“Cool, don’t go too far,” he said, smiling.
“I won’t.”
I walked in the direction of the bar. I watched him as he greeted people individually. Each person was excited, waiting for their turn to shake hands with “the man.” It wasn’t long before I decided to get out on the floor and dance as the DJ began to play the songs I had selected. Domino stood and watched me as I danced alone. I shook each body part a little harder when I took notice to his stares. It wasn’t long before he joined me on the floor and began to dance so close to me that we could have been one.
After dancing two songs straight, I let him continue enjoying his guests. As I headed to the ladies room, I noticed Shay entering the door. I instantly stopped in my tracks and changed my direction. There was no way that I was going to allow her to ruin this night for me. I had planned each detail to the letter, and she definitely had no place in it. As she made her was through the crowd in Domino’s direction, I pushed through the crowds of people to stop her. As soon as she reached the spot where he was standing, she tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around. He seemed happy that she had showed up. If this were a cartoon this would be the scene where the smoke began to come out of my ears because I was fuming mad. He gave her a hug and then quickly let go when he noticed that I was a few steps away.
“What the hell are you doing here? You weren’t invited!” I screamed with my hand pressed against my hip.
“Actually I was invited, wasn’t I, Dom?”
“Yeah, I invited her,” he stated, looking at my disgusted expression.
“Why the hell would you do that?” I asked, getting even more upset.
“Because she’s a good friend of mine.”
“Oh, really?”
“Look, Sugar. It’s my birthday, and I don’t want to argue about this.”
“We don’t have to, just ask her to leave.”
“I’m not going to do that,” he spoke before sipping his drink.
“Fine! Have a great fucking time!” I yelled before heading to my office.
I sat there pondering my next move. I was pissed that he had the nerve to invite his ex into my club. He was definitely going to be sorry for that. I wasn’t about to let that slide. I looked out of my office window and could see the two of them on the dance floor, smiling and laughing. Instead of displaying any more of my anger to the two of them, I went back out to the party and acted as if their show of affection wasn’t bothering me one bit. The party was almost over and I faked it for the next hour. After everyone had moved out of the club and dispersed to their cars, I closed up and made my way to my car alone. Domino promised me that he would meet me at home, and at that point I didn’t really care if he came home or not. On my way home, a call came through from Marlo. I was a little hesitant to answer it, but I picked it up because of the fact that I was still angry at Domino.
“What’s up, stranger? I heard you had a big party tonight. How did everything go?”
“Not the way that I planned,” I said blandly.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that. But I was calling you because I wanted to know if it was possible that we could get together to sit down and talk.”
“Talk about what?”
“It’s some things that I need to talk to you about, and I’d rather do it face to face.”
“Well, you can come down to the club early tomorrow and we can talk then.”
“That’s perfect. I’ll see you then, and keep your head up, all right? No nigga should be able to take that away from you.”
“All right,” I replied, wondering what he meant by that and how he could have figured that the way that I was feeling right now had anything to do with my man. I made it home in record time, and after taking a shower I climbed into bed. When I woke up around eleven o’clock, Domino still hadn’t returned home. I called Marlo and left a message, telling him that I would be at the club around two. Next I called Domino on his cell and was surprised that he answered it on the second ring.
“Hello!”
“I thought that you were coming home last night?” I asked, annoyed.
“I got caught up.”
“Well, it would have been nice to call and tell me that.”
“Don’t forget I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t have to call and tell you shit!”
“What’s your problem, Domino?”
“I don’t appreciate the way you showed out last night. That was some real childish shit.”
“Well I didn’t appreciate that bitch all up in your face, but that didn’t stop you from talking to her! How dare you disrespect me like that in my fucking club?” I yelled.
“I’m not going to argue with you, Sugar. I have better shit to do!”
“What?”
Click.
I stood there looking at the phone for a second since I couldn’t believe that he hung up on me. I wasn’t even going to play myself and call him back. Instead I got dressed with a “Fuck Him” attitude and was on my way to the club to meet Marlo. Once I arrived in the parking lot I noticed Marlo sitting in his car waiting for me. I walked over and tapped the window.
Looking up, he smiled and opened the driver side door. “Hey Sugar, I see you’re looking delicious as usual.”
“Thanks. I didn’t expect you to get here so early. It’s only one-thirty.”
“Yeah I bet, but I was really anxious to see you, so I came down and waited. I knew you would be here before two anyway.”
“Well let’s go in,” I said, walking in the direction of the club entrance. I could feel his eyes watching me as he followed my footsteps. “So what’s so urgent that you needed to talk to me about?” I said before flicking on the lights.
“It’s about Mya.”
“I’m not even trying to talk about her. If that all you have to talk about you might as well turn right on back around.”
“I feel bad about the way that I did you. I know that you probably won’t believe me when I tell you this, but I’m through with her. I’ve never met a more conniving person in my life, and that isn’t something that I can deal with. I believed her lies, but I’ve been finding out more and more each day.”
