19. DELE
Chapter 19
DELE
I feel better after that long flight. I slept through most of it. I’d bought Dramamine at the airport and taken it just before boarding. I still gripped Luke’s hand during takeoff, but I slept after that, which was good. Now, I’m hungry, and I need to shower and change. The suite he got is huge, a mini luxury apartment, I would call it. Not your usual hotel room, but then again, it’s Luke.
I just don’t understand why he would get a one-bedroom suite. Luckily, the living room sofa looks big and comfortable, so I’m sure I can manage it for the next five nights. The water and waves look inviting, and the breeze is refreshing. I put my toiletries down and step back out to speak with Luke.
“I’m hungry. Can I quickly shower, and we can get something to eat? But if you’re tired, I can go alone.” I say to him.
“Do you want to go out, or would you prefer to stay in?” He asked in return.
“I prefer to stay in. The water is inviting, but I could use a few more hours of rest. You can go out if you want.” I shrug.
“We’ll stay in. What would you like to eat?”
“Seafood,” I quickly answer, smiling.
“Seafood it is.” He smiles back and I like it.
“Thanks.” I go to my bag to grab shorts and a T-shirt. After checking the weather yesterday, I had repacked my bag with a couple of outfits for the night and stuffed it with clothes I would love to wear in this kind of weather but never get to because of my crazy schedule.
I quickly shower and put on shorts and a T-shirt, comfortable outfits to sit in. I come out as our food is wheeled in. My stomach growls out loud.
“Yes, we need to feed you,” Luke says. The bellhop chuckles. He sets the table. Once he leaves, I take my seat and grab a plate. Digging into the lobster, I eat without looking at Luke. I’m starving. After I stop for a moment, my first plate is clean.
“More?” he asks. I chuckle.
“Yes, please,” I laugh. He fills my plate again, and we eat in silence for a few minutes before he asks.
“Do you have any allergies?”
“None that I know of, but I have a love for pastries, and I have a sweet tooth. Osei tells me I could probably die from an ice cream overdose if I’m not careful.” he laughs. It’s true; he probably noticed my love of ice cream and pastries, especially with Osei's deliveries of sweets in the past week. Paula has also stocked the pantry with more sweets for me. I noticed, Luke doesn't care for sweets.
“Which part of your name means ‘Joy’?”
“Ayo means ‘Joy’.”
“So, if I wanted to say ‘my joy’ in Yoruba…”
“Ayo mi,” I answer, even as the thought of him calling me his joy stops my heart. I take a sip of the water. He eats as though he didn’t just sizzle the air flowing our way.
“So, ‘Ayo mi’ it is, if anyone ever asks for your pet name.” I nod my understanding; not sure my heart won’t smile each time he calls me “my joy.”