Southern Love

by Synithia Williams

  “I won’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Because … it’s not what I wanted. I don’t want a romantic getaway with you. I just want you to take my virginity as quickly as possible.”

  “Romance isn’t a part of this, Tasha. I’m not taking you away in order to woo you. I’m taking you away so that we can be discreet.”

  She looked around. “What’s wrong with your house?”

  “Too many people know me and watch my house. Do you really want to be linked as my latest fling?”

  “No, but … ”

  “Do you really want to lose your virginity, or was all this just some type of game?”

  She thought about Charles and every other man either afraid of commitment or looking for a conquest when they realized she was a virgin. Did she really want to do that for another ten years?

  Her eyes met Jared’s. His arms were still wrapped around her waist, and even now she wanted to lean up and kiss him. It was much easier to remain a virgin when she wasn’t burning with desire. If she were really going to do this, it made more sense to do it with a man who turned her on than one who didn’t.

  “I’ll go to Charleston.” Triumph filled his eyes. Feeling like his conquest, instead of the other way around, she pulled out of his embrace and he let her. “Don’t look so damn cocky. I still might change my mind.”

  “I know,” he said, smiling. “Let’s get something to drink while we wait on the food.”

  He held out his hand and she took it while trying to ignore the feeling that she’d made a life changing decision with a man who would trample her heart.

  CHAPTER 6

  “I asked Jared Patterson to take my virginity,” Tasha said to her sister the next morning. Not a second later, she was hit with the mist of sweet tea Angie spit out of her mouth.

  “You what!” Angie yelled, wiping her mouth.

  Tasha grabbed the towel hanging on her parents’ stove and wiped her face. She cut her eyes at her sister the entire time. “Was that really necessary?”

  Angie snatched the towel from her. “Yes, when you say dumb stuff like that.”

  “Girls, is everything all right?” their mom called from the dining room.

  Tasha looked at Angie and mouthed the word please. Angie scowled but yelled back, “It’s fine, Mom. Tasha almost dropped the macaroni.”

  Their mom started muttering, probably about how silly they were, but thankfully she didn’t come in the kitchen. Tasha got the macaroni out of the stove and placed it on the counter.

  “Why would you ask him something like that?” Angie whispered.

  “Because I need it gone and he’s the best person to do it.”

  Angie put her hand on her hip. “I thought you were joking when you said that the other night. Did Shayla put you up to this? That girl is a straight up ho.”

  Tasha rolled her eyes. Angie had never liked her friend Shayla. “Shayla is not a ho, and no, she didn’t put me up to this. I haven’t even told her about this. It was all my idea.”

  Angie didn’t look convinced. “Well, it sounds like something she would support. I know Charles turned out to be an asshole, but that doesn’t mean you need to go out and sleep with Jared Patterson.” Angie wrinkled her nose when she said his name.

  “He’s Malcolm’s brother, so he can’t be all bad.”

  “Kenyatta got lucky with Malcolm. Jared is no good,” Angie replied. Angie and Kenyatta had been best friends since college.

  “Jared isn’t no good. So he sleeps with a lot of women. He’s successful, good looking, and single. There’s nothing wrong with that.” She thought of the faceless woman he’d slammed the door on the day before and changed direction. “Look at the business he’s built with his gyms and health food line. You can’t deny the man is smart.”

  Angie walked over to the stove and checked the collard greens. She stirred them before turning off the stove and turning back to Tasha. “Your first time is special. You don’t want to lose it to some guy who doesn’t give a damn about you.”

  “That’s easy for you to say, Angie. You met Jonathan in college, and married him two weeks after graduation. You were lucky to find someone worth waiting for. I’ll be thirty next week. What if I never meet someone? I’ll die a virgin.”

  “Better to die a virgin than burn in hell,” their mom’s voice cut in. She narrowed her eyes as she looked from one daughter to the other. “What are you talking about? You’d better not let your father know.”

  Tasha sighed. Her parents would have simultaneous massive heart attacks if they knew her plans.

