Blackgentlemen.com

by Zane

  “School’s aiight. You know?”

  Mo could hear the other kids coming down the hall. “Well…I’d better get going,” she said to Kevin. The kids had planned a surprise going away party for him. They loved Mr. D. She would’ve liked to love him. “In case I don’t see you again…”

  “It was nice working with you, Mrs. B.” He smiled.

  “I wish you’d call me…Maureen.” She’d almost slipped and said Mo. She’d have died on the spot if she’d said Mo. Thank God she didn’t say Mo.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kevin had pretty much given up on MizMOcha. He hadn’t heard from her in weeks, which disappointed him, but he figured it was all for the best. Ron was probably right. More than likely, she was somebody with issues he wasn’t in the mood for, and he figured the gods were looking out for a brotha after all. If she was someone he knew, then she needed to piss or get off the pot. Either fess up or leave him alone altogether. Internet dating had proved interesting, but that’s about it. He decided it was probably best to take his chances like every other man out there and hope for the best. Miss Right was out there somewhere. That much he knew. And when the time was right, they’d hook up, fall in love, make some babies and chill for the next fifty years. In the meantime, he’d at least enjoy the search.

  He hadn’t had any contact with the center since he’d left, and seeing an email in his in box from Sheila bought a smile to his face. She’d been so sweet to him while he worked there. If she’d been a little older…Back in his dawg days, her age wouldn’t have mattered to him, but at nineteen, hell, she was young enough to be his daughter and he wasn’t cool with that. Not to mention, she was a little skinny to suit his tastes.

  We Miss U! Was typed in the subject line of the email. He clicked to open it, figuring it was one of those e-greeting cards or something. She’d do something like that. Kevin blinked in disbelief when he opened that email. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him. He’d spent most of the night in his dark room and his eyes were tired, but…It just didn’t make any sense. Kevin stared at the email Sheila had sent him, his eyes pinned on the email address—MizMOcha. Sheila had courteously copied MizMOcha and the name beside it read, “Maureen Beckman.” There was no way he could excuse that to coincidence. No way in hell.

  Kevin called the center and managed to catch Sheila just as she was walking in. “Hello?” she answered, out of breath.

  “Sheila. I’m glad I caught you. This is Kevin Davies.”

  “Hi, Kevin,” she said excitedly. “How are you?”

  “I’m wonderful, Baby. I called to thank you for the email you sent me.”

  “Oh…you’re very welcome. We all just wanted you to know you haven’t been forgotten. They kids keep asking about you.”

  “Well, tell them I miss them and I’ll try dropping in sometime soon.”

  “I’ll tell them.”

  “By the way, is Mrs. Beckman available?”

  “She’s in a meeting right now. Do you want me to have her call you?”

  “No. No, I just…Maybe you can help me.” He’d been under the impression she was married. After all, the last time he’d seen her, she still had a ring on her finger. Asha had tried pulling that shit on him. Creeping on her husband with men she met over the net. Was Mrs. Beckman playing the same game? That’s the first question he needed answered. The first of many.

  “I met a gentleman the other day by the name of William Beckman,” he lied. “He wouldn’t by chance be related to Maureen would he…her husband, maybe?”

  “Oh…no. Not her husband. Mrs. Beckman’s a widow. But he might be an in-law or something. I wouldn’t know.”

  Damn! A widow. “I see. Well…you uh…have a nice day, Sheila, and tell the kids I’ll try to make it in to see them next week.”

  “Okay, Kevin. Thanks for calling.”

  Maureen Beckman. A widow. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Or how he should feel about any of it. She just didn’t strike him as the type of woman who’d do something like this. Kevin scratched his chin. It just didn’t jive. She’d flattered him. She’d made a fool out of him. She’d played him. Hell! No wonder she’d been moody. She was confused. That’s for damn sure.

