Erotic City

by Pynk

  “This early on a weekday? What’s going on?”

  “You know when I got the call from Ramada?”

  “Yeah.” Milan held her breath, waiting for his reply.

  “Well, it was Taj calling from home. Ramada left him there.”

  She swallowed hard. “Left him?” She breathed.

  “He’d been home all night and the house alarm went off. She wasn’t planning on coming home for three days. He was missing summer school.”

  “What? Oh God. Then I guess that’s where she was going when Jarod saw her. That’s why I called you back. Jarod called and told me she went out of town. He saw her at the airport. I just assumed Taj was with a babysitter or something.”

  “He saw her?”

  “Yeah. And she was with Big Mack.”

  “Hold up. She was with who?”

  “Big Mack.”

  “She was with him after all that mess about him forcing her?”

  “That’s what Jarod said. That they were definitely together.”

  “And she had the nerve to leave my son alone and run off?” Lavender sounded as angry as Milan had ever heard him.

  “Did you call her?”

  “Yeah. She didn’t dare answer. Now I see. She’s been busy with somebody who got her distracted by his money. Makes perfect sense. I wonder if she was with him that day she wanted me to watch Taj for a few hours when she came back early starting mess with you.”

  “Who knows anymore with her? What I don’t understand is how she could think she’d get away with leaving an eight-and-a-half-year-old alone like that? Taj must’ve been scared to death. Was someone really trying to get in?”

  “Everything was fine. All the doors and windows were secure. The police came out and put it on record that I have him.”

  Milan turned the corner and shook her head. “I must say I’m not surprised. Crazy leaves clues, you know? Ramada is a nightmare. She should have been born without eggs.”

  “Well, I’m filing a petition to get full custody in the morning. No more of this pick him up from school and you get your days, I get my days. He won’t be around her at all. She basically abandoned him. And, I already talked to Great Mama. I’m flying her out tomorrow so she can help take care of him for a while. You know she’s been going crazy being in Florida by herself. It was driving her up a wall anyway. Eventually she wants to sell her house and move here. She wants to be near Taj. And I’d feel better having her here anyway.”

  Milan managed to smile. “Good. I’m happy about that.”

  “And for now, I want you to know I’m gonna put off my plans to open Lavender’s.”

  Milan felt surprised and relieved. “Oh really? Was that gonna be the name of it?”

  “Probably. Just a thought. Gotta get this Taj thing handled first. Where’re you headed?”

  Milan paused and then said, “Nancy is in the hospital. Believe it or not, she was raped.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “I guess last night.”

  “And they called you?” Lavender sounded amazed.

  “Jarod gave them my number.”

  “Jarod and Nancy are still talking? I thought Tamiko said they were done.”

  “He told me that, too. Seems she wasn’t letting go too easily either. And, she had a miscarriage. She told the hospital it was his.”

  “What? I have to say that I’m shocked. But I’m more shocked that you’re headed over there.”

  Milan pulled into the hospital parking lot. “Tell me about it. Please tell Taj I’m glad he’s okay.”

  “I will. And maybe you can stop by when you’re done. I was gonna play basketball with Brian but I’m here with Taj.”

  “I’ll do that. I’ll call you.”

  “And I won’t be at work tonight. I’ll be here with him.”

  “Okay. We’ll make do.” Milan turned off the ignition and opened the door.

  “And I really do hope Nancy’s okay.”

  “I didn’t think I’d feel this way, but I hope she’s okay, too. This just might all work out. I had a thought. I’ll tell you about it later. Bye.”

  “Okay. Bye.”

  Milan disconnected the phone and looked up at the sky and said, “I’m still saying it. Thank you, Dear Lord, for all things.”

  45

  “Soon as I Get Home”

  Thursday, June 5, 2008

  10:01 p.m.

  I just don’t picture you being a Hennessy-type-a girl.”

  The fireplace was lit and the smell of burning wood was in the air.

