by Kiki Swinson
While I was daydreaming about the possibility of spending a lot of time here, Bintu walked back into the room with two champagne glasses filled to the rim with something sparkling.
I smiled. “Where did you get this from? I didn’t see you in the kitchen.”
He smiled back. “We have a bar around the corner, in the entertainment room.”
I took the glass he offered. “Who are you talking about when you say we?”
“I’m talking about me and Fatu.”
“Fatu lives here too?” I was somewhat disappointed.
He took a sip from his glass and sat next to me. “Yes, we are roommates.”
Hearing this man just tell me that he shared this place with Fatu really turned me off. There was no chance in hell that I would be able to spend a lot of time here. How would I be able to get comfortable? There was nothing better than walking around naked with your man, or fucking him on the kitchen table when you knew that you were there alone, and no one was going to walk in on you. Bintu and Fatu rooming together changed the game for me, and I didn’t like it, so I was going to have to do something about it. Either Fatu was going to have to find him somewhere else to go, or Bintu was, especially if we took this thing to another level.
After he and I finished our glasses of champagne, we retired upstairs to his bedroom. Homeboy had the king-sized canopy with tall pillars, and the bed had to be at least three-and-a-half feet high! Cream-colored silk drapes draped from the tops of the pillars to each post on the bed. The cream-and-beige decorative pillows and the matching comforter set were beautiful. It was evident that a woman or an interior decorator incorporated these colors and designs to work together.
After I took inventory of his entire room and made compliments, Bintu took me into his arms and laid me back onto the bed. The comforter was so plush I felt like I was resting on a cloud in heaven. Bintu removed all of my clothing and kissed every inch of my body while I felt the effects of the alcohol kick in to overdrive. Between the buzz from the champagne and the sparks I felt from Bintu’s touch, I knew tonight was going to be a night I’d never forget.
“Come get on top of me,” Bintu ordered as he lay naked on his back.
Before I climbed on top of him, I took inventory of his body. His frame was nicely built, but he had a lot of chest hair, and the fact that it was sort of kinky and knotted up kind of turned me off a little. I had always dealt with men who kept that shit cut off because it was not attractive. Somebody needed to tell Bintu that he was not living in the seventies, where cats used to walk around with their shirts unbuttoned to show off their hairy chests. It was not cute.
What was even worse was that Bintu’s dick wasn’t as big as I thought it would be. It had to be every bit of four-and-a-half to five inches erect. And did I mention that it wasn’t circumcised? That was really odd for me. I had never been with a man who had not had the foreskin of his dick carved off. I tried desperately not stare at it, but when Bintu gestured for me to give him some head, I was seriously offended. I was not about to put that thing in my mouth! To be brutally honest, I really didn’t want him to stick that thing inside me.
Then a vision of me going on all sorts of trips and shopping sprees with that nigga’s money popped into my head. Kira would be hating her ass off if I could pull this nigga off his square and get him to do anything I asked. That would be the ultimate victory for me, since she thought she had it going on when it came to getting cats to take care of her. I had a trick for her ass, though. What I was about to do was some unconventional shit, and it was going to turn this little dick-ass nigga out.
I closed my eyes, put my mouth around Bintu’s dick, and went to work. It tasted kind of salty and I gagged a few times, but I held it down like a trooper and successfully got his dick harder than a rock. I estimated his dick was now at the six-inch mark, so it became easier to work with. Seconds later he handed me a condom. I strapped it on him, hopped on board, and rode his dick until he came.
When it was over, Bintu exhaled like he did all the work, but I didn’t say a word. I pretended like I came too. Bintu’s expression was full of pride like he truly did something, and I was the one suffering from excruciating pain in my knees. It was all good, though. I let him have his moment, because his dick wasn’t that bad. Besides, I was gonna be A-OK, especially after all the work I just put in. That nigga was going to treat me like royalty from this day forward, and I couldn’t wait.
Gossip Girl
(Kira Speaks)
I got a call from Fatu before I left for work the next morning, thanking me again for coming out to this party. We talked for a bit and then he reminded me about our possible lunch date, so I told him I would call him around noon to confirm. Right after we hung up, I sat back on my bed and thought about how nice of a time I had with him last night. I really felt comfortable being around him, so I could definitely see myself getting to know him on a more personal level.
What I felt uncomfortable about was the fact that when I was ready to call it a night, Nikki refused to leave with me. I guess she felt like that was her opportune time to get to know Bintu. She apparently didn’t know—or didn’t care—that she was sending him the wrong signal. When you met a man one day and decided to go to his house the next, it gave off the wrong impression. Going home that time of the night with him was a straight-up booty call, but I just hoped she didn’t fall prey to it. Since she had not come home at all yet, I knew I would hear about her night when she brought her butt into work.
***
Later that day Carmen, Rachael, and I were busy with our clients when Miss Mouth Almighty strutted her stuff through the front door of the shop like she was America’s Next Top Model. It was a little after eleven o’clock and she had the nerve to come in with a huge smile on her face.
