“It’s just that…uh…I don’t know about this,” she said as the smell of the food in the background caused her stomach to growl.
“I’ll prove it,” he said, removing his coat and tinted glasses, placing them on the leather sofa. “I read somewhere that in college you dabbled around with acting a little.”
“I did a little somethin’…somethin’,” she teased. She was impressed with his research skills.
“Well, act with me. Give me a scene from your favorite romantic movie.”
“What?!”
“I said give me a scene from your favorite romantic movie. Come on…I know you have one.”
Mona thought long and hard and said, “I’m not gonna lie, I’m not big on the romance thing.”
“Are you kidding me?” he laughed. “You’re a casting director.”
“I know. It’s not something I’m not proud of. In fact the only love scene that did it for me was the one I saw you in recently.”
“Well, thank you!” He winked, placing his hands on his hips, striking yet another pose. “And trust me, my love interest in that movie was a bitch!”
“You two were awesome together,” Mona laughed. If nothing else, she was discovering that she liked him. She could feel his genuine spirit.
“There has to be some other scene somewhere in the world that moved you.”
She pondered again before remembering that she loved the scene when Dwayne busted in on Whitley’s wedding on the TV show A Different World.
“I love it!” he exclaimed after she told him. “I know that scene from front to back.” Suddenly he dropped to the floor and did twenty push-ups.
What in the world is he doing? she thought. When he arose, he became the man on the audition DVD. He lowered his eye lids a little, opened his chest, and looked at Mona as if she were the love of his life. His demeanor had become stern and he was giving off sex appeal similar to what the singer Tyrese did for her. If it wasn’t for the pink shirt he was wearing, she’d be fanning herself right now. He was now totally into character.
“Whitley, I love you…and if you’ll have me, I want you to be my wife,” he said, reciting Dwayne’s lines. With that he took two steps toward Mona Lisa and gently took her hand.
Mona remained silent.
“Will you have me, Dwayne, as your lawfully wedded husband, from this day forth, to have and to hold, in richer or poorer? Baby, please! Please!”
She was mesmerized. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he placed a passionate kiss on her lips. Their lips remained connected for five seconds before he released her and walked back to the table to sip the wine he’d helped himself to earlier.
She was stuck. Motionless yet convinced. He was Tyler Densburg, lead actor in the movie. Her eyes were still closed when he said, “Open wide?”
When she did, he shoved a forkful of homemade macaroni and cheese into her mouth, courtesy of Sylvia’s in Harlem. One noodle missed her lips and dropped to the floor. And after savoring the good cooking, she felt cheated. She also noticed that Dayshawn was now himself again.
“Ummmm,” she said, appreciating a piece of the best Harlem had to offer.
“Just a little something, something to welcome you to the Big Apple.” He winked before picking up the noodle that had fallen on the floor, and throwing it in trash. “So, can we eat now?” he questioned, taking a seat at the table. “I don’t know about you but I’m hungry! We can talk about all this business mumbo jumbo later.”
“Sure…” She smiled, impressed with his confidence. Besides, after taking a sample of food she wanted more. “I hope your schedule is cleared for Saturday,” she continued in between forkfuls.
“I don’t have too much planned.” He chewed. “Why?” Dayshawn was now deep into his corn bread.
“Because you’ll be meeting the execs from TVEA. I want them to meet their new leading man.”
“Yeah!” he yelled, jumping up from the table and squeezing her tightly.
Mona Lisa had a big day ahead of her and she was anxious. After all, in less than six hours she’d be attending the premier party for Xtreme Measure and introducing TVEA to Dayshawn and Melonie. Even after seeing how wonderfully he read the lines for the role, she still wasn’t convinced they’d buy in. The only comfort she had was her choice for supporting actress.
