Sex was our strongest form of communication. So, conversations beyond penetration weren’t really needed, once the euphoria set in. Deep down, I knew that we had a better connection than that, so I had already chalked up our ongoing troubles, to a case of cold feet. We both had them. We both needed to find our own calm before making our way down the aisle. That calm was the main reason I didn’t bother telling Jamie that his messy-ass sister had dialed me on purpose when he went to dinner with her, and Gloria.
When I first saw her number come up on my display, I was sure it was a mistake. Aja and I had nothing in the way of a relationship. The only reason that she even had my number was because Jamie had her call me once when we first started dating, to tell me he’d be late.
Fake ass.
I answered the call with a fabricated chipper in my voice, only to be met with background noise. I responded with, “Hello” twice, and even called out Aja’s name a few times. Initially, I figured that she had butt-dialed. However, after being nosy enough to stay on the line and listen, I saw it for exactly what it was. The immature-ass girl had an agenda. She was setting a trap. She wanted me to hear her and sweet Aunt Gloria, bash me, doubt me, question my loyalty. She wanted to make sure that I knew I wasn’t welcome in their family.
Bitch!
I would’ve liked to think that Gloria had too much maturity to be on the bullshit, but nooo! The fact that she was talking mess right along with Aja, was a dead-ass giveaway! The woman had been in my face several times, acting like she was happy for mine and Jamie’s union.
Ugh!
I waited, with bated breath, for Jamie to shut them down cold! But did that happen? Hell no! He pretty much handled them with kid gloves assuring them that they, were where his loyalty lie. I get that they’re his family, but what the fuck will I be in two weeks?! Family! When I was listening, a part of me felt that he may have just been acting out, like men sometimes do, because of the place we were in when he left this morning. However, a part of me felt that he really and truly felt that way. That I wasn’t his family, just the woman he chose to marry, to take care of his home and pump out his babies. He basically said that I was disposable. Disposable! But it was okay. After I had heard enough, I disconnected the line and then proceeded to block his sister’s phone number from my phone.
It was always the women in the family that tried to cock block on a man’s happiness, which was why I never took steps to get in their good graces. Fuck that. Fuck them.
“What you lookin’ at?” I asked, playfully sensing Jamie’s eyes on me.
He was leaned against the nearby wall, having just appeared a few seconds earlier. Or maybe it had been longer. I was so involved in the conversation inside my head that I might’ve missed his presence.
“Lookin’ at you, girl.”
“Oh . . .okay,” I said, casually.
I was kind of glad that he was there. I needed a distraction from the rant going on in my mind. I was over it and the emotional ups and downs it brought with it. It was proving to be too much at times. And like he said to his sister and his aunt, this time away was good. It might be at the end that we both decided we were better off in a non-matrimonial state. Maybe better as lovers. Who knows?
Whatever the case, Sin City was coming to the rescue. I was a Vegas virgin—probably one of the last! For years I’d heard about the city that never slept, because it was too busy playing host to the sins of its visitors. Perhaps it was the ‘sin’ part that kept me away. I didn’t know. Of course, I was mercilessly roasted about the fact that I was finally going. I didn’t care, though. I just laughed it off whenever anybody came for me. It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to have fun. In fact, some of the very ones teasing me knew that I could be the life of the party. It was just that I wasn’t a major partier, I was just a fan of my own company, so yeah.
“You ready to get away from me for a few days?” Jamie asked, finally breaking his silence. Seconds later. He was up on me, hugging me from behind. He pumped his member against my butt, and whispered, “Because I miss you already.”
I started to laugh. “I feel something poking me in my ass that’s telling me that it’s not you that’s gonna miss me.”
“Well, he’s attached to me, so . . .”
“Well, he’s nicer than you are too, so . . .”
“What does that mean?” he asked curiously, planting wet, lingering kisses along the back of my neck.
“You know what it means, mister.”
