“I love being a cameraman,” he said. “I remember when there was an opening at Black Lush that I was interested in, but it was out of LA, so I didn’t apply. I’ve always been a fan of how your company does business.”
“Yeah, they’re a pretty great place to work for,” I agreed.
Layla leaned over into our conversation. “And if you’re looking for a side gig Tone, there may be an opening for a cameraman on Ivy’s team because the guy she works with is beyond creepy.”
Tone laughed. “Sounds like there’s a story there.” Commotion from the bar a few feet away got our attention.
“Yo, check it out,” Zahir said, as he and Kelani returned with a couple drinks. “The bar tenders are tryin’ to pull shorty down from dancing on the bar.”
Kelani’s eyes widened. “Uh, guys. I’m pretty sure that’s Meeka.”
Tone almost spit out his beer. “What! Ah hell, that is Meeka’s ass. Layla, please tell me you didn’t give her vodka.”
“Of course not. I’m sure I ordered tequila shots.” Layla sniffed her empty glass. “Shit! I lied. I think I gave her vodka.”
“What’s wrong with vodka?” I asked.
“Vodka makes Meeka a little cray cray,” Layla explained.
“More so than usual,” Kelani added.
“Meaning, my girl is about to make me catch a case tonight, damn.” Tone shook his head and started shuffling through the crowd with Zahir and Kelani right behind him. “Meeka, sweetie. What did I say about dancing on top of bars in clubs where we don’t know the owners?”
“Baby, this my shit though,” she screamed, chanting along to “Partition” by Beyoncé, the crowd hyping her up as two security guards neared. “Meek Meek all on his mouth like liquor. Like like liquor. Like like like liquor,” she yell-sang, twerking as she pointed to Tone and repeated the words. The crowd was really feelin’ her, women replacing Beyoncé’s name with their own and men high-fiving Tone along the way. The crowd just made Meeka dance and sing more. “See baby,” she squealed. “They love me! I can’t let these whack ass security guards ruin my vibe.”
“She’s my kinda woman,” Jade said, all of us laughing at how rowdy it had gotten in a matter of minutes.
“Is it always like this when Meeka is around?” I asked.
Layla nodded. “Pretty much.”
Once the others were out of earshot, we couldn’t hear what Tone was saying to security, but he seemed to be working it out while Zahir and Kelani were helping Meeka step down from the bar.
A couple minutes later, the four of them were waving goodbye and quickly heading out the club as another hit came through the speakers. Layla, Jade, Treasure, and I danced in a way we hadn’t in years, bouncing off one another with our moves, until Layla tugged on my arm, her eyes wide.
“Ivy, promise me that you will be chill and not freak out?”
I leaned closer to Layla to hear her better. “Why would I freak out?” I yelled back as Jade and Treasure leaned in to hear what we were saying.
“Because I just noticed that your man is standing in VIP with his brothers and some players from Chicago’s football team.”
My eyes flew to the direction Layla was watching, immediately landing on Theseus who was already watching me. “When did he get here?”
Layla shrugged. “That area was empty a little while ago, so they must have walked in while we were watching Meeka’s bar dance.”
“Well damn,” Jade gasped. “He was already fine as hell, but Theseus went ahead and got extra sexy. Muscles poppin’. And even though it’s dark in here, I can see his tattoos. Ivy, I don’t know how you fell asleep on all that caramel goodness.”
“Me neither,” I replied, my breath catching with the way he stood there, observing me as usual. The way he watched me always did something to me, but unlike before, I knew I’d given him the green light to do more than just stare.
“All of them are looking good,” Treasure remarked. “Wonder how they know all those players.”
“Probably clients,” I told her. “They’ve barely been open, but y’all know how well known they are in Detroit. News probably traveled that they’re tattooing in Chicago.”
“And I think that’s Deacon, too, right?” Jade asked.
Layla leaned on my shoulder and lifted on her tiptoes to see over my head. “Yeah, that’s him. I think he’d already graduated when Ivy and I got there. Theseus and Eros used to play on the team when he was at our school, so they probably kept in touch.”
