“Pretender I am not.”
“I see.”
We chatted over the selections and finally placed an order. The food didn’t take long at all and came out piping hot, which I loved. And as expensive as this was, it had better been freshly hot.
“Feeling like dessert?” Rahim leaned back sexily, looking me over with his eyes squinted.
“Eh, kind of, but I am full.”
“We can share the brownie. It’s bomb as fuck; you gotta try it.”
“Okay, since you twisted my arm.” We cackled in unison.
The brownie was indeed good, and after being stuffed like a turkey, I was sleepy as hell.
“The drive is gonna be long, so we can chill here until traffic dies down some if you want.” Rahim walked around the table to help me up after paying the pricey bill.
“Chill here?”
“Yeah. This is a hotel.”
“I don’t know. It’s already seven thirty p.m.” I checked the time on my iPhone.
“It’s best to leave around eight p.m. I thought you’d know that, LA resident.”
“I do. I do.” I pondered for some seconds. “Okay, until eight p.m.”
Rahim held my hand, which felt nice, and led me out of the restaurant and into the hotel. We got on the elevator to my surprise, and then once off, headed to a room.
“Did you… plan… this…” My last two words were barely audible, because when I stepped in the room, I saw a huge bouquet of roses. The lights were low already too. “Rahim.” I looked up into his face as he let the heavy hotel door slam.
“Shanece.” He spoke my name as he hugged my body, kissing all over me. “I want you.” He talked, taking my clothes off in which I didn’t stop him.
I was in heat, he was sexy, and I liked him a lot despite being married.
Once my naked body hit the bed, he dropped down to start eating my pussy promptly. It felt so good that I came in under a minute. I hadn’t been touched down there in a very long time. His hand reached up to squeeze my breasts as he continued, and moments later, I had cum again.
Out of breath, I watched Rahim strip down before putting a condom on. He got between my legs, staring me in the eyes deeply before plunging inside of me.
“Mm.” I winced, locking my ankles around his waist and gripping his back.
As he rocked in and out of me, we made love with our mouths. Rahim whispered a bunch of things to me as he fucked, telling me how much he thought about me and how obsessed he was. Minutes later, we came together.
Even precious time flies when you’re having fun…
My phone ringing jolted me from my slumber, and for a moment, I had to remember where I was. The previous events washed over me just as the ringing ceased, but it soon started up again. Frowning, I got out of bed and stumbled around until my eyes landed on my purse.
Rummaging through, I fetched my ringing phone, seeing the number to the hospital.
“Yes, hello, is everything okay?” My head was hurting from hopping right up out of the bed.
“Mrs. Porter, this is Dr. Laura. Can you come down to hospital right now?”
“Yes, but is there a problem?” I began looking around in the dark for my clothes.
“Sweetheart, just please come as soon as you can.” She huffed as I slipped into my panties and clothing.
“Dr. Laura, I—”
“Let us know when you are here.” She hung up.
“You okay?” Rahim asked groggily.
“I need to go to the—damnit, you drove me! Fuck!”
“I can take you where you need to go, Shanece.” He stood up, getting dressed as well.
“Fine, but please hurry up!” I panicked.
“Is everything cool?” He finished, pocketing his keys and the room card.
“I don’t know, but come on, please.”
“Aight, aight.”
We rushed out, running because I made him, and it seemed like it took valet forever to get the damn car. Rahim floored it to the hospital at my request, and I asked him to drop me at the front. Bypassing the check-in desk, I got on the elevator and rode up to the floor that Paul’s room was on. I almost slid running off, heart pounding because it took me thirty damn minutes to get here, and I was anxious.
I got to his room, and when I walked in, Dr. Laura blocked my path. The room was pretty large, so I couldn’t see my husband yet. Two nurses came to stand beside us.
