Chapter 7
Ana was not the type that used make-ups, but on the day of the dinner she wanted to try something different. She came out something different indeed.
She appeared like a divinity.
It was all angelic white. Ana wore a white one shoulder bodycon knee length, a feather white CZ choker with earrings to match, and a white wedge to complete her outfit. Her purse rested under her armpit as she tottered to Kwame's car.
As she walked towards the car, she remembered what he texted her when it was time to be ready.
'Your outfit might have many uncontrollable ramifications, one of which is making me lick your skin, please, don't dress to that effect.'
Ana muffled the laughter that came with the thought and yanked open the front door. She sat and said 'Hi'. Kwame responded and pretended he was about licking her arm. Ana flinched and cachinnated. Kwame joined the fun. She shook her head when the laughter had almost quieted and shot him a look that said 'you are one funny guy you know!'
That was the first time Ana saw Kwame look at her in obvious admiration. It was clear her appearance had had a lightning effect on him, striking him so hard that his eyes flared as he looked at her. Similarly, Ana could not calm herself as he took her in. Her hands rested on her purse that was on her lap, while her legs flapped to betray the anxiety she was trying to hide. For some seconds, he sat in the car admiring her. She etched a smile on her face and rocked her head to the beat of the music that was playing. Jason Derulo's trumpets. Ana turned after a while and met his gaze. The look on his face said that he had never seen Ana in such a happy mood before.
'Looks like someone can't wait to dance,' he inferred and started the car. Ana did her best not to ruin the smile she wore but nodded a half-hearted yes to his inference. The rocking of her neck to the beat vanished so fast that, one would not say there was music playing. She realized that after all these years, she did not know how to perform one act, dance. Whether it was azonto or salsa, she knew nothing. She had spent all her time burying her head into work.
She had no social life.
She smirked and resumed her beaming face. The mere fact that she was a zero in the dance world was not ruining her night, not today. She began rocking again. This time she hummed along. Kwame could not help but grin when the humming began. He admitted there was more to know about his young friend's mother.
For the first time in so many years she became slightly tensed when they arrived, but Kwame was fine. He had now taken over the hum baton.
He was doing some Beyoncé in his throat.
The car pulled off near a separate garden that was a few blocks away from the gathering. The speakers were playing a slow romantic saxophone jazz, which had enveloped the place with some lovers' aura. He held her hands for the first time. Their fingers, as if those parts of their bodies had been waiting since creation, clasped around each other.
The manner in which the clasp took form was so natural.
A slight squeeze from each other spoke to the silence; I am here for you. Ana sighed.
Why was she tensed and jumpy?
She had been attending this annual event for close to a decade now since its inception. Was it because she had dressed to kill the night? Or it was because she was double for the first time after several years of attending the dinner alone?
Joe hardly accompanied his mother because of school. Another reason was that Ana thought bringing him along would expose him to bad boys like Vodka and Whisky, whom she wanted her son to have no relationship with.
They began walking on the hedged pavement towards the already cheerful enclosure. Ana's curved hips, which appeared to be tearing her outfit apart, were making hits on the side of his thighs as they walked. She felt like her lungs were empty when they had almost reached the red carpet. She was losing her breath. Slow but sure, they walked to the carpet.
Before they could pose the camera men had completed countless clicks. Kwame stood straight with a smile whiles Ana held her waist, with her behind softly nudging at his groin. Changing their style, they stood arm in arm, and other poses that Ana did not know she could.
When they finally arrived at the large gathering, the surprise that was written on the faces of her employees was not because she had brought someone along for the first time, but because of her appearance.
Her vital statistics were glaring in her outfit.
She left a few lips ajar and eyes agape. Some jumped out of their skins and went to her side to propose a dance. Some quickly notified others with their eyes to watch the beautiful witch who queens over their work place. The effect was so profound that immediately they entered, the cheer in the air reduced drastically. Ana needed not to be told that she had marred the merry momentarily. Knowing this, there was no need raising up her head. They went straight to an empty table. Drinks were full on every table, and most tables' drinks had been half drunk before they arrived. Most of her workers used this opportunity as pay back time for their salaries that they thought was not enough. They had to drink into her account.
Meanwhile, a few inquisitive ones had already begun an investigation. They appeared as though moving from one table through the few dancers to other tables, but it was all an attempt to raise eye brows.
Is he here just to accompany her or the witch had finally found a wizard with a broom she loved? They were thinking. Some saw Ana smile for the first time since they were employed. The guy brought something new out of her, they inferred after her unexpected grin.
