Rhythm Bay Love

by Patricia A. Bridewell

  “Now, don’t get your hopes up on this. I found a potential place in Inglewood and made an early appointment with the owner. Sissy, we can meet him before you go to work. If it works out okay, we’ll take you over there, Aunt Dee.”

  “Oh, bless the Lord,” Aunt Dee said.

  “That’s positive news. Where in Inglewood?” Jada asked, sipping coffee.

  “On West Boulevard, close to Word of Life Bookstore. It’s pricey, but maybe we can barter.”

  “Girls, do your best.”

  “We will.” Celine rubbed her aunt’s back, and Jada reached across the table and squeezed Aunt Dee’s hand. “We got this, Aunt Dee. You taught us to hold on to faith and never let go. We’ll work together and get it done.”

  Celine and Jada discussed the information they’d managed to compile about the property management company that handled the lease for their dress shop. Aunt Dee offered suggestions, and they made plans to follow-up. Aunt Dee’s primary concern was hiring an attorney immediately if the location in Inglewood did not work out. Celine had spoken with the property management company for their current location. They confirmed the eviction was still in effect, but they would not disclose the owner’s name or contact information. Jada and her sisters had ninety days left to move.

  Chapter 19

  ANTOINE

  Sunday Evening

  As Antoine drove to the station, his mind trailed to Jada. Why was she in Gordan’s car? He wasn’t a jealous person, but something about seeing his girl talking to her former boyfriend brought in negative vibes. After church, he had made a call to his mother before he left the lot and noticed Jada riding in the passenger side of Gordan’s vehicle. He assumed she got a lift to her car since they were in the church parking lot.

  Antoine turned into the Starbucks drive-thru for coffee and a sandwich. After he’d eaten, he pushed those negative vibes aside. Jada was his woman, and he trusted her, so he shrugged that off his shoulders and drove to the radio station to work on some voice-overs.

  After he finished his work, he went home for some rest, changed clothes, and called Jada.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Love. What’s up?” He squeezed lemon into a cup of Chai tea latte.

  “I apologize for not calling you back. I was tired after our meeting with Aunt Dee.”

  “Babe, it’s all right. What time can I pick you up?”

  “How about dinner tomorrow?”

  “What? Lady, we have a date set for this afternoon.”

  “Right. We said afternoon. It’s evening,” she said with a soft laugh.

  “Please?” He bit his bottom lip. “I intended to call sooner, but I was at the station longer than expected. I’ve missed you.” She didn’t know how much he’d missed her, nor would she ever guess his surprise plans for this evening.

  “I missed you, too. Okay, where we going? Not to your cousin’s I hope.”

  “For real? I’ve been waiting to have you all to myself, and you think I’m taking you to the house? Besides, you know how nosy Derrick is. He’d probably have his ear to my bedroom door all night.” They laughed simultaneously.

  “Hmm…your bedroom door? Exactly what do you have in mind?”

  “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”

  “Uh, huh…that sounds like an expensive outing.”

  “This is our night. What time will you be ready?”

  “I’ll drive so you won’t have to drop me off. Just give me the address and time to get ready.”

  Antoine had reserved a room at the Montage Hotel – Beverly Hills two weeks prior but chose to surprise Jada. He arrived before she did, checked in and had the bellhop bring her gifts to the room. Everything is ready. She should love this spacious suite. He walked through each room in the suite. The walls had loads of colorful pictures and a big screen television. Best of all, the suite boasted a large private balcony.

  Antoine scanned the suite one more time before he left the room. He exited the hotel elevator at the same time Jada strolled into the lobby, wearing a lime green blouse, short brown skirt, and brown high heels. As she walked toward him, his spirit wasn’t the only thing that lifted. Those shapely legs are gorgeous!

  “Hey, beautiful.” Antoine planted a kiss on her lips.

  “Hi.”

  They embraced for several seconds; he closed his eyes, enjoying the lavender scent of her skin and the smell of freshly washed hair.

  He reached for her small overnight bag, and they walked together to the restaurant for drinks and dinner.

