IRENE

"Are you going to usher me in or are you going to stand there and look at me like I just landed from the moon." I asked. I had been in Theodore's room for roughly a minute and he didn't say a thing, instead his eyes were glued on me.

"My bad, you're welcome." I replied with a broad smile.

"Thanks." I said and skipped to his bed nonchalantly his eyes on me all the way.

"You look very beautiful." He said giving me a once over for like the umpteenth time in just a few minutes.

"I know." I replied leaning into his bed. I was taking Ivy's counsel and for some reason I didn't know if it was the right thing to do or not. I mean, the girl was barely sixteen.

"Never give him your full attention, never let him know you're very interested in him, speak with confidence, do not avoid eye contact, don't over dress, talk as though you didn't care."

I arched a brow at her. "And that's supposed to be?"

"That's how you win a man over and keep him coming back." I didn't know when I burst into laughter.

"And who are you to tell me how I can keep a man. Have you been in a relationship before?"

"I have not been in a relationship but I know all of this because when I was working with Kendall ma'am she said it all the time."

I widened my eyes in horror. "Kendall was giving you out to men?"

"No silly." She said with the wave of a hand. "She changes boyfriends like every two weeks and goes on so many dates."

I cocked my brows at her. "So she discusses her love life with you."

Ivy sighed and face palmed herself. "Not that sister dearest, she talks about it with her very loud and saucy friends and yeah I overhear them all the time."

I rolled my eyes. "If you're thinking I'm gonna use the advice sourced from someone who changes her boyfriend every two weeks then you must be delusional."

Oh I was the delusional one now because I was doing exactly what Ivy had said. Dressing casual, acting like I don't care. Boy oh boy, I hoped I was doing the right thing.

"Oh okay." He replied and looked away. So this was beginning to feel awkward.

"Your jacket is nice." I said to him in an attempt to compliment him. He gave me a small smile and muttered thanks to me.

"So let's head out already." He said breaking the almost uncomfortable silence looming over us. I nodded and walked behind him as he led me to a garage, one I had never been to, one I didn't even know was in the house.

I kept my fingers crossed as we walked there. What could he have for me in the garage? A ring? Is he going to propose? Oh Lord, I'm so not ready for this and I didn't even dress for it.

My heart was literally pacing. "Here we are." Theodore said and my eyes landed on the almost empty garage. I looked around at the numerous tool boxes. I sighed in disappointment, no cake, no balloons, no surprise party. What was I even thinking.

"Theodore let's head out already." I breathed out and looked away, to the side.

"Well duh!" He called out almost enthusiastically. "That's why we're here. We're taking this sweet baby." He said and my eyes followed his hands and landed on a horrifying machine.

"You're joking right?" I asked him. He had to be kidding. There's no way I will climb onto that bike and ride many miles with him to wherever we were going.

"I'm not." He said and I fixed my eyes with his. He arched a brow.

Seriously?!

"Come on Theodore, I'm not putting my life in danger by riding with you on this bike." I said eyeing the expensive yet terrifying motorbike.

"Come on Irene, it's going to be fun." He cooed and I was left to wonder if this boy even had at least a romantic bone in his body.

"I'm going home!" I called out and walked away from the garage. I didn't know where the mood swings were coming from, I didn't expect myself to be so uninterested in the outing that I had been anticipating since yesterday.

Maybe it was because everything Mide, Desmond's girlfriend said about how her cousin asked Uzo out and Desmond asked her out was contradicting what Theodore was doing.

What happened to taking the girl to a private restaurant and bringing a surprise cake and all that stuff?

"What?" Theodore said but I was paying no attention to him anymore as his furry friend, Russell, hurried to where I stood wagging his tail.

"Hey there boy." I said ruffling his thick fur as he sat in excitement. I felt a vaguely masculine presence beside me and I didn't have to give it a second thought to know who it was beside me.

"Alright fine, we won't be taking the motorbike anymore. Wait here while I grab one of my car keys." He said and I nodded not even giving him the littlest smile or the slightest glance.

Oh Irene, you're gonna chase the poor boy away if you keep acting like a witch you know.

I watched as Russell's gaze followed Theodore till he was out of eyeshot and returned to me. It seemed to me like he was giving me a look of disapproval.

I sighed. "I don't know why I'm behaving this way Russell."

The look he gave me was eating me up with guilt, or I was imagining it. I made a silent resolution to at least be nicer. The boy lost his ex girlfriend, I should at least be understanding and not be the bitch I was when we met the first time.

"I'll do better, I promise." I said ruffling his fur and he began to wag his tail again. Okay, he believed, now I have to do just what I promised.

"Russell, Irene and I are going on a date, can you not be clingy today." He said as Russell latched himself to Theodore's legs.

Theodore squatted to his level and gave him a gentle smile. "I'll be back soon okay. Lady friends before furry friends." He said and for some reason, that made me smile, the bond they shared, it was lovely.

"Let's go to the car." He said and took my hand holding it in a firm grip. We took gentle strides to the Range Rover and I watched as Theodore opened the passengers seat for me to get in, locked the door after I had.

