What Ya Girl Won't Do (7 page)

Kylee was listening to Rihanna's “Birthday Cake” as she got ready for her date. Ja'Nay crossed her mind a time or two, but instead of calling her to apologize for always being so overbearing, she just hoped her best friend knew her intentions were all good. Kylee couldn't understand why Ja'Nay was so stuck on Quann; she could have her choice of men. Ja'Nay was gorgeous. She stood five foot five with cocoa brown skin and a shape that made even Kylee envious at times. She had big, pretty, dark brown eyes that always sparkled, and shoulder-length hair that was always intact whether she wore it natural or weaved up; Ja'Nay never left the house without looking like a five-star chick.

Kylee walked into the adjacent bathroom and turned on the shower, before getting undressed and stepping in. After showering, Kylee rubbed Olive Oil hair pudding in her hair, brushed it down to her head, and watched as it curled up, just the way she liked it. She laid the brush down and headed out of the bathroom and over to her closet. Since Kylee didn't know where Eli was taking her, she decided to put on an all-purpose outfit. She chose a chocolate brown, mustard yellow, and burnt orange block print Monsoon halter sundress, with a pair of tan and gold Chanel flip-flops. Kylee accessorized her outfit with a thin gold necklace, gold bangles, and a pair of gold shoulder-length triangular-shaped earrings.

“Get it, Kylee.” She smiled at the image in the full-length standing floor mirror. She pulled her chocolate brown Michael Kors Colgate leather purse off the shelf before walking over to her bed and taking a seat. She began transferring her belongings from one purse to the other. As she pulled out her contents, Kylee came across a picture that she and Ja'Nay had taken together on their graduation day. They both looked so happy. Kylee smiled, feeling guilty about how she'd left things with her best friend earlier. She leaned over, grabbed her cell phone and dialed Ja'Nay's number, only to have it go straight to voicemail. Deciding not to leave a message and just call back later, Kylee put her phone in her purse, turned off her stereo, and, headed downstairs to watch the episode of
Scandal
that she had DVRed a few days ago.

Kylee was all into her show when there was a knock at the door.

“Shit, niggas always wanna wait until the good part to knock on the door,” she huffed, standing up from the sofa, never taking her eyes off the TV as she headed to the front door. “Who is it?”

“Who you expectin' otha than me,” Eli answered.

That accent had made Kylee forget all about what was on TV. “You're the only one I'm expectin',” she said with a smile while opening the door.

“I betta be,” Eli joked, stepping in the foyer.

“Whatever.” Kylee laughed, catching a whiff of the CK One Shock cologne Eli was wearing.

“You look nice,” Eli said, checking her out.

Kylee smiled. “Thank you and so do you.” Kylee loved a man who could dress. He looked like a totally different person outside of his work uniform. Eli's locks were neatly pulled to the back into a ponytail. He wore a pair of dark denim LRG jeans that sagged just right, with a crisp white and navy blue polo shirt that revealed his protruding biceps, and a pair of light blue, navy, and white Supra Vaider tennis shoes.

“Let me grab my purse; then we can leave,” Kylee said, turning to walk away.

Eli's eyes zoned in on Kylee's nice, round backside as she headed over to retrieve her purse. “You have a nice place here,” he said, taking his eyes off her ass and looking around her condo. The living room was nicely decorated in red, black, white, and silver. Eli thought whoever decorated took their time with every little detail, from the red Italian leather sectional to the oversized black leather chaise in the corner with the big white ottoman that was being used as her coffee table. The authentic artwork on the wall tied everything together perfectly. He could tell there were no corners cut when it came to decorating; the room looked like it was straight out of a magazine.

“Thank you,” she said, grabbing her purse off the ottoman and heading back over to where Eli stood. “Me and my mom got the idea and color scheme off a TV show we watched.”

“Y'all hooked this place up,” he said, shaking his head in approval.

“Thanks. Do you recognize the pictures on the walls?” she quizzed.

“Hell yeah, I recognize 'em.” He smiled.

“From where?” Kylee asked, thinking he was lying.

