In The Company of My Sistahs

by Angie Daniels

  “Don’t worry, girl. I’m not going anywhere. I am a survivor. Cancer is going to have to take me kicking and screaming.” There was a sad little smile on her face, followed by another stream of tears.

  Nadine shared a tearful laugh. When they sobered, she asked, “Is that why you asked us here?”

  Lisa nodded.

  “When were you planning to tell us?”

  “Tomorrow. I was planning to sit down with all three of you tomorrow.”

  Nadine couldn’t stop shaking her head. “This is so unreal. But don’t you worry. We are going to get through this together. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  Nodding, Lisa gave her a dead stare, then said, “Yeah, call Jordan and tell her you love her.”

  Chapter 66

  RENEE

  I was so glad to get out of that room! I can’t believe I spent the entire day hiding just so I wouldn’t have to run into Nadine and Lisa. And let’s not forget Everton, who blew up my damn phone.

  Pierre called and asked me to meet him at six. When I arrived, he hadn’t made it yet. So I moved to a table in the corner of the restaurant to wait. As soon as I sat in the chair, a waitress appeared with a menu and a glass of water. I ordered my drink and was taking a sip when Everton stepped into the room. I nearly choked when I spotted him heading in my direction. I tried to hide behind my menu, but it was obvious he knew I was there when he dropped into the chair across from me.

  “Hey, Renee.”

  I lowered the menu to the table and folded my arms on top of them. “What are you doing up here?”

  “Leslie told me she saw you come up here so I thought I’d come join you.”

  I’d have to remember to kick her ass later. “I’m meeting someone.”

  “Who?”

  “That’s none of your business.” I glanced over toward the door, expecting Pierre to arrive at any moment.

  “Yes, you are my business.” He reached for my hand and I snatched it back.

  “No, I’m not, so go.” I hadn’t realized I had raised my voice until I saw the people at the next table looking our way.

  Everton dropped his voice. “What’s wrong? You don’t want me to see who you’re having dinner with?”

  “No, I just don’t want to see your feelings get hurt.” I couldn’t stop watching the door.

  “Don’t worry about me; I’m a big boy.” He leaned back in the chair. “So I guess it’s safe to assume you’re meeting another man.”

  “Yes, now go.”

  He looked pissed. “You didn’t even give me a chance.”

  Everton just wouldn’t get the hint. I was two seconds away from cussing his ass out. “Listen, you are not my man and I do not appreciate you tracking me down like some damn stalker. Now I have a date coming, so I want you to go.”

  There was a long silence. “What did I do?”

  I had to look down because he looked so sad, and the last thing I wanted to do was feel sorry for him. “Nothing. We’re just not compatible.”

  “I think we are. We had a wonderful time and I want that again.”

  I didn’t bother to comment. My silence said it all.

  “It could be great between us if you’d just give us a chance.”

  I reached for my drink. “Sorry, but it’s not going to work. You’re just not my type. But you’re a really sweet guy. Really.” Suddenly I felt really bad because he was a sweet man. He just had a little-ass dick and a big-ass mouth.

  “It would never work between us. We live in two different worlds. I came here to experience fantasy, not to fall in love. I’m sorry.”

  Everton sat there for the longest time saying nothing, and I made myself turn away and glance down at my watch.

  I couldn’t begin to explain how bad I felt as I watched him walk away. I could tell by the dejected slump of his shoulders that my words had hurt him.

  I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but this is the first time I began to believe that maybe I am a bitch. I had hurt people before, but it was usually when I had been hurt first. Everton had done nothing to me but mislead me into believing he was capable of offering mind-boggling sex.

  Five minutes later, Pierre walked in. He glanced in my direction and I waved at him, drawing his attention. Within minutes his old ass had me laughing and Everton was the furthest thing from my mind.

  Chapter 67

  NADINE

  Long after Lisa had drifted off to sleep Nadine moved out onto the beach, a book in her hand and her glasses covering her red eyes.

