Full Circle (Urban Books)

by Skyy

  “No, I promised I wouldn’t visit for at least a few weeks.” Lena cranked her car.

  “I was thinking more about a flight to Miami.” Danni walked back into her room.

  Lena smiled. “Miami? Why on earth would I want to go to Miami?”

  Danni sat on the red chair in the lavish hotel room. “You want the PC answer or the truth?”

  “Both . . .”

  “Well . . .” Danni leaned back. “PC. I want to see you on this beach with me.”

  Butterflies flapped their wings in Lena’s stomach. “And the truth?”

  Danni smiled. “I want to eat your pussy.”

  Lena felt the flood coming. “Crude, aren’t we?”

  “I didn’t say the truth would be pretty. But it’s the truth.”

  “I’ll check flights.”

  “There’s one in an hour and a half. Go get your ticket. See you soon.” Danni hung the phone up without giving Lena the chance to answer.

  Lena couldn’t stop grinning. The snappy crab in her wanted to drive off and show Danni she didn’t have it like that, but the hopelessly romantic Cancer was eating it up. The dominance of Danni was driving Lena’s hormones crazy. She put the car in drive.

  It’s just a little crush. Nothing more.

  Lena repeated that over and over in her head as she parked in long-term parking and headed back into the airport. It was time for her vacation to begin, and being in Miami, with Danni’s head in between her legs, was a great way to start.

  Chapter 22

  Cooley placed the key into the door lock. She couldn’t hear anything coming from inside. She wondered if Sahara had been back to their home. Her stomach turned as she noticed the tattoo on her hand. She felt anger boiling inside of her.

  Cooley knew Denise was right. After all, even though they had been together four years, only about a year and a half was Cooley and Sahara only. Sahara knew the woman she was dealing with. Sahara didn’t trip when she caught groupies trying to get the best of Cooley. Cooley recalled a day when she came home to find a groupie lying naked in their bed.

  “If new pussy is what you need, then there ya go. Just don’t do the shit behind my back,” Sahara had said and had handed Cooley her strap-on. Sahara had watched Cooley fuck the girl with her strap. The groupie’s pussy did nothing for Cooley. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Sahara, who was staring directly at her with an expressionless face. Cooley left the girl mid-orgasm and walked over to her girlfriend. She took her strap off, led Sahara to their guest room, and made love to her all night long.

  After that experience Cooley’s need for various women seemed to disappear. Cooley had completely given up her player ways for Sahara, the woman of her dreams. Now her dream was shattered.

  Cooley walked into the house. All the lights were out. She let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t have to deal with the situation right away.

  “You’re back.”

  Cooley turned to see Sahara standing in the bedroom doorway. She was a wreck. Her normally polished hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail that looked like it hadn’t been combed in days. Her sexy attire had been replaced with a pair of Cooley’s sweatpants and a baggy shirt.

  “I didn’t think you would be here.” Cooley dropped her keys on the coffee table and walked past Sahara. Sahara followed her into the kitchen.

  “Where else would I be?” Sahara’s voice trembled. “I’ve been worried sick.”

  “Have you?” Cooley’s nonchalant tone cut Sahara.

  Sahara knew she was defeated. “I know I deserve that. Baby, please, can we talk about it?”

  Cooley opened an individual bottle of Simply Orange juice. She drank until the bottle was empty. She wiped her mouth, taking as much time as she wanted.

  “Nah, I really don’t feel like talking.” Cooley brushed past Sahara, leaving her hurt and confused. Cooley grabbed her laptop, headed to her home office, and closed the door. Sahara sat on the couch and sobbed.

  Misha gave a sigh of relief. It had taken two hours, but she’d finally got all her financial aid and scholarship applications completed and turned in at the school. Instead of law school she had opted for an easier course of study. She’d decided to take the same route as Carmen and get certified to teach. She had no ambition of being a teacher, but she knew it was a step toward a better position in administration.

  “Admissions lady.”

  Misha turned to see the cute stud from the other week. She smiled as the cutie walked closer.

  “I thought that was you.”

