Playing the Hand You're Dealt

by Trice Hickman

  My heart dropped to my stomach. I felt cold and numb, like I did when I was a little girl and Ms. Marabelle told me that my mother would die before my thirtieth birthday. Just like I did years later when she told me that I would be a mother without giving birth to a child. And just like I did when she kissed my cheek before I left Atlanta, smiling at me in a way that had made me feel haunted.

  If someone I loved was going to die, why hadn’t Ms. Marabelle prophesied that to me? Why had she simply smiled and told me that it was time for me to follow my heart, that I was finally going to be happy? Before I could ask Ruben to concentrate harder so he could tell me who was in danger, he answered my question. “I’m not sure who it is, honey. I just know that the danger has something to do with Ed.You must be very careful and keep the ones you love close.”

  I was so beside myself I could barely speak, but as frightened as I was to learn more, I knew I had to ask him again. “Ruben, are you certain that someone I love is going to die?”

  “Sometimes I can see things very clearly, and at other times the visions come to me in fragmented bits and pieces, kind of like a puzzle. I’m not sure about all the details, but I feel death hanging in the air around you.”

  “Ruben, I’m scared.”

  “I know, honey, and I’m sorry. I’ve felt strong vibes flowing from you from the first day we met, when I shook your hand. But until tonight I hadn’t been led to say anything.” He paused, letting out a heavy breath. “But the spirits said it was time. That means they’re looking out for you. They’re helping you, Emily. Don’t be afraid.”

  Ruben and I skipped dessert and asked for the check. I was a bundle of nerves and he looked tired, as if he’d just run a marathon. During our drive home he told me that intense readings often drained him, and that mine had been one of the most exhausting he had had in a very long time.

  An hour later I sat in my bed, a nervous wreck. I tried to review my lesson for the next day, but I couldn’t focus. I kept thinking about my conversation with Ruben. I knew that danger meant drama, so my mind automatically landed on Samantha. I had to call her.

  “Hey, Emily, what’s goin’ on?” Samantha answered.

  “That’s what I’m calling to ask you. I’m worried about you. Is everything okay?”

  “You worry like an old woman.” She laughed. “I’m over here at the house trying to pack all of this stuff so I can take it over to my place in the morning.”

  Her voice sounded upbeat and happy. I had expected her to be frazzled, not excited. Samantha was supposed to meet the movers early tomorrow morning, and as usual, she hadn’t organized half of the things she needed in order to move into her new condo. “I’ll try to leave school by noon so I’ll have more time to help you,” I told her.

  “Scratch that. Tyler will be there and we’ve got everything covered.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m more than sure. Besides, I don’t have nearly as much to move as you did.”

  Despite my offer, I was a bit relieved that Samantha didn’t need my help. I was physically and emotionally worn out and I didn’t think I could lift another box, especially because I was still recovering from my own move last weekend. But my true comfort came in knowing that Tyler would be with her. He was a good man, and he was a protector. I knew Samantha would be safe with him, so that calmed a small part of my worries.

  “You’re asking about me, but how are you? You sound strange. What’s going on?” Samantha asked.

  “Nothing. I’m just a little tired,” I responded. “Samantha, you haven’t heard from Carl, have you?” Danger was Carl’s middle name, and I hoped he wouldn’t drop by while Tyler was helping her move. That could be the vision that Ruben had seen.

  “No, and I hope I don’t see or hear from him anytime soon,” she said, almost with a growl. “Why do you ask?”

  “I just have a bad feeling about him, and I want to make sure you’re safe.”

  “I’m fine. And like I said, Tyler will be there with me, so don’t worry.”

  “I’m glad you two are back together.”

  “Me too. Emily, he’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. He makes me so happy.”

  “Good.You deserve happiness.”

  “I don’t know about all that, but I’ll take it. And speaking of happiness, we’ve got to get you hooked up.”

  “Here you go with that again,” I sighed.

  “Yes, here I go with that again.You need a man!”

  A part of me wanted to tell her that the man I wanted was her father, but I knew better, so I kept my mouth shut. “Please, let’s drop it.”