  Tamiko sat in the living room of her new friend Kellen’s home. They’d connected over the phone the day after Jarod left and agreed to have dinner. They’d planned on meeting at Johnny Carino’s Italian Grill in the Camp Creek Marketplace because Tamiko had scheduled a meeting nearby to look over some samples that her seamstress had made, but the meeting was rescheduled for the following week. Tamiko called Kellen to talk about meeting somewhere else since he lived in Fayetteville near her home, and he offered to cook Italian once he got home from work. She found that to be an offer she could not refuse.

  Tamiko spoke with the strong drink in her hand. “Neither did I. I was always into wine but a friend of mine left a bottle over at my house after a party and that was all she wrote. It does the trick.”

  They sat next to each other on his brown microsuede-upholstered couch. He held on to a cold bottle of beer. Kellen’s newer, three-bedroom home had bay windows, high vaulted ceilings, and beautiful hardwood floors. His color of choice for everything was chocolate. And his taste was very contemporary.

  After sitting at the dark walnut table in the formal dining room where they’d devoured his Ragù version of lasagna and a Caesar salad, they were in his large living room listening to Keyshia Cole’s “Love” and talking.

  Kellen said, “I was glad you called after we met. Sorry we had trouble connecting. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  She sat barefoot, wiggling her toes while she talked. “Hey, I needed to get out. Though I really must say I wasn’t expecting a home-cooked meal.”

  “I’ll bet you deserve it. Sounds like you stay locked in a lot?”

  “You could say that. But I needed to get my mind off of stuff.” She took a sip and then licked her lips.

  “I see. Moms taught me how to make the quick version of lasagna. Gotta be self-sufficient, you know.”

  “I see that.”

  “Yeah, so I’m glad you could come by since we’re not too far from each other.” His voice was hip and young and sexy.

  She found herself feeling the sexy part more than anything else. “You know they say it’s a real no-no to go over to a man’s house on a first date.”

  “Really? Are you cool though? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or anything.”

  “Oh no, I’m fine.”

  “Good. Good.” He looked down at her naked feet and said, “Listen, I wanted to ask you, do you date a lot? Or should I say, did you date a lot before your last relationship?”

  “Not really. I’ve had four long relationships. Not a lot of casual dating really. Honestly, I don’t really enjoy dating. People try and put their best foot forward, and it just seems like an audition sometimes.”

  “I agree. I don’t like it either. But, hey, whatcha gonna do? Gotta get out there and meet people.”

  “True.” Tamiko looked around toward the den area. “This is a nice house. How long have you been here?”

  “Just a few years. I had an apartment for a while and I took the money I’d been saving and put it down on this place. Got tired of paying someone else’s rent, ya know? Had to get me my own home.”

  “You got a nice one.”

  “Thanks.” Kellen took a swallow of his Corona. “I’ll be honest with you. Until you called on my home number and the caller ID came up, showing your last name, I didn’t know who you were.”

  “Who I was?”

  “I mean when it said last name Kennedy I r
emembered your sister’s name and it was like a bell went off. So I checked the Internet and not only did I see all the reports about the accusations against your sister’s club, but I even saw some pictures of you two on Google Images from when you guys were somewhere with your father. Your dad was big time I see. That must have been a trip. I mean, what was that like, being the daughter of someone that famous?”

  “I was so young when he was at the peak of his fame. You know, to us he was just dad. He was gone a lot. We didn’t really get close to him until he slowed down after he got sick when he was older.”

  “I can tell that you and Milan are very close.”

  “Oh yeah, we’re best friends. We’ve been though a lot.” She sipped a bit more.

  He nodded. “Let me ask you, if you don’t mind. I mean, with your sister having a club like that and every- thing, is that something you ever thought about? Swinging?”

  Tamiko wore a small frown. “Oh no. I went there once the other day since I was thinking about helping her run it for a minute while she’s out of town, but I’m leaning toward not doing it. It was more than I could have ever imagined.”

