Preseason Love

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Preseason Love Page 5

by Ahyiana Angel


  “You have amazing eyes,” Kari commented.

  I was hoping that I didn’t blush. “Thank you.”

  “Are they gray?”

  “Yes, my Jolie, I mean my mom, says that I get them from my great-grandmother.”

  Not wanting to talk about myself too much, I quickly changed the subject, though I didn’t know what to say. “I love the décor in this place. Very light yet comforting.”

  “I’m glad that you like it. The restaurant is actually one of my clients’, so I frequently have meetings here and everyone seems to love it. I don’t regularly mix business with pleasure, but I thought that you’d like it, being that you are new to the city.”

  “Well, I definitely appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

  Kari nodded and grinned. “So how was your day?”

  Interesting, he wasn’t quick to revel me with the tales of his day before asking a word about mine. Kari and I chatted for hours while nibbling on appetizers of samosas and tiger shrimp. We feasted on delicious seared salmon and grilled lamb chop entrees. Kari’s drink of choice was Scotch on the rocks. I kept it simple and sipped Chardonnay.

  After an excellent dinner and unlimited, engaging conversation, we had a brief moment of intense silence as we stared into each other’s eyes. I caught myself and blurted out an awkward, “We should probably go.”

  As we exited the restaurant, he hailed a cab for me. Standing on the curb, I thought to myself that I could get into this guy. He was sweet, attentive, charming and he knew how to take control. He is probably nicknamed the “panty dropper,” I thought to myself as he gave me a soft kiss on the cheek accompanied by a firm hug goodnight. I slid into the cab and he closed the door.

  As the cabby sped up Eighth Avenue toward the Port Authority bus station, I thought about Kari. I felt that tingle in my stomach and a slight sweet feeling between my legs. Being so high off of my date, the hassle of hopping on the New Jersey Transit and rolling through the Lincoln Tunnel to finally arrive at home almost an hour later did not bother me in the slightest. I fantasized my way across the river. I swore that I could still smell the sandalwood hints from his cologne lingering on my new coat.

  Chapter 5

  Hidden Gem

  The Sting fundraiser was set to start in a few hours and we had just finished the final walk-through when my phone buzzed. I never kept my phone on ring at work because the excessive noise was simply rude.

  I glanced down to see Kari’s name on my screen. My stomach started to get the jitters. His text message was sweet: “Just wanted to wish you a successful event tonight. Hope all is well.”

  I wasn’t sure if it was game. But whatever his angle, he was good. Remembering about my first big event in the city spoke volumes. That sweet and simple message was all that I needed to put an extra pep in my step and knock out a crazy fabulous event. The red carpet was jam-packed with an eclectic mix of celebrities, from Sting himself to Russell Simmons and supermodel Petra Nemcova. One of the main stars from The Wire, Omar, was also in the house and I liked his style. He was a very humble man.

  When the concert started, I decided to duck off to the restroom for a moment of peace. I made my way through the crowded venue and began walking down an empty hallway. It was strangely dark. Maybe one of the lights blew out. Suddenly I felt a slight pull at my wrist. A million things ran through my mind before I could turn to acknowledge what was happening. I was freaked out—likely because I had been watching way too much Law & Order. Was I about to get attacked in public at an event? Scottie! Remember the self-defense moves that Dad taught you. Where should I aim first? The groin or the eyes.

  I quickly snapped back into reality and spun around in a flash. I heard the sound of a man’s voice mid-spin. Where is my mace? This is the second time! As I was about to scream, the shadow in the corner grabbed me and put his hand over my mouth in one swift motion like a skilled ninja. My body completely tensed up and I was ready to piss on myself. Then he said my name. Oh shit! A stalker, already? The voice in the dark was damn near breathing on me and it sounded vaguely familiar.

  We were so close now that I could smell him. He didn’t smell like a killer. He took his hand away from my mouth and I turned, then backed up to get a better look, as well as a head start if I needed to run. Just then, I realized that it was Kari. I felt slightly calmer as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The height, the silhouette, the voice, and the cologne all seemed about right. Then finally, once he realized that I had actually been terrified, he said, “Scottie, it’s me, Kari.”

