When she showed up in the suite on Saturday afternoon and saw him wearing a red tee shirt and a pair of jeans, she was shocked. She wasn’t used to seeing him in casual clothes. It made him even more attractive and irresistible.
He smiled when he saw the way she was looking at him. It was obvious that she really liked what she saw. He should dress more casual whenever he was with her. Perhaps it made her more comfortable and less class conscious. “I’m so happy you came, Ife,” he said, holding out his hand and when she put hers in it, he pulled her against him. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you to come today.” Yesterday when they saw each other, he arranged to see her regularly on the weekends as well.
She shook her head. “No, Mr. Kobayashi. It wasn’t much trouble.” Fortunately, Miremba was spending the weekend at her cousins’ house.
“I wish you would call me Toshiro,” he murmured huskily before he lowered his head and kissed her. They kissed for several minutes before he took her by the hand and led her over to the sofa where they sat down. He was still holding her hand. His eyes met hers as he laced his fingers through hers. “Why did your husband and you divorce?”
“We grew apart.”
“How long were you married?”
“Ten years.”
“Do you have any children?”
His question startled her and she looked at him warily. “We have a daughter.”
“How old is she?”
“Thirteen.”
“What’s her name?”
“Miremba.”
“Why didn’t you mention her to me when I asked you if you were married?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
He excused himself, got up from the sofa and walked over to the desk. He returned holding two tickets which he gave to her after he sat down. “These are for you and her.”
Ife glanced at them and saw that they were tickets for the ballet. She looked at him. “You didn’t have to,” she said.
“I wanted to,” he replied. “Please take them.”
She got up and put them in her handbag. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You look so beautiful. That color suits your lovely complexion.” He reached for her hand again.
“Thank you. This is the first time I have seen you dressed so casual.”
He smiled. “I know. I saw the way you reacted when you walked in. You were shocked.”
She smiled. “I was.” 
He reached for her hand, the same time he lowered his head and kissed her on the shoulder, making her catch her breath. He raised his head. “Let’s go to bed,” he said, his eyes restless on her face. He stood up and pulled her to her feet. Still holding hands, they went into the bedroom.
“How old were you when you had Miremba?” he asked some time later as they lay next to each other.
“Seventeen.”
“That’s pretty young to be a mother.”
“A mother and a housewife.”
“If you hadn’t gotten pregnant, would you have gone to university?”
“Yes.”
“How did your family feel about the situation?”
“If my parents were still alive, they would have been really upset. They were strict Christians. Irumba was very disappointed. He’s been encouraging me to do something worthwhile with my life.”
Toshiro rolled on to his side, his expression tense as he looked at her. “Who is Irumba?” he demanded jealously.
“He’s my older brother. He’s married and has two daughters.”
Toshiro relaxed. “What does he want you to do with your life?”
“He thinks I should quit my job here at the hotel and find a better one. He told me about a company called Paper Craft Africa. Their products are sold in local hotels and gift shops. They employ young, single mothers like me and the company’s right here in Kampala. I promised him that I would check it out.”
Toshiro became tense again. He got out of the bed and walked over to where his robe was. He put it on. “Why haven’t you already checked it out?”
“I don’t have the time,” Ife said, watching him. “I only have half-hour for lunch and I can’t go after I finish work. And by the time I leave here, the company is probably closed.”
He turned to face her. “Have you called them to find out what their hours are?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have the number.”
“Didn’t your brother give it to you?”
“No.”
“Would you like me to look it up on the Internet?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to quit my job at the hotel.”
“Why not, Ife? It would be the opportunity for you to get out of our arrangement.”
Agitated, she threw off the covers and climbed out of the bed. She hurriedly got dressed. “I have to go,” she muttered before she quickly left the room.
He followed her into the living-room. “Do you really have to leave now?” he asked. “I was going to order dinner for us.”
She avoided looking at him. “Yes, I have to go. I’ll–I’ll see you tomorrow.” And she was gone before he could say anything else.
Next up, Ife Gets Jealous
Notes to Women 