by Emma Easter
Sofia knew exactly whose advice she was supposed to listen to. And yet, she had already made up her mind on the path was going to take.
She glanced at her wristwatch and gasped. Oh no! What am I still doing here? I will be late for my date with Jude. He was probably already waiting at the park for her.
She stood up, paid for her half-eaten food, and hurried out of the restaurant.
Chapter 10
“Jude, come on now, man. I know the girl is not your type, but you have to admit she is very pretty,” Ben said, putting his hand on Jude’s shoulder. “It should not be so difficult for you to get to know her as well as you can and to marry her.”
“I didn’t say she wasn’t pretty…”
“So you admit that she is pretty,” Ben said, and then plopped down on the couch. They were in Jude and Samuel’s apartment. Samuel, who was in his final year at the university, was attending classes, and only Jude and Ben were in the apartment. Jude sat down beside Ben and looked at him. “It doesn’t matter if she’s pretty or not. You know it’s simply a business arrangement and nothing more. I can’t afford to start thinking about how she looks or how her eyes sparkle when she’s listening to what I am saying or how soft her skin looks…” He immediately stopped talking at the look on Ben’s face and groaned.
Ben laughed. “Jude, you are already smitten, aren’t you?”
“Smitten! Did I tell you I was smitten? No, I am not smitten, Ben. I’m just stating the fact. She is very pretty, but just as you said, she’s not my type, and after all this is over, we will go our separate ways. I cannot allow myself to have any feelings for her. I don’t even think we can be friends after I get my Green card. So I have to be careful. We will probably not even see each other again once all this is over.”
Keziah appeared in his mind. He thought about her every time he was talking to someone about marrying Sofia. They would be married now if she had not broken off their engagement. He sighed and pushed her image out of his mind. He focused his thoughts again on Sofia. She was the one he was going to marry, and he really had to get to know her. She had called to tell him to meet her at the park some distance away from the house. Samuel had promised to come back before the time he was supposed to get there and drive him to the park. He looked again at the clock on the wall and frowned. “Where is Samuel? Why is he not back yet?”
“Maybe you should just go, Jude. You will be late for your date.”
Jude groaned. “I’ve been waiting for so long that time has flown by. If I leave now, I might not get a taxi quickly, and then I will get to the park really late. I think I should wait at least five minutes more and see if Samuel comes back.”
Ben’s eyes searched his. “Wait, Jude! Are you sure you’re not stalling?”
“Why would I stall?” Jude asked. “I have everything to lose if this date doesn’t ultimately end in marriage.”
“Yes, Jude, including your heart.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that, just like you said earlier, you are afraid to get attached to Sofia. I think you are developing feelings for her, and maybe you’re unconsciously trying to stamp out those feelings by being late for your date so she thinks less of you.”
“It’s a good theory, but how will that stamp out whatever feelings you think I am developing for her?” Jude asked, amused.
“When she is angry with you for coming late to your date and curses you out, you’ll end up fighting, and then all the feelings you have for her go out the window, just like that.”
“You’re crazy,” Jude laughed, but he could not help wondering if there was some truth to what Ben had said. There was a huge part of him that not only knew that if he became attached to Sofia, his heart would be broken once they went their separate ways, but was also still slightly uncomfortable with their arrangement as it was not exactly legal. Maybe he was just self-sabotaging.
He stood up. The last thing he would allow to happen was for him to be deported back to Bakali, especially as the country wasn’t safe anymore. The violence was getting worse every day. These days, he tried to block out any news of his country because it troubled him greatly. He could not go back there. He wanted to remain here, and he would do whatever he had to in order to make that happen.
“I’m leaving now,” he said to Ben.
“Good,” Ben smiled. “Remember to be the charming guy I know you can be. Make a great impression on her.”
Jude walked to the door and then turned back to look at Ben. “I already made a great impression on our first date,” he said laughing. He left the apartment, got out his phone, and called an Uber. He waited and waited for his Uber to arrive outside the apartment, but it curiously didn’t. Glancing at his wristwatch, he saw he was already late and sighed. Just as he was about to call another taxi, his arrived. He got in and took a deep breath as his heart raced with worry and impatience.
As the car sped down the road, he thought about what Ben had said. He’d told him to make a good impression on Sofia. To make this work. It was the direct opposite of what his dad would have said if he were still alive. In fact, if his dad were alive and found out he was involved in this fake marriage arrangement, he would have thrown a fit.
“Dad, I miss you,” he whispered, and looked out the window as the car navigated traffic. If his father were here, he probably would not be doing this anyway. And yet he was glad he had met Sofia, even if it was under some unconventional circumstances.
“You’re smitten,” Ben had said. He definitely wasn’t, but he liked her very much. They had a lot in common, and she was easy to talk to. And yes, she was very pretty. But he definitely wasn’t smitten.
He alighted from the Uber when he got to the park, paid his fare, and then trekked through the manicured grass until he found Sofia some distance away from him. She was sitting under a tree, her slim elegant legs crossed. She looked radiant in her floral dress, her dark hair falling in luxurious waves around her face. His heart skipped a beat as he neared her, and he frowned. She turned and gave him a smile that caused his pulse to race, and he sighed. Be careful, Jude. Don’t get attached.
