by Nana Prah
Jason rubbed his finger up and down her arm, enjoying the silky feel of her skin. He threw platonic out the window; he’d been away for a week and needed her. “How are the party arrangements going?”
“Esi’s doing most of the work. She comes to me for my half of the party money. She’s like a child hyped up on candy.”
“You don’t sound excited.”
She shrugged. “I’m not a party person. I like to dance, but I have difficulty socializing with people I don’t know. If it’s a small party with friends and family, then I enjoy myself.” She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes. “What about you? Do you like to party?”
“Back in college, if you’d looked up the term ‘party king’ in the dictionary, you would have found my name and picture. I used to attend every party on campus whether invited or not. But I’ve matured and outgrown it. I like to go to a party every once in a while but I’d rather enjoy the company of good friends and family.”
Her sudden tenseness told him she had something on her mind, but he waited for her to express herself. From his experience, there’d be no rushing Ora.
She eased away from him. “Something unprecedented happened today.”
Jason’s stomach churned. “What?”
“I got asked out by four guys. Not street guys, either. Professional men who seemed like they knew how to take care of a woman. Guys that I may have been willing to date.”
Jason’s back stiffened. Who the hell would dare ask out his Ora? “What did you tell them?” His tone came out sharper than he’d intended it.
“I said yes to all of them. I have a date tomorrow with the banker. On Friday, I’m see—”
“No, you’re not.” He saw red.
“—ing the architect. Pardon me?”
“I said, you’re not going out with any of those guys.” Each word came out clipped.
Ora laughed. “Of course I’m not.”
Not sure what she’d been playing at, he confirmed her statement. “That’s right.”
“I’ve never seen you jealous, Jason.”
He didn’t bother to deny her accusation. “It happens every once in a while.”
“The truth is I did get asked out by four professional men today, but I told them all no. It got me thinking about where we stood. If I had been attracted to any of them—”
Once again, he cut her off. “We’re dating, Ora.”
His words were definitive and left no room for argument. After all the time they’d spent together, she’d contemplate going out with someone else? No way. “We’re a couple,” he added as an afterthought, knowing her crafty mind.
She poked him in the chest. “You have no right to declare it. At the least, you should have asked.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her across his lap. The thought of being without her sent shivers of fear up his spine. “Consider yourself asked, and I consider myself answered.”
“But—”
“There are no buts about this. You’ve been mine since we met in Cape Town. I won’t let you go again.”
“You could have asked me.”
“No need.”
In order to stop his stubborn woman from arguing, he kissed her.
It started out gentle, but in no time turned passionate. They’d never shared a kiss so carnal. Their tongues warred for the chance to stroke, their lips moulded, and their bodies became heated with the need to get closer.
He moved to her neck and suckled the soft skin. Her soft moan made him suck harder.
She grabbed his face between her hands and brought his mouth to hers.
“Do I need to get a bucket of cold water to separate you two?”
Esi’s voice broke through their haze of passion and he helped Ora remove herself from the straddled position on his lap.
“Umm. Hi, Esi. We didn’t hear you come in.”
His pride swelled at Ora’s sexy, husky voice.
“Good evening, Esi,” he said.
“Of course you couldn’t hear me; you guys were occupied. Which I must admit, I’m glad to see. I’m going for a glass of juice. Do either of you want any?”
“No, thank you,” they said in unison.
When Esi disappeared into the kitchen, Ora faced him. “Damn.”
Jason would’ve cursed Esi’s birth date for interrupting. “I know.” He touched her cheek. “I’m not sure if Esi’s sudden appearance is good or bad.”
“So what are we doing tonight?” Esi asked when she returned. “Watching television or a movie? We could play Scrabble. Don’t look at me as if I’m crashing something here, Ora. I told you I’m in a rut and I need some company. And besides, you two need a chaperone.” She laughed as she turned on the television.
Chapter Ten
The suction machine in the ED broke that Wednesday so Ora walked to the theatre to pick up one of their extras. She could have sent anyone else to pick it up, but hoped to run into her boyfriend. The thought of Jason being her man made her giggle.
They hadn’t hung out for the past few days because of their work schedules, but he’d stop by the ED in the mornings before he headed to the theatre or the OPD. They talked a lot on the phone. Would they ever run out of things to say?
When she reached the theatre, the nurse told her to have a seat while she went for the machine.
“Is Dr. Lartey around?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too excited.
“He’s doing ward rounds on Surgical Ward Two. He should be back any moment now.”
Ora’s shoulders drooped. “Thank you.”
Not long after the nurse left, she heard two women talking in a room close by. She didn’t pay attention to their conversation until they mentioned Jason’s name. Her ears perked up like a dog upon hearing his master’s call.
“You’re right. I must admit he’s a very handsome man. But I’m happy with my husband.” The clang of metal on metal indicated a locker closing.
“He’s more than handsome. The man could be a model. That gorgeous body and clear, dark complexion. He’s hot!”
