Blackgentlemen.com

by Zane

  Rinaldo started laughing, trying to play off his slip of the tongue. “Just a figure of speech. I’m saying though. I’m coming all the way from Cali to see your ass. Now, you actin’ all timid and shit.”

  “No, I’m straight.”

  “I hope the hell you are cause I plan to knock the bottom out that thang.”

  Tasha winced at his reference to her womanhood as a thang. She was anxious to get off the phone because Roz and Juicy were hanging on every word.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Rinaldo. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Roz started pacing the floor, realizing Tasha was serious about letting Rinaldo visit. She muttered expletives and made disparaging comments about Rinaldo to Juicy.

  Tasha stomped her foot and held up her fist in a threatening manner, urging Roz to stop. Roz ignored her and went right on ranting.

  “Goodnight, Rinaldo.” Tasha tried to speed the goodbye along. She was afraid Rinaldo would hear Roz.

  “Hey, hold up!”

  “Yes?”

  “Say that thing to me.”

  Tasha remained silent.

  “Say that thing to me,” Rinaldo repeated, “or I’m not coming.”

  Tasha looked at Roz and Juicy, turned her head away from them, and then whispered, “Kisses all over your body.” That was her typical closing line to their phone conversations and her signature line on emails to him.

  Juicy and Roz both gawked at Tasha, shaking their heads in unison.

  “That’s my baby!” Rinaldo was happy as a lark. “Later!”

  Tasha hung up the phone and scooted back on her bed, hugging a pillow.

  It took Roz less than five seconds to start in on her. “Have you completely lost it? Please tell me that I didn’t hear what I just thought I heard.”

  Tasha, already angry about Roz’s comments while she was on the phone, lashed back at her. “Rinaldo’s flying in tomorrow. What’s it to you?”

  “What’s it to me? What’s it to me? I live here. You don’t know that man from Adam. I’ve read all the news articles about women meeting men on the internet. Who’s to say he’s not some serial killer or something?”

  Tasha knew Roz had a lot of damn nerve. “Who’s to say the men you bring home from this club or that club aren’t serial killers?”

  Roz was totally offended. “Oh no, you didn’t go there!”

  “What’s the difference?” Tasha shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t count the number of times I’ve woken up to find some half-naked man in our kitchen raiding the fridge. Eating food I purchased, at that.”

  “She does have a point, Roz,” Juicy said, agreeing with Tasha.

  Roz glared at Juicy. “How the hell do you know? Your ass don’t live here!”

  “I may not live here,” Juicy quickly retorted, “but I’m over here enough to know what’s up. Besides, I know how you are, Roz, when it comes to getting your freak on.”

  “So what are you heifers trying to say? That I’m a whore?”

  “Not exactly, but you’re damn sure knocking on whore-dom’s door.”

  Tasha fought to suppress a laugh. She knew Juicy’s comment had cut deeply.

  Roz looked like she could spit fire. “Juicy, Tasha met this fool on the computer. She’s never even seen him.”

  Tasha corrected Roz. “But I’ve seen his picture and we’ve been talking on the phone for months. That’s longer than most people talk before they knock boots.”

  “Yet another valid point,” Juicy agreed. “Most people hop in the bed after knowing each other a week or two.”

  Roz’s head moved from side-to-side, braids just a swinging, while she sized up Tasha’s and Juicy’s facial expressions. She could see they were pulling a tag-team operation on her. “All I have to say is you’re jeopardizing yourself and me by bringing a complete stranger up in here.”

  “No more than you do when you bring them,” Tasha came back at her. “Besides, at least I confine my sexual activities to my bedroom.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Don’t play Ms. Innocent. You’ve screwed men all over the house. Even on the dining room table and that was just downright skank. I had to sanitize it. I almost called the Salvation Army to come pick it up.”

  Juicy was shocked. “Damn, Roz, you got busy on the dining room table? Remind me to eat in the living room from now on.”

  Roz waved her index finger in Tasha’s face. “You’re making a big mistake. Mark my words.”