Gentleman, check.

The moment he turned around and got in, he put in the ignition and we drove out of the house and hit the streets. I gave myself a quick once over. I was dressed in an oversized T shirt and a pair of shorts. Taking a fez cap and a pair sunshades with me and pretty boy on the other hand was dressed in a white vest, black jeans and a jacket.

The silence we were engulfed in was suffocating. "I didn't see Lucinda today." I said referring to his maid in a sick attempt to break the silence,

"Yeah, she's out with my mum ." He replied and I frowned. He didn't seem like he wanted to continue the conversation. Was he perhaps mad?

"Are you angry because I didn't want to take your motorbike with you?" I asked and he gave me a quick glance before returning his gaze to the road.

"No, of course not." He had a small smile on his lips which made me more confused and nervous.

"I'm sorry for being mean." I said my eyes on my fingers which I fiddling with.

"I'm not mad at you." He said that smile still on his lips while he focused his on the road.

I nodded and leaned  into the seat as he drove in silence. After a while, he came to a halt and I looked around, we weren't at anywhere fancy, instead we were in the bush.

Could he be handing me over to boko haram people?

Father Lord, Save me!

He got down while I stayed put in the seat. He walked to my side and opened the door. "Aren't you coming?" He asked and I shook my head looking around, we could be in a forest for all I knew and it was my fault, I wasn't paying attention to the road.

He sighed and locked his eyes with mine. "Do you trust me?" He asked. His black orbs fixated on mine had me thinking of nothing else but the pretty boy before me. I nodded. "Then trust me on this." He said and leaned in to unbuckle the seat belt my breathe raged all the way.

When he was done with  unbuckling the belt, he held out his hand which I took. He helped me out of the car and locked it before leading us further into the 'forest'.

"Here we are!" He called out and I took a minute to look around. I was marveled at the environs. So many healthy trees, pretty flowers, a small pond. It looked like a tourist attraction center. I turned to Theodore with a smile. Fuck Kendall's sick principles.

"Like what you see?" He asked and I nodded like an enthusiastic child.

"I love it Theodore." I said and twirled causing him to chuckle.

"I'm glad you do." He said. I pulled of my sneakers and let my feet touch the soft grass. It felt so heavenly.

Sighting a picnic carpet with a basket and speaker beside it, I turned to Theodore.

It can't be.

"It's ours." He said with a nod urging me to head over and collapse on the picnic mat.

This is so sweet, much more than I expected if you asked me.

Theodore settled beside me and dug his hands into his hair. "We have cookies," he started pointing to every single thing he called. "Popcorns, pizza, smoothies, milkshakes, a camera and speaker."

I wore a coy smile. "You didn't tell me we're going to do a mukbang." I said and he nudged me picking up the sarcasm in my voice.

We sat and watched the quiet waters. "It's so beautiful." I said and he hummed.

"I discovered it during that one month we weren't speaking." He replied and I nodded. We sat in silence for the umpteenth time that day.

"Hey, why don't we switch things up a bit." He said and I nodded urging him to go on. He headed to the handy speaker and turned it on.

Running (To You) by Chike featuring simi started playing and he pulled me up and latched a hand around my waist and I was certain my heart beat sped up. "What are you doing?" I asked and he smiled pressing his nose against mine.

"Dancing." He said and that was all the warning I got.

➪➪➪➪➪

We finally settled down back on the picnic mat laughing. It felt so good to spend quality time with Theodore after so long.

"That was refreshing." He said and I nodded. It was indeed. We lay our backs on the picnic mat and watched the tree above us with large ripe mango fruits, it was the season anyway.

I let my eyes linger on the fruit whilst feeling eyes boring into the side of my face. "Why are you staring so much?" I asked him not looking away from the fruits.

"I can't take my eyes off you." He said and I turned to him plopping on my elbow.

"Why is that?" I asked my eyes now locked with his endearing ones. I watched his lips stretch into a smile and I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. How he effortlessly managed to look so good was still a mystery to me. He had to be the eight wonder of the world.

"There are a thousand and one reasons, sweetheart." He replied his calm and alluring voice getting to every single part of my being.

I bit my lower lip and spoke up again. "Tell me." I demanded sitting up straight. He gave me a long stare before joining me in my sitting position.

He took my left hand in his and the feel of his warm hands against my cold ones was what I would call, heavenly. Slowly, he took my hands and placed it on his chest. I gasped the moment my hands balanced on his chest. His hearts was beating so fast he, could have a heart attack. "W-what... Theodore?"

His eyes were not leaving mine for even a second. "That's what you cause. Your presence and absence cause this. Your smile and scowl does this to me." He placed my hand on my thigh and moved closer to me almost closing the gap between us.

He raised his hands to cup my cheeks and my eyes went shut on instincts. I felt his thumb trace my cheekbone all the way to my jawline and to my neck. "You're a masterpiece Irene. All your flaws and perfect imperfections sets me on fire. From the way you talk to the way you walk. Your mesmerizing smile and your cute scowl."

