The Game of Deception

by Victor L. Martin

  “Whut up, yo?” Ghetti kept his voice down so as not to wake Amanda.

  “Where you at?”

  “Selma. It’s all good. I’m just givin’ you a heads up that I’ma stay out tonight. Got a room at Masters Inn.”

  “Oh,” Mance replied. “Yo, your boy, Poo almost got knocked today.”

  “How? Where he at now?”

  “He made the news today at six. Somebody called a tip in and said he was in Raleigh at an apartment complex. By the time the pops got there, he was gone. This stays between us, but you know that girl who Jay met last month from Raleigh?”

  “Ummm Mikki, the one that look like Toccara Jones?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Whut about ’er?”

  “Volanda found out she’s Poo cousin. It was Mikki’s crib he was hiding at.”

  “Have you said anythin’ to Jay?”

  “Nah. Volanda is gonna see how it plays out. You know how Jay is toward the pops. I know he ain’t feeling Volanda, but you know how that is.”

  “Shit.” Ghetti paused as Amanda slid her leg over his waist. “I’m the same way. No disrespect toward your wife. Where she at anyway?”

  “Bruh, its one thirty. She’s where she supposed to be—in bed with me.”

  “All right, pimp. Yo, y’all been thinkin’ on that project?”

  “Somewhat. We need to do whatever we gonna do because it’s only gonna get harder as time goes on.”

  “I feel you on that. But look, you might need to holla at Jay. Ain’t tryin’ to see my dawg get jammed up behind—”

  “Hold up for a second,” Mance said. He came back a few seconds later. “Yo, I’ll get at Jay on that, but right now let me hit this pillow, bruh. I do have a job, remember?”

  “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Yo! Who’s the shawty?”

  “None of your business, peace.” Ghetti hung up then placed the phone back on the nightstand.

  Amanda was still awake. She was upset with herself for getting deeply involved with a man she scarcely knew. All she had was his first name. She had no knowledge of his sexual history, only that he was having sex with Verenity. It was Verenity’s word that she took in, believing he was STD free. She refused to think about her homelessness, no car—nothing. She only had $370 to her name and Matt had taken all of her credit cards. In her mind, it was all a dream.

  “Amanda, you sleep?” he said, reaching under the covers to rub her lower back.

  “No.” She remained laying on his chest.

  “You okay?” He moved his hand up and down her back.

  She shrugged. Silence. He closed his eyes, counted to twenty, and then pulled her light body on top of his. She moved with him. In the darkness, he reached up to her face to move her hair. With soothing words, he told her that he cared about her.

  “Why did you come back?” she asked.

  “Because you needed me,” he said, kissing her chin.

  Silence. She lowered her head beside his. Intent on giving in to what she needed, she began planting soft kisses on the side of his face.

  “I need you inside me,” she whispered into his ear. “And I-I want to suck on it again. I’ll do it if you want me to.” She kissed his lips that seemed to taste more succulent each time she tasted them. She sat up, removed her bra, and then unstraddled him so he could dispose of his boxers. She quickly removed her panties. She licked any part of his body that neared her mouth until she reached his erection. There was no pause as she took him into her mouth. She leisurely moved her tongue over and around his tip, then flicking it with soft moans. With the lights still on in the bathroom, he had just enough lighting to see her erotic actions. She used both of her hands to excite every inch of his dick. Up and down, her head started bobbing. He shivered at how his wet throbbing tip disappeared between her lips. Her saliva was a sheen coat all over his dick. She would suck firmly at his tip when he released his precum. She kept her eyes closed, falling into her own space. He begged her not to stop when she took his balls carefully into her mouth. She pleased him to the brink of his climax then backed off. She kissed her way up to his lips then rolled with him to her back. He parted her legs, coming up on his knees. She had one leg hiked up on his bicep with the other on the bed. He pushed her legs back until his hands were firmly holding the back of her knees. She rubbed her clit with one hand and used the other to insert his dick inside her wet pussy. She could feel it throbbing, solid, and hot she needed it.

