July 6, 2015
We woke up around four am to drive to Birmingham to catch our 6:30 flight. Jayme and Destiny spent the night at our house last night to avoid any delays. Elise and Destiny decided that we should plan the vacation, so we decided to take them to Cozumel. We would be there from Monday through Friday because I had to be back to get the kids on Saturday.
They spent the Fourth of July with us, but we allowed them to go with Jhene to the Riverwalk that night to see the fireworks. Despite her semi-spat with Elise about the scholarship, Jhene stuck to the schedule, and I extended her grace for not making things difficult.
We arrived at security check with an hour to spare. I cupped Elise's hand in mine as we stood in line waiting our turn. She had on a ribbed tank with distressed black jeans and footie socks, with her Jordan slides. She had a denim jacket tied loosely around her waist, and large cat-eyed sunglasses framed her face. She leaned into me as we waited in line, El was not a morning person.
After making it through security check and locating our boarding terminal, we waited for about thirty minutes before we were called to board. Elise and I sat two rows up from Jayme and Destiny. This was a five-hour flight with a layover in Atlanta. I placed my headphones on and relaxed back into my seat. Elise waited until I was comfortable to rest her head on my shoulder. I knew she would be asleep before we even took off. She had been running crazy with kids all weekend, so I knew she was tired.
After five long, joint stiffening hours we arrived in Cozumel. We caught the private Amstar shuttle to Secrets Aura resort. It was an inclusive adults only resort. I had spent the week with my kids and needed some unfiltered adult time, so the atmosphere was welcomed. We pulled up to the resort where the concierge was waiting to unload the car. We checked in with ease and headed to our separate suites. We both had Junior Suites with a swim up pool. Our room had its' own private terrace with direct swim-out access.
"This is nice babe," Elise said admiring the room.
"I know right," I threw over my shoulder while coming out of the bathroom. " I was going to do the ocean swim up, but I was like nah, I'm not about to wake up with Kermit and his friends having a reunion on the terrace." She giggled at me.
"I'm glad you didn't though, I wouldn't have been able to sleep," she said looking out at the terrace.
"I'm pretty sure you have had all the sleep you can stand."
"Uh Uh, I could go for a nap now but my stomach growling," she said scrunching up her face. She then fished around in her purse before coming up with her phone. I knew it was Destiny because I heard her loud whining voice come through the phone.
"Sis you must have heard my stomach through the walls. We'll meet yall down there once we freshen up.... Ok .... I'll do it as soon as we hang up... Mmkay," She clicked off the call with Destiny and immediately began tapping on her phone screen.
"Babe did you know there's an app for the resort where you can see their schedule and plan your day," she said pausing her tapping and looking up at me.
" Yeah! Jayme and I downloaded it. Yall did ask up to plan it-"
" Yeah but, whatever," she waved me off hoisting her luggage onto the bed. She began to take her items out of the suitcase and place them neatly in the drawers in the dresser. Elise took a few pieces that needed to be hung and put them in the closet. I moved around her following suit, and we both met up at the walk-in shower.
After freshening up, we met Jayme and Destiny in the lobby and made our way to Barefoot Grill. It was about three in the afternoon, but we had already missed lunch, so we were all famished. We followed the hostess to our seats where a server was waiting to take our drink order.
" So what's on the agenda for today," Destiny said stretching and then lifting Jayme's arm over her head so that she could cuddle into his side. Jayme placed a light kiss on her forehead as he ran his fingertips up and down her arms. It was weird seeing them together like this. Usually, Destiny went for the light skin, clean cut, professional and Jayme traditionally dated fitness buffs like himself. However odd the attraction, they seemed to be drawn to each other, and I was here for it.
"I thought we could chill out the first day, hit the pool or the beach, something light. I figured we would all be jet-lagged," Jayme said peering down at her. Destiny nodded her head in agreement. We ate making small talk here and there. After eating, we went to our rooms to change to head to the pool.
"Babe, you ready," I called out to Jayme from the terrace.
"Yeah, here I come," he said walking out of the bathroom shirtless. I bit my lip staring at the chocolate god in front of me.
" Don't start nothing you can't finish," Jayme said lifting his eyebrow at me.
"Oh I can finish, but I don't feel like her Your brother and my best friend mouth right. But no worries, I'll handle that later," I said over my shoulder while stepping into the private pool entrance attached to our room. Jayme stepped in behind me and wrapped his massive arms around my waist.
Jay dipped his head and placed feather kisses on my neck. " I'm glad you took a chance on me," he said near my ear.
"Mmhm, I'm just glad you didn't fuck up the chance I gave you, not yet anyway," I said looking at him over my shades.
" I got you," he said as we began to move to pass our private entrance into the pool.
" There go Elise and Zach over there," Jayme said nodding his head to the left of us. We waded near them, and Elise shyly waved at us. That must mean she was doing something she had no business.
"What y'all over here doing," I said pulling my shades down on my nose.
"I'm not doing nothing. Your girl over here trying to fondle me while I'm just trying to give her this drink," Zach said shrugging. Elise's mouth dropped open in shock as she lifted her hand from the water to take her drink from his hand.
"Y'all drinking already. Come on Dee we gotta catch up," Jayme said pulling me towards the swim up bar. We got our drinks and made our way back over to Zach and Elise.
"So I've been dying to ask, Dee, my good sis, how you let Jay lame ass pull you? Like, I never saw that coming," Zach said adjusting his fitted cap on his head.
