by Nana Prah
Ora smirked. “Husbands can be a good time, too.”
“You know what I mean.”
Ora moved to the refrigerator and put the containers inside. “Love is a funny thing. I wasn’t looking for Jason when I went to South Africa. But then he appeared, hand delivered to me.”
Esi started washing the dishes. “Jason is a one woman kind of man.”
“True. But you can’t fight love. It will sneak up on you. Without explanation, you’re thinking about him all the time while making some bad choices to avoid getting hurt.”
She sighed. Not sure if she were wistful about falling in love one day or regretting not being able to get involved with Adam. “I hear you, Ora, I hear you.”
Ora leaned a burgeoning hip against the counter, rubbing her belly. “Do what your heart tells you is right. Listen to it. It will never steer you wrong.”
“My heart is screaming that I should stay as far from him as possible.”
Ora frowned, but remained silent. So what if she didn’t believe Esi. Instead of admitting she was on the cusp of giving in to him and risking Ora going berserk, she lied. She had to take care of herself, and being with Adam would never be considered a good thing. She couldn’t blame Ora for her disbelief. She didn’t accept a single word she’d uttered either. She’d allow her ego to run this show so that in the end her heart would remain intact.
After ensuring an ant wouldn’t find a single spec of food to feast on, the women walked into the hall.
Adam stood and strode towards them. “Let’s go Esi. I’m taking you home.”
How could he anger her with so few words?
Must be a gift.
“No you’re not. I came here on my own, and I’m leaving the same way.”
“Come on, not tonight. It’s eleven o’clock. Do you think you’re going to get a trotro this late?”
She snuck a glance over at Ora who yawned wide enough to let the world in. Esi would’ve asked Jason to take her home, but Ora would worry while he was out.
“Fine, but last night’s rule is still applicable.” She pointed a finger at him. “This time we’re adding it to the drop off.”
Jason looked back and forth between them. “What are you two talking about?”
Esi explained about their accidental meeting in Osu and the ride home. She left out his sizzling nips to her sensitive skin.
“Let’s head out. Thanks for the invite, Chale. Goodnight, Ora. The food was amazing.”
“Thanks, but I only contributed the fried plantain. Esi cooked the rest.”
Just as she’d experienced throughout the night, she could feel his gaze on her. She’d rather work ten night shifts in a row than look up at him. Pushing the saying about food and a man’s heart from her mind, she hugged Ora and Jason goodnight. “Thanks for kicking Kwesi out for me.”
“It was either that or face the wrath of Ora.”
His wife slapped his arm. “I’m not that bad.”
The three of them headed towards the door leaving Ora standing alone. They’d had seven months of experience to know that responding to her comment one way or the other would have caused some sort of negative reaction.
Jason walked to the large gate and opened it.
Esi waited on the passenger’s side of Adam’s silver Mercedes SUV, waiting for him to open it for her. Instead, he walked to the driver’s side and unlocked the passenger’s door using the mechanical locks. Why should his lack of chivalry upset her? He didn’t owe her anything. Not even this ride. She rolled down the window as soon as he started the engine. His lingering, spicy cologne wafted out instead of hovering in the car, enticing her.
They were at the interchange the next time he spoke. “It’s not ladylike to ignore people at a party.”
So her cold shoulder had gotten to him. Good.
“It shows a lack of maturity—to shun someone rather than communicate.” He continued.
Esi’s anger erupted. At any moment her body would quiver hard enough to resemble a malaria patient suffering from rigors. Breathe. No need to get upset like this. “You would rather I dig into you all night long? I was trying to be nice.”
“No, you weren’t. You were attempting to be spiteful, like at the wedding.”
She did a double take. Where had the wedding come from? Had he been so upset about it, he’d stored the incident? Didn’t sound like the love them and leave them man she knew. How much did she know about him? Enough to accept he couldn’t be trusted with her heart, that was for sure.
If she were honest with herself, she’d been acting childish. At the time, she hadn’t known how to deal with her unwanted attraction to him. So she’d ignore him in hopes that with time it would go away. It hadn’t worked. What would she have to do to make it dissipate? She’d come up with a plan later. For now, she had a much-needed apology to give.
Damn.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
He took his eyes off the road to look at her when he asked, “Sorry, for what?”
“Don’t push it, Quarshie.”
“When a person apologizes, they should do it so both parties know the individual recognizes the wrong they’ve done. One word won’t cut it.”
She watched the modern buildings pass by. The area had changed in the past ten years. Where fields of grass and trees once took up the vast land, now stood modern glass encased high-rise buildings. Accra was in the midst of a major overhaul. In another ten years, she anticipated this area would become the business hub of the city.
She tried to keep herself calm, but her words came out rough. “I’m sorry I ignored you at the party tonight…and at the wedding.”
He reached over and touched her knee. “I accept your apology.”
Grinding her teeth caused pain in her jaw, but at least it prevented insults from escaping.
The rest of the drive was spent in an unnerving silence. Tension permeated the air and seeped into her. Did she alone feel uncomfortable? Adam appeared relaxed as he drove. With no traffic, the journey took ten minutes, though it felt longer.