  We chatted for a few more minutes before ending our call with Samantha sounding out of breath from packing boxes and me feeling a little better knowing that Tyler would be with her. Now my mind drifted to Ed. He was close to me, close to my heart. And again, with danger came drama, and drama was right up Brenda’s alley. I knew that if I continued down the road I wanted to travel, Ed could possibly get hurt, or as Ruben had predicted, something even worse!

  “What am I going to do?” I whispered aloud to the cozy rust-colored walls of my bedroom. I was frustrated and tired at the same time. Ruben had said that the danger and possible death was linked to Ed, but without knowing who, when, where, or how the tragedy would play out, I was at a loss for how to protect anyone. Then I remembered another thing that Ruben said, “Keep the ones you love close.” I knew I had to call Ed in the morning. I had to warn him.

  I put my notebook on the nightstand, turned off the light, and prayed for restful sleep that never came.

  Chapter 14

  Samantha . . .

  Mmm, You Have a Good Memory

  Last weekend I helped Emily move into her new house, and now I was doing the same, huffing and puffing as I walked up the stairs to the second floor of my brand-new condo. I was carrying a box marked master bedroom closet that felt as if it was loaded with cement blocks instead of clothes. Why the movers left it in the kitchen downstairs I’ll never know. They arrived at the crack of dawn, and it only took them a few hours to unload my belongings from their huge truck. I had a beautiful sleigh bed, a gorgeous sofa, an elegant dining room set, and a nice entertainment center. Other than that, the majority of my things consisted of clothes, shoes, clothes, shoes, and more clothes.

  Daddy stopped by to make sure things were going well, but he left in an unexpected rush after checking his office messages. An urgent matter had come up and he had to get back to take care of business. I hadn’t mentioned too much about my move to Mother because I didn’t want her anywhere around, and she didn’t offer to come by.

  “Damn, I’m not cut out for this kind of work,” I panted as I struggled with another heavy box. I hadn’t organized my things into any type of order, so there was chaos everywhere.

  I felt frustration growing, but then I stopped because at that moment, I reminded myself of my mother, bitchy and ungrateful. Here I was, standing in the middle of a brand-new home that I owned. I had a beautiful son, a good man, and friends and family who I loved and who loved me back. I had a whole hell of a lot to be thankful for, and moving heavy boxes was a small price to pay. So I became determined not to let anything get me down, not even my aching back.

  I had hoped I would be able to get most of my things unpacked today because I wanted to be settled in before the big birthday party this Saturday, which was only two days away. If it weren’t for Emily not wanting to disappoint my mother, I wouldn’t show up for it at all. But the good thing was that I would be celebrating another year of life, and I would do it with my best friend by my side. And oh yeah, did I mention that Tyler would be there, too?!

  The last few days with him had been like a dream, one from which I didn’t want to wake because it felt so good. I had seen Tyler every day since last Saturday. Each afternoon when his conference meetings ended, I would slip over to his hotel and we would hang out together.We laughed, talked, and caught up on the last six years of our
lives.

  I was ripping open another heavy box with a pair of scissors when I heard my doorbell ring. I looked at my watch and knew it was Tyler. He finished up early today so he could come over and help me. I forgot about my sore muscles and rushed downstairs like a cheetah. Hell, my back didn’t even ache anymore.

  “Hey, you,”Tyler said as he greeted me with a smile. He held a big bouquet of freshly cut flowers that were tucked inside a small grocery bag under one arm, and a brown leather duffel under the other. “Just a lil somethin’ to brighten your new home and fill your fridge, because I know it’s empty.” He laughed.

  I hugged him long and hard as I welcomed him through the door. “You know I don’t do the grocery-shopping thing.” I winked, giving him a quick kiss on his lips. “Thanks.”

  Tyler took the flowers and groceries into the kitchen and sat them on the counter, then walked over toward the staircase and put his duffel on the floor. He decided to spend the night so he could help me unpack. He was considerate like that. He opened doors, held the umbrella over my head if it rained, and made sure that I was comfortable at all times. At first I thought our reunion was too good to be true, that things were moving way too fast. But now I just thanked God for him and this second chance. The last five days had been so wonderful, all except for one thing—we hadn’t done the nasty yet!

