Playing With Fire (19 page)

Pulling her against himself, he held her tightly, nestling his face into the softness of her hair. She was even smaller than he remembered, her petite body lost within the enclosures of his massive arms. Sliding his hand through the mass of curls along the nape of her neck, he tilted her head back gently, pressing his lips onto hers. She tasted of ripened strawberries coated in sweetened cream. He pushed his tongue lightly past her full lips, brushed against the bite of her teeth, then traced the line of her tongue with his own. As he kissed her harder, their tongues entwined like vines of grapes, his breathing quickened and his heart beat loudly inside his chest. Neither of them had any inclination to stop.

Her small hands gently caressed the length of his back as he held her tighter, not wanting to let go. Slowly he planted light kisses across her face, tasting first her chin, her nose, her forehead, then her cheeks. Gasping lightly for air, he nuzzled against her ear, pulling at the lobe with his lips.

“Damn, woman, I missed you.”

“Good, because I missed you too,” she whispered breathlessly. “You hungry?”

“Uh-huh,” Romeo said, nipping gently at her neck.

“The coffee cake is hot.”

“Don't want coffee cake,” Romeo said, chewing lightly at her chin.

“I could scramble you an egg.”

“Don't want an egg.”

“What do you want?”

“Mmmm,” Romeo cooed, brushing her cheek with his own. “You,” Romeo stated, lifting her up into his arms. Wrapping her arms about his neck, Taryn kissed him again, her lips trembling with anticipation. As he carried her across the length of the living room and up a second flight of stairs, her hands skated across his chest, undoing the buttons on his shirt.

Upstairs in the bedroom, he sat her on the bed, pulling the T-shirt she wore over her head. Pushing her back against the pillows, he stood watching the rise of her breasts as she inhaled deeply, the dark aureole of her nipples pushing out to him. Without any hesitation, he pulled the clothes from his body, releasing his swollen sex. His protruding member stretched toward her, its bulbous head crying hungrily for her.

Crawling toward her, his mouth struggled against hers, as his hands anxiously searched the cavity between her legs. As he pressed his fingers into the moist passageway, her body quivered, her knees falling apart to welcome him.

Cupping him gently, Taryn pulled him into her, trapping him deep within. He filled her and she held him tightly. Arching upward, she accepted the weight of him, gasping for air as he pushed the full length of himself deeply into her. His whole body tensed as he slowly rotated his pelvis, pulling at her hips with his own.

Time stopped. As the convulsions rocked through him, the beating in his heart exploded, the bright flash of light before him radiating throughout the length of his body. He heard himself cry out, his nerve endings trembling with pleasure. Tears misted his eyes as he clung to her, his embrace just shy of suffocating.

They lay together quietly, neither wanting to be the first to break the magical spell that had encompassed them. Rising only slightly, Romeo pulled her erect nipple into his mouth and sucked on it lazily, his hands exploring her body.

“Mmmm,” Taryn murmured, twitching beneath him. “What's this? Afterplay?” she asked softly.

“No, baby. Foreplay. I haven't gotten started yet.”

Taryn giggled.

“Don't laugh. I've got to make up for lost time,” Romeo said, smiling up at her, her breast resting against his lips.

Taryn stroked the side of his face gently as he moved within her teasingly. Hugging her closely, he rolled over onto his back so that she lay spread over him, snuggled closely into his chest.

Rising up onto her elbows, Taryn rested her chin onto her hands and stared into the dark depths of his eyes. She kissed his chest, the familiar scent of soap and sweat pleasing to her.

“So what have you been up to since I've been gone?”

“Working too hard. Spent most of my time down at the club.”

Taryn nodded. “What was up with you and Piano Man hanging out all night? Did I miss a good party?”

“No,” Romeo said, shifting slightly. “We just put down a bottle of scotch and talked.”

“Just the two of you?”

Romeo nodded yes, his dark eyes clouding.

“Well, I wouldn't want to have your head this morning and I definitely wouldn't want to have Piano Man's. Is he okay?”

“Yeah, I guess. He was asleep when I left. He's probably crawling to the bar right now for his breakfast drink.”

“You shouldn't encourage him to drink so much.”

Romeo shuddered. “I don't. Not really.”

