Page 23 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

“Zara, a your boyfriend drive deh black car yer?” Wendy asks, curiously. I look away from the Love and Hip-Hop reruns, averting my attention to her. “It out a gate,” she adds.

My eyes dart back to Wendy. She’s stunned. I wonder why. Her lips are parted, eyes glistening with astonishment. “Yeah. It’s him,” I tell her.

I guess my boyfriend owns every car out there that you can think of. My phone starts ringing. It’s him. “Yes, I’m coming,” I say as I slide my feet in my sandals.

“Ah,” he hangs up. I guess he doesn’t trust places that he isn’t familiar with because him nuh wah come out. How the man fi step out? And him a badman? Him affi know the place safe.

I wave at Wendy. She has a goofy smile on her face causing me to blush. “You a nice girl anyways so a top man a go want you,” she giggles.

I chuckle to myself. “Later Wendy,” I beam and saunter towards the Bimma. A silver crown parks behind it. I hate this. Nuh bother with it miss, the sassy girl in my head warns.

I pull the door open and hop inside. The car has a new car smell. Him just buy this? He’s smiling at me. “Waam mi Ghee?” he asks and a smile finds my lips.

It’s the nickname for me. Imagine mi own subconscious a mek mi laugh.

“A wah?” he asks and I shake my head.

“Nutt’n,” I purse my lips and he leans over, placing his arm on the armrest. I melt in his gaze as Wendy’s words echo: “You a nice girl anyways so a top man a guh want you.”

Him really is a top man enuh, I say to myself. What does that make me though?

A top gyal! A you Shaneil sing bout girl! the queen in my head exclaims.

Period Pooh

“I just got these short nails and my pedicures done,” I stretch my legs, wiggling my toes.

His stare is so sexy. “What?” I question, my voice sweet as sugarcane.

“Dem look bed-head-able,” he strokes his beard and I laugh. He laughs too.

“Come again?” I’m stunned.

“Me a say, dem look nice fi put pan mi headboard,” his voice now chilly, eyes darker than usual. My stomach tightens. I look away, smiling uncontrollably at his words. Then I meet his lustful stare again.

“Okay,” my gaze drops to my toes, and I gently brush my cheek, tapping my pinky finger to my lips trying to hide that I’m blushing.

“When you a go make me rest dem on mine?” his voice lowers as he adds clarity. “Pon my bed head?”

“Niiickkk,” I whine. He bites his lip and rocks his legs with his eyes closed. I take the time out to scan his fit. Nautica hoodie, denim jeans like mine—I promise it wasn’t planned. My eyes fall to his feet to see if he’s wearing Clarks but the purple neon lights on the floor distracts me.

The lighting is under the pedals, the dash and where I have my hands resting.

“I like this,” I say in hopes to change the topic. He’s now busy looking in his phone. He looks focused. A wah him a do so?

“Nick? I try and he gives me a side eye before his focus shifts back to his phone. Am I bothering him?

“Is everything okay?”

He shakes his head. “A mi nigga a tell me sup’m mon, soon deal with you,” he tells me and I smile, continuing to admire the car.

Then I remember my previous objective. A the shoes mi intend fi look at. I finally get a look, and he’s wearing a black Air Force. Mi never expect that. I guess him a rest the Clarks them fi now. He finally gets off the phone and I realize that the Crown has driven off ahead of us.

“Your friend, a him did a tell yuh sup’m?” I look back at him.

“Yah,” he answers and I stare at his braces. He looks so cute in them.

“Your teeth are perfect... why do you need braces?” I ask, resting my chin in my palm as I wait for his answer, staring in his mouth. The braces, paired with his smile is a dangerous combo.

He chuckles. “Zara how yuh mean mi nuh need it?” he pulls off.

Finallyy! Because hungry a kill mi. Mi nuh eat nutt’n from morning. The thought of Henry makes me roll my eyes. The car accelerates at the traffic light across from the KFC. The noticeable vibration in my stomach makes my cheeks warm.

Puhleaseeeeee Doh embarrass me!

“You a stop a the KFC?” my voice low.

“Yuh hungry?” his brows furrow. The line too long, Zara. He glances at it, I can tell he’s contemplating it just from the way he’s flexing his hand.

