She sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
“And it’s safe to assume he’s married?”
“Yep, with three kids.”
He released her hand and leaned back casually in his seat. “He must be something else.”
She nodded. “He had me so wrapped around his finger I didn’t know if I was coming or going. I quit school so I would have free time for him. Whenever he called, I jumped like some doggone fool.”
“We have all played fool at one time or another in our lives.”
She gave him a grim expression. “Not like me. I was meeting this man in hotels all around the state. Waiting by the phone for it to ring, hoping it was him. On Sundays I was right there in the front pew waiting for him to smile my way.”
Clayton reached for his drink. “You sound like he had you hooked.”
“Like a crackhead.”
They laughed, which eased some of the animosity she was feeling. “I guess we all play the fool. But I played the biggest fool. He told me he was leaving his wife and I believed him. Now I find out they have another baby on the way.”
Clayton paused long enough to sip his drink. “Do you still have feelings for this man?”
“It’s only natural that I still have some feelings for the man, but it is definitely over between us.” Even as she said it, she knew in the back of her mind she was not being completely truthful. If he left his wife tomorrow, she would be right there.
The waiter arrived with their food. Kayla stared down eagerly at their platter, pleased with her choice. As soon as he departed, she bowed her head and said grace. Then, reaching for her fork, she dipped a piece of lobster in butter and raised it to her mouth. It was everything she had expected in such elegant surroundings.
She was impressed with the restaurant. Tropical plants filled the area and even hung from the bamboo rafters above the candlelit room. What had left her in awe was the view from the window. A full moon and twinkling stars reflected upon the water. The silhouette of ships could be seen in the distance.
As she ate her dinner, Kayla kept one arm in her lap and took small bites as they talked. She carefully chewed her food and made sure to dab her mouth every few seconds. The last thing she needed were crumbs on her face.
Clayton told her he had a degree in business and was getting ready to open an upscale nightclub in Kansas City with another player he had invested with.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” he asked after a long moment of silence.
“Sure, anything.”
“After everything this man has done, would you take him back if he left his wife tomorrow?”
Kayla dropped her eyes to her plate. “Yes.”
“Does he love you?”
She was about to lie, then she paused. She looked at Clayton and said with hurt in her voice, “I really don’t know anymore.”
“I could tell that you were hurting.”
“How?”
“That day on the beach. You looked so sad. You seem to be the type of woman that when you love, you love with everything that you’ve got.”
Her shoulders sagged. “And that’s why I always get my heart broken.”
He reached across the table and clasped her hand. “There is nothing wrong with loving with everything you’ve got. I’m the same way.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No, not anymore,” he said without hesitation.
She couldn’t help the sigh of relief at hearing he was unattached and available. “What happened?” she asked, then felt like she had asked something too personal. “Never mind. You don’t have to answer that.”
“No, I don’t mind.” He reassured her with a smile. “Noelle liked to hang in the streets too much. Now hear me out: I’m not the jealous type, but when you’re hanging out with your friends every Friday and Saturday night, then I’ve got a problem.”
“I don’t blame you,” she replied between chews.
“Anyway, I would mention it and she would stop for a while and then it started again.”
“Did the two of you ever do things together?”
He carved into his steak as he spoke. “Sometimes, but she used to act like such a doggone fool if any woman came up to a brotha, that it got to be a problem. She knew it came with the job, and she said she could handle it, but apparently she couldn’t. She started drinking too much and had a habit of making a scene.”
“No, she didn’t!”
“Yeah, unfortunately she did on several occasions. And after she left with some old cat with a messed up haircut, I cut her behind loose.”
Kayla was cracking up and he joined in, and that made her feel comfortable. The hundred-million-dollar man was as human as she was.
When Clayton sobered, he said, “Listen to me going on and on about my ex.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do.” He winked. “I invited you out so I could get to know you better.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her and she felt the tingle all the way down to her toes.
“So, what does Kayla like to do for fun?” Hearing this in the third person it took her a second to realize he was talking about her. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had asked her about what she liked to do.
“I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never really thought about it before.”
“What you mean you never thought about it?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been so busy, I rarely have time for myself.”
“Okay. well, you have time now. So tell me,” he ordered as he bit into his steak.
She smiled. “Okay. Well, I like movies and food of course. I like traveling.”
“How about joining me the day after tomorrow?”
“Where?”
“A bunch of us are going to check out Dunn’s River Falls.”
Her eyes lit with excitement. “Ooh! I was planning to do that but no one wanted to go with me.”
He leaned in confidently to say, “Good. Then let’s go.”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
“And I look forward to having you all to myself.”
He made her tingle like he had touched her private parts. Feeling slightly embarrassed by her feelings, she concentrated on her food. Other than reggae music, the table was quiet.
“I like the way the candlelight dances in your beautiful eyes.”
