Still thicker than water (8 page)

“
Yeah Sean, we all know what kind of services you would love to
provide
. Have the whole damn island riding the white pony.”

Ree chuckled at his father’s outdated terminology referring to cocaine use and he shrugged.

“
Yeah well, just let me handle business. I’m good at it,” Ree assured him.

His father gulped down the glass of scotch as if it were water.

“
Ah!” He said in satisfaction, and then added to Ree. “Just make sure you’re prepared, son.”

Ree nodded confidently, as he inhaled the premium weed smoke, but he had no idea that he was not prepared in the least for what was to come.

“
I got it all under control.”

-Interlude-

Christmas Eve

Somewhere in an Atlanta suburban home, Sasha soaked in a hot steamy bubble bath. She cried softly as the classic Otis Redding song drifted from her speakers…

This is my lover’s prayer

I hope it’ll reach out to you my love

This is my lover’s prayer

And I hope you can understand it my love

My life is such a weary thing

But it may be old pressure bringing rain

You keep me wanting, waiting, and wishing

When I know deep down I’m not the blame…

While somewhere in a lonely cell in Rahway, Chauncey lay staring at the ceiling, playing the very same song…

What you gonna do tonight

When you need some loving arms to hold you tight?

Tell me, what you gonna do tonight

When you need my heavy voice to tell you goodnight?

Honey but, you can’t let that be no problem,

You’ve got to come on home and help me solve ‘em

Then I won’t be missing you

And honey, my lover’s prayer will be all over, oh now…

Ironically in Jamaica, Respect took a sip of his Hennessey Black and closed his eyes to the same tune as he sat by the pool of his estate. He briefly thought of the girl with the smile from earlier that day, and then he thought of Tatum…

What can the matter be, now?

It can’t be that serious we can’t talk it over

Living in this misery

Darling, you can’t make my life all over…

And back in Newark, NJ, Tatum sat on her living room sofa singing the last verse to the universal track that seemed to touch right on her heart. Otis’ voice echoing off of the walls…

Honey but, you don’t let that be no problem

Just come on home and help me solve ‘em

Then, I won’t be missing you, I won’t be missing you

And my lover’s prayer would be all over

It got to be all over
…

All lost in their thoughts, consumed by their minds, the song seemed to sing four tales of four people, at one time…

Don’t keep my life going round in so many circles

This is my lover’s prayer, come on, come on home

This is my lover’s prayer, I’m singing out to you

And I hope it will reach ya, I hope it gets to you…

Chapter 7 –
Thirst

The day after Christmas

“
I can’t, I can’t do this.”

Tatum gripped and then released the handle on her Gucci roll away luggage bag. She walked to the other side of the hallway and stared at the bag as if it were going to talk back to her.

“
What are you talking about…you know you wanna go,” she murmured to herself, slowly walking back over and taking hold of the bag again.

She had went shopping, purchased the brand new and perfect everything, down to the toothbrush, gotten her hair trimmed and conditioned with a clear gloss rinse, had her teeth whitened, nails and toes done, and even under went the ever so scary, Brazilian wax, all in preparation for this trip. She was nervous, she was skeptical, but she knew she was at a moment in her life where she was ready to do something drastic, exciting, and do basically what she really deep down inside wanted to do. She was going to Jamaica.

“
Wait, am I really?”

It was already 9 am. Tatum was supposed to catch a 10:30 am flight, meeting Sasha by 3 pm in Jamaica for check in.

How mad would she be if I just said ‘fuck it’ and chickened out?
Tatum mused to herself, as her doorbell startled her out of the question.

“
Who is it?” Tatum yelled.

“
Car service,” a muffled voice responded, sounding like a woman with a bad English accent.

Tatum furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and then looked through the peephole apprehensively.

She laughed in amazement as she opened the door.

“
So what, you didn’t trust me to meet you there, bitch?”

Sasha was standing there with a wide smile in Chanel shades and a floppy straw hat, looking festive and island bound.

“
Exactly!” She shot back. “But I also thought that it would be way more fun if we all went together…are you excited? Tatum, I’m so excited!”

Tatum looked at the black Maybach parked in front of her door and then back at Sasha.

“
Yeah, I’m excited…and nervous,” she admitted. She tried to squint and look inside of the tinted windows. “Who’s we?”

As if on cue, the door opened and Jayde slid out in a tiny black mini-dress with her cell phone glued to her ear.

Her face was serious, but when she looked up at Tatum, she softened with a warm smile.

“
Hi Tatum, I’m Jayde…good to finally put a face to the name.”

“
Likewise,” Tatum responded, but Jayde had already started back her intense conversation. She popped the trunk, took out her car charger, and returned to the backseat, as Sasha and Tatum stood at the top of the steps.

“
Ya’ll do know it’s still winter, right? We not in Jamaica, yet.” Tatum was referring to Sasha and Jayde’s tropical apparel, while Tatum opted for a more casual BCBG tracksuit.

Sasha smirked.

“
We know, but we’ll be there before you know it. I have another surprise for you, boo…can’t wait…? Okay, I’ll tell you…we’re flying on a jet. A private jet!”

