Chapter 20: The First Date

 

Narrated by Mapaseka Mokoena

I had never been this nervous before a date. Not ever,  I stood in front of my wardrobe, staring at the rows of clothes, and felt completely lost. Nothing looked right. Everything felt wrong. I pulled out a dress, held it up, and threw it on the bed. I pulled out another, then another.

I was a mess.

"Haibo, Mapaseka," I said to myself. "It is just one date. One date and then you are done with him."

But my heart did not believe me, my phone buzzed it was Relato.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"No," I admitted. "I don't know what to wear."

"I'm coming over don’t worry"

Thirty minutes later, Relato walked into my apartment with a bag of makeup and a determined look on her face.

"Ke tla o thusa," she said. "Sit down."

I sat on the chair while she unpacked her things.

"Finally," she said, smiling. "You are finally going out on a date. Do you know how long I have been waiting for this day?"

"Relato, it is just one date."

"One date is all it takes," she said. "One date can change everything. Now sit still and let me work."

She started applying makeup to my face. Foundation, concealer, eyeshadow and lipstick. She worked quickly and carefully.

"I am so happy for you, Mapaseka," she said softly. "You work so hard. You take care of everyone. Your mother. Your clients. Everyone except yourself. Tonight, you must enjoy. Please forget that list of your ideal man and just enjoy with this Zulu guy. He sounds like someone who knows what he wants."

I laughed.

"Relato, he is not my type."

She stopped and looked at me.

"What type?" she asked again. "The men you have dated before? The ones who were supposed to be your type? Where are they now, Mapaseka?"

I was quiet.

"Exactly," she said. "They are gone. Because they were not right for you. This man, this Zulu mechanic, he has been persistent. He fixed your car. He asked you out without fear. Do you know how rare that is?"

I looked down.

"Maybe you are right," I said softly.

"I know I am right," she said. "Now close your eyes. I need to finish your makeup."

When she was done, I looked in the mirror. I barely recognised myself. My skin glowed, my eyes looked bigger, brighter. My lips were a soft red.

"Beautiful," Relato said. "Now go and enjoy your evening. No lists. No expectations. Just you and him."

I hugged her.

"Thank you, Relato."

"Go," she said. "He is waiting."

The restaurant was in Sandton. It was one of those places I had always wanted to visit but never had the courage to enter. The kind of place where everything looked expensive, where the lighting was soft and warm, where every detail was designed to make you feel special. I parked my car and walked toward the entrance. My heart was beating fast.

A man in a suit greeted me at the door.

"Good evening, madam," he said warmly. "Welcome."

"Thank you," I said, my voice a little shaky.

He led me inside, and then I stopped. The restaurant was empty.

Every table was empty.

The only table that was set was in the center of the room. It was covered in a white cloth. Red roses were arranged beautifully in the middle. Candles flickered softly.

I looked around in confusion.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

The manager smiled.

"Madam, the gentleman who made this booking reserved the entire restaurant just for you. He must think you are very special."

I felt my breath catch, the entire restaurant, just for me. I walked slowly to the table and sat down. Everything was perfect,  the roses,  candles and the soft music playing in the background. I was still trying to process everything when he walked in. And my heart stopped. He was wearing a dark suit. A perfectly tailored coat with a white shirt underneath. His shoes were polished. His hair was neatly styled. His cologne reached me before he did—something warm and masculine. He looked like he had stepped out of a magazine. He walked toward me with that confident smile, and I forgot how to breathe.

"Sawubona, nkosazana," he said softly. "Waze wangenza indoda emadodeni."

He smiled and added, "You have no idea how much you have made me feel like a real man tonight. Thank you for coming. Imagine after this whole arrangement and you did not come."

I laughed nervously.

"I am here," I said. "I came."

"I see that," he said, pulling out a chair for himself. "I am happy you came."

He sat down across from me. His eyes met mine, and I felt something warm spread through my chest.

"Thank you for arranging all of this," I said. "You did not have to."

"I wanted to," he said simply. "I wanted you to see that I am serious. I am not a man who does things halfway."

I smiled and looked away. My cheeks were burning. The waiter brought us menus. We ordered. The food came. It was incredible. But I could barely taste it. I was too distracted by him.

"Let me introduce myself properly," he said. "I am Qondanisa Qwabe. I am from Durban, KwaMashu. I am a mechanic. My father taught me when I was five years old about spanners and which tool works for each purpose. He taught me to work hard and to never give up. I am a simple man with simple dreams. I came to Johannesburg with nothing but my hope.”

