi's back.

A light knock came at Phi's door, ending their little moment, "Who could that be?" Kachi asked.

Phi shrugged, "I don't know." she stood up and went to the door, "Who's there?" she got no reply. She unlocked the door and opened it warily, she peeked outside and noticed a rectangular-shaped item by the door. She opened up fully and stepped outside.

"Who is it Phi?" she heard Kachi asked from inside.

She looked on both sides of the street, perhaps someone had dropped a package at the wrong door, "I don't know." She replied. She studied the wrapped item, her eyes looking around the area again. Just then, she caught a glimpse of...was that Keith? She couldn't quite say, he was standing at a far distance and the street wasn't illuminated enough to get a clear view. He winked at her and then walked away, that confident stride gave him away.

She shook her head, her lips formed in a grin as she took the wrapped item and went into the house, locking up again.

"What's that?" Kachi asked.

"I don't know." 

"Who brought it?" 

"I can guess" she replied with a sly smile as she found a paper cutter inside a drawer and returned to Kachi and the waiting item. She proceeded to open up the item which had to be at least 3 ft. long. She tore up the paper, the first thing she saw was apparently, the back of a portrait, there was a note on it.

"In my eyes?" she asked, reading the three words in confusion.

"Turn it around, let's see" Kachi said excitedly.

Phi turned it around and her eyes- and Kachi's widened at the sight before them. There was a portrait of Phi sitting in front of a vanity mirror, her only item of clothing? A sheet that covered her breasts, her lower body wasn't in view, but her back was bare, she had on a seductive smile, and her eyes relayed pure happiness.

"Wow, he's got an imagination." Kachi commented, her eyes taking in the view before her, even she didn't know what Phi looked like barely clothed, and she had never wanted to know, "Well, we know how he feels about you." she added, repeating the same comment Phi had made to her some days ago.

She looked down at the bottom of the portrait and the name written was 'Eminem' a smile grew on her lips. It might not have been what anyone would consider morally right, but just the fact that he had made her her own portrait warmed her heart, most people couldn't even boast of having one, and here she was getting a beautiful portrait from a beautiful man.

"I guess he got tired of waiting for your call, doesn't look like one who's interested in just a fling either"

Phi unconsciously traced the lines of the drawing, it was perfect, from the shades to the hue, even the little details like the items on the vanity mirror were paid their attention. 

"It's lovely" she breathed.

Kachi reached for Phi's phone which sat on a side table and handed it to her, "I think you have a number to dial." She smiled. Now she was excited for Phi, it was about time she found someone who really liked her.

******

This wasn't right.

Donny was unsure which though; this little scheme he had with Claire, or the fact that he thought it was wrong. He should be happy, by tomorrow, Claire would have carried out the plan, successfully, he hoped. By the next, the tape would have been delivered to Kachi, and she would have been through with everything Jeremy Blaire by the end of the week. It was a foolproof plan, best of which, he wouldn't be implicated in any way, still, it left a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach and made him question his loyalty and integrity as a friend- as Kachi's best friend.

If things were the other way around and he had fallen in love, Kachi would have supported him, whether she liked the girl or not. He remembered vividly, she hadn't always been on good terms with Mildred, no, Mildred absolutely hated her, but she had never said a bad word about her, thinking he really liked her. She had been happy for him, truly happy, shouldn't it follow then that when she found someone that made her happy, he should also be happy for her?

Not only had he gone into an agreement with that bitter bitch Claire, he had even fucked her too...that was her idea of sealing the agreement. There was nothing exactly memorable about that fuck, well, she gave good head, but that was about it- it was nothing stellar, just good, the sex was mediocre at most, he had fucked the whore in every position he could think of- and any she could too. She wasn't exactly tight- well, not as tight as he imagined Kachi to be.....damn it! He was still thinking about her, how difficult was it to get her out of his mind? Then again, it had to be one helluva task to get someone he had loved for close to a decade off his mind.

It would take more than an all-night fucking of a cheap bimbo that was for sure. Even the thought that he had slept with Claire made him disgusted, like he was some loser that was only good for Jeremy's left-over. 

He shook his head with one resolve, he didn't want in anymore. If Jeremy and Kachi were going to break-up, it was going to be because it was meant to be, not due to some calculated plan. If he and Kachi were meant to be, he would get her fair and square, not by default or any form of foul play.

He stood up and went into his room to get his phone, but before he could get there, he heard the sound of his doorbell. He dragged himself lazily to the door, he didn't need any visitors right now, he didn't want to see anyone.

"Who's there?" he asked, he was all set to tell whoever it was to come back later and feign some communicable illness or something.

"Donny, it's Kachi."

Well, there was always an exception- she would always be the exception. 

He swung open the door and grinned from ear to ear at the sight before him. She was carrying a large picnic basket and he could guess what was inside.

She smiled sheepishly at him, food was always a hit after all, "Hey." she began, "May I come in?"

"Yeah." He replied as he made way for her entrance. She stepped in, as she passed by him, he caught a whiff of Beyonce's Heat. He had gotten it for her two months ago to celebrate her new job, after her first day at work, she hadn't worn it anymore. Something was definitely going on, and he was loving where it was heading.

"I came to apologize." she blurted out as soon as they were in his sitting room. She went on, intent on spilling her every thought before he had the chance to speak, "What I did on New Year's eve. It was wrong, I should've called to cancel, I shouldn't have gone off on you like that, I just...I'm sorry." she completed with a whoosh.

He smiled. 

And here he was being the disgruntled, vengeful ex-bestie. If only she knew how happy that apology made him, the food alone was enough to forgive all wrongs, the apology was just a bonus. He had been a bit terrified that she may never speak to him after his little performance that night, once he had reigned in his rampant emotions, he had been able to point out his faults- actually all of that happened a few hours ago, once the bitterness was washed away and reality came back to him.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been so inconsiderate..."

"No, I was.."

"Shh." he said softly, he moved a bit closer, "Let's accept we were both wrong." he said with finality.

She smiled and nodded, "Sure."

"Hug?"

A grin formed on her beautiful lips as she walked into his waiting arms and receive his warm hug, "I missed you." she muttered against him.

"Same here." 

He ended their embrace reluctantly, he loved the feel of her soft body pressed against his, but he reminded himself that she wasn't his and he had to respect her choice.

"I guess the food won't be necessary anymore." she said with a teasing smile.

"Oh no." he snatched the basket from her, "It's highly necessary." he laughed.

As they opened the basket, his eyes and nose were on high alert as he all but worshipped the variety of dishes in the basket, from Monagesque dishes, to American dishes, she had even made some jollof rice. Well, if this was her apology basket, he thought it would be beneficial if she could offend him more often.

They ate together, both discussing everything they could think of under the sun. Even as he laughed and joked around with his best friend, Donny knew there was something else that had to be said, but first off, he had an important call to make.

*****

Claire tapped slender, manicured fingers against her desk. Why was she so unfortunate? Was she cursed to be among fools? Cowards, untrustworthy little pussies. He didn't even have to do squat, this was all her plan, she was the one who would do the difficult part. All the bonehead had to do was keep Kachi occupied once the deed was done.

But no, that was too much to ask of that idiot. How dare he? Did he really think he could just out her like that? Their agreement wasn't even 3 days old, and he had already chickened out with that silly excuse about him being her best friend and loyalty and blah blah blah, like she cared about all that bullshit.

And to think she had even thought of him as a good replacement for Jeremy, how delusional a good fuck could make one. So much for that thought.

She snorted. 

Well, good riddance, she was going to do what she was going to do, Donny or no Donny. He had attempted to talk some sense into her, to make her revert her decision, but sense was something she had no use for when she felt she was being cheated out of her rightful possession.

She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"Miss Gareth..."

"Do you have the drugs?"

"Yes ma'am, I've gotten them, I..."

"Don't forget to slip it in his coffee tomorrow morning."

"Of course Miss Gareth, may I ask..."

"Call me once it's done."

"Yes ma'am." the voice replied meekly, now registering the message that Claire only wanted to hear affirmations and nothing else.

"Goodbye."

"Yes ma'am."

"One more thing Lee-Anne." 

"Yes, Miss Gareth?" 

"If by any chance you fail to drug his coffee, or he discovers your involvement, make sure you keep my name out of it, or you'll have yourself to blame for any repercussions. Are we clear?" she asked menacingly.

"Yes ma'am." Lee-Anne squeaked. She was truly terrified of Claire, the woman had the power to make sure she never found another job in the entire city. Getting caught would mean facing Jeremy's wrath, but whatever Jeremy would do to her would only be a pat on the head compared to what Claire was sure to do.

"Glad we have an understanding." Claire said and then dropped the phone.

She smiled to herself at the upset she was soon to cause. Oh, Jeremy and that little whore would never know what hit them. Nobody, absolutely no one used Claire Gareth and dumped her.

*****

Jeremy shook his head in an effort to wipe the hazy feeling he was having. 

He had been in this state for over half an hour now and was starting to think he had perhaps overworked himself.

It was just a few minutes past five and save for himself, the cleaners and three other staff who were working overtime, the entire office was cleared.

But overworking had never gotten him this weak, he could barely see the numbers on his screen. He stood up, his eyes briefly met the cup of coffee sitting on his desk, perhaps he had taken too much of that. He needed to get home and get some rest- if he could even drive home in this state.

He grabbed his jacket and dragged himself to the door, he opened it to see Lee-Anne's cheery face, beaming at him- two of them. He shook his head, what could he have possibly eaten to get so blurry-eyed?

"Mr. Blaire, I was going to ask when you would be.."

"I'm leaving now Lee-Anne." he slurred as he stumbled past her.

"Are you okay, Mr. Blaire?"

Jeremy placed his hand on her desk to steady himself. What had he taken? He tried to remember what he had had for breakfast; waffles, bacon and eggs and some coffee, nothing he was allergic to. He hadn't had lunch, and he definitely hadn't had anything alcoholic.

He looked up at Lee-Anne who was looking at him with concern.

"Do you need someone to take you home sir?"

"Yes, yes Lee-Anne that would be much appreciated." he replied as he crashed onto a nearby chair. He sighed deeply, dragging his hand across his face as he heard Lee-Anne speaking to someone on her phone. The only thing he could gather was that the person was female, but nothing else, she didn't mention a name and he couldn't make out the actual discussion- it was brief anyways. By the time she was through, he was drifting into unconsciousness and couldn't really care who got him home, as long as he got there safely.

*****

"Phi, please get the door." Kachi said from the kitchen.

Phi grumbled as she dragged herself off the couch, unwilling to miss even a second of Desperate Housewives, especially as Gabrielle's scene was on. She craned her neck unsuccessfully to see what was going on even as she walked to the door, she swiftly went to the door and flung it open, intent on growling at whoever had caused her to miss scenes she dubbed 'highly important', but she was least prepared for who she met at the door.