  Now that the weather was starting to warm up for real, Mo decided to take advantage of it, and open up all the windows at the house before leaving for work, hoping the breeze would eliminate the stale aroma of winter. She frowned while searching her closet for something to wear. Naomi was right. It was definitely time for a new wardrobe. Apparently, somewhere along the line, her favorite color had become black. Mo couldn’t remember when that had happened. Today was not a black day. It wasn’t a business suit day. A cool breeze wrapped itself around her, assuring her that today was going to be a good day. Finally, Mo found something to wear that fit the mood. She hadn’t worn this dress in ages. Mo held it up against her, while she stared at herself in the mirror. Yes. This would work. She loved this dress because it looked good on her even when she didn’t look good. The dress poured over the top of her head and down her body like water, kissing her hips and feeling heavenly against her skin. Why not take full advantage of this mood? she thought. Mo slid out of her panties, put them in the dirty clothes hamper, grabbed her briefcase, and left.

  She’d thought a lot about Kevin after he left. He’d emailed her several times, but Mo decided it was best just to leave that whole charade alone. It wasn’t real and the Internet was just another brick in that wall she’d decided to tear down. Mo had learned something about herself, though. She’d learned that she was finally ready to step out on faith and try her hand at love again. Getting to know Kevin, personally, would’ve been nice. But there were other Kevin’s out there and she wanted to be ready when they crossed her path. Emotionally ready. She’d thought about getting his number from the office and calling him, but she had no idea what she’d say to him, so she opted to file the whole experience away as a lesson learned. No more hiding. No more games. No more trying to make every man measure up to Jonathan. Jonathan had been his own man and other men may not be him, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be just as good as themselves.

  It wasn’t until she made it into the office that she remembered it was Sheila’s day off. The center was closed to the public and she could finally make adjustments to that budget she’d been too preoccupied to work on before she had to present it in two days. Incoming calls were automatically routed to Sheila’s phone and Mo could get busy without interruption.

  Maureen turned on her PC and opened her inbox. She scrolled down her list of new messages and came across one from Sheila ‘We Miss U’ and opened it. It was addressed to manhattan245 and directly beneath his name was hers, MizMOcha. Dread filled her stomach and tied a big knot in it. “Oh shit,” she mumbled. “I wonder if…”

  She never even heard him come in. Kevin stood in the doorway to her office, and Mo knew it was no coincidence. Yep. He knew. “Mrs. Beckman,” he said smugly. “Or should I call you…Maureen? I’m sorry. You prefer Mo. Isn’t that right?” Mo’s mouth fell open, but absolutely nothing would come out of it. Not even breath. “Yeah, I was speechless too when I first found out,” he said, much too calmly. “Never in a million years would I have guessed it was you. You’re good. That’s for sure. Damn good.”

  Showdown at the OK Corral? Maureen’s moment of truth was finally here. Only, she wasn’t prepared for it. All she wanted to do was sweep the whole thing under the rug as a lesson learned. That’s it. Just leave it alone. Obviously, he had other ideas. “I..I…was going to call you.”

  “Now we both know better than that. Don’t we, Mo? When were you going to call? Honestly, I don’t think you ever had any intention of calling me.” His dark eyes pinned her down in her chair.

  “I just…I didn’t know how to tell you.” Mo’s heart pounded in her chest and she swore the damn thing was going to kick its way out and run screaming into the streets.

  “You just tell me. It’s not hard to say, Kevin, I s
aw your picture on the net. That was me who emailed you. Isn’t that funny? How hard would that be?”

  “I was embarrassed, Kevin. I didn’t…” She shrugged.

  “I’m embarrassed, Mo. I feel like a fool. I’ll bet you got a kick out of this whole thing. Didn’t you? Probably bragging to all your friends about my clueless ass. Why’d you play me like that?”

  “I’m so sorry, Kevin.” Mo felt the tears stinging her eyes. “I didn’t mean to…” He had no right to feel foolish. That privilege belonged to her. Not him. She felt like a big idiot in a pretty dress, and she’d be damned if she’d feel sorry for him. After all, she’s the one who’d written that ridiculous email about being tied up and tortured. Not him. How in the world could she ever live that down?

  Kevin stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him. “You liked this game?” He stepped slowly in her direction. “You enjoyed…keeping me in the dark the way you did?”

