62: MONALISA!

Brown looked at her and wondered what she was thinking in her mind. He looked at the furthest corner where his lover was last standing but he was not there.  He had even forgotten that he had a lady for him at the end of the stairs. He quickly took a turn and gazed around the room to look for his lover. 

The girl who was standing at the bottom of the stairs figured that Brown was trying to look for something or someone around the room but she didn't have any idea whom he would be looking for.

"Excuse me, are you looking for someone?" She asked tapping Brown on the shoulder which startled him.

He faced him and excused himself right away. He knew probably his lover was disappointed in him for taking too long on the girl or maybe he did something bad.

"Where to?" He heard a voice. 

Fear gripped him as he felt the familiar scent that he had felt some days back when he was alone with him.

"Just the washroom, I'll be back," Brown replied without facing him. He didn't need to look at him to know who was talking to him. He rushed out to the washroom quickly and tried to see if anyone was around, but there was nobody in the washroom so he decided to head back to the party and join the other guest before the day ends.

"Are you okay?" His lover suddenly asked him out of the blue while handing him a drink.

"Where were you? I couldn't find you in the washroom," questioned Brown. He was keeping a low and undetectable conversation to avoid one of them falling in trouble.

"Let's focus, lest we both be thrown out, drink it, you will be singing as the birthday girl slashes the cake," his lover told him before disappearing from his face and heading to the darkness.

Brown wondered what was wrong with his lover. He hasn't done anything wrong to him, he has just sung a song and greeted a girl he even didn't like and left. 

Though the way his lover talked to him, was like mocking him, which he never does.  

He decided to drink and prepare himself to entertain the guest before heading home maybe they can sort out their issues.

"There you are," said the birthday girl jumping onto Brown who was leaning near a seat taking a sip from his drink.

"Sorry?" He asked startled by the girl.

The girl looked at him and chuckled at the way Brown was pretending. She knew Brown heard what she said but he was just assuming that he hasn't understood.

"Am Amanda," said the girl stretching her hands towards him. 

Brown looked at her hands and was undecided on what to do with it. Should he shake it or just pretend and head to the piano.

"Hi, am Alex, nice to meet you and here is your drink," Browns lover said while shaking Amanda's hand. 

"Not you," Amanda quickly removed her hands from his grip and shoved him aside. "I was referring to This pretender here," Amanda defended looking at Brown who was surprised with Alex's behaviour.

Alex left as soon as he came but not before winking at Brown.

"Sorry about that, I wanted to shake it but he jumped in before I could hold your hand," said Brown.

"Am Brown its pleasure," he said as he extend his hands for her which she gladly shook.

Brown gave it a second thought that Alex was trying to make things look normal. If he refuses to socialize with her it might cause suspicion among her parents and discomfort for her. 

He decided to make the lady feel comfortable. 

While talking he realizes that Amanda was done with high school and just like him she was aiming to go to her best university in a month. She wanted to venture into fashion and Arts. She was saying that that has been her dream ever since she was young and she is happy to be doing what she wanted. Brown was all ears to her dramas. She studies abroad which is why she has not been around. Brown nodded to her conversation just a make her talking but he was not enjoying the conversation.

"Do you want to look around? I know you guys rarely get a chance to your this house," said Amanda.

Brown hated the way she said it. Like he has never toured a castle before. Yes, he has never but he felt she shouldn't have said it that way.

"Sure, why not?" Asked Brown as he stood up quickly from where he was. They started walking around, admiring paintings around the house.

"They are expensive," commented Brown to let her know that he is familiar with paintings.

"Yes, because my parents bought them at the London exhibitions last season," she said.

Brown came across the Monalisa painting. He looked at it and felt a feeling. A feeling like he has seen this side of the wall before, he stretched his hands to hold the painting but Amanda hold it halfway through the painting.

"No, you can't touch it!" She said.

Brown looked at him confusingly and asked her why can't yet he had touched the other paintings while they were walking along the corridors.

"This is the most expensive of all the paintings, and any hand can ruin it," she said discouraging him more. 

Though Brown was agitated and his hands were itching to touch the painting and feel it. That was the only way he would be sure he has ever been here.

"What about the frame?" Asked Brown eyeing the frames of the pictures that were golden.

"Sure you can," she said and Brown placed his hands on the gold frames of the pictures closing his eyes for a while.

His actions earned a questioning look from Amanda.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked startling Brown from his thoughts.

"Nothing, I just wanted to feel how gold felt on hands," lied Brown removing his hands from the painting.

Brown was feeling weird about his instinct. He felt like he has been in this room and there were two people with him. One was serving drinks and the other one was standing.

"Let's get moving before I slay my cake," said Amanda cheerfully while pulling Brown's hand.

Brown followed her and they kept on moving. "Come in," said Amanda pulling Brown into the room.

The room was dimly lit. The wall had paintings of obscene features. It was as if someone was reading Kama Sutra using the pictures.

As soon as Brown's leg stepping into the room, all the chills came rushing back. He could feel the familiarity with the place but couldn't comprehend what he felt. 

He brushed off the feelings and went on looking at the paintings in the walls.

"What inspired these paintings?" Brown asked.

Fantasy, my parents love fantasy, I think that is why they had this room.

It's even our luck, this room is always closed and I've never seen it. I have just seen the pictures on the brochures but it's my first day here.

It's even our luck, this room is always closed and I've never seen it. I have just seen the pictures on the brochures but it's my first day here.

"Why do you think they always close it?" Asked Brown roaming around.

"Privacy, plus no one gets to these parts of the house, " said Amanda picking some blankets that were around.

"So, it's might have been opened for all this while and you might not have known?" Asked Brown inquisitively.

Brown wanted to know, he needed answers as to why he feels familiar with this place more than anywhere. 

He remembers he was here two months before but he didn't come up here because that day he had a lot of things to do while at the party.

He settled himself opposite Amanda and watched as she folded some blankets that were thrown carelessly on the sofa and the floor.

"Maybe someone had sex here and you are folding that," Brown blurted out at Amanda making her throw the blanket to the ground.

"Seriously talk about something else," mocked Amanda while picking the blanket and folding it back.

Brown wanted to tell her something, then he saw something fall off from the blanket while she was folding it.

He scrutinised his eyes to look at it because the lights were not lit enough.

Amanda had not noticed that something had fallen off while she was folding the blankets around the place. She stood up and tried to fix things around the place.

"When did you come in?" Asked Brown while walking sneaking to look at the thing Amanda had dropped while folding the blanket.

"One month ago, I've just been around doing some house stuff," said Amanda while picking the dropped glasses.

Brown picked the white, cotton ish material that was on the floor.

"A Boxer?" 

*****†******†********†

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