Tatum looked at Sasha wide-eyed, while Jayde rolled down the window.

“
Come on ladies. Let’s get a move on…my pilot’s waiting on us!”

“
Her pilot?” Tatum questioned, grabbing her luggage and carefully locking her door. She debated whether she should call and check on the girls one more time before she left, but she figured it would be okay. She would call them first thing when she landed.

This was the first time they would be with their mother for more than a 24 hour period, but they both had cell phones pre-programmed with both hers and Keisha’s numbers just in case.

They made their way to the car and settled in, and the driver took off.

Jayde stayed on the phone for the first ten minutes or so. She spoke minimally with words like “I don’t care”, “Just do it”, and “Make it happen”. Tatum made a note to herself to later ask Sasha exactly what Jayde did for a living.

Finally, she ended her call and breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and poured herself a glass of champagne, offering some to Sasha and Tatum.

“
What the hell, why not,” Tatum said, taking a glass, as Jayde lifted her own and the girls followed suit in a toast.

Jayde cleared her throat before she spoke.

“
Here’s to Jamaica…and to finding Tatum’s man!”

She winked at Tatum and Tatum gave Sasha a look. The look meant that Sasha talked too damn much.

“
I don’t know about ya’ll, but I am so souped!” Sasha started, changing the subject. “I could use a little fun, and sun, and a break away from Mike’s ass… My parents are still down in Georgia visiting my aunt, so they took Aubrey over there with them. I don’t have to worry about anything, except my damn self!”

She took a sip of her champagne and snapped her manicured fingers, ready to get the party started.

Tatum nodded and looked around at the fly ass Maybach and all of its luxury.

“
I know right, I could definitely use this getaway. And ya’ll done went all out! Maybach, private jet, champagne… what’s next?” Tatum giggled and took another sip, enjoying the diva treatment.

“
Well, I hope you don’t mind,” Jayde said. “It’s just when Sasha told me that you guys were going, I insisted ya’ll use the jet... No sense in changing flights, being around all those noisy ass people, when we can get there in three hours flat on the G5, ya know? The Maybach though, that was her idea, she wanted to do something special for you.”

“
Yes, I wanted to make this your
fantasy
weekend,” Sasha sang, batting her eyelashes. Tatum laughed.

“
You are so dramatic, oh my god.”

“
Aint she though?” Jayde agreed. “Always has been, ever since diapers.”

Tatum glanced at Jayde with a chuckle. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to rub in Tatum’s face that she knew Sasha longer, or if the arrogant, self-absorbed persona was just her.

“
Speaking of fantasy,” Jayde continued. Her green eyes sparkling and her red lipstick shining. “What’s your favorite car, Tatum?”

“
That’s easy,” Sasha spoke first.

“
Aston Martin, DB9, convertible,” they spoke in unison.

Jayde nodded her head impressed and laughed at the friends.

“
Okay, okay good choice. Let me see if I can make this happen.”

She grabbed her phone again and dialed a number quickly. After a few seconds, she spoke.

“
Miguel…Jayde…Uh-huh, great…Listen, I need a favor…DB9…

Aston Martin…When I land…Three nights, four days…Oh no, that’s not an issue…”

She took the phone from her ear for a second and turned to Tatum.

“
Black or silver?”

Tatum was stunned, mouth agape, but regained her composure.

“
Um, silver.”

Jayde did a thumbs up and mouthed the words ‘good choice’. As she wrapped up the conversation, Tatum looked at Sasha like
‘what the fuck?’

Sasha then leaned in and whispered.

“
Her father was rich, she owns businesses.”

Tatum shrugged and took another sip of her champagne. She figured to herself that Jayde may not be so bad after all.

Jamaica I’m coming, and I’m coming in a muthafuckin’ Aston Mar, shutting it down!

“
What the hell do you mean no reservations?”

“
Like I say, Mrs.…?” The clerk asked Sasha, forgetting her last name.

“
Seals… Bernstein,” she corrected, remembering that she was a married woman.

“
Yes, Mrs. Bernstein. We do not have any reservations for you, are you sure that you called Botanical Bay Resorts?” She asked in her native accent.

“
Yes, I’m sure,” Sasha snapped, and Tatum nudged her.

“
Botanical Bay? We’re not staying at Paradise Breezes?”

Tatum was a little disappointed that they were not staying at Ree’s resort, the one he had sent the postcard from.

“
I couldn’t find it,” Sasha whispered.

Tatum sighed and calmed her nerves a little. She figured she could stop twiddling her thumbs and looking around nervously now that she knew that they were not at his resort.

“
This is the bullshit,” Jayde mumbled. “This is why I don’t stay at resorts when I come here.”

“
Wait, you’ve been here?” Tatum asked, surprised that she hadn’t mentioned it in the car or on the plane.

“
Just a couple of times…Excuse me, may I talk to your manager?” Jayde turned her attention to the clerk. “You are not accommodating, at all.”

The young Jamaican girl caught an instant attitude from the Amazon, beautiful bitch named Jayde’s, condescending tone.

“
How am I not accommodating… you don’t have a reservation, therefore, I cannot accommodate you.”