“Está bien, estará disponible en breve. Disfrute, señor,” she says, and I nod.
[Okay, it will be up shortly. Enjoy, sir.]
While I wait, I play on the PS5 until the doorbell rings. I set down the controller and collect the order from the waitress, remembering to tip her. An hour later, I’ve finished my drink, now on my third spliff. My eyes flutter shut as I exhale the smoke, but then my phone starts ringing, pulling me from my blissful state. I open my eyes slightly, contemplating whether to answer. It’s resting on the table in front of me. As I close my eyes again, focusing on the spliff, I take another drag and exhale. This time, I hear someone at the door.
“Gutta?” I say while pulling the door open. He steps inside, laughing when he notices the phone sitting right in front of me.
“Mi call you a thousand times, enuh. Mi did all feel say a someweh yuh go, go throw weh the phone and a right in front a you the phone deh.”
I chuckle, “Mi just did a meds, bro.”
Gutta flew here with me, but we have different rooms, and he’s been out with Anna, she’s here too. Once we finish laughing, I share everything that’s been happening. The room falls silent as Gutta processes my words, resting his hand on his chin before finally speaking.
“Yow, mi rate Zara’s plan, enuh, but what if it doesn’t work out like that?” he points out, and he has a valid point. I know I have the charm, but it’s a serious consideration.
“That makes sense,” I concede. Gutta then makes a few calls, strolling around the room before returning to me.
“Genius mek me know say the Government a look fi sell Carlos’ club since him dead. If you could be the anonymous buyer and own it, you could use that to blackmail har!” His tone shifts to excitement, causing us both to laugh.
“Bredda yah Genius enuh, no disrespect to Genius,” I say, playfully hitting his hand.
“Wah do yuh, man?” he chuckles, taking a seat. “Dawg, but you know you can merge Zara’s plan with that. If you do that, mi sure yah leave this country with yuh signature on that document and get your land,” Gutta adds, and I nod in agreement.
No joke.
I hit his hand. “Respect, enuh bredda.”
“Always mi Don, remember a one family enuh.”
I made a few calls afterward with trusted contacts, gathering more information before reaching out to my lawyer. Once I receive his guidance, I purchase it immediately, preparing for what lay ahead.
I smile at Gutta while talking to Talia on the phone. She has an attitude, but I’m patient, I have an objective.
“You a go meet me there?” I ask, ignoring the bickering. Eventually, she agrees. We’re meeting at Rosa Negra, a well-known restaurant in Tulum, about twenty minutes from her.
After I hang up, Gutta smirks.
“You determine enuh dawg.”
“Yo know,” I reply, slipping on my Alexander McQueens.
Gutta hands me the folder and we head out together. Him a fawud with me but lowkey. I’ve been waitin’ a while when I finally spot her. I already ordered Dussé and tequila, no Hennessy.
How dem fi have Tequila and no Hennessy?
Dem a fool or dem a idiot?
Both.
I suck my teeth but work with what I have. She sits, resting her purse on the table. “What are you up to?” is the first thing she asks. I sip the 1800. It’s not bad, but I’m not enjoying it.
“I’m just trying again,” I say, and she smiles. I don’t really miss the relationship, and after much thought, I wouldn’t reallycall what I feel for herlove, but there’s still something there. Maybe it’s nostalgia. I used to like her a lot. I just never took the time to understand what that meant.
She wasn’t ‘the one’.
Zara was always in my head.
I’d never hurt Zara for Talia. But most people have that one ex they still feel something for, despite the past. For me, loving an ex isn’t strange. The real question is what do I do with those feelings, dwell on them or move on?
