by Sequaia
“Man, that ho’s lying. Either way, both of y’all can get the fuck out of my place of business.” Mike wasn’t intimidated in the least.
I grabbed my purse, pulling it into my chest, and looked at my savior for a sign of what to do. I mean, hauling ass was at the top of my list, but I didn’t want to leave without him because there was no telling what Mike would try. Handsome Face nodded before turning and knocking Mike right on his ass. He struck him hard.
“Bitch ass, bet not never catch you trying this type of shit with another woman,” he told Mike as he motioned for me to come near him.
“Fuck you and her. She just ruined any chance she ever had working in this industry,” Mike yelled, holding his nose, which was leaking blood.
“Let’s go.” He took me by my elbow, not forcibly, and I walked out with him.
“You all right?”
“No, but I will be, though. Thank you so much. Who knows what would have happened if you didn’t come in there when you did.”
“Let’s not think about that. The worse didn’t happen because I did show up.” He smiled, and my heart melted.
“I’m Aúrea.” Introducing myself seemed like the right thing to do, given he just saved me from a fucking pervert.
“I’m Adrian, Aúrea. It’s nice to meet you. Wish it had been under better circumstances, but the pleasure is still all mine.”
I wasn’t sure what else to say to him, so instead, I removed my phone from my purse, deciding now was the time to get my Uber. I’d walk up the street a couple of blocks to get as far away from this building as possible.
“You need me to walk you to your car?”
“Oh, I didn’t drive. I was gonna call Uber.”
“Nah, I can’t let you come across any more strangers today. Let me give you a ride. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. All I care about is you making it to your destination safely.”
“That’s okay, really.”
“It’s not, so come on.” He extended his arm, and without hesitation, I took it. I’m not sure what kind of spell this man had cast on me so quickly, but I was going to trust him to get me to the café safely. From there, I’d have Nijah pick me up. There was no way I would get through a day of work after what I dealt with today.
“Do you know that guy?”
“Who, Mike? Nah, not personally. I mean, he’s a big deal and one of the people to see out here if you’re looking to make it in Hollywood.”
“So, when he said I’d never work, he was actually telling the truth?”
“Pretty much. I mean, he can really make it hard for you to get acting or modeling gigs.”
“Well, I guess I’ll never work because if whoring myself off is what he or anyone else expects from me, then they are gonna always be disappointed, and I’ll always be blackballed.” I sat back in the seat of his car and folded my arms across my chest.
“I mean, I know some people and wouldn’t expect anything from you. Here’s my card. You can also use it to call me just because.” He winked, extending the card to me right as he placed his car in park.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you again.”
“Is this where I can find you?”
“This is where I work.”
“All right.” He smiled at me again, and, boy, did my knees get weak. I knew right then that this would not be my last time seeing Adrian.
9
Aúrea
“And where do you think you’re going?” Nijah asked with a huge grin on her face.
I was admiring myself in the full-length mirror in my bedroom when she knocked once and came in. Though we had our talk about giving me a little more privacy, mainly because I was able to contribute to the bills now, it was apparent that old habits would die slow. At this point, I didn’t even care anymore. If she stopped, I would probably assume something wasn’t right between us.
“On a date, remember?”
“Hmm, I do. And you’re going out with hero boy, right?”
“Hero man, because he’s older than both of us. But his name, Adrian, will work just fine. He helped me out of a jam. Calling him hero boy or hero period is a bit much.”
“It was a joke. Is he picking you up from here?”
“I mean, he can. But I wasn’t sure about that, so I told him I would meet him at the restaurant.”
“This is your home too. Why would you not find it okay to get picked up here?”
“It’s not that.” Blowing out my breath, I took a seat on my bed, and Nijah did the same.
“This is all new to me. I haven’t dated or had a boyfriend in years.”
“Girl, going on a date is like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it. You just have to hop on to be reminded,” she laughed.
“Maybe you’re right,” I shrugged.
“I know I’m right. Don’t overthink it. And make sure you tell him to pick you up from here. I’ve yet to meet him and need to lay eyes on the man taking my little sister out. Ms. Jackie has made a few comments about him. I need to see if she’s right.”
“Ms. Jackie is still old school. She’s judging him based on how he dresses. He’s always respectful when he stops by the café.”
“As he should be. Still, Ms. Jackie has seen way more than our eyes can imagine. I’m sure the woman is seasoned, okay?”
“I know you did not just call her old,” I laughed.
“That word did not come out of my mouth.”
“Honestly, I had a few reservations about Adrian, but he kind of wore me down. He gave me his number, which I didn’t use, and he still came by to check on me . . . something he didn’t have to do. It’s like he knew how traumatic that experience could be or had been and wanted to make sure I was okay, genuinely.”
“You have a point. Him checking on you is sweet. I don’t know; it’s not horrible for you to give him a date. I only want you to keep your eyes open.”
“I got this. I’m never not following my gut anymore. I could have avoided the whole Mike situation had I left with you that day. When I met him, it was obvious something wasn’t right about him, and I should have left. After going through all I did back in Denver, I knew better. But I ignored the signs.”