Eli walked into the living room with Kylee close behind. “That one over there,” he said, pointing, “is called
Singin' Sistahs,
that one is
Sugar Shack,
and the one in your foyer is called
Boxing Gym,
and that one over there is called
Come Sunday,
” he said, busting her bubble.

“Okay.” She smiled, impressed.

“Yeah, how you like me now?” he joked, sounding like a true Jamaican.

“You know a lot about art, huh?” she asked.

“Naw, just about Ernie Barnes's work. My father had his entire collection and when he died I took 'em.”

“And here I always thought that J.J. was really paintin' all them pictures on
Good Times.
” Kylee laughed.

“Wow.” Eli laughed too.

“Be quiet.” Kylee smiled.

“You ready?” he asked.

“I'm ready,” she said, walking back into the foyer and opening the door. She waited for Eli to walk out so she could lock the door behind them. Kylee was impressed as she walked out and saw what Eli was driving.

Okay now, this nigga got taste and money,
she thought as they headed down the walk.

Eli opened the passenger's side door to a stunning red two-door BMW M6 Gran Coupe. Kylee climbed in and the scent of fresh-squeezed lemons instantly tickled her nostrils. Kylee instantly fell in love with the car as she settled into the soft leather seat. Eli closed the door, walked around to the driver's side, and got in.

“A lot better than my lawn-care truck, eh?” Eli looked over at Kylee and asked with a smile before starting up the car.

“Yeah, a lot,” she answered, sitting back and buckling her seat belt.

Eli pushed a couple of buttons on the dashboard and Drake's “Cameras” began playing.

“I love this song,” Kylee said.

“I do too,” Eli said, bobbing his head to the beat. “Where you wanna eat at?” Eli asked Kylee.

Kylee shrugged her shoulders. “It really don't matter to me. I'm down for whatever.”

“I mean what do you have a taste for? Chinese, Italian, Japanese? Give me some idea what you like.”

“For real I really don't care. I'm just hungry.”

“Have you ever had Jamaican before?” Eli asked with a smirk.

Kylee smirked too. “Nope, but I sure would love to try some.”

“A'iiiight, be careful what you ask for.” Eli smiled.

“I'm a big girl. I can handle it,” she said, before biting down on her bottom lip.

“That's what I'm talkin' about,” Eli said, getting turned on before putting the pedal to the metal.

Kylee got comfortable, bobbing her head to the music while she and Eli got better acquainted.

Twenty minutes later, Eli pulled up in Relly's crowded parking lot, turned off the engine, and looked over at Kylee.

“You ever ate here before?”

“No,” Kylee said, shaking her head. “I always wanted to try it, but every time I tried comin' here the wait was too damn long.”

“That's 'cause their food is the bomb,” Eli said, opening the door, getting out, and walking around to the passenger's side. He opened Kylee's door, held out his hand for her to grab, and helped her out.

A gentleman,
she thought. “Thank you,” she said, letting go of Eli's hand.

You could hear the Reggae music the live band was playing inside the club blaring as they headed up to the door.

“Their food gotta be the bomb,” Kylee stated, looking at the long line of people waiting to get inside the restaurant.

“I'm tryin'a tell you it is.”

“You sure you don't wanna go somewhere else?” Kylee suggested, not in the mood to stand in a long line.

“Naw, we good, ma, just follow me,” he said, bypassing the long line of people, walking to the front of the line.

“You can't just cut in front of all these people,” Kylee stated.

“Let me do this,” Eli said, walking up to the dude standing at the front door. “Sup.” Eli nodded before giving the man some dap.

“Sup, Eli.” The man smiled, opening the door for Eli and Kylee to walk in.

“Okay,” Kylee said, impressed.

From the time they walked into the crowded restaurant people treated Eli like he was some type of celebrity. It seemed like Eli gave dap to every nigga he passed by, and shot a million dollar smile at every chick who went out of their way trying to catch his attention like Kylee wasn't standing right there beside him. She wasn't the least bit bothered by these thirsty hoes. She'd never had a problem with a chick taking what belonged to her. Even though Eli technically didn't belong to Kylee, he had a top-of-the-line chick by his side, and by the looks of these females, choosing to mess with any of them over here would be a straight downgrade.

