by Glenn, Roy
I stood up and shook Ted’s hand. We started back down the steps. “I can give my answer now. First of all, let me say that I am honored that you would consider me.”
“You come highly recommended. To be honest with you, I was shopping around, looking for free advice actually. I ran across some companies that you’ve done work for. Everyone I spoke with had nothing but great things to say about you and the work you had done for them. We never considered asking anybody else.” Ted stopped at the door. “So what’s your answer?”
“I tentatively accept.”
“Great. I assume that your acceptance is based tentatively on our offer. So why don’t we get together on Monday for dinner, you can meet my partners and we can talk money. Call me Monday morning and I’ll give you the time and place. And, Chris, it’s us who are honored that you would consider working with us. My partners and I are excited about you working with us. And I assure you that our offer is as aggressive as our plan, and will be acceptable.”
I smiled. “I’ll call you Monday,” I said, shaking Ted’s hand. Once Ted went inside, I found my way to the bar and ordered a drink. Then I began to mingle throughout the crowd, looking for Tyhedra. I saw Kim standing by the door to the auditorium and joined her. “Have you seen Tyhedra?” I asked quickly.
“No Chris, I haven’t seen her, but how did it go with Ted?” Kim asked.
“It went great, Kim, good-looking out,” I said as we entered the auditorium. While we moved toward our seats, I explained Ted’s proposal.
“That’s strong, Chris. What did you tell him?”
“I tentatively accepted, pending his offer. Which he said will be as aggressive as their plan and I’ll find it acceptable. I told him that I’d call him on Monday. We’ll discuss his offer over dinner.”
“I know with all that he wants, he must be talking about real money. Opportunities to get paid like that don’t come every day. I hope it all works out for you, Chris.”
“I hope so, too. But it’s for us, Kim. You’re a part of this company, too.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Of course. In fact, you’re gonna meet me for lunch tomorrow and talk about your future.”
“You just tell me what time and I’ll be there,” Kim said excitedly.
The presentation started and as Ted had warned, the speeches were pretty boring. After twenty minutes of that, I became restless. “I can’t take no more of this. I’ll be back, Kim.”
It was partially empty, a few people engaged in conversation. I scanned the room for Tyhedra on the way to the men’s room, thinking how Tyhedra wasn’t quite like any other woman I had ever met. Her company and her conversation fascinated me. We spent almost all of our time talking. It was because of her that I had landed this account. Not only that, but she taught me so much about presentation and ways that I could improve mine.
When I got to the men’s room, I saw Tyhedra coming out of the ladies room. “Hello, Tyhedra.”
“Hello, Chris,” she said, but I could tell she was genuinely glad to see me.
“Where have you been?”
“What do you mean, where have I been?”
“Just what it sounds like,” I paused, suddenly remembering what I went down there for. “Look, don’t you go nowhere.”
“I’ll be right here.” Tyhedra smiled. “Unless you want me to go with you.” I momentarily forgot that I was trying to act like I was mad at her, and pushed the door open. “Now that you mention it.” I glanced inside.
Tyhedra laughed. “I was only kidding; I’ll be right here. Trust me.”
I stared at Tyhedra for a moment. “Wait here.” And in I went. It seemed to be taking an eternity to get it all out. Just as I was about finished, the door swung open.
“Hey, Chris. I’ll be at the bar.”
“No!” I shouted. But it was too late. I quickly shook out the remainder, a quick rinse of the hands, and ran out the door. I ran up the stairs two steps at a time and hit the lobby just as the doors to the auditorium opened and the lobby quickly filled with people. “Shit!”
I made my way to the bar. I was sure that I had lost her in the crowd. I made it to the bar and looked around. “Shit!”
“Chris! I’m right here.” She handed me a glass.
“Thank you,” I said as I grabbed her by the hand. We moved away from the bar, making our way through the crowd. “Now, what happened to you?”
