Miguel was blowing the hell out of the horn. When he saw me rushing to the car he stopped. I got inside of the car with slouchy clothes on.
“I can tell you had a long morning. Sleep was not on your agenda last night, was it?”
“Messing around with Laquinta it never is. I just can’t believe your ass is on time. I thought you’d be late.”
“Not since the Sarg has been on my ass. You can be late, but not me. He’s looking for any reason to fire me.”
“You think?”
“Oh, I know. I can tell when a motherfucker don’t like me, Isaac. I get all kinds of vibes and shit.”
I nodded and agreed.
Miguel tapped the steering wheel while gazing straight ahead. “You seem to be in a better mood today,” he said. “Ol’ girl must have set that shit out there for you real good.”
“She always do, but I still have to listen to her gripes about Cydney. Man, I get so tired of hearing that shit.”
“It comes with the territory. The other woman will always use your wife as ammunition against you. By the way, where is Cydney? I know you said she stepped, but you still ain’t heard from her?”
“Not one word. I’m so mad at her ass that I don’t know what to do. Being away this long is out of character for her. She’s got to be seeing somebody.”
“Man, she probably ain’t seeing nobody. You know how bitches be playing them games all the time.”
Stunned by Miguel’s choice of words, I turned to him. “Bitch? Hey, look, don’t disrespect my wife by referring to her as a bitch. She’s far from being a bitch, and if she is one, I’m the only one who can call her that. You straight up out of line and you don’t even know her like that.”
Miguel placed his hand on his chest. “Forgive me. You know how I get sometimes, man, but no offense to you or your wife.”
“Like hell. That was very offensive to me. We might have our problems, but she still my motherfucking heart.”
He shrugged. “For a man who I just picked up from fucking his other woman all damn night long, I don’t know what kind of heart felt love you got for Cydney. Whatever it is, it seems a little fucked up to me.”
“That’s because you do not understand what my heart needs versus what my dick wants. Personally, I don’t give a shit what anybody thinks, but I know Cydney better be making her way back home, soon. If not, I’m gon’ send a search party out to get her, and once she’s found, it won’t be pretty.”
Miguel laughed and so did I. He apologized for calling her a bitch, but said at times, that’s how he referred to women. Deep down, his apology was not accepted, but for the time being, it just had to do.
CYDNEY
Shame…shame on me for being so indulged with my new companion. Captain Raymond Lee Burg was his name, and ever since the night we bumped into each other, he’d been occupying my time. I knew there was something special about him, and the next morning, a card and flowers were placed outside of my door. The card asked me to meet him for breakfast, and after I told Dez I’d catch up with her later, I ate breakfast with Raymond and spent the entire day with him. The only time I’d been alone was when I went back to my room for bed.
During our first conversation at breakfast, I asked him not to inquire about my reasoning for being in Maui. Even though he wanted to know, he avoided any and all questions about my personal life. To be fair, I didn’t want to know if he was married, but by our second day together he told me he wasn’t. All I knew, he was the captain of a ship that transferred visitors from one island to another. Other than that, all we knew were each other’s names, that our skin color was different, and that we were having one hell of a good time together.
It was late. I stood on the top deck of the ship named the Majestic, while looking at the dark sky and many miles of clear blue water. My vacation ended in two days. I dreaded going back to the life I had before I came. I received many calls from Isaac and without listening to any of his messages, I deleted them. Miguel had the nerve to call as well and his messages were deleted too. For now, what was in the past would stay in the past. I felt like a new woman who needed a new beginning. Being with Raymond helped me forget about my troubles, but more than that, just getting away from the headaches gave me time to think about what I really wanted. Basically, I’d been a fool. I should have ended it with Isaac the second time he cheated on me. The first time was forgivable, but after I forgave him, he took my kindness for weakness and used it to his advantage. His doing me wrong, caused me to jump out of character and do him wrong. Two wrongs never made it right, and I wound up causing more hurt and damage to myself by being with Miguel. Maybe even spending this time with Raymond was a big mistake, but for now, it felt good to be around someone who gave me attention.
As I stood in deep thought, peering over the rail, I felt his arms slowly ease around my waist. His chin dropped to my shoulder and he whispered closely to my ear.
“What thoughts could make your eyes water, but not allow tears to fall? I’ve been watching you for nearly ten minutes.”
Not wanting to discuss my issues, I turned to Raymond and placed my finger on his lips. “Are you finished for the night?” I asked.
“Yes. It’s late and you’ll have to stay the night with me in the stateroom. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not,” I said.
Raymond kissed the back of my hand and we went to the lower deck of the Majestic. Earlier, I’d been in the Pilot’s House and office with him. We’d had dinner in the dining room and had a few drinks in the lounge. The Majestic was made in Italy and was dressed in cherry-oak glossy wood. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before, and nothing prepared me for the Master Stateroom. I was stunned by its beauty and stood with my mouth nearly wide open.
“This…this is awesome,” I said, gazing at the glass mirrors, the cream satin bedding ensemble that dressed the king bed, the Jacuzzi in the corner of the room, and the humongous flat screen television that was built into the cherry oak wall. It was obvious that he had some serious money.
