They ended up in a nightclub that played just the right mix of American artists and reggae. This spot seemed to have a good number of tourists like the restaurant they had just left. They sat off in a corner, not because they feared him getting noticed that�s just what they liked to do some times; be off in the cut. It was more fun to observe than to be observed.
�Here you go.�
Sean passed her a small shot glass and she sniffed it.
He laughed, �What are you smelling it for? Anything specific?�
She shook her head, �Nothing, what is it?�
�Appleton Rum; it�s the national liquor.�
�They have a national liquor?�
�My people are full of culture. We�re a civilized nation.�
Derek smiled as the two of them laughed.
Jack called out, �Hey, what's so funny over there?�
�I�m just schooling her on the finer points of Jamaica.�
The music was pumping through the air and as he looked around he watched the different couples on the dance floor. That was one thing he really wished he was more successful at; dancing. He just had no rhythm and he felt awkward and self-conscience. The most he could do was nod his head to the beat. Few men looked cool dancing and truth be told, unless you were on stage singing simultaneously like Usher you just had no business, as a man, dancing.
Everywhere he looked there seemed to be couples or at least people who seemed to be really into each other. He didn�t have that at all. Even his bullshit relationships didn�t give him anything more than brief physical pleasure and the obligatory coverage about his latest conquest.
�Remember Chastity?�
He instantly smiled at the memories of their last trip.
�Who is Chastity?� Ben asked as Derek, Jack and Sean laughed until the tears were in their eyes.
Jack was able to recover first, �We brought a guy down here last year, no one you would know, and he was hitting on everything in a skirt.�
�Yeah, and there was this tall woman he met in the bar. Well, ole boy had been really drinking it up and he hits on this Chastity.�
Derek looked over to see Maleeyah shaking her head and smiling as if she already knew where the story was headed.
�He even brought her back to the house.�
�They are in his room, door closed, and suddenly there is all this screaming.�
Derek shook his head, �Man, it was just the way he found out; he came out screaming and throwing up.�
Ben frowned, �How he found out what?�
Jack shook his head, �Are you sure you�re in college?�
�What? You guys haven�t said anything.�
�Maleeyah, tell my brother what's so funny.�
�Well, I�m guessing Chastity was a dude.�
Ben looked around the table and they all nodded at him.
�And he didn�t find out until he slid his hand up her skirt.� Sean could barely get the words out before he erupted into a fit of laughter.
**
Three in the morning and they were all stumbling back into the house. Maleeyah went directly to her room and the guys all went out back.
Jack lit up a cigar and Sean came out with four beers in his hand.
He just sat in silence and stared at the moon and the water. Watching the waves crash onto the beach he most definitely he was going to buy a house in Jamaica.
�I decided to buy a home here.�
The others looked at him. He just nodded his head, �Yeah, here in Negril. I�m going to have Casey take care of it.�
�What brought this on?�
�Sean you know I've talked about this.�
Jack nodded his head and blew smoke out of his mouth, �Yeah, for years now but the last we heard you mention it you said you didn�t think it was a good idea because of the year round commitment that would have to be made.�
That was true. His decision not to buy the home was because it would be one more place that required constant care when he wasn�t around. He would have to hire people to clean inside and take care of the house.
�Maleeyah talked me into it.�
Ben frowned, �Maleeyah? When did she talk you into buying a house in Jamaica?�
�She must be pretty persuasive. What exactly did she say?�
Sean laughed, �He just wanted to impress her. Are you going to meet her in her room when we go to bed?�
Derek shook his head, �No, nothing like that. She just made me see that it is all rather simple. The positive outweighs the negative.�
�Well, I�m glad to hear that. Now during spring break and the summers I have somewhere to go.�
He rolls his eyes at Ben as he laughed, �Hell no.�
�B, don�t you think you�re at your limit?� Sean asked, looking rather amused as Ben seemed to be having problems.
�What do you mean?� Ben was going to be hurting in the morning, Derek knew. The kid had never been able to hold his alcohol like the rest of them could. Sean, Jack and Derek had years of experience and knew exactly how much could they drink before they were in serious trouble.
�Just take it easy, we have an entire week.�
As if on cue, Brian leaned over and they heard a loud splash as everything Ben had ingested that night landed on the ground.
�Ok Jack, that�s your brother. You clean up out here and Derek and I will get him to bed.�
**
It was only minutes before ten and Derek was up pretty early considering the late night they had. He was walking down the hall when Maleeyah�s room door opened.
�Good mo-� But it wasn�t Maleeyah that walked out of her room it was Ben.
�Hey man.� He ran his hand through his hair, �Man, last night was rough. I�m going back to sleep.� Before Derek could see inside, Ben closed the door and headed to his room.
Ben and Maleeyah? He thought they were just friends, as Ben himself had said. Maybe things changed the month and a half since he had seen them both. Or maybe it was the alcohol; when people drank they did things they would ordinarily do.
018 | No Ordinary Girl