Chapter 6

Three days after, Farrah and Neemah landed on the island of St. Kitts and Nevis feeling tired from the long flight but excited to be in the picture-perfect country.

“I’ve never been on a vacation before,” Neemah said with childlike enthusiasm.

“This is surely a good place to start,” Farrah said with a smile. She couldn’t wait to explore the island country once they’d rested and settled in.

They took a cab to Cousin Indira's house located in the small town of Queensland. The 45-minute drive to the breathtakingly beautiful suburb where the holiday home was located was an enjoyable ride for Farrah and Neemah who spent the entire trip admiring the lovely view as they drove past.

“If a place on earth can be his beautiful, imagine how awesome heaven would be,” Neemah gushed.

“You’re right, Aunty,” Farrah agreed. “I’ve been to many beautiful places, but so far, I think this country takes the cake. I can’t wait to go sightseeing!”

Neemah was pleased to see Farrah speaking and acting like her normal self again. “We should rest first, I think.”

“You’re right, this isn’t a place to explore with tired eyes. It’s almost 4 p.m. so I guess today is off. We’ll start sightseeing tomorrow.”

The caretaker of the 4-room bungalow met them at the front door of the house. Mr. Jacob Devon was a slender, jovial middle-aged American who lived nearby with his wife and their teenage twin daughters.

“Welcome to St. Kitts and Nevis, ladies,” Mark greeted them enthusiastically. “I hope you had a pleasant flight?”

“Yes, we did,” Farrah and Neemah replied in unison.

“Perfect! My name is Jacob Devon, but you can call me Jake.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Jake,” Farrah replied. “My name is Farrah Njoku, and this is my Aunty, Neemah Kapoor.”

“Nice to meet you ladies. As you may already know, I am the caretaker of this property and your tour guide, if you so wish. If you need anything or have questions about how things function here or how to get around, please feel free to ask me. My house is only a short walk away from here, you can stop by whenever you want. My wife and daughters and our dog are around most of the time, so if you need company don’t hesitate to come over. I hope you’re going to enjoy your stay here. Let me help you with your bags and then I’ll show you around the place.”

“Thank you,” Farrah replied warmly. It was great to have such a welcoming person nearby to make them feel at home, sort of. She was already having a good feeling about this holiday.

******

Once settled in, Farrah and Neemah decided to explore the beautiful house again on their own. Jake had done a great job of showing them around the expansive bungalow; the flower garden outside, the pear-shaped outdoor swimming pool, and a picture-perfect gazebo in the backyard. The house itself looked like something out of a story book with its contemporary Victorian-style furnishings, exotic paintings, and a variety of colorful natural plants artfully positioned in every part of the house.

This house is perfect, Farrah had thought wistfully as they toured the house a second time. I could live here forever.

That evening, Mrs. Devon brought them a delightful home-cooked meal of pot roast and a vegetable salad which they had for dinner. They washed down the delicious food with a bottle of white wine they’d found in the pantry in the basement. Farrah couldn’t remember the last time she felt this happy, unbothered, and at peace with herself. She silently thanked her parents for encouraging her to take this trip.

They retired for the night around 10 p.m. both of them exhausted but happy. For the first time in days, Farrah truly slept. And then she dreamt.

This dream was similar to the other strange dream she had last week, but his time around, there was no Alex involved. It was just her, walking in the forest towards the thick mist. There was a full moon on the horizon, and it cast a soft light on her surroundings. The glowing eyes showed up again in the shadows, approaching her as before but she still couldn’t decipher what the creature could be.

“Who are you?” she asked, without speaking.

“What do you think I am?” the creature replied, its voice was neither male nor female.

“Please reveal yourself to me,” Farrah said. She felt a longing to know the creature, to see its true form.

The creature studied her for a few moments before it responded to her request. “As you wish,” it said.

It began to step forward into the moonlight slowly, then suddenly, Farrah heard someone calling her name and she looked back.

