Destiny Mine

by Nana Prah

  “I do have a good man, don’t I?” Ora gushed.

  “You know you do.”

  “You’ll get one, too. Just not him. He’ll break your heart.”

  Esi nodded remembering how she felt while in his presence. As if touching him was a necessary part of who she existed to be. It took a huge expenditure of energy to stay away from him.

  She’d had her heart crushed more times than she could count, but she kept up the hope of finding love. She’d risk her heart one day, but not on someone guaranteed to break it.

  “I’m staying as far away from him as possible.”

  Except when I’m massaging his huge, muscular shoulders.

  When he’d tilted his head that night, all she’d wanted to do was bend down and suck on the dark-brown skin of his neck. She’d bolted when he turned around. It had been clear in his eyes and his slow, sensuous movements that he would’ve kissed her. She couldn’t let it happen.

  “I’m glad.” Ora rubbed her hands together. “Now for some good news.”

  “You have Swiss chocolate for me.”

  “That would be fantastic news! I said good.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’ve invited one of Jason’s friends to come over for dinner,” Ora said.

  Esi scrunched her eyebrows together. “What’s so great about that?”

  “He would be perfect for you.”

  “So you want to set me up?”

  “Yes. He’s cute, but doesn’t come close to my Jason. Sorry.” Ora didn’t look the least bit apologetic. “He owns his own successful architectural firm. He’s intelligent, funny, kind, and charming. He’s thirty-seven years old, doesn’t smoke or do drugs. Drinks alcohol on occasion. And the best part of it all is he’s single.”

  “Why is he single?”

  Ora arched an eyebrow. “Why are you single?”

  “I’m picky. But you must admit it’s rare for a successful Ghanaian man that age to be single. What aren’t you telling me, Ora?”

  “Maybe I left out that he’s divorced with two children.” She rushed the words out.

  “How old are the children, and where is the ex-wife?”

  “The kids are eight and six. He takes care of them. The ex lives in Kumasi.”

  “Why did they break up?”

  “Look, Esi. I wasn’t writing a biography on the man. I tried to keep the conversation short and sweet while getting some pertinent details. You can find out when you meet him.”

  “And when would that be? If I agree to this match up?” She asked the question for the sake of putting up a tiny bit of resistance to her cousin’s meddling. She’d meet the guy. Maybe something good would come out of it. Anything would be better than thinking about Adam and his perfect smile—Don’t go there.

  “I know you’re off on Saturday, so I scheduled it for then. Five o’clock, here.”

  Esi knew what would come next, but she asked anyway. “Who’s cooking?”

  “We are, of course. I know you didn’t think I’d throw a dinner party by myself. Not in my condition.” Ora rubbed her belly.

  “Not in any condition, you mean? You hate parties.”

  “Point of correction. I hate throwing parties. I don’t mind going to them. Besides, this isn’t a party. It’s a dinner.”

  She knew better than to say no. Ora had a way of getting what she wanted, probably because she could out-stubborn a goat. Esi had no doubt she’d do a good job at matching her with someone compatible. “Okay. I’ll be here. How about eleven so we can cook with enough time to relax.”

  “Sounds good. You’ll be doing most of the work anyway.” Ora laughed.

  “Oh, no, you don’t. You’ll be in the kitchen with me to the end. Pregnancy doesn’t render you an invalid,” Esi warned.

  “I had to try.”

  “I have some errands to run. I’ll see you on Saturday.”

  Ora’s wagging index finger and puckered brow emphasized her warning, “Stay away from Adam.”

  She clicked her heels together and saluted. “Yes, madam.”

  “And that’s the answer you should always give me.”

  Esi was giggling as she walked out the door.

  Chapter Four

  Adam stirred a French fry in ketchup for a full minute before pulling out the soggy wedge. His dinner companion droned on. He blocked out the incessant words as he studied the woman across from him. Beautiful, with curves in all the right places. But he felt no spark, no heat, and no need to sit her on the table to hike up her skirt.

  They’d always had a good time together. She’d been one of the women on standby who never pressured him for that dirty word—commitment. She’d seemed happy to be a sex partner, until this evening, when she mentioned starting a damn relationship.

  He had called her last night after getting home from the emergency Caesarean, but she’d said it was too late for her to come over. He’d offered to drive over to her house, but she’d refused that, too, and arranged for a date this evening.

  “Don’t you agree?” Priscilla asked.

  He readjusted his focus. “Pardon? Come again?”

  “I asked you if you agreed.”

  “With what?”

  She batted her long false eyelashes. “Agree…with us dating. Exclusively.”

  “What?”

  “We’ve known each other for a year, and we get along so well.” Her gaze darted around the room as she moved closer. “Plus, the sex is amazing. I could do it every night. Couldn’t you?”

  The sex was mediocre, at best. Nothing he’d brag about. “I thought we had an understanding.”

  Her voice turned low and husky when she spoke. “It’s time to shift into something more. I’m looking to get married and settle down. I think I could do that with you.”

  He pushed his chair away from the table. Getting the hell out of there became his priority. He thanked God they’d driven separate cars to the restaurant. “Priscilla. I don’t settle down. It’s not in my nature.”

