Chapter 22

The room was dark, the faint white light cast by the moon was scarcely enough to make out the silhouette of the couple. She lay on her side, her leg jackknifed over her lovers' as she rested one hand over his chest. His strong arm was wrapped around her, while the other was folded under his head, supporting it as he stared at the ceiling. He broke the silence, "You awake?"

"No."

He chuckled quietly and rolled over, his girlfriend pinned under him as he kissed her, slowly caressing her tongue with his. She moaned as she tasted him, savouring the essence of chamomile and eucalyptus. He pulled away, but not before giving her one more little kiss. He remained propped above her on his elbows as he spoke. "Thank you…for meeting my family."

She smirked. "I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"

"Nope," he said with a little laugh as he lay down again, this time jackknifing his leg over hers and placing his arm across her waist.

She recalled their visit to the Wyatt residence.

…

Pauline and Kev stood on the porch as they waited for the door to be answered. The Kenyan was nervous, and her boyfriend could tell. He looked her in the eye as he held her firmly by the shoulders. "Relax," he had said, "They won't bite…much." She gulped and he added with a smile, "I'm kidding. It'll be ok. Trust me." He gave her a kiss on the forehead just as someone opened the front door.

"Kev!" the blonde lady exclaimed happily when she laid her eyes on him. She looked like she was in her mid to late twenties. She hugged the tall African American man before letting go and turning to his date. She smiled warmly at Pauline and held her hand out to her. "And this must be your girlfriend," she said with an excited squeal as they shook hands. Pauline smiled nervously at her. What the hell is going on? she thought as she threw a quick glance at Kev. Wasn't I only supposed to be meeting the family? Not family friends too.

Kev smiled at his girl reassuringly. "Brooke, meet Pauline. My girlfriend, as you so aptly put it," he said proudly with a lopsided smile. "Pauline, Brooke – my sister," he introduced as he gestured between the two ladies with his hand.

Pauline always prided herself in being able to keep a straight face whenever necessary, but this time around the news was too surprising. She gawked, her gaze shifting between the supposed siblings before she could hide her emotions. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson when Brooke giggled at her reaction while Kev smiled and his eyes twinkled. "Yeah, I know. We get that a lot…" Brooke said with a roll of the eyes.

"…so don't be embarrassed," Kev continued as he led Pauline into the house.

xxx

The Wyatts were a very kind and hospitable family. They were down to earth and rather talkative. But no one could beat Brooke. She was quite the chatterbox, Pauline had observed. As the evening went by the African became more and more at ease. When they sat down to dinner, Sam said grace.

Pauline looked round the table as they ate. Sam was the eldest of five Wyatt children. There was Sam, Adam, Gerald, Brooke, and lastly Kev. She had noticed that Kev and Brooke were really close. They were constantly whispering and giggling together whenever he wasn't chatting up his girlfriend.

"The food is absolutely delicious, Mrs. Wyatt," Pauline complimented.

"Thank you, dear," the woman in her mid fifties said sweetly. Her brown hair was graying, but she was aging gracefully. She was a really beautiful plump woman with cute beady eyes. "And didn't I tell you to call me Maeve?"

"Yes, ma'am," Pauline replied, and the table burst into laughter.

Maeve's plump cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she said, "Oh, dearie me. You are a difficult one. What's all this 'Mrs. Wyatt' and 'Ma'am' thing?"

Pauline laughed too when she finally realized what was so funny. "I'm sorry. But I grew up knowing that it's disrespectful to call someone who's older than you by their first name...we'd have to be mighty familiar with each other first."

"Aah, ok," Mrs. Wyatt sighed, giving a little pout. "I understand. I can't wait for when you'll call me Maeve, though."

Pauline was touched as she understood the hidden message behind what had just been said. Under the table, Kev quickly grasped her hand as a sign of reassurance, and she smiled up at him.

After dinner Pauline helped Brooke and Mrs. Wyatt to clear the table. At Maeve's insistence, the dishes were left in the sink and the three went back to the dining room where they sat and drank hot cocoa together. Kev was in the living room with Sam, Adam and their father, Chris, while Gerald helped his sisters-in-law do the dishes in the kitchen.

The three ladies talked about all sorts of things, until finally Mrs. Wyatt said to Pauline, "You know, you're really something."

Pauline blushed. "Um…not really," she said humbly.

"Nah, seriously," Brooke said. "D'you know Kev has never, and I do mean never, brought a girl home?" When she saw the incredulous look on Pauline's face, she added, "Seriously. He's twenty six years old, and he's never brought a girl home."

Pauline was stumped. "How's that possible?" she asked quietly. "Are girls here blind? He's…" she went quiet as embarrassment washed over her. She had forgotten who she was talking to. She brought her mug of cocoa to her mouth as she waited for the flush in her cheeks to disappear.

"Yeah, he's hot!" Brooke said animatedly as she smiled. "But, you know, he can be a bit…" the blonde went quiet as she searched for the right words.

