by Cam Johns
She gets up and looks me over critically. "Just checking, I want you to look your best." I'm wearing a flower flare summer dress with my white ballerina flats. My hair is out and curled with a white headband.
"Is Dad here yet? He's been gone all day."
"He should be here soon, just behave dear. Please."
"Mother, I'm 23 years old. You're disappointment doesn't bother me anymore." I say annoyed, knowing full well her approval means everything to me.
"I swear I don't understand how I birthed you dear." She gives me one last glance before going downstairs with me on her heels to take my position in the foyer. Mother always says your guests should be welcomed to your home by family, not the help. Why it always had to be me, I'm not sure. Waiting on the guests to arrive, I wonder where Daddy is, he should be here right now.
After about an hour of meet and greet at the door, I finally am able to join the party. Kevin comes to mind once I start mingling with our guests. He's actually insanely handsome. I'm definitely intrigued to know more. The pull to him can most likely be the fact that my mother considers him to be beneath me. I stroll through the crowd, smiling and exchanging pleasantries while searching for Kevin. I finally spot him carrying a serving tray, weaving through everyone. I watch him closely as he smiles and floats around catering to the 'big wigs' my mother insists on calling family friends. I wait, seeking his attention. Finally he spots me as I wave him over.
"Need something, Miss Washington?" He says as he finally reaches me. I stare at him as he smiles at me, eyes gleaming while patiently waiting on my response.
"Well Kevin, there may be something you can do for me, but for right now I'll settle for one of these." I reach for one of the champagne glasses he's handling on his tray. He smiles, not taking his eyes off of me. I take a slow sip of my glass while staring at him seductively.
"Miss Washington, are you flirting with me?" He asks shyly unable to stop smiling.
"Well if you have to ask I must not be doing it right."
"Oh, trust me, it's working." Just as I'm about to make my move, we are rudely interrupted.
"Young man," my mother snarls, "don't you have something better to do. I'm not paying you to hit on my daughter!"
"Yes, ma'am," he says abruptly, "Miss Washington." He smiles and disappears amongst the crowd.
"Mother, why are you so impetuous!" I say almost too loud.
"Please Karisma," she says holding her hand up, "your father's looking for you." Immediately my mood changes. He’s been incognito all day. I follow her toward the fountain displayed in the middle of the yard where he’s talking to someone I don’t recognize. Whoever he is, I can't see his face and they sure seem to be in a heated discussion. As my mother and I approach, my father dismisses the man crudely.
"Daddy!" I yell, excited and happy to see him as he gives me one of his bear hugs.
"How's my girl? I’m sure you're mother has been a pain in the ass. Just ignore her like I do." He says snickering.
"I heard that." We both ignore her.
"Where've you been all day? I thought you disappeared to our hideout." I ask pouty.
"No, I was working...but as long as we have that hotel you'll always have a place to go. Are you enjoying yourself?" I smile as he pulls me in tight.
"I was until mother came and interrupted me."
"Oh yes, you and that young man were looking a bit too cozy for me." I lightly smack him in the chest.
“Oh, Daddy stop playing." We both laugh. Had I known that would be our last conversation, I would’ve made it count.
At the end of the night, my parents escorted our guests out and I look for Kevin in the backyard. I found him with the rest of the wait staff clearing away the remnants of the party. I stroll toward him, contemplating what I should say. I'm reluctant, considering how incredibly rude my mother was earlier. He finally looks up at me as I approach him with no expression. I wait to see if I'm welcomed to continue our conversation.
"So Miss Washington, how can I help you? Is there something else you needed?"
I stare at him, unsure of what to say. He’s cute and I need a distraction...however, I could just be horny. I cock my head to the side and smile, letting my hair swing and fall over to my right shoulder. He stares at me intently then slowly walks around the table to stand in front of me. He leans his butt against the table and displays a crooked, sly smile on his face. It's sexy as hell.
"Listen, if there's something I can do for you all you have to do is ask." He says, licking his lips. Oh double shit. It's like he can tell I want to jump his bones. I walk closer toward him so I can whisper in his ear, putting my hand on his chest and lean in as he sits on the table.
