CHAPTER 26

Julia sat down on her couch and looked around, everywhere was well arranged but not entirely neat.

" I'll clean this place and wash my clothes."

She voiced in her mind as she looked around. She sniffed herself, she didn't smell too good, she sighed, got up, and sprayed Air fresher all over the living room she goes inside, switched off her ceiling fan, closed the windows and dropped the curtains in her bed room.

Then she goes to the kitchen, opens her fridge and takes out a box of fruit juice with two, white, mugs.

Shortly after that, Dante' walked into the living room, she sits on a big couch and placed the two cups and the box of orange juice on the glass table.

Dante' sat beside her.

" Want some? " She asked him while pouring juice into her cup.

He shakes his head indicating ' No'

Julia poured some juice into the other cup and filled it to the brim, she puts it on a table before Dante' and says.

" That's for you, incase you change your mind. "

Dante' smiled and said.

" All right. " He reached out and held the mug.

Julia took a sip from her cup of orange juice and Dante' did the same. They stared at each other in silence. She looked into his starry, grey, eyes and was unable to look away.

Julia taught they were having a moment but Dante' broke the weird silence and awkward staring contest between them by saying.

" There's no need asking about last night, since it seems to piss you off, I'll leave that and say. How was your day? "

He asked, to start a conversation.

Julia sighed and paused to think about her day, She did a mental recap of how her day went, well, starting from last night.

First, she was foolish enough to go to a wild club by herself,

Two, she allowed herself to get drunk and followed a stranger to his house almost getting raped in the process, three, she almost lost her job and four, the last and the most confusing to her, she was slowly and strangely liking Dante' and his presence Somehow she was beginning to like him. But she rebuked the thought of loving him. No that would go against her self boundaries.

Dante' looked at her curiously, his eyes wide and ears waiting to hear her answer the question he asked her almost two minutes ago. He watched her eyes flutter, She seemed to be staring at nothing. He wondered what was going on in her mind so he asked.

" Julia?" He says, snapping her out of her self indulged thoughts.

" Huh? " She mumbled, when she realized she had been silent, staring into space and having some kind of mental trance.

Dante' laughed at her clumsiness and emotional transparency.

"What?" She asked, slightly irritated, By his mocking laughter.

" Sorry " He says,, apologizing for laughing hysterically.

"It's just that..." He takes a pause and explains further.

" I find you intriguing. Really. "

He says with a smile.

" Whatever, I just had a bad day. "

She snorted.

Dante' looked at Julia as she sipped her juice. He had a million things on his mind to tell her but what came out of his mouth was.

" You know, when I first saw you, I thought you were one of those hookers who came to chill at a bar. "

He says earnestly.

Julia spits her juice in surprise.

"What? " She says, slightly offended.

" Yeah." Dante nods.

" But now, I can see that you're far from that."

He says to her in an honest tone, smiling non-stop.

Julia's frown turns into a look of realization.

" I don't blame you for thinking so, I was dressed as one. "

She says with a shrug, making him want to laugh.

Julia's facial expression turns into a look of admiration as she says.

" You know what I appreciate about you ? " She asked rhetorically.

" That I'm friendly? "

He guessed.

" No, well, yes, but I like the fact that you're brutally honest which is a rare trait, you hardly see candid people these days. " she compliments him and he smiles.

Looking at his cup, he smiled, even more appreciating this moment, He liked it when she said nice things to him. He had badly wanted to hear those words from her. And now, he was more than happy that she sees him as a good friend.

Julia sipped her juice and asked.

" Do you have any plans for tomorrow? Maybe we could hang out or go see a movie."

She suggested.

"My Passport is ready I'm traveling this evening to America to see my cousin, I'll be back on Monday morning."

Dante' revealed, slightly guilty for not being around to spend time with her.

"Oh, I'll miss you. "

Julia says, slightly disappointed that he won't be around to hang out.

And this was what he wanted, to be with her and be close to her. He was glad that they were bonding and she was already warming up to him. But he couldn't forfit his travel to America.

"Perhaps when I come back."

Dante' suggested.

" Sure. " Julia says with a smile.

" Or you can come to my apartment on Monday, so we can hang out. "

He suggested.

Julia frowned a bit, she wondered what he meant by that. Dante' looked at her wondering if she was offended by what he said. But Julia masked her confusion with a forged smile.

She calmly asked.

"Are you asking me to come over to your place and pay you a visit ? "

" If you want to. " Dante' says with a shrug. Julia nods, understanding what he meant.

She sips her juice and says.

" Thanks for helping me. "

" Your welcome. " He replied.

Dante's phone begins to ring from his pocket. He brings out his phone and looks at the screen, the name. 'Mr Givoz' popped up.

" I gotta go to the club to collect something. " He says as he gets up.

Julia followed his every move with her eyes, not wanting him to leave. She held on tightly to her mug and pressed her lips into a thin line as a form of self restraint and withheld opinion.

She wanted to say.

"Where are you going? Don't go yet, Stay with me, Come to my bedroom, So you can keep me warm. You called me a universe right? Well now I give you the permission to explore every part of me, you have no idea how much my body craves you but I don't wanna do something I'll regret..."

All these thoughts flowed in her head. But She controlled her emotions and mind, So what came out of her mouth was.

" Alright, thanks for coming, see you on Monday. "

She spoke in a calm tone with a subtle nod.

" Sure." Dante says as he walks towards the door.

Julia followed him and asked.

" Wait, You're not gonna taste from the apple pie ? "

"Nah, it's for you, enjoy it. "

He says with a warm smile, she nods.

He Walked out of her apartment without looking back and Julia locked the door as soon as he left.

" Whoo! " She breathed as she sat on the couch, feeling exhausted.