by Zane
“Would you like some coffee to go with that?”
“Actually, I’ll take a cup of hot chocolate.”
I held up a peace sign to the teen. “Two hot chocolates.”
After he’d put our bagels and hot chocolates on a tray, Rayne said, “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Listen, since it’s so crowded in here, do you mind if I share a table with you?”
We were the only customers in the place. The teen looked at me foolishly.
“No, I don’t mind. I’m surprised to see so many people in here at this time of day. Besides, it’s vitally important to share. That’s one of the first things we’re taught as children.”
“By the way, my name is Yardley. Yardley Brown.”
We shook hands.
“Rayne Waters.”
The game continued after we sat down by the window.
“So Rayne, what do you do for a living?”
“I work at the First Community Bank. Customer Relations Specialist.”
“Aw, I happen to have an account there.”
“Really?” Rayne giggled. “Small world.”
“Very, very small world.”
“How do you pay your bills?”
“I’m a chiropractor.”
“Wow, I’ve never met a chiropractor before. You help people improve their posture and straighten their spines?”
“Among other things. Maybe I can show you my office one day. You might find it interesting.”
“I’m sure I would.”
Both of us picked at our bagels. I don’t think it was bad nerves, but excitement. At least that’s what it was on my part.
“Can I be frank?” I asked her.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“You’re the most beautiful sister I’ve seen this year.”
She leered at me like she thought I was full of shit.
“Hmm, I guess it’s a good thing you saw me this year.”
“Why’s that?”
“If I’m the most beautiful for only this year, then last year’s competition must’ve been fierce.”
“Well, I didn’t want to use the ‘in my entire life’ line because I figured you wouldn’t believe me.”
“But I’d believe a year is more reasonable?” she asked sarcastically. “Besides, we’re barely into this one so you’ll probably still find someone more beautiful.”
“You’re a clever girl!” I couldn’t withhold my laughter. “I can see I’m going to have to watch what I say around you.”
“Only for the next fifteen minutes. Then, I’ll walk out that door and I guess we’ll never see each other again.”
The mere thought of her walking away sent a chill through me. The only plus was that I knew exactly where to find her if she did.
“I don’t think that’s wise.”
“You don’t think what’s wise?”
“For us to never see each other again.”
“How come?”
“I really want to ask you out, but…”
“But?”
“But, I’ve been through so much pain and anguish lately over women that I’m a bit apprehensive.”
She removed the top from her hot chocolate and blew the surface lightly. I imagined those same lips blowing into my ear.
“And I could say the same about men putting me through drama,” she retorted.
“I don’t know. It’s risky. We’ve barely met. I don’t really know anything about you, other than you’re fine. You could be a psychopath or something.”
“So could you.”
“Plus, I’m not used to picking people up like this. Do you do this often?”
“Hardly ever.”
“I tell you what, here’s my card. I’m writing my home number and cell phone number on the back. My pager number is on the front. Why don’t you give me a call sometime?”
She stared at my business card like I’d written a novella. Four phone numbers was a bit much. I hoped I wasn’t coming off as desperate.
“I’m very bad at calling,” Rayne said, sliding the card back across the table to me. “If you really want to see me again, you’d better make plans right now.”
I couldn’t believe she gave my card back. “Is that so?”
“Yes, I’m an extremely busy independent African-American woman and my social calendar tends to stay full.”
“In that case, how’s tomorrow night?”
“Hmm, let me think. I do have plans tomorrow night. Sorry.”
“Just my luck.”
“I’m supposed to be going to the Playground Arena for their monthly adults’ night out.”
“Adults’ night out?”
“Yes, you know how a lot of places have kids’ night out?”
“So their parents can get a break?”
“Yes, and the kids can feel like they’re grown by hanging out late.”
“Intriguing.”
“Well, the Playground Arena has an adults’ night out once a month where adults can act like children.”
That seemed like an interesting concept to me. I’d never ventured off into something like that. Besides, if Rayne was going to be there, that’s where I needed to be. If she was going to a floral show, I would’ve wanted to go.
“Are you going with someone, Rayne?”
“No, all the people I know think they’re too special to get down like that. Like it’s beneath them. I don’t care because I have a ball.”
“Can I join you?”
“You mean, like a date?”
“Yes, a date.”
She grinned at me and took another sip of her hot chocolate.
“No, I don’t think so. If we were on an official date, I’d have to act respectable and let you win at everything.”
“But, if we were on an unofficial date? If I just happened to be there and you just happened to be there?”
“Then, I’d be a competitive opponent and wear you out in every event.”
We both laughed.
“I seriously doubt that.”
“Talk is cheap.”
I could tell that she was serious about being competitive, but I liked the idea of it.
“So what time does adults’ night out start?”
“Nine on the dot.”
“I’ll be there at eight-thirty to warm up,” I told her.
Rayne got up from the table and put her gloves back on. I hated to see her go so soon but I was thrilled that she’d even shown in the first place. I was even more excited about seeing her again the next night.