“What?” She could barely hear me over the buzz of the crowd. I looked around and turned up my drink. “Come on.” I grabbed Tyhedra’s hand and led her up the stairs to the balcony. The landing leading to the balcony area wasn’t as crowded. Just a few people who had figured out that there was another bar there. I walked to the bar, got two more drinks, and led Tyhedra to the balcony where Ted and I had sat earlier. “Now,” I said.
“Now.” Tyhedra interrupted me. “How have you been, Chris. I kinda missed you these last few weeks. What happened to you?”
“What happened to me? What happened to you?” I asked.
“What are you taking about?” Tyhedra asked.
“Why’d you just disappear like that?”
“Hold up, Chris. I remember us playing phone tag for a week. I called you and missed you. You called me back and missed me. I left messages for you, you called and left messages for me. I didn’t disappear.”
As much as I wanted to deny it, that was what happened. My only defense was “You didn’t make too much of an effort either.”
“Well I . . .” she stuttered, because she knew I was right.
“Ah huh, see . . .”
“Okay, okay so there’s enough blame for both of us. I guess I could have made more of an effort. I just . . . you know, didn’t feel like being bothered with you trippin’. You know we agreed that what happened between us was mistake and it should never happen again. But that wasn’t the impression I was getting from your messages. I said to myself, “Give the man some pussy and he lost his mind.”
I smiled. “I didn’t lose my mind.”
“Anyway, it’s good to see you.” She stepped closer to me. “Did Kim tell you about Ted Keys?”
“Yes, she gave me the message, and thank you for that. I already spoke with Ted and I’m going to meet with his partners on Monday for dinner to talk numbers.”
“That’s great. I hope it all works out for you.”
“Me, too. That, and seeing you, makes this a great night. I really thought you were avoiding me.”
“We just kept missing each other, that’s all. How was I avoiding you?”
“It doesn’t matter. At least not now.”
“No.” Tyhedra moved closer. “It doesn’t.” Almost on queue the house lights dimmed. The commercials were getting ready to run. After a quick intro, the house lights dropped, only the foot lights remained.
“So you think you got me pussywhipped, huh?” I reached for her hand and pulled Tyhedra close. Close enough to kiss.
“I didn’t say all that.” Tyhedra touched my face with her hand. “All I said was you lost your mind.”
“Sounds like ‘yes’ to me,” I said, reaching for her face with both hands. “But that’s all right.” I kissed her on her left cheek and then her right, running my hands down her bare arms and onto her hips. Tyhedra’s head drifted back as I kissed her on her neck. She pulled me closer and pressed her body against mine. I knew she could feel me getting harder. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said between kisses.
“No, we shouldn’t,” I said, and I forgot where we were. And apparently, so did Tyhedra. Before I could say a word of protest, Tyhedra had my zipper down and her hand in my pants.
I gathered Tyhedra’s dress around her waist. Tyhedra was wearing crotch-less panties and a garter belt. Tyhedra wrapped her legs around my waist and I quickly backed her against the wall.
Tyhedra was so wet that I slid my dick inside her and pounded her against the wall. “Yes, Chris, yes! Bang this pussy!” Tyhedra said, much louder than the situati
on allowed. I stuck the end of my tie in her mouth and continued to pound away. I could feel myself getting harder and swelling inside her.
I guess she could, too. Tyhedra spit the tie out of her mouth. “Don’t come in me,” she said, and pushed me off of her. I looked down at my dick and Tyhedra began fixing her clothes. “Maybe I do need to stay away from you, Chris.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m weak for you. Weaker for you than any man has ever had me,” Tyhedra said, and backed away from me. I started to say something, but Tyhedra turned and started walking. “I gotta go, Chris.”
I started to follow her, but what would be the point in that?
Chapter Twenty-four
Tavarus
After weeks of practice on the trumpet, I finally got a spot playing with a band. It wasn’t an easy road, but I made it. During that time, all I did was work and play my horn. It was pretty much the same thing every day: I’d go to work and do the minimum amount of work that was required of me to maintain my position. After work, I’d go home and practice. I was never without my horn and I’d play anywhere.
