LULU'S POV

I sat outside alone listening to the crickets as I waited for James to bring dessert. We'd already had supper and I didn't expect him to actually serve anything else but it seemed like he had other plans. We hadn't talked much during our meal and that was okay since we had the whole night ahead of us to talk. I'd never found anyone who attracted me as much as James did. He intrigued me in so many ways and I found myself yearning to get to know every detail about him. He was handsome,kind, polite, with a killer body and literally had everything a girl could ask for in a man but he was still shy in a way. Many men in his shoes would be proud and conceited but not James.

The strange thing was that he was only shy and timid around me. I'd seen him interact with his family and friends, he wasn't exactly outgoing or outspoken but he seemed to relate with them properly. Maybe it was me, was he afraid of me. Did I intimidate him that much? Maybe I was coming on too strong, I'd always had that trait. Going for what I want and always speaking my mind. Even though the date had been James idea, he may have been influenced by my straightforwardness and need to show gratitude for what I was doing for his family.

I knew that there was some attraction between us but was it enough for us to build something on. I knew that I was ready to start something with James but was he ready. We needed to talk about everything before we moved forward with our relationship. I wanted us to be on the same page. I didn't want to be in a relationship where he was not into it a hundred percent. I would give my all if we were to date and I expected the same from him.

"Sorry I took so long, the lock for my cooler was stuck."James announced once he joined me back outside.

"It's okay what's for dessert? "I asked rubbing my palms together in both nervousness and anticipation.

We were about to have a really long and difficult talk and I was hoping that it was going to bring us closer together and not build a gap between us.

"I'm not sure if it qualifies as dessert but we're having homemade yogurt."He replied placing a mason jar with the yogurt on the carved out log that was serving as our table.

"You make your own yogurt too?"I asked surprised.

"The awe in your voice makes me want to say yes but I can't take the credit for this one. My mom was trying something new with all the excess milk we get from our cows. She hopes she can market it and make some money for the community."He expounded handing me a spoon.

"That's a really great idea. Let me sample it and if it's good I'll be the first one to buy some and help her market the rest."

"That would be great."

He allowed me to have some first and my taste buds were having their own orgasm after the first taste. It was sweet but sour at the same time, smooth without any curds and it was not too heavy nor too light, just the perfect amount of thick.

"This is delicious."I claimed eyes wide as if I couldn't believe what I'd just tasted.

"And that's how you make a sale ladies and gentlemen."James joked making me laugh.

"But seriously tell your mom she's doing a good job and to keep it up. Actually I'll tell her myself. I'm sure I'll see her soon."

"Okay."

"Please tell me there's more."I pleaded taking another bite.

"Yes there is but you know what they say. Too much dessert ruins your dinner."He claimed.

"That's only applies when you have dessert before dinner."I defended scowling at him.

He raised his hands in surrender when he noticed my tone had turned defensive.

"Woah! Sorry."

"You better be. You don't mess with a woman's dessert."I declared resisting the urge to hog the whole jar to myself.

James looked at me surprised for a second before he burst out laughing. I ended up chuckling too unable to resist his charming laugh. James let me have most of the yogurt and I wasn't sure if it was because he was afraid I'd get defensive again or if it was out of the goodness of his heart.

After we were done he took the jar inside before returning with two shukas. He handed me one and kept the other for himself as we enjoyed the warmth of the fire. I wanted to raise the issue of where our new budding relationship was going without spooking him. I also wanted to talk to him about the work I was doing but I was conflicted on which to start with.

"Something on your mind?"James asked and I turned slightly so I was facing him fully.

"Yeah lots."I admitted wanting to be honest.

"Do you want to talk about it?"He inquired softly probably afraid of overstepping his boundaries.

I kicked off my shoes and sat crosslegged on the sofa facing him. I wanted to see all his facial expressions as we conversed.

"I want to talk about us and work. Which do I start with?"