  Misha nodded. “Yes, it’s me.”

  The stud smiled. “I was hoping I would run into you again, since you ran off so fast last time.”

  “Were you, now?” Misha noticed the girl’s attire. From her appearance, Misha knew the girl couldn’t be more than nineteen. You didn’t see very many older lesbians still rocking oversize clothes to show off their masculine side, even if they were studs.

  “Yeah, I was. I mean, why wouldn’t I? Look at you.”

  Misha couldn’t believe the younger woman was really flirting with her. “How old are you, honey?”

  “Eighteen.”

  “Lord.” Misha shook her head. “You are too cute, but, baby, you are way too young for me.”

  The stud took two steps back. “Age ain’t nothing but a number. I like older women.”

  Misha paused. She had never considered herself an older woman. She suddenly felt silly for even talking to the girl. Even with her urges to dabble with women again, she didn’t want it to be with a baby gay.

  “I’m flattered, but I really have to go. I have to pick up my son.”

  “Oh, for real? I love kids.”

  “Yeah, my husband and I are pretty fond of him also.” Misha watched the stud’s demeanor completely change. She walked off, leaving the girl baffled.

  Cooley had never been so productive. Punishing Sahara helped her get caught up on her work. Even though she was pissed at Sahara, she was able to book her for a few appearances, along with getting Denise completely squared away with the Fast and Furious movie. She heard the television on in the living room. It was now or never. Cooley walked out of the office in complete manager mode.

  “So I got you booked on Jimmy Fallon finally. It’s next week, and Diddy wants you to be on some song, so you can do that while you are up there.”

  Sahara stared at her. She wanted to scream, but she knew it wouldn’t help the situation.

  Cooley sat down on her favorite recliner chair. She glanced at Sahara, whose glazed look told her she couldn’t care less about any bookings.

  Cooley inhaled and exhaled. “Look, I don’t really want to talk about it, but I guess we need to.”

  “Baby, I’m sorr—” Sahara’s cries were quickly cut off.

  “Don’t give me the ‘I’m sorry’ shit. We are supposed to be better than that.” Cooley’s straight face caused Sahara to sit up.

  “All right. Well then, what is the deal?” Sahara’s tone changed. “Do you want me to leave or something?”

  “Chill out, girl.” Cooley could feel her blood boiling. She held her emotions together. “You fucked a bitch. Okay . . . shit happens.”

  “What?” Sahara was confused.

  “You think I give a fuck about you fucking some broad?”

  “Then what is it, Carla? What made you stay gone for three damn days, not returning any of my calls?” Tears rolled down Sahara’s face.

  “You lied about the shit.” Cooley’s words ripped through her teeth. “I talked to you every fucking day, and at no time did you feel the need to tell me you fucked another bitch!”

  “I’m sorry, Carla! Please, God, you don’t know how bad I wanted to tell you. I was scared. I had fucked up, and I didn’t know what to do, or how to tell you.” Tears rolled like the Nile down Sahara’s face.

  “Well, you should have tried.” Cooley couldn’t take it. She grabbed her keys.

  “Where are you going now?” Sahara cried.

&nb
sp; “Out!” Cooley slammed the door.

  Cooley sat on a bench, watching tons of children and tourists run through the shooting water fountains in Centennial Olympic Park. She watched their happy faces, heard their laughter while they played in the water. She wished her life could be that simple and happy.

  She didn’t have her phone, so she didn’t know if Sahara was blowing her up. She was conflicted. Half of her wanted to hold Sahara and tell her everything would be all right, while the other half wanted to tell her to go fuck herself. All logic seemed to fly out the window as soon as she was standing in front of Sahara.

  “Cooley?”

  Cooley wanted to scream. She hadn’t expected Sahara to follow her. The last thing they needed was a stampede of fans.

  “You shouldn’t be out here. . . .” Cooley turned around and froze. A familiar face stood in front of her, but it was not Sahara.

  “I thought that was you.” Misha smiled. “I almost thought I was dreaming. I mean, what in the world would Carla Wade be doing at Centennial Olympic Park?” Misha walked closer.

