When Love Strikes

By Isabel Maynard

Ruvimbo Mbizi is a beautiful and intelligent young woman. She is an international model, who has made a name for herself in most fashion houses. She has a wonderful life which would be complete if only she could find love.
Rodrique Obe is a fashion designer and a very rich man. He is secretly in love with Ruvimbo and follows her around the world hoping to get a chance to eventually share his feelings with her. He will stop at nothing to win her love.
Randall Jefferys is a pilot and an Airline owner. For him it is love at first sight when he meets Ruvimbo. Totally in love with her, he drops everything to pursue her.
Ruvimbo has been hurt before due to racial discrimination. Can she trust in Randall’s love for her to be genuine and will his family accept her. Isn’t it safer to go into a relationship with Rodrique who is the same race as her? Surely this will be less complicated?
When love strikes, who will win the competition for Ruvimbo’s heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Isabel Maynard
• Release date: Sep 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9780620552424

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When Love Strikes

Isabel Maynard

Copyright © 2013 Isabel Maynard

First edition 2013

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Author using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Edited by Vanessa Finaughty for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.aimtoinspire.com

E-mail - [e-mail]

This book wouldn’t be complete without special thanks to my husband, Maynard, for encouraging me to finally put pen to paper and who ate my many burnt suppers as I buried my head behind my laptop and still said ‘it was delicious, honey; thank you’. Thank you to Susan, Elizabeth and Ruth for encouraging me to publish this novel, and my thanks also goes to Tendai, for the biased praises and for working very hard to find a publisher for me. I love you guys.

About The Author

Isabel S. Maynard was born 55 years ago into a family of eight. She spent the early years of her life in the rural area of Gandanzara in Rusape with her paternal grandmother, whom she strongly believed formed her humble nature. She is a retired midwife, a profession she thoroughly enjoyed and obtained after spending eight years in the United Kingdom with her family. As far as she can remember, she enjoyed reading romantic novels and even attempted to write one herself at the tender age of fifteen entitled A Girl Alone, which was just twenty pages and was circulated amongst her friends at school. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart, Maynard, and, for the past thirty-five years of marriage, they have been truly living her romantic dream that true love is really possible, just like the true love experienced by her characters. She had always felt there was a romantic novel in her dying to come out and, now that her three children, Tendai, Gwinyai and Simba, have fled the nest, it was time to get down to serious writing. She is a keen gardener, enjoys decorating her home, cooking, reading and spending as much time as she can with her two grandchildren, Kyle and Kylie, which sees her making frequent trips to SA, where they reside. Isabel hopes you enjoy When Love Strikes and will look out for another of her books coming out soon, The Forbidden Love.

Chapter One

Standing by the window, looking down at the buzzing traffic below her high rise office block was Ruvimbo Mbizi. She was deep in thought, wondering if she had covered all areas of things she needed for the upcoming fashion extravaganza. She frowned as she organised her thoughts. At the same time, she was so excited. The day was finally here. She had worked so hard for the past three months to get everything together.

A young woman of twenty-four years of age, it had been her dream to do something like this, to showcase young up and coming designers, as a way of encouraging them to show and grow their talents and, at the same time, to give them exposure to the big wide world out there.

She stood there for a moment, a dreamy look on her face. At twenty-four, she had accomplished a lot. She had a passion for fashion that had driven her to achieve so much. A model by profession, it had opened so many doors for her career. She had travelled extensively, to Paris, Milan and Lagos, to name but a few.

Ruvimbo was a highly intelligent and assertive young woman with a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue, and she used both to argue her logic and to get her way. She had defined ideas about almost everything about the role and human rights of women, and those of the modern women in Zimbabwe were very dear to her heart.

The young designers she was showcasing this season were really talented. Their designs were wonderful, but, with lack of money and the current state of economy in her country, it had made things difficult for the young designers. This was accompanied by the fact that times were also very tough for most of the African fashion houses, and another factor was that the young designers did not have funds for advertising and promotions. It made her think that the wealthy people all over the world would pay a lot of money for the clothes, if only they knew about them. They were going to beam the shows to the big cities like Paris, Tokyo, New York and Milan. Most cities in Africa were also going to receive the shows as well. Oh, she felt so excited. Finally, the youngsters were going to realise their dreams.

