9:15 p.m.
The hotel room was unusually quiet without Annalise, but Armando welcomed the serene atmosphere as he needed the time to think and to put his life into perspective. But he did plan to see Annalise afterwards, even though he knew he was not emotionally fit to deal with her constantly accusing him of abandoning her and their daughter. She argued that if he’d been in place when she first felt that piercing pain in her abdomen, maybe their daughter would be alive tonight.
Losing a baby had to be the worse feeling in the world. All of the expectation and the excitement of knowing that a new life was about to enter into the world was suddenly taken away. It left one feeling like a complete failure. And Armando got that Annalise needed someone to blame, but had she been willing to accept her part in this tragedy, he wouldn’t have been so angry with her. She was too stubborn for her own good. Despite being told that carrying a baby at forty-three years old could be extremely risky, she refused to listen to his counsel or to those in the medical profession.
His heart felt as if it wanted to burst in two. How wise it had been of Ms. Hive to cancel the show for tonight, because Armando didn’t have the motivation to perform, much less the energy to give the audience what they had come to expect. It was not long after Armando had clicked off the lamp that he heard his cell phone vibrating on the coffee table. He sat up on the sofa and reached for it right away, assuming that it was the hospital calling about Annalise. But he was pleasantly surprised to know that it was his younger brother, Drake.
“How are you doing, big bro?” Drake inquired. “I called right away when Ma told me that you and Annalise lost the baby.”
The amount of concern present in Drake’s voice comforted Armando immediately. In fact, Armando had always appreciated Drake for his ability to show great care without even trying. “It hurts like hell,” he said. “But I’ll survive. News certainly gets around quickly.”
“You know exactly how Ma operates. She doesn’t know what it means to hold her peace, especially when it comes down to her family. But I’m glad she told me.”
Armando couldn’t help but smile. “Earlier today, we got into a disagreement about Annalise and I’m fairly confident that our mother is relieved that my wife lost the baby.”
“You shouldn’t say that, man. Ma is really saddened by your loss. I think she just wants you to be happy.”
“I know she does, but sometimes she butts into my personal life a little too much. And it gets on my nerves the way she still treats me as if I’m ten years old.”
Drake chuckled. “Join the club. I don’t think Ma realizes we’ve all grown up and are leading our own lives. But she means well.”
“Not when it comes to my wife, little bro. She called Annalise a devil.”
“Ma calls everyone and everything a devil. You shouldn’t take her too seriously.”
Armando sighed deeply. “Man, you know how much that bothered me for my own mother to call my wife a devil? I don’t care if she was playing around or not. She shouldn’t have done it.”
“Just so you know, I agree with you,” Drake said. “Ma should show some respect for your wife, even if she’s not too fond of Annalise. I will talk to her about it.”
“Don’t bother. Ma has already made up her mind about Annalise, even though she’s only met her that one time.”
A brief pause ensued, which gave Armando an opportunity to change the subject. “So, how are you and Sasha doing? I heard you guys were going through a rough patch a couple months ago.”
“We were,” Drake admitted. “But we’re doing fine now. In fact, we went house hunting the other day.”
“Good for you. At least one of us is experiencing some good fortune.”
“And I would say that Kevin isn’t doing too bad himself,” Drake added. “He’s engaged to Sasha’s best friend.”
“The jewelry designer?”
“Yup...and her name is Hunter Rose, by the way.”
“But she’s white. Kevin doesn’t date white women.”
“He does now, bro. He fell hard for this one and I honestly believe that it’s going to work out between them. In fact, this is also part of the reason why I called. Ma is throwing an engagement party for them and she told me to inform you about it. Will you come?”
You are a hypocrite, Ma. You were quick to fall in love with Kevin’s choice, while you show nothing but contempt for mine. “I don’t know, little bro. It all depends on how well Annalise recovers. Plus, I’m not too certain how much longer I will be in Devin’s Cay. But I will be sure to let you know.”
“Okay, man. I love you and please take it easy.”
Drake’s bold show of affection caused Armando to smile. “Love you too, bud. Take care.”
Again, Armando was left alone in silence. However, he did not embrace it as he’d done fifteen minutes before. So instead of relaxing back onto the sofa, he stood up and pushed his feet into his leather sandals. He was not going to see Annalise – at least not until he’d gotten a stiff drink from downstairs at the bar. It would help fortify him against Annalise’s vicious attacks upon his conscience. He took the elevator to the lobby and walked out the back exit toward the pool.
“I’m Still in Love with You,” a song by the Jamaican dancehall artist, Sean Paul was being performed by a live band, who was doing an impressive job of representing the original soundtrack. According to Wikipedia, the song reached no. 6 in the UK, no. 13 on the U.S. R&B charts, and no. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became a top ten hit in Italy, Ireland and Switzerland. Armando could see why the song became an instant hit. It was filled with nostalgic overtones, which resonated deeply with people who were experiencing the ups and downs of being in love.
The song instantly made Armando think of Rena and the passionate kiss they’d shared a little over twenty-four hours ago. It crushed him when she’d told him that she was flying back to Paris tonight. It was also another reason that probably had him feeling the way he did. Not being able to see Rena again was a completely depressing thing to digest. So imagine his surprise when he took a seat at the bar and saw her sipping on a wet martini. Armando thought he was hallucinating, but he knew he was far from hallucinating when Rena turned to meet his gaze.
“It’s not my fault I’m still on this island,” she said. “I still can’t find my bloody handbag, which contains my bloody passport and all my identification.”
Armando smiled, but more from the fact of knowing that Rena was still just a kiss away from him. He dared not tell her how relieved he was that she’d missed her flight. He turned to the bartender and said, “I’ll have the same thing she’s having.”
“If my handbag is not located by tomorrow morning,” she said, “I intend to sue this hotel for everything it’s got.”
“You’re upset. I don’t think you really mean that,” Armando said, turning his attention back to her. “Besides, what makes you think that the hotel is responsible?”
Rena scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding me. My handbag was stolen out of my hotel room. I remember holding on to it when we…” She paused to shut down the images of her and Armando locking lips right outside of the elevator. “I am not crazy; I know my handbag was stolen.”
Armando fastened his gaze on the live band, who was still performing Sean Paul’s “I’m Still in Love with You.” The band seemed to have extended the song, due to the dance floor filling up with couples embracing the romance that was building in the atmosphere.
“Dance with me,” Armando said, turning again to Rena. “This song reminds me so much of us.”
“Us? I don’t think so. You are a married man who is feeling depressed over the loss of his daughter –”
Armando cut short Rena’s protest by pulling her unexpectedly off of her stool. He dragged her all the way into the center of the dance floor, right in front of the lead male singer. Rena continued to resist until Armando gripped her hips and pressed her into him. Years of gyrating on stage in front of thousands had helped turn Armando into an experienced charmer. Even if Rena had wanted to continue resisting, she couldn’t. Not when Armando had locked his sexy stares on her and was tastefully wooing her into a world where no rules existed.
Soon, she could no longer stand looking into Armando’s eyes without experiencing a rise in her temperature level. Instinctively, she rested her head right below his chest and allowed the moment to consume her. She felt Armando’s fingers, exploring the nape of her neck, which soon turned into the caressing of her shoulders, as they gyrated in sync to every beat, to every chord. When the song ended, Rena gently pushed herself out of Armando’s embrace and walked away without looking back. She did not dare look back and show Armando her wretched tears. To her, that dance meant goodbye.