day two, june 25th
We kept moving until we reached the marina, a short walk from the main strip, tucked past a row of shops and a garden. I made a mental note to stop on the way back. Ducane walked us straight down the dock. That told me he’d spent his whole morning planning.
The boat was beautiful. Not large but perfect for an intimate day.
And that’s what we needed. Two wide chairs were positioned toward the bow with a setup between them that I immediately recognized as a massage station.
Warm towels, oils, everything arranged and waiting.
The water out past the marina was a deep, impossible blue that was best viewed up close and personal.
A staff member greeted us by name and showed us to the chairs. I sat down, looked out at the water, and decided to let myself enjoy this without making it complicated.
“You good?” Ducane settled into the chair beside me as the boat began to move.
“I’m very good.” I looked out at the water. “I can’t believe I’ve been here and never actually been here.”
“We’re here now.” He said, eyes on the water.
“Yeah. We are.”
“I appreciate you for staying.”
“You knew I was staying.” I looked at him sideways. “As much as you like to act like you were the only one in love, I was too.”
“Was?”
I opened my mouth and closed it.
“Ducane, you know what I mean.”
“I don’t, though. I still do. I always will.”
I hated awkward silence, so I cleared my throat and reached for the hem of my linen top.
I pulled it over my head, stepped out of the pants, and folded both over the back of the chair.
The thong bikini I wore underneath was doing exactly what it was designed to do.
I could see Ducane’s jaw flexing from where I stood.
I tied my hair up and sat back down, paying him no mind.
“Tell me, Brain.” I turned toward him. “What’s the master plan?”
He looked at me a moment, jaw loose, eyes steady. He already knew how this was going to end.
“Make you fall back in love with me and then say a few vows.”
“Really now? That simple, huh?”
“That simple, unless we make it hard.”
I looked back at the water because looking at him while he said things made it hard for me to maintain composure.
The massage therapists appeared when we were far enough from the marina that the island was just a warm shape on the horizon.
Two of them, quiet and professional, and for the next hour neither Ducane nor I said much of anything.
The sun was warm on our backs, heating the oils, and the water was moving gently beneath us, and whatever tension I’d been carrying since that suite door opened started to release.
I turned my head at one point and found him already looking at me.
I burst into a fit of giggles.
“Why are you so goofy, Skye? What random thought did you just have?”
“I don’t know. I feel good. Loose. I’m shocked this is actually happening.”
“If you were home right now, what would Skye Campbell be doing?”
“Hmm.” I thought about it. “Probably with Airalynn and the kids. We’re still inseparable.”
“You think I don’t know that. Airalynn is your biggest fan. I can’t believe they have kids.”
“Love that girl and those kids,” I said softly, looking away.
“Mr. and Mrs. Simmons, lunch is ready.”
We thanked her, and I rolled over into his arms.
“So much audacity.”
“What I do?”
“I’ve been treated like your wife since we arrived. Something tells me that’s your doing.”
“Something tells you right. I just thought it would make things easier. And maybe it was a little audacious. But I’m an audacious nigga sometimes.”
“You thought of everything, huh?”
“I always do. I knew your ass would be hungry, and we’re not going back tonight.”
“Swear?”
“Swear, I’ve always wanted to sleep on a boat.”
“I know that.”
We stared at each other, both of us loose after a wonderful massage. Elle Varner’s Refill was playing over the speakers.
“Come on, I want to swim after.”
He grabbed my hand and led me to the back deck, where lunch was set up. Pasta salad, fruit, croissants, and delicious wine. I fixed my plate and looked at him across the table.
“What would Defense Attorney Ducane Simmons be doing today?”
“Probably in the office. I can’t even lie. I’ve been hungry for a long time.” He shrugged. “I haven’t taken off work in years.”
“You’ve always been hungry. I’m just glad you’re eating off your own plate now. I always knew you could do it.”
“I know that too.” He looked at me, gratitude sitting plain on his face. “I appreciate you. I owe you everything for that.”
“I take Zelle, Cash App; please hold the checks.”
He shook his head and reached for his phone. Turned the screen toward me.
“You down?”
“What is it?”
“It’s called Love Me Random. I got a client who asked me to test it out. You add different things, and it plans your day, picks questions, all of that. I think it’ll take the pressure off our time together. I just want to enjoy my time with you.”
