by Xyla Turner
“Nothing I want to discuss here, he was just an asshole.” Lisa smiled and looked at the older man. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
“What the fuck are you even doing here?” Rich asked him, as he put Lisa behind him.
“Well, you don’t talk to me anymore and I heard you got a little chocolate under you nowadays, so I figured this would be the only time I could see my only son.”
“You didn’t see me for eight months while I was recovering from my broken leg, what the fuck do you have to say to me?”
“I paid the goddamn bills,” Mr. Wells raised his voice and then looked around, seemingly remembering he was in public.
“You truly are sad. I would pity you dad, but you are actually too old to be acting like some sullen teen.” Rich inhaled, “And if you have anything to say to me, you better make damn sure you say it to me. You don’t corner my woman with your fucking venom.”
Lisa grabbed his arm and whispered, “Rich, come on.”
“Listen to you,” his father mocked, “your woman.”
“Yeah, dad and if she’ll have me, my wife,” Rich said with sincerity and looked into his father almost identical eyes and saw fear.
He had taken that as an opportunity to exit before their conversation was publicized. He walked away with Lisa in tow until they were far away from him. Turning her around, he asked, “What did he say to you?”
“Rich, I really don’t want to discuss it here, okay?” she looked at him. “I’m okay, see.”
“Fine Lisa,” he exhaled. “Okay.”
They continued to mingle and Lisa seemed to be okay, but he knew that man said something to rattle her. The rest of the evening was incident free and Lisa had at least seven offers from people looking to meet with her in the next week about a job or project. Rich also had a couple of meetings that could help him get some quality legislation passed if all things fared well. He was hopeful but more grateful to have Lisa by his side. She had been a great asset and quite a good spokeswoman. He never thought about her and him as politicians, but he could see her. If not doing it at a state level, definitely the county or city. He would have to talk to her about that.
They didn’t get back to Philadelphia until around 2 AM in the morning. Lisa had been wiped out even in the car, so he carried her to bed but stayed up to send some emails to the people he met that night. The next morning Lisa was distant. He did not want to fight, but he did want to know what was going on in her head.
“You want to tell me what you are thinking about?”
She smiled at him and said, “Not right now. I’m just trying to wrap my mind around some stuff. Do you mind if we spend the day apart and get together tonight? I’ll be ready to talk then.”
This piqued his anger.
“Yes, I fucking mind!” Rich sat up in the bed. She was sitting down on the edge of the bed with her back facing him.
“Rich, calm down. It’s not serious. I just need to think and I’d rather think rationally than jumping to conclusions or being hasty. Okay?”
Rich shook his head, “This is about what my father said to you, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she said.
He got out of the bed and knelt in front of her. “Look at me.”
She turned her head to face him and he grabbed her hands. “Why can’t you tell me what he said and we decipher it together. I can help you with his venom because I’ve faced it all my life.”
“That’s precisely why you cannot help me with his venom because though I get you have changed, he is a part of why you are the man you are.” Rich froze. “I do not want to argue with you right now. I do not wish to say something that I will regret and I really need to think. I need for you to give me that space.”
“Let me get this right?” Rich let her hands go. “You are saying I cannot understand because I’m just like him? You mean because I’m his son or because I’m white?”
“Rich, stop.”
“Which one?”
She exhaled, “Both.”
Rich nodded his head like he understood, gathered his clothes and proceeded to walk out the bedroom door. “Rich,” she called.
He didn’t respond. Just put on his pants, shirt and shoes, grabbed his keys and went to walk out the door. He ran into Josh mid-knock, muttered a hello, and left. When he arrived home, Tilda was there cooking his meals for the rest of the week. She had a key to the house and was either here or at her apartment most days. Even after he made her Vice-President, she still said she wanted to help out around the house. So she cleaned and cooked every week. She would not let him pay her, but he increased her salary at No Fear.
“Ya here early,” Tilda commented.
Rich muttered hello, and proceeded to make coffee by slamming the cabinet doors, the coffee cup, and the faucet handle.
“If you slam anyting else in tis kitchen, I might have to slam you.” Tilda cut into his thoughts.
“My apologies.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
“You could say that.”
“Have a seat, I’ll make ya some breakfast.”
Rich sat down and told Tilda what happened last night and this morning. Then he said, “So, what do you say, oh wise one?”
Tilda laughed. “I say, give her tee time she needs. She obviously cares about you tat she don’t want to run, jump to conclusions and leave you. So, let her come to you when she ready.”
“Tilda, I’ve waited so long for her. I mean, I finally got her and you’re saying I should wait some more for her to come to me?”
“Yes, because Rich, what you don’t want is for Lisa to take tis ride wit you and realize later tat she’s been following you and not following her heart. You want a woman tat is fully on board wit the plan,” Tilda motioned with her hands. “Not someone like Grace who don’t care two pennies about you and was along for tee ride because it was ‘expected’ of her.”