She stood up when he got to her and, without thinking, he reached out and gave her a tight hug. A sweet floral fragrance filled his nose, and he breathed it in deeply. She smelled as delightful as she looked. He pulled away, and his eyes swept over her. Before he could stop himself, he said, “You look absolutely beautiful, Sofia.”
She grinned at him. “Thank you.”
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” he said. “My ride skipped town.”
She raised her brows. “Your ride skipped town?”
He chuckled. “My friend Samuel was supposed to give me a ride here, but he did not appear at the apartment. Maybe someone captured him and tied him up somewhere.”
Sofia blinked, and then she laughed when he gave her a corny smile.
He laughed along with her and said, “I hope I did not keep you waiting for too long.”
“No, Jude. I really haven’t been waiting for so long. Time ran away from me as well, and I’ve only been here for about six minutes.” She smiled. “Let’s go.”
She began to walk, and he followed her. “So where is this secret place we’re going?” he asked.
She gave him a small smile. “The only thing I can tell you is ‘fresh fruit.’”
“Fresh fruit! What does that even mean? Is that a code for something?”
“Come on, Jude!” she said with mirth in her voice, and began to walk even faster. He matched her stride, and they walked to the road and then to the bus stop. When they settled in a bus to take them to wherever it was they were going, Sofia turned to Jude and said, “I cannot remember the last time I got onto a bus. I used to take a bus to where we are going with friends years ago.” She had a wistful look on her face as she gazed out of the window. “I miss those days.”
He tried to ignore the almost overwhelming urge he felt to touch her. She was sitting right next to him, and it would be so easy to rea
ch out and tuck the wayward strand of hair whipping across her face behind her ears. He smothered the urge to do so and said with a smile, “I’m glad our date has introduced you to a couple of firsts, even a first in years.” He studied her face. She didn’t seem to be wearing a stitch of makeup, though he wasn’t sure about that. What he was certain of was that she looked breathtaking and he could not take his eyes off her. “Where are we going exactly?” he asked. “Won’t you tell me, Sofia?”
“Nope!” she smiled at him and then looked away again.
He turned away, but he could not keep his gaze away from her for long and looked at her again. She was still staring out the window. His eyes stayed on her shiny dark hair for a minute, and then it settled on her cheek. He threaded his fingers together so he would not reach out and caress it.
A smile tugged at her lips, and he wondered what she was thinking about. Everything about her looked like she was a girl from a privileged background, and yet he knew from what she’d told him that she wasn’t. He could tell that she had definitely been exposed to a measure of luxury that he had never known, but clearly it had all been taken away because she was here with him. She still looked as luxurious as they came with her shiny, long hair, super smooth skin, and delicate figure. She started to turn around, and he quickly averted his gaze.
The bus ride took about half an hour. They alighted from the bus and walked side by side in a leisurely stride. She slowed some more as they continued to walk and, again, he matched her pace. He asked her where they were going, but she only smiled. Their shoulders and arms were only inches apart, and it took everything in him not to take her hand.
He lifted his brows as they approached a gate with the words, ABNER’S FRUIT FARM, engraved on it. Below were the words, ‘pick your own fruit’. He turned to her, surprised, and said, “A farm? We are going to that farm?”
“Yes,” she said in an amused voice.
He looked up at the sun. It was shining down mercilessly. He looked at Sofia again. “Why are we going to a farm, Sofia?”
“It’s a pick your own fruit farm.”
He chuckled. “I can see that. But why are we going to the farm? It’s a blazing hot afternoon, and I am already starting to sweat.”
They reached the gate and stood in a short line. A girl dressed in a red T-shirt and blue jeans was standing at the gate, collecting tickets and welcoming people to the farm. A few people had their kids with them. Jude and Sofia reached the girl, and Sofia pulled out two tickets from her purse and handed it to her.
Jude smiled and shook his head. When they went through the gate, he said to Sofia, “So, this is our date.” He chuckled again. “You’re going to make me work on a farm under the burning sun for our date.” He laughed out loud when she nodded.
She took his hand and giggled. “It’s a beautiful day, Jude. Come on.” She began to skip forward while pulling him along with her.
He smiled, loving this fun-loving and cheery side of her. And to think he had believed the first time he’d met her that she was a brat who spent all day shopping.
They walked by rows and rows of trees and bushes laden with peaches, blackberries, strawberries, and apples. There were people everywhere, adults and children with baskets, plucking the fruits from the trees. Some just ate them, while others concentrated on putting them in the basket. Children ran around playing and laughing, and Jude felt like he could be a child again and join in their play. He turned to Sofia, who had a huge smile on her face as she watched the children running around. “You know… I did not take you for a farm kind of girl.”
“I haven’t done anything like this in a while, but I grew up in a farming community.”
He committed the new information she had just disclosed about herself to his memory. It was another thing about her that he had just learned. “Did you ever come here with your ex?” he asked without thinking, and then immediately regretted asking as her face clouded over.
Before he could apologize and inform her she didn’t need to answer, she said, “George was never interested in this sort of thing. I told him about this place a few times after we met, but he always refused to go with me. He’s definitely not a farm kind of guy.”
