Read In The Company of My Sistahs Online

Authors: Angie Daniels

In The Company of My Sistahs (7 page)

BOOK: In The Company of My Sistahs
9.74Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
She nodded.
“Then quit worrying. They're fine.”
“I guess,” she said, sounding unconvinced. “But I'm going to drop by the desk later and leave a deposit just in case.”
I sat up on the bed. “Girl, relax. We're going to have a ball.”
She nodded, then asked, “So, what's up with you and Everton?”
I smiled as I rose from the bed and moved toward the sliding glass door. “Nothing yet, but the night is still young.”
“You never know. If you play your cards right, he might give us the hook-up the next time we come down.”
I swung around to face her. Shit, I hadn't thought about that. My father's club rate expired at the end of the year, which meant if I have as good a time as I anticipate that I will, the next time I'd have to pay the full rate. Unless of course, I have myself a Jamaican connection. “Everton is starting to look better and better as we speak.”
“You know how you do.” She crossed her legs, smiling at me.
I smiled back at her. “Yes, I do.” I took a moment to reminisce on his dimpled smile. Damn, I loved a sexy man with a beautiful body. And from what I could see, he certainly had both. Hopefully, the rumors about Jamaican men were true. If his package was the right size, my ass had definitely hit the jackpot.
I turned to face the glass again and stared out at a scene pretty enough to put on a postcard. “You should have seen his friend Casey. He was fine.”
“How tall was he?”
I glanced over my shoulder and shook my head. “Too short for you.”
She sucked her teeth. “The story of my life.”
I gave my girl a sympathetic look, then slid open the door and stepped out onto the balcony. The view was just like the brochure. Blue-green water. Bright yellow sun. A white sandy beach with women in bathing suits and straw hats, stretched out on lounge chairs. There were books on their laps and tropical drinks in their hands. Reggae music filled the air. Directly below was a straw hut from where the smell of jerk chicken traveled directly up to my nostrils. There were people everywhere, running, laughing, just having a good time. It was beautiful. Suddenly I wanted to be down there among the excitement. I stepped back into the room with renewed energy. “Come on, Kayla, let's change and hit the beach.”
For the first time, her eyes danced with anticipation.
I reached for one of my bags on the floor and tossed it across the bed. “I think I packed too much shit.”
“So did I,” she said as she moved over to the mirror to fix her hair.
“I wasn't sure what to bring. Lisa said it gets so hot here you change your clothes several times a day.”
“I believe it.”
“Personally I could just spend the entire week in my bikini.” I removed the new suit and dashed into the bathroom. I came out five minutes later. “What do you think?”
Kayla turned away from the mirror and I could see the envy in her eyes. “It looks cute on you.”
I stepped in front of the mirror and took in the outfit from both sides. There were faint stretch marks on both sides of my abdomen and directly above my butt, but when I tied the wrap around my waist it drew attention away from it. I had even bought a padded bikini top just to give myself an extra cup.
“Aren't you going to change?”
Kayla gave me an embarrassing look. “Girl, I am not wearing a swimsuit.”
“Why not?”
“I'm too out of shape,” she answered.
“You ain't never gonna see any of these mothafuckas again.”
She paused for a second and I thought maybe she was giving my comment some serious consideration before she started shaking her head again. “No, that is quite all right.”
You know, it is times like this her self-esteem issue wears my nerves. “Girl, you are trippin'. It is too hot to be worrying what some mothafucka is going to say. Did you see how everyone was dressed? There's a woman downstairs that has a scar running straight down the front of her stomach, yet she still had the nerve to put on a bikini.” Actually, that bitch looked nasty, but I wasn't going to say that.
“That's all right. I brought some cool outfits that will do the trick.”
I stared at her in silence for a few seconds, then finally spoke again. “Whatever.” I tried to hide my annoyance. I moved over to my bag and removed a pair of flip-flops and slipped them over my feet. “You want me to wait for you?” I asked after a long moment of silence.