  “Mmmmmm!” her moan was long and steady as she felt him pushing forward. She began to prepare herself for his rigorous and rapid pounding by relaxing her walls.

  “Vic! Oh my God! Oooohh my God!” Her sexual tones were music to his ears as he sluggishly stroked her moist vagina. She squirmed, digging her nails into his waist. She rolled her hips to swallow every inch down her tunnel. He pumped her deep, long, slow, and steady. She went back to rubbing her clit as his dick persistently plunged in and out. Her wetness was dousing his penis.

  “Pussy—so—juicy,” he croaked as chills ran up and down his arms. Each time he pushed himself between her walls he wanted to embed himself to the core of her essence. He could not get enough of her. He was unable to satisfy his thirst of her. Her face was a mask of euphoria. He was hitting her saturated pussy at an angle when she suddenly climaxed around his steady plunging dick. She arched her back, gripping the pillow and stuttering his name. His pace stayed the same, which drove her delirious. He continued to drive himself in and out of her, at the same pace. She came again, shocked at her explosive climax that had her speaking unintelligible. She started to focus on him when she felt his grip tighten on the back of her knees. He even pushed them back farther. She scratched his arms, wincing with each thrust. Sweat covered his chocolate torso. His mouth fell open. His body slapped loudly against the back of her thighs, the bed squeaked.

  “Amanda!” He erupted inside her, jerking and shaking as he came. She fingered her clit as he pounded out his last strokes. He released her legs as he continued releasing his seed.

  *Selma, North Carolina*

  Friday 9:35 A.M.

  Ghetti woke up the next morning to man’s best-known alarm clock, sex. Amanda had woken up first and found his morning erection too desirous to ignore. She rode him out of his sleep until he was alert enough to take command. After the quickie, he forced himself out of the bed to get dressed. He wanted to make it to McDonalds before they stopped serving breakfast. Amanda stayed behind since McDonalds was within walking distance of their room. All Ghetti had to do was cross Highway 70 and he was there. The second the door closed behind him, Amanda picked up the room telephone and called Volanda.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey boss.” Amanda tried to sound upbeat.

  “You sound perky this morning,” Volanda said. “I assume you found something to cheer you up yesterday.”

  Amanda closed her eyes. If there were one person who would understand her plight, it would be Volanda. Right now, Amanda was quickly considering if she should reveal her problems over the phone or in person. Making up her mind, she elected the latter.

  “Yes, I’m feeling better. Um, where are you?”

  “About to rush out the door, Mance left before me and forgot to turn the alarm back on. Yes, I’m in Goldsboro.”

  “I ummm, need a lift to work.”

  “A lift? What’s wrong with your SUV? I know it’s not acting up already. I told you how my cousin said her Aspen was acting up. What’s wrong?”

  I don’t have the keys. That’s what’s wrong, Amanda said in her mind. “Volanda, it’s a long story. Please let me explain everything face-to-face. Trust me on this.”

  “Amanda, okay, I’ll wait until I see you.”

  “I’ll be at the McDonalds in Selma.”

  “Why aren’t you home? What’s up with Matt?” Volanda’s curiosity was too strong to quell.

  “Face-to-face,” Amanda reminded her.

  “Okay, I’m going to leave now and I�
��ll be in Mance’s Lexus.”

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  Amanda hung up and looked at the time 9:37 a.m. She would expect Volanda to reach Selma by 10:00 a.m.

  Amanda was drying off from her quick shower when Ghetti returned with the food. She ate her food and told him about her friend that was coming to pick her up. To a point, he was thankful that she had someone to call because he had no idea what to do with her. Seven minutes to ten, she kissed him on the lips and left. He told her to keep the keys to the room since it was paid for until Sunday night if she needed it. He left about twenty minutes later after leaving a handwritten note on top of the telephone. He knew she would return because she had left her clothes behind. On his way out, he started to turn back to rip up the letter but he didn’t. Deep down, he had a strong feeling that he would see her again, but it was going to be far from his expectations.

