be my guest

Bizarre

"Trust me it's not what you think," Tony said nervously, he scratched his head and stared at me, his eyes darted back and forth from the food on the dining table and then to me. I hope it's not what I think, I didn't see myself getting married to anyone and Tony cannot be the one to make me believe I can. His Apartment was a simple open-plan apartment, he had a three-seater couch ten steps away from the kitchen, his flat TV was hung on the wall, another ten steps opposite the chair, he had a center carpet and table that had a mini vase with flowers on top. And his room is a few inches from the living room.

Tony cannot be rated an average on his cooking but he tries his best, he had the table set in five plates, grilled chicken, salad, dessert, pasta, and mashed potatoes. They were finely arranged, no doubt and he added his favorite flower vase at the center of it all.

"What do you mean?" I said, giving a giggle and I couldn't tell if it sounded fake or if it was out of nervousness.

Tony dropped the pan with the runny egg, rushed over to the fridge, and took out the ice tray." we don't need that" Tony said nudging to the egg, he let out a light laugh and made me laugh as well. "Babe I. . ." He chuckled nervously again. Why is he so nervous? please just don't, Tony, don't do it. "I was thinking we could do something simple. . .he. . . Here you know, I didn't wanna go to a restaurant. . .it. . . It'd be too public and I know how private you are" he tossed the ice cubes into two wine glasses and poured the wine in while he spoke.

"Uhm. . . We go out to restaurants a lot Tony, what do you mean?" I said chuckling again, I was scared shitless, sweat dripped down my face as I used my face towel to dab it dry. I dragged out the dining chair to sit and slowly settled in. Tony is a responsible and diligent man, kin to being clean, and does everything right. He was a man who believed in love and lived his life in a very simple way, he'd make it look like life was as easy as it seems. Tony was different from other guys and to other guys he'd be called boring.

He only has one day off from his job, which is working as an accountant in a food production company. Tony would hardly speak, he loves playing snooker and doesn't party or late nights out.

I know you're probably wondering, then why the hell am I dating this guy? Well, if you haven't heard my story just yet, calm your nerves and read on. I'm boring, I am probably much more boring than Ugly Betty. I live in novels, I mean my whole world is just novels, people would tell me I'm too beautiful to lock myself up, but that's exactly what I do, I lock myself up in my room all day and I could probably break a record

Growing up, it was just my mom and I, we lived in a cramped apartment with our cat pet, Lulu, my mom would always make me stay home, scared I would become loose like the ladies out in the world, I couldn't go out with friends, couldn't go out for sleepovers only school and back home. I got used to being in my own space and got irritated when a lot of people were around me. I hate bright lights, my room is like a dark demon's room with the darkness that surrounds it.

I got a Job at my convenience. I go out to the company I work in only on Tuesday and Thursday. As an editor, I should be at work every day but seeing as Larry, my boss, is my schoolmate and seems to have a crush on me, allows me to work from home.

Larry started his novel company a year ago and reached out to me, knowing fully well what I majored in. His company is still in a rising process but we have our clients and still have money coming in, he has just six staff and well quite a few clients. I only have to work and sleep every day.

I met Tony at a restaurant close to the company. I get coffee and sometimes snacks there because a nice waitress had advertised to me on my way home and told me to patronize them, she'd always wave at me every time I passed by the restaurant and it made us friends. Tony walked up to me, looking nervous with his dark-rimmed glasses, why did I give him my number? He didn't say anything to me, he just kept stammering, he was cute as hell and I just had to gesture at him to hand me his phone, he did, shivering and I typed my number in.

As a twenty-five-year-old, I wanted to try out something different, love, and relationships have butterflies in my stomach as the ladies would say, but with Tony, I just felt protected, safe, and understood. I cannot bring myself to tell him I love him because I don't. Why would he want to propose to a woman who has never said the three precious words to him?

Tony now sits in front of me, with a wide grin on his face "You're not saying anything"

"I shouldn't be talking while I'm about to eat Tony" I snorted.

"Oh yeah yeah" Tony muffled and scratched his head, he served both me and himself and kept looking at me whilst doing it. I rolled my eyes, getting irritated and uncomfortable. I couldn't stand the suspense.

"Tony, what is it? What's going on? Did you cheat on me, you're acting more nervous than usual" I said, starting it off as that, just in case I'm wrong about him proposing to me.

"It's nothing, Nadia. . . I just. . . I just wanted us to spend time together, Is that bad? I wanted to do something romantic"

I signed, it's probably just me, it's not what I'm thinking, I know it cannot be what I'm thinking. "Okay then, so uhm have you gotten the email yet? Any feedback?" I asked.

"Ah not yet, but I'm sure it gonna be for the best if don't go" Tony answered, we were talking about a Tech job opportunity he got in Corinberg city, he wrote an exam on it and has to wait for an email to know if he was picked as one of their tech staff.

"Why would you say that? Tony it's not for the best, what is it that you've got here that's gonna stop you from going?". I berated, giving him a hard stare. He returned his stare calmly, his eyes filled with pity. Why does he have to look at me like that? Now I feel so weird.

"It's you. . . You're the one that's stopping me"

"Me?. . . how?" I reached out to his hand and spoke calmly this time "I'm not going anywhere, I can come visit you. . . We'll be fine"

Tony sighed, he released my hands and picked my fingers as my palm rested on his and kissed the back of my hand, he said nothing and just continued eating. Now this was part of the things that irritated me about him, Tony would always leave a conversation halfway. I angrily continued eating and tried my best to ignore the sour taste of the food.

We ate quietly for a while and when I was done, I raised my head to see Tony looking from the plate to me. I furrowed my brows confused. He started stirring his food as though he was looking for something and then searched through the leftovers on the table with a spoon, he stood up and started searching on the floor. I couldn't take it anymore when I asked "What the hell are you looking for?"

"I just. . . Just give me a second" he said, now rummaging through the trash.

"Tony!" I snapped.

"I. I think you swallowed the ring. . . Or. . ." I raised my left brow as my eyes started twitching. "No. . . I must have misplaced it".