Lick it again.

Making an entrance is one of my favorite things while on a date. And I think this time I did. The place: ROCKWALL restaurant, at the intersection of Mkomani Road and Nyali Road. It was me and Rubina entering the restaurant at 8:20pm. I saw an empty table near the railings close to the edge where vehicles pass beneath, and I motioned her to it. All eyes were on us, and that excited me. Temperatures were fairly friendly and this barbecue place was a perfect romantic place to have a dinner. Soft jazz could be heard from far and there were colored neon lights above.

I started preparing for tonight at 4 in the afternoon when the barber cut off a chunk of my hair to remain with a smart amount. I went to take my lucky clothes from the dry cleaners' and by five thirty I was on a bath prepared with scented effervescent soap. I wanted everything to be perfect, and good preparations leads to perfection. Nike sneakers and an expensive French cologne were my closer for the preparations. I was ready.

Rubina was a girl I worked with. She headed the marketing department and her residence was Oleander drive in Nyali. We saw each other every working day in the office and she would turn down every dinner offer I extended to her. I did not give up easily. I Kept sending romantic poems to her inbox and whenever a chance occurred to chat like tea break time, I would tell her one joke or another so that she thinks I'm a cool guy. She was a half caste, some would say Kenindia. She wore her curly hair short, just above her shoulders. Dimples accessorized her pretty face. Slim like a runway model. And a social kinda girl because she was easy to talk to, although she maintained that its her principle to refrain from dating anyone in the office. She was always dressed nice. This night she had put on a light pink blouse and a black jeans that accents her downward curvature. My friends Dominic and Hassan used to make fun of me for chasing a will-o-the wisp, but I guess this is my time to ask whose laughing now? Rubina agreed after a year and a half, but she said it would be a friendly date.

Getting a date from a classy woman is fulfilling, even if it wont go further than that. It adds up to our Bonga points. Its a plus just being seen with them in public. Although this was supposed to be a friendly out, I convinced myself if I do everything right, say the right words, perhaps I would hit a home run tonight. Hence the finer build up for the date of the century. I have been on night outs before, I knew the etiquette. But this one was more special to me, and it made me a little bit uneasy.

I drew back the chair for her like a gentleman then went to sit opposite. I looked at her face and showed her that I was happy by my smile. The waiter arrived and we ordered roast chicken and boiled rice with a variety of Indian spicy stews. We asked for orange and tamarind drinks as we wait for our main course. I tried my usual funny chit chat and between the laughs, I extended my hand and placed it on top of her's at the table. It was an innocent touch, just to see if a heartfelt message could be relayed from me to her. “We are not gonna happen Dinho, lets not throw away what we have.” she told me. I withdrew and decided to reserve my cards for later. Food was brought. Although I'm used to eating with my hands, I used the forks and knives today. It wasn't easy for me and I had a feeling she was laughing at me internally, though I couldn't see it on her face. This cutlery thing was taking away my Bonga points.

I really liked this girl. So much that I was patient to her for over a year. What stood between us was her principle. And maybe she did not like me romantically, but at some points I hated myself for being fond of somebody who does not show signs of giving in to me. Was it so much to expect love from a beautiful lady? I looked across the road beneath, there was a red car parked on the other side on the pavement. The driver's glass went down then someone waved at me. I looked and found out it was Dominic and Hassan that were in. We had company, or stalkers, or interested parties.

This added more pressure. I had bragged to them on several occasions in the office for my seduction prowess. I guess they were here to witness me going all the way. Rubina was proving hard, so I guess if I will reach third base later in the night, it would be enough for a story to my peeps. Halfway through the course, my hands started trembling from the pressure I felt. I knocked down the glass of tamarind juice and the liquid was all over my abdomen part of the trouser. I excused myself and went to the gents. By now anger was building up. Why was this happening to me? This was supposed to be a perfect night that would lead to somebody getting laid easily out of classy courtesy if not for love. I advised myself to pull myself together or else kiss even the second base goodbye. I cant afford being called a loser.

I returned back to the table and most of other eaters were looking at me with pity. Well, don't. Whose got the fairest of all here tonight? I asked them within myself. Most of them were jealous and wondered how could I get such a dame? We finished our food and ice cream dessert followed shortly after. I wondered if her kiss would be as sweet as this Pistachio flavor. After all the things that went wrong on this date, I made the mistake of resorting to pity seduction style. “Well, you don't want this. But what about me? What about my heart that will forever be loving you?” my game was crippled. I had to fall back to this. She stood her ground and proceeded to explain how office romance is not a good idea. She mentioned so many things that will be put into jeopardy if we did it. After this, I kept reaching for my hanky every minute to wipe off the never ending sweat. The spicy Indian stew had also gotten the better of me and my tongue felt like taking a dive in the Indian ocean. My composure was shattered, I tried to hold myself firmly.

After we were done, we both went to the cashier but she was fast in making the payment. I tried to stop her but she wouldn't budge. I felt embarrassed, as Africans we men are supposed to foot the bill. We got into the company car that I was using for this date and drove her back home. I escorted her to the doorstep and a glimpse back revealed the Red car parked across beside a short branched tree. They were following us. They wouldn't stop. They had to make sure of the finality of my date. As I stood at the doorstep, I knew there was no chance of future romance between me and Rubina. I stood silent for a while expecting she would at least invite me in for coffee, out of pity. But she was careful not to send mixed signals. Last but not least, I asked if I could use her bathroom to empty my bowels. The act of getting in would save my face from my Hawk friends who would be very eager and judgmental when they tell me “We told you so.” on Monday at work.

Rubina did not fall for it. Instead, she gave a childish peck on the cheek and told me Good night pal. Thanks for the outing, we should do this again sometime. My last desperate attempt was to ask her to please let me in for about fifteen minutes until my friends are gone and I would pay her five thousand shillings. This upset her. She banged the door behind me without saying a word. I had lost a friend. But most importantly, I had been debased.