#AFTER_THE_STORM
©Sir Zach
EPISODE 14
*SCARLET POV *
“Scarlet and Lawrence, sitting in a tree. K. I. S. S. I. N. G” Franca sighed shortly after I came back to my senses. She didn’t have any idea what was happening.
“You both had some connection right there but sorry girl, he’s taken.” Franca continued.
“What do you mean connection?” I asked, trying to sound as normal as I could.
“The girl could be blind but I’m not. …”She stopped as she saw my face. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I inhaled sharply, signaled to the waiter behind me and gulped down a cup of drink immediately.
‘Hey! Slow down! What is the problem?” Franca asked, stopping me as I motioned for the other cup.
“You remember the person I’ve been looking for all the while…?”
“Hold on, don’t tell me this Lawrence is that Lawrence,” Franca said, calculating everything so fast.
I nodded.
“Wow! So why didn’t you shout or embrace each other?” Franca asked and for that, I couldn’t give any reply.
“I don’t know Franca… I honestly don’t know.”
***** ****
*Some minutes later*
“I don’t like all these sketches, let me see something else,” Dafina said for the third time.
I was beginning to lose my patience, both for waiting for Lawrence to come out and meet us from wherever he had gone to get cleaned up, and for this lady to make up her mind.
“This is beautiful Dafina, do you mind looking at it again…?” Franca persuaded her, taking her through more of her magazines but I stood up, I needed a drink else I might lose my mind if Lawrence didn’t come out on time.
Well, as I took the drink from the waiter and was going back to my seat, I spotted him… and my heart began to race. He was still searching for us…
He was in an armless red polo shirt and a pair of brown shorts. Muscles rippled across every part of his body. He looked like a seasoned warrior with those cheekbones that have even grown so prominent and his nose, slightly obscured by his fuzzy thin black beard against his light skin. His hair, probably because of the wetness glinted under the face cap… his short sharp lips were so attractive and…. Franca pinched me slightly and I quickly gulped down the drink in my hand.
“Oh! Now that’s more like my man!” Dafina said as he spotted him and she stood up proudly to kiss him on the lips…. I looked away…
Damn it! Scarlet! Get it together! I screamed to myself in my head.
I tried as much as possible not to look at him…it was best to pretend that I don’t know him or remember him but it was difficult….
While Dafina shifted for him to take a seat…
“Oh..what is that, let me see….” She shouted and looking at what she was pointing at, I realized my clumsiness had made me drop the journal I had been holding and the sketch… my own personal sketch was out in the open.
I picked the journal up and handed it to her…
“No, I mean that sketch…”
Franca exchanged glances with me and I gave her.
_______
*Some minutes later*
*LAWRENCE POV*
“Do I need to be worried?”
Dafi finally asked as we settled in….
“About what?” I asked with a languid interest, I had so much in my mind and she wasn’t even part of it.
“About you and our designer.” She said with a smile, while walking to sit on my laps, wrapping her arms around my neck.
I tried not to betray my emotions. “ Why would you need to be worried?”
“Cos, maybe I sensed something between you too. As if you both had some history together and you didn’t want to share?”
I laughed as if she just cracked a terrible joke. “ You are funny love. What history can be there? Remember I never stepped into Kenya before right?” Then I pinched her on her butt to make her stand up while I fetched myself a bottle of drink.
“You still didn’t answer my question Lawrence.” She said, half-smiling.
I looked at her. “Didn’t I?…Oh, baby, I forgot, I need to call my father, he must be havng an heart attack already.” I said , standing up to pick my phone and going out at the same time.
“Where are you going?”
“I will be back love.” I shouted to her before locking the door behind me. I do not care what I would have to do or how much people I would have to bribe. This night, I am not sleeping until I find her and talk to her!
Now the question is, where do I begin? I definitely would not be banging on people’s door up and down… I decided to go to the receptionist.
She was a very pretty girl, blonde hair, dark skin, dimples and a white and black suit.
“Hello again…” I said, giving her my most dashing smile.
“Hi sir.” She replied, deepening her dimples.
“Well, did you see me earlier talking with some ladies at the lounger,I’m sure you did.”
She looked skeptical but she quickly nodded, smiles can be so magical, the back of my head was already hurting pretty bad.
“Yes I recalled you were meeting with Mrs Scarlett Anderson, the Kenyan top designer some minutes ago, and your fiancé was quite loud enough about her wedding gown” She added, blushing but I was even more pleased.
