His Betrayal Her Lies

by Angel de'Amor

“Don’t dismiss me like that, Kalon.”

  He felt himself losing his cool. “Is there anything else? You spoke and I spoke.”

  Patricia flipped her straight hair behind her ear. “Nope. I’m leaving and I’ll see you soon.” She turned to the other girl who was standing by her side and looking back and forth among the three. “Let’s go. I can’t believe this fool is going to act like he doesn’t know me after the night we spent together.”

  Taylor caught the waiter’s attention as he walked by carrying three beers on a tray.

  “Is there anything else I can get you, ma’am?”

  “Yes, the check please.”

  Kalon waited for the waiter to leave. “Why are you asking for the check? We haven’t had dessert.”

  Taylor reached inside her clutch purse. “I don’t want any dessert.”

  This date had just taken a turn for the worse. “Wait, Taylor. Why all of a sudden the harsh tone and wanting to leave abruptly?”

  She let out a sigh. “I don’t have time to keep running into your women and having them be rude to me. You need to keep a lid on their mouths. I just don’t need the drama.”

  So she was jealous. He had dealt with that kind of women in the past and it had left a sour taste in his mouth. But the way Taylor’s bottom lip slightly poked out actually made him get a hard-on. She looked like a scoop of chocolate ice cream when she was mad. All he wanted to do was take a lick.

  Stretching his arm across the table, Kalon placed his hand on top of Taylor’s. “Please let me pay for dinner. I apologize if I put you in an awkward position but the truth is, Taylor, I have dated a lot of women. If you go out with me, we might run into some of them. One thing you should know about me is I will treat you with respect and never intentionally hurt you.”

  This was a line Kalon spat to all his women but he actually meant it with Taylor. He felt kind of uneasy about how truthful he wanted to be with her. He decided to figure it all out later. “I know this nice Reggae club I’d like to take you to in Lincoln Park. I’m just not ready for the night to end.”

  Taylor put her hand in her lap and smiled. “Naw, thanks for the offer. I have a long day tomorrow.”

  With a puppy dog face, Kalon started whining. “Ahhhhh, come on, Taylor, pleeeease. Come out with me. I promise to be on my best behavior.”

  He could see the wheels turning in her mind as she weighed the situation. Finally he heard her say, “Okay, I’ll have one drink and then that’s it.”

  She sounded doubtful and excited at the same time, like she wasn’t ready to end the night but was afraid to let things go any further. Kalon threw a fifty dollar bill on the table and stood before she could change her mind. “Great. You can follow me. It’s only like thirty minutes from here.”

  Helping Taylor up from her seat, he lightly touched the small of her back and steered her toward the coat check. When the woman behind the counter gave Taylor her coat, Kalon handed her a few singles. After he made sure that Taylor was safely strapped inside her BMW, he hopped in his Maserati and pulled in front of her to lead the way to their next stop.

  * * *

  Wild Hare Club in Lincoln Park was crowed, considering it was a weekday. The small, club had dark, tinted windows that kept people outside from seeing in. The only lights on the building were the ones running around the Wild Hare Club sign posted on the front of the building.

  Kalon pulled up to the side of Taylor’s car and told her to valet park. She got out and turned her keys over to the attendant outside the club. Standing on the sidewalk waiting for Kalon to park his car, she noted that the line to get in wrapped around the block. He soon met up with her and grabbed her hand.

  Getting on her tiptoes, Taylor whispered in his ear, “This line is too long; maybe we should go somewhere else.”

  He looked down at her and smiled. Tugging her closely behind him, he walked straight up to the guard at the door and they embraced in a short hand shake and hug. The bulky man pulled back the ropes and they walked right into the bar. Taylor was impressed.

  The club was small. Everybody was practically on top of each other either dancing or talking. There was a circular bar in the middle of the room and up high were roped-off lounge seats. Purple, green, and orange lights flickered from above. The band on stage was made up of some Jamaicans with long dreads and singing in their native tongue. Taylor knew some of the music that was being played because Ari listened to it. These were his people and she started to feel a little guilty to be out with another man. Although, they were separated it still went against her principles.

