Lovin' Blue

by Zuri Day

  Eden blocked out the visual of her mother’s potential intimacies with thoughts of Jansen. She tossed and turned once she got into bed, knowing she needed the rest but missing her man.

  48

  Sunday came, and Jansen and Eden found themselves once again in the company of the Gonzalezes. It was Alberto, Jr.’s, birthday, and the yard was packed with what Eden guessed was a hundred people, most of them related. The only thing more plentiful than food on the long picnic tables was the love that fairly teemed in the air. Eden sat in a circle of Delphia’s sisters, aunts, and cousins, being grilled as if she were on trial. Her crime? Being single and childless at thirty-four.

  “Girl, what are you waiting for?” Delphia’s sister, Lucia, asked, her lyrical accent turning the question into a song.

  Delphia’s mother tsked and shook her head. “When I was your age, I was a grandmother already.” She leaned forward in her chair and whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “You want your baby to have to come through a raisin or a dried-up prune? Better to birth it through a peach, girl, fuzzy and soft, with no wrinkles!”

  “Or since you’re dark,” Delphia’s cousin added, “maybe more like a plum!”

  “It doesn’t matter what fruit you choose,” yet another cousin offered, “as long as it isn’t spoiled!”

  The women laughed so hard they wiped tears from their eyes, and Eden joined them. She could see why Jansen so enjoyed this family and why he considered Alberto such a close friend.

  Alberto’s seventy-five-year-old great-grandmother, who didn’t look a day over fifty-five, waved the women silent. “If I had that hombre guapo in mi casa, I’d never come out, and give him muchos bebes! Looking at his son makes a man feel muy bueno. Mirada!”

  The women turned and saw Alberto prancing around with Alberto, Jr., riding on his neck. His daughter, Luciana, tugged his pant leg, begging her turn. Then she eyed Jansen, who carried another child on his shoulders, the boys dueling with plastic swords and having the times of their lives. Eden watched, took it all in, and remembered Jansen’s conversation about keeping Cameron and having children of his own. She thought about Bridgett’s pregnancy. Twenty-seven-year-old Bridgett was about to give Phyllis her first grandbaby while her thirty-plus daughter carved out yet another career. These women are right, Eden mused. I’m not getting any younger. Maybe it’s time to give Jansen what he and I both want . . . whether we’re married or not.

  “Come here, you,” Jansen growled as soon as he and Eden later stepped inside his house. “Ever since I first admired you in this sexy pink dress, I’ve wanted to take it off.”

  “Be my guest,” Eden purred after Jansen pulled his tongue from her throat. “I want to take a shower.”

  Jansen squeezed her cheeks, patted her behind, and then directed her toward the stairs. Once inside the master bath, he made quick work of getting them naked and then turned on the spigots. “Instead of a shower, how about a bubble bath?”

  “Sounds good.”

  Jansen plugged the tub and poured in a liberal amount of a sandalwood-fragranced bubble bath. “It’ll take a few minutes for the tub to fill up,” he murmured against her chest before taking a nipple into his mouth.

  “I—it’s okay,” Eden stammered, her stomach tightening and kitty meowing its fervent request to play with the snake.

  Jansen reached for a condom lying on the counter. “I want to make good use of this time . . . now . . . while we’re waiting.”

  He tore open the package and took out the condom. Eden stayed his hand, looked deeply into his eyes, and said the words that were music to any man’s ears. “I don’t want anything between us,” she whispered, her breath hot and wet against his ear. “I want to feel you, all of you, inside me. Can you give it to me, baby? The way I want it? The way we both want it?”

  As her answer, Jansen lifted Eden up against the wall, secured her there with his arms, and guided his hot, pulsating shaft inside her with one long, sure thrust. He growled. She moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist. He pulled out to the tip and plunged to the base, over and again. It was hard to tell which heat clouded the wall-length mirror—the running water or the lovers’ desire. Eden’s toes curled with the intensity of her pleasure. Jansen pulled away from the wall and used his pillarlike arms to bounce Eden up and down on his shaft: harder, deeper, more. More!

