“Yes, yes. I hear you.”
“You are a beautiful, talented, engaging, and passionate woman. A man should never stifle that. He should only enhance it. If a man shows up trying to shut you down, it’s because he isn’t secure himself. A secure man wants a real woman. That kind of woman makes him alive. Brings out the best in him. A man that is threatened by a strong woman is no man at all. And don’t you ever forget that.”
Tamyra wrapped Winnie in her arms, all but lifting her off the ground. “Thank you. I was so afraid you would never speak to me again.”
“I can’t breathe,” Winnie muttered.
Tamyra released her and couldn’t hide her laughter.
Once Winnie caught her breath, she shook a finger at her. “You are afraid of too much.”
Tamyra caught something frightening in Winnie’s eyes. “What?”
“Go get your bathing suit on.”
“Winnie, you know I don’t—”
“I said, go get your bathing suit on. You tortured me last night. Granted, it was probably for the best, but this will be for the best too. Now, go. Don’t stop. Don’t talk. Don’t say a word. Go get your bathing suit on and go get it on now. Meet me at the elevators in thirty minutes. I’ll have Riley and Laine, and you, my dear, are about to get over some fears.”
Spidery veins of fear began at the base of her neck, until she felt as if they would poke her eyeballs out of her head. “I can’t. . . .”
Winnie spread her feet apart and put her pudgy hands on her cushy hips. “You will, and you will now. I won’t debate. Now go.”
If it hadn’t been for Winnie all but dragging her to her room, she would have never been able to do it. But for such a petite sister, Winnie could wield one big stick.
18
Thursday morning . . .
The doors to the elevators opened and Riley stepped off. Mr. Connick and his entourage were safely in their rooms and everything had run smoothly. An on-time arrival, a smooth delivery, and room service was scheduled to arrive promptly at noon. It was only ten thirty, so the other VIPs from Miami wouldn’t be arriving for another two hours. Riley all but ran smack-dab into Laine as she rounded the corner dressed in a blue and white Ralph Lauren knit bathing suit. The halter top tied around her neck, and her white terry cloth pants had a matching polo player in blue on the edge of her waist.
“Well, finally. Go get your bathing suit on. You’re needed at Aquaventure.”
Riley kept walking, and Laine joined in step. “Laine, this is the busiest day of the week. I just checked Harry Connick Jr. into his room, I have twenty VIPs arriving here in two hours, and I have to make sure everything runs perfectly for them. I do not have time to go to Aquaventure.”
“Are you still my host?”
Riley turned and gave her a quick glare. “Do not even try that today.”
“I will tell. I will call Max right now and tell him you are not doing your job.”
She watched as Laine reached for her phone. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I got you a date with Christian last night; don’t tell me what I would and wouldn’t do. You are needed at Aquaventure for an intervention.”
“You are needed in a program for ‘pains in the butts.’”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“One hour, Laine. One hour is all I have. If anything goes wrong, I really will lose my job. Honestly.”
Laine wrapped an arm around her as they both continued to walk. “Sweet little Southern belle. I promise you, if you lose your job, I’ll give you a new one. You can be my assistant.” She smirked.
Riley pointed a finger at her. “One hour.”
Laine stopped in the middle of the corridor and raised her hands in mock surrender. “I still want to hear how that date went.” A smile broke out across her lips.
“And for the record, you’re not wearing black.” Riley turned before Laine could say a word, but she knew she was scanning her attire rapidly at this point, and it allowed her a small taste of satisfaction.
* * *
Mia was standing over the fax machine reading a piece of paper when Riley walked into the lobby. “I’ll be back in one hour, Mia. Please make sure everything goes smoothly. No one should be here before I get back.”
“You’re leaving for an hour?”
“It’s Laine. She’s demanding that I go with her somewhere.”
“You couldn’t tell her what a busy day this was?”
Riley walked into her office and rummaged through her bottom desk drawer. “I did. I told her everything I could possibly tell her. I will be one hour. I promise. Just one hour,” she called. Her hands caught her black bathing suit and she stuck it in her bag. She walked back to the door.
Mia looked hesitant. But no more hesitant than Riley felt inside. “Can I reach you by phone?”
“No, not for the next hour. I promise. One hour and I’ll be back.”
* * *
Riley found the ladies waiting for her at the entrance to Aquaventure. For an African American, Tamyra was as white as Riley had ever seen her. “What are y’all doing to her? She’s going to have a heart attack.”
Tamyra shook her head wildly.
Winnie took over, her voice as bold as the red bathing suit she had on. “This is for her own good. It’s time for this woman to get past her fears.” Winnie bent down, getting nose to nose with Tamyra, who had a death grip on the edges of a lounge chair. “All of them.”
Winnie tugged at her.
She didn’t budge.
“Come on, Tamyra,” Laine coaxed. “This is for your own good. It’s your last hurdle to overcome.”
Tamyra still wasn’t budging.
All sympathy left Riley in that moment.
