by Skyy
He walked off, but not before making sure they heard his parting comment.
“Man, they’re everywhere.”
Danni and Lena looked at each other and laughed at his comment. Danni extended her hand. Lena put her hand in Danni’s hand and stood up. A breeze came through the lounge, sending a bit of Danni’s cologne into Lena’s nose.
Lena smirked. “What are you wearing?”
Danni smiled. “Let’s just say we have something else in common.”
“Bond? Ugh, you just have to be like me. Which one is that?” Lena said, realizing she hadn’t smelled that scent before.
“What else? Brooklyn, baby.” Danni winked. Lena felt heat rising.
They headed to the second floor for a little music and drinks. The local band played a hot mix of neo soul and jazz. Lena swayed her hips to the beat. Danni couldn’t resist touching her whenever possible. Each touch felt like electricity shooting through Lena’s skin. She didn’t know what spell Danni was casting, but it was working.
The two then headed out of the busy lounge and up to Danni’s spot. Danni’s points continued to add up as they got off the elevator on her floor. Lena was impressed. Danni wasn’t merely a guest in this building, but a resident. Danni opened the door to her lavish condominium, and Lena instantly took in the breathtaking view. Downtown Atlanta was lit up and gorgeous. Lena glanced around the rest of the place as Danni grabbed a bottle of wine.
The condo made her downtown Memphis loft look like a shabby apartment. The architecture mixed with the contemporary furnishings was out of Lena’s dream-home book.
“I’m guessing you like blue.” Lena walked on a plush navy area rug before sitting on the edge of the chaise end of the black contemporary sectional. The accent wall was stunning with its various shades of black and blue and its soft swirl effect. Lena could see herself staring at the wall for hours.
“Yeah, it’s my favorite color. You like it?”
“I love blue.” Lena sat back. For some reason she felt at home in the new environment.
Danni joined her on the couch after pouring two glasses of wine and handing one to Lena. “So Miss Lena Jamerson, or should I say Redding?”
Lena’s body froze. “How do you—”
“Come on, girl, I do my research. You didn’t think I would just let some stranger come up in my crib, did you?” Danni laughed as Lena playfully shoved her.
“Well, so now you know. Any questions?” Lena braced herself. She didn’t know how Danni would take being with the ex-wife and baby mama of a star athlete.
Danni shrugged her shoulders. “Not really. Why? Is there something I should know?”
“I guess not.”
Lena wanted to jump for joy while she added more points to Danni’s list. She wasn’t intimidated by Brandon, which was a major plus.
“Why don’t you tell me a little about you?”
“What do you want to know?” Danni took a sip of wine.
Lena looked around the lavish pad. “Okay, for starters, what the hell do you really do? Don’t tell me being an agent has you balling like this?” Lena threw her hands up.
Danni laughed. “What is that supposed to mean? I might just be hot shit. And technically I’m not an agent.”
“I’m not saying you aren’t, but come on now. You are living large in New York and Atlanta and who knows where else. I bet you have property in L.A. too.”
“Among other places.”
“So what are you?”
“What are you?” Danni stared into Lena’s eyes. Lena felt the heat rising like the sun under her dress.
“I am Lena.”
“Lena, huh? So what are you? I mean, come on. Keep it real with me. You aren’t some baller wife living the high life. You are a different kind of wealthy. You are that old money wealthy, aren’t you?”
Lena just took a sip of wine. Danni had hit the nail on the head. Lena’s family’s money went way back. She smiled and nodded her head.
Danni chuckled. “So are you going to answer my question or evade it?”
Lena gave Danni a seductive look.
Danni took notice immediately. “I’m not too different from you, actually. My family comes from wealth. But I dabble in real estate with my pops’s company, and I own an entertainment firm out of New York.”
Lena nodded her head. She was impressed by Danni’s résumé. She wondered if Danni knew Denise. Lena quickly shook her head. She refused to let thoughts of Denise ruin this moment.
