Love- a Forgotten Art

by Ivy Symone

  My wedges give me a disadvantage and he’s able to catch up to me.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were here?” he asks while trying to grab me.

  I pivot away from his grasp. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Stop,” he tells me and tries again.

  This time I actually swat his hand away. “Please Prime, just go back to your friends and your…whatever she is.”

  “Why are you here?”

  I snap angrily, “I came to surprise you! But I guess I was the one in for a surprise.”

  “There’s no surprise,” he says. His brow furrows, “When did you get here?”

  “What difference does it make!” I yell.

  He grabs me by my wrists and begins to pull me. “Come with me.”

  I resist and snatch away. “No. I gotta go pack my shit and catch a flight back home in the morning.”

  “What I tell you about telling me—”

  “That’s over with,” I spit and proceed to continue my walk.

  “Nothing is over with until I say it is.”

  I stop in my tracks and dramatically turn to face him in incredible disbelief. I scoff, “Are you serious?”

  He smiles reaching out to remove my shades. “You are so beautiful when you’re being tough.”

  I glare at him and snatch my shades back from him. I put them away by slipping one of the handles inside the bodice of my dress to secure them. “Fuck you, Prime.”

  He looks me up and down with adoration. “You look like one of the local women. I love when you wear your hair down too.”

  I’m annoyed. “What you’re doing won’t work.”

  “What am I doing, my sweet?” he asks as he slowly inches closer to me.

  “Prime, please leave me alone,” I implore.

  I allow him into my space and let him cup my face. He places a tender kiss on my forehead. We stand in the middle of the walk while tourists go about their way around us.

  “I will not leave you alone,” he says softly. He smiles. “You just made my night. I thought you couldn’t come to Gardenia.”

  “Well, like you said before, I am the boss,” I state and pull away from his hold.

  “Wait, where are you going?” he asks.

  “I’m going to my room,” I say over my shoulder as I continue walking.

  “Well, I’m going too.”

  I don’t respond because honestly, I don’t want him to leave my side. I could continue to play hard to get but it might backfire.

  He doesn’t say anything else to me as he follows me the rest of the way to my hotel. Though we don’t speak, I allow him to be my protector. I don’t object as he places his hand territorially at my lower back and remain close as weave through the crowd.

  We remain quiet even as we step onto the elevator. I stand by the buttons with my arms crossed over my chest. I can see in the reflection of the elevator walls that he’s standing right behind me with his hands casually in his pockets.

  Once we make it to the seventh floor and the doors open, I step off. He follows me to my room. I open the door, and he walks in first. He begins to look around my suite as if he’s inspecting it for his approval.

  I keep my arms folded and follow him. “What are you looking for?”

  “Nothing,” he mumbles. He goes to the sliding glass doors that lead out to the balcony. “This is a nice view.”

  “It is,” I agree. I then ask, “Where are you staying?”

  He says nonchalantly, “Oh I’m staying in a villa right on the beach.”

  Figures.

  “Who’s the woman?” I ask.

  Without turning to face me, he says, “Just someone.”

  “Was she the reason you were busy last night?”

  “Would you be mad if I said ‘yes’?”

  I stand beside him and look out at the amazing view myself of the night life below. “I mean…I really can’t be mad.”

  There’s silence but I can see him musing over his thoughts.

  I ask, “Did you sleep with her?”

  He turns to face me and ask, “How much do you care, Dasani? And why do you care?”

  My brow furrows in offense. “I guess I don’t.”

  “So, you don’t?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t.”

  He purses his lips and nods with thought.

  “Don’t you got friends to get back to?” I ask.

  He removes his phone from his pocket and says, “I’m glad you said something.”

  I stand there silently as he places a call. He lets the person know on the other end that he was “tending to something” and when he’s ready he will send for a car.

  I wait for him to finish his call before saying, “You might as well get them to send the car now because you need to leave. Like I said before, I gotta pack for the morning to catch a flight back home.”