“Mrs. Porter, about forty-five minutes ago, Mr. Porter’s heart stopped and—”
“So, it’s done that a few times! You got it back going like usual, right?” I stared up at her, but she hadn’t spoken again yet. “Right? You got it back going right! Y—you all said his heart was strong, so that’s why it kept coming back. So that happened again. That’s it, right?”
“No.” She shook her head, wearing a sympathetic expression. Her voice was very soft, expressing her true sadness for my husband and me.
It seemed like the world had frozen, and my body was numb. My eyes stayed glued to Dr. Laura’s face as she continued to talk, but I heard nothing. My chest got tight as if I were having a heart attack, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
There was no way Paul was dead. I had been with this man since I was a teenager; he was the love of my life, and I was supposed to grow old with him. Life without Paul didn’t even seem possible. And worst of all, while he was fighting for his life, I was out laid up with another man.
The last thing I remembered was my phone buzzing and me seeing Rahim’s name before I passed out.
Camarih
Some odd days later…
I’d just finished bringing flowers to Shanece and had sat with her for a few hours inside of the hospital. She was extremely sorrowful, and in all the time that I’d known her, from back when I was with Prince, I’d never seen her look that way.
Paul and I had never really gotten a chance to click, but I knew she loved him and a lot. Even if she did what she had with Rahim, I believed she loved Paul more than anything. I felt like a hypocrite saying that because I was always one to believe that if a person really and truly loved you, they would never be unfaithful.
I felt bad for the way I talked to Paul, even though he said some asshole things, because I didn’t think he meant it. I believed Shanece when she told me he was a different man before cancer. And I can’t say with 100 percent positivity that if I had a disease that was slowly killing me, I’d be the merriest bitch on Earth.
After sitting in my rental thinking a bit, I got a text from Tony.
Mine: Come to the studio.
Me: Baby I’m sleepy.
Mine: Bring yo’ ass, Camarih.
Me: You are so stupid and inconsiderate!
Rolling my eyes, I locked my phone and left the parking lot. I was angry the whole way to the studio because I was sleepy as hell. All I wanted to do was rest, but no, he didn’t care. He didn’t care that I had this person inside of my body making me feel fat, tired, and hungry. What a stupid asshole he was. I honestly should break up with him when I got there.
Securing a space in the lot I usually parked in, I hopped out and went inside to see the studio packed with about eleven people like usual.
As soon as I spotted Tony, my heart softened. He was so handsome, and as he walked toward me with all that swag, puffing on that blunt, I just wanted to pounce on his tall ass. As soon as he got close to me, he leaned down to press our noses together while frowning.
“Who the fuck you was popping shit to in that text?”
“I meant to send that elsewhere.” I grinned as he straightened up, still eyeing me suspiciously as he blew smoke away from me.
“That’s what the fuck I thought.” He took my hand.
“I wanna see!” Cornell shouted, trailing us and confusing me.
More people came as well, as I followed Tony back to the lot I was just in. Finally, we stopped, and Tony let my hand go, walking backwards until a sexy grin spread over his face.
“You ai
n’t see this?” He rocked his head toward a BMW truck that was so clean I could see my reflection. It had a big blue bow on the front of it too.
“What’s that?”
“Come here, Camarih.” He tossed the blunt down, stepping on it.
I started toward him slowly, hearing everyone clamor about over the beautiful and expensive car.
“This is yours?” I quizzed as he pulled open the driver’s side for me. I got in, admiring the plush ass interior with wood grain details.
“Nah, this all you.” He shut the door.
“But I have a car.”
“Yeah, this one.”
“You didn’t have to—”
“What I tell you?” He pecked me.
“You can buy me what you want.” I simpered.
“That’s right. Let yo’ nigga spoil you when he want to.”
“Houston, I’ve never had a car this nice.” I ran my hands over the steering wheel as his people crowded around, eyeing the vehicle.
“Well now you do. Go home and sleep, you fucking brat.” He backed away from the car.
“How long are you gonna be here? And with her?” I nodded toward Nala who was looking the car over too, but with that desolate expression she often wore.