  “I was just telling Angie she was lucky to find Jonathan and that I might die a virgin,” Tasha said with a frown.

  Virginia Smith’s plump cheeks widened as she smiled at her oldest daughter. “Waiting to give herself to Jonathan on her wedding night was the most precious gift Angie could give him. We’re very proud of her.” Angie looked away guiltily and Tasha frowned. What was that look for? Virginia didn’t notice Angie’s guilt as her gaze drifted to Tasha. “Don’t go to your husband’s bed as damaged goods. Believe me, he’ll love you more for it.”

  Tasha picked the macaroni from the counter with a pot holder and handed it to her mom. “I know, Mom. I’ll remember that.”

  Virginia smiled. “Good girl. Your father should be finished with the deacon meeting by now. He’ll be home in a few minutes, and we’ll be ready to eat when he gets here.”

  When their mom walked out of the kitchen with the macaroni, Tasha rushed over to Angie. “What was that look for?”

  Angie didn’t meet her eye. “What look?”

  “That guilty look. You’re hiding something.”

  “No I’m not.” Angie tapped her foot. A sure sign she was lying.

  “Tell me.”

  Angie sighed. “All right.” She lowered her voice. “Jonathan wasn’t my first.”

  It was Tasha’s turn to yell. “What!”

  Angie grabbed Tasha’s hand and pulled her out the back door into their parents’ sunroom. She lowered her voice so much that Tasha had to strain to hear. “I lost my virginity to this idiot in college who only wanted to sleep with virgins. It was devastating and I don’t want the same thing to happen to you. Every day I wish I would have waited for Jonathan, and I can’t take that back. He doesn’t know. Nobody knows except Kenyatta and Carol, so please don’t say anything.”

  Tasha hit Angie’s shoulder. “How could you tell your friends and not tell me?”

  Angie hit Tasha back. “It’s a long story, all right? And not one I’m proud of. Just remember, once it’s gone you can’t get it back. Don’t waste your first time on someone like Jared.”

  Tasha opened her mouth to reply when Jonathan came into the sunroom. He was holding the hand of their youngest daughter, Angela, who was dripping wet and looking at the floor. Knowing the eight-year-old, it was no telling what she’d gotten into.

  “Angie, please come help me clean up the mess in the family room. It appears your daughter thought it would be fun to swim with your dad’s fish.”

  Angie jaw dropped. “Not the fish tank?”

  Jonathan nodded. “Exactly.”

  Angie rolled her eyes. “Angela, what were you thinking?”

  “I didn’t know it would fall,” Angela answered, eyes still glued to the floor.

  Angie went over and the trio walked from the sunroom. Tasha shook her head. Cleaning her daughter’s mess would keep Angie from finishing her story for a while. At least now she knew why Angie always lectured her about waiting, but it didn’t make her any less pissed. Angie had made a bad choice her first time, but that was her bad. Tasha was almost thirty, not nineteen. She knew where things stood with her and Jared, so she wouldn’t get hurt. If anything, Angie’s confession only proved she needed to lose her
virginity on her own terms.

  The front door opened and a second later, her dad’s voice preached to Angela. It was the same thing every Sunday. One of Angie’s kids would do something unexpected and damaging — which was odd for girls, according to their mother — and then their dad would preach to them for the remainder of the afternoon. She took a deep breath. Missing it next week may not be bad at all.

  Later that evening Tasha picked up the phone and called Shayla. Angie was wrong about a multitude of things, including her opinion of Shayla. Despite the four-year age gap between her and Shayla, they’d clicked after meeting in high school at a cheerleading camp. Although they attended different schools, they’d kept in touch. Shayla often came to Tasha whenever she needed to escape the trials of her life. She wasn’t a ho as Angie described, just really unlucky in love.

  On the sixth ring Tasha prepared to hang up when Shayla’s breathless voice answered. “Hello.”

  “Shayla, are you okay?”

  “Oh, hey, Tasha. Yeah, I’m fine.” Shayla giggled. “I’m finished what I was doing.”