“Hi, ladies,” she said and flopped her handbag onto the prepping station.
I ignored her, but that didn’t stop Rachael and Carmen from speaking. “What’s up with that smile?” Carmen asked.
“Yeah, Nikki, why you smiling so hard?” Rachael asked.
“Because I’m happy, that’s why.”
Rachael didn’t think that was enough information, so she stopped in the middle of styling her client’s hair to press Nikki. “Come on now, tell us what happened last night at the party.”
“Kira didn’t tell you already?” Nikki responded sarcastically.
Annoyed by her cynicism, I asked, “What was I supposed to tell them?”
“Come on, now, Kira. I know you already told them what happened at the party last night.”
“Yeah, I told them about what went on with me.”
“Oh, so you’re telling me that y’all didn’t bring my name up?”
“Nikki, you ain’t that important!” I snapped. “We have a business to run, so we don’t walk around here and talk about you all day long.”
“Yeah, whatever!” Nikki sucked her teeth and turned her attention to Rachael. Before she could utter a word, Rachael beat her to the punch.
“Never mind all that. Tell me what happened with you and your friend last night! You know I’m dying to know.”
I watched Nikki through my peripheral vision the entire time she and Rachael carried on with their madness. Nikki sat in the styling chair next the prepping station and ran her mouth like there was no tomorrow.
“Girl, you should’ve seen his apartment,” she boasted.
“Was it nice?” Rachael asked.
“Hell yeah! It was some shit you’d see in a magazine.”
“Where was it?”
“It’s probably downtown,” Carmen interjected.
“It is,” Nikki confirmed. “And when I tell you that place is on fire, believe me.”
“He must’ve given you a tour of it.”
Nikki smiled a naughty smile. “He sure did.”
“What else did he give you? Because I know you stayed with him the entire night,” Rachael said and smirked.
“You ain’t got to go int
o all that,” Carmen blurted out. “Just tell us if he was good or not.”
Nikki hesitated for a second and then smiled and said, “He wasn’t all that big, but he definitely knows what to do with it.”
Rachael’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my God! You did it with him for real?”
“Yep, I sure did. I rocked his world too.”
Rachael shook her head in disapproval. “I sure hope you didn’t give that nigga any head.”
“Are you crazy? I just met the man the night before,” she said with her mouth twitching, so I knew she was lying. And at that very moment I started to call her ass out and tell her that I knew she was lying. But then I figured, what would be the fucking use? She wanted to play like she was on top of the world, so I just let her live in her fantasy world and remained quiet.
“Did he grab you around the neck or make any subtle movements like he wanted you to do it?” Carmen inquired.
“No.”
“Well, did he give some head?” Carmen continued.
Nikki burst into laughter. “No!”
“Well, did you even try to position your body to see if he would do it?” Rachael jumped in.
Nikki laughed harder. “No, I didn’t. All we did was kiss each other and make love.”
“So, what did y’all do this morning? Did he cook you breakfast?” Rachael continued.
“No, he didn’t cook me breakfast, but we drove out to University Boulevard and had brunch in the Village.”
“So, do you like him?” Carmen asked.
“Yeah, he’s cool.”
“Do you see y’all getting serious?” she pressed.
“I’m not sure, but if the timing is right, I’d take a shot at it.”
“When are you going to see him again?” Rachael asked.
“He didn’t say, but I’m sure it’ll be sometime this week.”
Nikki continued to run her mouth about her relationship predictions with Bintu. I had a few predictions of my own, especially now that I knew she fucked him on their first date. As far as I was concerned, she could hang it up. He was not going to want to settle down with her. Now she could try and fool herself to believe otherwise, but the truth would be revealed, and it was going to be sooner than she thought. I just hoped that the stunt she pulled last night with Bintu didn’t have an effect on how Fatu saw me. I would hate for him to judge me based on the dumb shit Nikki did. But if he did, and tried to play me, then I’d personally rip his fucking head off and tell him where the fuck to go.
After forty minutes of detailed information about how Bintu gave her a wet ass, Nikki finally shut the hell up and started working. Over the next two hours we only said about five words to each other, which was fine with me. Nikki had a chip on her shoulder, and until she got it off, our relationship would remain strained.
I took a break around one pm after I put my last client for the day under the hair dryer. I called Fatu to tell him that I would be available to meet him for a late lunch around three.
“Why so late?” he asked.
“Because I have to wait for my client’s hair to dry, so Nikki can braid it, and then I can sew in the weave.”
“And that takes two whole hours?”
“Almost.”
“OK. Well when you’re done, would you meet me at this restaurant called the Aquarium?”
“Where is that?”
“It’s downtown on Bagby Street.”
“I’m not sure where that is, but don’t worry because all I have to do is punch it into my GPS system, and my car will take me straight there.”
“Sounds good. I guess I’ll see you there.”
“Hey, Fatu, wait!” I yelled before he hung up.
“What’s the matter?”
“I just wanted to know if I had to wear anything formal.”
“Oh, no! It’s just a seafood restaurant. Come as you are.”
“OK,” I said and hung up.
