Single Ladies (6 page)

She was impressed with his sincere enthusiasm.  "Yes!  That would definitely be great.  I do have a card with me, as a matter of fact," she said as she dug her lavender business card from her purse.  In return, he handed her his card. 

"Thank you so much, Tony.  I will be in touch."

He shook her hand again.  "Please do", he whispered as she walked away, leaving the scent of her signature fragrance, Donna Karan.

She started her engine and looked at his card.  It read,

Anthony Essex Mitchell III, Director of Peer Support Services, Youth Advocate and Mentor. 

"I'm finally at the right place, at the right time,  and been given the right opportunity to render all the right services. Thank you Lord, for your blessings", she whispered.

Chapter 7

Angie

Angela was immune to the usual, irritating beep of her alarm clock.  At 6:15 a.m, after hitting the snooze button twice, she lied awake and stared at the empty space next to her.    Just six hours prior, that very space was occupied by her every-other-week-on-speed-dial freak,  Nasir Hall, who she had intermittent sexual encounters with.  She slept with him whenever she was extremely horny or needed to feel a man holding her and smell the scent of masculinity.  Mostly, when she felt neglected by Brandon.   

Nasir was a contractor, who had done manual labor all of his life.  His body told the whole story.  He had an eight pack to die for.  His chiseled arms were enough to make a woman orgasm at sight.  His thighs were tight as sinew weed and felt good between in hers.  He was actually very polite and intelligent, which is more than she gave him credit for, initially.  He was doing some work for her co-worker, Claire, when she would go to her weekly book club meetings.  She ignored his silent gestures and flirts, because he didn't make enough money to entice her, and he wasn't dressed in a business suit.  However, something about his rugged appearance turned her on, more and more, as she went by Claire's house.  One day, while shopping for groceries, they met again.  He was dressed in jeans, a black tee , with his Chinese zodiac symbol on it, and it fit his thick, muscular arms perfectly.  He wore Timbaland boots on his long feet.  He stood about six feet, with a beautiful Hershey‘s chocolate complexion.   He had a bald head, and his goatee was shaped perfectly around his full, soft lips.  He was undeniably irresistible.  He had always been quiet, so she didn't expect much conversation.  He invited her to his apartment for a drink or two.   After he had about five drinks, he relaxed and started to talk more.  His conversation was very intelligent and intriguing.  He talked for so long, until Angela had to make the inevitable happen.  She recalled the details.

She stood in front of him and undressed.   He hungrily licked his lips and squinted his seductive eyes with desire, as he beheld her womahood.  Her 36 C cup breasts were  prominent, and full.  Her cinnamon brown nipples were erect and ready for his warm tongue.  As if he read her body language and mind, he opened his craving mouth and started sucking on them. 

Her aching slit was leaking all over her inner thighs, when he simultaneously slid his large hand between them. He cupped her sweet, fleshy pussy and rubbed his thumb across her clit.  Foreplay was becoming so intense, she thought she would never get the main course. 

She reached down and pulled on his steel flesh.  His precum trickled out of the head,  as he pulled a condom over it.  He stopped her, as she straddled him.   He slid back, opened her legs wide,  teased and tantalized her clit with his  tongue.  He gently pushed the hood back, revealing her tiny pearl.  He sucked on it.  She closed her eyes and screamed his name.  When he was ready, he gripped her svelte waistline and entered her from underneath.  She had to do no work, because he positioned himself up on his hands and power pounded her from the bottom.  She screamed and jerked wildly as he began to plunge deeper inside of her and become more and more fierce and rough with her delicate body.  They climaxed at the same time.  An encore of the same hot scene would replay twice that night.....and  from that moment on;  they were both.....addicted.

Her pussy tightened, as if she were doing her Kegel exercises, as she reminisced on the pleasurable encounters.  Erotic nights and undeniable ecstasy still didn't matter, when the man of her dreams was starting to fade from her life.  Brandon had been everything she would want in a man.  Rich, being the first thing.  Intelligent, well-known, respected, and handsome, but he was just too damn busy.  She fought with her racing thoughts, and sprung from bed to shower for work.

