She was tired but she was able to lie in the bed and do nothing because even though they got back to Negril late last night (actually early that morning) she stayed up to pack her bags. There was a knock on her door.
�Come in.�
She smiled at Sean as he leaned through the door.
�Hey, we�re going to have brunch. You want to go?�
�No, I think I�ll stay here today. I don�t really feel like going out.�
�Want us to bring you back something?�
She shook her head, �No, I�ll manage.� There was still a little food left and since they were all leaving today she might as well help eat it.
**
Everyone had left for brunch, or so she thought, until she walked out in the back and saw Derek swimming in the pool.
She sat at the edge of the pool, her feet in the water, and watched him. A couple of birds squawked and captured her attention. She looked up in the sky and when she did the hot sun beamed on her face. The warmth of the hot sun was a wonderful feeling. She closed her eyes and leaned back.
Suddenly, she felt water and hands on her thighs as someone screamed at her.
She screamed out of fear and soon smiled shaking her head at Derek as he laughed at her reaction.
�Didn�t mean to scare you.�
�Yes you did.�
�Ok, didn�t mean to scare you that bad.�
�You almost gave me a heart attack.�
He swam closer and stood in the pool in between her legs. He placed his hand on her chest, over her heart,
�Its beating a mile a minute. Sorry about that.�
She just rolled her eyes at him and his little boy antics.
�Did you have a good time this week?�
Between Derek, Jack, Sean and Ben she couldn�t count how many times she had been asked that. It was like she was some fragile mental patient or something.
�I had a great time. Thanks for being so nice.�
He shrugged and swam off a bit, �No problem. A friend of Ben�s is a friend of ours.�
He seemed to reconsider that, �Well, not really. He�s got some weird ones but you're alright.�
He was still that soft brown complexion but it was deeper.
�You got a nice tan there.�
�Why thanks. I happen to think I look better with a little sun. You don�t look so bad yourself.�
She pulled just a bit of her bikini top down to showcase the tan, �Yeah, not bad.�
�What time do you guys leave again?�
Ben, Jack and Maleeyah were headed back to Tampa together, �Our flight leaves at six.�
At least she would have enough time to get some sleep before she had to go to work the next morning. She wasn�t the only one, Jack had to go to work the next morning. Ben was the only slacker who didn�t have anything to do. He was going to stay with his brother until Christmas.
�Make sure you give me your phone number before I leave.�
�Ok. What time is your flight?�
�I need to be at the airport for check-in in about two hours. I should be packing right now; heading to Michigan.�
�Michigan?�
�Yeah, I�m from there; Kalamazoo. My foundation, Turn 2, is having a Christmas party for the kids in the program tomorrow evening. I decided to fly in there today. The less flying I have to do the better.�
�What about Sean and Vanessa?�
�They leave before you guys; at 4:13 or something crazy like that.�
She assumed Sean and Vanessa were both headed back to New York. It was weird, they spent all this time together and they were all going their separate ways.
�Derek, can you come here please.�
They both looked over to see Vanessa standing at the doorway with a little silk gown on. Maleeyah was just happy she wasn�t around to see him standing between her legs. It meant nothing to Derek and it meant nothing to her but it wouldn�t have made Vanessa happy; that Maleeyah was sure of.
He smiled at her, �Don�t forget that number. I�ll see you later.�
She nodded like she was talking to a judge or something serious. She didn�t want Vanessa to think she was being amused too much by her man.
**
She was headed back to Orlando, Ben safe and secure with his brother in Tampa. As she navigated along I-4 she listened to her messages. She didn�t bother to take her cell phone with her to Jamaica. It was a tough call but she was on vacation. To make sure she didn�t spend her time on the phone she intentionally left it at Jack�s place.
She had messages from her mother, Lance, Monica, Felicia and Diane. Diane was a friend she met a Valencia Community College. Diane went on to UCF, a state school. If she didn�t have her grandmother�s money, that�s where Maleeyah would be right now. Diane wanted to be a teacher. It was so weird to her. It seemed everyone was getting a teaching degree but there was always a shortage of teachers.
She dialed her friend�s number, �Hello?�
�Hey, its Maleeyah.�
�Where have you been?�
�I just got off a plane. I�ve been in Jamaica for a week.�
�Get the hell out. With who? Do I know him?�
�Ben, his brother Jack and their friends Derek and Sean.�
�You went to Jamaica with four guys?�
�Yeah. Actually, it was like going to Jamaica with four brothers. It was great. We stayed in a gorgeous beach house in Negril.�
�Whoa, friends with money? Wait, probably some rich athletes.�
Diane had met Ben and she knew his brother worked for the Bucs. She always told him she needed her brother to hook her up with the next Bucs draft pick.
�Just one athlete.�
�Which one? Do I know him?�
In the grand tradition of all her female friends, Diane was not a fan of sports. A fan of athletes sure, but not the games they played.
�Derek is Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees.�
�Get the hell out. The one that dated Jordana Brewster?�
That was the only reason she knew who he was. Diane loved The Fast and Furious or whatever the name was. She knew it was something like that but she never saw the movie so she couldn�t stake money on it.
�Yep.�
�He�s kind of cute. Did you do him?�
�What would make you ask me that? Of course not. Like I said, four brothers. Besides, he had his girl with him. He�s dating that Vanessa chick from MTV.�
Unlike sports, pop culture was Diane�s thing; especially pop music. Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, the O.C., Sex and the City, Will and Grace, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, spring break, Entertainment Tonight, People, US Weekly and MTV best described Diane.
�Wow, who knew? I�m slipping.�
�Yeah. Hey, let me go. I�m on the road. I�ll call you tomorrow when I get off from work and give you all the details.�
033 | No Ordinary Girl