They made it back to the house and she went to her room to change into a bikini. She sat on the bed and looked at her suits, wondering what would look good under the moonlight. Should she go with the red, pink or white?
She decided on the white and put on a white shell anklet she bought earlier that day. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and tucked the end in the band so it would get wet. She looked in the mirror and gave herself a final glance before heading out to the pool.
When she walked out Derek was already in the pool. There were a couple of towels draped across the back of the chairs.
Maleeyah stepped into the pool and they smiled at each other.
�Are you having fun?�
�I�m having a great time. I love it here.�
�Yeah, its great. My parents were just here not too long ago.�
�Honeymoon?�
He shook his head, �No, just a vacation. My parents are one of those sick couples. Everyday is a like a honeymoon to them. They give me hope that real love is out there.�
She smiled and he shook his head, �I know sappy and weak but lately I�ve been thinking about that more and more.�
�Are you ready to settle down?�
His answer was instant, �No.�
�Then what have you been thinking about?�
He sighed and it seemed as if she had opened up a complex issue. �I want to have what my parents have and I think about it but I just haven�t found the one yet.�
�But if you found the one would you be ready to make that commitment?�
�I would like to think I am but I don�t know.�
�Are there any potential candidates?�
He shook his head as he played with the water.
Because of the alcohol, she wasn�t quite so limited by the ability to censor herself and she decided she�d play twenty questions with him.
�Do you have a girlfriend?�
He was quiet for a moment. She figured he was wondering if any of the many women in his little black book could be considered a girlfriend.
�No.�
She just stared at him and he buckled. �Well, there are a couple of women I see on a somewhat regular basis.�
She didn�t say anything. She learned silence made people talk more than they planned on doing.
�One is in Tampa and the other is in New York. They aren�t anything serious. I mean, not that they don�t mean anything.�
She took pity on him and let him off the hook. They weren�t close friends yet like Ben. She didn�t think it was necessarily right to do to Derek what she did to Ben.
�What do your parents think of them?�
�They�ve never really met them.�
Well that certainly said a lot about their chances of being a permanent fixture in his life. If a guy envied his parent�s relationship more than likely they any woman he considered special would have met his family.
�Are you an only child?�
�No, I have a little sister. Her name is Sharlee.�
It was instantaneous. Just like when he mentioned his parents. His face lit up when he mentioned his sister. She loved Lance, she couldn�t get enough of him but she had always wanted an older brother.
�Lucky sister.�
�Why do you say that?�
�I have a younger brother but I�ve always wanted an older brother. My best friend when I was a little kid had an older brother and he was so protective of her. I thought that was the coolest thing in the world. She thought it was a hassle.�
�That�s what my sister thought too; still does.�
�How old is she?�
�She�s 25. How old is your brother?�
�Lance is 14. He�s unbelievable. I�m jealous. He has his life and goals already planned out.�
�And what are they?�
�To be the next Donald Trump.�
She watched him smile and shake his head, �Not a bad role model.�
�I guess not. I can�t say I know all that much about him but my brother has all his books. Goes to his website all the time. He wants to go to Harvard and get his M.B.A and then return to Atlanta and take over the city from Ted Turner.�
Derek laughed, �The kid certainly has his sights set high. I bet he can do it.�
�Oh, he will do it. There is no doubt in my mind.�
�Is your family in Florida or still in Atlanta?�
�My mom and brother are in Atlanta.�
�Where�s your dad?�
She looked down and her smile faded at the mention of her father, �He's dead.�
�I�m sorry.�
�It�s ok.�
�So, what made you move to Florida? School?�
�No, when I moved to Florida it was just to get away from Atlanta. I needed a change. So I moved here. My grandmother, my father�s mother, always wanted me to go to college and when I moved into her house I decided to honor her wish.�
�So you live with your grandmother?�
She shook her head, �No, she died and left the house to me.� She looked at him, �No need to say sorry again. Its ok.�
He smiled, �Where you close?�
�Very, that�s why she left me the house. I was the only one of her grandchildren who visited her and I was living in Georgia. Every summer I would spend a month with her.�
She didn�t want to talk about her family anymore. For her, family was a sticky issue and it certainly didn�t evoke a smile on her face like it did for Derek.
021 | No Ordinary Girl