She woke to see Neemah sitting on her bed, giving her a curious look. “Farrah, are you ok?”

Farrah yawned and looked around her. Neemah had pulled the curtains back, flooding the room with bright sunlight. “Wow, it’s morning already?”

“It’s noon, actually,” Neemah informed her. “I’ve been trying to wake you all morning, but you wouldn’t budge. I was beginning to worry that something was wrong. Are you well?”

“Of course I am well, Aunty,” Farrah said with a lazy smile. “I needed that sleep. I feel so refreshed.”

“I’m happy to hear it,” Neemah said. “Now, let’s get the day started.”

They had brunch at a dainty café in town; it was a short walk from the house and the place was bubbling with tourists and honeymooners. It was a warm day, perfect for sightseeing and window shopping. Neemah had ditched her usual sari for a short sleeve cotton blouse and a long colorful Caribbean skirt which made her look younger and girly. Farrah couldn’t remember when she’d last seen her aunty looking this casual. She opted for a pair of skimpy denim shorts, a cotton tank top, and a pair of strappy sandals. She’d held up her hair in a bun to keep the long tresses away from her neck.

The two of them walked around the busy streets after their meal with their arms linked together like happy sisters. They found a beautiful greenhouse that doubled as a flower shop along the road.

“Should we get some flowers?” Farrah asked.

Neemah scoffed. “Where would you put them? That house is already bursting at the seams with all kinds of flowers and plants.”

Farrah laughed. “Ok then, let’s just go in and take a look around. Look, they even serve free lattes.”

“Why do rich people like free things?”

“Everybody likes free things,” Farrah said with a laugh.

They entered the greenhouse, and it seemed like they’d been transported into another universe. The inside was even more amazing than it looked from the outside. Farrah suddenly had a feeling of déjà vu, which was ridiculous because she’d never been to the island of St. Kitts and Nevis, let alone a random greenhouse in the quaint little town of Queensland. Maybe it’s because of those weird dreams I’ve been having lately, she thought. This could be the meaning.

An attendant came to ask them if they were looking for a particular plant or flower, and they told her they were just looking around. Once they were alone again, they continued their exploration arm in arm towards the in-house flower garden.

“Wow…Have you ever seen anything so divine?” Farrah breathed in awe.

“You,” a male voice said beside her.

Farrah turned to look at the person who had spoken and her jaw literally dropped. She’d never in her life seen a male human being who was that gorgeous. The young man was quite tall, probably six-feet four-inches or so; his slightly slanted eyes were deep green with flecks of gold and framed with dark short eyelashes, under perfectly arched thick eyebrows. He had a straight nose that towered over a pair of lush full lips. His closely cropped hair was dark brown and curly, and his skin was the color of raw honey. He wore a white linen shirt with the first three buttons undone, revealing a wide, muscular chest. His khaki cargo shorts, brown sandals, and knapsack completed his tourist look. He was all lean muscles with no extra bit of fat anywhere. The obscenely handsome man continued to stare at Farrah with a weird look in his eyes. He almost looked shocked.

“Um, hi,” Farrah greeted with a smile.

The guy didn’t respond but he continued to stare at her with that dazed look. Farrah started to get freaked out, so she took a step back.

“Are you ok?” she asked tentatively.

He blinked a few times, then cleared his throat as he attempted to regain his composure. “Uh, yes. Hi. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to gawk at you like that. That was very rude of me, and I apologize,” he spoke with an American accent and the words seemed to be tumbling out of his mouth in a rush.

Farrah smiled widely to put him at ease. He didn’t seem like a creepy person to her. He was probably having an off moment before. “It’s ok,” she assured him.

“My name is Ryan Brown,” he introduced himself politely.

“I’m Farrah Njoku, and this is my Aunty Neemah.”

“Pleased to meet you, Farrah. Hello Aunty Neemah.”

Neemah responded with a smile and a wave. She was eager to get back to her sightseeing and this pretty-faced hunk was getting in the way. He was probably a serial killer or a psychopath because no sane human being could ever look that perfect. It wasn’t normal.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?” he asked.

