She slipped off the chair and made her way to the walk-in closet. Winter and fall garments hung on the left side of the closet, while spring and summer garments were on the right. It was said there were four seasons in New York but for Jasmine there were only two: hot and cold.
It took more than an hour for her to select tops, slacks, skirts, and blouses suitable for the semi-tropical climate. After retrieving a Pullman from an overhead shelf, she carefully folded the garments and placed them strategically in the suitcase. She filled clear plastic storage bags with lingerie, sleepwear, and personal feminine products. Shoes went into cloth bags.
Jasmine hung the dress she planned to wear in a garment bag, along with the shoes. At the last minute she decided not to pack the dress in the event her luggage did not arrive at the same time as her flight, because she didn’t have a direct flight to New Orleans. She packed the cross body bag in the Pullman, and opted to carry a tote which would allow her to board with the required two items. Cameron’s birthday gift, along with her government ID, cash, and credit cards would be stored in a pouch secured inside the tote. Closing and locking the wheeled Pullman, she left it on the luggage rack.
A year ago she, Tonya, Nydia, and Hannah had toasted to happy endings, unaware how inexorably their lives would come to be entwined. Three days from now she would wake up in the Big Easy and eventually reunite with a man who’d unknowingly helped her heal and learn to trust a man again.
At forty-three she was no longer looking for her Prince Charming to come and sweep her off her feet. Now, in retrospect, Jasmine realized her relationship with Gregory was more beneficial to him than for her even though she’d willingly gave him her virginity.
Gregory had become her tutor in and out of bed when he taught her to know her body in order to give him the pleasure he wanted. It had taken a while before she experienced her first orgasm, but her attempt to take the lead in their lovemaking angered Gregory, so she acquiesced and resorted to the role as the submissive.
Making love with Raymond was satisfying enough but there were times when she wanted more foreplay, and always after he ejaculated he’d roll over and go to sleep. Raymond’s passions ran hot and cold and it wasn’t until after she discovered he was sleeping with another woman that she realized he desired his side chick more than his wife.
Whenever she recalled making love with Cameron her traitorous body betrayed her; she was in awe that she’d had multiple climaxes, but also that she had to wait until she was over forty to experience the full magnitude of her femininity.
A mysterious smile curved her mouth when she thought of the events of the past three years in which she’d gone through a divorce, lost her job, and bonded with three coworkers. Now she was about to start anew in a city where she could control her destiny.
Chapter 12
Jasmine followed the passengers on her flight to the baggage claim area, and saw Hannah waiting for her. The former corporate attorney had put on weight since marrying St. John. She’d cut her hair, the flaxen, chin-length strands held off her face by a narrow black headband. Hannah appeared cool in a white camp shirt she’d paired with white cropped slacks and navy, low-heeled mules.
She switched the garment bag to her opposite hand as she hugged Hannah. “Thanks for meeting me.”
Hannah kissed Jasmine’s cheek. “There’s no need to thank me.”
Jasmine held her at arm’s length. “You look wonderful.”
“So do you. As for myself I’ve put on a little weight,” she said, patting her belly.
“It looks good on you because I always thought you were too thin.” Jasmine hadn’t lied to her friend. Hannah was five-nine in bare feet, and had been rail-thin, but it was apparent marriage agreed with her.
“That’s what St. John said. He claims he likes a woman with a little meat on her bones. Enough about me. Your face looks different. Is something going on in your life you need to tell your older sister?”
Jasmine stared at Hannah, wondering if she knew about her and Cameron. “Do you know that I’ve been seeing Cameron?”
“I’m not going to lie and tell you I don’t. When Cameron approached me at my wedding reception I knew he was interested in you, but I refused to tell him whether you were married, single, or involved with someone. He came to see me last week and told me he’d seen you in New York.”
Jasmine went completely still. She prayed Cameron hadn’t revealed they had been sleeping together. She wanted to be the one to make known the intimate details of their liaison. “What else did he tell you?”
“It’s not so much what he told me, but what I said to him about his being in love with you.”
“No, he isn’t.”
“That’s what he said when I accused him. He admitted he likes you more than he has any other woman, but he’s in denial when he says he’s not in love with you. Cameron Singleton is the Big Easy quintessential swinging bachelor. He’s dated a lot of women, and still manages to get out of his relationships unscathed. For some reason none of his girlfriends are willing to kiss and tell.”
“Are you saying I should be careful?”
“No, Jasmine. I think it’s Cameron who has to be careful, because he wants you more than you want him. He said you didn’t want to get married, and for a man like Cameron that’s the same as rejection. In other words, you’re the one controlling the direction of your relationship and that’s not easy for him to accept.”
“I’m not going to lie and say I don’t like him but I’m not ready for a commitment.”
“Which means you’ll remain friends with benefits.”
She nodded. “Exactly.”
Hannah smiled. “I rest my case.” The sound of the luggage carousel echoed throughout the terminal as bags tumbled onto the conveyer belt. “I’m going to the lot to get the car while you wait for your bag. I’ll meet you curbside.”
Jasmine went over to the section with the sign indicating her flight arrival and waited for her Pullman, wondering what else Cameron had said to Hannah. It was apparent he hadn’t mentioned their sleeping together and for that she was grateful. Then she remembered Hannah talking about his former girlfriends not kissing and telling. Was that something on which both agreed, or had he made it a stipulation of their relationship?
