AMBER ROMANCE

AMBER ROMANX

WHEN THE HEART KNOWS

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next couple of weeks, Nma’s feet hardly touched the ground, she was walking on air and so happy. Most of the people who thought she had a death wish before found it difficult to understand what was happening to her.  Even Helen couldn’t understand it anymore. Nma had Eva to thank for her meddling but the meddlesome woman was not in the country. Helen walked in as she was musing to herself.

“Ok, out with it” Helen said

“Out with what?” Nma asked her pretending ignorance

“You are smiling to yourself again; only two things could make me do, if I am dating chucks or Tyrese Gibson ”

“So you have it hot for Chuck”

“The guy is too cute for his own good, and I find footballers sexy”

“Didn’t know football is such a sexy sports”

“Don’t change the subject”

“Let’s just say I am happy with way things are now in my life”

“Most of us are happy with our lives too, but that dreamy look and smiling at nothing is way beyond it, so is it prince charming”

“How very perspective you are dear, Uche is a big part of my life and I am happy with us”

“Oh Nma isn’t it wonderful that of all the women all over the world he chose you. It makes me wonder how his ex Angela would feel.” Nma had forgotten about the other girl, the girl Uche was dating before he met her, funny how he never spoke of her again. It was like the girl disappeared from the face of the earth. Not that she was relishing seeing the girl but it looked quite suspicious that the girl would just give up the way she did

“There goes my big mouth, didn’t you know about her”

“Of course I do, I was just wondering what happened to her”

“Simple Uche dumped her for you; she must have seen the way he is besotted with you and decide to give up”

Nma laughed at Helen’s enthusiasm. The girl was full of energy and optimism. She acted like a teenager.

“So back to you, I think I could help with Chucks” Nma said

“Chucks, do you know him?”

“Let’s just say I am very close to his best friend”

“Prince charming, yes I know they are very close, why do you think I am in full support of Prince  charming” Helen laughed “Now that my friend is dating his best friend, I know she could hook me up” Helen pleaded

“I will if my friend works very hard to finish the orders I gave her in a record time”

“Deal” Helen agreed quickly and rushed away to start.

Nma smiled happily at Helen. The girl was a bundle of excitement, Nma was yet to see her depressed or sad even for a minute. And it dawned on Nma that she knew next to nothing about the girl. How could one be such a talkative and yet say nothing about her own background?

Tessy opened the door to her husband’s office and smiled at him. He smiled back and got up from his chair; he drew her in his hands and kissed her passionately.

“Just what I needed in middle of the afternoon, my sexy wife”

 “I came to see Nma, you said she has been working around with a long face, I want see if I can cheer her up”

“Too late, she glowing these days”

“Really, is the transformation not sudden?”

“Not exactly”

“You know anything about her mood swing?”

“Must be the Billionaire” Felix replied frowning

“If he could do that to her, that means…” she smiled at her husband “Now that is a story I will be hearing from Nma” Tessy turned to go.

“Don’t you think you should wait till she tells you?”

Tessy smiled, “No” she replied her husband.

As she left Felix sighed and wondered why women were always excited about romance? He shouldn’t complain much because if his wife wasn’t an incurable romantic, their marriage might not have lasted, neither would it be as happy as it was. Ok he would admit Nma was different these days, she was indeed happy, he thought. He had once called her state “a shinning radiance”. He hoped all worked out well for her, he hoped with all his heart that Uche wouldn’t break her heart. It was easy to see that she was totally in love with him. And that she might not survive it if he left her. God help him if he did, Felix thought furiously, he would make sure the guy suffered for his sins. Then a nagging thought hit him. Nothing would hurt Nma more than the secret he harbored in his heart about her background, it wasn’t Uche who could break her heart. It was he. Felix a man she loved and trusted with all her heart. But she would never find out. He hoped to carry the secret to his grave,     So what moral right had he to punish Uche if he hurt Nma  when what he carries in his mind could easily do that and more. He heaved a sigh and sat down. He should tell her, he said. He would call the other woman who knew of the secret, it was high time they told her. Scary it might seem but the truth would always clear the way and set one free. He was tired of being bound by the deception. He wanted to be free from it. So he placed a call to her, the only other woman who knew