Taryn shrugged, then pulled herself off him, lying down beside him.

“He didn't look good the last time I saw him, Romeo. I worry about him.”

“Everybody does,” Romeo said, stroking her hair. “But he's ready to die and he wants to go happy. That means being able to live his life the way he chooses.”

“Did he say that?”

“Not in so many words, but he probably said more last night than I was prepared to hear. But I'm not interested in talking about Piano Man right now.” Romeo went silent, thinking back to all that he and the old man had shared.

Focusing his attention back on Taryn, he studied her intently. “Taryn, marry me,” he said finally, breaking his silence.

“What?” Taryn asked, pleasantly surprised.

“Marry me,” Romeo repeated, his tone more of a command than a request. Rising onto his elbow, he leaned over her, grasping her chin in his hand.

“I love you and I want you to be my wife. There is nothing in this world I wouldn't give you and I want to give you the best of myself that I have to give.”

Taryn sat upright alongside Romeo, who wrapped his arms protectively around her as he continued. “I want to take care of you. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together, and I want you to say something before I continue to babble like a damn fool and embarrass myself.”

“Yes.” Taryn smiled, looking deeply into his eyes. “I love you too and I would love to be your wife.”

Romeo laughed with joy, the hearty vibrato rising deeply within him. Wrapping himself around her, he pulled her down on top of him and thought of all the pretty butterscotch babies they would make together.

 

 

Hours later, they sat at the kitchen table sipping iced coffee and nibbling on room-warm coffee cake.

“So, what all did you and Piano Man talk about last night?” Taryn asked, noting that Romeo was deeply lost in thought.

Pausing for a brief second, Romeo gathered himself. “He told me last night that he was my father.”

Taryn stopped chewing, a look of surprise crossing her delicate face. “What . . . ?”

Romeo nodded. “He told me he's my father,” he said, repeating himself, the words sounding as strange to him as they did to her.

Reaching over to grasp his hand, Taryn pressed her palm heavily against his. “This is unbelievable.” She shook her head in disbelief. “After all this time he now decides to tell you he's your father? Are you positive he's telling the truth? I mean, are you sure it's not something he's just imagined because maybe he wants it to be true?”

Romeo nodded his head. “He showed me a picture of me and my mother when I was younger. He's had it for years. It's true.”

“Are you okay? I know this must have been a shock for you,” she said, rising to go refill both of their coffee cups.

Romeo lifted his elbows onto the table, dropping his head into the palms of his hands. “Taryn, I'm so angry. I would have never thought that I'd be this angry. All I wanted to do was grab him and shake him. It took every ounce of strength I had in me not to lose control. I still want to hurt him.”

Taryn stroked the width of his back with her palm. “But what do you plan to do instead?”

Romeo met her eyes, angry tears seeping out of his eyes. “Nothing. Why the hell should I do anything at all?”

Taryn wrapped her arms about him, pulling his head against her chest. “Romeo, if you want to be bitter and angry about this you can, but it's not going to do you any good. You have to be honest with yourself. Before last night, Piano Man was someone you respected and trusted. You cared about him and what happened to him.

“Today he's your father. But he's still the same man he was before he owned up to that fact. You just need to decide what's more important to you—being angry and keeping him out of your life, or being accepting and working through whatever happens with him from this point forward.”

Romeo shrugged. “I don't know if I can be as rational about it as you seem to be.”

“I'm not touched by it as personally as you are. I can understand you being angry. Hell, you've been angry with him all your life. I just know that you won't be able to live with yourself if you decide not to have a relationship with your father. Now that he's walked into your life, like it or not, you have to play by a whole different set of rules.”

Romeo nodded his head slowly.

Taryn smiled. “I think you really love that old man, whether you're willing to admit it to yourself or not.”

Romeo raised his eyebrows, a pregnant silence following. “Maybe I do,” he answered finally, brushing his cheek against the warmth of her breast. “Or maybe I just need to.”

She stood holding him for some time, lightly stroking his brow. The warmth of her skin dried the dampness across his cheek, stopping the flow of tears wanting to trip across the borders of his eyes.

“So what do you plan to do today?” Taryn asked, turning to clear the dirty dishes from the table.

“We need to get dressed. I need to go talk to Piano Man.”

