Stewart and Sadie were resting after two intense sessions of lovemaking. She had marveled that he was ready again so quickly after their first session. She had told him to wait until in the morning but he wanted to get as much as he could out of this big boned woman’s voluptous body. Her face was still tear stained and her chest had just stopped heaving.
"I should have bitten you when I was climaxing this last time here."
"The amount of licks and scratches you gave me. And the amount of crying you did."
"I must give them to you and I have to cry after you make me feel so nice."
Stewart laughed.
"I can bet I’ll sleep all day at work tomorrow," she said.
"How do you manage, Stewie? It's a good thing that it's sales you do. Sometimes you don’t feel tired when you’re driving?”
"I drink lots of fruit juices and tonic."
"That's why you're so good in bed. I'm going to sleep,” she said, getting up off the bed and going into the bathroom.
When she returned, she simply flung herself down on the bed and threw her arms around his belly.
“I saw some marks in your back. It seems as if somebody was using a small shovel to scoop out some of your flesh.”
“It’s you who did it.”
“I never wear long fingernails. It must have been Bobbette. Her nails are incredibly long. I can just imagine how she must have felt.”
“It’s just a birthmark.”
The two of them then started to cuddle each other.
"Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Yeah, Sadie, let me go and take off this thing here," he replied, getting up off the bed and heading for the bathroom.
***
Brad felt some amount of responsibility for what had
taken place between Jenna and Dania at the nightclub. As he told Morgana, he just couldn’t understand why Dania and Celia came to fight Jenna. Could it be Morgana, they were after? Dania had made no secret of the fact that she didn’t
want him to have anything to do with her. Come to think of it, it seemed ridiculous since everybody knew that Morgana was Stewart’s fiancé. He had just gone out with her once to have a drink. Maybe it was Celia, who had set it up, trying to get back at Bev for her friendship with Rick. He had called Dania and she had been blank to his queries and didn’t even want to talk to him.
He decided to call Jenna and ask her for a date. Jenna had just finished helping both Kailen and Jaimie with their homework when her telephone rang. Brad was on the line.
Jenna was still upset and angry over the incident with the two girls. Brad had called her a couple of times to apologize. The last time he called was Sunday night. She had decided that she wouldn’t pursue any action against the two girls.
“Hi Jenna, how are you?”
“I’m okay, fancy hearing from you. I thought after you called me on Sunday, you had reconciled with your girlfriend and everything was okay between you now. I keep telling myself that I don’t want to be blamed for the break up of your relationship.”
“I told you the truth. She phoned and broke off with me. I don’t know why she acted like that. I spoke to her after the incident and she couldn’t give me an explanation,” he appealed to her.
“I don’t like to date men I can’t trust. I was really embarrassed by the whole incident.”
“Jenna, it’s like this. There’s this lady at my office, she started working there about four months before me. I went out for a drink with her and Dania can’t bear to see me near her. If I go anywhere and see her and so much as talk to her she gets all upset. The woman is engaged so I can’t understand her.”
“Maybe you’ve done something to make her feel that there is something going on between you and this other woman.”
“The woman will be getting married in a matter of weeks to a former colleague of mine. Dania is just being foolish and paranoid and so we’ve parted.”
“She doesn’t act as if she’s somebody willing to give you up. Maybe you’ve left her, but she hasn’t.”
“What can I do to prove to you that we’re no longer together?”
“I wouldn’t risk going out with you again. I know that’s why you called.”
“That’s true, but judging by what you’re saying, Dania is scaring you away from me.”
“It’s not because I told you that I was scared of jealous females. that I’m going to be afraid of Dania. It’s because she’s your long time woman, I just feel that I’m intruding.”
“I don’t have any papers to show you that we’ve broken up. But I can assure you that if you go out with me nothing like that will take place again,” he sought to assure her.
“I’ll think over your invitation and I’ll give you a call one day this week.”
“Okay then, I’ll be listening out,” he said as they both hung up.
***
Brad arrived at the office early, he had hardly settled down when Alex walked in.
"Brad, the girls are rushing me bad."
Maria Dwyer from the finance department made her way into Brad’s office.
"I wonder who those girls are though?" she asked.
Brad knew Maria before he went away when she used to work for an investment firm on Trafalgar Road. Her boyfriend, Ron Jenkinson, worked at a stock-broking house in New Kingston.
"Last night I was at Corners and I danced with a whole host of different girls,” Alex stated.
"You are the man around town, you have all the girls," Brad said.
Morgana had joined them now.
"Alex, what were you doing at Corners with so many girls?"
Morgana had gone to Corners. She was waiting for Stewart to turn up there, but he was a no show. Realizing that he wasn’t going to show up, she had danced with a few male friends and spent time talking to some other people.