Raymond loosened his hand from mine and removed his hat. He laid it on the bed and rubbed his hands together.
“Feel free to look around. If you see anything you’d like to take home with you, let me know. I’m going to take a shower and I’ll be right back, okay?”
I nodded and continued to search the room. He didn’t really mean for me to take home anything I wanted, did he? I felt like a kid in a candy store, as many of the pictures on the walls, the furniture and gold accessories had to be priceless. Raymond removed his shirt and walked over to a closet. He slid the glass door aside and pulled out two white cotton robes. As he made his way over to me, I couldn’t help but to admire his tanned, muscular frame that showed one hell of a six-pack. The top button to his white pants was unbuttoned and the smooth look of his skin had me mesmerized. He reached out to give me the robe.
“I don’t have anything else for you to change in to, but if you wish to relieve yourself of your swimming suit, you can wear this.”
By the looks of him, I wanted to wear nothing. But for now, the robe was appropriate.
“Thank you,” I said, gazing into his seductive eyes. He smiled and headed for the bathroom.
With the door opened, I watched as he stripped naked and stepped into the shower. He had a tight, nail-gripping ass, and before he turned around to his front side, I stepped over to the bed and took a seat. The satin comforter felt like cotton rubbing against my skin. And, so did the robe, as I removed my swimming attire and put it on. I cuddled myself in the robe and stood to tour the remainder of the suite. There was a picture of the Majestic framed in gold. I wanted it for memories, but I was sure that the picture was close to Raymond’s heart. Another drawing of the Majestic was on the other side of the room, and when I looked down on a desk underneath it, I saw a picture book. I opened the book and there were pictures of the Majestic being made. There was an older man who looked just like Raymond in the picture, along with two other men who c
ould have been his siblings. As I turned the page, I saw pictures of people who appeared to be visitors on the Majestic, but I also noticed numerous pictures of one woman in particular. She’d been in several pictures with Raymond, and surprisingly, she was African American. Her caramel-colored skin appeared flawless and her model-shaped legs and body made me think of Tyra Banks, and when I saw her kissing Raymond in one of the pictures, that’s when I closed the book. I looked around some more, and when the lights dimmed, I saw Raymond standing in the doorway with his robe on. To set the mood even more, he went over to the entertainment center and turned on some music. It was the soothing voice of Luther Vandross. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Now, you know that if I wasn’t here, you’d be listening to some classical music or something.”
“Are you kidding me,” he smiled. “I love Luther Vandross’ music. I was devastated when he passed away, but his music lives on.”
“I agree.”
Raymond stepped up to me and held out his hands. “Let’s dance. I’m not that good, but anybody can slow dance, right?”
“I guess...”
He reached for my waist and clinched one of his hands together with mine. I placed my hand on his shoulder and we slowly moved from side to side. There was silence for a long while, until Raymond paused to search into my eyes.
“Why are you so tense and uptight? Are you frightened by what might happen?”
“No, I’m not. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting to come here and experience all of this. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and frankly I don’t care. But, I’m grateful for the good time you’ve shown me.”
“Same here,” he said, starting to move again. We continued on in silence, until the song was over.
Raymond loosened his embrace and walked away to turn off the music. He then stepped over by the bed and removed his robe. Only in his black Calvin Klein boxer shorts, he sat on the bed and leaned his back against the glass mirrors behind him. After combing his fingers through the sides of his curly hair, he looked up at me. He patted the spot next to him and smiled.
“I promise you that I won’t bite. We will do nothing that you don’t wish to do.”
I reached for the hair-clip in my pocket and clamped my long hair together. Once I clipped it, I made my way onto the bed with Raymond. He opened his arms and I laid my head on his chest.
“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he said.
“Not at all. Don’t take this personal, but I’ve never been in bed with a white man before.”
“Does the color of my skin really matter? Maybe it does to some people, but to me, not so much.”
“So, you’ve dated a black woman before?”
“Several. It’s my preference, but I’m open to women of all races. My relationships with African American women have been somewhat difficult because many of the women I dated worried about what other people thought about them dating outside of their race. Why is that such an issue? ”
“For some it may be, but not all. Either way, you may be on to something,” I said then laughed.
“Oh, I’m very much indeed on to something. Even you have to admit that many African American men have no problem stepping outside of their race. Most black women, however, are skeptical.”
I sat quietly, listening to Raymond go on and on about his experience with African American women. He’d been hurt, no doubt, but we both agreed that skin color wasn’t the reason.
“So, did you find anything you’d like to take back with you as a souvenir?” he asked.
I rubbed my hand across his six-pack and looked down at his goods. “I would like to take the picture of the Majestic home with me.” I pointed to it.
Raymond sat up and pointed to the picture as well.
“That picture?”
“Yes, that one.”
He stood and walked over by it. “This one?”
“I don’t see any other picture over there. You said feel free to take anything.”
“But, not this one. This is my…my everything,” he said, gazing at the picture.