Danni’s eyes shifted to Lena’s thigh. She licked her lips. Danni returned Lena’s seductive glare with a sexy piercing look of her own. “So, Lena, why did you decide to come up here with me?”
“Why did you invite me?”
“Because I want to have sex with you.”
Lena’s mouth dropped. She hit Danni. “Oh, really? Bold, aren’t we?”
Danni laughed. “What? Come on, you knew what you were doing when you put that dress on. I’m just being honest with you.”
“So that’s all you want? All of this showing off has just been to get in my panties?”
Danni shook her head. “No, honestly, if that was all I wanted, we wouldn’t be here right now. I told you, girl, I don’t just get with anyone. If you were just a piece of ass, I would have taken you down the street to Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken and Waffles and to the Marriott or something.”
Lena couldn’t help but laugh. Danni’s eyes were fixated on her. Lena’s body was on fire. She tried to keep her cool. No matter how many seductive looks Danni gave her, she didn’t want to give it up that easy. Lena shifted her body in an attempt to cool off some.
“So, Lena, why did you come up here with me?” Danni didn’t take her eyes off Lena. Her eyes were burning into Lena’s skin. Her looks, along with the full flame coming from Lena’s panties, was setting Lena ablaze.
“I wanted to get to know you better. I don’t know.... There is something about you that is . . . different.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Great thing.”
“Good to know.” Danni inched closer to Lena.
Their eyes connected. Lena’s palms were sweating. She knew what was next. Danni’s hand caressed the back of Lena’s head. She pulled Lena into her. Their lips met. Their tongues became instant friends. Danni’s plump lips were soft. Her cologne inflamed Lena’s nostrils, only adding to the attraction.
Danni’s fingertips traced the nape of Lena’s neck. Lena’s body shivered from the soft touch, causing the hairs on her neck to stand and her nipples to ache from hardness. Lena’s panties were soaked from her wetness. Danni was easily going to get her wish.
Danni pulled her lips away only far enough to speak. “Maybe we should call it a night.”
Lena knew she couldn’t be coherent, because Danni’s words weren’t making sense to her at that moment. The much-needed break helped Lena regain her composure. Although Danni seemed to be the perfect woman, Lena still didn’t know much about her, and giving it up on the first date wasn’t a good way to start whatever it was they were starting.
“Maybe you are right.” Lena slowly pulled away. “I probably should go.”
“Who said anything about going?” Danni’s hand rested on Lena’s thigh. “I want you to stay.”
Lena shook her head. She thought about her daughter. She had only a few more days with her and wanted to get as much time in as possible. She also knew if she stayed, sleeping would be the one thing they would not do. Lena remembered who she was. No matter how bad she wanted it, she had to remember she wasn’t the type of chick to give it up on the first date.
“I have a daughter to tuck in.” Lena hoped her knees didn’t give out when she tried to stand up.
“That’s right. My bad, boo. Yeah, you get on home to that beautiful child of yours.”
Danni stood up, holding her hands up to help Lena off the couch. Danni walked Lena to the elevator. Lena walked into the elevator after the doors opened. Suddenly she fe
lt someone grab her arm. Before she could blink, she was in Danni’s arms. Danni held her tight, running her hands through Lena’s hair as she pulled Lena’s face close.
That was the final straw for Lena. They kissed passionately, and Lena wrapped her arms around Danni’s neck. She felt like Scarlett O’Hara, and Danni was Rhett Butler in the infamous fire scene in Gone with the Wind. Danni’s strong hands roamed up and down her back before settling on her ass. Danni reached under Lena’s dress, cupping her plump ass with her hands. Lena’s feet barely touched the floor as Danni consumed her. She wanted Danni to rip her dress off in the hallway and claim her pussy as her own. Instead, she felt her feet meet the floor. They stood face-to-face, and she could feel Danni’s breath on her lips.
“Tell Bria I said hello.”
“I will.”
“Kick it tomorrow, before I leave?”
Lena couldn’t speak; she nodded her head. Danni placed another sensual kiss on Lena’s lips. Lena wasn’t sure how she managed to pull herself away from Danni long enough to get into the elevator. It was the longest ride home ever.
