Previous Episodes, episode 1 CLICK HERE, episode 2 CLICK HERE, episode 3 CLICK HERE, episode 4 CLICK HERE, episode 5 CLICK HERE, episode 6 CLICK HERE, episode 7 CLICK HERE, episode 8 CLICK HERE, episode 9 CLICK HERE, episode 10 CLICK HERE, episode 11 CLICK HERE, episode 12 CLICK HERE, episode 13 CLICK HERE, episode 14 CLICK HERE
“My guy, it’s been two days now, you have to come to the office,” Daniel said into the receiver of his phone. “You know it’s not the same without you.”
“I’m still gloomy,” PJ replied, actually sounding the part. Daniel could hear the scratchy sound signifying he’d just turned on his bed.
“I’ve told you what to do, man, just talk to her,” Daniel encouraged.
“Bros, she threw the ring at me, she has never done that,” PJ sounded perturbed.
Daniel paced the space behind his sitting room couch. “And that’s because you pushed her too far. All you have to do is talk to her.”
“She won’t ever forgive me. I wouldn’t forgive myself for all I said,” he murmured.
“That’s the crux of the matter,” Daniel exclaimed. “You think everybody is like you. Man, you’ve lived with that woman long enough to realize she’s nothing like you.”
“Whose side are you on, Daniel? You’re supposed to be my friend,” PJ sounded disgruntled.
Daniel chuckled, “Debbie’s my friend too, and, you know I never supported your decision in the first place.”
“Thanks man, I feel so much better now,” PJ’s tone dripped with sarcasm.
Daniel laughed, “Think about what I said.”
Then his door bell chimed. “I have to get the door, talk to you later,” he ended the call while rushing to his front door. It was exactly who he’d been expecting.
And with a smile, he said, “Hi, Wana, welcome. Do come in,” he invited and stepped aside to let her in.
To her credit, Wana tried not to gape at the simple but exquisite décor of the house. Her gaze glanced through though, while hefting her knapsack more comfortably over her left shoulder.
His house was warm and homey. Though not ostentatiously furnished like the house she’d been arrested for breaking in, it did bring back that particular memory. Memories of the wealthy homes she’d stealthily been in.
Daniel looked outside in confusion before facing her, asking, “Where’s your luggage?”
Wana turned to him and tapped her bag with relish, “You’re looking at it,” she smiled, enjoying his surprise.
“You have all your stuffs in there?” he asked and watched her nod with a small smile. Daniel shook his head in wonder, “You’re different,” he murmured, clearly reminded of his ex-wife’s clutter, which were so many, a different room was required to accommodate them.
He motioned to the leather seats, inviting her to sit down. Wana swung her bag from her shoulder and settled heavily on the comfortable seat. Without wasting time, she pulled out her diary and ball point pen and dove straight into the heart of the matter.
“What will you be writing today?” Daniel joked and chuckled.
“I need to know everything about you,” Wana replied without a smile.
“And you are writing it down?” he sounded perplexed.
“Mr. Daniel, you need to appreciate the seriousness of this situation; this isn’t an April fool’s day joke. This is about the life of your child and yourself, if we are caught in this deceit, we are surely going to jail and the purpose of all this will be defeated,” Wana was extremely matter of fact in her speech.
“I guess I didn’t see it that way,” he muttered, feeling duly chastised.
“This is a job for me and I intend to do it perfectly. Apart from attending perfection in all I do, this is also for the benefit of your daughter, she deserves the best.”
Daniel nodded, sitting straight, “You have my cooperation.” But he was curious, “Have you done this kind of thing before?”
Wana gave him an exasperated look and wondered why he was asking the question. But then his expression showed plain curiosity, so she replied. “I’ve never done this before, that’s why I’m putting in so much effort,” she lifted her pen and diary.
Daniel nodded. “We need to agree on an amount though,” she added.
He chuckled uneasily, “Your frankness will take some getting used to.”
“Yeah, well, its not forever,” she pointed out and thought pettily, deal with it.
“True,” he nodded and frowned. “I…um…I’m suggesting a monthly payment plan.”
Her eyes narrowed, “Why?”
“Well…”
“Wait, before you move ahead, we need to define our relationship. Will I be cooking?”
Daniel shrugged, he hadn’t thought that far, “I think it’ll make it more real if you did.”
“And I guess, being affectionate in public is required in this case then.”
“I’m not really a public, showy, kind of guy.”
