We were seated having breakfast in a nice little cafe I've never been in before but had passed a few times. Mason was seated across me staring at me as I enjoyed my morning coffee.
"It's rude to stare you know." I said not looking up.
"I'm sorry, I am just trying to figure you out." He replied still gazing intently at me.
"You can stare all you want but I promise you will not be able to discover anything." I said grabbing a maandazi off the plate between us.
"Well today is all about us getting to know each other so I'm guaranteed that by the end of the day I'll have discovered a few facts about you." He said confidently.
I just shook my head at him and continued eating. Mason was the perfect example of a gentleman. He let you walk by first, opened doors for you, let you sit before he sat and always paid attention. Those were very rare attributes to find in a Kenyan man nowadays and I found myself more and more intrigued by the sexy and smart specimen of a man seated across me.
"It's only fair I get to know you too then don't you think? " I asked raising one eyebrow in question.
"I'm an open book. Ask me anything." He replied giving me exactly what I needed.
"One thing puzzles me. How can a perfect guy like you with the looks, money and smarts be single in this crazy campus of ours where everyone is looking for their next lay and someone to pay the bills." I inquired.
"You think I have the looks?" He teased.
I rolled my eyes "Seriously that's all you got from all what I've asked."
He laughed "I'm just pulling your leg. It's just like you've said everyone is looking for a quick lay and a fat bank account and I want more than that in a relationship."
"What makes you so sure I don't want those same things from you?" I asked finishing up my coffee.
"First of all it took me a good thirty minutes to convince you to come into my place as you got rained on. If it were any other lady they would have jumped at that chance the moment I opened my mouth." He replied.
"What if I was just playing hard to get?"
"Becca if you are trying to turn me against you, trust me baby you're going to have to try harder." He said before getting up to go pay the bill.
I was left stunned for a few minutes as the reality of what he had said and called me registered in my brain. Baby. That was an endearment I wasn't ready to hear but it made me feel all giddy inside. Mason was making it harder for me to stay away from him with every passing moment we spent together.
But maybe it wasn't so bad. I exited the cafe as I followed him outside towards his car to continue the rest of the date For the first time in a long time I found myself putting faith in a man and hoping for a future with him. Maybe it's like Hailee had said, we were meant to be. But only time would tell.
"Where are we going now Mr -Wait -Till-We -Get-There?" I asked glaring playfully at Mason.
"You've been asking me that for the past thirty minutes and my answer still remains the same. Wait till we get there." Mason replied.
I groaned out loud and gave up asking. I grabbed his phone from where it was lying between us and asked for his password.
He said it was the date of the day we met making me laugh.
"What?" He asked staring at me.
"Look at you trying to be all cute and stuff. It's actually quite adorable." I replied as I started going through his phone.
His gallery was very boring filled with images of school work and a few of himself. One picture caught my attention though. It was of a middle aged woman dressed in an Ankara print dress standing among a group of people both black and white all dressed impeccably. She looked like the spitting image of Mason only more feminine and older.
"Your mom is really pretty. She looks just like you." I complimented.
"Thank you." He said smiling.
"So what does she do for a living? The people she's with look like they have a fleet of private jets and a few vacation homes around the world." I asked wanting to know more about Mason.
"She's the founder of an NGO that helps girls who undergo FGM in many countries of the world especially in Africa and Asia." He explained.
I whistled out loud" Those are some pretty big shoes to fill."
Mason chuckled at my comment "My mom has never expected much of me. She just wants me to stay in school and stay focused but honestly I don't think she'd care if I dropped out right now. I just like studying, it helps pass the time."
I snorted at that statement. "Those are the famous words of a nerd. I like what I'm currently studying but given the option to stop studying I'd take it in a heartbeat."
"Somehow I doubt you mean that." He said and I kept quiet because deep down I knew he was right.
A part of me actually did like school and I wanted to make my parents proud. They had already done so much for me and me getting a degree with high accolades would make them happy and I wanted that for them.
"How come your mom stays in the States yet she helps out in Africa and Asia?" I asked him.
"If I answer that then you have to answer a few of my questions about your family." He bargained.
I pretended to think about it for a minute before agreeing. I didn't have anything to hide about my family. We weren't perfect but I wouldn't trade any of my family members for all the gold in the world.
"Sure I'll answer your questions." I agreed.
"Deal. My mom stays in the States most of the time because most of her benefactors are actually from there but she travels everywhere. She's a hands on kind of person. And before you ask. We are pretty close. We Skype all the time and spend most holidays together. She either comes here or I go to wherever she is." He explained.
"Now that just made me get a whole bunch of other questions." I whined.
"Only after you answer mine." He replied laughing at my frustration.
"I'll save you the time. Both my parents are alive, happy and healthy. My dad is an veterinarian and my mom runs a small mini mart around our home area. They have been married since they were both twenty and are still going strong. I am the last born of five children. Two elder brothers and two elder sisters. They are all married. The first born is a girl who has two twin girls. The second born is also a girl who has three kids. The third born is recently married and currently expecting and the brother born before me has one kid. Then there's me who was the miracle baby born fifteen years after my mom had closed the baby making shop. My dad said he wanted a kid in old age to keep him company and wallah here I am." I explained.
