Page 89 of Malliko
“So, where did you meet Malliko?” she asked me as if we were confidantes.
I considered telling Shanice that it wasn’t any of her business. After all, this was the woman who broke up my marriage and although I tolerated her, I also held enormous resentment toward her.
“I met him at work,” I said.
“What does he do?”
Feeling uncomfortable with her interest in Malliko, I felt my good mood sour. I had been so relaxed and excited not long ago when I had laughed with Malliko and Tania. Now, I felt my shoulders tense up and my steps getting stiffer.
“He’s an anthropologist,” I answered.
“Oh, how exciting. I did a minor in anthropology. Did you know that?”
“No.” By the time we reached Tania, my smile was gone. I stood in the background feeling pressured. It was rare for me to make friends.
Tania handled the boys like a teenage whisperer. She made jokes with them and had them eating out of her hand in no time. They were besotted with her looks and personality. I on the other hand felt outshone in every way.
“Do you want to go try the Big Splash?” I asked Jamison with a smile. When we visited last year, he had gone on that slide at least four times.
His eyes went to Tania. “Are you doing the Big Splash?”
She looked up at the tall construction where people were coming down on round floats screaming at the top of their lungs. “I don’t know. It looks frightening.”
All four boys eagerly offered to go with her in support and with a bit of hesitation she agreed. I didn’t tell them that Malliko, Tania, and I had already been down that ride twice already.
Shanice was quick to put her hand on Malliko’s shoulder. “Clara told me you’re an anthropologist. I studied anthropology at college and would love to understand the nature of your work.”
Her touching him made me look away and clench my jaw. She had already stolen my husband and now she was turning Malliko’s head as well. I didn’t trust for one second that she had wanted to come to a water park. She probably saw the picture of Malliko and got curious.
“If you want, we could let the others run off to try the water slides while we look after all the bags and talk.” Shanice’s smile was sugar coated.
Leaning closer to her, Malliko lowered his voice and told her something. Whatever it was, it made Shanice’s smile fall and her eyebrows lift. With a stiff glance in my direction, she gave him the fakest smile I had ever seen her produce. “Of course. No problem.”
Shimmying out of her hot pants, she called out to the four teenage boys. “Looks like I’m coming with you.”
As soon as Tania, Shanice, my sons and their friends left, Malliko came and put his arms around me.
“What did you say to her?” I asked him.
Malliko placed his forehead against mine. “Don’t get mad.”
“Just tell me.”
“I told her she would be doing me a favor by helping me get some alone time with you. And that I was in love with you.”
“You told Shanice that you were in love with me?” I couldn’t decide if I was horrified or happy.
His hand went to my back and slid up under my hair to my neck. “I don’t know if you noticed, but she was trying to separate us and get alone time with me.”
“Yes, I noticed. I also saw her ogling you when you walked with the boys from the entrance.
Malliko looked into my eyes. “I needed to send her a strong signal. Are you scared that she’ll tell your ex-husband about us?”
I snickered and looked down. “I hope she does. I’m just surprised that you would tell her you’re in love with me. That was actually really sweet of you.”
“Aren’t you in love with me?”
That question made me meet his eyes again. “What?”
