guava duff, and the gentle breezes that refreshed her black skin and carried the sweet flower aromas. She missed her mother. She missed their garden that bloomed in vibrant arrays of marguerite and bougainvillea. And the banana and plantain trees that lined the perimeter of their home.
“I’d have thought Hawaii looked a lot like the Bahamas,” he said.
“It does. But it feels different.”
“I know exactly what you mean. There’s an area like Perama near my home in Psychiko but it’s not quite the same. Sometimes I just tell my driver to take the afternoon off and I take a spin down to Perama, trying to work out where I grew up. Our shacks all fell apart and people have built new ones. It’s just as bad as it was before—worse, even.”
“Doesn’t it feel depressing to go back?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I get … contemplative, maybe, but mostly grateful. I was able to get out, to carve a good life. Other people weren’t so lucky.”
They settled into a silence and she tried not to feel like everything was going wrong for her. She looked over at him, to see his soft face turned up toward the sun. He was smiling as if he hadn’t a single care in the world.
She tried to mimic him. She lay her head back on the lounger and looked up to the sky. She tossed her hundreds of tiny braids behind her dark shoulders and tried to enjoy the sensation of the sun warming her skin. It helped a little.
Still the uneasy feeling plagued her as they sat silently on the balcony. She thought about what Theo had said about home and she felt, suddenly, very homesick.
She missed the Bahamas.
“Everything okay?” Theo said after several minutes.
That was it. She couldn’t hold it back anymore; she sobbed uncontrollably, and it felt so good.
“Theo, I spend so much time trying to look put together and feel positive that I am tired. I want to be sad, if only for a few moments. I miss my home. I feel defeated about the hotel. I wanted it to work… And I wanted it to be easy. It isn’t and I feel sad about that.”
He reached over and hugged her—a real hug, one she hadn’t felt since she left the Bahamas and her family. She felt safe with him. He was forceful but deeply comforting, and she felt surrounded, protected on every side.
“We’ll make it,” he kept saying. “You’ll make it.”
Soon her tears abated and she felt almost foolish as she wiped her eyes and sat up.
“Sorry,” she managed to say.
“Don’t be. You wanna go now?”
“Where?”
“The Bahamas—your home.”
“Really?”
“Sure! Anything for you. I want to see you smile. I want to see you succeed. I’d love to meet your family too!”
She nodded. She was a little overwhelmed and didn’t know what to say. She wanted to go home but bringing Theo with her meant this was real—she’d never introduced her family to a man before.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course you can! But what is holding you back, Angelique? You are clearly homesick.”
“I’m just not sure I am ready to give up on the spa just yet.” And I am scared of you meeting my family, she thought.
“That’s my girl! Don’t give up on your dreams. I can help make them a reality. We can always go to the Bahamas later. I will have to meet your family sooner or later and I prefer sooner,” he said winking at her.
She smiled at him, closing her eyes, and lifting her head towards the sun. He was such a good man, what was she so scared of.
*****
She felt Theo’s hands on her inner thigh and it startled her awake.
“Hey,” she spoke sleepily, realizing she had drifted off.
“Hey, sexy girl,” Theo said with a devilish grin. “I was watching you sleep and I needed to touch your beautiful skin. I’d like to put my mouth on it, to see if it tastes as goos as it looks—if I am being honest.”
She laughed. “Please do, my boy.”
Within a breath he was upon her. His milky white skin opposing her dark coloring
“I’d have thought Hawaii looked a lot like the Bahamas,” he said.
“It does. But it feels different.”
“I know exactly what you mean. There’s an area like Perama near my home in Psychiko but it’s not quite the same. Sometimes I just tell my driver to take the afternoon off and I take a spin down to Perama, trying to work out where I grew up. Our shacks all fell apart and people have built new ones. It’s just as bad as it was before—worse, even.”
“Doesn’t it feel depressing to go back?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I get … contemplative, maybe, but mostly grateful. I was able to get out, to carve a good life. Other people weren’t so lucky.”
They settled into a silence and she tried not to feel like everything was going wrong for her. She looked over at him, to see his soft face turned up toward the sun. He was smiling as if he hadn’t a single care in the world.
She tried to mimic him. She lay her head back on the lounger and looked up to the sky. She tossed her hundreds of tiny braids behind her dark shoulders and tried to enjoy the sensation of the sun warming her skin. It helped a little.
Still the uneasy feeling plagued her as they sat silently on the balcony. She thought about what Theo had said about home and she felt, suddenly, very homesick.
She missed the Bahamas.
“Everything okay?” Theo said after several minutes.
That was it. She couldn’t hold it back anymore; she sobbed uncontrollably, and it felt so good.
“Theo, I spend so much time trying to look put together and feel positive that I am tired. I want to be sad, if only for a few moments. I miss my home. I feel defeated about the hotel. I wanted it to work… And I wanted it to be easy. It isn’t and I feel sad about that.”
He reached over and hugged her—a real hug, one she hadn’t felt since she left the Bahamas and her family. She felt safe with him. He was forceful but deeply comforting, and she felt surrounded, protected on every side.
“We’ll make it,” he kept saying. “You’ll make it.”
Soon her tears abated and she felt almost foolish as she wiped her eyes and sat up.
“Sorry,” she managed to say.
“Don’t be. You wanna go now?”
“Where?”
“The Bahamas—your home.”
“Really?”
“Sure! Anything for you. I want to see you smile. I want to see you succeed. I’d love to meet your family too!”
She nodded. She was a little overwhelmed and didn’t know what to say. She wanted to go home but bringing Theo with her meant this was real—she’d never introduced her family to a man before.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course you can! But what is holding you back, Angelique? You are clearly homesick.”
“I’m just not sure I am ready to give up on the spa just yet.” And I am scared of you meeting my family, she thought.
“That’s my girl! Don’t give up on your dreams. I can help make them a reality. We can always go to the Bahamas later. I will have to meet your family sooner or later and I prefer sooner,” he said winking at her.
She smiled at him, closing her eyes, and lifting her head towards the sun. He was such a good man, what was she so scared of.
*****
She felt Theo’s hands on her inner thigh and it startled her awake.
“Hey,” she spoke sleepily, realizing she had drifted off.
“Hey, sexy girl,” Theo said with a devilish grin. “I was watching you sleep and I needed to touch your beautiful skin. I’d like to put my mouth on it, to see if it tastes as goos as it looks—if I am being honest.”
She laughed. “Please do, my boy.”
Within a breath he was upon her. His milky white skin opposing her dark coloring
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