Free Private Lessons by Donna Hill Page B

her.”
    Naomi squeezed her close. “That old bird is too tough. She will outlive us all.”
    â€œI know that’s right,” Alexis said and sniffed. “Listen, I figured you’d be beat from the flight, and they never give you any real food on the plane, so I had lunch delivered to my house.”
    â€œDelivered?”
    Alexis reared her neck back. “Girl, you know I don’t cook, especially in the middle of the day.”
    Naomi shook her head and chuckled. “Fine with me. What are we having?”
    â€œA little bit of everything!”
    â€œGirl, you are too much.” She lifted her head toward the slow-moving conveyor belt. “Here they come. I was getting worried.”
    â€œHey, I have plenty of clothes to spare if yours didn’t show up,” Alexis teased, hoisting one of the bags off the belt while Naomi got the other.
    â€œThanks but no thanks. Where did you park?”
    â€œI’m right in the lot on the other side.”
    They took off in that direction, pulling the bags behind them.
    â€œYou look good,” Alexis said, once they were all buckled up and backing out of the parking spot.
    â€œThe Caribbean sun will do that to you. I wish you could have been there. Antigua is truly a paradise.”
    â€œI know, I know. One of these days I’m going to make that trip.”
    Naomi grew quiet, almost as if she had sunk inside herself, just leaving the image of a shadow behind.
    Alexis glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye. “You okay?” she gently asked.
    Naomi bobbed her head. “I will be. I have plenty to keep me busy. School opens in a few weeks. We have faculty meetings, curriculum to plan…” Her voice drifted off, as did her gaze, that seemed to be searching for that space on the horizon where heaven and earth meet, that place that Brice had taken her to. She pressed her fist to her mouth.
    â€œI should have told him the truth in the beginning,” she blurted out.
    Alexis snatched a look at her as she drove, wishing for the hundredth time that she had not offered Naomi that piece of advice. At the time, she thought it was the best thing to do, a way to break Naomi out of her shell, free her from the constraints that she constantly put on herself. And it had totally backfired.
    â€œNay, I’m sorry. I should have known better than to try to make you into me.”
    Naomi turned to her friend. “Lexi, I’m a grown woman. I made up my own mind. And I’m the one who will have to deal with it.” She sighed heavily.“But no matter what, I had the greatest time of my life.” She offered a tight-lipped smile. “If I hadn’t taken your advice, I don’t think I would have ever met Brice, experience what I experienced with him. If anything, I should be thanking you.”
    â€œDo you really mean that?”
    â€œAbsolutely. Meeting Brice was the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time. He made me feel all woman again, from the inside out. And for that I will always hold him close to my heart. I never thought I would get close to feeling like that again after Trevor. And that hurt so badly that I cut myself off, tied my emotions up in a ball and tossed them aside. I substituted books and work and moving up the ranks for a loving, caring relationship because I was afraid of being hurt again. Brice reminded me just how good life can be, and that’s what I’m going to keep with me. I’m going to give myself a chance.”
    â€œOh, Nay, I am so glad to hear you say that.” She pressed her hand to her chest. “I was feeling so awful.”
    â€œDon’t.”
    â€œWhat if he calls?”
    â€œI’m still wresting with that. I think its best that both of us just remember the fantasy. If I told him now that I’d been lying to him all along…that’s no basis for a relationship. It would never be right. Besides,” she said