Too Much of a Good Thing

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  “Yes, Curtis, I heard you.”

  “Then tell me that you’re all mine, and that you will never give yourself to another man from this day forward. Not even the deacon.”

  “Curtis, please.”

  “No,” he said, pulling out of her and then in with more force. “I want you to promise me.”

  “Okay, Curtis. I promise. I’m all yours.”

  “I mean it, baby,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to stand it if you gave this to someone else.”

  “I promise, baby. I won’t.”

  “Not even the deacon,” he said, increasing his speed, and then suddenly he pulled out of her again.

  “Curtis, please don’t keep torturing me like this. Please just give it to me.”

  “Not even the deacon,” he repeated.

  In. And out.

  “No, Curtis. I won’t even give it to him.”

  “You know I love you, don’t you?”

  In. And out.

  “Yes. And I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

  “And you’d do anything for me, wouldn’t you?” he said, forcing her knees toward her chest, pushing himself in and out of her, repeatedly, with all the power and strength he could muster. She moaned repeatedly, and Curtis continued in a lyrical yet forceful rhythm until his body exploded.

  They held each other, savoring the excitement. At least that’s how Curtis was feeling, anyway, and he hoped Adrienne was satisfied. He wasn’t sure what had come over him, but all he knew was that he’d never made love so aggressively until tonight. In a matter of minutes he’d felt this great need to be in control and, as much as he hated to admit it, like he needed Adrienne to know who was in charge. Like he needed to fulfill some burning desire he’d never had before.

  “You must have really missed me,” she said.

  “That’s an understatement, but why do you ask?”

  “Because I’ve never seen you act this way before. It was almost like you hadn’t had sex in years.”

  “To be honest, it feels like I haven’t. No one has ever come close to giving me the pleasure you do. And Mariah has got to be the worst I’ve ever had.”

  “Yeah, right,” she said, catching her breath.

  “I’m serious. With her, it’s missionary style all the way, and you know that bores the crap out of me.”

  “Well, I hope you just released every one of those pent-up desires, because you were a little rough toward the end.”

  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He turned toward her, genuinely concerned.

  “No, but it was different and you sort of caught me off guard.”

  “I’ll try not to do that again, because I don’t ever want to hurt you,” he said, kissing her forehead.

  They lay speechless again with Curtis stroking Adrienne’s hair.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “For what?”

  “For meeting me at the restaurant the other night and for allowing me a chance to make things right with you.”

  “That’s fine and well, but as soon as we walk out of here, it’s back to reality. I have to go home to Thomas and you have to go home to Mariah.”

  “But this isn’t about them. This is about us. And I was serious when I said I don’t want you having sex with the deacon anymore.”

  “And what about you and Mariah?” she asked. “Are you prepared to stop having sex with her, too?”

  Curtis was somewhat surprised, because in the old days he’d made all sorts of demands but Adrienne never questioned him about anything. She never had the nerve. But now she was definitely a woman with a new attitude. She was definitely someone he was going to have to handle very carefully now that they were seeing each other again. He’d try to be faithful to her for as long as he could, but that’s all he could promise. And he wouldn’t even tell her that out loud because he knew what he was capable of.

  “I won’t sleep with Mariah either,” he agreed.

  “Curtis, I ask you again, what are we doing? What am I doing to myself?”

  “You’re spending time with the man you love, I’m spending time with the woman I love, and that’s all that matters.”

  “I hate this. I hate that we’re about to start all this sneaking around again. I almost lost everything last time, so you have to be very sure about this. You have to be positive that you’re going to divorce Mariah in six months, and that I’m going to be your wife.”

  “Baby, all you have to do is trust me, because I’m really serious this time. I’m really going to marry you,” he said, and wondered what lie he’d have to come up with once the six-month deadline began approaching. He wished there was a way he could marry Adrienne, because if he were ever going to love any woman exclusively, it would have been her. But there was no way he could leave Mariah. She was perfect. She was naïve, and she obeyed him. What more could a man ask for? What more could a pastor of a prominent church want? If he married Adrienne, she’d end up being the same as Tanya, ranting and raving about everything he did and then whining about all the hours he spent away from home. He couldn’t be harassed like that ever again, so Adrienne would just have to understand. He wasn’t sure how, but he had to make her see that the two of them weren’t marriage material, and that a lifetime affair was so much more becoming. It was so much more interesting.

  He had to make her see that his love for her was sincere, and that if she stayed with him, he would take care of all her financial and emotional needs forever. She’d have the best of everything. She would never want for anything.

  He had to make her see that she was being offered a much better way of life than she was currently living. A much happier life than she had with the deacon.

  Chapter 7

  Alicia pressed the entry code on the keypad near the garage and waited for it to open. It was Friday, so right after school she’d gone shopping with Danielle and her mother and was just now arriving home.

  Once inside the house, she strolled toward the kitchen and saw her mother and James standing at the island. They looked as if the world had come to an end. Now what?

  “What’s wrong?” she asked them.

