My best friend Ania and I exit the cafeteria, and stroll down the hall, and towards heavy wood main door leading to the gardens to soak up on the sun. Suddenly Ania jabs me with her elbow, and I flinch and glare at her, and before I can open my mouth to protest how bony her elbow is, she jerks a thumb towards main door. “There’s your boy, Kat.”
Rubbing my throbbing ribs, I shift my gaze from her to the direction she pointed, searching for Theodor. He is strolling towards us, a confident spring in his step. I can’t take my eyes off him, and from the murmurs around the hallway, I know that I am not the only one who is mesmerized.
He strolls to a stop in front of me, and I swear my skin tingles just being this close to him. He murmurs ‘Ania’ to acknowledge my best friend without breaking eye contact with me, scouring my face with his eyes as if he is seeing me the first time ever. His gaze settles on my lips. I shift my weight from one foot to the other, wondering what he’s up to, since it’s unusual to see him this …focused in public. Beside me, Ania murmurs ‘oh my’ but I can hardly lift my gaze from Theodor’s.
“Hello, Kat,” He says in a low voice. He takes a step and closes the distance between us, his stance one of a predatory cat cornering its prey. At least that’s what comes to my mind. I take two steps back, and he paces me until I feel the wall pressing hard on my back. He closes the distance, towering above me and slips an arm around my waist in a possessive hold. By now, my heart’s on a drum roll, loud in my ears like the boom boom of African drums. The world fades around us, and it is just Theodor and me.
He bends low curving his body to mine and I breezy air tickles in my ear, and I almost lose myself.
All I can think is ‘stop him before he does something stupid, like kiss me.’
“Theodor,” I say, fascinated by the specks of silver in his eyes. He tilts his head to look me in the eye, one eyebrow raised. “What are you doing?” I hear the quiver in my voice, at the same time his lips spread to a grin.
He does not answer me, nor does he let up. He just dips his head and begins trailing kisses on my jaw, lighting, burning, and inflaming my skin where his lips touch. He pauses and whispers in my ear, “Just making a statement as well as an announcement.” And he continues making his statement which takes a torturous route. I groan and plant my hands firmly on his chest to push him away. Instead I end up wrapping my arms around his neck pulling him closer. I slightly avert my face from his, and his lips miss mine by a kiss’ breath.
I should stop this before it goes too far.
Cheering and catcalls run wild around the hallway. Someone yells ‘get a room’ and I catch a glimpse of a flash, perhaps a camera, I’m not sure. One particular voice yank me back to earth: Ania’s hooting and cheering somewhere close. The hallway practically quakes as the clapping gains momentum, having attracted an audience, an ovation of sorts.
This manages to pull Theodor out of the kissing stupor and he turns around. He blinks several times at the crowd, as if the fact that the curious crowd surrounding us is a surprise to him.
‘Guess you managed to ward off my league of admirers, Theo,’ I whisper, trying to hide my now heated face, and I thank God for the fact that his shoulders are wide enough to hide my face and the rest of me.
“My aim exactly,” He murmurs back, his words a bit slurred. He lowers his head and brushes a kiss on my lips, teasing, and then turns to the gathered spectators, takes a bow, pulling me along. My step falters as my knees announce the state I am in.
“Should I carry you to class? I wouldn’t mind, you know.” I shake my head quickly, thinking today’s show should have the desired effect he wanted. He places a hand around my waist, and I’m grateful for the support.
“Why the show, Theodor? That is unlike you.”
“Oh, just making sure everyone knows. You know, herding off the foxes and the wolves that have been circling around you.”
Our arrival to class is met with hooting and loud clapping as if we won an award. Theodor escorts me gallantly to my desk, then turns and strolls off to his.
The rest of my afternoon sails by in a cloud of bliss, what with Theodor’s amorous glances that have me quivering in my seat. I can’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe, in my cards full of reds, at last, I’ve drawn a green one.
