Instead of sitting around sulking, I called my cousin, Tasha, who lived on the upper-east side of Miami. She had been asking that I to come to Miami so we could hang out. I thought maybe she could show me a little bit of the city where the magic happens, since my plans to be with Jacob were a bust.
"Hey Tasha," I feigned excitement when she answered on the first ring. It wasn't that I wasn't happy to talk to her; I was just let down by Jacob's rejection.
"Hey girlie!" Tasha beamed through the phone. I could hear the love and surprise in her voice, at once. "To what do I owe the pleasure of speaking to my favorite cousin this evening?"
"Well, earlier when I was breezing through the streets of Miami, headed toward the Embassy Suites, I thought I'd give my favorite cousin a call and see what we could get into."
"You've got to be kidding me right now. Who, what, when, where, and how did you end up in Miami?"
"Girl, you are still a mess." I laughed at her silliness. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was coming to town, but I am most definitely here. I have a meeting tomorrow, but I'ze free to have a good time tonight." If things had gone my way, I had no intentions of coming up for air the entire weekend, much less hanging out with Tasha. Yet as I talked to her, I couldn't imagine coming to her city and not hanging out with my bestie cousin.
"So… you came all the way to Florida, and conveniently forgot to tell me you were coming? What's really going on?" she asked with a playful attitude.
"I have some business to handle with MOCA that is why I am here. In the meantime, I was hoping we could get together tonight and have a few drinks. Can you meet me at the Embassy Suites by the airport at six?"
"Embassy Suites at six. Yes ma'am. You already know I'm there. They have that free happy hour, too... I am so there. Where are my shoes?" I heard her snap her fingers for emphasis. I imagined her looking for her shoes and shook my head. My kinfolks were something else.
"Ha. See you then, girl. Love you," I said.
"Love you too, sis," she replied before disconnecting the call.
I entered the hotel and checked into my room. The first thing I did was go to the bathroom, freshen up, and put on something comfortable.
As soon as Tasha arrived at six, we headed down to the bar area. I was so happy to see her, but I had to force a smile when I thought about the fact that it should have been Jacob with me.