I met an old guy who played the sax in Piedmont Park for money; it was how he lived. In the evenings we’d play duets and would draw a nice a little crowd sometimes. It was a good arrangement for him. I’d let him keep all the money and would always match whatever we made.
I hadn’t seen Tyhedra since that night at the club, but we’ve talked several times. When we do talk, she’s always very encouraging and supportive of what I’m doing. Which is more than I can say for Carmen. We talk a lot, too, but when I told her what I was doing, she had no words of encouragement to offer. “I think you’re just wasting your time. You need to be focused on your future. What you need to do is step it up at your job, like Lester told you. That’s where your future is, not playing the trumpet.”
With Tyhedra it’s just the opposite. When she calls, it’s to let me know where the jam sessions are around town. I show up with my horn and sit in. That’s when I really got my lip and timing back. That’s how I got this spot. I met a tenor saxophone player named Dexter Higgins. We met and played together at one of those sessions, and became friends. He called me one night and said that he ran into some old friends that had recently lost their horn section, and had joined their group. I asked him if they needed a trumpet player; he invited me to come to practice with them.
“Guys, I want you to meet Tavarus. This is our bass player, Gordon Warren. Clarence Powell, he plays piano, and that’s Billy Summers,” Dexter said that day.
“Call me Butch,” he said from behind his drums.
“Good to meet you guys,” I said.
“Tavarus plays trumpet,” Dexter said.
“I guess that’s why he’s huggin’ it like it’s his woman,” Gordon joked, and all of us laughed.
“We gonna just stand here lookin’ at each other or we gonna play something,” Clarence said, and tapped the keyboard a few times.
“Let’s cook,” Dexter said.
When we got together, it was like all of us had been playing together for years. It wasn’t long before we had landed our first gig.
It hasn’t been all work and no play. Me and Kathy hook up for those late night booty calls. We even took a little trip together. When I hit the door one night after jamming at one of those sessions, the phone was ringing. It was like she knew when I got home. When she said, “I’m coming over.” I told her I was thinking about going to the beach for the weekend and asked, “Why don’t you pack some clothes and come with me?” She was there in fifteen minutes, and threw her bag in the backseat and jumped in the car. Seven hours later, we were checking into a condo in Destin, Florida. Nothing elaborate, just a bed, a bath, and a kitchenette. Like Carmen, Kathy has absolutely no interest whatsoever in my horn. “I’ll be honest with you, Tavarus. I like you and whatnot, and I hope you do good at whatever you do, but my interest in you is between your legs.”
End of story.
I’m cool with that. Kathy fills a void. And to be honest about it, my only interest in her is between her legs.
Once we were settled in our room, I proceeded to get ready to go to the beach. Kathy, however, had other plans for the day. “Tavarus, I left my purse in the car, could you get it for me, please?”
When I returned to the room with her purse, Kathy had placed two candles on either side of the bed and had lit them. There was music playing and she was in the bathroom. Seeing the candles and hearing the music brought a smile to my face. Then I resumed getting ready for the beach. When Kathy emerged from the bathroom, I looked up. The sight of her dressed in black lace, walking toward me, made me quiver. “I like that, but it’s a bite risqué for the beach.”
”That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” she replied, wrapping her arms around him.
I kissed her on the forehead.
“Kathy, we’re gonna be here for three days. We have plenty of time for that. So get your fine ass into a bikini and let’s hit the beach.”
“I didn’t bring one,” she said, pressing her body against mine. “I didn’t bring many clothes at all. I won’t be needing any.” She could feel my excitement growing. “In fact, we’re overdressed right now.”
“Is that a fact?”
”That’s a fact.” She began to kiss my chest through my T-shirt.
“What do you think we should be wearing?” I asked innocently, while Kathy ran her hands under my T-shirt.
“Nothing,” she said, putting her arms around me and kissing me.