As the car came to a stop in front of her apartment, she reached for the handle and attempted to pull it open. It didn’t budge. She tugged once more, but nothing happened. The click of the automatic door locks brought heat to her face.
She didn’t have to observe him to know he had a smug smile plastered on his face. She opened the door and stepped out. Bending to give him a curt thanks for the ride, she noticed that he’d disappeared.
“Looking for me?” His deep velvety voice startled her.
She stood up and placed a hand to her chest. “You scared me.” She turned to glare at him. Her heartbeat thrummed under her hand.
“Sorry,” he said.
“For what?” She mocked his words.
“I’m sorry for frightening you.”
She had to get away from him and into her apartment where she’d be safe from thoughts of kissing his tantalizing, full lips. Would his mustache and goatee irritate her skin? Perhaps they would tickle. “You’re forgiven. Thank you for the ride home.”
He stepped closer. His large hands grabbed her shoulders and slid down her arms. A shiver rocked her body.
He leaned his head down. Captivated by the descent of his lips, she couldn’t move. Common sense told her she should push him away and scale her gate instead of taking the time to unlock it. She closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss.
His breath feathered her waiting lips when he whispered, “Did you sleep with Kwesi?”
Her eyelids flew open, and she shoved him back. She had half a mind to slap him.
The mistake from last night would not be repeated, she’d removed her house keys while still inside Ora’s place. Her hands shook with rage. After three failed attempts at trying to unlock the gate, she whirled around to face him. “Why do you want to know so badly?”
“I don’t get involved with women my friends have been with.”
This man would give her an aneurism. He wanted to
get involved? The coward in her instructed she deal with the less intense aspect of his statement. “I thought you said he wasn’t your friend?”
“He’s not, but I apply the same rule to all the people I associate with often. It simplifies life.”
Without a transition, a sudden curiosity took the place of her anger. “What if you’re involved with a woman and you find out later that your friend slept with her? What would you do then?”
“It’s never happened, so I don’t worry about it.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. It was a bad move because his gaze roamed to that area. “Up here.” She snapped in front of his face. His expression became goofy as he looked into her eyes. “What if it did happen? What would you do?”
“I don’t know.”
She thought about his answer for a few seconds and didn’t know what to make of it.
He stepped closer and reached out for her, but, with a quick slide to the side, she avoided his touch. He’d given her the perfect way to break away from his flirtatious spell. As long as he thought she’d slept with Kwesi, he’d leave her alone. He could move on to some other conquest. Her stomach clenched at the thought of him being with another woman.
Get used to it. It’s what he does. He will never be yours.
She tried to unlock the padlock once more while keeping her side to him. It opened on the first try with her now calmer hands. She opened the gate then returned her attention to him.
She wouldn’t lie. “I don’t want to get involved with you. I want a lasting relationship, and you can’t provide that. I’m sure you could give me some wonderful sex, but that’s not what I’m looking for.” She took a deep breath. “Whether or not I slept with Kwesi is none of your business. Good night, Quarshie.”
On unsteady legs, she walked through the gate and locked it. She had done the right thing. She was sure of it. All the same, she wondered why hollowness filled her chest.
Chapter Seven
“The woman is insane.” Adam squeezed his hands into fists. Why wouldn’t Esi give him an answer about sleeping with Kwesi?
“She’s as mentally stable as they come. I see her as more of an eccentric. Why are you so hung up on her?” Jason asked.
Hanging out with Jason had been a long time coming. Before the traitor got dragged down to the bottom of the marriage ocean, they’d met up once a week for dinner.
“I’m not hung up.”
“Yes, you are. You keep talking about her. It’s been two weeks since the dinner. What does it matter if she slept with him? There are plenty of other women out there Kwesi hasn’t slept with. Go catch one of them.”
“You’re right. But Esi is so stubborn.”
Jason chuckled. “She is not stubborn.” He tapped a finger to his chest. “I married the stubborn one.”
The glasses jumped, sloshing beer when Adam’s fist banged on the table. “But why won’t she tell me?”
Mopping up the wet mess with a few paper napkins, Jason asked. “Why does it bother you so much?”
“You know my rule. I won’t go after her if Kwesi’s had her.”
“What makes you think she wants you?”
Adam stroked his chin as he tilted his head. “What kind of question is that? I’m me.”
“Has it always been your humility women have been attracted to?” Jason sat back and took a drink. “So you want to sleep with her and then dump her like the rest.”
“That was the plan.”
“I don’t know what to tell you other than…let her go. She’s told you what she wants, and you can’t offer it. Why are you pressing?”
“I don’t know. I figure if I have her once, I’ll have no problem getting her out of my mind.”
Jason smirked.
“What’s so funny?”
“I never thought I’d see the day.”
Adam held himself back from jumping over the table to shake his cryptic friend. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Not since Lynette have I seen a woman get to you this much.”
Her name brought up a spark of anger along with the tiny bit of residual sadness that always surfaced when he thought about her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t like Esi. But I’m sure we could have some fun together.”
Jason spun the beer bottle cap on the table. “I wonder what happened to Lynette.”
