by Lacey Legend
“But he seems like a good guy, Tanesha. He seems different.”
“Yah, they all seem different once they’re done wining and dining you. Then you wake up the next morning and the son of a bitch goes back to being who he really is; some good for nothing scrub that sits on the goddamn couch all day long . . .”
“Tanesha, would you listen to yourself? You’re the least romantic person on the planet,” Diamond said with a laugh.
“Girl, you do you. I’m just saying. I ain’t never seen this kind of thing turn out well. Didn’t Malik take you out to dinner on your first date?” Tanesha asked.
“He took me to Popeye’s,” Diamond said flatly.
“Now there ain’t nothing wrong with no Popeye’s. Don’t you bring Popeye’s into this.”
“Tanesha, I gotta hang up now. He’s going to wonder where I went,” Diamond said.
“He gonna think you went to that fancy French bathroom, having them pains all up in your belly from that cheesy food.”
“Goodbye, Tanesha. Thank you,” Diamond said quickly.
“Welcome.”
Diamond hung up and sighed. She needed friendly counsel, but Tanesha wasn’t any help at all. She closed her eyes and thought hard. She needed her mama.
“Ooooh, he fine,” Bernice said, showing up on cue.
“I know, but mama I don’t know what to do. I think I just got terrible luck with men.”
“Ain’t nobody got good luck with men, I can tell you that much. But I got a good feeling about this one,” Bernice explained.
“Really, mama?”
“Sho. He got money, he got a job, and honey, I really think that he likes you,” Bernice said.
“Oh, mama. That’s just what I need to hear.”
“Go on, then. Give him some lovin’. Just be easy on him. He got a heart too, you know.”
“Okay. I’ll remember that,” Diamond said, and just like that, Bernice was gone.
Receiving the counsel that she needed, Diamond felt confident in the decision that she was about to make. She walked back towards the table where Baptiste still sat waiting patiently.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
“Yah, all good,” Diamond said, seating herself again.
“I want to say that, you need not accept my proposal for this evening,” Baptiste explained. “It was a whim to ask, but just know that I’m happy with whatever decision you make.”
“I’d like to come home with you tonight, Baptiste,” Diamond said, a gentle smile on her face. Baptiste met her eyes and shared in her smile. His whole face warmed at the news of it. Surprise and delight mixed in his expression.
“Well, alright then,” he said, reaching out his hand and grabbing Diamond’s. “I’m a very happy man.”
Diamond didn’t see Baptiste pay the bill, and she assumed that he merely had a tab at the restaurant, because he didn’t wish to be bothered with financial transactions after having a pleasant meal.
“Right this way,” Baptiste said, leading Diamond away from the table. He placed his hand gently on the small of her back and escorted her through the main patio and towards the car. “Did you have enough to eat?” he asked.
“Are you playin’?” she asked.
“Playing?” he asked, unsure what she meant.
“I mean, are you joking?”
“Of course I am not joking. That was a modest meal for me,” Baptiste said. Diamond merely laughed. It was very French of him to say so. And where did all the food go? Baptiste wasn’t a large man by any means, but he wasn’t slight, either. He had a trim, athletic build that seemed effortless and natural. Diamond was very much attracted to it.
Once inside the car, Baptiste placed his hand on Diamond’s knee, and she felt a warmth flood through her. It wasn’t an overly suggestive grasp, but more so, a protective gesture that Diamond found very comforting.
“Is this alright?” Baptiste asked in regard to the touch.
“Yes,” she replied simply, feeling every muscle in her body relax.
“Good,” he replied, leaning back in his seat.
