Chocolate hunt

 Tomorrow will be valentine’s Day, how exciting. I don’t do Val, but what is exciting? Well, there will be the chocolates. Now I was not a great fan of chocolate, never was but on one unfaithful evening last year, I bought chocolate on 15 February. I had gotten something from the trader and I had a little change leftover, the trader asked me to come and collect it later so I took something to balance it and save myself the stress, I didn’t know it was chocolate at that time. I open and took a bite. It was heavenly. I think there were nuts inside that is coated with the best chocolate. I ran back to the shop and he said I took the last one. And then I went searching the entire city for that chocolate I took the wrap showing every shop owner, I even went ahead after exhausting all the chocolate sellers starting asking fruit sellers. I even called families and friends outside my vicinity to ask if they could find it. After about 3months of searching, I was on the brink of suicide. Thinking about that chocolate every day, I had the wrap in my kitchen wall somewhere I could see it once I got in. Before I gave up, I had eaten every form of chocolate just in case it had a different packaging or shape. I came across Dark chocolate once, it is the worst, and my God I cannot begin to describe what I felt after eating dark chocolate. I threw up and cursed the day it was made. And so whenever I saw chocolate I hadn’t eaten, I ate it just to know if it was that chocolate, I only didn’t eat if it was written dark chocolate. And so just like that my hate for chocolate was loosened. My God! that chocolate, I see it in my dreams every night for a year now, that gel-like substance that made it stretch. It was amazing. I salivate every time I wake up. The guy who sold it to me said it was a Val special leftover and I was most likely to get it next Val. so I’ve been waiting for the next Val. and that day is tomorrow.

My alarm rang and I woke up, rubbed my eyes, and rolled myself out of bed, almost falling I got myself, still tired, I’ve got to stop watching movies till late, I usually get up tired whenever I do that. I went to the kitchen and made tea and went to seat at my window to watch people go on their activity while sipping my tea, it was just 8 am. Just 8 am for me cause my job gives me the luxury of not coming in until 10:00 am. So I had all the time to look around and at times I read novels before leaving. I wish everyone knew how healthy It is not rushing off every morning. I didn’t stay long though. I already told my boss, Stephen, I was going to leave early, so I wanted to be there a bit earlier than my usual time. He asked if I have Val's plans and I said yes. He smiled, asking who the fortunate guy was, but then I told him it was fortunate chocolate, I was going chocolate hunting. He was a bit surprised cause I told him last Val that I hated chocolate but when I explained, he laughed and said that chocolate is one blessed one. Then he said a lot of people brought chocolate to the office to sell and some persons make and bring it to work,” you might find your lost love here,” and then said it was ok it leaves early, “the office will probably close early.” He replied. Hence another reason I wanted to go early.

I got to the office and wow! People take this Val and chocolate thing seriously, I saw red everywhere, and chocolate arranged at the conference table. I’ve never been to work before 10 not on regular working days and not on Val. I’ve never really seen the office in this setting since my 2 years of working here. I admit it’s a bit lovely. Everybody was lively and free and talking. Even Mather who often sat at her desk, never looking up even to reply to my greetings. She was laughing and free and her red was beautiful. Red seems to suit her color. “Hi everyone,” I said barely audible. For somewhere this noisy I half expected anyone to hear me, but they all stopped talking and turned to me. “Wow!” Janet started. “Jennifer Gerald at work before 10:00, where is your red and chocolate?”

“Oh, I don’t any,” I said guiltily. She smiled and said, “well lucky you, we’ve got enough for everyone. “Too bad you don’t eat chocolates, we've got tons of it”

“oh, I do. I won’t mind testing this year”. She narrowed her eyes in a scrutinizing way, smiled, and said “you better start with Martha’s it’s a good start it’s all on the table.” I walked to Martha to ask if it was ok, not knowing how she’d react considering she never liked me, well not that she doesn’t like me but you remember I told you she never takes her eyes off her computer to answer my greetings. I got to her and I asked she replied,” you don’t have to ask, it was made for us all. Mine is the love shaped.”

