Talk To Me

9. A handsome guy

Kind was positively buzzing about his new relationship. Dating had been rather like navigating a ship through a storm, but he was determined not to give up just yet. This time, he'd decided to give someone new a chance, though, admittedly, it had always been tricky with Wale constantly by his side. But this relationship might prove different. After all, Swalha had personally handpicked the companion.

He was seated outside Yummy Yum restaurant, basking in the warm afternoon sun, when he reached for his phone. 'Where on earth is she?' he wondered, dialing Swalha, who was fashionably late, as usual.

As he scanned the area for her familiar face, he spotted her at the far end of the block, looking utterly lost. Typical of her.

"I can see you, love. Just cross the road as though you're heading to that dreadful bar we used to frequent during our university days," he said, waving at her.

She noticed him immediately, for Kind was the only guy sitting outside extravagantly mirroring a celebrity. She wondered if he was that oblivious of people looking at him.

"You've got to tell Wale to stop buying you expensive things when She herself doesn't even wear them." Swalha spoke whilst taking her seat. "Besides, it is going to make Todo feel jealous when she finds out you didn't buy them yourself."

"I'm the one making these clothes look good and not the other way round. Don't get confused."

Seeing that her remark was being ignored, she sighed aloud. "Why do I even bother?" she muttered, placing her bag on the seat beside her before signaling a waiter. Kind, ever thoughtful, informed her he'd pre-ordered their drinks.

"You're going to love this place," he said. "We were here over the weekend with Cherry and Wale. The food is positively divine, but we'll get to that."

Swalha picked up the menu, barely glancing at it. "I hope you ordered me a vanilla milkshake  to make up for this heat."

In no time, the waiter arrived with their drinks, exuding the kind of charm that could sell just about anything. Swalha took a sip of her drink and closed her eyes in bliss, letting out a satisfied "Ahh." "You know me too well, Kind. That hit the spot."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and giving him a mischievous smirk. "So, tell me... you actually slept butt naked with Wale in the same bed? You home wrecker!"

Kind nearly choked on his drink. "You just couldn't wait, could you?"

"I'm so proud of you! You're out here wrecking relationships, and I'm fully supporting it," she said, giggling.

Kind shook his head in mock surrender. He wished he could share in her amusement, but the thought of Cherry finding out made him feel uneasy. "We didn't sleep together, you pervert. We were on the same bed, sure, but that's it. I was drunk to a stupor, and I barely remember anything of that night."

Swalha took another sip, eyes glinting with curiosity. "The juicy part is that you were naked beside her."

"I was stunned when she casually pointed it out. Wale might enjoy messing with me, but she doesn't lie. And, for the record, I know for a fact she sleeps in pyjamas. She was wearing them this morning, like always."

Swalha sat back, unimpressed. "Well, that's boring."

"You can't keep fostering such thoughts Swalha. Besides you got me Todo whom I'll be meeting after you. This is me not putting my life on hold for a committed girl." Standing up revealing his expensive suit, he asked, "Why do you think I wore this to work today?"

"Todo fancies you, not your clothes," she replied with a grin. "Though I do appreciate the effort. Still, maybe you should be confessing to Wale instead. She did say you kissed her, and you just told me she never lies. So, maybe she's telling the truth about the kiss, too."

Swalha's eyes suddenly lit up, as if a brilliant idea had struck her. "What if there's more to it than she's letting on? You said the room was a mess when you woke up. How messy was it?"

Kind paused and sat back down, his expression suddenly serious. Nothing had happened, surely. Beyond the kiss Wale claimed, Swalha's imagination was running wild. Besides, Wale was committed to Cherry, and their tenth anniversary was next week. Wale had already begged Kind to be there to celebrate, and he equally felt oddly relieved that he had kept his promise to Cherry.

"Swalha, I hate to break it to you, but Cherry is proposing to Wale this weekend," Kind said softly. "I know you thought it'd be the perfect moment for me to confess, but I can't do that to Cherry. He loves her, and he's committed to her. Besides, I told her I'm already seeing someone. If anything had happened beyond that kiss, she wouldn't have mentioned the proposal, and she definitely wouldn't have been interested in hearing about my new relationship."

"Todo is..." Swalha began, but Kind interrupted her.

"Todo is a girl I'm with now. That's the story now," he said, with a wry smile.

Swalha stared at him, silent for a moment. She knew the sting of unrequited love all too well, having once been in love with Kind during their university days. She'd forced herself to move on when he'd confided in her about his feelings for someone else.

She'd been more surprised than anyone when she found out Kind was interested in Wale instead. She had a hunch for a long time it was Wale, given her clinginess towards Kind. If anything, Wale had been the one constantly chasing after Kind, even following him into the same company, the same department. Everyone saw Wale's neediness, but they'd all gotten it wrong.

Kind, with his buff physique and aloof demeanor, was the last person anyone would have suspected to be interested. Wale, on the other hand, was cunning, always scheming to keep Kind close. To Swalha, the only redeeming thing about Wale was that she was Kind's best friend. But even she wondered if Wale was good enough for him.

Sighing, Swalha reached for Kind's hands and squeezed them. "I'll always support you. Wale might be your best childhood friend, but I'm your best adult friend."

Just then, Swalha's gaze shifted to someone approaching from behind Kind; Todo. "Another rich girl who knows how to dress well," she muttered, watching as Todo drew attention from every corner of the block.

With a mischievous grin, she leaned back towards Kind, who was still blissfully unaware of Todo's approach. "I think I'll stick around a bit longer. Everyone here needs to know that I'm always surrounded by not only handsome men, but beautiful women as well."