As if he cared. “You mean after she used and dumped me back in medical school? I don’t know. I figure the evil bitch went back to hell where she came from.”
Jason laughed. “She made you into the man woman love but can’t have. I believe you’ve met your match with Esi. She’ll undo what Lynette did.”
He would never find out because she wouldn’t have the chance to get close to him. He didn’t do relationships.
He had sex.
Sex never led to heartbreak, not for him anyway. A few of the women he’d gotten involved with had ended up falling in love, but that wasn’t his problem. They knew the plan going in. Instead of thinking they could change him, they should’ve accepted the no-strings-attached rule he’d made crystal clear from the beginning.
Adam slumped in his seat. “Whatever. Can you explain to me why Ora is acting so crazy? I’ve see pregnancy hormones at work but she’s….” He whistled while crossing his eyes.
“It’s because you see pregnant women when they’re about to deliver. You never encounter them throughout pregnancy.” He leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “If you tell her, I’ll skin you alive, but she scares me sometimes. I never know if a suggestion will make her tear my head off, cry, or rip my clothes off with passion.” Jason shook his head. “I miss my level headed, cool Ora.”
Adam’s eyes opened wide. “She really rips your clothes off?”
Jason threw a napkin at him. “You’re sick, Chale. Sick.”
***
Esi and the other midwives sat at the nurse’s station relaxing while they could. The one client on the ward was experiencing her first delivery. During her last vaginal examination, she’d reached two centimeters. Delivery would take place after getting to ten centimeters, so she had a long way to go until she’d push her baby out.
Although the labor ward was quiet now, at any moment it could fill up, creating an unimaginable amount of work. The midwives took the rare opportunity to chat.
“Have you heard who Dr. Quarshie is dating?” Efia asked.
Esi’s ears perked up as the conversation moved from the exorbitant price of tomatoes to someone considered to be one of the hottest doctor’s in the hospital.
Alice looked up from writing her note on the patient. “I haven’t heard he was dating anyone.”
“I bet she doesn’t work in the hospital. Rumor has it, he’s given up on dating nurses.” Martha protruded her lower lip out in a pout. “I never had my chance with him.”
Esi’s eyes widened in shock at the sweet woman. “Martha, you’ve been happily married for ten years. What would you do with Dr. Quarshie?”
Martha wiggled her eyebrows. “Oh, you’d be surprised. I love my husband, but a girl can fantasize. Can’t she?”
They all giggled.
“Tell us already, Efia. Who is the great Dr. Adam Quarshie dating these days?” Alice asked.
Efia jerked her head towards Esi. “None other than our own star midwife.”
Esi snickered remembering how ludicrous rumors could get. “What? Where did you hear that? Would have been nice if I’d been the first to know.”
“From Yaa in the outpatient department.” Efia responded. “She said she saw you two getting cozy at a dinner about three weeks ago. Is it true Esi?”
She ignored the question. “If she came up with this conclusion three weeks ago, why is she spreading the rumors now?”
“She’s not. We were talking yesterday, and she happened to mention it to me because she knew I worked with you.”
Breathe. No need to get angry. You’d provide more fuel. “Because she saw
me at my cousin’s house, and Dr. Quarshie was there. She presumes we’re dating? She was there too, and they conversed a bit. Can’t I say the same for her?”
Efia’s grin turned impish. “Only if you also saw them walking down the most popular street in Osu the previous night.”
This damn man is going to be the death of my reputation.
Esi feared Martha would fall off her seat with excitement. “Is it true, Esi? Are you two dating?”
“I wouldn’t date him. Not even if he was the last man on earth.” Unless I ended up the last woman on earth and he had no chance of cheating on me.
Efia shrugged. “Too bad. I think you’d make a great couple.”
She pointed her fingertips at her chest. “Me and Quarshie?”
Alice nodded. “I wanted him for myself until I found Charles, but I could see you with Dr. Quarshie.”
Esi clicked her tongue. “Me with that flirt? No way.”
“If anyone can tame him, I’m sure you could,” Efia said.
“I have neither the will nor the strength for such a job,” she replied. “Besides, he likes his lifestyle the way it is.”
“Everyone knows the right woman can change the worst man.” Martha gave a single nod.
She’d had a similar conversation with Ora a few weeks ago, the same day she’d bumped into Adam in Osu. “If he wants to change,” Esi protested.
Efia sighed. “I’d take the risk. At least you could enjoy the ride. I’ve heard good things about his skills. If you know what I mean.”
The three women laughed. Esi didn’t find it entertaining.
“What’s so funny ladies?” Adam’s deep voice came from out of nowhere causing them to startle.
Esi recovered faster than the others and gave the answer of two topics ago, “A trip to Wli Falls in the Volta Region. We’ve heard it’s a pretty place, but none of us have ever been there. We were saying how fun it would be to visit.”
She had the insane desire to smooth down his raised eyebrows with her thumbs and then hold his cheeks as she leaned in to complete the near kiss he’d teased her with three weeks ago.
“That made you laugh?”
Esi cleared her throat and waved down a hand in dismissal. “You had to be here.”