Chapter 3

"Hey. I'm ready." She said over the phone and he assured her he was almost there. 

She walked down the road a little, then an expensive black SUV pulled up in front of her, windows rolled down. She was perplexed as she was very certain it wasn't Jed. So, if it wasn't Jed, who was it? She lowered herself to the window level to see who it might be. 

"Going somewhere, cupcake?" He asked as he turned on the dome lights in the car

"Dad? It's only a date, I'd be fine! When did you get the car by the way?" She asked as she kept walking down the road while he kept tailing her at the same pace.

"Hop in, I'll drop you off at the place. You shouldn't walk these streets alone at night." He insisted. 

"Dad, you're almost sounding and looking like a perv. I'm twenty one, not eleven!" She sighed in exasperation. 

"You can use my car, then. I just want to make sure you're safe and okay." He said as he alighted the car, handing the keys over to her. 

She rolled her eyes before taking it from him. She put a call to Jed, telling him to go straight to the restaurant, she'd be there, and he shouldn't bother stopping by at her place. 

"Thanks….dad." She got in and sped off. 

The drive to the restaurant was accompanied by loud music blaring from the speakers as she rode at high speed. In less than thirty minutes, she was in front of the restaurant. It had the name "GOLDEN PALACE" emblazoned at the top in bold neon colors. 

She walked right into the restaurant, her heels clinked against the tile at each step she took, drawing attention towards her. She pulled out a chair from the table and settled down. In a few minutes, a waiter came to her and she ordered red wine for starters while she waited for Jed to come in. 

Jed came in not long after she was served her wine, drawing much attention to himself as his cologne diffused in the air as he walked toward her. Girls were gawking at him and some were even winking, they all wanted him, and they stared at him as though he was a celebrity.

"Hi. I'm sorry for taking up much of your time. I was caught up." He apologized as he settled down on the chair opposite her. 

She raised her hand a little higher to show she needed a waiter. 

"It's cool, I haven't been here for even twenty minutes." She smiled at him. 

The waiter approached their table and took their orders before leaving. 

"So, I'm sorry for upsetting you earlier." He started but stopped the moment she raised her hand, signaling a pause or stop.

"I didn't want to talk about Cameron then and I don't want to, now. Let's just enjoy the evening." She said. 

The orders came in not long after they had started their chit-chat.

"Food here is nice." She said. 

"Heard your dad came back, I hope you're okay?" Jed asked and she nodded in approval. 

"It's not much of a big deal, he won't be home for Christmas this year, I'm glad he'd be here for my graduation. Would you come for my family Thanksgiving? I'm cooking." She asked with a smile on her face, she looked so radiant and cheerful. 

"Yeah, I will. Thanksgiving is on the twenty fifth, I'll be there." He said.

"How about we visit someplace private? Maybe the beach? Or a cinema?" She asked after wiping her mouth clean.

He nodded in approval and they split bills before heading out of the restaurant. They got to the black SUV parked just opposite the restaurant in the car park and they got in. 

"My dad wanted to drive me to dinner." She stated as she turned the ignition on. 

"That was cool." He replied, strapping himself to his seat. 

"No, it's not. To the beach….or a cinema?" She asked after she was well strapped to her seat. 

We eventually settled for an amusement park first. 

She turned on the car and put the music to its loudest, the tires made a screeching sound as she reversed before turning left and eventually speeding off. 

She drove at full speed while they had very loud conversations. 

She halted in front of the park and we got down and paid for a Ferris wheel because she wanted that ride. 

She strapped herself to her seat, still talking when it started moving all of a sudden. Her scream filled the air as she went high.

"This is the best moment of my life. I've never been this happy." She screamed, and her laughter filled the air. 

We got down the Ferris wheel.

"You like it?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, thank you. This is even better than the dinner date." She pulled me into a warm embrace before pushing him away gently, rushing to the roller coaster. 

She got in, strapped in her seat as usual.

"I love you." She screamed out as it began to move, starting from a slow ride to a fast ride, then a slow one again. 

She was having the best time of her life when she had forgotten how much of a bad day she had. 

They got off the wheel and got some ice cream before heading to the beach. 

"That was one hell of a ride." She said as they approached the car. 

"Yeah? I'm driving. Keys?" He stretched out his hand and she dropped the keys in his palm before getting in. 

She leaned on the window pane as he drove, quiet and peaceful as ever. 

Her face brightened the moment they got to the beach, she took off her shoes and clothes and rushed out of the car, into the water. 

Jed sat on the bench, watching her have fun, as he smiled to himself. All she needed was love and care, he felt bad for having to come in between her and Cameron. 

She got out of the water, heading towards him, swaying her hips as she moved. She looked so sexy in her undies, he admitted. 

They took a long walk along the beach after much persuasion to join her. 

"So, tell me one reason, you chose me," Jed says. 

"I don't have any. I loved Cameron and still do, but he's insecure. I don't want someone insecure." She replied, her fingers laced with his as they walked on the sand. 

"I don't blame him for feeling that way. You're beautiful and I'm good looking, he had every right to feel that way." Jed replied, holding her close to his chest. 

"No. You look like mashed potatoes, ain't got good sight." She chuckled. 

"Oh then, you left chips for mashed potatoes, how interesting." He teased. 

She smirked and turned to face him. She looked into his hazel orbs, tilted her head, leaning closer. She seemed so lost in his orbs, that she could drown in them. 

He leaned forward, his lip clinging to hers, a surge of electricity-like feeling rushed through her spine as their bodies touched before she claimed his lips in a kiss. 

She wanted more of him but he pulled away, she looked at him, with a slight look of confusion, her hazel orbs, trying to search his soul. He leaned forward and claimed her lips in the most intimate kiss ever, then they pulled away to catch their breath. 

"I love you." She said. 

"I love you too, baby." He replied, smoothing her hair. He had a lot going on in his head. How was he going to tell her he was leaving for New York once they graduated? How would she cope? He thought. 

Graduation was coming up in a few weeks, precisely on the fourteenth of November and it wasn't very far anymore. He wanted to be with her, and have much time to spend with her, but it didn't seem like it was going to work. Time wasn't on his side, but he decided to enjoy the moment while it lasted and talk to her about it when he was more ready. 

"It's getting late, baby. We don't wanna get our parents worked up," Jed said,

They returned to the car and settled for a while before she broke the silence. 

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Stacey asked as she kept staring at him.

"There's something you should know." He started.