"There are some things a lady just can't say, Kevin." I back away from his ear so that I'm face to face with him, leaving my hand on his chest. I feel his heart beating heavily as we stare at each other, speaking with our eyes. Mission accomplished.
"Goodnight, Kevin." I say smiling. Sauntering off, I can feel him staring daggers in my back, but I refuse to turn around. If he wants me, he'll have to come and get it.
As I reach the foyer, I see that all the guests have gone, so I assume my parents have retreated to their bedroom. Great, I can finally go to my room and change into something more comfortable. Which for me is shorts and a wife beater. As I slip on my top, I hear a knock at the door.
"Come in."
"Izzy, you decent?" Tabitha, my mother's PA, awkwardly peeks in. Tabitha is a little older than me, with pale white skin, glasses and long brunette hair.
"Hey girl, come in. What are you still doing here?"
"You know your mother had me taking care of the cleanup and final payments."
"Oh, well is everything ok?"
"Yes, but one of the wait staff is asking for you… umm," she looks down at her clipboard for the name, "Kevin Matthews." So Matthews is his last name. I instantly smile, pleased that he made the next move. "Well, I can tell by your reaction that I can tell him you'll be right down?" She smiles and I nod yes.
In the mirror I debate whether I should cover up a little. I decide to keep on the cut off shorts and tank. After all, it’s a woman's job to make a man squirm. I sashay downstairs as Kevin watches me. He has changed into denim jeans and tight blue T-shirt showing off his muscular arms. He smiles up at me as he anxiously awaits.
"So Mr. Matthews, I guess there's something I can do for you this time?"
"Well it's still pretty early. I thought maybe you'd like to go for a ride with me?" I tilt my head to the side, unsure if that's something I want to do. After all, I don’t know him well enough. "Don't worry Karisma, I don't bite."
"Biting isn't the issue." I say sarcastically. "Well…where are we going?" He smiles at me, eyes beaming with curiosity. He's so sexy.
"C'mon, take a risk…with me." He holds out his hand, I hesitantly take it. "Before we head out", he takes a peek at my feet, "you'll have to change into some sneakers." I look at him and decide not to ask why. I grab a pair of Jordan’s from the hallway closet and slip them on. When he opens the door and I walk through, I immediately notice why he wants me to wear sneakers.
"Umm, tell me that's not yours." I ask nervously, pointing at the blue motorcycle.
"Have you never been on one?"
"No, umm they're something I've never wanted to get on."
"Well don't worry, I got you. Let me make this a great first experience." He says smiling and grabbing my hand. Getting on the bike he hands me a helmet. "Put this on and climb on behind me." I do as I'm told. "Wrap your arms around me tight."
"Okay." I say nervously.
He grabs my hand and caresses it to reassure me and starts up the engine. He pulls off slowly, and even though I was nervous at first, the longer we drove the less uptight I became. I let my arms loosen up a little and as I did he sped up a little. I have to admit, the faster he went the more gratifying the experience.
Eventually he pulls into a large park, or reservation as the s
ign says, then pulls over to the side in the middle of nowhere it seems. Climbing off, I remove the helmet that has totally screwed up my hair. As I shake and tease it back in place, Kevin dismounts the bike and grabs his backpack from the storage in the seat.
"So how was it?" He smiles down at me.
"It actually wasn't bad. I had fun." I say, blushing.
"Great," he holds out his hand, "let's go." I take his hand and follow him through the woods.
"Umm, where are you taking me?" I ask nervously slowing down my pace behind him. "This looks like somewhere you'd dump a body."
He chuckles and squeezes my hand tighter. "Chill, don't be a princess. Nothing's gonna happen to you." As we reach the top of the hill I start to see the city in all its glory. It's absolutely breathtaking. How have I never been here?
"Wow Kevin, this is beautiful." He pulls me next to him as he stops and stands near the edge of the hill.
"Yeah, I come up here to clear my head. My father used to bring me up here before he passed.”