  The thought of Maci popped into Taylor’s head; the guilt she felt about being here with Kalon vanished quickly.

  Kalon led her upstairs to the roped-off section. The man guarding the ropes let them through and they sat in a small booth made for two. The music was so loud that Taylor had to shout in Kalon’s ear. “You must be a regular here.”

  Obviously happy that she noticed that he had pull, he said with an air of confidence, “You can say that. The twin brother of my best friend and business partner, Ephraim, owns this club.”

  “Oh.” Taylor answered. She sat back against the padded seats and listened to the music.

  “Do you want something to drink?” Kalon shouted into her ear.

  “I’ll take a rum and coke.”

  Kalon motioned the waitress over and whispered the orders in her ear. He scooted closer to Taylor, then placed an arm across the back of the booth, just above Taylor’s shoulders, and a hand on her thigh. Taylor kept looking straight ahead, trying not to let this man know that him being so close to her was working on all her five senses. They sat like that for at least five minutes, but to Taylor it felt like hours. With him up on her like that, she was afraid to turn her head for fear that they would kiss.

  The music became slow and sultry. Couples on the dance floor got close and intimate. Kalon leaned over and started blowing on the base of Taylor’s neck. It felt like the thermostat in the place had been turned up to one hundred. Taylor’s panties instantly became wet and she felt her clit starting to throb. She needed to stop him.

  As she turned to tell him he was making her uncomfortable, he kissed her. Lips as soft as cotton and breath that smelled like cool winter-fresh mints captured her. His tongue was asking for permission to enter her mouth and Taylor didn’t have the strength to deny him access. She opened her mouth and Kalon’s tongue roamed all over, making love to her mouth. Taylor let out a soft moan. He responded by deepening the kiss.

  Her mind became mush and all she could think about was the way he was making her feel. She felt his hand squeezing her thigh and working its way under her dress up to her middle section. Taylor grabbed the back of his neck and this time she drank from him and sucked on his bottom lip. She felt Kalon pulling back from the kiss. What she saw in his eyes was pure lust. He traced her succulent lips one last time with his tongue before he ended the kiss.

  Their breathing was choppy and their chests heaved up and down. Taylor let out a groan in disappointment but then felt embarrassed and ashamed. She pulled down her dress and tried to focus her attention on the stage.

  ***

  The night went on and Kalon never tried to kiss her again. They never talked about the kiss or what it meant. They had danced a couple of times then sat and chatted. A few random women had the nerve to walk up to him and ask him to dance. Taylor couldn’t believe that they openly did that in front of her. Kalon had turned them down nicely, telling them he was on a date.

  She checked her cell phone. It was one in the morning. “Kalon, I think I need to be heading home. It’s really late.”

  There was no resistance from him. He paid the liquor tab and grabbed her hand. They wove their way through the crowd of dancers and left. Taylor handed her ticket to the parking attendant. As the couple waited for her car, Kalon turned toward her and took both of her hands in his. “I really had a great evening with you tonight.”

  Taylor smiled. “I had a gre
at night, too.”

  “Can we do this again?”

  Taylor wondered if she should tempt fate again. “Why don’t you call me and we’ll see.”

  Kalon’s jaw tightened and he dropped her hands. “Oh, I see we’re back to that again.”

  “Back to what again?”

  “You playing hard to get. I thought we had gotten past that.”

  Feeling defensive, Taylor fought back. “I’m not trying to play hard to get.” She waited before she said more, giving herself time to calm down and lower her voice. “Look, I have a full schedule the rest of this week and I just need to see when I’m free again.” She saw that he liked that answer better than the first one she gave him.

  The valet pulled up in Taylor’s BMW and she got into the car and put on her seat belt. Kalon stood there, holding her car door wide open. He looked like he was battling with something in his mind. He reached over and kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, Taylor, and drive safe.” He closed her car door.