  “Not your style, huh?”

  “Not even. How about you? Have you ever tried it?”

  “No. Not that I haven’t thought about it, you know. I mean, a lot of people that I know have tried it.”

  “I guess you just have to be curious enough to want to try. And I definitely am not.” She crossed her legs.

  “It does sound like she’s doing okay for herself over there.”

  “She is. They’re making money off of it. Their bad press proved to be good for business.”

  Tamiko took another swallow of her potent drink and it burned as it traveled to her belly.

  Kellen aimed the CD remote to play Lauryn Hill’s “I Used to Love Him.” “Tell me about you and what you do as far as business. How’d you get into designing clothes?”

  “Oh, way back when, my mother had a sewing machine that she never used. I took a sewing class in school and started making my own clothes. I even made my own prom dress. I got pretty good. Guess I just have had a knack for it. My dream is to have my own line called Cheekz.”

  He eyed her legs and said, “Nice name. You know, you could be a model yourself. You’re very beautiful. You know that’s your name, right? Beautiful.” He did a stretch and yawn move, reaching around to hug her.

  She moved an inch closer and nodded. “Thank you.”

  He grinned. “It’s true. So what’s stopping you from getting your line off the ground? That name is hot.”

  “I’m working on it. I’m getting some samples made and then I’ll get out there to the buyers. I have a meeting next week to go over some skirts and pants I designed.”

  “You know, I can help you if you want me to.” He eyed every inch of her face.

  Her eyes lit up. “How?”

  “I know a lot of buyers. We sometimes book blocks of time for celebrities to shop alone and they close down the designer stores. So the managers tend to pick up the phone when I call. What you need to do is showcase your designs and invite these guys.”

  “I’m working on it. So, you’ve got some serious hook-up power, huh?”

  “I do know a little bit about the business. I had a line of caps called Positivity. I sold that a while back.”

  “Positivity was your design? With the positive slogans and stuff?”

  “Yep. That idea is why I have this house.”

  “Impressive. You’ll have to tell me all about how you got that started.”

  He watched the movement of her mouth. “I will. Hey, ah, Beautiful?”

  She noticed him noticing. “Yes.” Her voice became shy.

  “You’ve got the sexiest lips I’ve ever seen. I’m telling you.” And with that Kellen brought his face to hers and began kissing Tamiko. She closed her eyes and followed his lead once their tongues met. He slowly pulled away, but not before his tongue lingered to trace the design of her lips. The parting made a smacking sound. And then it was Tamiko who moved in to his mouth, kissing him, placing her hand on his shoulder. She backed away and waved her hand to her face, looking flushed.

  The white pepper and mandarin scent of his Bur-berry Touch cologne tickled her brain. “I shouldn’t have kissed you back like that.”

  “Why not?” He saw the shape of her hard nipples showing under her tight T-shirt.

  She set her glass on the coffee table and uncrossed her legs. “As nice as that was, I just need to get to know you first.” She looked at her wristwatch. “Plus, it’s very late. I’m usually in bed by now. I don’t think I should even be here. I should’ve left earlier.” She began to stand.

  He took her hand and guided her back down to the couch. “Who says? Just try to relax.” He pulled her close.

  “I’ll be honest with you. I just don’t want to get intimate so soon.”

  “I understand. Please don’t think you need to go slow because I might think badly of you. I just enjoy having you here. No pressure.”

  Tamiko rubbed her forehead as she spoke. “It’s just that, I haven’t been with anyone but my ex in more than a year. And now that it’s over, I really don’t want to have that rebound sex. You know? I just need some more time.” She turned to him and realized that she was a little buzzed.

  He looked her in the eyes. “Okay. But I still don’t think you need to be driving. I know you don’t live too far but, you can sleep in my room. I won’t touch you. I promise.”

  “Your room?”

  “My room. And tomorrow, I’ll take you to breakfast and we can talk some more. How’s that?”