  If I hadn’t been feeling him, I would have tried my best to beat him senseless. Before the curse words could leave my mouth, his breath was flowing in and his lips were covering mine.

  “I hope I didn’t startle you too badly,” he whispered. “My friend had a plus-one at the last minute and I wanted to see you. I thought that I would surprise you.”

  A nice big hello in an adequately lit section of the venue would have been sufficient too. But hell, who was I kidding? Now that I knew I wasn’t in danger, his approach was kind of spontaneous and sexy.

  He grabbed my waist and slowly moved in to kiss my lips for a second time. We stood in the corner kissing like two high school kids at a dance. In my wildest daydreams, I could not have imagined that he would show up at my event, let alone take control of me. I was turned on and soaking in every moment.

  I stopped kissing back when I heard the clicking of high-heels approaching rapidly. I saw out of the corner of my eye that it was Barbra passing by in a hurried state. Luckily, we were tucked away in the dark.

  “Oh shit!” I said after she passed.

  Kari had no clue who Barbra was, but I was nervous inside. All I needed was my manager to catch me playing kissy face while I was supposed to be working my very first event on her team.

  “That was my manager!” I said frantically, “I hope to hell she didn’t see me.”

  In a surprisingly calm tone, Kari said, “She barely even looked this way. I’m sure you’re fine.”

  I gave Kari a quick peck on the lips and told him that I would catch up with him a little later.

  I went back to the party and all seemed to be going well. Drinks were flowing, the concert was still raging on, and the client was visibly pleased. I caught up with Barbra to check in and to gauge her mood to see if she had seen what I was up to.

  She asked me to walk with her to the green room to help facilitate a few interviews for Sting. As we headed toward the backstage area, there appeared to be no tension in her demeanor so I was in the clear.

  After fifteen minutes of media interviews, Barbra dismissed the team and we were free to enjoy the remainder of the party. I texted Kari to see if he’d left.

  “Waiting on you, beautiful,” was his reply. “I’m by the bar if you want me.”

  I could feel my cheeks turning red. Normally, I would have deemed his response majorly corny, but I guess with a new life and a new lust, I was feeling it. Hell, I decided before I left for New York that I was throwing my normal caution to the wind and going with the flow. The text was clearly a call to action so what else could I do? I had to step it up and put on my big girl panties.

  Kari was facing my direction looking suave and edible when I spotted him. He extended his hand to pull me into his personal space. Our eyes were entranced as we leaned against the bar. The rays of physical attraction were shooting beams of horny all throughout the atmosphere.

  I looked at the bartender. “May I have a Scotch on the rocks for the gentleman and a glass of Riesling for me, please?”

  “I thought you didn’t drink at work events?” Kari asked with a smirk.

  Oh, I’m drinking tonight.

  “I’m only having one glass. It’s about moderation,” I rationalized with a smile. I had a new life, a new lust, and a new me.

  I had to text Dev to see where she was. If I brought Kari home, she couldn’t be there. That would mess up all of my first-time sexy time with him.

  Dev
hit me back quickly with an “out of office” reply, a good sign that Kari and I would have the place all to ourselves. It was no mystery that she was likely with Mel. I was so excited to get my freak on with Kari that I almost busted out into the Cabbage Patch.

  We were finishing up our drinks when Kari gently touched my face and asked if I was ready. I could feel the rush of wetness hit my panties as I struggled to reply. He took my hand in his and we made a beeline for the exit.

  The cold air hit my face and that was exactly the slap I needed to calm my ass down. Kari mentioned that he drove into the city so we headed for his car. I was so hyped and ready to go that if he played his cards right, we might have gotten busy in the middle of the parking garage.

  The music was on in the car, but it was really for background noise. We chatted nonstop until Kari hit a straightaway. That’s when he firmly placed his hand on my knee. His manly touch slowly ran up my inner thigh, hiking my dress up in the process.