  She found a seat away from the crowd and lowered onto the chair. She then opened a book she had been trying to read for almost two months. However, ten minutes had passed and she still hadn’t comprehended one word. The letters were running together and all was blurred.

  It isn’t fair, she screamed inwardly as she raised her hand to fiercely wipe the tears away from her cheeks. Lisa didn’t deserve to have to go through the entire ordeal again. She knew how trying cancer treatments were to a person’s body. She had watched her cousin battle breast cancer. Her body had dwindled away to almost nothing. She had endured months of fatigue and nausea, and some days she barely had the strength to get out of bed. Then, after six years, she lost the battle.

  Dammit. She lifted the shades from her eyes and mopped fresh tears away. She was falling apart and this would not do. She had to be strong for Lisa’s sake. She needed her love and support.

  Gosh, she missed Jordan. Jordan would have allowed her to cry her eyes out, then would have told her to suck her bottom lip in and put a lid on it. Together she would help her help Lisa. Closing her eyes, she leaned back in the chair as she reminisced on what she loved most about Jordan.

  Lisa was right; she did need to call Jordan. Jordan had a way of making her think that anything was possible.

  How could she have been so stupid? She was wasting time worrying about what others thought when tomorrow wasn’t promised to any of us. Lisa was right; she was making a big mistake. Jordan made her happy. And right now she needed all the happiness she could find.

  As soon as she got back to the room, she was going to call Jordan and make everything right again.

  Chapter 68

  RENEE

  I returned to the room with my stomach full. I had thoroughly enjoyed dinner. Like I said before, if I was my mama’s age I might have given Pierre some play. But since we are talking fact, not fantasy, Pierre is too old and out of shape for me. At least his breath had been tolerable, and he did get me an invite to the wedding tomorrow. Speaking of, I’m going to have to make a trip across the street tomorrow and see if I can find myself something fly to wear.

  I slipped out of my sandals and moved over to the drawer for a swimsuit. Shit, I ain’t got shit else to do, so I might as well hang out near the pool. I had just slipped out of my shorts when the phone rang. Groaning, I ignored it because I knew it couldn’t be anybody but that worrisome-ass Everton. When Pierre and I came down from dinner, he was standing behind the counter, watching. Purposely I leaned into Pierre and, I kid you not, Everton looked like he wanted to climb over that counter and kick my ass. I just laughed and kept on going. Pierre and I parted in the courtyard.

  By the time I had slipped into a red bikini the phone had rung three damn times. That mothafucka is driving me insane! Okay, enough. You know I’m no punk. The phone rang again and this time I spun on my heels and went and answered it.

  “I ain’t gonna tell yo ass again. Leave me the fuck alone!”

  “Hey, Renee, girl, whassup with you?”

  “Who is this?” I had an idea who it was but I wanted to be sure.

  “It’s me, Solomon.”

  Right now I had straight attitude and was tempted to cuss his ass out, but I stopped myself because that’s what the negro expects me to do and I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. “Oh, hey, whassup?”

  He sputtered with laughter. “Is that all you got to say?”

  “Yeah, why, whassup?” I said, al
l nonchalant and shit.

  “Damn, you act like you didn’t even want to hear from me.”

  “How was Kingston?”

  “I didn’t go. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. My grandmother forgot to tell me she had a doctor’s appointment until this morning. I spent the day with her.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I know I should have called and I apologize. You forget I don’t have a phone at home like you Americans all do.”

  Okay, he did have a point.

  “Can I see you tonight?”

  I took a moment to think about it because I didn’t want to appear too eager. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Cool. Meet me outside at ten and bring an overnight bag.”

  I hung up the phone, screaming and hollering like a damn fool. Yes! It was on and popping again. My boo hadn’t played me after all. Although I am going to have to tell his ass that the next time he needs to cancel he better find a phone even if he has to travel fifty miles to do so.

