03

The next day's evening, Dane called Raine on the phone. "You still coming, sugarplum?"

"Of course, I'm still making homemade pizza and chicken sandwiches. I'm gonna be there by 6 pm, just in time for another series of Face The Home," she stated referring to one of her favorite series. 

Dane smiled happily, closing down his laptop. "It's great you're making a homemade dish. I'm reluctant to go to the nearest restaurant around here, I don't know almost all the food on their menu. Add enough pepperoni to the sauce, will you?"

"Of course, I've not forgotten how much you love it." Raine laughed delightfully, the sound warming his heart. "It's great we're having a sleepover, I've got a lot to tell you," she said before she hung up. 

Surprisingly, Lorraine kept to time and came to Dane's place before 7 pm. She opened the dinner she brought with her and they ate amicably while waiting for her favorite show to start. 

When it started, Dane sat on the big sofa with Raine curled against him, her eyes glued at the television. Occasionally, she'll stick her hand into the box of popcorn and shove some of it into her mouth. She was transfixed with the show. 

Meanwhile, Dane's eyes were on her. He drank in her scent, breathing in more of her. Raine's flowery scent has become so familiar to him in the past ten years that she smells like home to him now. His large hand dug into her curls, playing with the hair while the other hand rested on her flat belly. 

He separated their lower bodies so that Raine won't know what her closeness was doing to him. "So, what are the things you wanted to tell me about?" he asked to keep his mind away from other things. 

She dragged her eyes away from the television and tilted her face up, looking at him. "Oh, guess what? I've finally registered in a gymnasium." Her excited face lit up like a Christmas tree. 

"Really? That's really great, sugarplum."

"Yeah, I'm so happy too." She said brightly, running her fingers on his chest, "I know I can't be a professional at my age, but I think I'll take the classes just for the fun of it."

Dane has always known how much she loves gymnastics, and now, she's finally going to take classes. He kissed her forehead affectionately, "I'm happy for you sugarplum. Just be careful in the process so you don't get hurt physically."

She nodded against him, snuggling deeper into him, and purred like a cat, "I'll do that, Dane, but I'm not afraid because I've got a doctor like you." She traced his chest with her finger, "What about you? What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much from my own side. You met one of my new patients today. I have an appointment with another patient tomorrow. He's recovering from a spine injury."

"What a pity. I bet that must hurt a lot. I'm got another news for you." she added excitedly. 

"What's it this time around?"

"There's this girl that's been checking me out since I started going to the gymnasium last week. She's very beautiful. I find out that I'm as much interested in her as she is in me!" She was giddy with excitement, "Oh Dane, isn't it great? I can finally move on after what Demara did to me."

Dane barely stopped himself from stiffening. It's good news that Raine is finally interested in another girl after months of being heartbroken because of the way Demara treated her. The witch was two years older than Raine and she was bisexual. She'd been playing Raine, pretending to love her while she collects a lot of money from Raine to give a boyfriend she told Raine she never had. 

Raine was devastated when she found out about Demara's wickedness. She'd cried on Dane's shoulder and it had hurt Dane a lot watching her cry her heart out. That was seven months ago. 

Now, another girl is in the picture. "Honey, I just want you to be very careful. I don't want you hurt again."

"I will be." She promised, "I talked with her today, you know. She told me that she's no longer into men because, like me, she went through a terrible heartbreak with a man. She didn't tell me but I know she's bisexual."

"Or maybe she'd just bi-curious?" Dane injected. 

She shook her head firmly against him. "She's not. She's been with another girl before. Her body language speaks for itself."

"Better. Just to be sure that she isn't just curious to know if she can be with another woman and wants to use you to find out." 

"That would suck." Raine agreed. 

"Yeah. I don't wanna see you get hurt again. So, what's her name?"

"I can't pronounce her Igbo name because it's sounded too complicated. So, she gave me her English name instead. Her name is Serena." she paused, "she said I could call her Rena for short."

Dane tried to look happy for her because he knew that what she was saying really means a lot to her, and it'll mean more to her if he was happy for her. He'd never let it show how much his heart was tightening painfully at every sentence that left her mouth. 

"She does sound like a good person." He forced himself to say. 

"She is. We're going out tomorrow after the class sessions at the gymnasia."

He wanted to say that things were going too quickly. Instead, he said, "Just don't rush into anything with her, okay? You two get to know each other first. We just got into this country three months ago. Their people are different from us."

She looked at his face from his chest where was head was and blinked thoughtfully. "How different?"

"For one thing, ninety percent of them are homophobic pricks."

"There are lots of same-sex among them," Raine said with a snort. "They're just not in the out."

"Yeah, I know that. But, people tend to turn a blind eye to something they don't wanna accept. You just be careful with your Serena, okay?"

"Okay." She snuggled against him tighter, her eyes back on the television. "You don't have neighbors?"

"I have. Nice people. They're newlyweds." Dane stated. 

"Oh. Do you mean the next house? I guess it's nice to have a neighbor at least. I've got none." She said sulkily. 

Dane chuckled, tweaking her nose. "Stop sulking." 

She giggled against him. Then, they watched the rest of the show in silence, tangled up like that. 

*********

Afterward, they got ready for bed. Raine was in her familiar silk nightie while Dane was putting on his pajamas. 

"You can take the room next to mine if you want it." He said softly when he stood at the front of his room. Hoping and dreading her answer at the same time. 

Raine scoffed at the absurdity of the statement. "You must be kidding! And miss out on a good opportunity to curl against you and have you cuddle me all night? That's absurd." She laughed as she sashayed past him into the room. 

Dane wasn't really surprised as she watched her. Raine is a sucker for cuddling. He'd found out when she was just fifteen years old and always walked into his room in the middle of the night to sleep in his arms. 

That's one of the reasons why Dane knows so well how hopeless his love for her is. 

He and Raine can sleep against each other in complete nudity but she still won't be affected by it at all. She is a hundred percent, honest-to-God innate lesbian. 

He never used to believe that a person can be born that way until he met Raine. 

"Just don't take the duvet to yourself and you get to sleep here with me." Dane sighed as he walked deeper into his room. 

In as much as he's anticipating having Raine wrapped in his arms all night, he still dreaded the torture that comes with it. He knows how badly his body reacts to her presence especially when she's that close. It's gonna be a long night, he thought.

He walked to the bed and got under the covers. Raine shifted closer as usual until she laid her head on his chest. Yet she still wiggled against him until he wrapped his arms around her. Then, she purred like a contented cat and closed her eyes. 

"Spoilt brat." He murmured with fondness and she giggled against him. 

Then, he reached out to the nightstand and turned off the lights, leaving the room in darkness. 

"Good night, Dane." She whispered sleepily, nuzzling into his chest. 

"Good night, Sugarplum." He whispered back even though he knew that it's gonna be a long night for him. 

He kept stroking her hair until her breath evened out and she settled into a deep sleep. Then, he kissed her forehead affectionately and drew the duvet over them.