Miranda jumped up and hurried to the coat closet. Kennedy could hear hangers scraping loudly against the wooden bar. Miranda giggled, piquing Kennedy’s curiosity.
Kennedy walked up behind her, put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight on one foot. “Miranda, what are you looking for?”
Miranda turned around and smiled. “That mess that your friend told you. That old line, your eyes are the color of rain—please, that was played out years ago. I just knew I had it in the back of this closet with last season’s clothes.” Miranda held her stomach and stomped her foot, laughing as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Forget you. It wasn’t a line. I know it sounds like one, but trust me, it wasn’t. It’s true, he was saying all that extra B.S. I’ve heard before. But this time it was real and I was on a whirlwind. I’m serious. Stop laughing. And you know me, I’m not the one to be B.S.ing around, so I asked for the check and we left. So after we’re in his car—I left my car at the bistro—he asks me where to? I came right out and told him we’ve been playing around for a good three and a half months so now it’s time we put some work in, if you know what I mean.”
Miranda regained her composure and sat back down. “So you mean to tell me that all this time you and him have been together y’all didn’t fuck yet?” Miranda poked out her lips and rolled her eyes. “I’m not buying it. I know you too well.”
“That’s right.” Kennedy put her hands on her hips defensively. “And do you have to be so vulgar? He’s always been so patient, such a gentleman. But I must admit, I do want to sex him and see what he’s working with. Hmm, but you know a sista doesn’t mind being the main course.”
“I know that’s right. Girl, you better work that shit out. If that’s what he likes, hey, then so be it. Who are you to starve that man? You better feed him, child.” Miranda doubled over. “Girl if we keep this up, I swear I’m going piss on myself. And before you say it, I can say any vulgar thing I want. It’s my house, remember?” Miranda ran to the bathroom.
“Just hurry up,” Kennedy yelled. “I got to get this out of my system.”
Kennedy sat on the sofa and thought about Michael. She’d only had a taste of what he had to offer. She couldn’t help wondering if the rest of him would be as good as his mouth.
Miranda threw a pillow at Kennedy. “Okay, I’m back. You can stop daydreaming now.”
Kennedy returned the throw. “I wasn’t daydreaming. I was wondering what Michael’s like. Is he going to be good, mind altering?” Kennedy licked her lips and paused.
“I would hope so. It would be dirty of him to tease you like that, just to disappoint you. You better hope he isn’t using his mouth to make up for a lack of something else.”
“Yeah,” Kennedy said, nodding, “but you know how they are. The ritzy type. The I-make-so-much-money type.” Kennedy reached for the cigarettes, lit two and passed one to Miranda. “If they really like you then they wait to push up—most of them anyway. They do it to impress you because they can get some every night from some groupie. So it’s not like they’re a fiend. And if they really want you to be a permanent part of their lives, you can’t just jump in the bed with them because you’ll turn them completely off. They’ll think less of you and assume you’re after something. But I’ve waited long enough and besides, I’ve got my own money.” Kennedy snapped her fingers.
“That’s true. And yes, I’m going to be vulgar. We women cry that make-love nonsense, but we cannot deny that we don’t love a good fuck as often as possible.” Miranda slapped her hand against her leg and laughed.
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What school of etiquette did you attend again? Anyway, back to the drama at hand. We drive to his place and it is fab, as in fabulous. You hear me, his place is tight. This man has a remote control for everything. Lights, blinds, music, you name it, he’s got it. And you remember the Huxtable house on The Cosby Show—”
The front door closed. That meant Rich was home. He was the last person Kennedy wanted to see. As much as she wanted to bend over and throw up at the mere sight of him, she decided to be nice. There was no way in hell that she was going to let him disrupt her mood. He wasn’t worth it.
“Hey, baby. Hey, Kennedy.” Rich acknowledged them. Something rare for him.
“Hey Rich, how have you been?” Kennedy asked, forcing politeness.
“Not bad. Not bad at all. You sure are looking nice today.” Rich winked behind Miranda’s back.
