“Are you two still dating?”
“No, not really, but we’re still good friends.”
“Well, that’s just wonderful,” Margo said. “Raymond, it was great seeing you, but I better run. If I stand here any longer, my mind is going to wander into the gutter and old times and we both might be in trouble,” she said with a sexy smirk.
“You must be reading my mind,” I said, now openly flirting with Margo. “It’s good seeing you.”
Margo reached up and gave me a big hug and gently bit the end of my ear, which caused a nice tingling sensation. Well, I guess I still have it, I thought to myself.
“Take care, Ray. Happy New Year,” she said as she swiftly walked toward the north end of the mall.
“Who was that?” said a familiar voice from behind me.
I quickly turned around to find Sela standing within inches of me.
“Sela!” I shouted as I reached for her, swinging her around in my arms. “It’s great seeing you! Stand back, let me look at you.”
Sela looked more beautiful than when we had dated. Her hourglass figure was wrapped tightly in a black leather minidress that left very little to the imagination. The years had been very kind to her.
“Look at you, Mr. Big Time New York Attorney,” Sela joked. “Give me another hug.”
“Where do you want to go?” I asked.
“Let’s go to the Winfrey’s lobby piano bar,” Sela suggested.
Sela and I walked hand in hand into the Winfrey Hotel lobby, both acting like teenagers on a first date. We located a secluded part of the lobby bar, ordered two white wines and just looked and smiled at each other for minutes without saying a word. The trance was finally broken when the waitress returned with two glasses of white wine and set them on the glass-topped marble table that separated Sela and me.
“So, how’s Julie?” Sela asked with a smirk.
“Julie?” I asked.
“Yes, wasn’t that the girl you were living with?” she asked.
Oh shit, there goes that lie again.
“Oh, I hardly ever see her,” I lied, sipping my wine and looking away.
“So who are you seeing, living with or whatever you guys do in New York City?”
“I’m quite single,” I responded. “But I heard you’re not. What’s this lucky dog’s name?”
“Dewayne Kelly. He’s the dentist taking over Dr. Wade’s practice,” Sela said.
“Oh, where is he from?”
“Mobile.”
“Are you happy?” I asked.
“Most times,” Sela said, looking away.
“When’s the big day?”
“Well, it’s not final yet, but we’re shooting for June twentieth.”
“June twentieth,” I sputtered, my mouth full of wine.
“Yeah, I know that’s your birthday. We’re thinking about pushing it back to August or even waiting a year. You know, it’s tough starting a practice. What’s that look about?”
“What look?”
“Now, don’t play that shit with me, Ray. It may have been a long time, but you know I know you.”
“Oh, I was just wondering why my birthday is such a popular wedding day.”
“Who else is getting married on that day.”
“Oh, just a friend,” I responded. “So what are you doing besides planning Birmingham’s biggest wedding?”
“Oh, didn’t your mother tell you? I’m teaching ballet at the Arts Magnet High School.”
“No, she mentioned that she had talked to you and that you looked great. Which she was very right about. But she didn’t mention that you were teaching.”
“Well, it’s not like the teaching she does. It’s more like play than work. How’s your job?”
“Coming along. I passed the New York bar and now I’m getting to handle more clients alone.”
“Do you like practicing law?”
“Yeah, most days I do.”
“Now, Raymond Winston Tyler, come clean. Who are you sleeping with?”
“Sela, listen at you. All the diseases that are out in New York. I take matters into my own hand, if you know what I mean?”
“All the beautiful women in New York and you’re still playing with yourself. All you need is a good ole Southern piece,” Sela said very slyly and seductively.
“Well, that’s life in the big city.”
“That chick Julie must have really screwed you up.”
“No, not really,” I said quietly.
“Tell me about her,” Sela urged.
“Sela, come on now, let’s talk about something else. How are your parents?”
“Great. They send their love, and wondered why you didn’t come by the house.”
“Well, I’ve been really trying to spend time with my folks and Kirby. I mean, my little brother is quite the little man. You know, it’s been almost five years since I’ve been home.”
“Yes, I know. Dewayne thanks you.”
“What about you? Are you thanking me too?”
“I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it might incriminate me.” We ordered more wine and listened to the piano player. Occasionally we would just look at each other and then break out into nervous smiles. Sela looked more sophisticated. She was no longer the little girl with the two ponytails. Her hair was thicker and longer than I remembered. Her makeup was perfect and she seemed to have a little more up top. Yes, the girl had it going on.
As I stared at Sela, I began to wonder how it would have been had my life not changed so drastically during my senior year. I suspected that we would have long been married and would probably have a couple of kids by now. How would they look?, I thought to myself. Living the Great American Dream. I then wondered what it would be like going to bed with Sela. Had she changed? Could I even get it up? Maybe this new guy had taught her a trick or two. I wondered if I should be open and completely honest with her about my new lifestyle in New York. Would she be supportive, or would she be upset and take it personally? We had never really talked about gay people or things of that nature. I wondered whether she had ever been to bed with another woman, if only in her fantasies.
