Amaya
The next weekend I loaded up my little compact car, picked up my sister, and headed to Tybee Island for a day of relaxation. I didn’t get to see Linaya as often as I liked since she was a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, or SCAD, and my own weekends were usually booked.
As we spread a blanket on the sand, Linaya began to fidget and could not settle in one spot. I considered asking what was wrong, but it was usually best to let Linaya speak on her own time.
I decided to stick to a neutral topic. “How’s school?”
She was quick to answer. “It’s really good. I’m ready to graduate. Only a few more classes.” Linaya was majoring in fashion design. I had no idea what would come of that degree, but our parents seemed assured that she would find a profitable career.
Not that I had room to talk. I managed to get an English degree and now I was a professional bridesmaid. It was a good thing I had taken some business classes because those had been well worthwhile. Who knew what would happen in a few years when I was too old to be a bridesmaid for everyone in the world.
At only twenty-one, Linaya was still headstrong and trying to find her way in the world. I had to laugh inwardly at the thought. I was only twenty-six and still trying to find my way in the world as well. I’m not as headstrong. Linaya did everything full-steam ahead like a train while I was a little more flighty, like a bird.
“I met someone.” Linaya’s words rang out into the air twenty minutes after we arrived.
That’s why she had been looking nervous. I took a deep breath and held my gaze at the book in front of me. While the words were now unfocused, I didn’t want to look surprised. “Oh yeah?”
“He’s older.”
“Okay.”
“He’s thirty-five.”
Now I turned to look at her, but I kept my face as calm as I could. The sunglasses I wore hid my widened eyes. Inwardly I was shouting, Thirty-five? You’re still a baby and he’s probably divorced with kids! THIRTY-FIVE?
“He’s a professor.”
It kept getting worse and worse. No wonder she looked so worried. There was no way our parents would approve and the way we were raised, your parents had to approve of anyone you might bring home. Our paternal grandmother was from Thailand, and while our father was born in Georgia, some of those Thai customs were still held close. Especially when it came to dating.
Not to mention my own disastrous dating life. Kyle the creep had two-timed me for six months, which was eight months too long. It was only when his other girlfriend showed up at my doorstep pregnant that I learned the truth. He had been a smooth talker and I had wanted to believe him. What a fool I had been. I didn’t want my sister to become one as well.
“Linaya. What on earth?” I flipped my book upside down and peered over my sunglasses. “Is he your professor?”
She laughed. “No. All my professors are women or gay. But his office is next door to one of my professors and we kept bumping into each other and one thing led to another…” Her voice trailed off and her gaze shifted out over the ocean.
“Mom is not going to approve and you know it.” Shaking my head, I could envision Anya Journet pitching a royal fit over her youngest daughter dating someone so much older.
“Which is why I want you to meet him first and let Mommy and Daddy know that you like him.” She flashed a brilliant white smile at me and brought her hands together to plead.
Scowling, I pulled my sunglasses off. “I already don’t like him.”
“Please, Amaya. He’s a great guy. He teaches American Literature so you should love him. We can do a double date.” Big, doe eyes batted at me as she begged.
Which led me to one question. “Who would I take as a date?”
One person came to mind. The same face that had been occupying my dreams for a week. Orlando Daniels. But I had barely met him, how could I ask him out on a date? I supposed I could call up The Promenade and leave him a message. What if he said no? What if he said yes? Could I face him when I was working if things didn’t work out between us?
“Amaya, where’d you go?” Fingers snapped, popping the image of Orlando from my mind.
“Sorry, just trying to think who I could ask out for a double date. I met a sweaty balding groomsman with a wedding ring mark last week.” I shuddered at the recollection of the guy who had a distinct ring mark. “Speaking of, this guy you met doesn’t have a wedding ring does he?”
Linaya sighed. “I knew that was coming. He’s never been married, if you must know. And no kids attached. His name is Josiah Whitman and you can look him up easily enough.”
I assured her I would indeed look him up and she begged me to find a date and let her know when I could meet this man. Could I call up Mr. Daniels and ask him out? A double date would give us some buffer. And he seemed like the type who could hold his own with a professor – he had class and finesse. I guess the worst he could say was no.
He said yes. My heart hammered in my chest when I called him at The Promenade and pretended to ask for the perfect “meeting the new boyfriend” restaurant. When I told him I needed to hang up and find myself a date, he offered to be my plus one. So, technically, I hadn’t asked him out at all, but that was a minor detail.
We agreed to meet separately. It made sense in case things didn’t go well. Or I needed to grab my sister and run away from a lunatic guy. I wore a light pink swing dress that skimmed mid-thigh. It showed my tanned and toned legs, which I thought to be one of my better assets.
Mr. Daniels, I supposed I should think of him as Orlando, came around the corner as I approached the door. “Amaya, perfect timing.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek lightly.
I blushed like a schoolgirl, but I tried to cool my gaze. “Mr. Daniels. I mean, Orlando. I appreciate you coming. It saved me from calling half of Savannah asking for a favor.”
With a wink, he offered me his arm. “The most beautiful bridesmaid in Savannah needed a date. Who am I to turn down such an opportunity?”
