Love- a Forgotten Art

by Ivy Symone

  After giving him my attention again, Walt gives that devilish grin again. “You know why I’m here.”

  I shake my head. “No, I really don’t.”

  His smile disappears, and he looks at me menacingly. “Now how you gon do the only nigga that ever gave a fuck about your ass like that?”

  I try to keep my voice low. “You ain’t never gave a fuck about me in that sense. You only did for me to hold shit over my head so that I’ll be in your debt forever.”

  “So, you’re saying I never gave a fuck about you?” he questions. He gets up and walks around the office as if he’s at an art exhibit admiring all of the show pieces. He says, “I rescued you and your mama from that bastard your mama says is your father. And when I married your mama, I took care of you as if you were my own. You had the best just like Babie, Reese, and Ammo. I treated you no different; yet, you say I didn’t give a fuck about you. Nonsense Babygirl.”

  I stare at him coldly. “Like I told you before, I’m not jeopardizing my company for you.”

  He turns in my direction wearing a sinister smirk. “Would you like for everyone to know your secrets?”

  A hard lump forms in my throat and my breathing shallows. I can feel my fists form at my sides. I want to fuck this nigga up, but I can’t cause a commotion at my company.

  He makes his way over to where I’m standing and looks me up and down. “How do you think your mother would feel about the things you’ve done?”

  “Fuck her too,” I snarl.

  “Tell me something, Deuce…” he glides his finger up my blouse. I smack his hand away, as he continues to say, “Does that pussy still get wet when you cum?”

  “You’re sick,” I hiss.

  “Not as sick as your dyke ass,” he mocks. He smirks. “That big clit of yours is probably jumping right now. Let me know when you need Daddy Walt to tear that pussy up for you. Remember how you used to throw it back on my dick?”

  And just like that, he makes me feel like the most terrible person in the world. I feel so unworthy. I feel like shit, and I don’t deserve happiness. I feel guilty and ashamed. Tears burn my eyes because I know when he used to fuck on me, I’d lay there, and my pussy would get so wet. I would cum. My body went against my mind. I would cry, wipe my eyes, and then I would pretend like it never happened.

  He’s the one that created the urge I try so hard to suppress. No matter how much I try to convince myself that I love women, he’s the blame for that itch I get from time to time.

  I want to break down and cry, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction.

  “You owe me, Deuce.”

  “I’ve paid you back every penny you loaned me for my warehouse,” I state.

  “Yeah, but don’t you want to make sure no one knows about that beautiful daughter you had when you were sixteen. How old is she now? She should be almost fifteen, right?”

  Damn, I wish I could get to my safe that sits on my shelf next to my desk. My .380 is in there and I need to put a bullet in this mothafuckas head.

  He laughs heartily, but it’s taunting. “I bet everyone would have a field day with all of that information. You know…that Deuce hadn’t always been the dyke that she is. That she even has a secret love child that she gave up.”

  “I didn’t give her up!” I counter angrily. “You made me give her up covering your own tracks and hiding your own guilt.”

  His smile disappears and he stares at me stone-faced. “But let’s remember even after you left to go live with your granny, you came crawling back begging me to let you work for me.” He gestures around my office. “I’m the reason you have all of this in the first place. Like I said, my precious little Deucy, you owe me. Now stop playing because we have more money to make!”

  I hate him. There are so many things I regret. Being in business with him is my biggest one.

  “Get out,” I quietly order.

  “I’ll have Reese to call to see when’s the best time for you, Dro, and I to meet up. Don’t ignore our calls. Is that understood?”

  I refuse to answer him.

  “Is that understood?” he asks again, but this time with more bass in his voice.

  “I heard you!” I growl.

  His dirty smile returns, and he looks around the office again. “I really love this place. I’m very proud to call you my stepdaughter. Keep up the good work.”

  I patiently wait for him to exit my office. As soon as he crosses the door frame, I hurry to close the door behind him. I want to die right there on the spot. My body slides down the office door and crumple to the floor in tears.

