by Carrie Macon
“Okay then. Where are we off to?”
“We’re going shopping, eating and more eating. Their food is so, so, so, so good,” Shyla wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head in disbelief.
“I know. What time is the tour of the island?” Kemah asked.
“Ten-thirty and then we are back here for lunch around one afterwards we’ll decide what to do.”
“You know we haven’t kept up on our schedule since we been here.”
“I know. We should probably keep this though. I can see if we were here with men, then we’d have reason to stay in seclusion or negate from our plans but that’s not so and I want to experience all of Jamaica.”
“So do I. We have thirty minutes to get to the launching pad. Are you about ready?”
“Girl I was born ready.” Shyla picked up her purse and sunglasses and followed Kemah out the door. They were going to have big fun today.
Chapter 2
Zackary was right. Shyla was here, on the island. He saw her again yesterday going into one of the boutiques near his hotel. He would have stopped but he had a friend with him and they were on their way to meet up with other friends. Shyla wouldn’t have understood and he didn’t want to have to explain. He was well aware of the ideas that went on in a woman’s head when she felt as though she was being toyed with. He’d just have to take his chances later.
Besides needing a vacation, Zackary was invited to an old schoolmate’s home on one of the islands. They hadn’t gotten together in years and it seemed like it was time to get out and have some fun for a change.
Zackary decided to go to the outdoor lounge overlooking the beach where he saw Shyla and her companion that first day. They were riding bikes away from it so maybe they would be back there today. He hoped so. He didn’t want to leave there without some kind of contact with Shyla.
He had been on the beach for the past few hours but no sign of her anywhere.
He was disappointed to say the very least. All he wanted to do was be able to spend just a little time with her, away from the city, prying eyes and her family. His best friend Felton and wife Essence were her cousins but he felt sure that she didn’t want them in her business. Shyla was always too uptight or acting like he didn’t exist. But she was feeling him as much as he was feeling her that much he knew. Whenever they were in the same room she purposefully started an argument with him, he’d catch her watching him out the corner of her eye. There was always something.
It was already after one and Zackary would be meeting his friends in the hotel’s lobby at three. He figured he’d start back now and try again tomorrow. He was a desperate man and desperate men just didn’t give up. He wasn’t ready to go but he should, even though he felt she would eventually show. He gulped down the last of his drink, lowered the shades over his eyes and turned from the water to walk back through the lounge and stopped dead in his tracks.
Shyla.
There she was, in living color. And she was wearing a sundress. He had never seen her in a sundress before. Dresses or suits for church but never anything that exposed so much upper body flesh before. Yesterday she had been wearing blue shorts and a tank-top T-shirt, today a lime green printed halter sundress. He was delighted. Her hair was swept up in a loose but high ponytail. Zackary had a clear view of her inviting neck which he really wanted to get acquainted. And her ears. Many dreamed filled nights he’d whisper sweet, sexual, mouth-watering things in those ears. He caressed that neck and wrapped her body around his. He wondered if she tasted as good in person as she had in his dreams. There was only one way to find out and it wouldn’t happen while he was standing on the beach staring at her and drooling.
“Shy?” Kemah called as they both sat and ordered their drinks from the waiter.
“Yeah?” she answered, fumbling with the string on her sundress.
“Don’t look now but you have an admirer? Ooh girl, and he is fine. He’s been looking at you since yesterday.
“Where?” she looked around but Kemah stopped her.
“Don’t, I said. You have such a hard head.” She shook hers. “Sometimes I worry about you.
“You know that when somebody says don’t look everybody, especially black people, we look.”
“I thought we were brown people.”
“Whatever, that was yesterday. Now stop acting like my mother and start acting like an equal, friend. Why didn’t you say something yesterday?”
“Because I wasn’t sure at the time but I am today. Uh oh, he’s on his way over here.” Kemah took a long sip from her Jamaican Long Island Iced Tea with more tea than island.
