Maya(Nyangi's) POV...( image above)
It was a regular Friday night. Well not regular where I come from because it was end month and that usually means it's time to hit the clubs for most young folks. Generally, Kenyans look for any reason to party. Actually it's the entire African continent to be honest. But the end month weekend was usually when people hit the clubs and parties at their highest. Even with struggling finances, it didn't stop us from having an excuse to drink and party. In Kenya we say tutajulia baadaye, which is swahili for we'll know later. Basically means that we shall start being concerned after we have pigad sherehe proper( party like it's your last).
So like everyone else, I decided to join in on the fun and slogan. I had just moved out from my mum's house and this was the first weekend I was "finally free". You see back at home I didn't have as much freedom. My mum was what you could term, over protective. So I rarely went out or met with people my age. Like on average I went out gout or five times the entire year. That plus the fact that covid restrictions were lifted, it was time for me to unleash the dragon, lol.
At the start of the year, things hadn't exactly been good for me. I hadn't finished school, didn't have a job and the icing on the cake, my ex decided he didn't want to continue stringing me along when our relationship had failed. Truth be told, I had felt it coming a few weeks before. I had even prepped myself mentally and was waiting to drop the ball when it became too much to handle, but he beat me to it. The first time that had happened to be honest, since I was always the one dumping people. Truth be told it wasn't nice being on the other side of the table. And even prepping myself hadn't really softened the blow.
I was disappointed we didn't fight for it though. You see, I had never had a relationship last more than three months. Funny how I call them relationships when I should just call them flings. And after my last boyfriend turned out to be a married scum who didn't even have the audacity to be honest with me, I had taken a three year break from love in general. Oh wait, I don't think I've ever experienced love to be honest, lol. So scratch that. Let's call them intense feelings that pisces people experience when they are in relationships or flings in my case.
He approached me on Twitter, and the conversation went on from there. We met for lunch, which sealed the deal as we were both aware how intense the chemistry was. It was like I had met my other half. And it wasn't just about the sexual chemistry but also the fact that we clicked intellectually. Being twenty six at the time, I was looking for something serious hoping it would lead to marriage. He was mature and seemed to know what he was looking for. And I knew he was the right candidate for me.
We made time for each other, every chance we got during the honeymoon period. Since I was a virgin, he didn't pressure me to have sex with him. But that didn't mean that we didn't have fun and played around any chance we got.
However, slowly, he started to be a bit distance a few weeks into the fling. He had gone home to Germany( he's an expart), and he ran into his ex. However he assured me that nothing was going on, although in my gut I knew shit wasn't as it seemed. But I told myself that I was looking for a reason to run away again. So I decided to hold on to lost hope.
The messages went from one word answers to not talking for days. His excuse, that he was busy. My best friend, Kare( short form for wangari , a Kikuyu name) told me that this was a sign to pack up and leave. That any man that liked you enough would make time to see you even if it's for a day. But I was still hopeful. How dumb I was,because right before Christmas, he hit me with the "it's not you it's me" phrase. Because I rarely cause drama, I decided to be mature about it and told him the feeling was mutual and that it should end and remain as friends. To top it all, I got a message on the same day from my boss who, decided to lay me off after I told him off for blaming me for his mistake. It was an overall shitty Christmas for me after that.
It was after that that I decided to work on myself. Love myself and wait for love to come knocking on my door, when I least expect it, just like I see in movies😂. What I'm a hopeless romantic at heart even though I don't rarely show it.
And I was doing well on my self work out. I had picked myself up, got my life on track and decided that no shit would stop me from achieving my goals. And love would come when it did. And if it didn't, I could always self partner like Emma Watson and either have kids through AI or adopt when I was ready.
My work place wasn't far from the joint I had decided to grace that evening. I worked in a place called westlands, in the capital city of Kenya called Nairobi. Westlands was basically what you'd call the hub of both business and clubs. During the day it was business as usual but at night, it came alive with people crowding the popular joints.
I wasn't the type to go to the regular club scene so I chose to go to my favorite joint that was a walking distance from my office called The chill spot. Basically it was boho type of scene, a mix of what a typical tourist would picture an African safari hotel experience would be, but without the bedding. It also hosted a variety of restaurants that provided food for the party goers and most of its drinks, beers basically, were Kenyan brewed. Most patrons were people who preferred house, edm, deep hip hop scenes as compared to most of the clubs that played the general genres, basically the regular club scene in Nairobi.
Which category did I fall under you might ask? In the kind of people who loved the chill, peaceful spots to just listen to good music, enjoy good food and drink in peace without the rowdy crowds but still had the dance floor in case you wanted to get down. Although sometimes I did go to the other clubs because I would miss the whole Nairobi night life scene.