Jude nodded, and his mind went to Keziah again. He did not know exactly how she would have felt about a date on a farm since they’d grown up in the city. But he had a niggling suspicion that she would not enjoy it as much as he was.
Is it really the farm you enjoy or Sofia’s company?
Maybe both. Or maybe it was her presence that made everything seem so fun. Made him forget he had any kind of problems.
She began to talk about her ex again, and he sighed warily. He had thought she was through talking about the guy considering how sad she had looked when he’d brought him up. He should never have asked her about him.
Sofia said, “George was the one who introduced me to the finer things of life, like dining in the best restaurants, flying to different countries in business and first class, and staying in the best hotels.” She shook her head and then looked at him. She looked like she was just emerging from a trance. She began to walk again and said, “Come on Jude. Let’s go and get some baskets from that house. The earlier we start picking fruit, the better. We want to gather as much as possible before this place closes for the day.”
They made their way to a small building that had a signboard in front with the words, Abner’s Blackberry and Strawberry Pies, written on it. As soon as they entered the building, the tantalizing aroma of a variety of pies filled his nostrils, and Jude smiled.
“When we finish picking our fruits, we can come back here to get some pies,” Sofia said, looking in the direction of the glass display where rows and rows of mouth-watering pies were sitting.
They picked up two baskets beside the entrance and walked out of the building again. They walked through rows of celery and broccoli and lettuce and finally reached the fruit trees. Sofia stopped in front of a row of bushes with strawberries so red and plump that Jude instantly reached out, plucked a couple, and popped them into his mouth.
A group of children ranging from about four to six years ran past Jude, laughing and playing, and Sofia’s eyes followed them. She watched them with a wistful look on her face. When she turned back to him, he said “You like children.”
She nodded but said nothing else about it.
He could not help wondering, as they plucked strawberries and then blackberries, what Sofia was thinking now; what more was hidden behind those long lashes. He wanted to know everything about her — all her trials and sorrows, her triumphs and joys. What exactly made her happy or sad.
Remember to guard your heart, Jude.
He dismissed his concerns. He was guarding his heart. But he had to know everything about her if they were going to pass the immigration interview when the time came. Fear suddenly gripped his heart as he thought about his immigration status. Yesterday, he’d heard again about a friend’s relative who was deported. He was beginning to be extra cautious whenever he went out, afraid that at any time he would be apprehended and deported. Right now, he was ripe for ICE’s plucking, just like the fruits they were plucking from the bushes.
Sofia reached out, plucked a particularly plump strawberry, and bit into it. For a moment, he forgot about his fears and watched her eat the strawberry, mesmerized. And then he blinked. What is wrong with you, Jude? He forced his eyes away from her, picked off a blackberry from another bush, and put it in his basket.
Sofia pranced from one bush to another, excitedly picking off fruit and putting them into her basket or eating them, a smile on her face. He tried not to watch her so intently, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Maybe Ben was right. Maybe he was smitten.
But that was not a good thing. I cannot be smitten. He could not afford to risk his heart that way. This date was supposed to be about getting to know each other better so they could be convincing at their immigration interview. Nothing more.
She looked up at h
im just as a light breeze blew her hair across her face. She smoothed her hair back, tucked it behind her ear, and grinned at him, causing his heart to thud.
He sighed. Ben was definitely right. He was smitten.
He held back a groan. So much for guarding his heart. He hadn’t done a very good job of it. He had to reign in his emotions now, because it would be devastating if he allowed himself to fall for Sofia knowing full well that they were going to get a divorce once he got his Green card. Even if by then he decided he didn’t want a divorce, it was unlikely he could keep Sofia from getting one. And it would be wrong to try.
A little girl with pigtails came skipping in between them, her mother behind her. The little girl threw Sofia a smile, and Sofia smiled back. When they had passed by, Sofia looked at him, a wistful expression on her face.
He pressed his lips together as he gazed at her. What was she thinking about now? Maybe she was thinking about the kids she’d wanted to have with her ex. She’d probably been planning to build a family with the man. She clearly liked children, and it was clear she wanted a family of her own. Was their future marriage and his quest for a Green card going to prolong that desire? Would it keep her from her dream, even if for a short time?
Guilt flooded him, and he exhaled and pushed the guilty feeling away. He and Sofia would not be married for long. And then she could go ahead and find someone to have kids with.
The thought of her having children with another man made him sick with jealousy. Maybe we could have children together after we get married.
This time he groaned loudly. Get yourself together, man. What was he thinking? He was letting his imagination run away from him. This was nothing but a business arrangement. There would be no children involved. In fact, nothing would be involved except the reason why they were getting married, which was to help each other. She would help him get a Green card, and he would pay for that help so she could start her life over again.
He watched her again. Even though he had to keep in mind that this thing between them was just a business deal, he still wanted to find out everything he could about her. There was much more to know about her than what she had told him, especially concerning her break up with her ex. He could not wait to get to know her even better. Before he could ask her how she came to live with Edith and that scoundrel Flynn, she said, “Jude, could you tell me more about your relationship with your ex?”