Body By Night

by Day, Zuri

  “You’ve never looked better.”

  “I’ve never felt better. And I’m so glad you guys are in town for this. Come on, let me show you around.”

  On the way to showing Connie around, she bumped into Carter, Val, Robert and Mildred who said their good-byes.

  “You’ve really helped Night do a grand job,” Carter said sincerely. “I’m proud of you.”

  D’Andra would have to ponder the thought that she’d heard something for the first time in her life: a compliment from her father. Since the paternity test, their relationship had been cordial, neither pushing to make it something it wasn’t. It was too late for fatherhood, so they navigated the journey to knowing each other as friends. Like Night, D’Andra called him Carter.

  Other people came and went as the night went on. D’Andra often caught glimpses of Night, who seemed to be everywhere at once. Someone was constantly pulling on him, and his energy was boundless. He looked sexy as hell in his trademark white drawstring pants paired with a cropped, white sleeveless T-shirt. Her mouth watered as his muscles bulged and she remembered the promise he’d made just before she left for Calabasas, a special after-hours workout he’d designed just for her.

  As if sensing her watching him, Night looked her way and motioned her over. He introduced her to one of his financial backers and once finished, continued around the room with her hand in his.

  “I need to keep you close to me, Doll,” he said. “Too many brothahs looking at that tight, juicy butt of yours.”

  Night had picked out D’Andra’s outfit, the same one she wore in the after picture on the gym wall. The fitted pink stretch pants had a silky feel but were actually a smooth polyester blend for durability. Her v-neck cotton top, in a lighter shade of pink, showed off her breasts to perfection, the cleavage deep and inviting. A tear-drop diamond necklace on a thin silver chain had been on a breakfast-in-bed tray that morning, and it was the perfect complement to her pink-and-silver tennis shoes. The entire outfit was chosen to show off her thick, hourglass figure, and from the looks of male admirers, both covert and overt, Night had succeeded in his goal.

  Jazz stood in a corner of the room, watching. She’d purposely dressed out of character in a baggy T-shirt and leggings, her hair pulled into a ponytail and a baseball cap pulled low over her eyes. The crowded gym made staying incognito easy yet from where she stood she could see everyone in the main room, the only place she’d ventured since coming inside fifteen minutes before.

  Eyeing the happy people surrounding her, Jazz tried to figure out why she’d even come. It was obvious the two men so prominent in her life a year before had both moved on. She’d heard that Brad, who she thought would be a Santa Monica fixture forever, had relocated to the valley. She’d seen him tonight, squiring around his ghetto girl receptionist as if she were a queen. And Night—well tonight was proof of what he’d done. Jazz admitted to being taken aback and grudgingly impressed when she saw the new and improved D’Andra at his side.

  Night had gone and done it. He succeeded in achieving his dream without her. She’d thought she was invaluable, that he’d never be anything without her. But now, as she watched celebrities mix with people from the neighborhood and beyond, everyone congratulating and cheering him on, she realized he could do everything without her.

  “Jazz? I thought that was you.” Marc came from behind her, Lindsay by his side.

  “How are you doing, Jazz?” his wife said. “We almost didn’t recognize you.”

  “That was the point,” Jazz said sarcastically.

  “Too hard for you to resist, huh?” Marc asked, ignoring her caustic remark. “It can’t feel too good to see what Night has been able to accomplish, even after you tried to thwart his plans.”

  “Yes, I wanted to see for myself the calm before the storm. Everything’s wonderful now. That’s not unusual for a business that’s just opened. Talk to me in six months, when I’m finished with my smear campaign. Then let’s see if you’re still gloating.”

  Marc stepped to within inches of Jazz’s face. “Give it up, Jazz,” he said quietly but with veiled anger in his tone. “You’re a beautiful woman. Why don’t you move on, meet somebody new, get on with your life? It will be the best thing for all of us, but for you most of all.