  My phone starts going off, but I ignore it. I don’t want to be bother with anyone right now.

  There’s a knock on the door. “Deuce?”

  It’s Natalia. I can hear in her voice that she’s worried.

  “Deuce? Are you okay? Why was Walt here? Deuce…”

  If I don’t say something, she won’t go away.

  Her voice lowers but it seems like she’s trying to speak directly in the crack of the door. “What do you need me to do? You want me to call the police?”

  My phone buzzes with notifications.

  I murmur, “No…Just give me a minute.”

  “Let me know if I need to fuck his ass up. I’m sure I can catch him in the parking lot.”

  I need to channel Deuce right now and toughen up. Truth be told, no matter if I’m in Dasani or Deuce mode, Walt Stevens makes me regress to a childlike state with childlike fears.

  I get up from the floor and walk over to my desk. I plop down in my chair and bury my face in my folded arms resting on the desk. I shut the world out for the next hour with crazy thoughts whirling through my head.

  Laila.

  I wish I knew where she had gone. I wish I could have maintained contact. I wish I had just told my granny the truth, and she would have helped me. It would have been a waste to have gone to my mother, because in her eyes, Walt could never do any wrong, even if it was against her own daughter. It was why I ran away in the first place, especially after they made me give the baby up.

  My mother tried to convince me that I was too young to take care of a baby. I mean, she was right, but I would have tried at least. And she didn’t know that Walt was the father; I lied to her and my granny and told them that it was some boy in the neighborhood. Regardless, Walt and my mother thought it was best to give the baby up. Walt had it arranged with a family before I even gave birth. I saw Laila once at the hospital and hadn’t seen her since. That’s a secret I bury deep down inside.

  The entire time I sulk, my office phone, business cellphone, and personal cellphone are going off.

  I finally take a look at my personal cellphone. My vulnerable state needs a comforting energy. I return Prime’s call.

  “Hey,” he answers dryly. I can tell he’s sick of my ass already.

  I sniffle. “Hey, I’m not ignoring you on purpose.”

  “It’s okay.” He maintains his uninterested tone. “I assume you were busy like you said you would be. I didn’t want anything important anyway. You can get back to it, and I’ll talk with you some other time.”

  “Prime,” I call out, but I know he has terminated the call. I’ve pissed him off. But I feel like I owe him an explanation, so, I call back.

  “What?” he answers annoyed.

  I start to cry like a bitch. “Just let me explain…I’m sorry for not answering or responding. My day ain’t been all that good…It went from bad to worse, and I’m just…I don’t know.”

  “I’m on my way,” he says.

  “Prime,” I chuckle through my sniffles. “You don’t have to—”

  His whole tone has changed now. “Don’t tell me what I don’t’ have to. I can’t sit back and do nothing when my baby is upset. My job is to do what I can to help fix your problems and stop this crying. I don’t like this shit. Who fucked with you? Like I said, I’m on my way to wherever you are. Where are you?”

  “I’m at my company right now. I
was thinking about calling it a day though.”

  “That’s even better. I’ll be there to pick you up.”

  “Prime!”

  He’s already off the line. I’m tickled as I pick up my desk phone. I dial Natalia’s extension.

  “What’s up? You okay in there?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m about to end the day though. You think you can hold it down?”

  “Of course. Get yourself together and relax. I got this cousin.”

  “Thanks Nat.”

  “It ain’t a thang.”

  After tidying up in my office and shutting everything down, I get a message from Prime letting me know he’s outside waiting for me.

  I exit the building and there’s the same Escalade from Saturday night right at the curb. The driver, Bea, gets out and throw me a sweet smile.

  “Nice to see you again,” she says as she opens the back door for me to enter.

  Before I can climb in and get comfortable, Prime is pulling me to the third-row seat and taking me in his arms.

  He places a tender kiss on my forehead and gaze into my eyes lovingly. “Hey my sweet.”

  “Hey,” I reply softly.

  “How are you now?”

  I smile. “I’m better.”