I listened, smiling.

"I am Mapaseka Mokoena," I said. "You already know that. I run my own consulting business. Mapaseka Consulting Services. I help small business owners organise their finances, structure their operations, and improve their planning. It started small, but it is growing too."

"Businesswoman," he said with a smile. "You are a  super woman, Mapaseka."

I laughed.

"Am I?"

"Yes," he said. "You have a beautiful smile, You are intelligent. You know what you want. You do not let men push you around. That is dangerous for  a man like me. I cannot help but want to be around you."

I felt my cheeks redden.

"Condanisa," I said, shaking my head. "You are too much."

"Too much?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "Hhayi, nkosazana. I am just honest. Is that a crime now?"

We both laughed.

I shared stories about my childhood. About my mother, why I started my business.

"Tell me," he said softly. "Why did you become a businesswoman?"

I was quiet for a moment.

"Because I wanted to build something of my own," I said. "After my last relationship ended, I realised I had been waiting for someone else to save me. I decided to save myself. I started small, I worked hard. I built my business from nothing. Every cent I earned went back into the business. I did not spend it on lifestyle or luxury. I invested it into tools, software, learning materials, anything that would help me improve my work."

He looked at me with something soft in his eyes.

"You are a good woman, Mapaseka," he said. "A woman with a big heart and a strong mind. That is rare, do you know that?"

I looked down.

"You cannot be real," I said softly. "You are too nice."

"Nice?" He laughed. "Hhayi, nkosazana. I am not nice, I am just honest, there is a difference."

The music changed. A slow, romantic song started playing. The melody was soft and warm. It filled the empty restaurant like a gentle whisper. Qondanisa stood up and walked to my side.

"Dance with me, nkosazana," he said. His voice was low and warm.

I hesitated.

"condanisa, I don't know how to dance to this kind of music."

"It is easy," he said. "Just follow me."

He extended his hand.

I took it. He led me to the center of the room. The lights were low. The candles flickered. The music wrapped around us like a warm blanket. He placed one hand on my waist. Gentle and steady, his other hand held mine.

"Just relax," he said softly. "Follow my lead."

I tried to move, but I felt stiff. Awkward. I did not know how to move to the rhythm.

"Like this," he said. He moved slowly, guiding me. I stumbled, but he held me steady.

"Don't think too much," he whispered. "Just feel the music. Feel me."

I closed my eyes and let go, I stopped thinking, I just felt his hand on my waist. His chest close to mine, the warmth of his body. The smell of his cologne, the way he held me like I was something precious. I started to move with the rhythm. My body followed his, slowly, we started moving together. It felt natural and right. He pulled me closer, his face was inches from mine, his eyes locked onto mine. I felt my heart racing, I thought he was going to kiss me.

He leaned in closer. His lips brushed my ear.

"Ngiyabonga kakhulu, nkosazana."

I felt his breath on my skin, the warmth of his voice. Something stirred deep inside me, desire and hunger. I wanted him to kiss me, my body was screaming for his lips. But he pulled back, slowly and gently. He smiled at me like he knew exactly what he was doing to me. I blushed,  I could not help it, my cheeks were burning.

"Thank you for trusting me," he said softly.

We danced for a few more minutes, then the song ended. He led me back to the table. The evening came to an end. We walked out together. The air was cool. The stars were bright.

"Thank you," I said softly. "Tonight was wonderful."

"It was my pleasure, nkosazana," he said. "I hope you enjoyed it."

"More than I expected," I admitted.

He smiled.

He walked me to my car and he opened the door for me.

"It was nice to be with you today, Mapaseka," he said. "Good night."

"Good night, Qondanisa," I said.

I got into my car and drove away. I was shaking as I drove home. My hands were shaking on the steering wheel. My heart was beating too fast. I could still feel his hand on my waist, smell his cologne and hear his voice in my ear. I wanted more time with him, I wanted more of him. I pulled into my driveway and sat in the car for a few minutes, trying to calm down.

My phone rang it was his number I answered. “Hello?” His voice came through calmly.

“Ngiyethemba uhambe kahle, nkosazana. Usuyolala kahle.”

I swallowed slightly.

“Good night,” I replied.

And I ended the call, but I did not move, because for the first time I was not trying to convince myself he was wrong for me. I was trying to understand why he felt so right.