The suction machine in the ED broke that Wednesday so Ora walked to the theatre to pick up one of their extras. She could have sent anyone else to pick it up, but hoped to run into her boyfriend. The thought of Jason being her man made her giggle.
They hadn’t hung out for the past few days because of their work schedules, but he’d stop by the ED in the mornings before he headed to the theatre or the OPD. They talked a lot on the phone. Would they ever run out of things to say?
When she reached the theatre, the nurse told her to have a seat while she went for the machine.
“Is Dr. Lartey around?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too excited.
“He’s doing ward rounds on Surgical Ward Two. He should be back any moment now.”
Ora’s shoulders drooped. “Thank you.”
Not long after the nurse left, she heard two women talking in a room close by. She didn’t pay attention to their conversation until they mentioned Jason’s name. Her ears perked up like a dog upon hearing his master’s call.
“You’re right. I must admit he’s a very handsome man. But I’m happy with my husband.” The clang of metal on metal indicated a locker closing.
“He’s more than handsome. The man could be a model. That gorgeous body and clear, dark complexion. He’s hot!”
“Calm down, Gifty. Don’t get all excited.” The woman laughed. “He’s just a man. And besides, I heard he’s dating one of the nurses in the ED.”
Ora nodded and mouthed, “That’s right. You tell her lady!”
“I heard the same rumour. But what does that matter? He’s not married. And even if he was, that wouldn’t matter, either.”
Ora’s mouth opened. That little— She cut off the unkind thought before she could finish it.
“Gifty!” the other woman exclaimed.
“What? He’s a handsome doctor. What’s a girl supposed to do? Look a gift horse in the mouth?”
“He’s not for you, Gifty. I told you he has a girlfriend.”
“That won’t stop me from trying to get him. Look at me, Naomi. You know I always get what I want.”
Ora wanted to see this Gifty chick and then have her fist take a gander at her left eye but she remained calm. After all, he’d asked her to be his girlfriend. And he loved her.
But the one time he’d ever said it had been three years ago. He didn’t even tell her when he’d announced them a couple. She’d be more secure if she knew for sure he loved her.
“I see.” The second woman sounded dubious but didn’t continue to dissuade her co-worker. “Let’s get back to the theatre. We have a hernia repair to prep for.”
Ora sat pondering the conversation. She’d crossed doctors off of her dating list for this reason. Everyone wanted them. She couldn’t fault Gifty for lusting after him—he could melt a block of chocolate with his hotness, and with all of his wonderful qualities, there’s no doubt he represented a catch. But to attempt to steal him from another woman placed Gifty in the category of horrible. There were so many things she could do to dissuade Gifty.
The nurse returned with the suction machine. “I’m sorry I took so long. One of my colleagues needed help.”
Ora realized her expression registered as less than pleasant and the theatre nurse attributed it to making her wait. She pasted on a smile. “That’s okay. Thank you for getting it for me. I’ll make sure it’s returned as soon as ours is fixed.”
Heading back to the ED, she thought about what that little trollop had planned for her man. Some women could be ruthless when they were on the hunt. Perhaps she’d approach the ho to convey the message of Jason’s off-limits status.
She let her mind wander, envisioning herself confronting little Miss Gifty and stomping her into the ground if need be.
She reached the ED and her daydream vanished. She’d never fight another woman over a man. She’d long ago come to the conclusion that men were not worth fighting over. If an altercation occurred, it would be between her and the man. Never between her and another woman.
But she wouldn’t back down from a fight if it forced itself upon her. She wasn’t a hefty woman but she had some skills and speed.
She had to believe Jason would remain faithful. He’d promised her, so she’d hold him to it.
***
The day of the party of the year arrived and Esi bounced around with unrestrained mirth.
“Why aren’t you as thrilled as I am?” she asked Ora that morning.
“I am excited. Yippee.” She waved both hands in the air with fake enthusiasm.
Esi laughed. “I know you’re not much into parties. Thanks for doing this for me.”
