Baby, You're the Best

by Mary B. Morrison

  Softly, she said, “Sure.”

  I was not going to let her make me feel bad about doing what was best for me. Damn, I’d been with her eight, nine, ten days. Shit, I’d lost count. I didn’t want to be insensitive. Refusing to let her make me feel guilty, I kissed her lips, picked up my cell, then headed to the bathroom.

  Derrick giving me time off was the proper response to Charlotte’s behavior. The way I’d dismissed Charlotte was a mistake. What if she was parked in the lot waiting for me to return to work? I’d better call her ass.

  Noticing the date, I realized the fifth was yesterday. Signing in to my online business account, I saw one of my tenants hadn’t paid their rent. I should employ a management company to take care of my properties for me. I hated being a bill collector. I texted my renter, Your rent is past due. I’ll wave the late fee if you pay by COB today. I didn’t want to put a notice on his door but I would, first thing in the morning, if necessary.

  Showering, I wondered, could I love two women at the same time? Yes, I believed so. I’d been there once before while I was in college. Could I be in love with two women at the same time? Absolutely. The lying, cheating, and breaking their hearts wasn’t worth it.

  I dried myself, dressed in the bathroom, then opened the door. Fabulous wasn’t in the bed or the bedroom. Praying this wasn’t going to be some a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate shit, I called out her name.

  There was no answer. I entered the living room. She wasn’t there. Checked the kitchen. No Fabulous. I wasn’t going to play games. Walking out the front door to my car, I heard, “Want me to come over to your house?”

  Shit! She scared me. I watched her rock back and forth.

  “Not tonight. I’ll call you.”

  Real sexy, she said, “You’d better.” Then she said, “I love you.”

  “Cool. I gotta go.” Driving away, I glanced in my rearview. Fabulous was waving at me. I tooted my horn as I exited her driveway. Stopping at the stop sign, I called Charlotte.

  No answer.

  I left her a voice message. “Hey, boo, Listen. I know I was wrong. Call me when you get this message.”

  Ending the call, I wondered, why were women so emotional? They could go from hot to cold or the opposite in a split second. Cry on a dime. Curse me out in a second.

  Parking in the garage at my building, I surveyed my surroundings, got out of my car. Constantly, I glanced over my shoulder until I made it to my front door.

  I changed my clothes, called Fabulous. She didn’t answer. Damn! What did I do to her? I grabbed my cell and keys, then opened my front door.

  Wham! My head snapped to the left. Wham! My head went to the right.

  “You bastard!” Charlotte yelled. “You motherfucking bastard! I hate your ass!”

  She raised her hand to hit me again. I snatched her wrist. She swung at me with her other hand. “Fuck! Bitch!” I dropped my phone and keys in front of my door, caught her arm in midair. Shoved her back against the wall in the hallway.

  “It’s over between us! You’re crazy. I can’t deal.” I was serious this time.

  Tears poured down her face. “You don’t know what happened to me in Vegas. I had no money. You have no idea, Spencer. You didn’t even care enough to check on me. You could’ve paid for the room so . . . so . . .” She screamed, “I wouldn’t have had to do those . . .” Her words trailed off.

  Staring at her with wide eyes, I didn’t know what to think. Had some guy taken advantage of my boo? I got angry for a moment. What if Charlotte had made this shit up?

  “Let me go!” Charlotte yelled, struggling to free herself.

  I let her go. She faced my door. I stepped in front of her, blocked her entrance. No way was she getting into my place to break up my shit again. Pissed off as Charlotte was she might take a knife to my furniture, rip out the cushions, then attack me.

  True. I could’ve made sure she had a place to stay. After I saw Fabulous’s face, I wasn’t tripping off of Charlotte. I took a deep breath. I was about to be the biggest sucker or the worst ex Charlotte has had.

  Charlotte might’ve had an incredible time in Vegas or the unimaginable could’ve really happened to my gurl.

  Kissing her lips, I told her, “Boo, it’s over between us. For real this time.”

  “Hey, Domino.”