  “You’re here now; you may as well enjoy it. Why don’t you check out and join me at my villa?”

  Incredulously, I object, “No! Weren’t you just with someone last night?”

  “I tried to be,” he explains. “I couldn’t because she isn’t you. All I wanted was you last night. I wanted you so bad I was about to fly back to Jewel City. I came to my senses after I assumed you were with your fiancé anyway.”

  I just stare at him trying to remain unbothered.

  “You flew miles away from home just to surprise me, Dasani,” he states. A smile creeps across his face. “Again, I ask, how much do you care?”

  I look away from his piercing gaze and teasing smile, and swallow the uneasiness building in my throat.

  “Admit that you’re just as crazy about me as I am about you,” he whispers. I allow him to pull me close into him, but I keep my arms folded.

  “Quit with the tough act,” he says as he unfolds my arms.

  I let my arms fall to the side and let my shoulders drop in defeat. “Okay, I care. And yes…there’s something here that…I don’t know…I can’t seem to get enough of.”

  Lovingly, he hooks his finger under my chin and lift my face so that he can meet my lips with the sweetest, softest kiss.

  I literally melt. He kisses me again, but this time longer. I surrender and give in to my own longing and return his kiss passionately. Our arms snake around each other and our hands grope and caress with fervor.

  Before I know it, my dress is puddled around my waist exposing my breasts so that he can suckle and bite my nipples, and his pants are down. My back is pressed against the glass, legs hugged around his waist, panties pushed aside, and he’s stirring my insides with his aggressive thrusts.

  No matter how “tough” I try to be, I find myself always giving in. I can’t get enough of him, and I’m almost scared of the feeling I have when it comes to this man.

  I hold onto him tight as he rocks me up and down against the glass. Words can’t explain the bliss I’m experiencing. I don’t want it to end. I cum several times, gripping his bare member. We’re so close, I swear I can feel his heart rapidly beating as he pants groans and moans in my ear.

  I hear his words repeating in my head. You’re never not falling for that person. Every day you fall deeper, closer…with every intimate moment, every memorable event, every laugh, every cry, every argument…You’re connected and bound by love.

  Am I? Could I be?

  I am…

  I’m falling…in love.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~

  I slept like a baby overnight. I’ve never felt so relaxed and at peace. Shit, I really needed this little sneak-away trip.

  Needless to say, I allowed Prime to lead and I checked out of my hotel. I gathered my things and rode with him in his chauffeured car to his rented villa on the beach. We spent most of the night making love in this oversized circular bed in a room with a wall of glass. It was as if we were right outside under the stars and moon. The night was amazing!

  Again, I’m not sure if it was the love making, the atmosphere, the bed, the wine we sipped, or just his pr
esence, but that was some of the best sleep I had gotten in months.

  While Prime tends to business elsewhere, I’m left in Bea’s care. Since she’s always around I’m thinking I should get to know her a little anyway.

  “So, Bea,” I start. We’re strolling Gardenia’s infamous oceanfront boardwalk. There are two “service” guys ahead of us and about three behind us discreetly guarding us. One of them is the guy that sat down at my table at the restaurant. I’m not sure if Bea travels this way all the time or if they were ordered to accompany us because of me.

  “Yes?” she answers absently as she continues at her slow stroll.

  As I’ve stated before, Bea is a pretty plush lady with the sweetest smile. She’s a little darker than Prime, but they share the same thin almond-shaped eyes. Her disposition is always amiable in my presence, and she has never made me feel the least bit awkward.

  “Who are you exactly to Prime?” I ask.

  She doesn’t stop but she releases a soft laugh. “He hasn’t told you who I am?”

  I shake my head. “No.”

  “I’m his sister. He’s older and somewhat of a bully therefore I’ve had to work for him all my adult life,” she jokes. She adds, “And some of my teenage years too.”

