by Carrie Macon
“Well, that was very interesting.
“Yes, very.”
Shyla wasn’t speaking for now and Kemah wouldn’t pry, not just yet anyway. But eventually Shyla would give up the 411 on Mr. Zackary Trellis. Damn she never did get a chance to find out if he was related to her ex. She hoped he wasn’t. The last thing she wanted to do was run into him after all these years.
Chapter Three
“Shyla, why are you so uptight?”
“I’m not. What are you talking about?”
“Yes you are. We’ve been here for three days already and you have yet to have fun. Is it because of Zackary? Fine ass, Zackary.” Kemah licked her lips.
“No!” she said all too suddenly. “Why would you say that? He’s where he wants to be and whom he wants to be with.”
“And that’s eating you up inside. Admit it,” she pointed.
“I will not. And stop licking your lips like that. It’s not like you just had a damn piece of crumb cake or anything. I have no interest in Zackary, end of conversation.”
“Of course it’s not. Me thinks you lie, little lady.” Kemah said lying across the bed in the room Shyla used. “I saw the way the two of you looked at one another earlier today. There’s no mistaken that there is some chemistry between the two of you. He tried to explain that home girl was just a friend.”
“I don’t care about that, Kemah,” Shyla said in a falsetto voice. “I am perfectly fine the way things are. I told you how he is and I have no interest in him, now, nor will I ever.” Another lie. She was getting good at this but not where Kemah was concerned. She knew that deep down in her heart she had feelings for that man but to keep him at a distance she had to pretend that there were no sparks between them.
“Besides when the right man comes along I’ll know. Women have to be careful around these men. They say what you want to hear and then they use you up until you can’t be used anymore.”
“Shyla all men are not like that. You can’t keep judging every man by that jerk Simon. What kind of name is that for a black man anyway? You should have known something was up with him anyway, with those beady little eyes. Zackary is different. He can’t keep his eyes off you. I know that you have some feelings for him. It’s in your eyes.” Kemah took a sip of her drink. “And eyes don’t lie. Not these eyes anyway. Now your eyes, those babies right there,” she pointed. “Those bug beauties are telling a major whopper. Uh huh, yes they are.”
“My eyes don’t lie,” she lowered her shades over her eyes.
Kemah laughed and snatched them off. “There’s no sun in here.”
“There are no feelings either, so just stop it.”
“No feelings at all?”
Shyla shrugged her shoulders. “No positive ones.”
“Liar.”
“What? How can you keep calling me a liar?”
“Because we have known each other the better part of our lives and we know each other inside out so I know that you are sitting here lying. And I won’t elaborate on how I know because then you’ll try and change it up.”
“Can we please stop taking about this? Let’s go shopping.”
“Only if you admit that you care about this man.”
“Not for all the Haagen Daz in the world.” And Shyla loved Haagen Daz ice cream.
“Okay, Miss Wilkes. You just wait. Your feelings are going to up and bite you in the rear and you had better hope it’s not too late.” Shyla rolled her eyes.
“Roll your damn eyes all you want. That man is not going to keep after you forever.”
Where had she heard that one before? “That’s what you think. He only wants me because I don’t want him.”
“But you do want him,” she stomped her foot and poked out her lips.
“Let’s not get into this again. And will you calm down, please. There’s no need to be throwing tantrums. You’re not three years old anymore.”
“If we are going shopping let’s go. I am tired of talking to you. It’s like a merry go round. You say you don’t like him knowing that you do. Then you say he only wants you because he can’t have you.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Forget it. Let’s just go.” Kemah picked up her purse and walked out the door leaving Shyla standing in the middle of the floor laughing.
They shopped for six hours straight getting souvenirs and such for family and friends. Any time Shyla picked out an outfit she had Zackary in mind. Would he like this sundress, would he like the color on me, she said to herself. She liked Zackary a little more than she was willing to admit. She didn’t want to get hurt. Although she had several male friends, there wasn’t one among them that she would want to have an intimate relationship with. Zackary was the closest that came to mind and she wouldn’t dare let that happen. For one he was her cousin’s best friend and business partner and for two he had too many lady friends that were always hanging around. The last thing she needed was to be labeled one of Zackary Trellis’ women or have to hear about her intimate relationship from her cousin. Men always talked about their sexual escapades with their friends and don’t care if it hurts you. She couldn’t let that happen. No it was best to keep her feelings well hidden.
“So do we hit up the casino first or do we go to dinner and the club?”
“It’s still pretty early so why don’t we go to the casino for a couple of hours. I heard about the new one they just built near Port Maria, it’s about 20 minutes from here.”
“Was that in the advertisement?” she grabbed for the brochure. “How did I miss that?”
“Don’t know but maybe we could have dinner there, say about eight or nine. The club is opened all night long.”
“That is so true,” she read on amazed at how much more of the island they had to tour.
“Just be ready to go in about five minutes.”
“Ten! I have make-up to do.” Kemah ran to her room to ready for the outing.
They went to the casino where they had so much fun. Kemah liked the tables whereas Shyla liked the slots, but not just any slots. It had to be the multi lined slots and have some kind of funny bonus to it. You hardly ever had any luck winning on the one lined ones, but fate was good to them both that evening.
