The Unearthing of Blackstone

by Tiana Laveen

  “Oh shiiiit! Ace, shit!” With his other hand, he reached below her and rubbed up and down against her clitoris, pushing her further against the bed with his weight, and building friction and momentum against her special bud as he continued to thrust hard and heavy inside of her.

  “Uhhhh! Uhhhh!” He kept going at her, taking her there, making the shit leave an impression, a mark. He wanted her to feel all of that, feel all the love he had for her, pouring out into this very moment. “Uhhh! I could stay in your pussy all damn day…all damn week! Uhhh! Fucking tight ass pussy! Stays fucking wet! Shit! Uhhhh!”

  The woman’s eyes watered, not due to tears, but another damn orgasm had seized her. He sucked and gently bit her earlobe, then looked at them once again in the mirror as he drew close to exploding within her.

  “Mmmmm! I can’t…ever…lose you. I will…make sure…I do nothing…to…Uhhhh! Fuck!...make that a possibility…again! Uhhhh! Baby I’m about to cum, about to cum! Uhhhh!”

  “Cum for me! I want to feel it…cum in me…” she pleaded as he continued to hammer her.

  “Uhhhhh!” He pushed deeper, as far as he could go without hurting his precious angel. His dick quaked inside of her, shooting over and over. “Uhhhh! Uhhhh….My…God…mmmm….” His heart beat so fast, he dared not move for a while. Then, spent, he slumped down, eyes closed, sweat rolling down his face like raindrops.

  He felt the woman reach down and grip his hand, hard. She squeezed it with all of her might. He didn’t open his eyes, happy with being dead weight — needing to relax against her flesh, needing to just lie there and smell her hair, the sweetness of her perfume and feel her body against his.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Ace. You made a mistake in judgment, a terrible mistake…but…I wasn’t perfect, either. We are starting fresh, okay?”

  He waited a moment, too caught up in thankfulness to speak. He’d been rendered speechless by her act of love and trust, when he so didn’t deserve it.

  “Thank you, baby…for another chance.” He slowly opened his eyes and kissed her upper back, his mouth curved in a grateful smile. Lifting himself up on his elbow, he looked down at her. There it was, giving him solace, that little beauty mark on the back of her neck. The one that let him know he’d found his subject. He stared at it for a long time, with the knowledge that now, he’d discovered and claimed her as his own, for she was, officially, the love of his life…

  ~***~

  “This is a nice place!” Ivy set her olive green crocodile skin purse on the couch, looking around to and fro in Ace’s home. She tucked her bobbed hair behind one ear, leaned back onto a beige pillow on the black leather sofa and crossed her thick, shapely legs. “You live here now, huh?”

  Brooklyn handed her an ice-cold Coca Cola can with a straw in it and made her way to the other side of the room, taking a seat as she put the television on mute. It was seven in the evening. Ace had been kept up at his office working on a case, and all she wanted to do was stay indoors and relax. She’d taken his advice and put in for a few days off.

  “Yeah, he asked me to move in with him.”

  “You are sneaky!” Ivy’s thick, pale pink lips twisted as her eyes glossed with new life and vigor. “I didn’t even know you were dating anyone seriously, let alone had a boyfriend. How could you keep something like this from me?”

  Before Brooklyn could answer, the woman continued on, tugging at her magenta mini-skirt.

  “I should have known. You had stopped wearing your ‘B.B.G.’ ring.”

  Brooklyn tilted her head in confusion as she took a sip from her straw.

  “You know!” Ivy tapped on her left ring finger. “The ‘Boy Be Gone’ jewelry you were known for!”

  They laughed simultaneously. Brooklyn settled further into her seat and crossed her legs, feeling comfy and cozy in brown leggings and an over-sized matching sweater. She took a moment, exhaled, then, coming to a decision, she placed her drink on the coaster to her side. She leaned forward.

  “Ivy, there is something I need to discuss with you.”

  The woman gave her a quizzical look as she took a sip from her red and silver beverage can.

  “Okay, what is it?”

