THE COVEN’S BRIDE
CHAPTER 3
NALEDI
“Where have you been? I was starting to think you eloped with someone,” says Tshidi when I sit next to her.
She has a chair at the front where she will be sitting in front of all the guests. Her boyfriend is supposed to be sitting with her, but for some reason, she wants me. Now I very much regret putting this chair and table at the front because I hate being the centre of attention. Even though I know that people will be more focused on Tshidi, I feel like they will be staring at me too.
“I was getting some air. I heard you want me by your side. The plan was that you sit with Maxwell.”
Tshidi answers, “If I sit with Maxwell, it will seem like we are getting married, and I prefer you by my side. Men come and go, but friends are forever.”
“Don’t let Maxwell hear you say that.”
“I wish he did because I love the s*x I get when I mess up. I love it when he reminds me who is daddy,” she says, biting her lower lip. I cannot relate. “Your lipstick is smudged. Who were you kissing?”
“I wasn’t kissing anyone. Who said I was kissing anyone? Does a lipstick smudge mean someone was kissing someone?”
“Chill girl, I am just messing with you. But your lipstick is smudged,” she says, wiping the corner of my mouth with her thumb. “What are you getting defensive about? Who were you kissing?”
“I wasn’t kissing anyone.”
She makes me look at her. “Are you forgetting that I know you? You are always guilty when you get defensive.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Do you want me to stop this party and ask who kissed you? You know I am crazy,” she says, and I know she is not bluffing. I know very well that she can stop this party if she wants to.
I feel my cheeks burn as I think about that man. There is something about that man. I try to speak, but all I can do is smile and cover my face with my palms. Now that I think about it, the kiss was amazing. Short and sweet. The way I felt when he cupped my face, Lord!
“Now I’m curious,” Tshidi says to me, and all I can do is smile. “Girl who has you blushing like this?”
“Today is about you, let’s focus on you.”
“Snowy, don’t play with me, please. Who the heck did you kiss? I want to know,” she presses.
“I don’t know his name, okay, and it just happened. I doubt I will see him again.”
She gets off her chair and says, “Let’s find your man, girl. With the way you are smiling, there is no way I am letting you miss your soulmate.”
“He is not my soulmate, stop being crazy.”
She takes my hand and leads me into the crowd, ignoring her mother, who is telling us about the program. I cannot believe we are doing this. I cannot believe we are looking for Mr Handsome.
“Sorry,” I say when I bump into someone. It takes me a second to notice that it’s the person we are looking for.
“Sir, move out of the way, we are looking for my girl’s soulmate,” says Tshidi, and I cover my face with my palm. Is this girl crazy? Why would she say that out loud?
“I didn’t know you had a soulmate?” Sibusiso says with his eyes fixed on me.
Tshidi folds her arms. “What, do you not believe in soulmates? Do you even believe in love?”
“Honestly, I didn’t believe in love until one beautiful girl caught my attention. I think it was love at first sight,” Sibusiso answers, not taking his eyes off mine.
“Good, go find your girl while my girl and I go find her man,” she says.
Sibusiso answers, “She is in front of me. It seems she found me first.”
Tshidi looks at me and then at Sibusiso. “Oh my God! You two? Oh my God!”
“Birthday girl!” Jannell calls from the front. “Can the birthday girl come to take her seat?”
“We need to get back to the front,” I say about to lead the way back to our seat, but Tshidi pulls me back.
She leans and whispers, “Talk to your soulmate, and I will sit with Maxwell.”
“Are you sure?” I whisper back. “It’s your day, and I promised to be by your side.”
“Get your man girl,” she kisses me on the lips and then walks to the front, her mother is still calling her.
“I told you never to kiss me on the lips, you crazy girl!” I say. I don’t like being kissed on the mouth unless it’s a man, of course. I want to wipe my mouth, but I don’t want to ruin my lipstick. Tshidi just waves without even looking in my direction.
“So Snowy…” Sibusiso says from behind me.
“It’s Naledi for you. Now, how can I help you?” I say as if I wasn’t just looking for him moments ago.
“How about that dinner?”
“Maybe if you ask me nicely, I might think about it,” I say, joking.
He takes my right hand and gets on one knee. Someone screams that he is proposing, and people shift their attention to us and take out their phones to record.
“He is not proposing,” I quickly say. “Sibusiso, stand up.”
“Is that a yes?”
“I will walk away, and you will never see me again if you don’t stand up,” I threaten, and he stands up. People shift their attention back to the lady of the moment. I say to Sibusiso. “Never do that again, do you hear me?”
“Apologies, my lady. I promise that will never happen again.”
“Can I have my hand back?” I say. He is still holding my hand and caressing it with his thumb. I love how that is making me feel, but I need my hand back.
“Will I ever see you after tonight? Please be honest.”
I sigh heavily, “I do not want to make promises I cannot keep, but I am a very busy lady.”
“I understand, but please, even if I get to see you for two minutes.”
“Let’s do lunch, I don’t trust you enough to want to be alone with you at night,” I answer.
He nods with understanding. “Lunch is perfect. Can I please have your phone number?”
I call out my phone number, and he saves it. I wonder what he saved me as. I tell him that I need to do something in the house and that we will talk on the phone. I head into the house to use the bathroom and to fix my lipstick.
I stand in front of the mirror looking at my reflection and touch my lips. That short kiss with Sibusiso crosses my mind, causing me to smile. Look at me blushing. I fix myself up and head out. As I am heading down the stairs, my phone rings. I answer the phone and wait for the other person to speak first.
Sibusiso: Hey, this is Sibusiso, and this is my phone number. I hope I don’t get blocked after this.
Me: Hey, I will save it, and don’t worry, I am not going to block you. Unless you bother me, of course.
Sibusiso: Where did you disappear to? You are the only interesting thing here.
Me: I am in the house; I was fixing myself up.
Sibusiso: Can I join you?
Me: I don’t think the birthday girl will love that.
Sibusiso: The way she is going hard on the shots, I doubt she will notice.
Me: I have to get back to the party.
I sit on the stairs and fix my shoes. The front door opens, and I see Sibusiso walking in. I ask, “Are you following me?”
“No, I am looking for the bathroom.”
I quickly apologize. “The bathrooms are that way.”
“Well, maybe I am following you, and what are you doing there?” he says, walking towards the stairs.
“I’m fixing my shoes, they are starting to hurt.”
“May I?” he reaches for my feet and starts massaging.
“You don’t have to touch my feet.”
He answers, “I heard I give the best massages, let me bless you with one.”
“And who told you that? Your girlfriend?”
He laughs, “I don’t have a girlfriend if that is what you are asking.”
“I see.”
“I hope I also won’t get in trouble for massaging another man’s woman,” he says with a smirk on his face.
“I don’t have a boyfriend if that is what you are asking, although you should have asked before kissing me.”
He says, “I apologize for that, I couldn’t help myself. You are so gorgeous, I want to kiss you again.”
“We should join the others.”