DeAndre pushed up the armrest that was between us, turning the two recliners into a love seat. I scooted in closer to him. He smelled good, like expensive cologne and wine.
I was never self-conscious about wearing hair weave, but I was glad that I was wearing my natural hair, because DeAndre started rubbing at my temples and kept going until he was giving me a full scalp massage. It felt so good and relaxing.
“You’re going to put me to sleep doing that,” I said. “It feels good.”
“I don’t want you sleeping though.”
He positioned my body so that I was lying across the recliner. He knelt on the floor in front of me. I couldn’t see the movie that way, but I didn’t care.
He cradled the back of my head in one of his hands and kissed me deeply. His full lips totally enveloped mine. Who needed oxygen?
His other hand rested under my blouse. He reached inside my bra and freed both my breasts. Stroked the nipples and had them stand at attention. I felt warmth and moisture that soaked through the thong.
When DeAndre unbuttoned my blouse and lowered his soft lips down to my right nipple, I arched my back with pleasure. It had been too long since I’d been touched like this. I reached up to hold his face, and DeAndre took my bottom lip in mouth as he slid his hand under my skirt and between my thighs. When he removed his hand, his fingers were moist. He sucked his fingers and kissed me again. I could taste myself on his lips, mixed with red wine.
Next, he eased my panties down and savored me like I was a delicacy. His tongue caressed and stroked every inch and fold of me. I wanted to cry from how good it felt. My whole body throbbed with pleasure as I neared orgasm. DeAndre seemed to know I was at the edge, because he eased up and stopped stroking.
He brought his lips back to my lips and nipples, but my breasts were so sensitive that I nearly climaxed from that touch. When the throbbing subsided, DeAndre went back to tasting, licking, and stroking. He brought me to the edge again and rested again.
My breathing was ragged, and I felt frustrated. I wanted that orgasm more than anything. My eyes were wet. It felt so good that he brought tears to my eyes.
“You ready now?” DeAndre whispered.
I couldn’t formulate words, so I simply nodded.
This time, with the licking and stroking, DeAndre plunged two fingers inside my opening. He pressed his thumb on my anal opening and stroked there too. I thought I would explode from how amazing it felt.
When I started throbbing this time, DeAndre didn’t stop. When my hips rose and fell to meet his thrusting fingers he didn’t stop. When my body trembled and shook, he kept licking, sucking, thrusting and rubbing. He kept going until my hips stopped rising and falling and my body went limp.
“Did you come?” he asked.
I chuckled as he kissed me. I had never had an orgasm like that. Not even the kind I’d self-inflicted with my best battery-operated toys.
“That was amazing,” I whispered.
“We’re just getting started.”
DeAndre lifted my legs and sat on the recliner under them. He pulled his sweatpants down some and unleashed his member. My goodness, I was wrong, wrong, wrong, about the size.
I had to lean to look at it up close. It was perfect. The right length and width. It was rigid and the skin was taut enough to show the veins. I wrapped one hand around it and slid my warm mouth over the head. It throbbed under my touch.
DeAndre tapped me and pulled me up. He put on a condom and lifted me into his lap.
“Is it okay if I penetrate you now?”
“Please do.”
DeAndre held me like I weighed nothing and positioned my body so that he could slide into my still warm and moist opening. The fit was snug, but every one of my nerve endings celebrated.
Each one of his hands cupped my butt cheeks as he lifted me up and down. Slowly at first, and then gaining speed. I arched my back and helped him lift me by using my legs and knees for leverage. He moaned with pleasure until we both climaxed together.
I climbed off DeAndre and collapsed to the other side of the love seat. Both of us were spent.
“That was just . . . perfect,” I said.
“It was. That was round one, though,” DeAndre said. “It has been awhile for me, or I would have made you climax another way. I don’t think I would’ve lasted long enough inside of you.”
I laughed. “You know you’re too honest, DeAndre. Most men would’ve kept that to themselves.”
“No shame here. There’s plenty more where that came from. I’m going to make you orgasm every way I know how, and then I hope to learn some new ways.”
This man was like every nineties R&B song lyric I’d ever sang and every romance novel I’d ever read. And he was ready for a relationship. That’s all he wanted. The only one who could mess this up was me.
I had to get well, and soon, because I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to have the kind of love folks sing and read about.
But in order to move on, I needed to finish my unfinished business with Alexander Adams.
Chapter 32
HAHNA
I looked at my calendar and frowned. Usually this level of irritation came from being overbooked with back to back meetings, but it was the opposite. How, on a Tuesday, could I not have any client meetings scheduled? This Christmas networking event was important, and I needed Corden’s help to pull it off.
I texted Corden, summoning him, and he was at my office door in less than a minute. He was always at the ready.
Corden plopped down in the chair in front of my desk, unwrapped a chocolate kiss from my candy dish, and popped it in his mouth.
“What is this bright idea, boss?” He asked between chews.
“Sam recommended that we have a bomb ass networking Christmas party. Where we kind of reintroduce ourselves to Atlanta.”
“Wait a minute. Sam wants to spend money?”