  Brooklyn sighed, her gaze drifting to a wall with a large abstract painting of what appeared to be a woman’s silhouette. She loved the painting and thought Ace had remarkable taste for having it. She continued to scan the area. Due to his intense O.C.D., the man had everything just so, arranged neatly, in the perfect spot. She hated to move about too much or touch things, for he never failed to notice when something was even slightly out of place.

  “Are you pregnant?” Ivy blurted. “Ahhhh! I bet that’s it! You’re pregnant!”

  Brooklyn looked down into her lap and shook her head.

  “No…I’m not pregnant, Ivy.”

  “Then…what is it? You look like you’ve lost it all.” Ivy laughed lightly, though her face showed genuine concern.

  “Ivy, I owe you an apology. I want to tell you that I’m sorry, first and foremost. I had my reasons, but I can’t keep running. I can’t live like this.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “My real name isn’t Brooklyn Greene; it’s Lynne Henderson.”

  Ivy covered her mouth with her palm and gasped, then, she burst out in laughter.

  “Girl, stop playing!”

  “No, I’m serious. I’m not from Louisiana, I’m from Texas. I’ve…I’ve had an entirely new identity, due to something that happened to me many years ago. I can’t tell you what happened though, at least not right now. I didn’t tell you my name…because…I was afraid if I told anyone, the wrong people would find out. I’m telling you now because it’s just time for this to stop.”

  “Why wouldn’t…why couldn’t…” For the first time, her friend appeared to be at a loss for words. Surprise then morphed to anger. “Why would you lie to me all this time, Brooklyn? I thought we were better than this!”

  “We are! Look, I can’t tell you everything, but you deserved to at least know who I really am.” Now, she felt like Ace. This must’ve been a small taste of what he endured as he tried to come clean, and it felt absolutely horrible.

  “Is there anything else I should know?” Ivy said with a ’tude after taking a sip of her drink. She slammed her can down on the table and clasped her hands together.

  “Please, don’t tell anyone. I will let Mr. Jamison and everyone else at work know in due time, but right now, no one can know but you. I am telling you, because…well, I’ve had a lot of time to sit here and think, and you are the only person that has had my back from the day I was hired at the Field Museum. You’ve made sure I had everything I needed, you’ve been a shoulder to cry on, and I’ll never forget the tour of Chicago you gave me when we first met. We’ve been friends ever since…and I love you, Ivy…and, I’m sorry.”

  “So…that’s it, right? You’re not some Russian spy or anything like that?”

  Brooklyn couldn’t help but twist her lips to the side and cross her arms in disbelief. “You’ve got to be joking…”

  “No I’m not joking, Ms. Greene.” She huffed. “I want to know the whole story, but you’re telling me I’m not privy to it right now. You shouldn’t have told me shit if you were only going to say this to me, and leave it at that. You should’ve brought this up to me when you were ready to lay everything on the damned table, not giving me little pieces here and there. This is even worse!”

  “This…can’t be happening…” Brooklyn dropped her head and rubbed her ears with her palms, warming them, as she tried to settle her nerves.

  “Yeah, it’s happening.” Ivy grabbed the soda can again and took a long swig. “I’m serious. You wanted to clear your conscience, and now you’re doing it in a half assed way. Look, I won’t say shit to anyone,” she pointed an accusatory finger at her, “but you’ve made me mad with this half assed confession. You don’t trust me enough to tell me the whole thing, Brooklyn? Lynne? Wait…your name isn’
t Brooklyn.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m so confused.”

  “Don’t be…I legally changed my name to Brooklyn. I chose that name because it sounded a little like Lynne, and Brooklyn was the first place I went to when I travelled to New York for the very first time, and it was a wonderful experience. Plus, I’ve always liked that name…”

  “Hmmm, makes sense.” Ivy shrugged. “So, will you ever tell me the entire story, Brooklyn, or will I have to pull it out of you?”

  Brooklyn looked at her friend, her eyes slightly hooding as she felt mental exhaustion coming upon her.

  “I promise you, one day, I will tell you the entire story. I’m not trying to be mysterious, Ivy. Really, I’m not. It’s just that other people are involved, and… I can’t say and do everything I wish, just to be on the up and up. You are right though; I did wish to clear my conscience…because telling you was the right thing to do.”