Kemah hit a jackpot for eleven thousand dollars and then Shyla turned right around and hit a jackpot for over thirteen. They had to wait there until one of the cashier managers and a cashier of the casino came to give them their winnings. They each put a one hundred dollar bill in their machine and played it until it was time for dinner or until the machine ate up the funds.
“How are you doing over there?” Kemah asked Shyla.
“I still have forty-eight dollars. What about you?”
“I’m just about tapped out. I have five dollars left.” An hour later they headed over to the Reggae Lounge for dinner and then to Club Vodavi in Ocho Rios. The machines decided to keep them playing a little while longer, each cashing out with more than fifty dollars in their machines. They chose to give it to the counters at the cashier window and the waitresses for tips. Kemah couldn’t leave without putting something on the tables. She bought twenty dollars in chips for roulette, played it all on black nine, and won. She put her four hundred dollars’ worth of chips in her bag and strolled out the door. No sense in staying to play it. Tomorrow would be another day. Besides they were starving.
“Girl, damn, have you ever seen so many good-looking men in one place?”
Shyla looked around, admiring the view. “Yes, at the clubs in California.”
“Let me rephrase then. Have you ever seen, so many good-looking Jamaican men, in one place?”
“Actually I have. Not.”
“I know that’s right,” she tapped Shyla on the hand. “Don’t look now but there are two good-looking men walking this way. How do I look?” she primped her hair.
“Like this chick named Kemah McGovern that I know. Calm down, you look fine.”
“Hello ladies. How are you this evening?�
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“We’re fine, thank you.” One took Kemah’s hand in his and kissed it the other took Shyla’s hand and kissed it.
“I am Joe and this is my brother, Jacob. Would you ladies like to dance?”
An obvious lie, Shyla thought. “Actually,” Shyla was saying before Kemah cut her off.
“Yes we would but we need to go to the ladies room first. Would you please excuse us?”
“We will be waiting right here,” the tall bulky good looking gentleman with the heavy accent said.
Kemah pulled Shyla along with her to the ladies room.
“Shyla do not flake out on me. It’s just a dance.”
“I wasn’t going to flake out. I just wasn’t feeling up to dancing at the moment.” She looked into the mirror and applied a layer of gloss on her lips. “You do know that they are lying about their names.
“Who cares? You probably won’t see them again after tonight anyway. Look I know he isn’t Zackary but he will have to do for the time being.”
“Please let’s not start that again. I’ll dance, all right. But I will not slow dance with that man. You know I don’t like just anyone’s hand all over my body.”
“Just Zackary,” Kemah laughed, but it was short lived when Shyla gave her an evil eye. “Okay, okay. I’m done teasing. Now let’s go have some fun.”
When Kemah and Shyla were on the dance floor they had several observers, one in particular, Zackary. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Shyla. He liked the way she moved her body to the music. But he did not like the way that her dance partner was looking at her body. Zackary had a mind to go knock his eyes out of socket but he wasn’t a brute. He did however want to claim Shyla as his own. Their eyes met. She didn’t falter. It was like she was dancing just for him. Inviting him to come unto her and be one. He smiled and she smiled back. Then Sandy and another woman walked up to him, rubbing her hand up and down his arm and a little too close to his chest. That killed the mood. Zackary could see the disappointment in her eyes. She turned and continued dancing with her partner.
“Sandy. Betty. What can I do for you?”
“Will you dance with me? I really like this music,” Sandy asked.
“Since when?” Zackary responded disbelievingly.
“Since Betty and I went and took dance lessons earlier today. Come on Zacky.” She pulled at his arm. “It will be fun,” she smiled up at him almost like a small child in search of approval.
He smiled back. “Sure. Come on.” He pulled her by the hand to the dance floor. She was bouncing up and down as they went.
The song ended so Shyla thanked the gentleman for the dance as he escorted her back to her table. Kemah was sitting there and she had noticed the way Shyla was dancing toward Zackary. She saw the way they looked at one another and she knew for sure that Shyla was holding out and those two would eventually get together. It may not be tonight but sometime in the near future their paths would collide and they would have no way of keeping their relationship as it was.
Shyla dropped herself into her seat so hard it startled Kemah.
“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong, now?”
“Nothing,” she felt hot tears sting her eyes.
“Then why do you have tears in your eyes?”
“It’s not tears. It’s the wind,” she gulped and took a napkin from the table to dry her eyes and forehead from the falling moisture. “And that seemed like a workout. Do you think we are going to get a storm? I heard that a tropical storm is the worst. It’s a good thing we didn’t go to the Keys like we started too, huh?”
“Shyla! Girl, the wind isn’t even blowing that hard. I think you’re a little upset because finally you had Zackary just where you wanted him, paying some attention to you and you felt comfortable with him, then little Miss Sandra walked up and spoiled the mood.”
“Sandy!”
“Whatever! The point is she spoiled the mood.”
She looked over at Kemah. She was so right.
“Yes boo-boo, that’s what I believe. It was hard to miss and believe me I think he saw it too.”