To ease her mind, she decided to go to the corner market to drop off her dry cleaning and see a little of the city. She stepped out of the brownstone, and the cold air almost knocked her over. Luckily she chose to wear her insulated black velvet jogging suit by Baby Phat, with her leather jacket over it. The hood hung stylishly over the back of the jacket and revealed the pink satin lining. Her hair was pulled into a fun ponytail with a few loose ends hanging on the sides. She was also rocking a Dior Christal soft pink diamond watch along with her three-carat earrings.
The first thing she noticed was a handsome Puerto Rican man staring her way, while holding a woman’s hand. Being the flirt that she was, she winked and surprisingly he winked back. She giggled when she saw the woman smack him in the face.
A few blocks later, she noticed everyone moved quickly. Why the rush? she thought. Still, she quickened her pace for fear of looking out of place. She was officially a New Yorker. The moment she put a little pep in her step, a tall, slender woman bumped her shoulder, forcing her to take two steps back. She gripped her shoulder and eyed the woman with disgust.
“Next time say excuse me!” she yelled. But it was too late; she had disappeared into the crowd.
Rubbing her arm again, she shook her head while continuing to look in the woman’s direction. When she turned around, she was bumped again.
“What is wrong with you people!” she screamed. This time she walked briskly.
When she finally made it to the cleaner’s, she was relieved. Dropping off her clothes, she proceeded to the corner store on the next block. She grabbed a basket and placed fresh flowers inside it, along with a few tomatoes, onions, and other items to prepare her famous homemade salsa. When she was finished shopping, she grabbed an Essence and Posh magazine. Walking up to the counter, she smiled at the Arabian clerk, who said, “Anything else?”
“No, thank you. Unless you can make the city move slower,” she laughed. Mona was doing her best to make small talk. It didn’t go over too well. He ignored her.
“Okay…” she said, realizing he was just as rude as some of the pedestrians she’d come in contact with. “Just trying to be friendly.”
“You can’t be too nice around here,” a familiar voice said.
She knew right away who the voice belonged to. She’d heard it before she saw his face. She turned around and saw the maintenance man. Once again he looked handsome wearing a brown leather jacket, Evisu blue jeans, and a brown wool hat.
“You sure can’t,” she responded as she turned back around to face the clerk, handing him the money for her purchase. “And present company included.”
“Don’t be that way.” He smiled. “We got off to a bad start.”
“Is that what you call it?” she asked, grabbing her bag and change. “Because the last time I was nice to you, you made a surprise visit to my house at three o’clock in the morning.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” He placed the water bottle on the counter, reached into his pocket, and gave the clerk two dollars. Snatching the bottle, he ran out behind her, leaving his change.
“I’m sorry,” he said, running next to her. “I thought we connected and I took it too far.”
“Yes, you did,” she replied as she allowed him to grab the large brown paper bag out of her hands. She hated when men assumed they were going to have sex with her, because she controlled her body.
“Let me make it up to you,” he said.
“And how do you intend on doing that, Maintenance Man?”
“Let me buy you dinner.”
“Not interested. I can buy my own dinner,” she teased. She was giving him a hard time because he deserved it.
“Okay, you tell me. What can I do to make it up to you?”
She gave him the once-over and knew exactly what she wanted. After all, it had been four days since her last sexual conquest and she was due for a refill. She had to admit, his light brown skin, New York accent, and strong physique did things to her.
“Well, what are you doing now?” she asked, arriving at the steps of her brownstone.
“Hanging with you.” He smiled. “That is…if you let me,” he added, remembering where wishful thinking had gotten him last time.
“I think I can go for a little company,” she teased.
When they reached the front of her brownstone, the maintenance man accidentally tilted the bag and two tomatoes dropped to the pavement and rolled in front of a girl with Asian eyes, light skin, and long black hair. The girl bent down to pick them up and handed them to Mona Lisa.
“Hello,” she said, revealing a light French accent. “I’m Dior. And you are?”
“Mona Lisa,” she said flatly, not sure if she liked the girl. She placed the tomatoes back in the bag.