  The women were quiet for a long while.

  Ivy leaned forward, a serious look on her face aimed right at Brooklyn, as if she were sorting her thoughts in alphabetical order.

  “I knew more about you than I think you realized.”

  Brooklyn remained quiet, waiting, wondering. She brought her legs up and tucked her feet under her behind.

  “Because I’ve spent so much time with you over the years, Brooklyn, and because you and I work together and go on all of these business trips together,” she rolled her eyes and waved her wrist lazily in the air, “and all that jazz, I’ve gotten close to you. I knew you were hiding something. Of course, I wasn’t sure exactly what, but I knew it had to be something big. Some shit just wasn’t adding up.”

  “I was a born introvert, Ivy. It wasn’t a leap for me to keep quiet about my private life. As I transformed into an extrovert, pushing myself to reach my potential, I still kept my privacy in tact, even before the name change. It was just in my nature. What gave me away?”

  “Well, for starters, you never spoke of your family much. And, you seemed opposed to dating for any long duration of time. It seemed like every time I’d let some guy from work talk me into hooking him up with you, you’d toss him to the curb.” She shrugged. “Yet still, you liked men, enjoyed their company, and we had enough conversations about guys, dating, sex, all of that, that I understand you had some experience in that department. You’re an intelligent, beautiful woman, and it just seemed odd to me that you would be so alienated. It was self-imposed, I figured. As far as I was concerned, I was the only person remotely close to you. Then, a few months ago, I noticed you working less and smiling more. I’d overhear you on the phone, giggling. I knew it was a man.”

  Brooklyn smiled down into her lap.

  “Since you seemed to not want me to know, I didn’t ask, though I was tempted several times. I figured maybe if I just kept quiet, you’d eventually tell me. Of course, I didn’t expect to hear about it quite in this way…Anyway, I’d noticed you the night you met Ace by the way.”

  Brooklyn shot a glance towards a picture of her and Ace from his parents’ Christmas party, then looked back towards her.

  “I think a lot of the ladies did, actually,” Ivy said.“I was asking people who he was as you stood there talking with him. I figured maybe you knew but then I forgot to ask you later on.”

  “No.” Brooklyn shook her head. “He just…came up to me, introduced himself and started talking. I had no idea who he was.”

  “I gotta hand it to you, he is really good looking, got a kind of rough neck, like a rugged look about him. He’s sexy.” They both laughed.

  “And,” she shot a glance around the place, “he’s got great taste. Not just in a home, but in a girlfriend.”

  Brooklyn’s gaze dropped to the carpet in appreciation.

  “Thank you, Ivy.”

  “From the big smiles you both have in that photo, and him asking you to move in, he must really like you. I haven’t seen you smile this much, well, ever. I’m happy for you, honey.” Melancholy sneaked in Ivy’s tone, as if she were still disappointed in her, but didn’t want to beat a dead horse. Brooklyn figured that was fair.

  “Ivy, are we going to be okay after this? Are we cool? I guess…I probably should’ve waited to tell you, just like you said. I guess it was a bit impulsive. I’ve just been sitting around here thinking, and I felt so guilty about not telling you all of this.”

  “Yeah, we’ll be fine, but let me ask you something.”

  “Yes?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about Ace? That you had a boyfriend?”

  “Plain superstition!”

  “Superstition? I don’t get it.” The woman’s face twisted in confusion.

  “Every damned time I tell you about a man, Ivy, I find an excuse to get rid of him, or it doesn’t work out. I decided this time to keep my trap shut until I was certain he was the one.”

  “Oh.” Ivy’s brow shot up. “So now I’m a bad omen, a bad luck charm, huh?” she teased, causing Brooklyn to burst out laughing as she shrugged.

  “I don’t know…but funny how I’m in a long term relationship now. Coincidence? I think not.”

  Ivy showed her the middle finger, causing both of them to burst out laughing together.

  “Well hell, maybe I am bad luck to you in that regard, but if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have landed your little ‘Ace’ in a hole!” She chuckled, finishing off her soda.

