Crush
Page 25
“Aww, baby,” Wendell said. She tugged at his heart. He just wanted to wrap Lorraine in his arms and hold her. He felt bad for what he’d done, but sometimes before a man can fully let another woman in, he must get a different woman out of his system. He hadn’t planned on being with Faye. It had just happened. And it had been important for him to carry out his fantasy with her so he could move on and be with the chick he really wanted to be with.
“Lorraine, that will never happen again. Fingers crossed,” he said and winked. “I am not trying to hurt you. God knows you’ve been through enough. You deserve to have the exact type of guy you want. Decent, honest, considerate, loving, protective, classy. I can be that. I swear. I am that.”
“Wendell, I want to believe you, but sometimes I just don’t know.”
“Don’t you have a good time with me? Haven’t I proven to be way different from guys you’ve dated in the past?”
“Yes, and yes. For one thing, I appreciate that you haven’t tried to push up on me. You’ve been a gentleman. My mother would love a guy like you.”
He stiffened but recovered. “I want us to wait and take our time.”
“Well, since you’ve been celibate for so long, I guess waiting a little while longer won’t hurt.”
“Um, yeah. So, I gotta skedaddle. See ya later. At work?”
“Come here,” she said in a sexy, commanding voice. She raised her head and planted her lips on his. They enjoyed a long, wet, and warm French kiss that made her dizzy with passion.
“Mmm, I love your lips so much. But we need to stop or else we’ll end up in bed. That’s not what I want to do. I’m trying to do something different, ya know?”
“I know,” he croaked. Right then he thought that being with Faye wasn’t so bad. If Lorraine had such high standards that she’d be forcing him to hold off from having sex with her, he didn’t feel so bad about getting some on the side. After all, he wasn’t married to the girl; he desired her, no doubt, but a man had needs. And if the time came when she fully wanted to give herself to him, he knew he could drop Faye like a skillet of hot chicken grease.
Hey, I’m not even with Faye anymore. That was a onetime thing.
“One more thing,” Wendell said. “Guess who’s coming to the Toyota Center this Saturday?”
“Tell me,” Lorraine squealed.
“Maxwell and Jill Scott.”
“Oh my God. I heard the promo on the radio the other day. Are we going?”
“You and me. This Saturday. Buy yourself a pretty dress.” He opened his wallet and handed her a crisp hundred-dollar bill that felt smooth to the touch. “Choose something hot that shows off your legs.”
“Aww, you’re sooo awesome. Thanks so much.” Lorraine was so astounded by Wendell’s generosity all she could do was blush and lean forward to give him another quick kiss. Wendell waved, turned around, got in his car, and sped off.
“This is working out better than I thought,” she said a half hour later while talking to Joanna on the phone. “You know how you wonder if you can ever meet the right type of guy who fits the bill? Well, I’m a witness, it can happen.”
“What did Mr. Wonderful do this time?”
Lorraine filled her in on all the details of the most recent events.
“Who knows how long this will last, but for right now, girl, I am loving how he’s being extra attentive, caring, and considerate.”
“Hmm, sounds like he’s good at compensating for his previous blunder,” Joanna reasoned. “But still be careful, sis.”
“Hey, I know what I’m doing.” Lorraine flinched, slightly irritated. “Wendell’s the real deal. Nothing like you know who.”
“Compared to Posse, an eighth grader will appear to have class and style. Don’t compare every man to Posse, though. You’d be doing yourself an injustice.”
“I think I’m getting my just due now, though; that’s what makes me so happy.” Lorraine thoughtfully bit her bottom lip. Although she was happy that her ex had stopped pestering her with his annoying phone calls, sometimes she’d be sprawled in bed at night, clutching her pillow. She’d close her eyes and imagine which woman he was with and she’d wonder what made him stop calling even though she’d asked him to. Her pride made her want to believe he still longed for her. And she’d softly sing Brian McKnight’s lyrics, “Do I ever cross your mind, any time?”