I wriggled free in an attempt to gather some more of what I needed from my drawer. I started to walk away, but Jamie grabbed my arm softly.
“Hold on, babe. What does that mean?”
I looked up into his pretty eyes and smiled. I cupped the sides of his face and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him gently. “I don’t mean anything by it,” I fibbed.
“Come on, Kass. Are you saying that I’m not gentle enough when we make love or something? Because if—”
“You’re good. I was just kidding, baby.”
I had no idea why I was lying to the man I was about to marry. But ‘the man that I was about to marry’ might’ve been the reason. It was as though I felt being honest with him would end us. Would end my chances of finally getting the ring, the man, and the world that went with it all. But how could I tell him that the way he was acting, his reluctance to defend me to his family, and the attitude he took where disagreements were concerned . . . concerned me? How could I say that stuff to him without putting everything I’d ever dreamed of, at risk of cancellation?
Jamie’s eyes went slightly dark with doubt, followed by a skeptical side eye glance. “Kass . . .” he said again, probing.
“Babe!” I chuckled nervously. “I’m really just kidding with you. You’re both nice—to feel and to . . .” I looked down toward his goods. “. . . to touch.”
It took him a few seconds to rebound and get with the idea that I was kidding. Before long he smiled and nodded. “Okay,” he said. “You had me worried.”
I kissed him once more, then reassured him, saying, “No need for that. We’re good.”
-9-
KASSIDI
Las Vegas, Nevada
There was no way to describe the excitement, the euphoria, I felt upon walking into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It made me feel like I’d stepped foot into the lap of luxury! It was beautiful beyond measure! Although there was one at home in San Francisco, I had never been. Now, seeing the Las Vegas version, I wished I had.
The presentation was all that! You could tell immediately that a lot of thought had gone into the detail of this place! A whole lot. The moment you walk into the lobby, you’re met with ceilings that went on forever, and shiny black granite countertops. Behind the counters stood neatly-groomed, well-dressed men and women, dual monitors before them, and wearing smiles that made you feel extremely welcome.
Ooh, and there was no line! That was a plus for me!
“Good morning,” was the friendly greeting that came from a red-haired, green-eyed young man, as I approached. Innocence was written all over his face. He looked to be not a day over eighteen; but, when I got a glimpse of ink peeking from his shirt’s collar, I figured he was years past that. Probably even had a wild side too. “Welcome to the Mandarin Oriental,” he said, showing a perfect set of veneers.
“Thank you,” I chimed, gleefully. “And good morning to you as well.”
“Do you have a pre-existing registration with us?”
“I do. It’s under Kassidi Henson.” I reached into my purse. “Here’s my . . . Aww, man!”
In the midst of trying to reach for my ID, I knocked the entire bag on the floor. I felt clumsy as hell as I kneeled before the counter to retrieve my fallen contents. The embarrassment caused me to throw things in places they probably didn’t belong. But I would be damned if people started to flow into the fancy lobby and see my ass on the damn floor. Hell no!
“Here, let me help,” I heard a man’s voice offer.
�
��Thank you,” I told him as I continued shoving everything I had retrieved from the floor, back into the bag.
“No worries,” he said, handing me my makeup bag, a tube of lip gloss that I kept separate from the makeup, to avoid dry lips, and my pack of Spearmint gum. He looked around the immediate area, as did I, to make sure nothing was left. “This everything, you think?”
“I-I . . . think so.”
Didn’t know why I was stuttering. Wait, yes, the hell I did. It was because he was fine. Not basic fine either—foine! Dark, wavy hair. Smoldering forest-green eyes, and full lips.
“Okay,” he smiled. “Cool.” We both stood from our kneeled positions and then I got to see the body on him. Even in sweats and a plain white tee, he was gorgeous as all outdoors! Then he smiled and I had to remember that I was somebody’s fiancée. “You sure?” he asked, looking down at me.
“I’m sure. And . . . thank you . . . again,” I managed, all while hoping that I wasn’t blushing too damn hard at the beauty of this man.