  “Jansen,” Eden panted, tears of pleasure once again forming in her eyes. “You feel so good. This feels so good.”

  “Oh, so you like this bad boy, huh? You like me being nasty, giving it to you raw.”

  “Yes . . . yes!”

  “Mmmm, take it in, baby. I want to give it to you. All. Of. This.” Strong pumps punctuated each word he ground out. He lowered her so that one foot touched the floor as he held the other leg under the knee, giving him even greater access to Eden’s lair. He gyrated his hips, whispering her pet name: little garden. A few more seconds, and they both cried out as Jansen filled Eden with love.

  The next morning, Eden was awakened by a bright shaft of sunlight seeping through the partially closed blinds. She blinked several times, trying to come out from under a deep sleep. She squinted at the clock: 8:45. “Oh, no,” she groaned, not even having the strength to be mad that she’d overslept. Nothing could make her feel bad about what had transpired last night. She’d simply have to make up the time. After checking her calendar to make sure her morning was free of appointments, and sending e-mails to Alex and Ariel telling them she’d be in that afternoon, she nestled back into her lover’s arms and returned to dreamland.

  49

  September went by in a blur, and this, the week of the health fair, was insanely busy. Eden averaged ten hour days, working alongside Alex and Christina, making sure everything went off without a hitch. As was his manner when he went more than a day without sex, Jansen was testy. And to make matters worse, Eden thought as she wearily eyed his number on her caller ID, I’m going to have to tell him no again.

  “Hey, baby.”

  “Dang, girl. You’re still at work? You practically live at that place.”

  “Just this week. I’m taking a few days off after the health fair and will make it up to you then. Promise.”

  “Uh-huh. And how do you plan to do that with your mother in town? And my mother hanging with her.”

  Eden lowered her voice to its sultry quality. “I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

  “Girl, don’t play with me. You know how I get when I’m backed up. I haven’t seen you all week!”

  “Uh, excuse me, but did you just say backed up in reference to time without sex?” Eden giggled but suppressed it when Jansen didn’t join in.

  “Oh, so my torture is funny to you?”

  “No, baby, I’d just never heard that term used quite that way, that’s all. Look, I’m late for a meeting. I’ll call you later after I see how much I get done. Maybe you can come over tonight.”

  “Call me!”

  “I will. Love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Eden’s smile widened as she got off the phone. Backed up? Really? She shook her head and laughed out loud.

  “I’m glad someone is in a happy mood,” Alex said, coming into her office. “I’m about to pull my hair out.”

  “Why, what’s going on?”

  “There’s not enough hours in the day for all the people who want to meet with me. And our celebrity list is growing. Will and Jada Smith just confirmed their appearance at the event.

  “I know, Christina told me. Isn’t it fabulous?”

  “We need to make sure the VIP area is flawless. . . .”

  “It will be, Alex. Don’t worry. Christina has hired one of LA’s top decorators to handle that room. We’re going to transform the yoga/pilates room into their private oasis and move those activities outside.”

  “I know I shouldn’t worry but . . .”

  “Sounds like it’s time for a yoga session yourself, or an appointment with Dakkar.”

  “I agree
with you. But Dakkar is out with one of his regular clients.”

  “Well . . . you need to see him as soon as he gets back.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  “Ah, right there, man,” Jansen said when Dakkar pressed his thumb and forefinger across the back of his neck.

  “This is what happens when you go weeks without me, dog,” Dakkar calmly replied. “Someone in your line of work, or any type of work with heavy stress, needs to be worked on regularly. I’ve told you this.”

  “A lot going on, man, but you’re right. I can tell the difference when I’m running or working out. The hot tub is no replacement for this deep-tissue action.” Dakkar worked on Jansen in silence a while before Jansen asked, “How’s business?”

  “Great! I’ve secured a steady gig in Santa Monica, which is giving me access to a whole new group of clients, celebrities, and whatnot.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah, a place called the Zen Den.”

  “I know about that place. That’s where—”

  “There’s this fine sistah who works there,” Dakkar interrupted. “But I think she might like a lot of milk in her coffee. She’s always hanging out with this Greek doctor who works at the center. I’m pretty sure he’s digging her, too.”