"Ai, ai, papi, I don't know what quest you're on sexy, but you just found your princess." she said as she eyed up the tall, chocolate hunk at the door. He looked to be about 6 ft. 1", he had broad shoulders and nice, strong arms that filled his short-sleeved shirt, he reminded her of a younger version of that guy in Salt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, only his hair was in a low-cut and he was a few shades darker.

He had on an amused smile, "Lemme guess, Phumi?"

She gasped as she placed her hand against the left-side of her chest, "Oh my goodness! He even knows my name. How the fates have blessed me with my very own Prince Charming." 

Ugo's smile grew to full on laughter at that comment. This woman really was the clown Kachi made her to be, "I must be in the right place then, is Kachi home?"

Phi frowned, "Could it be my Prince's heart belongs to another?"

She watched him toss his head back in laughter as he held his rib, his laughter was rich and inviting, just how she thought a man should laugh, "Please, where is my sister?" he asked.

"Phi, who's at the..." Kachi began as she went to the door. Phi had been there a little too long, "Ugo!" she squealed as she jumped into her elder brother's arms and he held her in a tight embrace.

He pecked her cheek as he gently placed her back on her feet, "How are you?" he began.

"I'm fine." She replied, her smile unwavering, "You didn't tell me you would be visiting." 

"I wanted to surprise you." he replied, "Your friend is a character." he added as he smiled at Phi. Who now looked a bit confused.

Kachi smiled, now looking at Phi, "I told you." She replied, "Ugo, this is my really really close friend, Phumi, Phumi, my immediate elder brother, Ugo." 

"Nice to finally meet you Phumi, Kachi has told me a lot about you." he began, "And they all seem to be true." he added as he shook her.

Phi blushed, "Trust me, your sister has a few lies under her belt." she said. She had never met any of Kachi's brothers, sure she had heard about them from both Kachi and Donny, while Kachi spoke with love and endearment, Donny was with respect, but none of them had said how handsome they were. She supposed she should have expected this, but Kachi was so small, and her brother much bigger, that much was unexpected. 

Kachi feigned shock, "Phumi! I would never tell a lie." She said as they went back into the house.

They sat together, talking extensively on Ugo's visit. Turned out he was in Ohio on transfer, before Kachi could get an attack, he assured her that he planned to stay with a close friend until he could finalize his move into an apartment, so he wouldn't be invading her space or anything.

"So, what's been going on with you and Donny Kachi?" he asked.

Kachi didn't immediately reply, her first thoughts were that the question had a suggestive undertone, like he thought they should be dating, "Donny's at home, we've been doing well." Kachi replied as she munched on a cake, a large cup of ice-cream in her lap.

"Maybe you could take me to his place. It's been a while." Ugo commented, he was the closest to Donny among all of Kachi's brothers, mostly because they were around the same age, he was only two years older. 

Kachi nodded, "That will be tomorrow, but Phi can take you if you have to see him today."

"I can even take you if you want to go tomorrow." Phi added as she thought of all the places she could take him to. In her mind's eye, she could imagine walking with him down the street and introducing him to her female friends as her brother. It was something she loved doing when she was much younger, if she was friends with a good-looking guy, she would tell everyone he was her brother, or cousin, or a relative. She would've done same with Donny, but his race made it impossible to pass him off as a relative no matter how hard she tried- that, and he was never down with that anyway.

"That would be nice. I would like that very much. Thank you Phi." Ugo replied with a grin.

Kachi scoffed, "Don't think you can just come here and toast my friend."

"Am I complaining?" Phi interjected, "I don't mind if you toast me." she said to Ugo.

"When Eminem finds out, your middle name will be 'sorry'" 

Ugo's eyes drifted between the two women, "Eminem? Who's Eminem?"

"He's one of Phi's very insistent customers." Kachi replied with a glint in her eyes, she winked at Phi.

"Interesting. So, what about yours?" he asked, the question was obviously directed at Kachi.

Before Kachi could get a word out of her mouth, Phi jumped in, apparently wanting to get back her pound of flesh, "Hmm, in fact you'll have to rest very well before we can begin that gist."

"Ehn ehn!" Ugo began in wonder, "So it's that serious."

"Even more, do you know..."

"It's enough please" Kachi interjected, she had a nagging feeling that if she allowed Phi to go any further, she was going to spill more than she could explain. She planned to tell Ugo and eventually her entire family, all about Jeremy, but not quite yet. 




A Christmas Party Ch. 08



She knew when the time came she'd have some explaining to do, Jeremy was nothing like what her father envisioned for her; he wasn't a lawyer, he wasn't African, and he definitely wasn't fluent in Igbo. She shrugged to herself, she would cross that bridge when she got there...and she didn't think it would be anytime soon.

"Oh, so the story is only interesting when it's about me" 

"Abeg I didn't come here to act as referee in a mouth-off." Ugo said as he stood up. He looked at Kachi, noting the bowl of ice-cream and the cake by her side, "This one you're eating as if you plan to enroll for a judo tournament. I hope all is well."

Kachi shrugged as she shoved another scoop of ice-cream in her mouth and swallowed, "Isn't it my money I used to buy it? Did I borrow any from you?"

"I'm just asking. I wasn't even aware you liked strawberry ice-cream" he commented, "Are you sure you're okay?" his voice was now laced with concern, noticing for the first time the difference in her looks. She really didn't seem that different if he went by the pictures he had seen of her on her Instagram page two weeks ago. She might have gained a pound or two, but it wasn't something that should disturb him, it was the way she ate the cake and licked the ice-cream- like a starved traveler, that bothered him.

"Ugo, I said I'm okay, or do you want to examine me?"

"Don't mind her." Phi said, "she's been eating like a hog the entire week, you need to open her fridge to understand what I mean."

"I've just had a healthy appetite recently, is that so bad?"

Ugo shrugged, "Nobody has said so, it's just..." he began, but on second thought, he stopped the words, there was no need to drag this any further, if she said she was okay, he believed her, "...in fact, I'm off to Richard's place. Let me get settled before it gets late" he sighed as he dragged himself off the couch. It was only now that the full effect of the jet-lag weighed on him, if he stayed any longer, he was sure to spend the night here, and Richard would roast him if he was a day later than agreed.

"Will you come over tomorrow?" Kachi asked, she stood up with him.

"Sure. If I don't come ,how will I meet Donny?" he asked as he leaned toward her and placed a peck against her forehead, "Take care of yourself until I come tomorrow" he patted Phi's head like he would a five-year old girl, "You too alright? You girls shouldn't do what Mother Theresa wouldn't do." he repeated the same words he used to say to Kachi everyday when they were much younger.

Phi laughed, "We're way past the Mother Theresa phase." Phi commented, earning a glare from Kachi.

Ugo looked between them both, he could see those little signs that told more than either wanted to divulge. He almost laughed at their attempt to be discreet...well, Kachi's attempt, Phi was far from being so. They were lucky he was the one being spoken to, he was the much nicer of his brothers, the playful, easy-going one. If Phi had spoken those words in the presence of Malachi, or even worse, their eldest brother, Kezie, he would've remained until someone started talking- and saying things he wanted to hear. He on the other hand, just over-looked it all, choosing to act like he hadn't heard a thing , especially as Kachi didn't seem eager to start talking anytime soon.

He had a feeling there was a 'someone', perhaps she wasn't ready to talk about him, but from the way she acted, it was a very serious someone he hoped to meet sometime soon.

"Let me go before I hear what my ears can't handle." he said with a sigh.

Phi opened her mouth to say something else, but Kachi's murderous glare stopped her before she could say another word.

"Bye." He said from the other side of the door.

"Until tomorrow." Kachi replied.

"I'll be here by evening."

"We'll be expecting you." Phi added.

Kachi closed the door as her eyes bore holes into Phi, "Really Phi?"

"Really Kachi?" Phi said using the exact tone Kachi had used on her.

Kachi sighed as she shook her head, she just wasn't in the mood to argue with Phi, she was much too exhausted for that, "The food should be ready by now." she said as she made her way to the kitchen.

Phi stared at her, her jaw dropped, there was definitely something wrong, "Food? Kachi are you sure you're okay? The cake and ice-cream haven't even gone down your throat yet."

"Are you eating or not?"

"At the rate you're going, you'll probably finish the entire food before I get to the kitchen." Phi commented as she made her way to the kitchen with Kachi.

Kachi snorted, "Yeah, yeah, make jokes." she replied. Though as she dished the food, she couldn't help the odd feeling that crept up, intuition told her something was wrong, defiance told her she was fine. She chose defiance, it was much safer to assume she was alright, she didn't dare think what was possibly going on with her.

*****

The sharp rays of the sun penetrated the blinds, sending a message to anyone inside the house that it was time to get up.

Jeremy's eyes opened in narrow slits. Blocking the stinging rays by placing a hand over his eyes, he slowly sat up, his bones felt weak and tired, his mind hazy. He shook his head and yawned, looking around him, he noticed his room was in a bit of a mess, his clothes were strewn on the floor, his sheets scattered like someone else had been in it apart from him. 

He shook his head again as he wondered who had gotten him home, events of the night before were blurry, the last thing he remembered was Lee-Ann calling someone. He couldn't remember who it was that had brought him home. 

He dragged himself out of bed, as he stood, he lost his footing briefly and fell back in bed, he stood again and steadied himself. He only had to walk around for a short while before he found it on the floor under his pants. He turned it on, he couldn't even remember turning it off, damn! His head was in a mess.

He shook his head, as he went through his messages, six in total, three from Kachi, two from Susie and one from his father, he had twice the amount of voicemails.

The first seven were all from Kachi, "Hey, I've been trying to call you, your phone's switched off so...call me if you get this" that was the first voicemail.

Consequent ones seemed more urgent, the last one went, "Hey, I really need to talk to you Jeremy, it's urgent, please." she said sullenly.

He wondered what was going on with her, she sounded odd. This was far from the usual funny, cocky messages she dropped.

It was only after he left his voicemails that he realized it was past ten in the morning, how could he have possibly slept that long? He quickly dialed Kachi's number.

It rang once, twice, and then she answered.

"Jeremy?"

"Hey love, wasn't feeling good yesterday. I just got your messages, what's up?" he asked as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Are you better now?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

He smiled to himself, even as stressed as she had sounded on the voice mail, she still cared to know about his state first. It might not seem much to most people, but that thought definitely lifted his spirits, "Yes, 'still have a slight headache though, nothing a painkiller can't stop. So what's so important?"

She didn't reply immediately. He could hear her sigh from the other side of the phone, before she said, "Can you come over?"

"Okay, sure...what's going on K?" he asked, his concern heightened. She sounded so down. It worried him.

"I...just come over. It's not something I can say over the phone."

He sighed, "Fine, I'll be there as soon as I can. I love you." He said softly

"Love you too." she replied. He could hear her smile through the phone, his lips turned up in a smile. She ended the call with that- another disturbing action.

