AMBER ROMANCE

AMBER ROMANCE

EVERY WAKING MOMENT

CHAPTER ONE


Through her mask she watched the gaiety of the light and sound filled hall. It was an exquisite hall with ten golden chandeliers hanging from the most amazing sculptured roofing she had ever seen.  The marbled floor reflected the chandeliers and all who cared to stop and admire themselves but no one did except Helen. This is because she had mastered the act of blending with the wall flowers whenever she found herself in events like this one. Which wasn’t often anyway, she had always managed to avoid attending parties but this one she could not say no to because… because… strange she couldn’t remember why she was here and she couldn’t recognize any of the faces here. She laughed softly; no one would blame her for not recognizing anyone after all everyone’s face was covered in mask. Without meaning to she began to play a game in her mind to see how many people she could recognize even with their masks on. Her first win was Nma, how could anyone not know that that petite and curvy body in white body con gown could only belong to the wife of the richest man in Africa and beyond.
Helen smiled as she remembered the intriguing story of how they met, their adventurous romance that nearly led to her losing her life and the never ending happiness and love they now share. As she watched Nma dancing with a man, no doubt Uche her husband, she sighed as he whispered something to her and she laughed, raised his mask and kissed him lingeringly. Only the Okohas would be this bold with their show of affection. Helen thought. If she was ever going to fall in love, if the depth was not as deep as what Nma and Uche shared, she was not falling.
She heaved a sigh and wondered if there was a man out there who would ever see her for more than what she was, plain Helen. Was there any man out there who could see beyond what the eyes presented? who could see through her soul and find out the great yearning for love in there, yearning for someone to hold her, touch her, offer a solid shoulder to cry on because lately she had done nothing but wake up shivering from the most horrifying nightmares.
She shook her head from side to side trying to shake off the disturbing thoughts her life usually brought her. The thought that she couldn’t have a life till she found out who she really was, was not only frightening but heart wrenching depressing.
To distract herself, she began to look around at the other people mingling, laughing and enjoying themselves. Before long her attention was caught by a couple, a ruggedly built man dancing with a girl and she seemed to hang on his every word. Even without his silky shoulder length hair and tanned complexion one would always recognize Chuck Obi by the way the ladies flocked around him. Even if there wasn’t that, her heart would always recognize the one man it yearns for but couldn’t have.  She sighed deeply and as if she wasn’t tortured enough,  her eyes returned to Chuck and the girl clinging to him. She sneered noticing that there were other girls waiting desperately for the music to end so they could have their turn on the dance floor with him. They probably would get their desire, Chuck was never known to say no to the girls. He was that charitable with them. She thought angrily and sighed with disgust and looked away only to find more interesting view of a couple who couldn’t wait to take it to one of the empty rooms upstairs or to a more shadowy corner. She laughed at their foolishness.
Suddenly a voice spoke behind her and the hair on her nape stood on ends as she swirled around in anticipation.
“I have been watching you watch me’ a deep husky voice she could recognize anywhere said behind her.
Chuck? When did he move from the dance floor? When did the music end? Her heart stopped completely and she took several shallow breaths to normalize her centre. To remind herself that the man was well out of her reach and an embodiment of conceit
‘I have not been watching you’ she turned away from him
‘Have you not?’ he demanded taking hold of her shoulder and turning her to face him. She stiffened her shoulders to stop his hands from  spreading the slow melting of her organs that watching him dance had started and his voice had encouraged
She slapped his hands off. ‘I know your arrogance would not take any other answer so why bother?’ she said instead
He laughed softly
‘That stiffening of shoulders tells me different’
She stared at him wildly, afraid that he might have guessed what was going on in her mind. She was totally speechless and didn’t know how to defend herself against this amazing but annoying man.
‘Care to leave this venue?’
‘With you, I don’t think so” she told him firmly even as her heart raced. Why would Chuck Obi want to leave the party with her? Did he really think that her stiffened shoulder meant take me home and do what you want with me and make me the happiest woman on earth?
She turned to face him squarely, summoning her remaining strength She scoffed at him and turned to walk away but he caught her upper hand.
‘You know want to’
She turned to give him a piece of her mind and to put him in his place once and for all.
‘I too want that very much’
His words stopped her flow of angry words and she stopped speechless and confused and melting every second. She could feel her strength slipping away and while that frightening weakness for him slowly took over her body and senses.
 What is happening here, she asked herself. Was he becoming attracted to her or… she heaved a sigh of disgust. Chuck was a first class womanizer. That thought alone brought her back to earth, her equilibrium restored. He probably thought she had been blending with the wall, watching, waiting and praying he took notice of her. What better woman to take home for a one night stand than the one who would melt with longing and gratitude at first eye contact.
Okay was she insinuating that she was that woman who would melt with gratitude at first eye contact? She had had more than eye contact with him, he had touched and kissed her before and she didn’t melt with longing and gratitude. Yes you did her mind whispered. So much that you forgot your purse, so much that you are afraid to go back and get it.
‘Helen! Helen!’ he chanted ‘When are you ever going to let go and enjoy yourself’
‘I was enjoying myself’ she snapped at him
‘I was kidding’ he laughed
If he tried he would never know how much he hurt her at that time. So he thought she was play thing, a joke he could deepen his voice and deem his eyes and say words that are… that are..
‘look even from the dance floor I could see that you were enjoying yourself  as much as these walls are probably doing’
She heaved a sigh, there was no need getting hurt over someone who would never care enough to realize they hurt you. It was waste of energy. That kind of negative energy she didn’t need at this point in her life.
‘What are you even doing here? Don’t you have more women to charm?’
‘I have had enough and I think you have too, come on let’s go, I will take you straight to wherever you want to go, scout honor’
Helen heaved another sigh. She had wanted to leave the venue for while now but had been too tired to go out and get a cab. She knew Chuck; he wouldn’t take advantage of her. He respected Nma too much for that.
‘I will get my wrap’ she said
He smiled ‘hurry I will be outside’
Did she know what she was doing? She asked herself. Was she aware that she was about to leave the venue with Chuck Obi World’s number one play boy. Yes, she answered, she had already concluded that Chuck won’t harm her. Was she also aware that she was letting Helen, world’s number one weakling for Chuck go home with him, ride in the same car, breathe the same air, No Chuck wasn’t the problem here, the problem here was Helen but Helen being a weakling would not change her mind because it was not every day she got the chance to spend time with the most exciting man on earth.
Helen got her wrap, and went in search of Chuck.