“Calm down, Gifty. Don’t get all excited.” The woman laughed. “He’s just a man. And besides, I heard he’s dating one of the nurses in the ED.”
Ora nodded and mouthed, “That’s right. You tell her lady!”
“I heard the same rumour. But what does that matter? He’s not married. And even if he was, that wouldn’t matter, either.”
Ora’s mouth opened. That little— She cut off the unkind thought before she could finish it.
“Gifty!” the other woman exclaimed.
“What? He’s a handsome doctor. What’s a girl supposed to do? Look a gift horse in the mouth?”
“He’s not for you, Gifty. I told you he has a girlfriend.”
“That won’t stop me from trying to get him. Look at me, Naomi. You know I always get what I want.”
Ora wanted to see this Gifty chick and then have her fist take a gander at her left eye but she remained calm. After all, he’d asked her to be his girlfriend. And he loved her.
But the one time he’d ever said it had been three years ago. He didn’t even tell her when he’d announced them a couple. She’d be more secure if she knew for sure he loved her.
“I see.” The second woman sounded dubious but didn’t continue to dissuade her co-worker. “Let’s get back to the theatre. We have a hernia repair to prep for.”
Ora sat pondering the conversation. She’d crossed doctors off of her dating list for this reason. Everyone wanted them. She couldn’t fault Gifty for lusting after him—he could melt a block of chocolate with his hotness, and with all of his wonderful qualities, there’s no doubt he represented a catch. But to attempt to steal him from another woman placed Gifty in the category of horrible. There were so many things she could do to dissuade Gifty.
The nurse returned with the suction machine. “I’m sorry I took so long. One of my colleagues needed help.”
Ora realized her expression r
egistered as less than pleasant and the theatre nurse attributed it to making her wait. She pasted on a smile. “That’s okay. Thank you for getting it for me. I’ll make sure it’s returned as soon as ours is fixed.”
Heading back to the ED, she thought about what that little trollop had planned for her man. Some women could be ruthless when they were on the hunt. Perhaps she’d approach the ho to convey the message of Jason’s off-limits status.
She let her mind wander, envisioning herself confronting little Miss Gifty and stomping her into the ground if need be.
She reached the ED and her daydream vanished. She’d never fight another woman over a man. She’d long ago come to the conclusion that men were not worth fighting over. If an altercation occurred, it would be between her and the man. Never between her and another woman.
But she wouldn’t back down from a fight if it forced itself upon her. She wasn’t a hefty woman but she had some skills and speed.
She had to believe Jason would remain faithful. He’d promised her, so she’d hold him to it.
***
The day of the party of the year arrived and Esi bounced around with unrestrained mirth.
“Why aren’t you as thrilled as I am?” she asked Ora that morning.
“I am excited. Yippee.” She waved both hands in the air with fake enthusiasm.
Esi laughed. “I know you’re not much into parties. Thanks for doing this for me.”
“Anything to get you out of your rut.”
“Is Jason coming?”
Ora’s lips curved upward. “He said he’d stop by.”
“Good. I like him. He’s a good influence on you.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. You’re more relaxed than you were before. And happier.”
Ora picked up a throw pillow from the couch and held it against her stomach. “Why does happiness have to be connected to a man?”
“In your case, it’s because of Jason. Before you argue anymore, let’s go over our checklist to make sure we didn’t forget anything.”
At ten o’clock, the two women went to shower and change for the party. When Esi came out of her room, Ora whistled. “Looking good!”
Esi did a supermodel catwalk around the couch making sure to take a dramatic turn showing off the plunging back of her bright, cherry-red sundress which fell a little above the knee. Esi epitomised sexy and she knew it. She ruined the serious sultry look when she giggled. “You’re one hot lady yourself.”
Ora thrust her hips forward and walked with her feet in a straight line while she modelled her simple, off the shoulder green sheath dress. Both of them wore sandals because they’d be traipsing in the sand all day. “Do my eyes look greener?”
Esi moved closer. “No. You always ask when you wear green, but they never do.”
“They did once.”
“Sure, Ora, if you say so. You were the only one who saw it.”
“That’s true, but they were green, even if for a few seconds.”
“Your hazel eyes are beautiful. Do you want me to be even more envious of your eyes and have them be green, too? Let’s get going. I’d leave you to carry the cake, but I don’t trust you.”
The cake from her favourite bakery topped as Ora’s favourite part of the buffet meal they’d planned. Other than the cake, the rest of the food would be supplied by a caterer. She couldn’t wait to dive into that sweet, moist, delicious half-vanilla, half-chocolate cake with rich icing. The anticipation made her mouth water and she resisted taking an accidental slice of the confection.
Esi had borrowed her friend’s car for the day and Ora made sure she heard the click of her seat belt as soon as she sat down. Riding with Esi behind the wheel proved to be an adventure in fear because her incessant talking distracted her from the road.
They were holding their party at the beach section of a hotel near Kasoa. After speaking to the hotel manager, they went to the caterer to see if everything was in order.
