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Maybe that was too harsh; she was my sister's best friend after all.
“Well, not exactly. But hmm, there is a problem with the tap in my kitchen. The water is not flowing as it used to, and Rita said you may be able to help.”
Of course, trust Rita to advertise all my skills to the world. That was what my little sister was good at. Even when we were of a younger age, she always said, "Don’t worry, my brother will fix it.” She saw me as the jack of all trades. The military did several good things for me and that included skill development. There were times you were just on your own and there was no one to help you, and then, you would have to do it all yourself.
“Sure. Let me get my toolbox. I will be right at your apartment.”
She nodded and smiled.
I locked the door and went back to the store to pick up my toolbox. It was very dusty as it's been almost a year since my hand touched it. I got a clean napkin and wiped off the dust. I didn't change my shirt since I was going to work again. I would just take it off when I get back and have a shower.
I locked the door and walked to her apartment slowly. There were two other occupants before her door. I tapped it softly and she opened it immediately. Of course, she was expecting me.
I got uncomfortable with lying on my shirt and decided to take off the shirt before going underneath the sink to check out what the issue is. I was still fixing it when I heard voices. I recognized one and kept on doing my job.
I leaned outside when I needed a bowl and called her. She turned up with her niece and I observed that the young girl stopped in her tracks. I noticed her eyes were on my body and she looked as though she wanted to devour all she saw. I looked away and focused on her aunty, but the young girl didn't leave. I was uncomfortable under her gaze, but I went back under the sink to finish my job. Satisfied, I came back out again after about 15 minutes and observed they were both standing in the kitchen.
Strangely, Pauline was focused on her tap and went to the tap immediately to ensure it was working, but all Claire did was stare at my body and I knew that look. It reeked of lust and desire. I avoided her and went to pick up my shirt. I wore it slowly and told Pauline that I was leaving. I knew she was still watching me when I walked out of their apartment. Situations like that weren’t uncommon to me, but she was also really beautiful so I needed to be careful, and she was young. I guessed she should be around 19-22 at most. My son was 17! That was a no-go area. In fact, I was sure he would not approve of his Dad moving on with a girl who was a couple of years older. He doubted Will would respect her sufficiently too.
Later that evening, I heard and saw her standing at my door with a bowl of banana cake. It was from Pauline, to say thank you. I collected it from her without smiling and banged the door hard trying to send a subtle message to her. I hoped that was sufficient enough.
“I don’t need this right now.”
I got into the shower and retired to bed that night. Will walked into my room that night, checking up on his pops as usual. He had a full head of hair and remained slim and tall even though I tried my best to feed him as much as possible.
“Hey Dad! What did you do today? Today was crazy at school and you won’t believe what happened! The…”
Will went on and on while I listened to every word. It was moments like those that I truly cherished and enjoyed. I just knew he would go on until I fell asleep and I would wake up to see he was already sleeping on his bed in his room, not tucked in, as usual.
Chapter Three
Claire
Icouldn'tgetmymind off him. I was initially attracted to him, but his body stimulated so much desire and emotions within me that I felt like I was going to go crazy. That night when I was having my bath, I imagined what it would feel like to have my body against his. That strong solid chest. His biceps were firm and independent, and his broad shoulders made him look like a giant, a protector, and a comforter. I had never been with a man and I didn't know what it would feel like but Jonah made me desire the experience. I bit my lips and closed my eyes trying to forget about him, but the more I tried, the more my desire intensified.
I need to get over this.
Seeing him at the local bar the next night wasn't helping. I couldn't help but watch his every move, the way he laughed, the way he spoke, and all his body movements. He was laughing when he looked in my direction and I looked away immediately, I didn't want to appear too desperate to him. He barely looks at my side on a normal day anyways.
What do I do?
I wasn't one to run after a man especially not someone who was older than me, but the more I tried to think about it logically the more logic failed me. I looked in his direction and noticed he was gone. I adjusted to see if I would see him in another seat, but he wasn't in the bar anymore. I walked over to the table he was seated initially and leaned in whispering to one of the men, " Where is Mr. Jonah?”.
“He left; he wasn't feeling too good suddenly and needed to rest.”
I felt bad but continued working that evening hoping that I would get over him soon, but that was the beginning of my fierce emotions.
“Claire, you wouldn’t believe what Justice said to me last night?” Jessica said picking up the last grocery bag. We were at the grocery store two blocks away from our house. This was usually an opportunity for me to gossip and giggle with my best friend, but I was distant.
“Claire.”
I looked back at my best friend and forced a smile. I knew Jessica wouldn’t take no for an answer but I was willing to try anyway. We didn’t keep secrets from one another, but this one was hard. I wasn’t sure I could tell anyone, not a soul.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine.”
“You seem distant these days. Are you okay?”
