You Make Me Wanna

by Nikki Rashan

  Loaded with anticipation, I followed her, making a pit stop in the kitchen for a can of whipped cream.

  CHAPTER 9

  New Beginnings

  Radiant in a satin bustier and black skirt, Nakia twirled in the arms of Gene while they danced to the upbeat live jazz band performing at one of Atlanta’s hotspots. She laughed—loud—as he released her into spinning circles once again, not once letting go of her hand. Back in his arms she cuddled her short blonde curls into his neck, closed her eyes and smiled, a sight that nearly brought me to digging through my purse for tissue.

  Gene, once distant and removed, beamed with happiness, and seemed to embrace life once again. Though recognizable lapses back into time flashed over his face from time to time, the occurrences were far less frequent, and were immediately erased at the sight or mention of Nakia.

  Nakia, still fragile from her life change, gained strength with each passing day. During private conversations between the two of us, she confided that she’d find herself suddenly astray in a daydream of Shanna, recalling the touches they shared. Yet greater than her desire to be with Shanna was her wish to share in the life of Fred Jr. Winning him back had become her primary focus.

  Side to side, Gene and Kia swayed to the beat, Gene brushing his cheek against Kia’s soft mane, with them often breaking apart to glance at one another for proof that they were indeed not lost in a dream.

  “I have to tell you,” Asia said, stroking my thigh under the table, “you really did it.”

  I leaned against the cushioned seat in the oversized booth. “I did, didn’t I?”

  “I’m surprised.”

  “You shouldn’t be. You saw the way they looked at each other when we went to dinner.”

  “Like we had disappeared and weren’t even there.”

  Gene and Nakia, each rattled by the instant attraction, had stood eye to eye in Nakia’s three-inch stilettos. Their gaze into each other’s wounded spirits was, for them, like finding a cure for the common cold, each the remedy the other required on a path to wellness and wholeness.

  Asia and I spent the dinner politely ignored, while Gene and Nakia engaged in exclusive conversation. Our interjections fell on deaf ears or were replied to with curious stares in our direction, followed by an exchanged look between the two that said, “Did you hear something?”

  So we sat and listened to them talk about work, children, travels, music, religion, politics, and any and every other topic that crossed their minds in the two-hour period we were there.

  Not only were we not spoken to, their body language shut us out as well. Nakia leaned forward, her chin resting atop her clasped fingers, while Gene turned sideways, his arm resting on the back of Kia’s chair.

  Although pleased with their connection, I could only take so much rejection. Asia signaled the waitress, we paid the bill, and said good-bye. Again, we were met with eyes that seemed stunned that we were even still there.

  A month later, celebrating Valentine’s Day as a foursome, Asia and I still spent the evening alone, observing two people so engrossed in one another that the rest of the world seemed to fade into a canvas backdrop as they painted the story of their new beginnings.

  What was right for me proved opposite for Nakia.

  Once Kia made the decision to sacrifice herself for the love of another, gradually, positive events followed. First, she fell in love. A love that nurtured and revitalized her injured heart. Upon learning of his ex-wife’s reclaimed love for men, Fred Sr. developed a renewed willingness to establish and maintain a cordial relationship with her. In perfect alignment, a reuniting of Fred Jr. and Nakia followed. Fred Jr. released hold of his crush for Lisa, considering it was her father who unintentionally contributed to his ability to have Kia back in his life.

  Appreciating her father’s newfound happiness, Lisa, in turn, transferred her infatuation with Fred Jr. into that of loving adoration for a big brother. A new family was born.

  “Let’s dance,” I said, standing up and offering my hand to Asia.

  “My pleasure,” she replied, stretching her long legs from underneath the table.

  We strolled into the crowd and blended in with the couples stepping to the rhythm of the drum. Holding hands, Asia and I tapped our feet front to back and side to side, her laughing at my concentrated efforts to stay on beat.

  When our bodies met, just for a pulsating moment, her lips touched my ear. “I love you so much,” she whispered, and backed away for a spin.

