Alyssa’s big, brown eyes lit up with excitement and promise. “Oh yes!” she cheered. “A reason to shop for something new.”
15 | SKAI
“Hey, what are you doing, superstar.”
I looked up from paperwork, to find my boss, Dionne, leaning against my office door. As usual, she was in something straight off the rack. This time it was a sexy, form-fitting cream dress that stopped right above her knees, and nude stilettos. Diamonds were everywhere—her ears, wrists, and around her neck. Dionne was stylish as hell, and looked amazing in whatever she wore.
“Hey, Dionne. Not much. What you doing?”
“On my way downstairs. The car service that’s taking me to the airport is on the way.”
“Must be nice having all these millionaires on your team, waiting to be the chosen one.”
“It’s fun. Just something to relax my mind. But there won’t be anybody being chosen. Work is my priority. And the minute you settle down, they get to whining about not enough time spent. Cheating because they feel neglected. Bugging you about having babies and all that shit. I’m not ready for a whiny, needy-ass man, or a whiny needy-ass kid. Not yet. I got empires to build. After that, maybe. Emphasis on the maybe…”
“Dang, Dionne. You got it all mapped out, huh?”
“I do. And you do too.”
“I wish.”
“No, you do. Look at you and the position you’re in. You knew exactly what you wanted and you went for it. You’re in prime position for whatever you choose to do—whether it’s in this executive staffing industry or not. You’ll be going nowhere but upward. Just don’t go letting no man tie you down early. You’re young, beautiful, smart, and successful. Stay bossed the fuck up, and then later on—way later on—let a man take the pressure off.”
“That’s good advice. That’s why I went ahead and walked away from Daniel. He was pushing way too hard. Wanted me to move in with him. Was talking about getting engaged and all that.”
“Uhh…” Dionne threw her hand in the air. “Hell no. Way too soon for that. And I saw how clingy he was. You’re beautiful, so who can blame the guy? But he was doing too much.”
“I agree. And I think my Mama and Grams were looking forward to meeting him on this trip home. But that ain’t gonna happen.”
“Puhlease! Going with you on trips home? No, Boo.” Dionne padded over to give me a hug. “You have fun; and check in with a sistah so I can know how it’s going. I’ll see you in two weeks.”
“Will do. Have fun. Text me some pictures!” I shouted after her.
Seconds after disappearing from sight, Dionne was back in my doorway smiling.
“Uh-oh… what?”
“I left something out of that whole speech.”
“What?”
“The exception to the rule is if he’s rich, go for it now… not later.” She started laughing and headed on her way, for good this time. “Hugs, superstar!”
“You’re something else, Dionne!” I yelled after her.
~*~*~
After Dionne left my office, I took a slow stroll to the door. I peeked out to see if anybody was coming. When I saw that nobody was, I closed it.
Back inside, I slumped in one of the guest chairs at the window and stared out at my view, in contemplation. New York was so beautiful. Far from peaceful, with its constantly moving pace, but it was an enticing place to be. The market for exposure, and for upward mobility, was on the rise. And what better place for a young black woman to get far ahead, and have staying power in the corporate world?
At some point during my sophomore year in high school, I knew that I was going to leave home. I had to get away from the toxicity that had been my life. My parents had grown to hate each other, but tried to act as though all was good in front of me. I was never a dummy, so I knew that they weren’t cool. I also knew that it was my father’s fault.
Thanks to his sloppiness, I had heard one of his phone calls to one of the many tramps that ultimately destroyed our family unit. I never told my mother. In my mind, she knew and chose to stay. And since I was ninety-nine-percent sure that she stayed because of me, then I was going to make sure that I removed myself from the equation—to free my mother.
I’d considered the Bay Area for school, and even Florida, but it was ultimately New York. At the time, I didn’t stop to think about why I chose to be so far, but deep down, I knew. The further the better. Staying close to home would have made me feel obligated to make time for a father I didn’t respect. It also would have given me a forced front-row seat to watching my mother become one of those women who completely gave up on relationships. I needed an escape so that I could ensure that I maintained a healthy state of mind.