His eyes widened when I mentioned us meaning he was not expecting me to bring such a thing up. I liked facing my issues instead of running away from them.

"How about you start with work."He suggested and I nodded.

"Okay well there's a few things to discuss there. First I wanted to tell you that I already ordered the brick making machine and it will be here by Monday so you can start working as from Tuesday. All the other raw materials are already here. I'll organize with Rashid so we can find a way for them to be at the valley so you don't have to struggle getting them down there."I informed him.

"That's was fast."He expressed.

"Well yeah. My sister doesn't waste time."I explained and he nodded.

"Then other thing is about land. Everything is settling so I now have some free time on my hands to begin working on the green houses. I already talked to your dad about the best place to set them up and he said that you're the person to talk to."I inquired.

He thought about it for a moment before replying.

"My dad could have helped you himself. He was just being sly, my mom probably talked to him into setting us up to spend more time together."He chuckled.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No it's actually great, I don't mind spending time with you."He admitted softly and I smiled.

It warmed my heart that he felt that way. It eased some of my worry about his feelings for me but it didn't mean we weren't going to have the talk I had in mind. It was crucial to our future together if there was any to begin with.

"So about the land?"I asked bringing us back to the topic at hand.

"Umh yeah. You don't have to worry about that. I have the perfect place in mind. My dad divided his land equally to all his children. I never used mine preferring to buy my own instead so you can use it. It's about ten acres."He replied.

"That's a large piece of land. More than I need but I appreciate the help."

"Pleasure is all mine. I'm happy to be of assistance so I'll take you there at your earliest convenience so you can check it out."

"Thank you. I think that's about it. The rest I can handle just fine on my own and if I get stranded then I'll ask for your help."I concluded and he nodded.

"Okay so to the elephant in the room. I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you. I just like putting all my cards on the table so I don't get played."I began.

"It's okay, I expect nothing less from you."He smiled reassuring me that we were on the same page.

I took a deep breath preparing myself for my next words. I prayed for wisdom to be able to deliver my thoughts well without messing anything up.

"James are you afraid of me?"I asked going straight for the kill.

He looked taken aback by the strength of my question but I was serious about what I was asking. He cleared his throat his eyes swimming in distress as he thought about what to answer.

"Be honest with me James, it's not like I'll stop talking to you if your answer is yes. I just want to know why you behave differently around me as compared to everyone else."I urged him.

He considered what I had said before I saw his chest rise and fall in a heavy breath meaning he had made up his mind.

"I'm not exactly afraid of you. I wouldn't call it fear, more like intimidation. Maybe I should explain further."He suggested when he noticed my brows furrow as I tried to grasp what he was saying. I nodded at him to go ahead.

"I've dated before, when I was away at campus. It was during my first three years there when I was young and still trying to find my footing in the big city. Those relationships didn't go very far because I wasn't rich and those girls expected more from me than my humble background could provide. When I came back home, I'd grown up with all the girls my age so I saw them more like sisters than dating partners so I didn't court any of them much to my mother's dismay. Then you came along and knocked me on knees from the moment I laid my eyes on you. I've never seen anyone so confident without trying, more beautiful than you without an ego. You have the kindest, biggest heart and the reason you intimidate me is because I'm afraid that even though I'm attracted to you and you're attracted to me, I don't deserve you. I've never met anyone like you, you're amazing in every way and I don't want to screw up with you and that scares me."He confessed at that's the longest I'd ever heard James talk.

He was popping his knuckles nervously the whole time and I knew it took a lot of courage for him to admit all that. I'd wanted to interrupt him a few times but I didn't want to cut him short when he was finally opening up to me.

"Thank you for telling me all that and I'm flattered that you find me beautiful and amazing."I said with a fake attitude in my tone flipping my imaginary hair which made him laugh thus breaking the tension in the air.

"James as glad as I am that the attraction between us is mutual you shouldn't sell yourself short like that. You're hot, like I mean do you look at yourself in the mirror?"I asked and he laughed.