I laughed and threw a balled-up piece of paper at Corden. “Yes, he does. Or he thinks we should. I agree it’s an investment.”
Corden nodded slowly and narrowed his eyes as if he were envisioning the party in his mind.
“I can see this. If we do it, this party has to be glam. No cutting corners. We can’t let everyone think we’re struggling. You know how black people are.”
“That’s what Sam said. I also think we need to diversify more. Invite some businesses that we haven’t thought about reaching out to before.”
“Yes, and with the invitation to the party there should be a proposal on our services with examples and testimonials.”
“How many new engagements do you think we could manage? The two of us, I mean.”
“We can worry about that when it’s actually an issue,” Corden said. “Because we’ve been in the trenches before. This ain’t new.”
“Yeah, but not while planning one of my best friend’s wedding and moving a boyfriend into my house.”
Corden looked shocked. “Tell me more.”
“Not much to tell. I think it’s just a natural progression. Sam’s always staying over, and you know how I am about making money. He should be renting out his loft.”
“His tiny house?” Corden laughed at his own joke, but I just shook my head.
“It’s not that small.”
“Naw, naw. You said it was like one of those tiny houses on TV. You said this negro had a wine cabinet built in the floorboards.”
“He does! I actually like that feature.”
“What you gonna do about your houseguest though?”
“Twila? I don’t know. She doesn’t seem ready to leave yet, and it’ll feel crowded I think if she stays after Sam moves in.”
“It’ll be a ghetto ass Three’s Company.”
“How? When there’s not an ounce of ghetto between us.”
“Excuse me. I forgot I was talking about the glorious ladies of Gamma Phi Gamma.”
“Exactly.”
I did the Gamma Phi Gamma hand gesture and call, drawing more laughter from Cord
en.
“Speaking of my houseguest, Twila told me she ran into you at Top Golf.”
“She did? Maybe she saw me there, but she didn’t speak.”
“She didn’t mention that she hadn’t spoken to you, but she did say who you were with.”
Corden sat back in his seat and folder his arms across his chest. “Mmm hmmm . . .”
“What?”
“I’m waiting for the rest of it. What you clearly want to ask me, because you started this conversation.”
I wished I hadn’t brought it up. I’d let Twila get to me talking about Corden being closeted said something about his character. Well, what did asking him about it say about my character? That I’m nosy? I didn’t want him to think I was nosy.
“There’s nothing else. She just mentioned that she’d seen you.”
“Since I know exactly who I was with at Top Golf, I can imagine how the story went when she told you she saw me.”
“You know what, never mind. Let’s talk about this networking party we’re going to plan.”
“Ask the question, Hahna.”
“Okay, okay. She said you were with a bunch of gay dudes, and she thought maybe you’re gay.”
Corden smiled, but it was a creepy smile that I couldn’t read. He seemed to be taking pleasure in me being uncomfortable. He was the one with secrets. He should be uncomfortable, not me.
“I’m not gay.”
“See, I knew you weren’t gay. I’m sorry I even asked you this. It’s not like it was my business anyway . . .”
“I’m bisexual.”
I blinked rapidly, trying to make my brain comprehend what Corden had said. His arms were still crossed against his chest and he was still smiling.
“Symone is going to be devastated if she finds out.”
“She knows.”
“She knows?”
“Yes, I don’t hide these details from people I’m having sex with.”
My head was swimming. I couldn’t believe that Corden’s sweet little fiancée with the cute shape and the pretty face would accept a man who slept with men and women.
“And she’s okay with it? She isn’t concerned with catching something?”
“She’s not going to catch anything, because I’m monogamous. Just because I’m attracted to men doesn’t mean I’m sleeping with men. I’m only with her. Y’all single women with straight black men are probably more in danger of catching something than Symone is.”
As soon as the question was out of my mouth, I wished I could gobble it back up. My question assumed that Corden was engaging in unsafe sex practices. I had to check myself for a second. I guess I did kind of equate bisexuality with promiscuity. The two weren’t mutually exclusive.
“I’m sorry, Corden. My question was out of pocket.”
He shook his head and sighed. “I guess I just thought you knew, and that you never said anything because you supported me.”
“I do support you.”
“As soon as you knew, you started judging. You did your church thing. Even though you’re fornicating and talking about moving your man in your house, because I’m bisexual you made me a liar and a cheater in the same breath.”
He wasn’t lying either. I had done exactly that. And it was crazy too, the church thing. I was living outside of plenty of the tenets of my faith and I always prayed for forgiveness. My expectation was that God would forgive me where I fell short. I hadn’t extended that grace to Corden, and I’d accused him of more than he’d even done.
My eyes filled with tears that I didn’t want to fall, because for some reason I thought Corden wouldn’t give a damn about them.
“It was momentary, and it was dead ass wrong. I’m so sorry. Will you accept my apology?”
“Yes, but only because I know you care about me as a person. The issue you and most black women have is deeper than one apology though.”
“What do you mean?”