The rest of the journey back to the estate was quiet and serene. Diamond enjoyed seeing Veules-les-Roses at night, lit to perfection. The stars could be seen overhead, and the moon shone bright. Once they reached the coast, Diamond saw the light of the moon glistening on the sea, just as the sunshine had done that afternoon. Such incredible beauty, she thought to herself. And Diamond had a whole two months to enjoy it. Endless sunrises and sunsets, and she had a front row seat to witness it all play upon the ocean’s surface. How did she get so lucky? And for all that time, would she be basking in the glow of Baptiste’s company? Diamond definitely wouldn’t mind that at all, but she was going to take it one step at a time, and not overthink it. All her life she had been overthinking things, and now was the time to let all of that go and just enjoy. It was the French approach.
“We’re here,” Baptiste announced as the car slowly pulled up to the estate. A few lights glowed from within, but aside from that the building was silent and peaceful. It looked oddly homey, considering the vast size and scope of it. “Are you ready?” he asked, exiting the car and putting out his hand for Diamond to follow.
“As ready as I’m gonna be.” She took his hand and was pulled up and out. The force of his grasp brought her quite close to him, and for a moment she thought that she was about to receive a kiss. They locked eyes and enjoyed the delicious tension that lingered between them. Finally, Baptiste pulled away and walked towards the home, continuing to hold her hand.
“It’s beautiful,” Diamond said.
“It’s my childhood home,” Baptiste explained.
“I know,” Diamond replied far too quickly. Baptiste gave her a quizzical look.
“Emmanuelle?” he asked.
“Yes. Sorry, I hope that’s okay,” Diamond said, feeling guilty about all that Emmanuelle had told her.
“No, it is fine. Emmanuelle has known my family for quite some time. She’s a kind woman.”
“I gotta say, I liked her from the first moment that I met her,” Diamond replied, turning to look off towards the coast. “I can see my apartment from here!”
Diamond laughed to herself. It was her first night in town and she wasn’t even spending that night in the apartment that she rented. What was going on? It was all such a whirlwind that she couldn’t make any sense of it. But she was going to go with the flow.
“You can go back at any time,” Baptiste said, squeezing her hand. “I’m not your captor,” he added. There was something playful and a tad sinister in his eye, which expressed to Diamond that maybe he wanted to be her captor.
“It’s kind of you to say that,” Diamond replied, sincerely appreciative that he was being a gentleman. She tried to imagine Malik saying something like that and the thought made her want to laugh. Or cry. Probably both.
“Come this way,” Baptiste said, the doors of the estate being opened for him by an attendant. Diamond would come to learn that there were a lot of attendants in Baptiste’s home, and she was delighted to find that they weren’t brown-skinned. In fact, there was not one brother or sister working in that house, and Diamond was immensely comforted by it, in ways that she would never be able to explain to Baptiste.
“Coffee or tea?” Baptiste asked.
“I think I’m alright, thanks.”
“Cigar?” he said with a grin.
“Yes,” Diamond replied.
“Truly?” Baptiste asked, lifting his brow.
“Ha ha. No, I was merely messin’ with you,” Diamond said with a smile.
Baptiste smiled as well, and then he reached over and placed his hand on Diamond’s cheek.
“I love it when you do that,” Baptiste said, looking deep into her eyes. Diamond felt herself turn self-conscious and she looked away.
“Well, I never thought that I’d end up here,” she said, walking around the expansive living room, staring at the antique paintings on the walls. Baptiste j
ust watched her for a bit, and he could tell that she was impressed. It pleased him immensely.
“It’s a surprise for me too. A very pleasant one.”
“Your family must be art lovers,” Diamond said.
“For many generations they have collected. This is only a small portion of it. A great deal has been donated to the Louvre.”
“Oh!” Diamond said in surprise, turning to him. “I just went there. That’s where I was at that day that we first met,” she said with glee.
“I can take you for a private tour sometime,” Baptiste said, placing his hands in his trouser pockets.
“What?” Diamond asked in surprise.
“Yes, it’s much better to go privately. You escape the crowds.”
One painting in particular caught Diamond’s eye and she walked towards it. It was an oil painting of a man with dark skin and eyes. He looked back out of the painting towards Diamond, a serious expression on his face.
“He was a nobleman,” Baptiste said, coming up behind her. He had a tiny glass of brandy in his hand and he gave it to her.