  “How do you figure?!”

  “Remember the beauty salon and me basically dressing you from head to toe? That man wouldn’t have noticed your ass if I hadn’t stepped in and saved you!”

  “You can’t be serious. I just didn’t wear a lot of make-up; it’s a waste of money.”

  “Well then, why ever since then, do you look like a walking black Barbie doll, huh? Everyone at work is talking about it. You…look…gorgeous! I’ll tell you why, Ms. Brooklyn Lynne Greene Henderson! Your new man loves it! You caught that fish because of yours truly!” The woman stomped her finger emphatically into her chest.

  Brooklyn rolled her eyes.

  “Oh, please! You act like you were polishing a turd and trying to sell it off as chocolate cake. What a crock of crap, Ivy!”

  “What a perfect choice of words. That’s right, a crock of crap with glasses shoved on its non-exfoliated face! I had to beg you to get a facial! You looked just an absolute mess until I got you in check, squandering all your good looks! Now you’re walking around like some prima-donna, thanks to good ol’ magic fingers, Ivy! I dialed the Tress Gods up, and made your ass a much needed appointment. That hairdresser had to charge me extra, almost twice the quoted price due to that ratty nest, with a family of doves living in it!”

  “A family of doves, Ivy?! Really?! I have no idea why I put up with you.”

  “Prince said that is why they cry…because they are trapped in your damn hair! All that beautiful hair, lookin’ like a big ass black cotton ball on your scrawny stick of a neck. And another thing…”

  And so the conversation continued, just like old times. If she and Ivy weren’t arguing and slinging insults, then there was something wrong. Finally, at least at that moment, everything was all right in her world…

  ~***~

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “You’re not chopping it evenly,” Ace muttered as he stood in the middle of the kitchen by his island, mixing the flour with the butter.

  “I am, too.” Brooklyn picked up the cutting board, shaped like a loaf of bread, and tipped the thinly cut red and yellow bell peppers into the clear bowl.

  “Baby, hand me that knife right there, please,” he said.

  Daft Punk played in the background — the song, ‘Within’, featuring Chilly Gonzales. Brooklyn handed him the knife while the smell of melting cheese, warm bread and homemade Italian dressing filled her nostrils.

  Brooklyn sighed. Red candles burned in the adjoining dining room, one of her favorite bands serenaded her, and she was making dinner with her sweetheart. Out the corner of her eye, she
watched him meticulously stirring and stirring until the batter was just as he wished it to be. He was making her a pie, with the crust from scratch. He’d learned from his mother — Hail to Queen Blackstone.

  Brooklyn finished slicing a thick, red tomato then grabbed the head of lettuce and chopped it up into fine bits, adding a bit of purple cabbage to the mixture. Feeling his gaze on hers, she smirked as she sprinkled a bit of olive oil, pink Himalayan salt and black pepper on it. After tossing it, she picked up the bowl and approached him. He pretended he hadn’t been ogling her, but the tilted smile on his handsome face gave him away.

  “What?” he said in a voice so low, she almost didn’t hear him as he kept working his batter.

  “Taste this salad…”

  He paused, looked into her eyes and opened his mouth so she could slide a forkful of lettuce into his mouth.

  “Mmmm, that’s good. The right touches of everything…”

  He chewed and swallowed, his eyes fixed on her, while his flour and butter sat there in the bowl, waiting for his tender care.

  “Did you add the sugar and eggs to the batter?” she whispered as she stepped a bit closer.

  “Yes…”

  “Do you want me to preheat the oven?”

  “No…” He hooked his arm around her waist and swooped her in his arms, eliciting a laugh from her. He lifted her up in the air and spun her around like a brand new baby. She felt giddy and light in his arms and then she noticed — his expression was dead serious. Gently, he placed her back down on her feet. Like the soft caress of silk against her cheek, he ran his finger along her skin, and then her lips. A slow, sweet peck here, then another until he found her lips and gently pulled at them with his own. She surrendered, opening her mouth to allow his long, warm tongue inside. As he explored her, he moved them both across the room to the window, where the moonlight and street luster crept in from the city street.