“We are from Nigeria,” Farrah replied. “I’m half Nigerian, half Indian, and my Aunty here is full Indian.”

He laughed. “I see. I just couldn’t figure out the accent and that’s funny because I’ve met some Nigerians before.”

“Well, my accent is a combination of my two nationalities, so it’s unique,” Farrah said proudly.

“I agree,” he said with a smile. “Is this your first time in St. Kitts and Nevis?”

“Yes. And you?”

“Third time. This island keeps pulling me back to itself. The place is too beautiful to be real.”

“I know right! It’s such a breathtaking place. I don’t know how the locals can stand it.”

“I bet they’re just as awestruck as we are. Each time I come here, it feels like the first time all over again.”

Neemah tugged at Farrah’s arm impatiently. This stop-and-greet with the strange man was already taking too long and they still had other places to check out.

Farrah got the message loud and clear. “Ok Ryan, we’ll be on our way now. We’ve still got a lot of sightseeing to do around town.”

“Yeah, sure,” he said but he looked somewhat disappointed to see her go. “It was nice talking to you.”

“Same here,” Farrah said. She let Neemah drag her out of the greenhouse. “Why are we out here? I thought we were still checking out flowers.”

“We were until that weirdo showed up. Let’s just go somewhere else, ok?”

“Aunty Neemah!” Farrah laughed. “Why would you call him a weirdo?”

“Trust me, Farrah. If a man looks that handsome, he most likely has a problem or he is the problem. Whichever one it is, you surely don’t want to see his other side because it won’t be pretty.”

Farrah couldn’t hide her amusement. “Oh my goodness, Aunty. You’re going to kill me with laughter.”

“Better to die of laughter than at the hands of an axe murderer,” Neemah said seriously.

“Now he’s an axe murderer?” Farrah laughed till her eyes became wet with tears. “You should be a comedian, Aunty. You’d be a hit, trust me.”

“Whatever…” Neemah grumbled. “Where are we going next?”

They took a short trip to the art museum before stopping at a burger joint for lunch. Once they were done eating, they took a cab ride to the biggest mall in the town, strolled in and out of the shops, checked out a few boutiques, bought some knickknacks from a cute little store that sold handmade jewelry, and finally grabbed some ice cream which they ate under a tent made of palm fronds outside the mall.

As the sun began to set, the ladies took a leisurely walk along the boulevard, admiring the sights and sounds. They eventually stopped at a restaurant to eat dinner before hopping into a taxi to take them back home. By the time they got to the bungalow, it was nighttime and they were both exhausted.

Farrah took a warm bath in the white almond-shaped tub in her bathroom before going to bed. I could get used to this life, she thought as she fell asleep.

******

“I feel guilty living like this,” Neemah confessed as they enjoyed their cups of lemon tea. It was nearly noon the next day and they’d woken up only a couple of minutes earlier.

“You’re on holiday, Aunty. This is how it’s supposed to be,” Farrah said before gingerly taking a sip of her hot tea. “I can’t believe you never took a break all these years. Why though?”

“Well, your parents always gave me a break every couple of months like they do the other staff, but I had nowhere to go, so I’d just stay put in the house and carry on with my work.”

“Didn’t you ever feel the desire to home to visit your relatives?”

“No, what for?” Neemah said bravely and sipped her tea.

“I don’t know, maybe just for the sake of it. I can’t imagine being away from my family for so long and not going back home to see them whenever I got the chance.”

Neemah rolled her eyes. “Well, you know they’re not my immediate family, and I’d always felt like a stranger in their midst, that was why I grabbed the opportunity to go live with your family when I did. It’s not as if they didn’t care for me or showed me love, I was the one who couldn’t connect with them emotionally, and eventually, they stopped trying. I just never got over the loss of my parents, so I avoided getting emotionally attached to anyone until I met you. You were such an adorable toddler then and your round cheeks and cheerful smiles healed my broken heart.”