  Amanda was relieved to see Volanda when she pulled up in Mance’s Lexus. It looked sorta bizarre to Amanda to see Volanda in the ornate Lexus with 22-inch twinkling rims. The moment they pulled off, Amanda explained what was going on. She came clean and told Volanda how her sexual frustration with Matt had led her into the arms of another woman. Volanda was stunned by Amanda’s words because she had never noticed anything about Amanda being bisexual. Volanda nearly missed her exit when Amanda told her about Vic. Tears filled Amanda’s eyes when she spoke of the incident that happened at her home last night. She admitted that she was in the wrong for cheating and she felt she had gotten what she deserved.

  Volanda was astounded when Amanda finished. She could not understand how her friend had gotten so far gone. Volanda could not turn her back on her friend. She eased Amanda’s troubles by letting her know that she could use her apartment until she got back on her feet.

  “Mance will get off work before me so I’ll tell him to come pick me up. You can use my car and I’ll ride back home with Mance,” Volanda said, pulling up to the Durham police department. The day was hard for Detective Hartford, but with Detective Carter’s support, she knew she would pull through. She was alone in the office while Detective Carter was out to court. She pulled out the case file on the Glenbrook case. She had to be missing something. She read every detail of the report, which lasted an hour and ten minutes. The question remained. . . Who is Ghetti?

  CHAPTER 14: Letters

  Selma, North Carolina

  Around six o’clock Amanda was back at Masters Inn to pick up her clothes and turn the room key in. Amanda had Volanda’s BMW. In the passenger seat was her tote bag that held her laptop, the four letters and the large white envelope. She did not have the spare time to read them at work, but she planned to do so later. She entered the room and noticed the folded letter by the phone. She unfolded it.

  February 2, 2007

  Amanda,

  Whut’s up? I know this missive is catching you off guard, but I do hope it catches you in a better state of mind. I want to get a few things off my chest. First, I’m sorry for all the drama I put you through. I know we don’t really know of each other outside the bed, but I hope we can change that. I’m aware of your infertility and I can deal with it. I hope I’m not making a fool of myself, if so, that’s life. On the real, you are on my mind, even now as I write this. Yes, I could have called you or sent a text, but I’m more at ease with this pen and this is more personal. Amanda, your color don’t mean nothing to me. All I know is this: I would like to really get to know you. Please don’t doubt my words. I will leave the next move up to you. You know how I lost my cell phone, but I’ll have a new one by the time you get this. Call 919.972.0117 and ask for Dayshea. She’ll have my new number. For all it’s worth, I want you to take care of yourself, even if you choose not to call me. Keep your head up. Ghetti (I’ll explain when you call)

  Ghetti? Amanda slowly sat down as she tried to comprehend what was going on. She was unwilling to believe that Vic was Ghetti. She read it again, surprised that her heart was responding to his words. She forced herself not to jump to conclusions. The description that she read in the report on Ghetti was fresh in her mind. On her trip back to Durham, Ghetti was intensely on her mind. What if he was in fact the Ghetti she was looking for in connection to the Glenbrook murders? This thought caused Amanda to have a serious headache. She could not picture the man who had given her body so much pleasure to be a murderer. For now, she could not share her discovery with Volanda. Once she reached Volanda’s apartment she took two aspirin then jumped into the shower. Twenty minutes later, she was standing in front of the bathroom mirror blow-drying her hair. Being in Volanda’s bathroom caused her to close her eyes in a brief reminiscence of an act that she deeply sought repentance for. It had happened in this very exact spot.

  -Five Days Ago: Sunday-

  Amanda was left alone with Mance after Volanda had rushed out to seal the leak over Poo-Man’s release.

  Amanda was in the kitchen washing out the coffee cup when she heard a loud bang come from the bathroom where Mance was taking a shower.

  “Mance!” She turned the water off. When she received no answer, she went to the bathroom door, knocked a few times, and called his name. Thinking he might have slipped and fell, she opened the door out of pure concern.

  “Mance, are you okay? I heard a crash.” She opened the door fully to find Mance on the floor grimacing in pain while holding his right foot.

