Damn, I loved her. I wasn’t sure at first, but almost losing her confirmed it for me. I loved Bridgette Turner. If love at first sight was a real thing, that must’ve been what I felt for her. It didn’t make sense, defied logic to feel this way a little over a month into this undeclared relationship, but it was just as tangible for me as the bed we were lying in.
My eyes roved the curves of her body as she lay next to me on her stomach, her head resting on her long arms, her face turned away from me. She was naked and uncovered, a huge intricate flower tattoo with lines I’d memorized on display at her lower back, just above her perfect ass. She was so beautiful to me, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
Tracing the bright pink flower with my fingertip, I asked the back of her head, “Bridge, you up?”
“Mm-hmm,” she hummed and nodded. “You tryna go for round four? I don’t think I have the energy, baby.”
“Nah, I wanna ask you something.”
“Okay.”
“When did you get this tattoo?”
“Oh, um…five or six years ago, I think.”
“It’s beautiful. My fourth favorite part of you.”
“I bet I can guess your top three.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure you can. What type of flower is this? Your tattoo?”
“A lotus.”
“Oh, you like lotuses, huh?”
“They’re a lot like me.”
“How, other than them being beautiful?”
She rolled over on her side, finally facing me. “They grow in mud. But the flower itself emerges perfect, clean. That’s me. I came from some shit, Nole. Drugs, alcohol, a-abuse. I saw…I saw some bad stuff all the time, every day until the county took me. I lived in constant fear. Foster care wasn’t much better, but the youth home I spent the last few years of my childhood in? It gave me a safe place to sleep and structure and Jo. Then Jo gave me you through South.” She scooted up in the bed until she was sitting with her back against the thick, wooden headboard. She looked so delicate, fragile as she continued speaking. “And look at me. I don’t have a college degree or anything, but I’m living my dream, making movies. I’m here in your beautiful home every night…with you. I’m a lotus, Nole. I’m clean despite the mud I came from.”
My chest tightened at the thought of her being scared, abused, hurt. Yes, I’d lost my dad when I was little and it had hurt like a motherfucker when my mother passed away, but I’d never been scared or abused. I had Ev and a huge extended family. When things were good between me and Neil, I had a twin I’d walk through fire for. My life had been good, and it killed me to know hers hadn’t.
My mind filled with thoughts of hunting whoever did this shit to her down and making them meet their expiration date, and at the same time, I wanted to hold her, protect her from her past, make her feel what I held in my heart for her right now. I wanted to do whatever she needed me to do and be whatever she needed me to be. I just wanted to love her. And with all of that inside of me, I looked up at her, and said, “I love you, Bridgette.”
She reached down and placed her soft hand on my cheek, letting her thumb caress my top lip. “I love you, too.”
“Damn, that’s a bad dress!” Jo squealed, as I stepped out of the dressing room and twirled around.
I looked down at myself, then turned and inspected myself in the mirror on the wall in the plush dressing area of Lux. It was one of those high-end boutiques, the type that had chandeliers, served champagne to their customers, and sold dresses the price of a modest year’s salary. The dress that currently adorned my body was white and form-fitting with a flowing tail.
“It is belligerent, isn’t it? It’s just rude for a dress to fit like this,” I said. “Shit, this dress is out of order and in contempt of court!”
“Girl! You are gonna tear the red carpet up in that!”
“You ain’t never lied!”
“I’m so excited for you, Bridge! Everett showed me the rough cuts from the movie that Nolan emailed him, and girl, you stole every scene you were in! You were phenomenal!”
“Wasn’t I?”
Jo rolled her eyes. “Anyway, are you excited about the premiere? I think it’s so cool that it’s premiering at the Westland Film Festival! That’s huge, Bridge!”
“Yeah, my man stays with the connects, honey. Nolan knows everybody, and they all owe his ass a favor. Man, that turns me on.”
“I’m glad y’all worked things out. I know how stubborn your ass can be.”
“I’m not stubborn. I just don’t take mess. You know that. Anyway, we’re good. As long as he’s good to me, I’ll be good to him. Shoot, I’m thinking about giving my apartment up. Haven’t been back there for anything other than to get more clothes to take to Nolan’s in a while now.”
