Page 64 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

“Zara, how much time mi fi call yuh?” Mama’s voice cuts through the room, sharp and impatient. I turn around slowly, already bracing myself. The sunlight hits my face, and I squint, eyes squeezing shut. Jesus then a wah time?

I throw a hand over my eyes, blocking the glare, then slowly open them again. “A wah time?” I ask and she rests her hand on her hips.

“I was tired,” I push my body up. She shoots me a look that makes my skin itch, cause I know exactly what’s going on in her mind.

“Yuh sleep late?” Mama’s eyes narrowing at me.

“Yeah...” I trail off. She eyes me for a beat, then flicks her finger toward the nightstand.

“Yuh probably need fi heat that up back in a the microwave.” I glance at the nightstand and spot a breakfast sandwich in a clear Tupperware container. “It’s there from after 8,” she tells me.

I exhale, trying to keep it cool. “Okay, thanks, mi a go hot it up when mi come down.” She nods, then walks out without a word. Mi know fi a fact say Mama know.

I push myself up off the bed, stretching before heading to his closet for another sheet set.

I pull them out, tuck them neatly into the headboard, then grab the sheets from last night and head to the washroom.

Before I go, I pause by the nightstand, pulling out my journal.

A few quick scribbles, just like I do every day.

I close it, slide it back into my bag, and head to the bathroom, feeling lighter already.

I get back to the bathroom, run through my morning routine, and slip on his tees with just a pair of lace panties. I grab my phone, check for notifications, and to my surprise, a few people actually remembers me.

A me alone check mi phone fi notifications in the morning fi see whether or not people member mi? Yeah? Oh... cause mi know a nuh mi alone!

“Nickoi, a now she just a wake,” I hear Mama saying downstairs, and I smile, knowing exactly what’s coming. Sure enough, he pushes the door open and walks in.

“Wah gwaan Mami?” he rasps.

I shrug. “Nutt’n really mi just wake, so mi just affi go get mi day started.”

He smiles. “Ah.” He opens a small box and pulls out a fresh pair of black Polo tees, black denim jeans. And, of course, his pants hang low enough that I catch a glimpse of his Polo underwear.

“Why yuh love polo so?” I question.

He shrugs. “A just the lifestyle Mami.”

“Hmm... okay,” I smile, my eyes aren’t leaving him. I know when he’s going out and when he’s not based on the way he dresses. And based on how he looks right now... he’s going somewhere. Without weeeee? him mussi’ crazy!

“So... weh yah go?” I tilt my head.

“Just a go a wah likkle party with mi fam dem,” he has the audacity. Fam?

“Family reunion?” I knit my brows, feeling offended.

Look how mi mek him come a mine... Zara a time fi yuh stop.

“Nah, it’s just a likkle party wid mi dawg dem... but mi call dem mi family,” he tells me.

“Oh,” I say. Yuh frighten mi.

He ties his Desert Clarks and approaches me. His aroma enveloping us, as he cups my breasts. I’m not wearing bra, my nipples shooting out through the tank top I’m wearing. I smile sweetly, staring up at him under my lashes.

“Mi a go back pon the road now enuh,” his fingers gently stroking my nipples.

I frown. “Why yuh affi a leave?” I pout. He looks at me for a moment, his gaze steady, before a smile slowly spreads across his face.

“Yuh wah fawud?”

I nod quickly, too quickly. It’s embarrassing. He erupts in laughter. “Like yuh would a dead if man nuh carry yuh,” he teases. “Wah ‘itch up under man arm like roll on.”

“Think a that? A yuh skin mi wah live inna.” I smirk.

“Yah... yah ... yah,” he’s in a playful mood. “Put on sup’m nice.”

Him brite eeeh? Mi always look good.

“Don’t brite yuhself,” I roll over, now looking through the bag that I brought.

I get dressed in all black to match him. A leggings, a basic crop top with a pair of cute Chanel sandals. Nickoi is on the bed, eating a Soldanza plantain chips; the spicy, sweet one.

“This nice?” I turn to him, he nods with a smile.

“Look like a bad gyal,” he smirks. He looks back at his snack after a while and I spray on my perfume. I don’t ever leave it.

When I’m done using it, I drop it inside my Chanel purse. Most of my bags are Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. They’re my favorite.

I look at the sandwich. “Mi a guh heat this up,” I walk out. When I reach in the living room Mommy starts smiling.

“Look at youu!” She beams, clipping her slippers. I look over at Mama and she’s already ready.

“A so early unuh a go leave?” I place the sandwich in the microwave and turn to them.

“Mi a go make the police dem talk to Henry,” Mommy breathes.

“Yes and we affi go start dinner at home,” Mama adds.

