The Playa Chronicles

by Glenn, Roy

  “Thanks, Vic, I’ll get with you.”

  “Now you’re through with me, huh? I just want you to know I don’t appreciate being used like this. But it’s cool. I’ll holla at you. You have a good day, April.”

  “Bye, Victor.” April hung up the phone and came out of the kitchen.

  “So you believe me now?”

  “I believe that’s what happened, but that don’t end it. I just have a problem believing that some woman you met once would just show up here and think that she had to lie to me. There must be more to it than that.”

  “She’s just aggressive like that.”

  “Bullshit, try again. No, let me put it to you like this: You tell me what you did to make her just come by here, and why she had to lie to me?”

  “Okay. I did go out to lunch with her once. But today was the first time I’ve seen her since then. We have talked a few times on the phone since then. But that’s it.”

  “So, if that’s all there was to it, why did she feel like she had to lie to me?”

  “’Cause she knows who you are. I talk about you all the time.”

  “You’re not understanding me, Rick. Even if she knew who I was, why did she lie to me? I can’t get pass that.”

  “I guess she thinks she has a chance.”

  “Now we’re getting some where. So what did you do to make her feel like she has a chance of getting with you?”

  “April, I swear, I ain’t doing nothing to encourage that girl.”

  “What are you doing to discourage her?”

  “Huh?”

  “Don’t huh me. Did you tell her that you weren’t interested in her?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Did you tell her that it would be easier to take the cold from snow then to make you cheat on me?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “You see what I’m saying? If you’re not doing anything to discourage her, you aren’t doing anything but making her think that she can get with you.”

  I knew she was right, so I decided to say it out loud. “You’re right, April.”

  “I know, I’m right. I see what kind of person she is. She talks shit and she’s funny as hell. I’m for real. She had me crackin’ up out there. And I know you like that about her. But, Rick, you’re a flirt. You were a flirt when I met you and that hasn’t changed the whole time we’ve been together. I accept that about you. What you have to learn, playa, is that you can’t flirt with everybody.”

  “You’re right, April. I messed up.”

  “Yeah, you did. Okay, so this time it worked out. But you see the trouble this could have caused?”

  “I sure do.”

  “Suppose Victor wasn’t home? Suppose he deleted those messages? We’d be going for it right now and nothing you could have said would have convinced me that you hadn’t just gotten through having sex with her, and y’all just got caught.”

  “And you would have been wrong.”

  “But all that wouldn’t have been necessary. ’Cause it wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t allow it. Work with me, Rick. That’s all I’m saying. I know that you’re an attractive man and women are gonna try to get with you, but don’t put yourself in these positions. Ask yourself is flirting worth risking our trying to rebuild our relationship.”

  My answer would always be no. So I said it out loud. “My answer would always be no. I love you.” But the damage was done. April told me that I wasn’t ready and went home. I stood in the driveway and watched her drive away, knowing that I’d just done more damage to relationship. Damage that maybe I couldn’t fix. This shit sucks!

  Vanessa’s Sex

  Vanessa was workin’ me. There was nothing else I can say about it. The girl was insatiable. She’d call me just about every day, and at all hours of the night.

  “I’m coming over.”

  Always a statement, never a question. But I don’t care, because sex with her is incredible, and we’d go for it into the early hours of the morning. There are plenty of days when I’m surprised that I can stay focused at work, because some nights I don’t sleep. Days like this one.

  My feet began to hurt, so I sat down on the curb. If there was one thing I hated, it was waiting. I hate missing the beginning of a movie; I’d rather not see it. And it was getting dangerously close to that time. I looked at my watch; it was 8:05. The new Denzel Washington movie was going to start in five minutes and there was still no sign of Vanessa. I’d already checked my voice mail; there was no message from her saying she’d be late or wasn’t coming.

  Slowly, but ever so surely, I was coming to the conclusion that she wasn’t gonna show up at all. And the thought of it pissed me off. Getting stood up was something I’d gotten used to dealing with, with Laura. I’ve never done anybody like that. I thought that it was just flat-out rude to have someone waiting for nothing.

  At eight-ten, I had a decision to make. I had already paid for the tickets and saw no reason why I should miss the movie because she could tell time. Eight-ten came and left and there I was still sitting. By a quarter to nine I declared Vanessa a no show and stood up. I ripped the tickets in half and started walking toward the car. I saw a car that looked like hers coming toward me, I ran back and picked up what was left of the tickets. The car drove past me; it wasn’t her. I ripped the pieces again and threw them in the air this time.

  On the way to the car I decided that I wanted a drink, but I didn’t feel like being bothered with anybody, so I walked to the liquor store in the plaza. When I walked into the store, the lady behind the counter was busy talking on the phone. She acknowledged me with her eyes.

  “Pint of Stoli. No, make it a fifth.” I gave her my money and the lady handed me the bottle without a word. “You’re the second woman tonight to show me no respect,” I said to deaf ears as I walked out. I cracked the bottle on the way back to the car. “No point waiting,” I said. And turned up the bottle.

