by Vera Roberts
Give her some bell pants and a tank top paired with large hoop earrings and Aaliyah was good to go.
“You keep staring at me, you should take a picture.” She slowly looked up with a smile.
Ocean walked over to her and kissed her forehead, causing Aaliyah to moan. He would never get enough of hearing her sweet moans in his ear. “I have morning breath so a forehead kiss is what you’re getting now.”
“I appreciate you not killing me.” She replied.
Ocean went into the kitchen and saw Aaliyah had already prepared breakfast. Homemade blueberry muffins, eggs, bacon, and freshly-squeezed orange juice. It wasn’t breakfast Aaliyah would typically prepare and Ocean appreciated the effort. He felt like Jody in Baby Boy when Yvette cleaned the home and made him tacos.
Maybe Ocean should give Aaliyah another dickdown and see if she’ll press his shirts. “When did you wake up, rainbow?”
“A few hours ago. I was wide awake and I figured you needed a break,” she glanced over at him and blushed, “so I decided to make breakfast and continue work on the tattoo.”
“Thank you for letting me sleep though you could’ve awoken me.” Ocean sipped his coffee. “I wouldn’t have minded if you rode me again.”
“Later,” Aaliyah squeezed her thighs shut and focused back on her sketch. Her pussy still craved Ocean, though it needed a break from the pounding he’d given her all night. He fucked her as if his life depended on it. “I have a lot of work to do this weekend, despite it being a holiday.” She paused for a beat. “I also start filming this week. Tony will be here sometime next week as my first celebrity guest tattoo, followed by Dolce Gabbana in a few weeks. They were already set in stone but the show will give them each some much-needed publicity. Dolce has a surprise album coming out the same week the show will air so it’ll really benefit him.”
“Surprise album and you know about it?” Ocean teased.
“Yeah,” Aaliyah caught the goof, “but he doesn’t know when the show will air and neither do I so there’s the surprise.”
“Ah, got it.” Ocean chewed on a muffin and was shocked by how delicious it was. When he and Aaliyah dated the first time, she was barely in her kitchen and mainly used it to store art supplies. Now she was an expert. “This muffin is amazing, rainbow.”
“Thank you,” she noticed the new nickname for her, “and rainbow?”
“I figured you are as much,” he replied, “and it comes from one of your favorite songs and artists. Bold as Love by Jimi Hendrix.”
Aaliyah immediately remembered the lyric and felt her heart soar. Ocean was romantic in his own way that no other man could match. “You’re giving your life to me?”
“A rainbow like you.” He walked over to her and kissed her. “Blueberry muffin breath is surely better than morning breath, right?”
“Yes.” She giggled. “Anytime.”
“When did you learn how to cook?” Ocean asked. “You never made a spread like this before.”
“An ex taught me,” she went back to sketching, “he said I needed to know how to cook and save money so he taught me.”
“Oh,” Ocean chewed the muffin, “what’s his name?”
“None of your business, Mr. Secret Service.” Aaliyah replied.
“Is he a problem?” He asked. “I would like to know if he will be.”
“You can go out with other women and tell me to be chill about it while an ex I haven’t seen or spoken to in ages is making you shook,” her voice was calm and still as she filled in the lion’s mane, “comical.”
“That’s different,” Ocean defended, “I have an image to maintain.”
“Oh, and I don’t?” She glanced up at him. “So, it doesn’t matter if you date other women because it’s politics but if I’m seen talking to an ex, I’m a whore?”
“I didn’t say that,” he shook his head.
“You didn’t have to.” Aaliyah sighed and went back to drawing her sketch. “You didn’t have to say a word.”
