“Baby, you still there?”
I smiled. I loved when he called me baby as if he’d been doing it for years. He really was a nice guy, and it wasn’t like I was planning to screw him in the bed my husband bought me.
“Yeah. I’m here. Sure, why not? Watching the movie tomorrow sounds like fun.” We talked until shortly after midnight before I mumbled good-bye and hung up the phone.
The following evening, I hurried home from work, then took my schnauzer Rudy over to Mama’s. My dog is like a spoiled child and a tad bit jealous when it comes to me. I didn’t want him to have to compete for my affection. Besides, Mama had been asking for me to bring him over to keep her company.
I visited Big Mama, then made it back home and changed into jeans and a Lakers sweatshirt. My locks I pulled in a neat ponytail off my neck. I loved my hair, but at times, managing my locks seemed like too much damn work.
At a little after seven Kenyon pulled up in my driveway in a silver Lincoln MKS. Damn, that’s a pretty car. I watched him get out and come up the stairs, taking in his attire from head to toe. The brotha definitely had style. He was wearing gray Nike sweatpants, matching hoodie and brand new Jordans on his feet. I waited until he rang the doorbell, then took my time opening it. I stood there and smiled.
“Hey.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. “Hey.” I stepped aside so he could enter.
He held up a bottle. “I hope you like wine.”
It took everything he had to keep a straight face. “You know I do,” I said, and he started laughing and I joined in. The ice had been broken and I felt instantly at ease.
“Come’re.” I went right into his arms and he gave me a big hug, then released me. “Damn. I needed that. Now I’m good for the rest of the night.” He winked and I kept on smiling. Being pressed up against him had my nipples hard as hell. I took the bottle from one hand. He was holding the movie in the other as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Damn, baby. You got a nice crib.”
“Thanks.” While he admired my mosaic ceramic floor and granite countertops, I reached inside my cherry wood cabinet and retrieved a corkscrew.
“It looks like your talk show’s got you living large.”
I shrugged. “Between that and the bookstore I’m not doing too bad.”
“I’m not mad. I love to see a beautiful black woman doing the damn thang.”
“Thank you.” I laughed and poured two glasses of wine and handed him one.
“I’ve never been much of a wine drinker, but maybe you can teach me a few things.” He took a sip. “Hmmm, that’s not bad.”
“I told you. Moscato is my favorite wine.”
He took another drink, then smiled. “I definitely can see why.” He had the most beautiful eyes. I don’t know how long I stood there like a fool staring at him before I forced my eyes away. I signaled for him to follow me into the family room behind the kitchen, where I knew he would be equally impressed.
“Oh, shit!”
The room had been my husband’s oasis after a long day. Large wraparound leather couch. Sixty-inch flat-screen television with surround sound. Every kind of movie you could think of in a built-in wall unit as well as a PlayStation 3 and dozens of video games.
“I think I just died and gone to heaven.”
I playfully slugged him in the arm and took the DVD from his hand. After I put the movie in, we both took a seat on the couch. I made sure to put a little space between us.
Before the movie even began, Kenyon turned to me. “Can I ask a question?”
“Sure,” I said, then brought the flute to my lips.
“You either have a child or a dog, because there are toys all over this floor!”
Glancing around the Berber carpet I had to laugh. Rudy’s toys were everywhere. Stuffed animals, balls and toys that made noise were scattered around the room. I was so used to them, I didn’t even pay attention. “I have a dog.”
Kenyon gave me a curious look. “Where’s he at? Out back?”
I shook my head. “At my mom’s. I forgot to mention I had a dog and wasn’t sure if you like them or not.”
“I love dogs. What kind you got?”
I crossed my legs and sat Indian style. “A schnauzer.”
Kenyon brought the glass to his lips, then paused. “Is that one of those Wizard of Oz–looking dogs?”
I laughed. “Yeah, something like that.”
Playfully he rolled his eyes. “I should have guessed.” He broke out laughing and I giggled along with him. I liked him already. He had such a refreshing sense of humor. “Come’re.” Willingly, I slid over on the couch and he draped an arm across my shoulders while we watched the movie.
It was definitely a remake of the original and much better than all the sequels. I jumped off the couch shouting at the fool in the movie. “Run, stupid! Run!” Kenyon started laughing. Why was it folks always have to fall in scary movies?
By the time the movie was over we had pretty much finished the bottle of wine. I turned on some music and we listened to Hot 97 quiet storm. My girl Keisha was on the air. She definitely could hold her own.
“Isn’t that your station?”
I nodded. “Yep. I only work Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have time to do anything.”
“That means if I wanna take you out it’s gotta be on a Saturday?”
“Yep.” Johnny Gill was bellowing through the speakers telling some girl to put on her red dress and let her hair down.
Kenyon scooped me up and lowered me across his lap. “So, we still on for Saturday? I would like to take you to dinner.”
My heart was pounding. I was sitting so close. The lights were low. Romantic music was in the background, and my body was definitely responding to being on his lap. I stared up into his beautiful chocolate face. The man definitely had some Indian in him. His hair was so pretty and wavy, and his lashes were long. Who could resist a man like this?