“I will say this,” Lorraine allowed. “The fact that a man who claimed to love me can move on just like that makes me wonder if he was telling the truth in the first place.”
“Girl, please,” Joanna said. “Just because a man says he loves you doesn’t make his words automatically true. The only person who can never tell a lie is God himself. The rest of us are subject to error.”
“I know all that,” Lorraine snapped. Knowing the truth didn’t mean it always felt good or comfortable. That’s what raw truth did: exposed the sides of life that weren’t always pretty.
“The best thing to do is get over it. Let him move on so you can, too.”
“If he has moved on, it couldn’t have happened at a better time,” she said to herself, hanging up from talking to Joanna. “Now that I’ve finally connected with a decent, sincere man, who has time for ex-boyfriend drama?”
That Saturday morning, Wendell woke up and felt himself being kissed all over his forehead, cheeks, and lips. The fragrance of White Diamonds reeked on his pillows.
“Turn over,” Faye commanded as she rubbed her fingertips across his erect nipples.
Wendell, not one to argue with a horny female, flipped over so that his stomach rested on the red satin sheets. Faye carefully straddled him and sat on his back like he was a pony. She rocked back and forth trying to develop some friction as she rubbed her body all over his.
I can’t believe I’ve been with this woman for twelve hours, making nasty love all night long.
Faye smiled as she leaned over to plant wet kisses against every part of his neck.
“You like that? How about that? Mmm, I’ve missed this and I refuse to give it up. I want my Joe-Joe every day, every night.”
When Wendell didn’t answer she knew just what to do. She flipped him over until he was flat on his back. She grinned and was overjoyed to see this gorgeous, sexy creature totally under her control. Power turned her on. And the stronger the man, the sexier and more powerful she felt, especially if the man let her have her way without a fight.
“You are too adorable, Wen. Just perfect.” She laughed and lowered her mouth to Joe-Joe. “Hey there,” she said, softly grabbing his penis. She thrust him inside her mouth and closed her eyes. Faye was willing to pleasure this man to the point of gagging. She was no fool. Men loved blow jobs. And if a man could find a woman who was willing to get him off without protesting, that woman was a keeper.
Faye sucked Joe-Joe every hour on the hour all that day. When she finally let Wendell take a breather so he could drag himself to the restroom, he snuck his cell phone into the bathroom and locked the door.
Please forgive me for what I’m about to do.
He powered on his phone, which had been off ever since Faye had popped over to his place last night wearing a gorgeous lavender negligee underneath a maxi dress. His eyes loved what they saw and he knew he couldn’t say no. He let her in. They went straight to his bedroom and got undressed. All thoughts of Lorraine disappeared from his mind and he wouldn’t allow his heart to focus on her at all. Until now.
As he suspected, she’d left him two voice mails and one text. A classic question:
Where r u?
He texted her back.
Something’s come up. Can’t go 2 concert. Sooo sorry.
Will make it up 2 u. XXOO.
He sighed. Turned his phone off, relieved himself in the restroom, took off his bathrobe, and stepped in the tub to take a shower.
“Come get it while it’s hot,” he yelled after unlocking the bathroom door.
Lorraine’s hands trembled as she read the text.
Lorraine tried to calm herself, but it’s hard for a woman’s mind to stay rational when fear twists at her heart so much she can barely breathe or think.
Be careful.
Her sister’s warning resounded in her head.
Lorraine slumped on the edge of the sofa and kicked off the high heels she’d been wearing. She glanced at her watch.
The concert would begin in ninety minutes. But Wendell had told her to be ready early. He’d proposed eating seafood and having drinks at McCormick and Schmick’s prior to the concert. Lorraine had been elated and pumped up for this date the entire week. She’d felt pleased that their relationship was progressing and appreciated how Wendell tried hard to make up for disappointing her.
But now?
She heard her doorbell ring and leaped up to her feet.
Thank God. We’re still going. Whatever issue he had obviously has been resolved.