  Chapter 69

  RENEE

  I felt like a teenager going out on her first date as I applied my makeup carefully, then searched through the drawer for something sexy to wear that night. After several wardrobe changes, I finally slipped into a white knit racer-back dress that stopped mid-thigh, and paired it with white espadrilles that laced up to my calves. As Solomon had instructed, I packed an overnight bag. Shortly after ten, I strolled away from the hotel.

  Let me just say the mood was set. It was a perfect tropical evening with a slight breeze, and I was about to spend the rest of the evening with a man that made my nipples hard. What more could a girl ask for other than a good clit lick, and I was certain I would get that before the night was over.

  I found Solomon waiting for me on his bike.

  “What’s up, beautiful?”

  “Hi.” I pressed my lips against his, then darted my tongue in and out of his mouth.

  “Damn, baby, I can’t wait to get me some.” He climbed off the bike and led me around the side of the hotel. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me some more. I felt him growing hard. Suddenly feeling bold, I reached for the buckle of his pants, freed willy, and dropped to my knees.

  I slipped his entire dick into my mouth without blinking. He started making all kind of noises. I then slipped just the tip of his dick inside my mouth and teased it. He moaned and precum drizzled into my mouth. I slid the head out of my mouth, then took the tip of my tongue and ran it through the slit. “Damn, baby!” he moaned as I bathed the head.

  My mouth took on a rhythm of its own as it slipped his dick in and out, slowly at first, then the intensity growing with each stroke. I sucked him for a long time, licking all around the shaft, down to his balls, and back again. I love the way a man shudders when I suck him off, because that lets me know that I’ve got mad skills. When he finally came in my mouth, I felt triumphant.

  I spit his juice into the grass, then rose and brushed the dirt from my knees.

  Solomon put his dick back in his pants, then reached for his zipper. “Everton was right. You do have skills.”

  I stopped wiping my mouth and swung around. “Excuse me?” I know I didn’t hear him right.

  He gave me a disgusted look. “You heard me. Everton said you were a wonderful fuck. I really thought you were someone special.”

  Mothafuck. That bastard had run his damn mouth.

  I sucked my teeth. “You can’t believe everything you hear.”

  “Okay, so then tell me, mon,” Solomon said as he moved all up in my face. “Were you fucking Everton?”

  “Hell naw.” You know I’m going to deny that shit to the end.

  “So then how does he know about your strawberry?”

  Oh, shit, I had forgotten about the small tattoo on my coochie. One year after partying at the club with my girl Danielle, we went to my house, shaved our coochies, and went and got matching coochie tattoos. Shit, I forgot it was even there. Damn, my ass was up a creek without a paddle.

  I shrugged. “Okay, so maybe we did fuck, but it was a mistake that happened once.”

  He stifled a smirk and gave me a return look that dropped me lower than the soles of his shoes. “That’s not the only thing that’s a mistake.”

  I tried to laugh it off because, damn, I didn’t know what to say. “Damn, it’s like that?”

  He spit on the ground before my feet. “I don’t do whores.”

  Oh, hell naw! I felt like he had just slapped my ass across the face. After the shock of his comment wore off, I retorted with, “I ain’t no ho.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t know what y’all call it in America, but here in Jamaica women like you are considered whores.”

  Before he had a chance to react, I grabbed his balls and held them in a vice-grip hold. “If you call me a ho one more time I’m gonna break this bitch in half!”

  He started to say something slick but quickly thought about it and changed his mind. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

  I released his dick and pushed him away from me. “You ain’t shit.” I had enough of him. Solomon wasn’t any different than the rest. I reached down for my bag.

  “I can’t help the way I was raised. Everton and I have been friends for years. What did you think—I wasn’t going to find out?”

  I glared at him. He was smiling like the shit was funny. “Fuck you, Solomon.”

  “You already did that and damn your lips were good.”

  I swung my bag and hit him dead across the side of his head.

  “Hey, you crazy bitch!”

