"Chin up, Mike. We're in paradise." Jackie said to him before sending him a wink. "You might even find some groovy chick."
"He needs to find a groovy chick." Jermaine teased, causing Michael to roll his eyes as he muttered 'whatever' under his breath.
"Yo, Mike. We're going out to one of the clubs tonight, you wanna come along?" Tito asked. Michael shrugged, not really feeling in the mood. He was pretty sure Joe wouldn't let him anyways. Joe was always breathing down his neck, and not his other brothers. They were allowed to do practically anything, Joe endorsed their wild behaviour. Yet, if it were to be him, he wouldn't hear the end of it. It was mentally exhausting.
"C'mon Michael, at least have fun on our first night. You can do what you want for the rest." Randy piped up, causing him to roll his eyes. His brothers were now all pleading with him and at this point, he couldn't say no.
"Fine. Alright, I'll go." He gave in, causing a series of triumphant replies floating around the room. "But just for tonight, though." He let them know.
"Whatever, Mike." Jackie said, leaving Michael by himself in the lobby as the rest of his family went to their rooms. A small sigh escaped his lips as he drew closer to the window in which LaToya was previously posted up.
God help him.
꧁
Once Michael entered the club, he instantly knew that he wanted to leave.
The energy in the atmosphere was like nothing he's ever really witnessed at another club, ever. Though Michael didn't go to a lot of clubs willingly, he could tell that the definition of 'party' was very different to the people of this small island. People were drinking like there was no tomorrow, bodies were attached like skin, the music playing wasn't like the sweet reggae he had heard about, it was more harsh and vulgar sounding. And Michael, did not want to be there anymore.
When his brothers found some girls to dance with, Michael had just disappeared completely from their minds. Which he didn't completely mind. He stayed off in a corner of the bar, by himself, observing the dozens and dozens of people in the tightly packed club. He did find the way how they danced a bit intriguing. It wasn't like anything he's really seen before, these people had a sense of rhythm that was vibrant to watch. As his eyes scanned around the busy club, they stopped almost immediately once they landed on a girl that almost made time stop ticking.
She was dancing with the numerous other people, but she was the only one that really stood out. The way she danced was hypnotizing and Michael only tore his eyes away once she caught him staring.
He looked anywhere and everywhere except for at her. After a while of him awkwardly looking around the club, he slowly gazed back at the spot where she once was to see that she was nowhere to be seen. A part of him was disappointed even though he knew that he wouldn't have been able to muster up enough courage to talk to her.
"Mi like yuh 'fro." A voice said from behind him, startling him as he quickly turned around to face the source. It was her. She was standing with one hand on her hip and the other hand holding a glass of rum.
Michael smiled awkwardly. "My Afro?" He asked as she nodded, a smirk tugging on her pink lips.
"Thank you." He said sheepishly. He felt her eyes scan up and down his body, it sent an odd shiver down his spine. "Mi feel like seh mi know yuh from somewhere." She said as her eyes continued to trail across his body. At any second, Michael expected her to crack the code. And with her cracking the code, it would lead her to look and treat him differently. But surprisingly, she didn't press the topic further.
"So.. where yuh from?" She asked instead, bringing the cup of rum to her lips.
"Oh, me? I'm from Indiana, in America." He told her. She only nodded, her eyes twinkling the more he looked at them. She smiled softly. "So you're not going to ask me to dance?" She asked teasingly, causing Michael to flush.
"S-sure.." He said. She smiled wider before placing her cup on the table behind him, she grabbed his hand and led him to the dance floor. A slower, more milder song started playing. The girl before him immediately took him by surprise when she turned around, placed his arms on her waist and started rolling her body against his.
He almost pulled away, not used to the more provocative style of dancing that was popular in the club that night. But she didn't overstep her boundaries, and eventually he was able to comfortably move along with her to the rhythm of the song.
If Joe could see him, he knew it would make him livid, and you could say that that fact made Michael loosen up a bit. Disobeying his father was always sort of a thrill.
Before long, the song had finished and she had turned around and held him closer when the next song started playing.
She leaned in closer to his ear. "I'm Nyika." She whispered in his ear. In his peripheral vision, he could see that she had spotted something, or someone amongst the sea of people in the club, that made her fret. But she regained her composure almost immediately. "Later Michael." And with that, she had slipped from his arms, and before he could blink, she was gone.
Michael could've sworn that his head started to spin. The mystery woman had already caught his attention, and he could feel his heart pick up speed just thinking about her.
"Nyika." He repeated. Her name sounded so foreign, and so pretty.
He wiped the sweat off his brow and exited the club, his vision hazy as he headed back to the hotel.
—