Her secretary, Ruth Muti, came and stood by her side. She too had worked very hard assisting her boss to prepare for the show.

It’s finally here, boss. You must be very excited about this event.

It is exciting, isn’t it, Ruth. I hope this event will go well. The first time is a bit difficult because you don’t know how people will respond, but the way the corporate people have responded is encouraging indeed. Thank you for the hard work you’ve put into the project, Ruth, you are very much appreciated.

Thank you, ma’am, I really enjoyed working on the project.

Then her cell phone started to ring.

Yes, she said into the phone.

Ruvimbo, where are you? Everyone is at the airport waiting to board the plane now.

Oh my God, Tanya, I am still at the office; let me leave now. I totally lost track of time.

Oh yeah, dreaming, I am sure, Tanya said teasingly. You have been doing that a lot lately. Are you sure you are not in love, girlfriend? Tanya chuckled. They had known each other for three years now and they were close friends. Tanya Jena was going to be Ruvimbo’s assistant on this showcase.

I am on my way now, she promised her friend, putting the phone down.

She started to put the paperwork she needed for the show into her briefcase, shut down her laptop and put it in its case, picked up her handbag and headed for the elevator. Her luggage had already been taken to the airport earlier by the driver with the rest of the other things she needed.

She had been amazed by the tremendous response she had received from the corporate world. She was running this show completely on donor funds, from the photographers, cameramen and their cameras to the technical guys and electricians. Most had halved their service fees and some had offered services free. Ruvimbo had been so greatly touched. There were a lot of good people out there, and these youngsters were very lucky indeed to be given this opportunity. She hoped that, if this debut show was successful, it would be the beginning of many more promotional shows to come.

Before long, the taxi she had taken had pulled up in front of the airport. She got out and paid the driver, then started to run. She was aware that they were probably holding the plane for her by now, with everyone having already boarded. Of course they wouldn’t leave without me; otherwise, there would be no fashion show, she mused. She cleared Immigration and Customs with no hassles at all and started to run again towards the plane. Indeed, the plane was waiting for her; it appeared everyone else had already boarded, just as she had thought.

They had chartered a Boeing 747 passenger plane from a local company, Eagles Charter Airlines. They, too, had given their services at half price for the good cause. The plane was big enough to carry everyone and all the equipment needed.

Chapter Two

Where on earth is this woman? Randall Jefferys asked his head stewardess in an irritated tone. He hated waiting around for people and was extremely annoyed by people who were unable to keep time.

Who are we waiting for again, Ellen?

Miss Mbizi, Sir; she is the director of the fashion show, she answered him, standing on the other side of the plane’s entrance, as was their custom, to welcome their passengers on to the plane. They had been holding the plane for fifteen minutes already as it was.

Typical of models, always wanting to make an entrance to show off; is it necessary, really, all the time? he fumed. He was raring to go; he wanted to drop off his passengers on the island of The Blue Lag off Mauritius and make the return journey back before it was dark. The island’s weather could be fluke and, with their narrow runway, it could be tricky to land such a big plane. Where is she, for goodness’s sake? he asked again.

Just then, he lifted his head and saw her running on the tarmac towards the plane with bags flying all over her. Randall watched her as she approached the plane and, to his surprise, his pulse started to accelerate and his annoyance melted down to appreciation. When she finally got on to the plane, she was so flustered, and full of apologies for being so late.

I am so sorry, Captain, for holding up the plane, she said breathlessly, trying to hold her bags in some kind of order.

He couldn’t answer her straight away; his heart pounded and his throat had gone completely dry. He was just staring at her, listening to her voice, which was low, soft and just as appealing as the rest of her.

Oh God, what is happening to me? Who is this creature and why am I reacting to her in this way, he thought. Then he heard himself saying, Oh, it’s quite all right, Miss Mbizi, don’t worry about it; I am happy to wait for a beautiful lady any time.

However, she had already started to walk away to find her seat.

She did not even see me, he thought miserably, inhaling deeply as he watched the sexy sway of her hips and those long shapely legs. He could have yanked her into his arms there and then, so strong was his reaction to her.

Is that everyone now, Ellen? he asked, dragging his eyes away from Ruvimbo Mbizi’s behind with great difficulty.

Yes, Sir, she replied, checking the passenger list once again.