  “Apparently a whole lot,” Tanya answered. “Because only minutes ago, your counselor just informed me that you’ve been skipping your math class all week.”

  Alicia gazed at them, but decided it was probably best not to respond. Especially since her mother looked like she wanted to kill her.

  “So why haven’t you been going?” Tanya asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know? What do you mean you don’t know?” Tanya asked with fire in her eyes, moving closer to Alicia. “Last week we found out you were failing world history, now this.”

  “Sweetheart,” James said to Tanya. “Why don’t we all go into the family room so we can sit down and discuss this more calmly.”

  “No, what I want is for Miss Alicia to explain herself right here and right now.”

  Alicia’s stomach churned, but she was also starting to despise her mother’s crazy attitude.

  “Girl, don’t you hear me talking to you?” Tanya continued.

  “Yes.”

  “Then why aren’t you answering my question?”

  “Because, Mom. I don’t know why I skipped math.”

  “James, are you listening to this?” Tanya said.

  James raised his eyebrows in silence. He’d learned early on that it was better not to interfere in his wife and stepdaughter’s confrontations.

  “Alicia, I’m really to the point where I don’t know what to do with you,” Tanya continued. “And I’m completely fed up with all of these reports we keep getting from your school.”

  “Maybe I should just go live with Daddy,” Alicia threatened.

  “You know, Alicia, maybe you should. Maybe it’s time that you moved out of here and in with your father and Mariah. Maybe I’ve done all I can do.”

  Alicia was stunned. Usually her mother became highly upset whenever she spoke abo
ut going to live with her father, so she hadn’t expected this response at all. She didn’t know what to say next, but the one thing she did know was that she’d rather die than go live with her father and his wife.

  “What do you think, James?” Tanya asked. “Because maybe it really is time Alicia went to live with Curtis. Maybe he can get her to go to class and do her schoolwork the way she’s supposed to.”

  “Sweetheart,” James said. “I don’t think that’s necessarily the solution.”

  “Well, is this what you really want to do, Alicia?” Tanya asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  Tanya laughed sarcastically. “Well, is there anything that you do know?”

  “Yes,” Alicia spoke boldly, yet in tears. “I know that you and Daddy are divorced and that we’re never going to be a family again.”

  “Alicia, I realize you’ve had a tough time with all of this, and yes, you’re right. Things are never going to be the way they once were. I wish, for your sake, that they could be, but they can’t. I know you’re still feeling a tremendous amount of pain, but I just don’t know how to help you anymore. When we were in counseling a couple of years ago, you seemed to come to terms with everything, so why is this all of a sudden becoming a major issue again? You seemed fine until a few months ago.”

  Alicia wanted to tell her how right she was. Because until her father married Mariah, she’d still held on to the possibility of her mother and him getting back together. She’d known her mother was married to James, but as long as her father was still available, she’d kept high hopes. She’d even prayed about it every chance she got. She’d even figured out a way for it to happen where no one would get hurt. James would accidentally meet another woman, fall in love, and then tell her mother that he couldn’t be with her any longer. But her mother would be fine with it because deep down she’d really want to be back with Alicia’s father, anyway. Alicia had played that scene in her head at least a thousand times, but the curtain had been yanked shut the day her father married Mariah. That stupid fairy-tale wedding of theirs had ruined everything.

  “Pumpkin, do you think it would help for you to go to counseling again?” James asked Alicia.

  “I don’t know . . . I mean, maybe.”

  “Why don’t we do that then?” James said, turning his attention to Tanya.

  “That’s fine,” Tanya said. “Because I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

  “Can I be excused?” Alicia asked.

  “Yes, but until you get your grades back up to where they should be, you won’t be going anywhere except school, church, and back home.”

  “But, Mom, I have Camille’s birthday party this weekend.”

  “Not anymore you don’t. Because starting today, you’re grounded until further notice.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Alicia said, sobbing. “Why are you and Daddy always trying to make my life so miserable?”

  “Look, Alicia. I’ve said what I have to say, and I don’t want to hear any more back talk from you.”

  Alicia left the kitchen and went fuming up to her bedroom. She hated her mother almost as much as she hated her father. As a matter of fact, James was the only adult in her life who had any sense. He never harassed her about silly stuff, he never yelled at her, and he always went out of his way to do nice things for her. She was starting to wish that he was her biological father, and that she had a different mother to go along with him. And she was never going to forgive her mother for making her miss Camille’s birthday bash. Camille’s parents owned a top black magazine and were filthy rich. They were even sending a limo to pick up Camille’s closest friends. Not to mention the actual party they were having downtown at the Four Seasons. They were expecting two hundred guests and had rented a suite for Camille and five of her friends. Alicia, of course, was one of them. Her mother had said that it was ridiculous for any parent to spend thousands on any child who was just turning fifteen, but what did she know? Maybe Camille’s parents were doing it because they truly loved their daughter. Maybe they actually knew how to treat a child that they’d voluntarily brought into this world.

