Chapter 1 - The Favour

CHAPTER 1: THE FAVOUR

Realeboga's boyfriend squeezed her thigh and tried to slip his hand between her legs.

She smacked him away. "Luyanda, what are you trying to do?"

"You're just so, so sexy." He whimpered next to her on the couch. "I can't help myself."

"I told you no. I told you that you could not come over. That I'm working. I told you that I'd see you after I got off work. I told you." Realeboga stood up and picked up Banele, the Khozas' two-year-old toddler. Banele giggled at her and grabbed at her braids. "I have to get Banele to bed now. You won't be here when I get back." She said it calmly but firmly. She didn't want to upset Banele. He was such a sweet kid.

"But, babe!"

Realeboga rolled her eyes and headed upstairs to Banele's nursery. She pried her hair from the toddler's grasp and set him down in his cot. He made nonsense noises at her before saying, "Booooga!"

"I know, but it is time for all big boys to be in bed. Mom and Dad are going to be back soon, okay?"

"Kay." He agreed. He kissed his palm and waved his hand at her.

"Mmwah!" Realeboga kissed her palm and blew him a kiss back. Banele was a little strange about kisses, but blown kisses were okay. "Lie down, and when Mom is back, she'll read you a story."

She closed the door most of the way behind her, but not all the way. Banele liked to sit in his cot and talk to his favourite fish toy for a short time before bed. If he was still up, Masego Khoza, his mother, would read to him. Realeboga was lucky to get this nanny job part-time while she went to UKZN. First year had been hard on her parents financially, so at least she could pay for her books now and maybe a little extra going-out money on the side. The Khozas were great, and Banele was a fairly easy-going kid, though he had his quirks like any child.

And Luyanda was going to mess it all up with his clinginess.

He was still on the couch when Realeboga came back downstairs. Except now, he had lit up a joint.

"You're kidding, right?" She raced over and snatched it out of his mouth. "This is my job, and you're trying to smoke up on their couch?"

"Hey, come on!" Luyanda tried to half-heartedly take it back. "I was going to share. What's eating you?"

"This is why you can't get a job yourself!" Realeboga ignored him and marched into the kitchen. She tossed the joint into the kitchen sink and turned on the tap, watching it spiral away.

"Hey, hey!" Luyanda made to leap after it, but the water had already done its work. "What got into you? Where's my chill girlfriend?"

"You mean your doormat girlfriend that you are going to get fired?" She stomped her foot. Luyanda was so easy, and she was quiet and a little shy, so Realeboga thought it could work. "Why did you even come over? I told you no."

"Because I was so horny and you—"

"Ahem."

Realeboga froze. She turned around slowly. Mr Khoza, in all his handsome silver-fox glory, was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Mr Khoza—" she started. He lifted a hand to stop her.

"Masego is just parking the car. I'll go check on Banele, but maybe you and, ah, your friend? Should go out the back."

"I am so, so sorry!" she squeaked before trying to make it quickly out of the room. She was too mortified to do more.

Luyanda was very, very quiet when she shoved him toward the door. Maybe he finally realised he had messed up. That he had caused Realeboga a major problem with his selfish clinginess. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

"Man," Luyanda muttered, "that was my last joint."

She was dumping him by text, she decided.

The next afternoon, Realeboga used her key to unlock the front door. She knocked on the door as she opened it. "Mr Khoza?" she called.

"In here!" he shouted from deeper in the house.

Realeboga let herself in and locked the door behind her. She took off her takkies and placed them by the front door, as she always did. She felt a little self-conscious about her t-shirt and denim shorts. Mr Khoza had texted her while she was in class, and she had come right over once she was free. She followed the sound of his voice, and she walked to the back of the house to Mr Khoza's home office. The door was slightly ajar. Realeboga knocked on the door and pushed it the rest of the way open.

"Mr Khoza?" she asked again.

Mr Khoza was seated behind his large, dark-wood desk. He always made her feel very young, even though she was in her second year of university. With his dark hair with silvered temples, he looked older than his thirties. At least, she thought he was in his thirties?

Mr Khoza glanced up at her before returning to his paperwork. "Just a moment, Realeboga."

She looked down at her t-shirt again and tugged on it self-consciously. Mr Khoza was in a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up his muscular forearms in the warm summer day.

"About what happened…" Mr Khoza started.

"I am so sorry!" Realeboga broke in. "My boyfriend Luyanda — I mean ex-boyfriend. We broke up as soon as I got him out of the house. He just showed up! I couldn't get him to leave. He lit up a joint while I was out of the room. I was so angry, I grabbed it from him, and that was—" She swallowed. "I am so sorry. I shouldn't have let him convince me to let him in. It is my fault, and I take responsibility for the mistake."

Mr Khoza stood up slowly. "I should fire you, you know. If Masego knew, she would let you go in a heartbeat."

"I know," Realeboga agreed in misery. She respected Masego Khoza, his wife, a lot. She worked full-time, took care of the house, and always looked so beautiful. She had no idea how she managed it.

Mr Khoza walked around his desk and went to one of his filing cabinets in the corner of the room. Realeboga watched him before looking back down at her fingers.

"I messed up, and I have to accept the consequences. Even if that means losing my job, I—" Realeboga gasped.

Mr Khoza had come up behind her while she was distracted feeling sorry for herself. He placed his hand on her hip, right at the line where his thumb grazed the skin peeking through between her shirt and shorts. She had no idea he had come closer, let alone was so near. She could smell his spicy aftershave and feel his warmth against her back where they were not quite touching.

"What if I said that we could forget about the whole thing? If you did a favour for me."

"Wh—what?" she stammered.

Mr Khoza's hand slid slightly higher, under her shirt. He traced his fingers across her ribcage, and his thumb stroked back and forth along her lower back. "If you did me a favour. A little one. We could forget that whole thing happened. Mistakes happen. I made mistakes when I was your age. That's what university is for, isn't it? Learning how to adult."