Knowing you

After the cold shower, the rain starts hitting the rough. Her eyes are as bright as the moonlight. She doesn't feel sleepy anymore.

She needs water. Freshwater. So she walks out of her room, and towards the kitchen area. She's not family with the house so walks randomly any her guts lead her.

The corridor is cold as she searches for the vacancy. Goosebumps are very visible over her skin and she rubs her arms to create warmth.

She shuffles on her fit, the flour radiating coldness as she discovers the kitchen. She briskly strolls in and goes for the fridge. Once she opens it, a flash of luminous light covers her face and she squints her eyes.

"Did you just pass by me without greeting?" his voice is an octave lower.

She jerks, almost screaming in the process as she finds Jamal seated on a stool at the kitchen island.

"Shit! You scared me!"

He eats a cup of yogurt while staring at her, the light from the fridge brightening over his face and creating a clearer view of him.

She closes the fridge after taking a bottle of water "Why didn't you greet me? You saw me first"

She opens the lid of the bottle and brings the bottle to her head, the liquid draining into her mouth. The kitchen is dark but Jamal's face can be seen from the reflection of the moon's light through the aluminum windows.

He licks on his spoon and sits up right staring over at her "You don't have to act like you didn't see me. It's ok. I understand you're embarrassed after last night"

She chokes in her water, splashing some of it on her light nightgown. He sees through her cover, her nipples her hardened and very visible. She doesn't notice until he lets out.

"Did you just match here with that? Where do you think you are?" he prods his finger at her attire and she looks down at herself.

Realization dawns over her and she becomes embarrassed once again. She folds her arm, trying to cover it up, her eyes aiming daggers towards him.

"This is not the right way to speak to a woman. Don't you have respect? After all it's all your fault that I watched myself with this bottle water"

She unlatches her arms trying to pull the damp cloth away from her chest; maybe some cold air can dry it off.

He smirks "You have such a big mouth"

She narrows her eyes towards him "You meant like yours?"

He chuckles, shaking his head "I don't speak a lot"

"You think. Well, maybe you don't speak a lot to some people because they always listen to whatever thing you say. But you hate it when someone reproaches you. And that's the reason you think I talk a lot. In the other words, you have a problem with the fact that I'm close to the most perfect lady you've seen in your life"

He licks on his spoon again, staring at her in bewilderment.

"You don't even know me"

She chuckles "But you keep acting like you know me"

He tugs his tongue out to mope the stain of milk on his lips and gets down from the stool, gently moving towards her.

She maintains eye contact with him though she has never done that with anyone when they look back at her.

"You're like a book I read through on every episode. It's so easy for me to know you"

"What makes you think this feeling is not mutual? Common, be realistic! You're just like me right now. And I'm not hypocritical about it"

They face one another and silence fills the room.

"If we were the same you won't be a headache to me"

"You are scared of facing someone who reacts exactly the same way you would in their shoes. It's like seeing yourself in a mirror and refusing that you were this stupid, because truthfully, you're a headache to me too."

"So it's unlike you acknowledging the fact that you are the most stupid version of me because you hate admitting how womanly you are; just a weak little doll" the corner of his lips pulling into a grin.

She grounds her teeth tight and rolls her eyes.

"You see? Just the way I prevailed you'd react"

She forgets about the dampness on her night ware. Though it's getting dry, his eyes fall to her chest. He closes his eyes and says, "I'm starting to think you deliberately came all the way to seduce me"

She frowns, her eyes moving to her shirt. It's not as soaked as before but she feels insecure about it.

She snakes her arms again "It's your choice to fall into it or not. Why would I waste my time to seduce a man who is so naïve?"

He abruptly pleats his eyebrows, opening his eyes "Excuse me?"

She sighs "Oh please! We all know you're engaged. So it shouldn't bother you what I wear around you. You are a man. You should be able to control your anxieties; except you are not a man?"

"You think-I'm attracted to this?" he prods her dress from head to toe, his eyes moving in synchrony.

"No one said you are attracted to me or whatever it is you think. Your words, not mine"

"You're so good at come back uh? Trying to use my words against me"

She shrugs her shoulders "Of course. I'm very 'not' clumsy"

"And who is? Me?" he lifts his yogurt cup taking in the last spoon of the milky paste before throwing it into a trash next to them.

"Just look at your mouth. You can't even eat well. Not to talk about last night when you couldn't order collaterals to handle cases while you stayed back with your fiancée as supposed. Rather, you disturbed my tranquility. I was just standing there on my own, taking in good air and minding my stuff. So tell me, if we should talk about clumsiness, where will you classify yourself?"

"Why don't you just look into this rightfully? I took care of you when you were overly drunk after taking just a little portion of my liquor. But here you are condemning me for being unskillful. Why are women always negative minded and ungrateful?"

"Such a good point you know. But I wish to ask; do you have a problem with women? What did they do to you? Tell me. Common, open it up"

He chuckles, shaking his head "You're such a talkative and a gossip"

She scoffs "Gossip? How is that? I'm just being realistic."

He walks to the sink and washes his hands while she waits for him to speak.

He doesn't want to but she keeps glaring at him, eyes wide like an owl "Are you for real?"

She turns, her back facing him as she stares the fridge, which reflects her. "I don't look like a clown do I?

He reaches for a kerchief and wipes the liquid dripping from his hand, his eyes showcasing admiration.

"You're the biggest clown I've ever known"

She scratches her head, as if computing on his words "No, I'm not"

"Yes, you are"

"No?"

"Y e s" he stresses the word and she shakes her head "Whatever. So tell me. I'm not done with you"

"I can't remember your question. What was it again?"

Her eyes deforms into a crevice, earning a chortle from him.

"Why are you laughing?" she questions

"Because you look very funny"

Her forehead folds and she re-turns to see her countenance on the fridge, though it's not a tad clear.

"Do you even see from there? I've noticed you strain your eyes a lot"

"That's because I'm shortsighted; Maybe explaining the reason why I didn't see you at first. Not because I had pride like you who saw me and couldn't greet"

"Here we restart from afresh. Are you trying to make me feel guilty or something? Because it's working"

She meets his gaze and they are extremely close now. "I'm glad it worked"

He nods "I can see you're easily fooled"

Her smile fades at an instance and he giggles. But she isn't doing that because of what he said. She is staring at his fiancée who is right over his shoulder.

To be continued...