Sharing the Sheets (5 page)

“Tony, this is—”

“Just what you wanted.” He smiled.

I think my grin was bigger than his. “Let me find out that you're finally over the fact that you can't have me all to yourself. But you've been keeping all this a secret, why?” I waved my hand then took another sip of my drink.

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

“Oh yeah, like you haven't been to one of these before.” I rolled my eyes and looked away. I wasn't mad, but getting rid of him for good would be senseless.

“Honestly, I'd never been. I only got an invite because I used one of my boys' name.”

“And who is your boy?”

“You will never meet him. Remember our agreement: there are no meet-and-greets with anyone in our personal lives.” He gave me a little wink and nod then emptied his glass. As one of the servers walked by he placed the glass on the tray.

I was ready to get it started. My skin was hot, and my arousal started to bubble over. I watched Tony undress, so I followed suit. I placed my empty glass on a tray as a server slipped my bracelet on to my wrist. I kept my shoes on, only because I didn't want them to be mishandled or someone thinking it's okay to try them on.

“Do you want—”

Before he could finish his question my feet led me away. I spotted a chiseled chest, defined abs, strong arms, and a well-endowed white man, which was rare from what I'd been told. When I was in college I dated a few white guys, but they always fell short so I never got that point. My hot spot was already overflowing watching him dig deep into this woman while another was shoving her tongue down his throat. I didn't care to look if Tony was behind me or not.
I am getting a taste of that,
I thought.

I eased closer, staring at him. He had a green mask on, which meant he wanted something new. My mind was set on showing him something new. I stood there with my nipples erect, my clit throbbing, and ready for him to slam his ten wide inches into me. I suddenly felt Tony's readiness to bend me over and do me right there, but I wasn't having it. I placed myself at the edge of the daybed like a begging dog. He stopped momentarily, and reached for my right breast. I let out a soft moan welcoming his touch.

“I've never had chocolate before. Can only you join?”

“Let me show you what a little bit of chocolate can do for you.” I licked my lips and lifted a fresh condom of the tray next to the bed. “Let's just make it clear: you can't stick me and anyone else at the same time.” I handed him the condom.

He moved of the bed and removed the rubber from his penis and placed the new one on. I heard the female, who was on all fours, on the bed groaning for more. I smiled watching the other woman slowly move off the bed.

“You ladies have had me long enough. It's time for something new,” he said to the ladies, then looked to me.

That was my cue. I grabbed his stiff manhood and gently stroked while nudging him to lie on the bed. “Are you ready?” I playfully said as I licked the tip of his dick. “Mmm, bubblegum, my favorite.” He felt so good in my mouth. I couldn't help myself as I eased his entire shaft into my mouth; he was a perfect fit. I went slowly up and down, loving every minute of it. Tony was far from my mind. I was sure he stood there and watched. I was too involved to care. I took my time making him moan and squirm.

“Please let me taste you,” he whined.

For some reason I didn't and wouldn't stop. I just started moving my hand in a twisting motion quickly with my mouth securing his cock. He seemed to like it even more, which made me drip more and more. Suddenly, I felt a hand rubbing my ass cheek. It made me stop to look back. It made my moaning partner sit up too.

“Hey, buddy, she's partying alone in this scene.”

“What? Do you not see that we're a couple?”

Everything stopped. I was embarrassed, mortified, that Tony would actually make a scene at a place like this. I even saw security moving closer. Everyone was standing around waiting for shit to hit the fan.

“Tony, stop acting like a possessive fool and go have some fun elsewhere,” I muttered under my breath. I then turned to my naked companion. “Don't worry he's not joining.” As soon as I said that, I saw security approaching.

Security was all in black, two stocky males, at least 275 pounds and over six feet tall, reaching for Tony. I didn't want to be humiliated even more so I quickly got off the bed and got in between security and Tony. At that point all eyes were on us.

“Tony, please.” I felt the heat rise in my cheeks.

“Excuse me, miss, is there a problem?” one male security sternly asked, ready to toss Tony to the side.

“No, not at all,” Tony answered.

“Miss, as policy if your husband or boyfriend does not agree with your actions, both of you will be asked to exit.”

I was all set to go off on Tony, but I chose to put Tony at ease. “There's no problem.” I quickly removed myself from the bed.

“That sucks,” I heard from my naked acquaintance.

“Sorry, maybe next time.” I brushed through Tony and security. I was ready to leave.

“Regina, wait,” I heard Tony calling.

His possessiveness was showing its ugly head again. We spoke on this once before. I even cut his ass off for a while and now that he finally stepped it up, I was forced to kick him to the curb like an old pair of shoes. I tapped on the arm of the first server I saw. “Excuse me, can you get me my things?” I tried to be casual as possible, not to expose my ignominy. I walked over to one of the empty lounge chairs against the wall and took a seat. I looked around at the world I was just teased with, wishing that my unfortunate incident didn't cause anything but a minor fee and not lifetime ban.