“Aww…” Farrah said and gave Neemah's hand a gentle squeeze.

“Ok, enough about me now. Where are we going today?”

“I think we should hit the beach today. I’m sure it’s a crime to visit St. Kitts and Nevis and not go to the beach, so we better hurry up and go before the law enforcement here track us down and have us arrested for breaking the law.”

That one got Neemah laughing. “We better hurry up then. I don’t want to go to jail.”

The beach turned out to be even more beautiful than what they’d seen in pictures. The white sand was smooth and dotted with colorful seashells; the sea was a bright shade of turquoise and there were tall palm trees that swayed in the breeze while providing natural shades for beach goers. The view was spectacular.

“You’re right, Aunty. I can’t imagine what heaven might look like if a place on earth can be this beautiful already,” Farrah said as they lounged under a beach umbrella that they’d rented at the entrance to the beach. “This place is awesome!”

They laid out the meal they’d bought at the neighborhood café on the large towel they brought along with them and had their first meal right there in front of the ocean.

“This place is perfect for a honeymoon,” Neemah said as she munched on a sandwich.

“True,” Farrah agreed.

Once they were done with their food, they waded in the water for several minutes and took pictures with the Canon camera that Farrah had brought with them on the trip. She’d left her phone in Nigeria, so the only when for anyone to reach them from home was on Neemah’s phone.

Their next stop was at a local farmer’s market where they bought fruits, vegetables, and some ingredients to make curry because Neemah was itching to cook after being idle for two days. As they playfully bantered with one vegetable seller, Farrah felt someone’s eyes on her. For some weird reason, she knew it was Ryan even before she spotted him. As if drawn by a magnet, she looked up and straight ahead, and there he was across from her in front of the mango stall. Their eyes met and he smiled at her.

He was dressed in a green T-shirt, a pair of denim shorts, and Nike slides. He carried his knapsack sideways like a carefree teenager. Without waiting for an invitation, he strode purposefully towards her.

Farrah felt her heartbeat quicken with excitement. This is crazy, she thought. She’d never felt this heart-racing, butterflies-in-the-belly feeling before, not even with Alex. It’s got to be those dreamy eyes and charming smile that are affecting me, she reasoned logically.

“Hi Ryan,” she greeted once he reached where she stood.

“Hi, Farrah. We meet again,” he said, smiling. “I felt like kicking myself yesterday when I realized that I didn’t ask for your number.”

“That’s very presumptuous of you to think I’d give you my number when I didn’t even know who you were,” Farrah said coyly.

“A guy can hope,” he said with a laugh. “Hello, Aunty Neemah.”

Neemah replied with a tight smile. She was so sure Ryan was stalking them because let’s face it, what were the odds of running into the same stranger twice in a town bustling with hundreds of tourists? How did he just happen to run into them again? That was surely not a coincidence and Neemah didn’t like it at all.

“So…about the number,” Ryan said with a disarming smile.

He’s going to charm me out of panties, Farrah thought and almost blushed. “I didn’t come here with my phone, so there’s no number to give you.”

Ryan laughed. “Come on! Who goes out without their phone?”

“I mean that I traveled here without my phone. Aunty Neemah’s phone is my only way to make or receive calls.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.”

“Yeah. I didn’t want any distractions while I’m holidaying here. That’s the whole point of coming here in the first place.”

“Cool,” he said with an understanding nod.

“We better be on our way now Farrah,” Neemah piped in.

“So how do I see you again?” Ryan asked.

“Maybe we’ll run into each other again,” Farrah said with a carefree shrug of her shoulders. Although she didn’t want to admit it openly, she truly wanted to see him again and maybe hang out with him without Neemah hovering nearby.

“I may not be that lucky next time. Can I have your Aunty's number then?”

“No,” Neemah said before Farrah could respond. “I don’t feel comfortable giving out my phone number to a stranger.”