Kayla shook her head. “No, go ahead and go down. I'll meet you on the beach.”
She didn't have to tell me twice. Besides, I was anxious to go outside and check out the sights before I had to be bothered with my nagging-ass sister and Nadine. I reached for a matching pair of sunglasses, then headed out the door.
Chapter 10
KAYLA
K
ayla waited until Renee left the room before she strolled over to her suitcase and removed a modest red swimsuit. Leery that Renee might return and catch her in the act, she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door.
She never thought she would envy Renee, but she did. If God had given her a choice between being either fat or promiscuous, she would rather be comfortable in her skin, lying in the bed with her legs wide open. Her friend, no matter how crazy she may behave, in Kayla's book, had her stuff together. She was successful, pretty, and had enough self-confidence for two people. She would have settled for even a fourth of what Renee had. Maybe then she wouldn't mind parading around the resort in a bathing suit she had packed with no intentions of wearing.
She quickly discarded her clothes, then slipped into the suit. Stepping in front of the mirror, she glanced down at the cellulite that had taken over her vanilla-colored thighs. Her stomach made her look six months pregnant. She had brought a cover-up that would at least hide the bulge around her waist, but nothing would hide her flabby forearms.
Tears pushed to the surface. Here she was on an exotic island and she couldn't even enjoy it. She had tried to no avail to get over her self-conscious behavior. She didn't like herself. She had tried everything from the Atkins diet to eating cabbage soup, and nothing helped. She had a love for food that wasn't going away. What was even worse was that when she was depressed, which was most of the time, she took comfort from food and doubled her intake.
Kayla sighed, then left the bathroom and moved to her suitcase, where she removed a peach Capri outfit. She would wear it instead. The outfit was cool enough to withstand the Jamaican heat and keep her from burning.
She carried it back to the bathroom and shut the door, then slipped out of the swimsuit. She glanced down at the floor so that she wouldn't be tempted to stare at the rolls that encircled her torso. Instead, as she unzipped her pants, her eyes caught the size-twenty-four tag sewn to the waistband, reminding her that her body was nothing anyone wanted to see. Except for Leroy.
Her stomach fluttered as she thought about the first time Leroy had seen her with her clothes off. Up until that point she had always made sure the room was dark or that she was under the covers long before he was. But on one particular afternoon when they met at their spot, there was no hiding.
She had been in the hotel room barely five minutes when he pulled her onto his lap. Nervously, she tried to pull away.
“What's wrong?” he asked, eyes burning with curiosity.
She gave a nervous laugh. “I'm too heavy to sit on your lap.”
He pulled her even closer. “No, you're not. You're just right.”
Staring down at her hands, she tried to shield her insecurities. “You don't have to say that. I know I'm a big woman.”
“You're my woman and I love you just the way you are.”
She smiled at him, grateful for the kind words that she knew were far from the truth. His wife was half her size. So she knew what he was accustomed to holding, and it definitely wasn't her big behind.
Leroy rained light kisses along her cheek and neck. “You are so beautiful. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” He reached up and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. Kayla tried to stop him from sliding it off her shoulders.
“Baby, look at me.”
Obediently, she raised her eyelids to look up at him.
“I want to see you. All of you.”
Seeing the love burning in the depths of his eyes, a tear rolled down her cheek. Finally, she nodded.
Slowly, he peeled her shirt away and gazed down at her ample breasts. Feeling slightly emboldened by the power of his loving eyes, she reached around and unhooked her bra. Then he slid it off and onto the floor. Her large forty-six double Ds hung low but her large chocolate nipples stood hard and erect. Leroy leaned forward and captured one between his teeth and a moan escaped her lips. While he continued to suckle on her, he fondled the other between his fingers. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she thought she was seconds away from fainting.
He then signaled for her to stand, then he lowered her jeans over her generous hips, followed by a pair of pink grandma panties. She was so embarrassed, but he didn't seem to notice; instead his eyes were glued to the patch of hair between her legs.
