Chapter 3
Brynne
“Raven, you are an Instagram model, and Brynne, you design lingerie for a living, and I’m an opera singer,” Amira declares the next day.
“What if they ask you to sing?” Raven asks.
“Oh, I’ve already thought of that. I’ll say I’m resting my voice for a big performance next week.”
“Yeah. Totally believable,” Raven says. We’re seated in the back of the resort shuttle, still damp from visiting the local waterfall. “Or I know this is a wild thought, but bear with me. We can enjoy our vacation and not worry about the group of guys next door. This is not summer camp, ladies. We don’t need to find a cute boy to make out with.”
The idea has merit, but I’ve been thinking about CK since I saw him yesterday. I won’t mention that to my friends because Raven is right. We’re here for a vacation. We’re here to relieve the holiday stress and to enjoy each other’s company. We’re not here to hook up with anyone. That’s never been my style, and the reality is, I don’t remember the last time I had a date. Never mind, a hook-up. It’s been at least a year since I enjoyed the company of a naked man, and I don’t even remember who it was. It must not have been that good if I have no memory of it.
“Rave is right,” I say. “Let’s hit the lunch buffet at the resort and forget about our new neighbors.”
“But that big one is so hot,” Amira says while she fans her face with her hand. She opens her mouth to say more, but her phone rings.
She rolls her eyes and I understand why. That’s the ring she assigned to her mother. She answers the phone and goes quiet. That’s how it always goes when her mother or sister calls. They talk nonstop while Amira listens. It’s moments like these when I’m happy that I don’t have family to bother me with their bullshit. Or ask me to babysit because I am not good with the little people.
“Leo’s sister called me last night,” Raven says.
“What the hell does your ex-husband’s sister want? And I thought you blocked his entire family,” I say.
“I did. She must be using some app. She cussed me out for taking the house.”
I scoff at the audacity. “The house you bought before you married that loser? She’s just mad because her cheating ass brother had to move in with her. And I bet she hates it when his boyfriend comes over.” Raven rolls her eyes. “The homophobia is strong in that family.”
“Tell me about it. I told her if she called me again, I was going to come to her job and beat her ass in the lobby. I mean it, too.” She does. That’s how we became friends. A girl on our street was bullying me, and Raven walked up to her and dared her to bully her instead. The other girl got in Raven’s face but was smart enough to back away and run. We were inseparable after that.
While the shuttle drives us back to the resort, I close my eyes, and instead of relaxing, I see blue eyes, dirty blond hair, and a playful smile. The playfulness was surprisingly what I liked about him the most.
Liked? Girl, you spent all of sixty seconds around the man. The rest of the time, you gawked at his naked torso. Stop fooling yourself. You’re horny for that guy, and you want to scratch an itch.
I’m a serious person. I work hard, and even in my downtime, I’d never describe myself as playful or silly. Even when I’m out and having a good time, I’m on guard. I’ve always been that way, and my best friends accept me as I am. I never thought I’d be taken by someone who would jump into the pool in his shorts after tossing his Crocs to the side, but I’ve been thinking about him all night, and when I woke up this morning, he was on my mind. I pretended not to notice him today, but I knew he was outside because I saw him from my bedroom window. That’s why I went, and when I walked away, I could feel his eyes on me.
“I don’t understand why you’re calling me on my vacation to tell me this,” I hear Amira say. I lock eyes with Raven, and she’s already rolling hers as she mouths, ‘Must be Ashley.’ Amira stays quiet until she says, “I’m due home in a few days, and I’m not coming back a minute before.” She goes silent again until she interrupts and says, “Mom, unless someone dies, don’t call me again. I’ll call you. And I’m not upending my life to come hold Ashley’s hand. That’s your job.” She pulls the phone from her ear and ends the call.
I eye Raven, who arches a brow at Amira’s sass. She’s a lot braver when she’s not around her mother. If her mom were here, she’d fold like a cheap card table.
“What now? Did Ashley break a nail?” Raven asks.
“No. Her husband got another woman pregnant.”
After Amira made her announcement about her sister, we didn’t speak about it again. There’s always something with her sister. It’s been that way since we first met Amira, and Ashley has always been the child that gets most of her mother’s attention.
But I put that out of my mind.
“This is a problem-free vacation,” I remind my friends when we walk into one of the many restaurants at the resort. This one is more casual, and since it’s the end of the lunch rush, it’s practically empty.
“I second that,” Amira says. “I’m gonna go get us a round of drinks.” She walks away and goes to the bar next door.
After heading to the buffet and making a plate for myself and one for her, I join Raven in the back of the restaurant. Just as I’m about to sit down, I hear loud talk and laughter. I don’t see him yet, but I know he’s here. I remember the sound and tenor of his voice. Seconds later, I see him. He’s shirtless and in bright green shorts with matching green Crocs.
It’s like everything slows down, and he moves in slow motion. There’s water dripping from his hair. His skin has tanned more since he arrived yesterday, and I imagine running my hands from his pecs to his abdomen below. I bite my bottom lip and groan, quickly looking around to make sure no one heard, but Raven smirks at me.
“Bitch, I know you’re not standing here having an orgasm at the sight of the shirtless wonder over there.”
