Must Date The Chef

|| 17.

When the door to Chi's house opens, Paul is the first person I see. He steps aside for me to enter and leaves right before I can say a word to him. I groan and find my way to the dining room to drop the packages I brought with me. I hope the pringles appeases him.

The parlour is dim-lit, music is playing in the background, and Chi and Paul are nowhere to be found. A sound goes off, light floods the room. I spin to face the culprit, a similar smile on my lips when I see it's only Chi. She pulls me in for a hug and my arms wound around her thin waist. Her presence causes some of the tension in my shoulder to ebb away, I pinch her cheeks and giggle.

"Did you bring it?" she asks and eyes my outfit. "I like your shorts, will you give me?"

A giggle escapes me and I nod in response to her first question. There's nothing on this beautiful earth that will make me give her my blue Miami shorts. It took a few days for me to get it from the online vendor and that was after much cajoling because they were already out of stock. Mine was a special order, I had to pay extra, so there's no way I am giving the shorts up or the freedom of movement it allows me. She can buy hers.

"Go and buy your own," I say and stick out my tongue at her. "It's not even expensive."

She rolls her eyes and her nose crinkles. I run a finger over the white spaghetti strap top I am wearing and laugh. "How much?"

"4K. From Tranne Culture," I volunteer. "She makes them, then sells it on IG. If you check her page, you will see other colours."

Chi's head bobs like she's giving it a serious thought and I laugh again. She spares no cost when it comes to her wardrobe and a Miami short will be a good addition to it. I wrap a hand around her elbow and pull her in the direction of the dinning. I came here for Paul not to discuss vendors and shorts.

"Have you seen him?" Chi asks once I settle down. Without his name being mentioned, I know who she is referring to. Why won't I? This night is happening because of him.

The hand on my bag on her table stills and I nod. "Yes, he's ignoring me." I bring out four different flavours of pringles and set it on the table. "I don't know which one he likes."

She points to the red one, the original. "That one. Did you really have to buy all four?" I pout and she continues, "I will help you keep the rest, there's space in my room."

No sooner do those words leave her mouth when I grab the other three cans to dump them inside my bag. She frowns, I laugh and bring out the onion flavoured pringles with green packaging. I can keep the rest by myself, I have space in my room too.

"So what's the plan?" I ask, minutes after we are done with one can of pringles. I bring out another, begin munching then stretch it in her direction so she can have some.

The silence that descends in the dining is comfortable, our conversations so far have been light-hearted but I just want Paul. I came here for him. Now that everything has been settled, the only thing in the way of us getting to know more about each other is us.

Him especially. I don't understand him but I want to, at least the way Chi does, maybe more than she does. That is why I am here.

Chi takes one long look at her phone which pings and says, "He's coming, wait small."

"He has been coming for the past one hour," I grumble. He knows I'm out here yet he has refused to come out, what is his problem?

"It's not even up to thirty minutes, aunty," Chi starts to say but quickly shuts it at the glare I send her. She doesn't have to always defend him. He's a grown man, let him act like one, he should come and face me.