79

"I've missed you."She whimpered her eyes watering with tears.

"I missed you too darling. How are you?"I asked her.

My sister was my best friend, my confidant and the one person I could rely on to always be a constant in my life. We had a three year age gap, two years and nine months to he exact but that didn't matter. We looked alike, dressed the same and liked all the same things. She was more outgoing than I was but I liked that because we both couldn't be indoor cats, one of us needed go push the other to actually live life and she was that for me.

"I'm okay, school was long and boring but at least we had a few occasions this term. Speaking of occasions, the Annual General Meeting is next month and I need you there. I haven't seen you for so long."She demanded.

"I'll be working next month."I apologized.

"Yeah mom told me about your new job as a teacher. Congratulations by the way but the AGM will be on a Saturday so you'll be free. Please come."She pleaded with a pout.

"Okay I'll work on it. You'll be home for the next couple of weeks so we'll discuss the details later."I replied caving.

"Yes! Thank you so much. Wait, why is it so windy there? Where are you?"My sister asked trying to figure out but I was holding the phone close to my face so all she could see was me.

"I'm on a boat."I admitted to her.

"In Nairobi?"She asked confused since it would be weird to be on a boat in the mainland.

"No I'm at the coast."I replied then braced myself for the scream that was coming.

She didn't disappoint and let it rip neatly bursting off my ear drums.

"Alma. Alma! Al! Stop it."I scolded her.

"Let me be excited for this. My sister is finally living out her dream to travel. I'm just disappointed I'm not there to live it with you."She replied with a hint of sadness at the end.

"You're in your final year of high school. By the time you're done I'll be financially stable enough to take you with me. I promise."I assured her.

"Really? You mean that?"She cheered.

"Yes as long as you do your best in your final exams."I answered.

"I definitely will. So who are you at the coast with?"She asked knowing me well enough to put two and two together that I wouldn't travel there alone.

My sister and I didn't keep secrets and I trusted her enough not to tell my parents anything.

"My boyfriend and his friends."I whispered afraid either of my parents would hear but they probably weren't even around.

Alma didn't say anything, just stared at me in shock and I thought the screen has frozen until she dropped the phone and started screaming and dancing around. I didn't even bother telling her to stop because she wouldn't hear me over all the noise she was making. Finally she picked the phone up after calming herself enough to string a complete sentence.

"Are you done?"I asked her.

"Yes so tell me about this new addition to your life? What's his name? What does he do? Is he hot? Is he rich? Does he treat you like a princess?"She ranted out question after question.

"Which one do you want me to answer first?"I challenged.

"All of them."She demanded.

"Okay fine but if you scream again or drop the phone I'm hanging up."I replied.

"I'll do my best to remain calm."She promised taking a deep breath and sitting down.

"His name is Hunter Makau, he has his own company. Yes he is very handsome and hot as you put it. He treats me like a queen and you would like him if you met him."I answered her.

I could see Alma fidgeting in her seat meaning she wanted to get up and dance again but she knew I wouldn't like it so she stopped herself.

"Wow, he sounds like your dream man. Can I meet him?"She asked excitedly.

"No."I declined without a second thought.

"But why?"She whined.

"Because, it's too soon."I replied lamely.

"No it's not if you're already on a vacation with him and his friends. When did you two meet?"She insisted.

"On my birthday."I replied.

"Awesome, sorry I missed that by the way, school is a bitch. I know how much you had looked forward to turning 22."She apologized.

"It's okay, school first but you can't meet Hunter."I asserted.

"Come on please, I'll be nice."She insisted.

"No."I gritted out.

The only harm in letting Alma meet Hunter was the fact that she wouldn't be able to tame her mouth. She could get over excited and embarrass the both of us.

"Please Nala."She begged again.

I was about to say no again when I saw Hunter from corner of my eye. I'd been on the phone for quite a while so he was probably worried about me. He spotted me, waved and started approaching me. I hadn't concluded the call with my sister so I hugged the phone to my chest.

"Baby girl, you've been on the phone for quite a while. Who are you talking to?"Hunter asked getting to me and kissed my forehead.

"My sister, she just got home from school."I replied.

"Is that him? He sounds hot. Let me see him."Alma's sharp voice quipped.

See what I meant by her embarrassing me. I looked at Hunter feeling foolish while he just smirked at me. The girl didn't know what being subtle meant. I blindly tried to hang up the phone without looking at the screen.

"Shit! He is hot. Wait I know that face."Alma said and I looked at my screen to realize that instead of hanging up I'd turned the camera around so that she now had full view of Hunter.

"Don't you dare hang up. I've already seen him so let me meet him."She demanded in her bossy little tone.

"Yes let me meet your sister, you're always talking about her so I feel like I already know her."Hunter said and it was now two against one, a battle I couldn't win.

Admitting defeat I turned the camera around and gave Hunter the phone.

"Hi Alma, I'm Hunter, Nala's boyfriend."He introduced himself.

"Hi, you're so handsome. Any younger brothers?"She asked making Hunter laugh and me slap my face in embarrassment.

"Yes but he's already married."Hunter replied.

"Too bad. Wait, I do know you. Why do you look so familiar?"Alma asked him.

"I don't know, we've never met before."Hunter shrugged giving her the chance to figure it out on her own.

"Are you a model?"Alma asked.

"No."

"Actor?"

"Nope."

"I know I've seen you on Tv or in a magazine. Just tell me."Alma pleaded.

"Come on you're smart, you can figure it out."Hunter encouraged her.

Alma was silent for a while until her eyes lit up in recognition.

"You're Hunter Mutua, the vice presidents first born son. Holy shit Nala, you're dating the vice president's son."Alma exclaimed before she started screaming and dancing again.

I took the phone from Hunter and hang up. That wasn't something she would calm down from fast enough so I let her run her mouth and we would talk later.

"I like your sister. Now I see the resemblance between you two."Hunter chuckled.

"Yeah people say we do look alike."I added.

"Yeah that too but I meant in behaviors. She just reacted the same way you did when you realized who I was the morning after we slept together, words and all."He replied.

"She is a mini me."I added nervously.

"She's okay baby girl, once she's calmed down we'll do this again but for now let's go enjoy time with our friends."Hunter declared.

"Okay."I nodded.

Hunter swooped in to kiss me before taking my hand and leading me back to the deck where our friends were.

I texted Alma and told her I'd talk to her in a few hours and to keep our conversation to herself. I didn't want my parents finding out that I was dating or who I was dating just yet.

The sun had already started to burn so I got rid of my sundress leaving me in a neon green two piece bikini. I made sure Hunter and I both layered up with sunscreen because the heat in the middle of the ocean was no joke.

"Dolphins."Evelyn exclaimed attracting our attention.

Everyone rushed to see and swimming along side the boat were bottlenose dolphins. Getting to experience something like that in person and not through a screen was an indescribable feeling. I felt as if I was on top of the world and it was all because of Hunter.

I turned to him and surprises him with a kiss.