“Yes. I was over there cracking up. I haven’t forgotten how Claudette laughed underneath her breath at Tony going off on me at the Christmas party, and I’ve had some ill feelings about her ever since. Her man, Korey, got her so damn spoiled. Since she got him wrapped around her little finger, she think everybody else is supposed to jump when she tells them to.”
“Girl, please. She don’t have Korey wrapped anywhere, and if she did, he damn sure wouldn’t be having sex with me.”
I knew the moment those words left my mouth, they shouldn’t have. I was beginning to trust Veronica, though, and like me, she really didn’t like Claudette. Still, I had been so good at keeping my business a secret that it’s a shame I let something like that slip. Veronica hadn’t released the smoke from her Virginia Slims that she had sucked into her mouth, and when she did, the smoke came out quickly. “What in the hell did you just say?” she shouted.
“Nothing,” I said. “I meant to say something else.”
“Stop lying,” she laughed. “I swear to God that Tony said that shit after the Christmas party that night. He mentioned the way Korey kept looking at you, and I told him he was a drunk fool who was just speculating about people he knew nothing about. Then, when we went to lunch that day, Claudette started talking about how she thought Korey was cheating on her. The look on your face had me thinking, but I was like no, this is not happening. Girl!” Veronica shouted. “Is it good? He is fine as hell and if he let me, I’d screw him too.”
I placed my finger over my lips. Veronica was too loud. She was excited to find out more. “Aw, he’s good. But, let’s just say, not good enough.”
“When is the last time y’all hooked up? I mean, is this an ongoing thing, and is he really going to marry that big-lip hoochie?”
“As far as I know, he’s been going back and forth on it. They’re having lunch today, so I assume he should be here in a little bit. I talk to him almost every single night, and the last time we hooked up was the week before last. Whatever you do, please, please don’t say anything to anyone, Veronica. You owe me this favor, and if the word gets out, I don’t want any trouble. You know what I mean?”
“I’m not saying one word. I’m just in shock, and as much as she brags about Korey, please. Some men will screw your mama, and they don’t have no shame in their game.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
We stayed outside for a few more minutes, continuing to talk. When I saw Korey’s car pull into a parking spot, I warned Veronica not to look suspicious. She pretended to carry on a heavy conversation with me, and when Korey got near, he didn’t say one word to us. He walked into the building, and just as Veronica was about to open her mouth, he stuck his head out the door.
“Say,” he said to me, “ain’t your name Chase?”
I nodded.
“You work with Claudette, right?”
I nodded again.
“I wanted to do something special for her, and I wondered if I could talk to you about it. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure,” I said, excusing myself from Veronica. I could tell she wanted to crack up, but she maintained her composure, telling me she’d see me inside.
I followed Korey to the closed-in stairway and he sat on the steps. He placed his elbows on his knees and cracked his knuckles.
“What’s up with you, ma? You’ve been putting me off, and you know what I’ve been asking you about. You haven’t said one word to me about your decision, and quite frankly, I’m getting tired of waiting.”
“Too bad, Korey, because I will put you off for as long as I want to. According to Claudette, the two of you are getting closer, and the lovemaking session last night was one to remember. You haven’t forgotten about it already, have you?”
He slightly pursed his lips and leaned back on the stairs with his elbows behind him. I guess he hadn’t counted on Claudette putting their business out there like she was.
“I’m not talking about all that. I’m talking about you and me. What’s up with us, Chase? You’re not going to have me dangling on this string for long. I’m about to cut it.”
My brows rose. I damn sure wasn’t having a good day. This fool and his woman were crazy. They deserved each other. “No, let me cut it for you. How dare you sit there and try to force me into a relationship when you’re engaged. Every single day, I have to listen to your soon-to-be wife talk about you and her. You tell me one thing, but when Claudette comes in, she says another.
