Chapter 6
I didn’t know why I allowed this damn woman to get me to take her ass out tonight, but I couldn’t get the thought of that man coming back out of my head. At least that was the reason I was going to go with for now because I didn’t do attachments, especially when I knew I was on a suicide mission. I had no intent on making it out of this alive.
So, I didn’t need to create any attachments. This would be our last time together and the last time she would see me here. It was time for me to go. I made a mental note to enjoy her and this moment, since I had never been on a date before. Ever.
Was this shit even a date or just strangers having dinner just in case the creep from earlier popped up to make sure she wasn’t lying? I thought back to all the plans I had made for us and then back to the question at hand. I had never been on a date before, but I could assume this shit was a date.
My phone buzzed on the mattress, so I walked over slowly to answer it. I knew who it was because he was the only person who had the number.
“How can I help you?” I asked.
“Well damn, you would think your greeting would be a tad bit more friendly, seeing as I got you out of the country and in a nice ass spot,” VC responded.
Again, there was that smile. I found VC funny naturally but had never gone far enough to show it. In this business, it was a weakness to show any amount of emotion, but it seemed as if since I had been around this woman for this short period of time, it was all I had done in the past twenty-four hours.
“I should be taking another flight to kick yo’ ass. Brodrick Dick—” I started before VC burst into laughter. He had always been the only boy in my sector as a kid who had always held onto his laughter and outlook on life. The rest of us allowed the reality of our situations to drown out anything that meant we mattered to anyone.
“Aight, I’m gone.” I said, about to hang up.
“Man, you stay alert with yo’ serious ass.”
“Stay alive,” I replied, then hung up.
I knew that was VC’s way of making sure I hadn’t done anything radical to end up dead. We never said it, but we were all each other had. Shit, it had been that way even before the mission, so I knew he had a feeling of what I was getting ready to do when I requested to come here. He knew how tight I was with my money and there was no way out of the blue that had changed within me.
I knew that would be the last time I spoke to him. I shook off those thoughts for now because I didn’t want to go into this night I had planned with that shit on my mind. It would only put me on alert, and I wanted to chill tonight. Allow myself to have one night without worry or concern.
I stood in front of the mirror and checked my attire. I had never gone shopping for shit to wear like this. I picked out a cool short sleeved cream colored button-down shirt, but left it unbuttoned with a white tank beneath it. I grabbed a pair of brown slacks that looked like they were tailored just for me.
I ran my hand along my jawline to check my handy work with the cleanup of my beard, then walked into the bathroom to put on my watch and then a gold cufflink bracelet on my other hand. I added a few sprays of cologne, then slipped my gun into the holster hidden beneath my slacks, then my knife attached to my ankle.
Once I was certain I was prepared for anything, I stepped out of the room, then made my way down to the lobby to wait on Skye. As I stood in the center of the lobby, I caught the eye of almost every woman in the lobby. I could see the desire heavy in their eyes.
I was far from conceited, but I knew I was handsome as fuck, which was why I rarely dressed like this, but this time around, I wanted to match her fly. I knew she wasn’t walking out of that room half stepping. I hoped she was cool with what I chose to wear.
Damn, there I went again. When had I ever thought about whether a woman liked what I wore? Never. But here I was worried about what a woman thought that I had no intentions of seeing again after tonight. I shook my head at the thought. As soon as I turned to look in the opposite direction, I saw her.
“Damn.”
It was all I could get out as she walked over to me wearing a color similar to mine. Great minds thought alike, I guess. I loved a beautiful natural woman, and even with the light makeup she had done, it had my damn mouth watering. Her hair was loose in tight curls that fell around her shoulders. Her dress caressed every curve, making me question just how supple her thighs and ass really were.
I stuffed my hands into my pockets to keep control of them. I didn’t want to overstep, and the way this woman smiled at me let me know overstepping was exactly what she was looking for. The closer she got to me, I had to remind myself I was only supposed to show her a good time. This woman was too good for me. The potential hell I could bring into her world…she didn’t deserve that.
“Well, I guess I’m not the only one who got the memo on brown. You look really good, B,” she said as her eyes ate me up from top to bottom.
If my complexion wasn’t so deep I was sure she would have been able to see that I was blushing at the sight of her and her appreciation of me.
“Thanks, but I don’t have nothing on you. You make my ass look like a sideshow attraction. You’re the main event,” I told her.
I stood back and looked her over once more before tilting my head toward the doors leading to the beach. I didn’t know if she forgot or not, but the resort was hosting a Kava ceremony, which was an integral part of their culture. I knew she was here for more than just the views, so I wanted to make sure she felt safe, which was why I didn’t plan to take her from the resort. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure what awaited for us outside of these resort walls.
The moment we stepped outside, there were traditional Meke dances happening. The dancers wore colorful costumes and danced with drums playing around them. Some were even holding bamboo sticks. The moment one of the resort staff saw us, they led us to a table near all the action.
I glanced over at Skye, and she had the biggest smile on her face, which in some way made me feel at peace. It was like I was living for her happiness for those few stolen moments and time. I didn’t believe in much, but I knew someone had to be looking out for me. Meeting this woman was a sick joke.
Why introduce me to the woman I would have loved to have at my side if I had a truly fair shot at life? I chuckled aloud at the thought.
“It’s amazing, right?” Skye asked.
I looked over at her wide, and expectant eyes, then nodded. I returned my attention back to the show and leaned back in my chair as they brought menus around. Once we placed our orders, a town leader came out and shared their town’s legends. That was when they handed out their traditional drink, the Kava.