Tessy slowed down as she neared Nma’s office, she could remember the first time she met the girl. Nma had been full of resentment for her then. She smiled. She didn’t get angry with the sixteen year who had a crush on her fiancé; rather she tried to be understanding. She understood that being sixteen and having your first crush was never easy. So she tried as much as possible to befriend Nma. The girl was distant and mean to her at first but with time, she began to see she meant well. She would never forget the occasion that marked the beginning of their friendship. It was the first time she found out that her father was terminally sick and had very little time to live. She had come to look for Felix as was her habit, to be consoled by him but instead she had met Felix’s wife. Tessy smiled and moved on. And as soon as she had opened the door for Nma on that fateful day, she could see on her face the pain written all over it and suddenly the pain changed to disappointment and then resentment. Nma had turned to go without another word but she had called her back and asked her to wait for Felix who went to a nearby grocery shop. Nma had entered reluctantly and while she waited for her husband, Tessy got into small talk which led to her spilling her heart. She didn’t know what else to do but to gather the grieving girl to her bosom and offered sisterly comfort. 

Tessy sighed and opened the door that led to Nma’s studio. She found her alone bent over her sewing machine as usual. Tessy smiled at the picture, all these, this whole building was a result of one little brave girl who was determined to make a difference in a world where wrong was right and right was wrong. She didn’t know how long she stood watching and admiring her.

Nma felt she was no longer alone and looked up, she saw Tessy watching with a motherly look. Nma felt something touch her heart.

“Hey! You are not planning on standing all day?”

Tessy realized that she had been seen and smiled “I could, it gives me a very proud and beautiful feeling looking at you and all you have accomplished”

Nma stood up and gave her a hug. She remained in Tessy arms trying to control her emotions. Tessy was closest thing to a mother she had. Since she couldn’t recall her own mother and her father had destroyed all her memory right after she left.

“You know that you and Felix are very much part of this success and achievement. I can’t separate one from the other”

Tessy smiled “You could say that and I will keep wondering what I ever did to become a part of this whole thing”

“Tessy you love me, I see it in your eyes. You are like the mother I never knew and I find myself working hard not to disappoint you, just like a good daughter would”

“I think I am going to cry” she quickly brought out her hanker chief and wiped the tears already gathered in her eyes. Nma embraced her again. That was exactly how Helen found them when she entered.

“Oh! This makes me want to cry” Helen exclaimed and the other two women burst into laughter.

“Come along then” Tessy invited, “We seem to have free tears going around”

“I know I said in a record Helen but this is way too fast. If this any evidence of how much you want the man”

“What man?” Tessy eyes were already gleaming

“I wouldn’t know, the only person who seemed to have gone loony over a man is Nma.”

“Oh please you girls shouldn’t keep in me suspense”

“Helen seemed to have it hot for Chuks and Chucks happens to be Uche’s best friend”

“She would introduce us if I be a good girl and finish my work in a record time”

“But she broke the record, so much for love”

“Hate to disappoint you dearie but I am only here to ask what is to be done with this” she raised the material

“Like you don’t want the man anymore” Tessy laughed

“Well what would a rich, handsome international star ever see in me?”

Nma rolled her eyes heavenward “You don’t say that kind thing to Tessy, she is an incurable romantic”

Tessy laughed “Love doesn’t recognize statues sweetie, any love that does that is not true love. You just have to have faith in what you feel in your heart that it will grow and one day if you are meant to be, he will feel its warmth and return it”

“That’s a mouthful” Nma smiled

“And very wise, thanks” Helen said.

“And you smart mouth, I was told that you went from someone who had a death wish to someone who couldn’t be more content with her life”

“It is called mood swing very common with creative people”

“So why do I see Uche Okoha written all over you”

Helen chuckled

“You are right”

“So here I am waiting to hear all the pleasant details from you”

Nma sat down and heaved a contented sigh. A dreamy look lighted up her face. She was lost in beautiful memories.