  As I drove home I felt stupid, sitting there all that time waiting. Watching people go in to enjoy the movie I’d been talking about seeing for weeks. She knew how much I wanted to see it. The least she could have done was call and say she couldn’t make it. That was the least she could have done. I took another swallow. “No! The least she could have done was show up!” I shouted.

  Once I got to the house, it was about nine-thirty, and I was feeling pretty good for somebody who just got stood up. I turned on the television in the living room and checked for messages.

  You have no new messages in your mailbox.

  I decided not to be bothered with getting a glass and continued my assault on the bottle. A third of the way through the bottle, I decided to move to the bedroom. It wasn’t too long after I’d laid down on the bed that I felt a good, drunken sleep coming over me. I didn’t try to fight it.

  The phone rang and I reached to answer it. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Rick, are you in the bed?” A female whispered.

  I couldn’t quite make out the voice and I really didn’t care. “Yes.”

  “Can I come get in the bed with you?”

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s Vanessa.”

  I knew then that the answer to her question was yes, but I had to bitch and moan for a while just to keep up appearances. I didn’t want her to think that standing me up was cool. “Vanessa, what happened to you tonight?”

  “Something came up. Sorry I didn’t call, but it couldn’t be helped.”

  “Okay, so something came up. You were too busy to at least call me or send me a text and say ‘I’m not gonna make it.’ You were that busy?”

  “Yes, like I said it couldn’t be helped,” she said boldly, which only increased my level of anger. “Did you see the movie?”

  “No, I sat there like a fool waiting for you. I bought the tickets and then I sat there watching people go inside to see the movie I’ve been looking forward to seeing for weeks.”

  “When you realized I wasn’t coming, why didn’t you just go see the mo
vie?”

  “I started to. Lord knows I started to. But I kept thinking, hoping really, that you were just late and you’d be there. Why didn’t you call?”

  “I said I was sorry, Rick, damn. Let it go. Let me come over there and I’ll make it up to you.”

  “No. I’m in the bed.”

  “Come on.”

  “No.”

  “I’ll suck your dick.”

  “And what else?”

  “Anything you want me to do, boo.”

  “Okay, you can come by for a minute.”

  “I won’t say a word; I’ll just fuck you and leave. Would that be cool?”

  “How long you gonna be?”

  “Twenty minutes, maybe less. So get up and unlock the door in case you fall asleep. Come on now, get up.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you when you get here.” I hung up the phone and tried to get up. My head hurt. I looked at the bottle; it was half full or half empty. I couldn’t tell which. I looked at the clock; it was a quarter to three. “Shit, I must have passed out.”

  I practically had to throw myself out of the bed. I staggered to the shower, turned on the water, and started for the door to unlock it as I was instructed to do. I went back to the bathroom, checked the temperature. Not to cold, not to hot. I got in the shower and just stood for a while with my face in the water. Once that got old, I turned around and let the water beat down on the back of my neck. It felt soooo good, I didn’t wanna get out. But I had to, just not right away. I was tonight’s booty call. Picture that. So I planned on taking all my frustration over being stood up, out Vanessa’s all-too luscious body.

  I turned off the water, dried myself off quickly and got back in the bed. I looked at the bottle of Stoli and actually gave some thought to getting a couple of glasses. The feeling passed without incident. I looked at the clock as it rolled up on ten after three. “So much for twenty minutes maybe less.” By a quarter to four, I had once again, declared her a no-show and tried to go back to sleep.

  No sooner than I said it, I heard the door slam. I rolled over. Vanessa came through the door naked.

  “Hello, Vanessa.”

  She didn’t answer.

  Without a word she got up on the bed and pulled back the covers. I laid back and watched as she worked me with both hands, until I felt myself getting hard. Once it was standing at attention, she proceeded to tease me with her tongue, making small, circular motions with the tip, around the head, and then up and down the sides. Vanessa looked up at me and smiled, and I smiled back. She opened her mouth as wide as she could and lowered her head down on me. I watched as it slowly disappeared and reappeared. She began to move faster and faster. I felt my toes begin to curl against the sheets. I was making a sound I’d become accustomed to producing in others, but never experienced for myself. I squirmed, squirted and screamed, as I grabbed the back of her head. She sat up on the bed and looked at me smiling.

  Once I composed myself, I crawled between her thighs and returned the favor. The sun had been up for a while before we retreated to opposite sides of the bed. I resisted the temptation to roll into the fetal position and say, “Don’t touch me.” I still had my pride. But facts were facts. She had me and I was powerless to do anything about it.

  It was almost noon by the time I woke up the next morning. Vanessa was gone, but she left an envelope on the pillow. It had the word “Desires” written on the front of it. I sat up on the edge of the bed and opened it. It said:

  Dear Rick,

  I have something that I want to share with you. I want you and I have an overwhelming need to satisfy your every desire. I think about it all the time. It consumes me and at times, defines my actions. I can’t close my eyes without seeing visions of you and I locked in each other’s arms, having mad sex. You’ve taken me places sexually that I only dreamed of. Now I can’t stop myself; I have to feel you deep inside of me. Not just physically, not by any means, I need to feel you deep inside my mind. You have taken over my mind and body. You make me cum uncontrollably. I get so excited when I feel your presence. When you touch my body, it quivers. When you kiss me, I cum. And penetration drives me insane. I want to caress, lick and suck you, while you feel my flow. I wanna do it with you all the time. I have become a SLAVE to your passion and it is my passion to satisfy you.

