By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. In one fell swoop, I had her laying on her back, and her shorts off. Which took no effort, since they were as thin as the wind.
“Zane!” she shrieked. “You said we were going to talk!”
“I am going to talk… to her.”
Her resistance was well-played. She pushed against my head in protest, but she had the strength to push me away if she really wanted to. She wanted it, and I was going to give it to her.
“Zaaanne…” she moaned. “Youuu… ch-ch-cheeeated. Ohhh, you cheated…”
I spread her open further. I lifted her thighs, and put my entire face into storm. I spoke and spoke, pleading for emotion with my tongue… until she cried on my face. The beauty of her cries made me want to console even more. So, I kept going until I heard her scream out my name, and her fountain of ecstasy splashed all over my face.
33 | Cicely
“Grammm! Why have you not been answering your phone?” Skai scolded over FaceTime. “Y’all know I want updates. I tried calling my mom, and she didn’t answer. A few times! And now you finally pick up the phone. What is the problem with everybody?!”
Cicely McCall laughed out loud at her hyper, and very bossy granddaughter. In all her beauty, whenever Cicely looked at her, it was like looking at Giselle’s replica. They looked so much like each other, it was eerie sometimes—especially since they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter. They shared the same pecan skin tone, and beautiful brown eyes. Only differences being that Skai had freckles, and was a bit slimmer than Giselle. Other than that, they were twinning.
“Shouldn’t you be sleep? You do have work in the morning, right?” Cicely charged, jokingly.
“And I’m going to sleep as soon as I can get updates. You hung me up after Mama got in her feels, and I haven’t talked to anybody but Zane.”
Cicely laughed out loud, while shaking her head. “I’m surprised he answered. He was left to do cleanup,” she kidded. “That girl is the same as she was when she was a kid when she gets mad. Can hold a grudge until the end of time. Just sad.”
Skai’s face showed remorse, and slight sadness. “Gram, do you think we went too far? Mama really prepped for your visit. She was nervous, and worried that you wouldn’t approve. Spent all day on the food and everything. She was nervous about you meeting Zane. Because you know how you get.”
“How I get? Oh no. I’m offended.”
Skai gave a side eye to her grandmother. “Stop it, lady!” she laughed. “Over there looking like you 45… 50. And who told you that could dye your hair auburn? Just being fast out in these streets.”
“Just being grown out in these streets,” she corrected.
“I just hope I’m lucky like you and Mama when I get old.”
“Old?! Girrrl!”
“I kid, I kid!”
“You better be kidding. Old ain’t even in my vocabulary.”
“Slow down, G. Let’s reel it in. You ‘bout to go off the ledge like your child.”
“Whatever little girl. What do you want? Because I was busy before you called.”
“Busy? With what?”
Cicely gave Skai a blank stare that read, ‘Ain’t ya business’. “Speak your peace or the call is getting disconnected.”
“Whew, so rude. My goodness. Only child, only grandchild. I should get more love than—”
“3… 2…”
“Okay, okay… okayyy! I just wanted to check to see how mad my mom was after I got off the phone.”
“Girl, please. If she was mad, that fine-ass man of hers can turn that around quickly. Shit, I’d bet my life on that. You did good, baby. In fact, I think I feel a way that you haven’t put that kind of energy into finding your G-Ma a man!”
“Youuu! Oh my God!” Skai exclaimed, bursting into laughter. “Need to quit it! Like you need my help!”
“You’re right,” Cicely bragged. “I got this. No assistance needed.”
“Stuck-up, much?”
“Ha, ha, ha. But really though, Skai. Stop worrying about your Mama.”
