Set sail my love

6

NOT A PART OF THE BOOK!!!!
Don't play the video yet😏
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I woke up to darkness and the feint sound of Alicia Keys coming in from outside. I sat up or at least tried to in this over comfortable high assembly of pillows. It looks like Jessi had tucked me in before she left. I breathed in and caught the waft of grilling sausage and my mouth involuntarily watered. I tried to sit up again and failed dismally thus settling into my regular sleeping position so I could roll out of bed like I usually did when I was too tired. I landed on my backside and fought my way out of the covers before pushing up and heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I washed my face and headed down the stairs where the music only got louder and was laced with chattering voices and giggles. The smell of meat on the grill and waffles, strangely, assaulted me as I reached the kitchen.
"Jessi what's going-"
"Lira! Thank God you're awake. We need to go out to the beach soon." Jessi yelled over everyone's voice as she made her way towards me. They all looked at me and waved or mouthed a 'hi.'
"Hey...I'm overdressed so I'm just gonna," I made to leave while they giggled warm heartedly and then Jessi grabbed me by the elbow and led me up.
"I've got a swimsuit you can borrow."
"Sure. Who's the guy in the red trunks? I've never seen him before." Waking up to Jessi's house packed with strangers is not a first for me. They have a beach house, obviously something's always cooking every weekend. Although it's always been the same college kids from Stellenbosch who hang around her I was surprised to see a new face.
"Keon?" He's the exchange student from Jamaica. Came with Lasizwe."
"You've got to be kidding me. Why is Lasizwe here?" Jessi broke into laughter.
"I'm sorry, his harmless love for you really has me undone all the time." This boy had been stalking me since highschool because he's convinced we're gonna get married. It's totally harmless but it does get annoying.
"I best go say hi to him then."
He's down at the beach with the others. Left about half an hour ago to surf but I don't think they've had any luck." I nodded to her before walking to her full length mirror to check myself out in this suit. It hung off me from all the right places and the color was so alluring on my chocolate skin. I looked banging. I skipped the stairs two at a time as I made my way down with a wrap in one hand. I went to one of the counters and took a bottle of sun block from a top shelf.
"Pretty tall aren't we?" I turned to a smiling Keon as I walked past him to grab a water from the fridge.
"Yeah. Graceful too actually." He softly chuckled at that. "I'm Lira."
"Keon. But I'm sure you've heard off the grapevine where I'm from by now." I smiled shyly at him and nodded. He is very handsome with the chiseled chest and dark skin. Doesn't beat Chase though his abs look more defined. Why am I thinking about Chase? "You planning to catch the waves? They've flattened out by now."
"I wanted to but it looks like all I'm going to do is sit there and read a book or something."
"Let me grab my stuff real quick and I'll go with you." He said with his thick Caribbean accent. It was a swirl of beauty and his voice was gravel on the plains. I couldn't figure out why Jessi hadn't called dibs on him yet.
"Sure." He left for one of the sunken floor dens and came back holding a hat and his iPhone. We walked out the front gate and onto the Sandy Beach.
We got to where the rest of the gang had set camp while they played at the shore. We plopped down under a sunken umbrella and started talking. He's been in South Africa for almost a month now, thinks all the food is tasteless and lacks zest, says the women here are really beautiful and I noticed he said that last part while looking over his shoulder at an approaching Jessi although she was surrounded by everyone else.
"You talk to Jess?" I couldn't hide my smirk.
"Yeah she umm...was really helpful when I first got here. I didn't know anyone and she took me to Lasizwe's." That's weird, she never said anything to me about him.
"I'm surprised nothing happened between you two... I mean, did it?" He looked away at the ocean for a while before he smiled wistfully at me.
"No... nothing happened." I knew he wasn't going to give me anything else on it.
"So what's your major?"
"Medicine. I want to go into neurosurgery when I'm done."
"You want to stay in South Africa? Or are you going to go home?" Again with that smile. He didn't answer me, instead he pulled me up and we ran to the water to join everyone else.
We were splashing around so much I almost didn't hear Jessi when she yelled right into my ear.
"Lira!" I spun around startled at her outburst. "Your phone has been ringing!" I paddled out of the water and into her hostile looking presence.
"Who is it?" I asked when I'd gotten close enough for her to hand me the phone. "Who?"
"I think you should call them back." Jessi seemed a little disturbed and I was starting to get amnoyed. I walked towards the house with Jessi tailing me while I dialled the foreign code. Whoever it was, picked up on the third ring.
"Hello?" I spoke after a few seconds of silence.
"Hello? Lira..."