“I’ll be there at eight-fifteen doing some stretches,” Rayne boasted.
“See you there, tiger,” I said and then growled at her.
Rayne leaned over and whispered in my ear. “You better wear a jock strap. I wouldn’t want to cause you any permanent damage.”
I watched her walk out the door and couldn’t help but wonder what kind of damage she could do to me in the bedroom.
Seventeen
Rayne
I decided to save Chance the trouble of ringing my phone off the hook and called her as soon as I got home to tell her what had happened at Bagels by the Bag.
“Girl, why are you home so early?” was the first question out of her mouth.
“What? Did you expect me to spend the night with Yardley or something?”
“As fine as he is and as long as it took your ass to hook up with him, you need to be over his place or yours boning right this second.”
“Chance, I’m not giving it up to him that fast.”
“Puleeze, you were planning on giving it up to Basil the first night; until he came simply on a coochie sighting.”
“He never saw my coochie, only lingerie,” I said, correcting her.
I had to admit she had a point. I was planning on jumping Basil’s bones. But, it was different with Yardley. I wanted our first time, and I already knew that there would be a first time, to be extra special. Something neither one of us would ever
forget.
“Coochie sighting. Lingerie sighting. Whichever. The point is that you were willing to give it up.”
“Okay, Chance, I get your point. Do you want to know what happened or not?”
She giggled. “Hell yeah, I want to know. Spill it.”
I told Chance all about how Yardley and I had pretended to be strangers that had bumped into each other, how I’d asked him about bagel selections, and how we’d shared a table on the pretense that the empty place was overcrowded.
“All that’s cute and shit,” Chance hissed into the phone after I was finished describing it. “However, you two need to stop playing games. On that note, when are you getting the dick?”
“Chance, this isn’t about getting a dick,” I said, totally offended but not surprised at Chance’s bluntness. “I can get a dick anywhere. I want Yardley to be my man.”
“You can get a dick anywhere except over at Basil’s crib.”
I banged the handset of my phone on my end table so it would irritate Chance’s eardrum. Then I stated sarcastically, “Hello! This isn’t about Basil! Basil has left the damn building! Can we talk about Yardley, please!”
“Damn, you didn’t have to go there, Rayne.” Chance got back at me by squealing like a pig into the phone.
“You’re going to mess around and get you and Ricky kicked out your apartment,” I said jokingly.
“Humph, I seriously doubt that. The way I scream out in bed, if someone was going to complain, they would’ve done that a long ass time ago. Then again, there was that one time last year—”
“You scream out in bed?” I asked, interrupting her.
“All the time, chica.”
There was a pregnant pause while I wondered why I never had. Chance must’ve been reading my mind. “You’ve never had a man make you scream out in bed, Rayne?”
“No, never.”
“Not even Will?”
“Will was a good lover but he never laid it on me like that. I really don’t think it’s possible for a man to make me scream out in bed anyway. I’m a quiet lover in general.”
“But you do have orgasms, right?”
“Absolutely!” I exclaimed. Hell, I’d even had one in church that time while I was daydreaming about Basil.
“Well, maybe Yardley will lay it on you.”
“I sure as hell hope so.”
“When are you seeing him again?”
“Tomorrow night. We’re going to adults’ night out.”
“At the Playground Arena?”
“Yes.”
“Why go there on a first date? You need to go to a movie or something,” Chance suggested.
“No, in a movie you can’t really talk and get to know each other. Those kinds of dates are okay if you only want to get out the house; like when I endured that disastrous date with Conquesto. Besides, I’d already planned to go and Yardley seemed halfway excited about it.”
Chance giggled. “I bet you said something silly like ‘I’m gonna beat you in every game’ or ‘Be prepared for battle,’ didn’t you?”
“Who me?” I said innocently; even though she was right on point.
“Yes, you. Don’t forget that I know your ass, chica.”
“Okay, so maybe I voiced something along those lines.”
“You’re so silly, Rayne.” I heard some Marc Anthony start playing through the phone. “I do have to run, Sis. Ricky’s waiting for me in the bedroom.”
“Aw, leaving me in my time of need for some sex. You’re not right.”
Chance knew I was joking with her. “Like you wouldn’t do it to me.”
After I got off the phone with Chance, I decided to take a long, steamy bath and listen to Teena Marie’s Greatest Hits. I thought about Yardley as I reminisced to “If I Were a Bell,” “Dear Lover,” and “Casanova Brown.” Damn, that woman can blow. I’d been meaning to pick up a new CD she’d recently put out after a long hiatus. I was glad she was finally coming back to reclaim her throne.
Once I got out of the tub, I broke open a new jar of cocoa butter and rubbed it all over my body. The miraculous effect of cocoa butter on skin is one of the few valuable things my mother had taught me. Most of the time she’d schooled me on the power of the pussy and how to use it to get the finer things in life.