“I saw you moving in yesterday, but I was rushing out and didn’t have time to say anything. Welcome to the building.”
“Thanks,” Mona Lisa said as she observed the girl giving the maintenance man an up-and-down look before turning back to her with questioning eyes. Mona gave her a stare that said, And? The girl took the hint.
“Enjoy,” Dior said, as she walked off down the street.
“I will,” Mona Lisa said in a matched tone.
The girl walked out of the building and Mona Lisa shook her head.
“Never met your neighbors, huh?” he asked.
“Not really,” Mona Lisa said, brushing the entire situation off. She had one best friend and as far as she was concerned, she was plenty. “I’m a loner.”
Once inside her apartment, he placed the bag on the counter and looked around. He complimented her on how her home looked like an ad straight from the pages of an Ethan Allen catalog.
He was still observing her furnishing style when she approached him with a glass of water on ice. He gulped it down and handed her back the glass. She placed it on the breakfast nook.
“So, what can I do to make it up to you?” he reminded her after licking his lips. “You never did say.”
“First, you can answer a few questions.”
“Shoot!” he replied, standing as straight as a soldier in line.
“Are you looking for a commitment?” she asked, frowning at his stance.
“Uh…well…maybe if I—”
She quickly cut him off. She knew if she was going to keep him as a plaything he had to pass the test. With one hand pointed at him and the other on her waist she said, “Let me tell you something, if you’re going to lie, the door’s that way.”
“Okay,” he said, sensing he could mess up a good thing if he fronted. “To be honest, I’m loving the single life.”
“Okay…” She smiled. She was pleased with his first response because she wasn’t looking for a relationship in any shape or form. She discovered that although some men claimed to want no strings attached, after one night with her, they always changed their minds.
“Second, are you gonna get all lovey-dovey on me?”
“Naw,” he laughed. “You’ll be straight.”
She was satisfied with his answers and removed the barrette holding her hair to let it hang free. Not saying another word, she softly covered his lips with her own. His breath was minty fresh, which gave him two additional points. He lifted her up off her feet and moved toward her bedroom.
“What,” she said in between soft kisses, “you don’t have an imagination?”
He smiled. She winked and he made a detour. Truth was, she didn’t want to soil her sheets. Sensing she didn’t want to have sex in the bedroom, he carried her over to the kitchen counter and sat her on it. Their tongues danced in and out of each other’s mouths the entire time. Without leaving her lips, he aggressively pulled her pants off and she quickly removed her shirt, exposing her perky large breasts. Reaching into her sock, she grabbed a magnum condom and handed it to him. When he tore open the packaging unfazed by it being for the extra-large type, she hoped for the best. When he eased inside her wetness, she was happy he was worthy of its gold label. Her head lightly banged up against the kitchen cabinet, never stopping their flow.
“Ummm…I knew when I met you, you’d feel this good,” he praised.
He gripped her round, firm butt and she could feel him pulsating inside her. If she pushed into him, she was sure it would be over. But because she wasn’t close enough to an orgasm, she decided to make it last.
Damn. He got it going on, she thought. She expected him to be well endowed after peeping his shoe size, but this was ridiculous.
“Shit! Why do you feel so good?” he said, breathing heavily into her mouth.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing, honey,” she responded, still in control. “I’m almost where I need to be.”
After the next eight strokes, she was there. Shortly after, he followed.
“Mmmmmm!” she moaned. “I knew I’d have fun with you.”
“Oh, you did, did you?” he said, coming down off their sexual roller coaster after slowly pulling out of her. “I’m happy I didn’t disappoint you.” He disposed of the condom in her trash and she frowned at him.
“I am, too.” She smirked, hopping down off the counter.
After slipping back into her clothes, she reached under the sink, grabbed the disinfectant, and did her best to wipe their indiscretions off the counter. The smell of bleach was strong and filled the room.