The waitress seated them at an empty table up front by the stage and handed them their menus. “My name is Chavar, and I'll be your waitress tonight.” She smiled, more at Eli than Kylee.

“Chavar, eh?” Eli asked.

“Yep,” she answered, slowly shaking her head.

“Give us a minute to look over the menu. But for the time being grab me some papaya juice and give my friend here . . .” He looked over at Kylee and waited.

“Let me get a glass of Cake Moscato please,” Kylee answered while scanning the menu.

“What you wanna eat?” Eli asked.

“I don't know. I told you I've never eaten Jamaican food before. What should I get?”

“What you like, beef or chicken?”

“I want some beef,” Kylee flirted.

“Oh yeah.” Eli chuckled.

“Get ya mind out the gutta, nigga, and help me order somethin' to eat.” Kylee laughed.

“Dis bully beef rice is pretty good,” Eli suggested.

“What's in that?” Kylee turned up her nose and asked.

“Corned beef, onions, Jamaican pimento seeds, potatoes, spices, and rice,” Eli answered.

“I think I'll pass,” Kylee said. “What else would you suggest?”

“The ackee and salt fish is good, too.”

“What's in that?”

“Salt fish, ackees, different spices, onions, and bacon,” Eli answered.

“That sounds like a heart attack waitin' to happen,” Kylee joked. “And plus, I've never even heard of salt fish or ackees.”

Eli laughed. “Ackee is a fruit but it's cooked and used as a vegetable. And salt fish is just that: a salted, dried fish, usually cod. It's a meal that's usually cooked on Sundays in Jamaica. We eat it for breakfast or dinner.”

“Okay, school me,” Kylee said. “But it still doesn't sound like somethin' I would like.”

“Don't knock it until you try it,” Eli said.

“I'll pass,” Kylee said, shaking her head.

“Well ya best bet is the curry chicken or jerk chicken,” Eli said.

“I'll think I'll take the jerk chicken.” She smiled.

“Okay, but I need to warn you, it's hot!”

“I already told you I'm a big girl,” Kylee said.

“Okay, big girl, don't say I didn't warn you,” he said, waving the waitress back over to them.

After placing their orders, Kylee and Eli laughed and talked as the Reggae band did their thing on the stage. Kylee was really enjoying herself. It had been awhile since she'd had this much fun.

“Now, tell me what that nigga said in the store that one day,” Kylee said, before sticking a fried plantain in her mouth.

Eli covered his mouth with his fist and laughed. “Awww, ma, I thought you forgot all about that.”

“Nope, and you promised you would tell me what he said,” Kylee said, and waited.

“Okay, I did promise you.”

“I'm waitin'.”

“He said, ‘
Cho! Coo deh ass,
‘” Eli said.

“I know that!” Kylee laughed. “But what does it mean?”

Eli laughed too. “It means, ‘Wow, look at that ass,'” Eli said.

Kylee shook her head.

“What?” Eli inquired.

“I just shook my head that's all.”

“My man, Jah, liked what he saw, so he spoke on it,” Eli said.

Before Kylee could respond she was interrupted.

“Eli, my bwoy.” Some tall, skinny guy with the same accent as Eli's walked up to the table and smiled.

“Wassup, De'lonn?” Eli smiled back while standing up and greeting him with a handshake and a shoulder pound.

“Where ya been at, bwoy? You's a hard nigga to catch up wit',” De'lonn said. He looked over at Kylee and nodded.

“I know, man. I've been workin'.”

“I heard you been doin' big thangs. You workin' tonight?” De'lonn asked discreetly.

“Not right now. But I tell you what, when I get ready to leave, meet me at my car. I got a li'l somethin' I want you to test for me,” Eli said.

“Dat's wassup! Fill d' splif wit' kaya and let's get higha,” De'lonn said happily.

“You silly, bwoy,” Eli laughed.

“I'm 'bouta go over here and wait for you by the bar. Yo de gyal ah pree mi like she waan fuck,” he said, rubbing his hands together.