THE SCAR LOVE LEAVES

(9)

"What would you like to do first?"

"Uhm... I don't know, I didn't really think of anything" Mike replied.

"Think of something now" Benita said

"I don't know, I'm really indecisive"

"Well since you don't know, let's eat! I'm starving anyways"  she suggested.
"There's an restaurant in the complex that sells Nigerian foods from almost all the tribes in the county" she continued pointing at a sign to further buttress her suggestion.

"That should be interesting" Mike retorted

"Oh?! would it?"

"Yepp!"

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Seated in the restaurant, Mike kept looking around, fascinated by the aesthetics and choice of art decorations.

"This place is beautiful" he said.

"Yes it is!"

"I can't stop staring, everything catches my eyes anywhere I turn to" Mike continued

Benita chuckled a little at his reaction and the pinkness in his cheeks, and the awed look on his face and then realized she'd never actually looked looked at his face to notice how beautiful he actually is. she'd never looked enough to notice he had green eyes,  and how pretty they looked. At the moment they looked so bright and full of life like the the sun shone from somewhere within them, his pointed nose, small but full lips and the different shades of pink in his upper and lower lips. His long curly brown hair looked perfect on his head and his skin looked ridiculously flawless and even better under the light they were seated at.
"This new boy is actually pretty" 
So she picked her phone on the table and opened her camera app.

"Hey Mike!" She called out to him

"Uh Yeaaaah"

"Could you look here a bit" she requested

"Uhm okayyy!!" Mike groaned as he turned his head looking confused as he turned to see she had her phone up to him like she was taking photos of him.

"What are you doing?" He inquired

"I'm shuffling a pack of cards" she retorted sarcastically

Mike laughed out loud
"I'm not photogenic" he said, "don't waste your time"

"The photos beg to differ, and I'm an awesome photographer. Now could you stop talking and moving about?"

"Why"

"Why because you're angling away from the light this boy. Just sit still and pretty or whatever it is you do okay?"

After a few snaps, they were interrupted by the waiter who had come to take their orders.

"I'd have the Amala and ewedu, but instead of goat meat, can I have chicken?" Mike asked looking up from the menu to the waiter amusingly scrunched up face as he scribbled in a little notepad he brought out of the pocket in his shirt.

Benita was astounded by Mike's pick, she really didn't expect that... she thought being a biracial boy that has lived most of his life in America would have opted for something more universally recognized like Jollof rice or spaghetti and chicken.

"Miss?! What would you be having?" The waiter interrupted her thoughts with a warm smile spread on his face. "The usual?"

"I'd.. uhm... Yes!... I mean No!" She hesitated
"I'll have what he's having also" she replied, not sounding very sure but she thought to herself she couldn't bring an Americana all the way to an local restaurant and watch him eat an indigenous meal while she eats rice, she didn't think it looked good for her, but then she didn't like the look of Amala so she's never actually tried it and she hoped to the heaven she wasn't going to regret the decision.

"Why do you look so tensed up?" Mike asked "I'm the one supposed to be tended as this is my first time out with a girl ever"

"Oh it's nothing... it's just I've never had amala and I don't know what's that going to be like"

"You'll be fine bennie, you'll love it even, trust me!" He reassured her looking straight into her eyes as he reached and held her hand in his.
"My dad used to make it for us all the time, he makes it best and taught my mum how to, I haven't had it since he..." he stopped as he heard his own voice shaking and tears welling in his eyes.

"Hey!! It's okay" she comforted him and placed her other hand on top of his. "And did I hear you say this is your first time out with a girl?"

"Mhmm" mike nodded

"Really? Or you just said that to warm me up to you?"

"Nooooo!" Mike said defensively "why would I do that?"

"I don't know... it's hard to believe, especially how looking how you look, you know... fine and all"

"Well No!" Mike scoffed " it hadn't always been like this, growing up I was an awkward kid, chubby, got bullied a lot by kids my age for being fat, spoilt and smart, and being Shy didn't help either, I wasn't desirable until one day during summer i was to run 16 I woke up taller and slimmer... and all in a week I hanged from that to this, but then I still had to work on my self confidence... and I disliked all the girls at school because they never fancied me and always made fun of me, so when I changed I didn't pay anyone of them any attention either"

"Oh! Serves them right!" Bennie remarked
"And aren't you petty mr Mike? Petty Pretty Mike!" She added laughing at her own joke and Mike was also forced to join in as it infected him too. Then they kept on talking some more and shared more laughs with Benita laughing a little too loud one time and she had to cover her mouth and even that made them laugh again.

The waiter came back around pushing a trolley with what would be their food on it, and set them on the table

"Uhm... Excuse me, We didn't order champagne" Mike said to the waiter

"I know" he replied with that same smile plastered to his face

"So why bring it here then?" Bennie inquired

"The Lady over at the corner did" He said using his head to point in her direction "she said you both are so dreamy and remind her of when she was your age, and you both are a beautiful couple"

"We aren't" they both replied the waiter almost immediately

"Good luck convincing anyone here that has been listening to you both cackle and giggle for the last 10 minutes" he smiled at them "Enjoy your meals" he said departing the table.

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