07

In my four years in Africa, I have learned something; that happenings in life could not be predicted at all. I had only been in Kenya for two weeks when I started to feel nauseous and dizzy. I had thought I was ill with depression, I hadn't known it was all morning sickness.

However, when I didn't see my period, I immediately got an inkling that something was definitely not right.

I got a pregnancy test and to my utter shock and surprise, I was pregnant.

At first, I hadn't know how to respond to this revelation that I knew would entirely change my life. Nonetheless, I was subtly grateful. Though I had no idea who the father of the baby was, I had chosen to keep it.

"Mommy, see!" Nathan pointed at the painting we were both standing in front of.

"I see a dog and a cat and a little girl!" He chirruped. The painting was abstract, but my dear son saw all of these aforementioned things.

It was all from his perspective...

"Yes," I was saying excitedly.

"I see them too. Do you see a little boy?" I crouched down to his height and pointed at the painting.

"There he is. He's eating a chocolate bar." He grinned. "Can I have a chocolate bar, mommy?" He was staring at me, blinking in the most adorable manner.

"But you just had one few minutes ago..." I must have indulged him over these four years.

He became glum.

"Can you have it in the next two hours? Is that fine by you?" I suggested, straightening myself.

"How long is two hours?" He queried.

"Hmm," I grabbed his hand gently and walked over to the next painting. "Two hours is the amount of time it will take to look at ten pictures." I responded.

"Really?" His eyes sparkled as he beamed at me.

"Yes." I smiled heartily at him.

"I'll look at all ten of them now!" He chirped and started skipping away.

"No, Nathan. That's not how it works." I tried to catch up with him while I chuckled, but his little toddler legs seemed faster than mine.

Someone called my name, making me stop in my tracks as I turned around...

"Mr. Hilton?"

He was the man Nathan and I were waiting for. He was a business correspondent.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person." He extended a handshake.

"My pleasure." I smiled and received his warm gesture. Glancing across the room, Nathan had wiggled himself out of the crowd and was then curiously staring at a gesso.

"That is your son?" He asked.

"Yes, yes--" I chuckled.

"A beautiful boy you have there." He smiled.

"Thank you. Shall we find somewhere quiet and discuss things?"

"Sure."

"Give me a sec, let me fetch him."

While we walked back to Mr. Hilton, Nathan was, as usual, curious to know who he was.

He had always been like that every time I was with men and hoping they were his father. I find him cute, but I was sad cause neither I knew who his father was.

"Are you really mommy's friend from work?" Nathan queried the man when we returned to where he was standing.

"Yes, and what is your name?" Mr. Hilton leaned towards him.

"Nathan Carter," He answered.

"Good boy." Mr. Hilton ruffled his hair.

"Shall we?" I smiled. He nodded.

I was physically meeting Mr. Hilton for the first time in our four years of correspondence. He was the one who had helped me with establishing a business line of my own, as he was a professional business analyst.

When I had shown him my various designs, he said my works were promising enough to be showcased to the world. And now, when I was finally established and quite deep in profits, he suggested I reveal my identity to the world, as I had kept it a secret over the past years.

"I haven't decided on that yet...besides I have just returned to the States, it's too sudden for me." I objected.

"Well, I think you have other reasons, Miss Carter..."

"Ah," I chuckled. "No, I don't."

"The tabloids show that the ratings are shooting pretty high...it's really impressive. You are a remarkable woman, Miss Carter." He was smiling.

"Oh, Mr. Hilton..."

"Henry, just Henry, you know, and I'll call you Layla. Is that fine by you?" His thick brows arched as he stared longingly at me.

"All right," I twitched a small smile. "You flatter me, Henry." Funnily enough, he reminded me of Ryan; I believed I had spoken to him about eighteen months ago.

"It's not my intention, I just appreciate you, that's all." He grinned.

"Thanks anyway." I looked over at Nathan, he seemed bored more than ever.

"Want something, my love?" I touched his cheeks and adjusted the lapel of his coat.

"Can I have my chocolate now?" He cried.

"I have a better idea. Instead of chocolate, why don't we have lunch already!"

He looked puzzled.

"What does the time say, Henry?"

"Ah," He glanced at his wristwatch.

"Henry will tell us the time, all right?"

"It's a few minutes past one o'clock..." Henry responded.

"It's about your lunch hour! What would you like to have?" I stroked his head.

"Can I have some porridge please?" Nathan crooned.

"Of course, my love..."

"And some salmon?" He asked.

"Sure."

Henry watched us with a broad smile on his face. He was apparently admiring my adorable Nathan.

"And cheesecake?" Nathan was still asking.

"Let's just go to the restaurant. You'll have all you want, huh?"

"Okay." He nodded and gently slipped off the chair.

"Do you mind joining us for lunch, Henry?" I asked before grabbing my purse.

"I'd love to..."

I was certain I would begin to feel different when my face started to appear in the papers as much as other social figures.

Though my successful business line was a part of my comeback, I didn't want my face to be revealed as the person behind the flourishing 'LAYNAT', which was already competing with various designer brands across the continent.

Not until I could feel within me that the time was right. One day, the time will be right, of course.

Leo

I couldn't get to her before her car sped off. I was almost certain I knew her, though I hadn't seen the full view of her face. However, her side view gave the impression of a prior acquaintance.

I wanted to doubt it, regardless, she had a son and there was a man with her. It was crazy. I was running after a woman whose face I couldn't actually recognize but yet, I had a feeling she was familiar.