  “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be great. You have anything in mind that you wanna do right now?”

  I shake my head.

  “Feel like accompanying me to look at some property?”

  “Sure.”

  He kisses me on the lips this time. “Is it crazy that I miss you so much?”

  “Why?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t know. Do you miss me?”

  “I can’t stop thinking of you.”

  He smiles. “That’s what I wanna hear.”

  He kisses me again, and then I snuggle close to him and rest my head on his shoulder. Again, he feels safe. He’s a comfort I didn’t know was missing in my life. And I find the more time I spend with him, the more I desire to be in his presence.

  But how would this effect my love for Cam?

  Chapter 9: Camryn

  I’m peeved now. Alexis just called me to inform me that Deuce left work early. Not only did Deuce not call me to let me know of her plans, but Alexis tells me that fat bitch Bea is the one that came and got her!

  “You sure?” I ask.

  “Yup. I was on my break on the side of the building. I thought she was going to her wagon, but Bea opened the door to the Caddy and Deuce hopped in.”

  “A’ight. Good looking out,” I tell her. Another issue occurs to me. I ask in code, “You take care of that other thing yet?”

  Alexis giggles. “Girl, yeah. Rico dumb as fuck. I sucked him good and he went into Deuce’s petty cash stash at the warehouse and gave me what I needed. I told him I’d tell Jerrica on his ass if he didn’t.”

  I laugh too. I’m so wicked. I do so much shit that sometimes I get tired and have my “besties” do some of the dirt for me. I mean, I could have easily blackmailed Rico myself, but I don’t work at Deuce’s company like that. It was easier just to have Alexis do it.

  Alexis asks, “Is his dumb ass there now?”

  I look over at the head of my bed and smirk, “Yeah.”

  We both laugh. I say, “Well thanks, babe. You’re the best.”

  “No problem. Love you, bestie!”

  After ending the call, I fall back on my bed and stare at the ceiling.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Rico asks. He’s lying in bed with the sheet half doing its job. His big ass dick is exposed, and it almost makes me forget why I’m mad.

  “Deuce cheating on me,” I tell him.

  He laughs. “And what the fuck you doing?”

  “That’s not the point,” I say hatefully.

  “How come it ain’t?”

  He irritates me. Instead of calling out, he should have taken his ass to work. I know Deuce is hot that he’s not there. After all, she trusted him to be her warehouse manager. He’s on the verge of losing his position because he can’t stay away from this pussy between my legs.

  My phone rings again but this time it’s my mama. I answer. “Yes Milani?”

  “When you coming to get Ari?”

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “I got something to do later tonight.”

  “Where will Carmina be? Can’t she watch them?”

  “Look Cam, I love my grandbaby and I’ve kept her damn near every weekend for you, but I got a life too. Shit, I got needs just like you.”

  “Whatever. You just tryna be an old thot,” I joke.

  “Naw, your daddy supposed to be coming by tonight. And Carmina’s spending the week over at your Aunt Shay’s. And your brother with his daddy.”

  “Okay? What that gotta do with me getting Ari?”

  “Just in case…”

  “You and Daddy?” I turn up my nose in disgust. “That’s nasty.”

  “No baby, ain’t nothing nasty about that. Your daddy got the best dick in this world!”

  “Mama!” I exclaim. “Nobody wanna hear that.”

  She’s laughing.

  “I’ll call you back and let you know when I’m coming,” I say reluctantly. I gotta find another babysitter now. Ain’t no way I’m about to be stuck in the house while Deuce running around with another bitch.

  I dial my daddy just for the hell of it.

  He answers in his smooth arrogant voice. “Yes Camryn?”

  “So, Mama says you seeing her tonight?”

  Daddy responds, “Will that be a problem?”

  I reach over and start stroking Rico’s dick. “Yeah. She’s trying to make me come get Ari so y’all can fuck.”

  Rico starts to grow hard with each stroke. I inch up the bed so I can take him in my mouth.

