Luca,a wealthy businessman has everything he could want Family, work and pleasure was all that made sense to him,love and marriage was unnecessary till he met her. Imani has nothing but debt and a good heart She has no space for love but faces the hardest change in her life when he meets him. Would she ever believe a billionaire loves her genuinely?
Chapter 1 The beginning
I turned to look at him and he was still staring, and I felt weak in my knees.
Get a grip
His eyes never left me while I walked up to him, oh he made me uneasy.
Why is he doing this to me?
Lord why?
“Good evening sir “I said, what would you like, I asked him.
“You” he replied
“I want you imani” he said without losing eye contact.
CHAPTER ONE
“Isn’t it time you get over this phobia you have for marriage’? ‘Raphael asked me
“Well, that institution has never been important to me” I replied.
Laughing Tristan replies” i am not giving up on you yet”
“Marriage is overrated and I haven’t met the woman who’d make me change my mind” I stated.
My younger brother Marco is getting married in a month and my mom has been on my neck about settling down, my mom especially has made it her life goal to get me married.
I can’t even keep track of the number of events she has dragged me to with the aim of getting me hooked with someone, trust me my mom is someone you can’t say no to.
I sat there listening to my friends make a case for marriage with half interest then I saw her.
She was beautiful
Luca tuned out his friends and watched her make her rounds in the bar
How was it that only he noticed how beautiful she was?
How did the other people in the room not ogle her?
How on earth is no one noticing the way she carried herself with this elegance unexpected of a waitress in a bar?
She was beautiful, and the light in the bar didn’t do justice to her caramel skin.
Her hair was coral black and she had it in a knot and I wondered how it’d look when free
I kept watching her, saw her give this smile that could melt even the strongest hearts.
She was wearing a white shirt and knee high skirts that showed legs that could walk the run way
She had curves that any sensible man would want to explore
Mio dio
I haven’t ogled a woman like this in forever
Who is she and why is she having this effect on me?
“Hey luca, are you listening” Tristan asked
“Hmmm, listen to what” I replied
“Why are you absent minded “he asked?
“I was asking you who you were taking to the wedding as your plus one; you know your mom won’t let you breathe till you assure her you have one”
“I won’t be going with a plus one Tristan”
“Haaa I would love to see how daring you have become to say no to Leticia Morris Romano “Raphael laughed.
Before I could reply my phone rings, speak of the devil
It was my mom calling
“Hello ma”
“Cocca di mamma, how are you?”
“Good mom, how are you?”
“I will be better if you’d eventually settle down mio figlio, life isn’t just about work “
“C’mon mamma, not this again. Marco is doing that already, isnt that enough?”
“What do you mean by enough” she said with that tone that showed she was trying so hard to not scold me.
“Mamma, lets revisit this conversation when I come home, I am at the bar with Raphael and Tristan”
“Santo cielo, how do you have married friends who listen to their mothers and you still do the opposite”
“Please ma let’s talk about this later” I begged
“Ok ok, but Rosanne is coming to the engagement dinner, I invited her”
Lord here we go again
“Mamma, you know Rosanne is not going to be more than just a friend, drop it please” I pleaded
“Well, I already invited her, so get used to the idea of seeing her, now be a good boy and come see your mom”
“Alright mamma, I’ll see you later”
“She is talking about Rosanne again?” Raphael asked
“Yes man, and I am tired of explaining I am not in love with her, ugh my mom really knows how to push my buttons man” I replied, suddenly exhausted.
For the past two years all I’ve heard is “Rosanne, Rosanne, and Rosanne”
And I have had it up to here with that name
Rosanne Clarke works with a PR firm, 30 years old and the daughter of my mother’s best friend.
We had friends with benefit relationship that was easy till she started talking about wanting more and I had to end it.
I can’t begin to count the number of times I have made it crystal clear to her that there’s no future for us, but the more I say no the more Rosanne applies pressure.
I am tired of hearing that name, but somehow my mom thinks there’s something there between us.
Try telling a black woman married to an Italian man that she is wrong.
“I need to leave man” Raphael says and brings me back to reality
“Yeah me too” Tristan concurs
“Yeah some of us have wives to go home too” Raphael teased
“Uhhhh, low blow” I reply laughing.
We leave the bar to our respective homes and after dinner and a cold bath I remember her again,
That beautiful woman I didn’t get to talk to because my mother just had to bring so much drama to
My evening, damn I don’t even know her name.
Imani
“Oh imani, did you see those exotic specimen” bassien, my best- friend and co worker asked me
“C’mon bassien, I am working why I would be looking at anyone” I said
She rolls her eyes” imani, imani, imani, live a little girl. You work too much
“Well darling my bills won’t pay themselves, I don’t have that luxury called living a little” I replied while leaving to take orders of a group that just showed up.
I saw him
A beautiful man if I do say so
Those broad shoulders and about 6ft2 or more, obviously rich, so there is really no need to daydream
What would such a man want with me anyways?
I have been working all my life from as long as I can remember, we lost our mom when I was 9 and my dad found alcohol and gambling. It’s been a hell of a life.
Worked all through high school and college to pay my fees, take care of my dad and star my younger sister, well we lost dad two years ago and inherited his debt.
Smh, I’ve got student loans to pay off and this debt that I have to pay to a loan shark
When in the name of God will I find time to live a little?
Who would want to be with me with all my baggage?
Definitely not that ruggedly handsome man.