Her calls weren't complete without a witty statement or a jibe, she ALWAYS had something else. He sighed as he made his way to the bathroom, well, he definitely couldn't do anything while he was still in this house, and he couldn't be any closer to finding out what was up with her either.

******

It was an unusual silence that held the room ransom.

It had nothing to do with the fact that there was nothing to be said, in fact , the air was pregnant with words, words no one was brave enough to utter just yet. There was a tenseness that was abnormal during their gatherings. But today wasn't one of those days they got together and laughed their sorrows away, today was a day to receive consequences for careless actions and think up realistic ways to remedy the situation. 

Phi sighed as she collected the thermometer-like object from Kachi, she looked at it, releasing another sigh right before dropping it inside a duffel bag that had four different products of the same object- already used.

"You want to take another test?" she asked in a quiet voice that was so unlike Phi. She wanted to be happy for Kachi, but Kachi wasn't even happy for herself, so she remained in the mood her best friend found suitable enough for the news.

They had been sitting here for the past four hours since Kachi discovered she was pregnant. It had all started as a joke last night when Phi suggested Kachi take a pregnancy test to ascertain that her unusual food consumption wasn't due to pregnancy, unbeknownst to Phi, Kachi had actually taken her suggestion more seriously than she had meant it.

She had gotten a call from a sullen Kachi who simply asked that she come to her house, without failing to hammer on how important it was. Phi had thought Ugo had just come a bit earlier and rushed over dressed in one of her impressive outfits- if she was going to throw her 'brother' in the faces of those horny heifers she had to be dressed right for the occasion.

She had gotten here, only to be handed the result of a DIY pregnancy test Kachi had taken. In an effort to calm her friend, she had suggested that they try another product, going as far as citing instances where the results had come out wrong. Kachi, hopeful that Phi would be right and this would turn out to be a mistake, had accepted that suggestion, and they had both gone to a pharmacy and bought four different products.

All five had come out with the same result- positive. Kachi had begun calling Jeremy after they had taken the second test, but his phone had been unavailable, it was only after the fourth that he called.

"I'm too broke to get another one." she mumbled.

Phi sighed, and they both let the silence take charge again.

"What if he doesn't want it Phi?" Kachi finally asked as she sulked. This was so not what she planned. So much for the stellar speech she had been writing in her head to present to her father when the issue of Jeremy came up, turned out she would be standing on that podium much earlier than she anticipated.

Phi sighed, for all her talkative nature, she had never found herself in this position. The stuff she would probably advice friends over were mediocre to say the least- nothing as deep as pregnancy.

"Well, let's not think like that, except you're contemplating abor..." Phi held her tongue as Kachi cut her a glare before she could complete the 'a' word.

They had spoken about these situations countless times when they were idle, and every single one of those times, Kachi had stated in clear terms that she would rather die than kill her own, so that was totally out of the question.

"Let's just not think like that." she said.

"This is all your fault Phi." Kachi mumbled, her tone wasn't glaringly accusatory, but there was an accusation there.

"Hmm, how?" phi asked as she placed her hand under her chin and stared at Kachi.

"You're the one who asked me to wear those darn boots"

"Abeg o. I said wear the boots, not perform the action...and if I did, I never suggested you let him sleep with you thrice in one night WITHOUT a condom." Phi replied, putting emphasis on Kachi's mistake.

Kachi's eyes went to Phi, "Are you here to accuse me or make me feel better?"

Phi raised her brows, "Make you feel better? Please, I'm not Oprah, I'm here to listen to you lament, point out your faults, then go home. If you want to feel better, you'll have to pay me for that."

Kachi tossed a pillow at Phi with a small smile, "I'll soon make you vomit that food you ate last night."

"You better not be smiling. If that's a smile I see there, I believe you owe me ten bucks."

Kachi's smile widened, Phi could be a lot to handle most times, but she did have those few times that her mouth was beneficial, like now.

She laughed, "So no more baby blues. We really should start looking for names for her." Phi suggested.

Kachi smiled only briefly, as Phi's comment sunk though, she remembered the purpose for her bad mood, she should have known she was pregnant, she had felt the signs over a week ago; the dizziness, the nausea, the unusual tiredness, but she had refused to accept it and had made various excuses for each symptom, "Phumi, I'm so confused. I don't want to lose him, but I don't want to lose this baby either...but being a single mother..." her voice trailed off, the thought terrified her. She knew she could make a good mother, she had always loved the idea of nurturing and caring for another little human being, being responsible for someone else, her position as the last child in her family and only female really didn't give her the opportunity to be responsible for anyone, she longed to have that feeling and this child could turn out to be good for her. But the traditional concept of family was deeply rooted in her head. A man, a woman, and their kids, she couldn't stand the thought that there was a possibility she wouldn't have that.

She groaned, "...my father will roast me alive and sell my meat to abokis."

"He probably will..." Phi began, Kachi narrowed her eyes at her, "What? Am I lying?" she asked, "Like I said, don't think like that. Have faith" she said in an assuring tone as she took Kachi's hand and gave it a light squeeze.

Kachi smiled her appreciation.

Their little moment was interrupted by the doorbell. Phi groaned, "Why do they always have to interrupt our Lynette and Susan moments?" she asked as she got off the chair and went to see who was at the door. Taking her time just to make sure whoever was at the door stayed a little longer as punishment for the interruption.

Kachi smiled at Phi's comment. Times like this, she was glad she had a female to talk to. What if it had just been herself and Donny? How would she have told him about this? It would definitely have been an awkward discussion, coupled with the fact that Donny wasn't exactly on Team Jeremy....

"Ooh, it's a package" Phi began as she walked back into the sitting room. In her hand was a brown envelope. She sat beside Kachi, there was not a hint as to who it was from.

"What is it?" Kachi asked.

"Let's see" Phi replied as she went ahead to open up the envelope. She peeked inside and saw a disc, "You think it's from lover boy Vice President?" she asked as she took out the disc. The surface was blank, save for the letter 'J' boldly written on it, "Maybe it is." Phi replied, her giddiness much evident as she damn near flew out of the couch to get to the DVD.

Phi slipped the disc in the DVD and pressed play as she turned on the television. 

Kachi recognized Jeremy's bedroom as soon as the disc began playing. The camera was angled toward the bed, but at a good distance still. What she and Phi watched next left her absolutely mortified and highly embarrassed. 

The room was filled with voices that turned out o be that of Jeremy and Claire. He had on a striped shirt that had already been unbuttoned all the way down, he seemed a bit out of it, but not completely so that one could say he was totally unaware of what was happening- at least from Kachi's view.

She steeled herself for what her mind and heart told her would be coming. She watched, as still as a rock, her boyfriend, the man she had given herself to, the one who she had confessed her love for, and had reciprocated the feeling...the man who was the father of her unborn child, strip Claire of her clothes like a sex-starved man. 

Ten minutes into the video, just as she straddled him, all set to slip his cock into her, the television tripped off.

Kachi swiftly turned to Phi. She had made use of the remote in her control, "Why did you do that?" she began, her voice edgy.

"I'm allergic to cheap porn and fake acting, not to mention, I'm anti-rape." Phi replied stonily. She couldn't believe that desperate bitch. Was she so totally hopeless that she would resort to such low acts? Some women just made her wish she wasn't female.

"What are you insinuating Phi?"

Phi raised her brows, "Don't tell me you believe that crap." She said, her voice laden with disbelief. She knew Kachi could easily be convinced, but not this easy.

"You saw it for yourself Phi..."

"Yes I did, and I call it's bluff Kachi. I tell you, Jeremy would NEVER sleep with that whore intentionally."

Kachi stared at Phi, wondering why she was this sure of Jeremy's capabilities, "What? You're a member of his defense team?"

"No, I'm just an expert in detecting bullshit, and that right there" she pointed at the DVD for emphasis, "...is bullshit, horseshit, cow shit, goat-shit, llama-shit...and every other kind of shit there is"

Kachi shook her head in disbelief. This was a weird part of Phi, she had never been so defensive of anyone. When cases like this arose, she was mostly aloof of everything, and now to have her sticking her neck out for a guy she had barely spent time with. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore, the normal Kachi would believe as she saw it, but having watched this with Phi, and getting her own opinion, she was forced to re-evaluate her thoughts. 

As she remembered the night they had had dinner at this father's place and his reaction to Claire, she found herself leaning more toward Phi's point of view, but still that nagging feeling remained, what if thing really were as they seemed?

She had barely finished the thought when the doorbell came again.

"Hmm, I wonder who or what that is." Phi commented.

"Who's there?" Kachi shouted. She definitely didn't want either she or Phi leaving their positions for nothing.

"Kachi, it's Jeremy, open up."

Kachi and Phi exchanged glances, "Well, it's time to interview the star of the movie" Phi commented.

Kachi sighed, she feared what this could turn out to be. What ifs flew in her mind. What if this was all a set-up? What if it wasn't? Most importantly was the question, what if he didn't want a baby?



A Christmas Party Ch. 09



The knock came again. Neither of them had made any attempt to move from their positions, and the sound jerked them out of their state of indecision.

Kachi suddenly went into panic mode, the thought of confronting Jeremy suddenly didn't seem so pleasing. She wanted to be away from him to get her thoughts in order, being in his presence would sabotage that, "Phi, I can't see him. You have to answer the door."

Phi stared at her in disbelief, "Who should answer what? Aren't you the one who called him?" she had barely even spoken to this guy and now Kachi expected her to act as the middle-woman.

"Just answer it Phi, please." She said as she stood up, suddenly she felt weak and nauseous, the events of the day now weighing down on her.

"but what do I....?" before Phi could complete the words, Kachi ran into the bedroom. In Phi's confused state she could hear Kachi bawling. As she made her way to check on her, she heard the knock reminding her that Jeremy was still waiting outside.

"Kachi open up please" she heard him say.

She took in a deep, calming breath. This was all her show now. She opened the door and found Jeremy looking a bit distraught, but every inch as gorgeous as she remembered. The look of worry and concern on his face further convinced her that he didn't intentionally sleep with Claire- now to find out what truly happened.

"Hi, Phi right?" Jeremy asked. It was hard not to remember her.

"Yes"

"Is Kachi home? She called and I don't..."

"Yeah, come in" Phi said as she turned around and went to the living room without checking to see if he was following.

Jeremy followed Phi, unable to stop the feeling fermenting within him that something was off, and it wasn't just because Phi was sending bad vibes his way. As he stepped into the living room, his eyes took a sweep of it, noticing that Kachi was nowhere around. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his nerves were suddenly tense, he was eager to know what was happening, "Is she alright?"

Phi shrugged her shoulders, "she's just a little upset, bad morning" she replied so flippantly Jeremy would never guess the gravity of the situation.

"Well, can I see her?"

