Just Can't Let Go (18 page)

CHAPTER 32

Phoenix

D
ev and I were going to be together forever.

All couples had rough patches that tested the strength of their relationship. For men, we dealt with stress by ejaculating. Like my man Marvin Gaye song,
Sexual Healing,
penetration always helped relieved my frustrations. Since I wasn't getting it at home, at least I had a steady side and didn't have randoms in a rotation.

“Daddy, where's Mommy?” Nya asked.

That was a good question. Nya and I had made it to Ebony's. We were on the couch. Strands of hair had separated from the pom-pom I'd given her this morning. I tried to gather the wiry edges, smoothed them out without having to untie her pink ribbon. My attempt made it worse. More hairs popped out. I left it alone. Ebony could touch up Nya's hair when she got home.

This was the first time I'd brought my little girl here. She wasn't old enough to understand what I was really doing. Nya opened her mouth wide, yawned in my face.

“Hang in there, baby girl,” I told her. “Food is on the way.”

Ebony should've been here by now. I texted her,
How much longer? Nya is restless.

Wish I had a definitive answer for my daughter on her mother's whereabouts. I told her the truth. “Baby, I don't know where your mommy is. What cha wanna watch on TV? The Disney Channel?”

“Where's Mommy? I want my mommy. I wanna go home, Daddy.” Nya rubbed her eyes.

I'd spent more time with our daughter than Dev. The days Nya was at home, she was usually asleep when Dev left for work. The same when Dev came in. But this whining for her mom was new.

Nya yawned again. Good. Hopefully she'd be ready for a nap soon. I turned to the Disney Channel.
Austin and Ally
was on. I leaned my little girl's head on my chest. My mom had let her pick out her clothes this morning. Nya had on pink everything. Sparkling tennis shoes. Shorts. Sleeveless T-shirt.

Nya shook her head. Her eyes slowly closed. She stretched them wide. “I wanna go to Grandma's.”

My mom hadn't called me since she'd taken off for her so-called vacation. Bet if I drove by her house she was there.

“Daddy, whose house is this?”

I scratched my head. “My friend. Marvin,” I lied.

“Where's Marbin.”

“Mar-vin. V, not B, baby.”

“I'm hungry.”

“Me too. Marvin's wife is bringing us something to eat any minute now.”

I texted Ebony,
Where are you? Nya and I are starving!

Nya fell asleep in my arms. No response from Ebony. She was starting to piss me off again. Maybe I should take a break from Ebony, deal with my home-front bullshit. I put Nya in the bed downstairs, tucked her in, left the door open so I could hear if she got up. Lying across the sofa, I changed the station to ESPN for the sports ten o'clock news.

Heard Ebony's car enter the driveway. I bit my bottom lip, stayed put on the couch. The jingle of keys at the front door made me flaming hot. She'd best have a justification for making my baby go to bed hungry.

“Hey, my babe,” Ebony said all cheery and shit. “I got us takeout from Houston's. Chicken fingers for Nya. Where is she?”

“She's two. McDonald's would've been better,” I said. I didn't look over my shoulder. Did not want to see her face. “And she's asleep in the bedroom down here.”

“Well, if that's what she likes, it's time to introduce her to something new. I got you the Hawaiian rib eye medium.”

“I prefer medium-well. You know that.”

She snapped, “Of course I do. By the time you heat it up it'll be perfect.”

This time I stood, followed her into the kitchen. “If you had brought your ass straight home instead of getting here three hours late, I wouldn't have to reheat it.”

Lowering her voice, Ebony told me, “I have to get up early. Why don't you and Nya take your meals to your house? I'm sure Devereaux is wondering where you are.”

Damn, Ebony was fine as hell. I pulled her dress over her hips, picked her up, sat her on the island in the kitchen. Removing her panties, I rummaged through the bag that was on the counter. “Lay back,” I told her.

“Phoenix, what if Nya wakes up?”

“She's asleep. Relax,” I said, opening what I assumed was my baked potato.

Scooping two fingers away from the peel, I topped it with sour cream, chives, bacon bits, and shredded cheese. I smeared her clit, then sucked it all off. “I'ma feast on you and eat my dinner at the same time.”

I rubbed my teriyaki glazed rib eye between her lips, then ate her sweet pussy until she came on my tongue. As she screamed, I hurried to cover her mouth.

My dick was rock solid. He wanted in. I deserved to release my frustration inside of Ebony. “Stand up and lean on the counter,” I said, unzipping my pants.

She squatted between my thighs. Her mouth opened wide. Damn near swallowed all of my dick. I watched my head disappear into her mouth, then my shaft, all the way to my balls. She came up, drooled on my dick, suctioned him in.

I pulled out. “I need to be inside of you, baby. Bend over the counter.”

Her white saliva drizzled over my head, down my thighs.

Ebony grabbed my shit tight. One hand around the top of the shaft, the other close to my nuts. All at the same time she bobbed up and down sucking my dick real hard while her hands rotated in opposite directions the way I loved it.

She was determined to make me bust. I was struggling not to.

Up. Down. Round. Round. She started going faster.

“Stop,” I insisted.