“What can I say? He is every woman’s dream come true. He makes me feel like I am the only woman in the whole world” she laughed “Now you can’t expect me to tell you everything”

“What was it like the first time he kissed you?” Tessy asked dreamily

Helen giggled with excitement “First kiss is supposed to be special isn’t it”

“My dear when I was dating, I made it a point to kiss all my dates that was my way of knowing. When I first kissed Felix, I felt a kind of pleasure that was beyond description. But one thing will always stay in my mind, in that one kiss, I saw my future and the feeling was so great that my toes curled. If a guy’s kiss doesn’t make your toes curl, then he is not your guy” Tessy looked at them seriously. She turned to Nma “So tell me dear, was it like that for you”

“It was like that and more Tessy. He stole the first kiss, so my first thought was shock and anger but even with that, there was this warm feeling that started from the bottom of my belly and before I knew it I was kissing him back like my life depended on it. My toes curled. I could kiss him forever Tessy, sometimes I wonder if I am abnormal”

“As far as he feels the same way honey then you must count yourself lucky”

“Oh mine now I am filled with longing” Helen smiled “Nma I think I want to kiss Chucks”

They laughed. “I should now go and break that record if I want my toes curling anytime soon” they laughed as Helen left them. Tessy gave Nma one more hug. “I am very happy for you ssweetheart”

As soon as they left, Nma called Uche. She couldn’t wait to hear his voice. Not after her girly chat with her friends. It was like realizing how lucky she was to have him in her life. Uche picked the called at first ring and she felt her body warming at the sound of his deep voice.

“I was just about to call you” he said.

“Oh! So I beat you to it, how is your day going?”

“I swear if Star reminds me of yet another meeting I will fire her”

Nma laughed, the beautiful face of the woman swam to her mind. She worried a little if there was something more than business relationship between Uche and the girl.

“I am sure she means well” she replied instead

“What are you doing this evening?” he asked her

“That was why I called I was going to cook dinner for you”

“How tempting but I have a social engagement tonight and I want to show you off”

She laughed at that. “Very flattering” she said “I wouldn’t mind at all then again it might be the other way round”

He chuckled at that “We have dinner on our way, but I will come earlier so we get sometime before we go out”

Nma smiled, she knew he was doing that to soothe her emotion for refusing dinner in her house. She wondered about that. He had all but refused all outing or event that will put the two of them alone together. Well she supposed one cannot have her cake and eat it.

“That would be ok” she replied him.

“I will see you soon” he said then he began to talk to someone else in his office. “If there is yet another meeting, you can cancel, I am leaving early today, oh send her right in. He spoke to the phone “Sweet heart, I will be at your front door before you know it” he said and hung up.

Nma held the phone in her hands. Why couldn’t he say it, why couldn’t he tell her he loved her? She was sure he did, she was sure of that as she was sure she loved him. Patience! Patience! She told herself. She smiled as she recalled he was coming early so they could spend some time together before they go out. So instead of worrying that she was not getting enough of him, she should think of how to make the little time she got with him special. With that she started planning. She was already not satisfying some of his needs but she could satisfy him on other levels. She thought

Nma came out of the bathroom and wore a sea green chiffon gown, very simple and casual and at the same time sexy. She rushed to the kitchen to finish up the local fruit punch she was preparing for Uche. It was a recipe she got from Tessy. She had some wild berries Tessy’s mom had brought to go with it. She wasn’t sure he was going to like it but it was something different and she wanted to be different and unique from the other girls he had dated before. When she finished that, she ran into the living to play one of those soft songs he loved listening to. She was rising up after setting the music when the door bell rang and she hurried to the door running her hands through her hair as she went. She opened the door and there the love of her life was standing in deep blue jeans and a jacket, he smiled at her. She threw herself at him and kissed it vigorously. She drew him into the living room and he smiled at the scene.

“You look good, now how do I stop my friends from ogling at you”

Nma laughed “Of course I am not going in this, I still have sometime to change to my dress, or are you in a hurry to leave?”