  Juicy got up from Tasha’s vanity table and came closer to the bed. “Excuse me. I have one comment.”

  “What’s that?” Tasha asked.

  “Aren’t you the two sisters always talking about living by certain rules? Seems to me you’re both breaking them right and left just about now.”

  Tasha instantly felt ashamed. “She’s right, Roz. We’re making this shit way too personal and attacking each other. Plus, you’re making assumptions about Rinaldo. He’s not your man. He’s mine.”

  “How can he be your man when you’ve never met?” Roz asked crassly.

  Tasha placed her hand over her heart. “He’s my man in here.”

  Juicy and Roz glared at each other, finding it hard to believe that Tasha had fallen for a man clear across country.

  “Tasha, you really need to get out more,” Juicy stated. She tugged at Roz’s arm. “Maybe we should just go.”

  Roz decided to give up. “You driving?”

  “Sure.”

  Juicy headed for the door with Roz in tow.

  Roz paused in the doorway. “Don’t forget to lock up.”

  “I won’t.”

  Once she heard the front door slam, Tasha retrieved Rinaldo’s framed picture from her nightstand drawer. She didn’t keep it out in the open because she knew Roz would have a field day at her expense. Umph, he was just too fine. Dark-skinned, clean-shaven, chiseled features, bright vibrant smile, hypnotic brown eyes. She couldn’t wait to see him in person.

  Tasha got up and went into her private bathroom so she could do her ritual. She had a ritual she performed whenever she made advance plans to sex a man down. She’d strip down to her underwear, position herself in the middle of the bathroom floor between the full-length mirror on the back of the door and the one on the wall over sink, and practice seductively removing her bra and panties. After years of practice, Tasha had the shit down to a science. Once she was completely nude, she inspected her body to make sure there weren’t any cellulite bubbles or dark spots on her honey-almond skin. Everything was everything.

  Tasha took a quick shower, washed her hair, trimmed her coochie hair, and shaved under her arms. She got out, set her hair, and did her fingernails and toenails while she sat under the dryer. By that time, she was starving and decided to borrow Roz’s Legend to run to Cameron’s Seafood in Briggs Chaney Shopping Center to get half a pound of spiced shrimp and a cup of cream of crab soup.

  She couldn’t resist running into Ross for Less ten minutes before they closed to buy some sexy lingerie for Rinaldo. She selected two teddies, one white lace and one black satin, and fell in love with a toe ring on her way to the front counter.

  Tasha went home, ate her dinner, and then passed out on the sofa watching the Friday night “Never Seen Before Anywhere” movie on HBO.

  Chapter Four

  Tasha got to the airport about ten-fifty and made a mad dash for the gate. She was pissed because Roz had purposely tried to prevent her from coming to pick up Rinaldo. First, Roz took her sweet time getting dressed so she could take Tasha to the auto shop to pick up her car, and then she stopped by the drive-thru at McDonald’s. It took a good fifteen minutes for Roz to even make it to the pay window, during which time she tried to convince Tasha to pull a no-show.

  “You know, Tasha, it’s not too late to tell that fool to fuck off.”

  “Why would I do something like that?”

  “’Cause he might be some maniac or a bisexual or some shit like that.”


  “Or he might be the man of my dreams.”

  Roz turned the radio down and fished through her dashboard for her sunglasses. The sun was out in full force early. “Tasha, you met him on the internet.”

  “So?”

  “So, do you realize how asinine that is?”

  “No. I also didn’t realize you knew any big words.”

  “See, now you’re getting all offended and stuff again. About to break your spiritual practices, huh?”

  “Well, look at the way you’re coming at me, Roz. What am I supposed to do? Just sit here and let you dole out a verbal beatdown and remain silent like I’m your child or something?”

  Roz rubbed Tasha on the knee. “I’m sorry if I’m coming off foul. I just don’t feel right about this. I know I bring home some stranger dick from time to time, but I can’t imagine having a strange man fly in from another state with the intention of staying with me for a couple of days.”

  “Rinaldo’s not a stranger,” Tasha said defensively. “I know everything about him.”