"Oh," I say putting my hand on his cheek, "I'm sorry to hear that." He looks at me and wraps his arm around my waist to pull me in closer. Now face to face, he stares down at me, not saying a word.
"Why'd you bring me here?" I ask to break the silence and intensity.
"To do this." He grabs my chin to lift my head up and kisses me slowly, parting my lips with his. We follow a slow rhythm before he slips the tip of his tongue in my mouth and removes it again, sensually. Tightening his grip on my waist he slows down his assault on my lips and begins to release small pecks on the corners of my tiny lips and finishing on my forehead. "I knew." He says staring down at me.
"You knew what?" I ask, tilting my head to the side against his hand.
"I knew once I kissed you I’d be done."
I smile and wrap my arms around his waist and pull his pelvis closer to mine. I feel his penis pulsating against my stomach.
"Is that right Mr. Matthews? Well kiss me again."
He grabs my face between his hands and kisses me harder this time. Grabbing at my hair, he pulls my head back a little to trail his lips down my chin to my neck. It was hot and I wanted more. I felt the warmth between my legs get hotter while my clitoris pulsated.
"We should stop Karisma." He whispers as he begins to nibble on my ear. All I could release were a few moans of pleasure, panting into the darkness. "Do you want me to stop?"
"No." I whisper…this may not be a love thing but it's definitely orgasmic. He releases my hair and brings his hands down to my waist and kisses my lips once more. I open my eyes to him staring down at me.
"I want to get to know you. Can we stay here for a while?" He asks, awaiting my answer.
"Sure. I'm in no rush." He smiles and reaches for his bag and pulls out a small blanket to lay out. "So you must bring a lot of women here…you seem prepared."
He chuckles. "No, not at all. Actually, I've never brought anyone here."
"So why me, Mr. Matthews?" He stands up to face me and holds out his hand. As I take it, he pulls me in close and kisses me on my nose.
"Because I wanted you alone and far away from your mother." We both laugh uncontrollably. He sits me down in front of him so that my back is relaxed against his chest. He pulls my hair to the side exposing my neck to kiss it.
“You have me for the night, so tell me more about you." I say.
"I hope I have you for longer than just one night."
"We'll see. Convince me." We both giggle.
"I'll be sure to do that." He kisses me softly on my neck and pulls me in tight.
Chapter Four
“We pretty much just talked the rest of the night. He told me about his family and plans for the future.”
"Well it sounds like you found your soul mate, Kay."
"I wouldn't go that far...I got so attached after my father died. If it weren't for Kevin, I just don't know...he was just there at the right time." I say trying to push back the tears. “And ‘cause of that, I looked past things that I shouldn’t’ve.”
"About that Kay. When you told me he died, you didn't say murdered." She says taking my hand.
"Yes, I know, I just didn't want to get into the questioning."
"Well, I know what it's like to lose someone close to you, so if or when you wanna talk...you can to me. I mean I just listened to that long ass story without interrupting." We both giggle.
"Thank you...that goes both ways." I decide not to pry and ask about her loss. If she wanted me to know, she would've told me.
"So, after all that, what changed that made you not trust him?"
"Last year, I finally decided I would be capable of going back to school to finish. He was busy with work, me with school so our communication was horrible. His hours at work started to get later and later, so I decided to surprise him one weekend-"
"Oh no…don't tell me Kay.” Lizzie interrupts wide eyed.
"Girl! I walk in the house and there is a trail of clothes on the floor leading to his den in the back of the house. As I get closer I start to hear those damn sex noises. Oh, you know I was getting heated. I open the door and he's fucking some bitch. Hard too!"
"No! I can't girl....what did you do?"
"Umm seriously, I wailed on both they asses. I was a killer that night." She chuckles. "I can laugh about it now but I was really hurt."
"Well, obviously you forgave him at some point Kay. Do you think he's doing something again?"
"He's definitely keeping something from me."
"Well…I'm here for you, but you have to confront this now."
"I know…you're right."