“Where is your mind?” Sela asked, interrupting my daydreams.
“What?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“You don’t want to know,” I chuckled.
“Tell me,” Sela pleaded. “You used to tell me everything.”
“Yeah, you’re right, but I don’t know about this.” Should I tell Sela what I thought or should I just leave well enough alone, pay the check and head back home?
“Do you miss living down South?”
“At times.”
“What do you miss the most?”
“Honestly?”
“Yes.”
“Friday nights. You know, playing high school football. Kicking Central’s butt. Saturdays when we were away at school, boning with you know who.”
“Boning, what’s that?”
“You know, the nasty. Haven’t you seen Spike Lee’s movies?”
“Niggah, please. We do have movies down here,” Sela laughed.
“You want to know what I really miss the most?” I asked.
“You know I do.”
“You.” I smiled.
“Have you ever thought about what it would have been like, married to me?” Sela asked.
“What? Of course I have. More often than you think.”
“And what do you think?”
“Come on now, Sela, don’t put me on the spot like this,” I answered nervously.
“I want to know,” she insisted.
“Do you still trust me?” I asked.
“In regards to what?”
“Just trust me.”
“For the most part.”
“How much time do you have?”
“As much time as I need. I’m not married yet. Besides, I’m not punching a time clock, you know.”
“Great. Wait right here and I’ll be back in
fifteen minutes.”
“What do you have up your sleeve?” Sela grinned.
“Trust me, just trust me and promise me that you will wait,” I said gently.
“Okay, I promise.”
I don’t know what had come over me, but I had to be with Sela. I wanted to hold her in my arms, kiss her all over and have her lie against my chest once again. I walked out of the lobby bar, out of Sela’s sight, and went over to the front desk of the hotel.
“Do you have any rooms?” I asked the redheaded desk clerk.
“We sure do. How many nights?” she asked with a deep Southern drawl.
“Just one. What’s the rate?”
“Well, we have a special holiday rate of forty-nine dollars,” she replied.
“What?” I asked, slightly shocked.
“Is that too much?” the clerk asked.
“Oh no. I’m from New York City and I can’t believe that price.”
“I can give you a nice junior suite overlooking the ice-skating rink in the mall for ninety-nine dollars,” the clerk offered.
“Hey, that sounds great. Let’s do it.”
“How do you plan to pay for this?”
“American Express,” I said as I proudly laid my platinum card down on the black marble counter.
“Great. Please fill out this card and I’ll get you a key. How many keys will you need?”
“Just one. Is there a florist around here open?” I asked.
“Right around the corner,” she said. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Is there any way you could have a bottle of champagne sent up to the suite immediately?” I asked.
“Sure, no problem. I’ll call room service for you.”
“Thanks a million,” I said, dashing in the direction of the florist.
I located the small shop right around the corner from the hotel entrance. The window was still filled with Christmas arrangements and University of Alabama Sugar Bowl balloons. A short, stocky white guy behind the counter greeted me as I walked in.
“Happy Holidays. Can I help you?” he asked.
“You don’t have pink roses, do you?”
“No, not now. All we have is red.”
“Give me a dozen and fix them up real pretty,” I said.
“No problem. Here are some cards that you can write a note on,” he said, pointing to the card holder on the counter.
“Thanks.”
“Are you from around here?”
“Long time ago.”
“Welcome back.”
“Thank you. I’m just here for a couple of days,” I said.
As he wrapped the roses in a nice bundle, I picked up one of the cards and scribbled out: To Sela, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, from the first man (besides your daddy) who loved you and the man you should be marrying. Love Always, Raymond.
Yes, I thought to myself, that should do it. I took a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to the clerk and rushed out of the store and back toward the hotel. Twenty dollars, I thought to myself. Things down South certainly were cheap. When I arrived back at the lobby bar, I saw Sela sitting in the same spot looking at her watch.
“You’re not going to leave me, are you?” I asked.
Startled, Sela turned around and said, “Where have you been?”
I took the box of roses that I had hidden behind my back and handed them to her. I softly kissed her on the cheek and whispered, “To the first girl I ever loved, Merry Christmas.”
“Ray, this is so sweet. What are you up to?”
“Up to?”
“Yes, you didn’t have to do this.”
“But I wanted to and that’s just the beginning of the surprise.”
“What? Don’t make me cry out here in this hotel lobby,” Sela pleaded.
“Then follow me,” I instructed.
“Where are we going?”
“I wish I had a blindfold, but just take my hand and come with me,” I said reassuringly.
I took Sela’s small, delicate hand and led her to the bank of elevators on the other side of the hotel bar. When we got into the elevator, I pushed the button with 19 on it. Sela was looking at me with a puzzled look on her face and I just stared, not saying a word, looking at her beautiful almond-shaped eyes and undressing her with mine. Once we reached the nineteenth floor, I read the signs that led to 1923. I took the magnetic key and opened the door.
“After you, madam,” I said to Sela, laying out an imaginary red carpet.
“Ray, what’s going on?” Sela asked once again.
