«Cabana Boys» by Kathleen Hope

“We really need to get together to plan our trip,” my friend Cherise was saying.

            “Yeah, yeah. We do.” I pulled up to the intersection and hit the brake. “I’ve been saving for this one. Two weeks on that island. Just me and my girls.”

            Cherise laughed at my fake announcer’s voice. “I don’t think I’ve looked forward to anything so much in a long while.”

            “Is Tripp tripping?” I asked, snickering at the long-running joke we shared about her quick-to-jump-to-conclusions boyfriend.

            “Nah. He’d better not anyway. Especially since he hasn’t been too long come back from his guys’ only trip. Shoot. It’s our turn now. Man, I’m getting excited.”

            I grinned though she couldn’t see me. “I am too.”

            “What does Billy say about it?”

            I shrugged as I turned onto the street where the apartment complex where I lived with my fiancé Billy was. “What can he say? I already bought my plane ticket.”

            She chuckled. “I hear ya. Listen, my client is here. I’ll talk to you later.”

            “Okay. I got off early today. I think I’ll surprise Billy. Maybe we can go out tonight. I’m tired.”

            “Oooo, nasty. Well, go get him girl. Call me later.”

            “Okay. Bye.”

            I gathered my messenger bag with my computer and work that I was supposed to work on this evening. I’d do it later. First, I wanted to unwind and spend a little time with Billy. We’d both been so busy lately that we barely seen each other this week. I missed him.

            As I walked up the sidewalk towards the steps that led to my second floor apartment, I passed a woman about my age who was …