Temi - Short Story!

"A lovely hair you have there, miss " 

I turned to look at the source of the sweet baritone voice and though he was dressed in Armani suit, he resembled a god. Two hazel eyes from a radiant face that smiled like I imagined saints would after the rapture, were fixed on me. And for a moment, I was flattered, really flattered. 

'Goodness!' I awed within and turned away to conceal my embarrassment. I had stared too long, trying to see beyond his expensive clothing, his broad shoulders, afro-styled hair, every feature complimented him. And wait, did he just speak to me? Oh! My hair, he praised it!  

"Hello? Hummn...I said your locks are nice" I snapped out of my thoughts, and I realized he was standing so close that I could smell liquor in his breath. His lips, pink and soft looked like they had never done anything but caress ice-cream and I caught myself contemplating a kiss. 

"You...mean...this?" I asked, pointing a finger at the locks, wearing a stupefied face. Since when did I start stammering upon replying a man's compliment?  

"Well, thanks!" I turned again, desperate to get away from this man that makes me so conscious of my feminity. But then, he caught my arm and held me back like I wasn't just another stranger at a party. 

"I'm Francis" 

"Temi" I said, fighting my rebelling impulse. 

"Can you keep me company? The loneliness here is killing. Or maybe you have something important to attend to? You seemed to be in quite a hurry" did he just ask me to cure his loneliness? just then, my eyes caught the fleck at the back of my palm. I thought I had gotten over being shy. 

"No, not really. I just have to go out for fresh air.The air in here is too damp, feel like I'm gonna choke" I said, comparing my frail hands to his firm one 

"We are even then, Alright, after you" he motioned with his hand, telling me to lead the way. 

I made my way through the maze of tables, glancing at a few married couples at the dinner party, faces lit up in the halogen light of the hall, lost in conversation and I let myself wonder what it meant to be married. With the music distant, sounding only faint as the soundtrack of a Nolywood movie, we got outside and settled on the grass and I realised he has been wearing a smile all this while.  

"So, why are you here?" I asked him, wondering If that was a good way to start a conversation.  

"You mean out here, or the party?" his smile began to fade and I felt tense. 

"Both" 

"Okay, My uncle dragged me here, he needed someone to accompany him to the party since his wife was out of town. And I'm here outside because I don't want to miss out on watching the stars" he paused and Looked at my face "with an angel "  

I caught his gaze and smiled, I never knew a man could be this sweet. I wanted to tell him to stop, my spinning head was going to explode .It's been quite a while someone made me feel this good about myself . 

"So, what about you? Why are you here? And without a date...cute as you are?" 

"Not much unlike you, I was dragged here too. My roommate said I have been withdrawn since my horrible last break-up, so she decided I needed this"  

"Oh, I'm sorry about that 

"What?" 

"The break-up" 

"I mentioned that? Oh my goodness, I didn't mean to. I guess you have a way of making people say what they aren't meant to" did I just flirt? I mentally struck my temple.  

"I would consider that a compliment, gracias" he smiled and the killer dimples crept out from within his cheeks; I've always been a sucker for that. 

Just then, I felt a hand on me and the sound of my own name rang too loudly in my ears. 

"Temi!!" The voice chirped and then I felt a slap on my buttocks, that was when I opened my eyes. 

"Temi, get off that bed now before I hit you again. How many more classes will you skip before you snap out of your misery?" I felt like strangling Sade for truncating what could have been the start of something new, but wait, it was actually a dream. Prince charming was actually only a character from the dream domain.  

"I thought it was real" I muttered , and for a moment there was a shade of pity in Sade's look. 

"Where's my phone?" I asked, wondering when my aged mother will call to pester me on the betrothal issue again.