"…difficult to love," Maeve said as she looked lovingly at her son who was deep in conversation with his father in the other room. She sighed, "Kev had a difficult childhood. So he's not very trusting, and he doesn't open up to people easily. You've got to be a special kind of someone to be able to earn his trust, or his love."

"And you've found the key to his heart. You've got his love. And you obviously love him. I can tell," Brooke said as she placed her hand on Pauline's arm. "You see him. The real him; like no one else can."

"It's why I say you're really something," said Mrs. Wyatt. "My son has got a lot of love to give, but he won't give it to just anyone. You're special."

Pauline felt overwhelmed with emotion. These people believed in her so much. What if she let them down? "I'm just a kid," she said quietly, looking down at the steaming chocolate milk.

"Yes…you are pretty young," Mrs. Wyatt said thoughtfully before adding, "But you've got a good head on your shoulders."

"That is so true," Brooke said as she took another sip of her cocoa. "Thanks for giving my brother a chance. He really loves you, you know. Whenever we talk on the phone he always talks about you. You make him really happy," she said honestly.

When it was time to leave, the family escorted the couple to the driveway. Maeve gave Pauline a big bear hug. As the two got into Kev's car, Mr. Wyatt bent down low to look into the window that his son had just rolled down. "It was a great pleasure meeting you," he said to his son's girlfriend as he smiled.

…

Pauline was brought back to the present be the distant barking of a dog. "You have a great family," she said quietly into the darkness.

"Yeah," Kev yawned, "They're the best."

"They're white."

"Mm-hmm," he agreed groggily, burying his face into the back of her neck as he spooned her, warming himself with her heat as sleep overtook him.

xxx

It was a nice and sunny day outside. Or rather, that's what it looked like. The sun was emitting about as much heat as a flashlight. Jamie was sitting in the kitchen with his hand in a box of Frosties while he held his cell phone to his ear with the other.

"Oh really," he said into the receiver. "Well, I was kinda hoping you could help me out with math. You're pretty good at algebra, and I'd be real happy if you would replace my x," he said with a sheepish grin as he threw some of the sugar-coated toasted flakes into his mouth.

The fourteen year old girl on the other end of the line giggled. "I've heard that one before."

"What?" Jamie asked in mock shock. "Who's that with game like me? Last time I checked my only competition could be found in the mirror. Which means…you've been dreaming about me, right…?"

Right then there was a knock on the door. The young teenager jumped off the counter and walked to the door, a smile still plastered on his face as he hit on his crush over the phone. As soon as he opened the door he shut it again. His mother came out of her room to find out who was at the door. "No one," Jamie said as he covered the receiver of his phone with his hand. "Wrong house," he added as he walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.

Mrs. Lincoln was just about to turn around in the hallway and go back to her room when she saw a shadow under the main door of the house. She arched her brow as she walked to the door and opened it cautiously, just enough to peep outside. "David?" she said, her accent more pronounced than usual due to her surprise upon seeing her husband.

Mr. Lincoln stood in the corridor looking lost. "Genviéve," he said, moving his arms feebly as he tried to speak. "I'm sorry," he said weakly, unshed tears swimming in his eyes.

Had David not flown several thousand kilometres across several African countries as well as the Atlantic Ocean, Genviéve might not have been so willing to let him into her house. She gestured that he cross the threshold. He walked in slowly and stood in the middle of the room. She shut the door and sighed as she hugged herself to get rid of a chill. She wasn't sure if the shiver was caused by actual chilly temperatures or because of the presence of her husband. "Would you like some tea, coffee?" she asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

"C-coffee would be great," he said quietly. He looked around the room as he took a seat in the kitchen. "Nice apartment." Genviéve made no indication that she had heard him as she poured the black brew into a mug. She added two teaspoons of sugar to it – it's how he always took his coffee.

"Thank you," he said as she gave him the mug. She sat opposite him and scrutinized his appearance as he sipped his coffee. He had some new lines in his face; at the corner of his eyes and a more pronounced one on his forehead when he furrowed his brow. His eyes had fairly dark circles around them, indicating that he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in a while. She tore her gaze away from him as she willed herself to not feel sorry for him.

David looked at his wife over the brim of his mug as he drank. He took her in. She was still as beautiful as ever, even when she tried to keep her face stern as she did then. He had hurt her, and it showed, no matter how detached she tried to seem. It brought a huge lump to his throat to know he had caused her immeasurable pain, and he choked as he took another sip of his beverage.

