Techsolutions Ltd.
Work hours were over. Mathew slowly walked out of the building. He had a lot in his mind.
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Shea looking up into the dark sky. Without thinking he walked up to her.
"Hey Shea. Surprised to see you here this late."
She turned immediately to him. She smiled a bit.
"Yes, I needed to go over some things."
Mathew nodded. Perhaps longer than he needed to. He then remembered he had to say something else. (Rules of conversation dictated so)
"How have you been since the other day?" He didn't want to say the word. He thought it would be awkward to each other.
"I've been good. How about you?"
Mathew was sensing some awkwardness between them. He didn't know why.
Maybe it was his shyness? Maybe it was the fact that society looked down upon bosses and their employees dating?
Mathew was still in his work clothes, so he still felt he had a ounce of courage in him. He needed to be a brute(for lack of a better word)
"I'm sensing tension between us. I think I know where it's coming from."
Shea was surprised at the statement. She wanted to interject but chose to keep quiet and let it paly out.
Mathew saw that Shea was solemnly waiting for him to continue. He had her attention! Ladies do love a outspoken man. Or so he thought.
"It's because of our date." There he said it."At this point we were supposed to be on date two. But I just want you to know that there is no pressure, we can still be friends."
"Is that a good idea?" Asked a skeptical Shea
"Why not? We have a lot in common. We see each other almost everyday. Mandy is a mutual friend." After he finished he felt like he was begging for her friendship. He felt stupid.
He receded and let the cockiness recover his dignity.
"But if you think it's not a good idea. It's OK. It's not like it's a life or death situation or anything."
Shea smiled, genuinely this time. Sometimes she smiles involuntarily just to seem nice to people. She never really meant it.
"You are funny. If you think it's a fine then sure. We can be friends."
Mathew was on fire. Just then a dark cloud hovered over his paradise.
"Hey Shea! Sorry I'm late."
Shea turned to see Chris. She hugged him. Mathew's face looked as though he smiled and simultaneously had hiccups.
"Chris, this is Mathew. He's a friend." She introduced the two.
Mathew stretched his hand to him. He thought,"So this is Chris. He looks like goddamn Idris Elba."
Chris smiled at Mathew. He had finally gotten to meet him. He knew him from the night of the burglary incident, two days ago.
Chris and Shea bid Mathew their goodbye. Mathew cursed under his breath.
He smiled diabolically. He was now at the friend zone with Shea. He just needed a few steps to win her love.
As Shea and Chris walked towards the gate, they stumble upon Mandy, walking in.
"Hey Mandy! This is Chris." Shea lit up instantaneously. She really wanted Mandy to meet him.
"Hi. I'm sorry I couldn't meet you the other day." Mandy said in a nervous voice.
She knew she had left her handbag at his apartment. What if he knew she was the one in his house?
All this while avoiding eye contact, "I heard your house was burglarized. Are you OK? "
"Yeah I'm fine thanks. The burglar didn't hurt anyone."
"What did he steal?" Shea asked, concerned.
"Why are you saying he as though all burglars are men? Or did you see her or him?" Asked a nervous Mandy
"No. I arrived after the burglar left. He or she didn't steal anything. Just scared my roommate."
Chris said in a light mood. Mandy smiled a bit then bid her goodbyes. Shea and Chris went on.
Mandy went into the compound. He found Mathew at his car. Mathew stood at the door.
"I just met 'Chris'. He knows nothing." She exclaimed.
Mathew reached inside his car and pulled out a handbag. He tosses it to Mandy. It's the one she forgot outside Chris's apartment.
"He knows something!" Shouted Mathew.
Mandy checked in the bag. In it, were her nail polish, two shades of lip stick, a packet of chewing gum, pen and notebook, eye liner, her ID, credit card, driving license and a box of condoms.
"Is everything there?" Mathew asked
"Yup. Everything I had is here- except the condoms. They're not mine!"
Mandy's House
"It means he saw you right?" Said Mandy while sipping on her warm milk.
She drank warm milk when she was upset. It would usually calm her. Mathew sat before her with a glass of passion juice.
They were in Mandy's bedroom.
"I mean why else would he put the handbag in your car?" Continued Mandy
"If he saw me. He must have seen you too. So why would he hide it?" It was Mathew's turn to ask the questions. He paused a bit then Mandy took over.
"Why then wouldn't he have said something when he met us? Why hide it?"
Mandy spoke as though he was drunk. She thought she was drunk! Mathew looked over at her.
"I think it's time for some answers." He gulped down the remaining juice then stood up.
"Maybe it's because we are friends of Shea. Maybe he didn't want Shea to know that her friends broke into her whatever's apartment. " Mandy answered.
"Yeah. Nothing was stolen right?" He added
He saw Mandy make a face. He looked at her keenly. Mandy pulled a drawer and removed a picture.
"Except for this."
Mathew grabs the picture. He stares at it.
"This guy looks like Chris. A lot younger though." Said Mathew
"The picture is dated ten years ago." Added Mandy
"Chris was in jail?" Exclaimed Mathew,"Does Shea know about this?"
"I don't know. I don't think so."
"Let's see what he was arrested for." Says Mathew.
Shea's House
Chris walked her to the gate. Shea felt sad for some reason. She didn't feel as happy as she usually did with Chris. Something felt lacking.
Was she growing bored with him? She doubted it.
"What's wrong?" Asked Chris
"Nothing. I was thinking of how difficult it was when I was introducing you to my friends." Shea said in a low voice
"What was difficult about it?"
"I didn't know how to introduce you. I wanted to say friend but I thought it would build a wall between you and me. Then I thought of saying boyfriend but I feared you may not feel the same way."
Chris moved closer to her. He held her cheek.
"What do you feel?" Chris asked
Shea closed her eyes and leaned closer. She kissed him. Everything seemed to go slow and the night seemed quiet.
She pulled back. She opened her eyes. Chris was still there. She remained resolute. Waiting for a reply.
Chris pulled her closer and they locked lips. The two were lost in each other.
Shea could feel Chris's hands on her waist as she felt her hands through the back of his head.
It was a feeling she wanted to feel forever.
Mandy's House
Mathew was on a computer. Mandy hovered over his shoulder.
"What is that?" Mandy asked
"Prison database. Olivia hooked us up. Now let's find our person. "
Mathew turns to Mandy. He didn't realise Mandy was so close. An inch stood between their lips.
"What's his second name? Dhati, right?" Mathew quickly turned to the screen. Mandy stood silent.
He keyed in the name Chris Dhati and filtered the results to ten years ago.
"No prisoner recorded by that name ten years ago."
"So he wasn't in prison?" Said Mandy, taking some steps back.
"Or maybe it's an evil twin!"