  “Your mother needs to stop the foolery. I’ve been wanting to see my grandchild, so I don’t know why she’s getting rid of her.”

  I stop sucking Rico to say, “Well call her and let her know you wanna see Ari.”

  I go back to sucking Rico. He tries his best to stifle his sounds of pleasure.

  Daddy says, “But I still need to see you. There’s some things we need to discuss.”

  I let spit ooze on Rico’s dick to get it slippery so I can stroke him with my hand. “Like what?”

  “Just some business things. And talk to you about some of the things you’re doing around the city.”

  I roll my eyes. Here he goes with the lecturing.

  “Like what, Daddy?” I start deep throating Rico. He clutches the sheets in both hands on either side of him to bear the feel-good sensations I’m bestowing upon him.

  “Just the shit I’m hearing about you. I shouldn’t have to hear that about my daughter. You’re hurting my name, you know.”

  My pussy is being rubbed and fingered from behind now. I don’t even bother to look back because I know who it is.

  I ask, “How is it hurting you? You don’t even live in Jewel City anymore.”

  “Yeah, that’s about to change. I’m not sure when the move will be permanent…”

  I tune him out as Reese enters me from the back and start long stroking me. Goddamn, I love when I’m able to suck dick or eat pussy and get fucked at the same time. That shit keeps me running like a faucet.

  When I tune back in, Daddy is saying, “…He’s got a good shoulder on his head too. I’m proud of his desire to change.”

  “Who?”

  Daddy sucks his teeth with irritation. “You didn’t hear me?”

  “Yeah, I heard you,” I lie while trying to stifle my moans. “But who were you…” Reese knocks me forward, “talking—”

  “I’ll talk with you some other time,” Daddy says with aggravation and impatience.

  “I was listening!” I insist and try to stifle my laughter.

  Daddy says bluntly. “I’m talking about Ari’s daddy and it sounds like you’re over there fucking. No wonder he doesn’t want you. Get the fuck off my phone!”
<
br />   I don’t bother arguing. That’s my way of being petty and disrespectful since he thinks so little of me. Fuck him.

  When Reese and Rico see I’ve ended the call, they both show me no mercy. I take it like a champ throwing the pussy back and swallowing dick. At some point, they swap holes and it’s Poodah’s dick I’m riding while sucking Rico’s long stick. Eventually we move on to other positions which include double penetration. Damn! It’s the best shit ever!

  After our hardcore threesome, I immediately check my phone to discover I have a message from an unexpected source. I’m still bothered that Deuce hasn’t responded to me at all.

  G Daddy: Hey, I was out your way and wanted to come by to see Ari.

  The message is twenty-three minutes old.

  “Shit!” I hiss. I hop out of bed and snatch up Reese’s and Rico’s clothes. “Y’all gotta go!”

  Rico looks alarmed while Reese tries to act cool and move at a snail’s pace.

  “Is Deuce on her way home?” Rico asks frantically as he tries to dress.

  Rather than say it’s a friend in front of Reese, I just nod my head. “Yeah, y’all gotta go. She text me like thirty minutes ago. She’ll be pulling up any minute.”

  Reese sucks his teeth as he dresses. “I thought she was at work. Why you even have us come over here?”

  “She was supposed to be,” I say, but even I feel disenchanted knowing she really isn’t at work.

  Rico dresses in record time. He looks at me with worry. “You ain’t gon say shit to Jerrica, right?”

  I smile and assure him, “I never kiss and tell. Shit, you got good dick. I wanna do this again.”

  Rico grins and heads out of the room. I proceed to hurry around the room preparing to freshen up the place and myself as well, but I feel Reese’s eyes on me.

  I look at him but ignore the glare in his eyes. I say, “She’ll be here in a minute. I need you to leave.”

  “So, he got good dick, huh?” Reese questions.

  I smirk with a chuckle. “Don’t even start that. You said you don’t want nothing more than this anyway. Besides, you’re the one that brought him with you.”

  Reese nods knowingly. “Okay. That’s what’s up.”