“You have to understand,” Tilda continued, “where Lisa is coming from. The complete opposite of you. So, just like you grew up hearing biases, so did she. And no matter how far you come from tose tings, tey are still tere and sometimes can show teir ugly heads at tee most inopportune time.”
“But I didn’t do anything.” He claimed.
“Right, but I was not talking about your biases coming out. I was talking about hers after she spoke to your fater.”
Rich popped an orange slice in his mouth and said, “Wow, you really are wise.”
Tilda chuckled, “I’ve lived a long time, honey, and I’ve seen a lot of tings and met all kinds of people.” She shook her head and stirred the pancake batter.
“I’m glad I met you, Tilda. You’ll never know how you’ve saved my life in more ways than one.” Rich ate another slice of orange and put his head in his hand.
“She’ll come around. If she as smart as tu say, she won’t let tu go eiter.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Chapter 12: Does it matter?
LISA:
She heard footsteps in the hallway and assumed Rich was coming back, however when she turned, she saw it was Josh. His head was looking up towards the ceiling. “Are you decent?” he asked.
“Yeah, come on in.”
Josh went to sit on the bed, but then quickly changed his mind and said, “Is it safe to sit in this chair.”
Lisa smiled, “Yeah, it’s safe.” She fell back on the bed and gazed at the ceiling.
“You running the white boy off already?”
“Don’t.”
“I’m sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. What’s going on kiddo?”
“I think this is more of a girlfriend conversation than it is a brother one.”
“I keep telling you that is where women get it wrong.” Josh shook his head. “A man understands another man, better than any female ever will.”
“Fine, Josh.” Lisa exhaled. “I met Rich’s dad at the State dinner last night. Everything was going well, but then his father cornered me without Rich there and st
arted off being nice. Telling me how he misses his son and he wished he could have a better relationship with him, etc. Then he switched on me and said that ever since he got a taste of the blackberry, he doesn’t have time for his real family. How he should not have hired that woman as his aid when it was supposed to be a punishment. Now she has him brainwashed, but not to worry because if you train a child in the way they should go, he’ll never depart from it. He said he’d come home to his real family soon enough and I can go back to the projects where I came from.”
“He actually used the Bible to solidify his ignorance?” Josh pointed out, shaking his head. “Train up a child, though?”
“Yeah, can you believe it? He was spouting some nonsense about masters and slaves and everyone serves a purpose, even a race of people.” Lisa was shaking her head.
“Yeah, I can.” Josh shook his head. “So, why did lover boy leave looking like a kicked puppy?”
“Because I told him I needed some time to think and for him to give me a day.”
“Ah, I see. You believed what his father said.”
“Well, no. I just wanted to think about what he said so I could figure out how I really feel.”
“No, you believed him and wanted to work yourself up into a tizzy to make up some excuse to break it off.”
“No, Josh, I just –”
“Look, that man left thinking you are about to break up with him and he’s right. I don’t even know if I like the dude, but in this instance, I feel for him.” Josh shook his head. “You know Danny is my boy, but I’ve seen more fire out of this man for you than I have seen in Danny all my life. Excluding when you dumped his ass because then it was too late.”
“Josh –”
“Nope, sis, you told me and now you listen.” Josh turned towards me. “This Rich guy is one crazy motherfucker. He is in love with you and wants to marry you as soon as you even act like you are interested. I am not saying you should do that, but what I am saying is just like you feel like you put things on the line for this unconventional relationship, so has he. He wanted you three years ago when you fled the state like a fugitive. He stood outside your door flat footed and said to my face that he’d take me on if I tried to interfere with your relationship. You know me, sis. I don’t scare easily, but this crazy white dude got enough love or whatever you done put on that poor man, that he will lie on a sword for your ass.” Josh shook his head, “The bigger question is what he said to his father when you told him?”
“I didn’t tell him what his father said.”
“Oh. Well then, that explains why he left like he did because if you had told him, he probably would have run right over me to go kill that man.”
“Yeah, I think you might be right on that. I had to pull him back when his father said the little that he said to him. He already called an old lady a dried up prune to her face and said her husband was slumming it for being with her. All because she insinuated I was beneath her daughter who was his ex-girlfriend.”
Josh busted out laughing, “Yo, I think I’m starting to like this dude.”
“It’s not funny, Josh.” Lisa shook her head, “He’s a damn State Senator. He can’t go around calling people names, getting into shouting matches, and fighting, just because people are ignorant.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because, he has plans to keep going and making a change. He wants to go all the way, from Pennsylvania to Congress to the White House.”
“So you believe in him?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“You trust him?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you love him?”
Lisa paused, “I don’t think I should so soon, but I do.”
“Well then, what is the problem?”
Josh had a point. What was the problem?
“What do you think dad will say about this?”
“Ah, that is the problem?”
“No, I’m just curious.”
“No, you’re just scared.”
“What does it matter what dad thinks?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Well, then there is no problem.”
Lisa sighed.
“Lisa, caring what dad thinks isn’t always bad. But when you let it interfere with your happiness, despite his personal beliefs, then that is a problem.”