New York gave me that, and then some.
I couldn’t have made a better choice. Because now, when I looked at how far I’d come, I was in the best position that a girl my age, could be in. I had been blessed with Dionne, the mentor of all mentors. Likewise, my rise to the top, hadn’t so much as paused. On top of all of that, Dionne had become like family. She was the big sister I never had, and I loved the relationship we shared. She took me in, and allowed me to soak up knowledge, every chance she had it to give. Because of her, I knew all the ins and outs of not just executive recruiting, but human resources too.
And all before the age of 25.
Buuuut… Now, looking out of the window, and into the air and beyond, my head was back in Las Vegas. Ever since I found out that I was going to have a little brother or sister, I couldn’t think of much else. My mom was happy, but scared. She worried about her age, and the risks of giving birth. She was paranoid about everything from carrying to full-term, to the issues my new sibling would have because of his or her being mixed race. I had to tell her more than once, how, not only was everything going to be okay, but that I would fuck somebody all the way up for fucking with me and mine.
Not that my mama didn’t already know this, but reassuring her had become a constant reoccurrence.
Zane, on the other hand, was excited as hell. If he catered to her before, it was on ten now! I loved what they had built. Creating a child came early in the relationship, but I didn’t care. I just cared that Miss Giselle moved on, and allowed the love of a good man to swallow her whole.
Every single time I was on FaceTime with them, the joy was written all over Zane’s face. This new baby was going to have so much love, it wasn’t even funny. Being an only child had its ups and downs. On the upside was being spoiled rotten. And that was an understatement. I had any and everything that I asked for. Had all the attention I needed. But there were those times that I did wish for a sibling. Somebody I could go through life with. Someone that would always be there for me—who I could always be there for. And even though I was about to have that person enter my life at an age where I was damn near old enough to be their mom, it still had me ready to love on them to the point of suffocation.
I just hoped that I would be okay with doing all that loving, from the Big Apple. That I wouldn’t have withdrawals once I met that little person, then had to return to my regularly scheduled life. Because if that happened, then I didn’t know if New York would be able to hold onto me…
16 | CICELY
CiCi studied the mocha-skinned beauty, with a five-foot-ten stature, big brown doe-shaped eyes, and a big mane of natural curls. Dina Lampkin had shown up to her residence a short five minutes before, and was still flipping through the screens on her Surface Pro. Dressed in a pink frosted dress, nude pumps, and a turquoise blazer, CiCi could tell she was the one who dressed for success, no matter the occasion. Cicely admired the professionalism, but even in admiration, patience was not one of her stronger attributes; and the Dina woman had maybe another minute to get her shit together.
“You have a beautiful home here, Cicely,” she complimented after finally arriving to the screen she needed. She looked up and across the room to where CiCi sat, glaring. “Are there two stories here?”
“There�
�s three. Well, two and a half, with the third being something of a loft. Are we ready to get started yet?” CiCi asked, still trying to be nice, although slightly irritated.
“Oh yes. Absolutely. Please accept my sincerest apologies. I know you gave me the wi-fi information, but somehow my system was still acting a little glitchy. I’m ready when you are. And before we get started, I just wanted you to know that I’m going to make this perfect for you. I worked closely with Sable, and now with Elise, who was very clear on just how important this is. I’m your girl. I’ll be giving it all my all.”
CiCi brought the stone mug of Jasmine tea to her mouth and sipped slowly. After a few sips, she sat the mug down, and rested her hands around the sides. “I’m glad to hear that. How is Elise, by the way?”
“Umm…” Dina stammered through the question. Cicely suspected it was because Dina was in the know about the situation, and didn’t want to let on. CiCi respected the loyalty and discretion the woman upheld. “She’s… umm... she was good when I saw her. I think she’s fine.”