Leaning against him, Taryn bent down and pressed her lips to his cheek, the kiss ever so soft on his face. “I love you. I hope you know that.”

Romeo smiled, affirmation gleaming from his dark eyes.

“Piano Man made me do a lot of thinking last night. I guess sharing someone else's experiences makes you evaluate your own. I know, if nothing else, that if we are going to make it, you and I are going to have to work at it. I know that I want to do that with you, so half of our battle is already won.”

“Yes, just like I believe that there is a reason you and I have come together and not you and any of the other women you've known.”

“Do the other women who have been in my life bother you? I mean, they still come down to the club and I am still friends with many of them.”

“Not really. I trust you and I know you would never do anything to hurt me. Do the men who've been in my life bother you?”

“Hell, yes,” Romeo responded without hesitating, “and I don't like it.”

Taryn laughed. “You're too much.” Reaching over, she kissed him. “Well, let's get you back to the club.”

Grabbing her from behind, Romeo pulled her close, grasping her breasts with his hands. “Don't you worry about that,” he whispered into her ear, his breath hot against her neck. “Right now you need to worry about paying me what you owe me.”

“Owe you?” Taryn asked as she felt his rising bulge pressed hard against her back.

“Yes. I made a list. A really, really long list.”

“Uh-huh. Really long?”

“Yes,” Romeo said, pushing her up the stairs. “Come on and I'll show it to you.”

“I thought we had to go to the club.”

“We do, but my list is much more important.”

“I just bet it is.” Taryn giggled, racing him up the stairs.

As Romeo entered the front door of the Playground, his arm wrapped lovingly around Taryn, Malcolm waved at them from behind the bar.

“Hey, boss. Hey, Miss Taryn. How's it going?”

“Hi, Malcolm,” they both called back as they made their way over to where he stood taking inventory.

“Everything going okay?” Romeo asked as he pulled off the lush fur jacket from Taryn's shoulders.

“Yes, sir. Just finished inventory and I need to go down to the storage area to restock some of these bottles. Odetta called and she and Sharon should both be here real soon.”

Romeo nodded. “Do me a favor, Malcolm. I forgot to call Forresters' yesterday about that glass order. They promised to have that delivery here last Thursday and I meant to call to find out what happened. Jot yourself a note to do it tomorrow for me, please.”

Malcolm nodded his head as Romeo studied the ledger he had passed to him to inspect. Pleased, Romeo passed the green sheets back, his hand quivering ever so lightly. “Where's Piano Man?”

“Asleep on your sofa. Scared the crap out of me. I went in there thinking I was by myself and there that fool was laying up on the sofa snoring.”

Malcolm and Taryn laughed. Romeo smiled faintly, the ends of his mouth barely curved upward.

“We need to put a bed in there if you and Piano Man are going to make this a regular thing,” Taryn interjected, rubbing her hand down Romeo's back.

Kissing her gently, Romeo replied, “Won't be a regular thing if you stay home and be a good wife like you promised.”

Taryn laughed. “Now, I promised to be your wife. I didn't say anything about staying home.”

“Hey, is this official?” Malcolm asked, looking from one to the other.

“Sure is,” Romeo responded. “In fact, we are going to slip out right after Odetta and Sharon get here so I can go look at an engagement ring my baby here wants.”

“Don't let him fool you, Malcolm. He's the one insisting I want a ring.”

Malcolm laughed. “He's not fooling me, Taryn. I know he just wants to make sure everyone gets that you are officially off limits.” Extending his hand out to Romeo, Malcolm hugged him warmly, then leaned over to kiss Taryn's cheek. “Congratulations you two. I'm real happy for you.”

“Good,” Romeo said, “because we both want you to be in the wedding. I'm going to need me a best man.”

Malcolm nodded his head, grinning. “I'd be honored.”

“What's going on, everybody?” Odetta beamed, rushing into the room with Sharon on her heels. “Hey, Taryn, how are you doing, girlfriend?”

“Doing just fine, Odetta. How are you? Hi, Sharon.”

“Real good now that I don't have to keep my eye on your man for you. Girlfriend, this brother's so boring I'd rather watch my stories.”

They all laughed loudly as Romeo tapped Odetta lightly on the back of her head.