  Alicia lay across her bed, still weeping. When she finally calmed herself, she glanced over at her computer. Julian always made her feel better and she was starting to realize that he was the only person she could turn to. Yes, she had her best friend, Danielle, but it wasn’t the same as when she shared her feelings with Julian. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t even told Danielle about her chats with him, because she wasn’t sure how Danielle would take it. Sometimes she blew the tiniest things out of proportion, so Alicia had decided not to mention her new on-line buddy. At least not yet, anyway.

  She kicked off her tan platform shoes that mimicked those designed in the seventies and sat down at her desk. Usually when her mother said she was grounded, that also included telephone and Internet privileges, but what her mother didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

  She signed on to AOL and waited. As soon as she heard the words “You’ve Got Mail,” she turned down the volume on her computer. She would keep it at mute status until she was no longer on punishment.

  She checked her e-mail messages and broke into tears again when she read the one from Camille. It was a note informing everyone that her parents had called in a favor and now a surprise hip-hop music artist was going to be singing at her birthday party. If it was someone Alicia was a big fan of, she would never speak to her mother again.

  She read a message from Danielle about homework, and smiled when she saw that Julian had just signed on to his account. She quickly sent him an instant message.

  ALICIABLK: Hey, Julian.

  JMONEY1: Alicia! What’s up with you this evening?

  ALICIABLK: You don’t even want to know. ☹

  JMONEY1: Hey, now what’s with the sad face?

  ALICIABLK: My mother is acting just as crazy as my father was last week.

  JMONEY1: I’m sorry to hear that. You’ve really been having it out with your parents a lot lately, haven’t you?

  ALICIABLK: Yes, and I’m really getting sick of it. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have anyone, and if I didn’t have you to talk to, I don’t know what I would do.

  JMONEY1: You know I’m always here for you. I just wish I could talk to you by phone or see you in person.

  And why couldn’t they speak by phone? Every time he mentioned talking to her or getting together, she sort of shied away from it, but maybe if she could hear his voice, she’d actually feel better.

  ALICIABLK: What’s your phone number?

  JMONEY1: (312) 555-2823.

  ALICIABLK: Do you want me to call right now?

  JMONEY1: I’ve got the phone sitting right here. So all you have to do is dial the number. ☺

  ALICIABLK: Okay.

  Alicia lifted the receiver and thanked God she’d convinced her mother to install a separate phone line for her. The only extension was in her bedroom, so at least there was no way her mother could eavesdrop or suddenly pick up the phone, yelling at her to get off it. The worst that could happen was her storming into the bedroom, but she still wouldn’t be able to find out who Alicia was talking to. And if that happened, Alicia would lie and say it was Danielle, because she and Danielle maintained a permanent pact. They’d promised each other two years ago that if one of their parents ever questioned them about anything, they’d lie for each other until the end. To this day, Danielle had never let her down. Although sometimes she tended to be a little fearful, and that was the real reason Alicia hadn’t told her about Julian.

  She dialed the number displayed on her monitor and waited for Julian to answer.

  “So what’s up?” he said.

  “Not much.” She was more nervous than she’d imagined, but she loved the sound of his voice. It was so deep, and he sounded so cool!

  “You sound like you’re uncomfortable with this.”

  “No . . . not really.”

  “I like your voice.”

  “I li
ke yours, too.”

  “So. Tell me what’s going on with your moms.”

  “I missed my math class a couple of times this week, and she went crazy.”

  “Well, you know how most parents are when it comes to the school thing.”

  “Was your mother like that when you were in school?”

  “No, she couldn’t have cared less whether I went or not. But my stepmoms made sure I got to school and did my homework. And for the most part, I didn’t have to do a lot of studying. I used to study for tests the night before and still get an A on them,” he said.

  “I’m sort of like that, too, but lately I don’t feel like doing any of my assignments. Sometimes I don’t even bother to answer all the questions on my tests. It just depends on how I feel.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I’m just not motivated and because me getting good grades is all they seem to care about.”

  “You do need good grades if you’re planning to get a good job or go to college.”

  “You didn’t go college, and you already have your own place.”

  “Yeah, but it’s only because I have my own business, and I make a shitload of money doing what I do.”

  “I can’t believe so many people buy CDs from you and that you have so many regular customers.” Alicia was amazed.

  “People love music, and that’s one thing in this world that won’t ever change.”

  “I guess not.”

  “So tell me. When am I going to get a chance to see you?”

  Alicia was hoping he wouldn’t bring this subject up so quickly. She was hoping the phone call would suffice for a while.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “But soon.”

  “Soon was fine until I heard your voice. Because, girl, you sound so sweet, and now I can’t wait to kick it with you. I can’t wait to take you out to dinner or wherever you wanna go.”

  “I can’t wait either,” was all she could think to say. “Well, can I ask you something else?”

  “What?”

  “Are you sexually active?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I’m just wondering, because your voice is so sexy, and you sound much older than seventeen. You sound more mature than some twenty-year-old women I know.”