  Taylor sat there for a few minutes trying to figure out what just happened. It was a little too much for her to digest right then. She put her car in drive and went home.

  Chapter 12

  Taylor sat at Maxwell on Michigan Avenue. She came to that bar often when she wanted to think and be alone. Taking a sip of her glass of Moscato, she looked out the window at the busy downtown traffic. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. People moved around like they had their lives in order, like they had purpose. Minutes ticked by while Taylor sat and people-watched. So many of them seemed content while she was on the edge of a divorce and thinking heavily about committing adultery, both of which went against her morals and faith.

  She couldn’t escape the thought of her psycho stalker, either. William had contacted her earlier that day to give her some disturbing news. According to his informant, Maci—born as Maci Anne Drummer—was twenty–three years old, born to a crackhead, and put in foster care at birth. Never adopted, she bounced around to different foster families until the age of eighteen. She attended therapy sessions while in the system for being raped by one of her foster parents. The report also said she lived in the streets for a while, robbing older men. She spent two months in Cook County Jail for theft.

  Taylor felt bad about Maci’s messed up childhood but she believed anyone could change their life around if they truly wanted to.

  “Would you like another glass of wine?” the bartender asked.

  Taylor looked up. “Yes, please,” She whispered.

  The bartender nodded and filled her glass. “This one is on the house. Handing her a small stack of cocktail napkins, he added, “I don’t want to be out of line but it seems you need this.”

  Taylor gave the handsome bartender a lazy smile and responded, “Thanks.” He looked as if he was in his early twenties. He went on his way helping other customers at the bar.

  Going home to a big, empty house was something Taylor was avoiding. Ari was still on kicked-out status. He called at least ten times a day and Taylor always let his calls go to voicemail.

  She wanted to call on her girls but they weren’t around. Libby had been distant lately. Maybe she was dating someone and for some reason keeping it a secret from Taylor. Whatever Libby had going on, she had kept Taylor out of the loop. Pam’s mom fell ill in Memphis and she had hopped on the first plane to be with her mother, telling her friends that she would be out there for awhile. Taylor’s sister, Toni, had never been good at listening so she didn’t bother calling her.

  It had been a week and she still hadn’t called Kalon for another date. She wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to resist him if he tried something.

  Her blackberry sat on the counter right beside her drink. She fingered it and scrolled down to Kalon’s phone number. Once she pushed that button, there would be no going back. She knew what Kalon wanted from her was not the same thing she wanted. She needed to feel loved and he definitely didn’t love her but she could pretend he did, even if only for one night.

  Her need overruled her good senses. She pushed the button. Kalon picked up on the third ring.

  “Hey, beautiful. I’m glad you finally called.”

  “Me too. Can I see you tonight?”

  “You can see me anytime you want.” He sounded luscious.

  Not wanting to beat around the bush this time around, she said, “Okay, I really don’t want to go out. Can I come over?”

  Kalon was stunned at how straightforward Taylor was. “Yes. I’ll text you my address.” As an afterthought, he added, “Are you allergic to seafood?”

  “No. Why do you ask?”

  “I wanted to cook you one of my favorite dishes.”

  Taylor liked the sound of that. She needed to be pampered and it seemed that Kalon knew how to take care of a woman’s needs. “How about seven o’clock?” she asked.

  “Yeah, that’s cool.”

  Taylor finished the rest of her drink, knowing inside that she had just opened Pandora’s box.

  * * *

  At a little past seven o’clock, Taylor arrived at Kalon’s Lake Shore Drive loft. Her Burberry fitted halter dress and her Burberry pumps with the tan, red, and blue pattern made her look sexy but not scandalous. She let her straight coppery hair flow across her shoulders. She hadn’t felt like curling it. Light makeup to her lips and eyes brought out her natural beauty.