“Anything to get you out of your rut.”
“Is Jason coming?”
Ora’s lips curved upward. “He said he’d stop by.”
“Good. I like him. He’s a good influence on you.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. You’re more relaxed than you were before. And happier.”
Ora picked up a throw pillow from the couch and held it against her stomach. “Why does happiness have to be connected to a man?”
“In your case, it’s because of Jason. Before you argue anymore, let’s go over our checklist to make sure we didn’t forget anything.”
At ten o’clock, the two women went to shower and change for the party. When Esi came out of her room, Ora whistled. “Looking good!”
Esi did a supermodel catwalk around the couch making sure to take a dramatic turn showing off the plunging back of her bright, cherry-red sundress which fell a little above the knee. Esi epitomised sexy and she knew it. She ruined the serious sultry look when she giggled. “You’re one hot lady yourself.”
Ora thrust her hips forward and walked with her feet in a straight line while she modelled her simple, off the shoulder green sheath dress. Both of them wore sandals because they’d be traipsing in the sand all day. “Do my eyes look greener?”
Esi moved closer. “No. You always ask when you wear green, but they never do.”
“They did once.”
“Sure, Ora, if you say so. You were the only one who saw it.”
“That’s true, but they were green, even if for a few seconds.”
“Your hazel eyes are beautiful. Do you want me to be even more envious of your eyes and have them be green, too? Let’s get going. I’d leave you to carry the cake, but I don’t trust you.”
The cake from her favourite bakery topped as Ora’s favourite part of the buffet meal they’d planned. Other than the cake, the rest of the food would be supplied by a caterer. She couldn’t wait to dive into that sweet, moist, delicious half-vanilla, half-chocolate cake with rich icing. The anticipation made her mouth water and she resisted taking an accidental slice of the confection.
Esi had borrowed her friend’s car for the day and Ora made sure she heard the click of her seat belt as soon as she sat down. Riding with Esi behind the wheel proved to be an adventure in fear because her incessant talking distracted her from the road.
They were holding their party at the beach section of a hotel near Kasoa. After speaking to the hotel manager, they went to the caterer to see if everything was in order.
Ora scanned the area. It would be a great party. The sand and ocean were the decorations they’d use. The sun shone high in the sky and all of the clouds had decided to hide for the day. The breeze flirted with her skirt by lifting it up a little at the hem. The tantalizing smell of the food made her steal a piece fried fish. “You did a good job organizing this party, Esi.”
Esi beamed with pride. “I did, didn’t I? No thanks to you.”
Ora lifted a brow. “What? You could always return my money.”
“I take it back. You did a magnificent job helping to organize this party, Ora.”
“That’s better.”
With nothing else to do but enjoy the music and the beautiful atmosphere before the guests arrived, they each got a drink and danced as if they were in a crowded club.
The first guests started appearing a few minutes later. The people trickled in and the place began to get crowded. Way more than the anticipated forty people had showed up.
“Do we have enough food?” Ora asked Esi.
“I think so. I ordered extra just in case. You know there’re always party crashers, especially at fabulous ones on the beach. How many of them do you know?”
Ora observed everyone having a good time. Some were dancing, some eating, and others had wandered down to the water’s edge. “About seven.”
“I know fifteen or so. Throwing a party is an interesting phenomenon; you never know what or who you’re going to get. I see a cute guy I’ve never met before. I’m going over dance with him. The spinner is playing my favourite R2Bees song.”
Ora laughed at her cousin who’d started dancing as she walked toward the stranger. The poor man would never know what hit him.
Rhonke came up to her. “Nice party.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you could make it.”
“Thanks for inviting me. The food’s delicious and the music is keeping me from sitting down. I love the ocean.”
“Make sure you have some cake. The more that’s left over, the more I’ll have to eat, not that I’d mind.”
Ora circulated to different groups making sure they were having a good time. Jason would be around later in the afternoon after finishing work, but she longed to see him now.