"I bet he didn't get any of them to take home with him," Maria remarked.
"I have a time when it’s just dancing I'm dealing with, another time it’s pure girls. Well, last night it was just dancing."
"You certainly can dance though, Alex. You know how many girls I saw lining up to dance with him,” Morgana said.
"How old are you, Alex?" Maria asked.
"Old enough to take care of any business."
"He's just twenty-three,” Morgana said." I didn't know that he was so young. I don’t want any man younger than I am."
"Brad and Rick can't be much older than Alex. They behave as if they’re mature men,” Maria remarked.
"We've been on our own for so long that we can’t help feeling that way,” Brad said. "But, Morgana, Stewart is young too."
"If Stewart and I should break up I would date a much older man.”
"My boyfriend is in his thirties and I'm twenty-five," Maria said going out of the office.
"I'm going to get something to eat," Morgana said.
"I’m going to get something to eat too, so I'll be seeing you, all,” Alex said going out after Morgana.
***
That evening Stewart and Morgana went to Bobs. Morgana didn’t feel like dancing, but enjoying the ambience around her. She had heard that next year Bob would be developing it some more, probably into a nightclub.
"Stewart, is something bothering you? You don't seem yourself these days.”
"It’s strange that you should say that. Everything's all right with me. I don’t have any problems.”
"I had to ask you to take me here. I could have come with
some friends and now that we’re here you seem so glum. Last night I was at Corners waiting for you and you didn’t show up. Maybe you’d better tell me if you’re having a problem with me.”
He didn’t answer, but beckoned a waiter over and ordered some more drinks.
"Let's do some more dancing," he said as the waiter brought their drinks and they took a few sips.
Reluctantly, Morgana went on the dance floor with him. As Stewart danced with her he was worried as to what to tell Bobbette and he dare not tell Morgana about her impending marriage to Robert.
"Do you feel better now, darling?" Morgana asked, taking some more sips of her drink. They had just returned to their table.
"I told you that everything was okay. I don't know why you feel that something is wrong with me.”
"Let's do some more dancing, or else we'll just sit here arguing and it’s getting us nowhere.”
They danced to a couple of songs before returning to their table.
"I've never seen you like this before. You were so stiff on the dance floor and you hardly wanted to move your feet.”
"What's the matter with you?" he snapped.
"Take me home," she requested. "I don't know why I ever asked you to bring me here. I'm sorry I didn't drive my car.”
Stewart got up and both of them left the sports bar after he paid their bill.
When they were outside Stewart said.
"I don't know why you’re asking me so many questions."
"You're my fiancé, and it's because I care why I'm asking.”
"Okay, I hope I've answered all of your questions."
"I still don't know what’s wrong with you,” she replied as he opened the car door for her.
The ride back home was uneventful. He didn't even bother to kiss her good night or to make sure that she reached inside her home safely. He just drove off as soon as she got out of the car.
***
Rick reached home around ten o’clock after his rendezvous with Bev. Celia had made some chicken soup and he threw out some of it in a bowl. He had brought some fruits and some juices. He and Celia were now cordial to each other. He wasn’t sure about Bev anymore and was thinking that maybe he had made a mistake in trying to romance her.
Maybe it was because he had seen Brad going after Morgana why he had tried after Bev. He thought she was more enthusiastic at first, but now he wasn’t sure. She kept insisting that although she and Celia weren’t friends she didn’t want her to think that she was intruding in her relationship. In other words she was telling him to choose between her and Celia.
“Rick, I want to know what to do. I don’t want to come home and see my things thrown outside and you move your girlfriend in here.”
Rick ate some of the fruits he had brought home before he went to have the soup. He washed up the dish before coming to sit opposite Celia in one of the couches.
“Every day it gets more ridiculous. Ever since Dania said she saw me talking to Bev, you’ve been malicing me. You’ve never seen me with the girl, but you’re quite prepared to believe that I’m seeing her.”
“I think you’re lovers. Rory is abroad and if I know him well he’ll have girlfriends over there so I think Bev is trying to start something with you.”
“So you’re willing to stand aside and look while she takes me away from you?”
“You know how bad I can go on. But I believe that if I’m with a man and I give him all the love and affection I can and he still walks out and go and look another woman then maybe he doesn’t want me again.”
Rick went and opened an energy drink and took a swallow.
“Have you ever considered that we sleep in the same bed every night. If I was seeing Bev then I’d be out there partying with her. Dania might have convinced you that because Brad was trying to be friendly with Morgana I was doing the same thing with her sister.”
