The music was still going smoothly in the hall; some people were still not leaving yet. They are enjoying the atmosphere still. Amara felt the need to take a natural breeze. She wants to just step outside and feel nature. She finally came out; she saw a tree not too far from the main entrance; she walked there and leaned against the tree.
Dennis sighted her when she stepped out, and he stylishly followed her. He waited for her to get to that tree before he made the move to approach her.
"Amara, do you mind if I join you?" Dennis said with asked in curiosity.
"Amara," Dennis said, his voice carrying a quiet curiosity. "Mind if I join you?".
She hesitated for a few moments but later nodded in agreement for him to join her. She shifted a bit for him to come directly under the tree. The branches of the tree extended to provide shade.
"You are welcome," she said, her voice soft. "It's nice out here."
Dennis stepped closer, leaning on the car in front of her. They both stood there in silence for a moment, simply looking at the view, the sound of the party now distant and faint from where they were.
"Yes, it is," Dennis finally said. His voice was firm but warm. "Sometimes having a moment with yourself where there is no noise is a good thing to learn how to do and practice".
"Yes, it makes the mind settle". Amara said softly.
"Everything feels more real out here," Dennis added with a smile.
Amara chuckled; she was surprised by the way he reasoned, and the tone of his voice didn't betray that. She sees Dennis as someone different from what the accolades of people portrayed him to be.
"Yeah," she replied, her tone lighter. "It's like you are in another world out here. Someone will even prefer to be here than there. Everything feels natural here". She said with a smile.
Dennis nodded in agreement, "You are right." He looks at her. "Why do you think some people go on vacation far away?". "It's just that sometimes we are caught up in things that don't matter; nature is so good. God has blessed humanity with many things to sustain us".
Amara felt a kind of empathy; she was able to understand what Dennis was saying that having all the wealth is still nothing. All will be forgotten later on in history. Only nature can live longer and still be relevant with age.
"So what do you think matters in life?" She asked, smiling at him. The promptness to ask just came over her; it wasn't something she had thought about before.
Dennis turned his head to her"I think it's the people you surround yourself with. The connections you make. The ones that mean something to you, not just the ones that make you Alpha and Omega of everyone."
Dennis's response caught her off guard. The response wasn't what she expected. Her thoughts were that he would be engrossed with his wealth and status and, therefore, respond in a way that would justify being wealthy by all means.
"And you?" Dennis asked softly, turning fully toward her now. "What do you think matters in life?"
She looked at him, her eyes searching for truth and sincerity in his expression. "I think… it's about finding peace. About being comfortable with who you are, without needing the approval of everyone else around you."
Dennis nodded gently, "That's rare, you know. People spend so much time trying to fit in or live up to others' expectations. It's hard to find that peace in this life."
"Hmm! I know " she said quietly. "I have spent some time in life trying to fit into places I don't belong to. But lately, I discovered it isn't Worth it. The best is to be yours and I have been putting in my effort to always be myself ".
Dennis took a small step closer, his tone gentle. "And how's that going?"
"It's a work in progress. But I think I'm getting there. Slowly." She said smiling.
Dennis looked at her like he was searching for something, but it was not readable. Then, with a small smile, he said, "I think that's more than most people can say. A lot of people never even get to the point of realizing that; they continue their life trying to fit in."
Amara's face was sparkling; not speaking with him outside alone, away from the noise, flushed her mind.
"You're not what I expected," she said, almost with no consciousness.
Dennis raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And what did you expect?"
Amara chuckled slightly. "I don't know. I thought everything about you would be business, meetings, luxuries, and many more things that align with your class."
Dennis blushed in shyness. "I hear people saying that often; most pey think because I run a company, everything about me will be business and deals. But there's more to me than that."
Amara looked at him, studying his expression, as if trying to read between the lines. "I can see that."
For a few moments, they both went silent. Though it was a natural one, not the awkward silence that can happen between two strangers.
Finally, Dennis broke the silence. "You know, I'm glad you came tonight. I know it's somehow strange to you, coming to a party in a setting like this. But it's nice to have someone who isn't just here for the show."
Amara smiled, her eyes blushed "Yeah, well, Teni dragged me along. But I'm glad I came too. I didn't expect to have a decent conversation at a party like this."
Dennis laughed softly. "Neither did I. But sometimes, the best conversations happen when you least expect them."
Amara nodded in agreement, feeling a quiet sense of contentment at that moment.
She glanced at her watch "I need to get back inside before Teni starts looking for me"
Dennis nodded, but before she could turn away, he spoke again, his voice softer than before. "Amara… I'm really glad you're here."
Amara looked at him; she was surprised by the sincerity in his tone and the warmth he used to say, "Thanks, Dennis. I'm glad I stayed."
After that, they both turned back towards the house. The music is still going softly and people are still having their fun. The moment they share our there brings out the realness from both of them. The connection they both felt now is more real.