  There was a man’s voice in the background and she guessed what Shayla was doing. “I’ll call you back.”

  “No, no, no. Don’t go.” There was shuffling in the background before it got quiet. “What’s going on?” There was an echo to Shayla’s voice.

  “You’re not about to use the bathroom are you?”

  Shayla laughed. “No, I came in here for privacy. If you’re calling me at ten on a Sunday night it must be important.”

  Tasha chuckled. “You’ve got that right.”

  “Okay, so tell me what’s going on.”

  “I told you about my date from hell with that guy Charles.”

  “Yes. Damn, Tasha, I don’t know how you always end up with these fools. It might be better for you to sleep with someone and get it over with. Then the novelty of dating a virgin won’t plague you.”

  “I know, right? That’s why I found someone to have sex with.”

  The line went silent. “Hello? Shayla? Are you still there?”

  “Yeah, I just thought I heard Miss I’m Waiting for Prince Charming casually mention she’s found a guy to sleep with.”

  “I did say that. I’m sick of guys either running for the hills or becoming fake Billy Dee Williams trying to seduce me into bed when they find out I’m a virgin. Angie thinks I’m stupid, but I’m ready to see what all the fuss is about.”

  Shayla laughed. “Angie would think it was stupid. She’s a pure romantic. Who’s the guy?”

  “Jared Patterson.”

  “Wait, the guy from the infomercial?”

  Tasha grinned. “I forgot he did that. Yes, that’s him.”

  “Damn, Tasha! That brotha is fine. I went to his gym here in Atlanta for about a year. A picture of him was right near the treadmills. I damn near came just looking at his body every time I went for a run. How in the hell did you land him?”

  “We worked together years ago, and he still mentors at the Rec Commission. He’s lived in Columbia since opening his production facility two years ago.”

  “If I would have known that I would have moved back home.”

  “Cool it. He’s mine,” Tasha told her friend. Jared wasn’t really hers, but hearing Shayla go on about him was making her uncomfortable.

  “Girl, please, you know I wouldn’t go after your guy. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is.”

  “Yeah, I heard him earlier. When are you gonna tell me his name?”

  Shayla laughed. “When he’s all mine. Anyway, are you dating Jared?”

  Tasha let her friend change the subject. When Shayla was ready to tell her who she was dating then she would. “No, we’re not dating. It’s just a one-time deal. I want to at least try to enjoy it this first time with someone who won’t expect anything.”

  “I’m glad to hear you’re not expecting too much from him. From what I’ve read online he’s a true player. One blogger even said that he likes to eat downtown, if you know what I mean.”

  She knew exactly what Shayla meant and she squirmed in her seat. “How would they know?”

  “Girl, nowadays no one’s secrets are safe. If it’s true, you will enjoy yourself. Just don’t get caught up. Like I told you, once you start it’s hard to stop. And if it’s good, it’s damn near impossible.”

  Tasha crinkled her nose. “Do you think I should pick someone less experienced?”

  “Hell no! You know how awful my first time was. I hate to even think about it. You did right picking someone who knows what they’re doing. Just don’t get all caught up in him. Learn some tricks of your own so he’s not always in control.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “Read some erotica, watch some porn, get all baby oiled up and ready, I don’t know. Whatever works for you.”

  Tasha smiled. She’d heard enough from Shayla to have an idea about what men liked. It wouldn’t hurt to show Jared that she wasn’t completely out of her league. “You’ve got a point. He’s so full of himself. I don’t want him to think I’m some sex puppet on a string.”

  “That’s my girl. When is this going down?”

  “We’re going to Charleston next weekend for my birthday.”

  “Damn, he’s taking you away. He must want this as much as you do.”

  “You think?”

  “Why else would he take you out of town? No guy’s gonna turn down sex. If it was a simple one time thing he would have just told you to come over and hit it once. If he’s taking you out of town that means you’ll have to spend the nights together as well as the days. He must like you a little bit.”

