The first night I saw her…
The first night I heard her…
Was like I was in a dream almost entranced by the way she moves, the manner she talks, her intense gaze, and her voice like a gift from god himself. I wondered to myself how lucky I am to meet such a woman. After everything I don't regret the night I met her as her name still lingers inside my head. AMANDA…
It was a cold, boisterous night in New York City. I was scouting some locations for a new club that I was investing in Harlem. A few minutes prior I just landed here from Japan. My name is Kenji Yamada, but my English name is Henry Yamada. I was born in America but lived in Japan most of my life. I walked out of the car with three of my subordinates and without any hesitation and walked inside the club as the bouncer just nodded to me and I nodded back. I was greeted by a friendly host and common friend, Frankie, he owned the club I was going to invest in.
"HENRY!", I returned his friendly greeting with a wide grin, "I am so glad you could come tonight, what about a little henny for my boy Henry", "You know I could never say no to you Frankie", I said mockingly we both laugh and he calls one the bartender and they immediately start making it. He escorts me to a table reserved with my name, "So you wish to invest in me", he sits me down, "Why?", I chuckle.
" Right down to business I see, good thing I am a serious man", my smile fades and I turn my eyes cold, "I wish to form a relationship with you Frankie" he leans back in his chair and grins wickedly, "I see my reputation precedes me but I am just a small time club owner making just enough to get by", I lean forward and lower my voice just low enough to be just louder than a whisper, "Yet your the number one kingpin in Harlem with plenty of connections", he comes closer, " Yet I wonder what an esteemed businessman like yourself would want with a man like me", "I have product and you want to go international I feel we could be on beneficial ground", "Like you said I have connections what is stopping me from doing it myself", I grew the gap between us a little as my drink arrived and was placed in front of me so I took a sip, "Trust", Frankie laughs heartily at my main and sole reason.
I keep a cool demeanor and he tries to compose himself and continues, " Trust you say, and why would I trust you?", "Not me, the business and the benefits that we both cannot afford to lose, like you say I am an esteemed business man I take my promises seriously, as you are I also wish to go international with no traces of me being noticed so I have heard you were also a man of your word, and approached you with this proposal, of course with a little bribe", he grins wickedly, " I do indeed applaud the honesty of a man so I commend you, and with the amount of money your offering it seems this may be more beneficial to you than me", we both chuckle and Frankie his glass of whiskey and proposes a toast, "To an amazing partnership", "And to getting rich", I added at the end we both laugh and we start to enjoy the music.
Few minutes of hearty jokes and laughter I notice that the room goes silent but pay no attention to it and continue joking with Frankie then he looks toward the stage, "There she finally is. My STAR…", I see a beautiful dark-skinned l woman approach the stage she had an Afro, and a delicately curvaceous figure held tightly by her long tight black dress, her lips full and pink, her gaze intense and entrancing, her expression calm and collected while she walked almost like she was prowling, she looked elegant and suave, she made her way to the mic my eyes not being separated from her I felt my heartbeat double with every step she took, as the music started she hummed along into the mic, as she began to sing I felt like my body was taken in wholly by her gaze. My soul following her voice as if it was dancing with it, I could fathom as to what this feeling, the feeling of nervousness as my eyes trace the outline of her body, the skittishness of my hands wanting to hold and embrace her and the slowly rising temperature in my body when I hear her voice.
Not being able to take my eyes of her she looks at me and I didn't notice I stopped breathing, "A beauty ain't she", still looking at the stage I respond, "An angel", he chuckles, "We call her the Queen of Zululand, but her real name is Amanda", "Queen of Zululand?", he smiles, "She is an immigrant from South Africa she says", I wondered more about her as her name echoed through my head all I could find myself doing is looking at her and only her.
She finishes her song and bows after her performance she receives an applause loud enough to cover the streets of New York City and the club goes back to its boisterous mood but I gave her a standing ovation and proceeded to walk in front of the stage she stares at me as I walk up the stairs of the stage and stand in front of her and as she looks up at me I take her hand and kiss it gently, "You are arrogant", I am shocked she said that about me so brazenly but don't deny it, " And I will cease to be if you will go out on a date with me ", she laughs and says, "Maybe next time", she walks past me off the stage and Frankie still sitting where we were raised a glass of solitude to my rejection but I just laugh and think to myself that I might know what that unfathomable feeling was. Desire.
I chuckle to myself and say, "This might be fun"