  After dinner, they took the elevator to the eleventh floor. When they walked into the suite, Jada yelled, “Oh, my gosh! What is this?” She lifted both arms above her head, then pointed to the bouquet of red roses in a large white vase on the table. She glanced up at the massive red and white balloons floating in the air and started laughing. A small card and box sat in front of the flower vase. “This room is larger than an apartment. A big screen TV?” Jada walked through the large suite. “You must’ve paid a fortune for this.”

  “Stop worrying about the cost and open your gift.” Antoine grinned.

  She placed her purse on the table and sniffed the bouquet.

  He folded his arms, watching her read the card. She opened the box and removed a gold diamond ring. Kissing her hand, he bowed on one knee, “This is a unique ring. In the future, there will be another one. Happy three-month anniversary! I love you, babe.”

  “Oh, my! It’s beautiful.” He watched her admire the cluster-diamond, yellow-gold ring. “Thank you,” she smiled and leaned down to puckered lips. After the kiss, her head dropped. “I feel bad about not buying you anything. I’ll make it up to you.”

  Antoine rose to his feet. “You don’t have to. I know we haven’t been together that long, but our ebb and flow is so cool. Love has no time limits; for me, this is real.”

  Jada rubbed her finger down his nose and smiled. “You make me happy, too, baby. I love you.”

  He lifted her chin and kissed her; she succumbed to his strong arms. He hadn’t been able to eat or sleep much while he was out of town. He’d missed her laugh, fresh scent, the close bond that made their relationship special. Antoine held her hand and led her out on the private balcony. A full moon and a million bright stars twinkled in the sky while two small pole lamps brightened the dark night. He treasured every moment of having Jada by his side, it was surreal.

  Their conversation led to Antoine’s trip and Rashad’s game. He wrapped his arm around Jada and kissed her forehead. The night had gone smoothly as he had hoped, and most important, she liked the ring. This woman changed his life; he loved her. He had fought the urge to buy an engagement ring.

  “You seem a little preoccupied. What’s wrong?” He gazed into her eyes.

  “Yeah, I am. I feel bad. Me and Celine…well, we talked to Aunt Dee today, and I didn’t expect her to get so upset. I haven’t talked much about my family’s business because it’s in a rut.”

  “What’s going on?” he asked, hoping it was nothing serious.

  “My mom owned a dress shop. After she passed, we kept it going in a building we’re leasing.” She clasped her hands. “We’ve been in the same location for over twenty-one years.”

  When she paused, he sensed a bundle of raw emotions that she couldn’t express.

  “Babe, what’s wrong?”

  “Months ago, we got an eviction notice. And we, uh, haven’t found another location.” She gazed up at him. “Either the buildings are not in good areas or rent is too high.”

  “Oh, no.” He placed both hands on her shoulders. “Okay, who owns the building?”

  “That’s the problem. We pay rent to a property management company, and they won’t release the owner’s name. Our hopes were high about a building in Inglewood. The owner canceled this morning.”

  “Sorry to hear that. Do you have a lawyer?”

  “We’ve contacted one. To keep the cost down, me and Celine tried to find more information before we hire him
.” She clapped her palms together, “We kept it from our aunt who runs the shop. Now, Aunt Dee is upset, and we’re running out of time.”

  Antoine’s back stiffened as Jada shared the discussion between her aunt and sister. The worry that scribbled her face signaled it was time to step up and find a resolution. “Babe,” he tipped her chin up. “Calm down. I’ll take care of the attorney fees and I’ll help you. Just give me a few days to reach out to my contacts, okay?”

  She stepped back and shook her head. “No. See…that’s why I didn’t say anything. You, Mr. DJ Ant…” she pressed an index finger to his chest, “… have your own expenses. You live with your cousin. And how can you afford this expensive suite, jewelry, flowers—”

  He clamped her tiny waist and brought her closer. “Don’t worry about that. I said I’ll take care of it. Believe me, I have multiple streams of income.”

