Renee took a deep breath and then asked, “Can you please show me where I can get a taxi?”
The lady smiled and said, “Okay. Come this way.” She led Renee outside to a big blue van and said, “Wait here while I get the driver. He won’t leave till he has a full load of passengers ready to go. It costs five dollars to get you there.”
Excitedly Renee said, “If you find the driver I’ll give you twenty dollars and give him fifty dollars if he can take me right now.”
“You’ll have to give him sixty dollars because this is a twelve-passenger van.”
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
Within a few seconds the lady returned with a big sweaty black man wearing sunglasses. He walked over toward Renee, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and asked, “Ma’am, you ready to go?”
Renee smiled and said, “Yeah.” She looked at the lady who helped her, handed her a twenty-dollar bill and said, “That was fast ... thank you.”
The lady said, “Thank you.”
The taxi driver looked at Renee out of the corner of his eye with a curious expression and asked, “You’ll pay me sixty?”
“Yeah, I’ll pay. If you can get me there in less than a half hour I’ll even throw in a small tip.”
The taxi driver smiled and said, “Okay ma’am, let’s go.”
They sped down the left-hand side of the road. At first that caught Renee off guard. She had forgotten that they drove on the opposite side of the road in the Bahamas. She was fine as long as she didn’t have to drive. It was hot as hell inside the van. The air conditioner felt like it needed to be recharged. Now Renee was sweating from her nervousness and the heat.
Renee looked at the busy weekend traffic and asked, “How long do you think it will take to get to the ferry terminal?”
“It’s hard to say with this kind of traffic.”
Renee mumbled for the third time, “Please God ... please God ... I gotta make it.”
The taxi driver asked, “What did you say?”
“Nothing. I was praying.”
He raised both eyebrows and said, “Oh, praying is good.”
The next thing Renee knew the taxi driver started talking about church, sin and salvation.
Twenty-five minutes later they arrived at the ferry terminal. Renee had no idea which boat was headed to Blue Lagoon Island. She saw a bunch of commercial boats. One boat had the words Glass Bottom Boat painted on the sides and another had Dolphin Encounter painted on its sides. Then she noticed a party boat blasting reggae music and displaying a bunch of liquor and beer advertisements.
Renee walked along the pier under the hot sun, wasting valuable time and looking lost.
Out of nowhere a male voice with a heavy Caribbean accent asked, “Hey, where you need to go?”
Renee shouted, “I’m trying to go to Blue Lagoon Island.”
The man said, “That’s where I’m headed.”
Renee looked closely at the man’s unmarked beat-down rust bucket of a boat. She looked at the three strange-looking guys aboard and they all smiled and waved at her.
Renee quickly said, “No, that’s okay.”
The man motioned with his hand and said, “C’mon.”
Renee laughed and said, “I’m crazy, but I’m not that crazy.”
“Whatcha scared of?” He looked over his shoulder and said, “That’s my crew. This is the last ferry to the Blue Lagoon today. I can get you there quick and cheap ... six dollars.”
Renee looked at her watch and realized that she didn’t have any time to spare. She thought, I can’t let those lesbians win. She stepped aboard the rust bucket and said, “Please God ... please God ... I gotta make it.”
Chapter 41
Joel had hired a company to coordinate the commitment ceremony. The coordinators had done plenty of weddings and commitment ceremonies, but this was the first one they had ever done where there weren’t any guests. It was kind of sad that no one was present to witness the threesome’s special day. A few chairs were set up just in case someone arrived and wanted to witness the ceremony. A non-traditional wedding cake sat on a small table next to the empty chairs. The thing that really made this cake stand out was the groom standing between two brides.
Erin and Kenya looked beautiful in their white linen dresses. Erin’s dress was strapless and Kenya’s had her favorite halter strap design. Joel was dressed in white linen too, a short-sleeved shirt and long pants. The three of them looked like they belonged together. They had purchased their clothes a couple of days earlier from a lady at a local craft market. Once she said that the outfits were cut from the same cloth, the three knew they had chosen the right clothes for their ceremony. The bright sun made the soft white linen glow in the tropical setting.