Good, then we can take off, he said, still dazzled by what had transpired a few minutes ago. Who was that woman? He knew she was Ruvimbo Mbizi, the director of the show they were all going to, but who was she? He wanted to know everything about her, every little detail.

He felt such a strong desire to see her face once more, to make sure she was real. His heart was dancing for her. Normally, after welcoming his passengers aboard, he would go straight to the cockpit and the cabin crew would make sure that the passengers were comfortable and instruct on the emergency procedures, but this time, instead of going straight to the cockpit, he found himself walking down the aisle looking for her and, when he couldn’t find her on the lower deck, he ran up the stairs to the upper deck where the VIP were travelling, and there she was, in the front seat busy scribbling something on a notepad. His pulse jumped again; for the second time in the past ten minutes, she had given him another jolt of electricity. He stared at her with brooding eyes, his heart galloping at record speed.

He could see her once more running towards the plane, tall, easily five foot seven. He told himself that it was her height that had attracted his attention. With those long legs encased in the tightest jeans he’d ever seen – fabulous – she was instantly noticeable. With that luminous beauty, she was doing things to him he never thought possible. Her hair was jet black and short, with a brown tint almost in the middle. Oh, and her face… he was actually looking at her face now, oh so beautiful, angelic, with a small nose and flawless skin and light make-up, just enough to enhance her beauty. He sucked in his breath, taken aback by its unexpectedness.

Oh Lord, why her? he muttered to himself, struggling to control the fires licking through his entire body.

Perhaps it was the intentness of his stare that made her momentarily aware that someone was looking at her. Beautiful big brown eyes fringed with long dark eyelashes lifted to look in his direction and, for a split second, a quizzical expression crossed her face, but she absent mindedly went back to scribbling again. Once more, she wasn’t aware of him. With his heart still thundering fast, he turned and went down to the cockpit.

In all his life, he had never reacted to a woman like that. To a Shona woman, at that, Oh Lord! Oh, but she was so beautiful. He was suddenly so glad that he had come on this trip. It was certainly going to be interesting, and there was a very high possibility his life could be changed forever. He was definitely going to find out everything about her. For now, it was his duty to make sure his precious cargo got to the island safely. He chuckled to himself, precious cargo indeed.

Randall Jefferys was not indifferent to beautiful women. In his kind of work, they were plenty. However, it was not easy to meet that very special woman he could give his heart to. He had promised himself that he would only give his heart to a woman when he was a hundred percent sure she was the one and that his heart would point him in the right direction. Is that her, he mulled to himself. He had also promised himself that she would be the only woman he would sleep with and only when they were married. It was rare indeed in this world where everything these days was about sex. He had succeeded in keeping his promise for this long, but there again he had not yet met a woman he wanted to take to bed badly enough. What was that, then, back there? He was still puzzled.

At twenty-eight, Randall had achieved what most young men of his age could only dream of. Since he had been a toddler, as he had been told when he got older, he had been fascinated by aeroplanes and had a vast range of toy ones still at his mother’s house now waiting to be handed down to his children. It had come as no surprise to his family and friends that he had trained as a pilot and, by the age of twenty-one, he had got his commercial pilot’s licence. With the help of a trust fund from his maternal grandmother and a few bridging loans here and there, Eagles Charter Airlines Company had been founded when he was just twenty-three years of age. He had started with a small fleet, and the business had been limited to charters in Zimbabwe, with only him and his co-pilot and friend, Eric Wild, running the company. They had done everything that needed to be done themselves. The business had grown very well since then and they had increased their fleet to two Boeing 747s, a 767, a 500, a 300 and a 200. The staff complement had also risen to fifty. They were flying all over the world. He could be described as a fairly rich man.

He was dating Amanda Mills at the moment and had been for the past year. Randall was a young and attractive man and it was always easy to find a woman to have fun with. With Amanda, it had been just that, partying all night, going out to the cinema and to fine restaurants. They both enjoyed good wine and good food, but of late it had been lacking something. Amanda was a wonderful girl, beautiful and funny, but, unfortunately, she had not taken his heart. He would, he decided, have to speak to Amanda whether he liked it or not; if the doubts that had been swelling over him for the past few months were an indication, their relationship was rapidly falling apart. He could lie to himself that he was very busy at work and was too tired most evenings to go out, but, in all honesty, he was no longer as fond of Amanda as he should be. Randall was a ‘one woman at a time’ kind of a man, and it was not fair to keep stringing Amanda along. She would be hurt for a while, but he hoped she would eventually get over him. He would phone her that night, he decided, and that beauty up on the deck had nothing to do with his decision, he told himself, but deep down he knew that she maybe was influencing that decision a little.