Ora scanned the area. It would be a great party. The sand and ocean were the decorations they’d use. The sun shone high in the sky and all of the clouds had decided to hide for the day. The breeze flirted with her skirt by lifting it up a little at the hem. The tantalizing smell of the food made her steal a piece fried fish. “You did a good job organizing this party, Esi.”
Esi beamed with pride. “I did, didn’t I? No thanks to you.”
Ora lifted a brow. “What? You could always return my money.”
“I take it back. You did a magnificent job helping to organize this party, Ora.”
“That’s better.”
With nothing else to do but enjoy the music and the beautiful atmosphere before the guests arrived, they each got a drink and danced as if they were in a crowded club.
The first guests started appearing a few minutes later. The people trickled in and the place began to get crowded. Way more than the anticipated forty people had showed up.
“Do we have enough food?” Ora asked Esi.
“I think so. I ordered extra just in case. You know there’re always party crashers, especially at fabulous ones on the beach. How many of them do you know?”
Ora observed everyone having a good time. Some were dancing, some eating, and others had wandered down to the water’s edge. “About seven.”
“I know fifteen or so. Throwing a party is an interesting phenomenon; you never know what or who you’re going to get. I see a cute guy I’ve never met before. I’m going over dance with him. The spinner is playing my favourite R2Bees song.”
Ora laughed at her cousin who’d started dancing as she walked toward the stranger. The poor man would never know what hit him.
Rhonke came up to her. “Nice party.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you could make it.”
“Thanks for inviting me. The food’s delicious and the music is keeping me from sitting down. I love the ocean.”
“Make sure you have some cake. The more that’s left over, the more I’ll have to eat, not that I’d mind.”
Ora circulated to different groups making sure they were having a good time. Jason would be around later in the afternoon after finishing work, but she longed to see him now.
A group of her friends asked her to dance and they got down to a misinterpreted Ruff n’ Smooth song about a sex machine.
She happened to glance up while talking to a colleague of Esi’s and noticed Jason walking toward her. When their eyes met, she became giddy. His full time job should be to stay by her side, instead of saving lives.
Two women and two men flanked him. She recognized one of the guys as a doctor from the hospital, but she didn’t know the others.
“Good evening.” She greeted as she approached the group. “You are all welcome.”
They returned the greeting in a chorus of voices.
“These are the co-workers I asked you about inviting.” He went on to introduce everyone.
“This is my colleague and best friend, Adam Quarshie.”
Ora and Adam shook hands. “We’ve met before at the hospital,” she stated, and restrained herself from cringing as she recalled the stories about his player ways.
“Yes, on several occasions.”
“The rest are theatre nurses. This is Kwaku Gyau, Rose Asamoah, and Gifty.” Jason paused. “I’m sorry, Gifty. I’ve forgotten your last name.”
“That’s alright,” came her breathy reply as she touched his arm. “It’s Saah.”
The hairs on the back of Ora’s neck stood on end. The gorgeous woman had a shape that would make most men take a double and triple look and then walk into a pole because they weren’t paying attention to where they were going. Ora’s cheek twitched in her effort to maintain a calm demeanour as she thought about the conversation she’d overheard the girl having of her plan to snatch Jason away. She kept a smile pasted on her face.
“Everybody, this is my girlfriend and one of the hostesses of the party, Aurora Aikins.” He beamed at her while moving away from
the woman’s hand and placing his arm around Ora’s waist.
She shook hands with the other three guests. “It’s wonderful to meet you.” When she got to Gifty, she noticed the vapid smile on her face as the woman did the cold fish finger handshake. Ora hated when women tried to make you feel as if you weren’t good enough to touch.
Ora fumed, but made polite conversation with them all, even Gifty who mumbled one-word answers to her questions.
“You can help yourselves to some food and drinks. It’s right over there. Enjoy the party.”
As the other three guests headed to the food buffet, Gifty lingered behind to talk to Jason. Ora pulled him away. “Can I talk to you for a minute please?”
“Sure.”
Jason could feel trouble stirring. Tension resonated off of Ora, but he had no idea of the cause.
They walked along the beach until they reached a secluded hut where some of the food had been stored. To his surprise, she turned and hugged him. “I’ve missed you these last couple of days.”
Ever since they’d started dating, she’d been more generous with her affection. It must have been her initial insecurity which had held her back.
“I’ve missed you, too. You look amazing.” He moved back to gaze at her outfit. “Thank you.” She turned so he could admire the rear view.
Damn, he had a fine woman. “I missed something, turn around again.”
“Jason,” she screeched, but did as he asked a little slower this time.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when she faced him again.
“With what?”
“With you. You were vibrating before. I could feel your tension because I had my arm around you.”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“You’re not telling me the truth. Have I upset you?”
Her shoulders slumped a little. “No. You haven’t done anything.”
“Then what’s the matter?”
His tenacity rivalled hers when it came to getting what he wanted, and he kept persisting until she caved in.
“I don’t think your friend Gifty likes me and she likes you too much.”
