“Awww, that’s what I’m talking about. Just let go.”
“Stop,” I said again, weakly trying to push him away with no success. He was built solid.
Jacob grabbed both hands and held them snugly to his chest. “You don’t want me to stop, Erika. Don’t you want to feel me filling you up again? Remember how you moaned and squirmed?”
I found myself nodding as he continued to touch and stroke relentlessly. The only sounds were our labored breathing, in sync.
Jacob planted kisses all over my face as he lifted me to a standing position and unzipped my jeans as he firmly palmed my butt. I felt helpless in his arms. I moaned as he pulled my pants down to my ankles and his hand dipped inside my panties and his finger found my sweet spot. I was hot and wet and about to burst.
He whispered in my ear. “You are about to come from my touch, aren’t you?” He smiled knowingly. “I knew you loved being fucked.”
I nodded and leaned into his thick fingers.
“Tell me,” he whispered again. “I want to hear how I make you feel.”
Jacob continued to stroke me and my body was ablaze and sizzling. Once again, he was working his magic. I was weak at the knees as he slid his slippery fingers slowly, ever so slowly, in and out as I held on to his shoulders for support.
“Do you want me to stop, Erika?”
I was just getting ready to say no when my cell phone rang inside my purse. I instantly jumped back like I had been shocked and immediately came to my senses.
“You have to go, Jacob.”
He looked amused. “You’re kidding.”
“Please go. Like I told you, it was a one-time bang. It was good, you were one of the best I’ve ever had, but you’ll never, ever get this pussy again. I hope that was clear enough.”
“You are full of shit, Erika. You were ready to cream just now.”
“Call me names and say foul things, but you still have to go,” I said, hastily pulling up my jeans and adjusting my bra and blouse.
“You’re right. I don’t know why I’m acting like an immature schoolboy over some pussy, which is a dime a dozen.”
“Good night,” I said, walking to the door, unlocking, and opening it. I didn’t bother to comment.
“Good night, Erika. Karma is a bitch. Sooner or later, sooner than you think, it’s coming for you.”
“Well, it won’t be tonight.”
I finally caught my breath as I watched him walk swiftly up the sidewalk with his head held low. I shivered as chills went up and down my spine.
Erika’s Sixth Sense
Chapter 23
You know how you feel when you have a sense trouble is headed your way, full speed ahead with no brakes. You can’t place your finger on it, but you have an unrelenting, nagging feeling that a darkness is about to descend upon you. That was my predicament the last few days and, as much as I tried, I couldn’t shake my trepidation.
It all started when I had a mysterious phone call in my office and the caller simply breathed into the phone and then abruptly hung up. I probably should have forgotten about it because it was probably children playing a practical joke. Halloween was upon us and pranks increased during this time of the year, but my gut sensed the call was more sinister.
I had asked Nobia if she had experienced any hang-ups or unusual calls at the front desk, but she was adamant that she hadn’t. Besides, the breather called my personal, private office line, which was different from the front desk. So, he or she wanted to reach me.
The ringing phone pulled me out of my deep reverie. I answered it reluctantly. “Last Chance, Erika Kane speaking. Beauty is our first priority.”
“Hey.”
“Nobia?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I’m being lazy today. I didn’t want to get up and walk to the back, it would take too much energy.”
“That is pretty lazy.” I laughed.
“Are we still on for lunch?”
“Sure.”
“Usual time?”
“That will work.”
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“We can figure that out later,” I said, distracted.
“I meant to ask, are you okay? You appeared to be a bit frazzled when we spoke earlier.”
I sighed and lied. “I’m fine. I’m just tired, physically and mentally. I need a vacation. You know I haven’t been on one since I opened the shop. I didn’t want to leave until it was operating in the black.”
“I can’t wait until we go on our cruise to Cozumel, Mexico and the Cayman Islands.”
“It should be a lot of fun,” I said. “Sun and fun. Perfect combination.”
“I haven’t seen Jacob the last few days. Has he been in?” she asked as I stiffened in my chair at the mention of his name. “Maybe when I walked out for a few minutes, he stopped by?”
“No, I haven’t seen him.” Thank God.
“Oh well. It has been pretty quiet next door. Maybe they finished up, but I can’t believe Jacob didn’t drop by to say good-bye.”
I didn’t comment one way or the other.
“A client just walked in,” she whispered. “Let me get off the phone and handle business. I’ll see you at one o’clock. Bye.”
“Bye, girl.”
As soon as Nobia hung up, the phone rang again on my private line.
“Girl, if you don’t bring your lazy ass back here and stop blowing up my phone”—I laughed—“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”
There was silence. No answer.
“Nobia? Can you hear me?”
Heavy breathing filtered through the line.
“Nobia?”
“Okay, I’m getting ready to hang up.”
Then I heard it, barely more than a whisper. “I know what you did.”
“What?”
“You heard me, bitch. I know what you did.”
“Who is this? Quit playing on my damn phone. This is a place of business.”
“You aren’t going to get away with it.”
“Who is this?”
“Karma is a bitch, bitch.”