Inside, my sister waved from the table. I pointed her out to Orlando. “My sister, Linaya. She’s a fashion major and loves the idea of being in love. She’s a serial monogamist. Apparently this guy is a literature professor, though not her professor. I’m sure that’s still frowned upon, though.”
“So we’re feeling him out?” The smile fell from Orlando’s face and was replaced by what I could only call a soccer goalie expression. Like he would rip the legs off this man if I commanded him to.
I had to appreciate his desire to protect the little sister of someone he barely knew. With a chuckle, I patted his arm. “Down, boy. I am feeling him out. You are the arm candy who looks and talks nice.”
Orlando stopped in his tracks. “Wow, that’s incredibly hot.”
As if we were old friends, I huffed and pulled him forward while I hoped he didn’t see the pink that bloomed on my cheeks. Linaya jumped up and hugged me while her new beau stood and shook hands with Orlando.
Light radiated from my sister as she took the man’s hand. “Amaya, this is Dr. Josiah Whitman. Josiah, my sister Amaya, and her friend…”
“Orlando Daniels. It’s nice to meet you both.” Orlando pulled out a chair for me across from my sister.
I shook Josiah’s hand and noticed how hairy it was. Is that what happened when a man got older? The back of his hands sprouted hair? Amaya, be nice. Your sister likes him. Give him a chance. I looked at Orlando’s hand. It was not covered in long, coarse hairs. I breathed a sigh of relief.
As we sat, Josiah asked after Orlando’s family and merely nodded at the reply. Then he turned to me and asked after my career. Linaya filled that in for him, making my job sound much more glamorous than it really was.
“Amaya studied English,” my sister said as the server filled our water glasses and brought out tiny puffs of bread.
“Did you? Where?” This came from my own date.
“At SCAD. I graduated a few years ago, but while I was trying to decide what to do with such an illustrious degree, I started my business and now this is full-time for me. I love it.”
“I thought you were familiar. You were in my class. American Literature two-oh-three.” Josiah sat forward, studying me.
I shook my head. “No, I had Dr. Jackson for that. Though I think some TA did the actual teaching.”
“That was me, I was adjunct at the time under Dr. Jackson.” He turned to Linaya. “That’s why I thought I knew you, you look like your sister.”
My sister laughed her high-pitched nervous laugh. Things had just gotten a little awkward – well, more awkward. We ordered our dinners and Orlando asked Linaya polite questions about her future plans, which included a desire to go to New York and design costumes for Broadway. She was always into the theater, despite not having any acting skills.
After two glasses of wine, Josiah was starting to loosen up. “Boy, you two sure like out of the ordinary jobs. No regular nine-to-fives, huh? I guess you’ll kick back and live the high life when you get married?”
My glass hit the table so hard I thought it would crack the stem. “Excuse me, but what do our career choices have to do with getting married? Nobody at this table it looking to get married anytime soon. Especially not my twenty-one-year-old, still-in-school sister.”
The table was silent for a few beats. I sent a murderous glare at Dr. Whitman while Linaya looked like a deer in headlights. The professor kept his eyes down, refusing to meet anyone else’s gaze.
“Dr. Whitman, if I may, what is it your parents do for a living?” Orlando stabbed a piece of salmon and smiled politely at the professor.
Caught off guard, Josiah nodded. “My father is a CPA and my mother is a high school history teacher. But she took time off when she had my brother and I.”
The rest of the evening didn’t get much better. I found Dr. Whitman to be a pompous, arrogant man who was only interested in having a pretty, young co-ed on his arm. When we parted ways, Linaya looked like she wanted to cry, but had assured me she was fine to ride home with the illustrious professor.
“Well, that was a disaster.” I stalked from the restaurant, Orlando on my heels. I spun to face him and he nearly smacked into me. “I’m sorry. This isn’t your problem at all. You were very kind to come with me and I do appreciate it.”
He raked a hand through his hair and smiled, my heart leapt just a little. “It wasn’t a total disaster. If anything, maybe your sister will realize this isn’t the guy for her. But ultimately, she’s an adult and can make her own decisions.”
“She’s not an adult, she’s a little girl.” I pictured my sister with ebony pigtails as she ran around the living room with her favorite mermaid doll.
“You said yourself she’s twenty-one. That’s an adult.” Orlando flinched as I shot him a look that could ignite flames. “Maybe she’s not that mature, but that only comes with experience, you know?”
I lowered myself to a bench on the sidewalk and groaned. “Sometimes being the big sister sucks.”
“Hey, I’m a big brother, I get it.” He sat next to me and looked like he wanted to pat my knee but he hesitated.
I looked up at him, searching my mind for information that wasn’t there. “I didn’t realize Cordelia had another child.”
“She doesn’t. My father and his second wife had children. Brett is eighteen and thinks he knows everything, and Lily is fifteen.” He licked his lips, causing me to lose my focus on my sister.
I bet he tasted divine. The honey glaze on his dinner might have lingered and I desperately wanted to find out and distract myself from my sister’s current inferno. Perhaps I could start an inferno of my own.
Distance, I needed distance before I did something I shouldn’t. Getting to my feet, I stepped away from him. “Well, I should get going and let you get back home. I do appreciate your coming with me tonight.”
“Anytime, Amaya. We should do it again soon.”
I rushed to my car before I could do something truly stupid.