"Hey, dude!" Tony panted towards me.

"Why did you fucking disappear like that?" He was pissed.

"Sorry man... I thought I saw someone I knew--"

"Don't tell me it's still the same woman..."

I sighed. He was staring unbelievably at me.

"Dude, you are going insane!" he yelled.

"I'm not..." I clenched my teeth in frustration, carelessly raking through my hair and very much disturbed.

"You are...cause if you weren't you wouldn't still be searching for a woman you fucked four years ago on a one-night stand!"

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath.

"Huh?" He was glaring wildly at me.

"Fine, I'm crazy dude. I am, everywhere I turn to I think I see her, I feel her...and I just can't help it." I wondered if I was making any sense because Tony looked blank.

"You," he came nearer. "You are the CEO of COOPER CORP. No one should ever find out you are hallucinating about some woman you met at a night bar. Get a hold of yourself, Leo." He tapped my shoulders and I sighed.

"Come on," he urged.

"Yeah..." I breathed and we walked back to the car.

"You shouldn't drive. Where are the keys?" Tony demanded.

"Here." I threw the key ring across the hood, and he caught it in the air.

"Get in." He finally said before we drove down the street.

It had been four years and I could still not get over her. It was vivid in my memory, how I had cradled her in my arms, how she had moaned beneath me, how we had first met.

Drinks had clearly robbed her out of control as she fingered my face blindfolded. A group of drunks were busy cheering her up, from what I could see, I surmised they were playing a game.

A spell of dizziness overwhelmed me because I was so drunk. The next moment, she sat on my lap, making herself quite comfortable. For a reason, I thought I knew her cause of hair. It reminded me of someone I loved so much, even though we parted ways.

Her legs were parted, and I grew hard against her immediately, it will take forever for any woman to make me as hard as a rock and she did that with just a simple act.

Her clit became sensitive as she ground on me in the most soothing way ever, I couldn't get a clear view of her face because she was blindfolded.

She began to moan and suddenly, she kissed me.

I was drunk too, and I tried to restrain her because I knew she was drunk, and I didn't want to take advantage of her like that, but she had made me so horny that I couldn't resist the temptation of sliding a hand under her dress, seeking her bare breasts and the other traveling down her middle, parting her thatch to find her button.

As soon as I touched her, she sprang back to life and writhed achingly against me. She was melting against me, and I was loving it, she was drowning in ecstasy as I kissed her more passionately than ever.

"Don't stop." She moaned softly against my ear, her warm breath kissing the nape of my neck.

"Let's get a room." I breathed, deep in pleasure.

"Let's do it." She said as I gathered her up in my arms and staggered out of the bar.

Dropping her in the backseat, my driver drove back to the hotel I had earlier lodged in. I pulled her to the bedroom and slammed the door.

In that darkness, I didn't bother to strip her off, I was burning with the desire to have this blindfolded total stranger beneath me. It was even more thrilling because I didn't know who she was, and she likewise wanted to get laid.

Dropping my trousers, I tugged off her panties and threw her on the bed, I wanted to remove the blindfolds, but she didn't let me.

Maybe she was protecting her identity. She whispered endearments as I nibbled on her neck. Then she gave a loud moan, I was inside of her. She passed out after a couple of minutes and I rolled to the other side of the bed, I moved closer to her, feeling tired already, I managed to pull off the blindfolds, but then I dozed off instantly, the alcohol, taking effect on me.

I can remember how I had frantically searched for her the following morning.

"She just left a few minutes ago, sir." The receptionist had said, to my utter dismay. I was going to see her, I was going to talk to her. I wanted to know who she was, but she left me on the bed. And since then, I've searched for her. I'd frequently visited the same bar with hopes that I'd see her again, but she never returned. She never returned, and I couldn't dispel the thoughts of her.

The passionate night we both shared tormented my sleep in the day and at night. I was unable to stop thinking about her, and it was so difficult not to hallucinate about her.

I saw her everywhere; she was in my bed, my bathroom, my kitchen, my office... everywhere I went I saw her. Likewise, I thought I had seen her at the airport the previous week and just a few minutes ago, I thought I had seen her again.

"You alright?" Tony broke into my thoughts.

"Sure." I lied.

I was far from being all right. My phone beeped.

'Come around for lunch,' My grandmother texted, 'Ariadne brought some rare veggies from Ireland.'

I heaved a long sigh.

"What's it?" Tony asked.

"It's Nana." My voice barely came out as a whisper.

"What is it this time?"

"She wants us to have lunch with Ariadne," I said.

"Good timing. You should do just that and have a drink or two." Tony seemed to be encouraging me to go on a date with Ariadne.

"You know better, Tony. I don't feel anything for Ariadne." I stated bluntly.

"Yet...you mean? Come on, she's hot and rich. What more do you want?" he said.

"Yeah? It still doesn't change my feelings towards her. She's just like the others."

"No, no... she's definitely not. Are you just pretending to be blind, or can't you see that girl's ass? She's a goddess, I mean..."

"Just have her for yourself, Tony." I cut him off.

"I would, I mean...if your family did not take her. Come on man!" He swerved to the left.

"I'm not having this conversation, all right?" I looked out of the window.

"You're making a bad decision, dude." I could hear him grumbling, but his voice gradually faded away as I became immersed in the thoughts of her, once again.