by Pat Tucker
Big Al had stepped out of his basketball shorts, eased back on the mattress in the cabana, and gestured for me to join him.
His erection was stiff and waiting. I had crawled up and used my tongue to lick up and down the length of his shaft. It had felt good against my tongue. He was such a big man—wide thighs, large hands, and a full round midsection. It was clear he ate and lived well.
“Lick the head,” he had whimpered.
I had lathered him with my saliva and couldn’t wait to feel him inside of me.
After a few minutes, he had moved me out of the way, reached over, and grabbed the largest condom packet I had ever seen. I was wet with anticipation. Any of the guilt I felt had vanished, and I was just hungry for him. One glance down, and it was very apparent that he was just as excited, if not more.
Once he’d slipped the condom on, he reached out for me to join him and I did.
Big Al had grabbed a remote, pressed a button, and the TV had gone off; it was instantly replaced with soft sexy music. The lyrics were explicit and that had driven me insane. I’d loved it. The surroundings, the music, and the sight of his erection had put me in the mood.
He had guided me on top of him and motioned for me to turn around. With my back to his face, I had lowered myself down onto his huge erection.
“Uh.”
Once I had eased myself down, I gyrated my hips and moved slowly, savoring every inch as it slid in and out of me. Big Al had used his hands to slap both of my cheeks, gripped and held me in place. He had filled me in ways Cooper, or no other man, had.
“This is what you wanted, huh?” He had huffed as he worked his hips.
It didn’t bother me in the least that he knew exactly why I had called, and he had no problems with it.
“Yes, Big Al, yes,” I had cried.
I had bounced up and down with sheer pleasure. My body had released so much pent-up frustration. And I was thrilled to let it all go. Big Al had handled my body with such force I’d felt violated and good at the same time.
He had flipped me over and hovered over me, and I’d loved it. Big Al didn’t put all of his weight on me, but he knew exactly what I needed.
He had pulled me closer and held me so tightly I had to tell myself not to catch feelings for a man who used sex to conduct business. There was no need to blur the lines. He only offered sex on his terms and nothing else. It wasn’t his fault there was a void in my marriage, and he wasn’t trying to fill it, either.
The slapping sounds our bodies had made as we connected were almost hypnotizing. And it had worked like an aphrodisiac for me. In that moment, it didn’t matter to me what we were to each other; I just knew he helped my body release the stress that seemed to build up when it came to dealing with the lack of progress with Cooper’s career, and Cooper himself.
When I had stared into Big Al’s eyes and seen the same type of intensity I had felt, he’d exploded, and I’d come immediately after. We had breathed hard as he’d collapsed and nearly smothered me.
“Jesus!” I had cried. He’d jumped up, still breathing hard.
“You were good,” he’d managed.
He made me feel good, not just physically, but good about myself. Cooper no longer cared about how I felt, and that had been obvious for years. Maybe it was because this thing with Al was new and felt exciting, but doing it made me feel vibrant and most important, desired. It didn’t matter that what I was doing was wrong; it felt good, and after the disastrous evening with my husband, I needed to be around someone who understood appreciation.
“So listen here, we got this special gig coming up; yo client would be a good fit. It’s at one of them fancy private events, but could be some good exposure, and it pays well too,” he had added.
I had exhaled. I was still riding high after the much-needed, earth-shattering orgasm. But when I had caught my breath and processed his words, I had felt even better. I could appreciate a man who fucked me well, but when he looked out for me too, that gave me a mental orgasm which lasted longer than anything physical.
“Hell, yeah, just give me the dets, and I’m on it.”
“Oh, he’s gonna need a white tux,” Big Al had said. “Men’s Wearhouse.”
In my head, I had started to think about how much it would cost to rent the tux. It didn’t matter. If it were a fancy gig, I was certain we’d make back whatever we spent. And if we pulled it off, it might encourage Big Al to send more work our way.
A few minutes after we had confirmed Cooper for the gig, Big Al had rolled over, found his shorts, and slipped them on. I had lingered on the bed for a while until I’d realized he was waiting for me to get up.
A little bit of embarrassment had washed over me as it became painfully apparent that I had pulled a serious faux pas by having to take obvious hints that after a hookup, there was no need to linger.
Chapter Seventeen
Two weeks after my last tryst with Big Al, I was picking up Cooper’s tux from Men’s Wearhouse. It took forever for me to get him to go in for a fitting. Then, when I explained to him the significance of the gig, he tried to act like he wasn’t impressed. Dealing with him was exhausting.
“Who is this dude anyway?” Cooper asked. He seemed insulted, and I had no idea why he would be.
His constant complaints were not the only problem, but the frowns and sour expressions that invaded his face with the damn complaints and threatened to push me over the edge.
If he cared about anything or anyone but himself, he’d be able to tell when I was frustrated, and maybe he’d try to curb his arrogance a bit.
“I told you he’s the founder of the city’s largest furniture store. He’s well respected, and his daughter’s wedding is supposed to be packed with the Who’s Who of Houston.”
Cooper rolled his eyes.
