Anika rolls her eyes and turns back towards the bar. She can sense Shameeka shuffling her feet, trying to think of something else to say. She hates the idea of things being awkward between them, even as some unnamed anger still simmers inside her. Risking a glance out of the corner of her eye, Anika notices that Shamz has had a haircut, a fresh skin-fade that highlights her cheekbones. The very fact that she’s not been privy to a change in her friend’s appearance, even over the course of a day, feelswrong.
‘Your hair looks good,’ Anika mumbles.
They exchange tentative smiles. ‘It’s strong, innit?’ Shameeka says, smoothing her eyebrows and squinting like a lightskin male Instagram model, then reaching around to tuck her silky shirt into the waistband of her slacks a bit more as they both try to pick their way through the unease.
‘Listen,’ they say simultaneously.
Anika bites her lip and tries again. ‘It’s been a weird time, but I just … You don’t knoweverythingabout me – that was my only point, really.’
‘I don’t know everything about you.’ Shamz’s voice is laced with sarcasm. Anika feels her jaw tighten, but then the bartender slaps her drinks in front of her urgently. She struggles for a moment trying to pick up the two glasses and the bottle of water, until Shameeka sighs and grabs the bottle for her, gesturing wordlessly to ask if she can have a sip. Anika nods, taking a long drink of her gin and tonic, and they move over to a slightly less busy space. Undoing and redoing the bottle’s lid, Shamz seems to be formulating her words carefully.
‘Look. Fine, maybe some of it needed to be said,’ she says. ‘Maybe a lot of it.’ She pauses. ‘Anika, look … I’m here for you. OK?’
Anika avoids her friend’s gaze for a moment, then nods. ‘No, of course. I know. Same.’ She scrunches her mouth up apologetically. ‘I think processing what happened to me has just been more of a trip than I expected it to be. There’s still stuff I’m wrapping my head around.’
‘I get it,’ Shameeka says. ‘I think. I mean, I appreciate you even vaguely trying to articulate it, Neeks. The method was a bit out of nowhere though, not gonna lie.’
Anika purses her lips and Shamz waves her hand in the air. ‘Anyway … All of this is mad.’ She looks around, then raisesan eyebrow. ‘I take it things are going well with Mr Asiedu? Out here on man’s arm, and doing up superstar DJ and what not … ?’ Her tone is teasing, but after their exchange yesterday Anika can’t help rolling her eyes again. Her and Cam being an item does almost seem too good to be true, though … Her head swims for a moment and she blinks again to right it, glancing at the drink in her hand.I’m guessing the alcohol isn’t helping.Exhaustion is starting to overtake her in earnest since she nailed her DJ set and she rubs her eyes, feeling the weariness she’s been holding at bay creeping back into her bones.
‘Neeks, you good?’ Shameeka asks, holding out a hand to steady her friend by the elbow.
‘Yeah. Yes. I’ve just been doing too much, man,’ she says, half to herself. ‘I’m a bit knackered.’ The notion of going home alone to her own bed to reassess, recoup and regroup is suddenly a shining goal that she needs to make happen as soon as possible.A bit of rest and I’ll be back to my best, she tells herself emphatically, planning to add that to the diary as soon as she gets home.
‘Hmm. OK, if you’re sure …’
She frowns at the coddling tone to Shameeka’s voice given what they’ve just talked about, but then strong arms snake around Anika’s middle, and Shamz’s eyes widen, accompanied by a grin. Anika steps forward out of Cam’s grip, then turns around to peck him on the lips.
‘How we doing?’ he asks, eyeing her hungrily. His hands move gently to her hips, but she grabs and holds them to control their movement. If he touches her like that for too long, she’ll be convinced to stay.
‘Yeah, good. Chatting to Shamz.’ It’s stating the obvious, but reliably Cam remembers his manners as Shameeka reaches out to spud him.
‘Congratulations, G,’ her friend says. ‘And on this, too.’ Shegestures between them. ‘Can’t believe you finally got her to show her skills off.’
‘We were lucky to get her. Yeah! I’m a lucky motherfucker.’ Cam squeezes Anika to him with his arm around her waist again, and she’s unable to resist him. But as good as it feels, she’s ready to implement her escape plan.
‘Do you know what, though?’ she says. ‘I’m thinking I might need to head, I’m afraid. I’m battered. All the excitement of the last couple of days is catching up to me.’
‘Mmm. It has been a lot,’ he murmurs.
The memory of Cam inside her sparks a need that she has to fight incredibly hard. They continue to look at one another until Shameeka clears her throat.
‘OK, then …’ she says, sipping the water to conceal her smile.
Cam breaks his gaze away from Anika to survey the party, which is still going strong. ‘I might need to make a couple more rounds—’
‘Yeah, yeah, of course,’ Anika says quickly. ‘You should stay. This is your night – you need to bask in every moment of it. I was thinking I’d head back to mine and get some proper sleep for the week ahead.’ She smiles, still finding it hard to absorb the look of disappointment on Cam’s face.He really wants me to stay?
‘OK, cool,’ he says. ‘Well, let’s get you sorted with a car, then, yeah?’
Maybe not …
Anika works hard to smooth her brow out from the uncertain frown that has begun to form. ‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll be totally fine to just call a cab when I get outside.’
‘OK. You sure?’
Shameeka intervenes. ‘I was going to head out soon, too. Why don’t I share a cab with you?’
Anika nods reluctantly, unsure she wants to hang out with Shamz more right now, and already almost regretting that shewon’t be spending the night with her head resting against Cam’s chest again. But she really does need that reset.