"Have a seat. I want you to see something." Phi replied ignoring his question intentionally. She was convinced he was totally innocent, but she wasn't about to give him that impression lest he get too comfortable.

Jeremy sat warily, "Can't you get Kachi first?" he asked, now a bit confused as to Phi's strange behavior. She seemed nonchalant about the current situation, sure they hadn't spoken long, but he couldn't have left that bad an impression.

"I doubt she'll want to watch it again. It made her puke the first time" Phi replied as she sat next to Jeremy.

"Watch what?...Is she alright?" he couldn't understand her little game, he would be extremely pissed if he wasn't so worried.

Phi took out the disc, slipped it back in and pressed play as she turned on the television without another word. When she noticed Jeremy's eyes were still on her, she spoke, "Just watch."

For the first time, Jeremy's eyes turned to the television. They nearly popped out seeing Claire in his room with...holy fuck! Was that him? It couldn't be...but that was what he had worn to the office yesterday and....damn it! That blackmailing bitch had crossed the line. Suddenly it all came to him; the dizziness, the tiredness, the blurred memory; she had drugged him..or had gotten someone to do it, but who....Lee-Anne. The more he watched, the more his head ached. Kachi had watched this? Was this why she called? The reason for how sad she sounded? He was going to kill that bitch, right after he mutilated her accomplice.

"Turn it off" he muttered as he buried his face in his hands.

Phi did as instructed, watching him intently for any signs of deceit- she saw none.

"I swear I had no idea...I couldn't even...she drugged me" he said more to himself than to Phi.

"Mm hmm"

"Where's Kachi? I need to explain myself"

"Just a sec" Phi stood up, grabbed the duffel bag from the side table and handed it to him.

He gave her a questioning look, "Take it" she urged. He collected and opened it as she watched.

Jeremy looked into the bag seeing what he figured to be D.I.Y pregnancy tests and glanced at Phi who was apparently waiting eagerly for his next action.

When it was clear he wasn't keen on retrieving anything from the bag. Phi urged him on with a simple, "Go on, look at it" she spoke like a parent trying to encourage a child to face his fears.

With a deep sigh, Jeremy took out one of the instruments, he had never met anyone who used it, but he knew blue was definitely positive, he glanced at Phi whose look was clearly telling him there was more. One emptying the entire bag, he realized they were all positive- somebody was pregnant.

"Whose are these?"

Phi shrugged, "Well, they're not mine."

Nothing further needed to be said, "I need to see her" he stood up and made his way to Kachi's bedroom, only to be blocked by Phi, "Phi..."

"She's not ready to see you..."

"But she's the one who called me" he protested.

"Before that disc came."

He sighed, "so what? I can't see her?"

Phi shook her head, "Just...come by later alright? I'll talk to her."

Jeremy sighed as he shoved his fingers in his hair, damn it this was all wrong. He wanted to shove Phi aside and go into that room and make her listen to him, even if he had to tie her down, but common sense told him that was the dumbest thing to do. He wasn't exactly on her good books right now, he need not worsen things by being stubborn.

"Please do. Tell her it's all a terrible misunderstanding."

Phi nodded. She wished she could help him, but she knew this wasn't the time for any confrontation, they both needed some alone time, "I will" she replied.

She escorted him to the door and they said their goodbyes.

"Has he gone?" she heard Kachi's tiny voice from the doorway of her bedroom.

Phi turned to her and nodded, "He was drugged." 

She nodded, but there was nothing to signify that she believed that- then again, there were no signs that she didn't.

"Can you stay a little longer? I really need to sleep." 

Phi nodded.

She wanted to say more, but held her tongue as she watched Kachi return to the room. She had a feeling things wouldn't be as straightforward as she felt it could be.

                       *******

"What happened?" Susan asked as she dropped her handbag and sat opposite Jeremy in the restaurant he had asked her to meet him. She hadn't asked any questions when Jeremy had called half an hour ago, all she knew was her boy sounded sad and he had said it was important, that was all the information she needed to get here.

"Claire" was all he replied. He picked up his cup of whiskey and sipped some more of it, he planned to go to a bar later in the day and drink away his problems- if Phi didn't call back, and he had a feeling he wouldn't be hearing from her any time soon.

Susan frowned, "What did she do now?"

Jeremy went on to narrate to Susan everything that had happened from yesterday till now, making sure to leave out the part about Kachi's pregnancy. He didn't want to ruffle any more feathers than necessary and that part was sure to set off an explosion like no other.

Susan was seething by the end of the entire story. She knew Claire could be desperate and scheming, but she had never thought she had this in her, this was beyond desperate, this was just plain evil.

"I can't believe that..."she shook her head, unable to find an appropriate word to describe Claire, "Were you able to talk to Kachi?"

He shook his head, "She doesn't want to see me, and the worst thing is she's..." he stopped himself when he realized what he was about to say.

"She's what?"

Jeremy shook his head, "It's just...I miss her already."

Susan smiled and reached out to stroke Jeremy's cheek, "I understand sweety. She'll come around, you just need to give her some time, she'll come around" she said.

Jeremy nodded. He wanted so much to believe her, but he could only hold his breath for now and hope things went well, for now...he had an employee to fire.

                            *****

Kachi woke up with a headache. She grumbled and got out of bed, her entire body felt like she had been carrying a ton of bricks for hours...well, maybe not physically, she thought to herself. As the events of the day so far trickled in, she thought more about it, one thing was for sure, she had never had such an eventful day. 

She thought about the decision she had come to just before she dosed off, was it a smart one? Ten hours ago, she would never have thought of it, but it was one thing to talk about it from the outside, and another thing when she was experiencing it first-hand. She sighed, there were some decisions that had to be taken despite their difficulty.

She stood up and went to the sitting room, getting closer to the door, she realized Phi wasn't alone. She opened the door once she remembered who could possibly be with Phi...but nothing prepared her for what they were talking about.

She got to the sitting room to find Phi, Ugo and Donny watching the video of Jeremy and Claire, who...what?, "What the hell Phi?" she screamed as she went to the DVD and turned it off, bringing all three's attention to her.

"I wanted a third and a fourth opinion." Phi said in defense of her action.

When Ugo had come over, she had offered to call Donny instead since they couldn't leave with Kachi asleep. They had been here just over an hour talking about everything she wasn't interested in when she remembered the disc and went on to give them the low-down on everything, and when she said everything, she meant EVERYTHING including the pregnancy. Ugo had suggested they watch the disc to determine if there was any foul-play, and they were only half-way through when Kachi came in.

"You were out of line Phumi." Kachi almost screamed. It seemed like everyone around her was out to frustrate her today.

"I know and I'm sorry" Phi said with her best puppy dog eyes.

Donny was zoned out of the entire argument, all he could think of was how he would tell Kachi of his involvement in all of this, fine he may not have gone through with it in the end, but he did in some form give his consent. Perhaps if he hadn't met up with Claire to start with, they wouldn't be viewing her little movie right now. Kachi was going to find out one way or the other anyway, so he might as well get it out while he could still count on her good graces no matter how little.

"It was a set-up." He said in the midst of all the shouting- at least from Kachi.

She calmed a bit and directed her gaze at Donny who had just interrupted a personal best record as far as her continuous ranting went, "How would you know that?" she asked, her anger less than oblivious by her tone.

"Apart from the obvious?" Ugo asked nodding his head in the direction of the television.

She glared at Ugo only briefly and returned her curious gaze to Donny who seemed a bit nervous.

Donny gulped audibly before he continued, "I...we met up about a week ago."

"Why?" Kachi asked quietly. She was trying to figure how Donny even knew Claire to begin with, even more having a meeting with her.

Phi sat up, her interest peaked, this would definitely qualify for the beginning of a good story.

He sighed, "She wanted to get Jeremy back, and I...I was mad after you blew me off, so she suggested that she'd get an insider in his office to drug him and then she'd video them having sex with the hope that you would dump him once you found out he was cheating." He replied. He waited for what felt like hours but was actually a few minutes for someone to say something, anything. All he heard though was a whistle from Ugo. He was prepared to take the verbal beat-down he thought he would be getting from Kachi, but nothing came.

Even Phi was speechless, that in its self was a confirmation that he really had fucked up. 

"Listen Kachi, I swear I didn't follow up on the plan, I didn't even see her again after that one time..."

"Get out." She said in a low menacing voice.

"Ka.."

"Just leave Donny, I can't listen to this now, just...go."

Donny stood up and made his way to the door. He knew he may not be in her good books for a while, it was well deserved. He would wait it out until she was finally ready to accept his apology, how long that would take, he couldn't say, but he hoped not too long. 

"I'm sorry." He said just before he opened the door and walked out.

Kachi walked to the closest chair and crashed into it with a deep sigh as she buried her hands in her hair. This day was just getting worse by the hour, there were too many discoveries for one day. Her life had never been filled with so much drama, she might just as well have been a guest on one of those tv shows where they spoke to dysfunctional couples or families.

"K I told you it was a set-up."Phi began as she went to sit next to Kachi, she laid her head on her shoulder as she rubbed her arm, "Jeremy's really worried, you should call him. Especially with the baby and..."

"I'm not keeping it." Kachi interrupted. Her voice totally void of any emotion.

Phi paused and leaned backwards to look into Kachi's face, "Say that again please." Her voice was filled with disbelief.

"I'm not keeping the baby Phi, I'll go see a doctor tomorrow and see if I can have one of those quick abortions with pills." 

Phi searched her face for any signs that she was pulling her legs, or she was out of her mind, but she saw none. She was actually serious about this, "But Kachi, you said..."

"forget what I said okay?" she screamed, "There's too much going on, I can't have this baby in these circumstances, I'm not ready, I..."

"You've lost your mind." This time, it was Ugo who spoke, bringing both their attentions to him. He looked...mad, "Phi can you give me some minutes with my sister?" he asked stonily.

"Sure." Phi said as she stood up and went into Kachi's bedroom.

Ugo sat staring at his little sister for a few minutes, she looked away from him very much aware of what he was thinking, "Why would you want to kill off your own child Kachi?"

"It's not yet human, it's still an embryo."

"And that makes it all better doesn't it?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"It's not you that's going to be carrying this baby for nine months Ugo, it's not you who will face the barrage of questions, and it's definitely not you who will get it out so why should my decision affect you?" she spat.

"Well forgive me if I'd like to protect my little niece or nephew from it's own mother." He retorted, "Have you even spoken to this Jeremy about it? Or did you impregnate yourself? Have you bothered to find out if he would like to keep the child or not? Or do you claim sole rights to the life or otherwise of a child that's a product of two people's intercourse?" 

Kachi tried to shake off her brother's words, but it wasn't happening, the more he spoke, the more she felt bad for her decision. She thought she could do this, she could be a rebel for once, do something everyone else would disapprove of, after all she had always been the one to do the right thing. She tried to convince herself that right now abortion was the right thing to do, but somehow there was always someone around to demolish her belief.