“I told you this is business shit. Ain’t nobody thinking about that bitch unless it’s about my fucking money. I’ve always only cared about her throat.”
“See, nigga—”
“I’m fucking with you.” He pulled open the car door as everyone else outside talked amongst themselves and enjoyed the chilly evening air. “You beautiful as fuck, baby.” He hugged me tightly, kissing me until I was smiling.
Tony began sucking my lips, intensifying our kiss, until I felt his dick hardening on my leg.
“Keep that for tonight.” I touched the bulge, wanting it right now.
“You already know. I can’t wait to rub it all over yo’ pretty ass mouth.”
“Ugh.” I laughed as he pecked my chin.
He let me out of his strong warm embrace to shut the door, after telling me he’d handle the rental. Smiling, I drove right by Nala in my brand-new car. I wanted to run her over when I saw her jog after Tony to walk alongside him back into the studio.
Once this baby dropped, I was beating her ass just because.
Tony and I had found a condo that we were moving into pretty soon. He was keeping his current place in Leimert Park, but we needed more space for the baby. I told him we could have the crib in our room, but he said he didn’t want his clothes smelling like diapers and shit. I shook my head with a titter as I thought about that.
Since I was finished boxing up the stuff I planned to take, because some furniture he was leaving here, I went to get dressed for this meeting.
My business had been doing well, almost too well, to the point where my products stayed sold out. It was bittersweet because I was making money, but it was stressful getting comments on my Youtube and on my business Instagram about how I never had any stock. And now that I was pregnant, it took me longer to make bigger batches.
By saying that, the fact that I was contacted by a small distributor was perfect timing. They would assist me in making product at a faster rate so I could have more stock, resulting in happier people and more money for me.
“Wow, you look so flawless in person, and wow.” The CEO of Pea Distributions, Patty, gaped down at my belly.
“Thank you, and yes, I keep this out of my photos for now.”
“I see. Well, have a seat, Miss Marlon.” She shut her office door, and I sat at the table. “So I’ve been seeing a lot of buzz about your product. I really want to try to get that in stores.”
“That’s nice, but I don’t want that just yet.”
“Really, why not?”
“Well my products are handmade, and stores equal machines. The quality always deteriorates when that happens. So I want to start with small distribution and then gradually grow.”
“Hmm.” Patty nodded, scribbling on her pad. “I like that you really want to sell something good and not just make a quick buck.”
“Money is nice, but I really want to help people improve their natural skin. So I was thinking maybe I could get some help? Get a few people, teach them how to make it, and that way I could create more batches.”
“Sounds like a great idea, Miss Marlon.” Patty wrote some more. “Did you see the percentage we discussed?”
“Yes, and I’m okay with fifteen percent of the profits going to you all.” I nodded. I’d already gotten Tony’s input. Not that he told me what to do, but he was smart, and I trusted him.
I wanted it lower, but he told me I would make way more in return and wouldn’t even notice that 15 percent. Plus, they were putting a lot of money into my brand which was gonna come out to be more than 15 percent he explained.
“Great!” Patty was so excited. Damn.
The meeting was over about forty-five minutes later, after we talked and went over the next steps in the process. Patty advised that I keep up with my sales tactics, aka my YouTube Channel, and the short clips I posted on Instagram showing how to use the products. I’d noticed that had increased my profits, and I already had 450,000 subscribers, then 750,000 on Instagram now. I knew some of that came from being with Tony, but a coin was a coin. If his old hoes wanted to buy from me, then they were more than welcome.
When done, I stopped by the grocery store to get some things to make Cajun pasta again. Tony loved it and hadn’t stopped talking about it since I made it the last time. I already had the meat part; I just needed more noodles and sauce.
“Camarih?” someone called out.
“Hi, I’m sorry. It may be pregnancy brain, but have we met?”
“Not formally, no. I’m Miranda, Tony’s mother.”