“Neither am I, but if you’re looking to give the impression of loving someone, enough to ask her hand in marriage, then public show of affection is expected.” Wana hit her pen on her opened diary to emphasize her point.
“But…”
“Don’t be scared, it doesn’t have to involve tongue.”
Daniel’s eyes widened in shock, the image she was creating was making him hot all over. He had no business thinking what he was thinking when she mentioned tongue; this was a purely business alone deal.
“Umm…,” he cleared his throat.
“And you should consider sharing a room,” she dropped another bomb shell and almost laughed at the apoplectic look on Daniel’s face.
“No!” he finally blurted, “No, we are not sharing a room,” he said vehemently and realized he was sweating profusely despite the fan.
“How do you expect to explain that to your kid?” Wana asked with a straight face, she was enjoying the man’s obvious discomfort. His expressions made it too easy to shock him.
Daniel had no answer for her, his stubborn mind was having issues erasing the idea of her tongue down his throat and her warm presence his bed. He’d gone too long without a woman, he concluded as an explanation for his reaction.
“Do you care for water?” he didn’t wait for her reply, he shoved off the seat and hurried towards the kitchen. If he had looked back, he would have found Wana, consciously trying to hold back her laugh.
Indeed, he’d needed water. His throat had instantly gone dry at the X-rated images rolling through his mind eye. He gulped down the first glass and sighed, this sort of reaction had never happened before…even when he’d been at the escort service, surrounded by skimpily dressed girls. PJ would laugh him out of town if he knew.
Daniel drank another glass of chilled water, got a glass for her, made up his mind on his reply and went back to his sitting room.
He smiled, “Sorry for the abrupt…reaction. I get easily thirsty because of a medication I’m currently taking,” he hurried off his explanation and tried not to look Wana in the eye.
Wana was glad he hadn’t looked her in the face, if he had, he would have wondered why she had tears in her eyes. She’d put her face in the neck of her t-shirt to curb the sound of her hysterical laugh.
She took the glass of water, murmured her thanks and took a sip. She then dropped it on the coffee table and surreptitiously dabbed her eyes with her fingers.
“So,” he began, “I’ll tell Stacey that the reason we aren’t…,” he motioned with his hands at this point and Wana coughed to cover her laugh. “…you know, is because we are respecting the church’s rule on the issue,” he sighed as though he’d just concluded a marathon.
Wana nodded and for the next two hours she wrote down the terms and conditions which Daniel signed and stamped with his company’s official stamp. Their relationship was going to last at least six months. They agreed that they’ll have Debbie and Paul sign as witnesses later.
Then she went ahead to learn about every consequential and especially, inconsequential thing about Daniel.
It was a grueling session, but it was needed. She drilled Daniel about every idiosyncrasy he might have, whether his friends knew about it or not.
Finally, she yawned, quite loudly and stretched. Daniel’s eyes unconsciously admired the twin soft swells at her chest, when he realized what he was doing, he quickly looked away and shut his eyes in consternation.
“So, what are you doing for Stacey’s birthday in three weeks?” Wana asked while shutting her diary.
“Uh…,” Daniel looked sheepish. “Seriously, I hadn’t thought about it. I have no idea, what do you suggest?”
And in a tone, shockingly loving, Wana said, “But D-sweet, you have to pay better attention to things that concern Stacey. I’m not going to allow you repeat your past mistakes, but you have to try, okay?”
There was pause of silence.
“That was so real my heart skipped. You are good,” he praised, his hand crept to his chest as though it could slow down the furious pounding there.
She smiled, “Where’s our room?” she asked sweetly again, pausing Daniel in the act of getting up from his seat.
“But…,” he sputtered in confusion and had to watch Wana laugh her head off.
“I’m messing with you,” she explained and chuckled evilly. But as he followed him to her designated room, it bothered her that Daniel had such an adverse reaction to the idea of her sharing his room.
Could he be gay or was she just not attractive? Some men, at least the ones she’d met all her life would have jumped at the suggestion even if they knew she’d been joking.
Whatever, she sighed as she looked about her room. She was here for a job and nothing else. With that she stretched on the bed and flipped open her diary; she had lessons to learn.
~*********~
Three days zoomed by in a hurry; it was the day scheduled for the meet with the judge. Wana had studied the things she’d written about Daniel, and when they were at home, she would lean on the connecting kitchen door and watch him work at the sitting room; she learned more that way.
It was even beginning to feel like she’d known him all her life. The little things he did when he was absent minded brought smiles to her face. Like his grunt when you talked to him while writing or deep in thought.