A group of her friends asked her to dance and they got down to a misinterpreted Ruff n’ Smooth song about a sex machine.
She happened to glance up while talking to a colleague of Esi’s and noticed Jason walking toward her. When their eyes met, she became giddy. His full time job should be to stay by her side, instead of saving lives.
Two women and two men flanked him. She recognized one of the guys as a doctor from the hospital, but she didn’t know the others.
“Good evening.” She greeted as she approached the group. “You are all welcome.”
They returned the greeting in a chorus of voices.
“These are the co-workers I asked you about inviting.” He went on to introduce everyone.
“This is my colleague and best friend, Adam Quarshie.”
Ora and Adam shook hands. “We’ve met before at the hospital,” she stated, and restrained herself from cringing as she recalled the stories about his player ways.
“Yes, on several occasions.”
“The rest are theatre nurses. This is Kwaku Gyau, Rose Asamoah, and Gifty.” Jason paused. “I’m sorry, Gifty. I’ve forgotten your last name.”
“That’s alright,” came her breathy reply as she touched his arm. “It’s Saah.”
The hairs on the back of Ora’s neck stood on end. The gorgeous woman had a shape that would make most men take a double and triple look and then walk into a pole because they weren’t paying attention to where they were going. Ora’s cheek twitched in her effort to maintain a calm demeanour as she thought about the conversation she’d overheard the girl having of her plan to snatch Jason away. She kept a smile pasted on her face.
“Everybody, this is my girlfriend and one of the hostesses of the party, Aurora Aikins.” He beamed at her while moving away from the woman’s hand and placing his arm around Ora’s waist.
She shook hands with the other three guests. “It’s wonderful to meet you.” When she got to Gifty, she noticed the vapid smile on her face as the woman did the cold fish finger handshake. Ora hated when women tried to make you feel as if you weren’t good enough to touch.
Ora fumed, but made polite conversation with them all, even Gifty who mumbled one-word answers to her questions.
“You can help yourselves to some food and drinks. It’s right over there. Enjoy the party.”
As the other three guests headed to the food buffet, Gifty lingered behind to talk to Jason. Ora pulled him away. “Can I talk to you for a minute please?”
“Sure.”
Jason could feel trouble stirring. Tension resonated off of Ora, but he had no idea of the cause.
They walked along the beach until they reached a secluded hut where some of the food had been stored. To his surprise, she turned and hugged him. “I’ve missed you these last couple of days.”
Ever since they’d started dating, she’d been more generous with her affection. It must have been her initial insecurity which had held her back.
“I’ve missed you, too. You look amazing.” He moved back to gaze at her outfit. “Thank you.” She turned so he could admire the rear view.
Damn, he had a fine woman. “I missed something, turn around again.”
“Jason,” she screeched, but did as he asked a little slower this time.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when she faced him again.
“With what?”
“With you. You were vibrating before. I could feel your tension because I had my arm around you.”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“You’re not telling me the truth. Have I upset you?”
Her shoulders slumped a little. “No. You haven’t done anything.”
“Then what’s the matter?”
His tenacity rivalled hers when it came to getting what he wanted, and he kept persisting until she caved in.
“I don’t think your friend Gifty likes me and she likes you too much.”
Jason smiled.
She crossed her arms over her chest, bringing the crest of her breasts into view. Nice. He made a mental note to make Ora cross her arms throughout the night.
“You feel me vibrating with anger and then you smile when I tell you why? Not a wise move, buddy.”
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wipe his grin off. “I’m not smiling because you’re angry. It’s because I’ve never seen you jealous before.”
“I’m not jealous.”
He lifted both of his eyebrows.
She paced the small area of the hut. “Well, maybe just a little. But I overheard her last week when I went to pick up a suction machine from the theatre saying she’d be stealing you away.”
Jason broke out into laughter that lasted for a full minute. When he got control of himself, he wiped the tears from his eyes.
Ora stood glaring. “You’re walking in quicksand, Jason. What’s so funny?”