"So what do you want me to do Ugo?" she screamed as she exploded in a mess of emotions and let the tears that had been waiting to escape her eyes since morning fall, "I should keep the baby and then what? Fight with Claire for it's father? Is that what you'd prefer?"

"Did he ever give you a reason to think he would choose Claire over you, even without a child? I haven't even met this Jeremy guy, but from what I'm told, he apparently likes you, maybe even loves you, and Claire...she's that desperate chic who doesn't understand when she isn't wanted. The fact that you'd want to abort simply because of something so trivial really shocks me Karachi. You're worried about what people will say, what will they say that hasn't been said? Why should you care? Why should you even care what our own father would say? Isn't it you who will carry the child? Isn't it you the child will call mummy? Do you want to give up the joy of motherhood simply because of what a few jobless people will say and some envious Claire person?"

"I...I don't know Ugo."

He moved closer to her and took her trembling hands in his, he raised her chin until their eyes met, "I don't know what you want to do about your relationship with Jeremy, but don't let this child die because of it. You mustn't marry the father of your child, you mustn't even get married at all. Even if he's not here, you've got me, Kezie and Malachi to be it's daddies okay?"

She nodded in response.

Ugo smiled and enveloped her in a warm hug as he patted her head and let her cry her fears away. 

                        *****

 Jeremy was going out of his mind with worry. He kept staring at his phone so hard there was a possibility it would gravitate toward him, he was hoping it would ring, or even vibrate or give off some feed that he was receiving a call or a text. Even when it finally did, it wasn't who he wanted to talk to.

Susan had been calling every half hour for an update, and so far he hadn't been able to give her any positive reply. He knew he should have gotten Phi's number, she promised to talk to Kachi, but what if she didn't? she seemed genuinely interested in helping out, then again, what if she did and had gotten though to her after all? Then Kachi would have called and if she couldn't, Phi would have called with her phone.

He groaned.

He had thought of confronting Claire many times today, but the last thing he wanted was to be imprisoned for murder, and not just any type of murder. With the way he was feeling, he didn't doubt he could be just as psychotic as the lead character in Dexter, and as for Lee-Anne, he had already called the HR department, her appointment was officially terminated, he knew he had every right to sue just as much as he knew Lee-Anne was just a pawn in Claire's little game, she deserved a lot of things, but he was sure she would get more than she deserved from the head-bitch herself. 

He dragged himself off his couch- his couch. This was where they initiated their love-making, he could almost see her now, returning his passionate kiss and leaning into his touch as he fondled her breasts. He shook the thought away, but it only re-surfaced with another thought- she was pregnant. He couldn't say how long, he knew they had slept together more times than he could count, he smiled at that thought, she was an enigma, like that apple pie you could never get enough of after the first taste.

But he was digressing. He wondered what would happen with the baby, he was scared. She hadn't told him herself that she was pregnant, she still hadn't called to talk about the baby, it made him wonder. Would she consider abortion? She didn't strike him as the kind of person that would make such a rash decision, then again...what if....

He couldn't take the suspense anymore. He reached for his phone and dialed her number only to reach the voicemail- again. He had an urge to smash his phone, but what good would that do? Resigning himself to waiting patiently, he went into his room and stripped, what he needed right now was a long, cold shower...that and a strong drink, but the shower first.

Just as he got out of the shower, there was the sound of his phone ringing, it only took a few seconds for him to remember he had left it downstairs and an even shorter time to get there. It was an unidentified number, but he was in no state to take second guesses.

He pressed the receive button and put the phone to his ear, "Hello?"




A Christmas Party Ch. 09



"Hey, Jeremy?" a female voice asked from the other line.

It didn't sound familiar, "Yes? Who's this?"

"It's Phi, I'm sorry I kind of stole your number from Kachi's phone..."

"Oh no worries, it's fine. How is she?" he asked, the nervousness in his voice evident. In truth, he was glad Phi had the sense to steal his number, just in case she couldn't get through to Kachi.

There was a deep sigh from Phi's end, "She's conflicted, she wanted to abort the pregnancy, but I think Ugo- her brother, was able to talk some sense into her. I still don't think we're out of the woods yet." She sounded concerned for her friend.

Jeremy placed his hand against his temple with a sigh, how could she even consider..."Thank God" he said under his breath, "So can I come over now?"

"I'm afraid not, but her brother would like to meet you." Phi replied, her voice filled with hope.

Jeremy understood her excitement, meeting her brother had to be the next best thing. Besides, he supposed the guy couldn't be all that bad if he convinced her to abandon the idea of abortion, "Okay, so when will that be?"

"If you aren't too busy, this evening would be good."

He did a double check on his schedule for the day in his head. He was supposed to see his father this evening for a run-down on the plans in place for the first quarter of the year, but he supposed that could be postponed till the next day.

"Okay, where?"

"There's this bar close to Kachi's place..."

"Yes, I know the place." He didn't mean to cut her off, but he was past being patient.

She didn't seem to be offended by his tone, rather she continued, "He said you should meet him there by seven."

"Okay, seven, okay. Thanks a lot Phi, I owe you."

"No worries, just trying to help out friends." She cut the line without another word.

Jeremy sighed. He was having one hell of a day.

                                *****

"Need some company?" 

If he heard that question one more time, he would leave this place. Phi said it was a cool bar, and to some extent he agreed with her as far as the ambience of the place went, but he definitely didn't expect all of this hounding. Was it so wrong to sit alone at a bar? He hadn't even been here ten minutes and he had been asked this same question three times, did he look like he needed company?

Ugo looked up at the tall brunette who asked the question, her grey eyes gleaming, though he couldn't tell if it was in anticipation of a positive reply from him, or the effect of one too many drinks. He would give it to her though, she was pretty.

"No thanks, I'm waiting for someone." He replied.

She gave him a flirtatious smile and leaned closer so that he could just see the tops of her breasts, "Well, just in case she doesn't show up, I could make good company." She replied suggestively.

Ugo smiled at the invitation in her voice, it was tempting, but there were more important things on his mind right now, "Thanks, but..."

"Hey, Ugo right?" 

Ugo's attention was called to the tall man who was now standing beside the brunette; blonde hair, bluish grey eyes, he supposed he was Jeremy, besides, he couldn't forget the face from the little porn he was treated to this afternoon. He stood up, "Yeah, you must be Jeremy."

"Yes, I hope you haven't been here too long. I apologize."

"Oh not too long."

He replied as they shook.

The brunette eyed up both men with a smirk, "I should've known, all the good men are gay." She sighed and walked away.

Jeremy made an attempt to correct her, but Ugo stopped him, "Don't bother." He said as he sat, with Jeremy seating opposite him, "So, you're the infamous Jeremy who knocked up my sister." He began jovially.

Jeremy wasn't sure if he was supposed to laugh at that, but he didn't sound angry. He smiled, not wanting to offend him just in case it really wasn't said in good humor, "It wasn't intentional."

"Is it ever?" he asked, "You really should get a drink. What would you like?" 

Jeremy noticed he seemed rather friendly for a guy who was only meeting the man who impregnated his sister for the first time. He hadn't expected such a warm reception; the smile, the good-natured jokes, the hospitality. It was all a bit too surreal, he thought he would get a frown and a long, harsh lecture, not this. Choosing to keep his guard, he replied, "Anything would be fine."

"Be right back." Ugo replied, "Don't worry, I'm the good brother." He said with a smile just before he went toward the bar. As he waited for the bartender to get two bottles of beer, he noticed the brunette on the other end of the table, her eyes were trained on him. He smiled at her boldness and gave her a wink once he had gotten his orders, he thought she winked back, but didn't turn around to confirm that as he returned to their table. He found her an interesting character, perhaps he would get a chance to correct her notion that he was on the other team- if she wasn't gone by the time he was through with Jeremy.

                         *****

So it wasn't as bad as he originally thought.

Jeremy didn't need to breathe a sigh of relief by the end of the night. He had had a fairly good time despite the circumstances that led to the meeting, it felt more like he was having a discussion with an old friend.

"I'll talk with her, expect a call tomorrow." Ugo said in assurance as the two men shook.

"Thanks a lot. It was nice meeting you." Jeremy replied with a smile. He supposed it was a good thing he had managed to get on the good side of one of Kachi's brothers. He was just a couple of years younger than he was, but the age difference was far from evident. He was up to par in all topics, he particularly found his knowledge of politics and foreign affairs interesting. He didn't know many people who could speak so thoroughly about a topic most people couldn't be bothered about. Then there were their similarities in hobbies and sports.

At the end of their conversation, they had already set up a date for a basketball game and somehow, Ugo had managed to not talk about Kachi as much. It was thirty minutes into their conversation that Jeremy understood the real purpose of the meeting. Contrary to his expectations, the entire meeting was more about him than Kachi, he had gone thirty minutes into the much dreaded 'interview' before he even realized what it really was.

Ugo was much smarter than he let on and he thought he would make a good friend in the long run.

"Same here. And don't worry, you passed." He added with a smirk and a wink.

Jeremy couldn't help his grin, "Thank you. Aren't you leaving now?"

Ugo looked over at the bar. She was still there, and if he wasn't mistaken, she was probably waiting for him.

He shook his head with a smile, she was dogged alright, "Ah, no, will just hang around a while longer."

Jeremy needed no further explanation, he had noticed Ugo's gaze darting towards the bar a number of times during their conversation. He assumed he was checking out some lady, and it seemed he was right.

"Good night then."

"Good night." Ugo replied. He watched Jeremy walk out of the bar. 

It was only when he had left his sight that he approached the bar to meet the brown-haired beauty that had been waiting patiently for him, he noticed her smile widen as he approached her.

"You should know that flirting with a gay guy will get you nowhere." He began.

She smiled at him and batted her lashes, "Well, I figured you're far from gay if you spent most of your time ignoring the hunk in front of you and eye-fucking me." 

He laughed, "Eye-fucking you? I see you've got quite the imagination, besides, what makes you think I wasn't ignoring him because he's not my type?"

She leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Let's test that theory, shall we?" she asked seductively. She didn't wait to let him decode her statement before her lips were placed against his.

Ugo went still as this woman he barely knew kissed him softly, he liked the way her lips felt against his; soft and inviting. She nibbled on his lower lip and moved away leaving him just a bit dazed- and aroused.

She laughed heartily at the expression on his face, "If you're gay, I must be Mother Theresa." She smiled and stretched her hand out to him, "I'm Megan."

He returned her smile and took her hand, despite her tan the difference in their skin tones was glaring, "Ugo."

                              *****

 Phi was just settling in to sleep when she heard the door ring.

She frowned, what the hell? She had had a very long tiring day, was she asking too much that someone let her have a well deserved sleep. She closed her eyes tight intent on blocking out the sound of the bell until whoever it was got the message and left.