“Trust me, just trust me,” I said.
After Sela walked into the room, I followed her in and was happy that I had decided on the suite. It was decorated with modern black art deco living room furniture, a full wet bar and a big picture window that overlooked the mall and its skating rink. It was like having your own private view of the world, or at least of the mall. The door in the parlor led to a bedroom that had a huge black lacquer king-size platform bed. There were mirrors against the closet doors that made the room appear larger than it actually was.
“This is beautiful,” Sela said gleefully.
“Yes, it is. Come with me,” I said taking Sela’s hands and leading her back to the living room. We both sat on the sofa and I opened the chilled bottle of Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante sparkling wine.
After popping the cork, I carefully poured the bubbly into the two chilled stemmed champagne glasses.
“Toast,” I said. As Sela held her glass to mine, we both smiled warmly at each other. “To the good times, to the old times, to the new times.”
“There were some good times,” Sela said.
“I can’t tell you what you and that dress are doing to me,” I said, looking lustfully at Sela.
“Oh yeah, but don’t you forget that I’m spoken for,” she said.
“I won’t, unless temporary amnesia slips in.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Let me look at your life line,” I said, reaching for Sela’s hands. “Is this the ring?” I asked, looking at the small diamond ring.
“Yes, and I love it.”
As I held her hand in mine, I began to rub it very gently. Sela seemed to be loosening up and she kicked off her pumps and curled her legs up under her. When Sela appeared even more relaxed, I slowly removed the champagne glass from her hand, refilled it and laid it against her knees.
“Let me have your feet,” I asked.
Without any hesitation she uncurled her legs and laid them in my lap. As she sipped the Asti, I slowly began to massage her feet, starting with her baby toes and then slowly working my way up. Once I reached her knees, I went back to her toes and softly kissed them through her stockings.
“Come here,” I said.
“Come where?”
“Here,” I whispered as I motioned with my index finger toward my lips, using my other hand to remove the glass from her hand. As soon as Sela started to move toward me, I reached and touched her face. First I rubbed it with the palm of my hand and then without warning I kissed her fully made-up lips. I planted several short, quick kisses on her lips and then I hungrily moved my tongue down into her mouth. Sela kissed me back vigorously and I took my hands away from her face to her knees and the bottom of the black leather dress.
With one motion I reached under her dress and removed her panty hose with the ease a pickpocket would envy. I then moved my lips from Sela’s and went back to her now naked toes and put them in my mouth, sucking them as though they were freshly picked blueberries. Minutes later my tongue started an upward motion toward Sela’s knees. I stopped long enough to look at her beautiful face and realized that her eyes were now closed and she was licking her own lips as she wrapped her arms around the top of my head, stroking her fingers through my closely cropped hair. Without any protest from Sela, I unzipped the long, hidden zipper on the side of her leather dress and it fell to the sofa.
For a moment I just sat there and gazed at her e
xquisite body, which was now covered only by a sheer black bra and matching panties.
“What are you staring at?” Sela asked, blushing.
“The most beautiful woman in the world,” I replied.
“You’re a piece of work,” Sela said as she pulled me closer to her and lifted my red wool Polo sweater from my upper body. As she tackled my cotton T-shirt, I hurriedly unbuckled my belt and removed my wool slacks without even unzipping them. With the two of us down to our underwear, we started kissing again—slow, quick, teasing kisses, then long, deep, hard kisses. Sela tasted like the wine and her lips no longer had lipstick on them. Her body smelled of Lauren perfume. Her perfectly placed hair now went in its own direction. I removed her sheer black bra and lingered with my tongue long and hard over each nipple of her perfectly formed breasts. Sela’s nipples grew firm under my touch.
I took my hands and dipped them into the wine bucket and grabbed some ice, which I placed in my mouth, and then started to suck Sela’s throbbing breasts. Sela was licking her lips and quietly moaning. I then took a single piece of ice and placed it between her erect breasts and licked it until it disappeared into her petal-soft skin. I had placed my other hand between her long legs. She freed my sex from my underwear and aggressively massaged it. Starting at the top of her forehead with ice in my mouth, I started to kiss and lick every inch of Sela’s body until I reached her midsection. When I arrived at that point, I stopped, took the half-filled glass and poured the bubbling liquid very slowly over Sela’s pubic hair. She let out a shivering sigh when I took my entire face and buried it in her now naked lap. I then divided her legs and kissed and licked that portion of her body until it was no longer wet from the sweet-tasting Asti, only damp. After a passionate period, I reached down and grabbed her feet, lifting them into the air and placing her toes into my mouth. Sela’s moans and face expressed pure pleasure. I picked up Sela’s petite body and carried her into the bedroom. She seemed weightless in my arms. I carefully placed her on the bed, then knelt and started with her toes again. All the years we had dated and all the times we had made love could not measure up with what was occurring in this hotel suite. My sex ached with such power that I could feel it growing harder and longer. I suspended my body in the air over Sela’s, swinging my sex like a pendulum over her body, using my arms and toes for support.
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