“Shit happens. It’s what you do with the lesson that matters.” She gave me a reassuring smile before pulling me into a slight hug.
“Thanks, Nahji.”
“Anytime. Now, tell that man to pick you up from here.”
“Done.”
Nijah left my room, and I sent a text to Adrian with our address. He informed me he’d be here within twenty minutes . . . And I’d never known twenty minutes to go by so fast. I didn’t want Nijah to have enough time to ask Adrian a whole lot of questions, so after introducing the two, I ushered him out of the house. He took me to a nice restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, and the food was delicious. Our conversation flowed smoothly, and I was really enjoying myself, so much so that now that we were sitting in front of Nijah’s and my home, I didn’t want the night to end.
“I had a good time.” I turned in my seat, looking Adrian directly in his handsome face. Those eyes of his were so mesmerizing. I could get lost in them and not be in a hurry to find my way back.
“So did I. Hopefully, this means you don’t plan on running from me anymore,” he grinned.
“I wasn’t running from you. My focus has been work, that’s all. Focusing on that is easier than thinking about other things.”
“You know that dude won’t ever fuck with you again.”
“Yes, I’m sure of that. But he is still in my way. I won’t be able to get any casting jobs out here because of him, and it was hard enough trying on my own without any kind of reputation.”
“I told you not to worry about that either. I got you if you let me.”
His words sounded sincere, but I didn’t know anything about how much pull he actually had in the industry. He would have to show me.
“Aúrea?”
The delicacy in his tone as he call
ed my name made me shudder in a good way.
“Yes.”
“Can I kiss you?”
The last time I was asked that question, I was almost a rape victim again. Those words grossed me out and made me want to run away in fear. Oddly, this time, all I wanted to do was let him.
“Yes.”
Adrian wasted no time, gently taking me by the chin and placing his soft, full lips on mine. His kiss started slow, a couple of pecks to gauge my comfort, I assumed, before going in. Once his tongue entered my mouth and brushed against mine, I thought I would lose it. He had my body on a level of fire it never experienced before. Then he pulled away.
“You should probably go inside.” He tried adjusting his pants subtly, but I saw him, even saw the bulge in them too.
“If it’s okay, I’d like to go with you.” Where did those words come from? The voice didn’t sound like mine, but only two of us were in this car, and his lips weren’t moving.
“Nah, that’s not what you want, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything with me.”
“It is, and I don’t. Let’s go.”
Adrian started the car and pulled away from the curb, proof that I didn’t have to ask him twice. Truthfully, if he hesitated any longer, I would probably change my mind and take my ass in the house where I probably should have been going anyway. My legs shook the entire ride. To say I was nervous was an understatement. Underneath the nervousness, excitement brewed too.
“We’re here.” I looked up at the nice brownstone home as he parked in front. Adrian exited the car first, walking to my side and helping me out.
“You live here alone?” It seemed like a lot of house for only one person.
“Yeah,” he chuckled as I looked around the living room. Furniture was there, but the walls were bare. The typical male pad, I guess. I didn’t get to look at much else as he took my hand and led me to the back of the house where his bedroom was.
From the moment my feet hit the carpet of his room, Adrian was on me. He gently lay me on his bed, hovering over me, alternating between pecking my lips and gazing into my eyes. This man had me on the verge of climaxing, and he hadn’t penetrated me yet. I couldn’t tell if my yearning for him came from not being with a man in years or if Adrian really made me feel that way.
“Is something wrong?”
“Nah, I’m just thinking that if we do this, you’re mine, and I’m yours.”
“What do you mean?” No, I wasn’t that naive, but his commitment seemed to be a bit over the top.
“Look, Aúrea, you know I like you. A lot. I can’t see myself sleeping with you just to do it. If I need pussy, I can get it from anywhere. You’re not the kind of woman who should be fucked without commitment or on a whim. Many niggas would do you like that, but I’m none of them, though. So if we gonna do this, I need to know that it’s the start of some real shit. You belong to me, all right?”
“All right,” I said breathlessly. Why I had agreed so quickly, I didn’t know. It only felt right to agree, so I did. Adrian smiled before leaning back in, kissing me with so much passion that I knew things were only about to get better.
He went from my lips to my neck and did this swirly thing with his tongue and had my body lifting from the bed in pure pleasure. I had no clue about this spot on my neck, so how he found it was unbeknownst to me. He continued making his way down, taking time to pleasure each of my breasts, kissing my belly button, and removing my panties. When his tongue introduced itself to my clit, I felt my soul leave my body. I’d only had pleasurable head from one guy, Prentice, and since we both were young, who knows if he was doing it right. What Adrian was doing to my body was different. And within a matter of minutes, I came. Hard.
“Damn, Aúrea, this pussy tastes so good.”
A lazy grin was all I could produce as my chest heaved up and down. I had never had an orgasm that left me breathless, even the ones I gave myself.
Slowly, he slid back up my body, hovering over me as the tip of his manhood poked at my entrance.
Years. That’s how long it’s been since I had any form of penetration, and from the sight of Adrian’s bulge and what I was feeling from him only poking at my entrance, I knew I was in for a huge surprise.