I lit an orange cream scented candle and crawled into bed. I thought about Yardley’s smile and his sexy ass bedroom eyes and wished I’d handled things differently. I craved to have his warm arms around me at that very moment. Then again, good things happen to those who wait.
Eighteen
Yardley
I wanted to call Rayne so badly that night and tell her what a good time I’d had sharing bagels and hot chocolate with her. However, she didn’t realize that I not only had her number but that I’d also used it before without leaving a message. I was glad the ice had been broken and I couldn’t wait to see her the next night.
I was hoping she’d called me to say something, anything—since I was listed also—but the only messages on my machine were from Felix and Roxie, both whining for forgiveness. I’d arrived at the conclusion that they could both kiss my ass; especially Roxie. That might seem foul to place one evil over another, but I knew Felix was a dog all along. I just failed to realize how much of a dog he truly was. He’d always bragged about trolling for pussy but I’d never expected him to troll for my woman’s pussy; and in my own home at that.
Roxie, on the other hand, had really damaged me. She’d come back into my life like a rainbow and had left it like a hurricane. For her to not only betray me, but to fuck Felix on my balcony while there were dozens of people over visiting, was downright skank. I had no intention of taking her back. I’d made that clear when I’d packed up the things she’d left over my place into two boxes and had a courier deliver them to her apartment.
Roxie had left a ton of messages. One, in particular, had taken the cake. She’d said, “Yardley, I know I fucked up, baby. Please search deep into your soul and ask yourself one thing. Can you really see yourself existing without me? Don’t I take good care of you? Don’t I satisfy your every want and desire? If you let me back into your life, I promise to make all of this up to you. It was a simple misunderstanding. I had a little too much to drink and my hormones got the best of me. Besides, this is all Felix’s fault. He was after me; even way back in high school. Please let me come back to you, baby. I want you and I need you and if you truly think this entire thing through, you’ll realize that you want and need me, too.”
For about two seconds after I’d listened to the message, I’d honestly thought it was sincere but then I’d started having flash-backs of the action on my balcony. I’d never get those images out of my head. It was definitely time to move on. That’s why I’d made the decision to go to the bank and talk to Rayne; no matter what. Making a move on her had been long overdue. To think I’d missed out on such a special woman because of a loyalty to Roxie. Dick slayer or not, her ass was history.
I showed up to play basketball with the fellas the next morning for two reasons. First, I wanted to get a jump start on getting my adrenaline rushing so I could hang with Rayne at adults’ night out later that day. She seemed extremely serious about having an all-out competition and I wasn’t about to get my ego bruised by a woman in any shape or form. Secondly, I hadn’t played in a couple of weeks and I didn’t want Felix to think that he had enough power over me to make me stay away indefinitely.
As soon as I got out of the car, Dwayne bum-rushed me; probably thinking I was showing up to kick Felix’s ass. Felix stayed over on the court; practically hiding behind Mike.
“Yardley, you all right, man?” Dwayne asked me, grasping my shoulder like Steve, the head of security on The Jerry Springer Show, does to people he anticipates might pounce at any second.
“I’m fine, Dwayne.” I pulled away from him and started toward the court. “I came to shoot hoops, as usual.”
“What about Felix?”
I shrugged. “What
about him?”
“Aren’t you still mad at him?”
“About what?”
“Roxie.”
“Oh that,” I stated casually. “That’s over and done with. Let’s get busy.”
Mike and I slapped each other our customary high-five when I reached him and Felix. Felix smirked at me and didn’t utter a word.
“Sup, Felix?” I asked coolly.
“Did you get my messages?”
“Yeah, I got all of them.”
“I really am truly sorry about what happened with Roxie, man.”
“Forget about it. In fact, you did me a favor.”
“A favor?”
“Yeah, a big one.”
Mike and Dwayne worked their heads from side to side like they were watching a tennis match; trying not to miss a word that Felix and I exchanged.
“How could you possibly view what happened as a favor?” Felix asked me.
“It’s simple really. Roxie wasn’t the one for me and you helped me see the light. I mean, any woman that would do such a thing doesn’t deserve to be the mother of my children. That’s where it was headed, too. I’m glad she revealed her nastiness before I went out and plunked down a grip on a ring.”
Felix looked dumbfounded. “Are you serious? You were planning on marrying her?”
“I’d considered it. After all, I did have the hots for Roxie for years.” I looked him up and down and then brushed past him. “Then again, I guess I wasn’t the only one.”
Felix came after me. I picked up a ball and started practicing my dribbling.
“I had too much to drink, man. If you decide to make up with Roxie, I promise it won’t happen again.”
I laughed. “I will definitely not be making up with Roxie. You’re welcome to her. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you’d hook up with Roxie so she’d stop ringing my phone off the damn hook.”
Dwayne slapped me on the back. “That’s my boy!” I slapped him a high-five. “Tell that hoe to move on.”
Mike guffawed. “Ya’ll Negroes are crazy. Let’s play some ball already.”