She grinned as she flung open her front door. She set her hands on her hips and frowned.
“What brings you here, Posse? And how’d you find out where I live?” At first she barely recognized her ex. He wore a short-sleeved striped polo shirt with white linen slacks and oxford sneakers that were so white they looked brand-new. But though the clothes were different, his eyes looked the same. Light brown and dancing with danger.
“ ’Sup, my lady? I’m jonesing for some ‘Rain.’ ”
“Rain? I thought I was Lo.”
“You told me not to call you dat no more. So I’m switching it up for my gal. Hey, you gonna let me in or we gonna chop it up with the door wide open? C’mon, be hospital.”
She couldn’t help but grin. “It’s hospitable, silly.”
“I knew dat. Just trying to make ya laugh.”
“It’s scary that it didn’t take much to make me laugh.”
“What’s dat supposed to mean?”
“Never mind.”
Posse took it upon himself to breeze past Lorraine and enter her apartment. He held a plastic Kroger bag in one hand, and clutched a beat-up yellow toothbrush in the other. She inhaled and smelled men’s deoderant and shampoo. Sighing, she slammed the door and followed him inside to the living room.
“I see you brought your overnight bag.”
“Yep, yep.”
Lorraine felt annoyed that he had the nerve to flaunt his toiletries as if he just knew she’d let him spend the night.
“You took a chance and drove all the way to Houston in your beat-up Corolla?”
“How you know I still drive that?”
“I know you, Posse. So why would you drive down without even calling? Huh?”
“Told you why. I’m missing my gal. My lady. My sweet thing.”
“Posse, don’t give me that. It doesn’t even sound right.”
“Raw truth, baby.”
“If it’s so true why didn’t you check for me before now?”
“I had to come up with my master plan. Give you some space. Back away long enough for you to miss me. Then show up when you not expectin’ me so you can see with your own eyes dat I’m missing you, too.”
“Yeah right.”
“Man, why you gotta be so hard, huh? Don’t I even get a hug? I ain’t seen your rusty ass in a minute.”
She tried not to blush as she forced herself to appear emotionless. Getting over a former lover wasn’t as easy as “get over it” sounded.
Posse spread his arms and broke out in a charming yet vulnerable grin. Looking anxious, he took a deep breath, walked up to Lorraine, and wrapped her in his arms. A tiny gasp escaped from her mouth. She pressed her nose against his neck and inhaled his familiar musky scent. Rough neck masculine. Bad boy strong.
“Ooooh damn, see this what I’m talking ’bout.” He patted her on the ass and squeezed. “Your little curves done filled out. You looking hot in this fancy dress. I’ll bet you got on a pink thong, huh?”
“Mmm.” She grunted again as he squeezed her tighter.
“I’ll be damned. You don’t got a date, do you?”
“No,” she replied in a barely audible voice. She decided to untangle herself from his embrace.
“Good. Now you do. You going out. Tonight. With me. Let’s roll.”
“Are you kidding me? You just pop over here unannounced and think I’m going to hang out with you on a so-called date? I don’t think so.”
“Baby girl, just chill,” Posse said in his raspy voice. “You need to be ready to roll just like dat. Stop being a tight ass and acting all scary like something bad might happen. Remember back in the day? We can do ‘us’ like we used to do. And don’t front. I know you used to love chilling with your boy.”
“That was then, Posse.”
He winced at her bluntness. “Don’t say dat, Lo. C’mon now, please.”
When her pet name rolled off her ex’s lips, her heart softened. And his new look didn’t escape her. She knew all that was for her. She also saw the pain of love swimming in his eyes. The fear. Uncertainty. To see a man like Posse show that he had a heart underneath his tough exterior endeared him to her. Either she was a fool, or she was human, too. And the fact that he was here in her apartment meant he hadn’t totally forgotten about her. Maybe he still loved her. But was it too late for that kind of love? The kind of love that gave her an adrenaline rush yet made her feel so unsure about the future?
