by Eden Davis
As Lena walked off, Livia and her cousin followed the usher down to their seats. Just as they got to their row, Aleesa stopped and announced she had to visit the ladies’ room.
“You go sit. I’ll be right back.”
Livia entered the row and found her seat. She sat quietly, studying the program and basking in the pre-performance energy buzzing around the auditorium. The people around her included couples and families eagerly awaiting the curtain rising. Sister Act had been advertised as a feel-good show, and clearly the audience had arrived with the same preset attitude. Her roving eyes were drawn to a couple nuzzling together in their seats. The haunting sense of envy and lonesomeness returned. As lovely as it was to have her girlfriends’ loving thoughtfulness and support, Liv would rather be celebrating this milestone birthday with a man—her man. The quest to complete that damn list before this day had oiled up her rusty libido and left her feeling hot and horny and wanting sex like never before in her life. But even more than great sex, she wanted to be in love.
The lights flickered, signaling the imminent start of the play, and prompting Livia to stand and survey the room looking for her cousin. There was no sign of Aleesa, prompting Livia to decide that there must already be a line in the ladies’ room. She craned her neck toward the other side of the aisle and the corner of her eye caught a profile that stole her breath and violently threw her heart against her chest.
Could it be? No? Maybe. Was that Mitchell? A cocktail of hopefulness and trepidation stirred in her belly, while a myriad of questions burned through her brain. Was fate bringing them together again? Should she go over? What if he was on a date? Should she let him make the first move?
His face was temporarily blocked by the bodies of theater-goers hurrying to their seats. As the aisle cleared, Livia’s anxiety was quieted when the face in question turned in her direction, turning her dashed hope into disappointment.
Omigod, you actually miss that man!
It’s not Mitchell I miss, it’s the sex. No, it’s the companionship, not the companion, Livia argued in her head, needing the clarity. What she’d really like on this milestone evening was a love to share it with. Livia Charles, get that young boy out of your head, she commanded herself.
Feeling uncomfortably discombobulated, Livi picked up her purse and rummaged inside looking for breath mints. She didn’t want to think about Mitchell or her lonely existence. She simply wanted to get lost in this show and enjoy her evening.
The lights flickered again while the row began to undulate as those seated rose in a wave to accommodate a latecomer. Finally, Livia thought, looking over and expecting to see Aleesa, but instead of her cousin, she found herself looking into the waist of a very tall, well-dressed gentleman about to sit down beside her.
“I’m sorry, but this seat is taken,” Livia barely looked up to inform him.
“This is Row T, seat 110, isn’t it?”
“Uh, yes.”
“Then it’s my seat.”
“Well, then, there’s obviously some mistake.”
Before she could call the usher over, the lights went out and the man sat. As the curtain came up, Livia ignored the opening action and craned her neck around from left to right trying to find her cousin. Aleesa was nowhere to be found.
The confused look on Livia’s face was too unsettling to ignore.
“Happy Birthday, Livi Girl,” the man leaned close to her ear to say.
Livia’s eyes went wide. Could it be? Nobody had called her Livi Girl in over thirty years. In fact, only one person had nicknamed her that, the first love of her life.
“Bobby?”
“The one and only.”
“What are you doing here? I mean, how did you…what are you…who…”
“Your cousin. Aleesa and your girls planned all of this, and flew me here to surprise you.”
“Shhhh,” the woman next to them insisted.
“We’ll talk after the show.”
Livia smiled and turned her attention back to the performance. Shocked by the unexpected appearance of her first true love, Liv fought to keep her thoughts focused on the energetic musical performance before her. Once the singing stopped, however, Liv couldn’t help but to sneak a sideways peek at her apparent birthday gift. Bobby had the same idea, and their smiling eyes met in the dark. They shared a grin before returning their attention back to center stage. Livia felt her heart once again jump and slam into her ribcage.