5 minutes later, the ringing continued. She grumbled, who the fuck was disturbing her sleep? She dragged herself out of the bed and stomped to the door, she was going to scream at that annoying idiot until his or her fucking ear drums burst.

"What the he...?" she didn't get to complete her sentence as she flung the door open and found Keith standing at the other side, ''figures'' she grumbled, who else would do something so annoying?

He was smiling at her despite the scowl she had on, he had a gorgeous smile and she would have appreciated it more if she wasn't so tired.

Keith took in her appearance amazed at how pretty she was able to look even in her disheveled frowning state. It was apparent he had disturbed her sleep, but he wasn't about to leave her be and abandon his purpose for being here. He had waited for her call for over a week, sent her a portrait, all that was left was to spray paint her building with a large, 'CALL ME ALREADY PHI!' with his phone number right under the message. He would do that, but he wasn't a vandal and he didn't need everyone on her street calling him- or the police having it easy when he got reported for vandalism.

"What do you want?" she grumbled.

"Well initially I wanted you to call me, but since that's apparently so difficult, I'm here to take you to dinner." He replied simply.

She stared at him, flabbergasted. Doing a reverse walk, she looked up at the wall clock, it was past ten pm, was he high?, she returned to ask him just that and repeat the time just in case he had missed it.

"I was actually going to call you to ask what time would be convenient, but I didn't have your number, you had mine but since you couldn't call...I just assumed any time would be convenient." He replied, his hands inside the pocket of his jeans as he rocked forward and backward like a kid.

Phi wanted to scream at him, but his little antics had a weird effect on her that left her literally lost for words, or even sounds. She couldn't deny as mad as she wanted to be- or rather, thought she should be, she couldn't shake off that feeling of joy and happiness that he bothered to come after her when she failed to call, lots of guys would have gone on to the next chase after over a week of not getting any reply, but Keith? He was dogged; she liked that and found it oddly charming.

"I'm sure you're aware I was already asleep." She wasn't about to make this easy for him.

"You were? I had no idea." He replied, he sounded sincerely surprised by that fact, but she knew it was all an act.

"You rang the bell continuously for five minutes, the first two minutes would have told you whoever was in was asleep, besides, all the lights were off."

He scrounged up his face like he was in thought, "Oh, thought it was one of those 'save the earth' things people do these days. Anyway if you don't want to go out, we could stay in, as long as we have our date." 

She folded her arms across he chest, she noticed his eyes on her perky breasts, but he didn't linger on them, she knew he thought she didn't notice, and she was content with letting him think so, "I don't have any food."

He smiled, "See, I knew you were going to say something like that, so I brought along some groceries. We can just do something simple, how does chicken parmesan sound? And some salad." He said as he walked down the steps toward his car without paying any mind to her shocked expression. He easily got out two apparently heavy bags of groceries, definitely too much for chicken parmesans and salad alone, was he planning a cook-out?

He maneuvered his way to her door and past her, again ignoring her speechlessness.

Phi stood there a few more minutes wondering how she got stuck with someone so damn stubborn, it was charming most times, but a girl really needed her beauty sleep and it was apparent Keith wasn't going to let her have it. She questioned how safe it was having him inside her house, he had never been in here, and somehow she feared that she would be sharing her bed with someone else tonight no matter how strong-willed she may be.

                         *****

Kachi woke up the next morning alone as usual. She got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, it was Sunday morning. She had planned to go to the nearest church, but she doubted she had the strength to make it, besides it was too late to meet any service. 

She willed herself to forget about everything that happened yesterday, but the nausea that overcame her the moment she stepped into the bathroom and inhaled the smell of jasmine was a harsh reminder that some things couldn't be easily forgotten. She made a mental note to change her soap before the end of the day.

She stared at her reflection, suddenly noticing the slight changes- or maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her. Of course, you find you're pregnant and you suddenly start seeing things, she assumed it happened with everyone.

She sat on the toilet seat for hours just thinking about her life and how quickly things had changed, two months ago she didn't even know who Jeremy Blair was, now she was pregnant with his child- and somehow Ugo had convinced her to keep it. After a long sleep she realized he had been right, aborting this child was a selfish decision, she ought to consult Jeremy before coming to any decisions, this was as much his decision as it was hers. That brought up another issue- she had to see him.

She took in a deep sigh, even after Donny's confession she realized she still hadn't gotten over that video. It was a frame up. He was drugged. She repeated those words to herself hoping to convince herself that the entire video was fake.

In the middle of her thoughts, she remembered that her phone had been switched off the entire day yesterday and even now.

She took a quick bath- with a different soap, it didn't do much good, but it wasn't as nauseating as the jasmine-scented one. As she oiled her body, her hand stilled once it reached her tummy, she felt for any bump and nearly laughed at herself; the pregnancy couldn't be up to four weeks old, so she doubted there would be any signs of a bump anytime soon.

The first thing she did once she was dressed was turn on her phone. Like she guessed a few people wanted to talk to her. She had 48 voicemails, about seventeen were from Donny, she could only listen to two, she deleted the rest without a second thought, she would talk to him eventually- and they would be friends, but not right now. She still couldn't wrap her head around her own best friend plotting with someone as conceited and calculating as Claire was for her own downfall, be it directly or indirectly.

29 were from Jeremy, she listened to about eight, sounded almost the same as Donny's, though she knew they were far from the same purpose. She figured the rest would be just the same so she skipped them all, the last two were from Ugo telling- no, that was his authoritative voice; he was ordering her to call Jeremy as soon as she got his message, no questions asked.

She closed her eyes and breathed in and out to calm herself. She dialed Jeremy's number hoping just a little that he wouldn't pick it so she would have an excuse to give Ugo once he asked- and he would ask. Unfortunately she wasn't favored, not an extra second passed after the first ring when he received the call.

"Thank God! I've been waiting since yesterday for your call Kachi, I couldn't even sleep...how are you? Are you well? The ba...the pregnancy, is it...?"

"I'm fine Jeremy and so is the ba...the pregnancy. It's just...we need to talk about us, about this child." She knew she sounded distraught, but that was exactly how she felt right now; distraught, stressed, worried, confused. Ugo was right after all, this was too big a burden for her to carry alone. She needed Jeremy.

"I know, I'm already at your door, just got here. If you would open up please?"

He was already here? Why didn't he come just a few hours later? When she was less stressed. She steeled her nerves and stood up, "I'll be right there."

She walked out of her bedroom and to the front door, unlocking and opening it before she changed her mind.

They both stood staring at each other for minutes, neither knowing what to say. Kachi couldn't stand there, so she did the first thing that came to mind. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around his torso, willing him to comfort her.

Jeremy didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, he held her tightly against him like she was going to disappear. After a few minutes he began patting her head, he placed a light kiss on the top of her head, "Everything will be fine, trust me." He murmured against her head. He wanted to think all would be fine, and for now, having her so close to him made him feel like they really would be fine. They would get through all of the Claire drama, and he would convince her to keep the baby.

Beyond any doubts he had a gut feeling that all would be well.



*thanks for the feedback so far. I may not be updating any stories for a while, school has me busy, but will try to update when I can. Thanks again**LS



A Christmas Party Ch. 10



*sorry for the long wait guys, it's nothing of my own doing. Stuff just got in the way, but here's the end. Hope it meets your expectations and I expect your comments and votes. Thanks a bunch*

*

"Stop, please. You know I have somewhere to be" Phi whined, more importantly they both knew she'd rather not be somewhere else. Yes, she was addicted to him, a World Record-worthy addiction it was. How she had become so enamored with this man within a matter of weeks is something she would never be able to understand, but she'd be lying if she said she had regretted any second of fuelling her addiction.

It had been a month since she officially began to date Keith and it had been quite an adventure. He was nothing like her previous boyfriends who were usually bland and uninteresting. Whoever said opposites attract definitely got it wrong with her and Keith, there was a lot of herself in him. The snide comments, witty come-backs and dirty words were definitely characteristics she proudly carried. They seemed like a match made in potty-mouth heaven and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Phi shrugged off Keith's adventurous lips as she searched for her top- well, more like stood in one spot and scanned the place for it. It was hard to tell where it had been flung to in the heat of passion- or if it was still wearable in fact. And his planting soft kisses on her bare back and shoulders wasn't makinf things any easier.

"Just stay with me a while Phi, you know you wanna" he teased, his electric grey eyes twinkling with a promise of mischief.

"If I don't get down to the church on time, Kachi will literally cut my head off and feed it to a stray dog. I've been with you the entire day already Keith, don't be selfish" she replied, though his insistent kisses were doing a good job in convincing her to spend the night.

"Aren't I allowed to not want to share my girl with others?"

"If you still want to make use of your jaw, those 'others' better not be 4-month old pregnant women named Kachi" Phi replied. She grinned once she finally spotted her blouse hanging against the door. Leaving Keith's embrace- which was more difficult than it sounded, she hurried to the piece of cloth and put it on, secretly glad she did lest she return to her previous position beneath him before either of them could stop the urge.

Keith didn't seem as pleased though, "Can't you call and ask that she shift the time a little?" He sulked

"Oh, you mean like I did an hour ago? And an hour before that?"

He rolled his eyeballs dramatically, "Yeah, yeah, you've made your point." He walked lazily toward her and wrapped her in another embrace, "So, when will you be back?" He drawled as he bent to plant a light kiss by the corner of her mouth.

She obliged him when his lips zoned him on hers. They shared a long, heated kiss that made Phi's nipples tighten and made her wish she didn't have to leave just yet. She dug her fingers into his shaggy hair as they moaned in unison. His hand slid lower and he palmed her ass as he drew her closer, once she felt his hardness she pulled away, she would NOT be returning to his bed if she had a say in this, "Not today sweetie" she replied with a sunny smile.

He twisted his lips in confusion at that satement, "You mean like no more sex today or not today as in, you're not coming back today?"

Phi raised her brows, "And the difference is?" She asked. The truth was they couldn't stay five minutes in the same vicinity wothout wanting to rip each other's clothes off.

"Good point" he smiled mischievously.

She returned his smile as she reached for her handbag, "Glad we understand each other" she turned to him and placed a chaste kiss on his lips- or at least what was intended to be a chaste kiss until he deepened it. The sound of her phone ringing got them out of their mouth-eating contest. She fished it out and rolled her eyes with a smile when she saw the caller.

"Phi speaking" she spoke into the phone.

"Where the hell are you?" 

"Where I was an hour ago" she could literally hear the bristling coming from the other side.

"Phumi Khanyisile Khumalo, if I don't see you in thirty minutes, THIRTY MINUTES, you WILL be demoted to some other unimportant position like...like..."

"I get it, I get it...I'll probably end up as the cleaner. I'll be there in twenty minutes tops, don't pop out the baby too early" she replied and then ended the call before Kachi could come up with a retort. She smiled at Keith, "Gotta go love, kiss kiss" she waved him goodbye and walked out the door.