This ceremony wasn’t legally binding or recognized as a marriage. It was more or less a personal expression of love and commitment between three people. More than anything it was a way of asking for God’s special blessing on their lives and their relationship.
Erin, Kenya and Joel took this ceremony seriously. To them it carried the same weight and meaning as a traditional wedding. They walked hand-in-hand toward the minister, who stood at an altar on a small bridge that extended from one end of the lagoon to the other. The minister was dressed in white as well.
Reverend Gamble opened his Bible, read a few scriptures from I Corinthians and then he said, “This is a beautiful day that the Lord has made in order to bring three special individuals together to publicly declare and affirm their love and to commit their lives to each other.”
After a short prayer Erin and Kenya began to exchange vows. Joel was bothered and confused by the order of service because the girls knew he was supposed to recite his vows first. He couldn’t understand why the girls decided to exchange vows first, but he didn’t complain.
Renee arrived safely on the island. A female employee from the Blue Lagoon’s gift shop guided Renee to where wedding ceremonies were usually held. She took off her shoes and nearly killed herself running as fast as she could, past colorful canoes, picnic tables, coconut palm trees and volleyball nets. It was a couple of minutes past four o’clock when she made it to a huge pavilion. She almost lost it when she saw that it was empty. All she could do was jump up and down and mumble, “Shit ... shit ... shit.”
It was after four o’clock and Renee knew exactly what that meant. She refused to give up and let Erin and Kenya take her man. Renee took off running again, calling Joel’s name.
Just as Joel began to recite his vows to Erin and Kenya he heard someone calling his name. He stopped, looked around and saw Renee running full speed across the white sand in his direction. Erin and Kenya stopped breathing. They looked angry and completely baffled.
Erin asked, “What the hell is she doing here?”
Joel hunched his shoulders and said, “I dunno.”
Kenya said, “We better keep an eye on her ’cause y’all know she ain’t right ... damn mental case.”
Renee was out of breath by the time she reached the altar. Joel look stunned. Now Erin and Kenya looked mad as hell because Renee’s unexpected arrival brought the ceremony to a screeching halt.
Breathless, Renee said, “Hi, everybody. Sorry to interrupt things, but I really-really need to speak to Joel.”
Erin said angrily, “No!”
Renee looked confused and repeated, “No?”
With much attitude Kenya said, “That’s right, no! You can’t just come up here trying to ruin our special day like this. You need to sit down over there and be quiet so we can finish what we came here to do.”
Joel looked at Erin and Kenya and said, “Wait, it’s okay.” He turned toward Renee and said, “Look, Renee, I’ll give you a couple of minutes to get out whatever you have to say, but after that you have to promise to go away and leave the three of us alone.”
Erin said, “She’s not gonna do that because something is wrong with her. She’s crazy.”
Joel said, “Erin, stop. Don’t do th
at.”
Kenya said, “I don’t feel safe with her being here like this. No telling what that bitch has in her bag. Somehow we need to put an end to this because she’s never gonna go away.”
Joel said, “Excuse me, Reverend Gamble. And please excuse Kenya’s mouth.”
Reverend Gamble said, “It’s fine. No harm. Do whatever you need to do, son.”
Joel walked away from the altar with Renee. As soon as they got about fifty feet away he asked, “What the hell are you doing here?”
Renee looked him in his eyes and said, “I’m here for you ... here for us.”
Joel didn’t really know what to say because it was crazy, but also impressive that Renee thought enough of him to come so far. He softened his tone and asked, “You came all the way to Nassau for me?”
Renee teared up. “Not just for you, but both of us.”
He exhaled and said, “Damn, you’re persistent. Are you feeling okay? You’re not well, are you?”
Renee said, “I’ve never felt better.” She stepped closer to Joel and took him by the hand. Erin and Kenya watched from a distance as Joel allowed her inside his personal space. “Listen Joel, we’re both at a crossroads and we need to choose the right path.”
