QUEEN OF HEARTS

CHAPTER 9

I drove to Pinetown to get ready for the dinner. I started at Tee's salon and removed my weave. I replaced it with box braids and bought some edge gel. Next I did my nails before racing to YDE to try and find an appropriate dress. I got home at 17:30 and Andile was nowhere to be seen. I went in to one of the spare rooms and locked the door and took its spare key so Andile couldn't open it. I started getting ready, this was going to take forever.

***
ANDILE

Where the hell is this girl. She said she would be down in 5 minutes, 30 minutes ago. As always, I was waiting on Princess Keabetswe Moloi. I heard a door open and I heard footsteps. Then I saw her on the stairs and she was absolutely breath taking. She had removed her weave and done braids that she had tied up into a bun.
She was wearing a black satin, ankle length dress with black stiletto's that made her taller than she was and I smiled. "You look beautiful babe," I said once she was done with modeling down the stairs. "Well you look dapper yourself," she said smiling at my simple black tux. "I guess we are matching?" she said and I realised we were both wearing black. "I guess so," I said. She smiled and went out the door and I was left looking at her gorgeous ass. "Are you coming?" she asked when she noticed I hadn't moved. I nodded and opened the Black Mercedes G-Wagon for her. We were the first to arrive at the restaurant and were given champagne. Then the doors swung open and I immediately regretted inviting the person who came in.
***
KEABETSWE

The restaurant was empty except for us and other waiters. I was about to ask Andile why when the doors open and a man came. The guy had the same features as Andile but he was younger and shorter than Andile. He also had caramel skin compared to Andile's light colored skin. He saw us and smiled. He was dressed in a white tuxedo. He walked up to us and smiled goofily. "Bro, what's up?" the guy said looking Andile. Then his eyes drifted over to me, "Well hello pretty lady," he said cheesily and I laughed. He held out his hand and I slipped my hand in his. He took my hand and kissed it and lingered there for longer than he should have, Obviously, this made Andile uncomfortable because he pushed him away. "Keabetswe this is Sandile, Sandile this is Keabetswe my girlfriend," Andile said . "I'm Sandile, Andile's brother," Sandile said reintroducing himself. "Younger brother," Andile added. "Of course I'm your younger brother, imagine me looking as old as you," Sandile said laughing and I laughed along with him. "Sandile, I'm 26," Andile stated. "And I'm 23," Sandile said. "How old are you Kea?" he asked. "I'm 22 Sandile," I said. "And you are with this madala?" he asked cheekily. "Well he's my madala," I said making Andile smile. Then the door opened and a guy and his model looking wife came in. They walked over to us and greeted Sandile before turning to me. "Mthunzi, this Keabetswe, Keabetswe this is Mthunzi and his wife Olethokuhle," Andile said. "But everyone except Andile calls me Oletha, I hope you can convince him otherwise," Oletha said and I smiled. I shook hands with Mthunzi and hugged Oletha. Next I was introduced to Qhawe and his wife Amanda. Next came in Mthokozisi and his wife Refiloe. And last but not least came Siyabonga and his wife Tshidi.

We all sat down at the large table where dinner was to be served as I found out what everyone did for a living. Mthunzi was a corporate lawyer and Oletha was an ex model but now she just modeled Refiloe's line. Qhawe was a doctor and Amanda was a nurse. Mthokozisi was a CEO of his own mining company and Refiloe was a fashion designer. Siyabonga was a CEO of his stockbroker company and Tshidi was a defense attorney.

"So Kea, what did you say you do?" Mthunzi asked. "Well she's a-" Andile started but I cut him off. "I believe they asked Kea, I'm the Marketing Director for Moloi Industries," I said. "Moloi Industries, interesting. You look familiar, have we met in the past?" Mthunzi carried on. "No, I don't believe so but maybe you have seen on the media with my dad. King Moloi likes to make his appearances," I said and I swear Qhawe choked on his whiskey. "King Moloi? Is it possible that you are Princess Keabetswe Moloi?" Qhawe asked. I raised my eyebrows, people always had exaggerated reactions when they found out I was royalty, maybe I didn't look like a princess. "Yes, I am," I said. "Well it's an honour to be in the presence of royalty," Mthunzi said and I rolled my eyes. "I prefer to be treated like a normal person in Durban, I get enough of curtsying and bowing in the Northern Cape," I said. "Noted, princess," Mthunzi said with a smile. We had our starters and mains while the food and conversation flowed.