  Antoine considered disclosing his wealth to Jada, and then his conscious mind kicked in with rationalizations like that’s crazy. Do you want to lose her? Jada’s trust meant a lot, and he’d met part of her family. Nowhere in the equation would the Bailey family squabbles, backbiting, or his wealth fit into the framework of supporting Jada. He’d gone down that road of exposing his wealth to Fiona, and it became disastrous. No way would he make that same mistake. He’d call Joy for advice. She’d be in town next week, and it was time for them to get together.

  Antoine and Jada cuddled. Her warm breath made the hair on his chest rise as the blood in his veins sizzled. Spellbound, his primary thought revolved around his love for this woman. He pulled off his shirt and pants and carefully lifted her green blouse over her head. She tossed her bra onto the velvet burgundy ottoman as Antoine ran the tip of his tongue along the lateral parts of her neck. He pulled her down onto the oversized chaise.

  “Uh, excuse me,” Jada said in between kisses. “We’re not doing anything out here. It’s cooler tonight.”

  Antoine picked up the throw blanket at the foot of the chair and wrapped it around her shoulders. “There. You won’t be cold for long.” The softness of her lips ignited the kind of excitement children have when they walk inside a candy store. Hoisting Jada on his lap, their lips locked, and Antoine deepened the kiss with a fervent desire to make sweet love. Brushing his moist mouth around her nipples, he tasted the sweetness of soft brown skin. He helped Jada to her feet and watched her wiggle out of her skirt and panties.

  She sat on the chaise, crossed her legs and posed like she was modeling for Ebony Magazine. Antoine grinned and grabbed his cell from the ottoman. “Don’t move.” The phone clicked.

  She flinched. “No, you didn’t take a naked picture of me,” Jada hopped off the chair and bolted over to Antoine. “Gimme that phone.” She jumped and stretched to get the phone from his hand, but she would need a ladder to reach his long arm lifted high above his head.

  “Nope, this is mine,” he laughed, jogging away.

  Jada chased him; they tussled playfully back and forth for the phone until he gave it to her. She deleted the photo. “Promise me. No more nude photos.” Jada handed him back the cell.

  Forget the phone. He rubbed her back, planting kisses on her neck. She pushed his hand away. Had he messed up? Was Jada upset? She couldn’t be. “Babe, are you okay?”

  She pouted her lips. “No, you need to promise you won’t take another nude photo.”

  “I promise, and I’m sorry if I offended you,” Antoine lifted both hands in defense. “I was going to delete it.” He touched her face. “Do you accept my apology?”

  “No!” she stormed toward the glass door. “I’m leaving.”

  His faced dropped at the shock of her comments. “But what did I—”

  A few feet away from the door, Jada whipped around and pointed her finger at him. “Gotcha!” She laughed, and then ran back to the chaise. “Now come here and give me some of that sweet brown sugar.”

  His eyes roamed her nude body, his heart pumped so fast he could hardly contain himself. Be cool and take it slow. Antoine’s face broke into a wide grin. “Okay, you got me this time,” he scratched his head. “Leaving with no clothes on? I should’ve caught that prank from the start.”

  He scuttled to the chaise and crawled from the bottom upward like a tiger on the prowl. On his knees, he planted a kiss on her lips. “Mmm…you’re real funny, but I’ll get you back.”

  Raising her arms overhead, Jada arched her back and giggled. “That’s what you think.”

  “Watch me.” He planted kisses from her luscious lips to her breasts, swirling his tongue around full nipples then down to her navel, tenderly scattering kisses in a trail back to her mouth. He caught her lips in between his, kissing her deeply. His fingers moved in between her soft legs. His rod stood erect as the Queen’s guard at Buckingham Palace as he entered her damp canal. They rocked slowly in seesaw motion, fast then faster. His excitement soared higher. He moaned; she moaned. Their bodies shuddered, and an immense explosion like fireworks released. Then they started over again.

  Antoine kissed Jada’s forehead before he rolled over and threaded his arms around her shoulders. Neither said a word nor moved for a while.

  “Baby, hand me that throw blanket. I’m getting cold,” Jada said.

  “Cold? With all this heat between us?” He picked up the blanket that she had pitched on the floor and handed it to her. Jada got up, sheathed her body and tied a knot before walking inside the room.

