Bands of the Unpaid Dowry

Chapter 7

The glaring sunlight hit her body with a different intensity than she was used to. Her face scrunched up with unusual distaste at the smell of cigarette smoke that lingered in the air and surrounded her. Millicent was intrigued at how casual Jace looked and how relaxed he felt in the midst of the multitude of people that surrounded them. She wanted nothing more than to hide from them. This place was truly his home.

Jace who was walking ahead of her after they exited the terminal at LAX, stopped when she was not walking next to him. The airport shielded a little bit of the light in the shaded spot where they stood. He turned around to see the woman who kept dragging on slowly. There was a frown on her face, and her eyes were squinted as they moved closer to the sunlight and to the to cross the street to the car park. With a smile he halted his steps to wait for her, and with her reaching him he spoke, "I bet you thought Ghana was hot. California puts that heat to shame."

Millicent would have glared at the scorching sun if she could, but the circumstance prevented her from doing so. Instead she focused on the fair man in front of her as the commotion of people dragging suitcases and getting into buses almost drowned her. Jace was rummaging through his backpack, the only belonging along with his tiny carry-on he brought from the coast of Africa, when she murmured, "Tell me about it."

She saw him turn after getting what he wanted, and he watched her with a triumphant look, his eyes now being obscured by dark sunglasses while his soft curly hair flew over and flopped down his forehead. Millicent felt her hand tighten on the dress she wore - an attempt to try to prevent it from creeping to the hair she was curious to touch. 

"Here, you can wear this." Her heart thumped in surprise as his fingers brushed the side of her face when he slid the new pair of sunglasses on her face. Seeing his work done, he gestured for her own carry-on suitcase that she held beside her and grabbing onto that he gestured for them to cross the street when the pedestrian crossing turned on.

"It's normally really nice but since it is the summer, it's crazily hot but the swimming pools and beaches make up for it. Ready to have fun?" Again, Millicent found herself being enticed into all the activities that he was planning. It was exhilarating to be in a new place and she wanted to experience it all.

"How did you even convince your family?" Jace questioned once they moved through the parking where the car he rented was.

"Oh, I told them it was for work purposes. I got the visa after I started working after all, so it made sense." She looked to find him giving her an appreciative nod and felt herself begin to gloat in the approval the man was giving her.

"And you? How did you tell Ella? This was supposed to be your vacation I believe." They had reached the car. It was a shiny blue model of a car that she had never seen before. He unlocked it as he responded to her question.

"Well, if my dad wants me back, who can question?" Millicent was enraptured by his strength as he lifted even the little luggage into the booth of the car. She was feeling so weirdly about a man she had just met, and she had no use denying the attraction she had to both his features and his light-hearted attitude.

She cleared her throat a bit as he opened the door for her, but she turned to ask, "and they just believed you?" She slid into the low car and immediately felt how intimate the interior felt. She had never been in one where the seat felt this comfortable and were so close to each other. It resembled a sports car but it was not. As she continued to admire the car, Jace rounded the car and sat in the driver's seat speaking as he shut the door.

"I mean he was sad he couldn't go down with us for the holidays. He was held by work for a while and has no one else to keep him company." She caught onto the deepening of his voice and emphasized accent once they got to the US. She had to strain her ears more to hear him.