He stood for a few minutes, and then went to the other side of the room. He picked up the picture book and sat up in bed next to me. He opened to the first page and smiled.
“You can have one of these pictures of the Majestic. How about that?”
I pretended as if I hadn’t seen the pictures. “Are those pictures of the Majestic being made?”
“Yes,” he said, flipping the pages.
He pointed to a picture of his father and two brothers. Another woman in the picture was his sister and when he looked at the picture of him and the African American woman, he hesitated, but then he told me her name was Sheila. I couldn’t help but ask who she was.
He shrugged and scratched his head. “She…she was my wife. We’re divorced now, but—
“You don’t have to go any further, Raymond. Days ago, we agreed not to share information about our personal lives. I don’t wish to do it now.”
Raymond closed the book and placed it on the floor. Once we got back into a comfortable position, I laid my head on his chest again, watching as he raked his hair back with his fingers.
“I’m glad I met you, Cydney.”
“Same here, Raymond.”
For a long while there was silence. When I looked up, Raymond’s eyes were closed. He had fallen asleep.
Tonight was my last night in Maui. I hated to leave, and Raymond hadn’t said much about it. As usual, we spent the entire day together: bike riding, scuba diving and lying on the beach. I looked around for Dez, but I didn’t see her. When I went to her room earlier, it appeared that she’d already checked out. I wanted to say goodbye to her, but I guess Raymond had occupied much of my time. Just as I stepped away from her door, Dez’s room server came up to me.
“Cydney Conley?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Mrs. Dez wanted me to give this to you.” He handed me a card with a yellow rose attached to the top.
“Thank you,” I said then walked away to open the card.
It was an encouragement card that advised me that when times got rough to search deep within myself and look to the Man above. She signed her name and wrote several words inside…I see that your new man is keeping you busy. Have a wonderful time, and pay attention to your surroundings. Sometimes, some things may be too good to be true. Don’t get lost in a fairytale. I wish you all the best. It was a pleasure getting to know you…Dez.
I closed the card and smiled. I knew Dez could see how vulnerable I was, and frankly, so could Raymond. Either way, all I intended to do was enjoy myself today. Whatever the future held, I had no clue.
Later that day, after a quick dinner, Raymond and I decided to work it off by playing tennis. I went back to my room and changed into a pair of white, short shorts and a white half shirt that showed my midriff. My waistline wasn’t as fit as some of the other women on the beach, but I still had it going on. I put my hair into a ponytail and placed a sweatband around my head.
As soon as I left my room, I saw Raymond waiting at the end of the hall for me. He was indulged in a conversation with a woman who seemed to make him uncomfortable. She had a drink in her hand, was dressed in a thong bikini, and was all over him. I slowly made my way up to them and he stepped back to introduce me.
“Sherri, this is Cydney. Are you ready?” he asked me.
“As long as you have the rackets,” I said with a smile.
The woman looked at me in disbelief. Her eyes searched me up and down. She cut her eyes at me, before reaching out to squeeze Raymond’s arm.
“Is this why you haven’t called me?” she asked.
“Sherri, I haven’t called because I’m not interested. I will take you and your friends back to the island tonight. Right now, if you’d excuse me, I have plans.”
Saying nothing else, we walked away. Hell, yes, I was on cloud nine. Raymond was one fine man, and the women on the island couldn’t help but stare. I guess
it was something he was used to because he didn’t seem to give the stares much attention. When we got to the tennis courts, Raymond reached for two rackets and removed his shirt. He gave one of the rackets to me then reached into the pocket of his white shorts. Pulling out a black sweatband, he wrapped it around his head.
“You’re not going to be mad at me for beating you, are you?” he asked.
“Listen, I may not be Serena Williams, but I know how to play tennis. Don’t you get mad at me for beating you.”
He laughed and we both made our way to the middle of the court to play. I served first, and Raymond came back with a hard ball that stayed in bounds. I didn’t have time to rush over to it. We both laughed at my laziness.
“Okay, since I can’t stop admiring you, I’m having a difficult time looking for the ball. Maybe you need to put your shirt back on,” I said, making excuses.
“If I can ignore the black thong you have on underneath your shorts, then you can deal with my bare chest.”
“How do you know what color my thong is?”
He stood up straight and placed the racket underneath his arm. “Because I looked. You don’t mind if I look, do you?”
“Then, look at this,” I said, hitting the ball over the net. I caught him off guard, so he was unable to hit the ball back.
“Okay, so now you want to cheat, huh?”
“I have a feeling that it’s the only way I’ll win.”
We laughed and got down to business. I was no match for Raymond. He played like a pro and I was no competition for him. I tried hard, and once I twisted my ankle, I had to call it quits. I sat on the ground, rubbing my sore ankle.
“Are you okay?” Raymond said, rushing up to me.
“I’m fine. I know you want to laugh so go ahead and do it.”
Instead, we both smiled. He told me to wrap my arms around his neck.
“You are not about to pick me up. If you help me off the ground, I promise you I can walk.”
Raymond helped me off the ground and held my waist. He put my arm around his shoulders and helped me back to my room.
Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right Page 10