  Aw shit. I was already knowing who that was. Turning, I saw Alexis. I shook my head. She was sexy as hell. Another short-ass dress. Candy-apple red. Blue high heels. Her legs were shiny sexy. Hair flowed down her back.

  I looked at Charlotte, then told Alexis, “This is my ex, Charlotte.”

  “Oh, really?” Alexis said, moving in closer.

  “Ex my ass! Who’s that bitch?” Charlotte asked.

  Wham! Slam! Slap! Slam! Wham! Standing inches from Charlotte’s face, Alexis said, “Call me a bitch again.”

  Wham! She hit Charlotte again. “That’s for calling my mother a bitch, bitch.”

  Oh, shit. I sensed some shit was about to go down but I had no idea Alexis got down like that. I put my back to Charlotte, stood in front of Alexis.

  Charlotte screamed, “Kick her ass, Spencer.”

  Was she serious? Did Charlotte believe for a second I wanted some of what she’d just got? It wasn’t cool that a female had smacked up on my gurl, I meant, ex-gurl, but Charlotte needed to know everybody wasn’t backing down from her.

  Alexis reached into her purse, pulled out a brown band, gathered her hair, secured it into a ponytail. She dug in her bag again, pulled out a 9mm, tried to move me out of the way.

  “Nah, now this is what’s not going to happen,” I told Alexis. Calmly, I said, “Put your gun away. Don’t make me take it from you.”

  Alexis said, “I dare you, bitch.”

  Did she just call me a bitch? She could talk shit but there was no way I was going to let Alexis shoot Charlotte.

  Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. Her face turned bright red. She stared at me. I wasn’t sure what she expected me to do. She’d showed up at my front door unannounced, hit me in my head twice, now she wanted my protection.

  Alexis stepped back. Held the gun with both hands over her right shoulder. Damn, she looked like one of those women who could lure a man into bed then kill him. She lowered her piece to her side.

  I had a flashback of her sucking me off in her mom’s kitchen.

  Charlotte said, “We’re done. I won’t bother you ever again. You’re not worth it.”

  Hell, I’d almost forgotten Charlotte was here.

  Hunching my shoulders, I said, “Cool.” She’d made my decision to be chill with Fabulous easier. Alexis made it harder.

  “You can have him,” she said to Alexis, then stumped away. Her legs wobbled. Each step Charlotte took I thought she was going to fall.

  “I don’t need your permission, bitch! Don’t bring your ass back here or let me catch you anywhere near my man!”

  All I could do was shake my head. I didn’t want to laugh but soon as Charlotte was out of our sight we busted up.

  Alexis put her gun in her purse, then strutted away, jiggling her booty.

  I’d be telling the truth if I’d said, “That shit turned me on!”

  CHAPTER 43

  Spencer

  Glad to be back at work, that was the craziest episode ever. Charlotte’s wylding out almost made me late.

  I wanted to tell LB what had happened but he wouldn’t believe me. Hell, if I weren’t in the mix of that situation, I wouldn’t believe it either. It felt good shaking my first drink.

  Pouring a vodka martini, I thought about Fabulous. I’d texted her in transit. She hadn’t hit me back. I understood. After putting in QT between her legs, I’d probably fucked up her head.

  “How was it?” I asked LB. We hadn’t spoken since church yesterday. “Alexis, what’s she like, dude?”

  “Man, thank you,” he said, gnawing on his knuckles. Any harder and my boy would’ve drawn his own blood.

  “Damn. Like that?”
r />   “All the way freak, man. Alllll the way, you hear me.” His eyes rolled to the top of his head. He moved to the opposite end of the bar.

  Tending to my customers, I didn’t want to mess up again or give Derrick a reason to come for me. Checking out the female who just squatted on the wicker stool in front of me, I tapped the bar once, then said, “What’s your pleasure?”

  As she ordered, my dick got hard. I swear that nigga couldn’t stay focused.

  LB stood next to me, then whispered, “I’m tapped out, bruh. She’s all yours.”

  Tapped out? I pictured Alexis sucking me off in seconds. I was going to have to have a talk with my dick about that shit. He was not a one-minute man. But that Alexis had given me the best nut I’d busted from a quickie.

