The next morning,I was up before the sun came up and got in the shower. After getting dressed, I went into the kitchen and made myself a smoothie before placing a call to Kadeem, letting him know I was on my way. Our flights were at one this afternoon; however, with us flying commercial, I knew we would have to be there three hours before. By the time I pulled up to Saniyah’s apartment building, it was already nine. I parked my car and went right to the door. Kadeem answered, opening the door for me to walk inside.
“What up doe?” he greeted me with a dap before I walked farther into the living room.
“Shit, we gotta get going. We gotta be at the airport in an hour, and I know traffic is going to be crazy on 94.”
“Airport? Where y’all going?” Saniyah asked as she walked into the room.
“We,” I spoke, pointing between the three of us, “are going on a lil vacation today.”
“Is that why I took the day off? Where are we going?” Saniyah asked with wide eyes.
“We going to Turks and Caicos for a week,” Kadeem answered.
“Yeah, right. Stop playin’. Where we going for real?”
“It’s not a joke, and we only got an hour to get to the airport, so you need to get dressed,” I confirmed.
“Wait, y’all serious?”
“Very serious so get dressed,” Kadeem ordered.
“What?” Saniyah exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair. “I’m not prepared to go on vacation for an entire week. My hair is not done, and my nails need a fill in. Plus I don’t have anything packed.”
“You don’t need none of that shit. We can get your hair and nails done when we get there. And we can go shoppin’. I just need you to be dressed, baby,” I spoke, this time in a softer tone.
She looked at me for several moments, as if she were waiting for me to tell her this was all a joke. Then, she nodded her head and turned around, heading to the bathroom. She returned about thirty minutes later, dressed in a black Adidas tracksuit with her hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. She grabbed her purse, and we all walked out the door, heading to the airport.
CHAPTER 13
Saniyah
The second I stepped off the plane, the heat wrapped around me instantly. Although it was hot, it wasn’t as heavy as the city. It seemed softer. The air smelled like saltwater and tropical flowers mixed together. It felt much cleaner than the air in the city. One minute, I was in my apartment in my pajamas, and the next minute, I was on a first class flight to Turks and Caicos. I guessed this was life with Kadeem and Crue, so I might as well get used to it.
It was my first time in first class, and up until today, I had only seen it on TV. We sipped champagne and talked about everything we would do once we were here. This was my first time in Turks and Caicos also, and I already knew I was going to have a great time. We were only in the airport, and I was already in awe.
A private black SUV was waiting for us when we arrived, sitting near the curb by the time we stepped outside. The driver greeted us before opening our doors for us to get in. I looked out the window the entire drive from the airport at the lines of palm trees and tropical plants that were so much greener than I had ever seen before. The ocean was behind them, full of bright turquoise water sparkling under the sunlight.
“This is beautiful,” I whispered.
Crystal clear shades of blue faded into deeper teal the farther out the water stretched. Boats floated peacefully near the shore, while little beach restaurants and luxury resorts sat tucked between palm trees along the coastline. Huge white villas with balconies overlooking the water were behind private gates and tropical landscaping.
The roads narrowed slightly, winding through massive palm trees and huge flowers of all colors, while glimpses of the resort came into view. When we pulled up, the entrance alone took my breath away. Tall stone walls surrounded by waterfalls and tropical greenery led to this massive open-air lobby with white columns, glowing lanterns, and polished stone floors reflecting sunlight everywhere.
The second we stepped out the SUV, a woman handed me a tropical drink with a flower sitting on the rim. Crue walked over to the desk to get us checked in, and a few minutes later, we were walking to our villa. The walk to the villa was long because Crue had gotten us a private villa away from everyone else. The path we walked down curved through tropical gardens and small bridges over water until we came to our massive villa.
Modern white architecture mixed with warm wood and floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the ocean sitting directly behind it. Palm trees swayed around the property, while sunlight glowed against the infinity pool stretching across the back patio.
“Damn, this is amazing,” I mumbled.
The front doors opened into the most beautiful space I’d ever seen in my life. Everything inside felt bright and expensive. There were white marble floors, cream furniture, and gold accents throughout. You could see the view of the ocean no matter where you were in the villa. Just the living room was bigger than my entire apartment. Large sectional couches with gold throw pillows sat around a massive stone coffee table, whilefresh flowers decorated almost every room. And I could hear soft classical music playing through the hidden speakers.
The kitchen looked straight out of a luxury magazine, and even though we were on vacation, I couldn’t wait to cook in it. There were white marble countertops, and every fixture was gold. Wine coolers were built inside the walls, and there was a massive island in the middle with ten bar stools. Although we really didn’t need all this space for just the three of us, I was glad that Crue picked out this villa.
We hadn’t been in the villa for twenty minutes when Crue told me we were all going shopping. None of us had brought any clothes, so shopping was a must. The shopping district sat near the marina, filled with luxury boutiques, designer storefronts, jewelry shops, and little tropical cafés tucked between palm trees and stone walkways. The ocean stretched behind everything, shining as the sun beamed down on it.
We walked in store after store, purchasing several items in every store we walked in. We would be there for an entire week, and we needed things for every day. We walked into a dress store with Crue opening the door for us to walk inside. We had planned to go out to dinner tonight, so I knew I needed a dress or two. The saleswoman approached us, smiling and greeting us warmly. Her smile became even brighter when she looked up at Crue and Kadeem.
After letting the woman know that I was just browsing, I came across two pieces that I liked. One was a white flowy dress that looked perfect for a dinner on the beach. The other was a royal blue jumpsuit. Once I walked into the fitting room to try them on, I realized I wanted both. After picking out jewelry for both outfits, Kadeem handed me his card to pay for it. We spent hours shopping, and when we got back to the villa, I was tired. However, I was also hungry, and it was time for us to get ready for dinner.
