Finding Grace - Part 2

London, England

Azuka parked his car on the road opposite the 3-storey apartment complex and walked towards the brightly lit lobby. It was a mild summer evening and he took his jacket off and hooked it over his shoulder. Nice weather for a walk…maybe he and Grace would take a walk after their dinner date tonight. He was planning to take her to Nando’s, a trendy Portuguese restaurant with several locations in the London area. He walked through the narrow hallway and took the stairs up to the third floor. Grace’s sister, Sonia opened the door on the first ring and let him in with a cheerful hello.

Sonia called out for Grace as she walked Azuka towards the small living room.

“Cece, Azuka is here!”

They sat in the living room and made small talk until Grace joined them.

Azuka was surprised to see that she didn’t look ready to go out. I hope she doesn’t cancel on me…not tonight. He would be disappointed if she decided not to go at the last minute, and he would be surprised that she hadn’t called to tell him before he left home. He had only known Grace for a short time, but she didn’t seem the sort to cancel a date….no, an outing without prior notice.

Grace noticed Azuka’s puzzled look and pre-empted the question on the tip of his tongue.

“I know we’re supposed to go out, but I thought it would be nice to just hang out here with Sonia. I made some fried rice and baked chicken. I know it’s not Nando’s peri-peri chicken, but I guess you’ll have to make do.”

Azuka smiled at her dig. He had raved about Nando’s chicken and she knew it was one of his favorite places to eat.

“Yeah, sure. That sounds good.” It would be nice to taste Grace’s cooking and spend some time with her sister. Maybe she’ll put in a good word for me if I make a good impression.

They ate at the small dinette tucked behind the living room and once the meal was over, Sonia bid them good night.

“I have a bit of studying to do. I think I might need to pull an all-nighter because exams are around the corner. Toodles!”

“Good night Sonia. Thanks for having me over.”

“Oh, no problem. Your girlfriend insisted. There’s no saying ‘no’ to Cece when she’s in that mood!”

Grace blushed and threw Sonia a dirty look. I’ll get you. Unfazed, Sonia waved at Grace cheerily and winked at her over Azuka’s head as she walked into her room. Embarrassed, she busied herself with clearing the table and was relieved when Azuka just chuckled.

“Your sister is pretty funny. Is she always like that?”

“Is she always ragging me, you mean?” Grace shook her head, torn between laughter and frustration with her sister. Why did she call me his girlfriend? Now, he’ll think I have designs on him and he’ll probably take off running! Grace found that thought surprisingly disturbing. She didn’t want Azuka to run off…she looked at him and her expression softened. She really liked him, and part of her hoped for more than friendship. But, she was scared. Could she trust him? Maybe things would start out wonderful, like it had been with Alex and go downhill in the blink of an eye. What did he even want from her? She had veered away from that thought because she wasn’t yet ready to confront the thought of dating someone else. But, Alex was married. That chapter was firmly closed – bridge burned, ground to dust and thrown into the ocean! I can’t move backwards because there’s nothing to go back to.

“Grace?”

Azuka’s voice broke her reverie and she realized that she had been lost in thought for a few minutes and Azuka was waiting for her to respond to his earlier question.

“Oh…yeah, yeah. Sonia is always teasing me. I’m younger by a couple of years and she thinks it’s her life's mission to embarrass me in public”, she said wryly.

Azuka smiled wistfully. He was an only child and didn’t know what it was like to spar with siblings.

“I noticed she calls you Cece. Is that a nickname, or…”

“It’s a nickname and she’s the only one that calls me that. My mom told me that she was still learning to talk when I was born and for some reason she couldn’t call my name properly. Instead of saying ‘Gracie’, she would just say ‘Cece’, and I guess it stuck.”

 “Cece…” the name rolled off his tongue and Grace blushed. It sounded different when he said it - nothing like the teasing tone that her sister used. His tone and the look in his eyes held a world of promise and something unspoken passed between them.

She stood, rooted in one spot. In an instant, she felt something change between them. Her heart pulsed and she her stomach quivered. Shaken, she leaned against the dinette table and placed a hand on her stomach, as though the simple gesture could still her quivering heart.

Azuka stood and walked towards her. He held her hands. “Maybe I’ll be the second person to call you that”, he said softly.

The touch of his hands sent heat through her, and her breath started coming in small, shallow gasps. Grace was stunned by the power of the attraction that she felt for Azuka. She looked up at him and almost gasped aloud at the smoky look in his eyes.