  Once again Jansen fought the green dragon. Don’t jump to conclusions, he told himself. There could be more than one sistah working at this place.

  “Yeah, buddy, Eden Anderson is the kind of woman you’d take home to your mama. Know what I mean? Whoa, dog, relax. I just handled this area, and you’re tightening up again.”

  Jansen took slow, deep breaths and tried to rein in his emotions. There was no reason to suspect Eden of anything. She’d told him about all the time she spent with Alex, knew they’d been in daily meetings regarding the fair. She’d all but threatened him to attend the fair. Surely she wouldn’t do that if she was going behind my back with this dude. Or would she?

  50

  Hundreds of visitors lined the streets in and around the Zen Den. In a move nothing short of a miracle, Christina had pulled city strings and had the block on which the center sat closed off to traffic. A harpist played on the stage erected in the center of the street, directly in front of the center. Street vendors lined the block, and booths of healthy food abounded. The mood was festive, joyful, and yet surrounded by an aura of peace.

  Inside the Zen Den, Eden mingled with the guests, not knowing whether she was coming or going at any given moment. Phyllis had arrived the day before, and in anticipation of her arrival and their oncoming lack of privacy, Jansen had kept her up half the night before that. Still, excitement overrode Eden’s weariness. She observed the goings-on even as she participated, thankful yet again that she actually got paid to do this job!

  A little after two, she looked up to see a small contingency enter the building. Phyllis entered chatting with Bridgett, while Michael, Jansen, and Kathryn brought up the rear. Eden clapped her hands together and made a beeline for her family.

  “I’m so glad you’re here!” she exclaimed, giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek before reaching for Jansen. “Especially you,” she whispered with a bit longer kiss on the mouth. She knew her mother was watching, but she knew, too, that Jansen would be scrupulously observing her behavior. In the past few days he’d asked several questions about Alex. Eden wanted to make sure Jansen understood his importance in her life. She couldn’t wait to introduce him to her boss as the man she loved.

  Eden greeted the other family members before leading them on a personal tour of the facility. Phyllis and Kathryn held a skeptical view, while Bridgett seemed thoroughly interested in the center’s offerings. Jansen and Michael conversed among themselves as Eden led them back from her offices through the main lobby to the backyard where, finally, Phyllis and Kathryn were impressed.

  “Wow, baby, this yard is something special,” Phyllis enthused, looking over the meticulously manicured landscape and taking in the fountains, flowers, and ponds. “I would love to watch the sunset in an atmosphere like this!”

  “And look at the large koi,” Kathryn added. “You think one of these would work in my backyard, son?”

  “Sure, until Uncle Jeff came over. Then they’d end up either fried or blackened, served with grits!”

  “I know that’s right!” Kathryn agreed amid the laughter.

  “Oh, Mom, Miss Kathryn, there’s the masseuse I told you about. Come on, it’s time for your appointments.”

  When the two older women turned and looked where Eden had pointed, their eyes sparkled, and large grins spread across both their faces.

  “Surely you don’t mean to tell me that tall, dark, strapping young fella there is getting ready to put his hands on me,” Phyllis whispered as her eyes hungrily drank him in.

  “Mom!” Eden was more than a little embarrassed to see the unabashed desire that underlaid the words. Of course she knew her mother was grown, and did what grown people did, but Eden hadn’t been around to see it. Her parents had still been married when she’d left for college; their separation and divorce had happened when she’d been gone for five years. Larry Bates was the first man she’d heard her mother mention. But she’s only fifty-eight and still healthy and vibrant. She still needs to . . . “Dakkar!” Eden called out to her colleague to staunch her thoughts. When it came to parents and children, there was such a thing as too much information.

  Kathryn hadn’t said a word but looked uncharacteristically demure as she stood by Eden’s side to meet the trainer. For these two older women, Dakkar—with his stocky build, chocolate skin, sparkling white teeth, and trademark locs—was like a cool drink of water in a desert land. Dimples winked at them when he smiled, bowed slightly, and kissed each hand in greeting. “It’s my pleasure to meet you,” he told first Phyllis and then Kathryn. “I trust I can provide you with an enjoyable experience.”

