Black Butterfly

by Michelle, Nika

  “Where’re we going?” I asked when we got in the car. He just turned on the Bose sound system and turned the volume up as if he didn’t hear me. Outkast’s Aquemeni blared from the speakers.

  He looked over at me as he drove off. “Just relax. You’ve seen almost everything there is to see in the world, so now I am going to show you some beautiful shit that’s right under your nose.” He grabbed my hand and focused on the road.

  I smiled the whole forty minutes it took to get to our destination. I didn’t spend that much time in the city. I only went there to party and shop. Raheem got out of the car and opened my door for me. He helped me step out and kept my hand in his as we walked toward a highrise building. The building had a doorman, so I relaxed once we’d entered. Once we were in the elevator I asked him the same question he’d evaded before.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Chill baby. I got you. I won’t hurt you and I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re in good hands.” He smiled sexily at me. When the elevator doors opened he led me through a door with some steps. Another door was at the top of the steps. He opened it and I realized that we were on the roof of the building. “C’mon.” Raheem grabbed my hand again and led me to a blanket with a picnic basket, and Moet chilling on ice. There were also rose petals and a dozen red roses. I smiled as I noticed a small CD player with slow jams playing softly. I couldn’t help but get lost in the breathtaking view. The city lights displayed what I’d missed growing up tucked away in a so called “wonderland”.

  “This is all so beautiful and thoughtful Raheem.” My smile was probably brighter than all of the lights that illuminated the city of Miami.

  “Yeah. I thought this would be a lot more intimate than a beach party. Besides, I wanted you all to myself for a little while. Maybe we’ll hit the party up later on. I don’t want to run into any papparazi. I know how careful you have to be.”

  We sat down on the blanket and he grabbed two champagne goblets.

  “You don’t think we’ll get in trouble for being up here?” I asked.

  “No, my uncle owns this building.” He looked up at me and winked as he poured us both some bubbly.

  “So, what’s in the basket?” I asked as he gave me a glass.

  He opened the picnic basket and pulled out rosemary and garlic roasted chicken breasts, cream mashed potatoes, fresh baked yeast rolls, broccoli and cheese casserole and strawberry cheesecake.

  “Mmm, this sure looks better than the food at Seandra’s engagement party,” I said licking my lips. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I laid eyes on the delectable looking food. He’d really impressed me.

  My phone vibrated inside of my purse and I discreetly turned it off. There would be no more interruptions.

  Raheem fixed both of our plates and smiled a cocky smile as he sat mine in front of me. He knew that he was the man. We clicked our glasses together and made a toast before we dug in.

  “To a beautiful woman on a beautiful night,” Raheem said staring into my eyes.

  We dug into the food and just talked. The conversation and the food were both really good. Probably the best I’d had in a long time.

  I smiled up at Raheem as he talked. “You have a soft spot,” I teased.

  He lit a blunt and blew the smoke out of his nose. “Most men do, but some are just afraid to show it. I’m not.”

  It was funny how I was not intimidated by Raheem’s sweet gestures, but when other men showed any signs of liking me I was threatened by it. The bond we’d shared in the past must’ve been the difference.

  “You wouldn’t show this side of yourself to just anybody would you? So, why me?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and passed the blunt to me. “It’s something about you. I just want to protect you and make you happy. I want to keep that smile on your face.” He cleared his throat. “So, you like the food? My uncle also owns a restaurant. I got him to set this up at the last minute, but he pulled it off. ”

  “Yes, and it was really good. I get sick of the food my parents like for our chef to make.” I leaned over and kissed him.

  He eagerly kissed me back and teased my tongue with his. I pulled away from him and licked my lips.

  “What are you trying to do on this roof?” I was smiling even harder.

  He gave me a sexy look and bit his bottom lip. “You know damn well what I’m trying to do baby.”

  Tingles made a journey all over my body as his warm tongue ignited my skin. “Uh Raheem. What if someone comes up here?”

  “You don’t have to worry about that baby. We will not be disturbed. I promise,” he reassured me.