He looks good! she thought as her mind quickly compared Bobby to the boy she’d last seen over thirty years ago. Even in this dim light, she could tell that the years had obviously been kind. Time had brought changes, but underneath the additional pounds and salt-and-pepper hair, was the body and soul of the gangly kid she’d once known and loved.
They were just kids back then, both crazy in love with each other. Bobby, a senior and star basketball player, had showed up one day at Livia’s cheerleading competition. He’d sat in the seats, watching her every move and eating her up with his eyes the entire time. His lavish attention definitely added to her nerves, but in a pleasing and awesome way that bolstered her confidence. After the competition, the rest of the squad had been disappointed by their third-place showing, but when the awesome and oh so popular Bobby Jeffries met her outside and asked her out, Livia felt like she was walking away with the grand prize.
As the weeks progressed, his good-humored audaciousness and ability to make her feel adored and protected, turned a schoolgirl crush into full-fledged love. She and Bobby became a well-known, and happily clichéd entity—the high school superstar athlete and his cheerleader girlfriend. They were together his entire senior year, and during that time, Bobby Jeffries proved himself to be a loving and thoughtful young man. He was high-spirited and adventurous, and in so many ways made a relatively shy Livia blossom.
By the summer after his graduation, Bobby’s yeoman patience with his girlfriend had reached its limits. As time marched on, and kissing and heavy petting with Livia became more painful than pleasurable, he, as young men have a tendency to do, began to pressure her to go all the way.
Livia’s body was more than willing, but the powerful convictions her parents and pastor had planted within her won out over temptation. For 16-year-old Livia Charles, living in the early 1970s in a strict Catholic household, sex before marriage was not an option. Bobby had been as understanding as a teenager with raging hormones could be, but eventually, his tolerance for celibacy wore thin. He did have the decency to break up with her before he took up with the much more amenable Sandra Middleton.
Livi had been crushed at the time, but looking back, she couldn’t blame him. Her memories of their time together had always been fond and full of happiness. Over the years, wondering what she might have missed and given up had haunted her, which is exactly why she’d added him to her list of fuckable wishes.
Your cousin planned all of this. Bobby’s words interrupted her reverie. Those sneaky bitches! So this is what they must have meant by a surprise after the show. She’d assumed that they’d secured backstage passes for her to meet the cast. In reality, they’d set her up for the night with the one item from her list that she’d never expected to fulfill. She didn’t know whether to be grateful or spiteful. Livia couldn’t worry about that now because the overwhelming emotion overtaking her at the moment was curiosity.
The first act ended to the sound of thunderous applause. No doubt, Sister Act was a hit. As the crowd filed out for intermission, Livia was unsure about what to do. Part of her wanted to run and find her friends, first to beat them down for setting her up like this, and then to ask their advice on how to proceed. She hadn’t seen this man in over thirty years. And it wasn’t like they’d just bumped into each other. Whether Bobby knew it or not, this meeting had been prearranged for the sole purpose of having sex. They might as well have hired a male escort. It would have made all of this much easier. Without intending to, her cousin and friends had placed her in the exact same place Bobby had
left her years ago, wondering if she should or shouldn’t have sex with him.
Does he know why he’s here? That disconcerting thought shot its way to the forefront of Livia’s frazzled mind. She wouldn’t put it past Jasi or Lena to have fully explained the situation to Bobby. Jeezus. How desperate must she seem? Livia felt the armor of shy reserve fall around her.
“Excuse us,” the woman on the other side of her requested. Livia stood to let them pass, causing her to drop her forgotten purse from her lap, spilling its contents under the seats. Once the couple exited the row, Bobby retrieved all of her scattered belongings and returned them to their embarrassed owner.
“Thank you,” she said, accepting her things with a wrinkle of her nose.
“I guess some things never change,” he commented with a grin.
“What? Me being a clumsy doofus?”
“No, the way you do that bunny thing with your nose when you’re embarrassed. Like you’re trying to erase it off your face. I used to think it was really cute back in the day. And like I said, some things never change.”
