Unwrapping Jordan

by Tiana Laveen

  “It went much deeper than that. I needed to love myself at any size. The girl within me didn’t need a Jenny Craig diet or a gym membership that would just collect dust and expire. She needed love. I needed to see my beauty and accept myself,” she said, “and not need endorsement from others. That’s when you all came into my life. You taught me so much, it was like free therapy.” She laughed nervously, and appreciated how several of the women reached for her hands, offering words of inspiration. “You taught me by example how to accept myself, how to strive for the best and focus on my attributes. We are a group of smart Black women. Gifted, magical… I needed to understand that and embrace it.”

  “And now this guy you met hopefully is marriage material because he’s got your behind opening up like a can of worms! Please let me coordinate it when the day comes!”

  “Oh, Brenda!” A bunch of them chastised the woman. “Egypt just got back in contact with the man and now you’re trying to marry her off! You’re going to make her not tell us anything else at all!”

  “Look, she called off her first engagement, and in hindsight, I’m glad she did because they weren’t a good match. But Egypt would make an excellent wife and my God, look at her bone structure! Could you imagine the type of babies she’d make? What does this Jordan man look like, Egypt?”

  “Brenda, you are out of order,” a few rebuked.

  “It’s a fair question!”

  “He’s very handsome. Tall. Muscular. Tattoos. He’s confident and just… sexy.”

  “Mmmm. How tall is tall?” Shae questioned.

  “6’4.”

  “Ohh, baby! Yes!” The women fell out in a tizzy of giggles.

  “What does he do for a living?” someone else questioned.

  “He’s a software developer and implementer for a company in Los Angeles that deals exclusively with cyber security, governmental protection and crime. He just recently finished a pretty important project for the LAPD and a few months ago, he was in Holland helping them with a specialized program specific for their bank card machines. World traveler, and he loves what he does. He seems to be quite good at it, too.”

  “Ohhh! He’s fine and smart! DING! DING! DING! We’ve got a winner, folks!”

  Egypt laughed as the ladies joked with her.

  “And let’s just put it out there, make it clear. He’s also White.”

  “I see when Brenda said ‘fair,’ that was the operative word. You took that shit literally,” Angelica teased, causing a burst of laughter from the ladies around the table.

  “Well, whatever color he is, I don’t care,” Brenda stated flippantly. “I just want him to deserve you.” Egypt nodded in appreciation. “You have my number when you two decide to tie the knot. I hope you’re not giving the milk away for free.” Brenda was playfully booed and silenced. All she did in response was shrug her shoulders, roll her eyes, and sip her long island iced tea. The woman was notorious for trying to be a match-maker of the single ladies in the assemblage. Her husband was the minister of a large church and she had this notion, as First Lady, that every woman worth her salt wished to one day get married and have children. Never mind that Brenda had a degree from MIT in Humanities in Sciences, specializing in Global languages. The woman was brilliant, like many others in attendance, but she couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around the fact that marriage wasn’t everyone’s dream.

  Regardless, Egypt had to admit that the thought of her and Jordan settling down and starting a life together definitely appealed to her. She would also be lying if she said she’d never felt a desire to have a child. She didn’t dwell on it, refused to let it become an obsession like some of her friends who were approaching thirty-five or had crossed that threshold altogether, afraid their eggs would rot and be useless. Yet, she definitely wondered if one day she, too, would she hold her very own baby, and look into the eyes of her future.

  Just then, the waiter emerged and refilled her glass.

  “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re more than welcome. Sorry it took me a minute to get back to you. We got real busy.” He went on to assist others at the table, and the chatter began again.

  She returned to her musings, marinating in the juices of a hedonistic memory that still left her body on fire. She and Jordan had spoken daily since making love at the hotel, and they’d even managed to catch a movie one evening and a bite to eat another. It was difficult to navigate her tight work schedule as of late, and he needed to spend time with his grandfather and help his mother with chores and repairs around the house while he was in town. Meanwhile, he was also trying to get some work done himself. She had no idea how long he’d be staying. After a while, she stopped asking, not really wanting the answer. Whatever the response, it would definitely be too soon. The question still loomed, so heavily it blocked the light from up above and cast a dark shadow over her hopes and dreams.

