THE BEAUTIFUL STRANGER.
THE
BEAUTIFUL STRANGER.
Hi there friend,
So I am doing a bit of creative writing to hone my
skill for novel writing. I had this idea for a story which I started working on
to see where it goes. Here is a snippet read, enjoy and drop a comment.
I know, getting ahead of myself here but don’t
laugh at the cover photo though😜.
Cheryl felt the beads of sweat start to form on
her forehead under the scorching sun of the south Odranan coast as she waited
for a taxi. She was burning up so much she almost went back into her apartment
and forget about the errands she needed to run. Being a country born and raised
woman she was not accustomed to that much heat.
“Phew! This heat is too much can we just go back;
I don’t think it’s that urgent that we go to that party anyways. Come on Cara,
we have been waiting for ages already”. Sighing she wipes sweat from her face
with a handkerchief.
“Marty is my friend, I can’t let him down.” Cheryl
eyes her disbelievingly. Catching on she adds rather quickly, “It’s a soiree
besides didn’t you say you needed to make payments for your return ticket
today?”
“I know, I don’t want to miss work but I am just
not used to this kind of weather like you sis, the city is so much cooler”, she
slightly smirks and replaces her sunglasses eyeing her sister who was now
rummaging through her tote bag for something. Cara maybe the elder sister but
people always thought Cheryl was, mostly because of her taller slender frame
but also because of her strict and serious demeanor. She always did everything according
to plan and hated making mistakes. Cara on the other hand despite her striking
resemblance to her younger sister was a little more full-figured and
spontaneous personality wise. With her laid back personality she was never in a
hurry or felt the urgency in performing any task.
“Where can we take you today ladies?” a guy
quizzed as he approached with his colleague on motorcycles. As Cheryl turned to
them she could clearly see that they did carry pillion passengers. It was a
common practice here at the south coast for young males to carry pillion
passengers commuting within towns as a way of earning a living.
Cara was the one who answered “how much to
corporate lane?” “It’s just fifty madam,” the guy from earlier replied. He was
a tall and dark guy who by the looks of it had much experience in the business
though he did not appear to be older than thirty years. Cheryl’s interest
though was not on Mr. Tall and dark, but on the other guy who hadn’t
said a word in this exchange. What she hadn’t counted on as she shifted her eyes
to take a closer look and study him was that he would be staring at her. Her
stomach fluttered at that small action but she wasn’t going to back down even
more so now that she was curious as to why this guy would elicit such a teen like
reaction from her. She just had to take a closer look maybe it was just the
sunglasses giving her the confidence to hold a stranger’s gaze but there was no
time analyze that.
The mesmerizing stranger had this boyish
appearance about him with soft curly hair that was close trimmed on the sides.
Contrary to his young facial looks he had a well-built body that suggested he
did workout although he was shorter and much lighter skinned than his friend in
comparison. It was obvious he wasn’t a typical African rather had Arab influences
in his lineage. The intensity in his gaze made her nervous, he wasn’t making
any reactions to the ongoing conversation just stayed silent watching her.
When it was clear to Cheryl that her stranger was
not the shy type and wasn’t about to avert his gaze in shame of being caught
staring, she decided to break the trance before any awkwardness sets in. Shifting
attention back to Cara she told her they should take both riders. She nodded
her head towards the beautiful stranger before saying “you take him I will ride
with this one.” Deep down Cheryl knew why she chose as she did.
After finishing up with ticket purchases, they passed by the bank to get some cash for her stay period. No sooner had she
walked out of the bank glasses in hand with her sister chatting than she could
feel the stranger’s eyes on her (or was it just her imagination?) probably
because right now her face wasn’t obscured by the sunglasses. They both went to
get on their respective bikes when her sister quipped in their native language
“You know what, this guy is a very good rider; he doesn’t go at crazy speeds
like other motorists do.” Cheryl’s response was to look at said stranger and
smile. She wondered if that gesture would change the serious look that was
always adorning his face. Oh! No smile, nothing
at all? Maybe that is just his personality. He is still staring though, maybe
he likes me he is not bad himself huh! I could fall for him. What!? She
mused before cutting herself short. Stop
now Cheryl you are staring you don’t want him to notice you are checking him
out or worse think you like him.