“You are beautiful.” He rose, then took her hand and led her over to the bed. “Lay down,” he ordered, and obediently she lowered onto the bed. “Now spread your legs so I can see.”
She obeyed and opened her legs wide. Self-consciously, she tried to use her hands to cover her body but he stopped her. “Don't. I like what I see.”
Lust burned from the depths of his eyes as he kneeled down in front of her. He kissed a trail up the inside of her thighs. She shook with anticipation. She couldn't believe it—he was going to finally eat her out. However, to her disappointment, he stopped only centimeters from hitting her spot, and told her to roll over and get up on all four.
Leroy then positioned himself and immediately pushed inside of her. He pumped in and out, and five minutes later collapsed beside her, and said, “I am a weak man and you are an even weaker woman. Now let's both ask the Lord for forgiveness.”
Chapter 11
LISA
L
isa unfastened the lock, then slid the glass door open and stepped out onto the private balcony. She took a seat in the plastic patio chair, then tipped her face into the breeze and inhaled the fresh scent. Seabirds screeched as they wheeled and dipped near the ocean. It was beautiful here, which was the reason she always requested an ocean-view room.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced down at the sandy beach and spotted Renee flirting with an islander. Her sister was a trip. She just hoped Renee didn't get herself into any trouble. Last month some woman had tried to stab Renee because she had been standing in the checkout lane at Shop & Save, flirting with her man. Luckily, an off-duty cop in the next aisle had stepped in and broken up the situation. Renee, of course, showed her appreciation by inviting the cop out for dinner. According to Nadine, the evening ended with Renee lying on her back with her legs spread.
Lisa studied her sister, trying to figure out what Renee was planning to do next. Mischief was written all over her face. Hmmm. First she was at the front desk flirting with Everton and now this. Watching a while longer, she spotted two other employees moving her way. They too stood around, obviously captivated by Renee's beauty. Lisa had to admit her sister was a beautiful woman. She had sandy brown hair and the prettiest caramel skin. Lisa remembered spending years staying out of the sun, hoping that somehow her toasted complexion would resemble her younger sister's. Renee might find it hard to believe, but there were quite a few things Lisa admired about her younger sister. She had brains, beauty, and confidence.
Even in grade school, Renee had this walk that shouted, “try me if you want to.” People just didn't fuck with her sister unless they didn't know any better. She had a nasty mouth and an attitude to match, yet people still loved her despite her many ways. Especially men. They looked past the funky attitude and looked at the total package instead. Renee ran track, so she had runner's legs and a narrow waist, little breasts, and a round ass. And brothas loved it. No matter how often she tried to school her sister, she sucked that shit up.
Renee only got worse with age. She was a master at her game. That girl drew men like bees to honey and drama like it was her middle name. Lisa shook her head. One thing for certain, tonight someone would be sharing Renee's bed.
It wasn't like it came as any big surprise. For years men had been in and out of Renee's life like it had a revolving door. Lisa had tried telling Renee her ass was hot and to slow it down, but all she had ever done was blow her off, and tell her to mind her damn business. After a while Lisa just shut up and let her do what she wanted. After all, Renee was grown and she was getting sick of telling her what she should or should not do.
Lisa sighed with despair. Her sister was definitely a piece of work. She had hoped by the time she had reached thirty she would have slowed down, but apparently nothing seemed to be stopping her. Staring down at her, Lisa was glad she had asked their friends to share this week with them.
Lisa remembered when they had first met Kayla and Nadine. She had been about sixteen and her sister thirteen. They had been living in Columbia less than two months and hated it. Coming from the South Side of Chicago, she and Renee thought the little college town was country. There were possums running around out back and crickets chirping on the front porch. She remembered being afraid to come out of the house because a cricket was blocking the door.