"Yes, I know I'm right too." We both giggle. "Tell me something Kay." She waits for me to acknowledge. “What’s up with you and Jackson?" She asks as she smirks, taking a sip of her tea.
"Umm...what do you mean? Nothing's up....I don't understand."
"Yeah...okay. You've got the hots for him."
"I do not!" I snap back.
"Umm… I see the way you look at him."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about girl." I say innocently taking a sip of tea.
"Listen, it's cool. I'm just saying that ‘cause I don't want you to go looking for things to complain about Kevin ‘cause you got the hots for tall, dream-cream and handsome." We both giggle.
"Dream-cream...really Lizzie." I say laughing.
"Listen, he may be like a brother to me but he is a sexy ass white man. And he's not good looking for a white guy as us black folk say. No…he's just fine!” We both giggle. “I'm not blind. So, if you’re gonna start somethin’ with him, please make sure it's over between you and Kevin." I smile at her acknowledging her imposition. "Sooo...Kay...you didn't tell me you’re loaded."
"What? I'm not."
"Umm, a fountain in the backyard...and your mother sounds like a snob...no offense."
"Please…she is." We both laugh. "I choose to make my own money and Kevin makes more than enough to take care of us."
"Well excuse me." she says snapping her finger.
I laugh aloud. "Thanks for listening. I'm gonna go back home to deal with this." I say standing.
She stands to hug me. "I'm here girl."
"I know."
On the way home, the first thing that pops in my head is what she said about Jackson. Yeah, he's hot but I'm not making up what's going on with Kevin. I know one thing's for sure, I'm going to get to the bottom of this. My thoughts are interrupted by the phone ringing through the car.
"Karisma speaking." Please not my mother.
"Karisma…its Jackson."
"What the fu--...Jackson...what's up?" How did he get my number? Better yet, why is he calling me?
"You left your jacket in my car. Your license is in it...I'm sure you need that."
"Oh goodness, I hadn't even noticed."
"Well, if you like I'll drop it off to you. I'm already out and about."
"I am too. Maybe we can meet?"
"Sure, where are you n
ow?"
"Let’s see, I'm near South Center...can you meet me in the front?"
"On my way."
"See you soon."
What the hell…coincidence my ass. I pull into the parking lot and step outside of my car so I can see him coming. It's such a beautiful evening, but there are not many people here. After waiting about ten minutes, I hear a car coming into the parking lot blasting Carl Thomas’ Baby Maker. It's Jackson. I'm shocked he even knows who Carl Thomas is. He pulls his white sporty Jaguar adjacent to my car as I dance and sway to the music.
"What you know about that!" I say, happy to see him. He walks to meet me halfway, laughing.
"Oh trust me, Karisma I know a lot about that." He smirks while grabbing my hand, spinning me around slowly and pulls me into him, dancing with the music. He stares down at me smiling, letting his hands slide to my hips, his eyes piercing through me, sending chills down my body. I dance with him, forgetting we were in public...it's just us. Oh no. I gather myself and smile, backing away from him. He cocks his head to the side with a grin, knowing he almost had me and hands me my jacket.
"Thank you so much for this." He grabs my hand and leads me back over to my car, leaning his back against it.
"What were you up to?"
"I'm actually heading home from Alyssa's house."
"Oh you two were hanging out today?"
"I didn't plan to. I'm supposed to be at my mother’s with Kevin right now. Which is why I look so formal."
"Why aren't you? You look beautiful by the way." He smiles at me, looking me up and down like I'm a meal. I blush, not knowing how to respond. "I'm sorry, I'm prying."
"No it's okay…I just didn’t feel like arguing with Kevin…I needed a breather."
"Okay…well I won't ask you what the argument was about. You look uncomfortable talking about this."
"Yeah…I guess I am a little." He smiles at me again, and there goes that warm tingly feeling.
"Listen, I know technically I'm your boss, but I'm here." I’d really like to know why he’s taken so much interest...he can have anyone. I hope he knows that nothing could happen between us. "Don't worry, I know you're with Kevin. I'm not pushing myself on you." We both smile.