I looked at Jay, and he looked at me, waiting to hear my explanation. I smirked at him. "Um, it started the night of the Davis' birthday. He kept dancing with me and asking me where my man was."
"Real smooth Jay," Elise said while giggling.
"I was trying man. But your girl kept shooting me down. She swore up and down I was drunk and playing with her. So I let her rock. The day after, I slide in her DM's, on some Rico Suave, good morning beautiful type shit. This big head girl hit me back with a "sup," I said cutting my eyes at her and Lise fell out laughing.
"Sis, you straight treated my brother, that's so fucked up," Elise said shaking with laughter.
"Girl you know how Jayme is. You hardly ever see this dude with the same female twice," I said rolling my eyes,
"You don't see me bring females around my family for real period," Jayme said in his defense.
"Anyways, he didn't reply to my message, and I knew I was an ass to him, so I hit him up and asked him if he wanted to join me on my evening run-"
"Bitch, when you started running," Elise cut me off. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
"Don't do me, I used to run three days a week, now five thanks to this guy," I said throwing my thumb over my shoulder at Jayme. Elise cut her eyes at me.
"Anyways, he decided to come, and we have been inseparable ever since," I said smiling at him.
" So why you never told me," Elise asked taking a sip of her drink.
" Because she's ashamed of me," Jayme said feigning hurt.
"No, I'm not," I said shoving him lightly, " I actually just wanted us to be solid about what we were doing before we brought it to y'all. We're family, and you know how I am about introducing people I'm with to family. Jay wasn't an exception to that rule."
"I can feel that," Zach said nodding his head while polishing off the last of his drink.
"I been trying to get Elise to put yall together but she said she wasn't getting in between that, because she would hate to have to shoot Jay for breaking your heart because she wasn't going to try to fight his big ass," Zach said laughing while Elise stood there with her mouth open.
"Really El," Jay said tilting his head at her.
"Bro, I love you, but you a big ass nigga and I ain't got time to be hurting myself trying to hurt you," she said with so much conviction that we all fell out laughing. Elise was right though. Not only was Jayme tall, but he was also built. The gym was literally his life.
"Yea ok," he said cutting his eyes at her.
"So what are we doing while we're here," I asked changing the subject.
"Tomorrow we are going to Xcaret; it's an eco-park. We'll get to see some culture, swim with the dolphins, see the reefs, see some wildlife," Jayme began to explain.
"Wildlife! Uh uh, I don't do animals," I said shaking my head.
"You'll be okay," Jayme said dismissively.
"Wednesday, we're going on the Atlantis Submarine tour and spending the day in Cozumel taking in the city and culture," Zach said with his thinking face.
"Thursday is on your own since we gotta be up early for our flight on Friday," Jayme said.
"That sounds good," Elise said casually, " now if you all don't mind I need some private time with my husband," Elise said nuzzling her head int
Zach's neck. Her eyes were low and hooded. I could tell that she was beginning to feel the drinks that she consumed.
I was sitting on my patio casually scrolling through my Instagram while I sipped on my Crown. This had been one hell of a month. Cassandra had come with her big ass twin brothers and moved the rest of her stuff out of the apartment. She never said a word to me. She just sat the key on the counter on her way out the door. Not only had she moved out, but she also changed her number, and put me on the no visit list at her job.
I understood her anger, hell I would be mad too. I can't fault her for not wanting to deal with me. The shit I did was foul. However, at the end of the day, I couldn't help my feelings for Elise. I glanced back down at my phone. Usually, I would check Elise's page, but she had blocked me, which I can't say I didn't see coming.
I halted my scrolling when I came across Zach's Instagram post.
I clenched my jaw and tightened the grip on my phone resisting the urge to be petty and like the picture. I kept scrolling until I came across another beauty on my profile. I thought about how everyone would feel, but it didn't matter to me. Zach was with his heart, his wife, so his baby mama should be fair game.
I double tapped the picture and then clicked her on her profile. Before I knew it, I was sliding in her DM's.
@jhenenoaiko Hey Jhene! I know that this may seem awkward, but I always thought you were beautiful. I wonder if we could go out sometimes. 8:37 p.m
I pressed send and waited to see if she would respond. I leaned back into my lounge chair stair out at the fountain that was situated between the three apartment buildings. I admired the way the lights danced in the pool below, and the iridescence of lights flowed to the utmost regions of its reach. I got a notification making me look down at my phone.
@KulturedKam Hey! Yeah, this is awkward. You seem like a cool person, but I'm not looking to date right now. 8:43 p.m.
@JheneNoAiko I can understand that. How about friends? Let me take you for a drink. No motives, no expectations. Just two people having a drink. 8:49 p.m.
@KulturedKam Mmmm, sure. How does Saturday sound, the kids will be with Zach then? 8:56 p.m.
I clenched my jaw at the mention of his name. No matter what this guy still manages to pop up somewhere in the mix.
@JheneNoAiko Sounds good. Text me for the details 256-616-6235 9:04
I logged out of our thread and made a post of my own.
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I keep rereading it trying to add stuff but *throws my hands up*! I have have had this stupid cold since last Sunday and it only seems to get worse depite going to the doctor.
Anywho, can yall believe Cam?
How do you think Zach is going to respond?
We have about 5 more chapters and a Epilogue left. It's going to be hard parting ways with my baby.
This is me right now! I just didnt want to abandon yall!