Peeling Back the Top Layer 🇯🇲

42| Let's talk

"What do you usually do on Friday nights?" I ask Chaunard as we sit side-by-side eating on the balcony. The moon is out in all its glory tonight, providing all the light we need in the open space. Along with the cool and refreshing air, it helps to create the ideal atmosphere for some quality time.

We're both eating with music from some event nearby playing in the backdrop.

"Honestly?" he asks after nearly a minute, hinting that I might not like his response. His face is pensive when he turns toward me.

"Yeah. How yuh normally spend Friday nights?" I repeat, this time halting my movement to focus on him.

"If mi naw do nutten productive, sometimes mi go road wid mi bredrin dem but more while mi go fool roun somebody daughta," he says, sipping his Guinness. He looks across at me curiously when I mutter "No surprise there".

"Wah yuh mean?" he asks, either taken aback by my response or genuinely unsure about the meaning of my statement.

"Di mere fact seh yuh mother warn yuh fi stay away from mi tell me seh yuh run road nuff. Have you ever been in a serious relationship?"

"Yea. One time. But that was a long time ago." He stares out into the distance when he responds.

"How long ago?"

"Bout eight years."

"Wow!" I exclaim, a bit surprised that he has been single for so long. "So since then yuh jus a whore dung di place?"

"Pretty much," he shrugs, continuing to eat. I allow a few minutes to pass before going further. "I have more questions."

"Mi know... jus ask. I'll tell the truth." His blunt response makes me chuckle but his openness and honesty are truly appreciated.

"What happened in your previous relationship and why are you just getting into another one?"

"Mi ex cheat wid a policeman and then mi jus neva see nobody weh mi want beyond sex. Not until mi meet you," he says, looking directly into my eyes. I quickly look away to hide the blush creeping to my cheeks under his intense stare.

"Wid how you behave... how yuh manage mek a nex man tek weh your girl?" I joke.

He laughs quietly before coolly stating, "him neva tek har, a me let har go. Mi can get har back if mi want." I think he's done but he continues.

"Kelsie, mi never always this well put together enuh. Mi grow up poor wid a father weh neva give two fucks if mi live or dead and as a young adult mi did have life a bit hard. My ex did love likes. She meet di police inspector and him could afford fi buy her things and carry har out as she like. Him did even a do things wid her weh me neva did a do at di time."

"Things like what?" My curiosity is at an all-time high. Picturing Chaunard in that light is a little hard, given how confident he is and how smooth he is with words.

He sighs. "Before mi find out bout him, she come a mi yard one day and a bother mi bout oral sex. Mi run har from me wid it but she keep on pressure mi after dat till mi give in. Mi neva know weh mi did a do and mi know she neva satisfied but at least mi try.

"After dat, she start guide me and tell me wah fi do and mi improve but deep down mi start wonder how she know wah fi do when I was her first. Anyways, mi think doing it regular would satisfy har but then she start complain seh we no go nowhere and all kinda foolishness.

"Later mi confirm dat she have another man. She all get pregnant fi him and abort it because fi some reason she neva want mi an har fi lef. Mi confront her bout it and she bawl and beg mi fi forgive her but dat was it for me. Mi couldn't look pon har di same way again.

"From dat mi find it hard fi trust woman, especially because most a dem weh mi come across have dem man and still a give it up to me."

"How yuh sure it was his child and not yours?"

"Because I wasn't fucking her around di time she get pregnant."

I remain attentive throughout, listening keenly to him while taking note of the emotions conveyed by his tone. There is more to the story. However, it seems deeply personal, so I hold back from prying further.

"Do you trust me?" I ask him.

"Yeah, until you give me a reason not to... Do you trust me?"

"Until you fuck up," I tell him, and he nods. "How did you get so good at sex?"

"Practice makes perfect. Mi fuck nuff woman and as you know, everybody different so mi learn a lot over time."

"Including oral sex?"

"No enuh. After my ex mi nuh do it again till mi meet you."

"Seriously Chad?! Yuh really expect mi fi believe dat?"

"As there's a God. Mi head woulda go under too much frock," he quips, making me laugh.

"No joke thing Kel. Is a dutty habit fi a man go roun an put him mouth pon every front weh him get."

"So how did you get good at that?"

"Easy. Every vagina might look and feel different but they all work the same. I know the erogenous zones so is a simple thing fi use my mouth instead of my hands. And mi watch nuff porn," he explains.

"Kool," I mutter, feeling a little more enlightened about his sexual prowess, but then I remember Trishawna from the restaurant. "Wait...since you don't bring these women home, where yuh go wid dem?"

"I own three apartments in Kingston. One mi rent to a company and the other two I use for AirBnB. Mi usually go to anyone dats free or improvise, sometime mi go di woman yard, sometimes inna di car... Dats why mi sell it," he chuckles.

"Tired fi fuck inna it?" I ask.

"Two things, I don't keep cars beyond three years old and mi couldn't have you a drive round in a mi Stabbin Wagon knowing what I did in it."

"Stabbin Wagon?" I laugh at the silly name for his vehicle.

"Yup! That's what it was. Anytime yuh see mi inna it yuh know seh a some gal mi a go link."

"Yuh still nuh answer one of my questions... well not fully. Why are you getting into a relationship now?"

He leans his head away from me, smirks then smiles brightly and says, "I finally found someone who makes me want more than sex. And sex with her feels more than just physical."

With that, I avert my eyes and turn away from him, trying hard to hide how flustered he has me feeling. I'm almost certain that my insides have dissolved into hot mush.

"We done play 21 questions now?" he chuckles, undoubtedly noticing my reaction.

"Oh please," I scoff, "mi doubt mi even ask yuh 10 questions, but I have one more. Do you like giving oral sex?"

"Put it this way, I enjoy giving you pleasure. The bonus for me is that you taste good," he gives me a knowing wink.

"I'm done... for now." If we continue this conversation we're going to end up right back where the night started ⁠— with his penis inside my vagina.

"Good, I have sumn for you. Soon come," he kisses my cheek and gets up. When he returns, he hands me a white gift bag. Inside it, there's a brand new rose gold smartphone. It's an upgrade to my broken one that is five generations old.

"How?... When yuh get this?" I grin like a Cheshire cat on opening the box. My phone broke last night, and tonight he hands me the latest version of the same brand I had, which isn't easy or cheap to come by in Jamaica.

"At first it was late but now it turns out to be perfect timing," he boasts.

"What do you mean?"

"I bought it when I was in the States, but due to mi nosey mother and sister mi end up leave it at di house and never realize till mi reach airport. Mummy beg one of her friends to bring it down today," he discloses.

"Thank you!" I pull him in for a hug but he lifts me off the sofa and tickles my sides, making me giggle.

"Dats why we not watching the video tonight," I threaten between laughs.