  “Uh! We’re not done yet.” Antoine followed her. His plan — was to make love all night with his beautiful woman.

  “What are you saying?” Jada laughed.

  “I can’t get enough of you, girl.”

  “You’re being greedy.”

  “That’s right. And I’m going to be greedy a little while longer. Remember how long I waited?” He unwrapped the blanket and gently placed her face in between his palms. “Gorgeous lady, I love you. You’re mine.”

  Jada squeezed Antoine’s waist and laid against his chest. “I love you, too, honey.”

  Chapter 20

  JADA

  Monday

  The foreign sound of an alarm clock that wasn’t hers woke Jada from a deep sleep. Wiping her eyes, she sat up slowly remembering that she had stayed at the Montage after an enchanting night with Antoine. She rarely stayed out all night, but Antoine’s generosity and suite reservation for date night made her second think this one. She’d texted Celine and informed her she would not be home.

  Jada noticed a small pad with a handwritten note on the nightstand. She picked it up. GM, babe. I left early for work. Room Service will bring breakfast. Call them when you’re ready. Thank you for last night. Love you, Ant. Jada smiled. Last night, now room service? This was way overboard. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if she was ready for the Queen Bee treatment. A vision of Antoine’s fine face on his knees, the ring, thwarted doubts that occasionally crept into her head. Jada walked to the closet and removed one of the white terrycloth robes and the spare outfit she’d brought up from the car last night.

  After exiting the shower, she wrapped her body in a towel. A quick glance at her hair in the mirror was a reminder that she’d left her hair products at home. She added body lotion to her skin, smoothed her hair back and pulled it up into a curly-kinky afro puff before slipping on a two-piece orange and brown wide-legged palazzo pants outfit and beige open-toe wedges. Perfect for the weather prediction of another warm day. She heard a knock at the door.

  “Who’s there?”

  “Room Service,” a male voice said.

  Jada swung the door open to a friendly middle-aged man who rolled in a cart.

  “Thank you. Oooh…this smells delicious,” Jada said, handing him a tip.

  “You’re welcome, ma’am, and thank you for the tip.”

  He left the pleasant smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee lingering in the air. Jada moved the plate and coffee to a round table, lifted the silver lid covering on the plate and clicked on the big screen. Adding a little hot
sauce to the eggs, she wished Antoine could’ve joined her for this meal that was suitable for royalty. Her phone chimed. It was Denise.

  “Hey, lady. What’s going on this early?” Jada asked.

  “Nothing. Just checkin’ in on you. We didn’t talk this weekend.”

  “Well, that’s because I was busy.”

  “I see. Busy doin’ what?”

  “I’ll tell you later. I gotta leave in a minute. Hit me up when you get to the office.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  As Jada prepared to leave, she noticed a slip of paper gliding underneath the door. She placed the flowers and her overnight bag on a chair and bent down to pick up what appeared to be the hotel bill. “What?” She gasped, covering her mouth. The bill nearly knocked her over. This was way too much to spend for one night in a hotel. She and Antoine would have to talk.

  The station was quiet when Jada arrived for work. She unlocked her office, placed her flowers on the desk, and opened her desktop before she tipped back to the studio. Antoine was on the air and seemed busy, but when he saw her peering in the window, he pressed a finger to his lips and blew her a kiss. She scribbled a note with a smiley face on a piece of paper and pressed it to the window.

  TALK TO YOU LATER.

  She stopped by the employee mailbox section where a small envelope that she hadn’t seen on Friday was the single item present. She opened it and smiled after viewing two photos. One of Antoine on a couch with his eyes closed and shirt unbuttoned and another showing a television and furniture in someone’s living room. Jada frowned. This couch is not the same as the one at Derrick’s place. Maybe he was visiting someone, and they shot this photo. Or it could’ve been taken at his place in San Francisco. She returned to her office and propped the door open. As the morning progressed, she would close it to stay focused. The phone chimed. It was Charmaine.

  “Hi, Char.”

  “Morning. I’m checkin’ in. Celine said you didn’t make it home last night.”