He coughed and coughed. He put the mug on the counter as he continued his fit, hunching over and banging a fist to his chest as he gasped. He didn't know when it happened, but Genviéve was soon behind him, intermittently banging his back and rubbing her flat palm against it to soothe him. As the coughs died down and he caught his breath he turned on the stool to look at her. Her face portrayed concern as her eyes were wide with emotion. "What do you do to me, David?" she asked in a rasp whisper. "I shouldn't still love you."

xxx

Kensei had become quite the stalker, and his target had no idea she was under his almost constant observation. He remembered when Abby's friend had spotted him through the window at the diner. He had been quick to turn around before the girl he loved had been alerted to his presence. He hadn't wanted Abby to see him just yet. Timing was everything. He had waited, and when the African girl left he had decided it was time to meet his dream girl; to see her up close once again. It had been so long – since he was what, twelve, thirteen maybe? God, he loved her. And he knew she loved him too. It's why she let him touch her the way he did all those years back.

He now sat in the middle of the room, close to the wall. It was darker there. He liked darkness. It was his fortress. The coffee shop was full as the crowd waited for The mOholos to perform. Kensei had had no idea Abby could sing like that. She was just amazing. Everything about her was amazing. He smiled as the band began to perform. Abby looked like the stage was her forte. She was bubbling with confidence as she sang. Her movements were smooth as she swayed effortlessly to the tune. She hypnotized him. He drank his latte slowly, his eyes never leaving her body. Her brown skin looked so supple under the light. He unconsciously licked his lips.

The stalker did not know that he too was being observed. The auburn haired girl had noticed him over the past couple of weeks. He was a new customer; she was sure of that. He was incredibly attractive. There was no way she would not have noticed him before. He began coming to the coffee shop a bit after Abby had joined the band. It was obvious that the man was taken with the African American. He would ogle her from his strategic vantage points. She was going to talk to him that day, Eva decided.

As the crowds dispersed after the performance, Kensei hang back, still seated at his table. He wore his cloth cap low to cast a shadow on his face. That way it would be difficult for anyone to recognize him. Eva got up from her seat and went to the waste basket to throw her Styrofoam cup and used serviette. She took a deep breath and began making her way across the large room towards the cute guy seated in the shadows. Unfortunately for her, before she could reach him he stood up, suddenly leaving. She stopped in her tracks when she realized he was running away – away from Hoagie.

Hoagie had been dismantling the equipment together with his band on stage when he looked up and saw someone in the shadows. He couldn't quite make him out in the darkness. Just then one of the employees of the coffee shop had turned up the lights in the dimly lit hall, and he could clearly see the one person he did not want to see ever again. Without thinking, the brown haired young man dropped his guitar case on the floor and tripped on the wires of the mics as he tried to get off stage. His blood had suddenly reached boiling point the second he realized that Kensei had been eyeing Abby. He ran after the escaping stalker, leaving his band mates in shock as they watched the pursuit.

Kensei ran out of the building toward the still dissipating crowds. He slowed down and mingled with them, virtually becoming invisible. Hoagie looked around in frustration as his chest heaved. He ran his eyes over everyone as he scanned the groups slowly, deliberately. He flexed his fingers continuously as he fisted his hands. There! He ran towards the guy in a cloth hat who had made his way to the car park. Hoagie ran at full speed and tackled him from behind. They fell to the ground where the biracial man was pinned. Hoagie held Kensei by the collar. "You!" he growled, "Stay away from Abby. You hear me?"

Kensei just smiled lazily up at Hoagie, which further pissed off the already pissed off young man. Hoagie got off him and picked him up roughly. "What's making you so damn happy, huh?" he asked in a rage.

The stalker scoffed. "You can't tell me what to do. Abby is mine. She was always mine." As soon as those words left his lips, Kensei received a sucker punch to the side of his face. He fell to the ground again where he sat as he tried to gingerly touch his jaw. Hoagie was prepared to do more damage but just then he felt himself being held back.

"Dude! Leave him alone, man!" Wally said clearly as he held Hoagie back with everything he had. The brown haired man was bigger and stronger than the blond. Luckily, Nigel came up to them and immediately helped Wally restrain Hoagie as the Briton tried to cool down his enraged buddy. In the meantime, Kensei stood up slowly as he still held on to the side of his face. He didn't look upset. On the contrary, he looked thoroughly amused and once again flashed his adversary a pearly white smile. Hoagie tried to attack again, but his two friends held him back with great difficulty.

"Hoagie," Abby called, and he suddenly became still in his friends arms as he turned around to see his girlfriend looking at him with worry, a frightened Kuki standing beside her. He blinked a few times as he tried to rid his mind of murderous thoughts before roughly shrugging off his friends restraining arms and walked towards Abby. She was stunned. She had never seen her boyfriend mad; not nearly as mad as this anyway. When he got to her he took her hand in his and led her away unceremoniously. Wally, Nigel and Kuki watched as Kensei walked away from the scene before they turned and followed Hoagie and Abby back to the coffee shop.

As Kensei got to his car he heard some footsteps on the tarmac. He turned around and found a pretty redhead with a beauty spot on her right cheek looking up at him. She approached him slowly before she spoke. "You want Abby. I want my boyfriend back. Maybe we can help each other?"