5

Yes, he was handsome. God, he was handsome and tall. He was pure male perfection in a black suit, his eyes the color of almonds. And yes his name was Dedan but he was not the Dedan that she had been expecting. 

Oh no, she thought, her eyes huge with fear because, this intimidating handsome Dedan was her fiance. Indeed, curiosity killed the cat. Good Lord, she thought, her hand flying to her pounding chest, please have mercy and save me.

He towered over her in the privacy of their VIP section, his enigmatic light brown eyes slowly perusing her from head to toe, his jaw tightening with rage. She could feel her blood racing, her face already gone pale, and then she fainted in her seat.

Tamara did not know how long she passed out but she didn’t think that it was for long. When she started feeling conscious, her vision resurfacing from nothingness into blackness, she could feel her brows being wiped with a soft fabric.

Slowly, she allowed her eyelids to flutter open and render her conscious. With small, tentative movements, she straightened up on the chair, wide awake to her surroundings but not without a continuation of her trepidation.

Dedan was seated before her on the sturdy table, her legs between his on the floor. His hand was dipping a white pristine handkerchief into a dish half full of water held by a concerned-looking plump female waiter standing beside him. Taking out the small fabric, he squeezed out the water and began wiping her face with it.

Her mind was in a state of chaos as she thought about how she would explain herself to him. 

 He returned the handkerchief to the bowl the waitress was holding.

“Thank you.” He said to her. “You may leave now.”

 The waitress nodded and exited, leaving them alone. 

 Tamara didn’t know if she should thank him for helping her come through. Maybe he should have just allowed her to stay unconscious because the fear and embarrassment she was feeling right now was overwhelming. She couldn’t bring herself to face him and kept her gaze glued to the floor. 

 From the corner of her eye, she saw him rise to his feet and sit down on the seat across from her.

 “I want to see those eyes.”

It was a low gruff command and slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his. Her cobalt eyes were damp with the fear and tears that had come to stand in them.

 “How dare you?” His voice was low, almost a whisper but lethal. 

 Tamara felt little tremors coursing through her body.

 “I... I wasn’t going to cheat.” She said pleadingly, her voice trembling. “I swear I was just going to meet only because I...I was just curious. Believe me please.”

He raised one finger for emphasis as he responded. “Just one test before we say I do and you fail woefully.” 

 The tears that had stood in her eyes began to roll down her face as he continued, “I am disappointed in you.”

 “I am very sorry.” She cried softly. “Believe me please, I wouldn’t have cheated on you.”

 She quickly moved away from her seat and fell to her knees imploringly before him. “Please forgive me. Dedan, please forgive me.”

 “Hmm. Remember the biblical Peter?”

 Tamara didn’t know where he was going with that and it unnerved her.

 “Yes.”

 “He denied his master three times.”

 Tamara sniveled as he continued. “He denied Jesus three good times. And he was forgiven. But I am not Jesus. And you on the other hand baby, you denied me more times than I can count. I don’t think that I can forgive you.”

 “Dedan, please I beg you.” She pleaded desperately. “Please find it in your heart to forgive me, please.”

 He placed an open palm before her.

 “Lose the engagement ring.”

Tamara clung to his pants and buried her face in his knee. 

 “Please.” She wept. “Please, it won’t happen again. It will never happen again, I promise you, please. Do anything to me, punish me but don’t leave me, baby, please.”

 He listened to her cry softly against him for a while and took a deep breath to calm his anger.

 Then she felt him gently take her shoulders and hold her back from him, his eyes piercing her teary ones.

 “It’s okay.” He said as she kept crying softly.

“Really?” She asked hopefully but still unbelievingly.

 “I will forgive you.”

 The word will set her heart pounding. It meant that he hadn’t forgiven her yet. It also hinted at the possibility of his forgiveness coming with some form of the condition. Tamara knew that she would do anything. He was the one who took care of her and she loved him. 

