Jimmy was beginning to bore her. Really. He saw danger in everything and everyone. And what made him think she cared what WaxLyrical did? Wax had already warned her that people spread terrible rumours about him. More importantly, he had told her over and over again that she was special.

“Which woman, Jimmy? Surely you don’t think that I thought I was going to find WaxLyrical unattached? So he’s not supposed to have friends and followers – men and women, old and young? That woman I saw him with is like his sister. He has known her forever. He told me so. He takes her along to some of his shows to help him with stuff. That’s all.”

“A sister? Is that what he called her? Is that what you want to believe, or has spending time with that predator dulled your brain? That’s his partner – as in they live together. They have a baby together, DeeDee. Wake up, and like they say – smell the coffee!”

She lost it then. “Jimmy, mind your own business and stay out of my life!”

But a feeling of dread crept into her stomach and she began to wonder about the times she had been with WaxLyrical. He spent his time glued to his phone … and yet he often ignored her calls and said he had been sleeping, or in the studio, or driving, or really tired and he had crashed out. When his phone rang, he dashed outside so she could not hear the conversation. Even when they were out, he would be on his phone. And if the internet went down, he cursed worse than they did in hip-hop battles.

* * * * *

The next time she was with Wax and his phone rang, their eyes met. She kept looking at him steadily and then he looked away and she knew it. He was uneasy, on edge. Guilty. He left her alone and to the TV. She tried to keep watching, but couldn’t.

When he returned, he was speaking loudly about setting up dates and times of meetings. “My sister,” he said. But something was not right. And no matter how she tried, she could not get back into the movie. She decided she had to know the truth. She went to the bedroom to pack her things. When she got back, carrying her bag, she found WaxLyrical on his phone. He was texting someone, frantically.

“Hey. Whassup? Where you going? Thought we agreed you would leave later.”

“Just got a message from Jimmy. You remember Jimmy, don’t you? My best friend? Anyway, he’s nearby. He says he can give me a ride back. It will save me catching the bus.”

“Ah… OK. Cool. Whatever is good for you.”

He didn’t seem particularly bothered. But there was no Jimmy waiting for her. She was going to go to WaxLyrical’s house. She had to know the truth. She had to know why they were in a dingy hotel when they could have been at his house. She had to know. She stood outside the gate for a minute, before summoning her courage and ringing the bell. WaxLyrical’s manager let her in.

“Hello. My name is DeeDee. I’m looking for WaxLyrical. I interviewed him once – a few months ago – for our university magazine.”

“Ah, yes… So this is you? He talks about you a lot.”

“He does?” DeeDee smiled.

“Yes. He described you so well.”

The woman did not smile back. Instead she looked DeeDee up and down and shook her head.

“So, what fairytales did he tell you, little girl? Did he ask you to send him pictures of yourself? Did he tell you that you excite him, that he feels like you two are in tune and that you should make music together? Did he tell you he was working when he was really ignoring your calls because he was with another one – one just like you? And what did he call me? His manager, sponsor, his beloved sister, friend? I know he couldn’t have told you I am the mother of his baby. He never tells them that.”

DeeDee felt the woman’s bitterness scorching her forehead. She leaned against the wall to gain her composure. Not sure what else to say, she left it at, “Sorry to have troubled you. I’d better be going.”

DeeDee had to escape the woman’s anger. She felt tears stinging her eyes. As soon as she got home she was going to delete everything to do with WaxLyrical. She was going to block him and act like he never existed. She only wished she could erase him from her heart too. She felt like that had been shredded.

* * * * *

Her days felt longer and lonelier and she did her best not to think about WaxLyrical, but there was no avoiding him now. It had been a month since they stopped communicating but the annual hip-hop show was next week. She had been assigned to cover it and they had planned to meet at the show because his manager was not going to be there.

DeDee had unfriended him on Facebook, but couldn’t bring herself to block him. Sometimes his comments crept through and whenever that happened, she would be sick at heart for the rest of the day. Then there was an article in the paper about him. He had joined a new stable. He had a new manager. A new manager? DeeDee wondered what had happened.

And then a message arrived in her inbox. It was him.

WaxLyrical loved her – Dee.

Glimpsing WaxLyrical on TV earlier that evening in the res common room had stirred up everything DeeDee had told herself she was going to forget about.

She remembered how they used to spend hours chatting – all day long sometimes. He said they connected so well. That they needed to explore each other’s minds and bodies.

DeeDee needed a break from reading All the Wrong Places so she put the book down and went back to the common room. She wanted to test how she felt.

“Hey guys, move over.”

Her phone beeped. It was an SMS from WaxLyrical.

Hey, Sweetness. Catch my new song nd plz tell me what u think.

It was like he sensed, after all this time, that she was thinking about him. Unsure again. Being drawn back.

DeeDee listened to the first line: “Magicians never stop waving their wands.”

How true, she thought. That it was how it was with them. WaxLyrical had her completely under his spell. But he had never made promises. Yet when she was chatting with him, or reading his messages he made her feel like she was the only thing that mattered to him. Nothing else mattered. Yes, he had waved his wand and she was hooked. Before she responded another SMS arrived.

So, Sweetness, when do I c u again? Plz stop dodging me.

DeeDee decided.

Next weekend. Jozi,

she SMSed, and pressed ‘Send’.

***

Tell us: What do you think about DeeDee’s decision to keep on seeing WaxLyrical, in spite of everything she knows about him?

The End