"Good morning, Claire," she sang in a feigned cheerful voice, as she tried to hide the growing pain she felt inside.

"Mornin' Angie.  Hey, Amanda called over, and your flight has been cancelled.  They can't meet with you until late in August, about the project.  Everything has been postponed."

Secretly, Angie was relieved. "Oh, that's too bad," she held back a smirk.  "Could you have them to fax over a letter about the postpone of the project?"

"Yeah, I'll do that now."

"Thank you," she smiled, as she walked into her office.

Just before lunch time, Claire knocked on her office door, with a bouquet of beautiful roses in her hand.  "These just came for you, my dear!"

Angie looked up from her computer.  "Oh, thanks, Claire, you can sit them right here."

Once Claire was gone, Angie pulled the card from the flowers and it read "I know I've been a jerk lately, but so much is going on.  I want to spend an evening with you. Just the two of us, so that we can sit and talk about some things.  No interruptions, I promise.   I'll call later, Love, Brandon-"

She placed the card upon her breasts and grinned.  "I love you too," she whispered, as she rose to go to lunch.

Terrence knocked on her office door, as usual.  "Hey, I'll buy if you have lunch with me."

She squinted her eyes at him playfully.  "I don't know if I can trust you, Mr. Office Gossiper."

He raised both his hands, as if he'd been surrounded by policemen.  "I swear, I didn't mean anything by it.  People just come and tell me things. I'm sorry."

She giggled. "Relax, I'm just kidding.  I'll go with you, only if you drive, and we go for one of those juicy burgers at Billie's."

"Billie's is cool. It aint far.  C'mon."

The temperature outside was just right.  Not too brisk, and not warm.  They sat at a table with a red and white striped umbrella over it.  Their mouthes watered at the sight of the piping hot, crispy french fries and greasy cheeseburgers in front of them.

"So, " Terrence said in between chewing a french fry. "You don’t like to talk much about your dating life, huh?"

"Why would I? It is my dating life, right?  It's not the office's business who I date or what I do.  Don’t you agree?" she bit her burger.

"Oh, totally. I was just asking.  I mean, me myself, ever since my divorce from Sheri, I have been single and loving my newfound freedom."

"Is that right?" she asked.

"Yeah, and I-" he was interrupted by his cell phone.  "Hello?  Hey, you.  No, I didn't know you called. Well, you didn't leave a voicemail."  he held his cell phone in his right hand and his left wrist was bent in the way that she'd seen most gay men bend theirs.   She pretended not to listen to him or notice his hands.  He continued,   "Yeah, I don't mind.  I said yeah, what are you talking about?  It will have to be later.  Look, I‘m trying to eat my lunch here.  I get off at five.  Just call me later. Hello? Hello?  You're phone's breaking up.  Nasir, your phone's breaking up. Hello? Okay, yeah. Later." he closed his phone and noticed Angie's curious expression.  "Oh, my uh- my uh- cousin, Nasir, wants me to help him with a project he has to finish."

She still looked puzzled, because his words during the phone call and his slightly effeminate manner when the talked to this "Nasir", were very suggestive.

"He's doing some work for a lady and needs my help."

"Oh, okay.  Is your burger as good as mine? I love these!" Angie got off the subject.

"Oh, hell yeah. Billie's is the bomb!" he bit into his burger and nodded his head.

Angie's eyes couldn't help but notice his metro style of clothing, and her eyes wandered to his freshly manicured nails, as usual.  He was definitely a sight that got her wheels to spinning.

