Work Hard, Love Harder

Zoe laughed then, loud and obnoxious. “You’re going to pay me to hang out with you? I think I must’ve stepped into an alternate reality. This is the only explanation.”

Femi closed his eyes and sighed. “Babe…”

Heedless of the bystanders waiting at the corner for the light to change, Zoe grabbed the front of Femi’s shirt and dragged him down for a quick, rough kiss. Femi let out a soft squeak in surprise but didn’t pull away.

Just then, a crack of lightning ripped across the overcast sky, thunder rumbling across the town. The sudden sound made both of them jump in fright.

“We’d better go now before it starts to-” And before Femi could finish his sentence, the rain came down without warning, sheets of the icy water pelting them.

“You were saying?” Zoe asked, laughing as they started to run for Femi’s room, slinging her sweatshirt over her head. No need to get her weave wet if she could possibly help it.

*****

“Where’s that shirt you promised me?” Zoe asked, wiping her face with a towel as she padded her way into Femi’s bedroom. She had already stripped down to nothing but her bra and panties. It took them thirty minutes to run through the downpour and make it to the dorm, and that thirty minutes had been all it took to drench both of them to the bone. Zoe hung their clothes to dry in the bathroom while Femi searched for something small enough for Zoe to wear.

“One sec,” Femi said, digging through his closet. He pulled out an old white t-shirt, one that was just a little too snug for him, and handed it to Zoe. “Try this one on.”

Zoe pulled on the shirt, only to have it engulf her. The ends hung halfway to her knees and the sleeves were past her elbows. She glared at Femi. “I look like a kid.” It didn’t help that the rain had ruined her hair. Even after she dried it as best she could with a towel, it was still not back to its full glory.

Femi only chuckled. “I think it looks cute. Besides, it’s the smallest shirt I have.”

“I’m not cute. Cute is for girls. I’m a fully fledged woman, bi*ch.”

“You’ve been hanging around Aisha too much.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe I should leave some clothes here the next time this happens so I don’t look so ridiculous.”

“Maybe you should.”

“Maybe I will.”

Femi just shook his head and walked out of the bedroom. “I’ll go make some tea to warm us up.”

Zoe followed him out, still wiping at her damp skin and hair with a towel. She had to take out her signature bun to let her hair dry. It was already curling from the humidity. She watched as Femi worked on the tea, rain thudding softly against the windowpane. The towel fell over Zoe’s shoulders as she watched Femi work, humming to himself.

Without a word, she grabbed Femi’s wrist and pulled him out of the tiny kitchen into the even smaller living area.

“Ack, babe-” He didn’t get to finish his protest. Zoe pushed him onto the futon, the springs squeaking under his weight. Before he could even open his eyes, Zoe was on him like a cat pouncing on its prey.

“Forget about the tea,” Zoe said, tucking her head under Femi’s chin as she rested against him. “You’re plenty warm enough.”

Femi’s face scrunched up with embarrassment, heat flooding over his cheeks. He swallowed, resting a hand on Zoe’s back. “O-okay.”

Sighing, Zoe closed her eyes and relaxed listening to the sound of Femi’s heart beating in his chest. This was what she had wanted all day. This was perfect.

After a few minutes, Femi relaxed as well, his breath evening out. His hand slipped up into Zoe’s still damp hair, threading through the long strands. “You should get caught in the rain with me more often,” he mumbled.

“Count on it,” she replied.