The Appraisal

by Brielle Montgomery

  She didn’t notice the car speed off when she turned from the window.

  * * *

  “Won’t he have a problem if I’m just sitting right here, watching?” Jasmine asked. “Or be suspicious or something?”

  “Girl, he’ll probably be too damn drunk to even care,” Jayla admitted with a shrug, finishing up the last little bit of her makeup. She stood back, smacked her lips together to even out the burgundy lipstick, and smiled at the results. “Would you feel better if I made you watch from the closet?” She turned around, completely naked, to face her niece.

  Jasmine shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “No, not really.” She wasn’t really sure what she was getting herself into, and Jayla wasn’t too concerned about turning her niece on to this lifestyle.

  “Okay then.” Jayla nodded, resting her hands on her narrow hips. “I’m trying to teach you like I was taught. Let’s not make this difficult. Just watch and learn. And, hell, if you want to participate, I’m sure he won’t mind one bit. Let’s go have a drink while we wait.”

  Jayla sauntered into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

  Jasmine took a seat at the bar and tried not to stare at her aunt’s perfectly sculpted body as she went about pouring them each a glass of wine. “How do you do it, Auntie?” she asked finally, once Jayla had slid a drink in front of her.

  “Do what?”

  “I mean, how do you get them every time?” Jasmine said, clarifying. “I guess I’m still shocked that men cheat with you left and right. Like they have no morals. Has it always been this easy?”

  Jayla sipped her wine and shrugged. “Not always,” she said. “Back in the beginning, I used to have to . . . speed things up a little.”

  “What do you mean?” Jasmine frowned.

  “Well, I can deliver in two to three months, and usually, I can do it with no problem. But sometimes, you get those real stubborn ones. Sure, I know they’ll cave eventually. I mean, look at me.” Jayla did a twirl to show off her plump titties and equally voluptuous ass. “But,” she went on, “it takes some longer than others to give in. Meanwhile, a bitch has clients rolling in, bills to pay, and I ain’t got time for niggas to be pussyfooting around, trying to convince themselves they don’t want me. So I would slip them a roofie or something. ‘Let’s go ahead and get this shit over with, so I can get paid and move on to the next one,’ I’d tell myself.”

  Jasmine’s eyes ballooned at the admission. “You would drug them?”

  “Shit, I still do sometimes,” Jayla said. “But now that I’ve got this thing down pat, I know what works, what doesn’t work, and I rarely need to. Which reminds me. I’ll give you some before you leave tonight. Just think of it as your trump card. Especially because you’re new at this.”

  Jasmine didn’t respond. She took a huge swig of her wine and struggled to put on a brave face.

  The doorbell rang just as Jayla was polishing off her own drink, and she quickly sat her glass in the sink. She clasped her hands together and tossed Jasmine an encouraging smile. “Ready?”

  Jasmine merely nodded.

  Jayla went to the front door and peered through the peephole before swinging the door open.

  Eric was on her body in an instant, groping every piece of her delicate skin, his tongue shoved down her throat. He backed Jayla into the living room and kicked the door closed behind him.

  Jayla laughed as she wiggled from his desperate grasp. “Eric, baby, wait,” she said as he took the opportunity to snatch off his jacket. “Do you mind if someone watches us?”

  Eric didn’t even bother acknowledging the woman perched on the barstool as he pulled his shirt over his head and fumbled with his belt buckle. “I don’t care,” he huffed.

  Jayla tossed Jasmine an “I told you so” glance as she looked on in wonderment. Jayla wasted no time lowering Eric to the floor and straddling his face. Then she situated herself in the sixty-nine position. Eric’s tongue lapped hungrily on the underside of her dripping kitty as she stroked his dick before slipping every inch through her parted lips. Fueled by the audience, Jayla stroked and sucked at the same time, flicking her tongue over his tip. Jasmine’s wide-eyed stare turned her on even more as Eric continued to slurp her pussy, nuzzling his lips against hers as she wiggled on his mouth. She moaned when he slapped her ass, and the light sting sent her into overdrive. She grabbed his hips and guided him in an upward thrust so the tip touched the back of her throat.