Then I heard a click and the line went dead.
Could This Be Love?
Chapter 24
I hadn’t experienced any more phone calls with heavy breathing or cryptic messages since the last occurrence and that had been a few days ago. During that same time frame no one had seen or heard from Jacob. That was absolutely fine with me, but I still hadn’t figured out if he was behind the calls. It sorta didn’t fit anything he would do. He was more in your face; from what I knew of Jacob, he didn’t hide behind mysterious phone calls with threats. However, I wasn’t 100 percent sure it wasn’t him, so I couldn’t count him out. He had recently told me that karma was a bitch and I was going to get mine. That’s what the mysterious caller had said as well.
It was Tuesday evening and one client was still in the shop, asleep and softly snoring under a dryer. Destiny, Loretta, Carla, Nobia, and I were sitting around, chitchatting in the waiting area. It felt comfortable. Even though it was Loretta’s client, no one appeared anxious to leave and I believed the group had finally gelled.
“Has anyone seen Jacob?” Nobia asked for the fifth time.
“No,” we said in unison.
“How many times are you going to ask us that? You’ve been here just like the rest of us and we haven’t seen him. Get over it,” Carla chimed in.
“Well, I was just wondering,” Nobia snapped back. “You don’t have to get a stick up your ass.”
“Sounds like someone was a little smitten with Jacob,” Loretta said jokingly. “He was a cutie.”
Destiny and I snickered. I noticed she was wearing one of the costume necklaces I had given her and it looked good on her. She had even added some highlights to her hair recently and she appeared happy; just like a twenty-something should be—happy, carefree, and enjoying life.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think they had knocked boots,” Carla said, but was
looking straight at me. “I bet baby boy brought it. He looked like he was packing.”
I stared right back at her and didn’t blink an eye.
“I wish, but he just made my day by being a friend. If I couldn’t have him, at least I could look at him and fantasize. That’s better than nothing,” Nobia said dreamily.
“Nobia, you will find another man. Don’t fret about it all the time,” Loretta gently coaxed. “It’s not a good look on you. You don’t need to appear desperate.”
It did appear that Nobia was on a manhunt lately. That was all she talked about.
“Dang, Miss Loretta. Hurt my feelings. Do I act desperate, y’all?” she asked, looking at the rest of us.
Carla answered for us. “Hell, yeah. Just chill.”
“She will find someone. And he’ll cherish her,” I said, smiling Nobia’s way.
“Miss Erika, how did you know when you had found the right mate?” Destiny asked out of the blue.
“You mean three, don’t you?” Carla asked, leaning back in her chair, crossing her long legs at the ankles.
I rolled my eyes at her. This chick always knew what buttons to push to bring out the worst in me, but here we were, working together on a daily basis. We had learned to tolerate each other.
“How did I know I was in love?” I asked.
Destiny nodded.
“It’s hard to explain, but I just knew. I realize that sounds corny but I did. There was a feeling that came over me that made me feel special and secure when I was in their company. I wanted to be around them all the time and when I did, I felt complete.”
I paused, reflecting on the past. “It was almost as if I never knew I missed them until I met them.” I smiled at the memory.
“Wow! That’s so romantic,” Destiny said.
“It’s something,” I heard Carla whisper to Loretta. I was beginning to open my mouth to say something that she wouldn’t like when the bell above the door chimed and in walked a very attractive, forty-something, clean-cut gentleman. He instantly captured my attention with his confidence and my heartbeat sped up. That rarely happened with me.
“Hello, everyone. Good evening, ladies.”
“Hi. May I help you?” I asked, standing up and walking the few feet to where he stood near the counter, eager to get a closer look.
“I sure hope so. I’m Lance Carter, Jacob’s uncle,” he said.
On hearing Jacob’s name, Nobia’s interest piqued and her face lit up like a Christmas tree with hundreds of lights.
“Jacob asked me to drop by and say good-bye to everyone. He finished up the work next door, did a fantastic job by the way, and was called away, back to Chicago for a family emergency.”
“I hope everything’s okay,” I said, pretending I was concerned.
“It will be.”
“By the way, I’m Erika Kane, the owner and proprietor of Last Chance.”
“Good to meet you,” he said, reaching to shake my hand. His hand swallowed mine. When we touched, I swear to you, I wouldn’t lie, a warm surge spread throughout my body. It shot up and down my arms like an electric current gone awry. I couldn’t tell if Lance felt it too because his expression remained unchanged, but I know what I experienced because I was still tingling.
“Well, Lance, welcome to the neighborhood. I’m sure you will enjoy it here.”
“Thank you. I’m sure I will.”
“By the way, this is Loretta, Nobia, Destiny, and Carla,” I said, pointing to each in turn. He shook hands and offered a pleasant smile to every one of them. I took that opportunity to check him out from head to toe and I definitely liked what I saw. Clean-cut, masculine, muscular, toned, tall, and handsome always turned me on.
“Are you the owner of the barber shop?”
“Yes, this is my third location. I have other spots in Decatur and Conyers.”
Financially stable, check.