  I swung at him again and he threw up his hands and blocked the blow. Instinctively, I kicked him hard between his legs, then turned and raced up the driveway. He was screaming all kinds of obscenities and calling my ass everything but a child of God.

  “Renee, bring your ass back here!”

  I ignored him. My back was turned and it was going to stay that way because tears were streaming down my face that I damn sure wasn’t going to let him see. I felt so ashamed.

  I couldn’t go back to the room. The last thing I needed was for them to know I had fucked up. Tears were pouring down my face. I felt like a two-bit whore. What the hell was I doing, thinking I could screw with more than one employee at the same hotel and they would not find out about each other?

  After making sure Solomon wasn’t following me, I cut around the side of the building and headed toward the beach.

  I had really liked Solomon. How could I have been so stupid?

  I grabbed a couple of hotel towels near the pool, then moved to a chair on the beach and wrapped them around me.

  I sat there feeling sorry for myself. Once again I had gotten wrapped up in a man. I really thought that Solomon and I had made a connection and that we had something that was worth holding on to long after I had returned home. Thanks to Everton the relationship was already over before I had a chance to see where we were headed. I felt cheap. I felt used. Solomon had known long before I had wrapped my lips around his dick that he had no intentions of sharing the evening together. It had just been a way to get back at me. I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that someone had been hiding in the bushes videoing the whole thing.

  Sleeping with Everton had been a mistake that was obviously going to continue to haunt my ass for the duration of the visit.

  “Little lady, what are you doing out here?”

  I glanced over my shoulder, scowled, then stared off into the ocean again. “I want to be alone.”

  Pierre moved to the chair beside me. “I don’t believe you.”

  I dragged my knees up to my chest and hugged them close. “Who cares what you think?”

  “I hate seeing you so unhappy. You remind me so much of my daughter Benita.” When I didn’t bother to answer, he added, “She once told me that I was a good listener.”

  “There is nothing to talk about.”

  “I don’t believe that.” He reached over and cupped my hand. “It’s going to be cold tonight. I think
you should go in.”

  Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “I can’t. My roommate has company tonight.”

  Pierre rose. “Then come on. You can share my room. I won’t bite unless you ask me to.”

  Chapter 70

  KAYLA

  Kayla took a long hot shower. Her heart was beating so hard she didn’t know how she was going to pull tonight off. She asked Clayton to spend the night with her and he had said yes.

  She took a deep breath and finally reached down and turned off the water. She then reached for her towel and rubbed off the excess water, then grabbed a bottle of True Star perfumed lotion and rubbed it generously across her body. If she couldn’t look good at least she could smell good. She scowled. She was starting that negative mess again. What did Clayton tell her? He liked her just the way she was. All two hundred ninety-five pounds. So, then, what was the problem? The problem was she didn’t like herself and as long as she felt that way there was no way she would ever believe hearing it from someone else.

  Kayla, now is not the time. She had a date to prepare for and she was wasting time feeling sorry for herself. It wasn’t like she was going on a blind date or something. Clayton already knew exactly what he was getting.

  Still wrapped in her towel, she moved into the room and picked up a short lacy piece of lingerie she had found in one of the shops across the street. As soon as she had gotten back from her trip and told Lisa she was spending the night with Clayton, she had grabbed her arm and dragged her to find something sexy to wear. She was shocked to discover they had something not only in her size, but sexy enough that she just might be able to pull the night off.

  Kayla slipped the piece of material over her head, then moved to the mirror to fix her hair. There wasn’t much to do to her braids except smooth them out with a little styling gel. She then put on a little mascara and took a seat on the bed and waited. They had the entire night. Renee obviously was spending the night with Solomon because she had packed a bag and told her she’d see her in the morning.

  Thank goodness for Solomon. As long as he kept Renee occupied, she wouldn’t have to worry about her trying to steal her man. However, after tonight, she didn’t think she’d have to worry about that possibility any longer. She was going to make sure this was a night Clayton never forgot.