“Bravo! Do you mind telling me which floor they are? You see, there was a mistake concerning a decision my fiancé made some minutes ago and…”
“Well, you’d better go meet them then, cos I can see they are already packed, and seem they want to check out…”
I immediately looked towards where she was pointing, Franca and Scarlett were on the electric stairs which was already moving and bringing them down…
She was now in a pair of shredded blue, jeans, white Tank-top and a facecap, her hair hung loosely around her shoulders and even though she looked breathtakingly beautiful.. i could tell she’s been crying, I could always tell all those nights when she cried after telling me stories about her past while we were still together…. and I had to console her before she would fall asleep and then I would later sleep, I knew everything-
As they landed, they motioned towards the receptionist, scarlet said something to Franca who nodded and who advanced towards the reception while Scarlet walked towards the door…
I rushed towards Franca who I almost gave a fright…
“Oh my God! You almost gave me an heart attack! Where did you appear from?” She shouted but stopped as she noticed it was me.
“It’s me, I’m sorry.” I quickly apologised and to my surprise, she looked to see if Scarlett was looking at us , having realized she was looking outside, she took my hand and led me to a section of the building which was somehow hidden from Scarlett’s view. Well, thank God, she knew we had a history.
“Lawrence …what are you doing?” She asked, looking confused.
“I..i came to find you. I mean scarlett, are you guys leaving? Did she tell you about us?”
“Look, I know everything okay and yes, we are checking out. She couldn’t stay.”
“But I want to talk to her.” I said. “I need to ask her some things and… I don’t just know…i..i just want to talk to her. please, is it possible for you two not to check out tonight, is there a way you can help me spend some time with her, please. I do not know why she is pretending as if she doesn’t recognize me, she kept the sketch she said she would wear for our wedding day, even though we were both young and stupid then. Does that mean she isn’t marrid anymore and why would she keep it and still not talk to me?”
The older woman sighed, said somethings in swahili and later interpreted. “Why are you so concerned Lawrence? You are about to get married…don’t you think your wife would be concerned seeing you two together?”
“Do not worry about my fiance, I just need to have a moment with scarlet and please…” I said, dropping to my knees “Please don’t check out now.”
“Hmmm.” The woman said, looking at me.
***** ****
*SCARLETT’S POV*
I checked my time. It was already twenty minutes, surely, checking out can’t take that much time. It was getting dark and getting back to Nairobi this night would take three hours of travelling-I hated travelling in the night.
I stood up to see if I could see her from where I was but, she wasn’t at the reception. That was odd. Where could she be?
I dialed her number, it just kept on ringing and she wasn’t picking. I grunted and put the phone back into my purse. Just as I motioned to go, I felt a light touch on my shoulder and for some reason, I shuddered-shutting my eyes, I could still remember the scent of his cologne it was intoxicating…and over powering, felt my legs going weak, unable to turn around to face him,
“Scarlett.” HE called my name softly, now coming face to face with me, with one finger, he tilted my chin up bit my eyes were still closed- I wanted to imagine it was a dream but it wasn’t.
I could sense a stupid tear coming down, damn it! why do I have to be so emotional….he caught the tears before they could drop.
“Scarlett, please look at me.”
My heart was beating racing and beating so fast as I managed to open my eyes and finally, we were looking at each other-eye to eye…he was still taller and I was above his chest level even withmy heels.
“Why don’t you want to talk to me?” He asked, I could see the hurt, the excitement and the hope all in his eyes…I could feel myself melting under the gaze of his eyes.
I****** ******
*LAWRENCE POV*
“Talk to me Scarlett, please.” I whispered to her as we stood, looking at each other….my stomach was turning and my heart kept beating so fast, knowing Dafina could come and find us at any moment but right now, Dafina didn’t even exist any longer.
“Scarlett!” I shouted at her, shaking her and tightening my grip on her so she could come out of whatever trance she was caught.
“L.Lawrence….” She finally said and …for the first time….even when my father called me a bastard all those times, even when I was punished several times in the facility, I never got this emotional…
“”Lawrence…” She called me again and like a music into my ears, like an overpowering spell, I could give a damn about Dafina or about her husband…all that existed was the both of us right here right now-I drew her closer and did what I’ve always wanted to do all those years… I kissed her.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 15