  Kari continued to caress my inner thigh, teasing me. His fingers ever so slightly grazed my sweet spot and I could feel my pressure rising. I started to pant softly from the anticipation. Then he cupped his hand in between my legs, gripping my moist panties as he looked at me with a slight smile. He knew he had me.

  Moving my panties to the side, Kari slid his fingers into my slippery warmth. It felt so good. I began to moan from the rubbing, touching, and moving of his fingers in and out. I yearned to know what this man had in store for me.

  He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I slowly opened my eyes. I wasn’t sleep, but it felt like I was in a dream state and I hadn’t noticed that we had gotten off at my exit. After a few turns, we pulled up to the apartment and Kari unbuckled my seat belt before placing his soft lips on me again.

  Once we made it inside my apartment, our hands were scouring each other’s bodies searching for everything yet nothing in particular. I opened his shirt, exposing his bare chest. His physique was something to savor. Kari’s skin was extremely soft and his chest surprisingly smooth, I wondered if he got it waxed.

  Those thoughts quickly went away as he pushed me up against the wall and put his lips on mine, sucking deep and almost taking my breath away. His strength and control was sexy. His large hand cupped my ass perfectly. We moved onto the couch where he laid me on my back and began kissing on my breasts.

  “Aaaah!” I squealed. My nerves had karate-chopped me in the stomach and suddenly I had to shit!

  Oh no! I can’t be this scared. I want this. No, I really do. I actually want this. What’s wrong with me?

  I felt my stomach rumbling and my insides churning. I hoped that Kari couldn’t hear what I was feeling.

  Was it something I ate at the party?

  He was kissing on my neck and it felt amazing, but my sensations were conflicted. This was not good timing!

  What am I supposed to do? I have to go now before I embarrass myself even more.

  I jumped off the couch and ran toward the downstairs bathroom yelling, “I’ll be right back!”

  I almost missed the last step and busted my ass in the darkness because I was moving so fast, but it was a 9-1-1 situation. The only thing flashing in my head was WARNING! WARNING! YOU ARE ABOUT TO SHIT ON YOURSELF, SCOTTIE! I slid into the bathroom just in time.

  I sat on that toilet for what felt like a century when you have a sexy new lover waiting. I prayed that he didn’t get spooked and leave.

  By the time I emerged from the bathroom and headed back upstairs, Kari was sitting on the couch watching TV. He had the dumbest look on his face, but he did not say a word. He opened his arms as I walked over to him. I laid my head on his chest and that’s how we fell asleep, in each other’s arms.

  During the wee hours of the morning, he woke me to say that he was heading home to get ready for work. He kissed me softly on the lips and walked out the door.

  Chapter 6

  High Life

  Dev and I were obsessed with roaming the streets of the city shopping and exploring hidden gems. From macaroon cafes to underground spoken word poetry lounges, we wanted to consume every unique aspect that the atmosphere had to offer. The trash-laden streets could conjure up a stench like no other, but I gave it a pass because the mesmerizing sights, sounds, and people somehow made it all worthwhile.

  Sometimes Dev and I would stop in the middle of what we were doing to say, “Can you believe that we live in New York! Aaahhh!” Then we would both giggle with excitement. This was exactly the type of invigorating experience I was longing for. I felt like I needed someone to pinch me.

  Things with Dev and Mel were gradually growing more intense. During a chat one day, she even mentioned that he might be “the one.” If she didn’t show up to the apartment on any given night of the week, my safe guess was that she was with Mel, which gave me time alone that I loved. Consequently, everything in the world of roommates was going smoothly.

  Meanwhile, Kari and I had been consistently spending more time together as well. But after the awkward first attempt at taking our relationship to the next level, we had not gotten back around to sealing the deal.

  “Do you think Kari could be gay?”

  “Uh, where did that come from?” Dev looked at me puzzled as we walked crosstown on Fourteenth Street. “I thought you liked him. And no, I don’t get a gay vibe from him.”

  “Do you think he could have a secret girlfriend?”

  “No!” Dev looked at me. “Again, I thought you liked him? Why the suspicion?”

  “Surprisingly, I do like him, Dev.”