“You are so dramatic, Kemah. Where is this,” she bent her fingers in the quote unquote position, “mystery man? I didn’t notice anyone staring at me.”
“You wouldn’t. You need to be more aware of your surroundings. I am always telling you that. Look, the cute one that’s headed this way. Here, follow my finger.” Kemah pointed for here to see.
“Don’t point.” Shyla smacked at her hand but she pulled it away quickly and laughed. “That’s so rude. He’s going to know that you are talking about him.”
“Just casually look out toward the beach on your left side and he’s the guy in the white linen pants with the navy blue dashiki.”
She turned to look and saw no one at first. “Kee, how can you even see that far out?”
“You know I have 20/20 x-ray vision, and besides he’s closer than you think.”
She looked at her friend and shook her head. “Yeah right.” She turned back and then she saw him. “Who are you…never mind?” Her insides started to turn to mush. “What’s he doing here? What does he want?” She thought she whispered.
“You, so it seems.” Kemah gave her a skeptical look and since Shyla wasn’t trying to give out any information she decided to ask a few of questions. “Do you know him? And if so, why are you trying to avoid him?”
“Because I don’t like him, I can’t stand that man.” Shyla knew it was a lie. She had liked Zackary from the moment they met but didn’t want anyone to know especially not him. She’d been playing hard to get. But the more she did the more he went after her. He would not be deterred.
“Okay Zachary, be cool,” he told himself. He mentally tried to hold himself together. “You know this woman likes you even if she is trying to keep you at arm’s length. But you will not let that stop you. You’re a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. Now go after that woman and make her yours,” he ordered himself. ‘That’s easier said than done,’ his head responded but he was not going to give up. Not this time around.
“How do you know him? Better yet how come I haven’t heard about him before now? Girl, he’s right behind you,” she tapped Shyla’s hand and grinned.
“Control yourself, Kee. Dang!” Shyla was getting nervous herself.
“Laugh about something so he won’t think we’re talking about him.
“No kidding. He’s right behind-”
“Girl that is too funny. Did you talk to-?”
“Shyla?” he said with a shaky but husky voice. Shyla turned her attention toward him and almost fell out of her seat. He looked even better than the last time she had saw him and tried to ignore the rush of air that got lost somewhere in her throat. They just stared at one another. “I was hoping that was you. I didn’t mean to interrupt your afternoon.” He licked around his lips and her mouth went dry, she needed a drink.
“Hi,” she said taking a sip of water.
“Hi. I saw you yesterday but wasn’t absolutely sure it was you.” He was sure all right. There was no other woman with a figure like hers.
Kemah just smiled as if to say, I told you so.
“Well it’s been quite some time since I’ve seen you.” His voice made her weak in the knees and wet in some well covered places. It’s a good thing she was seated.
“A few…couple of months, I would say,” she said with a little high-pitch to her voice.
“That long?” S
he was nervous, he thought. Good. At least he wasn’t the only one. He bounced back and forth on his feet. “So how have you been?”
“Good,” she said weakly. “Business is good. I’ve been meaning to take a vacation out this way for a while and finally had the time to do so, so I’m here. What about you? How’s it going and what brings you to this part of the universe?
“May I?” he points to the empty seat next to her.
“I’m sorry, sure, have a seat. It’s available for the time being.”
What had she meant? Was she expecting someone else? He let it pass, for now. Sometimes with Shyla nothing was for certain.
“To answer your question, I’ve been doing great. I needed some me time away from work. A few friends were coming down to visit a school pal and they dragged me along. I needed the vacation anyway before I head back to Napa.”
“You’re going to Napa?” That was news to Shyla.
“Um hmm,” Kemah cleared her throat. Both Shyla and Zackary looked to her. Zackary smiled sweetly and she smiled back. “Hello.”
“Hello.”
“Oh Kee, I’m sorry. I forgot you were sitting there.”