Kennedy cringed and Miranda shot her a be-nice look.
Rich kissed Miranda on the cheek. “Hey, baby. Did you cook something? I’m starving.”
“Boy, please. Cook? It’s too hot to cook.”
“All right. I got ya. Anyway I’m heading out. I just forgot something. Damn one of y’all smell good in here,” Rich said to Miranda but stared at Kennedy as he bent down to whisper something in Miranda’s ear.
Miranda giggled and rubbed the top of his head. Rich bent over her shoulder and kissed her. Miranda’s eyes were closed and Rich’s eyes were on Kennedy.
“See you later,” Miranda said before the front door closed.
They sat in silence for a moment. Miranda glowed and stared into space. Kennedy couldn’t believe the effect Rich had on her friend. What did he do to her? What did he whisper in her ear that caused her to tune out the world? Did she look like that when she was around Michael? Because that was the way she felt. Heavenly.
Miranda moaned and breathed deeply. Either she forgot Kennedy was in the room with her or she didn’t care. “I’m sorry,” she said, coming to. “He just does that to me. Damn!” She shivered. “Now where were we? Oh, the Huxtables. What about the Huxtables again?”
Kennedy was halfway across the room. Miranda jumped up and ran to catch her because she knew Kennedy was going to the kitchen. There was no way that Kennedy was going to get out of finishing the story this time.
“Uh-uh wench,” Miranda jumped in front of the refrigerator. She knew Kennedy had to be thirsty after chain smoking. “Finish.”
“Oh, come on!” Kennedy stomped her foot. “You know I’m thirsty. How do expect me to finish with a dry mouth?” Kennedy turned around. “What y’all got to snack on?”
“Nothing until you finish.” Miranda laughed and grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry and sat down. “Get the soda. You know where the glasses are.”
Kennedy poured her soda. “Okay. You remember the Huxtable house, right? Well it looks just like that, only bigger and better. So we’re at his town house and he offers me some of that wine I got Simone hooked on, well he knows that it’s my signature drink. So of course we’re indulging a little bit and he takes me on a tour of the house. Exactly what I was waiting for, and as I said, his place is tight. While we are upstairs he takes me into a sitting room and we’re talking. He asks me what I want from a man. I went through the usual routine—”
“Honesty. Integrity. Confidence. Humor. Intellect. Friendship. Personality. Stability. Love,” Miranda interjected.
“Exactly. And someone to really know and love me for who I am. Someone who is willing to accept me for what I can bring to the table, no more and no less—”
“Let the church say amen.” Miranda popped a chip into her mouth.
“So now he’s all into it, right, so I decide to catch him off guard. I then tell him that all of those things are of great importance, but they do not ice the cake. Of course he wanted to know what does—”
“What did you tell him, Kennedy?” Miranda asked, waving her hand in the air like she was guiding a plane.
“Be patient, my child. I told him there’s only one thing that ices the cake and that’s great sex and I grabbed his hand and put it up my dress.”
“Damn, girl, you don’t mess around, do you?” Miranda said, her mouth falling wide open.
“If you want something, that’s the only way you can get it!” Kennedy laughed, knowing that she startled her best friend.
“So what did he do?”
“What do you thin
k he did? He grabbed me and kissed the hell out of me. Then he picked my little ass up as though I was air. And check this out. Remember I told you we were in a sitting room, well that was just the entrance to his bedroom. Miranda, I’m telling you, it was just like a Harlequin romance novel. He picked me up and laid me on his bed and gently undressed me. If Gianni Versace were still alive I would have kissed him for designing my clothes to glide off.”
“Keep it coming.” Miranda crossed her long legs and took a deep pull from another cigarette.
“Miranda, if you would be quiet for a minute I would finish. So I’m lying there wearing nothing but heat ’cause you know that a sista was hot. And he’s standing at the end of the bed fully dressed, just staring. I felt like a Picasso painting at a major exhibit. So I tell him to kiss me. And he said no, that he just wanted to admire me first. So I came right out and told him he could touch me and admire me at the same time. Damn it’s hot in here.” Kennedy got up to open the French doors.