  She waited at the front desk for Kalon to come down, and hearing “ding” from the elevator made her look in that direction. He stepped out looking better than any Ebony Magazine model and just as good as Idris Elba.

  Weak knees made Taylor lean against the chair next to her. Kalon’s goatee had grown in fully. He was gorgeous. He licked his lips and showed those straight white teeth. When he opened his arms, she walked right into them and the smell of Gucci cologne intoxicated her. She was an expert at perfumes.

  Kalon took her by the hand and they stepped into the elevators. “You look beautiful.”

  Taylor felt herself blush. When the elevator door opened, he kissed her on the neck. “Dang, you are a beautiful woman.”

  “Thanks but you said that already and you look nice, too.” Kalon wore a black V-neck Akoo shirt and a pair of True Religion jeans. She liked his urban fashion style of dressing.

  Walking hand and hand to his loft, he pulled back the long steel door.

  She walked through the foyer and into the most beautiful custom kitchen ever. It was simple and modern, decorated in black and white. Taylor could tell he liked expensive items. The loft had glass windows all around and exposed bricks. She walked over to look out. The lake and Navy Pier were lit up. “This view is amazing,” she uttered in awe.

  Kalon smiled and walked over to a pot cooking on the stove, stirring and tasting.

  “Are you hungry, Taylor?”

  “Yes, I can eat.” They both laughed. Taylor walked over and took a whiff. “Hmm that smells good. What are you cooking?”

  “Gumbo.”

  Her eyes lit up. “I love gumbo. Is there anything I can do?”

  “Yes, you can go over there and look pretty.” He waved her toward the table.

  She smiled. “Okay, give me something I can actually do.”

  Kalon looked around his kitchen. “Since you just have to do something, you can set the table.”

  Kalon had glass cabinets, so she could see where everything was. She grabbed two bowls from the cabinets and two wineglasses off the bar.

  Carrying the pot from the stove, Kalon walked over to the table and poured soup in each bowl.

  “Do you mind if I say grace, Kalon?”

  She couldn’t be sure but he seemed impressed. “No woman I ever dated has asked to say grace. I usually say grace to myself and watch them dig in without giving thanks. So this is a welcome surprise.”

  She took his hand across the table. “God, please bless this food we are about to eat and the cook that prepared it. Amen.”

  Kalon sat expectantly while Taylor took her first taste.


  She blew on the spoonful of gumbo, put it in her mouth, then closed her eyes and licked her lips. It had all the right spices. I could definitely get used to a man cooking for me. Ari never cooked. She hurriedly pushed Ari to the back of her mind.

  Looking up from her bowl, she saw Kalon staring like he was that night she went out with him to Ohio Street. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  He got up and took the bottle of wine out the refrigerator to pour them each a glass. “I don’t know why I look at you so much, Taylor. Maybe because I really like you and want to know you better. Not to mention the fact that you are just such a beautiful woman.”

  Falling for his lines might be what other women did but she didn’t intend to go down that easily. “I know you have dated plenty of beautiful women before, Kalon. I heard you’ve been with actresses and singers.”

  “Yes but you are the most beautiful one because you have inner and outer beauty. Most of those women were beautiful on the outside but ugly inside.”

  Taylor didn’t have a response to that, so she changed the subject. “Do you have any siblings?”

  “No, I’m the only child.”

  She knew that changing the subject so abruptly told him of her discomfort with the topic they had been discussing but she was grateful that he went along with it. She asked more about his background. “Where are your parents?”

  “My mother and father divorced when I was really young. I was sent to boarding school. My mom lives in New York and my dad lives here in Chicago with his new wife of fifteen years.”

  “Oh, do you get to see them often?”

  He took a bite off a piece of shrimp. “I see my mom maybe once every two years. She is a fashion designer so her job takes her all across the world.”

  They both savored another spoonful of gumbo. When both of them said ummm at the same time, they broke out in laughter.

  Kalon told her more about his family. “My mother is Faith Flare.”