Nickoi comes down the stairs shortly after. “The driver reach,” he tells my mother.

“Okay,” she smiles. “Thanks again Nickoi.”

“That’s okay mon,” he returns her warmth.

“Alright take care. Mi a go with Nickoi, we’ll probably see you guys later,” I say and the microwave beeps.

“Yes baby... wi a lef now so take care and call,” Mommy walks out, Mama follows. I open the microwave and take out my food.

“Ow!” I jerk as it burns my finger.

In no time, I’m full. Nickoi shakes his head with a little smile and hands me a bottle of water.

Without a word, he heads to the side door, and I follow him.

When he opens the garage, my breath catches.

I literally gasp. This, this is not a regular garage.

Marble floors so polished I can see my reflection.

Cars lined up on opposite sides, facing each other, with a wide, empty passage in the middle—like a damn showroom.

I know he has a Cybertruck, but he has a Jag— He has a Jaguar?

“Jezaam!” I exclaim and Nick looks at me.

NICKOI I glance at Zara and catch her straight-up gawking at my Jaguar. Hm. Mi did a plan fi buy har a car enuh, but now mi know exactly wah fi get har. I smile to myself, already picturing it.

“Nickoi, a wah Jaguar that?!” she gasps, eyes wide. I bite my lip, watching her, but she’s too caught up in the car to even notice me.

“Yah,” I smile.

“Mi love them enuh,” she says, finally looking at me — but not for long. Her eyes bounce right back to the other cars, and I swear she’s shining brighter than the marble floor. “Jesus, look pon nice car!” she gushes, spinning like she don’t know where to focus. “Jeez, look at that red Jeep!”

Mi love fi see har excited enuh. The way her face lights up? Yeah, I could get used to this. “As usual mi a go spoil yuh... which car yuh want mi drive today Mami?”

She taps her chin, eyes moving from the Jaguar to the Audi. She points at the Audi. “This one babe.”

When mi reach a the party mi a go link Thomas because mi wah him set up some lessons fi har. I help her up in the Audi then a thought comes to my mind.

“Come over yer so mi wah see what you can do.”

“Fi drive?” her lips falls open, a smile creeping out.

“Yuh seh yuh uncle teach yuh sup’m so fawud... show me,” I challenge.

She hesitates, but curiosity wins, and she comes over as I slide out of the driver’s seat.

I drop into the passenger side, getting comfortable while she buckles up.

I start breaking down the basics—gear, brakes, steering—and she listens, nodding like she’s taking it all in. Let’s see if she really have it.

“Nickoi this a yuh Audi enuh what if..” she starts.

“If yuh crash it. Mi fix it a mawning. Hush up,” I say, cutting her off before she can complain.

She’s nervous at first, moving the car slow like we heading to a prayer meeting. When we reach the gate, it opens automatically, and she peeks out before finally pulling off. She drives too careful. She know har thing still, but Jah know, her driving would put anybody to sleep.

“Yuh can press the gas likkle bit enuh,” I tell her and she starts moving a little faster.

After a while of her driving she starts getting comfortable and I take the time out to build a spliff.

She nuh that bad she just love doubt harself.

When I’m done making the weed I take out my lighter and light it.

Then I drag the spliff, exhale and look at her.

Mi nuh fi a smoke around har enuh. Chro mon so many adjustments.

I put it out and hold it between my fingers then my phone rings.

I answer. “Yow?”

“Weh yuh deh pon mi Don?” Gutta asks, my eyes on my woman, focusing on the road.

“Mi soon fawud,” I tell him.

“Arite bro G,” he hangs up.

I put the location on the GPS so that mi can relax. Cyaa’ bother wid eh wul heap a chatting fi a give directions. Lazy. After fifteen minutes of driving we’re finally there. Masicka’s Whites blasting through the large speakers already getting me hype.

“Pull over..” I coax. Mi know she cya manage fi park the car. I push it in park, she climbs in the passenger side and I slip into the driver’s seat.

I park the car between two other cars and glance at her. “Yuh soon reach this level Mami but yuh drive good.”

She giggles. “Mi know a couple things here and there,” She more than can get the car. Yah. She can get more practice after. We get out, her hand already in mine. I lead her through the crowd.

“Real bad man party!” Gutta chuckles, sitting on a plastic chair with food in his hands. I spot Teyanna, Gutta’s girlfriend.

“Yah mi killa! Yah mi killa! Yow tun dung eh volume mi G,” Gutta’s eyes on the selector as he takes the microphone.

“Mi nuh 3 have nuff things fi say enuh but eh wul a we know how the loyalty come dung a’ready and mi just wah gi’ the Don a special welcome cause if a never fi him we wouldn’t start make all a this.

