Page 19 of Craving a King

“Kofi, may I borrow two cedis? I have to have one of these pies. I forgot to convert my dollars to cedis at the airport. I can pay you back tomorrow after I stop by an exchange.”

Kofi looks bewildered for exactly one second and then breaks out into a roar of laughter. It is one of those laughs that makes you want to laugh. He is genuinely amused.

“What?” I grab his arm. “Tell me, what is so funny?”

“Come, Ella.” He approaches the owner of the stall. She is an older woman with her hair wrapped in a gorgeous kente wrap. I instantly prefer her wrap to the 20 Hermes scarves I’ve collected over the years. “Auntie!” Kofi shouts. “How are you…” Then Kofi begins to speak in Twi and the woman behind the stall joins him in his chuckle before kissing the back of his hand and giving him six meat pies on a plate. I stand behind him looking like a petulant child.

“OK, let me in on the joke. I’m beginning to feel like you’re laughing at me and not with me,” I say only half joking.

He arches his eyebrow in mischief. “But you aren’t laughing at all, so it’s definitely the former.”

“Oh, it’s like that!” I laugh and ask incredulously. I playfully snatch the pies away. “Well, fine then—keep your little jokes, but give me my food.”

“Ahhh. I am just teasing you. I pay for nothing in the marketplace; I’ve tried many times before, but the people are offended by my money.” He lifts his hands in playful defense. “We were laughing because it’s considered an honor to serve the king food. I learned a long time ago that giving aunties money was absurd.”

He studies me for a minute before speaking again. “However, Ella, I have to ask: why would you ever pay a man back for food when he has the pleasure of spending time with you?” He pulls me close and whispers in my ear, “Not to mention in the palace I had the privilege of exploring the softest place on earth. You will never owe me another thing in life, least of all money for a meat pie.”

I blush. “I see. I was trying to be polite. It’s an old habit. My ex, Marcus, used to keep score of who spent what down to the penny. He truly believed in partnership being 50/50. If it was my turn to buy dinner and I left my wallet or something of that nature, he would make sure I paid him back. He was worse than a bill collector. It used to make me feel so uncomfortable.”

Kofi crosses his massive arms across his broad chest. “Wait. You were in a relationship with this man?”

“Yes.”

“You were his woman. He claimed you as such?”

“Well, not in the well-versed way you let me know I was yours today, but yes.” I nod.

“And you and this man made love?” Kofi uncrosses his arms and places a hand on the small of my back. “Let’s continue to walk a bit while we talk.” He’s attempting to make me comfortable enough to answer uncomfortable questions. It’s working.

“Yes, we had sex.”

He furrows his brow. “You didn’t make love?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever done that, actually.”

He pauses and turns me to him. He looks at me with a sadness in the back of his eyes and determination in his voice. “I will address that tragedy later tonight.”

“OH, OK,” was all I could muster to say. He continues.

“Sounds like Marcus was a fool. Please promise me from this day forward you will demand better treatment from men. If for some reason an act of God occurs and I let you leave my orbit, you better make damn sure the man who replaces me never asks you for a damn thing but time. He is to take care of the rest. You’re the queen, he’s the servant. Got it?” His voice is so authoritative I dare not challenge his decree. Plus, why would I?

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Oh, I’m a king again now?”

I give him a smile so big my cheeks are likely to break. “Yes, after that tongue lashing you most definitely are. However, you should know that when the act of God occurs, I doubt I’ll ever be able to replace you.” It’s truth. This time together will inevitably end, and I doubt any man will live up to Kofi.

His face softens. “I want to kiss you passionately right now, but we are in the marketplace and I cannot. Do you understand why that can’t happen?”

“Of course I do. Public displays of affection wouldn’t be becoming of an Asantehene.”

“Yes. That’s right.” He leans into my ear and whispers, “But I want to kiss you so deeply right now that you would not know where my mouth begins and yours ends. The type of kiss that leaves you wet and aching for my thick rod to push inside and relieve that pressure. Can you imagine that for me right now?”

“Yes,” my voice hitches. “I believe I can.”

“Good, let’s eat these meat pies before they are cold. Auntie gave us two of every flavor she made today: chicken, beef, and fish.”

We pause to eat the pies. They are delicious. Kofi then finds us some Malta Guinness to wash it down. I am wary of drinking the beverage at first; I hate the taste of beer. However, he assures me it’s not beer and actually pretty sweet. I close my eyes and take a swig. He is right, I am a fan.

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