Azuka felt the change in the atmosphere and he struggled to control himself. Grace’s eyes were soft, her lips parted as she gazed at him. Don’t look at me like that…don’t look at me like that Cece. The way she looked at him heated his blood, and he didn’t know how much longer he could go without kissing her. But, I don’t want to rush her. I don’t want to push her away. Still, his arms ached to hold her – not the chaste embrace they had shared a few times, but to hold her like a man holds the woman he loves. He looked at her again and threw caution to the wind. All the well-worn arguments ran through his mind as he reached for her. She moved closer to him and as their lips met, he felt like he was home. Her lips were soft and pliant beneath his and he pulled her closer to him. Instead of slaking his thirst, the kiss only inflamed his desire. Reluctantly, he pulled back with a rueful smile.

Grace blushed and looked away. She was embarrassed. She barely knew Azuka and here she was, kissing him so wantonly! She had only invited him over for dinner and she didn’t want him to think she had any ulterior motives. She gave him a small smile and moved away from him towards the fridge.

To cover her embarrassment, she rushed to fill the silence. “Would you like some ice-cream? Sonia always has some on standby. She has a monster sweet-tooth and goes on a rampage without her sweets. She has quite a few flavors”.

She opened the freezer compartment. “Hmm, strawberries and cream, praline and Irish Cream. Which would you prefer?”

“No, thanks”, Azuka said with a small smile. “I’ve already had something sweet tonight.”

Grace blushed again at the reference to the kiss they had just shared. She started when Azuka took her hand again and tugged her towards the living room.

“I wanted to talk to you anyway, and this seems like a good time.”

She followed his lead and they sat together on the love seat facing the TV. Azuka turned her slightly so that she was facing him and he cleared his throat, almost as if he was nervous.

Grace looked at Azuka expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

“Gracie…Cece”, he corrected with a smile. Grace smiled back at him. It sounds so good when he says it.

“I know we’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks, but you’ve actually been on my mind for much longer than that.”

Grace looked at him quizzically, and Azuka told her about the first time he had seen her at the Lagoon in Lagos. The night Alex broke up with me.

“There was just something about you that affected me so much that I couldn’t get you off my mind. It was so bad I actually imagined that I saw you at my family house in the village when my Dad died. Crazy, huh?” Azuka chuckled.

Grace’s mind whirled. She remembered the funeral she and her mother had attended in Umuezi a few months ago.

“Wait, wait…that was probably me”, she said excitedly. “I went for a funeral in Umuezi with my Mom a few months ago. An old friend of hers lost her husband.”

They compared notes and Azuka realized that it really was Grace he had seen that evening, two days before his father’s funeral. They laughed over the coincidence and Azuka’s confidence got a boost. I think I was destined to meet this girl.

He looked at her tenderly. “Gracie, I really like you and I think we could have something special going here. The past two weeks have been great and I’ve enjoyed our friendship.” He paused and looked at her. “But, I’d like us to take it a step further, beyond friendship. Is that something that you would consider?”

Grace’s heart thudded. She was confused and torn. Somewhere in her mind, she had wished that something would develop between her and Azuka. But now that he had asked outright, she wasn’t sure how to answer.  She was powerfully attracted to him and it scared her. Would he betray her like Alex had done? She had given Alex eight years of her life and he had cast her aside without a thought. She knew she needed to move on, but at the same time she was scared of being hurt again. Scared of being rejected. What if someone else came along and caught Azuka’s eye? Would he summon her to dinner and tell her he had found his soul mate, just like Alex had done? Grace pulled her hands from his and twiddled her fingers nervously.

Azuka’s heart dropped when she pulled her hands from his. Maybe he had rushed her…gone too fast. It’s only been two weeks for her and I can’t expect her to feel the same way. I should have given her more time.

Hurt by her indecision, Azuka covered up with a half-smile “You don’t have to give me an answer right away.”

Gracie saw the hurt look in his eyes and felt his emotional withdrawal. It left her feeling empty, but she steeled herself. She had to be sure, she couldn't risk getting hurt again. She nodded. “Yes, give me some time to think about it.”

After that, it seemd like there was nothing more to say. Azuka got up and said it was about time for him to leave. With hands firmly in his pockets, he bid her a simple goodnight and walked towards the door.

"Please tell your sister I said thanks for dinner. Maybe I'll see her again sometime."

Grace nodded and walked him towards the door. As she let Azuka out of Sonia’s tiny apartment, one thought ran through her mind continuously. Can I trust him?

Can Grace overcome her fear of betrayal and give Azuka the answer he so desperately wants? Find out next week on June 10^th. Thanks for reading!

Onyih Odunze

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