02

It's been three months since Dane and Raine got into the country and in that duration of time, they've gotten to settle into their new place and try to get to know the country and its people. Raine found out that Dane didn't lie when he said that their houses ain't far from each other. It's just a ten minutes ride.

It's been a year since Raine got out of college and she still doesn't have any interest yet in working. She's got a lot of money after all and she's still making plans on how to invest. In the meantime, in Nigeria, she'd discovered gymnasia that ain't far away from her place. 

Raine was very excited about it. She'd always wanted to do gymnastics. At twenty-two, it's a little too late for her to be a professional gymnast but at least she still gets to take its classes and do it just for the fun of it. 

She's been going to the gymnasia for days now to get to know how it works but today, she'd finally decided to go and register for it. 

Dane, on the other hand, has also settled into his new house like Raine and he had also spent a good amount of time decorating and making the down floor of the story building feel like home. About work, he'd opened a small clinic and started his own private practice. His services get booked in advance.

His patient today is an old woman who lives in the next estate a little far from his. She's a rich old woman who had suffered stroke paralyzes, and her family paid for his private services to the woman at her home. 

By 10 am, Dane drove to the woman's house. Old Mrs. Oche lives in the big house with her live-in caretaker, housekeeper, and gateman. Two of her three children live abroad with their wives and kids. Her last child which is the only daughter she has lives in a different state and her job is demanding, according to what the old woman told him. 

Dane entered the house, smiling in answer to the greeting of the housekeeper as he made his way to the bedroom of the woman. 

"Oh, you're here, doctor?" Mrs. Oche asked when he entered. 

Dane nodded with a kind smile, "How are you doing today, ma'am?"

"Just feeling my age as usual. I really hope I'll get to use my legs again. I hate being bedridden." The old woman replied just as kind. 

"Slow and steady wins the race, ma'am. You'll regain the use of your legs in no time. Come on, let's begin your exercise."

*******

Raine had gone to the gymnasia to complete her registration. It was 1:30 in the afternoon when she came out of the building with all the papers that indicated that she's a trainee now.

She was about to cross the road to her car when she saw her again. The woman that has been making eyes at her. Yes, she's new in the country and the people seem fascinated by her whenever she passes. Their eyes are always glued to her hair and her skin, but Raine knows when another woman is interested in her. 

She's been getting the look from the woman in all her visit to the gymnasium all week and she'd encouraged the looked. The woman is fair-skinned and very beautiful, and she looked to be Raine's age. Either twenty-two or twenty-three, but not a day older. 

Raine might not know what's like to be attracted to a man but she sure as hell knows what's like to be attracted to a woman and she found out that she's very attracted to the Nigerian woman too. She wanted to talk with the woman but it's almost time for Dane to get off work.

It's been almost a week since she'd seen Dane and she misses her friend terribly. She needs to go see him, so, instead of walking to the woman who was still trying to pretend like she wasn't trying to eat Raine alive with her eyes, Raine brought out her phone and speed-dialed Dane's number. 

He picked up on the second ring. "Hi, sugarplum." His familiar deep voice came through.

"Hello, Dr. Dane. You've forgotten about me already?" Raine drawled teasingly as she started walking to her car. 

He chuckled softly, "You know that's not possible. I'm working at the moment."

"Who's the patient? The football player?" She asked, remembering what he told her about having a popular football player patient who had undergone knee surgery.

"No. It's an old woman suffering from stroke paralyzes. I'm at her place."

"Must be very rich. Not only was she able to afford you but she also paying for home services."

"Would you wanna come over so that we can go home together?" He'd asked. 

"Yeah, I'm coming. I'll just go park my car at your place first before I get a ride to get me there. Send me directions." 

"I'll do that now, sugarplum. I'm expecting you but I gotta get back to work," he said before he hung up. 

Thirty minutes later, Raine knocked at the door and an older woman opened it with a smile. 

"There's a doctor here for the madame, am I correct?" Raine asked the woman with a bright smile. 

"Oh, the handsome doctor? Yes, he's in the room with the madame. If you'll come this way please...." 

The woman led her through a long hallway and she followed obligingly. At the end of the hallway, the woman knocked and waited a few seconds before she opened the door, leaving Raine to go in. 

Raine stuck her head inside the room and smiled wildly as she saw Dane. He was holding up the leg of the gray-haired old woman who looked to be in great pains. The woman was seated in a chair while he held the leg close to the woman's chest, before slowly letting it back to the ground. 

He returned Raine's smile. Glancing at his watch, it was well past his time to go. He turned to the old woman. "That would be all today. You did a very good job again today, ma'am. You're a strong woman."

"Thank you, Doctor." She replied as he carried her back to her bed. 

Raine watched the exchange with a smile. The reason why Dane is so great at his job was that he's a very caring and passionate man. He takes great care of his patients. 

Over the years, a lot of his female patients had fallen in love with him because of the way he was with them when they were under his care but he never dated any one of them or even slept with them. 

"It gets more complicated that way." He'd always say. She doesn't know why he pushes them away and she's always glad that he does.

Dane is not a monk or anything. He's been with his own share of women but it's never an emotional entanglement for him and I've never understood why because he's such a passionate man. 

"Good afternoon, ma'am" Raine greeted the woman as she made her way into the room, going straight to Dane. She threw her arms around him and his hands tightened around her too in greeting. 

"Good afternoon, my dear." the woman answered with a wince and said good-naturedly, "Your man is a slave driver." 

"He has to be, ma'am, so that you'll get better," Raine said to the older woman, not even disputing what the woman thought of her and Dane. He is truly her man even though they don't have that kind of relationship. 

Five minutes later, they were on their way out of Mrs. Oche's house. They got into Dane's car. "It's been ages since we've been together. We've been so busy lately." Raine said.

"What have you been up to, sugarplum?" 

"We've not done a sleepover in a while, so let's do it tomorrow night. I'm gonna tell you all about it. So, your place or mine?" She asked excitedly. 

"Mine. I still wanna go finish an article I'm writing," he said affectionately. 

Raine pouted, "The article will have to wait. You know I'm more important than the damn article anyway."

"Now you're just being a brat. You're twenty-two now, not sixteen, sugarplum." He laughed good-naturedly and ruffled her hair. 

She waved him off and said carelessly, "I can be twelve years old with you and you'll still love me."

Dane barely stopped himself from reacting to that statement. Not that it's any different from what Raine says daily but she just doesn't know how true that particular statement is. He'd love her no matter her age. He's been so hopelessly in love with her it's almost pathetic.