Serving Time

by Bailey West

  “Thank you,” El said to Ray.

  “No problem. You need anything else or you good?” Ray asked.

  “No. I will see you Monday morning. Tell Savi I said hello.”

  “Bet. Have a good weekend,” Ray said while getting back into the car.

  We walked up the steps to enter the plane. We were welcomed by the crew and the captain. I was shown to my seat by the flight attendant while El had a conversation with the pilot. I was impressed by his jet. The black seats with gold stitching reclined all the way back into a flat position for sleeping. The interior of the plane was decorated with gold accents to match the random Valentine Law logos placed around the plane.

  El took the seat next to mine and leaned over to kiss me.

  “Thank you for coming with me.”

  “Thank you for asking.”

  “I have dinner being prepared for us when we land but would you like something now?”

  “No, I can wait until later.”

  “Speaking of what we will be feasting on tonight, are you on birth control?”

  “I am. I don’t think I should be anybody’s momma right now.” I haven’t ruled out a family in the future, but I know I can’t dedicate any time to a kid right now. “I have an implant called Nexplanon in my arm.”

  “Have you been tested for sexually transmitted diseases recently?”

  “This is such a mature and responsible conversation,” I smiled. “Yes, I get tested at my yearly physical. You are the only person I’ve been with since I was tested. What about you?”

  “I was tested last week. I’m good. I can’t say I get tested every year, but I knew I wanted to explore something with you and I wanted to make sure you were safe with me. I asked about birth control because I don’t want to mess around and get you pregnant while you are still trying to build your firm. I’m going to tell you now; my pull-out game is trash. I will wear a condom if that concerns you.”

  I’ve never been in a relationship where a man has planned ahead to protect me. They are usually so concerned with how they feel, they rarely ask me how I feel. I fought hard to breathe through the emotions I felt. I wasn’t going to cry like a little girl, but I wanted to.

  “No, you don’t have to wear them. I don’t want you to.”

  I unfastened my seatbelt and climbed onto his lap. He took his seat belt off to welcome me onto his lap.

  “Does this mean we can take the training wheels off?”

  “Definitely,” he said while pulling me down to kiss him.

  Samuel

  The flight wasn’t long enough for me to do things to Averie I wanted to do so we kissed some and then settled into a comfortable conversation about work and family. We touched down in Charlotte and was met by my driver. He took us to the hotel I usually stayed at for my trip. After I take majority ownership of the team, I am going to build a residence here, so I don’t have to pay for hotels every time I visit.

  The hotel’s designated butler, Larry, welcomed us at the entrance. He took our bags and placed them on a cart.

  “Mr. Valentine, we have your suite prepared, and dinner will be ready shortly.”

  “Thank you. This is Ms. Patterson. She has unlimited access to my account during our stay. Whatever she needs, please don’t hesitate to provide it for her.”

  I felt Averie tighten her grip on my hand. I didn’t even acknowledge it. She is probably on some “I can take care of myself” kick I don’t care to hear.

  “Ms. Patterson,” Larry tipped his hat to her. She smiled in return.

  We followed Larry up to the penthouse suite. I enjoyed the amenities the hotel offered, but it was also close to the Stars operating offices.

  “The maid will be in to unpack your bags while you are enjoying dinner. Is there anything else you need from me before I go to the kitchen to check on the food?”

  “No, Larry. Thank you.”

  He disappeared behind the door to the kitchen.

  “El, I don’t need you to pay…”

  “Stop.” I interrupted. “I am only going to say this once. I am a man. I don’t know how to be anything but a man. If I ask you to come somewhere with me or do something with me, then I am paying, period. To challenge me on this point is to challenge my manhood. Don’t challenge my manhood and I won’t challenge you. If you want to invite me somewhere and pay, then, by all means, do so. I don’t want to have this conversation again.”

  I needed to be firm with her, so she understood my position. I love that she is independent and can take care of herself, but with me, she doesn’t have to. We stood staring at each other for a few minutes before she turned to look around the room.

  “This suite is beautiful.”

  “That’s it? We’re changing the subject?”

  “I don’t have a rebuttal,” she shrugged. “We understand each other,” she smiled.

  “Yeah, it is nice. Let me show you something.”

  I led her over to the wall of windows that faced the Uptown area of Charlotte. The view was spectacular. I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She molded into my frame.

  “Can you see the stadium in the distance?”

  She nodded.

  “Mr. Valentine the food is ready,” Larry announced.

  I turned my head and spoke to him without breaking Averie and my connection.

  “Thank you, Larry. After the baggage is handled, I won’t need you or the staff for the rest of the evening.”

  “I will let them know. Thank you, Sir.”

  I turned my attention back to the window.

  “That’s the current Stars stadium. It was built in nineteen eighty-eight, making it one of the oldest stadiums in the league. There are about seven that are older out of thirty. That means that basically, every other organization has invested the money into building a better experience for the team and for the fans. One of my first ideas, when I bought into the team, was to build a new stadium. Tear down this old monstrosity and create something new, innovative and something that fits into this city which is experiencing a resurgence of life. The majority owner didn’t want to invest the money. Instead, he wanted to fix what we had. That was the first clue I was going to take ownership of this team.”

