he’s being shoved down our throats. I’m seriously reconsidering my priorities right now.”
“You’re still young, so you should do it now. Because the older you get, the more reluctant you are to take a risk.”
“Yes, like you would let me be your accountant for a fee so that I can stop working at the accountancy firm.”
“Why not, if you’re qualified? We should help each other out like that.”
Masedi stared at Tshepo, wondering how serious she was. But before she could enquire they heard loud male voices entering the shop.
“It’s my brother with his mentees.”
“I should get going.”
“Hoping to catch a glimpse of the hunk from last night?” Tshepo teased.
“Don’t think I’m in the market for all that. And he looked like the kind of guy who never lacks for a paramour.”
“That’s a big word.”
“Sexy, isn’t it?” Masedi said jokingly. “Rather than girlfriend or lover, you can be a paramour. Illicit and steamy.”
“All these years, and I didn’t know that about you!” Tshepo exclaimed.
“What?”
“That you were a closet romantic.”
“Pshh . . . I save that for my romance novels and the movies.”
Masedi drank the last of her coffee and got up. The two women embraced.
“It was lovely seeing you again. I’m tired of getting brushed off in favour of your other fancy friends,” Tshepo said.
Masedi led the way out of the office. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
They entered the segmented open-plan area.
“Let me introduce you to my brother,” Tshepo said. “He’s been dying to meet the woman who makes this jewellery.”
Masedi’s heart plummeted into her solar plexus as she saw the shoulder-length dreads brushing those muscular shoulders clad in a white linen shirt, and the navy-blue shorts that ended just above the knee, showing off well-shaped, hairy legs. She couldn’t help but suck in her breath as desire flooded her.
She couldn’t believe that it was him, and that she was reacting in this way.
“Pelo, come and meet Masedi, the woman of the crystal jewellery!” Tshepo called out, oblivious of Masedi’s reaction.
He turned around with a smile on his face, which froze when he saw the beauty from last night and from his dream that morning. Pelo was in such shock that he burst out laughing, immediately putting Masedi’s back up and making her frown.
“Excuse my brother,” Tshepo apologised. “He was always the weird one in the family, with very little manners.”
“Wait till I tell you why I’m reacting like this. Then you’ll laugh too.” Pelo walked over to Masedi and was pleased to see her look him up and down.
“This can’t be happening,” she murmured.
“It’s happening all right,” Pelo said, sounding pleased. “Totally serendipitous.”
He took her hand in his and stroked it, looking deeply into her eyes.
Tshepo stared from one to the other, waiting for an explanation.
“We met last night,” Masedi explained, unable to drag her eyes away from Pelo’s.
“This is the guy?” Tshepo asked incredulously.
“Oh, am I the guy?” Pelo said, clearly pleased.
“Don’t be foolish,” Masedi admonished.
“Yes. Tlogela bomatla,” Tshepo added. “This is – uhm . . .”
“Serendipitous,” Pelo said, beaming while hanging on to Masedi’s hand as she tried desperately to pull it away.
“Masedi was hoping to rent a space here,” Tshepo said, trying to make conversation. “She says she loves this complex.”
“Really. How . . .”
“If you say ‘serendipitous’ one more time I’m going to smack you,” Masedi threatened.
Pelo grinned at her, making her heart plummet again.
“I have to go,” Masedi said anxiously.
“Mhhh, I know. Now. Immediately.” Pelo repeated her words of last night slightly mockingly.
Masedi threw him a threatening look and started marching out without saying goodbye.
“I’ll call you!” he called after her.
Pelo saw her hesitate a second, then shake her head and wave over her shoulder.
Tshepo directed her goodbye at Masedi’s rapidly retreating figure, then demanded from her brother, “So then?”
“You won’t believe it when I tell you,” Pelo replied.
“Try me.”
* * *
Masedi lay on Kagiso’s couch, nursing a margarita, having just filled her in on what had happened the previous night while she and Tsholo were in the restroom.
“Hê! You’re deep, wena man!” Kagiso accused Masedi. “So we drove home and you didn’t even tell us that you had a sex session on the dance floor?”
“We had nothing of the kind!” Masedi exploded.
“Well, you admitted that you were turned on,” Kagiso said.
“You’re not helping at all.”
“What do you want me to say? It was serendipitous. And I must just add that it seems Tsholo and I were right about this guy.”
A myriad of thoughts flew through Masedi’s head as she tried to figure out what was going on, how she was feeling, and what her next step should be, if any.
Would Pelo really call her?
She had to admit that it was serendipitous that the guy who’d made her body hum the previous night was the brother of one of her most loyal customers. But as long as men believed they were dogs and couldn’t love her in the way that she wanted to be loved, why should she bother?
“Oh, my God . . . You’re thinking about Brian, aren’t you?” Kagiso moaned.
“Well, we learn life lessons so that we don’t make the same mistakes over and over again,” Masedi replied.
“Sure.
