“I’m by the bar,” Kofi’s text read. Noelle slid on some flat sandals and made her way up the three flights of stairs to the roof. The elevator in the hotel was so small and always occupied. Before she stepped outside to the bar, she text the group chat of travelers: Having drinks on the roof with the guy from Bloom Bar. “Better safe than sorry,” she thought. 

Kofi was waiting with a smile. “Hello, Ama,” he said as they made their way towards two empty barstools that offered a view overlooking Osu. They sat down and ordered drinks. “Have you tried Club yet? It’s a local beer.” Noelle, not a fan of beer, opted for her usual gin and tonic with lime. After a few minutes of small talk, Noelle began to shiver and let out a sneeze. “I’m going to run to my room and grab a jacket,” she told Kofi. Back in the room, Noelle threw on an Ankara-print jacket she had made and wrapped her hair with the leftover material. “I am doing the absolute most with this outfit change,” she laughed to herself. She stopped to blow her nose before heading back to the roof. When she returned, she saw a few girls from the group at a nearby table. She gave them a wink as she passed by.

Kofi and Noelle talked for three hours. She was really enjoying his company. He was laid back and witty, like her. She learned that he was born and raised in Accra and even stayed local to attend “the Harvard of Ghana.” He was currently working as a web developer and software engineer for a startup company. “I never asked how old you were,” Noelle inquired, clearly going down her list in her head. Kofi laughed. “I’m 31.” Noelle was disappointed. She even checked his ID to confirm. He was exactly nine days older than Ryan and five years younger than her. The sisters had vowed not to date in each other’s age range…again. “Oh well, this is just one date to get me back on the saddle,” she shrugged. 

Even with the age difference, the cultural difference and them living on different continents, Noelle couldn’t help but imagine their future together. She hated when she did that, but the date was going so well that it pleasantly surprised her. “It’s one date, girl, chill!” she said to herself. That’s when he said it. “How many kids do you want?” Noelle rolled her eyes. The imaginary future was over; she could snap back into reality now. It was one thing for her to envision their life together, but when men would talk about the future so early in the game, it tended to be a turn off for her because it felt like game. Besides, he jumped right to kids and skipped marriage. “We can talk about that when the time comes.” she retorted. “You’ve yet to even ask me my ring size.” “Yes, of course,” he said. “Excuse me for getting ahead of myself.”

Just like on New Year’s Eve, their encounter ended just before midnight. “I have an early start at the office tomorrow, but I really enjoyed our time tonight,’ said Kofi. “I did, too,” replied Noelle. “Let’s take a picture so we don’t forget this night,” she laughed. They both joked about not remembering much about their first meeting at Bloom Bar. After a few selfies, Kofi walked her down to her room. Pausing at her door, Noelle turned to face him and sneezed again. “I’m so sorry! I must be coming down with something,” she said embarrassed. “It’s quite alright. Get some rest,” he said as he moved in for a hug. “This was great. Maybe we can keep in touch?” “Yeah, maybe.” Noelle said slyly as Kofi walked away. She entered her room and leaned against the door. A huge smile spread across her face and she grabbed her phone to text the girls. “That lil young dude was actually dope!. Okay, Accra! I’ll be back!” 

Song: A Long Walk x Jill Scott