  “Everything?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Okay, I guess we’ll see about all that.”

  Tasha glanced at the clock on the dash, reached over, and tooted the horn. The woman in front of them glanced back angrily. “Damn, what are they doing? Killing cows or pigs up in there. This is taking way too long.”

  “Tasha, we have plenty of time.”

  Tasha broke out into a sweat as she dashed through the airport terminal toward the correct gate for Rinaldo’s flight. She was in such a hurry that she flew right past him on his way to the baggage claim.

  “Tasha!” she heard a deep voice yell out behind her. Tasha froze in place, almost afraid to turn around. What if he was jacked up or something?

  “Tasha,” Rinaldo repeated, his voice getting closer to her back. “Hey, baby.”

  Tasha still didn’t turn around. Not even when she felt a pair of strong hands begin to caress her upper arms and felt a presence looming over her.

  “Turn around.”

  Tasha took a deep breath and went for it. When she spun around, she had to look up into his face, but he was everything she’d thought he’d be: perfect.

  “Hey, Rinaldo,” Tasha managed to blurt out. “Don’t you owe me something?”

  Tasha was confused. “Owe you what?”

  Rinaldo glared at her with disdain. “A hug and a big ass kiss.”

  Tasha looked around the terminal bashfully. Being a holiday weekend, people were everywhere. She’d never been one for putting on large public displays. “Right here, in the middle of the airport?”

  “Yes, right here.” Rinaldo chuckled.

  Tasha bit her bottom lip and gave him a bear hug. He released her slightly and went for her mouth with his.

  “Um, Rinaldo, can we just wait until we get into the car?”

  “For what?”

  “They’re a lot of people in here. Kids even.”

  “And?”

  “I don’t think it’s appropriate to slobber each other down in the middle of this chaos.”

  Rinaldo threw his head back in laughter. “Aiight. Aiight. I’ll chill, but once we get out into your car, it’s on.”

  Tasha had to admit to herself that she liked the sound of that. It had been months since she’d been sexed and she needed some of that sexual healing Marvin Gaye used to sing about.

  While they waited at the baggage claim area for Rinaldo’s garment bag, Tasha had a chance to really size him up. He was sporting a pair of black jeans, a skintight white body shirt accentuating all of his muscles, and a pair of black Nikes. As for his ass, Tasha couldn’t wait to slap it. She prayed his skin was as soft as it looked.

  Rinaldo flung his bag over one shoulder and used his free arm to place around Tasha while they walked to the parking lot.

  “Boo, this car is phat!” Rinaldo exclaimed when Tasha hit the alarm button on her keychain and the rear lights blinked while they were still a few yards away.

  “Thanks.”

  “You must be living large.”

  “Roz and I have a pretty nice townhouse, but I wouldn’t call it living large.”

  “Do you have a sexy bedroom?” Rinaldo whispered in Tasha’s ear while she unlocked the trunk.

  “Sexy enough. I would think you’d be more interested in me than my bedroom.”

  “Oh, I am. I am. I was just wondering.”

  “Well. you’ll see soon enough.”

  Rinaldo placed his bag in the trunk and closed it. Tasha was headed for the drivers side when Rinaldo pulled her back to him, lifted her up onto the trunk, and positioned himself in between her legs. She was wearing a navy sun-dress with spaghetti straps and a pair of navy sandals to show off her new toe ring.

  He eased his tongue into Tasha’s eagerly awaiting mouth and moved it around with expertise. Tasha could feel herself getting wet. She’d been without so long, even a man’s tongue was making her cream in her drawers.

  “You like that?” Rinaldo asked her, taking a breather to suck on her earlobe.

  “Yes, I like that very much.”

  Rinaldo reached under Tasha’s dress, moved her panties to the side, and started fingering her.

  “You like that, too?”

  “Um, I love that.”

  A plane took off directly above their heads, masking Rinaldo’s next comment, but Tasha could read his lips. “I wanna fuck you.”

  And that’s exactly what he did. He shimmied on a condom and took her for the first time right there on the hood of her Saab in the middle of the airport parking lot. So much for Tasha being against public displays of affection.

