THE night was cloaked in a shroud of opulence and mystery, much like the woman stepping out of her black Jeep.
Jasira aka Boss J, the enigmatic and powerful Queen Mafia, had decided to embrace the guise of a regular woman tonight, why not? For her feelings, for her happiness.
Her long, dark hair cascaded in waves over her shoulders, and her emerald green dress hugged her curves in all the right places, she had dressed cooperate that night.
A subtle but confident smile played on her lips as she approached the entrance of Le Soleil, the most exclusive restaurant in the city, that was the same restaurant that was booked the last time.
Inside, at the VIP lounge as expected, Jeremy Petersons, the billionaire CEO, the ever calm and clean record keeper, adjusted the cuffs of his tailored suit. As already noticed, he was known for his business acumen and striking good looks, but tonight, his focus was entirely on the woman who had captured his attention for months now.
As she entered the restaurant, a waitress walked up to her immediately.
“Welcome to Le Soleil ma’am, we are glad to have you”, she greeted with smiles splitting her face.
“Thank you”, Jasira replied, smiling as well.
“Let me take you to your table at the VIP”, she said and Jasira nodded.
She led her to their private table, secluded from the prying eyes of the few people around. The restaurant’s ambient lighting and soft classical music provided the perfect backdrop for their date.
As he saw them approaching, he stood up, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. “Jasira,” he greeted warmly, extending his hand for a handshake, she took it in hers smiling.
“You look stunning,” he added.
“Thank you, Jeremy,” she replied, her voice as smooth and melodic as ever.
“You look quite dashing yourself,” she added, glancing at the table, a bottle of vintage champagne was already on standby.
“Oh! Thanks. Please do sit,” he said and she sat adjacent to him.
“Thank you for coming”, he suddenly said.
Jasira was forced to smile, looking at him as she did. What a perfect gentleman he was.
“I’m sorry for the last -“.
“It’s okay”, he politely interrupted her.
Soon, they made their order, and their night began, chatting effortlessly through the appetizers, discussing everything from art to their favorite travel destinations.
Jasira found herself genuinely enjoying his company. His laughter was infectious, and his stories were captivating, more than it was on the phone chatting.
For a moment, she allowed herself to forget about the weight of her responsibilities and the shadows lurking in her past.
“Tell me, Jasira,” Jeremy said as the main course was served. “What exactly do you do online? I remember you once told me you work online,” he said and she swallowed hard, almost choking on the drink she was sipping.
Slowly, she dropped the wine glass and picked up her fork, hesitating for a moment, her fork hovering over her plate.
“Well I am a blogger, I have different pages I run blogs for, news, entertainment, culture, name it”, she said, carefully picking her words.
His eyes widened in surprise.
“So you are one of those people carrying our information about? Any latest news about us, you guys immediately take it up, wow!”.
She smiled.
“Probably”.
“Now I get to meet the face of one of you”, he added and she laughed.
“Well that is admirable,” he said, his eyes filled with genuine admiration. “You are a remarkable woman, Jasira, I see agility and determination whenever I speak with you, you must be a resilient woman.”
Her heart fluttered at his words, and she immediately felt a pang of guilt for the secrets she was keeping from him. As already known, she had always prided herself on her strength, fierceness and independence, but with Jeremy, she felt a vulnerability she hadn’t experienced before.
“But actually, I thought you were an undercover detective or an FBI or something like that”, he said and Jasira pulled up a curious face, why had he said that?
She shook her head.
“Nope, but why did you say that?” She asked.
He smirked.
“You had forgotten so easily? At Soweto 5, remember?” He asked and jeez! For a moment she froze, her hands began trembling and she almost let go of the glass of wine in her hands.
She had totally forgotten about that incident, totally. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t say a word.
“Come on”, Jeremy said, “you are a woman filled with authority and that is one of the things that makes me adore you”, he said and she forced a smile.
“Tha… thank you. It’s nothing though”, she said, trying to compose, and hoping he wasn’t gonna bring it up again, and yes, he didn’t.
As dessert was served, Jeremy reached across the table and gently took her left hand. She swallowed hard, she never saw that coming.
“Jasira, for the few months we have been talking I have really enjoyed getting to know you, to be sincere with you. I know we come from different worlds, but I feel a strong connection with you. I would like to see where this could go.”
Her heart raced. This was the moment she had been dreading and yearning for simultaneously. Could she let him into her life, knowing the dangers that came with it? Or should she push him away to protect him from the truth?
Oh! Jeez! It was a moment of turmoil for her. She was lost for words and really didn’t know what to say in response to that. Was he asking her out already?
For the first time in Jasira’s life she mumbled and her lips moved without a word getting out, for the first time she felt this vulnerable, not just vulnerable, vulnerable to love.
Jeremy being a gentleman noticed her uneasiness and decided to slow down, he felt he was being too fast.
“Okay, let me save you the stress. Can we continue enjoying the dinner?” He asked, letting go of her hand.
She smiled.
“Yes please”.
The night continued with laughter and conversation, but underneath the surface, a storm was brewing. Jasira knew that her dual life would soon collide with her blossoming romance, and when it did, nothing would ever be the same, she almost cried.
Well, soon enough, the night worn in and they had to retire to their various houses. As they parted ways, Jeremy kissed her gently on the cheek.
“Goodnight, Jasira. I can’t wait to see you again,” he said and she smiled.
They were by now, standing beside her car as he had walked her to her car.
“Goodnight, Jeremy,” she replied, her heart heavy with unspoken truths. He opened her car door for her and she climbed in, laughing.
“Thank you”, she said and he nodded, closing the door.
Then she sat in the car and watched him walk away, there and then, she vowed to protect him from her dangerous world, and from enemies lurking, no matter the cost.
But deep down, she knew that love and secrets could never coexist peacefully, and the day would soon come when her hidden truths would be laid bare, threatening to unravel the delicate bond they had started to weave, but still she didn’t care, she was trying to follow her heart.
Still watching, she saw his guard open the door of his car for him and he entered. Then she revved her engine and off she went.