  I know, can you believe it? Me . . . fly ass, always horny as hell, Samantha Elise Baldwin, seriously involved with a man whom I wasn’t sleeping with! That was like a cat sitting still while a mouse ran across the floor—it just didn’t happen. Emily’s mouth nearly dropped to the floor when I told her that Tyler and I hadn’t had sex yet. She just assumed that I gave it up to him last Saturday night when I went over to his hotel room. And I couldn’t say that I blamed her for coming to that conclusion because that was how I usually rolled. But aside from long, romantic kisses and some serious heavy petting, that was all we had done.

  Tyler had been busy with his conference meetings during the day and I was busy visiting my new customers and preparing for my move.When the sun went down, we’d meet up at his hotel, go to a restaurant, eat, and then return to his room where we’d spend hours talking and revealing things to each other. And believe it or not, I was so into our conversations that I didn’t think that much about sexing him. Really, I’m not kidding! While we talked he would rub my arm or hold my hand as he listened and asked questions. Just being in his presence was enough to satisfy me. I liked the fact that he saw the real Samantha and accepted me for who I was. But I had to admit, I was ready to get my freak on right about now, and I knew he was, too.

  As I looked at Tyler, I wondered if sex with him would be as good as it was in the past. Sometimes things change, but I hoped that particular detail had not. I think he was flowing on my same vibe because when I bent over to pick up a box that was sitting on the dining room floor, he looked at me, licked his lips, and said, “Mmm, I like that position.”

  I got so turned on I dropped the box back to the floor. I was sprung and we hadn’t even done anything. This man made me weak, yet surprisingly strong. I could see the change he’d already made in my life, and it was definitely for the better. Just yesterday Daddy told me that he was happy for me. In the past, I had kept the men I dated as far away from my father as possible, but last weekend I couldn’t wait to tell him that Tyler and I were seeing each other again. Daddy really liked Tyler and he was overjoyed that I was with someone whom he considered worthy. I had finally made a good choice, and I was going about things the right way.

  As each minute passed, my desire for Tyler grew stronger and stronger. I watched his lean muscles shine with perspiration as he lifted box after box that the movers had carelessly misplaced and carried them to the right room. Looking at him, I knew the time had arrived for us to take care of grown folks’ business.

  It was approaching dinnertime when the Chinese take-out I ordered finally arrived. We had both worked up an appetite and a serious sweat.Tyler stretched his neck, arched his back, and groaned like he had just fallen down and couldn’t get up.

  “Sore?” I asked.

  “You know it. Between last weekend and today, I’m whupped.”

  “I can give you a back rub after we eat.” I smiled seductively.

  His eyes lit up. “That sounds nice.”

  “But you need to get cleaned up first, you’re grungy and funky.” I laughed. His shorts were smudged and his T-shirt looked as though he had been playing outside.

  Tyler pulled me in close and kissed me on my lips. “As I recall, you like it nice and dirty.”

  “Mmm, you have a good memory,” I purred. I kissed him back, loving the way his lips felt on mine. “I’ll just have to hold my nose.”

  “Okay, I get the hint. I’ll get cleaned up before we eat.”

  I smiled. “I think I’ll freshen up, too.”

  Tyler walked over to the stairs where he had left his overnight bag, then headed up to the guest bathroom as I followed close behind. I strolled down the hall to my spacious master bedroom suite and began to peel off my clothes. I stepped into the shower and turned on the water. The warm stream felt good against my skin. I turned away from the showerhead, closed my eyes, and let the water beat down on my tired shoulders and sore back. I tried not to get my hair wet since I had forgotten to unpack my shower cap. Even though my weave could stand the rain, I knew I’d be too tired to fuss with it tonight. But then again, if I was lucky, maybe I’d be sweating it out with Tyler anyway.

  I was about to lather up my netted sponge when I heard a knock on my bathroom door.

