EVERY WAKING MOMENT

AMBER ROMANCE 

EVERY WAKING MOMENT

CHAPTER TEN

Helen sat on one of the magnificent garden benches and watched Junior and Skye, Tessy’s daughter play with the beautiful flowers that the garden was so proud of. It was a breathtaking place and she smiled fondly at the children’s antics. Then she heaved a sigh because as magnificent as the garden was her mind was too muddled up to enjoy or appreciate its beauty. Her thoughts were darkened by her predicament. What was she going to do about Chuck, about Dave and most importantly about her memory? She picked up her phone and opened the browser to Google. There must be someone, somewhere she could go to get professional help, because if she didn’t solve this problem. She would stay confused for the rest of her life or till she remembered. She will not ever get the chance to be with Chuck.

Then she laughed ironically startling the children. They looked at her oddly

‘Sorry darling, aunty was just musing’ they went back to their play.

Helen sighed, when it came to Chuck she was the most confused. Sometimes it seemed as if there was a force greater than anything earthly calling a tune for them to dance and dance, they were. It seemed almost incredible that they ended up together last night. What was the odd that among all the people gathered, they had to fall in love with the same room spend the night together. There was more to what tune fate seemed to be calling that meets the eye and she felt that only by dancing together would they find the perfect rhythm created for just the two of them. Maybe she shouldn’t throw away this chance. Now that he seemed into her maybe she should stop fighting it. Who knew where it would lead if they started dating. To marriage perhaps she laughed then stopped. Who said it couldn’t lead to marriage. She might just be the one he would give his heart to. After all he would fall in love and get married one day, why not with her. Because you have amnesia that you have hidden from the people who love you and if you do this, he would find out and they will all feel betrayed by you, her mind whispered

Helen heaved another sigh. There was only one solution to it, to be happy, to have the chance of a life time with the only man she could ever love.  it was very vital that she regained her memory. And she must do this in a way that no one especially Nma would feel betrayed by her silence on the matter.

‘That bad huh’

Helen started out of her thoughts looked up and saw Ij standing over her

‘Excuse me’

‘I have been watching you daydream’ she smiled ‘and no doubt about Chuck. Girlfriend you got it bad for him’

‘This is not a discussion I am willing to have with you’

‘Listen, he is hot, sexy and wealthy, I don’t you blame I would have snagged him before now if I could’

‘I thought you already have a hot, sexy and wealthy man’

‘Don’t unsheathe those claws yet. Yes I do but what warm blooded girl wouldn’t daydream about Chuck’ she laughed

Helen had nothing to say so she kept quiet, silently agreeing with her

‘You and I should be the closest in this bunch’

‘How so?’ Helen asked. The last thing she wanted was a friend like Ij. A conscienceless being who was greedily taking from a man who cares for her without a thought or two about his feelings

‘We are the least popular and the most hated of the group’ Ij replied

‘Speak for yourself’

‘They hate me because they can’t imagine how a Miss Nobody like me could snatch the second richest man in Africa right from under their noses’

‘Hate is a strong word. I think they are weary of you and they think you don’t love him enough and you certainly act like you are there for all you could get’

‘Yes I demand the glitters, the designers, vacations and five star treatment everywhere I go but do you think I don’t offer anything in return’

Helen looked at her a bit confused

‘You are right, I’d expect love, loyalty and trust if I were him’ Helen mused

‘Wake up darling! It is hypocritical of the lot of them to judge me for getting paid by him. I offer him my body to do as he likes, I clean up after him, I cook for him, play his hostess, do all the wifely duties without the benefit of marriage and they think I should do it for free so that when he goes on to marry a debutante like Rose would want for him I would be left stranded and back to square one? I don’t kid myself. I take what I am offered and give what I am asked. What is relationship if not give and take?’

‘When you put it like that, it makes a little sense. But there is much more to a man and a woman being together than material things and sex. You make it sound like high class prostitution. You sell yourself short thinking that he will never have more use for you than a bedmate and a housekeeper’

‘It’s called reality Helen so if I were you, I would take whatever Chuck offers and invest in myself.’

‘So if you meet a man who is ready to offer more than what Stanley is offering in material things, would leave him?’

Ij laughed

‘Let’s just say that man is married to Nma but there are lots of eye candies around for the fun of it’ Ij got up I would leave you to your daydream but it is better to live in reality so open your eyes babe’

Helen heaved a sigh of relief and watched her go, more confused than ever. She should hate the girl like the rest but somehow she could understand where she was coming from. Somehow she could relate and she wondered how that was even possible that she could relate with a high class prostitute. Maybe it stemmed from the fact that she was not the one to judge after all here she was hiding from them a secret that could destroy their trust for her. How could she judge Ij when she did not know if her past was darker than Ij’s weird present?

Suddenly she heard some voices arguing, she watched to see if the children were alright and went to investigate.

Chuck was standing with Ij and she was talking in her usual seductive way of half laugh

‘One day darling you would take what I freely offer, come to think of it, how long can you resist all these?’ she struck a seductive pose

Helen gasped as the realization of what Ij’s superfluous visit was dawned on her. She also wanted Chuck and came to find out what was up with them. Did she not realize that Stanley and Chuck are like brothers?

Helen stopped to listen when she heard Chuck speaking

‘I just have this to say, stay away from Helen and be very careful there is only so much of your disgusting persistence that I can take’

Chuck moved on and began walking to her and Helen quickly ran to sit on the bench, no one the wiser of what she had seen and heard. Then a strange kind of respect began to grow in her heart for Chuck. He wasn’t the heartless womanizer he has been termed by the world. A heartless womanizer would take what Ij offered regardless of friendship and certainly not caring whom they hurt. Her admiration and respect for him grew in that instant so much that she genuinely smiled when he came into her view.