Chapter Three

The models were to spend the remaining two days rehearsing with their designers. They were to showcase in four categories: night wear, formal wear, swim wear and casual wear. These were all to be of an African theme with a twist of modern elegance. The designers who were chosen were the top thirty out of the hundreds who had applied.

Ruvimbo had never felt so tired in her entire life; organising people was very hard indeed. They had spent the first three whole days setting up equipment, the cameras, the television screens and the ramp to be used by the models, and it had taken all she had to offer with hardly any time to sit down to eat. By the end of the day she would just fall into bed. As such, Ruvimbo had missed out on the fun she knew the others were having with their free time in their great hotel on the beautiful island.

Randall was so taken with her, but still she had not noticed him yet. He was aware she had been so engrossed in her work but his brooding eyes were always following her with such a deep intensity. From the first time he had seen her boarding the plane, Randall’s heart had been taken. He had planned on getting his passengers to the island and flying right back to Harare before nightfall, but all that had changed. He just couldn’t leave the island without at least meeting her. Perhaps a relationship could come out of it. He wanted to get to know her, but she had been so busy.

His co-pilot and friend had been so shocked when he had asked him to pick other passengers for the return trip to Harare as he was taking a vacation for two weeks. It was just as well that they always travelled with another pilot as an emergency precaution in case one of them became ill during a flight. That extra pilot was now going to take Randall’s place in the cockpit, and it was just as well too that they carried a suitcase of necessary clothing in case they got stranded somewhere due to various reasons. So he was well prepared to stay on the island and pursue Ruvimbo Mbizi.

But why, Randall; what’s going on? Eric had asked him, really surprised that he would suddenly decide to take a vacation out of the blue like that; it was not like him. He always planned everything way ahead of time.

I’ve just decided I need a break, Eric. After all, you have been nagging me to go on holiday, saying I am overworked. So I am taking the next two weeks off to enjoy this beautiful island; you are in charge.

Eric had looked at him, his mouth agape. Unbelievable; it was a first for Randall to take a break. Two weeks! Wow. A first indeed since they had started Eagles Charter Airlines. He had been concerned about his friend too; Randall had been very quiet on the flight to the island; a first too, as he usually joked around with everyone once they were airborne. Maybe he really needed this break. Patting his friend’s shoulder, he had said, Okay, boss, enjoy yourself; don’t worry about anything; I will see you in two weeks’ time when we pick these guys up.

Thanks, Eric; I owe you one, my friend.

That had been four days ago, and he had been waiting patiently for an opportunity to meet her. He had been watching her from afar. What a beautiful lady, graceful and with an agile walk. She would walk like that, of course; she was a model, wasn’t she? It was part of their training, wasn’t it? However, her walk was so engaging; you just couldn’t help wanting to watch her. She had this wide-mouthed smile that showed her beautiful, even brilliant, white teeth that would light up her whole face. He found himself smiling too when she did, even though he didn’t know what she was smiling about and she did smile a lot. It appeared like all the girls in her care liked and respected her. He could see them going to her for advice time and time again. By the end of the day, she had looked so tired; she just wanted to fall into her bed, he was sure. So he had let her be. He was going to get his chance, of that he was sure.

One thing was bothering him so much, though. There was this guy who kept hanging around her, circling her like a shark, as if he owned her. It was beginning to irritate him, especially as he had this habit of dropping his arm around her shoulders. Rodrique Obe was his name, as he had been told when he had asked information about him from one of the photographers when they had been sitting at the bar. Apparently, Rodrique had been pursuing Ruvimbo to get into a relationship with him for a long time, but she had been elusive up to now and he didn’t seem to be giving up. He kept following her around the world. She just wanted to be his friend by the looks of things. Randall was so relieved when he was told that. He had never in his life taken another man’s woman no matter how interested he might have been.