“So this dude made a fortune selling furniture. And now he’s throwing some big-time party, and we’re supposed to be what—the hired help?”
He frowned although there was no reason for him to have a problem with a high-profile paying gig, but of course he did.
Sometimes, the things he said really made me wonder about whether he suffered from a type of mental imbalance. Cooper complained when I didn’t find him work, but when I found work, he wanted to scrutinize it. These were the times I wish I had a roster of clients. Cooper would find himself on the bench, and maybe that would fix his attitude. For the time being, there was no way I could consider handling anyone else, but it was something I planned to explore once I’d mastered Cooper’s career.
“Coop, this one gig alone will pay several thousand dollars. I need you to show up, stick to the musical list I gave you last week, and go thrill these people.”
He listened and at first didn’t have a comeback, which was unusual. I braced myself. I knew him, and it wasn’t like him to not find fault.
“Then that band, what’s up with them? I see why they stuck doing the corny-ass wedding circuit,” Cooper complained.
That was when I’d had enough.
I released a sigh. “Let me call and tell them, thanks but no thanks.”
Cooper huffed. “Why you going there?”
The frown was frozen in place when I glanced at him. But something unexpected happened. Suddenly, his demeanor softened a bit, and his expression returned to normal. He looked at me like he wanted to test me and see whether I would retreat.
“I work hard to find good work for you, and all you do is complain. I get tired of it, Coop. You don’t know what all I do to get you a gig. It’s not as easy as telling someone that you have a great voice; there are lots of singers with great voices. I need you to act like you have some damn appreciation for what I do.”
“C’mon, Licia, you know I ’preciate everything you do. But I gotta be able to tell you how I feel about stuff, so you’ll know how I like to move around.” He eased closer
to me. It wasn’t an apology, but it was probably the best I’d be able to get from Cooper. He looked so good and refined in his tux, it wasn’t easy to stay mad at him.
There was nothing better than a man dressed in a tuxedo, so when he came up on me, and used those powerful eyes to pull me in, it was me, and not him, who softened. Cooper was already a handsome man, but dressed and polished in that tux, he looked irresistible, like God made him to tempt.
“Why I gotta gas you up just so you know I appreciate what you do? We a team, right?”
I nodded, still memorized by his appearance.
We were a team, but each player needed to do their part, and that was the part Cooper failed to realize. He wanted everything the way he wanted it, and there was no room for compromise.
Accessories complete, dressed and ready to go, Cooper looked like he could grace the cover of any fashion magazine, and he knew it. He started posing and profiling, and that instantly lightened the mood.
“Ya man clean up nice, huh, baby?” He tilted his head and used one hand to elevate his chin.
He did clean up real nice, but I wasn’t about to give him that extra stroking he seemed so desperate to get. I brushed off his antics.
“Let’s go before we’re late. The band wants to do a sound check,” I said.
As we walked out to the car, and at the sound of that, Cooper paused and huffed. “Damn, this is the most practicing band I’ve ever worked with. The list ain’t even hard; they just a bunch of corny-ass dudes.” He shook his head as he opened his door and climbed into the car. I stood for a few minutes and tried to calm myself.
After a mental count to ten, I pulled in a breath, opened the car door and slid in behind the wheel. It was all I could do to drive in silence as he continued to complain about each and every musician in the band.
As I pulled up to the light at the corner, my eyes fell to the gas tank. That’s when I noticed the needle was below E.
“Shit! We need gas,” I said.
“Damn, Licia, I ain’t got no money.” He leaned in closer and looked over at the gas gauge, then flopped back on his seat.
“You don’t even have five dollars? All the cards are maxed out.”
Cooper threw his hands up. I was so frustrated. I wanted to tell him we’d have money for gas if he wasn’t constantly shopping, but the money for the tux probably had pushed us over the top. However, I had to look at it as an investment; we needed the money the gig would generate.
“How far we gotta go?” Cooper leaned over and looked at the gas gauge again. “Shiiiid, we below empty.”
“You don’t have anything to contribute?” I couldn’t take the attitude out of my tone. I was pissed.
“Nah, shit. I’m broke. What we gonna do?” Cooper looked at me like I was supposed to solve all of his problems, and I guess, as his manager, that was my job.
The gas gauge indicated we had fifteen miles’ worth of gas. My mind went into overdrive. It sickened me to be so broke that we couldn’t even buy gas.
“Here’s what’s about to happen. We’re gonna go into the next gas station, and get some gas; there’s no way we’re gonna make it all the way across town on less than fifteen miles’ worth of gas.”
“So what you saying?” Cooper asked.
He turned to me with a worried expression.
“I’m saying we gotta do what we gotta do; this gig is important, and we desperately need to get there.”
“Yeah, but…”
Before he could finish, I cut him off, “But nothing, we need gas now!”
For a change, he didn’t have a comeback or a complaint. He simply eased down into his seat and looked on.
When we were what I thought was far enough away from the subdivision, I started to look for the ideal gas stations. Once I selected the perfect one—dark storefront, one clerk on duty who seemed more concerned about her smartphone than work—I was ready.
After I pulled up to the gas pump, Cooper looked at me. “I thought we were broke.”
