Page 94 of Certified to Handle You 3

I caught a cab from the hotel and asked the driver to take me somewhere I could walk around without spendin’ a bunch of money. He dropped me near a public beach area first, and I stayed out there for a while with my sandals in my hand.

I walked close enough for the water to wash over my feet and watched people swim while kids ran up and down the sand. It should’ve relaxed me more than it did, but every few minutes my mind wandered right back to Renza.

After that, I walked through a lil’ market close to the beach where people was sellin’ jewelry, handmade bags, clothes and food. I bought a bottle of water and kept movin’ ‘cause I wasn’t tryna shop.

I passed a few lil’ stores, looked through some stuff and stopped near the water long enough to sit down when my feet started hurtin’.

I kept my phone close the entire time. Every time it vibrated, I looked at it too fast. Most of it wasn’t nothin’ important.

Eventually, I got hungry enough that I knew I needed to eat. I searched for somewhere nearby and saw a restaurant called Salt House. It wasn’t far, and the pictures looked good enough, so I caught another cab and told the driver to take me there.

Salt House sat close to the water and had this laid-back feel to it that I liked as soon as I walked in. It wasn’t one of those places where I felt like I needed to be dressed up just to sit down.

There was tables inside and more outside where people could eat while lookin’ toward the water. I picked a table near one of the windows and sat my purse beside me before lookin’ over the menu.

My appetite had been weird since I landed. I could tell I was hungry, but my nerves made food feel like work.

I stared at the menu for a while before the fried snapper caught my attention. It came with eggs and potatoes cooked with peppers and onions, and for some reason that sounded like somethin’ I could actually eat.

When the server came over, I ordered it with water and set the menu aside.

While I waited, I looked around the restaurant. There was an older couple sittin’ a few tables over, two women talkin’ near the front and a man by himself outside. Nobody looked familiar, but I still found myself lookin’ anyway.

I hated how alert I was. I had been on the island barely a day, and somehow every black man with a beard made me look twice.

When my food came, I stared at the plate for a second before pickin’ up my fork. The snapper smelled good, and the potatoes looked even better, but I had to make myself start eatin’. Once I took the first couple bites, I understood why Salt House had so many good reviews. The fish was seasoned good, and the potatoes had enough peppers and onions in ‘em that I kept eatin’ even when my stomach tried tellin’ me I wasn’t hungry no more.

Every few bites, my eyes drifted toward the entrance, ‘cause I couldn’t help it. Renza could’ve walked through that door and I probably would’ve dropped the damn fork. But he never did.

Once I finished what I could, I paid for my food and left a tip before grabbin’ my purse. I stepped outside and stood here for a second while I decided whether I wanted to call another cab or walk. The weather felt too good to get right back in a car, so I started down the sidewalk instead.

There was more stores and restaurants scattered through the area, and enough people walkin’ around that I ain’t feel weird bein’ by myself.

I passed a shop with beach clothes hangin’ outside, then another place sellin’ drinks and snacks. I wasn’t lookin’ for nothin’ in particular, but I also wasn’t ready to go back to the hotel.

I had only walked a few minutes when I smelled weed. My feet slowed before my mind even caught up.

The scent moved through the air with the wind, and somethin’ about it made my chest pull tight while I looked around to see where it was comin’ from.

There was too many people nearby for me to tell, but it immediately made me think about Renza. I knew it was probably crazy as hell to follow the smell of weed on an island full of people, but somethin’ about it felt like him, and before I could talk myself out of it, I kept walkin’ in the direction the scent seemed to be comin’ from.

The smell got stronger for a second, then faded when the wind changed. I moved past a couple standin’ outside one of the shops and looked further down the street. Somebody laughed nearby, a car pulled away from the curb and music played low from somewhere behind me, but none of it held my attention.

I was listenin’ for somethin’ I couldn’t name, and lookin’ for somebody I couldn’t see.

My heart started beatin’ harder the further I walked.

I knew how crazy I had to look if anybody was payin’ attention to me, but I ain’t care. I kept movin’ past people while my eyes searched the sidewalk, the parked cars and every face that came close enough for me to see clearly.

For a second, the smell of weed came back stronger, and I turned toward the street. That was when I saw a black truck.

I slowed down and stared at it from across the street. It was parked a lil’ further down near the curb with dark windows, and the longer I looked at it, the harder my heart started beatin’. It was big, black and clean, exactly the type of shit Renza would drive, and for a second I couldn’t make myself look away. I swallowed hard and started walkin’ toward it

My heart was poundin’ so hard that I could feel it against my chest, and every step made my palms sweat more. I kept my eyes on the driver’s side ‘cause I could see somebody sittin’ behind the wheel, but I wasn’t close enough to make out who it was yet. I wanted it to be him so bad that it hurt.

By the time I made it across the street, I was holdin’ my purse tighter against my side while I moved toward the truck.

The person inside shifted, and I got close enough to see his face.