Need You

Chapter 21

While finishing some work on the laptop I borrowed from Ethel, my phone rang. "Hello." I said to Derrick when I answered.

"Yo, what's up?"

"I'm good. I'm just finishing up some work."

"Okay. How's it been since you started working there?" He asked.

"It's been good." I answered simply, and then it occurred to me that I hadn't told him about what Amanda told me about the company's policy.

"Did you get Gina's invite to the club tonight?" He asked, distracting me from telling him about it.

"Yeah, I did. I don't know if I'll go though; I'm pretty tired."

"From what? Staring at numbers all day?" He laughed. "Bro, if you're tired, get some rest before we go."

I wondered if he would pick me up if I decided to go but when I asked he said we would meet at the club.

"I'll see you at the club." He ended.

I really didn't feel like going anywhere. I was very tired, not because of work exactly, but because of the fact that I hadn't had much sleep. And it was all because of that nightmare which always took me back the terrible experience I had in jail.

Shutting down the laptop, I took my phone and headed over to Amanda's. Nikki and Ethel were at the restaurant.

Amanda wasn't in the living room when I got there and I didn't see her in the kitchen.

"Amanda!" I heard a thud as I called.

Presuming it came from her room, I called her again moving closer to her room.

She opened the door when I got right in front of it. "Hi." Her voice was airy and although her hair was in a messy bun, a few strands stuck to her forehead.

"Are you okay?" She smiled when I asked.

"I am."

Raising my brow, she chuckled and said, "I dropped a box while I was looking for this." She held up a notebook. "I'm fine."

Her body was layered lightly with sweat in the spaghetti strap blue dress she wore.

"Come, let me show you something." She said as she closed the door and walked into the living room.

"So I've been thinking about what you said the other day about what I wanted to become having to do with what I'm interested in. I was looking through my things earlier and then I found something which led me to look for this." She held up the brown notebook again, grinning.

"What's in it?" I asked.

"A story I wrote when I was about fourteen years."

Unintentionally yawning in response, I apologised. "Sorry."

"Do you want to go and take a nap?"

"If you're willing to read me a bedtime story, then I might." I joked.

She gasped and stated with playful seriousness, "This is no bedtime story."

I chuckled. "I'm kidding. I just spent almost three hours analysing some accounts."

"That must have been fun." The sarcasm in her voice was very noticeable.

"Whatever..." I paused. "Do you have any juice?"

"Is that why you came here?" Amanda asked.

"No, but I'm going to need it if I'm going to stay and listen to your bedtime story."

"It's not a bedtime story!" She nudged my shoulder, chuckling as she got up and went into the kitchen.

I picked up the book and flipped the pages quickly. It was almost full.

Returning with two glasses filled with juice, I asked her, "What's the title?"

"I don't know." She said as she handed me a glass. "Thank you." I said.

She sat and explained that she had a lot of titles in mind but couldn't decide on one to use.

"Okay. So what is it about?"

"I don't know exactly but if I remember correctly, at fourteen, I was in that phase where I was obsessed with my crush."

"Oh?" I smiled. "I guess I should brace myself to hear all the fantasies you must have had about him."

"Oh no. He was a playboy and I hated the fact that I was crushing on him."

"That's sad."

"The story isn't about him."

As I sipped on my juice, she took the book and began reading the story.

Next thing, I heard my name faintly, then I heard Amanda's. I was confused as to where the voice was coming from and why everything was dark.

A double tap against my shoulder and my eyes fluttered; my vision slowly going from blur to clear.

Slowly becoming conscious, I realised Nikki was in front of me.

I looked to my right and Amanda was in the middle of yawning. She rested her head on the edge of the couch and shut her eyes.

We had slept.

"Aren't you two going to get ready for the club!?" Nikki asked.

"Which club?" I asked.

"The one Gina invited us to."

Yeah... I yawned and got up. I honestly might not have gone but after that nap which lasted for however long, my body felt great.

It was almost eight by the time I got into my long sleeve blue shirt and black trousers. I put on my brown loafers and went over to the girls'.

They were both in the living room, wearing similar fitted spaghetti strap dresses, only different in colour. Nikki was in a red one and Amanda was in a black one.
Nikki had done her hair like the last time we went to the club while Amanda's was straight.

They both looked very hot.

"Let's go." Nikki said as they go their purses. A car was waiting for us outside.

Entering the club, I was engulfed in a sensory overload. The thumping bass of the music, the flashing lights illuminating the room, the packed dance floor with people seeming to be in their own worlds as they moved to the rhythm.

Gina found us and took us to the lounging area she was at. In the plush couches were a bunch of people I didn't know except Derrick.

Getting up, he gave a me bro-hug and handed me a drink. I noticed the discomfort on Amanda's face when we sat. "Are you okay!?" I asked her.

She nodded.

I took a sip of the brown liquid and it burned as it went down my throat. I tried to hide the discomfort but Amanda caught me. "How often do you drink!?"

"Not too often! I only drink when I come to the club!" I answered but I could tell her attention was on something behind me.

Briefly turning to look, I saw Derrick speaking with a girl.

"Are you alright?" I asked Amanda.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine." She quickly replied. "Where's Nikki?"

"She went to dance!" Gina said.

Amanda got up immediately and walked to the dance floor. I didn't understand why. I just sat in the couch rocking to the electronic dance music blasting through the speakers.

I watched as Derrick came back with the girl he was talking to earlier. "Yo Harry, this is Debbie."

"Hi." I smiled.