Beach Thing Read online

  Beach Thing

  DL White

  Contents

  Preface

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Other Books by this Author

  welcome to black diamond isles…

  “But…there’s the other thing that’s kind of important. And a few days ago, you said you had a hard time trusting women and not knowing their motivations. And that worrying about that is a distraction for you. I don’t want to be a distraction.”

  “Ameenah—”

  “And I don’t need one, either. I might have made it here but I still have a lot of work to do to call myself a success down here.”

  “I get that. I’m not trying to be a distraction to you and if I am, I’ll step back. But before I do, maybe we could just… have some fun.”

  “Have some fun?” Her eyebrows rose and her head cocked to the side.

  “Not like you think I mean. I’m saying...we get along, we like each other. You impress the hell out of me, and that’s saying a lot. I know I’m not going to be here long term but as long as I’m here, I’d really like to spend more time with you.”

  “And… have some fun.” This time, her eyes were narrowed but her lips were bent into a smile. A small, sultry smile.

  “And have some fun. A little beach thing, we could call it.”

  “A beach... thing.”

  Copyright © 2016-2019 by DLWhite

  ISBN: 9781521786031

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Printed in the United States of America

  * * *

  Cover image courtesy Deposit photos

  Cover by Dianne Frost- www.dianneinwriting.com

  Created with Vellum

  1

  Ameenah

  “A little more. More. Higher, Andrew!”

  “Ameenah…”

  Andrew grumbled, but lifted the sign higher. Perched on the top rung of the ladder, he held the long wooden board in place while my cousin secured it so it hung over the front entrance.

  Once he had finished, we all stepped back to take in the view of the wooden building with the fresh coat of white paint and the Tikis & Cream sign finally hung. Satisfied, I smiled and let out a long sigh. It had been a long journey to here.

  In the last six months I had upended my entire life to move to Black Diamond Isles, a cluster of man-made islands off the coast of Black Diamond Bay. I had found the perfect location for my coffee/smoothie/juice bar and renovated the space, doing a lot of the work myself to save money… and now I was finally open.

  The pièce de résistance was a custom designed sign for the shop. My cousin, Liam, had shipped it from New York and he and my brother flew down to the island for a long weekend to hang it for me.

  “Looks good, right?” Liam slung an arm over my shoulder, beaming with pride.

  I stood in the middle of the sidewalk, just staring. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the vibrant, beachy colors and the crisp lettering. My heartbeat sped up a little as I realized how it stood out amongst all the other shops on the boardwalk. I almost let a tear build up, but blinked it away. The long days and longer nights ahead would take care of that wistful feeling.

  “It’s beautiful,” I told him. “I really love it. Now I’m official.”

  “You were always official, Meenah.”

  “Thanks, Liam. I mean it. For the sign, for coming down and helping me get things squared away. For... everything.”

  I hugged him, then stepped back to find my brother smirking, leaning his bulky frame against the counter. “You too, you big jealous fool.” I gave Andrew a good heavy thump on the back, which he seemed to appreciate. “Even though all you did was hold the sign while Liam nailed it in, and stand around while he took care of my honey-do list.”

  “I paid for the tickets,” quipped Andrew. “And I carried a couple of things from the house.”

  “He’s a hard worker,” said Liam, packing the last of the tools into a toolbox. “We’d better hit the road, though. There’s an hour drive to the airport and if I miss my flight, the words Denise will use to describe me will peel the paint off of your walls.”

  I nodded, trying not to tear up again. This would be the last time I’d see them for a while. “I know she misses you and your help with the twins. Thank her for me, for letting you come.”

  “What about Kath? Should I thank her for you too?” I rolled my eyes, raising my arms to slide them around Andrew’s shoulders. I squeezed him extra hard — our signature hug.

  “Katherine has probably got so much done around the house without you.”

  “I love how you love me, Meenah.” The jokey tone left his voice and his face took on a serious pallor. “You take care of yourself, alright? Don’t hesitate to call, day or night. Well, not night because a man be working hard and be tired and everything…”

  I giggled, appreciating the lightening of the mood before things got too heavy. “Thank you for everything you’ve done to support me. I know Mom and Dad think I’m crazy, but…”

  I glanced back at the building, then up to my new sign, which marked the opening of my business. “This is my dream. Now go. As much as we joke, Kath will probably be happy to see you.”

  “Damn right,” bellowed Andrew, picking up the backpack he’d toted to the shop earlier. “Man of the house comin’ home!”

  “He’s all extra loud right now cause Kath would tell him to shut his big head up.” Liam chuckled, then lifted his hand in a wave. “Ditto on what he said, though. Need us? Call us. We’ll be here.”

  I watched them loaf down the sidewalk toward the main drag, where they would catch a cab to the small airstrip and head back to New York. Leaving me here.

  In Black Diamond.