Outside she breathed a sigh of relief. The fresh air was invigorating and healing. After all the noise and stuffiness of the hall, this seemed like paradise and exactly what she needed..
Where was Chuck? She looked around for him. Had he gone without her? He wouldn’t be so cruel as to play a game on her. Why would he, she asked when dozens of women in there were falling over themselves to go home with him. She smiled and cautioned herself. It was high time she abandoned her phobia of abandonment. What game could Chuck probably play on her? Project let’s see how easy she would follow. She laughed at her joke.
‘Have you been waiting long?’
She smiled her answer and entered the car as the porter held the door open for her. As soon as the door closed he zoomed off. She had to hold on to the dash board for few minutes before getting the courage to do up her seat belt. She gave him a side long glance and he was smiling. He was driving a Porsche in a bolt lightening speed and was smiling like he was a passenger on a cruise boat and on the deck with the sea breeze on his face?
‘Please slow down a bit’
He glanced at her and grinned ‘afraid are we?’
‘No but some of us would love to see the next day’
‘Don’t worry, it is two am, the road is mostly clear and I am not drunk’
‘What about the street light poles, pavements and all drainages?
‘Gush! For a quiet girl you have a black and suicidal mind’
‘Better that than having an accident’
She smiled when she noticed the car slowing.
‘What exactly do you do for NMA?’
The question was sudden, she wasn’t expecting it. She had thought he spoke only seduction and nothing more
‘I am the head designer and co owner of its lingerie and bikini range’
‘Interesting! I can imagine that’
Of course you could she added silently. There is no womanizer alive that would not appreciate her line of work. Not when that womanizer was the sexiest man alive for three consecutive years.
‘What is your favorite color?’
‘Red’ she answered off handed
‘Mine too, I find that red lace and silk are the height of sexy’
‘It is just a job Chuck’
‘I don’t think so, if it were, you would not be any good at it and I believe I have heard Nma sing your praises a time or two’
‘Okay yes it is my job to create sexy but it is more than that, I have to create elegance, class and innocence too…’
‘Who cares for elegance and class in bed, what kind of guys have you been dating?’
Good question she said to herself and thank goodness it was rhetoric or else there was no way she could tell this man that she had not been dating for years now.
‘Some advice, always think sex when you design…’
‘Look I can’t have this conversation with you. So change of topic’
He grinned and turned back to the road.
She smiled foolishly admiring his grin. Geez was there anything about him she didn’t admire ?
Disgusted with herself, she  turned back to the road to clear her head and then she noticed that they were on a dirt road. Suddenly a feeling of foreboding came over her. She had been here before. She turned to Chuck in panic but he was back in his mask. What was going on? She asked herself in increasing dread.
‘Why are you suddenly afraid?’ he asked,
He didn’t even sound like Chuck she noticed in heightened alarm
‘Where are we going?’
‘You know’
‘Why are you wearing that mask again?”
He laughed eerily ‘But you know’
Did she? She asked in fear so incomprehensible.
‘Why are you clutching that red purse? He asked
She looked at her hands and found out she was holding the red purse. She didn't have it before. Then it came back, this was her past. Chuck was not in her past
‘We are almost there’ he said
She saw the red warehouse.  Was she in a dream. She had to wake up before he took her in there. There was evil there.
She began to struggle ‘Let me go! What do you want! He only laughed harder. And then the car door suddenly opened and she leaped out. Before she could fall on the ground, dreading the impact and the very painful rolling it would involve, she woke up in her bed.

Helen sat up in her bed, holding her head as if to wade off the heavy headache, fever and equally heavy breathing. The nightmare was not new, ever since she woke in the middle of a strange street beaten to the half inch of her life and no memory; she had always had this reoccurring nightmare. But this time the nightmare was a bit different, there was the red purse! Her red purse, it was the only item she had with her on the street that fateful day. It could mean something. It could be a connection to her past. It could help her remember.
She jumped off the bed to look for it. It wasn’t where it was supposed to be.
No! No! No! She couldn’t lose it no! It was the only connection to her past. Then she remembered Chuck. She left it the last and only time she was with Chuck, in his car. Then the dream began to make a bit of sense to her. She needed the purse back. Chuck said she should come and get it herself.
She slowly sat down on her bed.
That she would very well do. She promised.


Okay people hope you enjoyed this. Let me know what you think and what you expect.

Love
Chioma