In The Company of My Sistahs

by Angie Daniels

  Chapter 73

  KAYLA

  While Renee went across the street to find a dress, Kayla moved all of her things across the hall to Nadine’s room and Lisa moved in with Renee.

  She still could not believe what had happened at breakfast. Renee had been only seconds away from choking her to death. She knew Renee had a temper but she had never expected her to turn on her like that. All the years she had stood by and been a good friend and this is what she got in return?

  She was so pissed with Renee interfering in her life that she could scream. If Renee had told her Leroy had called she would have never spent the night with Clayton. She would have never experienced a night of unforgettable foreplay. He had made her feel things she had never felt before and it had been a big mistake, because Leroy loved her, and finally, after months of hoping and praying, he was soon going to be hers.

  Suddenly, she was dying to hear Leroy’s voice and was glad she had the excuse to call him to tell him she had moved across the hall. If she didn’t, Renee might answer the phone and there was no telling what she might say to him. As angry as she was there was a great possibility she might even mention Clayton.

  Reaching for the phone, she dialed the front desk and asked them to connect her call. As soon as she got a dial tone she punched in Leroy’s number. She didn’t bother paging him first. Since his wife already knew about them, what was the point?

  “Hello?”

  Her breath stalled. A woman had answered the phone. Her first thought was she had dialed the wrong number.

  “Who is this?”

  At the icy tone, she realized it was Darlene.

  “Can I speak to Leroy?”

  “Leroy?” She sounded stunned that someone had referred to him as something other than Reverend Brown. “Who’s calling?”

  “Kayla,” she heard herself say. “Kayla Sparks.”

  “Sister Sparks, what you need to talk to my Leroy about?”

  Kayla had noticed she had put an emphasis on my. “We have business to discuss.”

  “What kind of business?” Kayla noticed there was a hint of an attitude in her voice.

  “None of your business.” She couldn’t believe what she was saying, since she was shaking inside.

  Darlene started laughing. “Good Lord, don’t tell me he got to your ass too.”

  She was floored. Never in all the years she’d known her, had she ever heard Darlene cuss. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. My husband ain’t nothing but a ho. Has been and always will be. He beds a different woman every week.”

  “So why are you with him?”

  “Because he’s the father of my children and I love him.”

  “He’s divorcing you.”

  She cackled. “Is that what he told you? My husband will never leave me because he can’t afford to. Besides, how many women do you know that allow their husbands to fuck around on them?” When Kayla didn’t answer, she continued. “Not too many. I don’t give a damn who he fucks as long as he doesn’t bring home anything, ’cause then I would have to cut his dick off.”

  There was no way she was telling the truth. “You’re wrong. Leroy and I are going to be married. He and I are leaving town together.”

  “Kayla, you are dumb as you look. My husband ain’t going nowhere with anyone but me and his kids.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “Well, believe it. You think you’re the only one. Well, you’re not. He been fucking Tisha Carroll for the last four months. Even brought her home for a ménage à trios.” She chuckled. “Shit, I like to get my freak on too.”

  She couldn’t believe her ears. He was messing with Brother Carroll’s twenty-two-year-old daughter. “Let me speak to Leroy.”

  “He isn’t home. He forgot to take his cell phone with him. More than likely he is over to Jessica Lawson’s, letting her suck his dick.”

  Kayla felt sick to her stomach. Jessica was the church secretary.

  “Listen. I got better things to be doing than wasting time on the phone with you. Leroy is never going anywhere because I allow him to do whatever the fuck he wants. With that little dick he has, better you than me.” She gave a hearty laugh, then hung up the phone.

  Dear God! Had she made a mistake?

  Chapter 74

  RENEE

  The wedding was fit for a princess. Decorations, flowers, seven bridesmaids, and a satin designer gown that was worth more than my damn house.

  I sat in the front with Pierre, feeling envious, wishing it was me up there getting ready to marry a millionaire.

  Clayton came down the aisle with a beautiful woman on his arm. I saw the look of surprise before he smiled. I smiled back.

  As Ayanna moved up to stand by the groom, the way they looked at each other was something I had written about many times in my romance novels but had never experienced myself.

  Suddenly I felt cheated. I had been married three times. The first in my grandmother’s living room, which I considered a shotgun wedding, since I didn’t want to go through with it in the first place. The second had been in my basement. I knew I didn’t love Troy. I just looked at him as an excuse to travel around the world. And the third was at the justice of the peace. The only emotion I felt was the excitement of knowing I could finally pursue my dream to become a published author.

  Now, as I watched the two of them exchanging vows, I realized I wanted what Ayanna had. I wanted the big fairy-tale wedding on a tropical island with all my closest and dearest friends and family in attendance. But most of all I wanted to feel what they were feeling.

  I know at this point you probably don’t think someone like me would even know what love is or even appreciate it when I get it, but you’re wrong. I want a man who makes my heart beat faster. A man that knows what I need even without telling him. A man who’s a friend as well as a lover. And someone who has enough backbone to get in my ass when I need it. The way I behave I need someone to check my ass every now and again, which is the majority of the time. But most of all I wanted to look at a man the way Ayanna is looking at Alex. And I wanted a man to look at me the same way he was looking at her.