“What am I going to do, Kee? I don’t want to feel like this. I don’t want to have feelings for him.”
“Well, I for one think it’s too late for that. Now dry your face because he’s on his way over here.”
“No!”
“Yes. Dry, dry, dry. He’s coming fast. He’s almost here. Right behind-”
“Evening ladies!” he greeted with a pleasant smile.
“Hello Zackary. This is a pleasant surprise. How is your trip so far? Having a good time with your friends? Where’s Sandra? I thought I saw the two of you dancing.” She was talking fast but it was to give Shyla time to pull things together.
Zackary didn’t know what was going on with all the questions but he made a decision to only answer one. “It’s been great but it could be better.”
“Better, than great?” Kemah asked. “How so?”
He grabbed Shyla by the hand. “If this beautiful lady would dance with me, I would be honored. Come dance with me, Shyla.” He didn’t wait for an answer because it wasn’t a question or a request. It was a, we are going to do this statement. He just pulled her onto the dance floor. The song was mild, a lot of hip action and upper body movements, then the song turned to a slow and sensual Jamaican mix. He gathered her into his arms and they danced as if they were making love. It was like they were the only two on the island, never mind the dance floor. They grind their bodies into one another and they could feel their hearts beat on time. Zackary pulled her even closer rubbing his hands up and down her back. She laid her head upon his chest. Smelling him, unconsciously rubbing her hand across his pectoral muscle and up around his neck. She was getting comfortable. He could feel it. He liked it.
He looked down at her without missing a beat. “Look at me.” She did as he asked. He could see the desire that was in her eyes and she could see all that was in his. This island and this music were made for just the two of them. He eased his hands down her body where they rested on her firm rear end and her hand on his chest longing for him to kiss her. She knew it was coming, but, when.
Shyla had been waiting months for them to be like this so that they would have this opportunity but it never presented itself, not away from prying eyes and nosey family. She didn’t have to wait long because he could sense what she was hoping for. He wanted the same thing. He kept one hand on her bottom and lifted the other to caress her cheek. Then he lifted her chin to him where nothing but a little space separated him from tasting those beautiful, sweet lips that he had been longing to taste. He did taste. A little at first and then a little more and then he went in for the kill.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him even closer to her. Bells chimed, the waves ceased, the mercury dropped. They couldn’t hear the music any longer or the people around them dancing. The only thing they were able to hear were their rapid breathing, their own hearts beating and feeling the connection of their lips in a powerful kiss.
“Open up for me, baby,” Zackary commanded her and she obliged. Their tongues did a dance, a Jamaican waltz. Who knew this man could kiss a girl senseless. If Zackary had not been holding her up her legs would have given out. “You taste sweeter than I imagined.”
“So do you. Umm. Zackary…”
“Yes…baby…umm.”
“Zackary?”
“Uh huh.”
“We should…p-probably…Oh…God…stop.”
“Can’t,” he pressed his hand against her head so that she could not move away then sucked her lips into his. She rubbed her hand down his back to his buttock and let them rest there. A song came to his mind, ‘Clapping from the patrons of the club brought them off of their cloud nine, also stopping their progress. Shyla was embarrassed. She rested her head in his chest until she was able to catch her breath. He just smiled, he wasn’t embarrassed at all.
“I have to go.”
“Shyla wait. Where are you going?”
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“I just have to go. This is so embarrassing. We should not have done that. I’m sorry.” She turned and ran.
“Shyla, wait,” he yelled. He felt like the prince in Cinderella when she ran off. Only this time there was no glass slipper left behind. Thank God he knew how to reach her.
Kemah saw her running and ran after her. “Shyla wait up. Shyla! Are you all right? What happened?”
“I just made a fool of myself. Didn’t you see what just happened? Everyone else did.”
“Yeah, I saw. Wish it had been me.” She saw the look on Shyla’s face. She wasn’t amused. “Okay look, you didn’t embarrass yourself.” Shyla’s eyes said different. “Well you shouldn’t be embarrassed. You like the guy and he likes you. It’s not like you just met, he’s not one of the island natives, and you’re not having a vacation fling. You’ve known Zackary for a while. I think you two could have something real special if only you would let it blossom,” she held her hand to Shyla’s cheek.
“I don’t want this. Any of this, Kemah, don’t you understand, I can’t have feelings for him? It’s just the island and the moonlight. All of the things that are associated with romance.”
“I know you don’t expect me to believe that. And, stop crying it’s not the end of the world. It was just a kiss. A long, hard, drop me on the bed and make love to me kiss.”
“You felt that, too. I am in so much trouble.” She paced back and forth. “That man has a pair of lips on him.”
“And a pair of hands too from what I observed.” Shyla eye bulged. “Calm down girl. Why don’t you go back and talk to him?”
“Are you crazy? I don’t want to have anything else to do with him. I am going back to the room and hide for the rest of this so-called vacation. You were supposed to have my back.”
“Girl, please. Zackary was doing a great job having your back.”
“Kee!”
Oh, if looks could kill. “Fine have it your way. But I am going to continue to get my groove on and I will see you in the morning. Don’t be too surprised if he comes a knocking at your door tonight.” Kemah laughed it off.