  “Really?” I ask in awe. I never thought that they were related though I can see it now. It’s just the differences in the way they carry themselves. Bea is very southern and friendly whereas Prime is proper and kind of hard to read.

  “Yes,” she nods. “We share both the same mother and father. I stayed behind with our mother when he went to live with our father.”

  “Oh. So, your parents aren’t together?”

  She shakes her head. “They split when we were teenagers.”

  “Are y’all mixed with something?”

  Bea laughs again. “Prime hasn’t divulge that info either?”

  I shake my head. “We don’t spend a lot of time on personal information. At first, I wanted it that way because I’m not really used to sharing like that…But now…Now, I seem to want to know everything about him.”

  Bea looks at me with a gleam in her eyes. “Aw! You’re falling in love too.”

  I blush. “I don’t know about all that.”

  “It’s okay,” she teases and throws her arm around my shoulders. “I got a new sis-in-law.”

  I chuckle. “Too soon.”

  She releases me and nods toward an ice cream parlor. “You wanna have a seat and finish chatting?”

  “Sure,” I say and follow her.

  She turns and does a subtle motion to the men that were behind us before entering the shop. They don’t follow us inside but remain out front on guard like they’re the secret service or something.

  As we wait in line for out turn, I ask, “Are you always guarded?”

  She nods. “Prime’s rules; you’ll see. Pretty soon, you’ll have your own security around you.”

  “Why?”

  She turns and whispers, “You really don’t know who Prime really is, huh?”

  “I know his name from the streets if he’s the same one,” I say.

  Before she responds, it’s our turn to be serviced. We place our orders for our ice cream treats, retrieve them, and then find a table by the front window looking out at the boardwalk.

  “What do you know of Prime?” Bea asks before taking a bite of ice cream.

  “If he’s the same Prime, I know he used to run Jewel City, but that was years ago,” I say. Then it occurs to me that I don’t even know how old he is. “I’ve heard him being spoke about and he has a lot of respect.”

  Bea nods. “Yeah, that’s when he was into drug dealing.”

  “He’s not anymore?”

  Bea shrugs. “I wouldn’t say that exactly. He still has his affiliates; your father being one of them.”

  I’m thrown by her statement. “My father?”

  She corrects herself, “Well, your stepfather, Walter Stevens.”

  My mouth hangs open. “How do you know that?”

  She smiles. “Prime had me to do a little research on you yesterday. I haven’t had time to really dig, but I found that to be interesting.”

  “How does Prime feel about that?”

  “Oh, I haven’t told him the deetz on you just yet, but I know he’ll be surprised to know that bit of information.”

  “Why is that?”

  She chuckles. “Just because of how closely they’ve worked together before.”

  I’m disappointed. I was hoping she had said that Prime couldn’t stand Walt’s ass and would love to put a bullet in his head. I’d greatly encourage it.

  She and I spent about forty minutes eating our ice cream while commentating on the people around us. As we continued our stroll on the boardwalk going in and out of various stores, we did a lot of laughing and clowning around. Bea’s a great person and easy to get a long with. She’s the docile version of Natalia and I like her. She has an effervescent personality.

  And speaking of Natalia…

  “Nat?” I question. I think my eyes are playing games on me. I’m three flight hours away from Jewel City where I thought I left my cousin, but I swear she just walked out of a boutique up ahead.

  She’s alone, but she has bags in her hands. She’s dressed airy and light as Bea and I are in this hot tropical weather, but she’s wearing a big salmon colored floppy hat. I remember when she bought the damn hat at Macy’s to match the damn espadrille wedges she’s wearing.

  “Hold on,” I tell Bea as I begin to hurry in the direction of Natalia. I call out again, “Nat!”

  This time she stops and looks around to see who has spotted her. When she sees me, she looks surprised.

  She removes her shades and her mouth drops open. “Uhm…Dasani Withers?”

  I laugh as I move into her space. I give her a hug. “What are you doing on Orchid Island?”