  Without losing a step, when she returned, I replied, “And I love you.”

  When the band took a short break, Kia and Gene headed toward our seats, with Asia and I in tow. I stopped when I heard a familiar voice.

  “Hey, Kyla.”

  I turned around and saw Angie, dressed in her usual jacket and slacks, holding hands with a lovely lady wearing a short-length shimmering party dress.

  “Asia!” the woman exclaimed before I could respond.

  “Oh my God, Deidra,” Asia responded with a swift hug to the woman. “How are you?”

  “Great, just great.”

  “How have you been, Angie?” I said, finally able to ask.

  “Hanging in there,” she said, her eyes on Asia, visibly curious as to Asia’s connection with the woman at her side.

  “That’s good to hear,” I replied.

  Asia and I stood before our exes for a few moments of uncomfortable silence. The woman was a hyperactive thing, visibly jittery and excited, smiling widely, her eyes dancing wildly between Angie, Asia and me.

  “Okay, well, Kyla, this is Deidra, my friend from Columbus that I told you about,” Asia said, introducing us.

  Deidra rushed her hand into mine and shook it with vigor.

  “Hey, Deidra, it’s nice to meet you,” I said.

  “Same to you. But, Asia, guess what? I’ll be relocating to Atlanta in a month.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yep! My baby here wants me closer to her.” Deidra snuggled against Angie.

  “That’s so nice,” Asia said a bit icily.

  I knew she was recalling the many miles she put on her truck to visit Deidra, who was now ready to pack a U-Haul and move to the city with Angie. Deidra didn’t appear to notice.

  “I’m so crazy about this girl, I’ll do anything for her.” Deidra kissed Angie’s cheek. “Angie’s going to help me get my cosmetology license and connect me with some owners of salons that she knows.”

  I smiled at Angie, who returned one as well. She had found exactly what she was looking for, someone she could care for and who allowed her to be the nurturer and caregiver.

  “That’s fabulous, Deidra,” Asia said.

  Angie cleared her throat.

  “Oh, Angie, I’m sorry,” I said. “Angie, this is my Asia.”

  Angie took hold of Asia’s hand. “So good to meet you,” she said.

  “Likewise,” Asia replied coolly.

  “You two here alone?” Angie asked.

  “No, actually, we’re here with Kia and Gene, Lisa’s dad.”

  “They’re dating?” Angie asked, puzzled.

  “Yes, they are. Isn’t that something?” I answered.

  “Do you mind if I say hello to her?” Angie asked.

  “No, no, not at all. Come this way.” I took Asia’s hand and led the group back to our table.

  The look on Kia’s face was priceless as we neared the table. She looked at me like, Damn! Haven’t you been through enough? She stood for an embrace.

  “Hi, Nakia,” Angie said. “Long time no see.”

  Though Angie and Kia had heard much about the other, they’d only met on two occasions, the last being an evening Kia was visiting when Angie arrived to pick me up for one of our dinner dates.

  “I know,” Kia responded. “You look well.”

  “I am, thank you.”

  Deidra spied the spacious, oversized booth where we were seated. “Asia! Can we sit with you?”

  Asia exhaled. “Absolutely.
”

  Once seated, Angie was formally introduced to Gene, whom she had only heard about through my stories of Lisa.

  “So tell me, did Kyla hook the two of you together?” Angie asked, already knowing the answer.

  “You know she did! She did a good job though.” Nakia winked at me.

  “Yeah, I’m not complaining either,” Gene said.

  “What about you two?” Kia asked, referring to Angie and Deidra.

  Deidra replied, “Well, I was in the city visiting my cousin who was trying to get his computers set up in his new real estate office, and who walks in to assist him but this fine woman right here. When I saw her I was like, I have got to have her.” She squeezed Angie’s arm. “At first she was playing me real cool, but then she started giving me some time, and we’ve been going strong for about eight months.”