“More about what?”
“That baby that she was pregnant with isn’t mine.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I was hearing a lot of shit, and as soon as the baby was home from the hospital, I had a blood test done.”
“Well if it ain’t yours then, whose is it?” I asked, confused.
“It’s by that nigga JT you used to fuck with!”
“What? She doesn’t even know JT.”
“That’s what they wanted you to think. She’s trying to hurt you, and I don’t know exactly how yet, but I know that she’s planning something.”
“Where did you hear whatever it is that you think you heard?” I asked anxiously.
“That’s not important. I love you, Sugar, and even though I screwed up, I still want another chance to make things right.”
“You know that I am with Domino now.”
“Yeah, and I also know that you’re not happy.”
“Look, Marlo, I appreciate the information that you’ve given me, but right now I can’t get into that with you.”
“Well I understand, but I need you to know that when you are ready to give us another try, give me a call.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said before standing up to see him to the door.
After he hugged me, I smiled before waving good-bye. I closed the door and instantly began thinking about Mya. I wondered was it really true that she was dealing with JT. How the hell did she know him in the first place, and why would she lie to Marlo about the baby? If it were true, I guess that’s how JT knew about Marlo and Mya still sleeping together, but why wouldn’t he come clean about the baby if he knew he was the father? I couldn’t figure out what was going on, and each time I tried, I came to another dead end.
I left the club puzzled, and it was writ
ten all over my face. I decided not to confront either of them with what I was told. I decided to wait around until they approached me. If what Marlo said was at all true, I was sure that it wouldn’t be long before it all came to the surface.
Chapter 14
Second Time for Love
After meeting with Marlo, I had to get my head back on straight. For the few months that I had been with Domino exclusively, I hadn’t laid eyes on Marlo. It was done purposely because I still felt the same way about him, and keeping my distance was the only way to be monogamous with Domino. In a way I was glad to hear that Marlo’s relationship with Mya had come to an end, but him not running back to her would be the test. I believed that he still loved me the way that he described, but I wasn’t quite ready to let Domino go. Though his behavior had been shady since the night of the party, I had no concrete evidence that he was cheating. In my heart I felt that he was because I knew the signs from all of the previous relationships I had. I also remembered the comment that he made before we were together about expecting a man to cheat. Though I dealt with it before with JT, I refused to settle for that with Domino. I didn’t have to, I now knew that I deserved better.
After doing some shopping to gather up some new outfits, I went home to decide on what to wear to the club. It was Friday and the club would be packed. I didn’t bother calling Domino because he would have probably given me the cold shoulder anyway. It had been three weeks since the party, and things had been pretty much the same between him and me. We barely saw each other, and when we did it was in passing. I no longer felt like I was in a relationship, and instead of straying away like I usually did, I decided to put an end to it before things really got out of hand. I hesitated a little before calling Marlo. I wanted to get my things out of the house, and I knew that it was virtually impossible for me to do it alone quickly. After three failed attempts to reach him, I gave up.
After going through my routine of getting dressed, I was on my way to open the club. After the first hour the men were packed like sardines from front to back. I put on a happy face as I greeted everyone, trying desperately to hide the fact that I was disgusted over the way that my relationship with Domino had turned out. I hated the fact that after four serious relationships I still hadn’t been successful in any of them. I questioned my own behaviors and wondered if I was the cause or if it was just a case of bad luck. Either way I wasn’t happy with the way that my life was turning out. The only good thing that I had going for me was the club. I was lucky that Marlo hadn’t taken it from me, though things went sour with our relationship he gave me the money for it and promised me that he would never take it away. From the outside looking in, it would appear that my life was turning out exactly how my mother predicted.
On my way to the VIP room I noticed Domino in the back. I hadn’t seen him come in, and he was obviously trying to avoid me. Him and a few guys were receiving lap dances, and I was infuriated at Isha, who was pushing every exposed part of her body as close to him as she could get it. I marched over to the booth where Domino was sitting and as soon as Isha noticed my evil stare, she began to move away from him.
“Don’t stop dancing. I paid you a lot of money for this!” Domino instructed, grabbing Isha by the arm.
“Yeah, you might as well finish since he’s the last customer you’ll have in here!” I yelled. “Why are you disrespecting me, Domino?” I asked angrily.
“Look, I’m trying to enjoy myself, and you’re ruining it for me!”
“By having this bitch all over you in my club? That’s real disrespectful, Dom!” I yelled in frustration.
“What’s messed up about it? I’m moving on, and I thought you would have gotten the point by now!”
“This is not the place for this conversation.”
“Look, you approached me. I’m through with you, Sugar!” he yelled before standing up.
“Good!” I yelled, before walking toward the door. “And take that bitch with you too, because she’s fired!” I was angry but relieved at the same time. I walked to my office and slammed the door and a few minutes later I looked down through the window and noticed Domino leaving the club. I called Marlo on his cell one last time, and he answered on the second ring.