  “Now, tonight is a special night. I’m asking you nicely to leave the premises, but I’ll only ask once. After that you’ll be forcibly removed. Any questions?”

  Jazz cut daggers at Marc, her fists clenching and unclenching in anger. She wanted to slap his smug face but knew such an action would draw the very type of attention she wanted to avoid.

  “I was just leaving anyway you arrogant asshole. There’s no place for me in this room of losers.”

  Marc and Lindsay shook their heads as they watched Jazz walk along the outer wall and out the door.

  “Do you think she’ll really do it?” Lindsay asked. “Does she have something on Night that could potentially ruin his reputation?”

  “All Jazz has is hot air and attitude,” Marc answered. “Come on, let’s see if you can keep up with me on the dance floor.”

  As Marc passed Night, they chatted a few minutes. Marc assured him everything he’d requested had been handled. Satisfied, Night talked to a few more people before searching out D’Andra, who was relaxing with Chanelle and Connie in the classroom.

  “Excuse me ladies, but I need to borrow this pink confection for a moment. It’s time to get our midnight workout on, baby.”

  “Let’s take the night off,” D’Andra countered, not moving. “Connie’s only going to be here one more day and we still haven’t caught up. Plus, the last time I was out there all the machines were taken anyway.”

  “That’s no problem,” Night answered. He walked over, took D’Andra’s hand and gently pulled her out of the chair. “I’ve got a connection with the owner and he’s reserved two treadmills side by side with our names on them. I figured we could do an easy ten minutes, like we did the first day I met you.”

  “Aw, you’re such a sweetheart,” D’Andra answered as she remembered that day around eight months ago, when she almost passed out after only a few minutes of slow walking. “I’ll gladly join you, especially if we can put the pace where it was when I started this journey.”

  “A piece of cake for you now, huh babe?” Night kissed D’Andra on the cheek.

  A few onlookers applauded as Night and D’Andra took their places on the treadmill, but after a couple minutes everybody was back to doing their own thing. D’Andra and Night chatted easily, but after a couple minutes settled into enjoying the walk and watching any one of three channels playing on the dozen flat screen TVs placed throughout the room.

  They had almost finished their ten minutes when the flat screens suddenly went out, the crisp color pictures replaced by gray snow.

  D’Andra looked at Night. “Oh no, baby. What happened?”

  Night’s brow creased as he looked and saw that every single television showed the same snowy picture. He stopped his treadmill and got off. “Let me go investigate,” he said. “But you,” he continued in an authoritative tone, “don’t you stop until you’ve given me the full ten.”

  D’Andra rolled her eyes as she placed her hands back on the treadmill bar. He’s so bossy, she thought, and that’s why she loved him. It was his drive, determination and dedication to her getting in shape that inspired her to meet the expectations. And now, here she was, living the life she’d envisioned as she looked into the fluorescent lights of MLK Hospital’s emergency room ceiling. She had her health, her mother was well and she’d found her father. Her relationship with Cassandra was better than at any time in their lives and she was in love with the man of her dreams. And in just three short weeks, she would go from full to part-time at Heavenly Haven. The rest of the time she would work as a trainer and nutritional consultant at Night’s gym. She couldn’t think of anything that would make her happier than she was right now.

  D’Andra looked at the telev
ision screens and noticed that Night had switched them from cable to the built-in camera system he’d installed so that at various times people could see themselves working out on television. Good move, she thought. People would enjoy this bit of electronic wizardry while Night worked to fix the problem with their satellite dish.

  She looked down at the timer on her treadmill: one minute to go. When she looked up at the screens, there were weird, psychedelic colors flashing. Soon everyone, like her, was staring at the screens. And then they went black.

  Oh no, D’Andra thought as she stepped off the treadmill. She was about to turn around when she saw her name begin flashing on the screens: D’Andra, D’Andra, all over again. And then this message:

  D’Andra, get back on the treadmill and give me ten more minutes.

