Solace | Dave East.

O6.

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—Management.

We ended up at Gemini's place instead of mine because I'd forgotten my keys at the hospital. I was surprised when I saw his abode, it wasn't what I quite imagined it to be. When you see Gemini and the type of man he was, his possessions and business—you'd think he was one to nurture a lavish lifestyle with and excessive luxuries but he actually wasn't.

He believed in comfort not extravagance which I found even more attractive on him. His house was more like a bachelor loft with only three bedrooms, dark moody design and well organized and put together perfectly to the T, although in his garage parked fleets of cars because he had a flair for them. The surprise with him was never ending.

I also made him stop by at the grocery store to grab the food items I'd be needing since I doubted he'd have the ingredients at his place. I wasn't making the typical American dish but African— Jollof rice and peppered chicken with coleslaw.

There I stood in Gemini's kitchen, wearing a shirt of his' that seemed more like an almost knee length dress on me than a top, I tucked it into the sweatpants he also gave me and tied the strings with my slides on my feet, luckily I always took those along whenever I had heels on or else I'd have nothing of my own on asides for my undergarments.

Must be wondering why I was wearing all his shit already I mean, but reason being that I didn't fuck with wearing outside clothes to cook, it never felt right to me.

So, I started on the rice while letting my chicken marinate in the fridge with all the spice added. I chopped up some onions and stir fried it with some roughly blended tomatoes, bonnet and bell peppers. While that was cooking, I took out the chicken and boiled it for about four minutes since I'd be needing the broth from it in the rice later on. After that I separated the broth from it using a sift before heating oil in a pan for deep frying.

I added parboiled rice in with the roughly blended puree I was cooking earlier that was now seasoned and spiced with stock cubes, salt etc and stirred until uniformed before adding the chicken broth and some water then topping the pot for it to cook in heat.

I was through with saucing the chicken and placed them aside when I mistakenly brought my forefinger that still had bits of the peppery sauce to my itching eye to scratch.

On reflex, I screeched when I realized what I'd done both in pain and with panic that I'd called out to Gemini without thinking. I was crying and rubbing my affected eye with the back of my palm, though I wasn't supposed to but I couldn't help it.

"Shit, what happened?" I heard Gemini say before I felt him pry my hand away to see my watering eyes. "Calm down, stop blinking and calm down." I tried to but I couldn't, it was so irritated and painful. His grip held my hands down while the other gently forced my lids on the eye open enough for him to blow softly into, eventually I became calm as the pain dwindled. "You good?" I nodded, "Aight, try keep your eyes open I'll get you some salt."

I did as told and tried not to blink much, Gemini returned with a pinch of salt between his thumb and forefinger and I opened my mouth for him to put it, after absolving the iodized substance I felt better.

"How you feeling now?" Gemini asked me and I nodded. "Words Mama."

"Fine, I feel better. Thanks." I smiled appreciatively at him.

"It was nothing, I mean your safety comes first especially when you with me so don't thank me." He told me with his big hands cupping my face. I was becoming lost in those onyx eyes of his' and vice versa until the 'ding' from the oven interrupted. I stepped away and went to check on the dessert.

"Um," I started as I saw Gemini approaching me with determined look and I swallowed dryly as he got closer, "The food will be ready in a m-minute."

"Thanks for the information but I wanna know something else right na'." Abruptly, I was lifted by my waist and placed on the cleared part of the marble counter like I weighed nothing, I was on the same eye level with Gemini and my arms were around his neck whilst his' were on my derrière, he didn't move them to do anything until I initiated a kiss and my insides nearly bursted with excitement.

I whimpered against Gemini's soft lips when his tongue grazed my bottom lip for entrance and I obliged allowing our tongues to meet in a smooth caress, nothing was rushed just slow with a hint of nasty that had my head swooning with delight. One of his hands left the groping of my ass to the front of me and squeeze one of my boobs through the shirt so hard that it hurt but it heightened my need for him even more. I was almost grinding my aching center on his crotch when he stopped me and pulled away from our make out moment to cup my face and peck my lips and temple.

"Now I know what those lips feel like to be honest I almost thought I was kissing on some candy floss, no cap." I broke my gaze on Gemini to look away with a smile and blush. He chuckled, "You so damn cute it makes no sense, Mama."

I folded my lips in and shyly rubbed my fingers over his neat beards trying to avoid those raven eyes of his' that held intensity as I said, "I wanna dish the food now. We'll talk more at the table."

"Mmmm," I almost laughed from the expression on Gemini's face—bushy brows raised with cheeks filled and lips stretched in a smile all while he still chewed. Two more spoonfuls later he finally slowed down to say something. "I only had this shit once at a seminar in the UK and to be honest, it ain't even come close to how this one right here taste in no way."

I giggled, "Gracias. Actually I'm originally from Ghana but brought up in the UK with my older sister and brother before we moved here when I just started my high school. We've been living here ever since."

"Forreal? Damn, I hit the jackpot you huh?" Gemini smirked deviously, caging his bottom lip between his well-set whites.

"Oh stop it," I blushed covering my cheeks to hide my blush before I said, "I gave you my summary and I wanna know yours too, Gemini. I'm aware you're a businessman even though I don't know what the business entails then you're Cassandra's older sibling and nothing else."

Gemini cleared his throat after eating the last piece of his shortcake and gulped down the rest of his apple juice while I watched him. He wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin before saying, "I was six when my Father passed away from an asthma attack and my Mother was pretty young at the time so she got remarried and Cassandra was born. Then her own Father, Landon became the Father figure I never had and my confidant till this day. I never felt like I wasn't Landon's for even a day of my life. One time I was caught moving some weight when I was sixteen and my Mom wasn't even aware till I got released 'cause Landon had told her that I was over at his younger cousin's place for the weekend."

My attention was all focused on him as he spoke, "So with that he gave me a sound ass warning that if I got caught again doing some shit involving the streets, I should count him, my sister and Mother outta' the people I knew and I wasn't finna trade them for nothing so I quit. I went to college and graduated then shit started from there. I became successful after taking over Landon's tech company and started doing big things. That restaurant's opening we met at is actually one of the three restaurants I have with the name of my Grandma Fatima. I gave you a binder full huh."

I chuckled and went over to him across the table for a hug that led to me sitting across his lap. I enjoyed his company a lot and he was so open for any type of discussion. I was glad he actually gave me a story of himself instead of just the summary I asked for. Gemini's life seemed interesting, so interesting that I wouldn't mind being a part of.

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So the sixth chapter is up and I'm happy with how it turned out😇 I'm actually from the UK okay? Okay. And I personally know how to cook a handful of African dishes Jollof rice included, feel free to meet me for lectures😂