This slip-up of hers was a moment of recklessness and she regretted it. While she was chatting and talking on the phone with her supposed blind date, didn’t her heartburn? How couldn’t she have sensed anything? He had even given her a hint that his name was Dedan but she had still fallen. The thought increased her tears.

“Shh, it’s okay. Stop crying.”

She managed to cease her soft cries.

 “I love you deeply, you know that baby?” he said and she nodded. 

“I love you too.”

 “Good, and that’s why I’m willing to forgive you but I will do that only on one condition.”

Tamara had been right in her thoughts about his forgiveness coming with some form of condition. It made her feel like her life was about to change.

“I will do anything.”

 “Hmm. Well, someone once said that if you keep doing what you’re doing, you will keep getting what you’re getting so if we are going to continue in this relationship, things will no longer work as they used to. I feel that I have given you too much freedom...”

 “No please...”

 “Do not interrupt me again.” He warned sternly and she fell silent. 

 “Throughout this little charade, I made a few sets of rules with consequences if you break them. You will find it in your email by the time you get home. I will be sleeping in the hotel tonight after I take you home. Your response will be a simple yes or no. If it is a yes, I’ll pretend that this never happened and our relationship will continue but if I see a no, I’ll let you go, okay?”

 “I choose yes already, please.” She said without hesitation. “I choose...”

 He hushed her with a finger across his lips. “You must read it first, do you understand me?” 

 She nodded and he placed a kiss upon her tear-stained cheek. “Let’s get you home.”

He helped her to her feet and gathered her in his arms, hugging her for a while and it gave her some comfort, although fear of the unknown had started consuming her. Strangely, it felt thrilling and exciting at the same time. 

He released her, allowing her to gather her bag and phone before he took her hand in his, leading them out of the ornate splendor of the restaurant with guests of class. Each of them had their problems she could not help but think and hers had just really begun.

A few minutes later, Tamara sat quietly beside Dedan as he drove her home in his dark SUV. She wished that she could enjoy the cozy sights of the city night-lights but she could not because her mind was currently unstable.

Being caught cheating or about to cheat was a terrible feeling especially when guilt would not let you go.

“Why didn’t you drive?” he asked.

“I didn’t feel like it.”

“I see. Just relax, okay.”

She nodded and tried to do that, sitting back in the chair. Instead of relaxing, she ended up regretting her actions, wishing she could turn back the hands of time and hold onto her dignity.

Reaching their neighborhood, she noticed a guy moving into the house opposite theirs. He wore his hair in a ponytail and was handsome. He glanced their way for a few seconds before waving at them.

She didn’t respond and neither did Dedan. The guy simply turned away and minded his business.

Why didn’t you respond to his greeting?” she asked Dedan.

“I’m not in the mood to be friendly.” He responded. “Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t want to give room for misbehaving again.”

“Good to know, Sweetheart.” He commended. “Good to know.”

When they got home, Dedan was himself, but she remained buried in guilt and shame. He understood and informed her that he would spend the night at a hotel. She would receive the note in her email shortly after and he would be expecting her response before 8:00 am.

She agreed and he left. She tossed and turned all night and ended up getting tea. As she walked, her eyes caught sight of her new neighbor from his open window. He was with a telescope, studying the night sky. He was shirtless but had on a pair of pants trousers.

He was truly handsome and fit. His hair was currently poured, framing his attractive face. He seemed to be a bit younger than Dedan, but around his height.

As she watched him, he suddenly pushed the telescope aside and caught her staring at him. She stayed frozen until he waved at her.

She withdrew without responding to his wave and shut the window. At that same moment, she got an alert on her phone telling her she had an email.

Upon checking, she found Dedan’s email. Expecting a set of rules, she was surprised at the simple message she found there.

I cannot stand another heartbreak, so I want us to swear an oath of fidelity to each other, promising ourselves that we will never cheat on each other. If you agree, I will be back but if you don’t this relationship can no longer stand. Expecting your simple response as discussed.