Dancing With The Masquerade

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: GARDEN EGGS

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GARDEN EGGS

Perhaps I am the only one who feels this way, but the ride was taking longer than I expected. I spared my wristwatch a glance. Okay, just about eight minutes gone since we left the house. It's official, I'm the paranoid one here unless I'm simply nervous.

The car jumped during its encounter with a pothole and it threw me off my stable position to the side. He'd caught me right in time. I knew I was in his arms. I felt his hard chest, mostly on the right side of my back. My heart delved in and back out right away. Barely, I gulped down hard before sparing a glance at his hands, one on each of my arm then I steadily lifted my eyes to his face only to meet a pair of his staring back into mine. I've never been this close to him... I've never been this close to him! My feeling of nervousness spiked up likewise my heartbeat. Dear lord.

"Are you okay?" Cergio asked calmly. Instead of replying right away, it made me wonder if he was as thrown off balance as I am whenever I'm around him. Finally, I nodded at his question, unsure about my capabilities in speaking clearly at this moment. Once again, he flashed his infamous faint smile before gently releasing my arm from his hold.

"Thank you." I appreciated flashing a simple smile even though, deep down, I wished he wouldn't let go... at least not yet. Regardless, I was first to shift away, right back to my position by the side of the door. For a second, I gulped down once more and silently drew in a deep breath to calm my nerves and palpitating heartbeat. Yes, this is ridiculous. I'm behaving like a teenager with a newfound crush whereas I'm a twenty-six-year-old woman who almost got married, yet... yet I don't remember feeling this excited around either of them.

I shifted my gaze back to Cergio. This time, he locked his gaze with the view outside the window. Now, I'm no longer sure if I'll be okay when he eventually returns home. Whatever I'm feeling, it's growing and I'm not sure I'll be able to stop it, but I know I should.

It shouldn't be awkward or intense, but it felt that way seated right beside Cergio under one of the setup canopies right at the venue. Apparently, we were a little late and missed the whole bride dancing out and finding her husband in the crowd fiasco. Now, they were busy accepting greetings from visitors and probably trying to take pictures. Cergio and I met the couples, congratulated them before locking ourselves away here, while Chidera and Eze mingles with the rest.

"Garden eggs?" A server optioned as he pushed in our front a stainless tray in which there was a plate of small green fruits with a teardrop or rather roundish shape and also a smaller plate of spicy peanut butter also known as peppered groundnut paste, culturally called Ose Oji. My eyes lit up right away, and I reached out to pick a garden egg. As I was about to scoop some of the peanut butter, I recalled the person beside me, so I shifted my gaze to Cergio, who was staring at the food in front of us.

I scooped a good full using the garden egg. "Here," I directed it to him. He looked a bit surprise as he looked from it to me and then back to it. Thankfully, he collected it and I picked another for myself, scooped a good full of the paste. "Thank you." I appreciated; the server smiled before walking away to the next person.

Cergio spared me a look and I could see he was having a hard time assuring himself if it was okay to eat.

"It's garden egg and groundnut paste just... just like what you guys call peanut butter."

He raised both brows in understanding as he gave a light nod.

"We don't have more paste and personally, I like the groundnut paste mingling with the garden egg. That's why I take a huge bite at once." I explained, so he doesn't look at me strange when I eventually have my mouth full. The moment I looked away from his face, I bite off its entire body and three away the stalk. With my mouth full as I chewed, I turned back to him. "See?" I muffled, as I brought a hand to cover my mouth while I chewed.