Farrah fixed her face quickly before her frown fully took shape. She was beginning to find Neemah’s unwelcoming attitude quite irritating. Neemah was here as her companion, not her chaperone.

“That’s not a problem,” Farrah said with a warm smile to hide her annoyance. “Where are you staying?”

“The Baron Hotel. It’s very close to the White Shore beach.”

“I think I know the hotel. We were at the beach earlier today and we saw the hotel nearby. Remember, Aunty?”

Neemah ignored her and busied herself with arranging the vegetables inside her shopping bag.

“We’re staying at a place on Ferns Avenue in Sunset Bay. It’s a pretty house that belongs to my mom’s cousin and her husband.” She heard Neemah’s grunt of disapproval, but she didn’t care.

“Wait, is it Chet and Indira Reynolds’ bungalow?” he asked.

“Yes! You know them?”

“I met them the last time I was here. That was two years ago, and I’d come to St. Kitts with a bunch of friends. One of them got an invitation to a party the Reynolds were hosting that summer, so we all went along, and we had a great time.”

“That place is truly a fantastic place to have a party,” Farrah said.

“It is,” Ryan agreed. “And speaking of parties, would you like to check out some hot spots in town this evening? Queensland does have a bubbling nightlife that you’ll love. That’s assuming you enjoy hanging out at night.”

“I hardly go out at night because I’m usually too busy sleeping after working all day. But I’m here on holiday, so why not? What time should we meet up?”

“How about 7 o’clock?”

“Perfect,” Farrah said with a huge grin. She couldn’t wait to spend some time with Ryan and get to know him.

“I’ll come over to pick you up then,” Ryan said. He was already looking forward to the evening.

“That’d be great,” Farrah said with excitement.

The taxi ride back to the bungalow was awkward. Farrah tried starting a conversation with Neemah, but she was completely ignored. The older woman sat still and sulked silently till they got home. Once inside, she marched straight to the kitchen to unload the shopping bag.

“What are you sulking about, Aunty?” Farrah finally asked.

“Have you no concern for our safety?” Neemah asked. “How could you tell a stranger where we are staying? What if he’s a thief or a rapist?”

“My goodness, Aunty! Calm down. Why are you so paranoid?”

“Why aren’t you?”

Farrah exhaled wearily. Neemah’s protectiveness was beginning to grate on her nerves. She came here for peace and calm, to escape briefly from the harsh reality that awaited her in Nigeria. Now here she was fighting with her ex-nanny because she chose to make friends with an attractive stranger. Farrah wondered if Neemah would have been more at ease if the guy were unattractive. Why would she associate a good-looking man with danger? It didn’t make sense.

“Do you think that he ran into us again today by luck?” Neemah asked her. “Do you think that was a coincidence?”

“So what are you saying? That he stalked us?”

“Yes!”

“This is ridiculous, and you need to stop with all these negative assumptions. It’s not nice.”

“Listen to me, Farrah, I have a sharp instinct when it comes to people with skeletons in their cupboards. I don’t know how I know these things, but I just do.”

Farrah rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was getting tired of this line of conversation with Neemah. Although she appreciated the genuine show of concern, she couldn’t encourage this behavior any longer or else her holiday would be ruined. She came here to relax and have a great time, and that was what she would do, whether Neemah liked it or not.

“Thank you, Aunty, for looking out for me; but the truth is, I came here to get a breath of fresh air, not stay locked indoors like a fearful child. If Ryan does turn out to be the evil monster that you say he is, I’ll make sure to let you know. In the meantime, I’ll be in my room. I need to rest, then get ready for my date with Ryan this evening.”

With that, she walked out of the kitchen leaving Neemah to stare at her retreating back in utter disbelief.

******

At 7 p.m. sharp, Ryan showed up at the bungalow in his rental car. It was a champagne-colored Volkswagen Polo, perfectly cozy for two tourists on a mission to explore the town at dusk.