The sensation was incredible, but I wanted to bang my balls against her ass. Punish her for being disobedient. I pictured her in the lingerie she'd worn for yesterday's shoot.

Slowing her pace, her hands and mouth were still in the same rotation. I exhaled.

Gradually she increased the pace. A little faster. Faster. Before I knew it I was gripping the back of her head ready to cum down her throat this time.

I curled my fingers tighter wanting to pull her hair, but I knew not to do that shit. This was why no matter if Dev found out about my side I couldn't leave Ebony alone. Hell, Dev wrote the script; she knew how sides got down. Watching Ebony made me come close to firing off on her tonsils. Ebony giving oral looked and felt amazing.

My back arched. This time I needed something to hold on to. My head and shoulders twisted to the left, then right. Her head moved left, then right.

“Fuck,” I whispered. “I'm about to cum. Aw. Fuck.” My toes raised higher and higher, then pointed to the floor.

She was in fifth gear. I saw my cum splatter all over her face. She caught some of the whiteness in her mouth. I watched her swallow.

I was ready to collapse. Cuming for me standing up was much more intense than lying down.

Softly she fingered my limp dick. Planted kisses on the head, then stood. “I gotta get up early, my babe.”

Nya started crying.

Damn. I pulled up my pants, stuffed my chopper inside my boxer briefs, snatched up my zipper. Ebony stepped out of her thong, straightened her dress, her hair, then went upstairs.

“Come here, sweetheart,” I said, picking up my little girl. “You just had a bad dream. That's all. Look, I was fixing you something to eat.”

I opened the box of chicken fingers. Put one on a plate with the yellow honey mustard sauce.

Nya shook her head. “I don't want that.” She cried loud. “Where's Mommy? Where's Grandma?”

I checked my cell. It was midnight. No text or missed call from Dev. I picked up Nya, carried her to my car, and took my baby home.

CHAPTER 33

Spencer

“H
ave you ever had an HIV test, dude?”

LB's whole face squinted. “Nah. What made you ask me that?”

I printed the tabs for my last remaining customers. “Been thinking about all the females I hit it raw with. You know Charlotte was cheating on me and shit. Sure she didn't make ole dude wrap his shit up.”

LB's eyes shifted several times. “I stroked a few females without protection, but I think I'm cool. I only get down with the decent ones like Alexis.” He stood tall; stuck out his chest. “If I had it, I'd know because whenever my dick doesn't feel right, I can tell.”

He was trippin' just like me. I dropped the real on him. “Alexis was the one who asked me to take the test.”

My boy stepped away, mixed a lemon drop, placed it at the hell well, came back to me. “You said you didn't hit that.”

“No, you said you never hit it raw.”

LB's jaws sunk in tight. He left again. Did setups, closed out tabs, started new ones. The next six cocktails he mixed were shaken extra hard. Martini glass filled to the rim, spilled over.

I did the same at the opposite end, except I wasn't over pouring my drinks. The finest feline, badder than Ebony, sat at the bar. Neither one of us Morse code her.

My boy cornered me. My butt was up against the ice drawer.

“So what you sayin', Spence? You did my girl? Thought you said she was your sister.”

I hadn't planned on this convo evolving from a simple question, but that was how shit always jumped off. Especially in my relays. One minute Charlotte and I could be having the best time ever. Then she read a text on my cell or ole boy's picture would pop up in her Insta feed. Next thing I'd be cursing her out or she'd be breaking my expensive glasses, plates, and bowls. She didn't care. I should've downgraded to plasticware.

“Nah, man. She just asked me some shit that had me reflecting. Thought I'd ask you, bruh. You seem the type that would get tested on a regular. I was coming to you so you could let me know what to expect.”

Overkill was on the border of my tongue. I had to stop there. LB knew me well enough to detect when I overexplained things, I was straight lying.

Hadn't exactly lied to my boy, though. Would never tell him the truth about doing my sister. What difference was his knowing going to make?

LB walked away. I picked up credit cards and cash, closed out all of the requests. I covered LB's too. Wasn't sure where he'd gone. It was almost midnight. I was ready to get out of here.

Looking at the gorgeous chick at the bar made me think about the day I got with Ebony and Buster. Ebony was a straight freak. Called me over earlier. Her husband wasn't home. Soon as I rang her bell she rang mine. The front door was barely closed before she had my dick in her mouth. That was a wild female.

She begged me to make her squirt across the room again. Spraying didn't work all the time unless the feline was a natural. Now I could get any pussy wet once I found and fingered her G-spot the right way. Most dudes were too lazy to put in the work, but they claimed they wanted to make their girl squirt. I wasn't special. That was like a dude claiming he wanted to drive, but he didn't know how to accelerate. I educated myself on several positions and techniques. We had fun with my trying to get Ebony to water faucet. She came at least five times before I pulled out.

Seeing how situations went ham with my sister when Alexis didn't know who the father of her miscarried baby was, I wasn't aiming to have a married woman carry my child. We used condoms. All of them. I had three gold packets in my pocket when I'd showed up at Ebony's front door.