“Just who are you, Korey? Who or what do you really want? I don’t know the answer to that question, so therefore, you will not get a decision from me as to how I anticipate us moving forward. You’re lucky that I’m still messing with you, and the only reason I’m still doing that is for my own personal pleasures.”
I pulled on the door, but Korey reached out to grab my hand. He shut the door, and held my hand with his.
“Calm down, all right? Listen, I told you that I would end it with Claudette if you wanted me to. That would be no problem for me, but you act like you don’t want me to do it. Then you sit here and say what you said, and honestly, Chase, I’m the one confused. Tell me now: do you want me to end it or not? I’ll go upstairs and do it right now. That’s just how serious I am about us, but I’m not going to continue to be with you under your terms and conditions. I’ve played by your rules long enough, and your rules don’t work for me anymore.”
As much as I would have loved to see Korey bust Claudette’s bubble right now, I didn’t like his attitude. If the sex was over, cool. I’d get that elsewhere, so unfortunately, I had to set the record straight. “If you’re done playing by my rules, then I guess our playtime is over. Good luck to you, Korey, and I do wish you and Claudette all the best. I guess I’ll see you at the wedding.”
He stood stone-faced for a moment, then reached for the door and walked out. These men were killing the hell out of me, and what other choice did I really have?
Chapter 7
You know the saying “you never really miss a good thing until it’s gone”? Well, that applied to dick too. My well had run dry, simply because I had cut off Korey for basically becoming too obsessive. Steven and I had not seen each other since his anniversary. He hadn’t called me, and I was never the kind of woman to go chasing after a man. I guess he figured I would call him, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Even at work, he hadn’t called the office to speak to Liz or anything. She’d been very busy with her marketing project, so I suspected that she’d already told him not to call unless it was important.
That seemed to be the difference with younger versus older men. The younger ones got wrapped too easily, but the older ones you had to slowly manipulate into doing what you wanted. I had so many tricks up my sleeves for Steven, but we had to get to a point where sex between us was more frequent. We hadn’t gotten to that point yet. I suspected that he was feeling a bit guilty about what he’d done; after all, it was on his anniversary. What I did know, though, was that he’d soon get over his guilty feeling and realize that I was just a phone call away.
According to Claudette, the wedding was still on. And as the days ticked away, excitement grew in her eyes. She had already apologized to me about our disagreement, and I apologized to her as well. It didn’t dawn on me that the only reason she wanted to settle our differences was so that I’d be sure to come to her wedding. She bragged about how much her parents had spent, and claimed that it was going to be the event of the year. I was so sure that it was, and since I hadn’t heard from Korey, I suspected that he’d made his mind up about what to do. I kept my fingers crossed for them, in hopes that he would be the man only she envisioned him to be.
Claudette had taken the entire week off from work, and it was so peaceful and quiet. Her wedding was on Saturday, and instead of it being at a church, it was at a hall her parents had rented. The reception was to follow on the lower level, and I couldn’t wait to see the place. Claudette made it sound like a palace, but Veronica said that one of
her friends got married at the same place. She described it as being “nice” and said that Claudette’s description was overboard.
Either way, I stood by the door with my sky blue dress on, waiting for Veronica to pick me up. My bun and bangs had been working for me so well that I opted to keep my hair as it was. The dress was simple, but any dress that I wore always looked sexy because of my curves. I went with a pearl necklace and earrings, and even wore a bangle of pearls around my wrist. I played it conservative, knowing that Liz would be there, possibly with Steven. I couldn’t wait to see him again, nor could I wait to see Korey’s reaction.
I figured this would be a very tough day for him to get through, but then again, a man definitely knew how to play his game. He pretended to be so unhappy around me, and all he talked about was how he and Claudette were growing away from each other. When it was all said and done, he wasn’t too unhappy. The wedding was on, and he had plenty of opportunities to stop it if he wanted to.
Veronica called, telling me that she was outside waiting. I rushed outside, only to bump into Lance on my way to Veronica’s car. He caught me off guard, grabbing me into his arms and hugging my waist.