“Well, I love you two together. You’re perfect for each other, just like I knew you would be once I found out he liked you.”
“Yeah.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh, I better pay for this and get going. I’m making dinner tonight.”
“You’re cooking? For real?”
“Anything for my Nole.”
“Dang, I’m happy for you, but I was enjoying this. I love my girls, but a sister be needing a break sometimes.”
“Is that why you were acting like a freed prisoner at the wrap party, hunching on South on the dancefloor?”
“Yep. Oh well, I’ll see if Ms. Sherry wants to hang around and chat for a while before she leaves. I can get the dress for you if you want. It can be a bonus. You deserve one.”
“Oh, I got it. Nolan gave me his credit card.”
“Dayum! His credit card? Girl, what you got between your legs? A saber-toothed tiger?”
“Like you can talk.”
I ducked back in the dressing room and took the dress off, I had redressed in my clothes and was about to leave the dressing room when I got a text from Nolan.
Roots: Hey, you find a dress?
Me: Yep, and I look gooood in it.
Roots: I bet you do. Can’t wait to see you in it. Just wanted to let you know I’ll be a little late getting home tonight. Still in editing hell.
Me: Don’t be too late. Remember, I’m fixing dinner and I’m on the menu for dessert.
Roots: You’re gonna make me leave now and abandon all my director duties. Love you. See you later.
Me: Love you too.
*****
“Baby, I’m home,” I said, as I stepped inside my house, placing the mail on the little table next to the front door. It was eight that evening, and I was starving. I couldn’t wait to dig into whatever Bridgette had made.
“Go to the dining room!” she called from somewhere. Not the dining room, because when I made it in there, she was nowhere to be found. The table was set, candles were lit, and Smokey Robinson’s Cruisin’ was oozing from the wall-mounted, wireless speakers in the room like thick honey. As I took a seat at the table, I wondered how she managed to find that album among the tons in my vinyl collection, but I was glad she did. Relaxing in my chair, I closed my eyes and smiled, thinking about how blessed I was, how incredible my life was.
“Hey.”
At the sound of her voice, I opened my eyes and almost passed the hell out. There she stood, wearing a grin and holding two plates in her hands. The only thing covering her body was these rhinestones circling her nipples—they looked like they were glued to her skin—and some panties that were made out of the same tiny rhinestones. Oh, and a blood-red pair of stilettos.
Goooooot. Damn!
My eyes followed her as she rounded the table. After she set my plate of food in front of me and turned to leave, I saw that they were thong panties and my dick tried its best to bust through my pants.
She took the seat opposite mine and smiled at me. “Dig in. I drove all the way across town to get these steak dinners, then had to take them out of the containers and put them on these plates. I’m exhausted.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off her as I licked my lips
and adjusted in my chair. “Yeah, that sounds like hard work, baby. Uh, what’s that you got on?”
Looking down at herself, she said, “This? Just a little something I picked up. You like?” She stood and spun around.
“Uh-huh. Come here, baby.”
She did as I requested, stopping next to my chair. “Yes, Nolan?”
I pushed my plate out of the way, stood from my seat, and grabbed her at the hips, lifting her onto the table.
As I flicked my tongue over those titty rhinestones, she said, “But you didn’t eat. The steak is medium well, just how you like it, and look at the marbling. Don’t you wanna eat first?”
“Nope.”
Seconds later, I was inside her with my eyes rolling to the back of my head, my hands clutching her thighs, and my mouth dragging down her long legs that were up in the air while Smokey crooned in the background. At first, I took it slow, giving her controlled strokes, but when it got too good for me to keep my composure, I started pounding into her like a mad man, out of rhythm with the music as her moans and whimpers drove me wild. It didn’t help that hers was the best pussy I’d ever had, hands down.
As the seconds wore into minutes, sweat dripped from my skin onto hers, my legs ached, my heart was into a full sprint, and my back stung from the nails Bridgette had dug into my skin, but I loved all of it. Needed all of it.