He took my hands again. "Open your eyes." He ordered in a calm voice and I did just that but instead of looking at him, I rested my gaze on our locked hands. My heart was beating against my chest at his every word, touch and stare.

He made me feel self conscious and self confident at the same time. Never have I been shy or tensed in the presence of anybody but this pretty boy managed to achieve that in only a few months.

"Look at me," He called out in a calm tone that also sounded like he was pleading with me. I lifted my gaze to his and our eyes locked again. "If I'm to mention all the reasons as to why I can't keep my eyes off you, we would as well spend eternity having this conversation," he said. He spoke so softly and that did unimaginable things to me.

"You put me at ease Irene," He said holding my hands up and raising them to cup his cheeks. "You make me feel alive," He continued closing his eyes. "You are surrounded with an aura of ethereal peace," He added and I watched him intently not leaving any detail of his well structured face out.

From his neatly combed curls to his flawless face, beautifully shaped lips and his pronounced jawline. I let my eyes go down a bit and watch as his Adam's-apple bob as he gulps. "You're a drop of surreality, an angel in it's finest form, a beautiful mystery I wish to unravel."

His eyes were still closed and I took that as a cue to let my hands roam his beautiful face. How can someone make me feel this way? I asked myself.

He finally opened his eyes when I retracted my hands from his face. "I burn for you Irene, I don't know what this is but I know what I want and it's you. I want this empress they call Irene, all of you. I want all of you, Demilade." He said and my breath hitched.

It's now the middle name?

I wanted to look away so bad because keeping my eyes locked with his was doing me no good. It ignited the fire I had chosen to ignore for the longest time but my eyes were glued to his. "Tell me Irene, how does all of this make you feel?" He asked and I pulled my hands out of his grip.

I knew for a fact that I had a crush on Theodore but everything he was saying sounded deep, very deep and it shook me to bits. I had crushed on Tobias and Desmond but it was never like this. This was different. "I like you a lot Theodore," I started and I observed as he blinked watching me with a certain intensity. "I like you a whole lot and it gladdens me even more that you feel the same way," I said and a smile stretched out on his lips.

I was overwhelmed at how he looked at me like I was some rare gem he got hold off only by chance and how he spoke to me ever softly like I was a newborn and probably every single thing about him. I felt my heart constrict as he smiled at me and my eyes began to water. "It's just that, all these emotions are choking me." I said as the tears flowed down my cheeks freely.

His hands quickly cupped my cheeks again. "Hey, there's no reason to be so overwhelmed okay? I'm not going to rush things I promise. We'll take it one step at a time." He said and I nodded. He wiped my tears and and smiled. "You'll be just fine, I promise. We'll be just fine."

I looked away for like what?- the umpteenth time and I heard Theodore's soft laughter fill the air. "Are you shy?" He asked and I shook my head mustering up the courage to look him in the eye.

"Of course not." I said and he quirked a brow a smirk playing on his dangerously tempting lips.

"Oh really?" He asked but I was too awestruck to send a reply his way. I watched as he leaned in and my heart resumed beating at a not so normal pace.
This is it, I thought. The moment, he's freaking going to kiss me!!!

His breath was fanning my lips and I ran my tongue over them subconsciously as my raged breathing filled the air. I felt him lean even closer and I closed my eyes in anticipation and he kissed me.

On my cheeks.

I felt disappointment wash my entire being. He went ahead and kissed me on my other cheek just before placing another feathery kiss on my jaw and sealing it up with a forehead kiss. It was endearing but then again not what I wanted. I wanted him to kiss me, I wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed and by the one person that sets your entire being on fire.

He gently placed his forehead against my and cupped my face as his eyes dropped on me. He seemed to have noticed the disappointment look on my face and he spoke up. "I want to smash my lips against yours this moment and kiss you like you have never been kissed before. I want to take you to the moon and back, I want to kiss you till we both run out of breath," He said caressing my cheeks with his thumb.

What is stopping you? Do it!

"But this is me taking things one step at a time." He said.

With the way his eyes were glued to my face throughout, it made me wonder if he wouldn't start seeing me in his dreams. "Why can't you stop staring though?"

"Because you're beautiful. You're a queen Irene, my queen." He said still not looking away.

An explosion in my stomach birthed a thousand butterflies. Somebody pinch me, I think I'm dreaming, because it indeed felt like a fucking fairytale.

He had probably noticed the expression on my face and broke into a smile, one that made Theodore look like a celestial being, a drop dead gorgeous one.

What the hell happened to Irene?!?

*****

"Where my people from Zamunda at?"

This chapter somehow reminds me of when Lavelle and Mirambe were together in the garden.

PS: If you haven't watched Coming to America 2 then you're missing out on some real entertaining shit and it's even better if you've watched the part one.

Anywhoo what do y'all think of this chapter? I loved it though.

I will see you all soon. Bye my loves and thank you for 7k reads.

Word Count: 3292