Still thicker than water (9 page)

Jayde leaned onto the desk, glad that her long hair was already pulled back into a bun, in case it came to blows.

“
No, you worthless, minimum-wage, island-trash servant… there
were
reservations. And you can, and will, accommodate me and my friends in a
room.
Especially, when her credit card has already been charged by your fucking establishment. Now get your damn manager, bitch!”

The girl could see the fire dancing in Jayde’s eyes and was slightly frightened. She was happy when she received some assistance.

“
Maybe I can be of some service… that’ll be all Elsa. You can help the next customer,” a beautiful mocha-colored woman said to the clerk. She was averaged height, with tight black curls that hung down her back, pretty dark brown eyes, and a radiant smile. Her skin glowed and she had an exotic look that let on that she may have been an island girl.

“
Are you the manager?” Jayde asked with a dose of irritation.

“
I am... I apologize in advance for any confusion there may have been. Hopefully, I can assist you better.” Her island accent was smooth and she took her time when she spoke. Sasha stepped back up to the desk with her credit card and online print out. She read the woman’s name tag.

“
Trinity? … Hello Trinity. We’re having a little dilemma. I made these reservations months ago, my card has been charged and everything. However, we’re being told that we don’t have rooms.”

Trinity gave a disappointed look and took Sasha’s information from her hands. She hated when these types of problems occurred, especially around the busy holiday season.

“
M apologies Mrs. …Bernstein,” she said reading the credit card. “Just give me one moment, and I will get this situation resolved immediately. Get you ladies squared away, no worries.”

Trinity disappeared behind the desk after giving a reassuring smile to her three gorgeous guests. The original clerk, who was ear hustling the whole time, sucked her teeth. She was jealous of the three women since the moment she had laid eyes on them. If it wasn’t Jayde’s green eyes and tall model height, it was Sasha’s strikingly beautiful face and designer labels, or Tatum’s long gorgeous hair, hypnotizing smile, and seemingly perfect voluptuous body. They were all equally beautiful.

Jayde felt her envious vibes and took it as a proposition to insult.

“
The manager was nice…Now why the first bitch couldn’t be as
accommodating…
Fucking monkey.”

Tatum looked at the clerk, who had obviously heard the comment and she repressed her giggles. She did resemble a monkey, or some sort of primate.

“
Aw man, this is gonna be a trip,” Tatum laughed, as Sasha and Jayde snickered.

Jayde could be a little over the top, but Tatum had to admit, the girl seemed to be entertaining.

The pretty hotel manager returned with a smile, Sasha’s card, and three room keys. They were sure that they were now all settled.

She handed Sasha the things.

“
Now ladies, I’ve got good news, and I’ve got ‘not so good’ news.”

Jayde rolled her eyes and was ready to pull out her phone and make some calls. Trinity could see her frustration and she continued.

“
The bad, well, ‘not so good’ news is that the rooms are all booked due to the unexpected holiday rush.”

Sasha sighed and Tatum pursed her lips and ran her hand through her hair. Maybe this trip was a ‘not so good’ idea.

“
The good news however, is that I can place you ladies in the top Presidential Penthouse Suite – living room, dining room, kitchen, sauna, Jacuzzi, four bedrooms, wrap around balcony, private elevator-”

“
Perfect!” Sasha screamed excitedly, cutting Trinity off. Jayde hung up her phone and Tatum smiled wide thinking of how luxurious this trip seemed to be playing out. All of the good signs were making her a tad less nervous about possibly seeing him again, although she tried not to think too much about it. Just the thoughts had her stomach doing somersaults on the plane ride over.

Trinity beamed, happy to have pleased the guests. She knew that the owner would be equally pleased with her work.

“
Great. The suite will be of no extra charge, just the original price you were going to pay for your original reservation. And once again, I apologize for any inconvenience. Enjoy your stay.”

The girls took their keys and thanked the manager, heading towards the nearby elevators. Jayde shot one last nasty look at the original clerk and dangled her suite key in her face.

“
Cut it out Jayde,” Sasha laughed.

Once they were a distance away, Trinity turned to Elsa.

“
Elsa, I am very disappointed in the way you handled those guests. I know you are aware of how important customer satisfaction is.”

Before Trinity could get any deeper into her lecture, the desk phone rang and she answered sweetly.

“
Botanical Bay Hotel, how may I help you?”

There was a brief silence as someone spoke on the other end and then Trinity answered.

“
Oh no, I’m sorry. We were formerly Paradise Breezes, we just recently became Botanical Bay... No problem… Take care.”

Trinity hung up the phone and sighed. She knew the name change would cause confusion and she made it a point to answer the phone ‘Botanical Bay formerly Paradise Breezes’ from now on. She turned back to Elsa.

“
Now, what was I saying?”

Elsa looked at her blankly before responding.

“
Your man’s here.”

Trinity felt the butterflies before she even knew if he was there. She turned slowly and her heart skipped a beat as she saw him heading in their direction. She blushed and faced Elsa again.

“
Elsa, please. For the last time, that is my boss.”

Ree approached the desk smoothly and both ladies admired him.

“
Hello Elsa… Trinity.”

“
Mr. Knights,” Trinity simply replied as Elsa smiled nervously.

Trinity held eye contact with Ree but spoke to Elsa.

“
Um, Elsa, can you refill the mint bowls?”

Elsa frowned.

“
But they’re not even empty.”

Trinity gave her a stern look and Elsa sucked her teeth and made her way to the back.

