by Nana Prah
All of a sudden, he wanted to be back in the time of unattached sex. Not of wanting a woman who sought marriage from him. She hasn’t said she wanted to marry you. She’d implied it. He wouldn’t be able to provide her greatest desire. He refused.
He needed some time, and he’d be back in the saddle. Back in the game. Returning to his carefree sex-filled life. Esi could keep her marriage, because he neither needed nor wanted it.
He swung the car around in a U-turn.
Sally or Susanne—it didn’t matter to him at this point—sat up straight. “Where are we going?”
“To my place.”
***
Not even the joy of driving her own brand new—to-her—car could lift Esi’s spirits. Adam had inundated her mind for the past week. Seeing him at work joking with everyone, herself included, had been torture.
The most disturbing part of her heartbreak was the vacillation of her decision. One minute, she considered having a casual relationship with him, which would be stupid. The next, she stayed resolved to her decision of staying away from him. It had been the toughest week of her life. She’d survived…barely.
Parking in front of Ora and Jason’s apartment, she caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror. One look at her drooping mouth and misery-filled eyes and Ora would know something was wrong. Her cousin might not be an emotional woman, at least when she wasn’t pregnant, but she was in tune with the feelings of others. Esi never could understand the juxtaposition.
She contemplated driving away and leaving Ora in the lurch. Just as she turned the engine back on, the gate to the compound opened, and her cousin’s huge belly protruded out. “Don’t you dare leave me.” Ora yelled. “I’m coming right out. I have to take one more trip to the bathroom, and then we can go.”
Esi cussed under her breath. She should have known she couldn’t make a clean getaway. Other than going to work, Esi had alienated herself from everyone. These days it wasn’t too difficult to avoid Ora. She’d been focused on her husband and unborn baby.
Her throat tightened when she thought about how much the two loved each other. Why did unrequited love exist? To make people miserable and wish they’d never loved in the first place? Even her reclusive housemate had been concerned on the rare occasions that they met. As Ora struggled to climb into the car, Esi stifled a giggle.
“You can laugh. I won’t be offended, but remember one day you’ll be in this position…what’s wrong?”
Esi’s brows furrowed. “Nothing. What’s the big emergency purchase we have to make?”
Ora waved her hand in dismissal. “You’re the emergency. Jason saw you leaving the operating room on Friday holding a baby. He said you looked unhappy.”
“It was a bad day.” Week, love life...whatever.
“But you were carrying a newborn. They make you glow with joy. It’s weird. No matter what mood you were in, you became serene. Even looking at a baby makes you smile.”
Esi forced the corners of her mouth to lift.
“Not that sickly, fake smile.” Ora spread her hands over her huge belly. “Stop before you terrify my unborn children.”
Esi smiled for real.
“That’s better. Now tell me what the problem is.”
“Are we at least going anywhere?”
Ora looked around. “Nope. I like sitting motionless in your shiny, dark green car. The color is a bit tame for you.”
“I know. I can always get it sprayed later.”
“What color? No, never mind. Talk to me.”
Esi slumped down into the seat and closed her eyes. If she didn’t volunteer the information, then Ora would get it some other way. “Slept with Adam.” She rushed the confession out with as few words as possible.
The silence in the car became unbearable. She opened her eyes and dared to glance at Ora. A bout of laughter burst from her cousin. Her hormones must be driving her insane.
“What’s so funny?”
“You are.” Ora’s face contorted into an exaggerated morose expression. “That’s what you look like. As if someone kicked your shin and took your chocolate.”
Esi crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. “I’m sad. I’ve been through a traumatic event.”
Ora snickered. “How was the sex?”
Esi’s hands flew to her warm cheeks. “Like I’d never had sex in my life. The stuff I did with the other guys equated to messing around.”
“So his reputation is solid.”
“Like a brick wall. That’s the problem.”
“Why?”
“He made me feel special. As if I was the only one he’d ever been with.” She sighed. “I love him.”
Ora rolled her eyes skyward. What was wrong with her normally compassionate and supportive cousin? “What the hell, Ora?”
“You’ve been in love with him for weeks. I’d even venture to say months.”
“No. I haven’t.”
“Yes, you have. And if you deny it one more time, you’ll drive me to my favorite bakery across town to buy me a chocolate cupcake…or three.”
She chuckled. “God forbid I’d be forced to do that, especially since I’d partake in the delicious treat, too.”
“Better. I don’t like seeing you down. Especially when it’s unnecessary.”
“What are you talking about? My expression of pain is necessary. He’s a skirt chaser…a hound. Heck, I think he taught Casanova all of his moves. What he did with me, he’s done with loads of women and will continue to do after me. I’m miserable.”
“He’s in love with you.”
Esi resisted the urge to reach out and touch her cousin’s forehead to see if she suffered from fever induced delirium. “He is not!” She twisted in her seat. “Wait. How do you know? Did Jason say something?”
“He would never betray a friend’s trust, not even with me. I love that about him.” Her eyes glazed over at the mention of her husband.