  She looks beyond me at Bea and our security, then up and down at me. “I could ask you the same thing?”

  I look back at Bea then at Natalia. “Yeah, I really don’t wanna get into that right now.”

  Natalia smirks, “Mmmhmm. I see you.”

  I wave her off. “Whatever. So why didn’t you tell me you were taking a little trip?”

  “It was last minute,” she says. “I was invited by a friend.”

  “A friend?” I question.

  She blushes. “Yeah.”

  “Who?”

  She wags a finger in my face. “Uh-uhnt. I’ma hold onto this a little while longer like you did me.”

  “C’mon Nat!”

  She ignores me as she looks at her phone. “Girl, be careful. You know there’s other people here we know.”

  “Yeah, I know. I seen that already.”

  She holds her phone up so that I can see what she has pulled up. “You see this shit?”

  A part of me is incensed by what I see, but then again, I really don’t care. It’s time I break ties with Cam anyway. From the picture posted on social media just minutes ago, I know that she isn’t at Milani’s sick in bed. This hoe lied to me.

  But I’m keeping my own secrets too.

  I shrug. “She can do her while I do me. Well, let me get back to my friend. You be careful out here by yourself.”

  She grins sneakily, “I’m not by myself. I got my own little security team too.”

  I look around trying to determine which guys standing around are watching over her. I laugh, “That’s what’s up. Text me later and let me know you’re okay though.”

  “And you do the same,” she says before we hug our goodbyes.

  I rejoin Bea and she asks, “Who is she to you?”

  “That’s my cousin.”

  “Really?” She’s amused.

  “Yeah. Do you know her too?”

  “Sort of,” Bea smirks. “Wow, what a small world we live in.”

  I stop and eye Bea. “What do you know?”

  “I know nothing,” she feigns innocence. “She’ll tell you when sh
e’s ready.”

  “Why do you do that?”

  Bea giggles, “It’s called communication between people who means something to each other. I leave that up to y’all which is why I encourage you to ask Prime everything you asked me today. Get him to open up, and Dasani…You don’t be afraid to open up. My brother is a good guy, and he loves profoundly. He will protect your heart as he protects his own.”

  I release a heavy sigh. “I’ll try, Bea. I’ll try…”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~

  One interesting fact I learned from Bea is that Prime’s real name is Perseus. Everything else I wanted to know I guess I would have to ask myself, and Bea said she would leave it up to me to let him know that Walt is my stepfather.

  “How was the day with Bea?” Prime asks as he joins me in one of the poolside cabanas.

  I’m laid back enjoying this wonderful paradise as the sun sets in the horizon. The infinity pool blends with the ocean in the background. I need this life all the time!

  “Hey handsome,” I greet with a big smile.

  He crawls fully onto the square cushioned daybed under the canopy with me and places a soft kiss against my lips.

  “Hey, my sweet,” he says lovingly.

  “I didn’t think you’d ever return.”

  “You just don’t know how badly I was ready to come back to you. I couldn’t really focus on anything because all I could think about was you.”

  “Aw,” I tease as I place my hand against his face. “You’re so sweet.”

  “Did Bea take care of you?”

  I nod. “Yes, she did Perseus.”

  He laughs. “Seriously? She told you my name?”

  I snicker. “Yes, but I like it. It still fits you.”

  “I don’t really like it. What else did she tell you?”

  “Nothing really. She wouldn’t answer too much. She encouraged me to ask you everything I wanted to know.”

  “Like?” he presses.

  I gave it some thought. “Like…What are you mixed with?”

  “I have a Black mother and an Italian father,” he answers without hesitation.

  “Nice blend,” I comment which makes him blush just a little.

  “What about you?” he asks.

  I half shrug. “That I know of, I’m just Black.”

  “Beautiful too,” he remarks. I can see the adoration in his eyes again. “Just like my mother. I think that’s why I have this great fondness for you.”