I could see Tony walking toward me.
Oh hell, if he starts some shit, I'm calling security my damn self,
I thought.

“Regina, I thought you wanted to experience this as a couple. If you want to we can change our masks. I don't care who you fuck, suck, lick, or pour yourself over. I brought you here to show you I'm not jealous. I don't care if I have to share you, besides aren't you moving on? Getting married?”

He pitched my lie directly to my face without a blink. Tony's voice was extremely calm even when the server came by with my clothes, not skipping a beat when he passed her his bracelet for his items. My shock kept me silent. I didn't want to cause any more of a scene so I just slid my dress on in a hurry.

“Okay, so I guess you want to leave.”

“Yeah.” My voice cracked a bit. “Umm, I don't think I was ready for it . . . with you . . . anyway.” I heard his chuckle behind me. Oh, how I wanted to slap the shit out of him.

“You right.”

I felt the enormous grin he must have had plastered across his face. Suddenly I remembered,
I can't get that lockbox open without him. Shit!
My rushed pace suddenly slowed. I turned around and he was wrestling with gravity to put his clothes on. I died of laughter on the inside. He wasn't getting that satisfaction; instead I got madder. I stood there with my arms folded across my chest looking at my wrist as if I was wearing a watch. I was only less than fifty steps from the huge double doors to exit.

“Just a minute.” He realized I was waiting instead of bucking through the doors, so he got a hold of himself and got dressed.

“I can't get my shit without you or did you forget about that?” I belted at him when he walked over.

“No, but it seemed you just grasped the situation by the way you stood still in slow motion,” he snapped back.

“Please, it seems like you forgot who I am.”

“You can't be anything more than what you portray yourself to be.” He was digging into me deep.

I pushed the door open.
Ooh, you motherfucker, I'm going to make you pay for that little comment,
my mind chimed. I walked over to one of the lounge chairs and took a seat breathing very slowly to calm myself. What felt like minutes was truly seconds before a provocatively dressed waitress approached us.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, we would like our things,” Tony stated.

“Of course, your hostess will be with you momentarily. Can I get you something to drink before you go?”

“No, thanks,” I thoughtfully said with a smile. I wanted to come back to the same welcoming service. She walked away talking into her headset.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, the hostess approached. “Is everything all right?”

I stood up. “Yes, it's just my date had another idea in mind.” I raised my brows and leaned in closer to her. “I think he forgot what I paid for.”

The hostess did nothing but smile at my comment then looked to Tony. I hoped he felt like shit! The hostess kindly presented us with the tablet cued for us to place our thumbs on. The security placed the lockbox on the small table beside the lounge chair. It took only seconds before the lockbox opened. As soon as I retrieved my purse, I stood up and looked to the hostess. “Thank you. Is there a card I can get to be invited again?”

“We don't have cards. Everything is done by referral. As you know this is a very exclusive club and to be invited you will need a referral.”

I was confused.
Is Tony a member?
“Can you tell me who referred us?”

“You were a guest of your date, Tony. He has been a member for about a year. He can send me the referral with your e-mail address without a problem.”

My face was probably red. “Okay.” I looked to Tony. “Can you send her the referral now please?” He looked surprised.

“I can do it that later,” he snapped.

The hostess took her cue and left us immediately. I was pissed. This type of event was all I needed. I wouldn't need Tony to satisfy me; I would have my choice. I needed that referral and I was going to make sure I got it.

“Okay, Tony, you made your point. Now can we just go to the hotel so you can get what you really wanted instead all of this?” I waved my hand around.

“Oh, so that's it, huh? It's me, huh?” He smiled and chuckled a bit.

I put on my best puppy-dog, “have sympathy for me” look. “I'm sorry, daddy. Do you forgive me?”

Of course he would forgive me. He said it himself: I was the one.

I thought having dinner together would be nice, but I guess takeout it will be.
Lately, Regina had been distant. She spent more and more time away from me. Even when I was around she found an excuse to leave me. I didn't know how to ask why she was avoiding me or more honestly I didn't want to ask her. I knew why: the ring.

All the magazines, articles, books layered throughout the condo about the perfect marriage, the most exotic wedding location, the who's and what's of proper wedding etiquette, and of course the thick, heavyweight
Wedding Planning for Dummies.
I hated the idea of a
wedding:
the stress of who to invite, the money wasted on the venue for only a few hours, the amount of crappy-ass gifts you'll return, and of course the plus-ones you will never encounter again. It all seemed so mediocre and not to mention an expensive, lavish party to show your guests just how much you love your significant other.