“I’m try—”
“Try harder. Listen, all jokes aside. I like Zane for her. He’s successful, he’s fine, he adores her. I see that all in his eyes, in his actions. She has a man that is there for the long haul. And she’s happy. But, baby. You have to let go. You’re carrying this burden of thinking you have to babysit your Mama. You don’t. She’s okay. Okay?” Cicely watched as the eyes that always held a world of happiness and excitement, suddenly glossed over. “No. I don’t want you to cry. You love your Mama. I see that. And I know you bore witness, to what was almost the destruction of her. But she’s okay. You don’t have to worry about her. Live your life, baby. You hearing me?” Cicely questioned.
Skai nodded slowly. “I hear you.”
“Do you really hear me, though?”
“I do. I just want to make sure she’s good. I worry about her.”
“You worry about her because of Galen’s foul-ass actions. I’m not going to drag your daddy right now; it’s disrespectful. But—”
“It’s okay, Grams. Facts are facts; he’s the reason. But you’re right. Mama’s moved past that, and she’s happy. So now I can relax. And I will… relax” Skai smiled wide, her eyes lighting up.
“I’m glad to hear that. Now, get you some beauty rest for work. Your G-Ma got a full night ahead of her.”
“Ewww! I’m out!” Skai yelled, disconnecting the line, leaving Cicely laughed hysterically, in her wake.
“That got her off the phone quickly, huh?” Cicely said, to the beautiful, extremely fit specimen standing at the foot of her bed, waiting for permission to do what he came for. “Now, I guess it’s time for you to get me off…”
34 | Zane
Early Monday morning…
“Zane, why are you staring? You know I can sense those eyes on me, right?”
“It’s hard not to.”
“Try. It’s throwing me off my game. Like you did last night?”
“Sorry, I can’t help you with that. Unfortunately, there’s nothing else here that could serve as a better distraction.”
She finally looked up, her eyes landing right on mine. “You know, distractions aren’t good, right? They’re very bad. They keep you from what you’re really supposed to be doing.”
“You… as my distraction could never be wrong. So, whatever ancient thinker came up with that, needs to go back to his or her stupid drawing board and add a few exceptions.”
She shook her head and smiled. “Come over here and kiss me, please.”
I was all too happy to oblige, making my way over to where she sat, and pulling her to me. “It’s my pleasure.” With that, our lips locked, and my tongue soon found its way onto the softness of hers, where together, they engaged in a slow, sensual dance.
“Why is it that I can’t resist you?” she uttered, when we our mouths parted. “I mean, that’s not good…” She breathed heavily against my mouth. “It’s good… but damn.”
“‘But damn’ is right, baby. I don’t think I’ve been this magnetically drawn to a woman, ever. You got me.” I kissed her lips again. “Wrapped around all ten of your beautiful fingers. For life.”
“Zane…” She paused after saying my name. Her eyes glossed over, causing me in turn, to shake my head. I didn’t want to see her cry.
“Don’t,” I told her. “Tears are not ever what I want to see from you.”
“They’re happy tears, though. I promise you; they are.”
“Happy or not. I don’t want that. Just laughs, giggles, and smiles. That’s it.”
She lowered her head slightly, shaking tears loose, then looking up at me. “The words you said just touched me—deep. I felt them. Like, felt them in my heart. And if I didn’t know that my heart was safe with you before, I damn sure know it is now. And… I just… I thank you for that. From the bottom of my heart. I thank you.”
“You clearly don’t know how ea
sy it is to love you. You can’t know.”
She stared at me as though I had just said something that she was trying to decipher, the whole time her eyes wide, not a blink in sight. “Love… me?” she asked, her voice low and laced with surprise.
“Wait. I said that? I said… love? You sure?”
The expression on Giselle’s beautiful face turned blank. She shrugged her shoulders, and smirked. “I don’t know. Did you?” she questioned.
I tried holding on to the serious expression as long as I could. Up until she bit down on the corner of her lip, and her eyes morphed into beads of anger.
“Giselle, are you about to beat me up? Because you know that’s illegal, right? Abuse is against so many laws it’s not even funny.”
She wriggled free of my grasp, then walked around to the back of her office chair. “You want to talk about what’s not funny?” she charged, this time with a hand on her hip. “Playing around with that word.”
