YES TO HARRY

CHAPTER THREE

Chapter Three

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, her eyes barely open, bed was askew now, part of her sheet wound up at the far end of her bed and the rest on the floor. She glanced around her untidy bedroom and smiled.. Yawning, she swung her feet onto the floor. It was icy, she kept them afloat instead glancing around for her slippers. They were somewhere at the edge of the bed, so she climbed down from that end instead. Even if Raina's lover had disappeared on her before she could wake, he had filled her mind with such good s*x the previous night she found it difficult to fault him.

“Perhaps, he had an emergency” she thought aloud.

Then tucked the rest of her love problems into a box in her head and tried to focus on figuring out items for her day's to-do list.

Raina was a pet lover and had found it quite difficult to get another, since she lost Dingle, her companion. Dingle meant more to her than just a dog and they had two whole years together. He seemed to understand and look out for her more practically than her fiance did, and severally she had caught herself reporting Sebastian's misdeeds to Dingle, who had the habit of sitting or laying with his jaw dropped, looking rapidly engrossed in her monologue. He was a much better listener too, Riana would say, running her hands over the dog's fluffy fur body while Dingle often licked her face excitedly in return.

At first she disliked it, and always kept a safe distance from the pet, but somehow each time Dingle did that it calmed her, and generally made her feel better within minutes and so she found it therapeutic and allowed the act to continue.

The dog was a buddy and losing him to what the doctors had termed soft tissue sarcoma, it was disheartening for her, dingle had required an emergency surgery. She had severally blamed herself for her short-sightedness claiming she was mostly buried in work at the time, and had too little time with Dingle and so could not notice soon enough, how ill he was or how little he ate any of his meals, his increased pacing, his skin paleness and reluctance to take walks.

Even when she finally did and consented to the surgery, Dr Lee Rahim had advised her that the poor dog, was too weak to go through such rigorous procedure and had died on the table, due to her insistence.

She wasn't going to get a dog this time. None could replace Dingle, go so she said her mind on something less noisy, less attention seeking and absolutely refreshing. So, she settled on a small aquarium when she walked into the aquarium store, that Saturday noon.

The shop owner had gone over they do's and don'ts with her, as well as the life expectancy of the guppy fish she settled for. She had paid for the necessary tank setup, first feeding needs etc. She was going to make the periodic water changes on her own, so as to familiarize herself with it.

Raina had asked for a weekly check up for the first month, just to be sure she was doing the right thing with catering to her new pets the best she could. Feeling great about her new guest and deal with the store she keeper, she made a downpayment and exchanged handshakes.

She had just climbed into the driver seat of her Audi Q5. When her phone rang for the first time since the day started, she had taken it off airplane mode, about an hour ago.

Somewhat disappointed on the name of the caller, she tapped on the green icon and answered.

Hey Val, to what do I owe this call?

Stop being dramatic now darling, it's just been a few days.

You call being literally unreachable for a whole week, a few days? The risk you take with these men, though.

Elvis is different Ray or rather is trying to be and you know how I love to live.

That you do! Raina concurred with a belly laugh.. Goodness, so are you back now? Raina asked.

Yeah, got in last night, only flight I could get. We should catch up, I've missed you terribly.

Right! Raina replied sarcastically.

Don't be like that, come on…I got you something, perhaps a piece offering.

It had better be good, Raina warned.

Oh, it is better than good I promise, you'll see, 6: 00 p.m Sunday, where would you like to go friend?

Ummm…Raina thought blankly

“Never mind,” Valerie cut in, “I've got it and oh I'm bringing someone she announced.”

Gosh…Elvis, haven't you had enough of him yet?

No I haven't, Valerie chuckled, and continued but it's not Elvis.

Let's just say "the more, the merrier" got to go....I'm jet lagged, love you! and the line died.

Valerie was Raina's closest female friend; their friendship was not particularly many years long but it was alive and founded on mutual respect.

Unlike Raina, Valerie was a live-in-the-moment person, as long as she liked something or someone she never passed on a chance to get them. Also, they literally went as easy as they came. Valerie had no patience to deal with the dramas that were strung with having one partner and staying in the dating pool. To her, love was sharing, sharing happy and fun moments with someone or people who valued a person enough, to add color to their world even for a moment. It needed no cages, no entitlements or rules of dos and don'ts and certainly no commitments.

