AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 6
The sky was overcast, and the ocean waves bounced off the wooden dock. Bakari held my hand as we walked up the plank into a small, sleek black yacht. I looked up at him. “I hope I don’t get motion sickness.”
“There’s ginger beer on the boat. Ginger helps with motion sickness. You’ll be fine.”
“Easy for you to say I don’t swim.”
“Don’t know how or don’t swim?”
“Let’s just say I didn’t pass my swim test at the Y when I was a child. But I can do a mean dog paddle if you ever need to be rescued.”
He chuckled. “I’ll remember that when I need saving. Come on, I got you. The captain and crew got you too.”
Somehow, I still stumbled in my flat sandals when I had to cross netting to sit near the front of the boat, and gratefully Bakari caught me around the waist. I laughed at my clumsiness. “You really do have me.”
He grinned, his deep dimples doing crazy things to my body. “Told ya.”
Once we were settled on a cushioned bench with our backs against the silver railing of the boat, I surveyed the area. Despite the relaxing chatter and laughter of other passengers, I felt vulnerable to the whims of the beautifully clear blue yet dangerous ocean. “I need a life jacket.”
He patted my knee. “You’ll be fine.”
“Isn’t it a requirement for passengers to wear life jackets like we have to wear seatbelts in the car and plane?” I reminded him as I searched the boat for the familiar orange vests.
Bakari only smiled and propped his arms wide behind me like a proud king on the rail. He seemed more relaxed than I’d seen him thus far. Despite his engaging smile and personality, he had an undercurrent of energy I couldn’t identify. Right now, he seemed content. Peaceful.
“You love the water, don’t you?”
He closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the fading sun. “I do. I’m one of those black people who actually swim in pools and the ocean and not just sit on the side. I wanted to scuba dive while I was here, but since you can’t swim, I’ll have to do it next time.”
“I don’t mind if you want to go alone.”
“Naw. Next time.” Bakari peeked at me with one eye, a slight smile gracing his features. “Want to enjoy our time together.”
“Me too.” I bit back my sigh of longing. Bakari was already becoming more to me than a casual fling, and our time together was only beginning. I prayed I wouldn’t miss him terribly when we parted. “You come to Jamaica often?”
“I travel to the islands often, especially the Caymans, which is a boat ride away. Forty-five minutes to an hour, and this blue water becomes turquoise.”
“Lucky woman. No man travels to these islands alone every time,” I commented. Hating that, a twinge of jealousy reared its ugly head.
He only quirked a brow, lifted two flutes of champagne from a passing crew member, and gave me a glass. “Love the way your hair blows in the breeze.”
“Love the way you change the subject,” I replied, though I sat a little straighter at the compliment about my hair. I'd been frightened out of my mind that once I lost my hair, it wouldn’t grow back. Not only did it grow well, but my strands also became fuller than ever. Dyeing my brown hair chestnut red had been my way to celebrate being a survivor.
Several other passengers boarded, and soon we were off on an evening cruise of light dinner fare of shrimp cocktail and charcuterie, an open bar, and music. After we’d been sailing for a while, he eased his arms around my waist. I melted against him, enjoying the breeze and watching the dolphins and the birds overhead as the sun dropped lower on the horizon. We talked about our day at the conference and which ones we planned to attend in the morning. The conference would end at midday, and we had the rest of the week to enjoy each other and Montego Bay. It was refreshing to converse with a man who understood my work, and I understood his. A man who didn’t mind planning out the rest of our time on the island. We felt real. We felt right.
The DJ on the boat changed the music from reggae to hip hop from the states, and we bopped in our seats until Bakari stood, pulling me up. “Looks like you really want to dance.”
“I do.” And we grooved to Outkast, Usher, Beyonce, and Jay-Z.
The boat’s captain, dressed in a crisp white uniform like an admiral in the Navy, moved to the center of the deck. “We welcome everyone to Paradise and hope that you’re enjoying yourselves. We want everyone to remember the best time they ever had was on this boat.” The small group of us clapped loudly in agreement. The dark-skinned man then looked in our direction. “We have a special surprise. Today is this beautiful woman’s birthday. Let’s all sing a special happy birthday to Nikki Wade.”
Before I could turn a shocked gaze at Bakari, he whispered in my ear, “Go with it.”
Clasping my hands together in front of me, I beamed as the twenty or so other guests sangHappy Birthdayto me, and I kept shaking my head at my new friend standing next to me. He was more than a stranger now, and with such a thoughtful gesture, I couldn’t think of a better way to describe him outside of calling him mine. Something I would have to keep reminding myself that he didn’t want if he continued to do such sweet things for me. “I can’t believe this.”
“All I could do on short notice.” Bakari shrugged.
As soon as everyone finished singing the traditional birthday song, the captain signaled to the DJ, and Stevie Wonder’s version played throughout the ship. “They play the black version here too?” I laughed.
