Chapter Thirty-Five #2
They exchange tentative smiles. ‘It’s strong, innit?’ Shameeka says, smoothing her eyebrows and squinting like a lightskin male Instagram model, then reaching around to tuck her silky shirt into the waistband of her slacks a bit more as they both try to pick their way through the unease.
‘Listen,’ they say simultaneously.
Anika bites her lip and tries again. ‘It’s been a weird time, but I just … You don’t know everything about me – that was my only point, really.’
‘I don’t know everything about you.’ Shamz’s voice is laced with sarcasm.
Anika feels her jaw tighten, but then the bartender slaps her drinks in front of her urgently.
She struggles for a moment trying to pick up the two glasses and the bottle of water, until Shameeka sighs and grabs the bottle for her, gesturing wordlessly to ask if she can have a sip.
Anika nods, taking a long drink of her gin and tonic, and they move over to a slightly less busy space.
Undoing and redoing the bottle’s lid, Shamz seems to be formulating her words carefully.
‘Look. Fine, maybe some of it needed to be said,’ she says. ‘Maybe a lot of it.’ She pauses. ‘Anika, look … I’m here for you. OK?’
Anika avoids her friend’s gaze for a moment, then nods. ‘No, of course. I know. Same.’ She scrunches her mouth up apologetically. ‘I think processing what happened to me has just been more of a trip than I expected it to be. There’s still stuff I’m wrapping my head around.’
‘I get it,’ Shameeka says. ‘I think. I mean, I appreciate you even vaguely trying to articulate it, Neeks. The method was a bit out of nowhere though, not gonna lie.’
Anika purses her lips and Shamz waves her hand in the air.
‘Anyway … All of this is mad.’ She looks around, then raises an eyebrow.
‘I take it things are going well with Mr Asiedu? Out here on man’s arm, and doing up superstar DJ and what not …
?’ Her tone is teasing, but after their exchange yesterday Anika can’t help rolling her eyes again.
Her and Cam being an item does almost seem too good to be true, though …
Her head swims for a moment and she blinks again to right it, glancing at the drink in her hand.
I’m guessing the alcohol isn’t helping. Exhaustion is starting to overtake her in earnest since she nailed her DJ set and she rubs her eyes, feeling the weariness she’s been holding at bay creeping back into her bones.
‘Neeks, you good?’ Shameeka asks, holding out a hand to steady her friend by the elbow.
‘Yeah. Yes. I’ve just been doing too much, man,’ she says, half to herself.
‘I’m a bit knackered.’ The notion of going home alone to her own bed to reassess, recoup and regroup is suddenly a shining goal that she needs to make happen as soon as possible.
A bit of rest and I’ll be back to my best, she tells herself emphatically, planning to add that to the diary as soon as she gets home.
‘Hmm. OK, if you’re sure …’
She frowns at the coddling tone to Shameeka’s voice given what they’ve just talked about, but then strong arms snake around Anika’s middle, and Shamz’s eyes widen, accompanied by a grin. Anika steps forward out of Cam’s grip, then turns around to peck him on the lips.
‘How we doing?’ he asks, eyeing her hungrily. His hands move gently to her hips, but she grabs and holds them to control their movement. If he touches her like that for too long, she’ll be convinced to stay.
‘Yeah, good. Chatting to Shamz.’ It’s stating the obvious, but reliably Cam remembers his manners as Shameeka reaches out to spud him.
‘Congratulations, G,’ her friend says. ‘And on this, too.’ She gestures between them. ‘Can’t believe you finally got her to show her skills off.’
‘We were lucky to get her. Yeah! I’m a lucky motherfucker.’ Cam squeezes Anika to him with his arm around her waist again, and she’s unable to resist him. But as good as it feels, she’s ready to implement her escape plan.
‘Do you know what, though?’ she says. ‘I’m thinking I might need to head, I’m afraid. I’m battered. All the excitement of the last couple of days is catching up to me.’
‘Mmm. It has been a lot,’ he murmurs.
The memory of Cam inside her sparks a need that she has to fight incredibly hard. They continue to look at one another until Shameeka clears her throat.
‘OK, then …’ she says, sipping the water to conceal her smile.
Cam breaks his gaze away from Anika to survey the party, which is still going strong. ‘I might need to make a couple more rounds—’
‘Yeah, yeah, of course,’ Anika says quickly.
‘You should stay. This is your night – you need to bask in every moment of it. I was thinking I’d head back to mine and get some proper sleep for the week ahead.
’ She smiles, still finding it hard to absorb the look of disappointment on Cam’s face. He really wants me to stay?
‘OK, cool,’ he says. ‘Well, let’s get you sorted with a car, then, yeah?’
Maybe not …
Anika works hard to smooth her brow out from the uncertain frown that has begun to form. ‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll be totally fine to just call a cab when I get outside.’
‘OK. You sure?’
Shameeka intervenes. ‘I was going to head out soon, too. Why don’t I share a cab with you?’
Anika nods reluctantly, unsure she wants to hang out with Shamz more right now, and already almost regretting that she won’t be spending the night with her head resting against Cam’s chest again. But she really does need that reset.
‘One sec, though,’ Shameeka says. ‘I just need to catch Hervé before we go …’ Her friend heads off to where her boss is holding court and Cam spins Anika around before she can make her escape, tightening his arms around her.
The embrace feels safe, anchoring. She wraps her arms around his neck, enjoying a couple of jealous looks from a few of the passers-by, and unable to resist making a show of planting a scorching kiss on Cam’s lips.
He moans in pleasure, audible even over the DJ now playing some pounding drill music.
‘Jeez. This is very “leave them wanting more”, Ms Lapo,’ Cam says, his voice low, still holding her close to him.
He subtly slips his hand down between them, his fingertips grazing against her for a moment through the slippery material of her dress, and she bites her lip.
His hand moves away and he pulls her close again.
‘Or, more accurately, absolutely fucking dying to be inside you again as soon as possible.’ His words heat her whole body as he pours them into her ear.
Anika breathes in, trying to compose herself. ‘I want that too,’ she tells him, meaning it way too much. ‘Soon.’ She kisses him more lightly now. ‘Goodnight.’
‘Goodnight, beautiful. Message me when you get in, yeah?’
Anika nods, ignoring a needling, inexplicable concern building within her about the risk of letting him in, letting him care.
‘OK,’ she says quietly. ‘I will.’