  Chapter Five

  On their way back to Tasha’s townhouse, she took Rinaldo on a brief sightseeing tour. She drove through downtown and showed him all the things he’d read about in high school including the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Kennedy Center. Rinaldo was like a little kid that had left his home town for the first time.

  “This is awesome.” He chuckled, straining his neck to look up at the top of the Washington Monument from Tasha’s car.

  “Yeah, this is good old D.C. Too bad you don’t have much time here or we could actually tour the entire city. Today, my mother wants us to stop by Aunt Mavis’ house for a cookout.”

  Rinaldo’s entire demeanor changed. “What the hell do you mean, a cookout?” he blared.

  “A cookout. Where they barbeque food on the grill, sit around and shoot the breeze, that sort of thing.”

  “I know what a damn cookout is, Tasha. I came here to see you. Not your entire fuckin’ family.”

  Tasha couldn’t believe he was coming off on her like that. “Rinaldo, don’t talk to me like that. This isn’t like you.”

  “Isn’t like me? How do you know what I’m liked when we just hooked up for the first time an hour ago?”

  Tasha couldn’t help but laugh. “You sound just like Roz.”

  “Your roommate’s cool with me visiting and all, right?”

  “Yes, of course,” Tasha lied. “Even if she wasn’t, that’s too bad because I pay rent just like she does.”

  “Hmph, sounds like I caused some friction with my surprise visit.”

  “Look, I won’t lie. Roz has some serious concerns about the way we met online.”

  “Does she go on the internet?”

  “No, never. She’s the most computer illiterate person I know.”

  “Then how can she have serious concerns about you meeting me on there? She doesn’t even know what’s up.”

  “Roz thinks she knows everything. It’s in her nature. Once she meets you, sees how nice you are, not to mention how fine, she’ll realize the errors of her ways.”

  Rinaldo blushed. “You really think I’m fine?”

  “I think you’re more than fine.”

  Tasha pulled up to a red light and came to a stop. Rinaldo reached over, took her by the chin, and kissed her. “You’re not too bad
your damn self.”

  Tasha took her turn at blushing. “I’m glad you approve.”

  Rinaldo settled back in his seat when Tasha resumed driving. “I’m so relieved.”

  “About what?”

  “That you look like I thought you looked. A lot of women online are frontin’ big time with their pics.”

  Tasha wondered how Rinaldo knew that so she asked, “How many women have you met offline, Rinaldo?”

  “Why the fuck you do you care?”

  Tasha was on the verge of cussing him out, but remembered her principles. He must just be tired from the trip, she told herself convincingly.

  “I was just asking. I know your picture’s been on BlackGentlemen.com for quite some time and, as good as you look, I’m sure you’ve had a lot of women email you.”

  “But where I am now? Who am I with?”

  “Me.”

  “Exactly, so stop asking me a bunch of stupid ass questions.” Rinaldo turned the air conditioning up and folded his arms across his chest militantly. “Fuckin’ women!”

  Tasha decided the best course of action was to remain silent until they got back to her place. She figured Rinaldo just needed to take a shower and relax. Maybe he’d let her join him and help him out. He’d flown thousand of miles to see her and blew her mind in the parking lot. She planned to hang in there for the long run.

  The men in the D.C. area had never given her anything but heartache and strife. She was willing to go the extra mile with Rinaldo because men over in Cali couldn’t possibly be as doggish as the locals.

  Roz was outside washing her Legend when they pulled up. She lowered her sunglasses and dropped the sponge in the bucket, getting prepared to size Rinaldo up the second he stepped out of Tasha’s car.

  Tasha and Rinaldo walked over to Roz hand in hand.

  “Roz, this is Rinaldo. Rinaldo, this is Roz.”

  Rinaldo flashed Roz a grin. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Roz. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Roz smirked at him. “How long you staying?”

  Tasha wanted to pinch Roz until she bled for being so rude. “Rinaldo’s staying as long as he likes. That’s how long he’s staying.”