“When my girl is dressed like that with that song in the air, it will take ten thousand stampeding elephant babe”

She laughed and kissed him again, “I made us some light snacks”

“You are the only woman I know who relish cooking”

“I only relish cooking for you”

She went back to the kitchen while Uche made himself more comfortable by pulling off his blazers. He adjusted the music and looked around, if he was in a normal relationship, they would be in her bedroom and not here with him all strung up. He appreciated the fact that she was trying hard to lighten the mood. But it was hard not to notice the sexual tension. All he could think of was touching her; he wanted to do more than kiss her. He wanted her in his bed and he couldn’t think straight with that kind of want. He took a deep breath and waited for her to reappear. He wondered again if he wasn’t mad to accept this kind of relationship. What would his friends say if they found out that he was not sleeping with the woman he was dating? Well it seemed to be becoming a trend for him, after all he didn’t sleep with Angela too and he dated her. That was different he told himself. He never wanted Angela in the first place. Life was so ironic and sometimes he laughed at the sense of humor of whoever was up there. This was a real blow, the bad boy heart breaker falling in love with someone who wouldn’t sleep with him. He caught himself and stopped. He wasn’t in love with her was he? He sat down abruptly. Yes he was he agreed, what else was he doing here with a woman he couldn’t sleep with unless he married her? He guessed because he knew all along that he would marry her. How could he have been so blind to all the signs? When he couldn’t get her out of his mind, when one look at her gave him tender feelings, when the thought of living without her was like living without air? He should have known then that he was falling love with her. How could he have let this happen? He had vowed that he would never walk down that road again. But here he was falling in love with a woman who even though claimed that she loved him refused to give all she had to their relationship. He scolded himself at the thought. How could he think like that after hearing the story behind it? Suddenly he wanted to leave. He wanted to be alone with his newly discovered emotion. He needed to understand what it meant and what he would do about it. But if he did that, she would be confused at his sudden disappearance and it would hurt her deeply. He was sure he could find a way to explain later when he must have sorted out his feelings. But as he was standing up, Nma came bearing a tray which she dropped on the table beside him. She poured him a glass of a liquid he wasn’t sure he knew.

“Taste and tell me what you think”

He forced a smile trying to get back some of his earlier mood. He sipped the drink and it surprisingly tasted well and drank more deeply. “What’s in it?” he asked as he picked up the berries and looked at them strangely.

“I don’t believe I have seen these berries before”

“They are wild berries, it has a local name I can’t remember it now, Tessy mother brought it from the village”

“They are nice” he murmured.

Nma noticed then that something was wrong with him. He looked like he wanted nothing but to be gone from here, away from her. She wondered what could have happened between the time she was getting the refreshment and then to put him in such a mood. She was going to ask him but she thought against it.

“I would go get dressed now” she said and got up, she had walked to the door then stopped and looked at him looking into space, the refreshment forgotten. What could have gone wrong, she wondered feeling anxiety sipping into her spine.

“Uche are you alright?” she asked quietly

He looked at her, gush how he loved her, he thought. Shouldn’t that knowledge fill him with joy? All he could feel was confusion and a touch of anxiety. He felt like he had played into hands of an expert. But the woman standing there looked like she had no scheming bone in her body.

“I am fine” he replied “You know I had a long day at work today, I guess it is getting to me”

“Would you rather go home? If you are not feeling up to it, I guess we can forget it”

The exact excuse he was looking for, he thought. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had promised he was taking her out and that he would do. It was not her fault that he couldn’t come terms with loving her.

“No I am alright, let’s just pray you dressed like the typical woman and I would catch some sleep by the time you are ready” he smiled as if to reassure her.

