Page 35 of Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer

“Oh…my flight leaves on Monday. Sunday, it makes no difference at that point.” Monday was a day off for Milton and the office, so they were going to be there until that day, but that would be too late.

“So sorry, hun. I really wanted to help! It’s a very busy weekend. Overall, there are a lot of activities happening across the state that are increasing the pricing. But now you get to enjoy our wonderful carnival!” Delilah said, trying to infuse some positivity to the bad news. My news had been fantastic, but I couldn’t help the desire to comfort Ms. V with her bad news, news that sparked renewed hope in me. Maybe, just maybe, we’d be able to…nah. I needed to stop dreaming.

“You’re right, Delilah. I have to look at this on the bright side. Alright, then, thanks so much!”

“You’re welcome, darling. If you both are up to it, Mikey and I are hosting a fete on a yacht tonight; you should come through! I’ll send you the deets via text.”

I mouthed, “Deets?” and widened my eyes at Trinidad, and she rolled her eyes back at me.

After a final round of goodbyes, she hung up.

“Before you ask,deetsis definitely some old people shit.”

“Boy, if you don’t stop.” Trinidad’s laughter filled the car and occupied my chest with joy. My God, but the woman was gorgeous. Her neck lengthened as she threw her head back, letting the hilarity of the moment erase her disappointment. I got it; I did that often, and she was doing it now, too, embracing the reality no matter how sour it was—making lemonade right before my eyes.

Once her laughter subsided, she transformed once more. Her shoulders, previously relaxed, went into attention, and she turned to me eyes filled with determination. Fuck, I wanted to kiss her so bad.

“You know, I bet you that’s why the boys haven’t answered my text messages. They can’t tell me straight up they haven’t found something. I’ll taunt them the whole trip with the fear of being grounded for the summer. And I will enjoy the Ofele carnival. Milton will understand. Now, the only thing missing is finding me a hotel.”

“Hotel? Nah, you staying with me. Listen, there are probably no hotels available, and I promise not to repeat last night’s occurrence.” Back to focusing on the road. At this point we were about half an hour away from Ofele, so I quickly changed our destination in my navigation system and got us on the direction back to the rental.

“I can’t continue imposing, besides… I kind of want what happened last night to happen again, which is why it is not the best idea for me to stay with you,” Trinidad said nonchalantly.

Nothing felt nonchalant after hearing her words. We were lucky I was a good driver and didn’t crash us. But then I remembered she still wanted to be with that goofball Milton.

There was a time to be respectful of another’s dude woman, but this man had never claimed Trinidad from what the twins had explained. Why was I letting him take so much space this weekend? If anything, this was my chance to prove to Trinidad she had a better chance at all her dreams with…fuck, I was getting ahead of myself. One step at a time.

“Would it help if I promise I’ll behave? I don’t want you to waste money when I have that big rental,” I said.

“Why did you rent something so big, by the way?” she wondered, sidestepping my question. I would allow it for now. I sighed, not wanting to share my silly expectations, even though I knew any silly, important, or vulnerable thoughts were safe with Trinidad. Yesterday, I had shared with her many things I kept inside, and if anything, it seemed to make her like me more.

“I thought I could convince Maria to stay in the other room with our daughter, so we had some time to get to know each other. I really thought I was going to arrive at the Ofele airport and magically find them waiting for me with a welcome sign and big smiles.”

“Oh…that, I get that. It’s a little fantastical, not gonna lie, but I get it, wanting the best-case scenario, seeing the glass half-full, that is how you make it every day, isn’t it?” she asked.

Man, if only she knew.

“Yeah, that is how I make it day by day. Positive thinking. I mean, the few times I focused on the negative, my mood just…it didn’t feel any type of good.” That was the best I could do to explain my fears and concerns about letting my mind wander into a place where I wouldn’t be able to retrieve it again.

“I do, too, but I’ve learned not to get so overly positive that I disconnect myself from everything I’m feeling.”

I let her words sit for a minute, seeing their wisdom but not ready to fully unpack their meaning in my life.

“Does it work for you?” I asked instead.

“Sometimes.” She gifted me with a bright, self-deprecating smile, and I smiled back at her, unable to contain my curiosity.

“So, are you gonna stay with me?” I kept my eyes on the road, driving us back to Ofele. The sky could not be a brighter blue, clear with a thousand possibilities.

“I will; thanks for the offer, but do not let it derail you from your plans with your friends. I can link up with Delilah and Mikey and hang out with them for carnival—”

“Nah, that’s not going to work. Listen, you just told me you are equally as tempted as I am. So, let’s do this; let’s go with the flow this weekend. The kids are not here. Milton is not here. This is a golden opportunity. At least, that’s how I see it, and I hope you see that too. Give me a chance, Ms. V. I’ll make sure you have a good time.”

“But Milton…”

“But Milton? Nah, he could have been here. He chose not to be. He could have been your man. But he ain’t. His loss, my chance.”

My words came out exactly how I needed them. They did not betray the chaos of nerves making my blood pump twice as fast. Signs of moisture appeared on the steering wheel, and I tried to hide them when she turned her gaze toward her window.

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