Raina sometimes envied her friend, how she managed to be so free-spirited with total strangers and share herself so intimately yet without any strings. It was a puzzle she may never be able to solve, but she admired her. Her friend had to be the most confident 30 year old woman she knew, elegant and happy like a day old baby. She cared less about the complexities of anything except it threatened her health. It was indeed good to have her back. Raina admitted she could use a breath of fresh air to ward off the gloom her personal life and work had been casting for a while.

Though Valerie was 2 years and a few months older than her, they got on quite smoothly.

It was a short drive home, had she not made a stop at a restaurant, to grab lunch not particularly inclined to cook, even if she was great at it, she would have made it back home earlier. She scoped out her living room, trying to figure out the perfect spot for her new pet. Then she settled for a built-in cabinet, just against the wall. She placed a call to her pet store and agreed on a set-up time for the next day.

Raina, feeling satisfied with the turn out of her day, was now listening to the few voice notes on her home line, but was disappointed that none came from Sebastian, a man she had shared the most intimate part of herself with just a few hours ago.

Hey Ray, I'm craving KichDrip Lasagne, I hope you are too, pick me up at 5: 00. Your best pal B." Boma's voice rang confidently and smooth like a nightingale. She called him back at once.

You are embarrassing, you know? she said the instant Boma answered.

Raina could hear him laugh.”I bet some people would see that as bold, ray..” BOMA said when he spoke.

Indeed Lasagne sounds good, I've almost forgotten how that chunky size of delight tastes, but then..have got laundry and I will be too tired to be fun, B.

Look at you whimpering..when you could just, say the word.

What?

Say the word Ray!! I'll be there in no time"

“For someone who insisted I picked him up you're sure confident.”

There are ubers for reason, same as they are laundromats, I'm sending one to you now, no excuse for 5pm baby girl, pick me up bye. Boma hung up.

Talking to Boma as usual stirred a feeling of being wanted and cherished in Raina. She sorted her necessary dresses that needed dry cleaning and took out her lunch of spicy beef bolognese from the microwave and settling into one of her dining chairs. She began eating and binge watching a movie while hanging in for Boma’s laundromat personnel. She knew they were too little things Boma ever went back on his word for, and will do whatever necessary to make their plan happen. Again, a part of her wished it were Sebastian making the efforts instead.

At Exactly 8: 05 p.m. Boma walked Raina up to her apartment. She lived in a secured neighborhood with white picket fence that shone brightly even at that hour, you could tell it was just recently repainted. The driveway was adorned with well-trimmed flowers that ran in adjacent directions. They walked hand-in-hand, laughing heartily over an obviously good time. Her heeled shoes creaked on the tiles giving contrasting sounds to their words.

Here we are! Boma announced, reaching the balcony of Raina's apartment. A sharp scent of warmth welcomed them. A low red-light peeped from a window to Boma's left, and soft music caressed their ears. It was from Raina's neighbor, probably engrossed in a lover's warmth, not that it concerned her in the slightest.

“You should have let me drop you off, Boma” Raina said, concerned about her best friend's welfare.

And how would that make me a gentleman?

I honestly don't know how you manage to be both a pain in my ass and a sweetheart but thanks for tonight.

My pleasure, he moved a step closer and wrapped Raina's body in his briefly, kissed her both cheeks and released her.

My cab is here, good night Ray" he turned and walked away, with Raina’s eyes escorting him.

There was a knock on her door minutes later.

Boma, what did you forget? She asked moving to answer it. The door opened to her fiance looking red in the face.

“I leave you for a few hours and you're already in another man's arm Raina? A mad Sebastian thundered?

What?

Don't you dare give me that I saw him kissing you what else did you both do her did you f**k him?

Jeez…babe, you've got to be kidding me. Sebastian may I remind you that, you left your fiancee's apartment for hours on a weekend, without even as much as a text message as to what you were up to and now you show up here screaming the roof down over nothing?