Kissing in the rain

Girl's night

Valentina Hugh

"So, Rome, huh?" Ritha says glancing up from painting my nail pink.

"Yes." I say.

"How?" She asks.

I shrug. "Just happened."

"How though?"

"Well," I say. "He was new, we are friends, and we're both perfectionists which made it easy and yeah...it..just... happened." I say.

She stares.

She opens, then closes her mouth.

Then she tilts her head and asks. "Kiss?"

"No." I say. "Not yet."

She nods. "So you're taking it slow?"

Shrug.

"What?" She asks.

"Not purposefully." I say. "We're not taking it slow on purpose."

She nods.

I sigh. "And you and Digo? How long?"

"Two months."

"Oh." I say.

"Shocked?" She smiles.

I nod. "Yes."

"Well, we tend to surprise." She says grinning.

I laugh. "You don't say."

"Come on, let's do facemasks!" She says excited. I nod excitedly as she stands up, she holds out her hand to me and I take it. Yank! And I'm up.

****

Tring! Tring!

Tring! Tring!

"It's Rome..." I say holding up the phone as Ritha runs into the room after me, stopping at the door.

"Answer it." She says.

I nod and swipe to answer.

"Hi." He says.

"Hey." I smile.

"How's Ritha?"

"Great." I say as I look over at her. She smiles.

"Hey listen," Rome says. "Digo and I were wondering if it'd be alright if we came to pick you guys up for dinner?"

I blink and swing over to Ritha. "Dinner?" I mouth.

"When?" She mouths back.

I shrug, frowning. "Now?" I mouth.

"Now?"

"Tin?"

"Yes." I mouth. "Now."

"Masks." She mouths gesturing to her face. "Clothes."

"Good point." I mouth.

"Hello?"

"How long?" I mouth.

"Twenty minutes." She mouths.

I nod. "Give us thirty." I say.

"Minutes?" I just know he's raising his eyebrow now.

"Mmmh-hmm." I nod, biting my nail.

"Got it." He says. "See you in thirty, birdy."

I laugh. "See you in thirty." I say as I hear him chuckle. "Bye."

"Bye." Click.

Roman Sapphire

Arriving at the front of the apartments once more, Digo and I exit the car and enter the building.

Digo flashes his card to the front desk women, who nod in return and then we head straight for the lifts.

Heading down the hall, we pass our apartment and stop as we reach their apartment.

Digo knocks. "Ritha?!" He calls.

"Hold your horses!" We hear from inside. Digo merely rolls his eyes and waits, crossing his arms.

My palms are sweaty, I am sweaty. It's hot, why is it so hot? I need air, are there any widows in the hall? - no, there isn't. I note as I glance around.

Digo smirks as he looks down at me. "Relax man, it's all good."

"Easy for you to say." I grumble.

The door opens and Ritha appears, wearing a beautiful long flowy red dress with a slit, her hair tied back into a ponytail, her long golden earrings on show.

A whistle sounds. "That's. My. Woman." Digo smiles, nodding in satisfaction. "Hmm-uhm-mmm, gorgeous." He says pulling her into a hug, her red heels clinking on the floor.

She places a kiss to his cheek and I  hear a thank you from her side, but all else fades when I see her.

My ears begin ringing, my heart begins pounding, my head starts spinning, I swallow hard and blink away my amazement, but for some reason it refuses to stay away.

Valentina.

A beautiful white dress; flowy and reaching just above her knees, straps tying into beautiful bows.

I shift my eyes to her feet, beautiful royal blue wedges, my eyes run back upwards, her dark locks cascading down her shoulders in rivers... inviting you in for a swim with their shining waves.

"Val-" I clear my throat, to rid it of the high pitch in my voice. "Valentina." I step forward. "You look... beautiful."

She smiles. "You too."

I watch as she shyly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and my eyes latch onto her blue daisy bracelet.

Oh right!, I think.

I dig into my pocket, and pulling a tiny box, I tap it against the palm of my free hand, before awkwardly holding it out to her.

Her eyes widen, almost as if she was asking 'for me?', I nod and she slowly reaches to take it from my hands.

I sway back and forth on my feet as I watch her slowly opening the box, she pauses. I stop. She looks up at me, I suppress a frown. She lunges forward and wraps her arms around me.

"Thank you so much!" She whispers in my ear. "I love it."

"I love it too, it had me thinking of you." I say. "I'm glad you like it."

She pulls away and hands me the box. "Help me?" She says as she looks expectant.

I nod. "Of course."

She excitedly turns around and holds her hair out of the way. I gently remove the pendant from the box and manoeuvre my arms through her to tie the blue butterfly pendant around her neck.

"There we are." I say softly.

She turns and smiles. "There we are." She says, barely above a whisper as she gently touches the pendant, gazing lovingly at the pendant.