Page 6 of Craving a King

“So, youarea king! I’m glad that’s finally clear.”

“That is what I just said. Is it not?”

She shakes her head. “Forget it. What you need to know is that I skate on thin ice for the hell of it. As a matter of fact, I lick thin ice! It’s called a snow cone and I love them!”Why is she so disrespectful?

“Excuse me?” I shout as I close the physical distance between us. “Do I look like a snow cone to you? This ice is not one that will go down your throat easily. I promise that when you swallow it,Wahala!”Did I just say that out loud? And in Twi?I am boiling. “Who do you think you are—?” Before I complete my statement, she is cutting me off.

“And another thing!”Oh great, there’s another thing.“I don’t care about your damn title. I don’t even know what it means! But by the looks of it, asshole must be somewhere in that definition. Senya, pull over. I can handle myself from here.”

Senya looks at me through the rearview mirror. “Your highness?”

Ella bangs her fist against the door. “You don’t need his permission to stop the car. I don’t feel safe.” Her voice cracks slightly. Senya stops the car immediately, and before I can do anything, she jumps out and slams the door. I roll the window down, but before I can speak, she pokes her head in and turns to Senya. “Please release the trunk and I will be on my way.”

Senya steps out to assist Ella. He tries to calm her down.

“Please, Ms. Jenkins, you cannot stand here on the side of the road in Accra waiting for a Lyft. This is not Atlanta. This is dangerous and stupid.”

She is incredulous at his statement. “Oh, you mean dangerous like two men I don’t know who were trusted to take me to my hotel but instead change the plan once I’m locked in their car? And stupid like me actually letting them take me to a home in the forest without my express permission?” Senya sighs, and I swear I hear that traitor mutter, “Touché” before opening the trunk and grabbing her bags.

He’s a coward. He knows full well we cannot leave her on the side of the road. The press will eat me alive. Plus, her wild diatribe did slightly turn my heart away from anger at her disrespectful words and toward empathy I did not know I was capable of having for such an infuriating creature. She has a point. At the end of it all, Senya and I are two strange men taking her to a place she is not familiar with and was not aware she was going. I didn’t take into account how problematic that might be.

I unbuckle my seat belt and walk out to meet her. “Ella,” I start warily. Her eyes shoot me a promise of slow death if I come any closer. It is cute. “You will have to excuse our behavior.” Senya shoots me a look and mouths, “your behavior” while pointing at me from behind her back. He’s right. He told me this was a bad idea from the start, but I would not hear his reason. I told him she’d be honored to stay at the Asantehene’s private home instead of some hotel. He tried to assure me that would not be the case. I believe his exact words were,“I doubt she even knows what an Asantehene is.”

“We…I mean…I… mean you no harm. I honestly thought you would be more comfortable staying in my private home. It is near three of the villages I want to show you. For the purpose of your trip, it is actually more convenient than a hotel at the center of Accra. And as soon as it is known you are my guest; the press will give you no rest. I use my home to get away from all that.”

I think I see her eyes lightly soften. It is not much, but it is better than rage. “I see,” she starts, “so, it’s not my safety and comfort you are concerned about, it’s your own?”

My God! Does the disrespect ever end?I control my anger. “Please enlighten me—how is that the case?”

“King Ajyei—” she starts.

“Please call me Kofi,” I interject.

“Your majesty,” she fires back, “I’d rather not. King Ajyei, no one knows who I am or cares about me checking into my lovely room at the Westin to finally rest on my heavenly bed after a 20-hour day.” She moves closer to me until she is so far into my personal space, I can smell her citrus scent again. “No, king, they care about you. They know you.” She points at my chest. The tip of her finger touches me slightly.

“Therefore, what you are really saying is that it is more convenient for you to have me stay at Bonbiri with you, so that you do not have to deal with any of the craziness that comes with your title. But you see, I am not royalty. I am a Black woman whose mama ain’t raise no fool. If you think I’m staying in your home, in the middle of a forest, with you, a man I do not know and who is undoubtedly used to having his way with women, you, sir, are mistaken.”

Incredible! She honestly thinks this is about me wanting to sleep with her. I may have fantasized about it once or twice while watching her TED Talk videos online, but I would never disrespect a woman by tricking her into my bed. I would never need to. Furthermore, after this drive from the airport, I no longer want to. I rub my hands back and forth through my hair and speak.

“OK, Ella. It seems you have made your mind up about me without knowing me at all. However offended I am by your insinuations, I do want you to have a comfortable and enjoyable trip while here in Ghana. How about a compromise? Since we do not know the status of a hotel room for you at the moment, why don’t you stay at my home, and I will stay at the palace in Kumasi.”

She looks at me through the narrowed slits of her eyes. “There’s a palace in Kumasi?! You mean to tell me you could have acted like a gentleman and decided on these separate living arrangements ahead of time?”

“Yes, Ella. There is a palace. I am a king, after all. However, I promise it is much more comfortable in my home far away from all the pomp and circumstance. Nevertheless, you can stay there along with my cook Akua—she will serve you. I am sure you will be most comfortable. Everyone that visits Bonbiri loves it.” I see the wheels of her mind turning. Her face turns from defiance to annoyance and finally settles at resignation. Thank the ancestors! I am ready to get off the side of this road. What if someone sees us?! We look like we are taking her hostage, for God’s sake!

“Love it?” she counters. “What I love is honesty, and what you just pulled on me was not honest. Nevertheless…” She sighs and throws up both hands. “I will stay at your home,without you, for one night. But I expect to be in a hotel by tomorrow night. Is that clear?”

“Yes, yes, whatever you say. Now, let’s return to the car. Senya, please return Ms. Jenkins’ luggage to the trunk.” As I attempt to guide her to the passenger side of the car and open the back door, she stops me.

“I’m fully capable of letting myself into the car.” The look she gives me is as cold as the thin ice she happily skates and licks on. She enters my Range Rover and slams the door. Slamming doors is a serious pet peeve of mine, but I decide to excuse the infraction. I walk over to the driver side and hop in.

“We are all set, Senya. You may start the drive and, hopefully, we can all get to ourseparatedestinations without any more interruptions.”

Ella snickers. “As long as you boys don’t have any more surprises, we should be good.” She rubs her eyes and yawns.

“Good.” My clipped tone is only a ripple of the volcanic rage boiling inside me. We ride the rest of the way to Bonbiri in silence. I no longer want to close the physical distance on the back seat between us. I am grateful for it.

She falls asleep about ten minutes into the ride, and I reluctantly look over. She looks soft and vulnerable. Great! Now, I want to hold her in my arms and rock her to sleep. She is exasperating and exhilarating all at once. I don’t know if I want to curse her or cover her in soft kisses. I will take care not to give into either temptation. Senya warned me this could get messy. I’m determined for it not to.

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