Ocean walked up to her and covered the sketch with a hand. He lifted up Aaliyah’s chin with his other one. “You’re not a whore, Aaliyah. I never thought that way in the past, present, and I’ll doubt I’ll feel that way in the future. I’m in the business where appearances matter. Every thing I do, no matter how minute I think it is, makes a big difference to potential voters. I eat a certain food, it might be problematic. I like a certain music artist, it might tell the female voters how I feel about them. I wear leather shoes, I’ll get a nasty letter from PETA and believe me, they will send them.” Ocean stated. “I’m in a situation where every thing for my past counts against me. Every thing in my present will affect my future and possibly millions more. I have no choice but to be self-aware of my image now.”
“And you want to date someone who will put all of what you just said into question? The voters will see you with a sleeved-up, hippie girl and what do you think will go through their minds?” She locked eyes with him. “What game are you running, O? You kept telling me you didn’t want to seek another term and now what you said sounds indicative of just that.”
“I’m telling you for future purposes this is how things will be with me, regardless if I’m a senator or I go back to private practice. You need to be aware of this, rainbow. I’ve never lied to you and I’m not about to start.” He caressed her cheek. “I asked about your ex because if he’s a problem, I want to take care of it before he becomes one.” His eyes turned dark. “And you’re my only priority.”
Aaliyah lightly sighed. Ocean talked a good game because he had no idea about the past she hid. Once he found out why his father was hell-bent in removing her from his life, his good speech would go to waste.
“O, listen, there’s something you need to know…”Aaliyah began. “…it’s about…”
Ocean’s cell phone suddenly rang and he cursed at the distraction. “I have to get that, baby. If I don’t, I’ll hear it from my mother.” He rushed over to the phone and answered it. “Hello? Good Morning, Mother. Yeah, I’m in Atlanta right now. Well, I thought about going to California for the holiday weekend but I figured I’ll see you all this week anyway…”
Aaliyah breathed out a heavy breath she didn’t know she held. Ocean said he didn’t care about her past but Aaliyah couldn’t believe him. He might care once he realized what she did. She was saved by bell, though she didn’t know how many more lives she had.
Once Ocean knew about what Aaliyah used to do, it would be game over.
~~~~~
Las Vegas. The city of faded hopes and lost dreams.
Every person was determined to forget about their past and strike it rich, only to drown their sorrows in a fifth of vodka some hours later when they’ve lost all of their money.
Every girl arrives in hopes of being a showgirl and perform in front of kings and queens, instead they become another statistic on the street as they submit to their pimp, a man named Prince.
Every hustler comes to the city to make a dollar out of fifteen cents only to be out-hustled by grand hustler of them all – life.
Jay knew the city very well.
He made many a deal in various boardrooms of overpriced hotels. He’d threatened just as many in the basements of the same hotels if they didn’t cooperate with him. Words only got Jay so far before he had to show someone how badly they needed both legs to walk.
He always left richer and with a bigger smile on his face. No one ever crossed Jay Edwards and went unscathed. If someone crossed him, they were either ruined or in Jay’s preference, dead. Dead men never tell lies.
Aileen often called him Ace because the way he dealt with anyone who crossed him reminded her of the famous character from Casino. Jay took it as a compliment. He loved Robert DeNiro.
Hollywood characters aside, Jay was focused on the bigger prize. His protégé, Briana Gooding, was going to be elected as Congresswoman. Eventually, she’ll run for the Senate. And then the biggest prize of them all – The White House.
&
nbsp; It was a monumental task and Jay had to ensure he would be alive long enough to see it happening. He could play it the hard and difficult way, making sure Briana had to suffer like so many of his colleagues before she gotten just a whiff of recognition.
Or he could utilize every single cheat code he had and make sure Briana’s ascension to the White House was so ridiculously fast and easy, people would talk about conspiracy theories for years to come.
Good. By the time Jay finished molding Briana, she would become a second version of him. If he were the Machiavellian prince, Briana surely would be his successor. Her name would be spoken in hushed tones but with always, the utmost respect.
Before Briana could claim the White House, she would need to get to Congress. Her election was coming up and Jay needed Ocean’s focus on getting her elected; not whatever bullshit game his father played because he was salty and butt hurt.
It was time to pay another visit to Jackson Fischer.