Lena sat in her bed. Her MacBook Pro was covered with Danni’s face. Danni had given her the idea. As soon as she’d kissed the sleeping Bria on her forehead, she’d grabbed her MacBook and headed to her bedroom. She sat in her bed, Googling the enchanting stranger. She stared at pictures of Danielle “Danni” Campbell with various celebrities and socialites. According to a Wikipedia bio, the money in her family came from her father’s side, which had amassed wealth by doing everything from owning crazy amounts of land and property to dabbling in movie producing. Her heart skipped a beat when she read that Danni was not only sexual chocolate but was half West Indian, from Trinidad. She made a mental note to learn more about that.
Lena couldn’t stop staring at the screen. She searched for some imperfection in Danni but came up with nothing. Although Danni was a ladies’ woman, Lena couldn’t find any scandals involving her new interest. Lena clicked on Danni’s Facebook profile. She rolled her eyes at the private status blocking access to her photo albums. She thought about sending a friend request but opted against it. After all, she didn’t want to let on how much she was digging her.
Danni had taken more interest in the entertainment side of the family business than the property side. She had opted to graduate with a law degree and open up a small entertainment agency. Lena looked at the few Google images of Danni, mostly of her standing in front of backdrops from premieres and award shows. She could picture herself on Danni’s arm at the various events.
Lena’s daydream faded when a particular photo popped up. Danni was standing in front of the backdrop from Denise’s first movie. Lena’s mind raced. Did Danni know Denise? They were both black and lesbian in the same community, and therefore, they had to have crossed paths at some time. Had Danni been at the club that night because of Denise? Lena’s heart was now racing as fast as the questions in her mind.
Lena closed her laptop, hoping to stifle the thoughts consuming her mind. Even with an amazing woman like Danni staring her in her face, she couldn’t completely shake Denise. A strange feeling started to consume Lena’s body. Her toes began to tingle. The tingling crept through her body. She closed her eyes. The kiss. The last kiss Danni had planted on her was electrifying her body, as though it was happening in that moment. Lena licked her lips. She could taste her. Danni was on her skin. The Brooklyn Bond girl had given her a fever she hadn’t experienced since . . . Denise. It was wrong, but she knew Danni had to be the answer to her prayers. If this sexy specimen of a woman couldn’t rid her mind of Denise, no one would.
Chapter 17
Carmen watched her class of juvenile delinquents disperse. She pulled her cell phone out to text Denise. She missed her friends, and although the days were passing quickly, she couldn’t wait to get out of the classroom for the rest of the summer. Like clockwork, Michael appeared at her door to walk her to her car for the day. Carmen didn’t know why she looked forward to that so much each day.
“So what does the rest of the day hold for you, Ms. Carmen?”
“I am wedding planning via Skype with my best friend.”
A knot formed in Michael’s throat. “Oh, I guess that is coming up pretty soon.”
“Two months.”
“I guess it must be nice. I don’t think marriage is in my cards.” They walked out the large door to the teacher’s parking lot.
“Oh, don’t be like that. Again, there are at least three teachers inside that would marry you tomorrow.” Carmen playfully hit his arm. His hard bicep stung her fingers as she hit him. “God, what are you? A man of steel or something?”
“Just a little working out, that’s all.” Michael noticed the stares of two of the teachers who flirted with him daily. They didn’t understand why he spent so much time with the lesbian.
“I need to work out with you, get in shape for this wedding.”
“You don’t need to get in shape. You look amazing.” Michael realized what he had said too late. Carmen was giving him an awkward look. “What? Do you work out, like, two times a week?”
Carmen didn’t know how to respond to his statement. Ever since Side Street, Michael’s flirting had intensified. It made her feel uneasy and excited at the same time. Carmen wasn’t used to the attention. Even though she didn’t share his feelings, it was nice to know someone else wanted her besides Nic.
“I don’t really work out like I should. Just a little walking.”
