I’ve Got You

Chapter 3

As the cab driver pulled up outside the condo, Aleshia thanked him, paid, and stepped out. She had arrived fifteen minutes earlier than expected, and decided instead to inspect the outside of the condo, and the local area. There were hotels dotted beside condos and houses, and the roads were impeccably straight. The strong, pervading scent of salt whipped into Aleshia’s nostrils. The sun’s heat beat down on her brow, and she took her sun hat out of her bag and placed it on, readjusting her sunglasses.

The condominium itself looked whitewashed, as if built out of driftwood, and towered ten stories high. The apartment she was here to view dwelled on the fourth floor, so she made do with peeking through the windows of the bottom floor flats. Neatly furnished kitchens greeted her from each window. There was nothing special about it, so, bored, she headed toward the nearby beach.

The sea swished against the yellow sand, and hundreds of people sprawled out, sunbathing – with quite the large percentage of women choosing to go topless. Vaneese explained it was quite normal for women to do so – the locals did it without batting an eyelid, it was only the tourists from more reserved countries that found it immensely awkward. Myriad umbrellas dotted the soft sands, and the water sparkled an astonishing light blue, appearing clean and enticing.

The more Aleshia stared, the more she liked the sight. Where she was in Miami, the salt came to her on the wind, and she needed to drive out to reach the hotel riddled beach resorts. Across here, despite Miami Beach being the hub of international tourism, it wasn’t nearly as crowded as she expected. What Aleshia imagined would be congested with humans, taking up every available inch on the beach and clogging up the roads with their fancy cars, instead boasted only a moderate population bathing in the sun’s rays, paddling and swimming in the clear waters.

She wondered if it was anything to do with how expensive the place was, since the prices of the restaurants and local shops made her eyes boggle. Working online granted her flexibility and an up and down income – but give her a bad few months, and Miami Beach would be sucking the soul out of her bank account. However, the beautiful weather, which locals complained about, the refreshing air and the constant color and activity on her eyes triggered a wave of inspiration for her writings. Even now, she felt lines running across her head, like wisps of smoke, waiting to be etched onto paper.

Wind in my hair/Salt in the air

Sun on the sea/Words flying free

She played with the words in her head, letting them twirl and dance with other formations, flapping like the pages of a book. That novel she’d been planning to commit to for years had gained a few more pages. She’d actually tried cooking something for herself, though was still paying for the consequence, and was secretly praying she wouldn’t contract salmonella, and that her next cooking attempt didn’t end up with the apartment in ruins.

Peter couldn’t cook, either, so they settled for take-outs and restaurant meals every day, or making sandwiches/toast/grilled cheese. The memory of Peter triggered a spasm of anger. She imagined Peter being with her, seeing this sight, all the people soaking up the sun, the neatly lined houses, the almost cloudless sky. Maybe she would say something about how amazing the area was. The return response would be a jab at one of the topless women, a remark about skin cancer and narcissistic, empty-headed women, and a complaint focusing on the humid, uncomfortable weather.

I couldn’t take him anywhere without something being wrong. He su*ked all the inspiration out of me. She basked in the heat, deep in thought, before taking sun tan lotion out of her bag, sitting on a bench, and liberally applying it over the exposed parts of her body. Yells of excitement from children drifted to her ears upon the light breeze. Placing the lotion on relaxed her, and drew a few odd stares from a fair-skinned woman walking past, with two children.

Aleshia identified the look. She’d been asked numerous times why she bothered putting on lotion, because of being black. True, her color had a higher natural skin protection factor, but she could still burn. Damaging skin cells still happened from too much exposure to the sun. A great aunt of hers had died from skin cancer, believing herself immune to ultraviolet radiation.

Stupidity cost lives. Aleshia wasn’t stupid. She put the bottle away, and sat quietly, observing all the different lives before her.

I could get used to this, she thought. She liked being able to wear scanty clothing as well, without being stared at as if she was an alien. In Minnesota, normal meant wrapping up in sweaters and jeans every day. Summer if lucky meant risking a short-sleeved top, but otherwise, there was no reason to parade around in flip-flops, string tops and shorts. Now, Aleshia wore a blue top with the pattern of a smiling, black lined woman on it, along with khakis and sandals. No one batted an eyelid. How tempting would it be to just clack away on her laptop on the beach? Except for that one issue of getting sand stuck in the vents.

Maybe if I stop thinking about Peter all the time, I can actually enjoy this place. She patted her belly. It was hard, though, because Peter used to be so sweet to her, so loving and charming. She kept trawling through the recesses of her mind, trying to find any huge clues of his duplicity. Any possessive moments he had could be covered up under the guise of concern and love. People also could get angry. Aleshia was no stranger to arguments shouted out in the heat of the moment, only to have those involved apologize profusely later. Her parents did it. Her friends went through many arguments with their partners. But the baby…

It changed everything.

She glanced back toward the condo, and saw a man looking around, hands tucked in his pockets. Despite the heat, he wore a pinstriped button shirt with a stiff collar, and cotton pants.

Oh. Right. Aleshia scurried to the man, waving at him to arrest his attention. He spotted the movement, saw her, and delivered a dazzling smile. Aleshia checked out his features as she approached, connecting them to the deep, pleasant voice on the phone.