Simple Happiness

Chapter Three

"Hi," a hoarse voice said. Liz, who was quietly reading her book looked up. A young, handsome man sitting next to her smiled, revealing dimples on both cheeks. She was lost for a moment. Where did this hunk come from? She pondered. Then remembered she was traveling. It was normal for someone to sit next to her.

Ethan stared at her. She seemed to be in a daze. Was she ignoring him? He could see smiles lighting and fading in the corners of her lips. What was she thinking?

Liz woke up from her daze and looked at Ethan with a lingering smile. "Hi," she said, then went back to her book. He was drawn in by her gorgeous facial features. She had beautiful eyes that lit up when she smiled. He wanted to see her smile again because it intrigued him. Her smile was contagious. Any man could go crazy just by seeing her smile.

"Ahem..." he cleared his voice to attract her attention, but it did not work. She just kept reading her book. He wanted to engage her and get to know a little bit about her. They were in a train, traveling from Mombasa to Nairobi. It was going to be three and a half more hours before they get to Nairobi. He could use that time to his advantage.

Ethan didn't understand why he was so drawn to this woman. She wasn't his type. He liked girls with huge boobs or didn't he? This one was flat chested. However, there was something special about her that allured him. She pushed a strand of hair out of her view and stuck it behind her ear.

So cute, he thought.

It was the first time he was interested in the person sitting next to him as he traveled by public means. He never paid attention to them before, even if they were women. Was fate trying to tell him something? Was it playing cupid? He didn't understand why he was feeling warm towards her.

Liz was quite distracted. She could sense that he was staring at her. She suddenly looked at him with the intention of catching him at it, but he quickly turned away and pretended to be busy on the phone. So unlike Ethan. He was never sneaky with girls. He was always direct and lucky for him, his handsome face and well- toned muscles were a chick magnet. He didn't have to make any effort.

"Can I help you with anything?" Liz, who had caught him staring at her again asked with an arched brow.

"What?" Ethan asked, looking her in the eye.

"Can I help you with anything?" she asked again. "You've been staring at me for a while. Do you need something from me?"

"No. Of course, not," he said. "I'm just enjoying the view."

She smiled. What? Does that mean he finds me attractive? She thought.

"I mean the scenery is beautiful, "he said. " Isn't it?"

Her smile suddenly faded. Oh, Liz, you're so stupid, she thought. She looked through the window and nodded. "You're right," she said. "It's magnificent."

She hung her head and poked her forehead with her finger. How could you think that he's interested in you? He was looking outside, not at you.

Liz had just finished her six-month internship program in a beach hotel in Mombasa. She started her internship a few months after graduating from campus. She worked in the Accounting department and was hoping to be employed in the hotel when she finished her internship. Unfortunately, when her internship period lapsed, there were no vacancies available. Therefore she had to leave.

Before leaving town, she sent job applications to various organizations within and without Mombasa, with the hope that she would be lucky enough to be employed. However, after countless rejections, she decided to travel to Nairobi and try her luck there.

She was going to stay with Tamara, her best friend in the meantime. Tamara had been employed by an advertising company in Nairobi the previous month, and she was happy for her.

And now, when she saw the man sitting next to her staring at her, she thought he was interested in her. That perhaps something good was going to happen to her after so many rejections. She was only pretending to be strong but deep inside she was crumbling. Her life was a mess. Both her career and love life were stagnant.

Why is simple happiness so hard to achieve? She wondered.

She decided to sleep because reading wasn't helping at all. She was distracted by thoughts about her shitty life. Sleeping would help her forget for a while. "Don't think!" she silently told herself as she adjusted her sitting position and rested the back of her head on the headrest of her seat. She closed her eyes and emptied her mind of any thought. She then drifted into sleep after a short while.

Ethan, who had been secretly watching her through the corner of his eye as he pretended to be busy on his phone turned and looked at her.

She looks so beautiful asleep, he thought. For a moment he was tempted to feel the smooth, velvety skin on her face but he stopped himself. What if she suddenly woke up and caught you red-handed, then screamed, pervert! What will you do? Ethan, you can't afford a scandal.

Liz mourned silently and turned. Her head found its way to Ethan's shoulder. How could he reject such an opportunity to have her closer? He moved his shoulder a little towards her for her comfortability. That was a magical moment for him. He captured it with a photo.

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