He had also been informed that Rodrique was a household name all over Africa and Europe in the big fashion world. Quite a huge legend, in fact, and how he had managed to accumulate a number of companies in a remarkably short space of time was not known. The man was very rich and had been described as very ruthless. When he wanted something, he’d been reputed to go after it with huge amounts of patience and aggression. Right now, Rodrique wanted Miss Mbizi, but she was proving to be very elusive, and a bit of competition never hurt anyone. Randall was used to it in business and he did not mind that at all. He just needed to up his game a bit, and he had given her enough time to put together her show. It was time to be more aggressive, he mulled.

The night before, he had made his call to Amanda. It had broken his heart when he noted how happy she had been to hear his voice. She really liked him and was missing him, but it really wasn’t fair to keep her hanging on. Not fair to Ruvimbo either, or to him, for that matter, because he wanted to give all his attention to her when she finally noticed him. So he had ended it with Amanda. It had been a huge relief to him, and now his main objective was to pursue Ruvimbo.

Things were getting on nicely indeed and everything seemed to be in place, Ruvimbo was thinking. She stood near the ramp checking the main hall to make sure everything was as it should be. Her alert eyes skimmed around the room, noticing groups of people dotted around the theatre chatting away. Suddenly she stiffened, her gaze narrowing and her head turning back of its own volition to retrace that first glance at a group of men. She found herself focussing on a striking, handsome young man standing on the far side of the group, deep in conversation with another man. Her heartbeat accelerated to a gallop; she tried to steady herself into stillness by holding on to the chair in front of her. The compulsion to stare was, oh, so overwhelming and inexplicable. The man was very tall and deeply tanned. His bronzed features were stunningly handsome. Her tummy somersaulted and tension began to build low in the pit of her stomach, along with building pressure behind her temples. He looked rich and sophisticated with that razor-edged elegance portraying immense power. Perspiration dampened her palms. Suddenly, she was afraid, of what exactly she didn’t know. Confusion clouding her mind, she started to tremble violently, still staring at him.

Simultaneously, the stranger turned his head and looked directly at her. As always, he knew where she was most of the time, as he had kept her in his line of vision. However, this time, as he looked at her, he froze. Oh my God; oh my God. He felt like he had been punched in the gut; for the first time ever, she was looking directly at him. She had finally noticed him, which was exactly how he had wanted her first notice of him to happen. Oh… Oh… His hands started shaking, almost spilling the drink in his hand, and a hoard of butterflies filled his tummy, but his gaze remained latched on to hers.

The fierce intensity with which his brilliant golden-brown eyes zeroed in on her stilled figure made her tremble even more. A gentleman would have looked away by now, surely, but not this one; he kept his intense gaze on her. By that time, nausea was churning in her stomach, forcing a muffled moan from her parted lips. Dragging her eyes from his, she ran to the nearest ladies’ room. She wasn’t actually sick, but she was still trembling; her knees felt like jelly. Most of all, she was bewildered and shaken by what had just happened in those few seconds when their eyes had met. Oh… Oh… As if a goods train had rammed into her and crushed her against the wall. She had never felt like that in her entire life. What on earth had possessed her to stop dead and gape at a man she hardly knew, like she was still some teenager? Maybe she was coming down with a bug or she was just so very tired; that would explain her weird behaviour and the nausea. Sure, one of those terrible viruses that could strike you with a sudden blow. Maybe she needed to slow down a little, she thought.

When she vacated the ladies’ room, turning to head back to the main theatre, she found her path unexpectedly blocked.

What took you so long?

Excuse me?

Miss Mbizi? a rich, accented voice breathed with noticeable stress. I am Randall Jefferys, the pilot who brought you people out here, he said, stretching his hand towards hers. She shook his hand with reluctance. At the touch of their fingers, sparks were flying everywhere. What took you so long? I mean what took you so long to notice me? He was stammering as if in confusion, his face reddening. I can’t believe we finally meet at last.

She glanced up and met the flashing golden-brown eyes, which looked at her with such a deep intensity, and her heart felt like it was leaping from her chest into her throat. He was the same man she had been staring at ten minutes ago. Oh my God, how embarrassing; what he must be thinking of me. She remained rooted in one spot and her hand was still clasped in his. Her feet couldn’t have moved even if she had instructed them to. The shock paralysed her.