“For real, Deacon is here too?” Treasure asked, scanning the VIP section.
I nodded my head.
“That’s right. Deacon plays for the team,” Jade said. “Might as well just call this a Detroit reunion of our high school’s finest.”
We grew silent, each of us soaking them in from a distance, when Layla mentioned, “Ares told us to come over.”
I glanced down at her phone. “You have Ares’s number?”
She shrugged. “Yeah. Don’t you have his number?”
“Well, yeah, but I’m shooting a film at their shop.”
“And I’m the set designer,” she proclaimed as if that explained it. “Plus, I know you fishin’ and trying to divert the attention away from you, but it’s not gonna work. I already texted him that we’re coming over. And he said he already stopped Theseus several times from coming over here so you could dance with us some more.”
I waved her off. “He did not text that.”
She showed me her phone, proving that he had. I held back my smile as we began walking toward the guys. Man, he looks good. He was wearing a black T-shirt, jeans, and Tims. Simple on any other man, but per usual, he made it look downright sexy. Even from a distance, I could tell he’d just gotten a fresh cut and trim.
The first thing I decided when the group started catching up and chanting our high school anthem while “Drip” by Cardi B and Migos blasted through the speakers, was that a new Ivy meant I needed to be bolder. Be braver. Take what I could, while I could. Maybe tap into a little Meeka because girlfriend was inspiring in her own way. And right now, I was inspired and wanted to dance with Theseus in a way I’d never gotten a chance to do in the past.
I didn’t get the opportunity to dance often since I was so busy with work, but hip hop was my vibe, so when he let me grab his arm and drag him to the dance floor, I pushed any overthinking out the window and did what I did best … dance my ass off.
I listened to a lot of music, mainly stuff from early 2000’s. But even I had to admit, anything by Cardi B was usually my shit. Letting the music take control, I began twisting and poppin’ my hips to the beat, throwing in some signature moves that I hadn’t done in years. When I was in my element, no one could usually keep up with me. So I was extra surprised when I looked back to see Theseus meeting each of my moves, looking like what I was doing wasn’t making him bend his back in ways he wasn’t used to, to keep up with my ass.
So you think you got me? Was I a good girl? Yeah. Was my dancing ratchet when I wanted it to be? Abso-fucking-lutely. Dancing turned me into a new person. Always had. It didn’t matter if I was wearing jeans and sneakers, or a tight black dress and heels like I was currently wearing. And now, Theseus Hood was about to learn that when it came to my moves, no man could keep up. I hadn’t been one of the co-captains of the dance squad for nothing.
Bending my back, I did a few foot-work moves that I’d practiced in the solitude of Layla’s spare bedroom when I’d first gotten here since foot working was a street dance that originated in Chicago and I always loved doing original dances when I was visiting a city.
When I paired it with a few of my own signature moves, I heard Theseus mumble, “Oh shit” as I pulled him to me just as the song changed into another hit.
“That’s my bitch,” Layla yelled. “Break his ass.” Hearing my girls cheering me on only made me dance faster, harder. Yet, while I was trying to break him and cause him to misstep, Theseus caught up to my moves, proving that he was
a good dancer. Something else to add to the list of reasons why I like him. I mean, seriously, what was there not to like?
By the time the DJ began playing slower music, I was already exhausted, having not worked some of the muscles I worked while dancing in a long time. Theseus must have sensed it, because he curled me even more into his embrace, slow grinding with my ass pressed against him in a way that just fit.
Eventually, our friends joined us on the dance floor, but I was barely paying them any attention. I didn’t even turn my head to thank the strangers who were dancing around us and telling me what a great job I did with those last couple dance numbers. All I could do was close my eyes and be in the moment with Theseus.
Dancing with him was everything and just what I needed after all of my overthinking. By the time “Girls Need Love” by Summer Walker came on, I was too gone in my Theseus fog to even acknowledge the fact that he and I hadn’t even spoken tonight. I couldn’t even recall giving him a simple hello. But that was besides the point right now because all I could think about was getting out of the club and finishing what he and I had started last night.