It was simple to me really: find a mate who you can live with and build a life together without the legal binding hold of a marriage. What if after four years your relationship changes for the worse, then what? How do you go through the humiliating fact you couldn't keep the marriage afloat? Then, as if dealing with that wasn't enough, you're forced to put a value on all the years you were married.

I thought attaching Regina to my bank accounts and properties she would be happy because in the end that's what it all comes to: money. I wasn't an idiot about it; my accountant made sure a hefty stipend of funds was deposited into my offshore accounts on the other side of the globe. Regina only had knowledge of my worth from the information I provided. I allowed her to have full control of the properties we owned. I thought by giving her an executive title and free rein on all decisions she would be satisfied, thinking she would be content in running her own company and making her own money. I still took care of all the bills and provided for her as any husband or man should so the cold shoulder and dismissive behavior didn't come from money.

It seemed as if “the ring” was now becoming more and more shoved in my face. She always knew I never believed in “marriage.” I believed in love and no paper or party could ever show that. Marriage was a piece of paper that could be shredded in seventy-two different ways or retracted in hours. There was no doubt about my love for her, but I wanted kids and she couldn't reproduce. Adopting wasn't the same. I needed my blood, my DNA, running through my kid's veins. I didn't want a piece of paper defining who
my
kids were or were going to be. If I wanted a family with this woman I would have to accept adoption or create my child in a petri dish.

I sat there staring out the window contemplating my future with the one woman I would die for and the many women I would have to go through to find love again. There was only one thing to do: accept the unacceptable and do the unthinkable. “I will marry her,” I confirmed out loud. It took a lot to say those words, but if it would make her happy then I'd do it.
What could go wrong? I've been with her long enough. There shouldn't be any surprises.
I grabbed my phone and scrolled to my calendar. Buy ring, I typed in.

I looked at the time on my watch: 7:00 p.m.
Damn, it's still early. I can't call her now,
my mind told me. Disturbing her fun would be selfish of me. Instead I finished my Thai dinner and headed to bed. I had to be well rested before the nonstop madness of selling out an entire building in thirty days.

 

 

It was six o'clock the next morning and I woke up alone.
Where the hell is Regina?
I questioned myself. I called her name: “Regina. Regina.” There was no response. I sat up in the bed and reached for my phone off the nightstand. I checked for any missed calls, voicemails—nothing. Usually, if she was staying out she would at least text me. I dialed her immediately. The phone just kept ringing then her voicemail picked up: “You've reached me, now leave a message.” I refused to leave a message. A strange chill tickled my body. I dialed her again.

“Argh, hello.” Her voice was groggy.

“Hey, baby, where are you? I woke up and you weren't here.” I was concerned.

“I'm at Mandie's. We had a late night so I just slept over. What time is it?”

“It's a little after six. Will you be home soon? I need to talk to you.”

“Yeah, okay. Is everything okay?” By the sound of her voice I could tell she was clueless about her actions toward me in the past days.

“Yeah, just come home soon. A lot of things are about to change and you play a huge part. Love you, see you in a bit.” I waited for her to reciprocate then pushed End on the phone.

I didn't know why, but her voice was strange. I didn't know if she was still in one of her moods or what, but what I had to tell her would undoubtedly adjust it. I got out of bed rubbing the cold out my eyes and stretching toward the ceiling. I walked to the bathroom to relieve myself then headed toward the kitchen to put the coffee machine on.

I have to get the ring, and I know she probably already got one picked out. I'll check with our jeweler first. This contract has to be signed before I put anything into motion. I have to start looking at houses. We can't live in the city if we're married. I want kids and she will have to allow me that if I'm conforming to her wishes. We'll use a surrogate.
Suddenly I heard my phone ringing from the bedroom.
Who the hell could that be at this hour?
I dashed to the bedroom and picked up just in time. “Mark Sands.”

“Good morning, Mark, it's Vanessa. I wanted to ask you to breakfast at Norma's in the Le Parker Meridien at eight? I didn't know if you had other plans, that's why I'm calling this early.”

“Only if you have the signed contract with you.” I was firm. She knew her brother had the contract for more than a week now. If they were serious about selling an entire building they should've signed the contract the day it was received.

“Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. There were a few hiccups in there that we weren't expecting.”

“I see. I've used those contracts for the past ten years. I've never had an issue with any other builder,” I replied.

“So guess I'll see you at eight to work it out.”

“As long as you can be held accountable when the contract is signed.” I may have been a morsel too confident, but I needed this to expand to a global effect and if I had to bend I would.

“See you at eight then.” The call disconnected.

I placed my phone on the counter and reached for a mug off the shelf above the coffee machine. After pouring some coffee I headed back toward the bedroom and turned on the TV. As the
Today Show
rambled off the morning's headlines I walked toward my closet to pull out one of my custom suits made by William Fioravanti over on Fifty-seventh Street. I decided on a light blue tie and my dark brown Ferragamo Oxfords.
Yes, that should make a statement,
I thought heading out the closet.