“What word, though?”
“Oh my God. Are you serious right now?”
She moved from where she stood, and began to march her way out of her in-law suite. She was so swift that I almost didn’t get to her before she was out of the door. I couldn’t help myself when I broke into laughter.
“Giselle, baby… where are you going?” I asked, latching onto her waist from behind.
She was stern in her response. “It’s almost 6. I need to get in the shower.”
“Can I come?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, I’m coming anyway,” I teased. I couldn’t see her face from my angle, but I knew she was pissed off at me. I also knew enough to know that it was time to stop playing with her.
Her hands latched onto mine, where she began the process of freeing herself from my hold.
“Then I’ll wait until you’re done. Or better yet, there’s three other showers in this house. Have at it.”
She was on her way after that. She didn’t storm off, but it was something like that. I watched as she moved further and further away, becoming hypnotized by the sway of her hips. The view was phenomenal, but I didn’t want to let her get too far. However, even when I called out to her, she kept on her stroll. Just as she was mere steps away from disappearing from my view, I yelled out, “I love you, Giselle!”
She abruptly stopped where she stood, one foot still in front of the other. It took a few paused moments, but she slowly turned around, choosing to remain in place. I scanned her form in the distance, from her yellow pajama t-shirt that stopped mid-thigh, to her bare feet. Her hair was a disheveled mane of sexy. She looked as beautiful, as innocent as ever in her speechless state.
“Permission to enter your space?” I asked her, while proceeding in her direction. “I mean, you seemed like you were in a hurry. Never wanna stop you from where you’re trying to go.”
“You play way too much,” she whispered when I was right up on her.
“I would never play about my love for you. That’s the one thing I would never play about. But see, here’s the thing…” I said, leaning down to kiss her. “I also don’t want to be in a one-sided love affair. I mean, for you I could. But not for—”
“There you go playing again,” she interjected. She was quiet for a few seconds. I watched her intently the whole time, waiting for the rest of what she had to express. For a few seconds, she held her eyes low, while fidgeting with the hem of her shorts. “I love you too, Zane,” she confessed. She looked up at me wearing a big smile, then grabbed my hands into hers. “You’re not in anything one-sided.”
“I like the sound of that,” I told her. “I also like the sound of that shower you mentioned. I say we get there. How about you?”
She brought her hand to my growing excitement. With a bright smile, she replied, “I say we get there too…”
One month later…
35 | Giselle
“Giselle? You there?”
“I’m here. I guess I zoned out for a sec. My bad.”
“No worries. I didn’t know if you’d sat the phone down and forgot I was here, or what.”
“Girl, please. I can be forgetful at times. But I ain’t quite senile. Not yet.”
“Not yet? If you don’t stop. You’re still young as hell.”
“I’m 42. Just the forty in front of that—”
“Means nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Says the 38-year-old with the world at her feet…”
“And from what I hear, you have somebody trying to put the world at your feet. I’m not going back and forth with you today, Giselle. I got the rest of my day to get to. For regular folk the work day is over. For me, it just started. Just know I’m here for whatever you decide to do. Though, you already know what I’m hoping.”
“Yes, Dr. Sydney… I do. But are you sure?”
“Absolutely sure. Eight weeks and counting. So, we’re looking at an April baby.”
“Whew,” I puffed. “Sydney, isn’t this considered high-risk?”
“Technically, that’s what they try to say. But women have babies in their 40’s all the time, Giselle. Any of your concerns, we can go over once you make your decision. We’ll get you in for your first official appointment, do blood work and all of that. You’re healthy, you’re young… I say you got this. But ultimately, the decision is yours. So, like I said, when you decide, let me know. Now, I have to go. I want to say, ‘Congratulations’, but I’m not sure you feel that it is a celebration, so I’ll refrain. We’ll talk soon?”
“We will.”
“Okay, well you have a good one.”