“How far do I want to go with this?” Corden posed the question to himself. “I guess I’m gonna go all the way there for a minute, because you’ve caught me at a real moment, and I have time.”
“Okay . . .”
“The reason why a lot of y’all are single is because you’re looking for a specific brand of masculinity.”
“What?”
“I love women and I treat Symone like the queen that she is. I can’t help that I’m also attracted to men, just like while you’re out with Sam you might see another dude that looks good to you.”
“It’s different though, Corden.”
“How is it different?”
“Because personally, I would feel like a man who likes men could never be satisfied with me. There would always be something missing.”
“That is such a false premise. I bet right now if I asked Sam what he thought about Serena Williams’s ass he would drool like ninety percent of the brothers I know.”
“And?”
“Your miniature ass does not compare.”
“I beg your pardon. I got cake.”
“Ummmm . . . you got a cupcake.”
“You’re a damn hater.”
Corden laughed. “I’m not. I’m just saying that satisfaction is more than attraction. I’m satisfied with Symone. Will love her for the rest of my life if she lets me.”
“Then why would you be hanging out with a group of gay men? That would be like Sam going out with a bunch of big booty women.”
“No. Those guys were my friends. I’d never slept with any of them. And I’m not attracted to any of them. They were celebrating an engagement.”
“Symone wasn’t invited?”
“She didn’t want to come. She, unlike you and Twila, does not think that I’m going to fall into bed with a man because I go to Top Golf with him.”
“I don’t think that.”
“But you couldn’t date a bisexual man.”
“I don’t think I could. No.”
“And that’s why most of them are closeted. You’ve probably been with one before, especially in Atlanta.”
“Bullshit.”
“I heard your boy Torian . . .”
I covered my ears and hummed loudly. This was not information I wanted to consume. Ever. Whatever little secret he had about Torian, he could keep it.
Corden shook his head and smiled. I saw his lips stop moving, so I uncovered my ears and crossed my arms under my boobs like a hug.
“Let me know if you want me to do any research on Sam. The streets know everything.”
“You can kick rocks until your toes bleed Corden. Keep your intel to yourself.”
“How can you say what you’d never do, and you don’t even want to know the facts?”
I looked at the door to my office and nodded my head in that direction. Corden burst into laughter.
“You kicking me out your office? I thought we had a Christmas party to plan.”
“Out.”
Corden got out of his seat and started shuffle dancing to the door. He hummed Deck the Halls.
“Corden . . .”
He threw his head back and belted, “Don we now our GAY apparel.”
“Get. Out.”
Still laughing, Corden closed my office door as he left. I could hear him still singing in the hallway. Maybe having this conversation with me had removed a weight he was carrying. Looks like I was the only one he was close to that had no clue.
And that was wrong. I did have a clue. I knew. Just like everybody else, I could feel that Corden was different in some ways. He felt more like one of my sister friends than my brother.
I wondered if Symone was really happy. Corden said he was monogamous, but he was still a man. Men were monogamous until they fell into an entanglement with someone else.
What would Symone do if Corden cheated on her with a man? Would it be the same as if it were a woman?
Luckily, I didn’t have to lose a second of sleep over that situation. I just tucked the information into the back of my mind in case Symone
needed my help in the future. Knowing that Corden was attracted to men had nothing to do with the magic he worked for The Data Whisperers.
But now did I have to give him side eye and make sure he wasn’t looking at my man?
Chapter 33
KIMBERLY
Kimberly looked at the text in her cell phone from Samantha as she waited for Hahna and Twila at the soul food restaurant they’d loved in college.
I can’t participate in the wedding. Sorry. I still love you though, sister.
Kimberly had hoped that Samantha’s anger would’ve dissipated after time had passed, and she’d had time to reflect on her words. Kimberly certainly wasn’t angry anymore, although she’d been more shocked by Samantha’s words than angry.
Now though, Samantha had officially dropped out of the wedding, and Kimberly didn’t know what to do. They were line sisters. They’d all pledged to stand up for each other at weddings, funerals, and the birth of children.
Had all of that changed now? Had they drifted so far apart after college that their sisterhood was forever damaged? Maybe line sister didn’t have to mean friend when the sisters were in their forties.
Twila showed up first. Kimberly noticed that she looked to be in better spirits than she had in recent weeks. Kimberly stood up to hug her, even though there wasn’t much room in the aisles of the tightly packed restaurant.
“I need some smothered chicken today,” Twila said. “Sweet tea, and macaroni and cheese.”
“I thought you were eating clean this week.”
“Man, me and Hahna had those green smoothies for like two days before we gave up on that. I need some real food.”
“I don’t know why y’all doing all that anyway,” Kimberly said. “Y’all already look perfect.”
“We all look good, but I definitely am not perfect,” Twila said. “I want my body to look like somebody photoshopped me in every photo.”
Kimberly laughed out loud. “I’m in no danger of that happening to me.”
“Kim, you can get here, you just don’t want it bad enough.”
“You’re right, I don’t.”
“Well, you’re beautiful either way. I know that gets on your nerves when we say it, but I mean it. You’re one of the most gorgeous women I know.”
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