  I took a few orders, mixed, poured, and served drinks. Chatted with a few of my regulars.

  “I missed you the last few days. Did you go on vacation?” she asked as I placed her usual, a glass of cabernet, in front of her.

  “Nah. Had to take care of some things.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. “You’re looking good.”

  “Not so bad yourself,” she commented with a wide smile.

  This one was harmless. She had so many dickatunities it was redickulous. I watched her come in here, sit alone, busy herself on her iPhone and laptop writing them nasty books. Never failed. A guy would sit next to her, offer her a drink, and end up paying her entire tab.

  I wasn’t supposed to be jealous of LB, but a part of me was. I was surprised Alexis let my boy hit it on the first date. I mean her mom giving it up was understandable. Fabulous was fifty but Alexis was so fine every dude had his eyes on her.

  In between servicing customers, I pressed LB for details about what Alexis had done. Blow by blow that shit blew my mind.

  I whispered to LB, “You let her do what to your ass, man?”

  “Wasn’t like I let her do all the other stuff. After I let her tie me up I didn’t have a choice.”

  Hot wax. Massage. Hot towel on his back. I wanted all of that but she could squash that butt plug shit. I was no stranger to a finger in my ass. That was cool. Objects were not.

  Wondered if my boy knew she was into females and she was engaged. Wasn’t my place to tell him. I was more concerned about Alexis checking me than I was with LB questioning my source.

  “When y’all going out again?” I asked.

  “I invited her out this weekend. She said she had to get back at me. Don’t try to push up on this one, Spence. I like her too much.”

  I didn’t want to do Alexis’s nasty ass. After all the shit LB told me, I had to!

  CHAPTER 44

  Alexis

  The sixth had come. My rent wasn’t paid.

  Walking up to my door, I removed the plastic bag that hung on the knob. I knew what was in it. A collection notice for $2,000, plus a $150 late fee. I went inside, texted Chanel, Come over before you go to work.

  Sitting on my couch, I kicked off my heels, went to the kitchen, mixed a drink. Thank God I was almost done with school. Graduation was next year. The lovers in my life today would be gone by the time I walked the stage. Not because they wanted out. I needed to draft more players. There wasn’t room on the home court for everyone. Maybe I’d do like James. Date a white person who lived out of state.

  All I have to do is get through this semester and the next one and I’m done. Applying for a job wasn’t a bad idea but being on a schedule other than school wasn’t for me. I’d rather use my title of Dr. Crystal to lure in a class of men wealthier than James. Like team owners. Let my new crew fulfill my desires.

  Chanel replied, I can’t keep letting you break my heart.

  Women. One minute they were in love, then they were confused. Chanel wanted to end it but not really. She sent that response to get my attention. I sighed.

  So she didn’t forget. Chanel intentionally didn’t give me her tips Saturday night. She did not appreciate that I’d gotten out of my bed, sat in the club, watched her perform, followed her to her house. What was I to do? I couldn’t bring her back to my place. LB was still tied to my bed. I told her I’d spent Sunday with my mom. That was mostly true. Just not the part when I’d texted, I’m spending the night. I’d spent the night at James’s house.

  I opened one of the drawers to my coffee table, placed a big black dildo on the sofa beside me, removed my clothes. Lounging back on a gold pillow, I turned my video camera toward me. Looking at myself, I softened my eyes, pressed record, waited a second, then said, “We miss you, baby. Wanna see how much?”

  I circled the eight-inch dildo around my tongue. I licked the corona, then slowly lowered my mouth over the head. Opening wide, I let saliva roll off the tip of my tongue onto the top of the head and down the shaft. I teased my clit, slid the wet dildo in and out of my pussy. Letting go, I forced the dildo out using my muscles. Captured it lying between my thighs. The head touched my vagina. Picking it up I braced my knees to my ears, pushed it all the way in my asshole. Took it out. Held it up. It was clean and shiny. Making a pouting face, seductively I said, “We’re ready for you and only you.”

  Ending the recording, I replayed it twice.

  Perfect first take.

  I texted the video to Chanel, this new girl I’d met, LB, and James.

  James texted back. Rent check? Rain check.