“So then you still must dance like you’re doing the Charleston,” Livia said, her face breaking out in a huge smile.
“Oh, that was cold. It’s wrong to talk about a black man’s ability to dance.”
“Or lack thereof…”
The two broke out into companionable laughter. Their good-natured teasing felt wonderful, like it had when they were kids.
“Well, it’s true, I still can’t dance, but I can still pick out the finest sister in the place when I see her. You look amazing, Livi Girl.”
The way his eyes traveled her body and drank her in reminded Livia of the way Mitchell had looked at her on the beach. It was the same polite, albeit hungry, ogle that was a true turn on. Liv could feel her shy reserve began to melt, slowly revealing the grown and sexy woman Mitchell had brought out in her. Quincy was in the house.
“Thank you. As do you. So, how have you been, Bobby?”
“All in all, I can’t complain. After college, I had a few hard looks but wasn’t able to crack the NBA, so I played ball over in Europe for ten years. Got married and had a couple of kids, but once we got back to the States, the marriage started to unravel. Rita and I limped along for more years than we should have, and finally, after twenty-one years, we divorced.”
“Sorry to hear that, but I understand completely. I married my college sweetheart and we lasted twenty-three years.”
“So you’re divorced as well? Just how does a beautiful single lady like you spend her time?” Bobby flirted.
“Oh, mostly working hard. I own a bakery, Havin’ Your Cake, in New Jersey. We specialize in wedding and other special occasion cakes. I was even featured on the Today Show,” Livia bragged.
“No wonder you smell like sugar.”
Livia lifted her eyes to his and let them do the thanking.
“But I remember you being an artist. I always thought I’d find your sculptures in a gallery somewhere.”
“I like to think that my work is edible art. I use frosting instead of clay to make it.”
“So what do you do to play?”
“I love to travel when I get the chance. I most recently visited St. Bart’s,” she told him with an “I’ve got a secret” twist to her voice.
“Love St. Bart’s.”
“Yeah, me too. And what about you? What did you fall into after basketball?”
“I’m in the Coke business.” Bobby watched with amusement as Livia’s eyes grew wide, drawing her mouth open with them. “I see you still have absolutely no poker face whatsoever. Your thoughts have always been broadcast right across that beautiful mug of yours. I’m a Coca-Cola distributor. In fact, I own the largest bottling company in California,” he revealed, doing a little boasting of his own.
“That’s where you live?”
“Yes, down South in Del Mar, San Diego.”
“Success becomes you, Bobby.”
“Just like that dress becomes you,” he flirted, smiling while he surveyed her simply sexy, David Meister little black dress. His appreciative look stopped at her eyes.
Bobby’s smile remained steady as the house lights flickered. Livia broke their gaze to take a quick look around the theater, hoping to catch the attention of at least one of her traitorous friends. There they were, across the aisle and several rows ahead, smiling and waving like the lovable fools they were. Even Belinda, the new girl to their party, was grinning ear to ear. Livia laughed. She fit right into this motley crew!
Darkness once again fell upon the crowd. Grateful to be alone with her thoughts, Liv quickly analyzed the evening thus far. While it was unclear to her whether Bobby knew why he’d been summoned here tonight, a spark definitely remained between them. They were both still attracted to each other, even after all these years. And the idea of finishing something between them that never got started was as much of an aphrodisiac as the citrusy-smelling cologne Bobby was wearing. But the reality remained that they were basically strangers—familiar and friendly, yes—but all of the time that had passed between them rendered them mere acquaintances.
Lately, intimacy with comfortable strangers seemed to be the running theme of her fledgling love life. First, with Mitchell and now, Bobby. What the hell was the universe trying to teach her through these guest lovers that she hadn’t been able to learn from nearly a quarter of a century with her ex-husband?