  Tamiko gave a long blink, exhaled and said, “That’d be nice.”

  “Good.” Kellen stood up after finishing his last sip of beer. He walked back through the den and down the hallway. His voice traveled. “I’ll find something for you to sleep in. And I’ll get the bed ready. I’ll sleep in the guest room next door.”

  Tamiko spoke loudly. “Okay.” She also said under her breath, “What am I doing?” As she heard a beep sound, she looked down at her purse, which was on the floor, and reached inside to get her cell, noticing that her battery was low. Just as she started to press the power button, her phone died anyway.

  She replaced her phone and sat back, securing her back onto the cushion, and sipping the last of her amber liquid. She stayed.

  By three-thirty in the morning, Tamiko awoke. Her eyes widened little by little and she gave a jerking motion, as though she forgot where she was. The room was pitch-black as she looked at the large red numbers of the digital clock over the television. She pulled back the soft sienna blanket from the panel bed and got up, walked to the bedroom door, and went to the next door. Her head spun slightly as she stepped. She knocked. “Kellen.”

  “Yeah,” he said, sounding groggy.

  “Can I come in?”

  “Yeah.”

  Quietly, she turned the knob and stepped inside of the handsomely furnished guest room, walking along the plush carpet on her tiptoes. The flat-screen television was muted.

  He asked, “Are you okay?”

  “I am. I just have a tiny headache.” She stood over his side of the four-poster king bed. “Do you mind if I get in with you? I don’t want to be alone. I mean, I’m just wondering if I should. It’s just that being alone in your bed made me think it would be better, I mean since I’m here and you’re here, if we just, well you know, slept in the same bed.” Her face showed the same uncertainty as her words.

  He gave her a major grin. “Yeah. Come on.” He patted the empty side of the bed and she crawled over him. She wore a big white T-shirt and white panties. “Do you want some Tylenol or something?” he asked.

  “No thanks. I just need to sleep it off.” She snuggled under the mocha-embroidered covers and backed up to him, hugging two foam pillows with her left arm.

  “Do you mind if I go with you to that meeting next week?” he asked in her ear.

  “That would be f
ine.”

  He rested his arm along her waist and found her hand. As they interlocked fingers he said, “Good-night, Beautiful.”

  She could feel his nature rising behind her butt. “Good night,” she replied while grinning just as major as he was.

  46

  “Give It Up, Turn It Loose”

  Friday, June 6, 2008

  9:50 a.m.

  Where’ve you been all night?” Milan asked after answering her kitchen phone, sounding tense. “Your phone went straight to voice mail.”

  Tamiko was driving from the Waffle House toward her home. “My phone died. I have it plugged in the car charger now. I was at Kellen’s.”

  “On a first date you went over to his place?”

  “I did. We just had breakfast.”

  “Dang, Tamiko.”

  “Dang what? Wasn’t it you who told me to live a little?”

  “And? What happened?” Milan’s voice was expectant.

  “Nothing.”

  “Yeah right.” Milan sat at her kitchen bar area, sipping on cinnamon coffee.

  “Milan, I’m telling you the truth. He was a perfect gentleman. What’s up with you?”

  Milan spit it out. “Nancy’s in the hospital. I went by there last evening. I was gonna wait until today to call you but when the club closed, I decided to try you on my way home. She was raped.”

  Tamiko’s voice got higher. “Raped?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you went by to see her?”

  “Of course.”

  “Of course?”

  “The hospital called me. What was I supposed to do?”

  Tamiko gave an exasperated breath. “Okay, with you being the one to tell me it was on as far as Nancy goes, what do you expect me to think? I know she didn’t give them your number?”

  “Jarod gave it to them.”

  “Jarod was there?” Tamiko’s voice cracked. Her sigh was audible.

  “Yeah. And I think they’re, well, he was still there when I left.” Milan slipped her index finger over the rim of her coffee cup and traced the edge.