As if sensing my sexual frustration, he murmured, “I can’t stop thinking about how delicious you taste.”
I rubbed my butt against him even more, but still couldn’t find my words.
“What do you need?” he asked me in a low, husky voice. “Anything you need, I got you.”
What do you need? His words melted over me. What did I need? I needed a lot of things. Theseus type things. Tilting my head back, I kept my eyes closed and whispered, “I need a night I won’t forget and no less than three mind-blowing orgasms.” At my words, my eyes blinked open. New Ivy, who dis? Did I really just tell him I need three orgasms?
I stopped dancing and turned to face him to take back my words, but his piercing honey-brown eyes halted my speech. “Challenge accepted, beautiful.”
Before I knew what was happening, we were saying our good-byes, getting our jackets from coat check, and hightailing it out of the club. My friends were chanting my name as we walked out, but I was too horny to be embarrassed. I wasn’t thinking about them. I wasn’t thinking about the experiment. I was only thinking about Theseus and, unfortunately, wishing I’d put one of those damn Fruit Roll-Ups in my small purse before I’d left Layla’s apartment.
Chapter 11
“You know you’ve got a keeper when he wants to make you happy in the form of a shitload of orgasms.”
~ Layla ~
THESEUS
Growing up, I used to thank God for the most random things. Like, one time I was five and saw a dog almost get hit by a car, and when the car swerved, I thanked God for that. Then, in grammar school, I got my first D on a math test and I remember dreading telling my folks because my pops was big on doing good in school. Surprisingly, my teacher tutored me after class until I got my grade up. My dad never found out. I thanked God for that.
By the time I was older, I started thanking God for more important stuff like my ability to draw as well as I did or for being good at football although I’d never had dreams to play professionally. I thanked God for giving me brothers that I was so close to, a mama who accepted me for who I was even if she didn’t agree with my choices, and a father who I was blessed to have had the chance to get to know.
So, it was safe to say I wasn’t immune to understanding a blessing when presented with one. Yet, tonight had to be one of the most important things I’d ever thanked God for in a while. Because during the entire drive from the club to my apartment, I was sure that I was gonna bust a nut right there in the driver’s seat of my SUV just from the thought of having sex with Ivy. Luckily, I’d kept my load locked down despite how tempting she looked in that tight ass dress. Thank you for small miracles.
I pulled into the driveway, glad that my brothers and I had chosen to stay in the Bronzeville neighborhood instead of farther south since we were only ten minutes from downtown Chicago.
Hopping out of the car, I went to the passenger side and helped her out before leading us both to the door. I made quick work with the lock, holding her close to my side because I wanted her as close to me as possible.
When we stepped into my home, she immediately asked me where the bathroom was. Instead of taking her to the guest bathroom, I led her to the one in my room. I had the master bedroom and bathroom, which pissed Ares off, but that was one of the perks of putting up the most capital for our second tattoo shop. My brothers loved working with me, but they had a healthy balance between tattooing and life outside of the shop. For me, I lived and breathed the shit. But Ivy’s changed all that. Ivy had me dreaming about a future with a wife and kids that I hadn’t been thinking about before she’d come back into my life. And the crazy thing was, I wasn’t scared or anything. I was done living life as a bachelor. So, she may not know it yet, but I wasn’t letting her ass get away.
While she was in the bathroom, I went to the kitchen to get a cup of water, before I kicked off my boots, put on some music, and set the mood by dimming the lights. Then, I smoothed out the wrinkles in my black comforter and lit my Midnight Sky Yankee candle since that scent was my favorite, so I always kept some in stock.
It wasn’t until I fluffed the pillows on the bed for the fifth time, that I realized I had too much built-up energy anticipating my next move. What the fuck am I doing? I was cleaning like my room wasn’t already clean as hell. I was a neat dude, and overthinking wasn’t my style. Yet, I was so busy in my thoughts, I didn’t hear the door open until Ivy cleared her throat to get my attention.