“Hello!” he yelled, over a loud background.
“Hey, I called you earlier. Did you get any of my messages?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Why didn’t you call me back?”
“Because, I knew I would be coming out to the club tonight. Where are you anyway? I’ve been looking for you.”
“I’m upstairs in the office, come on up,” I said, excited.
“All right.”
Once Marlo entered the office and closed the door behind him, he noticed how close I was standing to him.
“Look before you say anything, I want you to know that I really, really miss you.”
He smiled, as I moved a little closer and placed my hands on his crotch. I could feel his manhood stiffen and I began to kiss on his neck. I began to move closer, forcing him to back against the door. Once his back was flush with the cherry wood, I unbuttoned his pants and pulled his swollen member through his boxers and quickly met the head with my wet tongue. The taste of the pre-cum caused me to become moist below as I began to massage my clit with my free hand. I could see the delight on his face as I continued to wrap my lips around his length. Each time I could feel the throbbing of his pole begin, I would pull back to prolong the experience. After he could no longer stand the pleasure that I was giving him, he exploded and I consumed every drop. I wanted him inside of me, and before I knew it, he was back at attention and digging deep inside of me on the plush carpet of my office floor. As he pushed my legs in the air as far as they could go, my body began to shiver from the multiple orgasms he was giving me.
“I missed you, baby,” he whispered in my ear as he exploded for the second time. He lay on top of me, trying to regain his energy as I enjoyed the scent of his cologne mixed with the aroma of the sex in the air. I was unsure of what to say because I knew he would question my motives for seducing him in the manner that I just had. My only motive was to be happy, and after so much heartache, I truly believed that Marlo was the only one that could make me happy. I remembered believing that about every person I had been in a relationship with, but when times were hard for me, Marlo was the one by my side, and for that I was grateful.
After cleaning himself up in the office bathroom, he returned with a smile on his face.
“Why are you smiling?”
“I’m happy. Why is smiling a problem?”
“No, I just wanted to know why, that’s all.”
“So where do we go from here? I know that nigga ain’t treating you right, so are you going to let him go or what?”
“Actually I already have.”
“So what does that mean for us?”
“It means that I’m going to give us a second chance.”
“I’m real happy to hear that. Are you going to move back in with me?” he said, excited.
“For sure,” I said before kissing him. I thought about just getting my own place and finally being independent, but I had been so used to being with someone that I really didn’t know how to manage without that comfort of someone to go home to.
I returned to Domino’s house the following day to gather up my clothes and take them to Marlo’s. I felt a sense of relief as I packed the bags into the back of Marlo’s truck. I should have known that Domino meant me no good from day one, but I was blinded, and since I was pissed at Marlo, I didn’t see all the signs. I was happy that Marlo and I had found each other again, and it was strange that I didn’t know how much I missed him until our lips met. It sent a chill through my body that let me know that with him was where I was supposed to be.
After removing all of my things from Domino’s house, I wasn’t surprised that he called. I was on my way to the hair salon when my cell phone rang.
“Hello!” I yelled, into the phone.<
br />
“I see you went back to that nigga, huh? You don’t waist no time jumping from one bed to the next!” He began laughing, hysterically.
“I guess not, Domino.”
“Well, I just wanted to say good luck, for real. I’m sorry about the way things turned out with us, but it was fun while it lasted, and if you ever need anything holla at me.”
“Why the kindness now?”
“I don’t need any more enemies. I have genuine feelings for you, and I want us to at least be able to remain friends.”
“Well friends don’t play each other out. If you didn’t want to be with me anymore that was all you had to say.”
“It ain’t that easy for me when I got feelings for someone. I know that I ain’t going to change. I’m not ready to settle down with anyone. I’m still enjoying life, and I’d rather you walk out on me than the opposite way around because I would never be able to let you go. Then you would have just been dragging along, and that’s not cool.”
“I suppose you are right, and I respect you for being honest, but I have some business I need to attend to. I’ll be seeing you around.”
I didn’t plan on being his friend in any way, shape, or form. He had embarrassed me one too many times, and his sorry-ass excuse wasn’t nearly enough to mend my wounds. And, yes I may have been a fool for going back to Marlo, but I believed in us.
I entered the salon with a smile on my face. Word traveled fast, and I was sure that Shay had made it her business to tell everyone that Domino and I were through. I was going to make sure each person that thought that I was hurt by the breakup would know I was doing just fine and Marlo was part of the reason for it. All eyes were on me as I switched through the salon to the back where Tammi’s chair was.
“What the hell are you so happy about? Didn’t you and that nigga Domino break up?” Tammi asked.
“Yup, and I got my man back!”
“Who?”
“Marlo, girl. I moved back in with him and everything, girl. I am so happy.”
“Well, I’m happy for you, this time you need to marry that nigga!” she said, laughing.
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