“Well, I work out every morning at six if you ever want to join me.”
Carmen frowned. “As in six A.M.? Yeah, no, I think I’ll pass on that.” They laughed.
“Well, keep it in mind. I’d love to work you out..... I mean work out with you.” Michael knew exactly what he was saying that time. His statement caused Carmen to blush. He watched as she got on her car and drove off. He could tell she was starting to warm up to him.
Misha felt refreshed as she walked the Clark Atlanta University campus. Watching the students brought back memories of her time at Freedom. She missed it all. She could picture sitting outside with Carmen, Nic, and Cooley. It felt like it was yesterday when Cooley would flirt with her and she would ignore her advances.
Misha couldn’t shake the thoughts of Cooley she had. She had flashbacks at random times during the day. A flashback of the first time they had sex almost made her burn dinner the night before. The thoughts were maddening and were taking a toll on her marriage. She didn’t want to be touched by Patrick. Even the slightest touch made her feel ill. She forced herself to endure sex with him after he made a comment about the lack of sex in their relationship.
She knew the problem was more than Cooley. Patrick wanted another child, and he wanted it now. She knew there would be no way to explain to Patrick that she wanted him to wear condoms, so getting the birth control shot was her only option. The last thing she wanted was another child.
Misha stood in front of the admissions office. Patrick had made it very clear that school was not a financial option for them, but Misha knew there had to be a way. She knew she didn’t want another student loan. They had just finished paying off the loans they both had, and didn’t want that headache again. She was going to need grants and scholarships to go back to school.
Misha suddenly didn’t want to go back to school. A sense of loneliness came over her. She felt lost. There was a hole, something was missing in her life, but she didn’t know what it was. Cooley entered her mind.
A sexy young group of studs walked past her. She felt her stomach knot up. One was too cute. She was tall, with enough meat on her bones to notice she had hips and an ass, even though she tried to hide them. Her hair hung back in a ponytail, and she had a fitted cap on her head. Misha smiled as the girl looked at her. The girl nodded and winked her right eye. Misha felt butterflies.
Misha knew she loved Patrick, but there was something missing. She had an itch he just couldn’t scratch, no matter what he did. As much as she trie
d to deny it, she knew the problem. She missed the touch and the taste of women, and as the days passed, the feelings grew stronger.
Misha took a deep breath. The stud glanced at her again. She knew all it would take was a nod of her head to get the stud to come over. She contemplated the idea. A quick sex session with a nameless undergrad might just satisfy the itch, or it could make the urge worse. She knew the stud was waiting on her cue. Misha turned around and walked away from the building. She knew if she stayed, something bad would happen that she wouldn’t be able to turn back from. She had too much to lose if she had one night of pleasure. In the end she didn’t know if it was worth it.
Misha climbed in her car and drove home. When she arrived at her house, she couldn’t pull herself from the car. Going inside meant she was back to reality. Her son and husband were on the other side of the door, waiting on her return to them. She felt guilty for feeling the way she did. Her son was her world, and she loved Patrick with all her heart. The thoughts of the past were haunting her and making her despise everything he had given her. It wasn’t right, and he didn’t deserve it, but she didn’t know what to do to stop it.
“Hey, you.” Patrick was usually pleasant when she walked in the house.
“Hey, baby.” She forced herself to use a pet name.
Patrick walked over to her. He pressed his lips against hers. His prickly hairs from his recently cut beard repulsed Misha. She missed the smooth touch of a woman’s lips. She pulled away.
“What have you two been doing?”
Patrick’s demeanor changed. “Jaylin isn’t here. He’s with my mother.”
“Oh . . .”
“Where have you been, Misha?” Patrick demanded.
“Just out.”
“Humph.” Patrick paced the floor.
“What?” Misha snapped.
“You tell me.” Patrick stopped. “Misha, do you think I’m a fool? You have been acting different. You think I didn’t notice you weren’t into it the other night? And now that kiss . . . It’s like you don’t like me to touch you anymore.”