I walked in, seeing that the scene around the chill spot was slowly starting to pick up, with patrons slowly trickling in in small groups. The Dj was playing some chill edm tunes just to set the mood. Since it was still early( 7pm), I spotted a free table that was conveniently next to the floor but safe enough that I wouldn't be a part of the dancing crowd when people started dancing.
I was to meet up with my favorite cousin, Malesa, for drinks then head home when we felt that we had had enough fun. Since she worked a distance away, and the traffic in Nairobi is as bad as that in New York, I estimated that she would reach an hour or two later. So I decided to get myself a craft beer ( savanna) to keep me company as I waited.
I was texting her, letting her know that I was there, while walking to the bar counter to order my drink when I bumped into someone, nearly dropping their drink in the process.
"Sorry , I wasn't looking." I apologized and my tongue instantly got stuck as I came face to face with my ex, Matt. I took my time looking at him, noting that he looked good and I felt my insides quiver in the familiar way it did around him. Fuck he looked yummy. Since he wasn't that tall for the average guy but since I was five foot four while he was shy of six feet, he was pretty tall to me. He had let his dark brown hair grow out. He had it perfectly gelled back, the top a bit puffy. He was dresses casually, in a red shirt and light blue jeans complete with white sneakers, his fit physic showing. He wasn't exactly built like a body builder. He was what you would describe as lean with just the right amount of muscles.
"Oh hey Maya. Long time no see." He said to me with his dashing smile that I liked so much. I was tempted to rebute with a "no shit Sherlock. We haven't exactly said so much as hi since you dumped me," but decided to play nice. I wasn't looking to get my mood dampened tonight. No sir.
"I know. You look like you've been well." I instead told him with a smile of my own.
"You too. I can see you are doing great."
He said. I was tempted to twirl around and tell him, "yeah this is what you lost stupid." but again, decided to play nice.
"Yeah." I instead told him,which was followed by an awkward silence, which was weird considering the atmosphere and music playing.
"Are you here alone?" he asked after a minute.
"For now. I'm waiting for Mal to come through." I answered. Even though they had never met, he knew about her. I mean everyone knew about her. She was a huge part of my life and I almost always talked about her. And although we hadn't met up in almost a year due to our busy schedules, we still kept in touch, our bond ever stronger.
"Wanna join our table as you wait for her?" he asked politely,pointing to a table a few tables from where I had mentally prepped to go sit alone. I looked at the patrons in the table and noted that there was a couple plus a brunette whom if I remembered correctly, was his ex, who he told me not to worry about. Wow what a cliche. And because I didn't want to be the awkward ex sitting awkwardly with them, I decided to act smart. Or so I thought at the time. I quickly scanned around and saw that on the table next to mine, two guys and a chiq were sitting having an animated conversation. They were my safest bet and best ploy since I happen to know one of the guys sitting there.
"oh no need. Thanks for the offer but I think I see my friends over there so I'll just go join them. Do have fun though." I said and quickly walked over to the table where my "friends" were. I didn't even look back to see if he was still looking at me or nah. And I wished that I had dressed sexier than the white pants suit I had on. Maybe a dress since I had killer legs. That should have been perfect.
Taking in a deep breathe, I decided to take the bull by its horns and live out my lie before I embarrassed myself and headed to the table.
"Hey Noah. Long time no see." I decided to first greet the only familiar I knew at the table. Noah looked up at first in confusion then a few seconds later recognizing me, decided to stand and give me a hug.
"Hey choco. Sheesh you haven't been around here that much that I thought you had disappeared from the face of the earth." he said loudly still embracing me before letting me go.
"Me disappear without you knowing? I'm sure if I did you'd have a search party looking for me. I'm surprised you haven't already." I said back with a smile, all the while his two friends looking back and forth at our exchange in amusement.
Noah Park and I go way back a couple years. We had met after I had nearly caused a scene, when one of the bouncers back then had refused me to enter the Chill Spot, because apparently I was "too young looking" for such an establishment. It was one of the disadvantages of having a baby face and a petite body. He happened to be getting in when he spotted me causing a scene and told the bouncer to let me in. At the time I thought he just knew the bouncer and that why I was let in easy but I got to know later on after Kare told me that he was actually the owner of the chill spot. What had started out as a hi hi acquaintance budded to a great friendship over time. Though we rarely met up,but we still kept in touch.
He was tall, at an impressive six foot one, with ebony black hair that he had stylishly gelled. He had a lean body type but he was fit, in a sexy way. He had on a Grey short sleeved t shirt and light blue jeans that were ripped on the knees and brown timberland boots that added to his already tall height.
