Simple Happiness

Chapter Ten

The following day, Liz was busy doing dishes when her phone beeped to notify her of an incoming text message. She wiped her hand with a hand towel and checked her phone.

Who sent me money? She wondered. Did someone send money to a wrong number? She looked at the M-Pesa message and licked her lips. Then a smile curled on her lips. "Ethan Mungai... Goodness! Why did he send me money?" she said.

She chuckled. "Wow! I now know his full name. Or is it a different Ethan?

She turned to the contact list on her phone and scrolled down until she got to his number. She wrote it down on a newspaper then compared it with the number that sent money.

"It was him." She bit her nail as she stared in the space for a while. She then dialed his number.

"Hello."

"Hello, how are you?" she asked.

"I am fine," he said. "I'm glad that you called. Hearing your voice puts me in a good mood. How are you doing?"

"I am doing great, thanks," she said. "Ethan, did you send me money through M- Pesa?"

"Umm...Yeah," he said. "Just thank me. I'm listening."

"Who said I'm going to thank you? Are you trying to buy my affection?"

"No. Of course, not," he said. "I just wanted to spoil you a little."

"Ethan, I don't need money," she said. "Treating me well is good enough. Wait, I'm going to send it back."

"No!" he said. "Please don't send it back. Use it to buy whatever you want. It will break my heart if you send it back."

"Fine," she said. "I'll keep it. But please don't do it again."

"Okay, I get it, babe."

"Don't push it, Ethan," she said. "We're not yet a couple. Drop the 'babe' thing for now."

He smiled. 'For now' means there is hope, he thought. "Okay. I won't call you babe for now."

"Cool. Now go back to work. You don't want to be warned for making calls during working hours."

She cares about me, he thought. "Ha-ha...that won't happen. " I love listening to your voice. It does something to me."

"Stop it! I'm hanging up..."

"Okay, babe. Talk to you later."

Is he messing with me? She thought. I already told him to stop calling her 'babe.' However, it felt great hearing him call her that.

"Bye," she said, then hang up.

Looks like she will soon get used to me calling her, babe, Ethan thought. He was very happy. Things were going in the right direction.

"Why are you smiling?" Greg asked, rolling his chair towards him.

"Nothing."

"Oh, it's your new conquest," He grinned and leaned towards him. "Did my advice work?"

Ethan nodded. "I now know her full name, thanks to M-Pesa."

"What about me? I deserve a reward. Without me, you wouldn't have used that method."

"Don't be so full of yourself. I could have thought of using that method even without you reminding me."

"Okay." He patted him on the back. "You're a genius. You don't need anybody's help especially with simple things like wooing a girl."

Ethan smiled. "Fine. Thanks. Today's lunch is on me."

"Ha-ha... so you acknowledge my effort? I knew you were joking."

"Happy now?"

"Of course," Greg said. "You know, I have never seen you this interested in a girl."

"Well, I count myself lucky. Not everybody is lucky enough to fall in love, especially with someone they just met. I hope she will love me back."

"Of course, she will," Greg said. "With your looks, it's hard for any girl not to fall for you."

"She's different from any other girl I have met before. I hope she accepts my love. Or else, I don't know how I will live without her."

Greg was shocked. "You love her that much?"

"Yeah. I fell for her the moment I saw her. I'm sure I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Ugh...You are already talking about a future with her?" he said. "Bro, you are done for."

Ethan just smiled.

Greg continued, "Didn't you say she doesn't have a job? Are you going to date her anyway?"

Ethan smacked, "Where on earth is having a job a qualification for dating someone? What matters is her heart."

"Sorry, bro. It came out wrong. What I meant to say is that she will be a burden to you if she is not financially independent."

Ethan shook her head. "That came out even worse," he said. "It's not like she is uneducated. She's a university graduate. She can be employed at any time. However, that doesn't worry me at all. I love her with or without a job. I am willing to support her in any way if need be. The only thing I need is a place in her heart. I hope she won't use her being unemployed as an excuse to reject me."

"Okay. Calm down. I was just testing you."

Ethan furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I wanted to know to what extent you love her," Greg said. ". I'm now convinced that you truly love her. Count me in on whatever plan you come up with to win her heart."

"Are you sure about that?"

He nodded. "Hmm...Your happiness is my responsibility."

"By the way, don't you think that working so hard to earn money and not having someone special to spend it with is such a pity?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, it is such a pity."

When he got home later in the afternoon, he dropped on the couch.

I must see her again, he thought. I have to make her my girlfriend ASAP before someone steals her from me. He suddenly sat up. What if she already has a boyfriend? He touched his chin and stared at the white ceiling for a moment, then a smile cracked at the corners of his lips. Then I would steal her from her boyfriend, he thought. She has to be mine.

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