Farrah who had spent the past 30 minutes sitting by the window, waiting for her date, couldn’t contain her excitement the moment she saw him striding towards the house. He’d changed into a black buttoned-down shirt with its sleeves rolled up at the elbows, a pair of grey chinos, and a pair of black moccasins. Gosh, he’s so handsome! She thought. She felt like a teenage girl who was about to go on a date with her crush.

On her way to the front door, Neemah caught up with her. “Here, take my mobile phone,” Neemah said. “I’ve stored the number of this house in it with Indira's name, so you can call if you need m—I mean, if you need anything.”

Farrah smiled and hugged her unofficial mom. “Thank you, Aunty. That was very thoughtful of you.”

The doorbell rang and Farrah hurried off to answer the door. “See you later, Aunty,” she said.

“Be safe,” Neemah replied.

Outside, Ryan was struck speechless by how beautiful Farrah looked. She’d opted for a shimmery gold dress that stopped just above her knees, a pair of black open-toe booties, and a matching mini purse with a long strap. Her long hair was swept to one side and held in place with a variety of small gold hair pins. She looked like a modern-day fairy but without wings.

“Cat got your tongue?” she teased. She was pleased to see that he was as attracted to her as she was to him. Bingo!

“Wow…” he breathed. “You’re so beautiful!”

She smiled with pleasure. “Thank you, sir. And you don’t look too shabby yourself.”

He grinned. “Thanks.”

“So, where are we going tonight?”

He held out his arm for her to loop hers in and said, “Everywhere.”

Ryan was right; Queensland at night was a whole different ball game. The place had transformed into a mini–Las Vegas. There were strings of lights glowing brightly along the streets. Some of the restaurants and cafés had set up live bands or solo performers outdoors, and customers enjoyed their meals and drinks outside while listening to good music.

Farrah and Ryan made their first stop at a local bar that was nearly packed full of customers, and there was a jazz band playing on stage. They ordered a cocktail and enjoyed the upbeat music. Next, they went to a restaurant that was designed like a cruise ship. The place was famous for its menu which featured a wide range of intercontinental dishes.

“This place is so sublime!” Farrah gushed.

“Correct you are,” Ryan replied in a poor imitation of a pirate’s voice.

Farrah laughed. She was having such a good time.

When it was time to order, she requested a Thai dish called Gka Prow Gai, on the menu and hoped she’d like it, while Ryan ordered Feijoada, a Brazilian delicacy. They had some nuts and wine as they waited for their meals to arrive.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Farrah began. “What’s your ethnicity?”

Ryan chuckled. “I’m sort of a hybrid,” he said.

“A hybrid?”

“Yeah. My mom is half Japanese and half Canadian, while my dad is half Native American and half African American. I also have an Irish ancestor somewhere in the mix.”

“Whoa! You are truly a citizen of the world. You should have multiple passports.”

He laughed hard. “I like your sense of humor. It’s so refreshing.”

“Thanks. So what do you do?”

“I’m a veterinary doctor. Been at it for the past seven years and I love it.”

“Cool. I like animals too, but from a distance,” she confessed, and he laughed again. “So, are you an only child like me?”

“Nope. I have a brother, three years younger than me. And if you’re wondering, I’m 35.”

“You look much younger,” she said with a flirty smile. Farrah didn’t know if it was the atmosphere or the country, but she was throwing caution to the wind and putting all her cards on the table.

Ryan liked the positive vibes he was getting from her. “Dare I ask your age?”

Farrah gasped dramatically. “Haven’t you heard? Never ask a lady her age.”

“Oops! My bad,” Ryan said with a laugh.

Their meals arrived and Farrah was glad that the food she ordered tasted superb. She took a few bites off Ryan’s plate, earning her a charming grin from him. She had no idea how much effect that public show of intimacy had on him.

As they ate, she told him a bit about herself, leaving out the part about Alex and her canceled wedding. No need to air her dirty laundry just yet; besides, it wasn’t like they were even dating yet, so why bore him with her sad tales? I’m just here for a good time, she reminded herself.