“Sure. Dinner sounds fabulous.”
Kenyon leaned in and kissed my lips. I pulled back, stared down at him, then kissed him myself. He pushed open my mouth and started tonguing me. I learned a long time ago you have to teach a man what you like. They aren’t mind readers. “Hold up. Okay, let’s try that again and slower. Relax your tongue…slow down a little. Here, just follow my lead…. There you go…just like that.”
He nodded. “All you have to do is show me what you like.” He didn’t get mad like some other brotha might. There were many who didn’t believe in being corrected. But not Kenyon. He did just as I suggested and followed the stroke of my tongue, and it wasn’t long before he had gotten the hang of it and had deepened the kiss. By the time Dru Hill was singing “Tell Me,” my coochie was purring and my nipples were begging to be sucked. Six months is a long time for a woman to go without sex. But when his hand crept beneath my sweatshirt, I decided that unless I was ready to give him some, it was probably a good time to end the night before things got out of hand.
I pulled back and removed his creeping fingers. “It’s time to say good night.”
He gave me a long look. “Okay.” He didn’t look mad at all. That was a good sign. Kenyon rose with me still on his lap and lowered me gently to my feet. “Thanks for inviting me over.” He kissed me.
“Thanks for sharing your movie.”
He kissed me again. “Anytime.”
I put the DVD back in the case, then took Kenyon’s hand and led him to the front door. Once there, Kenyon pulled me back into his arms and pushed my lips apart with his tongue. The man had definitely caught on quick. He was good…real good. I couldn’t help but wonder what else he was good at. The whole time he was kissing me, I was thinking about him taking me back to my room and making love to me with the same skill as his kissing. I had no doubt it would be good. One final kiss, and he ended it.
“Thanks again, Nikki. I look forward to Saturday night.”
“Me too.” I watched him until his car had turned at the
corner before I shut the door and moved back to my room to get ready for bed. As soon as I slipped into my gown the phone rang.
“I’m already missing you.”
I was so glad to hear that. “I’m missing you too.”
“I can’t believe the way we have connected. It’s like I’ve known you for years.”
“Same here.” I slid underneath the covers and we talked until Kenyon arrived home before we both said good night. I lay there in my bed, listening to the quiet storm, and found myself thinking about Kenyon and wondering if the rumor about him having a small dick was true. I hoped not. Right now he was so perfect. A little dick would definitely ruin everything.
13
Trinette
Something said it wasn’t going to be a good day.
“Mrs. Montgomery, the only way we can approve the loan is in your husband’s name.”
“Why’s that?”
She hesitated. “Because your credit isn’t the best. You have a judgment on your account for a credit card, which would have to be paid before we could even consider you on the loan.”
Damn department store card. I never wanted the credit card in the first place. The only reason I got it was because they offered interest free for one year. How was I to know the interest rate was going to be more than 20 percent? “Okay, I’ll pay the judgment. What else?” I spat into the phone. How dare she judge me? She was probably jealous she didn’t have a credit card with a five thousand dollar limit.
She had the nerve to sigh heavily into the phone. “There are also all the other maxed-out credit cards. You’ll have to lower your debt ratio. Mrs. Montgomery, it really makes more sense to finance the new house in just your husband’s name. His credit score is over seven hundred while yours is…uh…less than six. It will help get you a much better interest rate if we finance the house in just Mr. Montgomery’s name. You can always try to refinance the house later…. That’s if you, uh…improve your credit score.”
That was not at all what I wanted to hear. Leon was going to have a fit unless of course I could persuade him it was for the best. But I had already told him I had been paying off my debts. If my name wasn’t on that loan he was going to know my ass had been lying. “I think maybe we need to find another lender who is interested in our money, because apparently you aren’t. I’ve never been late on my mortgage in eight years, so I think you should be doing everything you can to keep us as customers!”
She hesitated, then tried to sound sympathetic. “I’m sorry. With the economy the way it is, federal regulations have gotten stricter.”
“Well, I’m gonna have to give it some thought and get back with you.” I slammed down the phone. “Ain’t that a bitch!”
“What’s up, girl?” Patricia whipped her head around so fast I was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. She was nosy, but I needed to tell someone, otherwise I was going to explode. I get like that when I’m pissed. I would have called Nikki, but I just wasn’t in the mood for her saying, I told you so.
I looked around and made sure no one else was listening. Trust me, folks love being all up in my business. “The mortgage company will only finance the house in my husband’s name because my credit sucks.”
Patricia’s eyes grew large. “Trinette, that’s good!”
“Why’s that good?”
“Because…,” she sang. “Then he’s paying your mortgage and has the financial responsibility. Just think…if you wanted to divorce him, you could make him pay your mortgage. You know he’s never gonna miss a payment, because the house is in his name. You get to live there and make him pay for your home while you continue living the lifestyle you’re accustomed to.”
The lifestyle I’m accustomed to. A smile curled my lips. Ain’t that some shit. Patricia was smarter than I thought. Now if only she would learn how to dress.
