It was 8:45. They were supposed to leave for the long road trip to Ocho Rios at 8:00 that morning. She was ready at a quarter to eight. Ben, Jack and Sean were ready a quarter after. Now they were waiting on Derek and Vanessa. Mostly it was Vanessa with Derek trying to help her speed up her pace.
Finally, at 9:00 they both announced they were ready to leave. Vanessa was dressed in a green smocked tube tunic and a pair of blue jeans.
Why was she in blue jeans, Maleeyah thought? She was going to be on fire. She had on a lace cami and a thin cotton skirt. She could see Vanessa give her the once over. That�s what girls did; even when they weren�t trying to size up the competition. But sizing her up was exactly what Vanessa was doing. There was no doubt in Maleeyah�s mind that, for now anyway, Vanessa saw her as competition.
�Did you guys have a good time?� She asked as Vanessa stood near her at the door.
�Yes, it was wonderful. Derek is so romantic. And it only got better when we got home.� She winked her eye at Maleeyah and walked out the door. If she weren�t so young, she would take her word for it. But Maleeyah knew young girls were notorious liars to themselves and others about how good a man was in bed. Most of the time, she bet they didn�t even know they were having bad sex.
**
The amount of people and traffic increased ten-fold when they arrived in the cruise ship friendly town. The streets were busy and there were people everywhere. If it were possible, Jamaica just got more beautiful.
�OK we�re here.�
They pulled into the Jamaica Inn. It was posh to say the least. They were going to use the room for nothing more than to take showers and change their clothes since they would spend the entire day in the town.
Immediately they were met by bellhops waiting to take their bags even though they all had a relatively small carryon; all except Vanessa. Who managed to look as if she packed for the weekend instead of a day trip. Maleeyah understood if one was to mismanage packing their mistake should be to pack too much rather than not enough. However, even she could economize for a day.
They walked through the lobby and Sean went to the desk as they hung back and waited. Ben and Maleeyah remained standing as they looked around. It was a beautiful building and the d�cor was magnificent. A few years ago for a fleeting month, she thought about interior design as a career. She not only wanted to decorate homes but hotels and corporate offices as well.
Jack sat on one of the couches and Derek sat in a single chair. He didn�t get to enjoy it alone, instead of sitting on the couch with Jack, or any of the other numerous chairs and couches, Vanessa sat on Derek�s lap. His face didn�t show the slight glimmer of affection but his hands instantaneously lay on her back and her thighs. He rubbed her back as she placed one tiny arm around his shoulder.
Maleeyah smiled. The only way Vanessa could claim her territory more definitively would be to pee on him like a dog.
**
They decided to eat lunch at The Ruins, where they could dine by waterfall. Maleeyah had a thing for water. In fact, her number one sexual fantasy involved water.
�Maleeyah.� Her opportunity to daydream about what she wasn�t getting was interrupted by Vanessa. She turned her gaze towards her, letting her know she was listening.
�Do you have a boyfriend back in Florida?�
�No boyfriend. A couple of interested parties though.�
She wanted to put Vanessa at ease. One thing Maleeyah didn�t do was cheat with a guy that was spoken for. It wasn�t about morals or any sisterhood. It was for purely selfish reasons. She didn�t play back up to anyone. She was too good to be someone�s second best so she wanted Vanessa to know even though she might have competition out there, it wasn�t with Maleeyah.
�Really? Is there anyone you see a future with? You should have brought one of them.�
She allowed Vanessa to play the game, do the dance of feeling her out.
�I�m not sure about a future. I don�t plan out dates and men like that. I kind of go with the flow but no one has any dead bodies in their basement or collects Barbie dolls so I guess they have potential.�
�I love your cami.�
�Thanks.�
�Ok, before this goes off into a conversation about shopping let�s order.� Jack motioned for the waiter and she buried her head in the menu.
Their conversations about what they wanted to do were interrupted when the servers brought their food. Maleeyah and Derek had blackened catfish. She ordered first and he followed her lead after commenting that he would try it. Jack had a seafood platter, Ben had a steak, Sean had jerk something or other and Vanessa had a garden salad. Derek and Sean tried to convince her it might be best to eat something more since they were in a for a long day but she insisted she wasn�t that hungry. What-the-fuck-ever, Maleeyah thought. She was starving and she ate like it.
**
They made stops at the Coyaba River Garden and Museum and nearby Shaw Park Gardens. They were both high on the hill overlooking the town. The beautiful imported trees and decorative plants and roses exemplified the paradise feel of the entire island. She thought she would have a confidante in Vanessa but it seemed the only flowers she liked were those that came by the dozen and were delivered with a card.
Next was a tour of Prospect Plantation. During the tour, Ben and Vanessa acted as if they were at a museum during a sixth grade field trip. They were totally uninterested. If the other three were just as bored they did a great job of hiding it. She enjoyed it. Who knew when she would be in Jamaica again? It was unbelievable; it was a clear day and she could actually see 90 miles across the sea to Cuba.
�Can you believe that�s Cuba?�
She shook her head at Derek, �No, you hear about it all the time but it seems so much farther away. Like the other part of the world. And to actually be able to see it. In the US you can�t see down the street for all the pollution and high buildings.�
She saw Vanessa coming their way from the corner of her eye, �I�m going to tell Sean how much I love his native land.�
They laughed before she walked off. Instead of saying �Jamaica� or �my country�, Sean described Jamaica as his native land.
She glanced over at Derek who was now trapped in Vanessa�s embrace. She learned as a teenager, females felt threatened by other females. Every woman thinks her enemy (the other woman) is plotting for her man. She didn�t want Vanessa to get the wrong idea so she limited her interaction with Derek.
031 | No Ordinary Girl