I went to the big conference table and wow they were more chocolates than I thought, different shapes and colors mostly black with some stripped with white a few red all in a different serving tray with lids. Martha’s was loved shaped as she pointed out, the love was perfect. I opened and took one and ate, hmm, hmmm damn, my eyes widen as in surprise, my God, save me from this bliss, quickly took another and ate the taste was all over my mouth, it was lovely. I took another then covered reluctantly not wanting to eat it all considering it was for everyone. I moved round to the next and next,

“I see you’ve started your chocolate hunt” I looked and it was Stephen, my boss, I smiled covered my chocolate-filled mouth with my hand, right after he saw me smile, I nodded and swallowed, yes I have, he came closer and used his hand to wipe the chocolate I smeared all over my mouth.” You look pretty today.”

 Not sure how to answer I smiled, “where’s your red,” I asked, he points at a little red dot on his shirt “I’ve never really been into an obvious red.”

 “I like it “

“So have you found your chocolate?”            

“No. I might stop searching cause these here my God!, they are the best.”

“Ya I noticed, it’s smeared all over your face,” I was a bit embarrassed but he smiled, he came closer with his handkerchief, raised my face so I was looking up at him, then he wiped the rest of the smeared chocolate on my face. He was gentle with the procedure, he smelled so nice I almost closed my eyes to take it all in. “There you go,”

‘Oh ya,” snapping back. “Thanks,” realizing I was fascinated

 “Tasted all?” he asked looking at the lots of it,

“Just these two left,”

“You mean to say you’ve eaten…” taking a min to count, “about 35 different chocolates this morning?”

 I had an early start I said trying to be funny, but only two of each chocolate.

“Have you found the one?”

 “No,” I said laughing at the way he said it. “Not yet”.

“Let’s check the rest. Which ones haven’t you had?”

“This and this, I have this in my hand already,” I ate that one, “oh wow.” I was smiling and a bit shy cause he kept starring at me, amazing but not this one. “They are all very lovely. I can’t get enough of them.” He smiled nice, hmm he has a really cute smile. I looked sideways, smiled, looked down, and then mustered the courage to look up at him. “Ok the last one”

He opened the lid, brought out two of the chocolate, this one was darker than the rest, he came closer and raised his hands only then I realized he was planning on putting it in my mouth himself, I smiled not being able to look at him, “come on” he said drawlingly. Still smiling I opened my mouth slightly and he fed me, then he stood there so close to me. I just kept smiling like a goat. I suckled my lips to be sure I didn’t have any smeared there, then I chewed, “oh, oh, oh no...” I close my eyes half crying, he cupped my face “what, too nice?” 

“No, it’s dark chocolate, so bitter.” He laughed hard, “come here,” he pulled me in for a hug and he was so muscular and comforting. Like so masculine I put my hands around him. The hug ended with me reluctantly letting go.

“You won’t be eating any more dark chocolate if you stick with me,” he said suggestively. “There are still tons of chocolate to come in, some for sale others from around as a token of love. I can be your taster if you like. Come on, you can work from my office and hunt from there too.” We went to his office and I put my laptop on to work but we hardly got any work done. We just kept laughing, more me thou. He kept talking and he said lots of funny things, about Val and other stories I found funny. And asides from laughing I kept noticing a lot of other things when I managed to look at him. Like how his eyes were a shade of brown and he has a pretty smile. Chocolates kept coming in, he paid for any of the commercial ones, and he was a really good taster. “Not this one” he’d say “dark”. Some had coconut in it other some other thing I didn’t recognize. Finally, at 3oclock, he said we might not see any more chocolates in the office. “Can I go start my hunt outside the office?” I asked making the best cute face I could, “

“Yes you can,” he said. “Let me drop you off.”

 “Oh, you don’t….”

“I want to,” he said before I could finish

He held the door and I got in. he got into the driver’s seat, “okay, so where to?”

“My house first, I have to change.” I directed him.

He got down and opened the door for me. “Thank you,”

 “You are welcome, I will walk you inside.” What floor?”

 “3^rd floor”. He looked surprised when he saw me climb the stairs, “what?” I asked smiley,

 “No elevators?”

“ Oh no, stairs.”

“Don’t we pay you enough to afford a better place?”

“I like here,”

“You like climbing?”

“Well, it’s a form of exercise and my room is nice and has a great view, the pros surpass the cons.” He seemed exhausted and he hadn’t started climbing. I went down, “it’s ok I can go up on my own.”

“Don’t be silly, I will take you.”

 I opened my door and went in, he stood outside, I turned to notice he wasn’t following. “You have to come in, just a glass of water before you leave.”