“People have been known to sleep in the same bed and yet are carrying on affairs behind each other’s back. I’m going to bed. It will take a lot to convince me that you and that girl, aren’t lovers,” she said and got up and went upstairs.
Bev had been reluctant to say anything about Rory, but as Celia said the man was bound to have a woman over there. Maybe Bev had found out and had withdrawn into her shell or it could be that her mother and Morgana had advised her not to go any further with him. After all, Celia and Dania had actually gone to fight Morgana and were rather taken aback when they saw Brad with a woman they didn’t know. That hadn’t stopped Dania from dousing her with the beer. Rick knew that his relationship with Bev was ending and it was time to mend fences with Celia. He took up the television remote control and began to switch channels, finally finding one he could watch. He didn’t feel sleepy and maybe wouldn’t go to bed until after midnight.
***
Morgana reached work early that morning. As she sat in her office thinking over last night’s episodes between herself and Stewart, Maria came in.
"I saw you and Stewart at Bobs last night. Both of you seemed to be arguing all the time.”
For a moment Morgana wanted to tell her that everything was okay between them, but she knew that the girl was only expressing her concern for her.
"I don't know what has come over him of late, but he certainly doesn’t seem himself these days.”
"Maybe you should give him some time. I'm sure he'll come around.”
"I'm thinking of doing that and thanks for the advice," Morgana said as Maria made her way out of her office.
***
Jenna had backed down from her decision not to go out with Brad and agreed to go to Bobs with him that evening. She was dressed in a strapless blue dress and slippers. Brad had on a blue pants and a white sports shirt.
"So is everything okay with you, Brad?"
"Sure, so far so good, I was kind of surprised when you agreed to go out with me. You know nothing like that will happen again,” he told her. He was referring to the incident with Dania and Celia.
Jenna nodded, sure that he knew that it would be curtains to any relationship between them should there be a repeat of such an incident.
"You know that I have a son for Robert Parsons. We get good support from him. I was in a relationship with him for more than a year after I had my son. But now he has a woman whom he’s planning to marry."
"Are you planning to do anything about it?"
"We broke up and I was seeing Sean and then I found out about her. But she wasn’t the reason for our break-up. It was another girl, but they broke up and he’s seeing Bobbette now.”
“Throughout all this Robert still supported Jaimie. But I’ve explained all of this to you already. With his intended marriage, I'm not sure of that support anymore."
They had not danced yet, but he was content to listen to her.
"He's a young and dynamic businessman. I'm not sure that he’d want you to drag him through the courts to support his son.”
"I suppose you didn't invite me here to listen to my problems, so let’s dance.”
"No, that's okay. I am always willing to sit and listen and if possible help a lady in distress.”
Jenna laughed.
"You're quite romantic, but we've done enough talking for one night so let’s go and enjoy ourselves.”
***
Stewart was at Jimmy Chang's sports bar on Holborn
Road. He didn't know where Morgana was, maybe she was still angry after Wednesday night. He had drunk two pints of beer when the proprietor came over. He had known Stewart for a couple of years now as a regular patron of the sports bar.
"How's it going, Stewie? What happen to the women? I am always glad to see you because you bring some girls here who simply light up the place.”
Stewart laughed.
"Jimmy, I want a straight answer from you because you are a man in this business longer than I. You see the girl, who you were always admiring. The one I brought here sometimes; she gave me an ultimatum. This businessman has proposed to her and she wants me to tell her what to tell him.”
"Tell her not to marry the guy and there ends the story."
Stewart laughed and Jimmy soon joined him.
"If it was as easy as that I would have done it already, but the guy is rich with a lot of businesses and he’ll leave her unless she marries him.”
"Oh, I know what your problem is, but don’t you have plenty more girls? What’s happening, you aren’t getting enough from them?”
"Sometimes it’s several weeks before I see the other girls. Most of the times it’s this girl who helps me out.”
"You are out of luck because short of agreeing to marry her yourself, I don’t see what else you can do,” Jimmy replied, moving away to help out with the serving of the customers.
"I’ll see you around and tell you how things went,” Stewart said as he got ready to leave the sports bar.
***
Friday evening Morgana took up her cell phone at least two times but put it down again. She hadn’t heard from Stewart. She had exchanged pleasantries with Brad and he
told her that he was
taking Jenna to Corners later on that night. She felt a stab of jealousy and wondered if it was because of her own problems with Stewart.
When she reached home her mother had left a note that she had gone out with Val and Bev wasn’t home as yet. Darren phoned to say that he and his current girlfriend, Bianca, had gone to the movies at the Carib Cinema in Cross Roads. After she had her bath and ate some food she decided to call Stewart.
"Hi, Stewart, I haven't heard from you since Wednesday. Why are you shunning me?”
