Still thicker than water (12 page)

Ree licked the spine of her back slowly and Tatum moaned in pleasure. He could feel his dick harden as he inhaled her intoxicating scent and rubbed her smoothness. They both were in the brink of passion. Tatum, sure that she was in a sensual dream. And Ree, feeling as if he was reminiscing of another time.

“
I missed you,” she cried, half conscious.

Ree stopped, instantly. He closed his eyes and tried to rationalize.
It can’t be…It just.
He backed away and stared at her; she was still facing down but suddenly looking like someone else. He was scared to say the name, scared that he just may be going crazy. But he wouldn’t have to.

The instant halt on her dream caused Tatum to slowly open her eyes
. What just happened? Did Mildred even come in the room yet?
She turned over slowly and the breath left her body. Their eyes met, and the world stopped. After a few moments of staring, the silence was broken.

“
Tatum?” He barely managed to get out. Nothing in him could believe it, but it had to be real. She was here, and every emotion he could possibly feel went through him at once.

“
Destiny?” She found herself asking lightly to herself, still in a state of shock.

Ree studied her as if she wasn’t real, completely in awe of her, and he ran his hands over his face to regain his composure.

“
What…When…What are you doing here?” He asked this as if her being there had thrown a monkey wrench in his new life. Tatum wasn’t sure if it was a good monkey wrench, or a bad one.

She awkwardly moved around to cover her body with the towel as she stood up. She wasn’t sure how a minute ago she was ready to make love to him in her dream and now here in reality, she was nervous and embarrassed. She held her towel with one hand and used the other to run through her hair.

“
Um…I don’t know…Sasha wanted to come… and get away…and I figured…I mean I just thought since you…” She paused, flustered, and looked at him. She swallowed hard and then smiled lightly, taking in everything about him that she was crazy about, everything that she loved. It was him. “Are you even happy to see me?” She was still real and upfront, and he loved it.

He smiled as he looked at her. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Over the time he had forgotten little things, like the small beauty mark on her cheek, or the sparkle in her eyes, and the way her skin glowed. All of these things now all at once, combined with her essence and her beauty, let it be known, no one could hold a candle to her.

“
You have no idea,” he assured her. He went to make his way over to her and the door flew open, stopping him in his tracks.

“
Oh my god, I am so sorry, baby. Mildred told me she sent you to the wrong room.” Trinity stood there embarrassed for Tatum, and for Ree. And Mildred stood behind her.

“
I’m so sorry Mr. Knights... I had no idea Ms. Trinity was not here.”

Trinity walked over to where Ree stood and the reality came crashing down on Tatum like a ton of bricks. The kisses on her back, the sweet words, his hands, his tongue, it was all for
her.

It was all my man’s idea…
Trinity had said earlier.
Her
man…

Tatum stared at Ree for a few long seconds and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure of what. As if he knew how hurt and embarrassed Tatum could be, and he was hurt for her. Well, he had no idea.

Tatum blinked away tears and looked down at the ground. She was mortified. Ree spoke her name.

“
Tatum.”

Trinity looked up at him curiously.

“
You guys know each other, Sean?” She asked, sensing that there was something in the air, and definitely something in the way that he said her name. He answered her but kept his focus on Tatum, who just looked down.

“
Yeah…we know each other from the states.”

Trinity was taken aback and by this time Sasha and Jayde had made their way to the door.

“
Ree?” Sasha questioned, shocked.

“
Bellboy?” Jayde asked, confused.

Trinity intertwined her arm into his, a simple but territorial gesture. A message to Tatum that Ree paid no mind to.

“
Oh, wow. Well, these are the ladies that had problems with their reservations yesterday... It’s a small world, right baby?”

Tatum couldn’t take anymore. Maybe hearing that he had moved on would have been a little easier to deal with.

But seeing it right in front of her, with all of the pet names and love gestures, was like torture. She finally mustered up the strength to say…

“
I think I need to put my clothes on.”

She stormed out of the room with tears in her eyes, without so much as a glance at Ree or his Tatum stunt double, and she made her way to the locker room with Sasha and Jayde hot on her trail. Ree called out her name one more time, but she didn’t respond. She didn’t even turn around.

Mildred turned around and left as well, but Trinity remained. She stared at Ree as he just looked straight ahead blankly.

She didn’t want to let on, but she was terrified.

“
Sean… is everything okay?” She finally asked him.

After a few seconds he looked at her and nodded coolly.

“
Yeah…yeah everything’s fine.”

And then he walked out of the room and left her standing there alone. No hug, no wink, no smile, and definitely no kiss.

“
No, I don’t give a fuck! I am getting the fuck out of here… Jayde, if you don’t want me to hate you forever, I would appreciate it if you got on that little magic phone of yours, called up one of your jet friends, and got me a flight off of this fucking island!”

Tatum was pissed. She was storming around the suite, throwing things into her bag with tears streaming down her cheeks. This was not apart of the plan. He was supposed to be like her, unable to move on. I mean yeah, he could’ve fucked around, but a serious relationship, that was not even in his character, unless it was with Tatum. Anybody else shouldn’t have even been able to get that close.
Oh my god, he kisses her!

Tatum thought of the way that he kissed her back, he had to kiss her lips twice as good. And it tore her apart, as much as she wished that it didn’t.