Keith sighed deeply as he crashed onto his bed. Yep, Phi was definitely worth the hassle.

*****

The nerve of those people!

Claire sat in her highlander outside of the chapel Kachi and Jeremy's wedding was to take place in about a week's time, brimming. Jeremy had yet to confront her concerning the tape and it really kept her on edge, from the looks of things the little twit hadn't bought it after all.

She huffed indignantly, if that stupid secretary had kept her yodelling mouth shut just maybe she would have been able to wiggle her way back into Jeremy's life. And then there was that idiot Donny, she should have known not to trust the oaf, if he couldn't go through with this foolproof plan it was no wonder why he hadn't been able to get Kachi to date him in nine years.

She briefly thought of walking through the doors of that Chapel and disrupting everything, but she figures that would be pretty dumb and embarrassing, plus, she was sure to get that long-awaited backlash from Jeremy- one she just might not be able to withstand. There had to be some way to make Jeremy see the light, make him realise she was his soulmate, not that silly, gold-digging immigrant.

As she looked out her window, she noticed a curvy black woman walking down the road. She snickered, they all looked the same to her. She barely turned away when she noticed the woman catch her form in the car and halt. The next thing she knew the woman was walking up to her, she tried to look away thinking perhaps she was heading to some other place, but she began to fret a little when she noticed the woman's eyes were deadset on her.

In an effort to seem like she hadn't noticed her at all, she took out her mirror and began to touch up her make-up.

"Hello." A cheery voice spoke from the driver's window.

Claire looked up at the same woman, she seemed a lot more intimidating up close, "Hi, how can I help you?"

"You must be Claire." 

Claire nodded hesitantly, a nervous smile plastered on her face, "Yes, and who might you be?"

The female extended her hand out to her and Claire accepted it, "The name's Phi..." She began, that sweet smile still dancing on her pretty face, "..I'm the maid of honor for the wedding that will be taking place in that Chapel next week, and the one who'll report you to the authorities for stalking if I EVER see your plastic, desperate, man-chasing self anywhere near my friend and her fiancee again. Hope we're clear?" Phi asked with her unwavering smile.

Claire stared at her, her face pale with fear, she wasn't as scared of the threat to get her reported to the authorities as she was what this smiling woman would do to her- she seemed capable of a few illegal actions too.

"Oh, and you better get this pretty car of yours off the drive-way before I get to that chapel or I WILL return and I'd hate to ruin this baby- permanently" she waved at her and turned around to continue her walk towards the chapel.

Phi grinned when she heard the sound of an engine roaring to life and what she knew to be Claire's car zooming off. She hoped she wouldn't have to see that face again in a long time.

The sound of the piano told Phi that she just might be a few minutes later than she planned, and the sight of a scowling Kachi that greeted her the second their eyes met confirmed that feeling. She jogged toward the procession, basically nudging Farrah, the red-haired bridesmaid who was in her place, she was Kachi's rommmate back in college. The girl looked pissed but not pissed enough to not relinquish the position.

She smiled apologetically at her partner, Phillip, Jeremy's friend in college as she tried to avoid the daggers Kachi was shooting her and concentrate on the procession itself.

Twenty minites and three takes later, the rehearsal was called off for the day and Phi was faced with an angry Kachi in need of answers. 

"I can explain" she began.

"I'm waiting"

"Something came up" she said.

Kachi raised a brow, "Something like what? Did Keith's dick get a stroke?"

"No, but good to see you're upping your potty-mouth vocabs girl" she said with a smile.

Kachi rolled her eyes, "It's not funny Phi, this is the third time you're showing up late for the rehearsals, at this point I just might replace you with the pianist, at least she knows the entire thing."

"Come on Kachi, I know the steps...anyway, guess who I saw close to here."

"Who?"

"Claire" 

Kachi stared at her wide-eyed, "What?! What the hell is she doing here?" Kachi said. Her voice a notch higher, catching the attention of some of those standing around- Jeremy included. He shot a concerned look their way, but Phi raised her hand to him, signifying that all was well.

"No need to worry, I took care of it."

"By 'took care of it' would you by any chance mean you killed her and threw her body in the dumpster?" 

"No, but I like where you're going with that"

Kachi didn't seem to find Phi's comment funny though. She was too busy thinking of Claire, what did she want from them? She looked over at Jeremy who was having a conversation with Oliver and Jim, two of his groomsmen, his eyes locked with hers when he turned toward them, he smiled at her and she returned his smile. She loved that man and no one was going to put a dent in their perfect romance, not anymore.

An idea popped into her mind and she smiled mischievously, something Phi noticed, "Ooh, what are you thinking? Would it have anything to do with a knife?"

Kachi smiled at this, "Not literally." She replied.

Phi smiled with her friend, glad that whatever thought she was having had gotten Kachi off her case for now.

*****

"Hey man" a baritone voice spoke, breaking Donny out of his reverie.

Donny looked up to see Jeremy towering above him, "Hey" he replied, just a little surprised that Jeremy was speaking to him. He had resolved his issues with Kachi enough to be invited to the wedding and get a front-row seat, but he and Jeremy were yet to become best buddies, hell, they just barely tolerated each other.

Jeremy sat next to him and a moment of silence reigned between them both, "You know Kachi adores you" he began.

Donny gave him an odd look wondering where that came from, "I guess"

"No, she really does. In fact I don't think she can go an hour without mentioning your name...sometimes I get jealous" 

Donny turned to Jeremy at this, "Why would you? You got the girl after all." As much as he wanted to sound unaffected by that fact, there was just a hint of loathing beneath the comment. He definitely hadn't gotten over Kachi just yet...well, not as much as he would prefer.

Jeremy smiled, "Yeah, you got that right." He said as though he meant to gloat-which he did, though not entirely. He coughed, "But that's not what this conversation is about"

"Really? What is it about?"

"It's about two grown men sorting out their differences for the good of the woman they both love" Jeremy replied.

Donny nodded, a bit put off by that comment, "Fine then."

"No, not fine. Let's get some things straight Donald, you don't like me, and trust me the feeling is mutual, maybe you hate me just a little more for obvious reasons, but we need to agree to be at least cordial to each other for Kachi's sake."

"I'm willing to give that a try." Donny said as he extended his hand to Jeremy.

A pleased smile popped on Jeremy's features as he accepted the handshake, "Glad we agree on something."

They both looked towards Kachi and she was grinning at them. Both men returned her smile, yes, they were definitely on the right path.

*****

Claire stared at the piece of envelope in her hand, wondering what it contained. She rarely received mails of any sorts and so was understandably surprised to have one delivered to her this morning.

She chewed her bottom lip, she had a nagging feeling that whatever was in it would not be something she would like. Shaking off the feeling, she opened the envelope, inside was a piece of paper and what looked to be an invite. 

She took out the folded piece of paper first, it was quite a brief note.

We hope you can make it

That was the only message, swallowing a hard lump, she looked into the envelope at the burgundy and gold coloured invite with the intricate design, she knew it was definitely top class material from the looks. She took it out of the envelope and almost died from the sight that greeted her; Kachi and Jeremy's wedding invite.

She flung the invite away like it was on fire. That bitch! That conceited, gold-digging little bitch! If she could get her hands on her she'd regret the day she stepped her dirty feet on this soil.

Her attention was diverted by the sound of her phone ringing, she blindly reached for it and answered without checking the I'd

"Hello?"

"Did you get my invite?" A female asked from the other end.

Claire's face reddened in anger when she realised who it was, "You fucking cunt!" She raved.

"Hmm, I'm guessing that's a yes" the voice said mockingly.

Claire bit her bottom lip wishing it was Kachi's mouth she was biting- hard enough to draw blood, "I swear when I get my hands on you, I'll make you regret you ever lived, how the fuck did you get my number anyway?" 

"That's unimportant, you never ask the right questions, do you?"

She couldn't stand the cheeriness of that voice. She was taunting her, NOBODY taunted her, "I'll kill you I swear."

"That's good to know dear. But I didn't call to ask what your dreams are about." She replied unfazed by the threat, "As much as I'd love to give you a detailed explanation on how I plan to dissect your limbs and send them off to Africa to be eaten by hyenas if I ever see you within the radius of I or Jeremy, that's not to be." The voice remained cheery, "but know that as much as I can be sweet and cute, I WILL be deadly if you cross my lane you conceited, scheming bitch." The voice was now hard, losing all it's sweetness.

Claire scoffed, "And I'm supposed to be scared?"

"Oh no..." Cheeriness returned, "...not yet anyways, just watch your back. Hope you make it for the ceremony"

The line went dead before a scowling, mad Claire could reply. She screamed and flung her phone at the wall, the gadget falling into pieces once it came in contact with the hard surface. She absolutely HATED that bitch!

*****

"Are you ready?" Ugo asked as he dusted a lint off Jeremy's shoulder. They were in her father's house in New York about to begin the traditional phase of their marriage. They initially wanted to skip that, but neither Kachi's father or her brothers wanted to hear of that, as the first and only daughter of the family, they insisted that it was imperative they have a proper handing over in the traditional sense. Her father, Clement, did allow that they perform the rites in the country and it was agreed that it should be pretty small and intimate.

Jeremy smiled at his refelection, he looked pretty good in the grey colored native attire, he particularly liked the silver embroidery on the neck, he could see himself wearing the shirt and pants after today, it was comfortable enough. 

"I think I am." He replied his future brother.

Ugo smiled, "Good, let's go." 

Phi stared at Kachi in confusion as she wondered what had her smiling so smugly. She had hd that really annoying grin on her face for hours now and she was starting to fear her best friend just might have lost her senses....maybe it's pregnancy hormones, she thought. Whatever it was though, it was freaky. She would ask her later, when her cousins weren't around.

She watched with interest as Ella, one of two female cousins she had met, tied the headgear which she was told was referred to as gele back in Nigeria. It seemed a difficult process tying it perfectly, but Ella definitely pulled it off like a pro so that it stood high upon Kachi's head. Soon, it was her turn to be attended to and again, Ella worked her magic.

"Wow, you're pretty good at this." Phi commended as she admired her reflection.

Ella smiled shyly, she was a younger version of Kachi in terms of mannerisms, she definitely hadn't spoken much the entire day, "Mumsy made me learn it when I stayed an extra year home before going to the higher institution."

Phi turned to her with a confused look on her face, "Huh?"

"Mumsy- my mum."

"Oh, okay." She replied , returning to her position and totally ignoring Kachi's mocking smile.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone was gathered in the rather large sitting room of Clement Obi. Jeremy had to admit, the man did pretty good for himself, he had been to his restaurant two days ago and it was quite an impressive place, he particularly loved the African vibe it carried, from the interior decoration to the music and of course the food. Kachi definitely failed to give her father as much props as he deserved, plus the man was much nicer than he had anticipated. He didn't smile a lot, but he was more jovial the seemed- at least to Kachi. Ugo didn't think so. 