As the curtain rose and the cast broke out into gleeful song, their attention got caught up in the thrill of the second act. Livia smiled into the darkness. As much as she adored them, she was happy not to have to spend her fiftieth birthday in the company of her girlfriends. Whether she spent it in the arms of her former love, and this evening turned into a cheery check on her fuck-it list, still remained to be seen.
A Fantasy Real
Bobby and Livia stood outside the theater waiting for the rest of the group. The crowd had thinned considerably and there was still no sign of the girls. Knowing her friends, especially the delightfully devious Jasi Westfield, something was cooking besides dinner after the show.
“Maybe they went backstage?” Bobby suggested.
“Without me? That’s not right. I’m the birthday girl!” Livia kidded as her pocket began to vibrate. “Excuse me.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and saw Aleesa’s text message screaming across the screen.
We’re out. Enjoy yourself. Happy Birthday 2 U!
“Well, it looks like we’ve been abandoned. I’m sorry. I have no idea what my cousin was thinking to put you in such an awkward position.”
“I always liked that Aleesa. And as far as awkward positions go, it’s a matter of practice,” Bobby remarked with a crooked smile.
Okay, what’s up with all of these sexy comments? Does he know, Livia thought to herself, or is he just flirting with me?
And so what if he is, Quincy popped up to argue. I thought the whole idea was for us to get some tonight.
What if he decides he doesn’t want to? Livia argued with the voice in her head.
Trust me, curiosity fucks the cat every time, Quincy shot back.
“So, Livi Girl, shall we go somewhere and get better reacquainted?”
This time it was Bobby’s phone that interrupted them. He looked at his cell and burst out laughing. “Aleesa’s timing is impeccable,” he told her. “She’s texted me our instructions for the evening. Apparently, dinner is awaiting us at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Columbus Circle. I’m supposed to check with the concierge for instructions.”
Livia had to chuckle. Lees had arranged for them to have dinner at the exact spot that Walter had booked for her as his anniversary gift—the gift that gave Aleesa permission to hook up with that sexy photographer. The gift that, thanks to both her cousin and her husband coming to their senses, never got redeemed.
“Good memories?” Bobby asked, noticing her amusement.
“Not quite. It’s kind of a family joke.”
“Well, l
et’s grab a cab and you can make me laugh on the way.”
Less than ten minutes later, Livia and Bobby were navigating Columbus Circle and arrived at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. They walked through the front doors and into a posh entry where they were directed through another etched glass door to a bank of elevators. The two traveled in companionable silence up thirty-five floors, each enjoying the quiet buzz of anticipation. As she’d done in the theater, Livia snuck a few sideways glances at her old flame, marveling at his well-preserved physique. Dressed in a gray suit with a thin pinstripe, Bobby had the commanding presence of a successful CEO. The man beside her exuded power, a power that was both compelling as well as intimidating. Her eye caught their reflection in the rose-patterned swirls of brass embedded in the gleaming dark woods of the elevator doors. There they were again, the basketball star and his cheerleader—still a golden couple at the onset of their golden years.
A soft chime informed them that they’d reached their destination. The elevator doors parted and Livia and Bobby stepped out of the lift and into the soothing, Asian-inspired design of the hotel lobby. Bobby followed Aleesa’s instructions and went directly to the concierge to find out what was coming next in what was turning out to be an evening full of surprises. First, at the theater, not only had Livia been surprised, but he also had been pleasantly shocked to learn that the girl he’d loved so long ago was as sweet and beautiful as ever. Ultimately, curiosity had been the impetus behind Bobby’s acceptance of Aleesa’s invitation. Over the years, he’d often thought about Livia, sorry for any pain he’d caused her, and wondering what had become of her, as well as what might have been. His Livi Girl was as sweet as before. Was she still as innocent as well? They’d broken up over unfinished business. Now he was in New York City ready, if she was willing, to complete what they’d begun over thirty years ago.
“It’s for you,” Bobby told her, handing her a lovely handmade gift card.