After I finished my last client, I told everyone that I’d see them later. Rachael’s nosey ass wanted to know where I was going, so I told her that I was meeting Fatu for lunch at the Aquarium. She and Carmen both started harping on about how nice that place was, and how much I would love it. Nikki didn’t say a word and I was glad. Knowing her, she would’ve said something negative, and I was truly not in the mood for that. Carmen and Rachael wished me well and told me to enjoy myself.
“I will,” I assured them, and then left to meet my date.
Big-Time Hater
(Nikki Speaks)
Kira always found a way to rub shit in my face, but I refused to let her get to me. She knew she didn’t have to broadcast where Fatu was taking her, and I would bet every dime in my pocket that she called him to set up the date after she heard me tell Carmen and Rachael that me and Bintu had brunch together this morning. She was such a fucking hater! Why did she always have to be in the spotlight? Wasn’t it enough that Fatu sent his personal shopper to the salon for her to pick out something to wear to his party? I mean, damn! Let me shine sometimes. It was bad enough that I was younger than her, so give me a fucking break already. Her time was up!
During the course of the day I helped Carmen and Rachael prep their clients, and on my downtime, I did some paperwork. By five pm I hadn’t heard from Bintu, so I tried to get him on the phone while I was in the back office, but I got his voice mail. I left him a brief message saying that I called to hear his voice, so when he got a moment, I wanted him to call me back. As soon as I hung up my cell phone, it started ringing. My heart pounded because I knew it was Bintu calling me right back.
“Hello,” I said without looking at the CallerID.
“What’s good, shawty?”
When I heard the country accent, I automatically knew that it wasn’t Bintu. This was Neeko, the cat I’d just met yesterday. I forced a smile and said, “I’m good! What’s up with you?”
“I’m chilling.”
“So what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?”
“I was calling you to see if you wanted to hang out later.”
“Where are you trying to go?”
“I was hoping you’d go out to dinner with me.”
“Sure. What time are you talking?”
“What about nine?”
“Nine is cool, but where are you taking me?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure we could ride around and find something.”
“OK, that’s fine. What are you doing now?”
“Well I’m driving down the beltway so I can make a quick stop at my homeboy’s spot.”
“Where’s your girlfriend?”
“Probably hanging out with her girlfriends.”
“So she’s letting you hang out tonight?”
“She ain’t letting me do a damn thang! I’m doing this because I want to.”
Blown away by his arrogance, I said, “OK. You stated your case! How long are you going to be at your homeboy’s spot?”
“Not long. Why?”
“No reason. I just asked.”
“What are you doing now?”
“I’m down at the salon, sitting in my office, trying to organize a few things.”
“Make a lot of money today?”
“What kind of question is that? We’ve got the best stylists around town, so of course we did,” I replied in a cocky manner, dishing out the same amount of egotism he had just dished out to me.
“Who’s there with you now?” he asked, obviously not feeding into my haughtiness.
“Both of the stylists we have, but all of us are getting ready to leave.”
“And where are you going after you leave there?”
“Home to take a shower so I can see you later.”
“Whatcha gon’ wear?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Do you have any cute little skirts or dresses?”
“Yeah, I have a lot of them.”
“Well, wear one of them.”
“OK, I will.”
Just as I
was getting ready to speak again, Neeko cut me off. “Hey, listen, Nikki, I’ma call you back after I holla at my peoples, OK?”
“OK.”
After I hung up with Neeko, I was happy to no end. I was going out on a date tonight and I knew I was going to have a good time. He looked like he had money, so I knew he was going to take me somewhere really nice. Now I wasn’t gonna fuck him, because I had just fucked Bintu last night and that would be trifling of me to let another man dig up in me the very next night. What I planned to do was eat, talk, and bullshit around until I got tired.
Several minutes later I heard Rachael scream at the top of her lungs. I jumped to my feet and snatched the office door open to see what was going on. I was met by a very tall, masked man pointing a big-ass gun in my face.
“If you scream or make any noise, I’m gon’ kill you right on the spot,” he warned me.
“What’s going on?” I managed to utter, my voice quivering.
“Shut the fuck up! I’m the one that’s gonna ask the questions.”
I tried desperately to swallow the knot caught in the center of my throat. Instead of breaking down, I stood there and waited for him to tell me why he was there.
“Get back in the office and stand up against the wall,” he instructed. I did as he told me. Moments later, Carmen and Rachael appeared around the corner with tears rolling down their faces. I wanted so badly to say something to them, but I knew I would be putting my life in jeopardy, so I only gave them eye contact.
“Get over there by the wall and stand next to her,” another masked man told Carmen and Rachael.
I couldn’t tell you who these two men were, and I wouldn’t be able to make out their voices if I ever heard them again, because it seemed like everybody in Houston sounded just alike. The only difference between the two of them was that the guy who stuck the gun in my face was taller than the one who had Carmen and Rachael at gunpoint. I just wanted to give them what they wanted and let them leave without any problems. I just hoped Carmen and Rachael felt the same way.