Fuck. She stepped out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a lacy lavender bra and panty set, and the black heels she’d been wearing all night. If I hadn’t been trying to keep myself together, I would have bit my fists because shit, she looked so damn fine.
She walked toward me, her smile hinting at just how much had changed since we were teenagers. But we were grown as hell now. And with growing up, came the chance to do grown-up shit and enjoy one another in ways we probably never would have before.
Her hands played with the hem of my T-shirt before she lifted it over my head and gasped. “You’re beautiful,” she said, rubbing her hands over my abs.
“Not as beautiful as you are,” and I meant that shit. I didn’t hold a candle to her. Unclipping her bra, I freed her gorgeous breasts, before diving down to catch a nipple. With the height I had on her, I was able to slide her panties down her legs, my hands finding her sweet spot along the way.
She moaned while she unbuckled my pants. I was straining against my zipper, so I did the rest, discarding my pants and boxers, ready to be with her, but knowing I needed to ask, “Are you sure? We can stop if you don’t want to go any further.”
Her eyes ran slowly down my body before they widened when they landed on my dick. “I want to keep going,” she murmured. “I’m just not sure you’ll fit.”
I tried not to sound too arrogant when I replied, “It’ll fit. You just gotta trust me.”
She seemed unconvinced, but nodded her head. “Okay, I trust you.” Her eyes started gazing over my body again. “You have so many tattoos …”
I studied her as she studied me, wondering if she liked what she saw, or was turned off by how many I had. Some women didn’t like tatted men, but the thought left my mind when she muttered, “I love them,” as her fingers traced over one of my favorite designs, stopping at the words wrapped in a ribbon design that she’d admired in my office back when she’d initially seen the design on my hoodie.
“You’re a masterpiece.” Her voice was soft. Appreciative.
“Thanks, beautiful.” I took a couple steps closer to her, leaning down to kiss the luscious lips I’d been thinking about all day. The moment our lips touched, the kiss skipped the whole soft and sweet stage, my tongue meeting hers hungrily.
I cupped her ass cheeks and lifted her before placing her on the middle of my bed, loving the way her nails scratched the back of my neck as our kiss deepened even m
ore. Her moans were like my own caffeine. A drug that I was already addicted to. She was bolder than she’d been yesterday, grazing her teeth across my bottom lip in a way she hadn’t done before. With Ivy, I’d promised myself I’d go slow, but the way she was responding to my touch, my lips, was making it extremely hard to keep at a steady pace.
I wanted to fill her with me, but not before I had the chance to taste her sweetness again. I reluctantly stopped kissing her mouth, and instead, kissed my way down her body until I landed on her clit, my tongue already aching for her taste.
“Theseus!” she called out the moment my tongue circled her ball of nerves, her hips lifting off the bed just like they had yesterday. I smiled against her pussy, wondering if she knew that I would probably never forget this shit. I’d never forget how she felt grinding against my tongue, or how her taste was like finally being told I could have my all-time favorite birthday cake that I waited all year to have.
What are you gonna do when she leaves Chicago? Better yet, I was here temporarily too since my brothers were still deciding between them who would run the Chicago location after we got up and running. However, it was always a known fact that I would head back to Detroit since our cousin was managing things while we were away.
I mentally shook the thought from my mind. I didn’t want to think about leaving Ivy or her leaving me when I finally found her. Finally got her to stop running long enough for me to catch her. And as her orgasm hit her, her sexy, erratic moans signaling her passionate release, I made a promise to myself that I would do what I needed to do to keep her.
No matter what we had to do to make it work, I was willing to put in the man hours to figure it out. I wasn’t letting another few years pass me by without being with the woman who no other girlfriend from my past had ever held a candle to. The woman who I measured all others against knowing that the comparison was unfair because there was only one Ivy Ashwood. Only one woman who was meant to be mine from the moment I saw her walk into our high school.
Bad Decisions Good Regrets (Social Experiment #2) Page 10