  “You’re providing me with one already,” Phyllis murmured and then raised her hand to her mouth when she realized that had been spoken out loud. “What I meant to say was my daughter, Eden, has already sang your praises.”

  Good save, Mom, Eden thought, swallowing her laughter. “Dakkar, this is my brother, Michael, and my friend Jansen.”

  “What a small world,” he said after he’d given Michael a brother’s handshake. “Eden, Jansen has been one of my clients for the last three years.”

  Eden turned to Jansen, dumbfounded. “You get massages? From Dakkar? I never knew that.”

  Jansen shrugged, squiggling his eyebrows playfully. “There are a lot of things about me you don’t know.”

  Eden approached Jansen teasingly, fully aware that her mother wasn’t missing a step, could probably count the hairs in Eden’s brow, so closely was she checking out the scene. “What other woo-woo activities are you involved in that I don’t know about? Have you been secretly taking yoga classes or practicing tai chi?”

  Jansen snorted. “All right, don’t push it.”

  “Eden, I have to hand it to you. I’ve been trying to get this guy on a healthier path for years. Guess I didn’t have the right amount of curves,” Dakkar finished with a wink. A look passed between him and Jansen, both thinking of the conversation about Eden shared during Jansen’s massage just days ago.

  Eden missed the silent exchange. Her focus was on Alex, who was conversing with a group on the other side of the room. She wanted to catch him before he got away again. “Well, you have a chance to redeem yourself with Miss Kathryn,” she said once her attention returned to Dakkar. “She’s going with you while I take Mom and Bridgett to the next tai-chi session.” After Dakkar had led a still smiling Kathryn away, Eden turned to her brother. “Jansen’s coming with me, Michael. Would you like to do tai chi with Mom or check out some of the other festivities?”

  “I think I’ll grab a smoothie and go check out the music. I might get some ideas to incorporate into our album.”

  “Okay, cool. Let’s all meet back up in an hour.”

&
nbsp; Michael headed for the door while Eden, Jansen, Bridgett, and Phyllis walked toward the opposite hallway. Alex finished the conversation with the group he’d been talking to and walked toward her.

  “Alex, I’d like you to meet my family. This is my mom, Phyllis. Mom, this is Doctor Kostopoulos.”

  “It’s a pleasure meeting you, ma’am,” Alex said, reaching out to shake Phyllis’s hand. He continued to hold Phyllis’s hand between both of his as he continued, “I can see where Eden gets her loveliness.”

  Phyllis’s eyes glistened as brightly for Alex as they had for Dakkar. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said, obviously enamored by gleaming white teeth and feral green eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, doctor.”

  Eden introduced Alex to Bridgett and Michael before turning to Jansen. “This is my friend, Jansen McKnight. Jansen, Alex.”

  The two men sized each other up as they conducted a staid handshake. “Nice to meet you,” Alex said in a perfunctory tone.

  “Likewise,” Jansen answered, equally unenthusiastically.

  Alex turned back to Phyllis. “You’ve raised an extraordinary woman, Phyllis.” In comrade fashion, he put his arm around Eden’s shoulders. “The center runs brighter, tighter because of her stellar administrative and management abilities.”

  Phyllis’s response was interrupted by Jansen, who stepped around her and up to within five inches of Alex’s face. His voice was low, barely above a whisper. “If you want to keep using that arm, doc, I suggest you get it out from around my woman.”

  Alex released Eden and turned to Jansen with a look of surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry, Jansen. I wasn’t aware Eden was property.”

  Jansen’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing further. Stormy green eyes met molten chocolate ones. Jansen imagined performing a karate chop to Alex’s solar plexus, while Alex dreamed of injecting Jansen with something that would make him sleep for a very long time. Phyllis and Bridgett watched the standoff with extreme interest, wondering if there was going to be a beat-down between the meditation room and the statue Eden had explained was the angel of peace.