“Oh, where did that come from?” she asked.
“I asked for it when we arrived.”
“I see,” Diamond said, taking the brandy and enjoying a rich sip.
“This is a rather famous French nobleman. The painting is entitled The Moore. It’s from 1758.”
“It’s remarkable,” Diamond said, returning her attention to it.
“He apparently was one of the wealthiest men in France. Yet he was still treated like garbage.”
“I’m not surprised,” Diamond said, taking another sip. She could feel Baptiste’s hand come to rest on the small of her back and she loved the feeling of it. What was it about men putting their hand in that very special place? It made a girl feel protected, and taken care of.
Baptiste leaned in close to Diamond, and slowly, gently placed his lips upon hers. The moment was serene and it was as though time stood still, but then a rush of heat came through Diamond’s entire body and she was concerned by it. It was lust, pure and simple, and she hadn’t felt it that strong for a long while.
“I’m sorry,” Diamond said, pulling her face away.
“No, it’s alright. If that makes you uncomfortable then I’ll stop,” Baptiste replied.
“It’s not that. It’s probably just the opposite. Only . . . it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this.”
“For me as well,” Baptiste replied.
“So, maybe we can just be gentle with one another?” Diamond asked.
“I’m afraid that under the circumstances, that’s just impossible,” Baptiste said humorously, running a hand through his hair. “But I’ll try my absolute best.”
Diamond began to laugh, and Baptiste took the brandy glass from her hand and placed it down on the side table. He held the very same hand and brought it to his lips, and Diamond closed her eyes in delight.
“Would you do me the honor of retiring to my room with me?” Baptiste asked.
“Yes,” Diamond replied simply, and was led by the hand through the living room and down the hall, up a winding marble staircase and down another hall.
“This is my room,” Baptiste said, opening the door and stepping aside so that Diamond could enter.
“My God. . .” Diamond said, stepping in and looking all around. “You fo real?” she asked.
“It’s a rather large room but I find it cozy,” Baptiste replied.
“Hm, I have a different sense of cozy, but I’ll take your word for it.”
“Come here,” Baptiste said, unable to control himself any longer. He pulled Diamond close to him and she fell into his arms. He grasped her firmly, and Diamond could feel his strong chest against hers. His athletic build enclosed her perfectly, and Diamond had to remind herself to breathe.
Once again, Baptiste brought his hand up to her cheek, and this time Diamond covered his hand with her own. He leaned in to kiss her, much more urgently this time, and she returned his kiss with equal relish. They stood there for some time, enjoying the feel of each other’s lips. Baptist’s hands lowered from her cheek and began to explore her body, starting with the neck, then the shoulders and arms, and finally moving to Diamond’s chest. She moaned with pleasure and the sound of it spurred Baptiste on even further. He untied the bow around her waist that held her blue wrap dress together and the dress opened for him, revealing Diamond’s beautiful physique.
He continued to explore her body with his hands and Diamond allowed him to do so, loving the feeling of his warm hands on her chilled skin.
“Is this alright?” Baptiste asked, his hands finally making it to the top of her underwear.
“Yes,” she moaned, and continued to kiss him.
Baptiste’s fingers played with the lining of her underwear for a bit, till finally he brought his hand completely over Diamond’s pubic bone, and then slowly downward, caressing the sensitive area with great care. Diamond grasped Baptiste’s shoulders and held on, afraid that her legs were becoming too shaky. He became more insistent, and massaged her gentle area with care, feeling that wetness that had accumulated there.
“Do you like this?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied breathlessly.
That was all the encouragement that Baptiste needed. His fingers traveled from the outside of her panties to the inside. He took her lips in his fingers and massaged them, up and down. Diamond buried her face in Baptiste’s neck as he continued his action. Slowly, he took one finger and gently slid it inside her, and for a moment Diamond thought it was going to be too much.