  “But you cannot guarantee me that noone will come on this roof,” I challenged him.

  “No baby. There’s no guarantee, but I can guarantee you one thing,” he said trailing soft, wet kisses from my neck to my collar bone.

  “What’s that?” I asked as he removed my top.

  “I can guarantee that you’ll come so much you’ll forget where you are. Even if someone comes up here it wouldn’t matter because I’m going to make you feel so good. C’mon baby. You know how I do.” He took my nipple into his mouth and twirled his tongue around it, making it stiffen.

  “You’re so freaky Raheem,” I whispered.

  * * *

  Raheem and I were seeing a lot of each other and it was becoming harder for me to fool my folks. My father and I were sitting by the Olympic sized indoor pool sipping on iced mochas when he asked me a really unexpected question.

  “So, who are you seeing now? It can’t be Harold’s soon Clinton. I haven’t seen him around here in a while.”

  Clinton Henderson was cute, but not my type. We’d gone to high school together, but he was now a sophomore in college. He was quiet and shy. I just kept him around at first to throw my parents off.

  “Clinton’s cool. He’s off at school, so I am letting him have his fun. Anyway, what’s new with you pops?” I asked trying to change the subject.

  “I have a few new business ventures I’m trying to branch into. Your Uncle Bradley wants to open up a restaurant in New Orleans. He wants to resurrect dad’s dream. You always do that.” My father smiled at me.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You always get me off the subject somehow. You have to be dating some knucklehead,” he laughed.

  “Why do I have to be dating some knucklehead?” I asked.

  “First of all you’re never home. You must be spending time with someone. Your sisters did the same thing at your age. You’re not fooling me one bit young lady.”

  “Daddy, I’m young and I’m enjoying the single life.” I flashed him an innocent smile.

  He pinched my cheek. “Aww. My baby girl is all grown up. You and your sisters make me very proud. Seandra’s at the peak of her career and engaged. Renell’s business is successful.” Daddy stopped talking and looked at me intensely with his deep gray eyes. His next question was even more unexpected. “What do you plan on doing with the rest of your life honey? Your mother’s friend has a fashion school in New York. She was at Seandra’s party. She wants to see some of your sketches.”

  I loved to design clothes and had sketches everywhere. I hadn’t done much sketching lately because Raheem was occupying most of my time. Three months had passed by quickly and we’d seen a New Year come and go. Reco had finally stopped calling and I’d put his ring in one of my jewelry boxes.

  “I don’t really know if I want to go to New York yet. I will consider it though daddy.” I really didn’t want to leave Raheem. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was falling in love with him.

  My father backed down and I was relieved when he changed the subject. “Your mother’s birthday is in a few weeks and she wants a car. I saw a nice little Porsche that I know she’d love. You want to test drive it for me?” He asked.

  A smile spread across my face. “Of course. What color is it?”

  “It’s silver with white leather interior. There is also a black one wit
h black leather…”

  “No, mom would love the silver one with the white interior. I can see her right now in her four inch heels and a hot chinchilla.” I smiled at the image. Mrs. Beauvois was a bad bitch and anybody could have black interior. My mother had to stand out.

  My father smiled. He did love my mother and wanted to give her the world. He was too down to earth for her though. No amount of money would ever make him forget his modest upbringing. My mother had been born with riches. “Okay, white interior it is. I will call Victor and set up a time for us to test drive it.”

  I got up and dived into the pool to swim a few laps. I was hungry and decided to eat something before Randy came over. After I jumped out of the pool I kissed my father’s cheek and headed to the kitchen.

  “Hi Miss Seantay,” our butler Jacques greeted me. He was a black man who was born and raised in Paris, France.

  I smiled. “Hi Jacques. How are you?”

  Jacques may have been a butler, but he was no Mr. Belvedere or Jeffrey. He was very handsome and resembled a young version of Billy Dee Williams. He had chestnut brown skin, wavy hair and light brown eyes. I was surprised that daddy had hired such a young butler, but he’d been with our family for over ten years. He was like an uncle and was very close to my parents.