“Oh, his stepmom.” I nodded, wondering why she called herself his mother. I was sure he wouldn’t approve.
The way he talked to me about her gave me the impression that she wasn’t all too important to him. And despite his mom being on drugs, he seemed to still have love for her.
“Tomato, tomato.” She shrugged.
“Well, uh, it was nice meeting you.” I started to walk off since there was an awkward pause.
“Hey, question.” She stopped me in my tracks, so I turned around to face her. “You were dating someone else when you met my stepson, right?”
“I mean, not really. That relationship was pretty much over. Why? I don’t get why you’re asking me this.”
“Well, I don’t mean for this to come off rude or anything, but how can you be so sure that the baby in your belly is Tony’s?”
I laughed.
“Because I’m sure. He’s sure as well. Tony isn’t exactly a nigga that you can randomly pin a baby on.”
“Well… any man can get a baby pinned on him if it’s done correctly.” She winked.
I guess she’d done this in the past.
“I don’t know what kind of slutery you’re into, but I don’t pull stuff like that. This is his baby, and I know.”
“You know, or you just want it to be his?”
“Bitch, I said I know. Now what I don’t know is what the fuck your problem is; however, I suggest you drop it. I may be pregnant, but I am currently compiling a list of ass whoopings I plan to hand out, and you do not want to be one of those people.”
“My apologies, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to upset you. He’s family, and I had to be sure. You have a good rest of the day.” She turned on her heels and walked off.
I was confused for a moment, but then I remembered she was Brielle’s mother. Was she really doing this for her daughter? No way she approved of them fucking. I had no idea with this crazy ass family, but I meant what I said. I had no issue beating her or her daughter’s ass after I gave birth.
Rubie
“Good morning, Miss Bailey.” A woman walked into Eitan’s bedroom carrying a tray of breakfast.
“Morning.” I sat up in his big comfortable bed, feelin
g confused and a bit invaded on since I was naked. I held the sheet against my body.
“Mr. Wright said these were some of the foods you loved to eat for breakfast.” She placed the tray across my lap.
I smiled staring down at the fresh blueberry waffles, eggs, what smelled like apple sausage, strawberries, and juice.
“Thank you so much…”
“Bertha.” She nodded. “Is there anything else I can get you before I leave?”
“Some coffee if possible. I have to be at work soon, and I won’t have time to stop.”
“Sure thing, Miss Bailey.”
“Thanks!”
When Bertha turned her back, I prayed silently over the feast before opening my eyes while wearing a grin. I knew I said I wasn’t used to a man like Eitan, but I could surely change that. The breakfast, the gifts, the extremely comfortable bed, the nice views, and exciting events were a breath of fresh air compared to my usual Cinderella life. I hadn’t left Eitan’s place but once, and that was to gather some more clothes to stay here with him.
I usually didn’t fall for men this quickly and would always have different dudes I was dating until I met Armonn. And even then, I had to leave him alone to find out I even really wanted his ass. But Eitan was different for some reason. When with him, I enjoyed our time and wasn’t wondering if another man better than him was out there. Surprisingly enough though, I still loved Armonn.
And speaking of his ass, I hadn’t heard from him since he used money from my account to pay for photos. It’d been a while, and despite my constant calls and texts when away from Eitan, I got no response. His Instagram was even dry, making me worry more than before.
“Here you are, Miss Bailey.” Bertha set the piping hot coffee down, along with some sweet cream creamer from Cold Stone. I’d never had it until I met Eitan, but it made coffee taste like a cinnamon roll, especially if you paired it with the Cinnabon coffee.
I didn’t even know hood niggas drank coffee. I asked Camarih if Tony did, and she said if it wasn’t Jamba Juice, Hennessy, or water, he didn’t drink it. She said he told her coffee was for muthafuckas who needed to stay alert, and he was always alert. I laughed as I poured the creamer into my cup at that logic.
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