“We are, but we need to make it to the gig, and I don’t have a better idea; do you?”
“So, what are we gonna do?”
There were three other cars gassing up, and people moved in and out of the storefront. I looked at Cooper. “We are about to get gas. Now, are you ready to do this?”
He nodded somberly. “Yeah, you want to go in or you want me to?”
“Um, you fill up, and when you’re almost full, I’ll get out and walk like I’m going in to pay; that’s when I need you to pull around to the side, and I’ll hop in the car, then peel out.”
I pulled up to the pump and waited as Cooper climbed out of the car. There was no way I could let on about how nervous I was, but my heart raced as I kept an eye on Cooper for the signal. He pressed the buttons to say we’d pay inside versus at the pump. By the time he surpassed $47.89, my pulse felt like it might actually skip a beat.
Cooper filled up, then he looked toward the clerk. There were five people in line.
“I don’t need to go in because she looks busy.”
Cooper looked so nervous I was scared he’d piss his pants and screw up the tux. Once I climbed into the car, I rolled up the window, and we drove off.
When we were a safe distance away, Cooper looked at me. “This is some bullshit, Licia. I need to get my mind right; you need to drive.”
I looked around, saw nothing that appeared alarming, and jumped out of the car when Cooper pulled over. Nearly thirty minutes later, as I pulled up to the venue, I couldn’t believe what I saw or heard.
“Is this where we are supposed to be?” Cooper glanced around and frowned. “I see what this is gonna be; these folks are just throwing money away. Who the hell would go all out like this just for a freakin’ wedding?”
Ignoring him wasn’t easy, but there was no way he could complain about the incredible venue, or so I thought. The curb appeal was gorgeous. A modern stucco mansion with massive pillars created a scene that would’ve made a perfect backdrop for any Kodak moment.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
He looked over at the venue again, then at me and huffed.
“Yeah, I guess so. But I’ma give these clowns twenty, maybe thirty minutes of my time. Then I’ma need a few drinks to get me right.”
Now this was not the type of event where the help needed to be tipsy, but there was no point in trying to explain that to Cooper. I didn’t have the patience, and he did whatever the hell he wanted anyway.
Chapter Eighteen
The gig turned out better than expected. By the end of the night, Cooper had made friends with the saxophone player and the base player in the band. They, along with everyone else, praised his work. He had outdone himself and that was a good thing. I always told Cooper he should try to socialize more with musicians. That type of friendship could lead to more work.
As the band members broke down their setup, and the caterer and decorator started organizing and gathering their equipment, I tried to fall back so that Coop could mingle. Even though I was tired, it was more important for him to make some professional friends, and I didn’t want to hover around like a nagging helicopter.
The show was amazing and I was thrilled. In addition to the musicians, there were three background singers. I had to admit, Cooper might have had his issues, but once he hit that stage, and with those ladies as backup, they were all on fire.
Cooper did a rendition of Luther Vandross’ Here and Now. It was so good, so sultry, that at one point in the song, the bride, groom, and all of the guests stopped dancing to stare at him and the band. The sight gave me chills.
I had passed out business cards to several people who were eager to learn about how to book Cooper and the band. Two of the background singers left immediately after their last set. But one was still lingering; she was waiting on the bass player.
&n
bsp; “He’s real good,” she said, as she approached me. She was friendly and had a great voice too.
“I’m Sonya; I’m the alto. Cooper is a quick study and that voice…” She shook her head, as if the sound he made brought back joyous memories. I knew what she meant, but was so glad he had been on his best behavior and didn’t show his ass like usual.
“Where does he play?” Sonya asked.
“I’m still working on that. You know live venues usually already have their band in place, and the band always has a lead singer.”
“Yeah, we’ve been together for almost ten years. But I really like Cooper; he jelled well with us, and that’s not always an easy thing to do.”
I was thrilled to hear such great feedback about him. For a minute, I was concerned about how he would get along with the band.
Sonya looked around and moved closer to me. “You didn’t hear this from me, but just watch him around Jimmy. I ain’t saying nothing, and I ain’t told Jimmy to his face, but he can be bad news.”
I looked off into the distance, where I saw Cooper chopping it up with two members of the band.
“Which one is Jimmy?” I leaned over and asked Sonya.
“Sax.” Sonya used her arms to mimic playing the instrument. “Why you think I wait around and make sure Kevin leaves with me. If you don’t watch out, Jimmy will talk up some after-hours spot, then ain’t no telling what will happen after that.” Sonya raised her eyebrows at the last part of the comment. Shit, I already had my hands full with Cooper and the problems he was able to generate alone. I damn sure didn’t need anyone new adding to it.
“An after-hours spot?” I looked at my watch. “It’s damn near three now.”
Sonya giggled a bit, then said, “Honey, please; the after-hours spots are popping right about now. Then they really turn up and go strong until eight or nine in the morning.”
I glanced back at Cooper. He didn’t look tired, and outside of loosening his bow tie and removing the jacket to the tux, he looked prime for whatever might be next. If only I could have gotten him away from Jimmy. We needed to head home, not go to a damn party.