Randall stared fixedly down at her, his deep drawl vibrating down her spine as he said, I can’t tell you how I’ve been dying to meet up with you. It’s a great pleasure, ma’am, to finally have the opportunity to do just that. I’ve heard so much about you.

She was so embarrassed and blushed, now avoiding his gaze. She then removed her hand hurriedly from his as if it had suddenly turned into hot coal and took a step backward, almost stumbling in her rush to move away from him.

I am sorry; I can’t stop and chat with you, Mr Jefferys. I am very busy at the moment and it has been nice meeting with you too, she stuttered. Excuse me. She moved away. She couldn’t help wondering if her silly stare had encouraged him to think she was an easy pick. She fled from him as if the devil himself was after her.

Randall let her go. He really felt so good at the moment, that she had finally noticed him. Oh, and looking into those beautiful big brown eyes had been so amazing; he could still feel the butterflies that had filled his tummy still fluttering away. Definitely, he had feelings for Ruvimbo Mbizi and phase one had been completed. What had pleased him the most was the fact that she had not been indifferent to him. He would just have to give her time to realise that there was an attraction between them. Yes, she will be mine. He felt excitement building feverishly in him. Those beautiful big brown eyes were really heart-stopping and they were going to haunt him forever. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. With a big grin, he walked back to join the other guys at the bar, choosing the best position from where he could see her every movement.

As she walked away from him, huffing and puffing in a panic and still blushing, she nearly bumped into Tanya, who had seen her rushing to the ladies’ room and who was about to follow her to see if she was all right. She had been very stressed and fatigued of late.

Hey, what is so scary? What are you running from? she asked her friend, a deep frown on her face. Ruvimbo linked her hands tightly together in front of her as if in an effort to hide the fact that they were still trembling.

You see that man over there, the good-looking one, she stuttered, nodding in Randall’s direction. I noticed him first – to be honest, I really couldn’t take my eyes off him, Tanya. Her voice faltered as she tried to sort through her thoughts. She looked away from Tanya as embarrassment was taking over again.

Was he trying to make a pass at you? her friend asked. She couldn’t help being interested in what was happening here. She had never seen Ruvimbo in such a state over a stranger before. Usually, she would have taken care of the unwanted attention without batting an eyelid. So what is happening with that man, Tanya mulled. Do tell me more, Ruvimbo, she invited with amusement in her voice. Just why couldn’t you take your eyes off that guy? Tanya pressed on.

"I don’t know, Tanya; he is very good looking, she said, her cheeks flaming. And at first I thought that my staring at him had encouraged him to approach me. But when I thought about it afterwards, I don’t think it was like that at all," she tried to defend herself.

Why not, you are a beautiful woman, Ruvimbo; why the surprise? her friend asked.

He is white, Tanya; I don’t date white guys; you know that! she exclaimed.

Oh, so you want to date him now, Ruvimbo, do you? her friend asked teasingly.

Oh… Oh, I don’t know. I only know that when I looked at him my heart went giddy, and the butterflies in my tummy, Tanya… I have never ever felt anything like that, but still, he is white, isn’t he? she said, feeling flustered all over again.

White good-looking guy; who can that be? There weren’t many loitering around the theatre at that moment. Tanya was puzzled. Oh, you mean the pilot? she asked. You two had not met yet, but his eyes are always following you wherever you are in the same room, Ruvimbo. That was how I first noticed him, always looking at you with those brooding eyes of his, her friend stated. That one is really taken with you, Ruvimbo. She smiled at her friend.

Is that so? So how come I haven’t been aware of him? she asked Tanya, thinking she was pulling her leg.

You have been so busy, remember, my girl; you have had no time to even feed yourself. Maybe he was scared of getting too close to you because of Rodrique, who has been hovering around you every minute, or maybe you staring at him gave him encouragement to approach you. Tanya tried to reason it out. So what are you going to do about your pilot, Ruvimbo? Tanya asked provokingly.

He is not my pilot, Tanya! Ruvimbo snapped. Oh I don’t know! she cried. Oh God, why is this happening to me now? Couldn’t it have waited till we finished the fashion show? She then decided to try to put the entire silly episode out of her mind and keep focussed on the rehearsals taking place.

Of course, she was once more unaware that a young man by the bar was very happy indeed with what she had