She blushed and dropped her eyes before looking up again. “You really think I have beautiful eyes?”
“I think everything about you is beautiful.”
Kayla snorted rudely. “Yeah, right.”
“I wouldn’t say it if it isn’t true. When I look at you, I see not only the woman on the outside, but also the beautiful woman on the inside as well.”
They stared at each other and she no longer felt the urge to run and hide.
He continued to compliment her as they talked. The mood became light and animated, each smiling at the other and flirting. The time flew by and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d spent so much time out to dinner.
A half hour later, the table had been cleared. Their waiter came by and brought them both cups of Blue Mountain coffee as their conversation continued. After her second cup, Kayla glanced over her shoulder at Nadine, who looked ready to kill RD at any minute.
“I think we better get out of here,” she suggested.
Clayton followed the direction of her eyes and chuckled. “I agree. They are definitely not a love connection.”
She agreed. “No, they’re not.”
He gestured for the waiter to bring their check, then reached for her hand again. “And what about us?”
Her brow rose. “What do you mean?”
“You think we’re a love connection?”
She tried to swallow but her throat was suddenly dry. “I ...” She didn’t know how to answer that.
He winked. “You don’t have to answer. At least not yet. However, I do expect an answer before I leave this island.”
Kayla
felt her body flush with heat. “You got yourself a deal.”
Chapter 42
RENEE
As soon as we finished eating I dodged my sister and went up to my room to change. Solomon was meeting me outside the gate in thirty minutes.
I slipped on a pair of tight blue jean shorts and a red halter top. Since I had no idea what the brotha had planned, I slid my feet into a pair of Nike tennis shoes. I decided not to carry a purse because he could try and rob my black ass. As a matter of fact, what the hell was I even thinking, going out in a foreign country to meet a total stranger?
I took a seat on the edge of the bed and thought about it for a moment. Unfortunately I didn’t give it much thought. I had always loved a challenge. Taking risk was what made life exciting. Rising from the bed, I decided to leave a note as to where I had gone and who I was with just in case something did happen to my ass.
At five minutes after nine, I strolled out the gate and found Mandingo leaning against a tree, waiting. He smiled when he spotted me.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” he said with an irresistible grin.
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “Because American women are picky.”
“True that.” I moved to stand beside him. “So, what do you want to do?”
“I want to take you for a ride on my moped.”
For the first time, I noticed the small red motorbike parked near the curb. That raggedy-looking thing didn’t look like it had the juice to handle both of us.
I frowned. “You sure it can handle my big ass?”
He chuckled. “Your ass is not big. Come on.”
With skepticism, I followed him over to the curb. Solomon climbed on and I climbed on behind him.
He started the bike and it moved at about nine miles an hour. We could have walked faster than that thing traveled but if we had, I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to lean in close to Solomon. He smelled wonderful and felt even better. I wrapped my arms loosely around his middle and rested my cheek against his back.
I watched as we left the hotel district and twenty minutes later moved into a neighborhood of small homes with clothes out back, hanging out to dry. There were children without shoes running down the streets and wearing jeans that had been cut off. A dog looked like he was thirty seconds away from keeling over. Then the city changed to small cement homes and raggedy wooden stalls. I wasn’t impressed at all with this area of town, but told myself there wasn’t anything to worry about as long as I stayed with Solomon.
The farther he drove the worse the scene became. As he drove high into the city, I began to see shacks that resembled the ones in the movie Roots. Most had tin roofs, some had flat wooden tops. There were children frolicking in the street, playing what looked like tag. They were clean, although their clothes looked shabby. Old folks were sitting in chairs out front, laughing and having a good time. I can’t understand how people could be happy living like this but I guess if that’s all you know, how can you know what you’re missing? No wonder they say Americans are spoiled, because we are. Not one of those people seemed to mind that their hair was all over their heads. The only person that seemed to care was me.
So this was real Jamaica.
Solomon pulled in front of a red shack with a blue door and turned off the motor, then he climbed off.
I paused, giving him a puzzled look. “Where we going?”
“I want you to see how the Rastas live.”
Before I could object he lifted me off the seat and onto my feet, beside him. He took my hand and led me up the raggedy steps and we entered the building. Once inside I realized we were in a small restaurant.
I glanced around at the meager surroundings and tried not to frown. Someone had tried to make the place look nice the best way they knew how. There were three round tables with mix-match chairs around them and a plastic vase with fresh yellow flowers at the center of each table. The wooden floor squeaked and was dusty. There obviously was no central air; however, there was a fan overhead. At least the building had electricity.
We took a seat and a dark-skinned woman wearing a dingy white apron and a turban wrapped around her head came out.
“Solomon, mon. Where have you been?” She wrapped her arms around him and planted a kiss to the top of his head.
“Busy working, but I thought I’d bring a friend with me. Maggie, this is Renee. She has come here from St. Louis.”