“You sure about this?” he checked again, which I appreciated.
Making eye contact with him, I nodded and gasped loudly as he entered me.
“Shit.” Adrian cussed, pausing to put his forehead on mine. I assumed he was pulling himself together. If I knew one thing about myself, it was that my lady parts were intact. I also knew what this kind of reaction from a man meant, and he hadn’t been expecting me to feel like I was feeling to him.
He kissed my forehead before sucking in some air; then he moved. Slowly, deep, deliberately. Adrian’s stroke was out of this world.
“Ahh,” my moans were loud enough to wake the dead. My body had never felt this way.
“Aúrea, I mean it. Shit. you belong to me.” Adrian spoke through clenched teeth.
“I’m about to come.”
“Shit, me too. Come with me, Aúrea,” he demanded. Or coached. Whatever it was, his words were all it took for my floodgates to open. Not even five full seconds later, Adrian went stiff before collapsing on top of me.
“Damn,” he complimented breathlessly, and we both chuckled. “Tonight was the start of something beautiful,” he told me, and I smiled. After the pleasure he just gave me, there was no reason not to believe him. I lay in his arms for I don’t know how long before I finally looked over at the time. It was going on two in the morning, and I knew Nijah was up having a fit even though she hadn’t blown up my phone.
“Hey, do you think you can drop me off at home?” I asked in the softest tone possible because I didn’t want to offend him.
“Why you trying to leave me? I thought you were mine now,” he frowned.
“I am. That’s not it. Nijah expected me to come back home tonight. This is new. I want to ease in these kinds of changes. I can’t stay tonight. I will next time, though. I promise.”
Adrian’s body froze, and I watched as his eyes went dark before they transformed to their original color. It happened so fast that maybe I only thought they changed. What there was no denying, though, is that Adrian released the hold he had on me.
“ All right, I’m going to take you home.”
“Are you upset?”
“Nah, baby. You’re mine.” He kissed my forehead, and I felt at ease.
10
Aúrea
“I need you to do this for me, just this one time. Besides, it’ll help you prepare for this movie role I’m trying to get you.”
“What movie role?” This was my first time hearing about me having a possible part in a movie, mostly since I haven’t done an audition in months.
To be honest, I hadn’t had to audition much because Adrian had gotten me a couple of gigs like he promised. They weren’t ideal, nor did they pay anything, but I gave him credit for doing what he said he would do. I knew it was hard to find work for me since I pissed that last director off refusing to sleep with him, and then Adrian turned around and knocked him on his ass, which did not make things any better. I was blackballed before I could even really get started. So the work Adrian got me, no matter how small, was appreciated and made me feel like I owed him.
“The one I have lined up for you. You trust me, don’t you?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t the absolute truth, nor was it a complete lie. I trusted him because I had to, and even though Nijah and Ms. Jackie hated him, just as I felt indebted to them, I felt the same toward Adrian. So I prepared to go out and do this one thing for him because he needed me to. As crazy as it may sound, he was the first person who needed something from me. Since I arrived in Los Angeles, someone had practically been taking care of me, so it felt good for someone actually to need something from me. Adrian wasn’t a saint, and he had all the obvious warning signs that told me to be cautious, better yet—to stay away.
But he stepped in when I needed him. He did to that director what I secretly hoped Prentice could and would do to Von for abusing me. So though he wasn’t a true knight in shining armor like the fairy tales would describe, he did at least save me. Therefore, I was going to do this for him. It was only a one-time thing anyway.
* * *
The entire room was dim. Had it not been for the small lights on the other side of the thick burgundy velvet curtain I stood behind, I wouldn’t have been able to see the stage.
The stage. I was to step out there in less than two minutes and show these strangers what I was working with. And I was far from ready.
“You got this shit, Rae, baby. Here, take this last shot. I want you relaxed, not pissy drunk. Go out there, imagine you’re dancing for me, all right?” His pep talk was meant to provide me confidence, and oddly, it did, knowing what I was doing would please him. With one hand on the small of my back, he used his free hand to give me the shot glass of brown liquor.
Quickly, I took it, tossing it back, grimacing from the burning sensation it provided as it slid down my throat. My entire frame shuddered as I tried shaking away the nervousness that was refusing to disappear. My breasts just about leaped from the small red bra that had already left little to the imagination. My movements mimicked a boxer loosening up before a fight.
“Look at me,” he commanded, and my eyes landed without reluctance on Adrian’s beautiful amber-colored orbs, drawing nearer as he pecked my lips. A small smile formed from the gesture.
“You can do this. You’re doing this shit for us, for me. So make it the best damn performance you’ve ever put on. Consider this shit an acting gig, baby. Reenact Diamond from Players Club if you got to. Got it?”
The beating in my chest felt like my heart rate was auditioning to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest beating heart as I nodded my understanding.
“Good. Go do your thing.” The sting from the slap he landed on my ass jolted me forward, and I just about flew out of the curtain. Instead, I used it to prevent my fall. He chuckled, walking away toward the front to watch the show.
“You can do this,” I reassured myself as I withdrew the red thong from the crack of my ass, only for it to settle right back.