28. jungle house
jungle house
MARLEY
We return to the deep, lush, exotic woods of the Jungle House, but with the sky turned to night, the mansion takes on a completely different vibe.
It looks purely magical, nestled between towering trees, thick vines, and wild, exotic flowers drenched in shadows and soft, golden light.
Lanterns and fairy lights hang from the plants and trees like low-hung stars, flickering against the dark leaves.
It reminds me of a glowing glass jewel box.
“Damn, this is unreal,” Othello says in astonishment.
He literally takes the words right out of my mouth, which is slightly hanging open. Needless to say, the scene alone puts my taking off earlier behind us.
He rolls the Mustang to a smooth stop in the half-moon driveway. Valet rushes over, and we climb out of the car, still in awe and admiring the mansion.
“It must be nice to have a vacation home like this.”
“I’m telling you.”
As we cross the threshold into the glass-wrapped villa, a high-pitched squeal cuts through the Caribbean music playing from inside.
“You made it!”
Carina, dressed in a whimsical white wrap dress that’s one wind gust away from a wardrobe malfunction, seems to float towards us with a look on her face that says she’s had one too many drinks.
She gives Othello a demure look. “Ozzy!” And then, facing me, she pulls me into a hug.
“Marley!” She smiles brightly.
“Hi Carina. You look amazing,” I offer.
She poses, an empty champagne flute in her hand. “I know, right?! It was custom-made by Hayley Paige.”
A part of me isn’t surprised by her lack of thanks, so instead I admire her bedazzled mini as we follow her inside the glass house.
“Othello, the guys are downstairs playing pool.” Carina shoots him a pointed look that says it’s less suggestion and more instruction.
His eyes drop to me. “You gonna be okay?”
Carina cuts in, answering for me. “Of course she is! We’re going to have some girl talk.”
I give Othello a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine.”
“Yes, she’ll be fine. I don’t bite,” Carina teases.
She slips her arms through mine and guides me through the house.
“Let’s get you a drink.”
She looks me over.
“You, my friend, look amazing. Is that Oscar De la Renta? That collection isn’t even out yet,” Carina gasps, finally noticing my turquoise ensemble.
“Sometimes we get pieces from work.”
“I guess that’s the luxury of being a journalist for a major magazine.” She sticks out her bottom lip and frowns. “I’m jelly!” Then her eyes light up at the bartender. “Drinks!”
Carina leads us out into the backyard, her steps as graceful as a pageant queen.
There are more guests outside than inside the house; most of them are dancing barefoot in swimsuits by a lavish infinity pool or lounging on daybeds draped with linen canopies.
I see Danielle in the pool talking to that cute guy from the club.
And Jaylah, Camila, and Lety lazing around on one of the daybeds nearby.
Carina and I stop at a makeshift bar and take the only two seats available.
“What can I get for you?” The bartender asks.
Carina holds up two fingers. “Hey Benny, two Kir Royales,” she orders.
Her eyes scan over me again, smiling brightly. “How have you been enjoying everything so far?”
“So far, so good.”
“My mom told me about the meeting. She can be a bit much.”
“I would call it eagerness. She’s just super excited. Her only child is getting married.”
Carina gives a vain grin.
“And my team has wanted to feature your story. The timing just happened to work out, so I’m grateful for it.”
“I bet you are.”
The words are harmless, but her tone suggests otherwise.
Carina accepts the flute Benny slides across the bar and hands the second one to me. I take a cautious sip.
“Let’s go sit with the girls,” she says and saunters off. I follow behind her, taking it all in. Her luxurious lifestyle.
“Your parents really outdid themselves with the events so far,” I tell her, watching people dance around the pool.
“More like my mom. My dad just foots the bill.”
I laugh. “Your mom is wonderful.”
Carina lets out a dramatic sigh. “Wonderful, overbearing, controlling, exhausting…she’s driving me crazy. None of this is what I wanted.”
“It’s not?” I’m in shock.
“No. She’s turned this into a wedding production.”
The comment throws me for a loop. The week seemed to be going like something straight out of Carina’s playbook. This is her lifestyle. Glamorous events and red carpets, perfectly curated moments with tons of attention.
The resort has been working overtime to keep paparazzi at bay.
No one is allowed past security unless they are a registered guest. After the club event, word spread like wildfire that Carina was, in fact, in Maui to get married.
Whenever the group wanted to venture into town, they avoided the main entrance altogether, slipping through a private path hidden behind a grove of palms and dense tropical foliage that connected to a discreet pickup area beyond the resort.
We finally reach the girls, spread out in their itty bitty bikinis. They look like they could all be in a Mod fashion spread. I consider the idea.