  I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and broken a lot of hearts, but for once I would like to get it right. I believe everyone has a soul mate. I have yet to find mine.

  By the time he saluted his bride, I was in tears. Pierre squeezed my hand.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  I nodded. He thought I was crying because the ceremony had been beautiful. Shit, I was crying because I wished it was me up there.

  I was still feeling sorry for myself all through the meal. We had moved into a sparkling ballroom. It was beautifully done in pink and white. Ice swan, shrimp, caviar, and fine wines, not that cheap shit that we served at mine.

  A large band on stage played soft music. The dance floor contained several dozen couples, spinning around the floor. Expensive perfume and colognes mingled in the air. Pierre escorted me out onto the floor. I have to admit, at his age he was an excellent dancer.

  “Thank you for coming,” he said close to my ear. “Gloria is practically foaming at the mouth.”

  I glanced over my shoulder at his wife, who he had introduced me to when we had first arrived. Her greeting was far from friendly. Now she was staring at us from across the dance floor. I kissed the side of Pierre’s neck and gave her a triumphant smile.

  “Don’t start nothing you can’t finish,” Pierre warned.

  I playfully rolled my eyes at him. “Don’t get excited, old man. I did it to make your wife mad.” He chuckled and I laughed with him. I knew he was just playing. Last night Pierre had been a perfect gentleman. After he took me back to his suite, we spent most of the evening talking about our failed relationships. It was so nice to have an unbiased opinion for a change. However, the way he was going on and on about Gloria, despite the fact she had cheated on him, he still loved her.

  Speak of the devil. Gloria and her date moved onto the floor
and fell into step. Her date had two left feet and kept stepping on her dress. Pierre and I chuckled, but despite his laughter I could tell by the way he was watching, as much as he tried to hide it, he wasn’t over his wife.

  The music changed to R. Kelly’s “Step in the Name of Love.” I stopped dancing and pulled Pierre off the floor.

  “Sorry, Pierre, I’m not a stepper. Why don’t you go rescue your wife?” I pointed toward her and her nondancing partner.

  His eyes sparkled. “You sure?”

  “Positive.”

  I stepped over near the crowd and watched him move over to Gloria and offer her a dance. She gladly left her partner standing there and joined her husband. As I watched the two of them move, they were like a black Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. They moved beautifully together.

  “Care to dance?”

  I swung around to find Clayton standing behind me. I smiled, then nodded. He couldn’t dance so I knew I didn’t have to worry about him showing me out on the floor. I stepped into the circle of his arms and together we simply swayed from side to side.

  “I guess you know your girl played me.”

  “Yeah, I heard something about that.”

  “I feel like such a fool.”

  “We all play the fool once. Ain’t no way I would have dumped you for that no-neck motha—” I stopped, remembering how he felt about my nasty mouth. “preacher.”

  He looked at me and grinned. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He pulled me into the circle of his arms.

  I don’t know what Kayla was smoking to even think about letting a man like this go. Now look at this picture. Kayla is overweight, with low self-esteem and two kids with two different baby’s daddies. I mean, I have never seen her with a man that even remotely came close to what Clayton had and could offer her. Not only was he fine, but he had money. To top it off, he wasn’t trying to fuck every which way; he was saving himself for someone special. You can’t beat that.

  In the back of my mind I’m dancing and thinking, this brotha is now free game. However, after my disappointment with Solomon, I just don’t think I can deal with another upset. All I want to do is get through the next day and go the fuck home. However, just thinking about him made my stomach lurch. I was still hurting deeply from his words. I hope by saying I don’t give a fuck, I will eventually believe it myself.

  As Clayton held me in his arms, I realized why he had chosen Kayla over me, and I have to agree. Even though Kayla pissed me the fuck off, she is a beautiful woman inside and out. And that is what Clayton deserved. Only my girl has too many issues, so he needs to keep looking.

  As much as I wanted to meet my soul mate and wished it was Clayton, I knew he was not.

  The song came to an end. I thanked him and went in search of Pierre. I found him and his wife still on the dance floor, lost in each other’s eyes. Smiling, I spun on my heels and headed back to my room.

  Chapter 75

  RENEE

  The three of them had gone to Negril for the day. I was glad because that allowed me some time alone.

  I took a seat out on the balcony and decided it was as good a time as any to think about my future.

  I know I need to quit putting the shit off and just tell John it’s over, yet I keep thinking if I just try a little harder and quit fucking around on the man everything is going to be all right.

  But I know that isn’t true. I can honestly say I was faithful for the entire first twelve months of our marriage. Not once did I mess around. However, as soon as summer rolled around again, I got a wild hair up my ass and decided I was ready to hit the club scene again. As soon as I saw all the fine brothas trying to holler it was downhill ever since.

  Last night I think I finally realized why it has been so hard for me to tell him it’s over: it’s because deep down I really feel like I owe him something. Now stay with me a minute. He asked me to marry him when I was down on my luck. I had just lost my job and was having heart palpitations with no medical insurance to check it out.

  Now that everything in my life is great, I don’t need him anymore and I feel guilty about it.