"That's another reason I like you. You're not afraid to speak your mind."He admitted and once he realized what he had said his eyes darted away from me.

That's what I wanted to address. I wanted him to be confident around me, to have the ability to speak his mind without fear of reproach.

"James look at me."I requested in a soft tone and he obeyed me. I locked our eyes looking into his warm brown ones.

"I'll not apologize for being strong and independent. Maybe a little sorry for having a mouth without a filter but that's what makes me who I am. I was raised by a feminist sister who taught me how to stand up for myself and to be brave and courageous. I like you James. Like I said you've very handsome, with a killer body, you're kind, hard-working, polite and unlike most men nowadays you have a good head on your shoulder seeing as even though you have an inheritance you still chose to be build your life away from your parents. I honestly see us having a future together but for that you need to be more confident around me. I want you to be free to speak your mind, confident in your words and actions. We can build something here but you are not ready." It was a long speech but it needed to be said.

"So what are you saying?"

I chuckled when I heard the nervous tone in him.

"Don't worry, I'm not breaking up with you even before we start something here. All I'm saying is that we need to work on your confidence first. Maybe I came on too strong, that was on me. How about we try to be friends first?"I suggested.

"Did you just friendzone me?"He asked eyes wide in fear of what I was proposing.

"Yes but not in the way you think. You're free with your friends and family because you've known them for a long time. I want us to give ourselves time to try and be friends first and when you can ask me out confidently, give me a compliment without second guessing yourself, or simply maintain eye contact with me then we can move forward with our relationship."I explained.

"What if you find interest in someone else in the process of waiting for me to man up enough to be more than friends?"He expressed worriedly.

"James I've been all over the world, never dated seriously but I've seen all there is to see when it comes to men. You captured my attention from the moment I saw you and its never been like that with anyone else. There will be no one else for me but you. I should be worried since your mom is setting you up with every eligible girl in the village."

"I don't want any of them, I only want you."He confessed in a whisper and I smiled in victory since I still managed to catch it.

"Then it's settled then, we're going to try and be friends first until we're ready to take the next step." I concluded.

"Okay fine but how long is this friend trial going to take?"He asked.

He didn't seem totally on board with my idea but he also knew that I was right.

"That's all up to you James."I replied and he nodded.

"I can live with that. So what now?"He asked.

"Now you take me to bed and have your way with me to seal the deal. Or better yet let's do it under the stars with all the wild animals as our audience."I said with a straight face.

James sat frozen in place once my words registered and he just sat there staring at me eyes wide. I knew that if I touched his face it'd be hot with embarrassment. I couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing when he seemed like he wasn't even breathing. His eyes widened more when he saw that I was laughing, then he breathed in relief once he realized it was a joke.

"You're too easy."I wheezed out in between laughs.

"No what you are is mean."He frowned crossing his arms over his chest making his biceps bulge and I swallowed.

Dang the man was blessed.

I cleared my throat before speaking hoping he didn't notice me getting flustered. "I couldn't help myself. Anyway to answer you. How about we talk a little more before you drive me back to the resort. Let's talk about our campus experiences."I suggested.

"Okay."He smiled at me and I smiled back.

I didn't want to be just friends with James considering I wanted to jump his bones half the time but I also didn't want a man who stuttered himself through an entire date. Sure it was cute but not something I could deal with for long. I just hoped the friendzone we were now in wouldn't last too long. I only had so much patience before I actually gave in and did jump his bones. Now that was a welcome thought as long as we were both consenting and into it.

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Hello my lovely readers. In case you notice a change in this chapter and the previous one it's because I'd taken a months hiatus to complete another book. It's taken me awhile to reacclimate with this book and I'm hoping all the dots connect and there are no gaps.

In case of any queries feel free to ask in a comment or pm me. I'll appreciate the help.

Be blessed.

I love you all.

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