  Eric took his mouth off her pussy long enough to groan and mumble something in broken Spanish.

  Jayla felt his dick tighten, as if he was about to explode, and she quickly pulled away. After turning her body so they were face-to-face, she hovered over his dick for a moment, allowing her moisture to drip on him, before she took him in. Her pussy slid down the length of his shaft like a figure skater, leaving behind a trail of her creamy juices against his honey skin.

  She was easily ready to take Eric into the next century, but he was quick, snatching her over until she was on her back and he was positioned between her slender legs.

  “I can’t let you win that easily,” he said in a breath and began drilling Jayla’s pussy, nearly leaving her breathless from the rough force. She wrapped her legs around his waist and angled her head toward Jasmine.

  Sure enough, Jasmine had hiked up her skirt and was generously fingering her own kitty. Her eyes were glued to Eric’s ass as he continued his deep, hard plunges. As awkward as the situation was for Jasmine, she was beginning to enjoy it all.

  Satisfied, Jayla moaned out loud, heightening the stimulation. When she erupted, she felt the gush of her cream spill against her thighs and saturate Eric’s lap. As if on cue, she heard Jasmine let out a startled cry of her own, and this was followed by shrieking and gasping, as if she couldn’t breathe.

  Jayla smiled at the accomplishment. Not only had Eric finally caved after three laborious months, but also Jasmine was good and ready to get that cherry busted wide open.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I knew you probably wouldn’t come if you knew,” Tara told Jayla as they stood outside the restaurant.

  The curse word seeped through Jayla’s lips before she had time to catch herself. She should’ve known something was up. “Damn, Tara, really? A double date?” She turned to leave, but Tara caught her arm.

  “Jaye, please. I just thought you needed a little nudge.”

  Jayla opened her mouth to respond once more, but she immediately pursed her lips when she saw Derrick strolling up.

  She smelled his enticing cologne before he was within arm’s reach. His polo button-up and his slacks hung casually enough from his frame to draw a few noticeable glances from the women leaving the restaurant. She gave credit where credit was due: this man was fine, and he knew he was fine. But it wasn’t arrogance that he projected, but subtle confidence. This was obvious by the hint of a smile flirting at the corners of his lips when his eyes met hers.

  Jayla opened her mouth to greet him but gasped when she felt his hands slide around her waist and pull her body to his. She felt the bunch of muscles through the thin cotton material of her dress, and the movement caressed her nipples until they hardened like pearls. She hadn’t realized she was shuddering in his arms until she heard his low moan of approval at the involuntary reaction. Stepping out of the intimate grasp, Jayla cleared her throat and ran a shaky hand through her hair.

  “Um, hi,” she mumbled and cursed herself for the idiotic response.

  Tara’s muffled giggle had her wanting to kick herself. What was this man doing to her?

  “Good to see you again.” Derrick touched her shoulder, and Jayla felt her breath catch when his fingers grazed her skin. She needed to gain control of herself. She hated this vulnerable feeling.

  “So . . .” She cleared her throat again. “I guess you figured you would get me to go out with you by any means necessary, huh?”

  Derrick’s smile fell into a frown as he glanced at Tara. />
  “Yeah, I kind of didn’t tell Jaye you were coming,” Tara said. “But we are all here now, so let’s have some drinks and make it a good evening.” She tossed Jayla another apologetic, but encouraging smile before making her way inside the restaurant to join her husband, Kevin.

  Jayla let out a sigh and turned back to Derrick. She was definitely craving a drink after seeing how these dominos were falling. “Sorry,” she said on a smile. “I thought you were in on the setup.”

  Derrick let his hand slide down the length of her arm before lacing his fingers with hers. “Unfortunately, no, this had nothing to do with me.” His eyes swept over her body. He clearly approved of her choice of attire. “But I must say, I’ve never been so damn grateful for a setup before.”

  Jayla chuckled and slipped her fingers from his. “Don’t even get the wrong idea.” She relaxed when she felt the natural inclination to flirt a little. “This dress is just eye candy. No touching.”

