“Man a go fi more youth,” Gutta jokes.
“No sah,” I chuckle. Matte satin from Como, layered over tulle with hand-stitched embroidery. The beading on the bodice alone took three Italian seamstresses nearly sixty hours.
Matteo stands nearby with his hands folded, sleek in all black. His English has that crisp European cut. “This is exquisite,” he finally says. “You’ve got taste, Nickoi. The sketch was already stunning, but this… this is art.”
“It’s her,” I add after a beat. “Mi just hope she think so too.”
“You should ask her,” Matteo offers. “I’ll send over the digital render and fabric breakdown.”
“Yeah, email it to her,” I nod. “Let her decide.” The thing is, the dress isn’t finished yet, and I want to keep it a surprise for myself until she walks down the aisle. But first, she has to approve the design. He heads off to prep the file and paperwork. I pull out the black card, swipe it, and sign. No hesitation. Nothing’s too much for her. We leave a few minutes later, stepping outside. I jump into the front seat, Gutta slides in beside me. I puff the high-grade, head nodding to Bayka’s song Ready. One hand on the steering, the other nursing the spliff. Every lyric feel like it line up wid mi life. Some bwoy only sing badness. Mi live it. I exhale the smoke, feeling the weight ease off my chest.
“Prime time and yuh face deh pan the telly…” Carlos and the others flash across my mind.
Gutta’s halfway in his Henny, already loose. He spots a girl walking and grins. “Watch dis,” he says, pointing her out. She has slim waist, blond hair, her ass in a short skirt, that has her cheeks poking out. The car creeps up beside her. She side-eyes it first then sees who’s inside.
“A wah?” she grins.Typical. That smile alone used to mean she’s mine if I wanted. Used to be my type. Pretty, flashy, easy. They don’t normally ask for too much. They just here for a good time. Zara changed all that. She never looked at me like that. Never made it easy. Now we stuck fi life.
“How yuh walk so fast?” Gutta leans out.
“Mi a go ‘bout mi business,” she replies, checking her reflection in the car mirror. Gutta pulls out a stack, flashing it like bait.
“Yow muma.” She slows down, lips glossy, gum popping.
“Wah yuh want?”
“Mi a chappa enuh. Mi have a Mark X—mi garage full, you just affi come find out.” She giggles. Teeth white. Lashes like broomstick. Mi already know she a walkin red flag.
“Punch in yuh digits and mi give yuh answers to all of your questions,” he flirts, stretching his iPhone to her. Jah Jah the man tipsy or him a test har? I’m laughing at this point. She glances at me.
“Unuh have money man.” Her tone change quick. Just one look at me and she assume that huh? Nickoi effect. A only one woman deh pan Nick mind. Zara, she’s like a drug. My drug. I should call her Molly. She probably cuss, but she used to call me stinka, it can’t get any worse than that.
“She takes Gutta’s phone, clearly impressed. “This a the latest iPhone?” Gold digger stamp approved.
“Mi name Tricia,” she adds, handing it back. Of course she name Tricia.
“Aite, big batty Tricia, mi o call yuh when mi reach back to the Mark X or the Crown,” Gutta grins.
“Unuh drive safe,” she says with a wave. As the window rolls up, Gutta laughs.
“Mi nuh rate deh b deh.”
“She flip too fast when she hear yah drag weights,” I inject.
“Dat mi a say. Woulda prefer if she did keep the tough act. Mi test dem fast enuh.” I nod slowly.
“You affi just test them and den yuh can find a genuine one but mi feel like Anna genuine.”
“Yeah… mi rate Anna, but she a hear too much and a believe everything. Every minute a’ argument. Kinda bruck mi vibe, mi nah lie.”
I glance at him. “Just try wid har still. A true she love yuh make she a give you a hard time.” He sighs, thoughtful for a second, then drinks again. My phone starts ringing. Soft trap still hums through the speakers when her name flashes across the screen.
“Hey babe,” Zara says. I hit the button on the steering and turn down the music.
“Mami, yuh deh pan lunch break?”
“No, mi a leave early. You can come pick me up now, please?” Why she even asking? Once you’re my woman, I’m going to treat you like a queen. I drop off Gutta and head to Jago. When I pull up, she’s not at the gate.
“Mi nuh see yuh. Mi fi come over?”