I felt myself getting harder as I tasted her tongue. She undressed me slowly as we swayed to the music. Kathy took my shirt off, made slow circles around my nipples and they began to harden. I removed her teddy and teased her nipples with my tongue. I glided my tongue around her beautiful dark circles, coming close, but never touching her nipples. Kathy stroked my ever-hardening dick—long, even strokes, from tip to shaft. She squeezed my nipples and her stroking became more intense, more focused.
Kathy spread her legs and I slide my hand along thighs and gently fingered her clit. I felt it getting harder under my touch. Her head drifted back and she moaned her approval. I heard her moan again, felt her body quiver. I watched her turn around, and enjoyed the perfection that is her ass.
Kathy lay down on the bed and put a pillow over her stomach, so her fat ass was up in the air. I sat beside her and ran my hands along her back, her perfect ass, her firm thighs. “Come get this pussy.”
I did as she asked and entered her. I felt her ass bucking, pounding against me. I felt the muscles inside her tighten. Her body shook and she yelled, “I don’t want to cum yet.”
I repositioned myself on the bed and Kathy proceeded to lower her body on to my face. I ran my tongue along her lips and proceeded to lick and suck her swollen clit. She moaned her pleasure and slid her hand up and down my dick.
Kathy lowered her head and took me into her mouth. My back arched. The movement of my tongue increased to a pace that coincided with hers. Once again, I felt her body quiver and she removed herself from my face. She crawled down my body, stroking my dick as she moved closer to it.
Kathy looked back and winked at me, then lowered herself onto me, taking my dick into the wetness between her thighs. I love watching her ass slid up and down on my dick, and she knows it, says it turns her on. Kathy came hard and drenched me with her juices. I had to taste her. I slid my hands under her thighs and lifted her back to my waiting tongue. I tried my best to suck that pussy dry, but the I more I sucked the more she came.
When she couldn’t take any more, Kathy rolled off of me and laid on her back. She spread her legs as wide as she could and I dove between them. We fucked hard, slamming our bodies into each other until our bodies shook. We screamed together and passed out in each other’s arms. We never even made it the beach that weekend.
That night, all of us were a little nervous, you know, our first time playing together in public; but we all knew it would pass as
soon as the set began. Naturally, I wanted my boys to come, but I didn’t tell them that I was playing. I just asked them to meet me there in time for the second set. I had been keeping Linda up on what I was doing. “You doing anything tonight?”
“Nothing special,” Linda replied.
“The band got its first gig tonight, so if you’re not doing anything tonight, come check us out.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.”
At that moment, Peggy came into my office. “What wouldn’t you miss, Linda?”
“Tavarus and his new band are playing their first gig tonight,” Linda told Peggy.
“Oh. I didn’t know Tavarus was in a band.”
“You should come check them out,” Linda said, and I ran my hand over my face. Since the night we got drunk and Peggy set it out for me, I had pretty much been avoiding her. So I wasn’t too hyped about her going.
“What’s the name of your band?” Peggy asked.
“We call ourselves Hard Bop,” I said with pride.
“What kind of music do you play?”
“We play hard bop.”
They both looked at each other and then at me, with confussed looks on their faces. I knew that I had to explain.
“Hard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop or bop music. Hard bop incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing.
“Oh,” Peggy commented.
“That explains a lot. Now, what is bebop?”
“Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on a harmonic structure rather than melody. It was developed in the early and mid-1940s. So ends the history lesson.”
Since she was instrumental in my pursuing this dream, I invited Tyhedra to come hear us. I told Carmen about it and asked her to come, but knowing how she feels about jazz music in general, and me playing the horn in particular, I doubted she’d show up.
When I got to the club, the first person I saw was Tyhedra seated at the bar. She stood up when she saw me coming toward her. She was wearing a tight, blue dress that hugged every delicious inch of her. “There he is,” she said, throwing her arms around my neck, kissing me on the cheek.