CHOOSING.

7. This is so much fun!

It was not long after that Caleb completed his sketching. He offered to walk me home and I gladly accepted. I felt at peace in his presence. Although he was a man of few words he had this warm aura radiating from him that made me feel safe with him. On our walk home, we talked about his art projects and assignments. He loved his course and I couldn't help feel happy for him. Not all of us got to do what we really wanted. "I always wanted to go to acting school," I suddenly blurted out. I realised a minute too late that I had told him my biggest secret. It seemed around him I lost control of my tongue.

"You'd be the most beautiful actress out there," he said casually and my eyes widened in surprise. 'Did he just call me beautiful?' I wondered.

"Um, thanks," I said.

"Really, if you want to be an actress I don't see why aren't," he said as he turned to look at me.

"My parents would disown me. You know they are very strict and proper," I sighed. "Anyway, let's not talk about it, its depressing," I told him.

"Okay," he agreed.

We walked the rest of the way to my place in comfortable silence. At my doorstep he hugged me and bid me a goodnight. I couldn't help smiling as I thought of how we were getting into a habit of embracing, I was not going to complain though. I was smiling while thinking of his captivating musk scent as I opened my door. I was barely into my room when there was a knock at my door. I was surprised to find Ombachi at the door all dressed up.

"I've come to collect the favour you owe me," he said.

"Now? Its already nighttime," I told him bewildered. I started regretting having agreed to going with him to a place I did not know yet.

"Yes. My brother is in town with his wife and he has invited me out. He insisted I should bring someone and only you came to mind," he said. I couldn't believe he would think to take ME with him. He looked several shades of awesome, dressed in beige dress pants and a white shirt.

"Where are we going?" I asked, barely able to hide my excitement.

"The Pelican," he replied.

"Oh," I couldn't quite hide my disappointment. The Pelican was a well known club. I couldn't go there. What would anyone think of a Christian girl in a nightclub? "I can't go," I told him

"But why? You promised," he said with a slightly accusing tone.

"Its a club," I said in explanation.

"Come on, just this once. You won't have to drink or dance or do anything, just go with me. Please," he pleaded. I was torn in between. I did owe him, but it was a club. The pleading look on his face did nothing to help my case and I finally agreed.

"Okay, we'll go," I said.

"Get ready then," he said and left.

It took me a good deal of time to get ready since I was not sure what to wear. After changing several outfits I chose a body hugging black dress that ended just past my knees. After all, I was going to a sophisticated place although a club and black is always the safe option. I was quite pleased with my choice when I saw the look of approval on Ombachi's face. However, when we got there, my confidence dampened a little since every woman appeared to be dressed in either the skimpiest or the tightest outfits. I stuck out like a sore thumb but the comforting arm Ombachi placed around my shoulder helped. He steered me towards the back where it served as a restaurant and I was relieved since I had not had anything for supper. At the table, we found a very good looking man and a woman who made me feel like I was a toad in a dress, she was hot! They both looked up at us and recognition dawned on their faces when they saw Ombachi. Before I knew it I was being engulfed in a bear hug by the woman who I came to learn is named Asha. Ombachi's brother, Dennis, was no less enthusiastic and I couldn't help wonder how they did it. We sat down and ordered our meals. As we ate I did not have to talk since the three of them did a good job of it. After we were done eating and Asha and Dennis were a bit tipsy from the whole bottle of wine they drank, they got up to go to the dancefloor. One look at the dance floor was enough to make me reel in shock. I could never dance like that, and in public too.

Sometime passed when Ombachi got up and pulled me to my feet. "Am not dancing!" I exclaimed trying to pull myself away.

"Who said anything about dancing?" He said with a smirk right before pulling me in the opposite direction of the dancefloor. We ended up in a room with an array of indoor games. He took me to an unoccupied pool table to teach me how to play. After loosing to him for the fifth time in a row, I decided that it was not my game. Next we went to side room where a couple of guys were playing darts. I tried and was quite surprised to find out that I was not that bad. Two guys came to join us and after some minutes one spoke up.

"Hey, what about we split into teams of two and see who wins?" He asked. "I choose the lady," he went on. I was a bit hesitant but Ombachi quickly agreed right before he promised to beat us. Well, who am I to say no to a challenge? The rules were simple. Each team member got five throws and the total points determined which team won. My team won the first round, then the next, then the one after. Am proud to say I earned quite a good number of points although my partner was quite good. Ombachi on the other hand was not so happy.

After losing the fifth round in a row, Ombachi sighed dramatically and said, "I never knew it hurt this much to lack a good aim. How does every dart I throw end up ten feet in the wrong direction! Oh why?" He looked so sad and lost that the rest of us couldn't help bursting out into laughter. We laughed long and hard until Ombachi finally joined in.

I never thought I'd be in a club playing darts with strangers but besides being a new experience I quite enjoyed myself. As I stood there in a room of laughing guys I couldn't help think, ' this is so much fun!'