  “Can I join you?” Tyler called out over the rush of water and foggy steam.

  I smiled and slid open the frosted glass shower door, exposing my naked body for him to see. He was naked, too, and the first thing I did was inspect the goods. I’d almost forgotten how scrumptious he looked without clothes. And it was funny because I was used to brothers who were hung, packing a serious load. Tyler wasn’t small, but he wasn’t large either—and baby, I’m not a fan of the average. But I remembered that he had given me pleasure, and I prayed that my recollection of the past wouldn’t fail me in the present.

  He stepped into the shower, stood behind me, and poured a handful of my body gel into his palm. He rubbed the sweet-smelling lather over my back, bathing me, massaging me, relaxing me like a professional masseur. I eagerly returned the favor. It felt good to glide my hands over his skin, which was soft and electric to the touch. Our communal bath turned me on so much I didn’t even care that my hair had gotten wet. Our erotic shower was complemented by plenty of slow caresses and soft kisses as the water drenched us. We quickly toweled off and headed into my bedroom.

  Tyler reached into his bag and took out a box of condoms. He guided me over to the bed and gently laid me down across the fresh sheets that I had put on earlier. “Sam,” he whispered into my ear, “I missed you, baby.”

  He kissed me softly, pressing his body into mine, moving and grinding against me with a smooth rhythm that made me moan with anticipation. His tongue lingered in my mouth, tasting mine as he held me close. “Mmm, you feel good,” he moaned. After some intense kissing and sensuous fondling that made me throb between my legs,Tyler slipped on a condom and looked deep into my eyes. I could tell this was going to be some mind-blowing sex and I was ready for it.

  Slowly and delicately, Tyler inched his way inside me. His warm body covered mine as he traveled within my inner walls. I lifted my pelvis as he placed his hand under my lower back, holding me in a position exactly where he wanted me to be, allowing me to feel the full brunt of his penetration. He knew how to work what he had.

  He kissed my neck and the ball of my shoulder while he kept his stride steady, stroking me with a tenderness that was mixed with a tantalizing combination of hard yet gentle force. He swerved his hips in a sensual rhythm, plunging deeper inside me, pumping me harder as he breathed into my ear.

  “Ooohhh, yeah,” I panted loudly as he increased h
is speed.The sex-sweat we were creating made our bodies slick and moist. Nothing had ever felt like this, not even the lovemaking I experienced with him when we used to date. I bit my lower lip and screamed out like a woman in the wild. Tyler grunted with pleasure as he moved in and out of me, filling me with a passion and hunger that made me melt into my mattress.

  Then he slowed his rhythm, holding me close to his body as he continued to glide in and out of me, his warm breath teasing my ear, coating the side of my neck. He adjusted his stride and stroked my middle with deep, deliberate, and oh-so-tender thrusts. My lower body shivered when he landed on my magic spot. “That’s it,” I purred.

  “Right here?”

  “Yeah, baby. Right there.”

  Tyler hammered home, making sure to stay in the right zone so he could bring me to orgasm. He moaned softly above my head, enjoying the pleasure just as much as I was.We were in sync. I had been with a lot of men, but none of them had ever made love to me like this. That’s what this was—not screwing, not fucking. This was making love.

  Afterward, we lay together with me resting my wet head on his chest. I knew I was completely whipped when I let him run his fingers through the tracks of my weave, giving me a scalp massage.

  “Sam, can I ask you something?”

  “Yes.” I could sense that it was going to be a tough question because of his tone. But at the moment I felt so good I was prepared to answer anything he wanted to know.

  “Why don’t you like being a mother?”

  I expected him to ask something like this. Tyler was a smart man and he could read between the lines. He knew that I had had an abortion when I was in college. He knew that my parents had legal guardianship of my son, and before them, Emily had shouldered that responsibility. And he’d also observed that over the last five days I had spent more time with him and Emily than I had with CJ. He didn’t judge me for it, but I knew it was something he would eventually question. And frankly, any man would, especially a man like Tyler. Ironically, I was dating someone whose life was dedicated to working with kids.