“Oh, the gifts go here,” she replied, flustered. She showed him the basket behind the door.
“Thank you.” He gave her another smile and a lingering look before making his way towards the other guests.
Rethabile’s stomach performed several somersaults as she tried to pull herself together. Okay, he was a hot guy, but she was Rethabile Moemedi! Never before had a man caught her off guard. Where was all the smooth charm and sex appeal that had served her so well over the years?
She groaned and did up her top button. Celibacy! What a joke. Her knees were weak and despite the air-conditioning she was burning up. She stole a glance at the guests and spotted Lucas taking his seat. Her stomach did another somersault. There had to be a way out of this vow. A loophole, an amendment . . . something! There was no way she could allow a man who turned her to jelly to slip through her fingers.
She spotted two more guests approaching and looked down at the clipboard. Back to work, Thabi, she told herself, but it was difficult to concentrate. Her mind kept drifting to his eyes, his lips, his smile . . . and the way he had looked at her disobedient top button.
The party passed in a blur. Rethabile found her gaze straying to Lucas’s table, and every time she looked at him he would turn his head in her direction and she would quickly look away.
“What’s up with you tonight?” Criselda hissed in her ear. “Just because you’re an usher doesn’t mean you can’t be your usual bubbly self. Have you seen some of the guys in this place? Why aren’t you working it?”
Rethabile sighed. “There’s only one man here I’m interested in, Cris.”
“Then why aren’t you glued to his arm already?” her colleague demanded.
“Because . . . ” Rethabile cringed. “I’ve taken a vow of celibacy.”
Criselda looked at her with a blank expression. Then she burst into laughter. “Ag, that’s a good one, skat. Celibacy!” She chuckled, moving away to check on the food.
Rethabile would have been insulted by Criselda’s reaction if she weren’t so annoyed with herself. She should never have allowed her sisters and friend to trick her into taking the stupid vow. By now she and Lucas Khumalo would be out on the balcony, getting to know each other. She could already imagine how those lips would feel against hers . . .
Thabi! Get a grip! She fled the main room and went to get the gifts ready for presentation, just to give herself something to do. She considered having a glass of wine to loosen her up, but Reneilwe always said that if she got any looser she would unravel completely. Maybe she should stick to water.
The party stretched on for a few more agonising hours. As the guests began to leave, Rethabile took up her position at the door.
Lucas was among the last to leave. “This was a first-class party,” he told her, approaching the door. “You people know what you’re doing.”
She felt her face grow hot as she thought of the way her button had popped open right before his eyes. “Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed me – yourself! I mean . . . the party.” Oh God. She cringed.
He laughed. “Do you have a business card?”
Her heart leapt. She always carried business cards, just in case. There was no way Reneilwe could catch her out on this one – she hadn’t offered her number. She reached into her bag, produced a card and pressed it into his hand. Her fingers grazed his palm and a tingle went right through her. She thought she would collapse right there and then.
“Thank you.” He looked at the card, then pulled his own card from the inside of his jacket and handed it to her. This time she took it by the very tip, terrified that if he touched her again she would throw herself at him, vow or not.
“Good night, Rethabile. I hope we’ll meet again soon.” He flashed her another smile and sauntered off into the night.
* * *
“So you’re completely over Ras?”
Rebecca and Rethabile were relaxing in Rethabile’s Sunnyside flat.
Rethabile looked at her younger sister in mock confusion. “Ras who?”
“Good,” said Rebecca firmly, putting her feet up on the coffee table and digging into the bowl of chips in her lap. “He was a little bit creepy, anyway.”
“Noted,” said Rethabile, rolling her eyes.
“So who’s his replacement?”
Rethabile kept her eyes on the magazine she was reading. “Nobody.”
“Come on,” her sister persisted. “Let me guess – an artist. No, no – a writer.”
Rethabile scowled. “If you keep this up, I’ll change my mind about letting you stay here for the varsity holidays.” But her mouth twitched as she thought of Lucas’s sexy mouth and the even sexier things he could probably do with it.
“Aha!” Rebecca lowered her legs to the carpet and leaned forward. “There is someone. Tell me, Thabi! You know you want to.”
“Eish, wena!” Rethabile clicked her tongue in mock irritation. “I’ve taken a vow, remember? I’m off men.”
Rebecca shook her head. “He must be really hot if you’re being this secretive. When did you meet him? At that work thing last night?”
Rethabile heaved a sigh of surrender, knowing that her sister wasn’t going to let up. “Yes. It was a disaster – I stammered and made a fool of myself. All my skills went out of the window. But I think he was checking me out.”
“Of course – you’re gorgeous,” said Rebecca loyally. “And that white shirt you were wearing . . . ”
Rethabile bit her lip and frowned. “I shouldn’t have made that stupid vow! But don’t tell Reneilwe I said that,” she added, with a stern glance.
Rebecca laughed. “The vow shouldn’t hold you back. You’re allowed to hang out with guys. You just have to take it slow.”
“Right.” Rethabile pictured Lucas’s face and knew that there was no way she would be able to take it slow. “Anyway, everything happens for a reason. Maybe that’s why I lost my cool last night – so I can stay on track and keep my vow.”
“Or maybe he was just that hot,” Rebecca countered, giggling.
Rethabile threw a cushion at her just as her phone started to ring. She dug it out from in between the sofa cushions. It was an unknown number. “Hello?”
“Hi. Is that Rethabile?”
Her heart stopped. It couldn’t be. She looked at Rebecca, who was frowning in confusion. “Yes.”
“Lucas Khumalo here, from last night’s party. I hope this isn’t a bad time.”
Rethabile beamed, feeling as if she were glowing from within. “No, not at all! Hi.” She just registered her sister’s knowing smirk before she slipped into her own world, where the only thing that mattered was the seductive voice at the other