They then invited all of us to leave our tables and come into a circle as we all drank. I almost didn’t do the shit because I didn’t see this shit prepared, but then again, since I had been here, I hadn’t been as secure about everything I was consuming, anyway. So I let the shit slide yet again, dropping my guards for this woman to enjoy herself .
Once we had completed the ritual, we made our way back to our tables. Skye turned to face me, her full attention on me for the first time since we had come out here. I could feel her happiness radiating from her.
“This place is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Do you think the story about Princess Tagimoucia is true? Can you imagine falling so deeply in love with someone that you were willing to risk it all for them?” she asked question after question.
I knew that damn story was going to get her mind going. I wasn’t sure if it was true or not, but the shit seemed realistic to me. It gave me Romeo and Juliet vibes. Princess Tagimoucia was from a noble and powerful family in Fiji, while Matagali was a common man from a village. Despite the social differences and opposition from their families, they fell deeply in love with each other. Shit, they ran away together, just like Romeo and Juliet, into the high mountains so they could be together in secret. Ultimately, this couple didn’t end up together, which was different.
I shrugged. “It can be. I don’t know about the fact of her tears becoming a Tagimoucia flower, but I can definitely see how love can make you do crazy things. Then when reality hits, you decide to go in a different direction. Love can be like that, I imagine.”
Skye craned her head to the side with a lift of her brow. “You speak as if you’ve never experienced love before. Please tell me that’s not the case. We’ve all had a little puppy love in high school, at least. I think that’s some of the purest love, because all you had to give was your love and honesty,” she responded.
I didn’t know how to answer her question. There was something about this woman that it didn’t feel right lying to her. It was bad enough that she didn’t know my real name. I didn’t want the lies to continue to pile up. I didn’t even know why it mattered, especially since this would be our last night together.
“Nah, I haven’t. Love has never been within reach for someone like me, and I’ve been cool with that. I’m sure you’ve been in love a time or two. I never asked you if you had someone back home,” I said.
Skye smiled, then looked off into the distance before returning her attention back to me. “Yeah, I’ve loved, but love has never loved me without requirements.” I lifted my brow and then leaned back in my seat to give her time to get her thoughts together. “And, no to that last question. Can you imagine coming somewhere so beautiful by yourself? This trip was my way of finding the beauty in solitary,” she responded.
I didn’t like the sound of that. She didn’t give me the vibes of a woman who couldn’t be loved easily. Granted, I’d only known her for a day and a half, and I used the term known loosely.
“I’ve been in solitary the majority of my life, and it’s something you never get used to. It becomes a lifestyle and you adjust. It’s cool to take some time for yourself, but I can tell by only knowing you for a short while that you deserve more than that. You weren’t made to be alone. Your vibe is unlike anything I have ever experienced before,” I told her.
I picked up my water and took a sip, then looked off. This conversation had gotten a lot deeper than I planned.
“Hey, you do know you’re not meant to be alone, either. Although I can tell you try really hard to make this your identity,” she said, then smiled.
I tried not to focus on her. I wasn’t used to anyone speaking life into me like that. I needed to change this subject and quick.
“Tell me about you. What did you leave behind to come here?” I asked.
At that question, her face brightened. Immediately, she spoke about her family and how she was the middle child. Also, how everyone around her was in a relationship and made it their life’s mission to play matchmaker for her. I could hear her frustration about it, but the love she felt for them was even more clear.
“Then there is my friend, Chyna. We got into it today, but she is the one person who has always thought of me when I didn’t think of myself. I have a newfound friend after a failed attempt at my family’s matchmaking. It’s how I ended up on this trip,” she said, changing the subject.
I could clearly tell she had no intent on speaking about the situation with her friend, and I had no intent on asking. I was not Oprah. I barely had advice about anything that didn’t have something to do with combat, which was why I was glad she didn’t mind taking direction of the conversation.
“How did that happen? Are you into women too? I mean, if you are, I’m not against it. Love is love.” I held my hands up in mock surrender.
Skye looked at me with wide eyes before bursting into laughter. I was confused as hell because I was damn sure I didn’t say anything funny.
“I don’t mean to laugh, but why did you automatically assume they tried to hook me up with a woman?” she asked.
“It’s a proactive time.”
Skye nodded in agreement. “Well, I appreciate a beautiful woman, but it was not a woman. It was a man that my brother-in-law was in the Navy with. Turns out he has the same taste in men as I do, and my brother-in-law was never privy to it. Mainly because Jim isn’t feminine at all and doesn’t flaunt what he likes, but he doesn’t hide it either. He is really cool, and he helped me book this trip.”
I nodded. “Well, at least got something out of the deal.”
“My point exactly. I love it. Now tell me something about you—” she started before the server walked back over.
“Can I clear this table for you?” he asked.
“Absolutely. Skye, you ready to head out?” I asked.
She looked around and noticed we were some of the last people to leave, so she nodded. I hadn’t realized how fast time had gone between the food, the show, conversation, and drinks.
I held my hand out in front of me as she walked in front of me. I was stuck on the extra sway of her hips. I think this woman was naturally sensual without trying. She had my dick on hard. I had to widen my stance briefly to adjust myself. I wasn’t trying to make her feel pressure or to think I was a pervert.
“Can you walk me back to my room?” she asked, peeking over her shoulder briefly.
I wanted to tell her ass no, but my mouth answered before my brain could.
“I got you,” I replied.