  Derrick nodded and let his gaze linger on her body a moment longer before meeting her eyes. “I’m a very respectable gentleman. Won’t do anything you don’t ask me to do. Fair enough?”

  Relief or disappointment? Jayla wasn’t sure which had her frowning at the seemingly simple question. “Fair enough,” she answered.

  An hour in and Jayla had to admit that perhaps the double date idea wasn’t so bad, after all. Tara was so damn commanding, she could carry a conversation by herself. And the way she toggled between reminiscing with Jayla and probing Derrick, she seemed to be handling the routine date questions for them. At first.

  “So what do you do?” Derrick finally asked after Tara and Kevin had made their way to the dance floor.

  Jayla sighed. It was only a matter of time. She toyed with the small piece of salmon lingering on her plate. Sure, she was a bit hazy from the few drinks and was currently babysitting another, but she wasn’t that damn drunk to recognize that question.

  “I’m in marketing.” The way she delivered the practiced statement was so convincing, as if it were the truth. “A marketing consultant, actually.”

  “Nice. So you work for a company I would know?”

  “No. I work for myself.”

  “So you do the business and own the business?”

  Jayla grinned and gave him a wink as she twirled the straw in what remained of her frozen daiquiri. “Oh yeah. I do the business and own it. JM Enterprise.” She went on before he could ask for more details. “So what do you do with Kevin?”

  “I’m in the financing department,” he said. “You know Kevin is in IT, so we really don’t see each other much.”

  Jayla glanced at Kevin and Tara. They were grinding much too provocatively to the slow song floating through the speakers. “So let me ask you this, Derrick. What did Tara say about me?”

  He grinned. “She said you were a workaholic that needed a steady man in your life.”

  “Well, she is wrong.” Jayla caught the glint in his eye as he knocked back the last swallow of his Hennessy.

  “Is she, now? So you’re not a workaholic?”

  “Ha ha. You know what I mean.” And normally, she probably would’ve been pissed at Tara for putting that shit out there, but she was too busy enjoying herself. “I don’t want a steady man in my life.”

  “She didn’t say want.”

  Jayla narrowed her eyes, refusing to be charmed. “Since you’re so sure about my needs, what about yours?”

  Just as she had intended, the casual innuendo caused a flash of desire to color his eyes. When his tongue rolled over his bottom lip, Jayla released a stuttered breath. Even as her heartbeat picked up, she kept her eyes trained on his in a silent dare.

  Derrick stood and held out his hand. “I need a dance,” he said. “For now.”

  Maybe it was the liquor. No, it was definitely the liquor. But Jayla couldn’t find any kind of excuse to refuse the invitation. So she yielded, allowed herself to be steered to the glistening oak parquet dance floor. She didn’t object when he guided her arms to circle his neck and his hands lowered to grasp her waist. The sultry melody prompted the gentle sway of her hips, and she eased her body against his. It felt so natural. So right. And so damn good. Yes, definitely the liquor.

  * * *

  She felt the need to wake up. Jayla lifted her lids, squinted against the beginnings of daylight seeping through the blinds. The dull throb of a headache had her rolling over in the satin sheets on a groan.

  Damn, she shouldn’t have had all those shots. She could’ve kicked herself for trying to “turn up” like some virgin college freshman. She barely remembered the events that had taken place. Fuzzy images of knocking back Patrón and tequila, sipping a few margaritas, and dancing flitted through her mind. She’d had a great time. That she did remember. Derrick had enjoyed making her laugh, and she’d been completely relaxed in his presence. Even after Kevin and Tara had called it quits, she’d insisted on staying longer, listening to him joke about work, crazy college roommates, and an ex-fiancée who had gotten cold feet and had disappeared without so much as a backward glance.

  Jayla pulled the comforter over her head and shut her eyes against the gleaming rays spilling through the flimsy material. Five minutes. Just five minutes and she’d be able to muster enough energy to get up, bathe, and hopefully find something edible in the fridge. She prayed for coffee in the cabinets, even though she couldn’t remember her last trip to the grocery store. She sure as hell needed painkillers.