He came in looked around, it was so feminine, teddies all around, the bedspread was colorful the room color, everything was girly. “Your place is nice” he complimented.

“Thanks, sit”

He sat on the chair not expecting to sink right through it, there had no structure. It was all foam. He tried standing and his hands just sank in. He whimpered.

I laughed as I saw him struggling “So sorry, sit on the bed okay.”

I gave him a glass of water, quickly changed, and then we were gone. He dropped me off at the shop I got it last year. I asked for the chocolate but he said he didn’t remember and since I already lost the wrap the man advised I went to the city square, “that’s where I got all my chocolates last year.”  Stephen drove there.

“What am I going to do without my taster,” trying to tell how much I’d miss him,

 “I can come with you.”

“Don’t you have to go back to work?”

“It’s after 5 Jen.”

“Oh,” surprised at how time flew “if it’s not a problem, yes please come” stressing on the yes. He parked and we started the adventure. We talked and laughed, this time I wasn’t just listening I was making him laugh too, when we came across a crowd he held her hand and stayed in front maneuvering the crowd with me behind, and when we saw people entertaining we watched and he held her waist to stop me from falling when people pushed which they did often. At some point we watched people dance, and later people watched us dance. The chocolates I liked the most he bought for me. By 9 o’clock I had both hands filled with bags of chocolate and he still held some boxes for her. Finally, by 11, we were both hungry and tired.

“Do you fancy dinner?” he asked

“Yes,” I said yawning. 

“Is St Andrew good for you?”

 “That’s like a big restaurant, we will never get a reservation, and it’s going to be all booked.”

“Leave the reservations to me,” he said rather confidently we drove there, he asked me to wait a minute for him outside and he went inside. “Jennifer,” I heard someone call me. I turned. Oh, it’s Janet.

“Hi, Janet,”

“Hi, Jen.”

Jen that’s what Stephen has called me all day. “What are you doing here and alone,” 

“ not alone, my date is over there getting chocolates.” She pointed in the direction

“That’s a lot of chocolates you have there, I saw Stephen go in, I am guessing he’s with you,”

 I smiled “yes.”

“Finally you’ve realized after so long.”

“Realized what I said, she looked at me scrutinizing, “you mean you still don’t know?”

Know what. With a hint of laughter in my voice

“Stephen is in love with you” stressing each word “has been since a year you started working with us. Why do you think no one queries you when you come in by 10 and still leave by 4”

 “it’s company policy” I defended

 “Oh yes, a policy that only applies to you.” She saw her date coming “see you tomorrow by 10 Jen”

 “Jen?”

 “Ya that’s what we call you at the office at least what he calls you and we just got used to it.” She left and Stephen came right out, “ok let go” he gave me his hand. I took it and he escorted me in.

 “How did you get us a table at the rooftop?” amazed at the possibility

He just smiled. I was silent most of it thinking of what Janet said that made a lot of sense now I thought of it.

Before we left, the restaurant gave compliment chocolate, we were too full so we decide to take it home. He drove me home, “thanks so much for today it was fun.”

“I am sorry you didn’t find your chocolate,”

“Oh no, I found lots more.” raising the numerous chocolate bag I had

We stood there awkwardly, someone shouted are you going to kiss or what? He laughed then came forward and kissed me on the cheek. “See you tomorrow Jen, good night.”

Jen, I thought, I liked the sound.

 “Do you want to come up we can eat the complimentary chocolate and you can rest a bit before going, traffic will be free by 1, right now Val traffic will be tough.” He agreed and we went up. He almost sat on the couch again then remembered and sat on the bed. I laughed seeing the whole drama. I sat in front of him and opened the chocolate. I ate it first my eyes widened and I gasped, I mumbled OMG and screamed. He was a bit surprised “what” he asked

 “It’s, it’s my lost chocolate .” gasping the words.

He ate it “wow it's nice,”

I jumped on my bed laughing, I hugged him excitedly, unexpecting that he didn’t have time to catch himself as the hug threw us on the bed. I leaned back so we faced each still smiling I said, “thank you” 

His hands were on my back, straying. His intense gaze on me, he answered “you are welcome.” his voice low.

 I looked at him long. Someone said to me “Stephen is in love with you” I whispered, leaning forward, closer to his face, so close to each other we were breathing the same air, he leaned forward and he kissed me, he was gentle and he took his time. “That’s someone is right he said,” I smiled put my head on his chest, and said “tell me all about it”