At first it was annoying, but by the end of the day, she’d gotten used to it and had made it her own silent joke.
There was a problem though, she might have had Daniel’s character down, after all, he was a simple man, very simple man; but she discovered just that morning that she couldn’t wear the jeans and t-shirt she owned to the court.
Daniel’s appalled expression was enough before he even spoke.
“Are you wearing that to court, this afternoon?” his tone came out sharper than he’d intended, but then, he’d been wound tight like a draw string since she’d moved in with him. He was having difficulty in concentration, especially when he perceived her alluring scent.
Wana had narrowed her eyes, silently taking exception to his tone.
“You can’t wear jeans…or trousers at all to the court premises,” he hurriedly explained in a softer tone.
“Okay, I’ll change,” she shrugged, aptly showing him that it wasn’t a big deal.
“I’ll need your account number…,” he let the sentence hang, not because he wanted to, but because, he sincerely was lost for word at that point. Wana had turned to leave as he’d spoken and now he was staring at her side profile, her chest was damn impressive.
“I…I don’t have one,” Wana stammered, seeming flustered all of a sudden. She hoped he wouldn’t ask her why she had no bank account; she couldn’t very well tell him there hadn’t been provision for that in prison. No, she couldn’t say that, yet she had no other excuse.
Fortunately, he didn’t ask.
“I’ll need your phone number, two passports, maybe, Debbie’s electricity bill and an I.D card; my account officer can open the account for you,” he said and cleared his throat; he was feeling uncomfortable in his kindness.
“Will my place of work I.D card be sufficient?” she asked, knowing deep down, it might not be.
“Eh…for the opening maybe, you know these banks, they’ll never refuse your money. But you’ll need a National I.D card or driver’s license to access your account.”
“Oh…,” her face fell; she was hoping Debbie would have a way out.
But, apparently, Daniel was on a kindness roll, “The driver’s license will be easier to get, I’ll just need two more of your passports.”
Wana nodded, allowing her surprise at his act of kindness to show. He saw it and fidgeted.
“Remember it’s at two o’clock. Come on time, you don’t want to keep the judge waiting,” he advised gruffly and rushed out for work.
Wana watched him leave and sighed heavily. She had been about to offer him a kind word too. Although, in retrospect, she doubted he would have received it as kindness, because she was about to speak to him about his bogus dress shirt.
The man paid absolutely no attention to his dressing, Wana knew he was unassuming anyway; still, he should dress his part as a company owner.
She sighed again and with a phone call to Debbie, she secured a temporary solution to her dress problem.
The story continues…
“I’m still gloomy,” PJ replied, actually sounding the part. Daniel could hear the scratchy sound signifying he’d just turned on his bed.
“I’ve told you what to do, man, just talk to her,” Daniel encouraged.
“Bros, she threw the ring at me, she has never done that,” PJ sounded perturbed.
Daniel paced the space behind his sitting room couch. “And that’s because you pushed her too far. All you have to do is talk to her.”
“She won’t ever forgive me. I wouldn’t forgive myself for all I said,” he murmured.
“That’s the crux of the matter,” Daniel exclaimed. “You think everybody is like you. Man, you’ve lived with that woman long enough to realize she’s nothing like you.”
“Whose side are you on, Daniel? You’re supposed to be my friend,” PJ sounded disgruntled.
Daniel chuckled, “Debbie’s my friend too, and, you know I never supported your decision in the first place.”
“Thanks man, I feel so much better now,” PJ’s tone dripped with sarcasm.
Daniel laughed, “Think about what I said.”
Then his door bell chimed. “I have to get the door, talk to you later,” he ended the call while rushing to his front door. It was exactly who he’d been expecting.
And with a smile, he said, “Hi, Wana, welcome. Do come in,” he invited and stepped aside to let her in.
To her credit, Wana tried not to gape at the simple but exquisite décor of the house. Her gaze glanced through though, while hefting her knapsack more comfortably over her left shoulder.
His house was warm and homey. Though not ostentatiously furnished like the house she’d been arrested for breaking in, it did bring back that particular memory. Memories of the wealthy homes she’d stealthily been in.
Daniel looked outside in confusion before facing her, asking, “Where’s your luggage?”
Wana turned to him and tapped her bag with relish, “You’re looking at it,” she smiled, enjoying his surprise.
“You have all your stuffs in there?” he asked and watched her nod with a small smile. Daniel shook his head in wonder, “You’re different,” he murmured, clearly reminded of his ex-wife’s clutter, which were so many, a different room was required to accommodate them.