He looks back at me. “Bad bad?” his face softens and I nod.

“Yes,” I laugh.

“You can wait thirty minutes?”

“Yes,” I say then he drives off.

“What you eat this morning?” he inquires, finally turning his attention back to me after being silent. I look through the window, watching the moving vehicles. Jesus, why him affi ask this?

Answer the man!

“I didn’t get to,” I sigh and he doesn’t respond.

Fifteen more minutes of driving in silence, he turns onto an unfamiliar road, steely brown eyes on me. I drag my gaze to my nails again.

“Mi tell yuh fi get sup’m this morning and you told me you would,” his voice cold. Him still have that on his mind?

“It’s okay,” I say to him.

“Okay fi starve yourself fi hours?” his voice deep.

“Nick don’t worry about it too much,” I simply say.

“Mi wah yuh listen to me when mi talk yer mi a tell yuh?” he warns and I look over at him. Whew.

I blush and say. “Okay,” looking outside, impressed by the houses that we are passing. But I can’t help noticing how eerily quiet the car is. He’s upset, I can see it—and feel it. True me nuh eat nutt’n him vex?

Girl a cause wi never listen to him!

“Handsome?” I cup his chin, trying to cheer him up and he looks over at me. “Where are we going?” I ask now that I got his full attention.

“Soon reach Zara,” he simply says.

The sun beams through the windscreen and I squint my eyes reflexively.

“Mi order KFC so you soon get sup’m,” he turns into a mansion. The gate opens automatically.

No way..

“Is a villa this?” it slips out slow.

“A the house this weh mi aguh want breakfast and dem thing deh,” he parks and pulls the door, but steals a kiss from me. I smile against it. “Bout villa,” he teases, hiding his laughter. My cheeks flushes and I hit him playfully.

“Stoppp,” I pout at him laughing at me. He smirks and get out of the car and I spot a Dior earring on the floor. My brows furrow. I pick it up. This definitely is a female earring. Why dem in yer?

I stare at them and roll my eyes at Nick as he speaks to his security. I drop them in my bag. Nah wild him yet enuh! After all, mi cya’ manage no more problems right now but I’m definitely gonna keep my eyes on him.

“Zara?”

“Yeah?” I retort, my voice cool as a cucumber.

“Come on nuh,” he calls and I hop out of the BMW and amble towards him. The security stares at me then he smiles.

“Good evening,” I greet him. He responds warmly and I reach up to Nick who snakes his arm around my waist, slightly feeling on my ass.

The house distracts me.

“Pool deh here,” I smile. I’m in the mood to swim but I didn’t bring a bathing suit.

“Yuh wah go in the pool?” he questions and I nod.

“Mi nuh have no bikini with me though,” I tell him.

“Nuh worry bout that,” he pulls the door and we walk in.

A foreign wi deh Zara? My subconscious asks in excitement.

Pause.

Doh bother feel say mi a Frighten Friday enuh.

.. but for a second, it felt I was in California.

Clean modern finishes, floor to ceiling windows, and a landscape designed to perfection— square cut pathways with carpet-like grass in between.

A glance towards his garage lands on an azure blue Cybertruck, with chunky black tires, the edges of the rim lined in blue.

Who even picks baby blue for a Cybertruck?

Show awffffff...

The living room is breathtaking too, the modern architecture, the furniture are no different from a mirror. Expensive, okay!?

“Yuh drink?” I turn around to him and bob my head slowly.

“Barely, don’t give me nothing too strong,” I say, still admiring the house.

“Yuh wah lemon beer? A Hennessy, D’usse, Malibu and C?roc alone mi have,” he tells me. I’ve never had any of those.

“Malibu?” It sounds more like a question.

“Yah ask mi or yah tell mi?” he grabs my ass in his grip, lifting me off the ground slightly. I hug his neck, hiding my face in his chest since I’m too short to reach his neck. “Hmm?”

“Yea... I want Malibu. What are you having?” Is my question as he pulls away and walk into his in-house bar and pull the Hennessy from the cabinet. It’s crazy how I’m already feeling at home.

The struggles of being delusional.

I climb onto a stool and look through his window wall at Sain’ Andrew. It’s getting dark outside. “It’s so nice here,” I mutter.