Nma sat on her dressing stool, looking at white body con gown she was going to wear. Suddenly the evening was becoming a disaster and there was nothing it seemed she could do about it. How could she have done something about it when she didn’t know the reason behind it? Uche suddenly switched into a bad mood. She didn’t believe the story he told about being tired, she knew somehow that whatever was wrong with him was deeper than tiredness. Could it be sexual tension? She saw in his eyes how much restrain he was putting on himself when he kissed her earlier. She knew it wasn’t easy on him to become celibate after years of active sex life. Was she not asking too much of him, she thought. Was the whole thing too much of a punishment for him to bear. She sighed and hoped that he would be in a better mood by the time she returned to the living room. She walked over to the bed and picked the gown and wore it, slipped her feet into black high heel peep toes. She only repaired her make up. She wore the diamond earrings he gave her with its matching bracelet then she picked up her black purse and left.

He was half asleep by the time she entered the living room. He really looked tired and she didn’t have the heart to wake him. She stood there undecided trying to make up her mind about waking him. He really needed the rest and besides there would be many more parties to attend in the future.

“Are you going to kiss me awake or not?” he murmured sleepily

She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Well you hardly need it now. You are awake already?”  Thank God she prayed silently. Whatever the problem was, he had forgotten it. She also prayed that the mood would not come back later in the night.

“I am not awake yet” he told her and grabbed her by the waist. She went willing laughing and gave a noisy kiss. “If that doesn’t wake you, nothing would” she laughed.

He held her head and kissed her slowly. Nma could feel the warmth in her belly. She wondered if she would always feel like this when he kissed her.

“Now that is more like it, I am definitely awake now” he told her and drew her to her feet. “You look good” he told her

“I would have gone for breathtaking” she laughed.

He looked at her and smiled “and that too” he led her out to the car, tonight they had a chauffeur.  “Don’t want to drive when I drink”

She smiled and got into the back of the jeep with chauffeur holding the door for her.

Their car glided to a stop near the harbor, she turned to Uche with confusion written all over her face. “Where is this place?”

He led her out of the car as the chauffeur opened the door. “A private harbor, it belongs to one of my friends” he explained as he led her towards the plank that led to a yacht.

“I thought we are going to a party”

“Yes we are honey, it is his engagement party but having more money than he would ever need, he decided to buy a yacht for the party. I also heard that he is going into yacht hotels after this”

Nma swallowed it all in awe. “Oh!” was all she could manage as she crossed the plank. A door man ushered them in. The man took her wrap and showed them into one of the most magnificent hall she has ever seen.

Nma was still looking around in awe when he saw a handsome young man break out from a group and came towards them with a smile.

“Hey Uche! I wasn’t sure you could make it. I am so glad you did”

“Wouldn’t miss seeing another die hard bachelor shackled for life”

The man laughed and pounded Uche on the back. “I am very sure that you would be getting shackled soon friend” he turned to Nma and gave her full male lusty look. “I know who you are and have lusted after you since I saw that picture of you and Uche in the papers. I am Yemi Yem” he kissed her fingers, lingering in the kiss. Uche frowned and had to rescue Nma from Yemi.

“I see shackled or not Yemi, you will never cease being the typical bachelor”

The man smiled coyly and laughed out rightly, he turned to Nma. “He is yours for shackling, don’t waste too much time.”

The man led them into the hall. Nma could not keep the wonder from her face.

“Nice place huh!” Uche commented

“Nice doesn’t cut it” Nma replied smiling up at him. The hall was shimmering with light. There were about ten chandeliers dropping for the high ceiling, the French windows were left open to let in the sea breeze, there were exotic flowers at almost all the corner of the hall. Uniformed waiters moved about with trays of assorted drinks.

She let him lead in her into the hall teeming with people and as they walked she could feel eyes coming to rest on them. Uche stopped here and there to exchange pleasantries with acquaintances. Nma saw Angela, the girl was looking good as usual in midnight blue shimmering evening gown that clung to her waist and flayed at her ankle. Angela began to walk towards them and Nma wanted desperately to veer Uche to another direction. Then suddenly she turned and smiled at Angela. She could give the girl coy if that was what she wanted after all, the guy was hers now, she shouldn’t be the one doing the running.

“Here you are darling, I have been looking out for you” she said to Uche totally ignoring Nma completely.

“Hi Angela, you look good tonight” Uche commented. At that same time he wondered if he was not better off with Angela at least his heart would be safe.

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