He motioned to the leather seats, inviting her to sit down. Wana swung her bag from her shoulder and settled heavily on the comfortable seat. Without wasting time, she pulled out her diary and ball point pen and dove straight into the heart of the matter.
“What will you be writing today?” Daniel joked and chuckled.
“I need to know everything about you,” Wana replied without a smile.
“And you are writing it down?” he sounded perplexed.
“Mr. Daniel, you need to appreciate the seriousness of this situation; this isn’t an April fool’s day joke. This is about the life of your child and yourself, if we are caught in this deceit, we are surely going to jail and the purpose of all this will be defeated,” Wana was extremely matter of fact in her speech.
“I guess I didn’t see it that way,” he muttered, feeling duly chastised.
“This is a job for me and I intend to do it perfectly. Apart from attending perfection in all I do, this is also for the benefit of your daughter, she deserves the best.”
Daniel nodded, sitting straight, “You have my cooperation.” But he was curious, “Have you done this kind of thing before?”
Wana gave him an exasperated look and wondered why he was asking the question. But then his expression showed plain curiosity, so she replied. “I’ve never done this before, that’s why I’m putting in so much effort,” she lifted her pen and diary.
Daniel nodded. “We need to agree on an amount though,” she added.
He chuckled uneasily, “Your frankness will take some getting used to.”
“Yeah, well, its not forever,” she pointed out and thought pettily, deal with it.
“True,” he nodded and frowned. “I…um…I’m suggesting a monthly payment plan.”
Her eyes narrowed, “Why?”
“Well…”
“Wait, before you move ahead, we need to define our relationship. Will I be cooking?”
Daniel shrugged, he hadn’t thought that far, “I think it’ll make it more real if you did.”
“And I guess, being affectionate in public is required in this case then.”
“I’m not really a public, showy, kind of guy.”
“Neither am I, but if you’re looking to give the impression of loving someone, enough to ask her hand in marriage, then public show of affection is expected.” Wana hit her pen on her opened diary to emphasize her point.
“But…”
“Don’t be scared, it doesn’t have to involve tongue.”
Daniel’s eyes widened in shock, the image she was creating was making him hot all over. He had no business thinking what he was thinking when she mentioned tongue; this was a purely business alone deal.
“Umm…,” he cleared his throat.
“And you should consider sharing a room,” she dropped another bomb shell and almost laughed at the apoplectic look on Daniel’s face.
“No!” he finally blurted, “No, we are not sharing a room,” he said vehemently and realized he was sweating profusely despite the fan.
“How do you expect to explain that to your kid?” Wana asked with a straight face, she was enjoying the man’s obvious discomfort. His expressions made it too easy to shock him.
Daniel had no answer for her, his stubborn mind was having issues erasing the idea of her tongue down his throat and her warm presence his bed. He’d gone too long without a woman, he concluded as an explanation for his reaction.
“Do you care for water?” he didn’t wait for her reply, he shoved off the seat and hurried towards the kitchen. If he had looked back, he would have found Wana, consciously trying to hold back her laugh.
Indeed, he’d needed water. His throat had instantly gone dry at the X-rated images rolling through his mind eye. He gulped down the first glass and sighed, this sort of reaction had never happened before…even when he’d been at the escort service, surrounded by skimpily dressed girls. PJ would laugh him out of town if he knew.
Daniel drank another glass of chilled water, got a glass for her, made up his mind on his reply and went back to his sitting room.
He smiled, “Sorry for the abrupt…reaction. I get easily thirsty because of a medication I’m currently taking,” he hurried off his explanation and tried not to look Wana in the eye.
Wana was glad he hadn’t looked her in the face, if he had, he would have wondered why she had tears in her eyes. She’d put her face in the neck of her t-shirt to curb the sound of her hysterical laugh.
She took the glass of water, murmured her thanks and took a sip. She then dropped it on the coffee table and surreptitiously dabbed her eyes with her fingers.
“So,” he began, “I’ll tell Stacey that the reason we aren’t…,” he motioned with his hands at this point and Wana coughed to cover her laugh. “…you know, is because we are respecting the church’s rule on the issue,” he sighed as though he’d just concluded a marathon.
Wana nodded and for the next two hours she wrote down the terms and conditions which Daniel signed and stamped with his company’s official stamp. Their relationship was going to last at least six months. They agreed that they’ll have Debbie and Paul sign as witnesses later.
Then she went ahead to learn about every consequential and especially, inconsequential thing about Daniel.