“Yeah right,” she said under her breath but not low enough that Shyla couldn’t hear her but she smiled anyway.
“Anyway, Kemah this gentleman is one of Felton’s very old and dearest friends,” she looked as if she had forgotten his name. “I’m sorry,-”
“No problem.” He’d play her little game this time around. “The name’s Zachary. Zachary Trellis.”
“That’s right, Zachary. Zachary and Felton work together.”
He reached for her hand and just as he said his name Kemah was about to pull away. She remembered a guy with the name Trellis. He had changed her life and if it hadn’t been for his friends and his lack of trust they would still be together. She didn’t want to believe that Zachary was any relation but they had the same facial features, the proud chin, the permanently arched eyebrows and the same deep dimples, even without the smile. The only difference was that Zachary was a few shades darker. Please don’t let this be a relative she thought.
“You okay?” Both Shyla and Zachary asked. She looked as if she were in another world or at least trying to figure something out.
She pulled her hand away. “It’s nothing really. You just remind me of someone I once knew.”
“Really? What’s his name? Maybe we’re distant cousins or something. You know how they say everyone has a twin.”
Before Kemah could utter a word a medium built light-skinned woman walked up behind Zackary and placed her hands on his shoulders. He looked up and was less than thrilled at the person it was but smiled anyway. At least they thought she was light skinned until she spoke. She was a white woman built like a black woman which was very rare.
Shyla and Kemah just glanced at one another.
“Zacky, I have been looking all over for you.”
“Zacky?” Kemah and Shyla mouthed at one another.
“Well you’ve found me, Sandy.”
“So I have,” she looked around the table and wasn’t too happy to see a couple of the natives sitting down acquainting themselves with him. “Well aren’t you going to introduce me to your new little friends?” she said like it was impossible for Zackary to have known them before now.
Oh, no she didn’t Kemah thought. She and Shyla looked at one another as if saying, ‘I hope we don’t have to cut this B.I.’
‘I think I can take her,’ Shyla thought, then winked at Kemah. They both burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny? Do I have something between my teeth?” The woman pulled a mirror from her pocket. Talk about vain.
“No, hon,” Kemah said, “you don’t.” She got out of her chair and stood up pressing her dress down with the palms of her hands. “It was an inside joke.”
“I like jokes. Tell me what it was.” They could see that she wasn’t very bright and apparently Zackary liked that or she wouldn’t be holding on to him. She had yet to let go of his arm and he wasn’t doing anything to pull away.
“You wouldn’t get it,” Kemah said. “Anyway,” she put out her hand. “My name is Kemah and this is my best friend, Shyla. Nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Shyla too stood and gave a quick handshake as well, not realizing that Zackary was taking in her every move. He could melt into her body. His breath caught in his throat. He could smell the lavender on her body. He didn’t know if it was soap or cologne but it agreed with her. She smelt delicious.
“So how do you know my Zacky?”
“Her Zacky,” thought Shyla. The look she gave him was priceless, not to mention loaded with enough venom to put a kimono dragon out of commission. She turned her back to him. “Men”. This is what they do. They try to get you and have someone already in the wings. He probably never thought this woman would show up like this and yank his player card from him.
“I just met him,” Kemah announced, “but he and my girl here, go way, way back.
“Your girl? Way, way back? What does that mean?” she softly chuckled. “Are you two like lovers or something?”
Zackary jumped up. “Sandy? You can’t ask her something like that. You don’t even know them.”
“But she said she was her girl.” Sandy deliberately played like she didn’t know what they were talking about.
Shyla too, chuckled and shook her head. ‘Lord a mercy,’ she said to herself. ‘Where do these people come from?’
“It means you need to get a clue,” Kemah thought, arching her brow. Kemah was getting a little annoyed, then. Neither she nor Shyla looked gay and the girl damn well knew it. “It means that this is my best friend and she and Zackary have been friends for a very long time. Almost married, yes they were,” she threw in just to get everyone’s juices flowing.
