Once the tour concluded, Travis spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out on the beach with the two English women. Once the sun went down, he made his way back to Rum Point. He looked at the clock and thought this would be a good time to call Me’shelle.
“Well, this is a surprise.”
“How you doing, Me’shelle?” Travis asked.
“I’m doing fine. I guess I don’t have to ask you how you’re doing. I know you’re having a good time. So good a time that you forgot to call me yesterday,” Me’shelle said. Then she flipped it. “I’m just trippin’ with you, Travis. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself in Miami.”
“Actually, Me’shelle, I’m not in Miami.”
“Where are you? Back in New York?”
“No. I’m in the Cayman Islands.”
“What? You’re in the Cayman Islands? What are you doing there?”
“Just tying up some loose ends from the last job I did.”
“Oh, now I’m mad at you. Did you know it snowed here today? It never snows this early in the winter. It was just a few inches, but still, it snowed. So, you’re down there, having fun in the sun while I’m here in the snow. You’re probably calling me from the beach right now, aren’t you?”
“No, Me’shelle, I’m not on the beach. The sun went down about an hour ago. But the condo I’m staying in has a screened-in lanai with my own private pool.”
“I hate you, and I never want to see you again,” Me’shelle said.
“Oh, so it’s like that?”
“No.” Me’shelle smiled. “But it should be. I don’t like the cold.”
“You wanna come down here for the weekend? I’ll send you a ticket.”
“No, Travis. I don’t know you that well.”
“Are you sure, Me’shelle? I could call my guy and tell him not to come until Sunday. There’s a couch that turns into a bed. You could have the bedroom. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”
“Your offer is tempting, Travis, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to come to the islands to meet you, not to mention stay with a man I barely know.”
“I can respect that.”
“I know a lot of women who would jump at the chance to fly to the Caymans to stay with a handsome man in a condo with a private pool.”
“So do I,” Travis said quietly.
“I heard that. So, why didn’t you?”
“Why didn’t I what? Bring a woman down here with me?”
“Yes. Why didn’t you?” Me’shelle asked. “Or are you one of those people who doesn’t like to bring sand to the beach?”
“No, it’s not that.” Travis thought carefully about what his answer would be. He really wanted to answer her question honestly. “I’m here alone for two reasons. One, I’m here to handle some business. Two, there’s nobody in my life I feel enough for to want to bring them along on a trip like this.”
“Then why did you invite me?”
“Because I think there’s a chance that you just may be somebody I could feel that way about,” Travis answered. He thought about what he just said, then he thought about Marita, his one-night stand in Miami. The last time he talked to Me’shelle he rushed her off the phone to let Marita in.
He looked at the clock next to the bed. It was 8:30 p.m. In thirty minutes, Veronica would be there, and he had every intention of stripping her juicy body down. Then he thought about Mystique. What was he going to do with her? Is this how a man acts when he thinks he’s found the one?
“I don’t know about all that, Travis,” Me’shelle said as if she heard the question. “I like you. I enjoy talking to you more than I’ve enjoyed talking to anybody in a long time.” She thought about Trent. Wasn’t this how things started with him too? Maybe this is how it always begins.
When they met, Me’shelle thought Trent was the most fascinating man she’d ever met. Two days later she was bent over her couch and Trent was inside her. After a few months, his stories got old and all sounded the same. Before they broke up-you mean before he dumped you for the tittie woman-he seemed like the shallowest man she’d ever met. But she thought she was in love with him. Maybe it was just that she got comfortable with him and didn’t like being removed from her comfort zone. Me’shelle had spent a lot of time thinking about that very thing, and she didn’t have the answer-at least not yet.
“I’m not saying that I’m the answer to all your questions, but can I tell you what I’d like to do with you, Me’shelle?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’d like to have a chance to take my time and see if you can be all that I think you are.”
“I like the part about taking your time. That sounds really good to me. I’ve rushed into relationships before and I’ve gotten my feelings hurt every time. So, as much as I like you, Travis, I’m going to take it really slowly with you.”
“Are you still gonna have dinner with me when I get back?”
“No doubt. I’m looking forward to it,” Me’shelle said.
“So, if I call you from Miami, will you pick me up tomorrow night from the airport?”
“It depends on what time, but yes.”
“Good,” Travis said happily. “I’ll call you from Miami.”
“Okay.”
“Good night, Me’shelle, my belle.”
“Bye, Travis.”
Chapter Sixteen
Travis hung up the phone, stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes. It wasn’t long before he had fallen asleep. He was awakened suddenly by a loud noise. He looked at the clock; it was 10:30. He got up and made his way to the door.
“I bet you thought I wasn’t coming,” Veronica said.
“No. To be honest with you, I fell asleep,” Travis said as his eyes began to focus on the woman standing before him with her arms extended. She wore a white cotton dress and carried a bottle of champagne in one hand and a big purse in the other.
Veronica handed the bottle to Travis. “A little something to celebrate your last night on the island,” she said as she passed.
“Dom Perignon ’93.”
“I see you already have on your trunks. Why don’t you pour us a glass and wait for me in the pool?”
Before Travis could say another word, Veronica disappeared into the bathroom. Travis shrugged and went in the kitchen to pour himself a glass of Henny. He’d noticed that there was a champagne bucket in the cabinet. He filled it with ice, got two glasses, and headed out the sliding door to the pool.
He dimmed the light around the pool and turned the water temperature up just a bit before he stepped in. He poured the champagne and sat patiently in the pool slipping Henny, waiting for Veronica to make her appearance.
Finally she appeared, still wearing that same white dress. Veronica came through the door and walked slowly toward the pool. “Did I take too long, Travis?” she asked as she let the dress drop to the ground. “I brought a bikini with me as you asked me to.” She stepped into the water. “And I had started to put it on, but I say, for what? So I can take it off in a few minutes?”
Travis handed her a glass of champagne and Veronica immediately poured it out across his chest. She slowly ran her tongue across his chest until she consumed every drop, all the while rubbing the bulge in his trunks. Travis leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Me’shelle’s image appeared in his mind’s eye. He heard Me’shelle say, Pleasure me, Travis.
Travis reached between Veronica’s legs and ran his hand through her hair as he fingered her clit. Veronica stood up and reached for the bottle. She poured herself a glass and took a sip. “This is very good champagne,” she said then put down her glass.