  Just so you know.

  V

  I sat there smiling as I read her words. Just reading her letter excited me, and it was evident by my hardness. My mouth was dry and I felt dehydrated, the combination of Vanessa’s sex and Mr. Stoli no doubt, so I went to the kitchen to get something to drink. I read the letter again on the way. When I got to the kitchen I was shocked. Vanessa had cleaned the kitchen, washed and dried all the dishes, by hand no less, and put them away. “Damn,” I said as I poured water into a clean glass. “All this and pussy too? I wonder if she does windows.”

  10

  April’s Friend Zone

  Things seemed to be improving between me and April. We’ve gotten to the point where April will at least spend some time with me. Only we don’t have sex. She won’t even let me kiss her. But every once and a while, she still wants to cuddle. April says that sometimes she misses being close to me and wants to cuddle. Cuddling sucks, especially when you know that the chances of it leading to hot, butt-naked sex is slim to none, but I do it. I’ll do anything if it means getting back with April.

  In spite of that, it’s sorta working out. I was working on my relationship with April; she thinks it’s going very well. “Since you cut loose all of your other women, we’re finally spending some real time together.” And why wouldn’t she think that? I don’t do anything; I’m home whenever she calls, so I always have time for her. No more having to make up excuses about why I couldn’t see her—like having to work late or hanging out with Victor. I am always here for her. “And I like that,” she told me. The problem was, the reason I was always available for.

  Vanessa.

  I was home because I was waiting for Vanessa. She only comes out at night. Last night. Never before midnight so, I have plenty of time for April. On this particular day, April had come by and we sat around and watched movies. Oh, and by the way, this was a cuddle day.

  The phone rang. I rolled over and looked at the display. It was Laura. With no intention of answering, I rolled back toward April. She sat up and looked at the display.

  “If you don’t answer it, I will,” she said.

  “Be my guest.”

  “Just answer it, Rick,” April said, smiling as she hit me with her pillow.

  “Hello, Laura. How’ve you been doing?”

  “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “A little tired,” I said and winked at April, who was all up in my mouth. “But I’ll live. What’s up?”

  “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

  “No, I was just watching a movie with April. It was watching us actually.” April hit me lightly on the arm and mumbled something about her not needing to know all that.

  “Oh.” She sounded disappointed. But I needed everyone in earshot, especially April, to know it was over between Laura and me. “Anyway, do you know somebody named Prentiss? I don’t know what her first name is, but it begins with Y.” I knew she was talking about Yvette.

  “Yeah, I know her, why?”

  “Rick, she is getting on my last nerve; calling my house at all hours of the day and night. Calling me at work, talking about how she’s the one, and how I need to step aside and let a real women have you. At first she was polite about it. Talking like she had some sense. So I tried to explain to her that it was over between us and that I hadn’t seen you in months. But she wouldn’t stop. I got tired of it and started blocking her calls. What I wanna do that for? Since then, these last few of days it’s like she’s lost her mind. Calling me at work cursing me out. And now it’s all about bitch this and ho that.”

  “I’m sorry about all this, Laura. I didn’t know all that was going on.”

  “Fi
rst of all, who is this fool? How did she get my number and how does she know where I work, Rick?”

  “She was over here one day when you called; I guess she memorized your number. I don’t know how she found out where you worked.” But I had a good idea. Yvette was a collector. It was her job to find people and harass them.

  “It doesn’t matter how she found out, you just need to do something about it. I don’t need this!” Laura said and slammed the phone in my ear. I hung up the phone and closed my eyes. I knew when I opened them April would be looking dead at me, with questions, valid ones, but questions I didn’t feel like answering. I could feel her eyes. I lay there waiting for her to get tired of waiting for me to say something. I thought about how honest I was going to be about it.

  “What did she want, Rick?”

  Then it hit me. “You remember Yvette, don’t you?”

  The whole truth. Answer all questions honestly and without hesitation.

  “Why?”

  “Laura says that she’s been calling and harassing her.”

  “Why?”

  “Yvette wants her to step aside and let a real woman take over.”

  “Take over what?”

  “Me.”

  April had a sorta half smile on her face, so I knew it was no big deal to her. I had the feeling lately that April had started to believe that I was really trying to change and she was willing to give the process time. I appreciated that. A lot of other women would have a hard time dealing with this whole scenario, and would be taking every opportunity to express themselves. I was fortunate and I knew it. I took the time to think about how I had done nothing in my life to this point to deserve a woman like April.

  “You’re kidding, right? Why is she calling Laura?”

  “Why don’t you ask her?”

  “I’m serious, Rick. Why would she be calling her, telling her to step aside?”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  “Tell me, why. This ought to be good.”

  “Because she knows that you’re not going anywhere.”

  “She knows this, huh? ’Cause as far as I know, I have gone somewhere.”