TIDAL AFFAIRS

CHAPTERTHREE

Lou, as hyper as she was, never had the time for extra activities being that she was a junior in college. Lou had taken gap years after highschool to figure herself out and finally decided at 22 to major in English.

About half an hour later, Kris got up to look for Clay. After going round the hall, she decided to go outside the hall to search for him.

With a failed mission, she pushed open a closet door to escape the noise and call Clay.

In a flash, a hand wrapped around her mouth.

Scared, Kris struggled, trying to free herself, grateful it wasn't dark even though the dim light did nothing to encourage her.

Instantly, the stranger let her go and Kris immediately slapped him.

"Dude! What was that for?" He whispered, cradling his face. Even in the dimly lit room, the closet kidnapper was looking stunningly beautiful.

"You just tried to kidnap me!" Kris yelled, backing up.

"Shhh! I thought you were someone else " He raised his hands, trying to shut her up. He was tall.

"Why would you be hiding from someone in a closet?" Kris thought the situation was incredulous to the core.

Who hides in a closet? Serial killers, that's who.

"It's this girl that keeps trying to get with me. I literally got on this cruise to escape her but she's here too!" He was walking back and forth, well, as much as the tiny closet could allow.

Kris gave him a look. "How old are you? You look too old to be running away from a girl." She snorted as she said it.

Closet stranger rolled his eyes at her. "I'm frantically spewing my guts to you and you're only concerned for my age?"

"I don't even know you!" Kris almost laughed out loud at the thought of not running from a stranger who seemed almost crazy.

"You walked in on me, in my hideout "He said like that explained everything.

Kris rolled her eyes. This guy. "What are you? A kid?"

"Leave my age alone, will you?" Closet stranger sighed and sat on the floor. "What are you doing here?" He gestured to her.

"I thought to call my boyfriend. The whole place is buzzing with people and noise." She explained waving her phone.

Closet stranger scoffed. "You're on water. You won't find any bars here."

Kris smiled in a sadistic way. "I'm not taking advice from a crazy, 30 plus looking man" He was on the floor for goodness sake.

"It's a fact, not an advice. For your information, I'm 30 years old. Not that it's any of your business, I just want you to shut up about my age" He stood up.

"Going to find your girl?" Kris smirked, placing her phone in her purse.

"I need to use the bathroom. What is wrong with you?" He eyed her before leaving the room.

Kris scoffed, opened the door and went straight to an elevator, Closet stranger turning the corner after bumping into a small family. Kris laughed just as the elevator doors shut.

Pressing the button to her floor, Kris pulled out her and cursed at the empty bars displayed on the screen of her phone.

The doors opened and she took off to their booked room, hoping he'd been back there or was still there.

Sliding her card and unlocking the door, Kris gasped loudly as her bag and phone dropped on the floor.

Her heart stopped as a searing pain struck her. A cold shiver shot down her spine and her breath caught in her throat.

The sight before her blurred as liquid filled her eyes. She was grateful for the tears as they blocked the terrible scene before her.

"Kris!" Clayton jumped off the bed, naked as an equally naked woman scrambles for the blankets.

"Clay, what is this?" Kris asked in a broken whisper while walking backwards. Her chest was heaviness up and down.

This was not the proposal she had hoped for.

"It's not what you think, I swear." Clayton tried to explain as he put his pants on. His companion stealthily reached for her clothes.

"Then, what is going on?" Kris yelled. Suddenly, she was angry at herself for shedding tears. Her hands shook violently, itching to slap Clay. Even better, strangle him.

"Baby, this is all a huge mistake. I was going to propose to you " Clay begged. He sounded like he was going to cry.

Kris froze. He was? Then why? Why would he do this to her? Was she not enough?

Clayton, to prove himself, pulled out a small red box from under the bed. "This is a mistake. I don't even know her name"

He obviously was really stupid. Really stupid.

"Why would you do this? Was I not enough?" Kris asked as Clayton took careful steps towards her, his fly unzipped.

"You are and I love you so much. Which is why I want you to marry me ".

His stupidity pissed her off.

She couldn't let four years end just like that, she had to do something.

Kris glared at the ceiling. Closing her eyes, she swallowed and then nodded.

"Okay. Ask me "

Clay paused, bewildered. "What?" He had no idea.

"You want me to marry you, right?" Kris gave him an encouraging look.

Clay went down on one knee immediately and opened the box. "Kris, I've loved you from the moment you spilled coffee on me. Nothing has changed since then. What just happened is something I'll never let happen again. Please be my wife "

Kris smiled and put out her left hand. Clay, grinning, slipped the ring into her middle finger.

He really had no idea, did he.

Kris held his face in one hand while admiring the other one with the ring.

In a flash, she pulled her hand back and landed a punch on Clay's nose, with the ringed finger, hoping to hurt his nose more.

"Screw you " She said softly before walking away.