  Mo eased out of her chair and backed up towards the wall. What on earth was he planning on doing? She wanted to run out of the office, but between Mo and the door, there was Kevin, making his way towards her, with a wicked look in his eyes.

  Panic set in. “I said…I apologize, Kevin. Now…this whole thing was a misunderstanding, and…”

  “No, it wasn’t. I understand completely, Mo. And I think you do, too.”

  Kevin maneuvered her into a corner of the room. Maureen stared back at him, perplexed by the look on his face. He smiled, knowing panic was eating her up inside. “Don’t do anything…Kevin, this is all so…You need to leave!” she shouted. He was scaring her, but she’d fight him if she had to. She’d try to kick his ass if it came down to it.

  Mo was backed up as far as she could go. Kevin raised his arms up on either side of her, then pressed the weight of his body against hers. “Leaving is not what I need to do, Baby,” he whispered. Kevin tilted his head, then kissed her lightly on the lips.

  Mo gasped, surprised by what he’d had the audacity to do, here in broad daylight, in her office. Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest, and Mo decided to try a different approach. Calm voice. Reason with the man. Be kind. Then kick him in the nuts and run like hell. “Kevin, you really need to…It was all a misunderstanding. That’s all. Nobody got hurt.”

  This time, he filled her mouth with his tongue. Mo wanted to be angry, but she couldn’t. He tasted too damn good for all that. “Mmmm,” she moaned. Good Lord, how could anybody taste that good? Without realizing it, she put her arms over his shoulders and pulled him closer to her.

  Kevin put his arms around her waist, then led her back over to her desk. Mo hungrily sought out his lips, while he pushed every page of her budget onto the floor, along with her stapler, her paper clips, her inbasket, pens, pencils. Then he lifted her up on the desk, laid her down on her back, and lifted her knees. To hell with being embarrassed. Mo’s whole body tingled in anticipation of anything and everything he wanted to do to her.

  Kevin stared down at her. “I liked the game too, Mo. I liked the game a hell of a lot.” Kevin was pleasantly surprised when he discovered she wasn’t wearing panties. Once again, his theory had proven true. Don’t ever underestimate a conservative woman. He knelt down in front of her, then raised her hips to meet his mouth. Kevin’s tongue explored Mo in ways she’d only imagined possible. She swirled her hips against his face, holding his head against her, praying he’d never stop what he was doing. Mo’s eyes rolled up into her head, and the room spun around like a Ferris wheel. The sensation of his tongue welled up screams inside her, but Mo fought the urge, biting down on her lower lip.

  Obviously, his ass had it going on. Or rather, his mouth did. This woman was wet enough to drown a man. She moaned and groaned out an orgasm that exploded all over him, and Kevin smiled at his achievement. ‘Take that!’ he wanted to say, but didn’t. Mrs. Beckman was too damn delicious for I told you so’s. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped his mouth. He’d think about washing her off him. Later on. Mo lay limp, drained of the best sex she’d had in years.

  Kevin stared at Mo, then flashed one of those irresistible smiles at her. “Call me. Please?” He kissed her one last time, then left.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dark Cranberry Cream was her favorite color lipstick. It wasn’t red enough to be out of style, but it wasn’t so brown that her lips faded into her face. There was just enough color without being brash or tacky. Valerie loved the feel of smoothing the concoction over her full lips. Women took the strangest things for granted. Like applying makeup. It pissed her off seeing a woman half-assed applying makeup at a stop light in the middle of rush hour. Hell! Get your ass up a half-hour earlier and do it right! For Valerie, painting a face was as important as painting a picture and not something to be rushed. Why on earth would you want to rush through the canvas of your face?

  Valerie fingered through her wild, cocoa brown mane, satisfied that she could wear her hair all over her head looking like she didn’t even know how to spell comb better than any other woman she knew. She loved bangs. They added a softness and an innocence to her striking features. She didn’t use them to hide behind because, as far as she was concerned, she was too beautiful to want to hide anything. But bangs enhanced her smoldering, brown eyes. Valerie’s eyes were hypnotic, and she could entice a man to do just about anything for her just by getting him to look into her eyes. She stared at her reflection, smiling back at the beauty smiling at her. Valerie was breathtaking and not a soul on earth could convince her otherwise. Men stopped dead in their tracks, damn near tripping over their chins dragging the ground. She loved it. Heterosexual men too overcome by her physical appeal to know better. She loved that even more. A knock at the door interrupted her admiration. “Hey, Sweetie. You’re on in five.”