“Play along with me,” he whispered, shifting his eyes from side to side. I figured one of his women was somewhere looking on.
“What… Who is it?” I mumbled underneath my breath.
He laughed and kissed my cheek. “I’m just kidding. You look nice, though. Have fun wherever you’re going.”
I playfully slapped his arm and he headed up the steps. When I got inside Veronica’s car, she couldn’t help but ask what that was all about.
“Girl, Lance always be playing with me like that. He is so crazy.”
“He likes you, though. That’s why he didn’t want to take me on a date.”
“He didn’t say that, Veronica. I told you he just said he was interested in somebody else and didn’t want to involve you in his mess. Between you and me, it be a gang of women at his apartment. When one woman leaves out the back, another one comes through the front.”
“Dang. He doing it like that? He don’t seem like the type, but he is rather sexy.”
I had gotten to a point where I thought he was too, but I kept quiet. No doubt, Lance was growing on me.
Veronica and I arrived at the wedding almost forty-five minutes early. It was already packed, and to be honest with you, the hall was decorated really prettily. Claudette’s colors were pink, black, white, and a hint of silver. White chairs filled the hall and pink bows were on the back of each chair. Silver and black decorations were throughout and the flower arrangements were beautiful. The lighting was dim, but not too dim where you couldn’t see. Almost every chair was filled, but when Veronica spotted Liz, she waved at us. She had reserved two seats for us, and my heart sank to my stomach when I saw Steven sitting next to her. My mind shot back to that night in his office, and I wondered if he was or had been thinking about it too.
I followed Veronica, hoping that she wouldn’t take the seat directly next to Steven. She stopped to give Liz a hug, and shook Steven’s hand as she passed by him. I hugged Liz too, and when I reached for Steven’s hand he gripped it hard.
“Hello, Chase, how are you?”
“I’m doing well, and you?”
“Couldn’t be better.”
Since Liz wasn’t paying attention, I gave him a quick wink, hoping that Veronica wouldn’t sit next to him. Thank God she didn’t, and she left the seat right next to him for me. Liz looked sharp as ever, and the sheer, flowing mustard and brown dress she wore couldn’t be duplicated. She accessorized her outfit with gold, and the pretty rings on her fingers looked as if they cost a fortune. Her wedding ring was glistening too.
“This hall is beautiful, isn’t it?” she whispered, looking past Steven to talk to me and Veronica.
We both agreed that it was, and as we continued to talk, I noticed just how uncomfortable Steven was. Every once in a while, he looked at me through his peripheral vision, but he wouldn’t turn his head. I noticed him suck his teeth a few times, and when he rubbed his beard, I wondered what was on his mind. This was definitely an awkward feeling, and it was too bad that I was making him so uncomfortable. I was ready for the wedding to get started; maybe that would settle things down a bit.
I was talking to Veronica about the expensive-looking chandeliers hanging from up above, and felt someone tap my shoulder.
“Excuse me,” the young man said. “You’re wanted out in the hallway.”
I pointed to myself, thinking that the young man had tapped the wrong person. “Who, me?”
“Yes. Follow me. Please.”
I wasn’t sure what this was about, and I knew Claudette hadn’t asked anyone to come get me to help her. When I got into the hallway, an older man was standing there waiting for me. He had on a tuxedo, so I suspected that he was part of the wedding party. He told the younger man to go into another room.
“Go ahead and finish getting ready,” he said to the younger man. “And tell everyone that we have less than forty-five minutes to go.” He looked at me. “As for you, young lady, please follow me.”
I wasn’t used to taking orders, so I didn’t move. “Where are we going and who sent for me?”
“I’m not supposed to say, but from what he says, seeing you is very important.”
