Page 31 of The Marriage Agreement (Agreement)

“Yes, please,” I laugh. He fills my plate again, and we eat in silence for a few minutes before he asks.

“Do you have any allergies?”

“None that I know of, but I have a love for pastries, and I have a sweet tooth. Osei tells me I could probably die from an ice cream overdose if I’m not careful.” he laughs. It’s true; he probably noticed my love of ice cream and pastries, especially with Osei's deliveries of sweets in the past week. Paula has also stocked the pantry with more sweets for me. I noticed, Luke doesn't care for sweets.

“Which part of your name means ‘Joy’?”

“Ayo means ‘Joy’.”

“So, if I wanted to say ‘my joy’ in Yoruba…”

“Ayo mi,” I answer, even as the thought of him calling me his joy stops my heart. I take a sip of the water. He eats as though he didn’t just sizzle the air flowing our way.

“So, ‘Ayo mi’ it is, if anyone ever asks for your pet name.” I nod my understanding; not sure my heart won’t smile each time he calls me “my joy.”

Chapter 20

LUKE

“Tell me about you?” I ask as we sit next to each other. I want to know everything about her.

She shrugs. “There isn’t much to tell. I’m what most people would call boring.”

I’m sure there is more to her than boring. “Tell me something Osei doesn’t know about you.”

A smile curves her lips. “That’s a tough one because Osei probes without you realizing he’s probing. I honestly think he should have ventured into law enforcement because he’ll smile, and you won’t even realize you’ve told him everything.”

“So, he knows everything about you?” I ask, trying to control my annoyance at my brother knowing everything about her.

“He knows a lot, but he doesn't know everything. I sometimes surprise myself, which means not even I know everything about me. But I do know he doesn’t know I like to sleep in my birthday suit.” She smirks, just as that answer has my imaginationreeling. Even as I act as if it doesn’t move me, my body is responding.

“Anything else he doesn’t know?” I ask, though I’m glad he doesn’t know about her birthday suit.

“Can’t think of anything else he doesn’t know about me.”

“Okay, let’s keep the question basic, then—do you like movies?”

“Love musicals and romance. No horror, though. I can handle some sci-fi. Everything else is okay. What about you?”

“Not sure about musicals, dislike horror, too. As for romance…” I shrug, I smile, our union being the only romance needed.

“Now tell me something you would never do?” I ask.

“I won’t eat pork, and I won’t have an affair that would soil your name, though our marriage is a business arrangement.” I’m pleased by her consideration, though I have my work cut out for me on the business arrangement aspect.

“Why won’t you eat pork?”

“My dad was born and raised Muslim. Hence my middle name, Iman, and my last name, Kabir. He converted to Christianity for my mom. To avoid getting disowned by his father, which is considered an abomination, he let my grandfather give my brother and me Muslim names. Since my dad grew up Muslim and we still visit my grandfather, pork was an absolute no-no in our household. Besides, my brother converted back to Islam. My family is half Muslim, half Christian. I must point out that your brother likes to tell me how juicy and sweet pork tastes.” She rolls her eyes.

“I bet he does.” It sounds like something Osei would do.

“You can eat pork; it doesn’t bother me.”No, I’m no longer eating pork.

We sit and talk more about her likes and dislikes. The more we talk, the more I find myself liking and wanting her. She starts torelax, feet tucked under her legs, talking with her hands flying and expressive eyes, making comical sounds. I watch and catalog her happy moments.

“Would you like to take a walk on the beach with me?”

“Yes, I like walks. It calms me. Plus, I need the sun.” Something in me rejoices at her yes.

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