Despite wanting to test my algorithm, I hope that’s the case. I hope it will be perfect on the first try because I don’t think I can last long with this woman.
“If you agree, we’ll meet every two weeks, assuming that’s the time between dates. We speak through Mercury and meet a maximum of three times,” I recap.
Moyo sits with the words for a moment, her pretty face deep in thought,signified by the little crease in the middle of her forehead and a slight jut of a pink tongue. The tip adds even more color to the rich palette of her face. If I weren’t so irritated, I might say she looks stunning. I can only wonder what pleasant things she can do with that tongue because being nice to me certainly isn’t one of them.
“If,” she over-emphasizes, “we do this, that sounds acceptable.”
Acceptable? I literally just repeated her own words back to her. I forget to take a deep breath and jump to my feet. “Is this how you are with everyone?”
Her jaw ticks. “Thorough? Yes.” She grins, and it is breathtaking.
“Not that. The light condescension.”
Moyo also stands. She’s only a few inches shorter than me but is still intimidating. “Condescending? Because I don’t want you creeping all over my dates?” she asks.
“It was a suggestion, and it’s worked for other people,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck.
“Then you should’ve led with that evidence.”
I clench my jaw to stifle a groan. She does work in medicine, after all. Being obsessed with numbers and evidence makes sense. Doesn’t make this any less annoying, but it does make sense.
“Want to hear another strategy that’s worked?” I ask, attempting to salvage this meeting. She nods receptively, and I think about the list I compiled. Here goes nothing.
“Role-play?” she shrieks, alarmingly loud for someone with neighbors. The reaction isn’t as bad as some of her previous responses, but like the others, it leads to some bickering. I want to rip my hair out, but actually (and I’ll never repeat this) it’s kind of fun.
“After a date, you’ll give me a rundown, yes?” I go over the process we agreed on one more time, and she nods. “Then, if need be, you’ll tell me about a situation you’re conflicted about, and we’ll role-play it together. You’ll play yourself, obviously, and I’ll give you some feedback.”
She nods warily.
“There’s also role-playing that involves us going on a practice date so I can give you feedback on spontaneous scenarios,” I expand, and the receptive vibe ends.
“Maybe not that second part. Can’t have you falling for me.” She takes a sip of water.
“Not in your wildest dreams.”
Is she gorgeous? Yes.
Would I love to make her putty in my hands? Absolutely.
Am I seeing her in a purely professional capacity, and have I found that she grinds my gears? Yes, and yes. Therefore, romance is not an option. Plus, this attraction is just because of my powers. And I refuse to build a relationship based on powers I don’t appreciate having.
I run a hand through my coils, and she laughs. It’s the first time I’ve heard her laugh, and it sounds like angels.
Wow.
Dial it back, Niyi. I try to speak sense into my raging, god-influenced hormones.
“It’s almost fun ruffling your feathers. If you could watch yourself, you’d do it too,” she says, and I get quiet. This isn’t news to me. Merc and Vee say it all the time. It hasn’t even been two hours, and she reads me as well as people I’ve known much longer.
“Let’s call it a night,” I say. Best to stop before she reads into me even more.
“Yes. I’m still deciding, but I’ll let Mercury know soon.” Moyo rises and gives a big stretch that reveals a healthy amount of underboob.
I look away for both our sakes, depriving myself of the glorious angle. I remind myself she might become a coaching client, and if she does, she’ll be the most important one. With her help, I’ll figure out my algorithm once and for all and finally pull my weight as part of the upper management core trio.
“See you on Wednesday?” Moyo says, walking me towards her front door.
“Wednesday?”