“The only thing hot in here is your ass. The AC is on. Now close my doors or start paying some bills around here,” Miranda teased.
“For real. It’s him, I’m telling you.” Kennedy fanned herself with her hand and laughed.
“Finish goddamnit, fin-ish.” Miranda slapped the table.
“All right already. So he started to take off his clothes, and I won’t get all into that because you don’t need to know all of his business, if you know what I mean. So anyway he starts kissing me and my eyes were closed and the next thing I know he was kissing and licking my thighs and you know what happened after that. End of story. Satisfied?”
“Kennedy, you never finish a story, so what happened next?”
“Well, after he was finished he pulled me up and carried me into the bathroom and started kissing me again and telling me how special I am to him. And then we stepped into the shower and he started to bathe me.”
“And y’all didn’t fuck?”
“No, I told you that earlier. He did. I didn’t. Anyway he was bathing me and he made me promise that I’d come to his house tonight since I’ve never been there. Then he drove me to my car and kissed me. End of story. Now are you finally satisfied?”
“Hell no. Didn’t you just tell me that you were at his house earlier? What do you mean that you’ve never been there?” Miranda asked with her hands up and perfectly made-up face twisted.
“I said that I was at his town house, not his house. He wants me to come to the house that he owns on the other side of Central Park. He just bought it so that when his mother visits she has a place of her own to relax in. Other than that it stays unoccupied,” Kennedy said very matter-a-factly.
“Well, I’ll be damned, where did you find this one at, a Forbes magazine party?” Miranda teased and started emptying her pockets, putting all of her money in front of Kennedy.
“No, as a matter of fact I found him at Simone’s job. He’s her boss. Well, he owns half of the firm.”
“Get out!”
“No, seriously, he does. And why are you giving me your money? You don’t owe me anything. Or do you?” Kennedy eyed her.
“Hell no! I don’t owe you a cent. I just want in on it. I’m making an investment. If you can keep doing what you’re doing and getting what you’re getting and not have to give up the twat, I’m buying stock in your ass now, before you go public.” Miranda held her stomach and laughed.
Kennedy threw Miranda’s money at her. “For real, Miranda, if Simone finds out she’s going to be pissed. You know how seriously she takes her career, even if she does call in all the time. She’d have a titty attack if she knew I was seeing her boss, especially the boss who hired her.”
“So are you ever going to tell me his name, or do I have to wait another two to three months?”
“I’ll tell you, Miranda, but you cannot tell anybody, especially Simone. His name is Michael, Michael Montgomery. As in Montgomery & Klein Inc.”
Miranda jumped up and danced. “Girl, you have really done it for yourself this time. This one sounds much better than Jared. It’s like comparing sugar to shit if you ask me. How come I can’t find anybody like that? Someone with charm, power, good looks, and money? Rich is lacking in the charm area.”
“Because you’re too slick and you give it up too quick. Men can smell you coming a mile away!” Kennedy giggled and silently agreed with Miranda about Jared. Not because it was true, but because she was mad at Jared. She had painted a bad picture of Jared when she didn’t tell anyone her reasons for leaving him.
* * *
Kennedy impatiently tapped her foot as she massaged Kharri’s temples. They had been in the optometrist’s waiting room for over an hour, and Kharri was crying. Kennedy exhaled loudly and looked at the receptionist. Don’t they know what an emergency appointment is? she thought.
“Kharri, sweetie? Does your head hurt as bad as it did earlier?”
Kharri nodded.
Kennedy picked her up and gently placed Kharri’s head on her shoulder. She kissed her temple. “It’ll be okay. Mommy will take care of everything.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Kharri walked out of the optometrist’s smiling. Kennedy was relieved because she hated seeing her daughter cry.
“So how does it feel to wear glasses?”
“It’s okay, I guess,” Kharri shrugged. “Do you like them?”
“Sure. Pink is your color,” Kennedy said, tickling Kharri.