Originally Australian, although his parents were from south Korea , he had moved to Kenya six years ago, the same year we met and according to him, he had fallen in love with the country.
"Well I'm glad to see you out of your shell choco." He said, using the nickname he gave me the first night we met, a reference to my dark chocolate skin complexion.
"LOL what shell?" I asked teasingly with a smirk.
" hahaha.... Let me introduce my friends. This is Lisa, " He started with the mixed race lady with curly hair who was sitter beside him. She had pierced her upper left lip, her right eye brow and two nose piercings on each side of her nose. Her lips were painted in a dark purple matte lipstick that matched her dark Grey jeans jacket and purple tank top. Since I was standing, I couldn't exactly see how her lower self was dressed but she solved the puzzle when she suddenly stood up and embraced me in a tight hug.
"Nice to meet you Choco." she said loudly in excitement in my ear before she released me. I had to hold in my wince so as to not offend her. After all, if my deductions were correct, she was just as bubbly as me on a normal day.
"Nice to meet you Lisa. I'm Maya." I said with a smile, matching hers.
"I can tell I will have a long night with you two. On to the next one. This is Anthony. My long lost friend who's decided to grace us with his presence in this rare occasion." Noah finished the introduction to the guy who had his leather clad back turned the entire time.
And now I thank God I didn't see him, cause I doubt I would have maintained my composure on seeing him. He didn't bother standing, but as he sat there I could tell he was just as tall as Noah or taller, with much broader shoulders that the jacket didn't hide. He had shaved his blonde hair into a faux hawk, tying the long middle hair into a man bun. The most beautiful icy blue eyes I had ever seen, a sexy stubble on his chin and around his mouth that made me want to feel what it would feel like brushing up my legs as he... I shook my head internally driving those thoughts away. Bad Maya.
Those thoughts I had fought so hard to drive away came back however when he smiled at me, actually more like smirked like he knew the effect he had on me, revealing a dimple on his left cheek. Fuck he was hot. Like movie star hot.
Don't judge me. I had a type. Just like everyone else. Mine happened to be white men. And most times I was judged for not loving our African kings but the thing was I couldn't force an attraction just because society wanted me to adhere to certain rules, right?
Although Anthony wasn't exactly my type. I liked my men with dark hair, tall with lean muscles. He was fit.. Not body builder fit but you could tell he spent some time in the gym.
And I could just imagine if he had a six or eight pack covered in the white shirt he was wearing underneath the black leather jacket. Since I was standing beside him, I could see he had covered his long legs in a matching black jeans complete with brown timberland boots.
My eyes went back to his, just as his met mine after doing a thorough perusal of my body and again I wished I wasn't wearing my white pants suit.
Like I said I wasn't curvy like most girls. I was actually the slimmest in my family. But I did have hips and an ass that teased to be seen whenever I was my baggy trousers. I was however lacking in the boobs department, and would often not bother wearing bras underneath my tops. Case in point like that night, underneath my black lace tank top.
I stretched my hand to shake his in greeting.
"Hi, Maya." I said as he took my hand in his large ones, completely covering my tiny dark hand.
"Anthony." he said in a gruff raspy voice that sounded like he drunk dry whiskey and smoked cigarettes every hour of every day.
Well fuck me! I hope I don't end up leaking my juices onto my trousers because that voice was enough to make my pussy a fucking fountain.
I shook my head, telling myself to calm down and control my urges because I was on a mission tonight to forget men existed and focus on me and having fun.
He was dangerous and I had to stay away. Too bad after the introduction, Noah moved me to sit next to the red flag zone. I was in deep shit now.
"Since I haven't seen you in a long time, this calls for shots." Noah said signaling for one of the waiters.
"Jager!" exclaimed Lisa in excitement even adding a clap as she jumped up and down in her seat, making us chuckle.
"I swear I don't get how you have so much energy." said Noah.
"You haven't seen nothing yet." came Anthony's reply as he took a sip from his glass. And it looked to be Jack Daniel's whiskey as they had a whole bottle (mzinga as we called it here) with Coke and ice. Next to his glass was a packet of Dunhill cigarettes and a lighter. And although I was currently trying to limit my cigarette smoke intake, with my emotions all over the place I needed a puff to come down.
The waiter came back with eight shots of Jager and an extra whiskey glass for me I'm guessing and set them down on the table.
Everyone took a glass each of the shot and after Noah made a toast, we each downed the bitter coffee tasting shot. I was definitely going to regret partying with Noah and Mal on the same night and I thanked God I didn't have work the next day because I'd be feeling shitty the next day. I just knew. But it was all about YOLO right?