Shyla almost choked on her drink. Zackary pulled away from his companion to tend to Shyla. “Babe, you all right?” he raised her arms above her head. She looked at him like he was crazy. “It helps, trust me.” She allowed his help and the choking did cease.
“Sorry about that. I nearly choked to death,” she said eyeing her friend. Zackary retook his seat next to Sandy.
“Sweetie you should be more careful how you drink those things. You were probably drinking too fast.
“Zacky has never mentioned a Shy, Shy…what?”
“Shyla,” she pronounced.
“Okay, yeah.” She turned to Zackary dismissing both Kemah and Shyla, or so she thought. “How long ago was this? Before we met?”
“Duh! Friends, getting married-” Shyla kicked her friend under the table.
“Umm, Sandy, Kemah was just-”
“So, Sandra, was it?” Kemah said to get her attention.
“That’s Sandy,” she said, through clamped down teeth her tone a bit uptight and her nose flaring midair.
“Whatever.” Kemah waved her hand around. “How do you know Shyla’s little Zackary?” Shyla looked over at her friend and then at Zackary. She turned her head toward the water and just shook it.
“We met one day and we’ve been together ever since. Haven’t we Zacky?”
Shyla nearly choked again. Now, although she was saddened by those words she had just heard, Shyla tried not to be noticeable but at least two of the three saw her reaction. One was Kemah, the other Zackary, but he wasn’t about to let those word be misinterpreted.
“What Sandy means,” he pulled out of her clutches, “is that we’ve become good friend and we have mutual friends that spend a lot of time together. Shyla wouldn’t look up at him.
“We all came together at separate times, in separate vehicles.” He tried to explain. “There’s one other gentleman, two women and the guy hosting the week’s festivities. We’re just friends.”
Sandy ignored that last comment. “So Kemah and Shyla, what kind of names are those?” She pointed at Kemah. “Are you named after that cute little white lion from the old school cartoon?”
“Oh shit, Kemah?” Shyla saw the unpleasant look on her friends face.
“No, Shy. I got this.” She waved her off then pointed to the new comer.
“Look-”
“Sandy.” Zackary turned to her quickly, to defuse what was to come. He also saw that Kemah was all fired up, “That’s Kimba, The White Lion,” Zackary stated. “Kemah is a beautiful African Queen’s name. It matches her personality.” He winked at Kemah and she smiled.
“Oh, how…how silly of me,” Sandy said throwing her hand over her heart. “Kimba your name is cute.” Another deliberate misunderstanding.
“Zack,” someone yelled from across the room. Everyone turned to see who it was.
“Those are our friends!” Sandy waved. “We better get a move on,” she couldn’t get away fast enough. She was sure Kemah wanted to kick her ass.
“Yeah I guess we should.” He sounded less than thrilled.
“Well it was nice meeting you both,” she said to Kemah and Shyla with sarcasm and a bitter sweet smile on her face. She placed her hand in Zackary’s and began to pull him along. He didn’t want Shyla to think that anything was going on with him and Sandy, but what could he say that wouldn’t hurt his friend’s feelings. He would explain things to Shyla later.
Finally Shyla lifted her head. She could see the wanting and desire that swam in Zackary’s eyes. She almost thought her heart would stop beating, but he was with another woman, holding her hand. Didn’t that mean anything to him?
“Shyla,” he grabbed her hand in his free one then whispered. “I really hope we can spend some time together before our vacations are over.” She could only half smile. To say something would only make her look like a bigger idiot. He turned and shook Kemah’s hand as well. “Nice meeting you, Kemah, and you do have a very beautiful name.”
“Thanks! It was nice meeting you too. You too, Sandra,” she said as an afterthought.
“Sandy,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Kimba, Sandra, it’s all the same. Have a good time.”
“You two do the same.” With that they strolled away, hand in hand.