In their small two-bedroom house, they had no central air. So she and Renee would spend many afternoons passing the time at the public library that was three blocks away.
One particular afternoon, they were sitting in the periodical section, flipping through
Teen
magazine, reading an article on Janet Jackson, when Nadine and Kayla stepped into the room. Nadine was short and petite with a long, thick ponytail, while Kayla was tall and round.
They walked over to the shelves and browsed, then Nadine cleared her throat.
“Are y'all looking at
Teen
magazine?”
“Yeah, why?” Renee answered with attitude.
Lisa had to kick her under the table. Even then she had a smart mouth.
“You mind if we look with you? I've been waiting all month to read that interview with Janet Jackson.”
She signaled for them to take a seat, ignoring her sister's frowns. Renee had always been a hateful thing. It took getting to know her to discover that beneath that hard shell was a vulnerable person desperate to be loved. A friendship began that day that withstood over twenty years of ups and downs, husbands, baby's daddies, and even time and distance.
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Lisa turned away from the view and moved back through the sliding glass door. She left the sliding door open and the sheer white curtains billowed in the wind like a sail.
“What you think?”
Lisa glanced over at Nadine, who had just changed into a swimsuit. Short and round, the black one-piece with matching cover-up was flattering to her figure. “You look nice. Where'd you find that suit?”
“I went to Penney's last weekend. They were having a sale.”
“Good choice. I should have checked it out myself.”
“Your suit looks nice.”
Lisa glanced down at her two-piece bikini with a purple wrap tied around her waist. Never having children, her stomach was flat, her large breasts still firm and upright.
Nadine stepped out onto the balcony and gazed down below. “You know your sister is already working the beach.”
Lisa gave a soft chuckle. “Yeah, I know. I don't know what to do with her crazy ass. She is out of control.”
Sometimes she blamed herself that maybe if she had stood by Renee all those years and defended her maybe things would be different. But there was no way of knowing. Besides, she had been only a kid herself. What's to say if she had stood up to their stepfather, he might have rejected her also?
One thing she could say about her sister, Renee had never stopped trying to please their stepfather. No matter how much he criticized her, she never gave up. She just returned to the drawing board and started over. However, what it took Lisa years to understand was that nothing would ever have been good enough because that was the type of person he was.
Paul Perry had been a strict and heartless man. No kisses, never hugs. He rarely gave praise. For some reason he had accepted Lisa as his daughter. But Renee he never had. Lisa had wondered why for years and one day she asked Paul. He had told her simply, “Because Renee looked too much like her damn daddy.”
Then, finally, five years ago, after years of being an evil bastard, Paul had given his life over to the Lord. Now he regretted the choices he had made and was trying to do everything in his power to win his youngest daughter's heart. However, Renee wasn't buying it. She didn't trust him any more than she trusted any of the other men in her life to love her. After years of rejection, Renee had learned to take what she needed from a man, then jump ship long before he had a chance to figure out where the hell she had gone.
Lisa lowered onto the bed and slipped her feet into a pair of sandals. Now if only she could find a way to get Renee to see what she was doing to herself. She needed to find a way to break the vicious cycle of self-destruction. Somehow, Lisa had to convince her sister to let go of the pain and learn to take a chance with love and life.
Lisa believed that God had given her that mission. She hoped that with the aid of a life-threatening illness she would get her sister to see that life was much too precious for games. If she could get Renee to see that, then maybe there was an underlying reason why she had been diagnosed with cancer.
BOOK: In The Company of My Sistahs
9.74Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

The Darkness that Comes Before by Bakker, R. Scott
Shifters (Shifters series Book 1) by Douglas Pershing, Angelia Pershing
The Bull from the Sea by Mary Renault
Newton and the Counterfeiter by Thomas Levenson
High Gun at Surlock (2006) by Bowers, Terrell L
My Kind of Wonderful by Jill Shalvis
The Thin Red Line by James Jones
The Convalescent by Anthony, Jessica