“So, do you want to show me what you’ve got, dimples?”
Josh wanted to laugh. If the unoriginality of a come-on was all she had, he knew she wasn’t going to be much of a distraction. In fact, based on that single comment, he decided she wasn’t even worth a flirtation. Never forgetting his manners, he did however, rise to his feet and offered her the vacant seat beside him.
When he retook his seat, Josh nearly choked at the words muttered by the gray haired Caribbean woman sitting on his right.
“Well, at least you got good upbringing. If I were you, I wouldn’t bother wid dat one. Dat gal’s IQ is no bigger dan she breast size!”
Josh immediately, knew who he’d rather be speaking to. Older Caribbean people always fascinated him because they were funny without knowing it. The way they spoke was so matter-of-fact it never failed to amuse him, but it was too late, the buxom woman was demanding his attention.
“So what do you say, big boy, do you want us to find someplace where I can show you what I’ve got?” The woman purred, running her fingernails up and down his forearm.
Before he could respond the older woman’s voice floated towards him.
“Big boy! If I were you, I would mek sure me backside glue to dat seat. Because whatever dat gal want to show you, going to be wid you til de doctor clear you!”
That was it. Josh lost all interest in his would be sexual distraction. It was all he could do to hold back laughter. The only reason he’d heard the older woman’s running commentary was because he had exceptional hearing.
Not wanting to hurt the buxom woman’s feelings, his mind strove for a way to get her to move on. Deciding to be completely candid, Josh looked her in the eyes and smiled. “At any other time, you would be exactly what I would need, but right now, I’m just not interested. You see, in the time it took you to make your way over here, I found someone else who holds my interest much more than you ever could.”
By the time he’d said his piece, she was good and mad. She was exactly the type of woman that gravitated towards him. While she might be angry with him now, by the time she cooled down, he would be long forgotten. When she gave him a scornful look and left, his only reaction was a shrug of his shoulders.
Turning to the older woman sitting to his right, he smiled. “I took your advice, I’ve always had an aversion to spending too much time in the doctor’s office.”
Looking directly at each other for the first time, Josh’s smile grew with each word she spoke. “Me jus glad you nuh so stupid, you nuh hear what mama have fe tell you,” the old woman said patting his hand.
Oh, he’d heard alright. His destiny laid elsewhere, and it was time he met it head on.
****
Lux was exhausted. The preparations leading up to Carnival were always the same. Her troupe of dancers needed constant attention. If ever the term divas should be associated with a group of women, her dancers were it.
The make-up of the troupe was something Lux was proud of. Women came in all different shapes, sizes as well as hues. It took her a few years, but she’d used the time well to pull together dancers that were reflective of the beautiful mix of people on the island.
Unlike other troupes whose makeup of dancer seemed to be based on eye candy, she had two stipulations where her dancers were concerned. They were required to have enough dance skills to perform her moves for hours on end, and in order to do that, they had to be physically fit.
Every year there was a running battle between the ladies about what they should wear. The outfits kept getting smaller while their demands got bigger. Lux knew this was going to be her last year running the troupe; she was done living with the stressful demands of so many women, her nerves couldn’t take it.
Exactly how she found herself in her current position, she didn’t really know. One day they were a group of seven women who won a dance contest. The next thing she knew there were at least one hundred women all vying to join them.
Carnival was the biggest tourist attraction for Trinidad. Each year hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the island to enjoy the festivities. Lux soon came to realize that many of the younger women who approached her for membership thought the troupe, and being seen in skimpy outfits would be their ticket off the island. While she didn’t accede to their way of thinking, she made no attempts to dissuade them. If they met her two criteria and didn’t disrupt the group, that was fine with her.
Shaking her head to dislodge her disquieting thoughts, Lux moved towards her small kitchen, switching on a side lamp as she went. Exhausted, all she wanted was a cup of tea and a hot bath. Tomorrow was going to be a long, busy and no doubt eventful day. The divas were going to be in full flow, and she was going to have to bring her A-game to contain them.
Filling the kettle she set it to boil, removed a mug and reached for the tea bags.