CiCi knew it was lies, so she made a note to check in on the young woman again sometime during the week.
“Good to hear. Can I get you anything to drink? A snack?”
“I’ll take water if it’s not too much trouble.”
After grabbing a glass of purified water for her guest, CiCi was ready to get down to business.
“Okay, if you can just start by telling me what you’ve already done, so that I can know for sure that we are on schedule with next weekend.”
“Yes, I’ll go down the list and you can stop me as needed:
All-white has been stressed in the invitations sent out. RSVP’s are still coming in, but we’re almost at 100% for the 100 on the guest list.
Security has been hired.
Parking attendants have been hired.
The order for the two custom cakes has been fulfilled.
Catering from …” Dina paused to chuckle, causing Cicely to do the same, since she knew what the joke was. “… from Raising Cane’s, Rosati’s, and Le Thai,” Dina finished.
“What a menu, right?” CiCi shrugged. “He’s a man. And we know how random they can be.”
“Do we ever!” Dina agreed, in laughter. “I can’t lie, though. The Thai sounds delish.”
“And it is. Some of the best I’ve had. I’ll definitely have me some before I take off and let the kids do their thing.”
The DJ was hired.
Both Queen Naija, and DJ Quick have signed their contracts to appear.
I gained access to the space and took the design team with me. They’ll be doing their thing two days prior the party.
“Okay, let me interrupt you for a quick second,” CiCi said. “Everything sounds great. Seems like you’re really on top of things. As far as the guest list goes, I’d only like to allot an extra 20 or so outside of that list. Meaning, that the number of those not on the guest list… is not to exceed 20. I don’t want this turning into a—”
“Fully understood. The invitations specified that the invite was for a single person. That if they planned to bring a plus-one, it needed to be stated at the time of the RSVP.”
“Wonderful.” CiCi sighed, in relief. “It’s a huge space and can accommodate many. I just don’t want the excess to be made up of those who aren’t intimately connected. One-hundred is already a lot, but my God son knows quite a few people. And this particular birthday is special. He wanted to go really small. I didn’t.”
“I understand.”
“Perfect!” CiCi exclaimed, clapping her hands before locking her fingers together. “And so now that we’ve gotten business out of the way…” CiCi stood from her seat and reached out for Dina’s hand. “… How about I make us a few drinks, and then you can tell me how Elise is really doing?”
17 | TREVOR
“Ohhh! Trevor! Ahhh… Tre-Tre-Tre… vorr! “Ohhh!”
Making a woman scream my name had long-ago stopped stroking my ego. A woman’s pleasure was something that I set out to master when I was younger. And that was only for what I could get out of the deal. At a point, making a woman’s pussy spazz made me feel like I was the man. Made me wonder if other men had the same gift. That curiosity was what drove me to want to be the best at it. Jenna, the woman I was currently with, hadn’t even had the pleasure of my dick yet. She was losing her shit off of a finger-bang. Whether I was going to give her muscle, wasn’t a decision I’d made yet.
I should’ve been turned on by the fact that she was fully nude, and that her body—a nice, dark-chocolate body—was on full display. Definitely aesthetically pleasing. She was thick-boned with firm thighs and rounded hips. Her breasts were just as round and nicely stacked. But even with all that, she was still a take-it or leave-it, as far as I was concerned.
“You’re not about to leave me hanging, are you Trevor?” Jenna asked, post-orgasm. “Foreplay was good. But I really want that,” she pointed south, looking to be rewarded. “You had to know I was going to be calling, when I saw you at Davidoff’s the other night.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
She threw a leg aside, which gave me a full view of the place she wanted me to pull into. I loved the look of a pretty tulip. It was the only time I was into the color pink.
“Sooo… where do you want me? We can stay on this sofa, we can get on the floor, I got a beautiful marble shower. Orrr… I have a few beds in this big ol’ empty house that have our names on them.”
