The lights got dimmer as the DJ played Kalado's Good, Good Bring Life for the umpteenth time. Solomon relaxed, yet tittered on edge.
Amber was looking out as she leaned on the wall. Solomon said, "...that was good to see them back then. They usually release stuff like every month."
Amber groaned acknowledgment of what he said. Solomon nodded his head and moved to something else. "The party's been good."
"It get boring now. Feel like leaving..." Amber said.
They just came here and now she wanted to leave? So what about Solomon? Could he not get the chance to spend time with her, at all?
She spent all her time with somebody else. It wasn't him, but it was another man, the whole night!
He closed his eyes trying not to let his frustration break out of him right now.
Solomon formed the question in his mind and then smiled. "Mmm, well you had a lot of fun...I am sure. I did not go down to the other floor...so...I am not too sure, but...I mean you must have had fun hanging with your friend at least." Solomon breathed out and looked away when he saw her eyebrows scrunched up.
Even though Solomon tried to keep out any hint of emotion in what he said, it was likely the last sentence already told too much.
"Me was mostly talking and he was a family friend," Amber said. Solomon glanced at her. Her face was neutral then she slapped him with. "Compared to you, me no have much fun tonight."
What was that supposed to mean? Then there was that family friend to consider, was that a more than a friend? It could be. She spent the whole night with that man!
But what could he do, Solomon wasn't her boyfriend. What could he say to her? Nothing, he was lucky to be getting a chance as it was.
Solomon answered with a swift retort, "Not really, I was waiting on you."
Amber's eyes drifted to the ground when she crossed her arms and held the shoulders. "Were you not with Michaela and Valetta?"
"Yeah, but it was..."
Amber's lips twisted as she shifted onto her right leg.
Solomon continued, "I mean they were on the dance floor. My two left legs can't move no mountain, so me a medz."
Amber snickered, but quickly controlled it. Her frown returned on her face and her eyes were deadpan, while they stared out into the crowd. Solomon could see something was bothering her.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"I am fine," she answered without much change.
Solomon looked out into the dance and replied, "Well, hey I-i mean we can still make sure you have fun tonight."
Amber turned towards him as she took out her phone. Solomon continued. "Come on, ahhh...me and you can dance."
She stared at him like he said something crazy and cut her eyes looking away. "I thought you said you can't dance?"
"I'll figure it out."
"Not to this boring vibes."
Solomon couldn't let it end like this. "Come on, I affi make the night end good for you. I brought you here after all. I'll tell you what. Ahhh. Hmm. Oh, I will give you a lap dance."
Amber widened her eyes as she looked at her phone. She whirled her head up at Solomon and replied, "Lap dance?"
"Yeah, I mean I got..." He gestured with his hand and lost the words in thought.
Amber laughed holding her chest in shock. The laughter flustered him for a second, but the more he watched her, the more Solomon liked how she laughed. Was it because it was such a bellyful, bountiful guffaw? Or was it because she smiled?
She smiled with majesty and it lifted him to see her happy. Maybe he should try that more. Amber's eyes squinted and stared up in a sultry waver. "Another time, I will hold you to that."
Solomon opened his mouth, but decided to leave it there. They were there for a while until Amber asked, "You leaving now?"
Solomon groaned inwardly and rubbed his face. He couldn't believe he was leaving so soon. "Are you?"
"Yeah, I am. Come."
They reached out at the front where they met Michaela next to the ticket booth. Amber asked Michaela where was Valetta.
"She is talking to somebody," Michaela replied.
Amber screwed up her face and groaned. "How that girl love chat?" Amber kissed her teeth and turned to Solomon. "How are you getting home?"
Solomon did not want to say. Michaela had her eyes rooted on her phone screen, for she shrugged and said, "Solomon is taking me home."
Alarms went off in Solomon's head. Amber shot a glare at Michaela. Solomon got a momentary glance from Amber as her eyes rolled up and glared intensely at Solomon, but he held his somber face intact.
"He lives in Spanish Town. He can take me," Michaela said.
Greenrich to be exact and it was on the outskirts of Spanish Town, so she was not wrong. There was one problem. "I don't have a ride," Solomon said.
Michaela looked shocked. "You don't?"
Solomon tried to shrug off the embarrassment of it. "I took a bus."
"I have one bag of people to take home tonight. It ago take too much time. Ah...I should have left earlier." Amber groaned in annoyance.
Solomon thought on it for a moment then he said, "I think the more important question is who has work tomorrow."
Amber put her hand up. "I have work tomorrow."
Solomon exchanged glances with Michaela then he said, "You can bring Michaela back to 'country' with you? One trip? Then you carry her over when you are going to work."
Amber looked at Solomon sternly as Valetta came up behind her with her hand on a swirling drink. "What about you?"
"I told you. Me will stay here until the buses operate back on the roads. Mus' be two hours from now I think."