"That's a pretty huge family." He exclaimed.
"Yeah you should see us during the holidays. It's a ruckus honestly but I wouldn't trade them for the world. " I said smiling fondly.
"It must be awesome being the baby of the family." He teased.
"I've got no complaints." I replied.
"Well that pretty much covers the family part. Any questions for me before we close that chapter?" He asked.
"Actually yeah. Where's your dad?" I blurted out and instantly regretted it. "I'm so sorry I shouldn't have asked it like that. That was so insensitive of me. You don't have to answer that." I said quickly.
Mason laughed making me frown at him.
"It's okay. Actually its just my mom and me. She got pregnant with me during the last year of university and decided to raise me on her own once my sperm donor denied my existence. She was an only child and my grandparents passed on a few years after I was born." He explained.
"I'm so sorry Mason."
"It's okay. Its no big deal." He said with a smile.
"You sure?" I asked him.
"Totally. Now get out of the car we've arrived." He demanded softly.
I looked out to see we had driven to the city and I hadn't even noticed. We were parked in front of the biggest mall in Kisumu town.
"What are we doing here Mace?" I asked him following him inside after grabbing my bag.
"Mace. I like it. I've never had a nickname before. And to answer your question we are here to get you a new phone." He replied.
"But I don't have any money." I protested.
"Who said you had to pay?" He asked grinning at me mischievously.
As if reading my mind he grabbed my hand and put his arm around my shoulders making sure I couldn't escape before I made a run for it.
"Mace no. You can't do this. It's too much. You've already done enough for me." I resisted.
"Too bad I didn't ask your opinion and trust me we haven't even began yet." He said winking at me as we stepped onto the escalator.
What had I gotten myself into?
We walked out of the mall four hours later carrying so many shopping bags I couldn't feel my arms. When Mason said we hadn't even began yet he meant it. We had been to almost all shops in the mall and my feet hurt. I stopped fighting Mason on buying me stuff when he started picking anything I laid my eyes on even if I didn't like it and it possibly wouldn't fit me.
I had a brand new phone that was so sleek I was afraid of even touching it to avoid scratching it. I didn't even know how much it cost because Mason had chewed the receipt when I attempted to grab it from him. I also had new clothes and shoes that I didn't need. Mason had said he wanted to spoil me and he definitely had. I just didn't think this was the way to spoil me. And I would make he knew that as soon I sat down and drank something to soothe my dry throat.
We put everything in the backseat before I sat on the passenger seat and took a much needed drink from the smoothie cup I was holding. Mason sat beside me on the drivers side and put the keys in the ignition wanting to drive away but I stopped him.
"Wait Mason." I said putting my smoothie down.
"Why did we forget anything?" He asked staring at me and I groaned.
"Oh Lord! No! Listen to me Mason and please ding be offended." I said turning to face him.
"Have I done something wrong?" He asked looking puzzled.
"No just listen." I requested and he nodded. "Thank you for everything that you have done."I began.
Mason opened him mouth to say something but I put my finger on his lips and glared at him making him keep quiet.
"As I was saying thank you so much for the shoes and clothes and best of all my new phone. It's very sweet of you but this is not me Mason. I like it that you want to spoil me but this is not the way, I'm sure if it were any other girl they would be jumping at the chance to spend your money but I wasn't raised that way. I like the simple things in life and all we've been doing the past four hours has been awesome. It was nice living the high life for a while but that isn't how I like to spend my time. I like you Mason and not your bank account so please don't think you have to spend your money on me to buy my affections." I explained.
I had actually meant all that I had said. I finally admitted that I liked Mason and I didn't want him to feel as if I liked him for his money and not who he was as a person. Honestly I didn't care if he had money or not. I just cared that he was a gentleman and liked me for me.
He raised his eyebrow in question and I laughed nodding at him"Yes you can't talk now."
"First thing first. I like you too so much. I wasn't trying to buy your affections and I know you are different from all other girls. I just wanted to make you feel special." He said and I smiled at him.
"And you have in more ways than one." I explained to him.
"Good and I've heard you. I'll be more careful and try to listen to what you want to do instead of asserting my authority on you."He expressed making me smile."Now it's time to feed you. I know the perfect place." He said driving off.
"Actually can we get some KFC. I'm craving for some of their wings and a meaty burger." I requested.
Mason looked at me and laughed. " You really are a mystery Becca."
"Why thank you kind sir." I replied in a mock accent making him smile.
"KFC it is. What my lady wants, my lady gets." He said driving towards the closest drive through.
The day was just getting better and better. After spending all morning together and fighting off my demons I finally see a future with Mason. I just hoped that once he got to know the real me he wouldn't run for the hills. I was already beginning to like him and I didn't want to let him go.