  “Take ownership?”

  “Yes. See that row of brown buildings beyond the stadium?”

  “Yes.”

  “Those buildings are sitting on some of the property I purchased. I purchased twenty-five acres of real estate. I plan on building a state of the art facility after I acquire the majority shares of the team.”

  “The majority owner is looking to sell?”

  “No. He doesn’t know I’m coming. I plan on buying all the current owners out and replacing them with an investment team I am a part of. That’s one of the meetings I am having while I am here.”

  “Is he a bad owner?”

  “No. Bad is not the word I would use to describe him. Lazy, stagnant, unimaginative, scared to take a risk, yes; but bad, no. I know I am a better businessman than him and I will do a better job so, I am going to take it from him.”

  She turned around and put her arms around my neck.

  “Damn, that confidence turns me on.”

  She stood on her toes to kiss me. I pulled her closer intensifying the kiss. I grabbed her ass with both hands and moved my kisses from her lips to her neck. I wanted to take her to the bedroom right now, but I needed the suite clear of all the workers, and I needed to feed her first. I reluctantly stepped away.

  “Our food is going to be cold.”

  I took her hand and led her into the kitchen.

  The chef prepared glazed salmon with a mango chutney, wild rice, and fresh green beans. It was delicious, but I couldn’t focus on how good it tasted because the only thing I wanted to taste right now was Averie. The staff finished their work and left, so she and I were the only ones in the suite. It felt like it was taking her forever to finish her meal but that’s probably because I’d basically inhaled mine.<
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  “Vee, I’m trying my best to let you finish your food, but I’m about a second from swiping all this food on the ground and taking you on this table. Can we go to the bedroom now?”

  She tilted her head to the side and slowly licked her lips then slowly picked up her glass of water and took a sip without breaking eye contact.

  “You want to fuck me, El?”

  “More than anything I’ve wanted in a long time.”

  She stood from her seat across the table and walked toward me. I watched her, mesmerized by the way her body moved as she made her way to me. She stopped in front of my chair and pulled her dress straps down from her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. She wore a lacey nude colored bra and matching panties. The brown material resting on her brown skin was visually stunning and made me want to remove it immediately. I moved to stand from the chair.

  “No,” she whispered, and she gently pushed me back into my seat. “I haven’t finished my meal.”

  She got on her knees, reached for the waistband of my sweatpants and started to pull them down. I lifted off the seat to assist her in their removal. I was rock solid and ready for whatever was about to come next. The first feeling of her breath close to me had me working hard to hold in the female sounding moan I wanted to release. Men don’t moan. We growl or grunt, not moan. The first swipe of her soft, warm tongue pushed that moan closer to the surface, but I maintained. I released a breath thinking, that was close. She licked me again from the base to the tip and then without any hands she sucked me into her mouth. I wasn’t prepared for that maneuver, and I lost my man card. I moaned, loud. She worked her mouth up and down my length without touching me with her hands. Then she stroked me with her hand while still taking in my full length. I almost came off my chair. Okay, I did come off the chair a little. Her head game was phenomenal, and I was very close to exploding. I went into a slight panic trying to figure out a way to control myself or I was going to shoot down her throat.

  “Vee,” I pushed out while finding the strength to pull myself away.

  She looked at me confused.

  “I had to stop you,” I breathed out.

  “No, you didn’t,” she moved closer.

  “Yes, I did,” I stopped her from touching me. I was one touch away from needing a nap.

  I stood from my seat and pulled her up with me and led her to the bedroom. We walked into the bedroom, and soft music was playing through the speakers. The maid must have turned it on before she left. I slowly removed her bra and panties.

  “It’s my turn,” I said as I leaned down to capture her mouth. I lifted her from the floor and carried her to the bed. I placed her on her back in the middle of the bed. I spread her legs and saw her clean-shaven mound glistening from her wetness. I wanted to plunge into her, but I had to show some self-control and satisfy her the way she’d just satisfied me, except I don’t care what she says, I’m going to make her come.

  I licked up the moisture I saw before gently sucking her pearl into my mouth.

  “El! She moaned.

  I licked and sucked until I heard the magic words, “Don’t stop, El. Right there.”

  I knew I’d found her sweet spot and I planned on working it until she came undone. I knew she was getting close when her thighs started to close around my head. I adjusted my position and gripped her thighs, so she couldn’t close and continued to feast on her. When she realized she couldn’t close her thighs, her hands went to my head trying to push me away. I didn’t stop until she screamed my name and her whole body went limp.

  I released her thighs and climbed up her body until I reached her mouth. She was sexy as hell laying there satiated. I placed a soft kiss on her lips. She opened her eyes and smiled. I smiled and kissed her again. I moved back down her body to position myself at her opening. She spread her legs wider inviting me to enter.

  “Make me come again, El.”

  I love it when she talks.