If Leon insisted on my moving to Richmond with him, I could say no, and if he asked for a divorce, he would still have to pay my mortgage, because there is no way Leon is ever late on paying anything. I started chuckling uncontrollably. That bucktoothed, nondressing chick was good for something. Why hadn’t I thought of that? “Hell, yeah!” We gave each other a high five. Now all I had to do was convince Leon it was for the best.
I was feeling good and was getting ready to call our lender back when Claudette buzzed me from the front desk. “Trinette, Cimon Clark is at station three.”
I slammed the receiver down. I’d been waiting two weeks for this day. It took everything I had to erase the smirk from my face as I moved to the back where Cimon was sitting and yapping on the phone. As soon as she spotted me coming, she rolled her eyes.
“Meeka, I’ma have to call you back.” She closed her phone, then pursed her lips and waited for me to speak. It took everything I had not to laugh at her ass.
“Cimon, what can I do for you?” I asked like I didn’t have a clue. This was going to be brief, so I didn’t even bother to sit down.
“My EBT card ain’t working.”
“Probably because I figured you didn’t really need any food stamps since I saw you roll outta here in a Lincoln Navigator.”
She sucked her teeth. “That’s not mine!”
“Oh, really?” I sang as I reached down into a folder and removed a sheet of paper. “According to the DMV, the vehicle is registered in your name.” I got friends in high places.
She shrugged. “It was a gift, so what?”
“A gift? That’s funny, because there’s a lien on the title with Wholesale Connection. And when I called them just to verify the car was indeed yours, they said your last automatic payment was rejected.”
“Okayyy, and that’s because I don’t have any money.”
“Well, the only way I can verify that is if I see your bank statement. You told me you didn’t have a bank account, which also means you lied on your application.”
“Regardless of what I said, I need my food stamps! What are my kids supposed to eat?” She snaked her neck as she spoke.
I gave her a sweet smile. “We’ll issue you some emergency stamps, but that’s it until you tell me how you afford to make a three hundred dollar a month car note with no job.”
Cimon slammed her hand down hard on the counter and rose. She had life twisted if she thought she put fear in my heart.
“You mess wit the wrong one, bitch.”
“I got your bitch. Security!” I screamed. Chuck sat out in the hall just in case we needed him. He raced into the room. “I think you need to escort this…uh…female outta here.”
Cimon rolled her eyes. “You’re gonna regret messing with me.”
“The only one who’s gonna have regrets is you if you don’t come correct,” I called after her as Chuck ushered her away from the workstation. I’m not her last caseworker. That’s the reason why Casey’s no longer here—because she couldn’t handle the pressure and was too damn nice. Not me. I grew up in the hood, so I know the game. Cimon might have pulled the do-rag over someone else’s head and got away with it, but not me.
I sat down long enough to put a couple of notes in her electronic file, including her verbal threat, then I grabbed her case folder and headed back to my desk. I was moving down the hall, looking over my shoulder, trying to see if Cimon was still in the building, when I ran right smack into a man built like a ton of bricks.
“Excuse me.” I stopped when I realized it was Michael. Tall and fine. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, I see you’re still as beautiful as ever.” His hand was still at my waist and neither of us made any attempt to step away.
“Compliments will get you everywhere.” I smiled up into his beautiful chocolate face. This man was every woman’s dream of having an ex–NFL football player. Maybe not the ex part but definitely the player. “What are you doing here? You come to see me?” I purred affectionately.
“I wish I was.” He chuckled, but I could tell he was serious. “I’d give anything to take you somewhere private,” he added in a low murmur.
A door slammed at the other end of the hall, and Michael dropped his hand from my waist. I guess I need to be ashamed of myself flirting right outside my office door.
“I’m here to pick up Maureen. We’re going over to see the house again.”
My tongue slipped from my mouth, and I licked my lips. He definitely was looking tasty. “I’m trying to buy a house myself. Just been a little short on coming up with the cash for the down payment.”
Michael reached inside his pocket and removed a business card. “Call me. Maybe I can help you out with that.”
I just bet you can. In more ways than one. “I’ll do that.” I turned away with the heat of his gaze on my ass. I glanced over my shoulder. Sure enough, he was looking, and it was obvious he liked everything he saw. That made two of us.
I sat down at my desk just as Maureen reached for her purse. “My boo’s here. We’re going to go and see my dream home again,” she sang merrily, and waved to us as she met her gorgeous man standing in the doorway.
“She’s so lucky.”
I looked over at Patricia staring enviously at the two of them. She didn’t know for sure who her baby’s daddy was, so for her, I guess Maureen was lucky. But to me there was nothing Maureen had I couldn’t have…including her man.
Speaking of men. I grabbed my own purse and headed out as well. I had a date with Smooth.
I was driving down the highway on my way to this little French restaurant he wanted to introduce me to when my cell phone rang. I didn’t even bother to check to see who was calling. “Hello?”
“Netta, whassup?”
I immediately had straight attitude. It was my brother Cornbread. The only time he called was when he wanted something. “What do you want?”
“Damn, can’t I just call because I wanna see how my big sis is doing?”
Confessions Page 9
