by Warren, Mike
Just Make Him Beautiful
Just Make Him Beautiful
By Mike Warren
Life Changing Books in conjunction with Power Play Media
Published by Life Changing Books
P.O. Box 423 Brandywine, MD 20613
This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, events, establishments, or locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Other names, characters, and incidents occurring in the work are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, as are those fictionalized events and incidents that involve real persons. Any character that happens to share the name of a person who is an acquaintance of the author, past or present, is purely coincidental and is in no way intended to be an actual account involving that person.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data;
www.lifechangingbooks.net
13 Digit: 978-1934230657
10 Digit: 1-934230650
Copyright: 2012
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
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DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this fourth novel of mine to the loved ones that I lost this past year.
In loving memory of my younger brother:
Anthony D. Hill Sr.
And in loving memory of my daughter:
Lakeshia D. Hill
I truly love and miss you both.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I first want to thank my family for their love and support of my work and their understanding.
Secondly, my partner, Anthony L. Parker who is my biggest fan and supporter.
To all of my fans who have encouraged me to continue my writing. I want to say thank you, you guys have no idea how much I appreciate the calls and the messages of support and love you guys send me everyday. It gives me the strength to continue.
I also want to thank Carlton Smith, Co-Founder & Vice President of Black Gay Pride Inc. and Kevin Clemons, Founder & Chair of Baltimore Black Pride Inc., who have supported my work since my first novel, “A Private Affair”. You guys are “Awesome”.
To all the book clubs, book stores and radio shows, thank you thank you thank you for your continue support.
Last but not least, I want to thank my Publisher Tressa Smallwood and all the LCB writers, let’s do the dayum thing!
Mike Warren
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/mikewarren
www.mikewarren.yolasite.com
www.lifechangingbooks.net
Chapter 1
“Sean, please go away! I don’t want you to see me like this,” I screamed, trying to hide myself against the wall.
“What the fuck you doing?” Sean looked at me as though I was a ghost. “What’s this shit about, Cam?”
My dragon sista girl, Akasha Casidene, came to my defense. “Ah, excuse me, honey,” she said. “I don’t know who you are, but you need to leave my sista girl alone. Now, just because I’m in this dress and heels don’t mean I can’t throw down. Don’t get it twisted.”
Sean got in her face. “Look, bitch, you betta step off before I fuck you up.”
This is really not what I had expected to go down. I mean, I still loved Sean with all my heart, and I just wanted to surprise him with a little song and dance, so the last thing I wanted was for a fight to break out.
Just as I was about to get between Akasha and Sean, the club’s security showed up. “Yo, my brotha, come on, man. Let’s chill this out. What’s the problem here?”
While security pulled Sean aside, I grabbed Akasha’s arm, and we both got back into the limo.
“Giiiiiirl, I don’t know what his problem is. Who was he?” Akasha pulled out her compact and checked her makeup.
“That was Sean,” I replied, feeling sad.
“Ooh, chile. Not the one and only Mr. Sean Mathews?”
“The one and only.” My eyes were beginning to well up.
“My! You said he was fine, and you didn’t lie either, girl. Hell, the only reason I didn’t kick him in the nuts or his dick was because I thought I might get a chance to taste them later. Kee-kee-kee-kee!”
“Chile, boo,” I replied, waving my hand at her and wiping my eyes with the othe
“But, seriously, do you still wanna do this?”
“I think so,” I answered, not sure of what I really wanted to do.
“Driver, can you just go around to the back entrance please.”
“Yes, ma’am, not a problem.”
Within seconds, we were at the back door entrance. Unfortunately, the door was locked, so my girl Akasha began banging on the door like she was the police.
A security guard held the door open for us to enter. “Ms. Akasha, why are you out here banging on the back door?”
“Thanks, Al, but you don’t even wanna know. Oh, this is my girl, Camira Saxton. Tonight will be her first time performing.”
“Dayum, Camira! You fine as shit, girl.Come on over here and give daddy some love.”
“Al, don’t try it. You keep on and I’ma tell yo’ wife on you.”
Akasha grabbed my hand and led me downstairs to what I assumed was the dressing rooms. And, Lawd knows, not a moment too soon, because Al was a big ol’, burly, greasy-looking brotha, and I knew he just wanted to cop a feel.
“Girl, you got your music?” Akasha asked as we entered the small dressing room.
“Yeah, it’s in my bag. Why?”
“Give it to me so I can take it to the DJ to queue it up.”
“I’m not ready now. I don’t go on for another hour or so.”
“I swear, you new dragons kill me.”
“What?”
“Ms. Camira Saxton, the DJ needs to have your music queued so that when you do go on stage, your music will be ready. I bet you probably thought you wouldn’t give it to him until you were about to go on stage, huh?”
“No,” I snapped, not really understanding what difference it made.
I handed Akasha my music to give to the DJ and began unpacking the outfit I brought to perform in. I’d been rehearsing Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” for the past couple of weeks, just for Mr. Sean Mathews. As my sista girl Akasha was helping me with my transformation into the “drag queen world,” we both realized just how much I looked like Beyoncé, so hence the choice of song. But, not to toot my own horn, I looked so much better. Besides, the only thing Ms. Beyoncé had over me was her coins, okay!