  By myself.

  A cold fear slithered down my spine. I shivered, trying to chase it away.

  “Excuse me?”

  I turned to find a middle-aged woman standing in front of my shop, holding a laminated half-sheet of paper—the Tikis & Cream menu. Her toasted cinnamon complexion bore a light sheen of sweat. “Are you open? I want one of these juice drinks.”

  I brightened, propping the door open. I flipped the CLOSED sign to OPEN, then stepped inside and behind the counter.

  “Yes ma’am, I am open. What can I get for you?”

  2

  Wade

  Gage grunted while lifting the case from the back of the moving van. “I mean, you didn’t have to bring the whole studio.”

  “I didn’t.” I took the case from him, then shook my head. It wasn’t even heavy. “You need to hit the gym.”

  “I hit the gym. I wasn’t expecting a workout today. Is this the last of the stuff?” Gage peered around the open rear door, inspecting the now empty interior of the van.

  “That’s it. Everything is out of my car.”

  “Let’s get this in the house, then. I’ll show you where you can set up.”

  Gage grabbed a few items and trotted from the circular driveway into the house. I was a few paces behind, trying to get used to the fact that I wou
ld live in this… house, if you want to call it that, all summer. With six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a heated pool and jacuzzi, three fireplaces, a fire pit and, just over the cliff, the white sands and blue waters of Black Diamond Bay, it felt more like a mansion, but Gage shrugged that off.

  “Just a house, man,” he’d said when he told me about his place on an island a few weeks ago.

  We’d been in the studio all day, and it had been a rough time of it. Gage thought I needed a break and offered his beach place up for the summer. “We bought it as a tax break. I thought we’d be down there all the time but according to my wife, it’s not better than her parent’s place, so...”

  He trailed off with a shrug, miscellaneously punching buttons on the console. “You’re welcome to it. Sheree and the kids will still be in Jamaica.”

  It took me a few days before I felt comfortable accepting his offer, only relenting after he said he’d planned on driving down with me. “May as well get some use out of the place.”

  I stepped into the house, still feeling a little weird about the grandiose foyer and the expensive tile floors, the spacious rooms and the air of wealth that surrounded everything from the knick knacks to the fixtures. The fireplaces had gold plated pokers. I lived a simpler existence, so the excess tripped me out, but I was grateful to have a nice place to spend the summer. I could use the time and space away from the city. Away from the studio.

  Away from my father, a man I never knew, had rarely seen except through a pane of glass and a telephone handset. A man who, a few weeks ago, popped up straight out of nowhere asking to be known. I definitely could use some time away from him.

  “So I put everything in this room back here,” Gage was saying as he rounded a corner. “I had extra power runs put in because that’s where I was going to put my studio. There’s a nice workspace near the windows so you get a view while you’re working.”

  Half listening, I followed Gage to the back of the house. It was a nice area, more like an extended sunroom with a long span of windows along one wall. Beyond the pool and the extra acreage that surrounded the house, the Bay shimmered, washing up onto the sand. I kind of couldn’t wait to set up on the beach in a chair with an ice cold beer, my iPod and some earbuds.

  I exhaled, feeling the weight of the world lift a little.

  “You alright, man?” I turned to find Gage studying me while flipping open the black cases that held the equipment he had driven down in the van. “I mean, this place is cool, right? You gonna be okay out here by yourself?”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s cool. It’ll be a good summer.”

  I set down the cases and bags I was holding and joined Gage in getting the room set up. He’d be leaving the next day, so I wanted to take advantage of having two sets of hands.

  Hours later, the room was starting to resemble Tuneage, my Brooklyn studio. I’d opened it after Gage’s first release, produced by yours truly, jumped from the mid-20’s to the top ten on the Billboard hip hop charts. We were a team, always had been since back in the day. Throughout junior high and high school, Gage wrote and rapped, sang a little, too. I was the beat factory and had a lot going on in my own right. The deal was that whoever hit it big first brought the other one along.

  Gage was discovered on the radio, some New York morning show where wannabe rappers would call in and freestyle over a beat. He blew everyone away, and if that wasn’t amazing enough, he got a phone call later that day that a major producer wanted to talk to him. Gage turned him down. “Already got Wade on the beats. He’s the only one I work with.”

  After orchestrating a deal that included me, he released three chart topping records. His star was bright and while it should have gone to his head, it didn’t. He was the same old Gage I always knew. Married his high school sweetheart, bought a nice spot, put his kids in Catholic private school. Gage Coleman lived a real good life.

  I, on the other hand… I’m not saying my life was shitty, but I spent a lot of time at the Coleman’s because I didn’t have much of anyone else. My mother had worked long hours at a nursing home; my dad had been… away since I was young. We had no real family to speak of since my mother and her family were estranged after she got with my dad against their wishes.