I sat up and looked at the screen. Colorful interface, a few prompts, and an input field waiting.
“So like a digital hat,” I said.
He looked at me. “A what?”
“Nothing.” I took the phone and started typing. “I love this. What are we adding?”
He snatched it back. “I gotta send you a link so you can add yours secretly and I can add mine.”
We tapped phones, and the app downloaded instantly.
“We can add anything. Things we want to do while here, things we want to know.” He paused and continued. “No rules.”
“Oh, you ain’t slick. But okay, no rules. Them bitches never been fun anyway.”
“Little troublemaker,” he laughed.
“You know it.”
No rules. I thought about what he said.
Make you fall back in love with me.
I looked at him from behind the Dior sunglasses. His bright smile made flutters swarm my belly. There was no need to fall back. I’d been in love with him since the Diner. Had been every single day in between, and always would be. Even when I was pretending otherwise.
I watched Ducane stand and reach for the hem of his shirt. He pulled it over his head, and I saw it before I could prepare myself.
Across the top of his back, a white ribbon wound through a bank of clouds, “Ribbon in the Skye” lettered beneath it. The distinct white couldn’t be denied. He’d always loved that patch in my hair. This wasn’t an accident.
“When?” I asked. It came out quieter than I meant it to.
“After we split.” He dove into the ocean before I could respond.
I sat on that back deck with my wine in my hand. I had so many thoughts running through my head. So many questions I wanted to ask.
But said absolutely nothing.
He rose out of the water, shaking it off his face, and looked back at me on the deck.
“You coming or what?”
He flicked water toward the boat, and I groaned.
“Why did you get that, Ducane?” The frustration was right there in my voice. I didn’t hide it.
“What kind of question is that, Skye? I got it because I love you. Wanted you on me even when I didn’t want to want you.” He wiped his face. “You getting in or you gonna pout about what I did with my body?”
I set my wine down and jumped in. The water was cold enough to steal my breath for a second, and I needed it. I pushed back up, wiping my face and blinking the water out of my eyes.
“You put me on your body for life.” I looked at the water instead of him. “Never mind.”
“Skye, why is my tattoo bothering you?”
“I’m not bothered, Ducane… I’m just… You got this but still let me go.”
I saw sadness flash across his face, and that wasn’t my intention, but there was a frustration bubbling up that I had pushed down for years.
“You don’t think I know that? I was reminded every day. I smelled your perfume for months after you left. I didn’t even go back to the diner. I was fucked up, Skye.”
I turned to move away, and he caught me, both hands around my waist, pulling me back. My legs locked around him before I thought about it.
“I swear you’ve only gotten more beautiful.”
“Flattery won’t work, Ducane.”
“Aight, but I don’t want to ruin our time together, not about this tattoo. I only got a few days with your fine ass. I only got a few days to win you over.”
I blushed and rolled my eyes; flattery was working. I sighed, realizing where my hands were resting. The ribbon across the top of his back. Our heads had always been in the clouds, that was the problem and the gift.
I went to our last Christmas together.
I had been at the Simmons house since the afternoon.
It wasn’t my favorite place to be, but it was where my favorite person wanted me, so I agreed to smile and wave.
I was dressed to impress. Ducane had been slowly slipping dresses into my closet that cost too much, thinking I didn’t notice, so I pulled one out.
His mother had cooked everything and set the table with the good dishes. The house was overly decorated. I’d never seen anything like it.
I helped where I could and felt the particular mix of belonging and not belonging that I always felt in that house. Welcomed by some of it.
I was fully aware the house was divided; half of them believed I was there to ruin Ducane’s life, and the other half thought I was sticking around to trap him, as if I wanted to have that big head nigga’s baby instead of seeing the world. If anything, it was him trying to trap me. But I digress.
I slipped away from the living room to find the bathroom and took a wrong turn down the back hallway. His father’s voice stopped me before I could correct myself, and my gut told me the hushed tones were about me.
“That girl is a problem, Dena. You see it. Don’t pretend you don’t.”
I pressed myself against the wall.
“She’s got him doing pro bono work on campus. Got him questioning everything we built. You know what his grandfather left us? You know what it took?”
His mother’s voice came quieter. “Ruben, Ducane is grown. He loves her. If you push too hard, you’ll lose him entirely. Is that what you want?”