It was a grueling session, but it was needed. She drilled Daniel about every idiosyncrasy he might have, whether his friends knew about it or not.
Finally, she yawned, quite loudly and stretched. Daniel’s eyes unconsciously admired the twin soft swells at her chest, when he realized what he was doing, he quickly looked away and shut his eyes in consternation.
“So, what are you doing for Stacey’s birthday in three weeks?” Wana asked while shutting her diary.
“Uh…,” Daniel looked sheepish. “Seriously, I hadn’t thought about it. I have no idea, what do you suggest?”
And in a tone, shockingly loving, Wana said, “But D-sweet, you have to pay better attention to things that concern Stacey. I’m not going to allow you repeat your past mistakes, but you have to try, okay?”
There was pause of silence.
“That was so real my heart skipped. You are good,” he praised, his hand crept to his chest as though it could slow down the furious pounding there.
She smiled, “Where’s our room?” she asked sweetly again, pausing Daniel in the act of getting up from his seat.
“But…,” he sputtered in confusion and had to watch Wana laugh her head off.
“I’m messing with you,” she explained and chuckled evilly. But as he followed him to her designated room, it bothered her that Daniel had such an adverse reaction to the idea of her sharing his room.
Could he be gay or was she just not attractive? Some men, at least the ones she’d met all her life would have jumped at the suggestion even if they knew she’d been joking.
Whatever, she sighed as she looked about her room. She was here for a job and nothing else. With that she stretched on the bed and flipped open her diary; she had lessons to learn.
~*********~
Three days zoomed by in a hurry; it was the day scheduled for the meet with the judge. Wana had studied the things she’d written about Daniel, and when they were at home, she would lean on the connecting kitchen door and watch him work at the sitting room; she learned more that way.
It was even beginning to feel like she’d known him all her life. The little things he did when he was absent minded brought smiles to her face. Like his grunt when you talked to him while writing or deep in thought.
At first it was annoying, but by the end of the day, she’d gotten used to it and had made it her own silent joke.
There was a problem though, she might have had Daniel’s character down, after all, he was a simple man, very simple man; but she discovered just that morning that she couldn’t wear the jeans and t-shirt she owned to the court.
Daniel’s appalled expression was enough before he even spoke.
“Are you wearing that to court, this afternoon?” his tone came out sharper than he’d intended, but then, he’d been wound tight like a draw string since she’d moved in with him. He was having difficulty in concentration, especially when he perceived her alluring scent.
Wana had narrowed her eyes, silently taking exception to his tone.
“You can’t wear jeans…or trousers at all to the court premises,” he hurriedly explained in a softer tone.
“Okay, I’ll change,” she shrugged, aptly showing him that it wasn’t a big deal.
“I’ll need your account number…,” he let the sentence hang, not because he wanted to, but because, he sincerely was lost for word at that point. Wana had turned to leave as he’d spoken and now he was staring at her side profile, her chest was damn impressive.
“I…I don’t have one,” Wana stammered, seeming flustered all of a sudden. She hoped he wouldn’t ask her why she had no bank account; she couldn’t very well tell him there hadn’t been provision for that in prison. No, she couldn’t say that, yet she had no other excuse.
Fortunately, he didn’t ask.
“I’ll need your phone number, two passports, maybe, Debbie’s electricity bill and an I.D card; my account officer can open the account for you,” he said and cleared his throat; he was feeling uncomfortable in his kindness.
“Will my place of work I.D card be sufficient?” she asked, knowing deep down, it might not be.
“Eh…for the opening maybe, you know these banks, they’ll never refuse your money. But you’ll need a National I.D card or driver’s license to access your account.”
“Oh…,” her face fell; she was hoping Debbie would have a way out.
But, apparently, Daniel was on a kindness roll, “The driver’s license will be easier to get, I’ll just need two more of your passports.”
Wana nodded, allowing her surprise at his act of kindness to show. He saw it and fidgeted.
“Remember it’s at two o’clock. Come on time, you don’t want to keep the judge waiting,” he advised gruffly and rushed out for work.
Wana watched him leave and sighed heavily. She had been about to offer him a kind word too. Although, in retrospect, she doubted he would have received it as kindness, because she was about to speak to him about his bogus dress shirt.
The man paid absolutely no attention to his dressing, Wana knew he was unassuming anyway; still, he should dress his part as a company owner.
She sighed again and with a phone call to Debbie, she secured a temporary solution to her dress problem.
The story continues…
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