  She giggled. “It’s in everybody’s nature, Adam. We all need to be loved and taken care of.”

  He wiped a hand over his face. “No. It’s not in mine. I thought we were having a good time here. That’s all I was looking for, a little sex once in a while.”

  “But….”

  Oh damn. He had to get out of there before she started to cry. He took out his wallet, removing more than enough to cover the amount of the bill. “I know some guy will be perfect for you to settle down with, but I’m not him.”

  “But the great sex. And you always call me.”

  Adam searched for their waiter. Instead of calling him over, he stood. “I had a great time, but I have to go. Let me walk you to your car.” Even in his rush to dump her, he still needed to make sure she was safe.

  She grabbed her pocketbook and stood, looking bewildered. “Won’t you even consider it?”

  “It’s not a possibility. I’m not settling down with any woman.” Esi’s face flashed into his mind, and he pushed the image away. “Ever.”

  He rushed her out, guiding her with a hand at her lower back. When they reached her car, she stepped closer. He waltzed back. She’d become toxic to him after spilling all of those nasty words out of her mouth like “marriage,” “settling down,” and “commitment.”

  “I’ll see you around.” If he ever caught sight of her, he’d run in the opposite direction. The wisdom of moving his game outside of the hospital hit him. There’d be no dealing with her backlash at the workplace. He’d learned that lesson the hard way.

  She blinked. “Take care of yourself,” she said after folding her long legs into her car.

  “You, too.” He watched her back out of the parking space and head into traffic.

  He’d admit the woman had class. She hadn’t begged. He hated it when they begged.

  I bet Esi would never beg. Where the hell had that thought come from? She would barely give him the time of day, never mind plead for his attention.

&n
bsp; He looked up the street. As if his thoughts had called her forth, she was headed straight towards him. When she noticed him, she paused and then turned away from him to cross the street.

  Getting into his car and driving away would’ve been his best option. It was obvious she didn’t want to see him. They weren’t friends…so why did his feet take him across the street on their own accord?

  “It’s funny running into you in Osu. Are you looking for those shoes for your brother?”

  She glanced at him and increased her speed. The near jog made her voice come out breathy. “I had some errands to run. Shoes weren’t on my list.”

  He expected her to break into a full sprint soon. He had no idea what it was about her that appealed to him so much. Perhaps his new favorite feature—her chin. It was just the right size to make her profile look regal. He would enjoy rubbing his lips back and forth along it.

  Snap out of it.

  “Is your car close by? I’ll walk you to it,” he said.

  “I’m going home by trotro.”

  It had been years since he’d ridden in the van-like vehicle. Once he’d gathered a little bit of money, he had purchased a car. Never to be seen in public transportation. “I’ll take you home.”

  “I bet you’d like to,” she mumbled.

  Couldn’t one encounter happen without an accusation? “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine taking the trotro. I don’t live too far from here.”

  “Come on, Esi. I know you don’t like me, but I want to give you a ride home.”

  She skidded to a stop, and he stepped past her. It was better to keep the space between them, because all he wanted to do was touch her face to see if her skin felt as silky smooth as it looked.

  Her eyes were slivers under the streetlights. The majority of shops closed at eight, but the restaurants and bars were alive with people.

  She propped a hand on her ample hip. “Why?”

  He moved out of the way of a passerby. “Why?”

  “Why do you want to give me a ride home, even though you know I don’t like you?”

  He smirked. “Do you not like me or my reputation?”

  “Same difference,” she snapped.

  “No. It’s not, and you know it.”

  “You can’t separate the two. Are you telling me your reputation for being promiscuous isn’t correct?”

  “I can neither confirm nor deny.”

  She sneered before pivoting and circumventing him. Her short heels clicked down the street. Transfixed by her high, rounded derrière, it took him a few seconds to react. He ran after her, not stopping to wonder why he didn’t just let her go. “Okay, so I have a way with the ladies. They like me. I like them. What’s wrong with that?”

  She stopped walking and appeared to contemplate the question with a tilt of her head. Or maybe creative ways to insult him percolated in her quick-witted mind.

  “I’m not asking you to sleep with me.” Not that he didn’t want to.

  “Good, because that will never happen.”

  “Be careful with the use of the word ‘never.’” His wink was lost on her as she looked straight ahead and took off. “I just want to give you a ride home. I promise not to try to seduce you.”

  She looked at him. “You wouldn’t be able to if you tried, anyway.”

  After the desire he’d seen in her eyes when she’d massaged his shoulders, he knew the words were more for herself.

  He could have her if he really put his mind to it. There wasn’t anyone he couldn’t have. The difficulty came with keeping them at arm’s length, without words like “commitment” and “relationship” sneaking in where “quickie” and “booty call” should be.

  Lucky for her, he’d sworn off women from the hospital. They were messy to deal with once he broke things off. Slashed tires and stalking were not on his list of fun things.

  “I’m one hundred percent sure I could get you into my bed. It’s just…I like my women sweet.”

  “Aren’t I blessed? Besides, I like my men monogamous and a lot less whorish.”

