Free In The Company of My Sistahs by Angie Daniels Page B

from where the smell of jerk chicken traveled directly up to my nostrils. There were people everywhere, running, laughing, just having a good time. It was beautiful. Suddenly I wanted to be down there among the excitement. I stepped back into the room with renewed energy. “Come on, Kayla, let’s change and hit the beach.”
    For the first time, her eyes danced with anticipation.
    I reached for one of my bags on the floor and tossed it across the bed. “I think I packed too much shit.”
    â€œSo did I,” she said as she moved over to the mirror to fix her hair.
    â€œI wasn’t sure what to bring. Lisa said it gets so hot here you change your clothes several times a day.”
    â€œI believe it.”
    â€œPersonally I could just spend the entire week in my bikini.” I removed the new suit and dashed into the bathroom. I came out five minutes later. “What do you think?”
    Kayla turned away from the mirror and I could see the envy in her eyes. “It looks cute on you.”
    I stepped in front of the mirror and took in the outfit from both sides. There were faint stretch marks on both sides of my abdomen and directly above my butt, but when I tied the wrap around my waist it drew attention away from it. I had even bought a padded bikini top just to give myself an extra cup.
    â€œAren’t you going to change?”
    Kayla gave me an embarrassing look. “Girl, I am not wearing a swimsuit.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI’m too out of shape,” she answered.
    â€œYou ain’t never gonna see any of these mothafuckas again.”
    She paused for a second and I thought maybe she was giving my comment some serious consideration before she started shaking her head again. “No, that is quite all right.”
    You know, it is times like this her self-esteem issue wears my nerves. “Girl, you are trippin’. It is too hot to be worrying what some mothafucka is going to say. Did you see how everyone was dressed? There’s a woman downstairs that has a scar running straight down the front of her stomach, yet she still had the nerve to put on a bikini.” Actually, that bitch looked nasty, but I wasn’t going to say that.
    â€œThat’s all right. I brought some cool outfits that will do the trick.”
    I stared at her in silence for a few seconds, then finally spoke again. “Whatever.” I tried to hide my annoyance. I moved over to my bag and removed a pair of flip-flops and slipped them over my feet. “You want me to wait for you?” I asked after a long moment of silence.
    Kayla shook her head. “No, go ahead and go down. I’ll meet you on the beach.”
    She didn’t have to tell me twice. Besides, I was anxious to go outside and check out the sights before I had to be bothered with my nagging-ass sister and Nadine. I reached for a matching pair of sunglasses, then headed out the door.

Chapter 10
    KAYLA
    K ayla waited until Renee left the room before she strolled over to her suitcase and removed a modest red swimsuit. Leery that Renee might return and catch her in the act, she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door.
    She never thought she would envy Renee, but she did. If God had given her a choice between being either fat or promiscuous, she would rather be comfortable in her skin, lying in the bed with her legs wide open. Her friend, no matter how crazy she may behave, in Kayla’s book, had her stuff together. She was successful, pretty, and had enough self-confidence for two people. She would have settled for even a fourth of what Renee had. Maybe then she wouldn’t mind parading around the resort in a bathing suit she had packed with no intentions of wearing.
    She quickly discarded her clothes, then slipped into the suit. Stepping in front of the mirror, she glanced down at the cellulite that had taken over her vanilla-colored thighs. Her stomach made her look six months pregnant. She had