Before dessert came, Siya suggested the guys go smoke outside but it turns out only Mthokozisi, Mthunzi and him smoked, the rest were just accompanying them. Once they left the girls bent their heads and formed a huddle around the table. "So Kea, we would like to start off by saying welcome to the group and we want you to know we will stand by you know matter what. Us right here, we are your ride or dies, we will cry, laugh, hell we'll kill for you. You know why? 'Cause you are now part of the family," Refiloe said and the girls hummed in response. "Eish, you guys, thank you so much. But I don't think we should get ahead of ourselves, me and Andile are just dating, that's all," I said and they all shook their heads. "Mthoko and Andile have been friends for years, since their high school days and I've known Andile for 6 years now and I have never met any of his girlfriends. I know he has had a few but he has never introduced us to any of them, you are the first. And right now, you are looking hella permanent," Refiloe assured me. "Okay, whatever you say Fifi," I said. "Fifi? I like it, from now on, I will be Fifi," Refiloe said and everyone laughed. "Anyways we wanted to ask you something, I'm starting a swimsuit line and I want to use the girls as my models but the guys don't think its a great idea to have us flaunting our bodies for other men," Refiloe said. "What the heck? Insecurities," I said rolling my eyes. "I know right, but what we need from you is to ask Andile to let you do it because if Andile is convinced, the rest of the guys are just a minute away from being convinced," Fifi said. "Okay, sounds nice. But why do you need their permission? I understand you are their wives and all but why can't you just do the shoot or whatever?" I asked. "Well, the shoot is in Zanzibar, because that's where we want to shoot since it has a gorgeous beach and we can't leave without alerting them, they would shut the whole of Zanzibar down if we did that," Fifi said and I laughed. "Okay, but how am I supposed to convince Andile?" I asked and they all looked at me as if I had just said the dumbest thing ever. "Sex of course. Girl take this as a compliment, but you look like you are a beast in bed," Amanda said. I cleared my throat, "Well I wouldn't count on that, I'm kind of a virgin," I said and they all gasped. "Well I'm celibate and since I've never been married... I'm a virgin," I said. "Damn, shame bandla. Well you have to find a way," Tshidi said as the guys came in. "So what were you ladies talking about?" Siya asked as they all sat down. "Zanzibar," Tshidi replied smiling and Andile frowned. "Do you ladies not understand the words, you are not going," Andile said and he noticed I looked confused and smiled at me. "I'm glad they haven't roped you in to this Keabetswe," Siya said. "Oh no, I'm in it. I just want to know why the we ain't going, because from what I'm hearing, you guys don't have a good enough reason," I said.

"Well, mhmm, Keabetswe, we don't feel comfortable having our women flaunting their body's for other men," Mthokozisi said. "Mhmm, I have one question, just one, if you answer I'll completely drop the topic, I emphasize on the I will stop badgering you about Zanzibar, okay?" I said and they all glanced at Andile before nodding. "Have any of you seen the swimsuits?" I asked and they all immediately looked uncomfortable. They started clearing their throats and looking at each other. "Well, uhm, Keabetswe, a swimsuit is a swimsuit," Mthokozisi said. "Oh right, so you assume because it is a swim suit, it is revealing?" I asked. "Well no, a swim suit is a swim suit," Siya said. I sat back and took out my phone and googled the most covered up swimsuit I could find. "A swim suit is a swim suit akiri?"

Hhayi man baby, that's a surfing suit," Andile said. "No, it may be but it's also a swimsuit, when you guys hear swimsuit you think this," I said and googled exposing swimsuits. I showed them the picture and they all became uncomfortable and cleared their throats. "Yah neh, so when can we book the tickets?" I asked. "Uhm, tomorrow's fine, you can book them for the weekend, if we like the swimsuits," Siya said and all the ladies high-fived. "Okay Fifi, do you have pictures?" I asked Fifi pulled out her phone and went to her gallery before passing her phone around. "The fourth one is way too revealing, it's barely there," Mthokozisi said. "Ah babe, okay, how about this one then," Fifi said. "Ak'senani! You lady's can go to Zanzibar, on some conditions of course. No boys, no parties and all the pictures have to pass through us before publishing. You send your own picture to your man not all of us, understood?" Mthokozisi said. "Deal! We are going to Zanzibar bitches!" Fifi screamed and we screamed along with her while the guys just shook their heads. We left the restaurant after exchanging numbers and promising to come to Fifi's studio tomorrow for fittings.