Mi nah lie, no hate but dem cyaa done chat?
I tilt my head slightly, eyes still on Zara. Her laugh. Her ring. My mark on her skin. Mine. She just don’t know the half of what she got herself into yet.
“Yes, fi real… mi a go find out if mi mother did get the dress for me,” Zara says, scrolling on her phone.
A message from Gutta pops up on mine.
Gutta: Your fren did call eno
My brow furrows. I tilt my head slightly and start typing. Gutta opens it and sends a voice note. I slide off the stool, step outside, and press the phone to my ear.
Which fren dat?
“Dat a Nature niece man… she did a say mi fi tell yuh say she deh bout now, fam. Look like she nuh have yuh personal number again so a the number inna the office she call.”
I type back fast.
Ah cool… she lef yet?
Gutta: Yeah mon
Send the # to me
I walk back inside, heading upstairs to change my shoes. Zara mash up the old phone that had everybody number, so now mi just a work wid a backup until the new one deliver. Been ordered it, but mi nah really meds phone right now. Mi a try hold it down ‘til mi ready fi wild dem. Got Zara a newer one too, she been wanting to upgrade. So I sorted that for her already.
I throw on my Air Forces and head back down. Zara looks up from her call, smiling instantly when she sees me coming. Her cheeks lift, that beautiful smile she always gives when mi walk in a room. “You a leave?” she asks, voice small. I respond with a nod. Her smile dims just a little.
“Yeah man, mi soon fawud,” I tell her, resting one hand on the island next to her, the other pinning her gently in place. She brushes her hair behind her ear, soft and slow. That nervous habit always shows when she’s about to act up. I lean in and press a kiss to her lips, a soft one, enough to taste but not stay.
“You tek the vitamins?” I ask, eyes fixed on her mouth.
“Long time,” she replies, her tone playful.
“Alright, Mami heart a love enuh.” I turn to move, but her arms wrap around my torso, stopping me mid-step. I look down at her. Her eyes hold that familiar gleam, not just love. Lust. A need. I smirk.
“Nickoi,” she murmurs, dragging it out like she know what she doing.
“Yes, Mami?”
“It so early and you a leave? Mi pregnant, enuh… mi cyaa stay home alone.”
I chuckle under my breath. Look how much times Zara stay home by herself and say she good. Sometimes even she act like she allergic to outside when me ask har fi roll wid me. Especially now since she pregnant. Now all of a sudden she a’ act brand new?
I tilt my head and she tugs on my shirt, pulling me down. Her lips press against my ear, voice like silk. “Yuh sure yuh wah leave me?” Jah Jah…
Truth is, mi woulda stay. But mi affi link Simone.
“Mi nuh wah lef yuh enuh, Mami. But mi have things fi deal wid,” I murmur. She exhales and steps back, disappointed but graceful.
“Alright. Be safe,” she says, her voice smooth enough fi tempt any man to turn ‘back.
“Promise,” I reply, then walk out and head straight to the Benz.
Soon as I slide in, I open Gutta’s chat. Just like I expect, the dawg come through. The number is there. Real G. No matter wah, Gutta always deliver. I save the number fast and call it, connecting the phone to the car. It rings out. I call again. She picks up and just hearing the voice, thick English accent, sweet tone, it pulls a smile outta mi.
“Hey… like yuh friend send the message fast, man,” she says, always ready with a joke. 1 Simone, man.
“Long time mi nuh hear from you enuh, foreigner,” I say, honking the horn once before speeding off.