Stewart wondered, what the hell, he wasn't even being given time to think.
"Did you hear what I asked you?"
"Sure I did, I'm not ignoring you, but I've been so busy that I hardly have time to call you.”
"You aren't showing much interest in me these days. Sometimes I wonder where in your life do I fit in. Should I go my way or stay and beg you to pay me some attention? I think you have some problem that you don’t want me to know about.”
"Listen, I don't have any problems. I'll try to make it up to you, not this weekend, but one day next week we can go clubbing.”
"Okay, we'll see," she replied and ended the call.
She had a feeling that his uneasiness had something to do with Bobbette but she would one day find out about him and that girl.
***
Linton took Kedija to Corners that evening, the crew was there and they partied until about one o’clock that morning. The crew would be staying in Kingston this
weekend and cruise the nightclub circuit. Several night club managers had called influential crew members to express their disappointment at their absence from their clubs over several weekends when they had been on the house party circuit.
***
Glen and Leona had just reached home after partying at Mass Camp on Oxford Road. Her car was parked up at his home. Glen’s parents had given him this one bedroom self-contained flat on their property and Leona had spent lots of time up there with him. Leona still wasn’t pleased that he was refusing to give her a weekly allowance and was only willing to give her some money now and then. She had told him that she wanted to move and live with him but he had refused. Glen’s parents would have been liberal enough to have let their second son live with his woman even if they were unmarried and still attending college. Glen however, felt that it wouldn’t do since both of them were still attending college and neither was working.
“I don’t see why we can’t live together.”
They were on the steps leading to Glen’s flat. After returning from Mass Camp they had gone for a swim in the pool. Both had robes around them to keep away the morning chill.
“How would we spin that, Leona? Both of us are going to school and not working.”
“You have your own flat and your parents don’t object to me staying here with you. I know other couples attending classes who live together. Decarla Wright and Carson Kent live together and so do Celestine Waugh and Carlton Reid. They only became lovers since attending university and they aren’t married or working.”
Glen knew both sets of couples.
“I have to pay my utility bills and maintain my vehicle out of the allowance my parents give me. I wouldn’t have enough left to buy food and other things for both of us. You aren’t even sure if your parents would agree with you living with a man and you’re not married and still attending college.”
“You don’t worry about them. They are cool about me staying with you. They never raise a fuss or anything. My mother says I’m a big woman now and capable of making my own decisions and my father feels the same way,” she told him. Glen put his arms around her waist.
“Why do we continue to argue all the time? You have your own room on your parent’s property. It’s a nice place, I can’t understand you not wanting to live there anymore.”
“Living with you will enable me to get to know the type of person you are.”
“Aren’t you going a bit too fast there. After I finish up here I’ll be going up to complete my certified professional accounting examinations. You still have one more year in college. See the impossibility of what you’re talking about.”
Leona knew of his intentions to go away.
“They do those courses out here. I don’t see why you have to go abroad to do them.”
“I want to finish quicker and I think the lecturers over there might be better.”
“When you go up you’ll just leave me alone to wait until you return,” she complained putting her head in his lap.
“Let’s go to bed, it’s almost daylight and we aren’t getting anywhere with this argument,” he told her, taking her hand and leading her up the steps to his flat.
***
Stan had fled to a district in St. Catherine called Hepburn Grove. The old landlady and her husband, were charging him five thousand dollars per month for the one bedroom board house. Stan knew that the twenty thousand dollars he had on him wouldn’t last long after he paid his rent. He drove to Linstead, almost five miles away to buy things for his room. He resisted using his bank card to access the almost one hundred thousand dollars he had left in his account. They lent him a small bed and he had bought a kerosene oil stove. There was an outdoor kitchen and a pit toilet. The first night there had been hard for Stan and he was bitten all over by mosquitos.
Stan knew he couldn’t afford to sit idly by and do nothing if he wanted to eat and pay his rent. He had been tempted to run his car as a taxi, but it hadn’t been insured for years. The fees for the license and fitness hadn’t been paid for the same amount of time, plus he didn’t know which policemen, Bishop had given pictures of him. Already he had
done some trips for people in the little district and for both of his landlords, but he knew those were small pickings and he didn’t want to rob anybody in the district. Then a thought struck him. He had vowed to carve up Linton’s face so why not find out where he lived in Kingston and hold him up and get some money from him. Linton was a man who loved the nightclub scene. All he had to do was to find out which club he was in and trail him home and then hold him up. He would threaten to kill him if he didn’t give him a certain amount of money to spare his life. Stan set about planning how to hold up Linton. He remembered that was what he had been thinking about in Ocho Rios over the Easter holidays so it was now time to put those plans into action.