Simple Happiness

Chapter Eleven

What excuse will I use to invite her out? He pondered. He stood up and paced around for a while then an idea popped up in his mind.

"A city tour...yes, a city tour is a perfect excuse!" He threw his hands in the air. "Ethan, you're brilliant!" He took his phone dialed her number.

"Hey, why did you call again?"

"Sorry, is it a bad time?" Ethan asked.

"No- of course not. Tell me, what is it this time?" She paused for a second the continued. "It better be important because you have already exhausted your airtime for the day."

"Do you hate me that much?" Ethan asked.

"No, I do not hate you. You..."

He cut her short. "Then you love me," he said. "Say it. This handsome man won't burst your bubble. It's not hard to fall for a handsome man like me, you know."

"What a braggart!" she said to herself.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing," she said.

"If you don't love me yet, then tell me, do you at least like me a little bit?" he asked.

"Hmm...I won't tell you."

"Please...please," he said.

"I won't tell you, even if you beg."

"Then I will just take your silence for a yes."

"Then...suit yourself," she said. "Mr. Mungai, is that all you wanted to say? If so, I am hanging up."

Mr. Mungai? He thought. Why did it sound weird coming from her lips?

"No, don't. I haven't told you why I called," he said.

"Then say it," she said. "Your time is running out."

"You said that you don't know your way around the city. So I thought of taking you out for a city tour. You won't regret it, I promise. I know the city like the back of my hand."

"Hmmm..."

"What do you say?" he asked. "Let me be your tour guide."

"Okay."

"Yes! Yes!" he said. "I knew you would like it!"

"Hey, stop it," she said. "You'll deafen my ear with that noise."

"Sorry," he said. "I'm just happy that you agreed to on a city tour with me."

"Do you want me to change my mind?"

"Of course, not. I will come to pick you this Saturday at nine in the morning."

"No. you don't have to come all this way. Let's meet somewhere in town."

"No. That won't do," he said. "Let me come pick you. It will take longer for you to get to town by bus. You might even get to town very late when the sun is too hot. We will be both tired by then, me because of waiting and you, because of the slow ride. If that happens, then our city tour will be sent to hell."

"You're right. Come pick me."

"Okay," he said.

"Okay, have a lovely evening," she said.

"You too," he said, then the line went dead.

---

Ethan parked his white Lexus a few blocks away from the Tamara's apartment building.

"What? You have already arrived?" Liz asked when she answered his call.

"Yeah. Don't tell me that you're just waking up. It would hurt me."

"So punctual," she said.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Just give me a few minutes."

"Okay. Five minutes," he said.

"Fine. Wait for me."

When she hung up, she went back to what she was doing. She was trying to make her left brow look identical to her right brow.

"Damn it!" She waved her eyebrow pencil in the air. "Why is this brow so hard-headed?"

"Brows don't have heads," Tamara said.

"I thought you were still asleep," Liz said.

"How then would I hear you talking to your Ethan and complaining about brows?"

"Oh, friend. Can you help me? Ethan only gave me five minutes, and it's almost ten minutes. If I don't go out now, he might start seeing me in a bad light."

"I don't think so," Tamara said. "If he likes you, he will wait for you, no matter how long you take."

"No. I can't push my luck with him. Somebody else might steal him while I'm trying to make my brows look like sisters." She walked to Tamara's bed and leaned towards her. "Be my mirror for now. Are they okay?"

"Adjust this one a little bit. It is higher than the other one," Tamara said, pointing at her left brow.

Liz wiped off the curve she had drawn on her left brow and drew it again.

"I think it is okay," she said, putting her mirror down. "Tamara, look, it is almost identical to the right one, right?"

"Yeah. You can go out now," she said. "Don't lose your prince charming."

"Okay. Goodbye," she said. "Have a nice day."

Tamara smiled. "You too," she said. "Say hi to Ethan for me."

"I will," she said as she rushed out.

She got out of the building and walked towards him. He was leaning against his car, his arms intertwined across his chest. His face beamed with a smile when he saw her and she smiled back. She liked his look. The denim shirt looked good on him.

"I'm sorry I made you wait," she said when she got to him.

"It is okay," he said. "It is like women to make men wait, right."

She slowly blinked at his statement with her hands fluttering before her. She smiled awkwardly, "Well, just once in a while."

He smiled, shook his head and went for the passenger door.

"Get in," he said holding the opened car door.

He carefully closed the door when she was seated. When he occupied the driver's seat, he looked at her then leaned towards her.

Liz thought he was going to kiss her and closed her eyes. However, when she saw that nothing was happening, she opened her eyes and saw him fumbling with her seat belt. She swallowed hard and looked away hoping he did not see that.

How embarrassing, she thought.