She got to know that his mother was a former schoolteacher who now ran a small but profitable bookstore in their hometown in Fairbanks, Alaska, while his dad was a pharmacist and owned a drugstore on the outskirts of town. His younger brother lived in Chicago with his wife and their toddler daughter, and he worked as a freelance sound engineer for film and music studios. Like his brother, he also lived in Chicago where he worked in a major specialist vet hospital.

“We’re a close-knit pack, and we try to spend most holidays together. That’s one of the things I love about my family, we’re slightly obsessed with each other,” he said with a smile.

“That’s so sweet,” Farrah said sincerely. “I always wished I had a sibling or two. Unfortunately, my mom couldn’t have another child after me. She suffered a series of miscarriages, but the last straw that broke the camel’s back was an ectopic pregnancy that nearly took her life. I was 12 when that happened, although at the time I didn’t know what had happened to her. I just knew that she was taken to the hospital for surgery, and she stayed there for weeks. I only got to know the details when I got older.”

“Sorry about that,” he said. “That must have been awful.”

“Yeah…”

He noticed her mood was changing and he didn’t like that.

“Wanna go somewhere else for dessert?” he asked.

Her eyes lit up immediately. “Sure!”

He asked for the bill, and she insisted on splitting it with him. He’d wanted the dinner to be his treat, but she wouldn’t hear it, so they both paid. He then took her to an ice cream bar that offered all kinds of confectionery and candies. They ordered cheesecakes with milkshakes which they ate alfresco.

“How long are you here for?” Farrah wanted to know.

“Ten days,” Ryan replied in between sips of his milkshake. “I’ve already spent four days, so that leaves me with six more days to enjoy this paradise. What about you?”

“Eleven days, three days down already. Eight more days to go.”

“Sounds like we’ve got more days to hang out then,” he said hopefully.

“You’re right, we do,” she agreed. “I hope your girlfriend wouldn’t mind though,” she added cleverly. She wanted to be sure about his relationship status because she found it almost impossible to believe that a man this good-looking would be single.

Ryan threw back his head and laughed. “Aren’t you a clever little mouse!”

“I’m not a mouse,” she said with a playful pout. “I just don’t want to be sure I’m not out here with someone else’s man.”

“Farrah, I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said.

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure some of your ancestors aren’t Nigerian?”

Ryan tried to stifle the laugh that was bubbling inside him. He knew Farrah was about to drop a bombshell and he was so here for it. “I don’t think so. Why?”

“You see, a lot of eligible, handsome Nigerian guys would tell you right off the bat that they’re single when you first meet them. But then, a huge number of young Nigerian ladies have boyfriends. So I ask, who are the people dating these women if all the guys are single? The math doesn’t add up.”

Ryan roared with laughter. He hadn’t laughed this hard in a very long time. “You are very funny,” he said in between laughs.

Farrah loved to see that she’d made him laugh this much. “Well, it comes with the package,” she said.

“I don’t know what’s up with Nigerian guys, but I’m telling you for real, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Glad to hear it,” she said with a satisfied smile.

It was well past midnight when Ryan finally dropped off Farrah at the bungalow. He walked her to the front door like a perfect gentleman.

“Thank you for giving me such a fun evening,” Farrah said with a warm smile. “I had a great time.”

“So did I,” said Ryan. He leaned in tentatively and kissed her on the forehead. “Goodnight, Farrah.”

Farrah hid her disappointment with a smile. She’d be hoping for a real kiss. “Goodnight Ryan. See you tomorrow.”

Neemah had retired to her room for the night, so Farrah had to quietly tiptoe to her room to avoid waking her aunty. Once inside her room, she undressed and went into the bathroom for a shower. The evening had turned out better than she’d expected. The next couple of days would surely be exciting and she couldn’t wait to experience it all.

She was so knackered that she fell asleep the moment her body hit the bed.