  One day, he’ll be going back to Cali… and unlike LL Cool J, I can’t say, “I don’t think so…”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Christmas Cums but Once a Year

  “Got your house all decked out, huh? Feelin’ jolly, Ms. Claus?” He grinned. Egypt took his coat then closed the door behind him, locking the deadbolt. “Looks nice.”

  “Thank you. All of the decorating is done. I am in fact feeling extra festive today. Not only that, I got to work from home yesterday, so that was a relief. Gave me some extra time to string lights and hunt down the batteries for my chatty, lifelike Santa.” She pointed to a life-sized rosy-cheeked Santa Claus in her foyer area, a mere few feet from where he stood.

  The figure had a red velvet bag slung over its shoulder and a devilish twinkle in its tiny blue eyes. The damn thing looked creepy. He imagined it coming to life at night while she slept and tearing down all of her wreaths, stockings from the mantle, garlands from the counters, and the Christmas tree. Then after destroying her home, he’d laugh maniacally, yelling, ‘Merry Christmas!’ and wake her from a sound slumber. ‘Have you been naughty or nice, little girl?!’ As the holiday hellion flashed a smile, he exposed sharp rows of yellowed teeth.

  “Are you okay?” She asked, hanging his coat.

  “Yeah… yeah. I’m great.”

  He almost told her about the silly place his mind had wandered to, but didn’t want to stomp on her parade.

  “Have a seat, honey.” She pointed towards the long, L-shaped taupe couch. He walked behind her, pausing when he smelled the delectable aroma of the food she’d been preparing. His mouth watered, and his stomach instantly rumbled.

  “Something smells really good. What are ya cooking?” He spread his arms over the back of the couch and looked around.

  “Tuscan chicken and bacon avocado Caesar salads. For dessert, apple and walnut tarts with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.”

  “That sounds fancy and delicious. You announced it like someone on the Home Shoppin’ Network.” She giggled and turned around to walk away. “I’m going to enjoy my dinner then, that’s for sure. Now, what are you gonna have?” The woman burst out laughing at his teasing before disappearing to her kitchen. 2Pac’s, ‘Do For Love’ started to play.

  He tapped his fingers to the beat on the couch. On her walls hung silver framed mirrors in various shapes and sizes, abstract art on large canvases, and a lush plant in just about in every corner of the living room. To his left was a balcony, behind drawn silver and black curtains over blinds. Her wooden floor looked brand new. He had an affinity for wooden floors, something he grew up with, a part of his history in the old house of his childhood. “How long have ya lived here, E?”

  “In this condo? I bought it about six years ago.”

  “Was it new, or were you just the new owner?”

  “It was new.”

  “You got to pick out the finishes, cabinetry, floors, things like that?” He glanced at Santa, then mean-mugged him.

  “Yes. Some things came standard. There wasn’t much wiggle room to negotiate a change, but I had a choice of lik
e three or four different kinds of kitchen cabinetry, bathroom fixtures, and floor treatments.”

  We’ve got similar taste. I really shouldn’t be surprised, though. That’s what always drew me to her in the first place. We just agreed on a lot of stuff, got along well, understood one another.

  Soon, they were sitting at her dining room table decorated with gold candelabras and a gold and red runner, with matching place settings. The evening wore on smoothly, as if life was a red carpet and he was the star attraction. He found himself laughing, drinking, and eating some of the best, most succulent chicken he’d ever tasted. The tune of Chris Isaac’s, ‘Wicked Game’ could be heard in surround sound, and their laughter echoed throughout the room as they continued to take a stroll down memory lane. When he was done with his plate, he dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

  “I keep remembering more and more about you. About us.”