She gave me a warm smile. “Nice to meet you. I am honored to have you visit my restaurant. What can I get you?”
Solomon looked over at me before answering, “You like Red Bull?”
I nodded. As hot as I was, a beer sounded good.
“I also have some good hot Jamaican food for you.”
I wasn’t hungry but I didn’t want to hurt the nice woman’s feelings, so I nodded. She left, then returned shortly with our beers. I immediately popped mine open and took a long thirsty drink. I was thankful to find that it was ice cold.
Solomon also took a drink, then leaned forward in his seat, his long dreads resting on the table. “What do you think of my Jamaica?”
I didn’t want to offend his country in any way, so I took a moment to think about my answer. “It’s nothing like the brochures.”
He tossed his head back and laughed and I found I liked the loud boisterous sound. He was indeed a beautiful man in a masculine way. He stood six-one and weighed one-ninety. He had broad shoulders and a trim waist and hips. Tonight he looked like a typical black male between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, although I suspected him to be closer to thirty. He was wearing jeans that hung low on his waist and a white sleeveless shirt that emphasized his large biceps. On his feet was a pair of Jordan’s.
“Have you ever been to America?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, and I don’t care if I ever do.”
“Why?”
Solomon gave me a long serious look. “Renee, not everyone wants to go to America. This is my home and I love it. So many Jamaicans go to America and come back changed. They start to look down on our people and forget our values. I love my country and I don’t care to live anywhere else.”
I was surprised by his answer but I could feel his pride. It was safe to assume he wasn’t searching for an American wife.
Maggie came out carrying two piping-hot plates. She put one in front of me and the other near him. I glanced down at the food and was pleased to find it looked quite tasty.
“What you have is curry goat, stewed peas, rice, and pigtails. On the side is fried plantain.”
“What’s that?” I asked her.
“They are like bananas only sweeter.”
I reached for my fork and tasted it. “Mmm, delicious.” It was indeed quite good.
Looking quite pleased, Maggie left us to eat our food. While I ate, Solomon told me that he has lived with his grandmother since he was eighteen, while his parents lived in Kingston.
“How old are you?” I asked.
He reached under the table and stroked my leg. “I’m old enough for whatever you have in mind.”
I was flattered by his comment and the feel of his large strong hand.
As we ate he talked about growing up in Jamaica. It sounded so much like the life of a typical child in America. He and his father never got along so when he turned eighteen his father told him there was room for only one man in their house. So he packed his bags and left to live with his ailing grandmother.
“Shit, my father and I never got along either,” I said between chews. “He has grandchildren he barely even knows, and that is all right by me. I’d never subject them to the type of upbringing I endured.”
He blinked as if he was coming out of a trance. “I don’t have any children yet, but when I do I don’t want them around my father either.”
“What about your mother?”
He smiled at the mention of her. “Very sweet woman. She always has a hug and a kiss. She has lived a long life. I am the youngest of
twelve.”
I practically choked on my food. “You’re saying your mother gave birth to twelve children?” He nodded and I shook my head. I couldn’t even imagine ten more kids sliding out of my coochie.
When we finished eating, he grabbed my hand and we went for a walk down the road. There weren’t any streetlights so it was dark except for the light beaming from a full moon. Children were still out playing and at the end of the road were an old man and woman sitting in front of a card table. Solomon led me up the steps and onto the wide porch.
“Grandma, I’d like you to meet Renee.”
I glanced down at her smiling dark face. “Hello.”
“Welcome, mon. Please have a seat.”
She patted the chair beside her and I moved and took a seat.
“Can you play dominos?” she asked.
I nodded.
Leaning over she patted my hand. “Good. I need a partner.”
Solomon took the seat across from me and then the game was on.
Chapter 43
NADINE
“So are we going to do this or what?”
RD was really getting on Nadine’s nerves. If this wasn’t important to her, Nadine would have cussed him out by now.
“I want you to know that this isn’t the type of shit I do on a regular basis.”
“I ain’t asked you that.”
Nadine looked off into the water fountain, then finally said, “Yeah, let’s do this.”
Next thing she knew, RD was leading her down the path to building 3 and down the hall to his ocean-view suite. As soon as the door was shut he pulled her into his arms. He kissed her and before she could respond, his hands were all over her. He pushed his tongue past her lips and entered her mouth. She met his skillful strokes as he tightened his hold on her. Thoughts of Jordan invaded her mind. She felt like she was cheating. She hadn’t been with anyone else but her in over a year and never once thought about messing around. Even though they had broken up before she had left for vacation, she still felt like she was betraying her. Nadine knew she had better do something fast before it was too late, but the kiss, his lips, felt far too good to stop. Besides, wasn’t her decision to sleep with RD so she would forget about Jordan?
In The Company of My Sistahs Page 21