I sat on the bed to finish up my coffee and watched the
Today Show
's newscast. I thought I heard the door open. “Regina, is that you?” There was no reply, so I headed out the bedroom. “Regina?” When I got to the front door, it was shut with no one in sight.

I didn't know if I was more disappointed in no one entering or that I was left alone for the past twenty-fours. I walked toward the kitchen and picked up my phone.

“Hello, Amanda. Sorry if I woke you, but I may need your help today.”

“My help? If you're looking for Regina I can't help you,” she replied with an attitude as if I was the worst person in the world.

“Damn, what did I do now?”

“Why don't you ask her? I don't understand how you don't know what you did. Try acting like the man she wants instead of the man who's causing her to spend a night at a hotel because of a fight you initiated.”

I was confused. I thought Regina was spending the night with her. I got serious. “Amanda, what are you talking about? Wasn't Regina with you last night?”

“Ummm, listen you need to talk to Regina. I'm letting you know, as a dear friend, whatever it is that you guys are fighting about it's going to make you lose her. She told me not to take your call, but I think you need to know you are about to lose the love of your life.”

I kept quiet.

“What did you do this time? How many nights is she going to spend in a hotel? Do you even care?” By her questions, I could tell she had her Nancy Grace hat on.

I almost dropped the phone. I didn't want to believe what she was asking.
Am I that blind to her goings and comings?
I questioned myself.

“Mark? Mark, are you even listening to me?”

“Actually, Amanda, I have no clue what the hell you're talking about. I have one question for you: was Regina at your house or not last night into this morning?” I felt my pulse accelerate. My mind started to race.
I've been with her so long. How could I not see this? I thought it was about the ring. What the fuck is really going on?

“Ummm, I can't say yes or no. I ca—”

“Amanda.” My voice became louder. “Amanda, you are not in a courtroom so stop covering your ass. Don't forget who got you in that law firm. I've known you longer than Regina. If it weren't for me your ass would still be living in East New York and paying MTA like a car note. The least you can do is show me some loyalty.” By her throat clearing and stumbling with words I knew there was definitely something she was keeping from me. I chimed in on her again: “Well, is there something I'm missing, Amanda?”

“I . . . I . . . I'm sorry, Mark. I—”

“If you can't be truthful about one simple question, then I just may want to come clean about everything.” After I said that I knew she would have to give up whatever Regina was hiding.

A long time ago we had a chance encounter while I and Regina were going through a rough spill. She was drunk and horny and I was in a bitter revenge mode. At the time she and Regina hadn't even met yet. It was all coincidental that they ever met. Just so happened that we all ended up at the same client's party only one week after Amanda and I were intimate. She was the only other woman I really cheated with. I was a big flirt, but never went any further than words and smiles. When I bumped into her at the party it was a huge surprise and secretly written on my face that I didn't want our association known.

“Damn, that's a low blow. First, I don't want you destroying the one real friendship I have. Second, how long are you going to hold that shit over my head?”

“Hold what? The fact that I was the one who helped you change your life so that you could get out of the ghetto and receive some respect for the lawyer you are, or that you fucked your best friend's man? If I didn't know any better I would think you befriended Regina more just to get closer to me. Am I right?”

She screamed while I laughed. She was angry and boiling over like a teapot. It was funny to me how women would act. Or should I say certain women. Every moment Amanda had she did her very best to offer her goods. After many attempts she got the hint that when I was around she wasn't. The only time we were in the same room together was in public.

Amanda's reply told me she wasn't willing to let our little secret out. “I don't know what she's doing. And no, she didn't stay over here last night.”

Just then I heard the front door open. I didn't hang up. As I stood there waiting I glanced at the digital clock on the microwave: 7:06. I saw Regina approaching and smiled. I returned to my conversation with Amanda. “Listen, I think we should meet for lunch to discuss everything. Do you think you can fit me in?”

“Yeah, but it'll have to be near the courthouse. I have to be able to get to court in a hurry. I'm waiting on a verdict.”

“Sounds good.” I pushed End on the screen and turned my attention to Regina. I pulled her close to me and gave her a peck on the lips. I wanted to get a good whiff of her scent hoping I would detect some hint of betrayal, but there wasn't. The scent of honey was all I got.

“Hey, what's going on? What do we need to talk about?” She was antsy waiting for my reply.

“I can't talk right now. I have a very important meeting at eight. It's already after seven and I still haven't showered yet. You look tired. I hope you didn't have an all-nighter at some club.” I kissed her forehead and headed to the bathroom. I left her standing there confused and probably mad, but I didn't care. My entire future just changed in a blink of an eye.