With that, he went his way toward what looked like the elevators, and I returned to business.
“How embarrassing was that?” I said to the cutie behind the counter.
“Don’t be embarrassed. It happens. I was coming to help, but Marco said he had it, so—”
“Marco, huh?”
“Yes,” he said, smiling. “He’s a regular here on the weekends.”
“Oh, okay.” My mind floated every which way. Ways it shouldn’t have. Ways I should’ve been ashamed of. I actually got lost for a few seconds, up until I heard, “You ready to give me that ID now?”
“Oh my God,” I gasped. “Of course. Here you go.”
Girl! If you don’t get a grip!
“Thaaank you,” he said, taking possession of the card. It was the first time I noticed the name on his badge. Edwin.
He proceeded to type while watching one of his large monitors, then came, “Aha . . . I see you here.” He smiled. “So, we have a soon-to-be bride in our midst.”
I nodded, producing a bashful smile, feeling even more out of pocket in that moment of secret lust. “Yes, you do.”
“Well, congratulations on your impending nuptials. I’ll get everything together for you here shortly. Everything is in, just have to add a few little complimentary items for you.”
“Complimentary? Really?”
“Of course. Here at the Mandarin, we like to make our guests feel special. And you’re not just any guest. You’re about to embark on a life-changing journey.”
“That is so sweet!”
While Edwin worked his magic on the screen, I admired the beauty of the lobby. The lighting was underneath copper-like domes. How the light illuminated through the domes, I didn’t know, but they did—brightly. It was a sight to see. Magical almost. For some reason, it made me think back to catching lightning flies as a child visiting my grandmother in Ohio.
I saw three hallways! Three! In one space. One of them, I’m sure went to wherever the elevators were. However, the other two, I had no idea where they led, just that they went forever. There was a wall that looked like it was made of thick, braided gold. Kind of like when someone does a lattice pattern on a homemade pie. The gold looked heavy and made me question how they were even placed there. Probably by some high-level engineers or something. It was stunning. The floors mirrored the countertops and were pristine. For sure whoever cared for them, drove some type of instrument that glossed it over every day—and night because there didn’t seem to be so much as a shoe print. And trust me, I looked!
Off to the side, there was a large waiting room in an open space with approximately twenty chairs. The chairs were a soft cream color with Asian writings imprinted in the backs, in cherry red. Beautiful. Each chair had a velvet red ottoman sitting next to it.
I counted eight glass enclosures mounted on the walls. Inside those enclosures were beautiful Oriental fans! The colors were amazing! The wings expanded and looked to spread about a yard. And the colors . . . the colors . . . my god! Purple, gold, red, silver! Rich colors. Green! Just colors. I made a mental note to take pictures before I left Las Vegas. I was also going to ask where I could order one of those fans—if I could order one. The fact that they were behind glass told me that it was probably a firm, no. But I was going to ask anyway.
Once Edwin got me all check in, I finally, got to travel one of the mile-long hallways I wondered about. Apparently, while I was getting registered, my luggage was delivered to my room, so I made my way to the elevators—and up forty floors—in silence. It surprised me that I hadn’t passed more people on my way. But it was early in the day, so my thought was that the buzz would happen much later. But whatever. I was just eager to get a glimpse of my suite because I knew from the pictures online, and in the brochure that it was about to be something amazing.
And it was . . .
Stylish and elite were the two words that came to mind. What immediately caught my eye were the windows that spanned an entire wall! It awakened something in me when I saw that. There was something sexy about it, sensual. Made it feel like I should’ve been sharing the experience with a man by my side. I shivered thinking about it. In fact, it took me a few moments to break away from my trance. When I finally did, I was met with the rest of the gorgeousness of my Apex suite. It was like a dream home stuffed inside of an amazing luxury hotel suite. I never wanted to leave.
