At that time, there were a few people moving about outside. The small commotion attracted their attention.
Thinking that they will help her, she shouted, "please help! He snatched my phone !" She smirked, this guy obviously messed with her at the wrong place! In M City, thieves were despised the most and this guy was definitely not going to like what was coming for him!
One..two..three....ten seconds passed and yet nobody seems to be coming to her aid. She thought they might be afraid after all thieves carry around harmful tools. So she wanted to explain to them when she realized that they were now looking at her with contempt. Wait, contempt! She wasn't the thief here!
The onlookers though felt that the girl was being unreasonable. An elegant and poised gentleman was offering her a ride but she was calling him a thief. How ungrateful!
Valarie turned to look at her phone snatcher and found him smirking. He was obviously laughing at her vain efforts which had backfired on her. But then taking a second look at the guy, Val facepalmed herself. The man was wearing a 300,000 shillings suit so how could anyone believe that he had stolen her 20,000 shillings phone? She felt stupid and angry.
"It is not safe to take rides from strangers," she tried to reason with him. Since violence wasn't working, she resorted to a more civilized way.
"We've met twice and our children know each other so we can't be considered as strangers," he said, stubbornly holding to her phone.
Val felt helpless, "that doesn't make us close, I don't even know your name!" His argument only made them the most familiar strangers, besides Adam and Kelly knowing each other has nothing to do with them.
"I am Liam, it's nice to meet you," he said, stretching his hand for a handshake.
Val inwardly rolled her eyes, shaking his hand, "Valarie," she said her name through gritted teeth. She was annoyed.
"See, we now know each other so will you let me drop you off?" he asked again smiling. Obviously, he was enjoying himself.
"Fine," Val decided to compromise. Their argument was going nowhere.
Liam, seeing that he had won, gave a genuine smile. "Let's go then," he said walking in front of her.
"What about my phone?" Val thought that after 'accepting' his offer, he would give her back her phone. She had a plan, once he gives her phone back, she'll think of a way to get away from him.
"You'll have it when we get in the car," Liam totally ignored the woman following him. Did she think he was stupid? He had already seen through her little plans.
Val felt her hopes being dashed. She had no choice but to leave with him. The idea of leaving her phone with him came to her mind but she immediately dismissed it. Although her phone wasn't expensive, she currently couldn't afford it. There were more important things that needed that money besides, this guy will save her the taxi money. Coming to think of it, she had nothing to lose!
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that the man had stopped walking and directly bumped on him.
"Ouch!" She cried out holding her forehead.
Liam sighed, what was she thinking so much that she couldn't see where she was going?
He turned around to take a look.
"Let me," he said taking her hands off her forehead. A small swelling had formed on her forehead. His palm gently rubbed that swollen part while his mouth was busy scolding her, "can't you see where you are going? Or are your eyes at the back of your head? Now look you have hurt yourself."
Val felt wronged. He not only forced her to go with him but now he was scolding her and adding to the pain she was feeling on her forehead, her eyes welled up with tears.
She pushed him away from her shouting, "I get it, it's all my fault so why don't you just let me be!"
Liam didn't expect the woman's sudden outburst. She really has a bad temper. Reaching out he grabbed her arms and pulled her towards him. Seeing her tears, he took out a handkerchief from his suit pocket and gently wiped them away.
"I am sorry okay, stop crying." He didn't even know how to make Kelly stop crying whenever he threw tantrums but now he had to coarse this woman to stop crying. He wondered if he had been harsh on her.
"Here have your phone, I won't scold you anymore," he told her giving back her phone.Forget it, if it makes her sad then he will stop forcing her.
Val looked at the man in front of her as if he'd grown two heads. A while ago, he was stubbornly holding onto her phone but now, he was willingly giving it to her.
Val chuckled inwardly, ha! Tears can work miracles.
She looked up at him for a while before asking, "will you not force me to go with you?"
Liam looked at the woman in front of him, he just wanted to give her a ride, did she have to be so difficult?
"I sincerely want to take you home but if you are not comfortable with it, then I won't force you," he said making Val feel guilty. Was she being unreasonable? But he started it so why should she take the blame?
"Okay," she said withdrawing her gaze.
Liam, hearing her reply sighed. Did she have to reject him so cruelly?
"Okay then, I'll see you some other time?" This woman, she looked so gorgeous. Her dress, being an off- shoulder, v-neck exposed her fair chocolate skin. It made him want to gently caress it. The sight made him want to cover her, he didn't want anyone else to see her! He was surprised by his own possessiveness. Nevertheless, he took off his suit jacket and covered her with it.
Val was surprised by the man's words and actions. She had agreed to leave with him but why did he sound like he was saying goodbye? And why was he covering her with his jacket again?
Liam, noticing her confused looks explained, "the jacket will keep you warm, it's cold out here besides, who knows how long it'll take for the taxi to arrive?"
Val then realized that he'd misunderstood her, "I said okay, I'll go with you," she explained slowly, her voice barely audible. She felt like the tables had turned around and now she was the one asking for a ride.
Liam, hearing her explanation,smiled. At least she has some conscience! Seeing her embarrassed look, he felt like pinching her face. Why was she feeling shy? He was after all the one who forced her first.
"If that is the case then let's get going," he said taking her hand and leading them to the Maybach in front of them. The chaufer, seeing them approaching, swiftly got out of the car and open the car door for them.
"So, tell me about yourself Valarie," Liam asked. They were now speeding towards her home, she assumed that Liam's home was also in that direction.
"What do you want to know?" She asked him.
"Let's start with your relationship with Adam, who's he to you?" Liam threw out the question that was bothering him. He didn't see any wedding ring on her finger so he assumed she wasn't married. But who was Adam? Was she a single mother? After all there were a lot of such cases these days.
"He's my son," Val teased him. He also had Kelly, was that little boy his son? She wondered.
"Really?" He asked looking surprised. Val noticed that he didn't have any scornful expression on his face as she'd expected. Just surprise. Did that mean that Kelly was really his son?
"Just kidding, he's my brother," she laughed making Liam relax. Although he didn't have any problem with marrying a single mother of one, he can't say the same about his family.
"So how will Kelly's mother feel if she gets to know that you forced a woman to take a ride with you?" She asked him.
"I don't know, happy maybe," he replied. A small smile played on his lips as he looked at the woman beside him. She specifically asked about Kelly's mother. Did she want to know if he had a father and son relationship with Kelly?
"Happy!" Val exclaimed. Who would be happy to know that their child's father was spending time with another woman? Unless...
"You are not Kelly's father," she stated. She'd obviously misunderstood him.
Liam chuckled, "no I'm not, he's my nephew."
Val weirdly felt good when he said that. "don't get any stupid ideas," she inwardly scolded herself.
"So where are Kelly's parents, do you live with them?" She asked looking out of the window, "oh and you can drop me off at the next stop," she told the driver when she noticed that she was close to her home.
"I don't live with them, they are in capital, Kelly wanted to get away so I brought him here"
"Get away?" What could possibly make a kid want to run away from home?
"Yeah," Liam shrugged,"and Adam is the only friend he has now at M City, can I bring him over sometime?"
Val was silent for sometime before nodding. "Maybe on Saturday." There was nothing wrong with Adam having a friend over.
"A date it is then," Liam said smiling. He could feel that attending the boring party wasn't wasteful at all.