I sat in front of the lighted mirror and stared at my reflection. How did I get to this point in my life?
“Hey, ma. How you doing?” this gorgeous, young, dark-skinned brother asked.
“Ah, hello,” I replied, somewhat startled.
“My bad. I didn’t mean to scare you, ma.” He held his hand out to shake mine.
“Oh, dear chile, no, no, no. It would take a lil more man than you to scare a lady like me,” I replied as I held my hand out, letting him know he may kiss it, as a gentleman should.
“My name is Mike, and you are, beautiful?” he asked as he leaned down to kiss the back of my hand.
“Camira Saxton,” I replied, staring at him, wondering where I’d seen him before.
Just then this short Puerto Rican dude interrupted our conversation. “Yo, Mike, I just seen Sean come in the club. Can you help me get ready?”
“A’ight, man, I’ll be right there,” Mike told him. Then he turned to me and said, “Well, Camira, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Of course, it was. I see Sean still likes things done his way and in a timely manner, hu
h?” I asked with a hint of sarcasm.
“Oh, so you know Sean?” Mike asked.
“Biblically,” I answered with a smile.
Mike looked at me as though he didn’t understand my response. Then he walked away. And even though he didn’t know who I was, I knew he must have been one of Sean’s boys. Which caused me to wonder, Why didn’t Sean ever pick me to be one of his boys? Hmmm?
As I sat there looking in the mirror and reapplying my makeup, I heard all this yelling going on upstairs. I couldn’t make out the voices, so I continued to apply my makeup.
Next thing I know, Akasha came down the steps cussing and bitching up a storm. “Girl, who got your wig in a knot?” I asked.
“You won’t believe who’s here,” she huffed.
“Who?” I asked, not really caring one way or the other.
“That ‘draga-surous’ Ms. Bi-bi Lemoore. That bitch!
“Who’s that?” I asked, puzzled.
“You remember the bitch that wanted to fight me down at Club Bunnz about a month or so ago because she claimed I stole her tired-ass lip-gloss?”
“Oh, yeah, I remember now. What is she doing here?”
“She gonna get her ass killed, she keep fuckin’ with me!” Akasha yelled.
At that moment, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I knew some shit was about to jump off.
Ms. Lemoore approached Akasha with fire in her eyes. “Bitch, you gonna do what?”
“I said you gonna…”
Before Akasha had a chance to finish her sentence, Ms. Lemoore swung and punched my girl right in the jaw. Akasha lost her balance, and her ass fell dead on the floor. I felt kinda bad for Akasha because there were other performers standing around laughing and kee-keeing.
Ms. Lemoore looked at me. “And what you gonna do, biotch?” she sneered at me with her hands on her hips, her head moving from side to side.
The last thing I wanted to do was get into it with this six-foot, hoochie-thug drag queen that looked like an alien with heels on, but what choice did I have? And even though I considered myself to be a lady, I jumped up from my seat with my hands balled and yelled, “I know you’re not talking to me, you E.T.-looking bitch!”
Well, thank God for Mike because Ms. Lemoore charged towards me, and all I could see was the steam rising up from her two-dollar wig as she balled up her fist.
Just before my legs were about to buckle, Mike grabbed her from behind and shoved her against the wall and calmly stated to her, “I don’t think you wanna do that to Ms. Camira now, do you?”
She yelled, “Get the fuck off me, you faggot!”
At that point, Ms. Ineedaman and security came running downstairs to see what all the commotion was about. Once it was explained, security escorted Ms. Lemoore out of the building.
“Look, y’all, we are already running late. The show should have started thirty minutes ago. Now, can we start the show, please?” Ms. Ineedaman pleaded.
As the performers began to spread out and prepare for their routine, I went over and kneeled in front of Akasha to make sure she was okay. “Akasha, wake up,” I said, slapping her in the face.
“I’m here, I’m here,” she replied, coming to.
“Good. It’s showtime. Let’s get ready.” I helped her to her feet.
“You know that bitch just got a lucky punch,” Akasha stated as she stumbled to her feet. “But you wait until I see her ass again.”
I know Akasha was only saying that to save face, but the truth is, Ms. Lemoore knocked her the fuck out, and she would have done the same to me if it weren’t for Mike. I definitely had to thank him for coming to my rescue.
Akasha went into the restroom to freshen herself up, and I took my seat at the mirror and thought about how fine Mike really was. Hmmm, my knight in shining armor, I thought to myself.
“You a’ight, Ms. Camira?” Mike touched me on my shoulder.
“Oh, Mike, you startled me,” I said, looking up at him.
He smiled. “I thought you said it would take a li’l bit more of a man than me to scare you?”
“I didn’t say you scared me. I said you startled me. There is a difference, sweetheart,” I snapped, trying not to look at him too hard.
“Dayum! My bad, ma. And why you so mean anyway? You ain’t got a man or sumf’n?” Mike asked in his sexy, thugged-out voice.
