Chapter 27: Chapter 27

"UK, you need to calm down, Jade is a grown man, he cannot just disappear like that. I'm sure something came up, he'll be fine, we just need to wait here for a message from him," Xiao Ling said comforting me.

I didn't say anything, I was pacing, "I know you are worried but you need to calm down right now UK, pacing won't do you any good," Darren said sounding really worried. We sat on the couch waiting for any message from Jade.

Minutes later, Madison sauntered towards us with a fat looking man, when she saw us, she rolled her eyes and lifted her chin up, "I don't know why I hate her," Darren mumbled when she'd gone out of earshot.

"Jade said he knew her, maybe she has an idea where he went. I'll go ask,"

"Don't... please," Xiao Ling pled

"what do you want me to do then. wait for a message from Jade?" she nodded. "Urg!" I exclaimed and fell on my seat.

"I'm surprised you're still here," we heard someone say, I turned to see Madison leaning on the glass demarcating our section from another, with a cigarette dangling on her lip.

"what are you doing here?" Xiao Ling said, glaring at her

"Ling... please, maybe she knows where Jade went," I said, stopping Xiao Ling from attacking Madison.

"And you're right," Madison lit her cigarette and took a drag, "your lovey-dovey took off with a sexy redhead minutes ago, I knew he'll come around. Mr Kale with a black girl? That'll happen when pigs can fly," she took another drag and released it on my face, I turned my head to my side. "how pathetic," she said and left.

"We did get a message alright," Darren said

"I can't believe this, he brought us her and now he abandoned us to have sex with some redhead stripper, and to think I was falling for him. No I don't believe that Madison of a person, she may be playing a mind trick on me, I'll call Jade again," I said, dialing his number.

The phone went straight to voicemail, "you got Jaden Kale, please leave a message, love you," Xiao Ling snatched the phone from me. "What did you do that for?" I asked her, "what's wrong with you, he left you here with some godforsaken redhead, that is if what Madison said is true, nevertheless, me, you and Darren came here to have fun. If Jade thinks that because he took care of you and made all these possible for you, he has the right to hurt you then I won't agree to that. Get your sore ass off that couch, let's go get a few drinks, hit the dance floor, Darren will stay sober to get us a cab and we'll go to my apartment. Jade or Jaden Kale, whatever he calls himself can fuck whoever he wishes tonight."

"I can't do that, my head hurts a lot Ling. Can we skip the dancing and drinking part and go to your place?" I asked

"for you, not me. Tell me something, do you or did you have a crush on Jade?" she asked

"mmm-hmmm"

"did you tell him about it?"

"mmm-mmm"

"good, let's go get wasted," she dragged me. "hold on a sec, the call was still on leave a message mode."

"so?" I asked

"what we just said has been recorded to Jade's phone"

"so what you're saying is that...oh my God I just confessed that I have a crush on Jade...oh my God I've done it again, is there a way you can delete it?" I asked

"I don't know, you know what, forget it, let's go home,"

"great idea," I said putting my phone in my purse

"you guys go ahead, I'm stay a while here," Darren said

"Ling, it's past midnight, are you sure we can find a cab?" I asked

"don't think so, that's why I ordered Uber, he'll be here in 10 minutes, let me grab a beer,"

she came back with a can of beer, and her phone on her ear, "Uber driver, now." We said goodbye to Darren and left

Immediately we boarded the car, my phone rang, please don't be Jade, please don't don't be Jade...I took the phone out and was relieved that it wasn't Jade, it was Scott. I picked up the call, "Miss Udofia, I'm sorry I couldn't answer when you called earlier, something of great important came up and Mr Kale had to rush home, he greatly apologise for leaving you or not telling anyone. He says that you shouldn't let his disappearance ruin your night, I'm on my way now to the club, whenever you're ready, let me know and I'll take you and your friends back."

I ended the call and tossed the phone into my bag, "he doesn't even have the guts to apologise himself, he had to send his driver," Xiao Ling scoffed. "He may still be bus and Scott is his assistant, not his driver," I said.

The car pulled over at Xiao Ling's apartment and we got off, I had taken my shoes off in the car and so when I stepped out of the car, the ground was so cold, I had to run on tip toes to the door.

Xiao Ling unlocked and we got in, "Ling, did winter come early?" I asked, "shit, I forgot to switch off the air conditioner, it's freezing in here," she replied and rushed to turn on the heater. "make yourself at home UK," she said.

I went to the room we slept earlier, dropped my purse on the bed and went to wash the makeup off my face. I applied a good quantity of soap on my face and rubbed my face trying to wash it off, "you'll bruise your face with your nails, come I'll give you face wipes to use," Xiao Ling said.

I rinsed off the lather and join her in the room, "are you hungry?" she asked handing me a face wipe, "kinda, how about you?"

"I'm famished,"

she gave me a big polo to change into, "not much but I hope it's ok,"

"of course, thanks."

"you go shower, I'll make instant ramen noodles," she said

I took a quick shower and changed, the polo was big and warm but short, it didn't matter. When I went out to the living room, I saw her eating, "looks good on you, come and eat," she said.

"do you have a fork? I've never used chopsticks before," I told her

"don't worry I'll teach you. Place the first chopstick between pointer your finger and thumb, balance it on ring finger. Place second chopstick between pointer finger and thumb; rest it on middle finger. Use thumb, pointer and middle fingers to grasp the second chopstick firmly. Index and middle fingers do the lifting. Use index and middle fingers to close chopsticks over food. see, it's quite easy."

I tried eating with it but my food spilled on the table, "I'll go get you a fork," she said and left.

After eating and cleaning up the place, we went to sleep. I on the couch at the living room and Xiao Ling on her bed, I looked at the time on my phone, 2:13am, "goodnight Jade, goodnight Juliet," I whispered as I drifted into sleep.

I had a dream, I was walking down the aisle on my wedding day, I saw no familiar face in the audience, instead of people clapping and cheering for me, they were booing, "we don't want a black bride"

"this wedding is not for you"

when I got to the altar, I saw Jade kissing a redhead woman

"noooooooooooo" I shrieked and woke up, I looked at my, I was holding a bouquet of flowers. In fact I was in a wedding dress, standing in front of the church, ready to walk down the aisle. The door opened and the same thing happened, it continued and continued, at some point, it seemed there was an earthquake because I won't stop shaking. "No, no, no, I don't want it anymore, make it stop, please make it stop," I was screaming and thrashing.

"WAKE UP" I heard someone shout.

"it's only a dream, please wake up," I heard another voice, it sounded familiar. That accent, where did I hear it? I opened my eyes slowly and saw 2 faces staring down at me, I slowly looked at my hands, no bouquet of flowers, I was wearing a big red polo not a wedding dress. I looked around my surrounding, I was on the couch in someone's living room, at least I wasn't in front of a church.

"UK, you're awake,"

"Xiao Ling? Is that you?" I asked

"yes, you had a bad dream. It's okay," she hugged me.

I turned to the other person, "Jade?"