For the Dream of 5 Years: Chapter Two : The Promise of Broken Boundaries

"I want to kiss you for your birthday, but my heart is beating so fast," she typed on her laptop and passed the message to him. They were sitting side by side on a couch in the house. It was raining so heavily, and the other people in the room could not hear their conversation. Dan froze; he could not believe that his dream had finally come true. He wondered how they could have kissed in public. "Had Michelle gone crazy? There could be people who knew us in this room, and gossip would spread like wildfire in this village. What was Michelle up to this morning? Since the tree situation, they have technically been so professional. No one talked about the issue again. It died like dust on a rainy day. What could have changed?" he wondered, squeezing his thighs together so tight to conceal his bulge. He could feel Michelle's gaze and her breathing next to his ear. "What? Here?" Dan asked. "Yes, isn't today your birthday, and this is all you wanted? A kiss for your 20th birthday?" she responded, licking her lips. "Well, I don't think I can do it here. I worry about you. People might see us, and this information could reach Dave," he said, still not looking at her. "Would you rather we do it in my bedroom or yours?" She asked sarcastically. "Just so you know, this opportunity comes once; the next time I can reconsider this may be five years from now, at your 25th birthday. So, take it or leave it," Michelle said. Dan leaned back and was about to adjust himself. He looked around to see whether people minded their business before Michelle interrupted, "Pass me my bag; the rain has stopped. We need to get going," she said, sipping a mouthful of the remaining coffee in her cup. Dan could not believe it. He wondered if Michelle was crazy. He had read about bipolar somewhere in his books and wanted to get home so bad, reread about it, and see if Michelle portrayed any of the signs. Could it be that she was stressed, one day wanting this and the next changing her mind? Could it be she was playing with his mind and his emotions? Dan had not had a girlfriend before. He was the type that wanted to wait until marriage. He knew some girls who claimed they dated, but he didn't dwell on wishful thinking. At the moment, he had eyes for Michelle alone. After the rain, everyone left the coffee place and rushed to catch taxis waiting outside. Michelle and Dan left the place and went to finish the errands they were running before the rain poured. They moved from one shop to another, buying farm material without discussing the 'kiss that almost happened' scenario. All the shops and the public vehicles had eye-catching posters of the vying candidate, the sitting president, the 'our person,' the 'people's choice.' If Michelle had a choice that day, she could have avoided boarding such a car with a political message. It had become the norm; no one cared any longer. After they were through, they took a taxi and headed to Michelle's home. During the night, Dan was so bothered about what happened during the day at the coffee place. It was almost midnight, and he decided to send Michelle a message. "Hey you, about earlier today, what came over you?" He almost gave up waiting for Michelle's feedback when a message popped. He almost fell off the bed, trying to sit up fast as if the message could disappear if he took long or if he could only read it seated upright. 'I meant it, Dan. It was your 20th birthday, meaning you are no longer a teenager. Plus, you once told me that is the best gift I could give you on your birthday,' The message read. Dan was shaking while typing asking for another chance since the birthday was over and the opportunity was gone. They had a long discussion, but Michelle stood her ground on sharing a kiss with him on his 25th birthday. Then, according to her, he would be a grown man, a responsible and experienced man. "Who knows, maybe by then, you will have diminished all your desire for me..." read the message from Michelle. The following day, Dan woke up very early because he wanted to talk to Michelle so badly besides work. The sun shone bright, and the ground was drying up nicely. Michelle had taken this opportunity to give mike a ride on her motorcycle on the road near her home. They often took time to ride together because it cleared Michelle's mind and Mike loved riding with his mom. Dan found them on the road and signalled them to stop. "We need to talk, Michelle. I can't concentrate on my work," he said. "Aren't you going to say hi to Mike?" she asked, removing her helmet and helping Mike down the Bike. "I'm sorry, Mike, I didn't see you. You are very tiny. Are you finishing your food lately?" he said jokingly, tickling him playfully. "How are you, Mike? See, if mom lets us, we could ride far away from home and have a lot of fun, just me and you," he said, squatting to level Mike's height. "Yay! Please, mom?" he begged, jumping up and down with excitement. "Okay, let mom think about it, and if you become a good boy, you and Dan will go for a ride sooner than you think," she said, removing his helmet. "Thank you, mom! I will surely behave," he said as he kissed the back of her hand. "Okay, now mom wants to talk with Dan; please run back home; mom will have her eyes on you until you get home." Mike ran as fast as he could, and after he entered the gate, Michelle looked back at Dan folding her arms and placing them on the bike. She was still on the bike, and her legs were spread apart, feet on the ground for balance. "Hey, you look tired. Did you have any sleep?" she asked, smiling at Dan and frowning a little at the same time, trying to block the sun rays. Dan looked at Michelle's face under the sun. It was flawless. He couldn't believe one could have such clear and smooth skin as a child. He remembered Michelle's tender skin when she held her hand back on the farm under the tree. If that was her hand, how tender would her face be? He wondered. He wished he could touch it. She did not have a single pimple or any spot on her face. Her lips were full, and she wore a light red lipstick. She looked so amazing. He noticed that she had brown eyes. He studied her face for a moment until Michele called him out. "Hey, you wanted to talk to me." He was almost startled because he was lost in thought when Michelle talked. "Yes, I've thought about your proposal and haven't had any sleep. I want to have that kiss so bad. You said I could kiss you yesterday, but I didn't. I want it, please," he begged. Michelle was shocked at Dan's request. What could be the problem with this boy? I only mentioned it yesterday to let it pass because I knew it couldn't happen at the coffee shop. Why is he so persistent with kissing me? Could he be sick and wants to infect me? Is he in some bet with some of his boys? She wondered. "I don't understand why you want to kiss me, Dan, I