Jayde was still in shock that Tatum’s man, the infamous Ree, was the bellboy that she had met. She snapped out of her thoughts.

“
Okay, now look, calm down sweetie…so, he’s got a bitch, so what, right? Just put your shit down and move her out the house…take back what’s yours.”

Sasha sat on the couch stupefied. She couldn’t believe their reunion had played out like this. She wanted to console Tatum, but she wasn’t sure of what to say. Although it was worded all wrong, Jayde did have a point.

“
Are you even sure that it’s that serious?” Sasha asked Tatum, finally saying something.

Tatum took a break from her tirade and answered.

“
Yes, I’m sure.”

Sasha stood up and walked to her.

“
But how, how do you know?”

Tatum was visibly upset by the question.

‘
I just know!” She shot back.

“
How?” Sasha asked again, not feeling like that was good enough.

“
Because I know!” Tatum repeated. “I just know…I know…I know…him.”

Her tears came down as she stated it again.

“
I know
him
.” She knew the way that he was with Trinity, was nothing light. Ree was not one to play games or waste his time with purposeless relationships. If she had his time, she meant something.

Sasha wrapped her arms around her friend and rubbed her back and Tatum wiped her face with her hands. She couldn’t believe that she was crying.

“
Are you sure you want to leave?” Sasha asked.

Before Tatum could answer, a knock on the door interrupted. Jayde figured she would be the one to answer, being that the friends were having a one on one.

She opened the door and Ree stood on the other side, serious as ever.

“
Tatum here?”

Jayde opened the door wider so that he could look in, and Tatum and Ree made eye contact. They both stood there staring at one another, and Sasha was the one to initiate conversation.

“
Ree, come in…Um, Jayde…why don’t we let them talk?”

Sasha and Jayde made their way to Jayde’s room which was the furthest away as Ree came in, closed the door, and walked over to Tatum. His aura was so dominant; it was hard for Tatum not to swoon. There was an awkward silence as both of them tried to figure out what to say. Ree spoke first.

“
You know, about the room incident, and the massage thing…I’m sorry about that, Tatum. I know that whole situation was uncomfortable.”

Tatum shook her head nonchalantly.

“
You don’t have to apologize Ree, you thought I was somebody else…right? So why are you sorry?” She hated that her words came out angry but she couldn’t help it.

“
That’s not fair, Tatum…and I wouldn’t exactly say that.”

He thought of how lost he was, feeling her, smelling her, imagining that it was her, only to find that it really was her. It was never Trinity, even if it really would have been Trinity, it still wouldn’t have been her, not to Ree.

Tatum chuckled, not buying it.

“
Well, what
were
you thinking, then?”

Ree shrugged.

“
I don’t know, what were
you
thinking? I know you weren’t thinking that it was me.”

Tatum was stuck and had no response. Ree could see her frustration and didn’t want to go any further with this argument.

“
Look, it was an…unusual way for us to meet again, but it happened. And now, you’re here…and I’m here…and I’m happy. We have a lot of catching up to do, and some things to discuss.”

Tatum heard him talking and it all sounded so good, but the sharp pain of someone else having him still stung her. He continued.

“
I have a very important business dinner tonight, I couldn’t miss it if I wanted to…and trust me, I want to…” He paused and looked at her yearningly. “So I would love, no I would be very honored, if you would please have lunch with me tomorrow, Miss Lady?”

The name he called her took her back, but looking around at the present took her here. She couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“
I…I wont be here tomorrow...I’m leaving.”

His face collapsed into sorrow and anger and he stared at her waiting for her to look at him. When he realized that she wouldn’t, he called her name.

“
Tatum… Tatum, look at me.” She turned her head so that he couldn’t see the tears coming on and he called her again.

“
Look at me, Tatum.”

She finally did and her heart melted. He stared her straight in the eyes.

“
Don’t do this shit. Don’t run from me.” He was so demanding. His words echoed in her head as Sasha came out of the bedroom, interrupting his intense warning.

“
Excuse us for a moment,” she said, grabbing Tatum and dragging her into the bathroom.

Once inside and door closed, Sasha let her have it.

“
Now, I done heard enough.”

Tatum was shocked, both by Sasha’s tone, and her open admission to eavesdropping. Tatum looked at her like she was crazy.

“
Yup, that’s right, I’ve been listening… And I can’t believe you, bitch! That man has done nothing wrong, and I know it hurts that he hasn’t been a complete angel, or celibate, like you, but from what I can tell, that chick don’t mean nothing! Now if you don’t cut out your temper tantrum, and go to lunch with him tomorrow...I don’t know what Imma do.” Tatum sucked her teeth and shook her head in disbelief as Sasha added on.

“
No, I take that back, I know exactly what I’m gonna do….I wont get you that lawyer,” she threatened.

“
You wouldn’t do that,” Tatum said in disbelief.

“
Try me.”

Tatum couldn’t believe this person who was imitating the sweet Sasha.

“
Sash, that’s not funny, that is a serious situation!”

“
And so is this…” Sasha countered. “Now go out there, and say yes.”

Sasha looked at her sternly, and then made her way out of the bathroom, and back into the room with Jayde, without another word.