  “When will dinner be ready?” I asked.

  “An hour or so, but I can make you a salad for now if you’d like.”

  “Okay, may I have a ceasar salad please with lots of croutons? I will be down in about twenty minutes. I have to take a quick shower before Randy gets here.”

  Jacques nodded. “No problem Miss Seantay.”

  I ran up the stairs. “Thank you!” I yelled back to Jacques graciously.

  * * *

  Renell

  I’d been feeling a lot more alive than I’d felt in a long time. Something had come over me and his name was Ricky. We’d been seeing a lot of each other lately and things seemed to be getting serious. We hadn’t been on many dates because of our demanding schedules, but we managed to talk on the phone almost every day.

  It was almost six o’ clock on a Friday night and I was headed to the spa for a mani and pedi. Ricky’s plane from his business trip to Dallas would be landing in exactly an hour and a half. We had plans for dinner and then a late night stroll on the beach. If I wanted to take my shoes off I had to have the toes done. Ricky loved my feet. He said that all of my toes were in perfect alignment. I smiled at the mere thought of him. My cell phone rang and the screen displayed his number.

  “Hi baby,” I smiled into the phone like he could see me.

  Hey sexy. How’s my baby doing?” He asked sounding all sweet.

  I felt flushed all over. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about you. I miss you,” I admitted.

  “You do? I guess that’s a good thing since I’m missing you too.”

  “How’s your flight?” I asked.

  “Oh, it’s nice. I know we’d made plans, but I don’t want to spend the weekend in Miami. I thought it would be better if we spend it in Vegas.”

  “Vegas? Tonight?” I asked skeptically.

  “Yes. You make me feel like a lucky man, so go with me to Vegas tonight.”

  “You are a lucky man and I am a lucky woman.”

  “So, are you coming with me or not? You know what? Scratch that. I will not be taking no for an answer.”

  I laughed. “Let me think about it.” I was just teasing him. There was nothing else in the world I’d rather be doing at the moment. I just wanted to be with him. I didn’t care where we were.

  “Damn Nell. I’ve never been able to wake up and feel you beside me. I’m not trying to rush you. I just want to be able to kiss you in the middle of the night. I haven’t been able to think about anything else lately. Let me treat you the way you should’ve been treated a long time ago baby.”

  I sighed. “Okay. I will go with you to Vegas, but it didn’t take that little speech to convince me. I was going anyway.”

  I could tell he was smiling again. “Okay. I will see you soon beautiful.”

  We hung up and I was smiling too. It was the same smile I’d been wearing since my second date with Ricky.

  * * *

  Seandra

  Three whole months had passed since he’d proposed and Maurice still wasn’t trying to agree on a date for the wedding. I was in Atlanta with him at his sprawling 7.5 million dollar mansion. He was standing over me like I should be impressed by his home. As if he didn’t know that this was a doll house compared to the home I’d grown up in.

  “We have been engaged for over three months Maurice. When are we going to set a date?” I was becoming more and more impatient by the day. I wasn’t trying to get him to marry me tomorrow. Hell, I wanted to be sure that he was clean before we said our vows. It was just time for him to show me some kind of commitment and move the engagement forward.

  He looked down at me and shook his head. “Ever since I put that damn ring on your finger you’ve been on my fucking back! I don’t feel like discussing any kind of wedding right now. Not ours, not anybody’s. And that’s that!”

  “Well, you are going to discuss it! Who the fuck do you think you are? Like every damn thing has to be done on your time. Well I’m getting sick and tired of doing everything when you’re ready. Either we agree on a date or we are through!” I was far passed the point of pissed off with him. Why did he ask me to marry him if he really didn’t want to do it?

  “Oh, okay,” he laughed. “Here we go with the fucking ultimatums again. You’re really going to leave me Seandra? Huh? After all these years your ass is still here. You haven’t left yet. What is it? You’re all strong now? You don’t need me anymore? So, you just want to throw it all away? Is it that easy for you Seandra?’