Baptiste could tell that she was becoming shaky and he removed his finger, taking her by the waist and pulling her over to the bed. He laid her down on her back and Diamond was happy to be on a soft surface. With urgency, Baptiste removed his white shirt, undoing each button without looking. Diamond watched him as he did so, and loved the image of his shirtless form standing in front of her. His body was just as muscular and defined as she thought it was; even his crisp suits couldn’t hide it.
Once Baptiste’s shirt was off, he hovered over Diamond and took off her dress, unwrapping it from her limbs. All that remained were her bra and panties, but before she could even think about it, those were removed as well, without her having to do a thing.
“You’re fast,” Diamond said with a smile.
“When I see something I want there is no hesitation,” Baptiste replied.
He was still wearing his trousers, but Diamond was completely revealed. Baptiste stared at her body in wonder, and began to explore it, this time with his mouth. He took the same course, beginning with her lips, moving down to her neck, across her collarbones, and down her torso. Baptiste took her left breast in his mouth and sucked on it for a bit. Diamond grasped the back of his head and felt his soft hair in her fingers. After delighting in one breast, Baptiste moved over the other, and Diamond didn’t know whether to giggle or cry out in pleasure.
From there, Baptiste moved down to her waist, finally arriving at the area that he had earlier caressed with his fingers. He gently placed his tongue between her lips and Diamond grasped for a pillow nearby, forming a fist. His tongue was soft but insistent, and Diamond moaned again.
Baptiste was no longer asking if each action was okay. He was moving forward and taking what he wanted. He started slowly, but then his mouth became more determined. Before long, his deep kiss of Diamond’s lower body was far too much, and Diamond screamed out, her whole body breaking into a fitful shake, with waves of pleasure crashing over her again and again.
Seeing that Diamond had come so quickly, Baptiste didn’t spare another moment. His trousers were off so quickly that Diamond didn’t even know when he had managed to get them off. Baptiste was entirely naked and Diamond was amazed by the size of him. He plunged himself into her and she cried out again, unsure if her body had enough strength left. But sure enough, once Baptiste was inside of her, it was like a whole new burst of energy came to her, and thei
r two bodies effortlessly moved in accord with one another.
“You feel so good,” Baptiste said, his voice strangled. Diamond could not reply. Words had utterly escaped her.
The rhythm continued, but Baptiste constantly flung Diamond into various other positions, taking her here and there, rolling her over him and then under him. Diamond was going along with the ride, and she was amazed how long that ride could last for.
Finally, Baptiste was over her, looking down into her eyes and his thrusts were insistent. A look of tortured pleasure came to his face and Baptiste came inside of her. As he did so, Diamond felt her body let go again, exploding into waves of release and ecstasy. Baptiste collated on top of her, and Diamond could feel his dewy skin against hers. He was trying to catch his breath, and Diamond was trying to do the same.
“God,” Baptiste said, running his hand through his hair.
They lay there in each other’s arms for some time, entirely spent. Once they came back to life, Baptiste began to touch Diamond’s face with the back of his fingers, and then he ran his hand through her braids.
“You have beautiful hair,” he said softly.
“They command attention, I guess,” Diamond said humorously.
“I hope I haven’t offended you,” Baptiste said, sensing that he had touched a nerve.
“No, not at all. You’re free to enjoy my hair,” she said with a laugh.
They kissed and stroked each other for a bit longer, until finally, they were both lulled into a comfortable sleep. Diamond placed her head on Baptiste’s chest.
“I need a hand, please,” he said, grasping in the dark for hers. Diamond placed her hand in his, and once it was there, Baptiste fell asleep almost instantly. Diamond was not far behind.
*******
“How do you take your coffee?” a voice said, and Diamond looked up to find a skinny, nervous-looking attendant standing by the bed.
“I beg your pardon?” Diamond said, still groggy.
“Your coffee. How do you take it? I can bring it to you,” the girl said.
Diamond looked about the large bed and vast room, and Baptiste was nowhere in sight.