“Romeo and Taryn are getting married,” Malcolm announced, eager to spread the news.

“No kidding?!” Odetta asked, stunned.

“Oh!” Sharon exclaimed. “That's great.”

Taryn nodded, beaming as Romeo wrapped his arms around her. “Yeah. She finally got that rope around my neck. I guess I don't have a choice.”

Taryn punched him playfully. Screaming with glee, Odetta rushed to hug both of them. “This calls for a special celebration,” she gushed. “Malcolm, what we got to celebrate with back there?”

Romeo nodded. “She's right, Malcolm. Break out a bottle of something. I'll go wake Piano Man and we'll toast this thing right.”

As Romeo headed for his office, the three women and Malcolm chattered enthusiastically, their excitement warmly filling the room. Entering the office, Romeo called out to the aged figure lying across the sofa. “Hey, sleepyhead. You planning on joining us today?”

He flipped the switch on the wall, flooding the small space with light. Staring toward the sofa, he was surprised to find it empty, Piano Man no longer there. He moved to the desk. Piano Man's keys rested on top, on the original key chain that Romeo had given him. Beside it was two hundred dollars in bills, and Romeo knew instantly it was what remained of the old man's cash advance.

Tears rained down Romeo's cheeks as he dropped into the leather executive's chair, rocking his body back and forth like he used to do as a small child. “Damn you, old man. Why now? Why did you have to leave me again? Why now?”

Not since his mother's death had Romeo's heart felt so heavy. When he could bear no more, the rush of tears flowing abundantly, he stood up and crossed over to the window. He lifted the shade to let in the last ray of sunlight peeking from behind a gray-edged cloud.

Exiting the room, Romeo stood staring out into the small club, his expression pained, his heart aching. With their noisy chatter broken by his entrance, his friends stared as he walked over to the large black piano and seated himself on the bench. Malcolm and Odetta gave each other an uneasy stare, confusion washing over both their expressions.

Taryn moved to his side, dropping down on the bench next to him. She stared into his eyes, the pain he cried filling her gaze. She pulled his head down onto her and held him close as he sobbed into her shoulder.

Above Romeo's sobs and Odetta's cries, a low hum rose in the room, filling the darkness around them.
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.... Born of his spirit, washed in his blood.”

As Sharon stood with her head held high, her arms reaching out to heaven, her voice cried out to Piano Man, cried out to him as Romeo had cried out to him that first day the old man had walked into the Playground.

Looking up into Taryn's face, Romeo pressed his wet cheek against hers and whispered into her ear. “Son of a bitch is gone,” he sobbed, patting his chest gently. “My father has left me again.”

Tears rose to Taryn's eyes as Romeo's body shook angrily, his fist beating against the piano. And, as Romeo sat listening for the tinkling of music, the blues swelled thunderously in his head.

Toying with an unopened bottle of scotch, Romeo rested the container heavily in his lap. On top of the piano, his glass sat empty. As he sat lightly stroking the closed cap, he was tempted to crack open the seal and fill the crystal to the brim, but he couldn't.

He sighed heavily. A knock on the club's front door interrupted the silence, intruding upon his thoughts. He cursed under his breath. Although the closed sign sat prominently displayed in the window, patrons had still knocked incessantly, hoping to gain admittance. He ignored the harsh tapping.

Rising from his seat, he rested the full bottle next to the empty glass. Darkness had filled the room hours earlier. It had settled itself around Romeo's shoulders like a heavy blanket. He had eased into the comfort of its warmth as his friends had searched the whole of Raleigh hoping to discover where Piano Man had disappeared to. Sharon and Odetta had both wept inconsolably until Romeo had hugged them tightly, then sent them home to rest.

Taryn had left with Malcolm, both promising to check the bus and train stations one last time. She had wanted to come back to get him, but he'd needed some time to himself and had told her to go home. They had left him there alone with his memories, understanding his need to confront his ghosts. As he sat contemplating that bottle, he thought about his father's long absence from his life, the loss of his mother, and the bond he had shared with Piano Man.

It was funny to him that he could not associate Piano Man with the male figure he had detested for so long as a young boy growing up. The man who had missed his ball games and school plays, who'd not been there to teach him to drive or to discipline him for running with the wrong crowd was embodied someplace other than the pith of his spirit, where he'd embedded the essence of Piano Man.