  Mentally, both Asia and I did the math in our heads and realized Deidra had met Angie prior to their breakup. And Angie was already courting Deidra at the time of our final dinner. Angie eyed me curiously, possibly for a reaction. Hell, she wasn’t my woman then, so I didn’t care. But it was a different story for Asia.

  “Wow! That long ago,” Asia commented.

  I discreetly tapped her lightly underneath the table, advising her to let it go. We were in a new time and a new place, and it wasn’t necessary to make Deidra feel bad for her cheating heart. It was difficult for Asia, I could tell, not wanting to be made a fool of by her ex in front of her new girlfriend. It was kind of funny when I thought about it, the four of us sitting there, all having slept together in an indirect way. Briefly, I wondered if Asia’s intimate affections toward me were similar to those to Deidra, and if Angie had whipped it on Deidra the same way she had whipped it on me.

  “Let’s order a round of drinks,” Gene suggested, taking the initiative to liven up the moment. He signaled for our waiter.

  We all ordered and received a fresh beverage, which helped to soothe Asia’s slightly injured ego. Soon we were all telling funny tales about each other’s partners, the first time we’d heard them sing (no one had a bearable voice, except Gene), and better yet, the first time someone slipped and passed gas. It was a hilarious conversation that left us bent over in laughter and tears. Though it was an unexpected twist to our evening, it was the perfect way to spend our first Valentine’s Day.

  After our joyous time ended and we were in Asia’s truck en route to her apartment, Asia said, “I can’t believe that shit.”

  “Believe what?” I asked, unsure what she was referring to.

  “Deidra and Angie. She was cheating on me with your woman,” she answered, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

  “Asia, you’re still on that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why can’t you let it go? We just had a really good time. Why is it still bothering you?”

  She was quiet for a moment as she exited at Covington Highway headed to Decatur. Finally she said, “I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I really don’t like feeling like someone has gotten over on me.”

  “Asia, I know what you’re saying, but she wasn’t like your other ex who took advantage of you financially.”

  “No, she didn’t. But she took advantage of my time with all those trips out there to see her, and now she’s all ready to pack up and move here with Angie. I could hardly get that girl to drive to Atlanta to see me. There I was trying to be with her, and she had already moved on to Angie.”

  “Babe, I know you don’t like to feel like someone has gotten over on you. No one would like that. But look at it this way. If they hadn’t gotten together, we may not have gotten together. You still would have been seeing her when I was trying to connect with you, so it all worked out, right?”

  “Still.”

  “Still what?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it bothers me because I know who she left me for. Your ex.”

  “Well, I left her for you.”

  “But you didn’t even know me, and you and Angie were only fuck buddies anyway.”

  Damn! “You’re lucky I’m still buzzed, Asia, ’cause I’m going to let that one slide.” I granted myself the moment needed to cast aside her statement. “Anyway, you’re acting like you really had something for this girl. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you preferred her over me, by the way you’re acting.”

  “Kyla, please, that’s not what this is about.”

  “Well, listen to you. You’re in the car with me, the woman you love so much, but you’re whining about your ex having cheated on you. What difference does it make at this point?”

  “First of all, I’m not whining, and second, it doesn’t matter. But how would you like it if you found out one of your exes cheated on you? Wait, never mind. You were always the one doing the cheating.”

  Should I let that one slide too? Why ruin an almost perfect evening?

  “Look, Asia, I don’t know why you’re so upset, but I’m not going to keep talking about this. If you want to stay mad about Deidra, then you can stay mad on your own.” I turned my attention to the line of trees we were passing.

  “I’m not mad,” she said, looking at me. “It’s just weird, that’s all . . . me, her, you, Angie, and how we’re all connected. And to know that my ex left me for my girlfriend’s ex is just crazy annoying.”

  “What happened with you and Deidra is done, and what happened with me and Angie is over, so who really cares if they’re together? I’m kind of happy she left you, ’cause that made room for me.” I smiled.

  “All right, all right, forget it. It doesn’t matter.”