“So, what’s your story?” he asked. His eyes searched hers for some kind of emotion, but they were vacant. Mona Lisa was excellent at concealing her feelings in front of others.
“What do you mean?” she questioned, plopping on the couch next to him, as she playfully rubbed her hand over his hair. Normally he’d be gone by now, but she’d give him five more minutes to entertain her. After all, he had installed her recessed lighting.
“I never met a woman who didn’t have a story.” He placed his hand on her thigh and rubbed it vigorously.
“Behold…now you have.” She smiled. “But why would you say that?”
“It’s just that most women I deal with want a commitment. So the fact that you don’t is different.”
She sat Indian style on the couch. “Well, I’m not like other women. I am different.”
“I see,” he said, placing his arm on the back of the couch so that it was directly behind her. “Different how?”
“You love your freedom, I love mine, too.”
“There has to be somebody out there you’re feeling.” He smiled as he grabbed one of her legs and massaged her foot.
“Nope.”
“Everybody has met that one person who has changed their world.”
Immediately Nat came to mind. She got up, grabbed a bottle of wine off her minibar, and poured herself a drink.
Downing every bit, she said, “All right, Maintenance Man. I’m gonna have to get up with you later. I have a big function to attend tonight. But thanks for the ride.”
“I see,” he said as he stood up, walked toward her, and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Now you’re kicking me out.”
“Not kicking you out…just sending you home.”
“Well…he’s a lucky man. It’s not often you find a woman who’s cool with letting a brother live,” he continued, planting a soft wet kiss on her forehead. “Call me later. Maybe I’ll give you a little something before you leave.”
She remained cool despite wanting to throw her glass at him. To her he was a characteristic example of a man saying one thing too many. It would be a long time before she saw him again.
Opening night brought out the heavy hitters in the movie industry. Colorful designer evening gowns and custom-tailored suits graced the ballroom inside the Waldorf Astoria. People were engaged in c
onversations about their current and future projects. Elaborate gold and cream settings adorned each table. In the middle of it all sat Mona Lisa looking graceful in her red designer gown by Ella Moss with her matching strapped sandals by Louis Vuitton.
“Wow!” Melonie said, observing all of the stars her young career hadn’t allowed her to see before now. “I can’t believe I’m hobnobbing with the stars.” She couldn’t keep still due to being so excited.
“Believe it,” Mona Lisa said as she sipped her merlot. “After hearing you recite your lines, I know this part’s for you. If things work out,” she continued, wiping the corner of her mouth with the white cloth napkin before placing it back in her lap, “the people you see today will be your peers. Just nail the casting call tomorrow.”
“I will!” she said excitingly. “I won’t let you down.”
Mona Lisa searched Melonie’s eyes, hoping what she was saying was true. What worried her about Melonie was the fact that she was too much in awe of the lifestyle instead of chasing her own dream. Even now Melonie sat at the edge of her seat so that she could pivot around to see everyone. She had already received twenty autographs so far.
Still, Melonie had the look TVEA was going for. Long brown hair, hazel eyes, and quiet sex appeal. Her light brown skin and wafer-thin body were also necessary to seal the part of Desiree Holmes, the other woman in the movie. She favored Meagan Goode.
Glancing over, Mona smiled at Dayshawn because he had respected her wishes by wearing a respectful black tuxedo. She let his choice of the baby-blue tie slide so he’d be able to hold on to one ounce of who he really was…a man who adored color.
“This is great, Mona! I can’t believe I’m so close to Quentin Tarantino!” he said excitedly while chewing a piece of dinner bread.
Mona smiled. “They’re just people.”
“We are people and these are legends,” he responded.
She smiled at his boyish innocence and wished Turnstile would hurry up so she could overcome his objections. She looked around the crowd and saw him nowhere. She had a speech prepared to give him the moment he commented about Dayshawn’s flamboyancy.
Diamond Playgirls Page 23