“Like yuh wah live here?”

I just smile. Nuh kno’ a who him wah breed off.

The people here are so wealthy, they have no reason to disturb others, unlike Homestead.

He brings a cup to me with tea a little while after. I take it carefully. “Thank you.”

He hisses as he looks at his rolex. “Almost 8 o’ clock and you just having tea.”

“Are you worried?” I smile, bringing the tea to my lips. He rolls his eyes and walks away. I sip the tea, admiring him as he strides out. I spot a remote and press it. Impressively, the television in the kitchen turns on.

Never been seen this yet, TV in a kitchen? My subconscious is something else.

When I’m done drinking the tea I hear a phone vibrating. I spot an iPhone. Not too far from me. Zara... if I were you I leff that phone alone.

I take up the phone, ignoring the voice in my head even though I shouldn’t. If you wah you heart break den you look in a man phone.

It’s locked. GOOD!

I still tap the screen, seeing that someone sent him a direct message.

I’m just in time to see his username pop up.

I narrow my eyes at the message. I’m not sure what to think about it.

I type in his name into my search bar quickly and push the phone away when I hear him coming. His page loads but it’s private.

Almost 500k people follow him? While he only follows 12? Who is this lucky 12? I can’t help but wonder. He has ten posts up too but I’m locked out. No mon his account look festive, we need fi get in a it.

“Zara yuh feel better now?” he asks and I press the power button and nod.

“Yes,” I say looking at him. He toss an italian Oran Soda in the trash and gives me a KFC box.

“This you did want right?” I open the box, looking inside and the scent makes my mouth water.

It’s a barbecue Zinger box. “Yes this is okay thanks Nick,” I say, now looking at him. He doesn’t have anything in his hand.

“Wah you a guh eat?” I ask and he shrugs.

“Mi nuh know,” he answers, looking at the pantry. His eyes on those shrimp snacks. Hmm... somebody loves shrimp.

“A Hennessy mi want,” he hops on the stool beside me. I start eating my food.

“You sure you nuh want none?” Cas who the hell turns down KFC?

“No b,” he mutters. I take a bite from my Zinger, trying to not get my lips messy— just to seem ‘proper’ around him.

Why women put themselves through this? Why we always try so hard to seem like this perfect person, to please these men? Or is it to feel better about ourselves?

Gosh! I envy the girls who eat in front their man with no care in the world.

Nick takes a sip of his Hennessy and opens his phone. I chew my food watching him in my peripheral vision. Mi can feel seh a bay gal problem you a go have with him.

He did say he had girls that he played with but...

“Mi a go check fi sup’m fi yuh,” he tells me then we fall in complete silence.

Him mussy gone look at Jemmy Nye’s message.

I get a weird feeling about that person. He slides the phone to me. He’s showing me an online store that sells swimsuits.

Watch yah the man a buy we bikini!

“Choose what you like,” he tells me and I start scrolling.

Nah lie but mi fingers a twitch fi go pon him page.

They’re so close fi just press his profile but I can’t. Him deh too near fi mi do that. Instead, I focus on the options on the Instagram page he showed me. I choose a nude swimsuit. It comes with a sheer cover up. Mi like that.

“Nick,” I tilt the phone, he looks at it and nod, I guess in approval.

So if him neva’ like it a wah him would a do?

“Nickoi,” I hear a familiar voice and we both look.

A Nickoi him name? Mi cyaa’ believe mi never know that.

Anuh like him did answer when we ask…

I see that same girl who parted Malik and I when we were outside of the restaurant. The same one with the tattoos and 30” bus—

Hold up... She related to him?

“Wah gwaan mommy?” he asks and she looks at me. Instantly I see it.

Their uncanny resemblance. It’s almost scary. God literally slapped copy and paste. He didn’t even bother.“Your mommy?” I whisper and he responds. What age did she have him?

“Yeah.”

She hears and bursts out laughing. “Yes girl a mi son!” her eyes are still set on me with a small smile.

She member wi face enuh.

“You a the nice girl weh mi did affi sto— ” she starts.

“Yes,” I interrupt with a sweet smile.

Mi nuh really wah she go further.

“Mi Don, fawud mek mi show you a pree,” Bigz says from the door, then Nickoi walks behind him .