I chuckle to myself, following behind Nickoi as he heads to the front. I still can’t believe these are Nickoi’s workers. They all look like bosses themselves. You can tell they’re wealthy, just by the designer fits peeking out under their lab coats. Nickoi steps up front and the room quiets instantly, everyone waiting to hear what he has to say.Me too!
“Ahhh… mi know mi nuh really come roun’ as often as mi should, but mi definitely affi update unuh cause every single one a unuh a mi fam, yuh zi mi? Mi have a few announcements before mi jump into the business,” he says, his tone serious.
I keep my eyes on him. Nah lie… mi love see him in ‘Boss Mode’. This isn’t the same playful, always-joking Nickoi that mi cuddle up wid a nighttime. Not right now. This is that version, the one I met the first time. The man who had my knees weak from the jump. He glances at me, and I try not to smile too hard or blush. I can feel the attention shift, the crew starts glancing at me too, curiosity all over dem face.
Mi see it clear.
“Mi finally bring har here so unuh can meet har in person,” he says, sliding his arm around my waist. “The woman weh been a take up all a mi time.”
They chuckle and I smile, looking at them. “So yeah, Zara… this a mi team,” Nickoi says, glancing around at the group. “Mi nuh really like fi say ‘workers’ cause the whole a we a family. Dem man yah know wah loyalty mean… a dem seh ten toes down.”
“Ready fi anything. A one family enuh,” Gutta says, and the rest echo in unison:
“One family!”
Wha—?
Nickoi chuckles when he sees the confusion on my face. “A we slogan dat,” he explains, smiling.
“Ohh,” I say, returning the smile. He turns his focus back to them and continues.
“Yah… mi cya really call out everybody name one by one cause mi affi cut soon, plus mi have some business fi discuss after this. But unuh will get fi know her in due time. Her name is Zara, and unuh can expect fi see her here more regular. Mark har face… and watch har back too.”
“Yuh naffi tell we dat twice, mi Don,” one man says confidently, and the rest murmur in agreement.
“Yah man… so wah mi have fi announce now is something weh nuh fi leave dis space, and unuh done know di code already,” Nickoi’s tone serious. “Zara is not just mi girlfriend, she’s mi baby mother. Wi a expect a youth.”
The room erupts into cheers. Nickoi raises a hand and continues, causing the room to quiet down. “And yesterday… mi propose to har.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, the cheers rise again, louder this time.
Juaqína scoffs. “Really?” she says, glaring straight at me.
Yes, gyal. Really.
As she keeps staring, well, staring me down, I notice her eyes are starting to water. And honestly… it shocks me. I knew she liked Nickoi, and I knew she wouldn’t be thrilled for me, buttears?Real, real tears?!It come in like she have deep feelings for him, way deeper than I thought.
“Good look, mi G,” Gutta says, shifting the energy away from her. “Swear, it’s a big move.”
“Congratulations,” Junior says as he walks in, closing the door behind him. I smile at him in response.
“This new to we enuh, mi swear,” one of Nickoi’s guys says. “Cause we know the G nuh deh wid woman long enough fi breed or engage to dem. So him affi really rate yuh.”
He grins. “Mi love the look still.”
Nickoi chuckles. “Respect.”
Juaqína quietly walks out the building and closes the door behind her. I catch Nickoi glancing in her direction, but I quickly shift my eyes to the rest of the group as they continue congratulating us.
After a while, Nickoi addresses the room again. “Respect, fam,” he starts, and they all nod.
“Mi have one more announcement: the Outlaw Party. It nah go deh pon the usual date, so mi a go set a new one and link unuh. Just a give unuh a heads-up from early.”
When he finishes, the crew starts heading back to their stations, resuming work and packing. We walk over to the corner where Junior and Gutta are standing.
“Cyaa believe you, outta all people, finally a go be a fadda,” Junior says to Nickoi. “Look how yuh used to hate pickney, bredda!”
I laugh. “Him tell mi him nuh really like kids,” I add playfully.
Junior smirks. “Him a go love fi him own, man.”