Romeo was numb. There were no more tears and his spirit had chilled like a fine wine set on ice. He was stunned by how quickly things had changed for him. Every facet of his existence had turned on a dime. He knew that he would go on, but things would not be the same. He thought again about that scotch bottle and how familiar its contents would be and how different his drinking it would be from the drinks he had shared with the piano player the night before. Taking a deep breath, he tripped his hand across the piano keys, the dull tone harsh against his eardrums.

In his office, he studied the pale walls, backdrops for framed degrees and citations with his name engraved boldly in black. The promotional photo of him and Piano Man sat eerily over the sofa that had hours earlier shouldered Piano Man's slight frame. The sofa's thick cushions now lay strewn around the small room.

Romeo studied the black and white photo, thinking back to that Sunday he had to force Piano Man to stand still in front of the club's billboard to have his picture taken. Piano Man had cursed him, and they had laughed, and just as quickly, it had been over. Romeo sighed.

The pile of papers Romeo had knocked to the floor earlier that morning still lay scattered about, having been kicked and trampled upon. Romeo kneeled to retrieve them, shaking the dust from the glossy sheets. As he sat himself in his chair, he threw the pile on top of another.

Advertisement copy lay in one neat stack, inventory sheets in another. Romeo fanned the papers, shaking his head. The work waited, not knowing that things were very different, oblivious to how Romeo had been changed. The payroll needed to be completed and there were orders to be placed; Romeo pushed the pile to the side, not caring.

A light knocking at the rear door of his office disrupted his thoughts. He rose slowly, sliding the dead bolt back and pulling the door open. Aleta stood in the doorway, her small body quivering, streaks of mascara running in dark streams down her face. Romeo pulled her inside, hugging her close. Neither spoke. Aleta wept against Romeo's chest, his cotton shirt absorbing her stained teardrops, the dark residue settling in the fabric.

“He loved you very much,” she finally whispered, pulling her small body out of the embrace.

Romeo reached behind her to close and lock the door. “Yeah,” he said faintly, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. “Yeah.”

“I know you don't believe it, but it's true. You can't imagine how much you meant to him,” Aleta continued, dropping onto a chair.

Romeo pushed his hands deep into his pockets. “Did you know he was my father?”

Her gaze locked with his. After a moment Aleta hung her head, nodding ever so slightly.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Swore to your mother and him that I wouldn't. Your mama didn't want you to know anything about Piano Man.”

Romeo headed back to sit behind his large desk. “Guess Mama knew best, huh?” he said sarcastically.

“Now,” Aleta said sharply, “your mama knew the kind of man Piano Man was and she just didn't want you to get hurt. She did what she thought she had to do.” They stared at each other, Romeo's anger sweeping through the air.

“When did you find out?” Aleta asked, her voice low and consoling.

Romeo folded his arms in front of his chest. “He told me last night.”

Aleta nodded her head slowly. “He really did love your mother. Nobody can ever take that away from him. He may not have done right by her, but he surely did love her.”

Romeo rolled his eyes. “I suppose he loved you too—her best friend?”

“No. Not like he loved your mama.” The tears rose and fell from Aleta's eyes again. “I loved him, but he never loved me like that. If your mother were still here, he wouldn't have given me the time of day. Neither one of us would have done anything together that would have disrespected your mother. Even after she passed it wasn't like that between us. It's only been that way since he came back this last time.”

“Nice of you two to have waited.”

“Boy, don't you dare speak to me like that.” Aleta stood up, anger lifting her voice an octave. Her reprimanding tone was stern and cut right through him. “I couldn't help how I felt about that man any more than your mother could. I don't owe you or anyone else any apology for being in love with Piano Man. Loving him wasn't wrong. In fact, your mama loving him is why you are here. Your mama loved him more than life itself and he loved her almost as much. No matter what you think, he also loved you.”

Romeo inhaled sharply, dropping his chin to his chest, contrition painting his expression.

Aleta reached into the pocket of her woolen blazer, pulling a pale blue envelope from the folds. “This belongs to you. When you can stop being so angry there's more that you should see. When you're ready you know where to find me.”