DeeDee thought back to the night of WaxLyrical’s show. She had raced into her room and jumped up and down on the bed like a happy kid before pulling open her wardrobe. What to wear? Trust Jimmy not to give her enough notice to get ready. No, not those jeans. Or maybe … her long skirt … black … and that scarf her mother had given her for her birthday? She stared at herself in the mirror. Her afro was really cool. One of WaxLyrical’s songs was about how he loved natural women. What was she going to wear? She finally settled for black jeans, a white top and the scarf.

She was ready and waiting when Jimmy drove up in his car. “Bye, guys!” she shouted to her friends as she strutted out of the residence.

“Take lots of pics for us, DeeDee.”

“I will.”

“And you’re looking so hot, girl. Better not get too close to him. You know he has a reputation for chasing everything that moves.”

“Hey, guys. Stop it.”

“Yeah right,” they responded and laughed.

An hour before the doors opened, the line of people waiting to get inside the auditorium was already snaking round the building. At last they were inside and when WaxLyrical skipped onto the stage the screams grew so loud she thought the roof was going to fly off. He stood still, keeping his head down till the noise subsided. When it was completely quiet he started to rap.

DeeDee had charged her phone to the max so she could record the whole show and Jimmy had got them the best seats in the house. She was sitting so close to the stage she could have touched WaxLyrical if she stretched out her hand. He was electrifying. She understood why people left his shows feeling like they had been whisked off this earth and carried to some heavenly place – then dropped from up there.

It wasn’t his looks, or his outfit: trademark cap, tired jeans, sneakers that needed a good wash, a jacket that had seen better days. It was … what? Everything about him…

After the show Jimmy held her hand and steered them through the crowd to the dressingroom behind the stage. “Should I arrange an interview for you?”

“No, Jimmy. I wouldn’t know what to say to him. I just can’t.”

“You can’t what?” It was WaxLyrical himself asking! “Hey Jimmy.”

“Hi Wax. This is DeeDee. She writes, and she would like to interview you.”

DeeDee thought she had better say something or WaxLyrical would think her dull. “I really enjoyed your show and I was wondering if you have time for me to ask you a few questions for my varsity magazine?”

“Sure … howz about we meet tomorrow for coffee? Tonight’s hectic.” He handed Jimmy his business card.

“Tomorrow is best, isn’t it, DeeDee?” Jimmy asked. “I could give you a ride. I can’t make it during the week.”

“Let me know what suits you. Got to go,” said WaxLyrical. And he walked away before she had organised her thoughts enough to be coherent. Watching him leave, she was happy she had not said anything really silly. She could easily have burst out with something gushing about how awesome she thought he was … and he had probably heard that a million times before. Instead she turned to hug Jimmy.

“Wikkid show

Jimmy. Thank you so much for this. You’re a great friend.”

WaxLyrical was leaving the place with a woman by his side. He turned around and found DeeDee looking straight at him. He smiled and waved and DeeDee felt her heart go ‘pitter patter, patter pitter’.

When she got back to res, she watched the recording she had made of the show again and sorted through all the pictures she had taken. She could hear her own laughter and cheers in places. Jimmy’s voice snuck through too. But most of all she heard WaxLyrical’s voice and she closed her eyes and shut Jimmy out and pretended there was no-one else there but WaxLyrical and her. That was until she heard crazy knocking on her door. She glanced at her watch. It was after midnight.

“Hey, girl. You’re not going to get off that easily. Tell us. How was it? We want it whilst it’s hot.”

She was finding it difficult to sleep anyway, so she let her friends in and told them about the show. Maybe telling them would help her write the story, anyway.

“So, you got to talk to him?”

“Yes. Sort of.” But then she couldn’t help boasting a bit. “He’s taking us out tomorrow. Me and Jimmy.”

“You and Jimmy? So what’s Jimmy going to be doing when you two are staring into each other’s eyes?”

“Stop it you two! I’m so not interested in him like that.”

“Hope not, DeeDee. For your sake. You know his reputation.”

“What reputation?”

“Don’t act dumb, DeeDee. You know what he did to Tina.”

“Tina. My friend, Tina?”

“Yes.” Her friends looked at each other. “Oops … Tina didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“That WaxLyrical was part of the reason she dropped out and moved to Mahikeng. She needed to get away.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She got drunk one night and told us the long, sad story. She found out about all the women he was juggling. She begged us not to tell anyone. Can’t remember where you were that night. Probably studying.”

DeeDee pretended not to be shocked. Tina? They shared secrets and boyfriend crushes. But Tina had not told her about WaxLyrical.

After her friends left she got into bed and tried to sleep but she could only think about Tina and WaxLyrical. No. It just could not be. It troubled her. But it shouldn’t have – after all WaxLyrical was just an artist she liked. Nothing more.

***

Tell us what you think: Have you ever been a situation in which you feel like you are making a really bad decision, but you go ahead anyway?