  Gage’s family became my family, and it’s always been that way. When he heard about my dad getting sprung and wanting to come around, Gage understood my freakout. But since his success hinged on me doing what I do, he wanted me to get it together, and quickly.

  I wiped a few beads of sweat from my hairline and stood from a crouching position, where I’d been running some cords under a table. I took a glance around the room to see what else needed to be unpacked and plugged in, but things were looking nice. I still had to connect my speakers, run a few auxiliary cords, and take care of some minor things, but I figured that by the following night, music would be booming from this room.

  I smiled at the prospect.

  “You wanna grab some beers, some wings or something? The main drag is a few blocks away. We can walk.”

  I checked my watch. A feeling of emptiness in the pit of my stomach reminded me I hadn’t eaten in a while. “Sounds good. I want to change my shirt. I’m covered in dust.”

  “You think you’re gonna meet someone that cares about your dirty shirt?”

  I laughed, heading to the bedroom I’d claimed for the summer. “You know your mama taught us to not look like just anything in public.”

  “I guess you’re right. I’ll change, too. You can’t be looking better than me.”

  3

  Ameenah

  I pulled down the metal shade to obscure the open counter, flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED on the front of the shop and stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind me.

  My first full day as owner and proprietor of Tikis & Cream was a success. I had a steady stream of customers, hot and sweaty from being on the beach and ready for a refreshing drink. I keyed both locks and checked the door, then weaved into the stream of foot traffic along the sidewalk. I was going to have to hire some help, sooner rather than later. If every day was like today—

  A bump from behind me interrupted my train of thought. I turned to mutter an apology, but the words stuck in my throat. Two broad-shouldered men were so close, I caught a whiff of spicy cologne. I saw wide smiles on handsome, smooth milk chocolate faces bearing perfectly trimmed goatees. One had gorgeous amber-colored eyes, the other’s were a deep, dark espresso and he seemed… really familiar. Both stepped aside as they passed me, nodding in my direction as they continued their conversation.

  “Excuse you,” I called out to muscle-bound backs. They turned to face me, genuine surprise in both sets of eyes.

  “Excuse us?” said the shorter one. “You came out of there and didn’t even look where you were going. I almost tripped over you. So excuse you, miss.”

  “You could have said something. You bumped into me, almost knocked me over—”

  “Miss,” said the taller one, lifting a hand, I guess to quiet me. “We didn’t see that you were coming out of the shop. Excuse us. We cool?”

  I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. “Fine. We cool or whatever.”

  He smiled and pointed two fingers at me. Then I recognized him.

  I was letting my smart mouth run all over Billboard’s number one hip hop artist, Gage Coleman! I had his latest release on heavy rotation on iTunes and my best friend, Paige, was madly in love with him.

  My eyes grew wide and I sucked in a loud breath. He placed a finger over his lips and winked, then stuck out his hand. “Gage. This is Wade.”

  “I’m so rude. Don’t mind me. Ameenah, nice to meet you.”

  Gage’s grip was strong, his hand soft as I shook it. Wade reluctantly offered his, and I shook it, too. Now that I looked at him instead of glaring at him, I recognized him as Gage’s longtime producer.

  “We’re looking for beer and good wings. Does that exist out here?”

  “A couple of places, yeah. But if you’re
looking for something close...” I pointed toward worn out shack at the end of the block with the line out the front door. “Sparky’s down there has great wings. Lots of flavors. Get extra napkins, though. They’re messy.”

  Gage nodded, rubbing his palms together. “Good lookin’ out.” He eyed the shop behind me, then glanced at Wade, who rolled his eyes. “Looks like you’re closed up for the day. Do you want to join us?”

  I wanted to join them, actually. I really really wanted to hang out with famous, handsome men that had just happened to bump into me, but it had been a long day, I still had things to do before I could go to bed, I was tired as hell and my new job had disgraceful hours.

  “Thanks, but I’d better be heading home. Maybe next time!” I walked around them, making myself leave before I did or said something stupid. Again. “Enjoy your wings!”

  * * *

  “Gage Coleman, in the flesh! And I recognized his producer, too. Wade something.”

  “Wade Marshall?”

  Paige’s voice rose to an octave I didn’t think she could reach. “Are they as fine in real life as they are in this spread for MAXIMUM? Talking about Hip Hop’s Dream Team. Mmmmph, Gage is everything I want on my team.”

  I laughed, dropping into one end of the couch with a bowl of ice cream. “I hope a bullet in your ass is something you want, too. Sheree Coleman don’t play about her man. She will cut a bitch.”

  “Don’t I know it. I heard about one girl in a club getting too close, kept hugging him, hanging on him, grinning all in his face and wouldn’t step back. Sheree took right care of that mess.” I heard her tongue clicking and pages turning. “Anyway, how long do you think they’re in town?”