Leaning in, I kissed her while stroking her clit with my fingers, knowing I was about to come and wanting to take her with me. I watched her throw her head back, eyes wide, mouth in an “O” as she pulsated around my dick, and the sight of her losing control in the midst of her orgasm sent me over the edge. Bracing myself, I covered her breasts with my hands, tossed my head back, and roared as I emptied inside her.
21
I felt like a star, like the red carpet was rolled out just for me and this was the premiere of a Bridgette Turner movie and all these people had run out and bought expensive clothes because, by chance, I might notice them. I was floating in my Balenciaga slash heel pumps, inches taller than Nolan in a white tuxedo that made my entire pelvic region throb. We smiled and posed for the cameras, his hand on the small of my back. This was his night, the debut of his dream, his vision, but it felt like it was my night, too, and maybe that was because of our connection, a bond that didn’t make sense, but did. A love that developed too quickly for it to be real but was palpable in its factuality.
Jo and Everett were there, as well as Leland and Kim, Kat, Neil, Honey and her entourage, Nyles and Trevia, and other cast and crew members. Big name stars like got-damn Chadwick Boseman were in attendance, too. Yeah, Chadwick Boseman. It seemed half of Hollywood was in Palm Springs for the festival and for the premiere of my movie. The air was electric, and I knew in my soul that after this night, my life would never be the same.
And after I took my seat in that theater and saw the finished product for the first time with the score added and the edits completed? I understood the full genius of the man sitting beside me. Nolan directed the shit out of that movie, and he didn’t even take the budgeted director’s fee. He was amazing, and he was all mine.
All mine.
They loved it. I knew they would, was confident in what we’d created, but still, hearing the applause? It was like nothing I’d ever experienced. It was fucking soul-stirring. I mean, I knew filmmaking was my thing, but to actually live in the midst of a dream was just…surreal. Surreal and unreal.
Our after-party was at a club a friend of mine owned in Palm Springs where I got drunk off my ass, sat next to Bridgette, and damn near screwed her right there at our table. Yeah, it was a good night.
The best night of my life.
22
“Who made this potato salad? Got damn, it’s good!” Uncle Lee Chester boomed with his mouth full.
It was good, on caliber with Aunt Ever’s, but since this was her wedding reception, I knew someone else must’ve made it. Yeah, after damn near thirty years of shacking up, Aunt Ever and Uncle Lindell tied the knot in the church she’d been baptized in as a little girl. It was a nice wedding, but it was a damn shame Uncle Lindell’s first wife had to die for him to finally make things official with Aunt Ever. Nevertheless, I was happy for them.
“Cousin Barbie made it using Aunt Ever’s recipe,” my sister, Kat, informed him, while bouncing little Leland in her lap. I swear she thought that was her little boy.
“Shit, I think Barbie made hers better than Ever does! Ooowee!” Uncle Lee Chester announced.
“Okay, we can’t take it that far,” Leland said. “But it’s good, though.”
“Aw, boy…you just saying that because you Ever’s baby. You know Barbie made the shit outta this potato salad,” Uncle Lee argued.
“And you grilled the shit outta these ribs. When you gonna tell me your secret?” Bridgette asked, as she licked barbecue sauce from her fingers.
I had to blink and swallow and try not to replace her fingers with my dick in my mind. I was entirely too damn sprung, but shit, what could I do about it?
“Yeah, fire as always, Uncle Lee Chester,” Leland’s wife, Kim, agreed.
“Thank you, Kimmy,” my uncle said, giving her a wink.
Leland shook his head. “Man…”
Kim giggled and kissed Leland on the cheek.
“Bridgette,” Uncle Lee continued, “I’ll tell you my special dry rub recipe when you tell me how you got Nolan back over on this side of the fence.”
“Pardon?” Bridgette asked, confused.
“You know this boy used to didn’t never mess with nothing that didn’t have straight hair on they vaginises. Now he with you.”
Vaginises?
Bridgette pursed her lips, and said, “Uncle Lee, you nasty.”