  Oh cute, real cute, D’Andra thought. Night always loved his toys and was obviously playing with the computer hook-up also connected to the flat screen TVs. It didn’t matter. She hadn’t even broken a sweat during the first ten minutes and since the celebration was winding down and most of her personal friends gone, she didn’t mind following his command…this time.

  She set the timer for ten more minutes and began walking at a little faster pace. Night soon joined her on the other treadmill.

  She looked at the screen, still flashing crazy colors. “What are you doing? You’re just going to leave the screen like that?”

  “Marc is working on it,” Night responded. “I told him I had to get back to my number one client.” He winked at D’Andra.

  They both continued walking and then the flat screens went blank again, just like the first time.

  “Damn,” Night said, but kept walking.

  “You think Marc might need you back there?” D’Andra asked.

  “In a minute.”

  They both turned back to the now black screens. The psychedelic colors began flashing on the screens again, and then the word: D’Andra, D’Andra…

  “Oh, oh…somebody forgot to press delete,” she said, laughing.

  Night smiled and kept walking.

  “D’Andra, D’Andra,” the blinking message said. “I love you, I love you,” it continued. “Will you marry me?” The blinking stopped and those words stayed etched on the screen, all twelve screens around the room. Suddenly the blaring music dimmed, replaced by the familiar guitar beginning to the Temptations classic, “My Girl.”

  Somebody on the far side of the room started clapping. Soon others joined in. D’Andra, who’d stopped her treadmill, stood staring at the words, wondering if what she thought she was reading was actually on the screens. She looked at Night, who by now was grinning broadly. He stopped his treadmill, climbed down from it and got on his knees next to D’Andra’s.

  “You are the dollhouse I dreamed of,” he said. “And together, we can turn my house into a beautiful home. I love you, D’Andra. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes!” D’Andra literally fell into Night’s arms. He staggered back before regaining his balance, lifting her from the ground and twirling her around.

  “Yes! Yes! Yes!” she repeated with joy.

  When they stopped and enjoyed a tongue-driven kiss in front of everyone, the cheers broke out in earnest.

  “Take off your clothes,” Night demanded. He and D’Andra were alone in the now empty gym. They were back in the sauna room, but the heat wasn’t on.

  D’Andra’s hands trembled as she reached for the edges of her shirt, to pull it over her head. She kept her eyes locked with Night’s as she undid her bra, freeing her melon orbs. Night licked his lips. Her nipples hardened immediately, as they always did under his intense gaze.

  “Now the pants,” he demanded. He leaned back against the sauna’s back bench and spread his legs to give his lengthening member room to grow. His fingers itched to massage the heavy breasts gently swaying in front of him. He knew their softness, could hear the moans his touch would cause. But he stayed seated.

  D’Andra stepped out of her pants and began to pull down her lacy pink thong.

  “No, leave that on. Now come and lay down on this cover.”

  D’Andra did as she was told, fully aware that Night was drinking in the sight of her backside as she passed him. He confirmed her thought by squeezing her cheek gently as she passed by. She lay faceup on the cover, with one foot planted on the floor and her other leg folded at the knee. Even though it was narrow, the bench was more comfortable than she thought, especially with the comforter Night had thoughtfully brought along. This seduction was obviously pre-planned and had, along with the engagement, been well thought out.

  “Close your eyes.”

  D’Andra complied and soon after she did, she felt the slightest hint of Night’s tongue on the ball of her foot. She gasped. Night continued a leisurely journey up her ankles to the calves of her leg, first one and then the other. He slowed down when he reached her sensitive spot, a place on the backside of the bend in her knee. D’Andra’s moans began low in her throat. Night continued his tongue bath to her inner thighs, and then on to her navel, stomach and then buried his head between her two golden mounds before pushing them together and lavishing attention on her dark brown nipples. D’Andra moaned louder this time.