  She sloshed her wine glass lazily around and around, then took a sip.

  “Like what?” Her eyes hooded as she stared at her beverage.

  “Well, this morning when I was at the gym workin’ out, I remembered when you tripped and fell in that pile of leaves.”

  The woman burst out laughing and covered her mouth to keep it from becoming a sprinkler system.

  “I forgot about that! Oh, my goodness, Jordan. I was so embarrassed! I was trying to go around it, lost my footing, and bloop!”

  “Down ya went! I couldn’t even see ya. It was like you’d been swallowed by quicksand. The heap was obviously bigger than it looked. Oh, remember that time ya packed me a lunch? It was burnt to a crisp. I think it was supposed to be a grilled cheese sandwich.”

  The woman nodded, her cheeks rosy as she held in another round of chuckles.

  “Yeah. Please, let’s not talk about it.” She waved her hand about, a big embarrassed smile on her face.

  “It was terrible. But I ate it anyway.”

  “Really? Why? I wouldn’t have known either way. I never saw you after we got to school most days until it was time to go home.” She took another sip of her wine.

  “Because I knew the truth. And I knew that if ya asked me about it, I wanted to be able to tell you that I ate it, because I had. It was the thought that counted.”

  Blushing a deeper hue, she placed her glass down and pushed her semi-filled plate to the side.

  “Thankfully, my cooking skills have vastly improved since then.”

  “So have my eating skills.” Both sets of lips. He winked at her, and there was that beautiful flush of her skin that he so loved, creeping through once again.

  “Remember my friend’s party that I told you I attended?”

  “Mmm hmm,” he managed around a mouthful of wine.

  “I told them about you.”

  “That’s good. I’m glad to hear that. Means we’re movin’ in the right direction.” They hooked gazes then, neither saying anything for a few long moments. “I want you.” He pointed at her. “I want everyone we care about to know our plans for each other when the time comes. Because I’m planning a future with you, Egypt. Still have some logistics to work out, but I am.” She nodded in understanding. “I also want to know everything about you. Not just the girl I used to know, but the woman you are today. We’ve gotten off to a good start, but I want to be so good at knowin’ you, Egypt, that I can predict your next move. Are you open to that? To me probing… prodding… digging?”

  “Yeah, I am. I’m open to it.”

  “Cheers to being open.” They raised their glasses in the air and pretended to clink them together.

  “Jordan, there’s a play at the—”

  “What do you hate most about your job?” he interrupted. He didn’t want to go see a play with her tonight. He wanted to do exactly what he’d said. Find out every damn thing about her, all the shit he’d missed over the years.

  “I like my job a lot, for the most part, but—”

  “But, but, but…” He chuckled, making her smile. “Come on… gotta be something.”

  “I hate how my boss shows off in front of the VP. I also don’t like how one of my coworkers tries to come in my office and see what I’m working on so she can make comparisons, but never to help. I don’t like that my office is so damn close to the break room. I can smell the burnt popcorn, the fish hot from the microwave, and hear the ridiculous conversations I should never be privy to.”

  “I can almost visualize everything you said. Yeah, burnt popcorn smells pretty bad, too.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ve been fortunate that I really like my work, just like you. I’m going to answer your question, but you probably find it funny that I ended up in this field, don’t you?”

  “No.”

  “Really? Everyone else did. They told me they didn’t think I’d be into technology, that it seemed totally opposite of the person they knew me to be. They figured I’d pursue real estate, or some sort of sports related career or something like that.”

  “No, your choice doesn’t surprise me a bit. It fits you perfectly because, first of all, you always wanted a lucrative career. You are also someone who needs a long leash – to be trusted to work on your own. I remember telling you about my desire to go into sales, but I wanted to be on the design end, not in the limelight, and how into computers I was at the time. Back then, people weren’t talking about it how they’re doing so now. You showed a good amount of interest in what I was saying, and come to find out, you enjoyed messing around on the computers at school. You were trying to learn coding, HTML, and CPU usage and RAM updates.”