  We pulled into her apartment complex, and she punched in the code to open the iron gates. We passed the pool on our right and pulled into a parking space just outside her one-bedroom unit.

  I followed Asia into the apartment, and when I turned to bolt the door, she was behind me, pressing into my backside, my trench coat crunching between us. I leaned against the door, collapsing my weight forward.

  Asia ran her fingers up and down the sides of my thighs and grinded her body into my hips. She began with a slow grind that intensified until my body began to sweat underneath my dress.

  “I’m hot,” I said, my eyes closed, and the side of my face and palms pressed to the door.

  “Good! That’s how I like it.”

  Asia began to remove my coat, which she laid on the runner in the hallway where we stood. She smiled deviously and reached into her purse to retrieve our favorite strap-on. This was the first time she’d surprised me by pulling one of my numbers, carrying it with her.

  “Lay down. I want to fuck you, Kyla.”

  I had already come to know that the only time Asia spoke even slightly dirty to me was after she had been drinking. I had never seen her drunk, but even a light buzz caused a brassier and bolder side of her to emerge. Otherwise, our lovemaking was generally exciting and thrilling, yet tender, with only sweet words spoken.

  I lowered myself to the floor and positioned my body comfortably on the coat.

  Asia stood over me, lifted her dress, and stepped her four-inch heels into each side of the strap. She tightened it to her comfort level before meeting me on the floor. “Open your legs,” she said.

  I spread my legs, and she placed her body between them. With her right hand, she parted my lips, and with her left, she stroked my hair, nibbling her teeth into my neck. She glided the strap-on inside of me and moved her hips slowly until I was comfortable and adjusted to the pressure. Then I let her fuck me on the floor, just like she wanted to.

  BUZZ!

  The annoying tone from my laptop interrupted my late-night reading. I lifted my glasses to my forehead and crawled out of bed to my desk.

  bottomsup: HELLO?????

  kyla69: hey cuz

  bottomsup: hey baby doll. what r u doing?

  kyla69: reading. u? not working i c

  bottomsup: don’t forget who’s the HNIC

  kyla69: LOL

  bottomsup: sweeti
e, we need to chat.

  kyla69: we are

  bottomsup: u sitting down?

  kyla69: of course, what’s up?

  bottomsup: u know i luv u, right?

  kyla69: spill it david

  bottomsup: well ...

  kyla9: yes???

  bottomsup: i’m moving in with marlon

  Swiftly I moved my glasses to the bridge of my nose, just to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

  kyla69: u’re moving out?

  bottomsup: yes baby

  kyla69: i don’t know what 2 say

  bottomsup: just be happy 4 me

  kyla69: i am david. for real. when r u leaving?

  bottomsup: as soon as u’re able to take things over urself

  kyla69: myself?

  bottomsup: i’m not paying rent in 2 places darling

  kyla69: i know, it just came out

  bottomsup: u’ve lived on ur own before, did ya 4get?

  kyla69: no, of course not.

  bottomsup: it’s not like i’m ever there babe. i’m ready to move officially with marlon

  kyla69: that’s great. really. i should have known this day would come

  bottomsup: sooner or later sugarplum

  kyla69: april good 4 u?

  bottomsup: don’t rush it—go over ur stuff

  kyla69: don’t worry about me boy

  bottomsup: all right big baller

  kyla69: u got that right

  bottomsup: shoulda known u were one of those women keeping a stash

  kyla69: mama didn’t raise no fool!

  bottomsup: u’re right. aunt gladyce don’t play

  kyla69: thx 4 letting me know david

  bottomsup: no…thank u 4 being a confused-ass girl and moving to atl kyla69: huh?

  bottomsup: if it weren’t 4 me following u down here, i never would have met marlon

  kyla69: gotcha

  bottomsup: there goes my two way. this guard always thinks he seen a ghost on the 16th floor—ain’t shit up there.

  kyla69: take care of ur business

  bottomsup: later babe

  kyla69: bye sweetness