Lisa nodded.
“So, let’s say dad flips and says he forbids it and will disown you. What will you do?”
“I would ask him why.”
“So, he says because he’ll break your heart and string you along.”
“I’d ask him how he came to that conclusion.”
“He says because that’s what the white devil does.”
Lisa laughed and said, “That’s not a legit reason.”
“So what would be a legit reason?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I guess it wouldn’t really matter what he said because I still dated Danny even though dad was not feeling him, he didn’t really have a reason. He just said he couldn’t see it, which apparently means something to me now. I won’t, however, allow it to rule my life.” Lisa sighed, “So I guess it doesn’t really matter.”
“No, and seriously Lisa, it shouldn’t. At the end of the day, you need to account for you, not dad, not me and not Rich. You got to look at yourself in the mirror and answer the hard questions, whether we agree or not.” Josh stood up. “We didn’t want your ass to go to Maryland, but we didn’t stand in your way, did we?”
“Y’all didn’t?”
“Nope, dad and I had a meeting.”
Lisa sat up and gasped, “You didn’t.”
“Yeah, we did. It was decided that you were grown and needed to make your own choices. Therefore, we supported and worked it out on our end.”
Lisa got up and hugged Josh.
He picked her up and said, “That’s what family is for.”
She pulled back, raising an eyebrow at him and said, “Not all families.”
“Then let’s hope the white boy will embrace his future extended family. When is the wedding?”
She smacked him on the chest, as he put her down.
“Shut up Josh, nobody is getting married anytime soon.”
“Yeah, okay, that crazy white boy will hog tie you to marry him within the year, mark my words.” Josh laughed and left.
“Whatever.” Lisa called.
******
Lisa met up with Michelle for lunch and a day of pampering. Jessica could not make it because she was ‘studying.’ Michelle and Lisa thought that was code for banging her hot professor, who happened to be a tall Japanese guy. She had showed them pictures and everything. She seemed a little smitten, but the women would not say too much, in an effort not to scare her.
Lisa and Michelle received the deluxe package that consisted of seaweed wrap, manicure, pedicure, and a hot oil massage. By the time they emerged from ecstasy, they were both tired and went home. Lisa crashed on her bed and woke up around midnight. She checked her phone and nobody had called. She felt a pang of disappointment but decided to catch up on some of her TV shows. Around 1:45 AM, she still had not heard anything, no text, phone calls or emails. The clock chimed at 2:00 AM and she still was not sleepy, so she did what crazy chicks do and drove to his house.
RICH:
Of course, Rich could not go to sleep. For the past few weeks, he’d been sleeping with Lisa in his arms. On Friday’s after the poker game, he would be so tired, he’d crash at home, but wake up and go to her apartment to sleep some more. Just with her. At two in the morning, he was not tired, there was no Lisa and his dick was hard as he was thinking of her. He knew Tilda was right about letting her come to him, but it didn’t make it any easier. The question that remained at the top of his head was, would she come –
The doorbell rang.
Who the hell would be at his place at two-ish in the morning? Rich started to head towards the door, then the banging started. He did not even look out the peephole before
he flung the door open to see Lisa standing there with wide eyes.
“Lisa, what are you doing here after two in the morning? Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, I didn’t hear back from you. Are you okay?” She asked.
“Yes, I’m good.”
“Oh, did I wake you?”
“No, I was watching television.”
“Good, okay then. So, can I come in?” She seemed flustered.
“Oh yeah, sure. My apologies.” Rich opened the door wider to let her through.
“This couldn’t have waited until tomorrow, Lisa?”
“No,” she said as she started to head upstairs.
Rich began to follow her, but then something light landed on his head. He pulled it off and realized it was her blouse. She was undressing herself as she headed towards his bedroom, he could only guess. She threw the bra back, flipped the shoes off, threw the skirt back and left the fire-engine red thong in place as she kneeled down at the foot of his bed. Rich’s mind was racing.
Goddamn, she looked good.
Was she mad?
Should he be mad?
She had come to him the same day?
She must want him?
Or was this just sex?
He felt like such an ass.
“Ur, um, what’s going on?” Rich uttered.
“So, how naughty do I need to be to get spanked?” Lisa asked with her head turned over her shoulder looking at Rich.
He looked at her with fire in his eyes, “W-what?”
“I just dropped my clothes all over your place, so how naughty,” she wiggled that beautiful ass, “do I need to be in order to get my spanking?”
Rich smiled, “My girl wants a punishment?”
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“How far you go with them?”
“Not far, enough to make you cum all over my face, hands, and cock,” he offered with complete confidence. “How far have you gone?” he asked.
“Only to the point of pleasure. I don’t like pain as a stimulant. A little sting, spank, or pinch I can handle, but some of that other shit. Nope.”
“Good, same here. Anal?” Rich wondered but hoped she was down for this.
Lisa put her index finger in her mouth and whispered, “I love anal.”