She waved her hand in front of Ora’s face. “Back to me.”
“It’s my perspective. I can see it.”
“That’s all?”
“Do you need anything else?”
“Uh, Yeah. How about an actual declaration written on one of Moses’s stone tablets? What do you see that tells you he’s in love with me?” The possibility of such a phenomenon being true caused warmth to spread through her whole body.
“First of all, I’ve gotten to know him better because of Jason. Adam doesn’t do female friends. Well he does, but not in the hang out kind of way. His gaze follows you when you’re in the same room, as if he can’t get enough of looking at you. Besides, I just know it.” She waved both hands. “Don’t question a pregnant woman.”
She let Ora’s words sink in. “If you’re correct, which I doubt. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want to get married.”
“That is a problem, but it’s not insurmountable.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” She rubbed her belly. “He could come around.”
“Aren’t you the one who always says ‘you can’t change a man’?”
“I learned it from your mom, and she’s right. But you aren’t changing him. You’re going to get him to realize he can’t live without you.”
What kind of impossible challenge had her cousin just issued? “How do you expect me to do this ‘oh great pregnant one?’”
She poked Esi’s shoulder. “That’s up to you. I don’t have all of your answers. All I know is the sad face you are sporting isn’t necessary. Adam is ‘the one’ for you.”
Esi ground the heel of her palm into her forehead. “I don’t understand how you’re so confident in your assessment.”
“I know how to read people. You’re aware of that.”
Her cousin had given her a lot to think about. A glimmer of hope burned in her heart where searing pain had been only moments ago. Esi turned on the car. “Put your seatbelt on.”
“Where are we going?”
“Across town to get you so
me cupcakes.”
“Sounds good to me. You’re paying though. I left my wallet inside.”
“No problem. I owe you much more than a cupcake.”
“I’ve upped the price. At least six of those tasty treats are coming back with me. I’ll eat two while we’re there.”
She laughed for the first time that week. “Yes, madam.”
Chapter Twenty-One
It hadn’t escaped Adam’s attention as he conversed with the midwives in the labor ward that ever since he’d started hanging out with Esi, her co-workers treated him differently. They were friendly, but the flirtation had diminished. Come to think of it, he’d decreased how sexually suggestive he was after becoming friends with her. Except with Esi herself. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and into the category of things he’d think about later…or perhaps never. She occupied so much of his thoughts he had to force himself to focus. Especially during his surgeries.
He tried to bring up her name in a nonchalant manner after being on the labor ward for a few minutes. No need to have people thinking he needed to know her whereabouts or cared about her in any way other than as a colleague. “Where’s Esi? I haven’t seen her at work the past few days.” He’d missed her more than he cared to admit. He’d made up excuses to come to the labor ward so he’d get to see her. After she hadn’t shown up for a couple of days, he’d gotten worried. It wasn’t like her to skip out on work.
Martha looked up from writing in one of their many official ward notebooks. “She’s on leave.”
His stomach twisted. She hadn’t mentioned it to him. Hell, she hadn’t spoken to him for two weeks. After their sexual encounter. Be real, at least to yourself. You made love to her. No! It was just sex, okay. His mental arguments would drive him insane.
“How long will she be gone?”
Martha pulled out the schedule and studied it. “She’ll be back in two weeks.”
His mouth went dry. He’d be unable to go that long without seeing her.
She stared at him. “You’re very interested in her whereabouts.”
He hitched a shoulder. “Merely curious.”
“Hmm.”
He had to get out of there before she found the courage to ask him questions he wouldn’t be able to answer. “I’m headed to the theatre.”
“Okay.”
He’d removed his phone from his pocket and pressed the call button as he walked out of the labor ward’s glass doors. Every time he tried to reach her, the service provider’s annoying operator kept telling him her phone wasn’t in service. He got the same message.
He dialed another number. “Where is she?” he barked at his best friend.
“What are you talking about?”
“Where’s Esi?”
The moment of silence was poignant. Jason knew. “Where are you?”
“On my way to the theatre. Tell me where she is.”
“Let’s meet up after work.”
He rubbed a hand over his face. It must be bad if his friend was willing to annoy his hormonal wife to meet with him instead of going straight home. He’d rather Jason give him the information he sought right then and there. “Where?”
“I haven’t eaten hot wings in a long time. How about our old haunt in Dzorlwulu?” Jason suggested.
It had been almost a year since they’d hung out at their second favorite sports bar. “You’re on. I should be done by five.”
“I’ll meet you there. I want to stop home and check on Ora first.”
“What’s wrong with the dragon lady?”
“She has malaria,” Jason said.
“Sorry.” He meant it. The disease was a menace to Ghana.
“She’s on the mend now, but I want to check on her.”
He smiled at his friend’s whipped status. “And get her permission to go out with me.”
Jason laughed. “That, too. Later.”
“Yo.”