“Imagine that,” I stated dryly.
“Yeah, imagine that.”
She rose up on her elbows, then removed her other leg from my lap and stood up in front of me. Instinctively, my hands found their way onto her waist. I was about to pull her to me, when she began to put on a show. I dropped my hands to allow her the space she needed to perform.
Her hands cupped around her breasts, and she started to squeeze and massage them, prompting her nipples to erect. My dick soon followed. I knew the tent was only going to continue inflating, so I unbuttoned my fly, adjusted myself, and let it grow.
Stepping closer, she slid one foot on the sofa next to me, then began to play with her own juices—two, then three digits at a time. In and out her fingers went. Out and back in again, she began biting down on her bottom lip, moaning as she gyrated against the pressure of her own prodding. “Mmm… aahhh…” she groaned repeatedly, her chest heaving slowly as she got into a more vicious flow.
I won’t even lie. Watching her jack herself off, was hot as fuck.
While she handled her business, I tended to mine. I stroked my shaft up and down, mimicking the rhythm she followed. Couldn’t believe that at first, I was on the fence about fucking her. Because now, with my dick as hard as dry asphalt, that’s exactly what I wanted to do.
On the verge of busting a nut, I allowed my head to fall back onto the sofa. I was there. Right at my peak and ready to explode, when I felt movement next to me. My eyes fell open, and I prepared to lift my head to investigate. But there was no need. Suddenly, Jenna had ditched her performance, and was on the floor. She cast my hand aside, and proceeded to pick up where I had left off. Only there were no hands being used; it was lips, tongue, and tonsils.
And just like that, previous reservations aside, I was booked for the next few hours…
18 | CICELY
“Dina, this is my good friend, Melody Mathis, attorney magnifique. Melody, this is Dina Lampkin, event planner extraordinaire.”
Cicely’s two guests exchanged smiles, and shook hands, to solidify the introductions.
“It’s nice to meet you, Dina.”
“Likewise, Melody.” Moments later, Dina began gathering her things. “Cicely, I’ll be in touch,” she said, preparing her exit. “I’m going to head out, so I can pin down the final details.”
CiCi patted the woman on her back affectionately. “I have no doubts that you and your team will make it a night to remember.”
“Melody, sweetie… go ahead and make yourself at home,
while I see Dina to the edge of the walkway.”
“I’ll be right here…” Melody sang out.
“Hey there, P.Y.T.!”
It was ten minutes later when CiCi returned to the entertainment room, to join her friend Melody. Her smile entered the room like a ray of sunshine, as she plopped down on the large, comfortable sofa and let out a hefty sigh.
Melody turned away from the view outside the double slider, a bottle of water in one hand, and tugging on the hem of her pink Victoria Secret shirt, with the other.
“I hope that’s a sigh of relief,” Melody said.
“A little bit. But for every little bit of pressure that comes off my shoulders, a little more gets added.”
“Whew… don’t I know it.” Melody made her way to the seating area, and sat down. She placed her bottle on the glass end table. “But are you good?”
“I’m great. I appreciate you asking. It’s not business. Business is, as always… good. This situation is more of a personal nature. Dina just gave me an earful, and a lot of what I didn’t want to hear. But I’ll deal with that later. Right now, I’m excited about Trevor’s party. You stopping by?”
She shook her head slowly. “Can’t make it. I have me a date that night in Tahoe.”
CiCi tilted her head and squinted. A smile crept across her face. “Now, if you weren’t coated in that beautiful Hershey layer of goodness, I’m 100 percent sure I’d see rosy cheeks from all that blushing. You might as well spill, right now. You know I’m all for a good love story.”
Melody coyly crossed one leg over the other, then grinned. “Well…” she started, wrapping herself in an embrace. “It’s not a love story; but I did take a new lover, girl. And when I tell you it’s the most amazing sex, I’ve ever encountered… it’s literally the most amazing sex, I’ve ever encountered.”
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