Chapter Seven - (3 & final part)

Later that night, to coax me into going along with her suggestion to seduce the mayor, she paraded before me in full make-up and wearing a body-hugging one-piece white cheongsam with a very high slit. We were in the living hall, and I could not stop myself from staring flirtatiously at the bulging parts of her anatomy - Mamma Mia, she was sizzling hot!

"Is that the dress I bought for you in Hangzhou?" I asked, my heart beating a mile per second with excitement.

"Yeah," she nodded. "And as you can see, I'm making good use of it." She playfully placed her thigh on my lap. Gently I rubbed it; her skin was as smooth as silk. "Have your blood pressure hit the roof yet?" she asked with a mischievous wink.

"Nah, you may have gotten your mojo working, but it won't work on me," I said, feigning an expressionless expression.

"Don't give me that crap - you're drooling like a waterfall!"

I grinned. "Okay! Okay! I admit the little fella underneath me is having a tough time remaining docile seeing you like this; the mayor will surely feel the same way as I do. But we still have to lure him out in the open ... without his soldiers following him."

"That's the easy part," she answered confidently. "You remember the art fair which is seven days away? He is the guest of honor on the opening day, and as part of protocol, his soldiers are barred from the exhibition hall where he would be delivering his speech. We can close in for the kill then."

I kept quiet for a while, thinking hard. "Suet-foong, I still don't wish you to get involved - you're not cut out for this liquidation game," I said at last.

"It's either we do this together or I won't marry you!" she thundered, moving away from me. I could not tell whether she was upset or pulling a fast one - her expressionless expression was way better than mine.

"Is this a threat?" I asked, smiling meekly.

"It definitely is!"

"You are being silly."

My sugarplum did not answer; she was giving me the silent treatment.

"Very well, my empress, the Dynamic Duo we shall be," I said, kowtowing to the future Mrs. Akecheta. "Please accept my humble apology for my insolence."

"Okay, I forgive you. After all, no man is perfect," she replied with her nose in the air.

No, no, do not be mistaken. I did not suddenly become a softie. In actual fact I was just being shrewd. By pretending that I was finally giving in to the pressure, I got her back to talk, but boy, she was now acting all high and mighty! No man is perfect, she said to me? How bloody dare she!

"Oh, and I suppose a woman like you are?" I asked with sarcasm.

"Goodness no, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you if I were one."

Touche.