“You too, Syd…”
An hour later, I still sat on the rim of the bathtub at my house. I couldn’t bring myself to move from that spot. I’d been there since before Sydney called me back. Why? Taking another pregnancy test that sat yards away from me on the counter with a big-ass pink plus sign on it. I ran by my OB/GYN last week to take a blood test, and knew I would get the call today. But I guess, I figured I’d take another one for the hell of it. Though there was no denying. My appetite was weird. Queasiness had become a daily part of my life, and my senses had heightened like a damn wolf! I knew. I just didn’t know that I wanted to know.
I stood up and immediately felt a head rush. On top of that, my legs were cramped from having sat too long. I shook my legs out, and rolled my neck. Thoughts swirled around and around with everything from wondering if I would have a boy or a girl, to… You’re too old for this, to… What am I gonna do?! It was too much, but definitely something I needed to figure out. The fact that it wasn’t an automatic ‘No’ for me, told me that while I wasn’t all the way onboard with things, that I wasn’t completely off either.
My house phone blaring, scared the hell out of me. Immediately, I thought to myself to turn off the ringers on all the Lan lines. It rang way too loudly. Didn’t need to advertise that I wasn’t home, even though my house was well-secured.
I ran to the other side of my room to grab the phone from my nightstand, and answered. “Baby, what’s going on? I’m at the door. Been calling your cell.”
“Oh shit! Zane! I’m sorry. Coming right now, babe.” I quickly made my way to the front of the house, and snatched open the front door. “Sorry about that!” I said, falling into his arms. “Never bothered giving you a key, because I’ve been with you.”
“Where you belong,” he added, backing me up into the house.
“Wait, baby. Not so quick. You go ahead inside. Let me check this mail real quick and do my ritual of throwing away the junk.”
“When are you going to put in a change of address?” Zane asked when I made my way back to the front door.
“Change of address?”
“You don’t live here, Giselle,” he acknowledged. I started to laugh, walking inside, and plopping down on the sofa near the window. “What’s funny?”
I looked up from a piece of junk mail. “You’re serious?”
“Dead-ass serious. You alread
y have a key. You have your own office. You’ve been there every day for the last two months.” He shrugged his shoulders, and stretched out his hands. “I thought it would’ve happened already.”
“Zane, really?” I asked him. “You want to live with me every single day? All the time?”
“What do you think?” he asked, flashing me a smile that won me over every time.
I was full-on blushing as I sifted through the last pieces of mail. “What I think…” My voice trailed when I looked at the second to the last piece of mail in my hand. Next thing I knew, Zane was sitting next to me, rubbing my back.
“Baby, what’s going on?” he asked. When I was slow to respond, he lifted my chin and turned my face toward him. “Baby, you’re shaking. What’s—”
“It’s from Kameelah…”
36 | Giselle
“So, it means she’s okay. Baby, relax,” Zane urged, still rubbing my back. “You want me to open it for you?”
“I don’t know that this means she’s okay.” I leaned my head back, staring up at the ceiling. A low-thumping headache threatened to surface.
“Not necessarily. Look at the date stamp on it. It’s from a month ago. Had to come right after I came to check mail last. Since I pay my stuff online mostly, I don’t even really trip. But… I need a drink,” I said, standing to my feet with the letter in my hand.
But just as quickly as I stood, I sat back down remembering that I was with child. A child I hadn’t yet told Zane about. And now this…
“Want me to get it?” Zane offered when I sat back down.
“No, baby. It’s okay. I’m just wondering if I need to call the Detective.”
“Well, maybe open the letter first. You may not need to do that.”
“You’re right.” Without hesitating any longer, I tore across the seal.
Inside was a thick padding, made up of several pieces of folded, dark green paper. The moment I pulled the paper out, several bills of money fell onto my lap. I looked at Zane, who was just as focused as I was on the contents of the envelope. I unfolded the papers, and inside was a type-written letter:
Risqué 2 (Love in Sin City) Page 14