  “Not like that. We’ve always been cool — I think he’s trying to be nice to a friend.”

  “Yeah, well he can be nice to you for twenty minutes in his bed at home. Taking you out of town is a bit more than nice.”

  There was a knock on the other side of the phone. “Look Shayla, go be with your guy. I’ll call you later this week.”

  “All right, but call me before you leave and as soon as you get back. I need all the details.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’ve heard my sex stories for years, it’s payback.”

  Tasha laughed. “My story may not be worth discussing.”

  “I doubt that. Bye, girl.”

  “Bye.” Tasha hung up and stared at the phone. Why did Jared insist they leave town? He’d had other women in his bedroom at home whose names were unknown, so the discretion thing was just an excuse. He was happy when she’d said yes. It didn’t mean he was interested in her outside of the bedroom, but he definitely wanted to sleep with her. Was it for the same reason as other guys, to say he deflowered a virgin? She knew he wasn’t sleeping with her because he cared or anything.

  Tasha stood and went to her bookshelf. She pulled down a book of erotica Shayla had given her last year in an effort to liberate her mind. It was wrapped in the cover of a cookbook so her parents wouldn’t know she had it. She’d forgotten it was there until now. She may be a virgin, but she wasn’t completely innocent. Admittedly, her limited experiments with her high school boyfriend paled in comparison to Jared’s love life, but Shayla was right. If she wanted to keep some control then she’d need to be able to meet him step-by-step next weekend. Or at least put up a good show.

  CHAPTER 7

  “Another excellent inspection, Mr. Patterson. I wish all of the facilities I visited were as well organized as yours.” The health inspector reached out a thin hand, which Jared happily shook.

  “I appreciate that, Mr. Simmons, but it wouldn’t be this way without the hard work of my superintendent.” Jared turned to his plant superintendent Barry Jordan.

  Barry’s already massive chest puffed up with pride at Jared’s compliment. “I appreciate that, Mr.
Patterson.”

  Jared hated formalities, but Barry insisted on giving him respect when others were around.

  Jared nodded. “I’m only speaking the truth.”

  Mr. Simmons turned back to Jared. “And you’re very lucky to have such a diligent superintendent.”

  Barry continued to smile, but didn’t say anything else. Jared would have to thank him again later. Barry’s hard work allowed Jared the time he needed to focus on running the operations of his business and continue personal training for exclusive clients. Without Barry, Jared’s dream of a production facility would’ve been harder to achieve.

  Mr. Simmons looked at his watch. “I have another facility to inspect before lunch. I doubt their inspection will go as well as yours … ” His voice trailed off and his jaw dropped.

  Jared followed his line of sight as Cassandra Davenport, his public relations advisor, stepped into the lobby. He couldn’t blame the guy, Cassandra was fine. Her exotic looks, courtesy of a black father and Korean mother, combined with dark hair that stopped mid-back, large breasts, and well-rounded backside were enough to stop any man in his tracks. She raised a brow, a knowing smile on her lips as she approached them.

  Jared acknowledged Cassandra with a head nod. “Mr. Simmons, this is Cassandra Davenport. She handles my public relations.”

  Mr. Simmons’s eyes were glued on the black camisole peeking out of Cassandra’s red suit jacket. Jared cleared his throat.

  Mr. Simmons shook his head, as if snapping himself out of a daze. “Um … yes. It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Davenport. I was just leaving.”

  Cassandra gave him her most award winning smile as she reached out a manicured hand. “It’s great to meet you, Mr. Simmons. I noticed you during the inspection.”

  Mr. Simmons face lit up like a light bulb. Barry looked at Jared and rolled his eyes. Cassandra had that effect on men. She’d once had that effect on Jared, but he’d known her for so long he now only saw her as a friend. And, she was too high maintenance.

  Cassandra continued talking to Mr. Simmons. “I’m glad to hear you all are finished. I need Jared for a few minutes before catching my flight back to L.A.” She turned to Jared. “Can we meet in your office?”