Smiles, teases, and jokes brought Ana showing all her thirty-two. She had not emptied a glass yet. Impulse, when unnoticed, can make one act strange. She found herself cracking jokes too. Where she had the jokes from, she could not tell. They came to mind effortlessly. A few thought she was under the influence of alcohol, due to her wanton movements. Ana willed Kwame to have a drink but he reclined and turned down the offer.
Apparently he was quitting the act.
Unfortunately, there were no non-alcoholics around. The least available was thirty-five percent. Ana apologized but Kwame said there was no need for any, she did not know he was quitting so she had nothing to worry about.
The two were the first to take their share of the buffet. Eating, she watched the strong muscles in his jaw move to his grind. This made the muscles of her stomach stiffen.
And which barbering shop did he go to?
The hair from his finely shaped beard that went up the side of his cheek to the front of his ears appeared slim and blade-sharp. He complimented the food. She nodded and told him they were one of the best in town. She asked if he wanted more but Kwame said he was fine. He added that just the aroma could satisfy the hunger.
All that while, Ana had been fighting a stubborn urge. The urge to steal was so mighty. She did not want to be caught stealing a swift glance at him. Especially when she knew the attitude of some of her employees. Her employees could talk, she knew.
After the food, she gave a short speech as she usually did every time. As she did, Kwame stared on. Ana could see with her peripheral view that he was staring. This knowledge intermittently brought smiles to her face at instances where she was speaking about serious issues at work. Where they expected her visage to be serious, she was smiling.
Some had begun whispering that something was definitely wrong with their CEO. She fidgeted like a novel, just because a set of pressuring eyes were standing between herself and her composure. As she stood there, she could not wait to finish and sit. She could literally touch the pressure that he was exuding at her. It was calm, penetrating, and persistent. His stare had the strength of three hundred Spartan soldiers behind their shields. When she saw that Kwame had added a grin, the situation became worse. Her legs felt like collapsing under her familiar heft. Her wedge also lost more balance as seconds sped into minutes. It took her longer than usual to finish her speech. They saluted her with a clap offering when she ended. She sighed when she had settled in her seat, and dapped her sweating nose.
Unlike the previous years, all she showed up for was to give her speech, hang around for a few minutes, and she was off. She did not have the time. Besides, she could not have a conversation with anyone about business, she was ahead of all of them.
Kwame complimented her on the nice speech when she was calm and collected. She said thank you in a rosiness that had no bounds.
Another conversation ensued. Kwame could hold a smile on Ana's face for close to ten minutes. As she watched him, every word that came out of his mouth was toothsome. There was no room for a flaw. His uh-huh and aha was a delight to hear.
As the chat developed and diverted to other areas of discussion, something came to mind.
She wanted to ask but the effect of her enquiry on the merry was unpredictable. Messing up the fun was the last choice she wanted to make. In her obvious attempt to hold back her unasked worry, her lips shook. Kwame asked if there was any problem. He could read the worry on her pretty face, but Ana said no and resumed a smile, she knew her visage had betrayed her. It was too early to be asking such trespassing questions. Asking about the lady she saw with Kwame, Kwame might interpret her query for something she did not want him to think of. It might most likely tell Kwame that she was into him but she wanted to know if there was someone else in his life. She brushed off the killjoy.
Ana had a liking for fireworks, she could not help but take his hands as the explosions began. Each time the rockets exploded, Kwame felt her tighten the grip on his hands. She could not take her eyes off the colored flames and sparks in the sky.
Moments later, it was time to dance.
Ana felt a chill run through her whole body when couples began dancing.
Mercy me, what have I landed myself into?
Sweat broke out on her nose, forcing her to make use of her handkerchief. She knew she definitely had to join the crowd anytime soon. She vented a decisive sigh. The more time she spent sitting and smiling at those already on stage, the more a message she did not want to send became clear to Kwame; when it came down to dancing, she was abysmal.
Every second counted here.
But what dance move did she know? None! She swallowed the imminent embarrassment and decided to take the risk. Before she could let out a word, Kwame had stretched a hand with a smile. The smile said you were itching to dance in the car, let me help you scratch off those moves. She took the bait and bounced to her feet.
Another reason why she had never danced at this occasion was because the last person to ask her to a dance, which was years ago, was fired a week after, so her employees likened the act to a sacking letter. From that year on, no one dared to ask her to a dance. Under firing circumstances, no one had ever received a golden handshake from Ana.
A lot of brows rose as they joined the few dancing couples. It was another novelty. She had never danced at the event before astonishment had a lot of room.
Just as she was turning to face him when they had found a nice spot, she missed a step, and an inevitable fall was obvious.