.. unuh know wah mi mean. Big up to Prezi weh always deh deh fi wi yuh zi mi?

And big welcome to the Don wifey,” he proclaims, eliciting a chorus of laughter from the crowd.

Zara’s smile grows. “Aww thank you!”

“Yeah mon but yuh know nuff a we yasso never have nutt’n a live fa and Prezi give we a chance yuh zeen fi change wi life and help wi family... and mi know him nuh 3 love the light and thing but big up to the Don!” Gutta chuckles. The others cheer.

“One Don. Any other Don a Clarendon!”

I walk up to the mic, dap them up and take the mic. Zara walks beside me, her arms around my torso.

“Yuh right when yuh say mi nuh like the light,” I start and they chuckle.

“But respect and mannaz to everybody weh deh a foot. The wul thing a fi unuh yuh zimi... just my way fi show unuh seh mi appreciate each and everyone of you... so just fulljoy unuh self and maintain the good vibe sed way,” they bursts blanks.

“One family!” I say and they repeat it.

“When did you start being a Don?” Zara’s eyes on me once we walk away. I take a deep breath.

“Years,” is the best way to put it.

“Just vague so?” her tone off.

“Truth is… mi train fi this from around eight,” I admit.

“Eight? As in... as a child?”

“Nickoi... a weh yuh find deh nice girl yah?” Teyanna jokes as she gets closer to us. I hug her briefly.

“Zara, a Gutta ooman this. Gutta a one of mi close friend. Anna, meet Zara, Mi ooman.”

“She nice..” is her remark, surprised too. “Nice bad.”

“You too girl,” Zara blushes.

Teyanna smiles at her. “Mi name Teyanna but call me Anna.”

“Ohh nice, I’m just Zara,” she tells her.

ZARA I finally see what Nickoi’s world is like and I just can’t wrap my head around him being trained at eight year old. Like, do you know the level of crazy his dad had to be to think that was okay?

“Nickoi a guh ride the bike a it mi a go watch yah now,” Rick tells me and I smile. We were talking for a while, mostly ‘bout his son, Aden, and how much he misses his mother.

“Arite,” I say, then Suzanne and Anna fall in line as we head to the edge of the road.

Nickoi slides on his helmet, and my smile just grows. His brother Junior and his bodyguard, Gutta (found that out just now), hop on their bikes, ready to race. I make my way over to Nickoi, and he’s in the middle of talking.

“Long time mi nuh do this but a bay dut mi a lef pan unuh!” he brags.

“Eeeh?” Gutta laughs. “Bad man mek the race talk fi itself.”

“Y’all heard him!” I say hyping him up and they laugh. “And he didn’t stutter.”

“Wifey a hype yuh up enuh, Don,” a random guy says, his face marked with a scar. I glance back at Nickoi, raising an eyebrow.

“Be careful enuh,” I tell him, watching as he hops on the bike. He shoots me a look, then pulls me in by my waist, all smooth and aggressive.

My God, why him so ruff?

“Why you affi a play with me now?” he rasps, voice low and captivating.

I blush and give him a quick peck on the lips. “All the best, stink.” He stares at me for a second, then turns his focus ahead.

After a bit, they ride off, and just like he warned, the dust is thick—I can barely see anything.

While we wait for them to return, I eat, sip on some soup, and dance with Anna and Suzanne.

They are a vibe. What a nice piece a vibe in a the Sunday evening yah?

That mi a seh too. I need to go out more and experience more of this.

I hear everyone cheering and of course, Nickoi speeds in first, skidding the bike to a perfect stop. My smile grows—he’s just good at everything he does. And just have yuh a smile like idiot so.

I wrap my arms around him, and he buries his head in my neck. I laugh, feeling the heat of his breath against my skin. “I love youuu stinky!” I laugh and he nibbles on my neck. How him nuh have no problem with the nickname?

Mi nuh know him probably nuh hear cause all mi a bother him mi nah get no reaction. I love how loving he is no matter where we are though. He gets off the bike and walk with me. “Nuh call me stinky,” he laughs after a while. I laugh out.

Him nuh like it man. Popcaan’s Live Some Life starts blasting through the speakers and Nickoi and his friends start getting hyped up especially Rick.

Rick a just the vibes man. “Killi dem out deh pon di outside!” Rick and Anna sings. I chuckle. “Work all day and night mi and Nickoi dem affi live some life mhmmmm,” Rick dances. I laugh.

I feel so good knowing that he’s finally coming around as Anna says.

She said he was grieving for a while but he seems okay now.

Which is good. As they keep having fun, I sit back on a plastic chair, snapping pictures, grinning like a fool.

My eyes shift to Nickoi, and suddenly, butterflies swarm in my stomach. I really love this man.