11
Some Kind of Fool
Surreal. Lorraine couldn’t believe she was hanging out with Posse. Before she’d agreed to go out with him, he asked if he could wash up and brush his teeth. She said okay but made him throw away his disgusting, old, yellow toothbrush. She located a blue toothbrush that had been previously removed from its plastic container and gave him some privacy so he could freshen up.
Once he emerged from her restroom, she remarked, “Why brush your teeth if you’re going to put the gold grill back on? If you want to hang with me, you’re going to have to remove the grills. They look so hideous.”
“They look so what?”
“Ugly, dude. You look so much better with your own teeth.”
“Okay okay okay.”
He insisted on driving her car and refused to tell her where they were going until they arrived downtown. He made a right turn and drove up the ramp of the Toyota Center Tundra Garage. She began to hyperventilate when he located a parking spot on the third level, the same floor that Wendell had parked on when they first attended the Rockets game.
Posse jumped out of the car, fled to the passenger side, and opened her door.
“These fools act like they can’t come through Dallas. So at the last minute, I got two tickets to the Houston concert and prayed the good Lord would answer your boy’s prayers. Let me listen to ole Maxy Max and Ms. Philly Girl singing while you stand by my side.”
I never knew men like Posse prayed. Like my mother told me, it’s obvious God is no respecter of persons.
They exited the car and headed toward the stadium entrance. With each step she felt more of a rush of excitement gush through her veins. Lorraine convinced herself that taking a chance with Posse, if only for this event, would cause no harm. Besides, Wendell was a no-show again. He was becoming unreliable. And how would it have looked if she’d sat at home waiting on the phone to ring and stressing over Wendell’s whereabouts?
Although she never imagined being with Posse again in a million years, she appreciated him doting over her. He pulled out their tickets, located their seats, and once she got settled he winked and told her “BRB.”
True to his word, he soon returned, his face bright with exhilaration.
“Hey, I got you some popcorn and a margarita with my own dough, you dig?”
She laughed. Nodded. Tried to relax and settle in her seat so she could watch Maxwell croon while the women swooned.
Oh well. I didn’t get t
o go to the concert with Wendell, but at least I got to go. Irony.
“You liking the concert, Lo? I mean Rain?”
“Yes, Wen—. Yes, Posse.”
“What?”
“Um, I started to say, when I go to concerts, I always have fun,” she mumbled.
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
When Posse absentmindedly reached out and grabbed her hand, she tried to imagine that the warm skin that was grasping her fingers belonged to Wendell.
Screw him. She removed her hand from his.
“Hey, Posse. Question for you,” she said suddenly as he stood close to her looking relaxed. “In your opinion, which artists could be counted as some of the greatest singers of all time?”
“Easy. Drake. Pac. Kanye.”
“They’re rappers, dude. Name singers,” she said, frustrated.
“Real singers? Like on an Aretha Franklin level or something? Um, I’ll get back with you on dat one.”
During intermission, Lorraine felt an urge to exercise her legs. She excused herself and exited the auditorium to go stand in a long line that snaked outside the ladies’ room.
“Hey, Lorraine!” Lance, one of the computer application developers at her firm, waved at her. “What’s up, young lady? You’re enjoying yourself?”
“It’s all right,” she said wistfully.
“Well, too bad you left the sandcastle workshop early that day. You missed it.”
“Missed what?” she asked in monotone.
“You know Tim Daither? One of the principals?”
“Of course,” she replied. What does he think I am, stupid?
“Well, you know that they hired me to maintain the Web site, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So I go up there to attend the workshop, and girl, check this out. Daither’s wife came up to the workshop getting all loud like she was a black woman or something.”
“Oooh, Lance, you know you’re wrong,” she replied, mildly amused.
“Tell the truth and shame the devil, girl. Anyway, Miss Thang was storming all over the building, going from room to room, snooping and giving the evil eye to every cute woman who came up in that joint . She caught herself trying to roll her eyes at me, too. She ain’t got a thing to worry about. Humph.”