* * *
Kennedy struggled into the apartment with her hands full. Thank God Derrick was over. She didn’t want to put up with Simone and her nonsense alone. Her day had been running too smoothly and she didn’t want to lose her emotional high. The house was spotless as usual. One thing about Simone, she could keep a clean house. As soon as Kennedy reached the kitchen and set down the load, Derrick came and kissed her on the cheek.
“How’s it going, baby sis? Where’s Kharri?” Derrick asked.
“Kharri’s at Miranda’s and I’m fine. Thanks for asking. How about yourself, baby bro?” Kennedy asked.
Although Derrick was her older brother she always referred to him as that because he knew how she hated when he referred to her as baby sis. His baby sis was now a certified grown woman.
Derrick leaned his tall, muscular body against the counter and ran his hand over his wavy black hair. “Everything’s cool. I just came by to see how my two favorite sisters are doing.”
“Your only two sisters,” Kennedy playfully corrected him.
“Oh, before I forget, Kennedy, these are for you.” Derrick held out a bouquet of flowers in a very expensive crystal vase from Tiffany’s.
“Thank you very much, Derrick, but my birthday isn’t for a few months. Remember, July second—I’ll be twenty-nine,” Kennedy added.
“Yes, I remember. How could I forget, smarty, mine is on the same day if I remember correctly—”
“Thirty-two, right?”
Derrick punched Kennedy in the arm. “Thirty-one. Don’t even try it. Can you believe Simone will be thirty-three? Dang, she’ll be half of sixty-six.” He laughed.
Kennedy giggled. “Don’t let her hear you.”
“But anyway, sorry to disappoint you. The flowers aren’t from me. They must be from your boyfriend. Oh, I’m sorry, your man. I almost forgot you aren’t a little girl anymore.” Derrick laughed.
“Thanks.” Kennedy grabbed the vase and began to read the card.
Kennedy, Thank you for helping me find my heart. I didn’t realize it was missing until I met you and you showed me what it’s like to really feel. Now I’m a grateful man. I would love to thank you in person and I’d be honored if you would allow me to tonight.—M
“How sweet,” Kennedy accidentally said out loud, forgetting how nosy her family was. There went that tingle again. She was always aroused that way when around or thinking about Michael. He was so sweet. She had to take another shower and get dressed so she could be ready for him that evening. Da
mn, it was going to be good. That was why she emphasized how important satisfying sex was to her, so he would make sure he’d do the job right.
“Kennedy, are you off in lala land or something?” Simone inquired.
“No, I’m just thinking about what kind of plans I should make since you’re having the sex fest of the year over here tonight,” Kennedy shot back with a sly look.
Derrick cleared his throat and clapped his hands. “Don’t start. I know what that look means, Kennedy. You and Simone can try to fool me like you two have been doing for years. But I’m on to y’all now.”
Kennedy and Simone laughed.
They may have gotten smart with each other a lot, but the three of them were like peas in a pod. Close but not close enough to confide in one another. They called and visited. Sometimes they indulged in the latest family gossip that their grandmother made sure they heard. But they made it a point not to reveal anything about themselves that they didn’t want the whole family to know. Anything that anyone knew, their grandmother knew, because the whole family loved their grandmother and confided in her, usually about someone else’s business. And their grandmother told; she didn’t believe in secrets between family. She was from another time when family stood together rather than gossiped behind one another’s backs.
As Kennedy was getting undressed she could hear Derrick and Simone downstairs chatting about some new chick named Courtney that had Derrick’s nose open. Kennedy knew that Simone was going to kindly throw him out soon. That was how Simone was when she had her dinner-for-two nights. Kennedy had tried on almost everything in her walk-in closet when her private telephone line rang. “This is Kennedy,” she heard her answering machine start to sing before she answered.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Ms. Kennedy, I’m glad I finally caught you. Did you receive the flowers?” Michael asked.
“Yes, I did. Thank you. That was sweet. Please don’t tell me that you’re calling to cancel.”
Momma's Baby, Daddy's Maybe Page 3