Amber shook her head and looked away. "Nonsense. You coming with me."
Solomon widened his eyes at her. "Ahh, you sure? I mean it is-"
"Solomon shut up. I am not leaving you here like that."
Solomon froze, Michaela laughed while Valetta widened her eyes in shock. Solomon began, "Wait, wha-"
"You coming. Its thanks for tonight."
Solomon held up his hands in surrender and nodded his head in agreement.
Amber added, "Besides you owe me that thing. I expect it when we reach."
Valetta snorted and almost choked on the drink as she shot a glare at Amber who avoided eye contact by turning away. Solomon looked away as soon as Valetta glanced his way. This was disconcerting.
They all went outside into the cold dead night. The street lights, some provided a dim light that covered the road like a wading blanket. Bodyguards and a few people lingered on the streets.
They jumped in and Solomon rode shotgun as Amber started the car and took off. The drive was a quiet slice through the winding and hilly roads that laid forth a path to the mountains. Solomon nodded off several times.
He already saw the girls were in various stages of napping and phone usage throughout the experience. Solomon slipped into sleep many times.
He got woken up hearing this, "...swear to God, I hate him," Amber said suddenly.
Solomon fidgeted as his ears got interested. Who did she hate?
"Rohan know the thing," Valetta answered.
Solomon heard what she said. But as he opened his eyes; he was seeing they were passing through a town district. The houses blurred by so swiftly.
Amber spoke, "You okay?" Solomon was not sure whether to answer that. "Solomon?"
Solomon shivered awoke. "Hmm, yeah, I am fine."
"We soon reach. Almost there."
The house they reached was white with blue columns and a green shingle roof. Eaves crossed impressed curves that could be tribal and it fitted the roof structure on the side of that house which carried palm tree trunk treads strung together.
It sat on a hill that was cut far off the main road. Around there were three other houses and all of them were big.
The accompanying forest could be said to be their backyard. Solomon got out and looked up to see there was a large plot of land that was treeless around the house and held cobbled round stone.
They walked into the house and Solomon stood at the closed front door while Amber and her friends went through the usual motions like it was an everyday thing to come in late after a party.
The interior living room was brown painted, while the kitchen had a peach paint coat that was applied like sponge stains over the lighter yellow.
The sofa was white as were the three chairs. The soft burgundy carpet traveled from the kitchen to the living room with the curving stairway off the side of the kitchen.
There were two scenery paintings, well crafted white painted wood tables that fitted with the furniture.
Valetta drank some water before going upstairs. Michaela started warming something in the microwave. Amber went upstairs after her.
Michaela started bemoaning her headache. Solomon suggested hangover remedies to her when Amber came back down and looked at Solomon weirdly.
She gestured for him to come forward. He took off his shoes, avoided the welcome home mat, and came forward. She said, "Make yourself at home. Stop hang by the door like you 'fraid of in here."
Solomon shook his head. "Jus' being respectful."
"You are... shy?"
Solomon did not want to answer that. He saw Michaela walking away. "Guess you are used to unshy ones?"
Amber looked away briefly before shrugging. "No, just idiotic ones."
Solomon asked in caution, "Me?"
"No, you're just shy. You're not a idiot."
Solomon hated that distinction. He needed to show more confidence. There was no way he could let this fantastic woman think any less of him. He stepped forward. "I don't think I am shy."
"Says the man who can't look me in the eyes."
He wasn't?
Solomon paused as her eyes dug into his then he realized the intensity of it was frightening. He shuddered, but immediately steeled himself. He pursed his lips before he replied, "I burn up when I do. "
Amber smirked. "Can't handle it?"
Solomon almost looked away, but forced himself not to. "Nope."
She frowned.
Solomon smiled. "That's why I'm a phoenix. I always come back."
Amber's lips twisted to suppress the building chuckle then her eyelashes flapped in passion. "Mind, you keep chasing me you're going to regret it."
Solomon gazed over her heaven-sent body and his mind drowned in that dream willingly. He was sure, he wanted every last ounce of those regrets.
Solomon spoke as her eyes widened, "If I drop on a bed of roses I won't regret a bloodcloth thing."
Amber and Solomon kept up their standoff until she cut her eyes away. He won.
"You will be taking the couch tonight. The roses will be extra." She showed him the sheets that were behind her back.
He didn't like the prize though.
Solomon nodded his head in disappointment from the announcement, but kept it cool. "Sounds like heaven."
Amber burst out laughing. "Okay." She pushed the sheets in his arms and with a gentle pat on his shoulder she said, "Good night. Dear."
Solomon blushed, while his back straightened from the surge of her delectable taste. She turned and ambled her way upstairs like the Queen of this country and he loved every minute of it.
Mini-Glossary
Medz - Meditate, relax
Bloodcloth - Damn