Love’n’Lust

More time passed than Belle calculated. She had begun to write an article about random things she noticed in the new town she was in, using Zina’s laptop.

One night, she was asleep when she felt warm breathing near her face. She regarded it as nothing because she was so much intoxicated by her deep sleep.

The next morning, she was sitting in front of the kitchen counter, waiting for Zina’s pancakes which she now enjoyed when Zina leaned in front of her, elbows holding up her head, she stared at Belle.

“What are you doing?” Belle asked her with a light laugh.

“Staring at you?” Zina replied.

“Yeah, I see that. Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Because you are cute?” Zina smiled and then bit her lips.

“P-L-E-A-S-E,” Belle laughed at what she just said.”I haven’t even gone out in like a month, I must look like a zombie or a vampire and you think I’m cute?”

“I think Vampires are cute too,” Zina laughed with her.”Your lips are just…” Zina couldn’t take her eyes off Belle’s cherry-like lips.

“Something’s burning, Zina!” Belle alerted and Zina quickly rushed back to the cooker and turned it off. The pancake which she had flipped before going over to Belle at the counter was now blackened to match with the black pan. Some smoke arose from the pan.

“You let it burn,” Belle left where she sat to join her in the kitchen.

“Shit,” Zina just ran her hands through her hair with a shrug.”Don’t worry, I’ll deal with this, just come eat.” She carried the dish containing the previously fried pancakes over to the counter then came back for Belle who wouldn’t stop staring at how black the pan was now.

“Come on,” she arranged Belle’s stool then brought to her the syrup bottle.

“So, I’m supposed to watch you clean that up while I eat?” Belle asked, leaving Zina mute for a second.”Cause I’m more than happy to, I’m starving,” Zina had her mouth open with surprise now, she didn’t expect Belle to say that.

“What? It’s your fault it’s all burnt and black like that. I don’t burn things when I cook,” Belle laughed and Zina joined in.

While she cleaned the pan, Zina turned back to Belle to tell her something.

“Do you wanna come with me to the club tonight?”

“The one you work at?”

“Yeah, where else?”

“Won’t you be busy working all through, it won’t be fun if I just go there alone.”

“No, I will be with you the whole time, you see, tonight’s the club’s ‘All employees day’, so we get to invite our friends to party with us, just the employees; it will be shut for non-employees.”

“Oh.

“Yeah. Would you like to come?”Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Well, I haven’t clubbed in quite a while, I hope I don’t embarrass you but sure, I will come, it’s not like I have anything to do here.”

*****

04:57 am.

“Wow, this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time,” Belle giggled as both she and Zina walked out of the club.

“Yes, that’s how dope my workplace is, just that we don’t get to have this much fun on normal days.”  Zina smiled, feeling happy for the night.

“There’s no taxi or anything pulling up to look for passengers. What do we do, Zina?” Belle tugged onto her arm like a baby.

“We could just wait?”

“Where? I don’t wanna go back inside, I’ll just get more drunk than I am,” Belle told her.

“Are you drunk?” Zina asked with a chuckle because she knew Belle didn’t even drink as much as she and the others inside did.

“Oh, you don’t know. Well, I can’t handle alcohol. I am very terrible with alcohol. It’s why I’m here.” Belle laughed.”I drank too much once and I did something pretty stupid. Now, someone’s probably dead because of me.” She stopped laughing and got sadly sober.

“You okay?” Zina asked when she didn’t hear her talk after a while.

“I don’t know, probably am.”

“Let’s sit then.” Zina took her to the elevated walk path by the side of the club’s entrance and they both sat. Belle didn’t say anything more like she expected, she just sat and gazed up at the sky so she joined her.

“It’s beautiful,” Belle confessed.

“Yes, it is, but it’s merely as beautiful as you are.” Zina turned her neck to look at Belle who noticed soon that she was being stared at.

“What?”

“I wanna kiss you. Can I?”

“What?” Belle asked again but was surprised when Zina’s lips touched hers. It was a warm, wet, deep but quick kiss. She wasn’t expecting it.

“…” It was quiet between them for a while when their lips separated.

“I’m sorry,” Zina apologized, “I should have waited for an answer before I did that.”

“…” Belle still said nothing. She just looked back at the sky.

“Are you mad?” Zina asked her.

“No.”

“Why are you quiet then?”

“I’ve just never been kissed by a girl before.”Belle looked at her.”Don’t ever do that again, ever, okay?” Belle told her calmly. She didn’t know how Ben found out about her and Nathan, so she didn’t want anything to happen to Zina like Nathan just because of her.

“Okay.”

****

When they were on their way home, the sun had started to rise. Zina asked the taxi driver to stop the car suddenly.

“Did you forget something back at the club?” Belle asked her.

“No, I just need to pick up something real quick.” Zina got down from the cab.”You will see me home soon, don’t worry.”

“Alright,” Belle nodded.

*****

When Belle got home, she took out the key and opened the door. Dragging her feet in, she closed the door behind her and the moment she turned to go to the bedroom, the key fell from her hand.

She saw Ben standing in the kitchen with his left hand in his pocket and using the right to hold a mug. She saw a smile come upon his face after she dropped the keys and got his attention.

“Belle,” She heard that deep, thick voice she hadn’t heard in over a month now. He kept the mug on the kitchen counter and came to where she stood by the door.

“…” Belle couldn’t say a word when he came close to her, she just stared at him blankly; she didn’t even bother to know how he was inside Zina’s apartment, she now knew he had his ways.

He cupped her small face after pushing some of her scattered hair behind her ears, a calm smile on his face.

“I’ve missed you,” he told her but noticed how sleepy she was after she didn’t stop with her blank stare.”You are tired, maybe we should talk when you have had some sleep.”

Belle still didn’t say anything, she just walked past him toward the room. Ben let his eyes follow her till she went behind the beaded curtain.

Almost as soon as Belle left the living room, Zina walked in with a bouquet of flowers in hand, they were pink roses. She didn’t see Ben till she closed the door behind her and turned around.

“Sir!” She greeted with shock written over her. Ben watched her panic at his presence but the only thing that caught his eyes were the flowers she held. He knew they were Belle’s favorite.

“What are those for?” He asked her about the flowers, returning both his hands to his pockets.

“These?” Zina lifted the flowers like she didn’t know that was what he was asking about. When Ben didn’t reply, she knew to think of the answer right away.”These were uhm… given to me by someone, just now, right outside before I came up. It’s from an admirer,” Zina sweated out a lie because her boss could not find out that she planned to give the flowers to Belle.

“I will just throw it away,” Zina smiled nervously and went ahead to throw the flowers in the bin in the kitchen. She returned to where she stood previously with her hands behind her back like it should be whenever she had to talk to Ben; it was something every member of his security team did except for Randy.

Ben wasn’t pleased by all she just did but he didn’t care about any of that at the moment, he was there to meet his Belle.

“Sir, I didn’t know you would be coming,” Zina said after some silence.

“Do I work for you, or do you work for me?”

“I work for you, sir. I’m sorry,” Zina apologized. She knew he was letting her know he didn’t need her permission to come see Belle when he wanted to.