Kenya nodded, wondering why it was difficult for him to come out with whatever he was trying to say.
“They have certain expectations for me. It’s a long story, but they somehow have come up with the idea that I have a girlfriend.”
“How could they just come up with the idea? Is it not true?”
Solomon sighed. “That’s the thing, I’m hoping you will help me make it true. I kind of blurted something in that direction recently.”
Kenya hugged her purse to her chest and took a long swig from the water bottle she’d tucked into it. “Is this for real or for pretend?”
“That’s basically what I am proposing. I amfor realasking if you would consider dating mefor pretend. Just enough to convince my parents of my relationship status so they will ease off the pressure of...” His voice trailed off. “Of pairing me with single women at my cousin’s wedding.”
“A wedding, huh?” Kenya chewed the inside of her cheek. Her mother had always hated when she indulged in that habit. But desperate times called for desperate measures. It was that or eat the entire bowl of lollipops on the check-in counter.
“So is the wedding you are referring to a Nigerian one?”
“Yes.” His eyes widened.
That made things interesting. If pretending to be his girlfriend gave her the opportunity to experience a wedding celebration like the ones she’d seen online, that was not to be taken lightly. They were such elaborate affairs that popped up consistently on hersocial media accounts, thanks to the algorithm feeding off her event research.
“I’m not saying that you will for sure attend the wedding, though.” Solomon’s disclaimer deflated some of her excitement.
“Okay, noted, but I’m still waiting for how this benefits me. Why should I pretend to be in a relationship that your parents may or may not see?”
Solomon leaned closer to her, willing her to look him in the eyes despite his obvious discomfort. “I’m serious. I am not trying to string you along.”
“But that is what makes sense. At least that is how I’m hearing it.” Kenya held her head between her hands. “You are stringing me along for show, right?”
“It doesn’t have to work that way if we are in this together.”
“So then tell me clearly, what’s in it for me? I don’t read between the lines very well.” She didn’t really readanylines very well, and that made her feel like even more of an imposter.
But Lord knew she didn’t mind being close to the doctor. There was a current flowing between them that he couldn’t deny even if he wanted to. She may not be able to immediately comprehend the black and white of situations, but she sure could sense all the colors in between.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer!”
“Maybe it will keep you from boredom, fill your time,” he rushed out. “And because my parents are also trying to do a vow renewal, maybe that is something you can help us plan too. For pay. And in the middle of it I can collaborate with your doctor and give you additional tips for recovery. That way you can get back on your feet and in the office quicker.”
He looked down at his hands. She did too, noticing how smooth and surprisingly well manicured they were for someone who made a living using them to restore muscles. Then again, it wasn’t like he worked with corrosive materials all day.
“But isn’t that against some kind of rule?”
“Only if you were my patient. But you’re not. I can’t officially treat you as a patient and then date you.” He continued, “So, we can work on making this look as real as possible, at least while my parents are in town.”
Kenya shook her head. “I pride myself on being an honest and transparent person. I’m not perfect. I have my issues, and I’m pretty sure that’s part of the reason why the two of us didn’t go any further. But lies don’t settle right with me.”
“Well, how about we don’t look at it as a lie? What if we look at it as a follow-up date that doesn’t end for a few weeks.” Solomon may have meant for his smile to reassure her, but she felt like she was being lured into a trap. And worse yet, a trap she partially didn’t mind being lured into.
Solomon’s voice picked up. “Why don’t we look at this as a way to get to know each other more, without the pressure? From there we can see what happens. That’s how real relationships work anyway, right?”
Kenya wanted to fan the flickers of hope that sprung to life from that statement, but she couldn’t allow herself to go anywhere near the possibilities because whenever Solomon satisfied his parents enough and got them out of Dodge, this experiment of a date would be over.
She placed her water bottle in her purse. “Solomon, I don’t know. I’m gonna have to go back and think about this.”
His face fell, but he picked up those pieces with precise efficiency. “Please do that.”
Kenya crossed her arms. “I need to go pray about it. But I don’t know how God will feel about me praying about a lie.”