  “Thanks, Bobby,” she said. “I’m ready.” Valerie stood up and adjusted the straps on her dress, then smoothed down the sides and back, admiring the flawless shape of her behind. She looked so damn good in red. People told her that all the time. Oooh, Girl! Don’t even go there. Valerie blew herself a kiss. “That’s better.” She smiled. Her public was waiting, dying to see her perform tonight. Adoring fans. She laughed. Of course they adored her ass. Who wouldn’t? She was beautiful and talented and Valerie.

  Mo and Naomi had been waiting for this night for weeks. Valerie had become one of the hottest tickets in town and they weren’t about to miss this, her opening show at Sasha’s Supper Club. They had perfect seats, compliments of the diva herself. Right up front, center stage, and the maitre d’ had been told to treat these two special ladies like royalty. Mo’d invited Kevin to come along, but he insisted that he had some developing to do that just couldn’t wait. She knew the deal, though. He wasn’t into drag queen shows. That’s all he had to say, but Mo figured he didn’t want to risk hurting her feeling since the star attraction happened to be none other than Troy, aka Valerie.

  The show was about to begin and all the lights were dimmed down to a single spotlight on stage. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer said simply. “Valerie.”

  Troy strutted out on stage looking absolutely stunning and the audience went wild.

  “Damn! He looks so good!” Naomi squealed. She’d seen her brother in drag before, but not looking like this. She was almost jealous. Troy had been playing dress up for as long as she could remember. In fact, he’d been the one to teach both her and Mo how to properly arch an eyebrow.

  Mo gently nudged Naomi with her elbow. “Well, you know what they say? If it looks too good to be true…”

  Naomi finished, “It is too good to be true.”

  Troy lip-synced Tina Turner songs better than Angela Bassett ever could. The crowd roared. Valerie walked over to her two guests, elated that they’d finally come to see her act, and seemed to be having a damn good time, too. She was especially glad that Maureen had come out. Since she’d started dating Kevin, she’d shed that shell she’d been wearing all these years. Mo was looking like h
er old, beautiful self again. Her spirit had come back to life, and the woman was actually fun to be around. Of course, Valerie knew Kevin had to be “hittin’ that thang” on a regular basis. Girlfriend had a glow about her that a woman could only get from regular doses of the miracle protein called “sperm.”

  Gregory was in the audience. Valerie had looked out earlier and saw him come in. She didn’t speak to him for weeks after he tried to get violent on her. Eventually, though…all his begging and pleading paid off. Valerie loved it when men begged for her. He’d sent her flowers and candy. Taken her out to fancy restaurants and plays, just to get back into her good graces.

  “I need you, Troy. I’ve never felt this way about anybody else. Please. Give me one more chance.”

  “I can’t deal with the jealousy, Gregory. What kind of relationship can we have if you don’t trust me?”

  “I do trust you. I just…This is all new to me, Troy. Being in love…really in love for the first time in my life…I’m not sure what to do with it.”

  “Don’t strangle it. Don’t try to hold it down or lock it up. You need to let me be me.”

  “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “What you don’t understand is…I don’t want to lose you, either, Gregory. I’m in love too, but I will not put up with the bullshit.”

  “I understand.”

  Troy adored Gregory and the last thing he’d ever want to do was hurt him. But he wasn’t about to let Gregory or any other man put chains on him. Not until he’d made up his mind that he was cool with it. With Gregory, Troy still hadn’t made up his mind whether or not he was ready to settle down, but he was willing to consider it.

  On the way home, Mo pulled an airline ticket from her purse. Nosiness was faster than a speeding bullet on Naomi and she snatched the ticket from her sister’s hand. “Ooooh, Girl! Where you going?”