  Jayla heard a slight rustle and a cough laced with the edges of slumber. She rose to a sitting position and had to pause, as the quick motion had initiated a brief wave of dizziness.

  The room was foggy, but gradually, she focused on a black dresser, a mounted flat-screen TV, and a picture of an older woman she’d never seen before sitting in a frame perched in front of a mirror. She leaned on her elbows, and the aching in her head had her moaning as she continued to take in her surroundings.

  His place, she concluded as she gazed at the masculine furniture, the black and red comforter set, and the weight bench and barbells on the bedroom floor. She caught her reflection in the mirror, saw the sheets pooled at her waist, to reveal her black lace bra and panty set, noticed that her hair was tied back from her face with a rubber band. Damn. What had she done? And where was he?

  She heard another cough and realized it was coming from below. She moaned as she crawled to the edge of the bed to peer over the footboard. There he was, lying on the floor. He’d discarded his shirt and changed into some basketball shorts. Jayla allowed her eyes to sweep over the muscles that rippled on his arms, chest, and stomach, torn between surprise and satisfaction. He lay on his back, a sheet the only barrier between his body and the tan carpet. He hadn’t bothered with a pillow but was using his hands as a support.

  “Figured you’d sleep longer,” Derrick said, his eyes still closed.

  Jayla opened her mouth and closed it again wearily. “Did we . . . ?” she began and saw his lips curve at the insinuation.

  “What do you remember?” he taunted.

  “Not sex.”

  Derrick propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes glinting with obvious amusement. “Must not have been as good for you as it was for me.”

  Jayla studied him and had to roll her eyes at the joke. “You’re not funny,” she said. Sighing, she lifted her hand to her head as the pain intensified. Even as she sat there in her panties and bra between the sheets of his king sleigh bed, with only a few snatches of memory, she knew he’d been as respectable a gentleman as he said he would be.

  “We didn’t do anything,” he assured her. “I promise. I just brought you home . . .”

  “Undressed me?”

  Derrick nodded. “Yes. Undressed you. Admired your gorgeous body, since you insisted you were just eye candy. But I did not touch you inappropriately.” He lifted his hand and used his index finger to cross his heart.

  Jayla smiled. Yes, a charmer. And she was definitely attracted. “Thank yo
u.”

  “But,” Derrick went on, “I can’t promise I will be so respectable next time.”

  “Next time?”

  “You want some coffee? And breakfast?” His grin spread, and Jayla saw the hint of cockiness.

  “Real smooth,” she said with a laugh.

  He rose to his feet, and Jayla tried not to notice how the shorts rode low on his hips. “Why don’t you clean up?” he suggested. “There are some towels in the bathroom.” When he tossed her a casual wink, Jayla was surprised to feel a blush warm her cheeks. Where the hell was the sudden coyness coming from? Amused, she couldn’t help the unconscious grin that touched her lips.

  When he shut the door behind him, Jayla pulled herself from the bed and stretched. She eyed the picture on his dresser once more and noted the glaring similarities between Derrick and the older woman. His mother, she guessed, and felt the tiny sting of pain. Her own mother had passed while she was in college, and though they weren’t close, the painful void from her absence was like a poorly bandaged wound. Jayla ran a finger down the faux leather frame and sighed.

  The gorgeous bouquet of lilies she had taken to her mother’s grave a while ago was probably a pile of wilted petals. Jackie had been closer to their mother, so she went more often, but that was still no excuse for Jayla’s infrequent visits. A shame. The guilt that deterred her from going as often as she wanted was the same guilt that compelled her to make the trip to the countryside cemetery once a month. The guilt resulted from the fact that her mother had conveyed to Jayla that she was somehow inadequate, and that had strained their relationship.

  Jayla ignored the rising distress she felt, willed her mind to extinguish the familiar sentiment as quickly as it had come. She tore her eyes away from the photograph and swept her gaze over the other items that littered his dresser. Nosiness tempted her to open his drawers, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Maybe it was her evaluation mindset. Jayla caught her frown reflected in the oversize mirror. It wasn’t like he was her assignment. So what the hell was she looking for? And, more importantly, why the hell did she care? She turned and crossed into the connecting bathroom.