Uncle Lee fell out laughing and wheezing, slapped his knee, coughed, then said, “I always did like you! You tell it like it is!”
“You know it! That’s what your nephew likes about me.”
“That ain’t all I like,” I said, kissing her on the cheek.
“Aw, shit! I know that’s right, Nephew!” Uncle Lee shouted.
“Wait a damn minute! Where y’all find some banana pudding?!” Bridgette yelled, as Everett and Jo returned to the table.
“On the dessert table,” Jo said, reclaiming her seat. “Where you think we found it?”
“I’ll be right back, baby. Want me to bring you some?” Bridgette asked, turning to me.
“Yeah. Thanks,” I replied.
When Bridgette was out of earshot, Uncle Lee said, “You know what you doing with that, Nephew?” But before I could answer him, he broadcasted, “Got a call!” and tapped that button on his ancient Bluetooth. “What-up-there-now?! Uh-huh…uh-huh? Well, just turn the damn TV off and back on. Shit! This ain’t no emergency! Huh? Got-damn, Lou! You can watch Bonanza later! Always on my damn nerves about something!”
Everybody at the table was trying to keep from laughing, especially Kim. Uncle Lee was a damn fool, and as much as he and Aunt Lou fought, it was a miracle they’d been together so long.
“Where was I? Oh, yeah! Let me tell you a secret about pleasing black womens, Nolan,” he said, his eyes on me, his bushy eyebrows raised.
“Uh, Unc…I know—”
“You gotta stand up when you screw ‘em.”
Kim spit out her soda and Jo started coughing, choking on her banana pudding. While Everett smacked her on the back, he muttered, “I’m glad we sent the girls to the house with Ms. Sherry.”
“Ev, baby, stop helping me. I think you severed my spine!” Jo shrieked.
“My bad, baby.”
“See, I know what I’m talking about,” Uncle Lee continued. “I ain’t fucked laying down since 1984. Now, I know you used to them white girls. They like to be on top. But black women like for you to get that thang from the back. You gotta stand up in it, like that songs says. Matter of fact, you need to play that song while you stand up in it. You gotta strip down to your damn church socks and grabbed them hips and pow! Pow
! Pow! Gotta hit that jeep spot, Nephew!”
Jeep spot? Did he mean g-spot?
“Unc, I—”
In the midst of me trying to explain that I knew exactly what I was doing with Bridgette, my cousin, Toot, approached the table, and hollered, “Hey, Neil! You with Jo’s friend? Man, that’s good you moving on from ole girl. You look real neat, too. Got some new clothes? You making all kinds of changes.”
The hell?
I frowned. “I’m Nolan. Neil’s at Ev’s house right now.” Neil had decided to skip the reception. I guess attending the wedding was enough social interaction for him. At that moment, I was wishing I’d done the same thing.
“Aw, my bad, cuz. Damn, I just knew you was Neil. So you like black chicks now?”
“I’ve always liked black women, Toot.”
“Oh, okay…” He stood there for a minute, staring at me like I was a damn circus freak, then left.
“And another thing…you can’t be pulling no black woman’s hair. I know Mary Ann and ‘nem probably like that shit, but don’t try that on no black woman,” Uncle Lee said, still trying to give me a damn tutorial. “And my buddy Earl told me he heard some young cats at the barber shop the other day talking about throwing it back in a circle. Now, that must be some of that new-fangled sex stuff that I don’t know nothing about, but you might wanna try it—aw, shit. Who is this?” He tapped the Bluetooth button again. “What-up-there-now?! What? Got-damn! The hell you do that for? Shit, I’m on my way!”
Just as Bridgette finally made it back with two plates full of banana pudding, breathlessly informing me that there was a line at the dessert table, Uncle Lee stood, shaking his head, and said, “Gotta go. Lou done knocked my damn nineteen-inch TV down trying to turn it off, talking ‘bout she thought she was supposed to unplug it, too. I’ll see y’all young folk later. Bye, Kimmy.”
“Bye, Uncle Lee,” the whole table chorused as he left us, except for Leland, who muttered, “I know the fuck he didn’t,” while Kim laughed.
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