The ceremony kicked off with a little prayer by Kachi's father, after which they broke a kolanut and shared it amongst the older people present, he watched with interest as her father spoke a few words about her, occassionally cracking a joke that led to laughter or revealing a certain attitude about her Jeremy knew Kachi would be embarrassed to hear.

The next phase had Kachi stepping into the sitting room looking stunning in a nicely embroidered silver, off-shouldered top and a grey and ash checkered wrapper tied around her waist, atop her head was a silver headgear he was unfamiliar with, but he thought enhanced her pretty face even more. Just the sight of her coming out, a light smile plastered on her face as she made her way toward her father made his heart flutter and his stomach do multiple flips, oh how he loved this woman.

She knelt in front of her father, her head bowed in respect, he began by saying a prayer for her, after which he handed her a glass of wine which she was to hand over to her husband.

Jeremy watched her approach him and kneel before him, a shy smile upon her lips as she did. She handed him the cup, he accepted and drank it's contents, after which he helped her get to her feet, stood and followed her to where her father sat. His father sat two seats away from Kachi's father, a smile plastered on his face as he watched them come closer, he had cancelled a business trip to be here and Jeremy was grateful, he needed family around too, Susie couldn't make it, but he knew she wouldn't miss the white wedding for the world.

They knelt in front of Kachi's father, he lay his hands upon their heads and blessed them, after which he invited Jeremy's father to do the same, though it was just a little awkward for the older Blaire, he did.

The entire ceremony was over faster than Jeremy thought, he was relieved when the time for refreshments came.

As they socialized with the few guests, Jeremy felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned to see a guy about his height who looked a lot like Ugo, but just a little darker, without much thought, he figured this to be another of Kachi's brothers.

"Hey, I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Kachi's elder brother, Kezie." He began as he extended his hand out to him.

Jeremy took the hand and shook it, "Jeremy, it's nice to finally meet you." 




A Christmas Party Ch. 10



Kezie nodded, "Same here, I've heard a lot about you from my siblings."

"Hope it's nothing damaging." Jeremy joked, making Kezie crack a smile.

"Oh no, in fact most have been good. Ugo thinks very highly of you, I would give you 'the talk' but I think you must have gotten it from my brother. I trust his judgment."

Jeremy smiled, "Thank you." He sighed inwardly in relief, he honestly wasn't ready for an impromptu quiz.

"You're welcome. Have fun" he walked away with that, heading towards his father who was having a chat with Jeremy's father.

Kachi watched Jeremy and Kezie from a distance sighing in relief when Kezie walked away, he was the most difficult of all three of her brothers and she was glad he didn't trouble Jeremy too much. She gave him a wink when he looked away and he shook his head with a smile.

"So, you mind telling me what had you smiling like a cheshire cat some hours ago?" Phi asked breaking into her thoughts.

Kachi turned to her and smiled as she remembered what it was that had her smiling, "Oh nothing, just made a call to a certain someone."

Phi raised a brow, "Who to?" After a brief thought she raised her brows in realisation, "Oh, oh, wow, way to go, I'm proud of you girl, some balls, finally!" Phis sighed as she raised her glass to her lips and took a sip of the cocktail in her hand

Kachi smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment"." She looked arounf her noticing how much everyone got along, even Donny and Jeremy were speaking to each other. She had no idea what they had said each other, but she was glad they sorted out their issues, she couldn't have two of her favourite men in the world at odds with each other. Everything was definitely coming together now, she only hoped Claire got her message loud and clear. She had a feeling she did.

*****

"What do you mean 'she changed her mind'?" Kachi raved at her oldest brother. It was just a day to her wedding and rather than having the time of her life on her Hen night, she had to deal with her family and their impromptu decisions.

"I mean 'she changed her mind', she said something came up or so and she decided to take the night flight." I.K, her eldest brother replied non-chalantly.

"But you were supposed to come with her, she doesn't know where the wedding will be holding." 

IK rolled his eyes, "she's not a child Kachi, she's twenty-four, she'll find her way." 

"Are you sure you didn't purposely abandon her?" Kachi knew how much of a pain-in-the-ass her cousin could be sometimes and it wouldn't be beyond IK to actually do something like that.

"If only...I swear I didn't, stop interrogating me like I'm ten, I'm seven years older than you in case you've forgotten."

Kachi sighed, "So, what do we do now?"

IK shrugged, "I don't know, just call a friend or someone to pick her up from the airport, she can at least go that far. I bet she'd even find the chapel in record time, she'll just talk some poor soul into driving her there for free."

"This isn't the time for Ada-inspired jabs..." She bit her bottom lip in thought, who could she send?, "I know someone who'll be okay with it."

"Great, see you tomorrow Mrs. Blaire, oh, and don't drink at all. Love you" IK replied and ended the call before she said anything else, he also planned to enjoy a nice, relaxing sleep before the big day tomorrow. He had skipped Jeremy's bachelor party, but he planned to get the down-low from his brothers tomorrow. It would be quite an eventful day.

*****

Things he'd do for a friend- or more specifically, Kachi.

Donny sat in the local airport waiting for this cousin of Kachi's who was supposed to arrive in about twenty minutes. He could count the many things he could be doing right now, but she had pleaded with him and whined so much he had no other choice than to do as she asked.

He took a deep sigh as he stared at his watch, where was the darned flight? As he suled to himself, he raised his head up and saw a figure pulling along a little box and adjusting a carry-on. He knew that person.

As the figure approached, he realised it was none other than Claire, he was going to ignore her, but before he could look away, she spotted him, her frown grew deeper if that was even possible. Well I'm not ecstatic to see you either, he thought. She stomped toward him and stood in front of him like she was trying to stare him down- he didn't give her that pleasure.

"Are you running away too?" She asked.

He raised his brow in confusion, what was she talking about?, "What?"

"Are you running away too? You know they're getting married today." She noticed for the first time that he had no luggage with him, "Where's your stuff?"

He almost broke a rib laughing once he realised her meaning, "You're running away? Wow! I must say I never expected you'd cow so easily, did someone threaten you?"

She felt a little uneasy at that comment, but managed to stave it off- hopefully, before Donny noticed, she scoffed, "Me? Nobody threatens me, I'm just going on a vacation." She defended.

He arched a fine brow, "oh really? I thought you just said you were running away, now it's a vacation?"

She frowned, "what are you insinuating? It's your fault we're here, of you had just stuck to the plan..."

"Well forgive me for growing a conscience oh-mighty-schemer. You know bitterness doesn't suit anyone."

"You're one to talk, four months ago you wanted Jeremy wiped off the surface of the earth." She snapped.

"Like I said, I grew a conscience, let's hope your little vacation helps you grow one too."

She was all set to throw another retort his way when the voice of the announcer rang within the airport informing travellers of the boarding of her flight. She eyed him indignatly and huffed turning and continuing on her way. He couldn't have possibly gotten over Kachi that fast, she could bet on it.

Donny dragged his hand over his face as he sighed, claire would never make his lidt of favourite people to talk to. He frowned as he remembered what had made him encounter her in the first place, had kachi's cousin's flight been caught in the Bermuda triangle?

The announcer's voice came over the speaker again, this time, it was to announce the arrival of a flight- just the one he was waiting for. He picked up the sign Kachi had given him, looking at the name written on it for the first time- Adaora Obi, all he knew was she was dark and a talkative, no pictures whatsoever, so she would have to find him.

Ten minutes later, a steady influx of travellers streamed into the 'Arrivals' terminal. He stood up and raised the sign, looking for any dark females, most passed him by and it was starting to look like she must have missed the flight when only few people filtered in, he would be so pissed if his wait was futile.

Just as he was about to take out his phone and call Kachi, he heard a husky female voice say, "You're not IK."

The first thing that came to his mind was how hot the voice was, when he looked up at her, the second thought was that the owner was even hotter, the third was how he was going to get her name and number, and finally, SHE was the cousin. 

The woman was looking up at him questioningly, her enchanting eyes were the lightest shade of brown that gave a delicious contrast to her smooth, dark skin and were framed by long, thick lashes. Her oval-shaped face was pretty with a cute little button nose and small, pouty lips a darker shade of pink. She was tall, much taller than Kachi and almost as tall as he was, he guessed she should be around 5"11'. She was quite slender, the purple knee-high shorts she wore showing off a pair of long, toned legs, she had on a nice pair of grey sneakers, the same colour as the fitted shirt she was wearing with the inscription, "Bite Me" written boldly on it.

Oh how he'd love to bite her and nibble on her just so he could discover if she tasted as delicious as she looked. He was broken out of his thoughts when he noticed her small hand waving in his face.

"Are you still with us?" She asked, now looking more concerned than confused.

He smiled sheepishly, "I guess you're Ada-ora?" He asked, hoping he pronounced the name right.

She smiled, "Actually it's pronounced "Adorer" like to adore something." She corrected.

She was definitely worth adoration, her cute smile sealed the deal for him. He wanted her like he wanted to breathe, the last time he had felt an attraction this instant for aomeone else was....he was so caught under the spell of this family. 

"IK couldn't make it. Kachi asked me to come pick you up." He replied, hopefull without drooling.

She shook her head, "Will that one ever make it?" She asked, apparently referring to IK, "What's your name?"

"Donald, but everyone calls me Donny." 

A knowing smile lit up her beautiful face, "Oh so you're Donny? I've hears about you. Kachi never said you were this fine." She said almost thoughtfully.

Donny turned crimson, he shrugged like her compliment hadn't made him wish he could do a little cha-cha, "Maybe she forgot to mention that." 

"Aww, how cute, you're blushing." She gushed.

Donny wished he could scurry under a counter and hide, she didn't go easy with the compliments this one, she definitely wasn't like Kachi character-wise. He got a feeling he would enjoy her company a lot.

"I like your eyes."

"Thanks, I think you have beautiful eyes too." He commented. Lord, talk about third-grade, elementary school corny. Did that really come out of his mouth.

She laughed heartily, one more thing he knew he was going to love about her, "You're so cute. Come on, we better start going, I have a feeling Kachi will have my head once she sees me." She said as she wove her arm into his, "I hope you're not a serial killer who's killed IK and plans to rape and then kill me." She asked.

He suddenly went still, where did that come from? He wondered. He did want to do something with her that involved a bed and naked bodies, but it was going to be consensual, "No, I swear, no" he replied.

She laughed at his uneasiness, "Just joking around."

He smiled in relief. As they walked towards the scanner, he noticed she only had a medium sized carry-on bag, she didn't plan to stay much longer than the wedding apparently. Well, he was going to have to make the best use of whatever time she had here. 

*so that's the end of A Christmas Party. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and thanks for your patience. I'm still not sure if Donny should have a story though. Lots of love.*L.S