The floorplan was open; from where I stood, I could see not just the living room, dining room, but views of the both the Aria billboard, and the Hollywood building.
The dining room had eight chairs at the table! The thing seated eight guests! My mouth hung wide open in awe as I walked around a corner behind the dining room and entered my kitchen. It wasn’t huge, but it sure wasn’t small either. Marble countertops, a mini bar, and dual sink, were just some of the features.
I continued walking through to explore the rest of my weekend home. Upon entering the bedroom, I wanted to faint on the spot. It was a taste of heaven—dressed in purple, white and silver bedding atop a king-sized bed. A white leather, seating bench at the foot of the bed, sheer white curtains, an apple-green sofa chair and cream-colored, 3-drawer nightstands. It wasn’t the typical set up. Serene, comfortable.
After touring for a what seemed like half the morning, I welcomed a moment of silence to take in all that was happening. It hit me like a ton of bricks—that life was changing. Life was really changing. For years I had been chasing the life that my friends had; yet, this one hotel room, at this moment in time made me realize that I hadn’t really lived. It was why I was so caught up in what everyone else was doing, how they were living, how their lives were progressing—all because mine wasn’t.
I began to question why these thoughts suddenly infiltrated my psyche. Why now? Why did it take me getting away on a small retreat, to see myself through this lens? A lens that showed that I’d robbed myself of some of life’s good things, moments. Moments that I could have, should have, created on my own just to get a feel for them.
Damnit!
I held my head back slightly, rubbing my temples, to try calming my nerves. Anxiety was weighing on me—heavily. I didn’t want the thoughts. Didn’t want any part of them. Yet, there they were. When I realized that I couldn’t stop them, I walked over to the leather bench and sat down slowly. There, my mind raced as it never had before.
-10-
MARCO
It was eleven-seventeen when I breezed into my company, Black Ice’s conference room—seventeen minutes late. The room was packed, and chatter was loud and rampant, with some of the staff huddled in small groups. Some sat at the table, scrolling down their social media timelines, while others were just chilling waiting for the meeting to begin. On the large glass conference room table, blue lights illuminated on the triangular-shaped Merlin phone system, which meant that California staff was also on standby. Everyone began scattering when I walked in, hurrying to their seats.
“Hey, hey,” I greeted,
on my way to the head of the room. “What’s up with the darkness, guys?”
First up was drawing the shutters to allow the sun in. A few of the staff helped let the natural sunlight in. I hated walking into dark rooms that relied on fluorescent lighting. Most depressing shit, ever. So, once I had brightened the room to my liking, I was ready to begin.
“Okay, so first . . . sorry about being late. Had some last-minute stuff to do before I came in here to share some news with you guys. We got the Raiders account!”
Excitement broke loose immediately. “What! Really?! Oh my God!” were just a few of the reactions going around the room. “That’s crazy. They haven’t even moved here yet!” one of my account managers, from California blurted out.
“You guys gotta calm down for a second!” I exclaimed, before throwing up both my palms to pause the noise. I started to laugh. “Chill for just a minute. Let me get this out.”
“Okay, we’re good,” I heard from across the room from my Administrator, Misty.
“You sure?” I kidded, knowing how excited they all were.
“Yes!” they chorused.
“Well, as you know the stadium here isn’t completed yet. But there’s a lot of planning that’s going into the move, right now. A whole lot! The contract is already in place and I’ve been negotiating for close to two months. But I didn’t say anything because I wanted to see how it would all play out. But I got word yesterday and the account is ours.”
“Hell yeah! That’s what’s uppp!” someone yelled.
“Berto and James, I’m sending you guys down to the Bay Area to meet with the facilities group that the Raiders currently work with. You guys will be down there for about three days talking logistics. Don’t worry about lodging, travel and all of that. They’re footing the bill.”
“Damn, boss . . . Berto said, with a light sigh, clearly in awe of what was happening. “This is dope. The Raiders?” he queried in disbelief.
The Graffiti Effect Page 5