“Why you so concern?” I thought about what I was about to say and realized that Mike didn’t deserve my diva attitude. After all, he’d just come to my rescue, and while he stood there with these jean shorts on and his manhood swinging all over the place, causing my hormones to go into overdrive, I needed to chill.
I took a deep breath. “Look, Mike, I apologize for my attitude, and thank you for taking care of that six-foot alien.” I smiled.
“Aw! There you go. See, you’re really pretty when you smile.”
“So, what you’re saying is I’m not pretty if I don’t smile?”
“Naw, Ms. Camira. I think you’re very attractive,” he replied, stooping down and looking at me at eye level.
“Lil’ boy, what are you tryin’to do?”
“Lil’ boy, Ms. Camira? You ain’t that much older than me. And what do you think I’m doing?” he asked, rubbing his hand up and down my leg.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you have to ask Sean for his consent to try to get in someone else’s pants?” I batted my eyes.
“Something like that, but I’m sure he wouldn’t have a problem with you.”
“You think so, huh? Wow. You have no idea as to who I am, do you?”
“Ah, should I?” he asked, looking into my eyes as though he was trying to figure out who I was.
“Why don’t you go ask Sean?”
“Okay, I will,” he said, rising from the floor and walking away.
“Hey, where you going?”
“I’m going to ask Sean who you are. Now, don’t go anywhere, gorgeous. I’ll be right back.” Mike smiled, climbing the steps two at a time.
Chile, boo, I thought to myself. These kids today are a mess. And I know he couldn’t be no older than twenty-two, if that, and tryin’ to get with someone like me. Humph! The nerve. However, I will admit, he’s a big boy. Lawd have mercy. Young, chocolate, and fine. I do give Sean credit for having good taste.
*
Hmmm, Sean Mathews. What can I say about Sean? For those of you who don’t know, I, Camira Saxton aka Cameron Jenkins, happened to be the love of Sean Mathews’ life.
I’d met Sean just about four years ago, right after I’d graduated from Basic Training and AIT (Advance Individual Training), which was when I’d first noticed him. Yeah, chile, can you imagine . . . me in Uncle Sam’s Army?
Fort George G. Meade, Maryland was my first duty station, and Sean became my roommate. I had found out, through a good friend of mine who worked in the administration office on base that he was from Maryland, and that’s where he was going to be stationed. Well, honies, that’s all I needed to know.
Mr. Sean Mathews was what I always prayed for. Starting when I was a teen, every night I used to pray, please God, just make him beautiful. And that Sean was.
I pulled some strings, so to speak, and had my orders changed to Fort George G. Meade, Maryland as well.
*
Wow, I remember it just like it was yesterday. I had gotten there before Sean and decided which side of the room I wanted. I had unpacked my belongings, decorated the room with a white fur rug with matching comforter, and changed out of that tired army-green uniform. Then I put on my leopard Speedo and my fierce straw hat and stood in my full-length mirror singing my girl Patti Labelle’s hit, “Lady Marmalade.” Thinking back, I really thought I was the shit.
But when Sean entered the room, chile, he looked like a black Arnold Schwarzenegger. I couldn’t wait to show him my skills.
Unfortunately, as time went on, I learned he was a married man with a family in Baltimore. Needless to say, this didn’t discourage me. I’d dealt
with several brothas who were married or had girlfriends. So for me, this only meant it would just take a little longer.
But, truth be told, it took almost two years before Sean and I actually did the wild thing. And can you believe it happened the night before I was to get married? Dayum straight, no pun intended. Right after the bachelor party he threw in my honor. After that, baby, his nose was wide open.
Sean and I had been through a lot, but if nothing else, we always maintained a close friendship. But since he won that “sir” contest and started initiating all these “boys,” and relocated to Hawaii, our friendship had become strained.
Now, I knew deep down, he still loved me. Even though he became angry when he first saw me outside, I knew that was only because he was caught off guard and didn’t know I had transformed myself into this gorgeous creature.
*
Sitting here thinking of the good times Sean and I had shared, I began to hear the loud music and the audience yelling and screaming with laughter coming from upstairs as Ms. Ineedaman began introducing a few of the performers. Lucky for me, I wasn’t going on until close to the end.
Oh, by the way, did I mention that Sean confessed his love for me on my wedding day? Chile, yes, he did. And trust me when I say, that was a big mess. In front of God, his family, my family, and our friends, he announced, “Cameron, I love you and want to be with you. Please don’t make the same mistake I did.”
Well, what was a girl to do? I mean, here I was, standing there with my not-too-bright bride, her father, the minister, and the guests staring at me, waiting for a response from li’l ol’ me.
Just so you know, I’ve always been the type of girl who always wanted to be in a relationship. I’ve never been one of those hoes that wanted to be with a different man every night, like some of us gay men do. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done a lot of things in my past that I’m not proud of, and yes, I’ve had my share of one-night stands here and there, but it was with the hope that each of these men was the right one. But then I realized they were just saying whatever it took to get in my pants.