Ben and Maleeyah met Jack at his home and waited on the car service to pick them up and take them to the airport. As they waited, Ben took her on a tour of Jack�s home. It was a modern single story Florida home. There were plenty of windows and it had that open feeling.
She noted, like most men of Jack�s success, his home was neat. There were no signs of outrageous parties or neglected duties.
�You have a beautiful home.�
He smiled, �Thanks, you want the quick tour?�
She nodded, �Sure.�
Ben sat on the couch, �Aren�t you coming?�
�No, I�ve seen the house before.�
She rolled her eyes at him following behind Jack; leaving Ben watching bikini clad women on Spike TV.
�And this is the master bedroom.�
He led her to the bathroom and as they passed through, she noted the bed was made. Impressive.
�I�m jealous.�
He laughed, �Most women are. They say I can�t appreciate a bathroom like this.�
�You can�t.�
Back into the hall, they went and she noticed he even had pictures on the wall. For a brief moment she thought of the possibility of Jack being gay; or maybe a woman decorated this for him.
�So did you have any help with the decorating?�
�Yes, my mother. She saw it as a blank canvas. I think all women love an empty house you get to fill up with all kinds of things.�
�A house is like a naked body. It needs essentials and accessories.�
He looked back and laughed at her, shaking his head. They entered a bathroom and she loved it. Just like the living room and his bedroom, it led to the lanai.
They walked outside and a beautiful pool full of crystal blue water sparkled under the sun.
Just like her backyard, there was actual landscape. There were flowers and plants. It was of no thanks to her when it came to her house. Her grandmother was into the plants and flowers. She loved sitting in the backyard, it was like going on a vacation on a sunny day.
By the time they returned, Ben was sipping on a beer.
�Its noon.�
�Yeah, not too early for a beer.�
�What time is Derek getting here?�
�He�s not flying with us. He and Sean are flying out of New York. Their flight left at eight so they are picking us up.�
She still didn�t know what part of Jamaica they were going or anything.
�Where exactly in Jamaica are we going?�
Jack looked over at Ben, �You didn�t tell her?�
Ben frowned comically, �You didn�t tell me. How was I supposed to tell her? All I know is we�re going to Jamaica. I don�t care where. Its not like we�ll be roughing it, this isn�t spring break with drunk college kids.�
Jack rolled his eyes and directed his attention to Maleeyah, �Have you ever been to Jamaica?�
�No.�
�Ok, well Montego Bay is like Cancun or Daytona Beach.�
She didn�t think Derek and Jack would be into drunken vacationers� kind of getaway. She could have gone with her silly classmates.
�We�re not doing that. We�re going to Negril. It�s a bit more reserved and laid back. But no mistake, there is opportunity for plenty of excitement and fun.�
�That sounds great to me.�
She could see herself lying down on the beach enjoying the relaxation Jamaica had to offer during the day and the excitement it presented when the sun went down.
**
�You aren�t afraid to fly are you?�
�No.� How could she be when she was sitting in first class. When she saw that Ben and Jack were flying first class she thought she would have to be stuck in coach by herself but they were flying the airline the Bucs always used and he was able to score her a first class seat with them.
She and Ben were sitting together and Jack was sitting in a seat across the aisle sipping on a glass of complimentary champagne.
She pulled her magazines out of her carry on bag.
�Were you a girl scout?� Ben laughed. �You�re so damn prepared.�
�What am I supposed to do? Sit and talk to you the entire time?�
�Give me one of those.�
She watched as he looked through her magazines.
�Allure, Vogue, Shape, Fitness and Cosmo.�
He held up the Cosmo, �This thing is why you girls don�t have men. You listen to all this bad advice.�
�Says the boy who has a subscription to Maxim.�
�Hey, I don�t read the articles. I just look at the pictures.�
�At least you didn�t try to defend it.�
She was so happy she could hardly contain herself. She couldn�t wait to get settled in and let the fun begin.
**
They arrived at the airport and Derek and one other guy greeted them. She assumed he was the other friend who was going to be with them.
She looked off to the side, taking in the new environment as the four guys gave each other their manly hugs.
�Hi Maleeyah.� She looked over at the group to see Derek addressing her, �This is our friend Sean. Sean this is Maleeyah.�
�Hi Maleeyah. I�ve heard all about you.�
�Hi.� They shook hands.
She wondered how much he could have heard about her and who was doing the dishing. It wasn�t like anyone knew her life story.
�Come on guys let�s go. We only have a week. The fun begins now.� Sean said as they started moving away from the terminal and through the airport.
The beautiful blue water that met the beautiful blue sky at the horizon captivated her. Fluffy white clouds spotted the clear sky and the sun was bright. She was in heaven. She could live in Jamaica and not miss the US once.
015 | No Ordinary Girl