Joel shook his head and laughed. “You sound like my mother.”
“Think about what you just said. That has to be a good thing.” She put his hand up to her lips and said, “I need you in my life. Can’t you see that we’re meant to be? Being without you is unnatural. All this time your love has held me captive and won’t let me go. With you I find peace of mind. I need you. You’ve always had my back and been there to pick me up. You saved me, now allow me to save you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what that means.” Her eyes shifted over to Erin and Kenya. She frowned at them and then looked into Joel’s eyes again. “I can’t live without you. I refuse to turn around and just walk away without you by my side where you belong. I’m not leaving here without you. If you want me to beg then I’ll beg. Please don’t walk away from me and make a big mistake. I know what you’re trying to do. I know you better than you think I do ... I know you ... I know your heart. I see the real you and I want you to see the real me. It’s me ... the old Renee is back ... the one you first fell in love with. Can you see the real me?”
“Yeah, I see you. But I have an obligation that I need to fulfill. I belong with Erin and Kenya.”
“You belong with me. I know you can feel it. God is here right now. He wants us to be together, to get married and raise a family. Can’t you see us together with a pretty little girl and a handsome little boy?”
Joel saw a brief vision, but forced it out of his mind. He said, “I can’t see it.” He pulled his hand away from Renee as rejection knifed its way through her heart. He looked into her eyes and said, “I’m sorry. I gotta get back over to the altar. Some things are just meant to be and others aren’t.”
“Sorry I can’t erase the past, but I’m offering you a future. . . a real future. You don’t have a real future with them. You don’t even know them. After all I’ve gone through today I can’t believe you’re just gonna walk away from me.”
Renee stood still and watched her best friend and former lover walk out of her life. She felt like her heart had stopped beating and the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Reality began to sink in. She had traveled by plane, taxi and boat to be with the man of her dreams and was now forced to live a nightmare. She didn’t have a place to stay, a way back home or a decent change of clothes. She had traveled thousands of miles for nothing.
Joel rejoined Erin, Kenya and Reverend Gamble at the altar. He picked up where he left off and began to recite his vows. He said, “I ... I,” and then he paused as a gentle rain began to fall from a sunny, cloudless sky. Joel knew that it was a sign from God because he felt His presence. He looked over at Renee and she had her teary eyes focused directly on him. She just stood there crying her heart out.
Meanwhile, Joel looked at Erin and Kenya holding hands. He looked at the expensive diamond rings he had bought, gleaming in the sunlight. The money he spent and the rings were meaningless to him at that point. The fantasy he had tried so hard to believe in was over. Erin and Kenya had created a new bond and Joel was no longer one of them. The love he thought he had for them faded. He could clearly see now that the whole threesome thing had been about the girls all along. He came to the realization that they had used the threesome and the sexual experimentation as a way to bring the two of them together. It was hard to admit, but Erin wasn’t able to love him until Kenya stepped into the picture.
Joel said, “Hold up ... wait a minute. I can’t do this. I just realized that God doesn’t want us together like this. Living a Christian lifestyle isn’t as hard as I thought. When I do things I’m used to doing them wholeheartedly, and I refuse to be a lukewarm Christian. The whole time we’ve been wondering why God brought the three of us together. Now I know why. He brought the three of us together to make me see where I really need to be. I hope the two of you will be happy together.”
Erin and Kenya didn’t say a word as Joel walked away. They just held each other tightly and rejoiced in the fact that they had each other.
Erin came to the realization that Joel and Renee truly belonged together. Deep down inside she knew that Renee didn’t exactly come between the threesome because Renee had been there all along—in Joel’s heart. Erin knew that she and Joel could have had something incredible together, but she jeopardized it all by allowing Kenya into their relationship. Above everything, Erin came away with the person she had been closest to most of her life.
