Hookin’ Me
Photo by Waldir Évora from Pexels
If you want me to goooo
The music poured from the stereo like a glass of Mackerson and the crowd looked the same- dark with beads of sweat. She felt him come up behind her but didn’t pay him no mind. She began moving her hips in such a way that her back was to his front. It had to be him; he was a waistline king and only he could smell so good. His hands found their way to her hips and locked her in place against him. Look trouble now.
“How yo go do me dah eh? How you would leave me?” He smelled slightly like rum as his lips grazed her ear.
She shivered not sure if from the edge in his voice or his close proximity, “I never leave you baby.”
His fingernails merged with her hip bones as she kept time with him. Everyone on the dance floor had one eye on their drink and one eye on them. “ You calling me a liar?” His tongue tickled her earlobe. To anyone else they might have looked like they was liming. But she know in her heart that if she ain’t answer right something going down tonight. So she turn round her smile slow and sweet like molasses down the side of a barrel.
“I calling you irresistible.”
He looked at her hard. Before straightening up with obvious pride and pulling her till he was even closer than her dress on her body.
“Know me love you right baby?” He murmured.
She stay quiet like death himself. He nah matter that, he continue, “Can’t live without you nuh.”
‘And the ten other woman eh?’ She added in her mind.
His mouth come down on hers, condense milk on shaved ice, and like a snow cone she melt at his hot touch. If she was going let him take she fuh eediat, she was at least going to enjoy it. Later that night she end up at his place and they fall into their old rhythm easy, easy. Drop off Nightclub was long behind them but that didn’t stop them making their own music. Over the course of the night the tempo had died down and now the only sound was his deep breaths and the occasional mosquito. She pulled her dress over her head and brushed her teeth with the toothbrush he had there in case she stayed over. She laugh and almost choke pon the toothpaste. Man dotish eh?
Jelani was outside now; she heard the soft hum of his engine. Hopefully Georgetown people start mind dem business and doh see she lef’ one man house in another man car.
“So, me is the car man eh?” as she shut the door, man ain’t waste no time. Rolling her eyes, she started putting the ‘pompom’ in her hair to keep it out her face,
“Exactly, so me ainno why you play you talking.” She peep in the backseat to make sure he remembered to bring all of her luggage. He scoffed but tore down the road. Bush was briefly interrupted by houses and seaside. She took a deep breath of the salt- that was one thing she would miss.
“How you do last semester though?”
She had to watch the man driving like he crazy. “Me mudda nah done break me neck if is less than all A?” Jelani laughed at that, showing his nice teeth. It was his sweet smile that had prompted her to talk to him two years ago- besides the car of course. “You seem to be spending the night by man just fine though.”
He kept his smile, but she noted the tightening knuckles on the steering wheel and the way he stole glances at her curious expression. Jelani had seen how the man she left sleeping handled her, he was not a fan. She pray nah feelings this young man carrying here now.
Poor thing.
“Flights not feelings Jay, flights not feelings.”
She didn’t have to say anything else. The journey to Argyle International Airport was punctuated only by potholes and Jelani sniffling like a kicked dog. The sun was spreading across the sky, like her name across Georgetown after tonight when they parked. He still follow her go all the way into the airport at the check-in counter.
“Yuh really not coming back?”
“Yeah. You must visit me though. Rent a car when you come, me like ride wid yo’ anuh.” Jelani laugh and pull her close. He smell so good she almost forget she have early flight. She kiss his neck and sauntered to the departure lounge. The airport empty, empty and yet all the man dem eye stick pon she. Her vibrating phone made her walk falter.
‘Incoming call from waistline King’ followed by a text from Jelani Charles, “Tell me when you land eh. DOH FUHGET, ME KNOW YOU.”
She smiled and declined the call to send the only man in her phone saved by his name a text reading, “Yes car man”. Her phone rang again. Waistline King nah know when fuh done so she press ‘block’ with the swiftness. The men in the airport stared up until her flight to Barbados was called and she stood. Time to be madame straight A’s again.
“You can go in front me.” The man made no attempt to hide his leer, so she smiled and made an extra show of rolling her backside in that too tight dress as she made her way ahead of him and his wife. Wey d sense in being bait if yuh cah hook no fish?