Black Female

by Kim J. West

  “Me too,” I replied, pulling her dress down to expose her nipples to my touch.

  I stroked around them in circles while she slipped her hand into my pants and slid her it up and down my cock in rhythmic strokes.

  “Lena,” I groaned closing my eyes. “You are going to make me come.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  We spent the rest of the day making love before Lena insisted on leaving late afternoon. I hated to see her go.

  It was time for me to spoil my girlfriend a little. I called Jackson first. As always, he answered before the phone rang.

  “Jackson,” I began. “I would like to order a car for Miss Williams; something in the Mercedes range. Can you organize brochures?”

  “Any particular range?”

  I thought for a moment; Lena had said she wanted a little car, but she might drive me in it sometime and I don’t do little.

  “Maybe a midsize SUV or something? Nothing too large or too small.”

  “I’ll bring them over in less than an hour.”

  Next I called my accountant Khan.

  “Khan, I need a Visa card for Miss. Lena Williams.”

  “Err… right now?” he asked incredulously.

  “Of course not,” I laughed. “I need it by Wednesday evening.”

  “With the usual limit?”

  I normally asked him to tell me when spending had exceeded $50,000 to assess just how greedy they were. But Lena was not usual anything. I was in love with her and she’d enjoy everything I could offer her, whether she liked it or not.

  “No limit on this one, Khan.”

  He had the grace to laugh. “No limit? Are you forgetting when your ex-fiancée spent $10 million on a worthless painting?”

  I remembered when Ashley was experimenting with buying fine art for our new home and had unknowingly encountered fraudsters. That ten million dollar painting now hung in my California condo because she didn’t want to see it ever again, after getting it appraised and discovering it was a worthless replica. But that was in the past and Lena would not be judged by the behavior of other women.

  “Listen Khan, I said no limit.”

  “Jonathan, I’ll still keep an eye on it up to $1 million whether you like it or not.”

  “Whatever Khan, just have it ready by Wednesday for Jackson to collect,” I said ending the call, knowing full well that I’d be lucky if Lena spent $100,000.

  I decided to redirect my attention to work, focusing on preparing for the meeting I had in New York after the weekend. We’d acquired a financial services company in New York and were finalizing the terms of the merger. The CEO and CFO of that company would be fired and replaced with those who would be loyal to the new arrangement, but they didn’t know that yet and would certainly consider it a hostile take-over. I never got emotional about business; I did what I had to do.

  I steadily worked through the rest of the day to early evening, ordering a small dinner before I went to bed paging through the brochure brought by Jackson to select a car for Lena. I lay awake for a long time, missing Lena who was snuggled up to me the previous night. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. When we made love, she gave me everything her body had to offer, but I could tell she was still holding back her heart from me; hiding it in an inaccessible place I couldn’t reach.

  Tuesday morning, I sat behind the desk of the soon-to-be former CEO of Empire Finance in New York City, rocking in his expensive Italian chair while listening to him battling to explain his excesses. He’d spent $5 million dollars on a yacht vacation in Greece with his wife and kids, then bought his girlfriend a Corvette with corporate funds; all this when the company was already in the red. Empire’s client base was solid, but profits were being heavily eroded through mismanagement of investor funds by the top two executives. Strauss Carter had acquired a controlling stake in the company in recent weeks.

  After a review of their audited accounts, it was clear that Collins the CEO and Randberg the CFO would be fired and possibly indicted for their corporate malfeasance and embezzling of funds. Besides Pike and Dixon, I’d brought a team of six auditors with me. They all chimed in, showing him the list of highlighted expenditures as evidence of his crimes while the slippery conman tried to justify it all with a mixture of humor and feigned ignorance. The more he talked, the more I realized he’d definitely be going to jail and have his assets frozen.

  I was distracted from his little performance by my cell phone buzzing beside my notes; it was Lena. My heart stalled; she never called me. It must be an emergency, I thought.

  “Babe,” I answered, holding my hand up for silence in the room.

  “Hi Jonathan,” she replied, her voice sounding tremulous. Shit; something was wrong.

  “Hang on,” I said, to her excusing myself from the meeting then leaving the room. I came back on the line.

  “Lena, are you okay?” I asked her. She paused briefly.

  “Yes, Jonathan, I’m okay. Sorry to disturb your meeting though. I wouldn’t have called if I’d known you’d be busy.” Her voice sounded lighter as though she’d made an effort to compose herself. I played along.

  “You hardly ever call me, so I got a little excited,” I laughed, but still nervous about her calling.

  She laughed too.

  “Well,” she said in her sultry voice, “I just wanted to say I was thinking about you, and maybe we can chat tomorrow when you get back?”

  Damn, she misses me, I thought hopefully. I imagined her as I’d last seen her on Saturday in that tempting mini dress, cooking in my kitchen and took a deep breath. I wanted to see her as soon as possible.

  “I’m thinking about you too, Lena. Do you want me to come over tomorrow night when I get back? I have a business dinner in Midtown but I can make an early escape and come over around nine thirty?”

  Because of my trip to the Bahamas I’d pushed an important dinner to Wednesday, but if Lena needed me, I could blow the guy off.