Kenya came to the realization that she and Erin were lesbians. At that point she was willing to be labeled or categorized just as long as she and Erin could be together. Kenya also realized that there was a good chance that she was pregnant with Joel’s baby. If that was the case she planned to explain the situation to Erin and they would raise the child as their own.
Joel walked over to Renee and could clearly see that she had a need to love and a need to be loved—a need to touch and be touched—a need to hold and be held. He took her in his arms and tried his best to love the hurt away. He wanted to raise the family he had dreamed of with Renee and wanted them to grow old together.
Joel said, “I’m still in love with you, Renee.”
She whispered, “Marry me ... let’s get married.”
Joel smiled. “I’d love to make you mine, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, through good times and bad times, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, to love you and to cherish you, from this day forward until death do us part.”
They kissed. This wasn’t just any kiss, but it was one that said, Our love is infallible. I promise to love you forever and a day.
Renee and Joel were overwhelmed with joy. They had built something special in the past and watched it fall apart. Now they had the opportunity to rebuild their lives together and share something even more special. What started out as the beginning of the end was now the start of a new beginning.
A divorced single mom takes a walk on the wild
side and gets into a whole lotta trouble in
Sasha Campbell’s thrilling new novel
Scandals
Coming in April 2012
MONICA
“You want me to do what?” I was practically shouting and had every reason. I was even seriously considering popping somebody upside the head. The only thing stopping me was that I suddenly remembered where the hell I was.
I glanced around CJ’s Cafe just to make sure no one was eavesdropping on our conversation, and to my relief, the only people looking at me all cockeyed were the couple at the next table. Hell, I didn’t mean to be loud and even tossed an apology in their direction before I focused my rage on the chunky chick sitting across the table from me. There’s no way in hell Keisha just said what I thought she said.
“I’m serious, Monic
a. Look at this,” she insisted and had the nerve to stab the newspaper with her index finger.
I shifted my eyes. “Keisha, I’m not looking at that! I can’t believe you set your lips to suggest something like that to me.” My best friend had lost her mind. “Are you fucking crazy?”
Keisha blinked and then had the audacity to act like it was no big deal. “It’s not that bad. I even considered it once in college. I know you could do it.”
I sighed silently to myself. “I’m not even about to have this conversation with you.”
She blew out a heavy breath, then rolled her eyes at me. “Damn, Monica, you act like I asked you to rob a bank ... like we about to set it off up in here.”
“Shiiiit, what’s the difference?” I hissed and leaned back against the seat. I should have known Keisha had something up her sleeve when she asked me to meet her for lunch. And to think I’d been having one hell of a day.
Fridays are the only mornings I don’t have class, and with the girls in school, I decided to finally do something I’d been considering for months—I got a haircut. I let Sonya, a stylist at Forever You, chop off hair that once hung to the center of my back. For two hours I was practically in tears, certain I had made a big mistake, until she swung my chair around so I faced the mirror. Sonya was heaven sent. She had given me a short, layered style that took off almost ten years from my face. You’re probably thinking, what’s the big deal? Well, listen when I tell you, cutting my hair was a hard decision for me. For years my hair was my strength. I was like Samson. I thought I was weak without it. But I realized the only thing that made me weak was my ex-husband Anthony. Too bad it took his sorry ass leaving for me to finally figure it out.
As soon as I left the salon, I went to meet Keisha for lunch and strolled into CJ’s Café with my hips swaying. I couldn’t help but notice several men checking me out. I guess the black wraparound dress I was rocking looked good hugging every curve on my body, just as I had hoped it would. The attention definitely made it worth the money I spent on the outfit. Some dude even had the nerve to try and get my attention, but I blew him off. Not that he was ugly or anything. It’s just that the last thing in the world I needed was a man. All I wanted was to know that even though I was a thirty-year-old mother of two, I still looked damn good. The attention was definitely my stamp of approval. When I finally reached the booth at the far back corner, I was feeling sexy as hell. Then Keisha had the nerve to fuck everything up for me.
For Lovers Only Page 30