It was 12:00 midnight when I pulled up at the gas station. The voice of Akon on the radio catapulted my mind back to the events that had taken place at the beginning of the week, tears rolled down my eyes as he bellowed:
“Nobody wants to see us together but it don’t matter no! Cuz I’ve got you baby! Yes we gonna fight, fight for our right to love yeah”.
****
I heard the clang of a cash register.
“That would be $100”, I heard a sexy voice say. I looked up from my wallet to see an handsome young man checking me out. How could I not have noticed him before? I stood frozen gaving at his sexy lips.
“That would be a $100, sir” his voice pierced my ears yet again.
I paid him and walked hesitantly out the door. I got to my car and contemplating what I was going to do to him “come hell or high water”. I had just broken up with my boyfriend and I was looking for “a sort out”.
****
“Every gal grab a man and every man grab a gal, man to man dat wrong, scaan dem”, bleated from the sound system as I entered the Quad that night. Men gyrated on women as if there was no tomorrow. I didn’t care as I thought “I could use one of those groins on me tonight”.
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I made my way to the bar, looking fashionable in my Louis Vuiton and Jimmy Choo, checking out the hottie sitting there.
“Hello”, I said all charm and charisma.
“Sup”, he said.
I quickly recognized the voice as the cashier at the store earlier. I sat down beside him.
“What can I do you for?” said the bartender.
“Rustle me up a Shirley Temple, make it strong and hard” I said, winking at him.
“What’s your name?” I said.
“Josh”, he said, and I melted at the sound of his voice.
“Well, Josh”, I said fiercely, “would you like to dance?”
“I thought you would never ask” Josh replied.
“I’m Jake, by the way”, I said as he led me to the dance floor.
“I can’t help but to, notice you noticing me”, filled the room as I watched his sexy @$$ swing as he walked.
“Aint gonna leave you girl, so just wine for me girl, wine for me…? And the crowd had gone wild by the time we reached the center lights.
That sent us into a trance of vigorous gyrating on each other, oblivious to what anyone wanted to think. I was loving that body on me when we were abruptly interrupted.
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“B#@? C@#$, but a wah dis”, a hooligan said, drawing attention to us, “but a wah a gwaan?”
The music stopped and all eyes were on us, still in the ‘wining’ position. We could see the anger on the faces of those who misunderstood us, which seemed to be everyone.
Hostility filled the room as colourful words streamed from the mouths of ‘those people’. I barely understood half of it but I grabbed my prize and made for the door, beer bottles following close behind.
“Every man grab a gal, every gal grab a man, man to man that wrong, scaan dem”. The DJ re-wound over and over again as we made a hasty retreat.
“I know were you live”, someone shouted to Josh.
“I think you would be safer at my place”, I said “get in”.
****
We pulled out of the parking lot together; as tears fell from Josh’s eyes he laid on my shoulder, his hot breath warming my neck, sending thoughts through my head and down my pants.
He slowly kissed my cheeks saying “thank you” with his soft lips. I was tempted to repay the favor but in due time.
We pulled up in my garage at 11:00 sharp.
“Let’s go in”, I said.
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“You can bump on the coach”, I said.
“I think we both know where I want to bump”, he said stroking my chest. “Where’s your bathroom? Give me a minute”.
“Down the hall”, I said as he scampered away.
I slipped in a CD to set the mood as I poured Champaign.
“I’m back”, I heard a voice say from the living room. “Where are you?”
“I’m coming”, I said grabbing the Champaign.
“I hope so”, he said flirtatiously.
I poured us both a glass of Champaign and toasted to our new lives. I mean, the chemistry was crazy from the get go even if I was on the rebound.
I ventured to taste those lips for the first time, he held on to my lips as the kiss came to an end.
“Let’s get it on”, streamed from the airwaves as we engaged in sensual seduction. “When wi a @#$! it come in like Christmas”, oh it was the remix.
****
My head shifted on his chest as I was awoken at 2:00 that morning, by a weird sound outside, a permanent smile on my face.
“Wake up”, I said hastily to Josh as I peered through the window and saw men trying to break in.
“Bum, bum, bum”, the door was kicked in and hoodlums screeched “Weh di b#@$ c#$% batty bwoy dem deh, a choo dem nuh know she dem fi dead, a kill wi ago kill dem r#@s”.
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I panicked as my heart pounded, Josh wouldn’t wake up even under the commotion.
I guess the ‘saat out’ was ‘ayite’. I was pleased, but I jumped through the window, pants in hand and left him there. I ‘took off down the road like usain bolt” and never looked back. I was running from my love, myself, my death as if a part of me knew that what I was doing was wrong.
I heard the loud explosion of gunshots. My heart sank, the best pleasure I’ve ever had was probably dead.
Police cars swarmed the house at 4:00 am that morning.
“No eyewitnesses sir”, said the lieutenant to his superior, a stout man. I couldn’t help but check him out.
“This is a crime scene son”, the man said as the lieutenant walked off. “No one is allowed here”.
I couldn’t find the words to say “this is my house, that’s my lover in there”.
A piece of me died when I saw him hauled away on a stretcher.
“To the morgue with ya”, the coroner said, jokingly and I fell to the ground.
****
“Dr. Gray you’re needed at the front desk”, echoed through the room when I opened my eyes, wishing all this was a dream. Josh would kiss me again even if it’s for the last time.
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“To all the lovers out there”, the DJ said pulling me back to reality, “that was Akon’s fight for our love, now slow dance to this Patty Labelle”.
I should have fought I thought as I drowned in tears.
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