  “No,” she replied a little too quickly. “No need for you to come over. I’m tied up tomorrow, but I’ll call you late, around ten?”

  I was disappointed but could wait until our trip on Thursday.

  “Okay, Lena, I’ll be waiting.”

  We ended the call and I went back to my meeting.

  After Collins and Randberg had been read their Miranda rights and taken into custody, I decided to let my team clear up the mess, while I went out for lunch to decompress from the irritation of dealing with the disaster.

  After a mouthwatering solo lunch at the exclusive Olive Branch in New York, I entered the Lincoln town car arranged for my use, headed back to Empire Finance. Whenever I was in New York, I never spent time immersing myself in the craziness of the city; my mind was always occupied by business; but this time I was distracted with thoughts of Lena. I wanted her birthday to be perfect. Remembering that I had to purchase a birthday gift, I instructed the driver to head to Tiffany & Co. not far from where we were headed.

  Upon entering the store, I began looking through a myriad of displays, surprised to find them quite busy with customers. Presently, a sales associate approached me, smiling brightly to offer her assistance.

  “I’m looking for a birthday gift for my girlfriend,” I explained.

  She examined me for a moment and proceeded to usher me into a private viewing room. Evidently, she could smell a sale coming her way.

  After I settled in and rejected the champagne offered, I looked at the range of diamond necklaces she and her assistant produced for me to examine. Eventually, I was drawn to a magnificent canary diamond pendant, shaped like a teardrop. It was surrounded by a row of white diamonds, and fixed on a sparkling platinum chain.

  The minute the associate and her assistant noticed it had my attention, they began extolling its beauty and virtues, but they didn’t have to. I was captivated. I imagined the sparkling yellowish color against Lena’s beautiful skin; I knew it’d look extraordinary.

  “I’ll take this one,” I said,
handing them my AmEx card.

  They both glanced at each other before the associate rushed off to ring up my purchase. I opened a bottle of the Perrier they’d offered with the champagne, while the assistant carefully packaged my purchase in a classic Tiffany & Co. blue box, which was handed to me, together with my card and receipt. I glanced at the bill and felt a twinge of disappointment with the cost. I’d expected it to cost way more than the eighty thousand I’d been billed.

  Still, I reminded myself that I’d chosen it for its beauty, not its value and left Tiffany’s satisfied; hopeful that Lena would love it.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  By the time we were leaving New York, I was very happy with the work we’d done. In the end, we decided to let Pike and his associates remain to further decimate the remaining Empire Finance staff, targeting those who’d been implicated in the scandal. We intended to re-structure the company entirely, making profitability our sole focus.

  For the sake of continuity, Pike would be short-listing transitional candidates from among the senior executives that survived the cull. I’d interview them the following week when I got back from my getaway with Lena. We’d take our time to appoint new permanent personnel once the dust had settled.

  When we landed in Atlanta, my father’s security man Rodriguez was waiting with his car parked beside Jackson. I was surprised they were waiting that close together, because there was constant tension between them. Rodriguez had been my father’s personal aide since I was in high school and was a decorated Gulf War veteran. He had a stocky build and serious expression that never gave away what he was thinking.

  He approached me the second I disembarked.

  “Sir, may I have a moment?” he asked gravely.

  I glanced at Jackson who’d headed to the Tahoe after retrieving my bags. It was unusual for Rodriguez to approach me directly; there must be something going on with my parents.

  “Yes?” I replied, bracing myself for his report.

  “Mr. Carter requested I tell you in person to come to the house the minute you land.”

  “What’s happened?”

  “I believe it’s a personal family matter, sir. But both Mr. and Mrs. Carter are fine.”

  I was relieved to hear that, but remained concerned about what was going on with my parents. Jackson headed towards the Strauss Carter mansion with Rodriguez leading not far ahead. I sent a text message to Janice to cancel my dinner meeting in Midtown; I doubted I’d be able to make it.

  “Do you know what’s happening?” I asked Jackson as he weaved through traffic.

  He hesitated for a few moments. “I’m not sure, sir.” I had a feeling he had the information but was just not willing to tell me himself.

  As soon as I arrived, I walked through the house and found my parents relaxing in the den. My father was having a pre-dinner drink while my mother worked diligently on the sewing in her lap. Everything appeared normal except for a nurse who was hovering at the edge of the room.

  “Dad, what’s going on?” I asked, giving my mother a peck on the cheek.

  “Sit down, son,” he said, before ushering the nurse out and shutting the door.

  “It’s your mother,” he explained. “She passed out on Monday and we rushed to the hospital.”

  I glanced sharply at my mother who was unusually quiet and focused on her sewing. Nothing looked amiss; she was still well-groomed with her hair elegantly styled as usual.

  “Why wasn’t I told about this?” I demanded.

  “Because I told them not to,” my mother chimed in with a scolding tone. “I was being taken care of.”

  I stood up and rushed over to her side, taking her hand.

  “What is it? What did the hospital say?”

  “I have a small tumor on my brain,” she explained calmly. “The doctors have already done CAT scans to determine if it can be removed safely. We should have the results soon.