Putting back on her sunglasses she hurriedly climbed
on the pillion. The thought that she had not remembered to wear them earlier
haunted her all the way, now she had given the guy an opportunity to really see
her. The ride to the party was a short one and soon they were stopping at a
crossroad. “Which way should we go,” her motorcyclist inquired. “I am not sure,
let’s just wait for them”. Marty’s home where the party was being held was a
little hidden from the main highway.
She hailed her sister shouting as they approached
“which way!”
“We are taking the left; it’s not far from here
just two hundred metres down.” Cara
shouted back.
“Okay, we are right behind you.” Cheryl dared a
glance at the stranger as their motorbike by passed them slowing down and
something she never thought would happen, did. He flashed her a smile, the
toothiest she had ever seen and she stiffened for a moment. In that instance he
looked like a totally different person. She realized smiling suited him best;
it made his whole face light up and appear less imposing. Just like that
without looking back he picked up pace and rode down the road.
Her motorbike came to a halt in front of a brown
high metallic gate with flower patterns. Cara and the stranger were already
waiting and thankfully he was facing away. Feeling like a coward, she handed
two hundred shilling notes to her sister to give to their motorists but she
just couldn’t bring herself to interact with the guy especially after the way
butterflies fluttered in her stomach when he smiled at her earlier. If she had
entertained the idea that the stranger was somehow attracted to her, now she
was sure that he liked her and was openly showing it by flirting. She however
knew of a thousand reasons why the idea of reciprocating the gesture is a bad
one, like for example he appeared to be a child in comparison to her. She would
easily pass for a cougar if she were to date him.
That is how she resigned herself to
stand by the sideline and watch his broadened shoulders as he turned his
motorbike around same smile plastered all over his face. He lifted his
sparkling deep earthy brown eyes to meet hers but she simply glared back
determined to douse that spark before it is kindled into raging flames that’ll
be harder to put out. Her eyes followed even as his back turned against her and
he rode away, she could feel disappointment rear its ugly head knowing nothing
could ever become of the attraction.
As if sensing her eyes on him, he glanced over his
shoulder intensity back in those brown orbs and smirked at her before
disappearing behind the tree line adorning the sides of the road. The heat rose
in her body that had nothing to do with the weather, she could tell because of
how erratic her heartbeat suddenly became. Thankful that this was just one of
those encounters by chance because she knew she was smitten and if she were to
ever see him again might not do the sensible thing. Cheryl was left there
flabbergasted by what had just happened to her within a span of like what, 20
minutes?
Meanwhile Cara was oblivious to what was going on with
her little sister. She had just called Marty so he could let them in and was
standing there excited for the party. “Hey Cheryl you are going to love it
here, the house is just so amazing and Marty is the best.”
“Mmh, we are about to find out aren’t we?” she grinned
back knowing her sister and her enthusiasm she probably has a crush on this
Marty guy. " Why do you even call him Marty anyways? It sounds childish and..." Before she could finish the statement there was a buzz and the gates suddenly started pulling open to
reveal a lavish double storey home in the greenest garden she has ever seen at
the coastal region. “Shuuut the front door!” she hissed dragging on the word
shut. “You little liar when you said house I didn’t know you meant MANSION!!”
she poked her as she ran down the pavement leading to the house luckily no one
was on this side of the home.
Just as Cara was about to knock, the front door
flew open revealing a white guy shouting Cara’s name with open arms. “You made
it, I am thrilled….,” white guy said releasing Cara from his embrace “and you
brought your twin” he finished the statement glancing between them in mirth before
his face fell. Facing Cara he uttered disenchanted, “no, no I will never
forgive you for this”
“What did I do now?”
“How long have we known each other for and you’ve
never told me you had a twin sister!? Some friend you are.”
Cheryl who
had been following the exchange closely now had concern written all over her
face she didn’t know if she was supposed to say something or give them space.
Her sister glanced over, picking on her reaction she playfully hit him on the
shoulder chuckling, “stop messing around you fool, you almost made my sister
run out of this place.” At which he babbled over in laughter. Interesting guy. Following up with introductions she gestured
carefully, “Cheryl, this is Marty, Marty meet my little sister Cheryl.” More
composed this time he shook her hand beaming with a simple “pleasure is all
mine, please come on in, the party is out back.” Cheryl mouthed a thank you and
noted as she was being ushered through the living room toward a hallway that he
acted with a certain elegance she wasn’t accustomed to. It figures. He must have been
brought up that way, growing up in this much money he must have met
distinguished people whom he had to observe a certain level of politeness with.
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