Chapter 8
We landed in Aruba around five in the morning after sleeping through the flight.
As soon as we got settled into the hotel, we both knocked out.
My body was programmed to wake up at eight o’clock in the morning to run, so I was never able to sleep past nine o’clock, no matter how late I went to sleep.
Although I was up, I let Milani sleep in for another hour while I got dressed and booked our excursions.
Since our flight was short, unplanned, and as incognito as Patrice could make it, there was no flight attendant on board.
Patrice was the only person who knew where we were, and she was blackmailed into silence.
I took her phone to make things easier for plausible deniability.
She didn’t have to lie about ignoring my father’s calls if I confiscated her phone before takeoff.
We only brought a small suitcase and our purses.
Milani’s phone was tossed onto the highway around the same spot I tossed her engagement ring.
The only people who had the number no longer needed access to her.
I’d get her added to my plan when we got back.
My phone was on DND, the only number allowed through was the facility Milani’s mother was in.
Walking out of the bathroom dressed in the pink abstract bikini rubbing in the sunscreen, I was surprised to see Milani sitting up in the middle of the bed. She bit into her bottom lip and fanned herself.
“You said we are staying for four days, right? Why can’t we just stay in today?” She quizzed, crawling across the bed.
“As tempting as that sounds, I already have everything planned for the day. I’ll let you feel me up as soon as we get back in today.”
“Okay, I can accept that because I know your plans never disappoint,” Milani bubbled.
She went into the bathroom to get herself together, and I went to the coffee shop in the lobby to grab breakfast and drinks.
When I got back to the room, Milani was dressed in a bathing suit that was the same pattern but was cut into a monokini.
Before I could admire her body in the bathing suit, I realized she was texting like a maniac on my phone.
“Who is Candace?” She questioned, never taking her eyes off the screen. “You like your bitches with double D’s, I see.”
“I only like you,” I retorted.
“Good, because I told your little girlfriend that I’ll make her disappear if she texts your phone again,” Milani grumbled, shoving the phone into my chest and snatching the drink carrier. I caught my phone and looked down at the screen to read over the text thread.
Candace: I thought I was going to be your belated birthday gift?
Me: Sneaux has a wife now. If you text this phone again I’ll make sure you disappear.
Candace: I hope you just got married within the week because Sneaux was just letting me finger her in the back of her truck on the way to the airport before she left for Thailand.
“Don’t start no crazy shit, Milani. As you can see because you scrolled back far enough to see the pictures of her titties, we ain’t nothing like that.”
“I want her fingers, Sneaux!”
“Huh?” I puzzled, my eyes narrowing to slits, watching her strut across the living room. I trailed behind her, placing the bag with our food on the table.
“Like I want to cut her fingers off. She doesn’t get to gloat about touching what’s mine.”
“Milani, chill,” I laughed, watching Milani look through the bag.
“You think I’m a joke?” Milani snapped her neck up, dropping the bag on the table. She folded her arms across her chest with a blank expression on her face.
“No, bae. I don’t think you’re a joke. I believe you’ll do it. But we can’t—.”
“Why not? I know you’ve done worse for less.”
“Yeah, but Candace is a law-abiding citizen. She gon’ call troll and get us sent to prison,” I explained.
“Fine. Change your number. Like now,” she pressed, plopping down at the small dining room table. “My phone was tossed on the highway, so make it happen. We need to be even.”
“I’ll change it as soon as we get back. My phone is on DND anyway.”
“I know. I unlocked the phone to call and check on my mom, and I had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing that after I ended the call. You better go on there and block every bitch from the past in the meantime.”
“That’s the only person who would text that phone,” I explained.
“So you had a hoe phone? You letting bitches finger you in the back of vehicles?” Milani quizzed, running her hands down her face. “So you were a hoe before I came back around?”
“Nah. Never been a hoe. Let me make this clear. I don’t put my mouth on everybody. Only a select few can claim that. Now these fingers—” I cut my words short when Milani’s scowl reappeared. Rounding the table, I gently massaged her shoulders.
Milani relaxed in the chair and leaned her head back to peer up at me. Her big, bright eyes had me feeling guilty as shit when I hadn’t done anything wrong. I leaned down to repeatedly peck her pouty lips.