  I was stunned.

  “My mother went through all this and nobody told me?” I asked my father in disbelief.

  “We didn’t want you to worry,” my mother scolded. “You’d have just rushed back here for no reason; I’m doing just fine.”

  “You have a brain tumor, but you didn’t want me to worry?” I couldn’t believe my ears.

  “The doctor says it’s growing very slowly and I’ve possibly had it for years,” she retorted. “Besides, I don’t want to be treated like an invalid.”

  “And the nurse? Why do we have a nurse here if it’s as wonderful as you say it is?”

  “Son,” my dad reprimanded. “Stop upsetting your mother. Please.”

  I took a deep breath to calm down. I was struggling to understand why they were being so casual about what they’d just told me. She’d collapsed, been rushed to the hospital, had a brain tumor discovered and they were both acting like nothing happened. I decided to leave it alone.

  “So what’s the way forward?” I asked, directing the question to my father.

  “We will receive the results of the scans next week, then the doctors will determine what to do from there.”

  I turned to my mother. “So are you really alright? What is the nurse for?”

  “I don’t know what the nurse is for,” she snapped in irritation. “Your father insisted on it.”

  “It turns out,” my father added, “your mother has had these fainting spells twice before this year, but convinced the household staff it was just the heat. She only confessed this information when the doctor was asking her for the history of this condition.” He didn’t look pleased as he said this. I was mad as hell, but held my tongue.

  “Mother,” I said firmly. “The nurse will stay until we hear what the results say.”

  “Fine; but it’s so unnecessary.”

  My father and I went to his study to discuss the situation further. I could see his worry as he explained how he’d been with her when she’d fallen in the garden and immediately called an ambulance. He had a bad heart and I knew stressful situations were not good for his health. I felt I’d have to rearrange my schedule to make more time for them in case they needed me. It was as though my father read my mind.

  “Son, I don’t want you to worry about this. So far, her prognosis is good; the doctors say it’s most likely benign. I think we should carry on as usual until we know more. She’s been acting normally and walking around since being discharged yesterday and there is nothing we can do until the doctors contact us.”

  I thought about my upcoming trip with Lena the next day.

  “Are you sure you don’t need me? I was going to be busy over the next few days and I need to know she’ll be alright.”

  “Son, go ahead,” my father insisted. “You’ll just drive her crazy if you hover over her. She didn’t want you to know until after the results, but I insisted on telling you.”

  “You should have called me the minute it happened,” I scolded.

  “I didn’t call because saying things like ‘tumor’ and ‘collapse’ over the phone to a loved one who is far away sounds a whole lot worse. Same problem with sending messages through third parties.”

  I could see my father’s point. I’d have panicked if I’d heard this information over the phone or from anybody else. Seeing her sewing comfortably made things appear a lot less worrying.

  “Ok, dad. But I need you to call me the minute anything happens; at least promise me that.”

  He readily agreed, then we went to the dining room to eat a quiet dinner together as a family.

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  I finally managed to call Lena the minute I entered the apartment. It had been a shitty night with my mother’s revelation and I felt helpless. She answered after a few rings.

  “Hello,” she said sounding groggy.

  “Hi, Lena; I hope I didn’t wake you?” I said wearily after my long evening.

  “I was just falling asleep now.”

  “Were you thinking about me?”

  “Maybe a little,” she
said sounding as though she was smiling.

  “Only a little?” I asked, trying to sound offended.

  “Okay, maybe a little more than that,” she laughed. “So your trip to New York was good?”

  “Better than great, I’ll update you on our trip tomorrow.” I’d not tell her about my mother; I didn’t want to ruin her birthday with something I couldn’t change.

  “About that,” she began slowly, “I don’t think we should go.”

  What? Damn it; not this again.

  “Why?”

  “Jonathan, I just think our relationship will work better after I leave the co---“

  I cut her off. Something had happened and was probably to do with me.

  “Lena, Stop. What did I do now?”

  “Nothing! It’s not you.”

  “Did something happen?”

  She hesitated for a moment.

  “I just think Janice might have said something to Mr. Baker, so it’s been awkward at work these last couple of days.”

  What the actual fuck? I paused for a long moment. So while I was away, Baker and Janice had teamed up to try sabotage me? I was their fucking boss and whatever they’d done whether in word or deed, wasn’t only an attack on Lena, but an attack on me. I didn’t care for the gossip details; the fact that Lena was upset enough to cancel our trip was enough. I’d deal with them.

  “I’ll talk to them,” I told her firmly. Problem solved, trip back on.

  “No need,” she argued. “I just think we should ---.” I wasn’t having it.

  “No, Lena.” I snapped, close to losing my temper. “We are not letting anything affect us. We’ll talk in the Bahamas. I’m not letting you back out of this because of office chit-chat,” I ended scornfully.

  “Jonathan, please, you are not listening—“

  She needed a firm hand. She was taking my patience for weakness.

  “Lena, please don’t make me come over there,” I said in a threatening tone. “I’m not letting you back out. Are you listening to me? I’ve already shifted things around to be alone with you on your birthday and so have you, so I’m not letting you do this.”