  “You should. He is sexy as hell.”

  “But you know me.” I shrugged my shoulders and rolled my eyes.

  “Continue, chick, because you and I know how quickly you cut people off. I’m glad he made it this far,” Dev said, her big brown eyes giving me a wary look. “Are you trying to find a reason to get rid of him, Scottie?”

  “No! I’m confused, I guess. He really hasn’t tried to push up on me since the incident at the house. And that was weeks ago.”

  “Wait, you mean the incident when you probably grossed him out with the bubble guts?” Dev laughed hysterically. “You’re lucky he’s still talking to you!”

  I had no choice but to laugh. The situation wasn’t funny at the time, but it was hilarious looking back. Dev putting things in perspective made me feel slightly silly. Kari was obviously interested in me.

  “He probably thinks that you got scared the last time and he’s waiting for your cue. Maybe he’s trying to be respectful in letting you take your time,” Dev said.

  “You could be right. I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

  “If you tried to jump his bones and he straight up rejected you, then maybe you would have a reason to be suspicious. Plus, does he really strike you as even possibly being gay?”

  “No,” I said sheepishly.

  “I know you. If you thought even for a second that he was actually gay, or had a girlfriend, you would have dropped him.”

  “True, nothing worse than everyone except you knowing that your man likes men.”

  “Exactly. So stop being silly and if you want it, then take it!” Dev said firmly as she puffed out her chest, then laughed at her own forcefulness.

  “I think that’s the spot ahead on the left,” I said, totally ignoring her last comment.

  We were meeting up with a friend from college at a Hot 97 radio event. It was work for her, but all play for us.

  The music was blaring and the after-work crowd was live. I couldn’t get Kari off of my mind, but I decided that I needed to, at least for the evening. It was time to drink up and dance the night away. We caught up with our girl who introduced us to what seemed like the entire HOT 97 staff. To my surprise, there were actually a few cuties roaming around. One cutie could always help me get my mind off of another. Hell, I wasn’t in a relationship so it was time to rotate and mingle.

  I could see Dev from across the room showing off her moves on the dance floor. Her s
ong must have come on. She was fresh out the hair shop, so her bob was bouncing from side to side with every move that she made. It was extremely entertaining watching guys try to keep up with her. If it was a booty-popping song that she really liked, she would need to do a solo to show off her dance skills. Dev was no stranger to freestyle dance or formal dance training, but I don’t think that she ever believed in her skills enough to try to take it all the way to the professional level.

  Eventually, I made my way to the other side of the club where I made friends with a couple of men at the bar. Nothing special. We’d done a few shots together, so I was a little buzzed when Dev found me. Dev must have decided that she was finished with her talent showcase since she informed me that Mel was on his way to pick her up.

  “Look, chick, if you’re not trying to do the public transportation thing tonight, then you should hop in with Mel and me.”

  My tipsy meter was at its peak, so I made a hasty decision against my better judgment. “All right, I’ll roll out with you guys.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Dev said.

  About fifteen minutes passed before Dev gave me the signal. We said our goodbyes and we were on our way toward the door when a sleazy-looking guy grabbed my arm. “Why are you leaving so soon, gorgeous?”

  Is he serious?

  “I’m on my way out the door and you decide to speak now?” I asked, without really wanting an answer as I snatched my arm back. “Have a good night!” I quickly shouted over the music and continued out the door. Some guys were laughable.

  When we walked out, to my surprise, the line of people waiting to get in was stretched around the block. Mel was sitting right out front, VIP-style, in his black-on-black Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Dev knew how to pick them, and we still had no clue what he did for a living. I could have told her my guess, but she didn’t ask for my opinion.

  Evidently, Que was back in town. Just my luck. His thick neck was posted in the passenger side as usual. When I saw him, my initial thought was to tell Dev that I would pass on the ride. But then I realized what I would have to do to navigate my tipsy behind to Jersey by myself and I got in the truck. I spoke to Mel and barely mumbled two words to Que. I think it was safe to say that he knew I wasn’t feeling him. We had a nonverbal under-standing.

 

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