  Feeling hot and sleepy I moved back into the room and decided to take a quick shower followed by a nap. I stripped out of my shorts and top, then stepped into the shower. Tears sprang to my eyes as I thought about the look on John’s face when I tell him it is over. I just can’t bear to hurt him because he has been so good to me. No man has ever treated me so good and probably no one else ever will. Why can’t I love him? I have asked God that question so many times over the last several years, yet I never seem to get an answer. I don’t understand why the good guys always finish last. If John had been some knucklehead that was hitting me upside my head and trying to take my money, I would be crazy over that fool. The only peace I can feel is knowing that by me letting him go, I am allowing him the opportunity to meet someone who will love him the way he deserves to be loved.

  I shed a few more tears, then turned off the water and wrapped my body in a towel. I was sitting on the bed rubbing lotion on my body when I heard a knock on the door.

  I tightened the towel around me and opened the door.

  “Clayton.” I gasped as my eyes quickly roamed over his body. He was dressed in navy cotton shorts and a tight white t-shirt that showed off his body.

  “Hi, is Kayla here?”

  “No, she’s ... she’s not here.” I started to tell him that she was now staying across the hall, but fuck it, I don’t owe her ass shit.

  “Oh.” He looked disappointed.

  “Why don’t you come on in and wait?”

  He hesitated for less than five seconds before he moved into the room. With his back turned, I smiled, then closed the door. I took his hand and led him to the bed and told him to take a seat.

  “Whassup?”

  “I don’t know why I came. I was just hoping to talk to Kayla.”

  “She and I aren’t speaking.”

  “Why?”

  “’Cause her ass is stupid. She dumped you to be with that no good preacher of hers.”

  “Yeah,” he murmured.

  “That’s what you get for passing up a real sistah like me for a wet dream.”

  He started laughing. “You are too much.”

  “Yes, I am.” We both laughed and got comfortable. Then everything got serious again.

  The mere thought of him making love to me made my heart beat rapidly. I decided to be bold and dropped down on my knees in front of him, then leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. I half expected him to decline but was pleased when he did not. I thought about Kayla and knew what I was doing was wrong, but at this point what did it matter? She fucked him over for some no-neck mothafucka, not me. My desire for Clayton became so overwhelming nothing else mattered.

  I darted my tongue in and out of his mouth, tasting him. With my tongue in his mouth, I reached inside and pulled his dick out. Yes! He was hung. I stroked him between the palms of my hand, then when I felt the first drop of precum I leaned down and captured the head in my mouth. He tried to stop me but once my lips touched the head it was all she wrote.

  He gritted his teeth. “Dang, you’ve got skills!” He nearly came off the bed as a moan tore from his lips.

  I sucked the tip of him and stroked the length of his dick, dipping my fingers inside his boxers and between his legs to caress his balls. His dick throbbed in my mouth as I sucked him long and hard. His moans became faster and he rocked against my mouth. I knew that he could come soon, so I stopped.

  Slowly I dropped the towel and stood before him naked, waiting for him to make the next move.

  That celibate shit went out the window the minute he rose and slipped out of his shorts. He scooped me up and lowered me onto the bed. He parted my thighs and positioned himself between them, then filled me completely and a shout tore from my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to me. He pounded into me and I moved my hips, matching each of his strokes. He pumped wildly, sending m
e over the edge. I closed my eyes and gave into the feeling. It was sensational, unreal. The fire came over me, stealing my breath. I dug my fingertips into his back and held on. He thrust deeper inside of me. I shuddered and convulsed and milked him with my spasms.

  The brotha had skills, because I experienced the best orgasm of my life.

  He then kissed me and held me in his arms. “Was it good for you?”

  I was too tired to speak so I nodded. It was that wonderful feeling you get after a powerful orgasm.

  A half hour passed and I could have laid there in his arms forever, and would have if I hadn’t remembered that Clayton was supposed to have been Kayla’s man and Lisa was my roommate and she was going to have a fit if she found out.

  I was ready to send him away when I felt his dick grow hard again.

  I climbed on top of him, positioned my coochie over his dick, then lowered over his hard shaft. Resting my hands on his chest, I lifted up and down again and again. He grabbed onto my waist and moved with me. It felt so good I didn’t hear anything but the sound of skin slapping against skin. I was so oblivious to everything else that I didn’t hear Lisa slide the key in the lock.

  “Oh shit!”

  My eyes snapped open and my gaze darted to the door, where Lisa was standing. A second later Nadine, followed by Kayla’s head, peeked through the door.

  “What’s wrong?” I heard Kayla ask.

  I saw the moment Kayla realized what was going on.

  I jumped off of Clayton. He also jumped off the bed.

  Kayla pushed her way past the other two and got all up in Clayton’s face. “How could you?”

  He looked scared as shit. “I ...”

  I stepped my naked ass between them and stared her down. “Excuse me, but he ain’t got to answer to your ass. You played him, remember?”

  “Get the hell out!” Kayla screamed.

  Lisa shook her head. “Clayton, you better leave.”

  He quickly slipped into his clothes. Despite the problems in the room, all eyes were on Clayton’s dick as he reached for boxers. The tension didn’t return until he left the room.