The Night Before Thirty (30 page)

The dealer gave her two. Then the other players folded.

Lashawnda laid her cards down on the table. She had a full house. The ladies went wild.

“How did you get so good?” Elise asked her.

“My old boyfriend, the one who used to beat me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, was a cardsharp. I guess I did get something out of that shitty relationship,” she said, then picked up her cards.

Once they'd had enough, they walked to the deck, where the limbo contest had begun. The ladies joined in, dancing underneath the limbo stick, but none of them made it to the final round. They sat around and watched the others while they cooled out and listened to the mellow island music playing on the deck.

Afterward, they walked over to the dining area to find that their lunch was another buffet spread. They filled themselves with seafood, pasta, fresh fruit, and numerous other items.

“The food here is unreal,” Catara said.“I had just started a new diet. Now I'm going to have to start over when I get home.”

“I'm tired of hearing you talk about your weight. You can diet if you want to, but don't let mainstream society make you think you should lose weight,” Tanya said.“Plus, you should capitalize on your weight and create a line of pajamas and lingerie for full-figured women. You have the talent. Girl, use your body to make that money!”

Catara looked at Tanya in amazement. She never would have imagined that going on this trip would help her see her weight as an asset, and not a liability. She smiled because Tanya had a good point, and she took her words to heart.“You're joking, but I might have to consider your plan.”

“No. I'm serious. Go for it, girl. Make all the skinny women jealous. Because I know after I have this baby, I'm probably gonna spread, just like my momma, and I'm gonna be one of your main customers.” They laughed. After the reaction from the women the night before when they saw her pajamas, and now Tanya's comments, Catara was seriously contemplating putting out her own line of pajamas.

They spent the rest of the cruise relaxing on one of the decks until they docked in the Grand Bahamas. Once at Freeport, they had to show their legal documentation in order to enter the island. Once they got through customs, they were greeted by numerous cabdrivers vying for their business. They chose a driver who had a van. The unsuspecting women piled in, and before long were whisked away at high speeds down a long street going toward Port Lucaya.

The ladies opted to spend the first part of their time on the island shopping at the Port Lucaya Marketplace, located on the waterfront. They browsed in and out of shops, purchasing souvenirs and gifts for their friends and family. Elise was torn about what to get Allen.

“Girl, give him you wrapped in a bow,” Tanya joked.

“Yeah, right,” Elise replied.

“Well, give him a T-shirt. You can't go wrong with a T-shirt,” Catara suggested.

“Yeah, but Elise really wants to let Allen know that she's feeling him. She has to make a definite statement with her gift,” Louisa said.

The girls came to a menswear shop.

“I've got it,” Alecia squeeled.“Get a pair of silk boxers for him.”

“Sexy, sexy,” Lashawnda said.

“A hint of sex, but it doesn't scream it. Silk is a nice fabric, so he'll know she wasn't being cheap. Plus, all men need underwear, so it's something he can use.”

“It sounds good to me,” Elise said.

The women crowded around the boxers and looked through them, debating until they agreed on a pair for Allen.

Then they went to the Perfume Factory, a replica of an 18th-century Bahamian mansion. There they learned how perfume was made—they even had the opportunity to mix and name their own brand.

“I'm going to name mine Jewel,” Alecia said.“I always wanted a perfume that no one else would be able to duplicate.”

“You've got that,” Louisa said, taking a whiff of Alecia's creation.
“And nobody's gonna want to copy that, because it doesn't smell too good. You might want to keep working on it.”

Alecia sniffed it again, and frowned.“You might be right.”

Back on the cruise ship, the women enjoyed a seven-course dinner in the Grand Bahamas Grill Restaurant, feasting on lamb chops, lobster tail, New York strip steak, and fresh fish. After the main course, the staff members walked out with a huge seven-layer cake filled with candles and sang “Happy Birthday.”

“Make a wish, ladies,” Jessica insisted.

They closed their eyes, made their individual wishes, and on the count of three blew out the candles. Their waiter cut the cake and served them.

“I am stuffed,” Elise said, “But this cake is too good.”

“It's your birthday, girl. Go for it!” Tanya, who was on her second piece of cake, encouraged her.

They continued the evening gambling until they either lost all that they could or won just enough to stop. Eventually, they gathered on the deck and reflected on their day while watching the moon reflect off the ocean waves while listening to soothing Caribbean music.

“Please tell Melvin Green that I will always remember my weekend,” Lashawnda said.“It has been more than I could have imagined.”

“It's been great for me too. I'll never forget it. It's been special, you know?” Catara said.

“Yeah it has been. It's filled me up,” Alecia said.“I knew I needed a boost, and this has definitely been it.”

Louisa looked at Alecia and smiled.“I'm glad you came,” she whispered.

“Yeah, me too,” Alecia replied.