Carina drops down next to Lety’s left and stretches her svelte legs out in front of her. I take a seat on one of the two portside lounge chairs.
They barely greet me. A wave from Camila and a faint smile from Jaylah.
“Where’s your man?” Lety asks me. She’s laid out in the middle of the oversized daybed in a polka-dot two-piece.
“Downstairs with the boys,” Carina answers for me.
“Don’t take this the wrong way when I say, Othello is aging like fine wine,” Camila remarks.
A blush spreads across my cheeks.
“Definite eye-candy,” Lety smirks.
Lety adjusts the cups of her red bikini top and giggles. “I agree. Three years of radio silence did him some good.”
We notice the pinched look on Carina’s face and Lety quickly adds, “Not saying he wasn’t good-looking when you were with him, Rina, but I mean, he did a major glow-up after you wrecked his world.”
“Really, bitch?” Carina says, rearing her head back in shock.
“Realllllyyyy,” Camila and Lety say in unison, and this only makes me laugh as I think of Lo and Siobhan.
Carina cuts her eyes at me, and I sip my drink with a shrug.
“He’s out and about, parading a gorgeous woman around now. That break-up was probably a good thing.”
Four sets of eyes peek in my direction.
“Was he not parading women around before me?”
“Not sure who he dated after Carina and before you, but let’s just say Othello was Mr. Stay-Out-the-Spotlight.”
“Hey gorgeous ladies,” Danielle says and joins us, dripping wet in her Jean Paul Gaultier one-piece. “Marley, hey girl, hey! I love that dress.”
“Thank you,” I beam, loving Danielle’s energy.
She is the only member of the Satin Mafia to give me grace.
“Are you ladies being nice to Marley Mar?” Danielle asks, taking a towel and running it over her curly hair.
“We sure are. Complimenting her on her sexy ass boyfriend.” Camila peeks at me. “Again, no offense.”
“None taken,” I say after another sip of this drink that may be a new favorite.
“Yeah, he was looking all too good at the sandcastle showdown,” Jaylah adds.
The coral monokini is stunning against her bronze skin.
“Carina, I must know. Who was the better cousin?”
Carina scoffs. “Jaylah, please. I’m not answering that.”
The girls laugh, Carina included. I take a longer sip of my drink.
“We’re sorry,” Danielle says to me. “We fuck with her a lot about her dating her future husband's cousin.”
“Yeah, I suppose I will never hear the end of it,” sighs Carina.
“I kept it in the family once,” Camila admits. “I dated two brothers. It was like having sex with the same dude.”
“Ew,” Lety cringes and shakes her head in disgust. “I could never.”
“That’s because you’ve only ever slept with one guy,” Jaylah points out, rolling her eyes.
“Hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” Lety exclaims.
“How would you know, though?! You have no one to compare him with.” Danielle bursts out, and everyone laughs.
“Quality over quantity, my dears,” Lety says with a smug shrug. “Sex with him is amazing and I don’t need to look any further.”
“Statistically speaking, the average person sleeps with about eight people in their lifetime,” Carina admits matter-of-factly.
Camila scoffs loudly. “Shit, just eight?! That was about a week back in college.”
I push to my feet. “Is there a bathroom nearby?”
Danielle points toward the glass house.
“Downstairs, but I'd use the one upstairs. First door on your left.”
“Perfect. Thanks.”
I don't wait another second. With the girls' laughter trailing behind me, I make a swift retreat toward the house.
I whip out my phone and text Othello, never so grateful to finally have his number.
MARLEY: Can you meet me by the stairs?
The bubbles dance under my message within seconds.
OTHELLO: otw
We walk through the house, Othello’s hand resting on the small of my back. Mine still holding the sweet bubbly drink Carina got for me. We say no words, just taking in the house as we leave the chaos of the party behind.
Despite my hasty exit from the Satin Mafia, I don’t think they were all bad. They are hilarious in all their glam and designer wear and remind me a lot of my own friend group.
As Othello guides me through the house, manly and protective, I see now how Carina could fall in love with him. Othello is the calm. Gavin is the noise. Like if she were a normal girl in a normal world, he would be the chosen one.
“Do you know where we’re going?” I ask him.
“I think there’s a side door that leads to another part of the beach.”
We pass through a narrow hallway lined with soft lighting, the bass from the party now a distant pulse.
There is a door there, the same door we arrived at when we landed in the helicopter this morning.
Othello pushes it open, and then offers me his hand.
I take it in mine as we walk off down the stone path together.
“There was a path we walked to get to the golf course, but I noticed another path that I think leads to the beach,” Othello assures me.