  “That’s right. I told you all about that back then. You remembered that?”

  She burst out laughing.

  “I’ve been thinking and saying that same thing, Jay, since you’ve been here. I can’t believe some of the things you recall. Sometimes, you know, back then, I only thought you were half paying attention, but your memory astonishes me.”

  “Can I astound ya some more with some ill-timed, corny jokes? I’m going to borrow them from my grandfather. Ahem.” He cleared his throat, ready to begin. She laughed at that, giving him the reaction he wanted: to see her beautiful smile. But then she seemed to draw suddenly serious.

  “Maybe later.” She tapped the stem of her glass.

  “All right, suit yourself. Ya missed out on some fantastically horrible knock-knock jokes.”

  “Give me a rain check. Instead, I’d like to give you a tour.” She winked.

  “If it involves a one-way ticket to your body, I’m all in.”

  She sucked her teeth then grinned, laughing real easy, sexy like. Moments later, they entered the master suite decorated in cream and sage. The high bed looked comfortable, and despite the small size of the room, the ambience brought to mind a fine hotel room. It smelled of patchouli with hints of vanilla, and she’d even hung a few Christmas decorations around, too. In the corner sat a three-foot purple and silver Christmas tree with faux diamond hanging ornaments.

  Egypt always went a little over the top with girly girl stuff like this. I like that about her, too, though.

  She toed out of her shoes and he reached for the buttons of his shirt. All he could hear was his own breathing and the sound of their clothing sliding and snapping off their bodies. It was strangely beautiful, for it felt like something they’d done all along, a pattern of behavior they’d gotten accustomed to. Undressing to make love.

  He placed all of his clothing and shoes in a neat pile, then pulled down the sheets and got into bed. Egypt was pinning her hair up at her vanity, the surface lined with perfume bottles and hair products. When she bent down, damn if his temperature didn’t soar. He quickly left the bed, loath to miss such a choice invitation to play. She giggled when she felt his caress, a knock at her intimate door… He curled his body around her and cupped her breasts. Rubbing the soft dark nipples, he kneaded them into hardened buds.

  A slight tremble wracked through her body, followed by another as he deliberately
kissed the soft skin of her shoulders and spine, making her purr. Everything about Egypt was his greatest fantasy come true. From thick, soft coils of black hair, the richness of her flesh, and every mole, dimple and freckle in between. With a slow hand, he massaged her rounded ass, one of the most beautiful parts of her body – a treasure of supple flesh that jiggled when she walked, making his dick hard at first sight. Running his finger down her pussy slit, then back, he coaxed her into a frenzy.

  “That’s it, baby,” he whispered into her ear as he masturbated her. She turned her head from side to side, gasping when he glided a finger within her oasis. He curled it at the knuckle, moving in and out as she rode the wave, her panting a thing of distinct beauty. He retreated from her heat to massage the feminine skin of her nature. The lips were so soft. Inviting. Traces of moisture coated his finger, trickling out of her. Gripping her shoulder with one hand, he stood straight and noticed her looking at him through the mirror. Without warning, he lunged deep inside of her with an overpowering roar. She shook and moaned, her hand trembling, lips parted with no sound coming out and holding tight to the vanity counter. He plunged impossibly deeper inside of all that was owed to him, all that he’d lost.

  He sought shelter within her, going as far and hard as he could. He groaned, his entire body, every cell needing her in the worst way.

  “Shit!” she blurted out between clenched teeth.

  That was it… His need. Another step, graduating to her heightened pleasure. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he lifted her from the floor and hoisted her flush to him while still inside of her. Her body drooped like a rag doll’s, bent as he pummeled within her, his thrusts urgent, his love for her intense and growing stronger every second of the day. Strumming her clit, he made his intentions clear. He wanted her heart. Her mind. Her soul.