“You are. Do you know how many women try to ‘get me’ as you put it?” He made air quotes with his index fingers. “I have no interest in any other woman than you. I asked you to be my girlfriend. I am a one-woman man and you are my one woman.”
Ora narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t you believe me?” Jason asked. “And besides, even if we weren’t together, I would never date her. I see right through her. She’s beautiful but she has no depth and she can be mean.”
The word “bitch” came to mind, plus her nursing skills needed a major revision. He wouldn’t get into her laziness and weak work ethic. He’d brought her to the party because she’d invited herself when he asked Kwaku and Rose, two of the best theatre nurses he’d had the pleasure to work with in Ghana.
“So you admit she’s beautiful.”
“I’d have to be a blind man not to. But she’s not a good person. Not like you, Ora. You’re a beautiful, intelligent, kind, generous, and fantastic woman. You’re all I desire.” He punctuated this with a kiss on her left cheek. “You’re all I want.” He kissed her right cheek. “You are mine.” He kissed her lips.
She wound her arms around his neck and he deepened the kiss by sliding her tongue inside his mouth.
They didn’t notice Esi had joined them in the hut until she cleared her throat. They sprang apart.
“Again with the kissing!” Esi exclaimed and tried to hide her smile. “There’s a party going on out there. I came for some more salad; they love it.” She got the salad and left the area, dancing to the latest Samini song.
Jason and Ora laughed.
“Are you all right now?” He hoped he’d waylaid her fears. He’d been honest. He couldn’t envision himself with any other woman but her.
“Yes. Let’s go enjoy the party.”
Ora needed a break from the guests and drifted toward the sea. She skittered backward with a squeal of delight as the cool water lapped onto her feet. The second time the small wave hit her, she stood still, looked out into the vastness of the ocean, and said a prayer of gratitude.
She sensed someone’s presence. One of the tallest men she’d ever encountered had decided to join her. He had to be at least six foot five with a body of pure muscle. Handsome but not in the same way as her Jason. His brown trousers were rolled up to his knees.
She moved forward until the water hit her shins. “I’m glad you could make it to the party.”
He followed until he stood at her side.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Dr. Adam Quarshie winked.
Ora didn’t fall for his flirtation. “Your reputation precedes you, Quarshie.”
He angled his head. “What reputation? You know I’m one of the best doctors in all of Ghana?”
Ora laughed. Dangerous was the one word she’d use to describe him and yet she felt comfortable. “There’s that, and you’re a flirt by nature. A player.”
He put his hands on his chest as if he’d been wounded and then laughed. “Guilty as charged.”
They watched the waves roll in for a few minutes. “I wouldn’t have taken you to be a contemplative guy.”
“You shouldn’t judge people. Just because I love women, doesn’t mean I don’t have depth or other dimensions.”
She removed her gaze from the horizon to look at him. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“There’s one way you could make it up to me.” He smirked.
This rogue had set her up, but her curiosity got the better of her. “I won’t promise to do it, but how?”
“You could introduce me to your cousin. Leaving out the player part.”
Ora quirked her eyebrow up in surprise. No way Esi would go for this smooth-talking man. His reputation roamed as legend through the hospital and Esi didn’t want to be one of his statistics. Ora smiled in anticipation of how she’d react to him. She pitied the handsome giant.
“Okay, but don’t get your hopes up. Because you’re Jason’s friend, I’ll give you a heads’ up.”
“What is it?”
“Her words can be scathing, worse toward men who use women.”
“Thanks for the info. Let me clarify that I don’t use women, I enjoy them. We enjoy each other.”
Ora put her hands over her ears and sang, “La, la, la, la. Too much information.” They laughed. “Just remember I warned you.”
“I’ll take my chances.” He bent over and threw water at her.
The cold shocked her, but not for long. Instead of being angry, she reached down, splashed him back, and giggled while running away so he wouldn’t get the opportunity to retaliate.
As they walked back to the party, Adam pointed toward the food table. “It looks like I’ve upset Jason.”