  After a couple deep kisses, Night retraced the steps of his previous journey, stopping at the breasts, the stomach. Then he straddled the bench and put his hand underneath D’Andra’s knee. He lifted her legs and spread them wide, giving him open access to her golden paradise. He took full advantage of this freedom, his tongue parting her folds and licking her with relish. He took his job seriously, making sure that every crevice of her body received his full attention. By now, D’Andra was beside herself, her former moans becoming soft screams. Night took her to the edge and then over, and her scream became louder as she reached a seismic orgasm.

  “We’re just beginning,” Night said. “Stand up.”

  D’Andra could barely hear. She was still trying to get back into her body, having sworn her spirit had left it and raced to the heavens in the moment before. She swore she saw Venus and maybe Mars. She knew she saw stars and just as she began to regain her bearings, she remembered the dream she’d had so long ago, of her and Night in the sauna, which with the exception of the heat not being on, was a moment just like this.

  “Stand up,” Night repeated.

  D’Andra did so and was led to a rectangular cushion on the side of the room. That wasn’t there before, she thought as she watched Night spread the comforter over it and motion her forward. They knelt down on the soft, downy material together and proceeded to give each other pleasure before falling asleep. They woke up as the first rays of daylight streaked across the night sky.

  “Come on, baby doll. The morning crew will be here in an hour. I don’t have a problem with it, but I’m sure this is not how you want them to find us.”

  D’Andra stretched, yawned, and sleepily found and put on her clothes. Night straightened the area, sprayed air freshener and turned on the rocks, generating steam for his first customers and making sure that no signs of the lovers’ rendezvous remained for the morning crew to discover.

  “Leave your car here, ride home with me,” Night said as he steered D’Andra past her Suburban to his Acadia.

  “You sure are bossy,” she said with a yawn.

  “Just like you like it,” he responded.

  D’Andra looked back toward the gym as Night drove out of the parking lot. The fluorescent sign looked especially good, framed as it was in the cover of darkness. She thought of Connie’s comment about her newly slim body and smiled. Because of her friend’s words the sign would forever have new meaning to D’Andra, and as they drove toward Inglewood D’Andra was busy thinking of the surprise she would give to Night: a supply of T-shirts, mugs and other items to sell at his shop, emblazoned with the logo and the gym’s name: Body by Night.

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  1

  Maya fumed, the steady tapping of her foot an outward sign of her annoyance. The man standing five feet in front of her was taking forever at the ATM. On another, less harried day she might have welcomed the sight. He was tall, she guessed about six-two, broad-shouldered, with long, thick legs encased in jeans that emphasized nicely rounded, tight buns. She’d wondered what his face looked like until his transaction had taken longer than the sixty seconds she thought appropriate, considering the hurry she was in. As if Monday mornings weren’t busy enough, her assistant had phoned to inform her that Mr. Brennan was waiting on her in his office. Zeke rarely came into the office before 10:00 a.m. on Mondays; she couldn’t imagine the urgent matter that had changed his normally predictable schedule.

  The stranger at the ATM looked at a receipt he’d retrieved from the machine, and began another transaction. Maya looked at her watch and sighed audibly, hoping the man would get the message. Will you hurry up? Jeez! She no longer cared about his attractive backside; he was making her late.

  “Excuse me, but could you hurry? There’s a line,” Maya said in a firm, authoritative voice. The fact that she was the only one in line was beside the point.

  The stranger stopped punching in information, looked up from the ATM screen, and slowly turned around. Maya breathed in quickly, and almost forgot to breathe out. The man was platinum fine, at least what she could see of him. He wore a Dodgers baseball cap and sunglasses, so she couldn’t really see his face. What she could see was mouthwatering: a strong, firm chin with perfectly groomed day-old stubble, a strong aristocratic-looking nose that tapered over the most delectable lips she’d ever seen in her life. A small cleft in his chin gave him a roguish air.

  The stranger’s mouth turned up in a slightly amused grin. Maya realized she was staring at the man’s lips and tried to regain her composure. She slowly exhaled, set her shoulders back, tilted her head slightly, and continued in her best authoritative tone. “Are you finished?”