  Cute, Wilcox. Your days of having the pleasure of my fucking you in the ass are limited. I could pawn his ring but I was sure that wasn’t going to be necessary. I always got whatever I wanted. My last resort would be to charge my rent to the credit card James gave me for incidentals. Quickly, I decided against that. I didn’t want him to cancel my card.

  I hit a few other options in my rotation. The two over fifty would give me the money in cash today but I didn’t enjoy sexing either one of them. They were my backups.

  Sending the video to Spencer wasn’t necessary. Men talked more than women and I was certain LB had told Spencer what I’d done to him and I was positive he’d show the video to Spencer for me.

  Mercedes texted, We’re meeting at Mom’s house. She needs us. See you then in an hour.

  Good, hopefully Spencer would be there since we got rid of Charlotte’s ass. I texted, LB, Is Spencer at work?

  Nah. Why you asking about him?

  I was going to drop by the bar with my mom, I lied.

  Come see me.

  I’m headed to my mom’s. She won’t come if Spencer isn’t there.

  If I told Mercedes I needed two grand for school, she’d pay it directly. She might need her funds to pay for her divorce when she found out Benjamin has a mistress. Devereaux had it but didn’t have it to spare. Sandara, the thought of her finances made me shake my head.

  LB texted back, Damn, that video got my dick hard as concrete. Can I cum over after I get off so you can finish what you started doing to me? I close tonight and I’m off tomorrow.

  I’d already grown bored with him. He had no imagination. I’m a little short on my rent. Will you help me out this one time?

  He replied, How much?

  Two Gs.

  He texted, Damn!!!!! That’s a little?

  I’ll give it back when I get my student loan next week.

  Next week?

  Yes LB. Next week, I lied. I didn’t have any student loans.

  Cool if I can do half? I don’t have 2Gs.

  That’s cool. He was probably telling the truth. I didn’t know or care what he’d have to do to get me the cash.

  He texted back, See you tonight.

  I didn’t respond. It was best to let him send the last text. I might have to strap-on for him tonight. But that was only if he had my money in his hand. Men lied to get laid more than women.

  Chanel texted, I stopped by the office and paid your rent plus the late fee. Come see me at the club tonight.

  I called the office and confirmed, then I texted LB, My family made plans for tonight.

  What about the check?

  Check? Since
you’re off in the morning, we can go to your bank. I can pay my rent then we can hang out during the day and have all the fun you’d like tomorrow after I get out of class.

  Class would allow me to ditch LB for the rest of the day if I wanted to. I didn’t get a response from LB. Didn’t matter. It was his money until he’d give it me.

  Heading out, I decided to check if Spencer was home. I knocked on his door. No answer. I knocked again.

  He opened the door. His body was wet. A black towel was wrapped around his waist. OMG! He looked delicious.

  “Hey, Alexis. What’s up?”

  “Just dropped by to make sure you’re okay. Mind if I come in?”

  He smiled. “Yes. I do. I’m headed to your mom’s,” he said.

  “Me too,” I said with a sexy smile.

  “Then I will see you there.” He closed the door in my face.

  Thinking he was playing, I waited . . . and waited. Why was this bitch acting brand new? I was not knocking again.

  I left.

  CHAPTER 45

  Blake

  I refused to chase another man. I’d rather be alone.

  Seemed as though Spencer wanted out and a call from whoever that was gave him a reason. It took a lot of willpower not to call or text him but I made it through the night, this morning, and this afternoon. I hadn’t gone upstairs. That was one thing I appreciated Spencer doing for me when I needed something.

  His leaving had an upside. Last night I’d spoken with each of my daughters and I’d told my girlfriend Echo everything that had happened starting with Fortune’s death.

  Standing in my doorway, I watched Echo park her car in my driveway. She would’ve come when I called but she was in New York. She hurried up the stairs.

  “Blake, you should’ve called me sooner,” Echo said, hugging me. “I came straight from the airport.”

  I wrapped my arms around her. We rocked side to side. “Things worked out the way they were supposed to. I’m glad Fortune is dead.”

  “You don’t mean that,” she said, letting go.