Once upon a time there lived a girl named Salem. She lived in the magical kingdom of London where housing was overpriced and even air was expensive. She lived in a flat she shared with her best friend and was the daughter of a hardworking nurse and a local business man. Although she came from humble beginnings Salem was a diamond, a diamond who soon caught the eye of a famous rapper. And that friends is how our tale begins.
****
I kissed my teeth in irritation as I watched my sister stumble out of the bathroom stall drunk. I wanted nothing more than to be curled up underneath my thick duvet with a bottle of Barefoot, Pepe's and Netflix. But no. My sister had dragged me out to Shoreditch because she had bought tickets to an event and her friend had ditched her last minute.
I watched as she adjusted her tight fitting dress and tried to fix her messy unruly curly hair. My sister was that girl. The pretty girl. The girl that was always approached. She was a very slim but shapely girl with a smooth caramel complexion and pretty features. Then there was me. Just call me a loaf of bread. And I'm not joking. I was pretty....sometimes....after blending out my concealer and even then I was clapped. I wouldn't say I'm insecure but I sure as hell wasn't confident either.
I dreaded going out with my sister. Not that I was jealous of her or anything. But it got a bit tiring being the dead looking friend, the friend that was continuously overlooked and the second option. Like I don't get compared to her enough at home, I go out and people are questioning how we are even products of the same womb. I beg. I just wanted to be in my bed and hide away from the world.
I looked at my sister as she stumbled around the bathroom trying to get herself together. Whenever I went out with my sister I made sure to remain sober, because if my sister was left to her own devices she'd end up in the back of some random guy's car passed tf out. She claimed to be carefree but really she was just careless and inconsiderate, the type of girl to leave the house with no idea how to get home and the type to not give a fuck about how her actions affected others. I admired it sometimes, she was spontaneous, she had that carefree energy that automatically made her the life of the party. She was the 'go with the flow' type meanwhile I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I looked in the mirror and sighed as I sucked in my stomach that poked through my dress. I was in a tight figure hugging white bardot dress, that almost made me look like a shape...almost. After sucking in my stomach and standing at an angle you could almost consider me a bad b...almost.
"I'm fine Salem let's go." I tore my eyes from my reflection and looked at my sister who had somehow managed to make herself look decent after spending ten minutes vomiting.
We made our way out of the bathroom and my sister bee lined to the dance floor when she heard BM' Rosalina remix playing. I giggled at her excitement and made my way to the bar. I needed a drink to ease my inhibitions and calm my nerves. I couldn't even think about enjoying myself because I was so self conscious about my body, trying to make sure my sister was good and at the same time walk in these heels. Your girl was tired.
"So we meet again." I heard a deep voice whisper in my ear. I looked up and kissed my teeth. No it wasn't a fine young tall man ready to sweep me off my feet and carry me to his castle. No. It was the older gentleman I had met a week ago at a Nigerian restaurant.
That day me and my friend decided to try out the new Nigerian restaurant that opened in my area because #supportblackbusinesses plus I was craving an authentic Nigerian dish. We had made our way to Lasgidi bar and grill and we was just chilling. The vibe was nice, it was always a good night with my girl Chrissy, she had such a warm personality and infectious smile. I had made my way to the bar to order another cocktail when this older gentleman approached me. He then made the proposal of being my sponsor claiming he could give me money and change my life if I gave him one night.
Now I know it's 2019 and #womenempowerment and all that great stuff. I get that as women we are learning that we have agency over our sexuality and we can use that to our advantage financially. But honestly this sugar baby life that everyone is on is not my style. I'm not prude nor am I judging girls that utilise their sexuality for income. Tbh I'm not even against it, drain these men's pockets, they're trash anyways. But it's just not me. I just can't imagine sleeping with a man solely for money. Now I think there is a difference between sleeping with a man solely for financial gain and being a kept girlfriend. When I think sugar baby I think old wrinkly man telling me to buss it open for a couple hundreds. And I just - ew. No.
So you guys could just imagine the shock; first of all how dare you just assume you can buy me and again how audacious of you to even assume a babe like me will pleasure you because of money. Personally I found his proposal brazen and disrespectful.
Fast forward to today, a week after I had cussed his ass out in a restaurant, he was in front of me licking his lips. Ew. I could just vomit, somebody come collect their father. He was an attractive older man, just think Idris Elba with a slight French accent. But the way he approached me was so unattractive. Plus the way he was licking his lips at me brought him down from a solid 9 down to a 3. It was the way he spoke. The blatant disrespect for women, the disregard for my feelings and the fact that he genuinely thought money talks.
"Can I help you?" I asked him. I didn't want to be rude but at the same time I wanted to make it extremely clear that I wasn't interested.
"More like how can I be of help to you."
"Huhhh." He smirked as my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"You heard me. You're a fine young woman in the city of London. You're clearly single, there's no ring on your finger."
"So what? I could have a man." I said interrupting him. I was curious to hear his rebuttal to this statement. The club was packed but my attention was now focused on the older gentleman who had the guts to approach me after I had cussed him out.
"But a real man wouldn't leave you alone in a club on a Saturday night. Your man should be taking you out to the finest restaurant the city has to offer, and then taking you back home to make love till the early morning." He paused and looked me up and down "That's if you have a man." He said smirking.
I rolled my eyes unimpressed "Are you finished?" I wanted nothing more than to go home. I admit I can see how his confidence would be attractive to a certain type of girl. But to me he was just another man who would waste my time. I wanted to find my sister and go home.
"Would you like this conversation to be over? You haven't even heard what I have to offer." I rolled my eyes.
I sighed. Why did I even entertain this conversation in the first place. "I don't want your money you weirdo."
"I never said you did. I just want your time. Wouldn't you want me to pay for your time? I think your time is quite valuable don't you think?" He licked his lips. Ffs. Fix it Jesus. He sounded like a fictional character from a cheesy love story. The rich older man falls in love with the young poor woman and sweeps her off her feet, blah blah. Men like this don't wander these parts of London so I already know this is some bs.
"Look yeah. I'm not trying to be rude but I'm not interested. I really don't appreciate the way you approached me. I'm not some cheap hoe that you can buy with money. I don't know who the fuck you think you're talking to or who you're used to dealing with, but I'm not one of those bitches you can buy with money." By now I had stood up from the stool by the bar. It was time for me to find my sister and take my little ass home. Tonight was a waste of time. You know when you watch some snaps and wish you were out? Sis I wish I was back in bed.
He smirked again. That stupid smirk of his was attractive but it was slowly beginning to piss me off. "I never once called you a hoe. You're just a fine young woman I want to get to know better. I can help you and you can help me. Look I apologise for the way I approached you, I admit I wasn't a gentleman. I honestly just want to talk." I sighed and sat back down. He had irritated me but something about him had got my attention.
If only I could go back in time. I would have dragged myself by my bundles. Because this conversation led to a whole heap of trouble.
*****
"iTs jUsT nOT mY sTyLE." Lol Salem done found herself a sugar daddy huh. What do you guys think of Salem so far?
