27. sky bae
sky bae
MARLEY
Hours later, I’m on the balcony in our suite, sitting at the small table with my laptop open. The virtual meeting room is quiet. Two empty squares are waiting to be filled by Lo and Siobhan, and my face stares back at me. It’s not the face of someone who promised herself a work-free vacation.
A moment later, one of the squares flickers to life, revealing Lo in her home office. Soon after, Siobhan joins, her face appearing in the remaining box. It’s almost eight at night in Georgia, and she’s dressed in pajamas, cuddled up on her couch.
“Ladies!” I exclaim, unable to hide my excitement at seeing them.
Their screams erupt through my MacBook speakers.
“Girl!”
“Marley!”
Neither of them can contain their excitement.
Earlier, after I ran off from Othello, I’d sent Lo one simple text.
MARLEY: I had a private lunch with Collette Randolph.
Then I sent her a Zoom invite for later that afternoon. The response since then has been nothing but eager text messages in all caps with excessive exclamation points. The second Lo told Siobhan, Siobhan demanded access to our meeting.
“You are truly God’s favorite, because how do you become an invited guest with exclusive access to the biggest wedding of the year?” Siobhan gushes.
“It’s insane, I know. But I have no clue. We discussed everything over tea and cookies. I literally felt like I was sitting down with the queen.”
“That’s insane.”
“I can’t believe this.” Lo presses her hands together in prayer. “Thank you, Baby Jesus!”
“Yes, praise Him!” Siobhan exclaims. “‘Cause I peep your little sun-kissed glow, with your little beach girl get-up. You’re looking like a true tourist in them Maui streets. I see you, boo.”
I laugh at Siobhan.
“When should we let the rest of the team know?” Lo asks.
“Keep this between the two of you until tomorrow afternoon. I’ll send a Zoom invite for seven a.m. Maui time, one p.m. in Savannah. We can discuss everything then.”
“Bet.”
For the next 45 minutes or so, I fill the ladies in on Collette’s vision. We bounce ideas from one screen to the next, discuss upcoming features, assign tasks, and brainstorm ways to make the most of the opportunity Collette has handed us.
When we’re done, Siobhan and Lo insist I show them the view from the balcony and give them a tour of the suite. Reluctantly, I do, trying my best to keep anything that belongs to Othello out of view, but that is an epic fail.
“Whose Jordans are in the corner?” Lo peeps.
I let out a defeated sigh. “There might have been a small detail I left out.”
They look at me, both of their faces scrunched in confusion.
I didn’t tell Lo about Othello and me being in the same room because I assumed it would be for a couple of days.
I mean, sure, I would have ended up telling her, but there was so much chaos going on with this trip, I couldn’t stomach revealing another pitfall in my vacay.
“Marley…” Lo drags out my name, and the longer I take to reveal my confession. The look in her eyes tells me I better start talking and fast.
“I’m…staying with Othello.”
And even I wince at the words I’ve just said because it sounds worse saying it out loud.
“Excuse me?” they both utter at the same time, but for very different reasons. For Lo, I withheld information, and for Siobhan, she has no idea who Othello is.
“It’s not what you think,” I rush out. “There was a mix-up with my reservation. They extended someone else’s stay, and there were no rooms left, so—”
“So, you ended up in a suite with that fine-ass man,” Lo cuts in, nodding slowly. “Okay. Got it.”
“Lo—”
“Don’t ‘Lo’ me,” she says, holding up a hand. “You’ve been keeping a lot of stuff from me.” Her eyes glaze over with mock sadness. “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
Siobhan bursts out laughing. “Can someone please fill me in on what the hell is going on? Who is Othello and why does he sound like some mighty sex God?”
Lo catches her up on the highlights of my vacation drama, and I take over from there, walking them through everything that's happened up until today.
“This is literally the best story I’ve ever heard,” Siobhan says once Lo is done. “A meet-cute on a plane is sooo dreamy.”
“I know, right? And the fact that she’s been over there rooming with Sky Bae this whole time without telling me is madness,” Lo snaps.
I huff out a laugh. “Okay, ‘Sky Bae’ is insane. His name is Othello.”
“Okay, whatever you want to call him,” Lo shrugs. “Why are you not riding his face right now? Where is he?”
“It’s almost five o’clock! He’s out with the guys,” I explain exasperatedly.
Siobhan and Lo share the same dumbfounded expression.
“Say what?” They gasp in unison.
“Is there a certain time of day for riding faces?” Siobhan asks.
I erupt in laughter.
“Look, there will be none of that on this vacation.” But even to my own ears, I don’t sound convincing.
I was so ready to give in to this man. And sharing a room with him just made matters worse.
It was dangerous, cause how am I supposed to contain myself when I’m feeling like this?
Like I’m ready to bring down my walls and let him beat my walls.
I promised I would shove my hopeless romantic antics down on the next guy I fell for.
I would shove them down in the very back of my mind and be single and free.
Nothing complicated. But I like Othello.
Like, really like him. And I hate that I really like him.
And I hate that he’s making it hard for me to not like him
“Okay, I’ll be honest,” I say, no longer able to hold back the truth. “I’ve been wanting to give in and take a chance with him..”
“With all due respect, please give in.”
“Then report back to us,” Lo orders and then stands and disappears from her screen.
“I’m trying to protect myself, you guys. I like him too much.” I steal words from my mother and state, “I haven’t been having much luck in the romance department.”
Siobhan moves her face closer to the screen.
“Fuck. That. Who says you have to turn this into something serious? Why would you not have fun with this man? I haven’t even seen him yet, and I want him.”
Lo returns with a cute pink coffee mug piping with something hot. I can see the steam rising from the top.
“Google him,” she tells Siobhan. “Othello Kingston.”
Siobhan gets to work and then seconds later, “Oh my, yes. Hell yes. He looks like Kofi Siriboe.”
Lo clocks it, and I shake my head giggling.
“This man is waving a giant green flag in your face, and you're still resisting?” asks Siobhan. Her face is etched in puzzlement.
“Right!” Lo exclaims. “Open up, girl! Your heart and your legs.”
“You are terrible,” I smile.
“But are we right?” they shriek in perfect harmony, once again operating on the same brainwave.
“Okay, you guys are freaking me out. Stop with this Tia and Tamara thing.”
They crack up.
“I would take advantage of this fake dating thing if I were you and adjust those rules,” Lo admits. “Let Othello kiss you all over.”
“And even if things don’t work out with you two, at least we have an exclusive with Mod,” Siobhan notes. “This is definitely going to remind people not to sleep on us.”
“That part,” Lo agrees. “Honestly, I’m here for all this. The job opportunity and this budding romance with Sky Bae.”
I roll my eyes. “I swear, y’all are the worst.”
“You love us,” they say in unison.