~~~~~~
“Senator Edwards,” Jackson Fischer sat down on a chair and Jay soon followed. “I never thought I would see your face again.”
“I’ll never forget a favor and I’ll always remember a promise.” Jay replied. A bikini-clad server came by to take their drink orders and both men gave them before she left. “Nice to see the brothel is being run well.”
“No matter how the economy is doing, there will always be someone willing to pay for pussy.” Jackson flashed his charming smile. “But you’re not here to talk about my business, are you?”
“No, and I’ll get straight to the point so we can enjoy the rest of my visit.” Jay replied. The server returned with their cocktails and left soon afterward. Jay winked at her before she left and admired her ass as it shook from side to side. “I’m here because there’s some people snooping around in places they shouldn’t be and it might affect future plans I have. I need your assistance on putting a stop to it.”
“I can’t promise you anything,” Jackson replied, “what’s going on?”
“Aaliyah Smith,” Jay let out a small sigh, “does the name ring a bell?”
“Liyah,” Jackson had a proud smile on his face, “one of my best whores. Everyone loved her. Her nickname was The Healer because men felt renewed after they’ve had her. Women, too. She’s the reason why I got this sleeve.” Jackson showcased his forearm. “When Liane gave birth to our daughter, it was Liyah who tatted me up.” He paused momentarily and his eyebrows furrowed. “Is she in trouble?”
“She might be,” Jay continued, “she’s dating that Ellison kid, the Senator from L.A. As they’re getting serious, people are going to dig into her past. I know it’s not squeaky-clean, but no one is going to re-elect someone who has a former whore for a girlfriend, and they damn sure won’t do it if she becomes a wife.”
“You want me to erase all evidence of Liyah’s presence?” Jackson finished. “I already did that when she started her shop. She requested I remove everything and I did it with no problems.”
“There will be more,” Jay warned, “and don’t be surprised if you suddenly get another home raid.”
Jackson merely blinked at the information. He was used to the home raids and expected them like one expected water out of a faucet. Each time he had a raid, the officers were always greeted with donuts, bagels, and coffee. “Who has heat on you?”
“No one because no one knows about my involvement.” Jay said it in a way to let Jackson know he planned to keep it that way. “However, Aaliyah is a target because she’s connected to the Ellison’s now. I need her protected for as long as possible. I don’t care what is revealed of her in about 8-10 years but I need that time right now. I need to make sure whoever is trying to take her down will be hesitant to try it again.”
“Eight to ten years is a long time for a favor of this magnitude,” Jackson rubbed his light beard. “What are you saying exactly?”
“I need a short-term commitment for a long-term project,” Jay clarified. “If everything goes to plan, I won’t hear a peep from those who are fucking with my plans.”
Jackson nodded. “What do you need from me?”
“I need your best whore on call.” Jay stated. “Someone who’s not too young where it’s too obvious she’s a plant. Someone who could be distinguishable and look good in a business suit. Someone who would fit right into any environment. It’ll be a long-term assignment and you both will be paid very well for your services. She’ll be paid well for the lack of sex and you’ll be paid very well for the lack of income. NDA is necessary and if she breaks it, hell wouldn’t even begin to describe what you both experience.” Jay finished his drink. “Is that doable?”
“Dove and Aileen?” Jackson added. “They would be perfect for this.”
“Everyone knows Aileen works for me and Dove is on an assignment to a friend in California.” Jay replied. “I need new girls and fresh blood.”
Jackson nodded again as he rubbed his chin. “I think I know exactly who I can send to you. Yeah, I know exactly who. When will she start?”
“As soon as possible. The moment she arrives is the moment you’ll get the first of many payments.” Jay locked eyes with Jackson. “Do we have a deal?”
Jackson shook Jay’s hand. He didn’t have to ask how much money it was because Jay always came through with the generosity. He only wondered who was the unfortunate target of Jay’s wrath. “Deal.”
Ten
It was like they never left each other at all.