  Cooley scooted over so Misha could sit next to her.

  Misha’s body had frozen when she saw Cooley sitting on the bench. Out of all the people to run into, it would be the one woman who could completely derail her plans for steering clear of temptation. Even in plain clothes Cooley oozed sex appeal. It was like the snake was dangling the ultimate apple in front of her face, and she really wanted to take a bite. Misha looked at her attire. She was in Mommy mode, jeans, and had no idea how to make jeans and a tee look sexy.

  “What are you doing here?” Cooley watched as Misha put down a large brown bag. Her hair fell to her shoulders, a headband pulling it off of her face. Cooley loved when Misha dressed up, but she had always admired her natural beauty.

  Misha pointed at Jaylin, who was running through the water.

  “Wow, is that . . .”

  “That’s my boy, Jaylin. He’s been exceptionally good lately, so I decided to bring him to the aquarium.” Misha smiled.

  “He’s beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  Misha’s and Cooley’s eyes met briefly. Misha hadn’t known what to expect when she saw Cooley. She’d thought about grabbing Jaylin and running to the car, but she knew this could be the test she needed. If she could control her feelings around Cooley, she could control her urges for women altogether. She noticed the puffiness of Cooley’s eyes.

  “Umm, is everything okay?”

  Cooley looked at Misha. “Yeah, of course.”

  “Yeah, right. Come on, Carla. Who are you talking to? What’s going on?”

  Cooley turned her head. In that instant Misha wasn’t just the ex; she was the friend she used to confide in.

  “Sahara did something that . . . Well, she fucked up.” Cooley could feel her hard wall building.

  “Was it that bad?”

  “She cheated.”

  “Oh.” Misha surprised herself. She didn’t want to jump up and down or call Sahara names. She noticed Cooley’s pained expression. She was hurting, and hurting bad. It would be in bad taste to take advantage of the moment. And regardless of anything, she loved Cooley as a friend and didn’t want to see her hurting. She put her hand on Cooley’s knee. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  The single touch was calming to Cooley. She turned her body toward Misha.

  “It’s like I’m starting to really think I should have followed my original mind. Relationships are for the fucking birds.”

  “Oh God, are you really going there?” Misha rolled her eyes. “Let me guess. When you leave here, you are gonna find some random piece of ass to fuck.”

  Cooley was speechless. She knew the thought had passed through her mind. What better way to get back at Sahara than with an indiscretion of her own? She hated that Misha had read her on it. She knew why: after their first breakup Cooley retaliated by having a threesome with two coeds. Suddenly the idea didn’t seem so good anymore.

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Really?” Misha didn’t take her eyes off Cooley.

  Cooley averted her eyes. She knew she had to be crazy, but she felt some heat coming from Misha.

  Misha shifted her body. She couldn’t help but be attracted to Cooley. A flashback entered her mind of Cooley’s tongue pleasing her. Misha shook her head, trying to get the flashback to cease.

  “Look, I can’t speak about you and Sahara, because I don’t know anything about your relationship. What I can speak about is what I know about you. When things don’t go your way, you have a tendency to make some really bad decisions, vindictive ass.”

  Cooley huffed. “Well, I am who I am.”

  “No, you are who you want to be. Look at you right now. You are sitting on this bench because you know deep down you don’t want to go screw some random broad. You have grown out of that stage in your life.”

  Cooley sighed. She put her arm on the back of the bench, grazing Misha’s back in the process. The slight touch sent chills through Misha’s body. Cooley noticed the reaction. “Are you okay, Mish?”

  Misha sat up. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m just more worried about you.” She shifted again; she could feel the moisture forming between her legs.

  They sat quietly and watched Jaylin play in the water. Cooley thought about the day that she found out about Patrick.

  “You know what, Mish? I just feel like I’m losing myself. Here I am, working my ass off for her. I gave it all up, everything about myself, to be with her, and she cheats on me. I don’t know how I can forgive that.”

  “Carla, you didn’t give up anything for her. You just changed. We all have to make changes for love.” Misha thought about all she had given up for her relationship.