The ladies talked to him a bit more and I held back to watch the interaction. There was something about him that made me simply revel in observing him. Lance finally said his good-byes and walked out the door with his head held high and a stride to his step. I turned to find the women staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Nothing at all,” Nobia said, smiling.
“Mr. Lance Carter, huh?” I walked back to my office with a renewed pep to my own step. He was worth getting to know a little better. Things were definitely looking up.
Doubts Playing With My Mind
Chapter 25
I loved Erika like she was family, as the sister I never had. Sure, she had her ways, the same as I had mine, but her positive qualities far outshined and outweighed the negatives.
Erika and I had been best friends a little over three and a half years now. I met her shortly before Edward passed away. So, I did get to witness her and Edward together as a married couple. They appeared like any average happily married man and wife from my vantage point. They were always together and enjoyed being in each other’s company from what I could tell; they had fun together.
Now I was beginning to wonder how happy they truly were. I recognized I should be ashamed of myself for allowing Carla to speak doubts into my mind about my best friend in the world. Most of the time, I ignored Carla’s comments, especially when they pertained to Erika. Everyone knew she was jealous of Erika; hell, she wanted to be Erika. She never quite got over the fact that Erika snatched up Brian and jumped the broom. At least that’s how I saw it, or thought I did. Carla was very competitive and she thought she was drop-dead gorgeous, so she couldn’t fathom the fact that Brian wanted Erika, the big-boned sister, over her. Carla could hold a grudge forever.
Doubts were creeping in to invade my brain, mostly because of Carla’s little remarks placed here and there in my ear. She successfully started planting seeds of doubt that were starting to sprout roots, but also because of something Jacob shared with me before he was unexpectedly called away to Chicago.
Unknown to anyone at the salon, Jacob and I ate lunch together before he suddenly disappeared back to Chicago. It wasn’t planned. I wished he had invited me out to lunch. I happened to be back at the Mexican restaurant, Jacob was already eating when I walked in, and he invited me to dine with him. Of course, I didn’t decline. I’m no fool, I knew Jacob would never show any love interest in me, but I truly enjoyed his company and conversation, and adored being in his presence. We always laughed and I did harmless flirting, realizing it would go no further.
Jacob and I were seated in a booth across from one another, and I was feasting on my usual entree.
“You always have a smile on your face. I have never seen you upset,” Jacob commented before talking a big bite out of his fish taco.
“People say that all the time. I’m a naturally happy person, I guess, and I try not to sweat the small stuff. My mother says I was a happy baby, too. I rarely cried unless I needed changing or needed to be fed.”
Jacob paused and stared at me with a curious expression on his handsome face.
“What? Do I have sauce all over my face?” I asked, dabbing with my napkin.
“No. You’re funny, Nobia.”
“What then?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course you can, Jacob.”
“Why is a nice girl like you best friends with Erika?”
I laughed. “Erika is cool. You have to get to know her first.”
“How long have the two of you been friends?” he asked, leaning forward.
“Over three and a half years.”
“That’s a long time, and you are still friends?”
“I know the two of you didn’t take to each other, but I love Erika. It’s funny how people either see her kindness or buy into mean gossip, everyone is three-dimensional. I think she is a kind person, but she also isn’t a push-over.”
“Ump,” he responded under his breath.
“Be fair. The two of you just met and you haven’t had that much interaction.
I know that you find her attractive and she is bourgeois, but you shouldn’t be so hard on her. You’ll like her once you get to know her better. Give it some time.”
“I think you are a great friend and she’s lucky to have you in her life.”
“Why do I feel there is a big but on the tail end of that statement?” I asked cautiously.
“Be careful of people who wear masks.”
“Stop talking in riddles. What does that mean?” “I’m just saying that you don’t know what Erika does behind closed doors, and don’t believe everything she tells you.”
“You are the second person who has told me that recently.”
“Maybe you should listen,” he said matter-of-factly.
It suddenly clicked. “Do you and Erika have a history that I’m not aware of?”
He paused. “Ask Erika.”
“I’m asking you.”
“I’d rather you ask your best friend. She’s your best friend, right? She should tell you the truth. Right?”
I nodded.
Jacob and I talked some more and finished our meals. Twenty minutes later, I walked back to the salon more confused than ever. Doubt was playing with me.
Be Warned
Chapter 26
Nobia had left early because she had a dental appointment on the other side of town, so we were taking turns answering the salon phone. Thankfully, we had been lucky because it had remained relatively quiet. I had just placed a client under the dryer and handed her the newest copy of Ebony magazine when the second call of the evening since Nobia left came through.
I ran to pick it up and reached it by the fourth ring. Carla and Destiny had made no attempt to answer since they were busy with clients and Erika was in her office. I noticed she had been distant lately.
“Last Chance Salon. This is Loretta speaking. How may I help you? Beauty is our first priority.”
Silence followed.
“Hello. Last Chance Salon. Is anyone there? Can you hear me?” I asked.
“Yes, I can hear you, but you need to hear this,” a menacing, distorted voice responded. I couldn’t tell if the caller was male or female.
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