Aaliyah and Ocean explored Atlanta and everything it had to offer. She took him all of the touristy spots like the Georgia Aquarium and Botanical Garden. She also took him to hidden gems like Junkman’s Daughter. They stopped by Fresh Nectar, a clothing brand co-owned by Ocean’s brother, Soul, and received free clothing.
Aaliyah didn’t typically wore a lot of urban clothing but saw a super cute hemp bracelet and matching necklace, so Ocean got it for her. She also picked up some waist beads at another local shop.
“What do the waist beads do?” Ocean asked.
“Well, these promote energy and healing,” Aaliyah replied as she admired the turquoise and purple beads, “good vibes all around.”
“Mmm,” he snaked an arm around her waist and kissed her temple, “I like that how that sounds.”
Aaliyah shivered as Ocean touched her. She would never get over feeling Ocean on her body. She almost forgot why they finally escaped her condo. Ocean’s surprise phone call from his mother wasn’t a surprise at all. She reminded him about Briana Gooding’s fundraiser that weekend. “I don’t have anything for this weekend’s fundraiser.”
“I thought that’s why we’re out shopping right now?” He asked. “You wanted to buy a gown since you didn’t have one?”
“I do but…” Aaliyah paused. “…are you sure you want to make a public appearance like this so soon?”
“You wanted to be a part of my life, rainbow.” He politely reminded her as they walked down the street. “This is my life now.”
“I know that and I get it but we’re still trying to figure things out between us. A public appearance might tell people something.” She countered.
“Like?”
“We’re together,” she replied, “and you still haven’t figured out how you were going to handle your father with that info.”
“He’ll deal.” Ocean stated.
Aaliyah didn’t like how lackadaisical Ocean was about his father’s power. Ocean may have been used to it but Aaliyah never could be. “You’re willing to risk me being told off by your father in front of the wealthy and elite?” Aaliyah asked. “How romantic of you.”
“He wouldn’t do that.” Ocean reassured. “He has too much pride to do something that despicable.”
“Does he now?” Aaliyah asked. She folded her lips together and refrained from saying anything further. “Okay.”
“The fundraiser is for Briana Gooding,” Ocean replied, “so, my father will not make a scene when it’s a fundraiser than benefi
ts her and the rest of the Democratic party.”
“You sure you want me there?” Aaliyah looked over at him. Even with the bright sun shining down on them both, Ocean was gorgeous as ever. “I might make things uncomfortable for everyone.”
“If you’re going to be with me, I’m not going to hide you.” He lifted up her hand and kissed it. “Besides, I’m sure you want to see everyone again.”
“If you mean your brothers, yes.” Aaliyah smiled.
After a day of shopping, the pair returned and watched TV while catching up on their respective work. Ocean went over another bill while Aaliyah finished working on the lion’s head tattoo.
They settled back into a quiet familiarity with each other. Being in the same space, yet doing their respective interests. It felt warm, and at home, as if they’d always done this routine and it was just another day in the Ellison household.
Aaliyah briefly wondered if it would be like that once they’re married. “What made you go into civil rights service?” Aaliyah asked as she sat at her dining room table.
“A part of it was seeing how my father interacted with the community. Despite his personal misgivings, he was about equality and justice for all.” Ocean said as he prepared dinner. “He was about Black Lives Matter before it became a hashtag. I had a lot of black friends when I went to college and just hearing their stories about being followed in a store, harassed by the police, and automatically being assumed they’re criminals when they’re working on their degrees?” He shook his head. “I had to get involved and I did.”
“Were your parents okay with it or were they like, ‘Stay out of this, this is not your fight’?”
“My mom was gung-ho and my father was to an extent,” Ocean replied, “my father went through a lot back then with people calling him all sorts of names ranging from nigger lover to wigger to everything else under the sun. I’m not sure if it ever bothered him but I do know he didn’t want us to be subjected to that as well.” He paused for a beat. “Which is why he didn’t want us to have black girlfriends.”