I wasn’t too thrilled about what was going on, as I really didn’t know who any of these people were. When we got to the lower level, the man opened the door to a spacious room. I followed him inside, and saw Korey dressed in his tuxedo, sitting in a folding silver chair. Mirrors were around the room, and two tuxedos were sitting on the table next to him.
“Thanks, man,” he said to the older gentleman. “And make sure you close the door on your way out.”
“Got it.”
The man left the room, closing the door behind him as he was told. I turned to Korey, who looked dynamite in his tuxedo. His skin was smooth as ever, and his wavy hair was cut with a deep, fresh lining.
“So, I guess you’re going to let me go through with this, huh?” he asked.
“This has nothing to do with me, Korey, and you have to do what feels right for you. No matter what, you need to be honest with yourself, but if you’re having doubts about this, why are you here? I can’t believe that you’ve gone this many months without telling Claudette how you really feel. As much as I don’t care for her, you are wrong for keeping your true feelings inside. Again, don’t make this about me, because I already told you where I stand on this.”
He stood up and put his hands in his pockets. He started to pace the floor and looked down at it. “So, where do you stand, Chase? Have you been thinking about me or not? If I get married, can I still play by your rules or have you shut out that opportunity as well?”
“Yes, I’ve been thinking about you, but maybe not in a way that you want me to. This connection that you keep talking about between us is very sexual, and to be honest with you, that’s all it is. If you’re looking for someone to cook every day for you, clean your house, have your children, and wash your back for you when you get home from work, I’m not the woman for you. I don’t envision that kind of life with any man right now, so do not take what I’m saying to you personally.”
Korey stood for a moment to look at me, then shook his head. “How in the hell did I get myself so caught up with you? I knew this would go down like this, so if you want to make this all about sex with us, then so be it.” He looked at his watch and removed his bowtie. “I got twenty minutes before show time. Take off your clothes.”
I took a few steps back. “What? Are you crazy? I’m not taking off my clothes.”
I turned to walk toward the door, and Korey came after me. He took my hand, and hit the light switch next to the wall, putting us in pure darkness.
“Five, ten minutes is all I ask. I need to get into you before I do this, and please don’t deny me. If you won’t let me have you in the way that I want you, at least allow me
a few minutes of satisfaction with you before I get married.”
I couldn’t believe I was standing there even considering this. This would no doubt go down in my little black book as trifling. Thing was, I loved spontaneous and risky sex, and the moment seemed so perfect. By now, Korey’s hands were already squeezing my inner thighs and touching my slit through the crotch of my silk panties. I wanted to make it quick, so I stepped out of my panties and pulled my dress up over my hips. Korey turned the lights back on, claiming that he wanted to see what was about to go down. He rushed to put a condom on, and as he lay back on one of the seat benches, I straddled his lap, allowing my feet to touch the floor. His tuxedo pants were only lowered to his knees, but that was no problem for me. I started to ride him, using the floor for leverage as I moved up and down. My legs muscles were being put to work, but it was all so worth it. Korey hadn’t been inside of me in a minute, and the feel of him brought back memories of what I had been missing. We both moaned and groaned, but did our best to keep our voices low so no one would hear us. Time was not on our side, and as we rocked our bodies together for fifteen long minutes, we finally came at the same time. I leaned forward to give him one last juicy and wet long kiss, then removed myself from on top of him. He continued to lay flat on the bench, but his eyes were closed while he rested his arm on his forehead.
“Thank you,” he said. “I needed that.”
I picked up my panties from the floor, tossing them in the trash. My hand touched the doorknob to exit. “I enjoyed myself too. Now, get up and go do you. I’m sure your beautiful bride is waiting.”
I left the room, quickly searching for a restroom so I could tidy myself up. I did, and afterward, I hurried to find my seat. Veronica and Liz asked where I had gone, but I told them that I had to go outside to make an important phone call. I mentioned that it was something about my ill father, lying my butt off.
“Yeah, right,” Veronica said. “I don’t believe—”
Don't Even Go There Page 10