‘Wow! That smile’ he said and came to sit beside her

‘Did you get child minding duty too’ Helen asked

‘No I wanted to see you’

‘What for?’

‘I believe I didn’t handle this morning well. I came to apologize’

Helen was momentarily struck dumb. Was this not the same man they said couldn’t care less about how he treated women and certainly not about how often he broke their hearts.

‘I am surprised’ was all Helen could say

Chuck grinned at her and her heart missed several bits. He was so handsome and she almost forgot that he said he came to apologize but had not yet apologized.

‘Well get on with it’

‘With what’ he asked tucking a stray hair from her face ‘Get on with kissing you because that is absolutely what I feel like doing right this minute’

She slapped his hands away ‘Get on with your apology’

He laughed ‘so that I came to apologize is not enough’

She nods ‘something tells me I am about to witness a rare occurrence I have the inclination to record it for history sake’

He laughed and then kissed her. He was fast, she didn’t see that coming, one minute he was talking, he next, he was claiming her lips in soul searing kiss. And she couldn’t help but melt against him. He was everything she wanted in a man and more. She wished that she could just remember her past this instant and become free to give him her all. She could tell that Chuck would demand nothing but all from a woman he cared about. And she was sure he cared about her or he wouldn’t come to apologize. An apology he has not rendered yet. Helen this is not an apology. He knows of your weakness for him and is only exploring, her mind intensely reminded her.

‘If we don’t stop now…’ Chuck groaned

‘Your style of apology beat all’

He laughed

‘Before I do I want you to know that I am not apologizing that we shared a bed or kissed. Holding you throughout the night was beautiful’

Helen stared dumbfounded but her mind racing. What did he mean by that? Was this a confession of love or did he care about her and how she made him feel? Certainly she was not the only woman he had shared a bed with and theirs was innocent. What should she make out of what he said to her? She had to force herself to focus on what he was saying.

‘But... I am sorry for what I said afterwards, I let my temper get the better of me. It has been a long time I lost my temper over a woman.’

Helen heaved a sigh ‘okay I too said things I am not proud of. I guess I was running scared and confused finding you beside me and not knowing what went on while I was asleep. And then I was really ashamed not of being with you but of myself that we were found like that, as if we were…

‘stop there before I lose my top over again’ he smiled ‘I get you but if we had done more than sleep together I promise you, you  wouldn’t have slept through it’ he told her

She looked down suddenly shy and suddenly so in love with him.

‘Something about you… I can’t put my finger on it but I determined to find out what Helen’

She could only stare at him, falling in love with him was stupid and the intensity of her feeling was scary especially knowing he was not offering more than a holiday affair. How would she survive if he left after his holiday and after wards pictures of him and beauty queens from around the globe start appearing on the magazines and blogs? She needed a leverage no she needed to be saved from herself.

‘I do not deny I am attracted to you in a way I have not been attracted to any woman before and I know you do too. Tell me does Dave’s kiss make you feel the way mine makes you feel’

‘It doesn’t matter’ Helen said floundering, trying to organize her thoughts ‘I am with him and I can’t leave him for a holiday affair or isn’t that what you are offering?’

‘I have not offered anything yet Helen’ he was suddenly angry that she could resist him that she could put Dave before him. He knew he was being conceited but he didn’t care.

‘Then what is this conversation all about Chuck?’ Helen was tired; she just wanted to be far away from him and from all the confusion crowding her mind.

‘Have dinner with me and maybe we will figure it out’

‘I don’t think that is a good idea, me and you in a dim lighted room doing nothing but staring at each other, the restaurant might throw us out for indecent behavior instead.’

She smiled and he laughed, Helen realized that this was the first time she was hearing him laugh for the pure fun of it. He had laughed with sarcasm or mockery but not like this and  she loved the husky sound of it.

‘Don’t get confused about what I said; we might fight like crazy like we often do’

‘ … or we might kiss like crazy and if I am lucky you would wear low cut dress so when I can’t take the depth of your eyes anymore I would have something else to look at’ he smiled and she smiled back at him. No wonder women flocked around him, it wasn’t just for the money or good looks but he has a way with words and a woman cannot help but drown in it.

‘You are beautiful’ he said to her

Helen was startled, she knew she wasn’t ugly but she also knew she was not beautiful

‘Now you are lying’

‘If Dave doesn’t think you are beautiful then he is a fool’

‘I have never seen myself as beautiful’

Suddenly he jerked her towards him and kissed her hungry and fast, ‘your naivety is quite alluring you have a beauty that grows on a man when he is not looking. You have grown on me Helen’

She smiled ‘we should be heading back’ they stared at each other chest heaving and lost, slowly he drew her to him, this time around, the kiss was soft and sweet and he made her feel as beautiful as he saw her. Helen could then believe that she was beautiful because this magnificent man found her so. She drew closer to him and gave her all in the kiss. ‘I love this man’ she whispered to herself. So she was going to do all in her power to make sure she remembered her past, because he was all that mattered to her and she couldn’t live without this… without his sarcasm, his kiss, his laugh, his touch, his words, his quick temper.

Suddenly her phone rang and they reluctantly let go of each other. Helen answered the phone

She turned to him ‘Time to go’ he helped to her feet and called to the children. Shawn rushed to him while Skye shyly walked over to Helen; together they left the garden hand in hand with the children. And he thought he wanted this, a wife and children. Then stopped himself. That thought he couldn’t deal with. He didn’t know if he was fit to be a father, thanks to his mom.

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