Lashawnda began singing the Stevie Wonder song that Jessica played for them that morning: “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you …” Everybody joined in with the final “Happy birthday!”

LISE STEPPED ONTO
the moving sidewalk leading down the long walkway of the Hartsfield airport, heading toward baggage claim. She stood to the side and allowed those moving faster than her to get by. It was a busy Sunday at the airport, and she felt good about being a part of the hustle and bustle of the day. Smiling all the while, she recapped the time she'd spent in Miami and the Bahamas, thinking of the meaningful friendships she'd developed and of the wonderful gifts she'd brought back with her. Especially the one she'd gotten for Allen. She'd packed everything else, but Allen's gift was right there in the bag dangling from her hand.

There was no nervousness, no jittery feelings of doubt. Elise knew she couldn't remain silent any longer, could no longer wait for him to make the first move. On her plane trip home, she'd decided that she was going to borrow from Lashawnda's boldness and Alecia's way with men and lure Allen, hook, line, and sinker. When she had called that morning, he told her he'd be in the waiting area looking for her, and she intended to give him something to look at. Elise's hair wasn't flying away as usual; it was neat and softly styled. Her makeup was just right— not too much, but just enough to bring out her eyes and accentuate her lips. She knew she looked classy, dressed in one of the new outfits she'd
gotten at the Bal Harbour Shops. When Allen got a look at her, he would have to know that she was something special and worth going after. If that didn't work, she would just be honest and let him know how she felt.

Just as he promised, Allen was where he said he would be. Blending in with a group of people waiting for their loved ones, Allen grinned from ear to ear when he saw her approaching.

“You made it back!” he said, and held out his arms to hug her.

Elise fell into his embrace. She didn't want to let go so soon, but he pulled back almost before the hug had begun.

“How was your flight?” he asked, and put his hand out to motion for Elise to head down to baggage claim.

Elise was annoyed. He barely seemed to pay her any attention. There were no comments about her appearance, no indication that he even noticed her hair. Nothing.

“Nice. Relaxing,” she replied. Then she stopped walking.“Before we go down. I want to give you a gift.” She knew the gift would do the trick.

“Oh, okay,” he said shyly.“You didn't have to.”

“I know, but I said I would, and I wanted to.”

The two moved over to a corner, out of the way of the traffic, and Elise handed Allen the bag. He began to open in, but Elise stopped him.

“Before you open the gift. I want to say something.”

“Okay,” he said.

“Listen, I could have brought you back a T-shirt or a coffee mug, or some other kind of souvenir, but I wanted to give you something that really showed you my gratitude for all the work that you've done for Gotta Flip and for winning the trip for me. Allen, we've grown to become good friends over the last few months, and since I've opened the gym it seems that we've grown even closer, so I hope that this gift isn't too forward, but I also hope that it will help to bring about a …” She stumbled for words, but couldn't find them.“Oh. You'll see what I mean.”

Allen looked confused. He held on to the bag but was unsure if it was okay to go into it or not.

“Oh, you can open it now,” she said, and smiled.

He put his hand inside the bag.

“Wait.”

He stopped.

“I never asked you if you had a girlfriend.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” he asked.

She took the bag from him.“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked.

He laughed.“You are acting strange. Did that tropical sun affect your brain waves?” he joked.

“No,” she replied in a serious tone.“Are you avoiding the question?”

“No I'm not, and no, I don't have a girlfriend,” he replied.

She let out a gust of air. This was going to be tougher than she thought.

“So, do I get my gift or what?” he asked, making it clear that the grin on his face wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

You can do this,
Elise said to herself.

She handed the bag back to him.

“Can I open it now?” he asked teasingly.

“You can open it,” she replied. What seemed to be a good idea initially didn't seem so good anymore.

Allen pulled out the silk boxers with a note attached to them. He blushed and then looked at the note, which read:
I'm looking forward to seeing you in these one day!

Allen tilted his head and made a face, staring at the boxers.

Elise wanted to hide. She had been too forward with her gift. She knew she was too forward, but she didn't back down. She stood firm and waited for him to respond.

“These are nice,” Allen said, and smiled.“I'm just surprised you would give me a gift like this.”

“I'm sure,” Elise replied.

“So where's your luggage? Didn't you carry it on going to Miami?” he asked.

Elise was crushed. He didn't respond in any way she'd hoped he would, but she wasn't going to embarrass herself further by saying anything else. Maybe she'd misread his signals—maybe he only wanted to remain friends.

“I had to get another bag because I have so much stuff, so I just checked everything.”

“Well, I think we should get down to baggage claim and pick up your bags before someone takes them,” he said calmly.

“Okay,” she replied and turned away from him, walking ahead of him
toward the escalator. By the time they got to baggage claim, Elise's luggage was coming around the carousel. She pointed out her bags, and Allen retrieved them.