don't, and it is starting to bother me," said Michelle sitting up and straightening her back. "You know why. I already told you I loved you under the tree, remember?" Dan said, trying so hard to keep his pitch low and gripping his fists to manage the energy and rage growing in him. He had spent all night looking forward to seeing Michelle, which was not the anticipated outcome. "I would love to at least hug you because I have never touched you, Michelle. I have never touched your hand, not even for greetings, nor have we ever brushed our shoulders while working. It is stupid, but a hug would mean so much to me. Consider it my birthday present for the next four years," he said, almost begging. "Just that? A hug? Okay, I will hug you today. It will be a surprise; expect it any time," Michelle said and laughed as she put her helmet back on and rode off. Dan walked behind her, smiling and feeling expectant. ******** There were only two workers on this day, Dan and another worker. While the other worker left to run some personal errands, Dan stayed for lunch. The weather was changing, and there were signs of rain. All of a sudden, it became dark because of the heavy clouds that were covering the skies. Everyone was in the main house eating lunch and watching the television. They had made it a routine to watch the news all the time because of the uncertain political atmosphere. Dan followed Michelle into the kitchen because he ate in the kitchen occasionally. He sat on a wooden stool at one corner of the kitchen as Michelle served him food. They talked about the weather, the politics, and other general talks as they ate. Most of the time, Michelle was on her phone, sending some emails and reading some messages from her social media platforms. When Dan finished eating his meal and drinking a glass of water, he reached for some serviette from the kitchen counter. Michelle walked up to him when he sat down and said, "Now." Dan froze because he knew what that meant. It was time to hug Michelle, hold her close, and feel her body. He could smell her scent and never let it fade from his nose; he could whisper something in her ear, maybe, just maybe. He tried looking up to meet Michelle's eyes but couldn't. He was glued to his seat, his feet cold and his mouth mum. Michelle spread out her arms, waiting for Dan to lock himself onto her. Dan did not move an inch or say a thing. He just faced the floor. "Well, I hope you won't say I didn't give you a chance," Michelle said as she stepped away from him. "Don't go," Dan almost choked on his words as he held her hand. This was the second time he felt her skin, the second time he held her hand, and the second time he commanded her not to take another step by holding her hand tightly. Her hand was so soft and warm. He felt Michelle's blood pump inside her veins. He could not believe that he was holding Michelle's arm again. He had the tough girl's hand in his palm, for a second time. He was making progress, but he was not there yet. Michelle was a hard nut to crack. He thought that since she was away from her husband, she could have been easy to seduce. He tightened his grip a little to believe it. "Please don't go," Dan whispered, still sitting down but looking up. "Come on then," said Michelle. Dan summoned his courage and stood up so close to Michelle. Michelle had never faced Dan this close and was unprepared for it. Her heart skipped a beat when Dan stood up to meet her; she was like a meal, and he was like a hungry animal. She was terrified for a moment of letting this happen, terrified that his eyes didn't sparkle like Dave's whenever he reached for a kiss, scared that it was too late to go back. She convinced herself to find the best at the moment because it was bound to happen either way. She focused on his wide chest, budding beards, and strong shoulders. He was nothing like a 20-year-old but a full-grown man with authority. His warm breath hit Michelle's forehead and sent chills down her spine. She wanted to back out, but it was too late now. Dan moved even closer and hugged Michelle so gently. He ran his hand along Michelle's back and tightened his grip. He smelled like soap, a familiar scent, like a good bathing soap that Michelle recognized to have encountered as a young girl, one that flashed some memories in her mind. Yes, she remembered that her first boyfriend used to smell like that, the Casson soap scent. For a moment, she imagined her first love and missed him. He was as young as Dan when they were dating. It was beautiful. This moment with Dan would be beautiful as well. She thought. Michelle's breasts were pressed up against Dan's body. He could hear Michelle's heart pounding so fast and felt her hands navigating his back. Michelle was breathing fast, and he was sure he felt her legs tremble. He needed to give her support so she couldn't fall. Her back was so soft under the thin shirt she had on. It felt so warm and smooth. He couldn't believe that Michelle's body was glued to his. Since he was closing his eyes, he took in every scent and every feeling. He ran his hand a little lower on Michelle's back to feel a soft and smooth place over Michelle's trouser, a small part of her exposed flesh, where her shirt ended and her trousers began. Her skin was smooth, and Dan kept going to feel a small bump where her curvy behind began. It felt wrong, but he couldn't resist the urge to feel it and squeeze it a little. "Wait a minute... Is he going to touch my butt? Oh, I guess he is. Is he touching me? Is he squeezing my butt? Yes, he sure is," Michelle talked to herself in her head. Dan closed his eyes and took in as much breath as he could. Michelle felt so warm and cozy. She smelled nice, and her tender skin was covered in goosebumps. After a few seconds, they both let go, but before they completely moved away, Michelle stretched her hand to touch Dan's hardness between his legs. Dan was caught by surprise, and he flinched with shock. Things were moving so fast for Dan, despite him being the one who asked for a hug. He moved closer so that Michelle could feel his hardness over his trouser. He thought about grabbing and kissing her, but before he could execute, Michelle moved away and sat on a chair to catch her breath. These feelings had been locked in for a long time, and now they were displayed all over their bodies, behaviours, and voices. Michelle seemed puzzled by the extent to which this hug went. She sat on the chair to avoid falling. Dan's knees were weak and trembling from all that anxiety too. He put his hands in his pocket and leaned against the wall looking at Michelle. He wondered how romantic-sick she was. What would have happened if he locked lips with hers, touched her all over, and told her sweet things? Would she have collapsed? He smiled and left for home. When Michelle raised her head, she found Dan had left. She smiled and joined the others in the main house.