  I entered her for the first time without any barriers between us. I felt her warmth and softness surrounding my hardness. It was the perfect combination. The sensations were completely different without the condom. I moved in and out slowly savoring every stroke. I wanted to feel her. I wanted to memorize her softness, her wetness, her depth. I wanted to remember what I did to make her moan, cry out or grip my back. I wanted to study her, so I could please her every single time.

  “El, you feel so good, Baby. Damn,” she moaned when I put her legs on my shoulders and increased the pace.

  I felt her hands on my thighs attempting to regulate my strokes. I knew I’d found the spot I was going to work until she came again. I moved her hands from my thighs and pinned them to her sides.

  “No training wheels, remember? You’re about to take all of this.”

  I got up on my knees, pulled her closer and began to bury my entire length inside of her.

  “EL!” she called out right before her legs began to shake and her pussy started to clench.

  “I’m coming. Come with me,” she cried.

  After several more strokes, we ascended together. My chest tightened, and my stomach clenched as I experienced the most satisfying orgasm of my life. This is what men search their whole lives to find, this one encounter. This experience was sob-worthy but instead of crying, I pulled her close to me and held her tight as we both drifted off to sleep.

  Samuel

  I woke up the next morning with a naked Averie snuggled next to me. I had an eight o’clock meeting in one of the private meeting rooms in the hotel. I didn’t want to leave her, but I couldn’t be late for the meeting. I slowly slid out of bed and went to the bathroom to get ready.

  I finished in the bathroom and went into the closet to change into my black slacks and black dress shirt. I was tucking in my shirt when I heard her stirring in the bed.

  “Hey,” she smiled looking beautiful even though she had wrinkle marks on her face from the pillow and crust in her eyes.

  “Hey, did I make too much noise?”

  “No, you didn’t. I didn’t even know you were awake. Are you going to your meeting?”

  “I am. I don’t know how long it will be, but I do have plans for us this evening.”

  “No rush,” she said as she stretched with her hands above her head. The covers fell exposing her full, firm breasts. My mouth watered.

  She threw her legs over the side of the bed and padded to the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later, still naked, walked over to me and gave me a quick kiss.

  “I have some work to do so, take your time. I will be here when you get back.”

  She smiled, walked around me and put on the robe that was hanging in the closet.

  “Larry knows you will be asking for breakfast this morning. Call the number he gave you, and he will handle everything. I know you said you have some work to do but, I have the spa on standby if you decide you want to go and have some services.”

  “Okay.”

  She sat at the desk in the room and pulled her laptop from her bag. I finished getting dressed and kissed her on the forehead.

  “I will see you later.”

  “Go conquer,” she winked.

  I’d asked the men who I would be meeting with to keep the meeting top secret and not discuss us coming together. Twenty-four hours ago, Ray sent out a message to the men informing them of the city where the meeting would be held. Two hours ago, he sent the location of the meeting room. No one knows my guest list except for Ray and my accountant, who will also be in attendance. My guests don’t know exactly what I am proposing, but they know it’s an investment opportunity. Since Ray had to stay back, I handled setting up the room. The chef was preparing breakfast, and after the room is cleaned from breakfast, the meeting will begin.

  Countee and his brothers, Langston and Amiri, were the first to arrive.

  “What up El,” Countee said while giving me dap.

  “What up Count,” I returned. “Langston, Amiri, good to see you again.”

&nb
sp; We all shook hands.

  “Find a seat a make yourselves comfortable.”

  We chatted for a few minutes before the next group of men arrived; Xavier and his brothers-in-law; Roman, Ezekiel and Paxton Bluette. I had met the Bluettes through Xavier and formed a quick friendship with each man. I admired the way they’d acquired their wealth through hard work and perseverance. Paxton took over my personal accounting and investing and has made me an abundance of money.

  I shook each man’s hand as they found a seat at the table. Roc was the last to arrive.

  “What up god,” Roc and I hugged.

  “It’s all good Sun,” I replied.

  Roc sat next to me.

  “I’ve asked Paxton to provide a special lock box for all your electronic devices. What we are about to discuss cannot leave this room until the time is right.”

  Everyone placed their cellphones in the lock box. Paxton entered a code and closed it.

  We had a breakfast of southern cuisine and chatted until all the plates were clean and the serving staff had removed everything.

  “Thank you all for coming. Thank you for adhering to the last-minute notifications. As you all know, I am part owner of the Charlotte Stars Major League Baseball team. I have roughly forty percent of the shares in the club. Most men in my position would be happy with that number, but I am not. When Theodore Wolfe, who is the current majority owner of the team reached out to see if I would be willing to invest, he thought I would come in with a small investment like Orville or Alphonso, the other owners, of five percent. He thought adding some color to the group would make the offer more appealing because then he could say that the team was owned by a minority. He wasn’t prepared for me to buy into the investment at forty percent. My investment pushed some of the one percent and two percent people out of the running. As the years have passed, I have realized I want to own the team. I don’t want to be the token black person in the investment group. I want to create an all-black investment group and take the team from Ted. I’ve asked all of you here today because I want to offer you the opportunity to become a part of my investment group; The Ujamaa Group.”