  “Don’t turn this shit around on me. Everything that has ever gone wrong in this relationship has been your fault. You cheat and you lie constantly. Have you cheated on me since we’ve been engaged? Tell the truth?” I made eye contact with him, but he looked away from my intense glare. The silence in the room was deafening. Seconds felt like minutes. I could see the sweat beading on the tip of his nose.

  “No,” he said. He couldn’t even look at me. That was a dead giveaway that he was telling a lie like he always did.

  Letting out an exasperated breath I asked him another question that I expected him to lie about. “Are you going to give up the cocaine?”

  He rubbed the sweat from his face and sighed. “I…”

  “And what about the gambling? Are you working on that Maurice? What the fuck are you doing to make sure we even make it to a wedding day? Are you doing what you need to do to keep this together?”

  He looked uncomfortable. I knew that was due to the fact that he hated being questioned, or, as he would say ‘interrogated’.

  “Seandra, baby, I have everything under control. Trust me okay? Just trust me. Why did you accept my engagement? If you don’t want me as I am why are you still with me? I love you Seandra. I love you more than you’ll ever know. You want to give up on us baby? You really want to leave me because I won’t just hurry up and pick a damn wedding date? I asked you woman, so obviously I want you to be my wife. Don’t pressure me with a time limit Seandra. I love you and that should be official enough for your ass right now. Vows and a piece of paper don’t change shit.” He cupped my chin in his hand and kissed me. I felt his hands unbutton my shirt to expose my naked breasts.

  “I love you,” I said breathlessly. He shushed me and took each of my nipples into his warm mouth one at a time.

  “I want to make babies and memories with you. You are going to be my wife and the mother of my children. Let’s just make love for now,” he said lovingly.

  I let him undress me and then I undressed him. Our argument dissolved into our heated make up session. All I felt was pure, unadulterated ecstacy.

  * * *

  Seantay

  My workout was over and Randy’s crazy ass had just left. Right after m
y third shower of the day I heard my phone vibrating on my bed. I glanced at the caller ID before I pressed answer. It was Reba ready to tell me all about her night with this dude named Damir.

  “Girl, he’s soooo fucking fine. Believe me when I say the man is beautiful. Trust me,” she said sounding like she had been running a marathon. Her breathing was raggedy as hell from talking so fast.

  “Okay, I trust you. So, tell me all about Damir.” I sat down on my bed and applied Sensai Premiere Body Cream by Kanebo to my skin. It was $400.00 a pop for what was called “the ultimate body cream”. So far it had been working for me. Raheem constantly told me how soft my skin felt.

  “He’s twenty three and he’s a big time hustler. Of course you know I like them from vanilla to butterscotch, so he’s a redbone. You can have the chocolate. Girl, he’s got a head full of good ass hair. You know, that kind of hair that curls up when it’s wet. Like yours!”

  We laughed.

  “He is about 6’3 with a nice, muscular build. He looks like he should’ve been a pro basketball player. He picked me up in his burnt orange Hummer girl. I’m going to make him wait for this good pussy though. As much as I wanted to fuck his ass I had to hold out. I never give it up on the first date.” She cleared her throat.

  “I don’t think I heard you correctly. Did you just say that you never give it up on the first date?” I teased her.

  She laughed. “Well, I don’t anymore. We had a good time girl. Of course he took me out to some expensive Italian restaurant called Vic and Angelo’s Enoteca. I’m sure your rich ass has been there before. Anyway the food was defuckinglicious.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been there. So what happened after dinner? I am so surprised that you held out if he’s as fine as you say he is.”

  “Girl, fucking some dude on the first night he takes me out has not secured me anything. What’s the first thing a man says when you tell him it’s too soon to have sex?” She made her voice deeper. ‘We’re both adults. I won’t judge you.” Her voice returned to normal. “That’s some straight up bull. He does judge you without a doubt. He really wants you to hold out, because that’s what holds his interest. Once he gets it that erases the thrill of the chase.”