  Adam’s hand flew to his chest, and he gasped in mockery of her comment. “I take offense at the word ‘whore.’ I do not sell my body, even though it would go for a high price. In fact, I’d be a rich man if I did.”

  She rolled her eyes and then looked up the road and back at him. Not a trotro in sight. “Since you insist, I’ll take the ride.”

  He led her back to his car. “It’s about time. I thought I’d have to take a trotro to make sure you got home safely.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “I’m sure you can, but my mother raised a gentleman.”

  Esi snorted. Not an attractive sound coming from her, but it made her point clearer than any words could have.

  To prove his point, he opened her door with panache.

  Ever since he’d watched the movie A Bronx Tale, he put women through “the test.” According to the film, a true lady would reach over and unlock the driver’s side door. As he walked around the back of the car, she reached over and pressed the unlock button on his door.

  His heart pounded so hard it obliterated the noise of the busy street. He should have known she wasn’t selfish. Intelligent and harsh with her words, yes. But, underneath it all, she cared. He wasn’t disillusioned enough to think she gave a horse’s testicle about him though.

  Her sweet vanilla fragrance engulfed him as he clicked in his safety belt and then started the engine. “Where too?”

  “I live near Palm Wine Junction in La.”

  He backed out of the parking space and headed north. “I don’t know the back roads, so I’ll take Old Beach Road.”

  She nodded.

  It could’ve been his imagination, but the air crackled with the charge of attraction between them. Damn Priscilla and her nasty words. He could’ve been having unattached sex right this minute instead of being tortured with the need to caress a woman who sought the most horrible institution ever created by man—marriage.

  Cool air filled the car as Esi rolled down the window. She preferred the cold over being enclosed with his magnetic scent. All she wanted to do was lean over and inhale more of him. Instead, she let the chill air glide over her skin as it diluted the allure of his cologne.

  She could smell the sea, though she couldn’t see it in the dark night. The ocean was her favorite aspect of nature. Its deep, wide, and all-encompassing existence brought up a sense of awe at God’s presence when near it. An unbidden smile came to her lips.

  “So you do know how to smile?” She could hear the grin in his voice.

  She frowned, but kept quiet. The impossibility of getting a trotro at that time of night had disturbed her. Why had she stayed so long in Osu wandering the shops, not looking for anything in particular? She would’ve had to charter a taxi if Adam hadn’t offered her a ride. Not her favorite activity. The taxi drivers tended to take everybody for a figurative ride by jacking up their prices at night.

  “How was your day off?” he asked.

  “Why do you care?”

  She shivered at his sexy chuckle. “Being polite.”

  “Not necessary. What’s so funny Quarshie?”

  He thrust his chin in her direction. “You are. Why are you so cold to me?”

  “It’s my nature.”

  “That’s garbage. I’ve seen you with other people, and you tend to be nice. You even smile when conversing with them. But with me, it’s all smart-ass comments.”

  “Maybe I think you can handle my true personality, because it’s the mirror image of yours,” she said.

  He shifted his eyes off the road to look at her. “What do you mean?”

  “What do you think I mean?” She enjoyed annoying him and hadn’t meant anything by the comment. It had rolled off of her tongue before she could stop it.

  “Are you saying I’m an ass?” Adam’s voice went up an octave.

  Esi didn’t appreciate the insult. “Are you saying
I’m an ass?”

  He shook his head. “What the hell are we talking about?”

  She glared at his profile. “You offended me by calling me an ass.”

  “I didn’t call you an ass. I said…. Let’s let this go.” He sounded flustered. She’d never seen him be anything but charming and in control.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine.”

  When they reached Palm Wine Junction, she directed him to her apartment. At her gate, she was loath to get out because it would mean having to thank him. This neutral territory they’d ventured into set her on edge. Nothing good could come out of it. She had to keep seeing him as someone who liked to use women. Otherwise, she might end up straddling his lap and whispering things to him that would make them both blush. She took a deep breath to settle her rabid, lustful thoughts.

  “Thanks for the ride.” She’d survived emitting the four words without gagging.

  “You’re welcome.”

  She waited for him to make some sort of play or ask her out.

  “Are you going to get out of the car, or are you working up the nerve to ask me in with you?”

  It wasn’t one of his most overt lines, but she pounced on it. “You’d like that wouldn’t you?”

  His skin glowed from the streetlight, giving him an even more handsome, ethereal appearance. “Most definitely.”

  Pleasure filled her, but she harrumphed as she opened the door and rushed out of the car. She bent over to look at him through the window. “One day Quarshie, you’re going to meet someone who will take the need to jump from female to female right out of you.” She knew better than to hope that woman would be her. It would take someone with the patience of Job to tame him. She didn’t possess that quality outside of the labor ward.

  “I know you don’t like me, but are curses necessary?”

  “If you see it as a curse, then you’re in some deep trouble.”

  He got out of the car and stalked towards her. “I’m enjoying life. No harm, no foul. Life is short, and you have to live it with vim.”

  Her stomach tightened.

  “Aren’t you going to congratulate me?” he asked.

  “For what?”