  “I stepped on one of Volanda’s earrings,” he said, looking at his bruised heel. “Damn, this is embarrassing.” He stood up, placing most of his weight on his left foot. Amanda stood in a trance, unable to move. Mance was naked, dripping wet. She had never in her life seen a black man in the nude and it turned her on. Mance reached for his towel, unsure of Amanda’s actions. He saw how she was looking at his dick in awe. He rubbed the towel over his head, knowing his smallest movement would send his dick to swaying. She didn’t move.

  “Um, you ain’t gonna tell Volanda are you?” He was now drying off his chest.

  “Tell h-her what?” she said nervously.

  “That I fell.”

  Amanda quickly said no. She remained in the doorway. She was the one that made the first move. She never looked in his eyes. Two steps and she was in the bathroom. He dropped the towel and she took his dick into her hands. She massaged his dick until it was solid. This was the first man she had ever touched sexually since she’d married Matt. She squatted down, looked over her shoulder and then back to what filled her hands. She massaged his dick with her hands until he climaxed. No oral sex, just a quick hand job.

  -Back ToThe Present-

  She could remember how Mance had begged her not to stop. If she could do it all over, she would not have touched him. To make the deceit even worse, she had met him the next day at a hotel in Raleigh. He used an excuse to visit his barbershop in Raleigh just to get up with her on the low. Guilt was between them and guilt allowed nothing to happen. As adults, they both agreed that their secret was a spontaneous slip up. So in all actuality, all she had done was fondled his dick. This is why she was so loose with Ghetti the next day. She had no such feelings for Mance and she knew he had none toward her. In a secret phone call, he had made a confession and told her that he had never fucked a white woman. Leaving the bathroom and the memories, she went into the living room to watch TV. Minutes later, she remembered the letters in her tote bag. For now, she had to put Ghetti to the side until she had given him more thought. She opened the first four letters, which were junk mail as she had first suspected. When she tore open the large white envelope, she found a single sheet of paper. She pulled it out. Typed in the center of the page was a phone number and a brief message that read:

  Mrs. Hartford, call me as soon as you get this

  Who was this? Amanda thought. There was no name, no address, nothing but the message and the phone number. Again, she looked on the outside of the envelope to see that it was mailed from Gainsville, Florida. This was weird. Whoever sent the message knew her name and where she worked. She look
ed at the message and the number. This was too much.

  *Goldsboro, North Carolina*

  8:41 P.M.

  He was again watching Volanda in secret, minus the binoculars. Tonight he trusted his 2020 vision. He was parked in a grocery store parking lot waiting for her to return to Mance’s Lexus. He knew his best opportunity to talk to her was to catch her before she left and it was now in hand. He turned on his gray Nissan Pathfinder and timed his approach perfectly by pulling to a stop in front of the Lexus before she could pull off. He stepped out of his SUV and walked to the Lexus. The tinted window slid down smoothly.

  “What do you want?” she said without bothering to look at him. Standing next to the car was a probation officer by the name Bruce J. Winfield. He was in his early forties with two kids in college and a wife at home. He had been involved with Volanda in an on and off affair for nearly three years. She had given in to his advances because at the time she was not receiving any attention due to her obesity. Her self-esteem and positive mental attitude had been at an all time low. She had been aware of his marriage, but his constant attention and sex had allowed the affair to continue. At one point, she was foolish enough to believe his promise to leave his wife for her. It was when she started to lose her weight that she began to gain a higher self-esteem about herself. She soon realized that she needed to love herself first. She didn’t need a second hand man nor did she need to be the woman on the side. Volanda eventually ended the affair then met Mance a few weeks later. In the first stages of being with Mance, she had yet to have a final closure with Bruce.

  “I need to talk to you.” His deep voice was calm but direct.

  “Bruce. We have nothing to talk about so please move your damn car.”

  “I’ll ask you once more—”

  “Or what, muthafucker!” she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him from behind her glasses.

  Bruce was unaffected by her outburst. He folded his arms. “You know what the fuck I’m capable of since you want to be belligerent.”