  “And you know what the crazy thing is? I don’t really give a damn that she fucked the bitch. I’m more pissed that she didn’t tell me first.”

  “So would you have been okay with it if she had told you?”

  Cooley thought about the question. Early in their relationship she knew the answer would have been yes. But now she was committed, and the thought of any other person touching Sahara made her blood boil. “I don’t know.”

  “I think you do. Goodness, Carla, what happened to the chick who believed that fuckin’ isn’t cheating? You know, I used to think you were crazy for some of the things you thought, but nowadays, I think you were on to something.”

  Cooley’s eyes shifted. “Oh, wait a minute. Is Mrs. Whatever the Fuck His Last Name Is cheating on her little husband?”

  “Let’s just say that lately I’ve been thinking about the things I’ve given up to be Susie Homemaker, and I’m starting to wonder if it was worth it.” Misha stared out at Jaylin, who was having a ball in the water. Cooley could see the concern in her eyes.

  “Misha, I think you make an excellent mother.”

  “Yeah, but what about all the things I wanted? I wanted to be a hotshot entertainment lawyer. Now my life consists of playdates and coupons.”

  “So why don’t you go back to school? If you want to be a lawyer, go be a lawyer.” Cooley nudged Misha.

  “I actually put in my application to go back to get certified as a teacher today.” Misha beamed with pride. “But regardless of how much I do in school, I’ll never be able to do the things I dreamed of. I dreamed of industry parties and private planes whisking me off to exotic destinations. That can’t happen with my son and husband. Hell, you’re living the life I dreamed of, that we dreamed of.”

  Cooley placed her hand on Misha’s knee. “Misha, for real, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. You are doing the biggest job of all. Raising a child is hard shit. I know I couldn’t do it.”

  “But look at what all you get to do. You, Dee, y’all are living the dream.”

  “The dream that ends with your girlfriend cheating on you with a background dancer.... That’s some dream.”

  The two sat in silence. Cooley put her arm on the back of the bench. The past flooded through
her mind. She remembered the life they used to have. Misha was her first love, but Sahara held her heart more than Misha ever had.

  “I am starting to wonder if I’m cursed.” The statement made Misha looked back at Cooley. Cooley stared at the dancing water. “I have fucked over so many women in my past that the only two that I’ve ever cared about have both cheated on me. Maybe it’s karma’s way of dealing with me.”

  Guilt overcame Misha. “Carla, I know what happened between us was, well, fucked up on my part. I never expected my life to take the turn it did, but in the end I think that all things happen for a reason. Maybe Patrick coming back into my life happened to help you in the end. After all, before there was ever a Misha and Cooley, there was a Sahara and Cooley.”

  It pained Misha to admit it, but Sahara was the one for Cooley. Suddenly she didn’t feel the urge to jump on top of Cooley anymore. She missed the times they had spent together, the whole crew. Even spending time with Carmen and Lena wasn’t the same. It always felt like something was missing.

  Cooley thought back to the day that she met Sahara. It was the night she spent with Sahara years ago that had opened her closed heart to the possibility of a relationship. Misha just so happened to gain the rewards of the seeds planted by Sahara.

  “I really do miss you, Mish. I miss having you in my life. Even with the bullshit, you always kept it real with me. Well, except for the whole ‘falling for the dude’ shit.” Cooley laughed.

  “Yeah, well . . . que sera, sera.” Misha nudged Cooley with her shoulder. “Cooley, forgive her. It was a mistake, and I’m sure she regrets it. How could she not?” Misha smiled.

  Cooley suddenly felt better about the whole situation. “I hear ya. And you consider doing something you want to do. You gotta be happy in your life, Mish. You deserve that, even if it is with a man.” Cooley kissed Misha on her cheek and stood up. Before she walked away, a thought caused her to turn around. “Yo, Mish. Can I ask you one more thing?”

  Misha nodded her head.

  “Last month at the club, why did you skip out like you did?”

  Misha thought about the last time she saw Cooley. “Temporary moment of insanity.”