Chapter 23 Twenty three

I have no idea why I agreed to a double date with Malik, Charles and Arla. Maybe Arla hypnotised me or something.

I am standing in front of my mirror, running lip gloss along my upper and lower lip. My mouth tastes vile from heaving into the toilet. I throw a couple of mints into my mouth and hope that it will be enough to combat any bad breath.

"Hey, what are you still doing in here?" Arla asks barging into my bathroom. "We are running late!" Unlike me, she did not go all out and dress up in a fancy dress. She is clad in a sleeveless crop top, high-waist jean tucked into ankle boots. Her hair is sitting on her shoulders in damp, lazy waves and it seems like she put on more makeup than usual. For the time, she looks really pretty, beautiful even.

I glance at the black, thin-strapped wristwatch on my left wrist. "We are only fashionably late," I say to her, fastening huge hoop earrings to my ear lobes. I hope all my effort will pay off and Adam will find me beautiful.

"Wait a little longer and that will not be the case."

"How did you even get in here?"

"You left your door unlocked."

"I swear it was locked!"

As we walk down the hallway, towards the reception room, I run into Cleo who is unsurprisingly locked arm in arm with Adam. It seems that they are returning from a day out.

Cleo shots Arla a glare but when her eyes come to rest on me, they soften immediately. "Gigi."

"Cleo." I hope my face shows the extent of my indifference.

"Are you going out?" She runs her eyes down my short, strapless, bandage dress in red and white polka dot print which I paired with black heels.

"What does it look like?" Arla snaps at her.

Adam unlocks himself from Cleo and goes to greet a group of male dancers, clapping hands on each other's backs and exchanging pleasantries.

Cleo's plump, glossy lips curl in a snarl then her eyes darts from Arla to me. "I was hoping I could catch you . . . alone and we could talk."

"Sorry, Cleo," I say, already walking past her, "I have nothing to say to you, neither do I have the patience to listen to anything you have to say."

"You told her off good," Arla says to me, amidst laughter when we are out of the school. Why can I not join in her laughter? Why do I feel bad for the way I spoke to Cleo? "Charles wanted to pick us up but I declined."

"Why did you do that?" I ask, curious on why she would turn down a perfectly good ride.

"He does not have to pick me up all the time. Besides, we will need some girl time to discuss our war plan."

"War plan?" I am completely lost on what she is saying.

"You know, discuss how our double date is going to pan out."

I force out a light laugh. "It is just two couples on a date. Nothing deadly about that."

"Of course, of course." Arla flags down a taxi. "I was just kidding. I told the boys that we want a movie date. I hope you do not mind."

I chew on my lower lip. Of course I mind; I want to spend time conversing with Malik over hot cups of coffee or some sweet dessert not barely exchanging any words in a cinema. "You should have asked me first, Cleo." I say, trying not to make my voice too harsh as I get into the taxi after her and buckle my seatbelt.

"Oh, I am so sorry," Arla says when she sees the expression on my face.

When we get to the cinema, Charles and Malik are waiting for us. Charles and Arla pull each other in a tight hug the second their eyes meet.Malik and I give each other awkward gazes as we wait for Charles and Arla to untangle themselves.

"I did not want our date to be at this cinema," Malik tells me. Even wearing an arm sling, Malik is irresistibly handsome. The sweet, buttery aroma of popcorn wafts into my nose, making my mouth water.

I am delighted that we think alike. "Oh, really? Why is that?"

"Maybe," he begins with a toothy grin, "it is because I will not be able to keep my mouth shut and we will be thrown out of the cinema."

I laugh, cupping my mouth to muffle the sound. "Why won't you keep your mouth shut?"

He shrugs. "I am hyper around you." Then adds: "You look ravishing, Gigi." He says it loud enough for passers-by to hear.

I am caught off guard and struggle for words to say when I am rudely interrupted.

"Hey, lovebirds," Charles calls out to Malik and I, "Are you two coming or what?"

"Nah!" Malik replies, holding my hand with his good one. "We were just going." Then he turns to me and says with an expression I can only describe as sincere, "I hope you consent?"

"Absolutely. Let us get about of here." And with that, we walk out of the cinema hand in hand.

"It is a shame though," Malik says when he enters the busy street, "I actually wanted some of that popcorn."

"Yeah, me too." I admit.

"I was considering that new three course restaurant, what do you think?"

I bat my eyelashes in a bid to play along. "That sounds perfect."

"I am sorry that I cannot drive you to the restaurant," he says apologetically, "because I went and got my arm busted."

I place my hand on his arm and tell him something I have been thinking of saying to him. "I am so grateful to God that you walked out of that accident alive."

"Damn, Gigi," Malik breathes out. I think his eyes go wet and redden.

"I really mean that," I blurt just in case he thought I was bluffing.