“
Her boss…whatever,” she mumbled.

When she was out of view, Trinity slowly approached Ree with a slightly seductive walk. She bit her bottom lip and grinned.

He was leaning coolly against the desk looking ever so sexy. She loved his power, his confidence, his ruggedness.

“
Hey you,” she whispered.

“
Hey yourself,” he responded, leisurely wrapping his strong arms around her tiny waist, once she had finally made her way to him. “How’s everything going, any problems?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him, trying her best to get a rise out of him.

“
No, not really... Oh wait, we
did
have one issue with some ladies’ reservations. Buttt I upgraded them to the penthouse, no charge, and made them very happy.”

Ree nodded approvingly. He knew the value of happy customers, from his previous business.

“
Good girl.” He moved around her so that her back was now to him. Then he kissed her lightly on the neck, tickling her with his goatee and sending sexual shocks through her body.

“
Why don’t you throw in a couple of spa packages for them too, make sure they return.”

His voice was so smooth and deep in her ear. Trinity closed her eyes and breathed heavy. Her nipples hardened and her female juices poured.

“
Yes, Sean,” she obliged. She could hear Elsa returning and Ree took a few steps away from her. She tried to peck him on the lips before Elsa reached the desk but he coyly moved his face. That was one thing that irked her, he never liked to kiss her on the mouth. He tapped her on the behind as the phone rang, and she answered with a broad smile, forgetting the kiss diss.

“
Good afternoon Botanical Bay, formerly Paradise Breezes, how may I help you?”

Ree gave her a wink and made his way to the back as Trinity watched him leave, still creaming.
Damn, I wanna have his babies!

“
Now, are you gonna be okay out there?”

“
Yes.”

“
Remember what I said, one day at a time…baby steps.”

“
I know.”

“
You take care of yourself. I don’t wanna see you back in here now.”

“
You won’t!”

The sun gleamed bright as the iron-gate opened and revealed the gorgeous outside. Things like fresh air, sunny days, freedom, things that were once just a craving, were instantly very new, but very real.

With all of these precious elements as surroundings, ironically the first thought of the moment seemed to be a less obvious one.
Sasha.

“
Come on, that’s the past now…we’re focused on the future.”

Why am I even thinking about her?

Neli took a deep breath and looked around the outside of the facility. Her cab was supposed to be waiting out there for her at 4pm. sharp. She lifted the sleeve of her pea coat jacket to check the time on her watch.

The fading, but still visible scars on her wrist were reminders of her past. Reminders that no matter how much she may try to focus on the future and leave her old ways behind, she would never forget the damage she had done; to others, and to herself.

“
Quarter after, what the fuck?” She could feel herself already becoming frustrated, she wanted out and far away from that place. She looked up and could now see the cab slowly approaching.

“
Thank god.”

Today is the day, it’s the beginning of the rest of my life. I can start life new, find myself, develop myself, and make myself into a better person… I can channel positive energy back into the world, try to right some of the wrong that I’ve done…I know I’ve ruined many lives and I know I’m probably going to hell for some of, well most of the things I’ve done. I’m not proud of myself, at all… I hurt people, people that didn’t deserve it, Sasha. Chris… People that I genuinely cared about, Kim. Tatum… People that I loved dearly…Chauncey… I know I will never be able to repair the damage that I’ve done, but I can try my best to live positively, at least so I can feel like I’ve changed… So I can feel like this has worked… So I can feel like I can sleep at night…

“
Hey honey, you getting in or what?” The cab driver barked in a thick African accent.

“
Oh, I’m sorry.” Neli didn’t realize that she had just been standing there dazed out. She picked up her duffle bag and climbed into the backseat. Closing the door once she was inside.

But yea, where was I? Oh yeah, turning over a new leaf. Baby steps… Starting over… Finding a purpose to my life. But first, there’s something I have to do…

“
Honey, please, where to? I don’t have all day. Why you keep zoning out?”

“
Oh, I’m sorry, again. Um…”
Where to? Where to? Are you gonna do it? Yes…I have to.
“Um…Yes…Newark. Newark Airport, please.” And the cab pulled off.
Baby steps.

Chapter 8 – Illusions

“
Oh my god, this shit is so fly!” Sasha screamed, running from the last bedroom.

“
No, ya’ll gotta see the sauna, that bitch is niceeee,” Jayde contested flopping down onto the white sectional couch.

Tatum went to the large glass windows and pulled back the heavy drapes, letting the sun in and admiring the perfect view of the ocean.

“
This whole damn suite is banging, I can fit my whole apartment in here,” Tatum added, lost in her thoughts. Those thoughts were telling her that this, beautiful place, beautiful island, could have been her home. And she blew it.

“
What you thinking about over there Pocahontas?”

Jayde had given her the nickname on the plane ride over, telling Tatum that she had figured she was Indian instead of Trinidadian.

Tatum turned from the window with a smirk and shrugged, and Sasha put her hands on her hips.

“
You thinking about how we gonna find Ree on this big ol’ island…don’t worry Tay, we’ll find him. If it’s fate, destiny, everything that’s meant to be-”

“
Aaah, aah, aaaahhh, shut it up with all that fate and destiny bull!” Tatum joked, laughing at Sasha while Jayde giggled as well. “I’m thinking about how I need to change out of this hot ass sweat suit, pronto.” Sasha waved her hand like whatever, and Tatum unzipped her jacket and made her way to the first bedroom, where she had placed her belongings.