Her man glared at them—at Adam, actually—with a snarl on his face. When he noticed her observing him, he changed his countenance and lifted one corner of his mouth in what should have been a grin.
Adam did a teasing finger roll wave while Jason gave him a rude finger gesture. “He’s a good man. The best friend I’ve ever had.”
“He is a good man. I’m not sure how good a friend you are, splashing your best friend’s girl like you just did.”
“If you weren’t with him, I’d put my real moves on you by placing the water in strategic places.”
She squinted at him. “And I’d put the real shut down on you.”
“I wonder who’d win that battle,” he asked with a genuine pensive expression. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I like to embarrass Jason every chance I get. He’s into you. I’ve never seen him so committed to a woman.”
“You say committed as if it’s a bad word.”
“Isn’t it?” He shivered, making his mouth and cheeks shake. “He likes you a lot and I can see why.”
“Thank you. I can see how you obtained your reputation. You’re a slick rascal.”
He bowed at the waist while moving his right hand in repeated circles. “Your compliments abound.”
“I renege on my offer. You’ll have to find your own introduction to Esi.”
“No problem. I didn’t gain my reputation by sitting on the sidelines.” He winked.
Jason marched over and glared at Adam.
“Jason!”
Adam touched her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Ora. He’s all bark and no bite. Right, Chale?” Adam punched his friend in shoulder and walked away laughing.
A slow song played through the speakers. Jason pulled her into his arms and she sighed with contentment as she laid her head on his shoulder and their bodies moved in an unhurried, smooth rhythm. She inhaled his spicy cologne mixed with the salt air of the ocean and curled her arms around his neck so she could touch more of him.
Ora spoke without moving her head from where it should have been all night. “You know he intended to make you mad.”
“I know.”
His petulant tone amused her. “He said some good things about you.”
He pulled away to look down at her. She moved toward him to close the gap.
“Are you sure he didn’t try to embarrass me?”
“He admitted to doing that, too.”
They swayed in union to the music. Ora closed her eyes and her world became this wonderful man holding her in his arms. At that moment, they were one.
***
The party had been a success. When they walked into the house that evening, Ora, Jason, and Esi flopped down on the couch with exhaustion.
“You throw a great party, Esi. Worthy of my college days,” Jason said.
Esi beamed at the compliment. “Thanks. You’re a great dancer.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t I get any of the compliments being thrown around here? I helped with the party...a little. And I can dance, too.”
“Yes, baby. You can dance. You made me look good.”
Esi rolled her eyes. “I’ll put the food away. We have more than enough to last us for the week. Sorry, Ora, but the cake is almost gone.”
“Don’t worry about that. She ate most of it.”
She hit him on the shoulder. “I did not.”
He rubbed his shoulder as if in pain. “If you say so.”
Esi headed toward the kitchen. “After that, I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”
“Sleep well, cuz. Thanks for talking me into the party. I had a good time.”
Jason grabbed Ora’s hand, leading her to the door. “I’m ready to go home.”
She hid her disappointment. She wanted him to stay and chat, maybe do some other things, but he’d worked all day and needed to sleep. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“I had a good time tonight,” he said when they were at the driver’s side.
“Me, too. Thanks for coming. Call me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”
He bent forward and kissed her on the mouth. She clung to his lips, enjoying their sweetness.
“Have a good night with dreams more delicious than all of that cake you ate tonight.”
“You’re funny. Have a good night.”
She watched him get into his car and waved as he drove away. She’d fallen in love with an amazing man.
Throughout the party, she’d watched that Gifty tramp trying to get close to him, but he had great skills when it came to avoiding her. What had he said earlier in the hut? Something about being chased by a lot of women. Remembering his words didn’t console her. But the fact that she’d seen him avoid Gifty so adeptly at the party made her feel better.
Expressing her feelings to him about that trollop made her feel more secure about their relationship.
When she fell asleep, her subconscious conjured dreams about Jason that she would never be able to tell her mother about.