Matrimony

Chapter 9

John

I woke up feeling terribly hungry. The memories of last night came flooding back and I groaned stuffing my face with the pillow.

Why did she have to ruin it? I looked beside me and saw her gown neatly folded on the bed.

'I'm not evil, I'm just angry'

I mentally chanted to my self.

Picking the gown up I walked to the bathroom and dropped it inside a bucket of water. Let's see how stressful her day would go.

That was petty, I was acting like a spoilt little Brat.

I placed my attention back on my stomach removing it from her now dripping wet gown.

I could quickly warm the rice from last night and eat, maybe, just maybe I'll also give Wren some before she goes.

Approaching the kitchen I heard clatters of plates and someone humming.

I increased my pace and when I reached the doorpost I could see wren. She was barefoot, her small body still clothed in my white shirt.

Was it just me or was this girl doing things to me? I needed to get laid soon before it got out of hand.

She was washing some plates and had heated something in the microwave. I looked closely and noticed that she was washing the plates from last night.

The microwave beeped, she rinsed her hands and was about to check it when her phone vibrated loudly on the counter.

"So he finally sent it" she said a little bit loudly to her self before hissing and dropping the phone with a loud thump on the counter.

I didn't know why I was standing here watching this girl like a stalker but somehow I was enjoying it.

I had to stop.

"Good morning" I said getting her attention. She had opened the microwave but turned to look at me first.

Regret sorry

was what I saw in her eyes.

She better be.

"Hope you slept well?"

I now stood in front of her.

She bit her lips, then nodded.

"I.... Are you hungry. I heated the rice from yesterday. The soup is in the fridge in case you need it. I also cleared the dinning and I wanted to sweep it but I didnt know if I should sweep the petals away. Like in case you still need it"

I chuckled humorlessly.

"Why would I need it again?"

It's not like I bring girls every day to my house for dinner dates.

I made sure not to think aloud.

"Ohhh" was all she said and turned.

I ignored her and carried the rice out of the microwave our skin brushing a little.

I scooped some into a plate, carried a piece of chicken and a spoon.

"I'll be in my room"

I didn't look at her as I walked away.

The only thing my brain screamed was 'get away from her before you do something silly'

I sat in my room for what seemed like hours. I was done with eating but I didn't want to see Wren. She was in my house, I knew we would soon see but I still wanted to stay howled up in my room.

A knock came, maybe I was hallucinating.

The knock came again.

"Jhay, can I come in?"

Her soft voice weakened my resolve to not want to see her for a while.

"Yes" I breathed out. She opened the door and stood there for some seconds.

She looked like a little girl that just broke mama's pot and had come to confess.

She was doing it again, knotting her fingers and releasing them. After a minute it looked like she finally got courage because she came inside and closed the door.

I waited.

"I came to carry your plate, and tell you I'll soon be going?"

Here I was thinking she came to apologize.

"I don't remember hiring a maid"

My voice was stern, my gaze on anywhere but her.

"I just wanted to help, like wash the plates before I go"

I didn't reply her.

"I'm sorry about last night"

The words finally came out of her mouth.

My silence gave her the go ahead to continue.

"I know you really put in a lot of effort for last night and all I could do was just spoil it. Everything was going well, you were even making stupid comments about what you would like to eat. We were having a good time and I just spoilt it. I shouldn't have picked that call.

I allowed my self to look at her.

She continued blabbing.

"It's just my dad, he gets really annoying sometimes and I'm sorry I had to transfer the anger to you. I wasn't thinking right and I made a mistake. I'm really sorry. I'll just call a cab."

"You can't leave" I said stopping her midway to the door.

The confusion on her face waa priceless. "Why?"

I stood up from my bed and walked to the door. I was facing her, blocking her from her exit.

"Because I said so"

She was l0 getting angry. She hated it when people told her what to do. I had noticed that, and many other things.

I watched her as she tried to hide the anger. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Jhay, why can't I go? You can't tell me what to do"

Her finger poked my bare chest as she spoke.

Cute.

"I, your gown is wet and I'm not sure you would love to go out in just a shirt. I threw it inside a bucket of water."

I couldn't stop the ghost smile that played on my lips. Her hands flew up in exasperation.

"Why the hell did you do that to me?"

"You look cute and funny when your angry"

Stupid answer. I can swear the look she gave me made me stumble back a bit, if that's even possible. I tried again.

"I wasn't thinking, you really got on my nerve last night so I sneaked into your room around midnight and stole it."

"I just apologized" she screamed silently unbelievably.

"You didn't apologize last night"

I defended my self.

"f**k you"

She said slumping on my bed.

"Gladly" I smirked.

That earned a laughter from her and a pillow.

She sat up and I sat beside her.

"I'll spread the clothe outside, it should dry by evening"

I was hoping it never dried.

"So what should I, Wren Nkiru orji be doing till then in your house?"

"That's your full name, lovely"

"Jhay!" She hissed.

"Okay okay, Sorry. You once said f**k you and I was like 'gladly' we could do that"

She groaned and I laughed.

I was enjoying this but I knew it was time to get serious

"Maybe we could try again"

"And what's that?" She asked turning to fully face me.

"We could retry the date that you ruined last night, how about that?"

I explained laying emphasis on the 'you'

Her eyes lit up at the thought of that.

"That'd be nice sha. Thank God I didn't sweep away all those rose petals"

"No no, the last date I was the one that cooked and did all those designs"

She stood up, her eyes wide.

"So right now you're telling me that I should be the one to cook and design."

She placed her hand on her head and the other on her waist as she scoffed.

"How am I sure that you really cooked, you're trying to put this whole thing on me. You want to play the revenge game, well two can play that game"

Hysteric child.

"Do you want to know what other game two can play?"

"Shut up" was her main reply as she slapped my chest and walked off. I roared with laughter while I followed her into the kitchen.

Wren never does what people ask her to do, so she made me in charge of decoration and she, in charge of the cooking.

"I'm not cooking because you asked me to, I'm just doing it because I feel I should and because I want to"

She had said more than ten times while we worked.

She was warming up to me, that was all that mattered.