I sit down but don’t look away or answer my friend. Amira runs in, goes around them, and sets down a tray with three drinks. “It’s today’s special. I have no idea what it is,” she says.
“And we don’t care,” Raven says as she picks up a glass and takes two big gulps. “One thing about this fancy resort is that they don’t skimp on the alcohol.”
I ignore her and follow his naked back with my eyes. They’re like a bunch of frat guys running around the buffet. They bump into each other and laugh, but I don’t look away from him. As if he can sense my eyes on him, he turns and looks directly at me, giving me that smile I’ve been thinking about since I first saw it, and flexes his pecs. That little movement takes me by such surprise that my fork slips from my hand and hits the plate with a loud bang. Embarrassed, I finally look away and pick up my drink. It’s much too sweet for my palate, but I take another sip to give myself time to calm down.
Maybe it’s the sex drought I’ve found myself in, but my body’s temperature has increased, and I can feel a pulsing between my legs. That’s never happened just at the sight of a man. And this man is not my usual type. My type is on the darker side. And professional. I love a black man in a suit, but here I am drooling like a high school sophomore over a man in Crocs.
“I walked behind him and looked at his ass the entire time,” Amira says. I already know who she’s talking about. The guy she likes is more my type than CK, but since Amira claimed him, I will stay away.
“Hey! It’s our neighbors,” the dark-haired one with glasses says.
CK walks to the back of the restaurant, pulls one of the tables next to ours to combine them, and plops himself next to me. He drops so suddenly that he bumps my shoulder with his. His bare arm rubs against mine, and even though he smells like the ocean, it’s the sexiest scent.
“I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself yesterday, but I’m Ian,” the tall one with sandy-blonde hair says. “This is Malcolm.” He points at the guy Amira has been drooling over. “That’s Brody over there. He’s a shrink,” he adds, “and Killah.” He points at the man next to me, still sitting close enough for our arms to touch.
Raven introduces us, but I can feel a lump in my throat. If I try to eat now, there’s no way I’ll be able to swallow. I’ll choke and embarrass myself in front of the sexy one.
“Where are you ladies from?” Ian asks.
“The US, in the Northeast,” Raven says.
I know she’s deliberately being vague, and that’s one of the things I love about her.
“Yeah? Us too,” Killah says. “But we all met at Berkeley. We met in the Boston Club.” If I were eating, I’d choke. There’s no way that we can meet on a tropical Caribbean island only to learn that we live in the same city. “Ian is marrying Malcolm’s sister.”
“Alright now,” Raven says, grinning from ear to ear.
“Don’t start any shit, Malcolm,” Brody says.
“Hey, ladies,” Malcolm says. “It’s nice to meet you. This next part isn’t for you, so please don’t take offense.” Malcolm sticks his middle finger in the air and takes turns pointing it at each one of his friends. They must be used to it because they don’t react.
While the guys talk back and forth, Amira covertly eyes Malcolm, who only scowls as he shoves food in his mouth.
CK moves closer to me, and his arm presses against mine. “How long will you be here?” he whispers.
I have to take a sip of my water to give myself enough time to think of an answer. “Until Thursday,” I manage to say. I want to pat myself on the back for sounding so calm even though my heart is practically beating out of my chest. “How about you?”
I make the mistake of looking into his eyes. They’re as playful as I remember them, but there’s a depth I’m not ready to dive into. “Two days after you,” he says. “Ian’s wedding is the weekend after that.”
“Then it’s back to the cold.” I want to slap myself for saying something so stupid. Right now, I feel as awkward as Amira.
“You guys should come to the house and have dinner with us,” he says. “Then we’re going to a club tonight.”
If I were impulsive, I’d go. I already know what short little black dress I’d wear and the perfect pair of sandals showcasing my legs.
“You plan on wearing a shirt, then?” I ask. I don’t normally flirt with men, but he’s sexy, and we’re on vacation.
“Nope,” he says. Then he winks at me. “I wouldn’t want to block your view.” He flexes his pecs again, and I bite my cheek to keep myself from touching him.
“What makes you think I care about the view?” I ask.
“I guess I just hope that you do,” he whispers.
“Is this what you do while you’re on vacation? Flirt with random women?”
“This is the first time. I guess I was waiting for one as beautiful as you,” he whispers. “So,” he says, addressing the table, “what do you ladies say? Come to the house around seven.”
“We’ll come,” Raven declares, surprising me, “but I probably won’t be any fun since I just finalized my divorce because my husband left me for a man.”
CK picks up his drink. “To your divorce,” he says, and everyone cheers. Even Malcolm stops scowling long enough to toast.
“Fuck that guy,” Malcolm says.
“But on a positive note, we’re celebrating Bee’s promotion at work,” Raven adds.
“It’s not official yet,” I announce.
“Yeah?” CK asks. “What do you do for a living?”
“She’s an artist,” Amira announces before I can answer. She subtly winks at me, clearly enjoying this more than she should. “The best. She’s already drawn the beach.”
I wave her off.
“Bring it over tonight so we can see; and congratulations on your promotion.”
Everyone raises their glasses, and we toast again, this time to my promotion.
“And what about you, Mimi?” Ian asks. “What are you celebrating?”