***
“The last time we met here, you were a single man. How about divorcing your wife so you can hang out with me more often?” Adam said as they settled into a booth. Three different games were showing on each of the large, flat-screen televisions. The place screamed testosterone, but there were a few females present. It was definitely a guy’s guys bar.
Jason shook his head. “No, thanks. You’re cool and all, but you’re no Ora.”
Adam snorted as the waitress came to take their order. When she left, Jason rested an arm along the back of the booth. “What the hell’s wrong with you? You didn’t even attempt to flirt with the waitress. And she’s beautiful.”
“She’s okay.”
Jason’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ve seen you try to seduce unattractive women. You do it for sport.”
Adam’s gaze flickered to the television screen where a never-ending game of cricket was being played before returning his attention to his friend. “Where’s Esi?”
“Why do you want to know?”
He clenched his jaw. Why couldn’t Jason give him a straight answer? “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her. I’m curious.”
“So this friendship thing is going well?”
He narrowed his eyes. “What are you fishing for? Tell me what you know.”
Jason chuckled. “Can’t get anything past you can I?”
“You never could.”
“Ora told me she thinks you’re in love with Esi.”
Adam choked on his saliva. The waitress brought their drinks, giving him a minute to think about what his friend had said as he drank his beer. “Your wife is a nut.”
Jason pinned him with a narrow eyed glare. “I’d prefer if you didn’t call her crazy. She’s a little off balance with the pregnancy, but she’s as sane as you and me.”
“Sorry man. You threw me off. What makes Ora think I’m in….” Adam let the sentence trail off.
“Love. Something about you being friends with her, which I agree is a rare phenomenon. She also mentioned the way you look at her.”
“With two eyes instead of one? What does she mean?”
“Damned if I know. You’d have to ask her.”
“And risk upsetting her if I say the wrong thing? No. Your wife is a minefield, man.”
Jason laughed. “She’s gotten better. She’s not as prickly as she was a few months ago. Stop trying to change the subject. You know how much I love to talk about my Ora, but this is about you.”
He drained half of his beer. He hadn’t gotten drunk in years. Perhaps he’d renew the activity tonight. “Aren’t you bored being with the same woman? It’s been what, a year and a half? Aren’t you tired of her?”
“Not at all. It’s weird. The more I learn about her, the more I want to know. You saw how anxious I became a few hours prior to my wedding. Good thing my dad was there to talk me down. If I had listened to you, we would’ve been on the first flight out of Accra.”
“My advice was on point, and you know it.”
“‘Run, run like the wind, Jason’ is not good advice to give a guy on his wedding day. Listening to you would have made me miss out on marrying the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.”
Adam shrugged. “What about the sex? Doesn’t it get boring? Same television station and all that.”
“It may be the same station, but different shows are broadcasted. We know what we each like. To be honest…the more sex we have, the better it gets.” He grinned. “There was this one time—”
Adam held out both hands. “Don’t tell me. I don’t need to hear the details.”
“Since when?” Jason raised his eyebrows so high it looked comical. “You’re always up for a sex story.”
“Are you serious? Do you know how difficult it would be for me to see her and act like I don’t know she’s some kind of freak in bed?”
Jason’s chuckle drew attention from some of the other patrons. “Not just in bed, Chale. Not just in bed.”
“There you go again with the unnecessary information,” he chastised. “So you
like being married?”
“I love it. Don’t get me wrong. She can get annoying sometimes, but most days it’s cool.” A goofy grin spread across his face. “She loves me. There’s no greater feeling in the world than knowing someone is willing to stick by your side through thick and thin because they love you more than anyone else in the world.”
Adam’s stubble made a rasping sound as he rubbed his chin. “What if she left you?”
“There are no guarantees. She could decide tomorrow she doesn’t want to be married anymore, or she could stay with me for the rest of her life. It’s a risk. Life is one big gamble. Love is the biggest one of all. If you don’t try it, then how will you know?”
“A person can be happy without love.”
“True, but it makes life that much better.”
Adam wasn’t sure he believed him. He knew the emotion to be a bitch that knocked on your door, kicked you in the balls, and laughed as she skipped away cackling. And even with this concept in mind, he winced at the pain in his chest when he thought about not seeing Esi. Did he love her like Ora claimed? No. Well maybe. Shit, yes. He was in love with the feisty woman, and it frightened him.
His subconscious knew it long ago. The one date he’d had since making love to Esi had ended in disaster. When they had reached his place, he hadn’t been able to make himself get out of the car to escort the woman in. Instead, he bore her insults as he drove her home.
He leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. This was not the type of thing you wanted other men to overhear. “How did you know you wanted to marry Ora?”
Jason didn’t stop to think about it. “It was the first night I spent with her when she visited South Africa. We had an amazing night. I knew I needed her in my life forever.”
Adam’s upper lip curled into a snarl. “And then she went and screwed you over.”
“Extenuating circumstances. But that’s in the past. All I know now is, I have absolutely no regrets about marrying her. I would have regretted not trying to claim her as mine though. No doubt.”
“So you don’t want any other women?”