Maybe I should give Fabulous a ring. Nah, it was too late. I'd check on her tomorrow. Hadn't heard from her. Hope we were still cool at a minimum.

“You fucking liar, man!”

A blow to the back of my head sent me flying to the hell well. I knocked over what was the last round of drinks. My face was on the wooden counter. Fast as I could, I turned around.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, man?”

LB picked up an open bottle of red wine. Started dousing me like I was a lil bitch. Throwing the bottle in the trash, he swung at me.

I wasn't trying to do this but the choice was, whup his ass or let him whup mine. I squared my boy dead on his chin. Knocked him flat on his back.

He looked up at me. Staring at his ass, I moonwalked, spun around, hiked up my pants, kicked one leg in the air. Chris Tucker style from
Rush Hour,
then pointed at my boy. Since half the people at the bar had their cell phones directed at us, I figured I'd give them a show to play it off before our manager Derrick showed up.

“Alexis wanted you to take an HIV test because she had one. You did her, Spence. All I asked was for you not to do this one and you lied to me. What the fuck were her results, man?”

I extended my hand to help LB up. Didn't matter what she told him. “I didn't lie to you.”

“Don't touch me, bruh,” LB said, standing up. He brushed off his pants.

Derrick rushed toward us. “What the hell is going on?!”

LB stared at me. “I'm done with that bitch! I'd better not see her anywhere I swear! I'm done with your conniving ass, too, Spence. And I'm done with this job. I quit!”

I watched my only real friend storm out the restaurant. He was justified. If I couldn't be loyal to LB, how was I ever going to commit to a woman?

Derrick said, “Spencer. Leave. Now.”

Wasn't sure if I was fired, but I headed for the front door. Chilling on the bench outside, I texted Alexis,
Where are you?

She texted back,
Leaving Brio. Why?

I hit her with,
Stay there. Order me a shot of Avión tequila. Make that a double. I'll be there in less than 5.

Brio was a block away from where we lived. Less than a mile and half from Lenox Square Mall. Didn't want to have a convo with my sis at her place or mine. Needed two doubles. I'd hit LB up in the morning. Boys don't end friendships over vaginas.

Derrick probably wasn't going to fire either of us, but we might get suspended. Maybe not even that. LB and I both had regular customers. Derrick had told us sometimes they leave if neither LB nor I was working the bar. That was because we over poured every cocktail.

The valet attendant at Brio wasn't at the stand. I self-parked up front, strolled toward the entrance. Wasn't expecting to see her coming out. My jaw dropped. Lips parted.

“Hey. Blake. You look nice. How are you?” I asked, opening my arms for a hug.

Blake said, “She's inside.” Then she walked past me.

Mercedes commented, “Great job, Mom,” without acknowledging me. What had I done to her?

“Stay on your side of the bed,” Sandara told me.

I stood there waiting for Devereaux to throw her handful of salt into my open wound. She twisted her lips, rolled her eyes, then followed her mom.

Valet dude pulled up, the doors flew straight up. Blake got in her red Ferrari and drove off.

Guess there was no need to call her ever. But I had to. Even if it was over, I didn't want Blake to be mad at me. She looked edible. Entering the restaurant, Alexis was sitting at a high, round table in the corner near the flat-screen television.

“What's up, Spencer?” she asked. All-white everything. Purse. Halter short dress. Shoes.

“What's the deal on this test situation?”

“Chick, my bad. I left you hangin'. There was so much going on today. As you can see my fam met up.”

Interrupting her, I asked, “The results were?”

She laughed. Wasn't shit funny to me. I needed to hear her say it.

“Non-reactive, man.”

I exhaled, downed my double tequila in one swallow. “You want something?”

“I'm chill,” she said. “We been sipping the last few hours.”

Sitting on the stool next to her, I said, “Give me the rundown.”

Guess since she was HIV free, I was too. I did hit Charlotte after I'd seen her out with old dude, which was after I'd smashed my sister. Damn. Just to be sure, I had to let 'em draw blood. Had to get my own stats.

“I'ma get tested, too, Sis.”

“That's what's up. James pulled one over on me. He wasn't solely concerned about whether I was disease free. What he really wanted to know was, was I pregnant.”

“Well, we know what those results were.”

“Right. But here's the deal. I told my family tonight that I lost the baby, but now I'm pregnant by James.”

I rattled my head.

“James and I fucked all weekend. I'm not sure that I am, but I might be. I don't want a kid by some random. I mentioned the money to my people too.”

“You shouldn't have, Sis. Peeps look at you different when you come up overnight. That's why I keep my financial stats on ice with these females.”

“Like you shouldn't have told LB about my HIV test. Got that fool calling
and
texting me like a maniac.”

“What did you tell him?” I was curious as to did she tell him that I'd hit it.

She shook her head. “He's irrelevant. Banking the two point five mil is my focus. If I'm not pregnant, you're my plan B.”

“Whoa.” I told my sis, “That's not going to work under any circumstance.”

“You owe me.”

“For what?” I asked.

Alexis picked up her purse, stood, stared me in my eyes. “I'm not asking you to get me pregnant, chick. You have to find James's replacement.”

She kissed me on the lips, then left.