“Come on, bae. Let’s eat breakfast. We only have thirty minutes before we are scheduled to take the water taxi to Flamingo Island.”
“Only because your kisses just do something to me,” she exhaled deeply, pulling out a sandwich and unwrapping it. “Oh, this looks so good. You still remember all of my favorites?”
“That’s why I went down there and didn’t bother to ask what you wanted.
You’ve always been a creature of habit. It’s almost like muscle memory.
We rode to school together since sixth grade, and if my father was driving, we could always finesse a breakfast stop out of him.
The Strawberry Acai refresher and bacon, gouda, and egg sandwich was always your order. ”
“Every single time. Mr. Luis has always been my favorite adult. He was never judgmental, always supportive,” she noted. “I’m surprised you aren’t eating the cheese Danish.”
“I would have, but I needed more than that because we are on vacation and I’m going to take full advantage of that bar.”
“I can’t wait. You think the flamingos will mistake me for one of them in this bright pink bathing suit?” She joked.
“Mannnnnn,” I snickered. “You can be my flamingo any day of the week,” I assured her.
We ate breakfast and bantered a little longer before heading to the dock in the lobby.
A tall Aruban man, dressed in a navy collared shirt and khaki shorts, with a camera bag draped over his shoulder, held his phone facing forward, displaying our names. “Why is our name on that man’s phone?” Milani puzzled once she noticed him.
“I hired a photographer to capture your first encounter with the flamingos so we can just live in the moment.”
“Really?” She bounced around, gripping my hand tighter.
“Yeah. I told you we are doing everything I had planned for you that weekend.”
She peppered my cheeks with kisses and snuggled up into my shoulder.
“Hi Ruben. I’m Sneaux, and this is my girlfriend, Milani.”
“Good morning, ladies. I’m ready to snap as many pictures as you need,” Ruben greeted us.
“Hi Ruben, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he smiled. “You know this woman is the reason I started my business. I used to just take pictures at my studio, then she offered to pay me whatever I wanted to photograph you guys on the island nine years ago. Although she never showed up, I still got paid,” Ruben laughed.
“And the rest is history for me. I know I already told you over the phone when you called me, but I appreciate you so much. I have two employees and rarely come to the island anymore, but I had to show up for the woman who is responsible for the most successful service I offer.”
“I’m happy you’re still thriving,” I smiled before releasing Milani’s hand to embrace Ruben with a hug.
“Let’s get the day started. I still have to leave in two hours. My granddaughter’s birthday party is today.”
Ruben led the way to the dock. He helped me into the water taxi, then I helped Milani climb in last. The weather was beautiful, and the breeze over the water was so relaxing. Milani curled up against me while we enjoyed the view and the breeze whipping against our exposed skin.
We passed a few cruise ships, and Milani turned to face me. “You ever been on a cruise?”
“Nah, my family has never been into cruising, so I prefer to fly, but if you want to, I’m down.”
“Yeah, my family wasn’t into cruising either before my dad passed away. We always took the family jet.”
“You know, I never got to tell you how sorry I was about your father’s passing. I hate that I couldn’t be there for you while you grieved him.”
“Yeah, I still miss him, but losing my father definitely made me toughen up. With all the trauma from that day, aside from learning that my father died, the pity in your father’s eyes when I told him I didn’t know how to shoot a gun has always been my second most prominent memory.
It motivated me to learn how to protect myself just as much as my father’s death did. ”
“But look at you now. My baby knows how to shoot guns and throw knives.”
“Daggers,” she corrected with a confident smirk, causing me to laugh.
When we arrived on the island, Ruben also doubled as our personal guide. Recommending the best drinks and food on the menu, how to get the food to feed the flamingos, and directed us to the best spots for photographs.
“This is where you get the food. Do you guys have quarters?”
“I brought more than enough,” I assured him, pulling the coin pouch out of my purse.
The food for the flamingos was in a candy dispenser machine, and I secured two handfuls, passing one to Milani. Ruben directed us further onto the beach where a group of flamingos was moseying about.
“Oh, you guys are so pretty up close,” Milani complimented, lowering her hand to offer the food. “I wore my pink hoping you guys would accept me into your flamboyance.”
“Flamboyance?” I squinted my eyes at her. It was clear that the flamingos were expecting food by the way they ambled over and went right for Milani’s open palm.