DIMMI
The cab finally stopped right at the pier where their ship docked. Theo helped her and they both walked swaying on to the ship.
She threw up in the cabin as everything turned. When Theo put her in the shower, Dimmi cried for no reason. Dimmi wasn't that drunk yet to spill the beans how much she envied her sister now. She was a Diva and her sister was right. Not even the baboon man could keep up with her. He liked her sister. How crappy is that? Losing your only love at first sight to someone who was going to end up with your sister. She was going to be a spinster forever.
She passed out, sniffing and crying. She never had this maudlin feeling after having the time of her life.
She hoped Theo would not take it further with this Chad. Dimmi wouldn't be able to handle that.
The next morning, she had a huge hangover. Thank heavens the cabins were so dark.
When she put on the light next to their bed, the shock of what the cabin looked like hit her full in the face. It was clothes everywhere and their make up cluttered the table close to the TV.
It was already one o'clock in the afternoon. Theo wasn't even in the room yet.
She just wanted to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about Chad. Dimmi laughed at the surname. Her sister called him baboon and his last name was Gibson. Not that Gibson was a baboon, but it was close.
She took a long shower and needed aspirin for her pounding skull. She shouldn't have drink that much.
She hated this feeling inside of her. Dimmi never had been unhappily in love. She hated this feeling so much.
They were the same. It was probably a wrong fit too, but she couldn't stop liking him. There wasn't a switch to flip off, either.
She got dressed for the day in a summer dress and her yellow bikini. When she was about to step into her flip-flops, the door opened and her sister walked in.
"The dead are alive," she cried playfully, and Dimmi laughed. "Here." She handed her two Advil.
"I can kiss you right now."
She wrapped her arms around her sister. "Thanks for last night. I forgot how amazing it is to hang out with you. You are like honey to flies, babes."
Dimmi laughed. "Those guys were not flies. Fuck," she yelled and wanted to cry again.
"Why were you crying last night?"
She looked at her sister. "I cried?"
"You bawled your eyes out."
Dimmi sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing. Just my luck, I guess. The first guy that is my love at first sight is crazy for my sister. I'm a big diva. I'm going to end up alone."
Theo laughed.
"It's not funny. You do not know how badly I wanted to just tone it down a little."
"Fuck no. What did I say to you, Dims? Never change for anyone."
"Yeah, I know, but I really liked him and now you are going to end up with him and I'm going to be in love with my brother-in-law, forever." She plopped on the bed, grabbed her pillow, and screamed into her pillow.
Theo thought it was hilarious.
"It not funny."
"I'm not the only daft one with guys, sis. Monkey man liked a lot, you intimidated him, Dimmi. You are larger than life."
"What? Get out of here? He spoke to you the entire night, Theo, and gave me Hawaiian phrases that I'd never heard before. I swear he was teaching me bad words or something, because everyone laughed when I'd said it. I felt like an idiot."
"Yeah, I asked him about that. He was chicken shit to speak to you in the universal language. It was funny like hell when you spoke back to him in Afrikaans and you guys had this entire discussion in each other's languages. It sounded like you knew exactly what the other one was saying."
"Yeah, I feel like an idiot because I basically tell him in so many phrases that I wanted him."
Theo laughed. "I understand the language, babe. I wish I knew what he was saying."
Silence lingered. "You serious now?"
"Yes. He actually was contemplating to just grab and kissed you last night. So, I'm sure you were not the only one declaring your want, sweets. You just don't give anyone a chance, Dimmi. That was why he spoke to me, to get more intel on you."
"Bullshit."
"I'm serious. He didn't write his number down for me, sis. He wrote it down for you. I'm just the messenger. I told him he was a coward last night when you told them all goodbye. He should've just grabbed you then."
"Why didn't he?"
"Because I was smart, I didn't tell him how you felt."
"Theo!"
"Hell no, a guy can never know how women feel about them, sis. If they know, they become fuckers. A guy like monkey man, you need to tell him as little as possible, keep the mystery."
Dimmi laughed. "You serious now, and you are not saying that so that I don't hate you?"
Theo laughed again. "I swear, he likes you probably more than you like him."
"That is not possible. Dammit, and now we are here on this cruise."
"Well, maybe if you phone him, you can meet him some place tonight."
"You think?"
"Yeah, you can use my number."
"Fuck, no, you phone."
Theo laughed. "Dimmi, seriously. I'd never seen you like this."
"Yeah, because if I fuck this up, that is my love at first sight down the drain, sis. I can't."
Theo thought it was hilarious.
"I told you I was going to cry my eyes out."
"Yeah, you did. I didn't think you meant it though."
She pushed her sister away with her toe as she screamed into the pillow again. Dammit, why hadn't she just grabbed him last night. What the hell did he tell her in Hawaiian.
***
She had to get something in her system as Theo phoned Chad.
"Hey," Theo said, and Dimmi's grin grew. Theo laughed. "So, can you guys meet us somewhere today?"
Her face fell. "Are you shitting me now? What happened to last night, Chad? All that confessing and everything."
More silence, and Dimmi didn't like this conversation one bit. He would not meet them today. What happened between four am and one pm for him to change his mind that drastically. She was a diva, that was why. Guys disliked divas.
Her somber mood was returning, and she hated it.
"So, you are a momma's boy?" Theo asked, with a raised eyebrow. "I'm joking, I think it's pretty cool you are going to hang out with your mother."
"Chad, seriously, we do not live in the States, we live in South Africa. And we are not that long in Hawaii either. I guess we'd just hang out with Will then."
More silence as Theo's shoulders shook.
"Fine, whatever. No, she doesn't know. You can't even meet us for a few drinks. So why should I tell her?"
Dimmi smiled again. Theo wasn't lying.
"She has a massive hangover. It's those Guinness, she is going to grow hair on her chest. I should blame you for turning my baby sister into a keg of beer."
More laughter erupted from Theo. "Yeah, says the man that can't even meet us..." Theo screamed her laughter. "Fine, I'll let you know what the princess is saying after she wakes up. But seriously, Chad. This is a big disappointment. I really thought you liked her."
Theo pulled her eyes at Dimmi. She was an idiot. She should just speak to him herself.
Her sister laughed again. "Whatever. Enjoy your time with mommy. Yeah, yeah, speak to you later."
They said goodbye and Dimmi cried playfully and put her head on the table. She didn't have to ask what they were speaking about. Chad had other arrangements, and this was just her luck. She was in love with someone that she only met one night. He could easily be the love of her life, and now she would never see him again.
"Calm down, sis. He had other arrangement. He couldn't get out of it, he tried. I have to admit, I really like him a lot too."
"Take that back," Dimmi growled at her sister, and Theo laughed.
"Not like that. He loves his momma, and mom always told us, you look at how they treat their momma to know how they will treat their wife. It's her time. Unless you have the ring, you can't do shit."
Dimmi laughed as tears pooled in her eyes. "I'm never going to see him again, Theo."
"Bull, you have a five-year visa, Dims. Use it, stay here, work at that Tiki Bar. You will breath life into that bar."
Dimmi laughed. "And fuck the plan. Hell no."
Theo sighed. Dimmi knew her sister had nothing back to say. Chad was settling down material, and she was going to cut the string.
Thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate all the comments and votes. Please hit the star if you liked it.
Pun of today: I've decided to retire as a librarian to start a new chapter in my life.