Chapter 8

Roni

The building was a fair size.  There was no wonder why it was called the Wall Hole, though.  It looked just like a little hole in the wall.  An average sized burgundy, brick building, with a cheesy sign on the front, that was lit up with electric blue letters that spelled out, Dewey's, .  Inside, it was better, kind of cozy, but still not quite elite.  Cigarette smoke floated around like swirly white clouds in front of the ladies faces. 

"Oh, I am not gonna even be able to stand this shit," Karla coughed and wrinkled her pointy nose.

"Me either, but it's just temporary.  He said he's the first act."

"If he's so damn good, then I wonder why they don’t save him for last." Karla chuckled, tossing her head of dreadlocks, as she scanned the room for somewhere comfortable to sit.

Roni and Angela rolled their eyes at Karla. 

They mutually agreed to sit off in a corner, to the left of the small center stage.    People were laughing, talking, enjoying their cigarettes, drinks, and the melodies of Raheem Devaughn's "You" that was playing. 

About fifteen minutes later, after all three ladies had looked at their watches and cell phones to confirm the time, an obese, bald guy came to the stage.

"It's Bigg-Boi and I'm back ya'll!  And What's going on in the Hole tonite?!"

The crowd clapped and welcomed the Big guy on stage.

Angie, Roni, and Karla all looked at each other.

"Ugh...I know that's not him, yall!" Angie frowned with disgust.

"He said he was slim!" Roni's eyes were bulging.

"That's why online dating is not a good idea. People always tell some kind of lie about what they look like", Karla wasn't surprised.

Ignoring, Karla, Angie and Roni continued to stare at the four hundred pound, sweaty, bald man on the tiny center stage.

At the end of his corny joke, they realized he was merely the emcee, once he started the intro to his first and main act.  "Usually our grand finale and superior act, he had to be first tonite.  He's the one and only...the elite poet..the baddest, as ya'll like to call him.  My boy, my ace, The Baddest... Mr. Johnny Parker."

The standing ovations,  finger snaps, and whistling of the medium-sized audience, welcomed none other than the handsome, tall, slim, front desk representative from Luxury Suites Hotel, Jonathan Parker.

Roni's mouth was wide open.

"Damn, girl he fine!!" Angie squealed.

Jonathan stood smiling, and humbly waited for the crowd's excitement to mellow before citing his poem.  He wore black jeans by Diorsoul that sat low on his tight waistline and a white body tee that perfectly conformed to his muscular arms.  The chain and cross that hung from it, rested in the center of his broad chest.  His coal black hair was french braided to the back, and accented with a white Kangol hat.

"Ya'll, that's the guy who I hired at the hotel!" Roni shouted.

"Oh, my goodness. That's even worse!" Karla hissed.  "Workplace love."

"Shut up, Karla.  Not necessarily.  That dude is f-oi-ne!  Even if he is broke", Angela kept her eyes on him.

Roni was unmoved by their conversation, as he began his presentation.  The musicians who sat behind him, began to play soft jazz, around his poetic words...

"It's good to be back ya'll.  How ya'll feelin tonite?  How about the ladies, Are you feelin kinda sexy?"

Just about all the women in the room, cheered out a "Yeeeeaaaahhh!"  All the men were sitting and patiently waiting on the brother to deliver his words.    Angie and Karla looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"How nineties," Karla whispered under her breath.

"That's good, cuz I'm feelin like a little vocal love...I feel like expressin tonite ladies," he finished.

"LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MISS THING WHO

WALKS WITH THAT EROTIC SWING

IN HER HIPS

AND KEEPS THAT REAL TALK

ON HER LIPS

READY TO STIMULATE YOUR MIND

WITH WORDS THAT GET INSIDE

THE SOUL

SO DEEP AND BEAUTY THAT WILL KEEP YOUR EYES

INFATUATED FOR A LIFETIME.

SHE'S SASSY

SHE'S FLY

JUST AS WITTY AS SHE IS

CANDY FOR THE EYE

DYNAMITE I CAN CALL HER

CUZ HER LOVE IS EXPLOSIVE

HER PERSONA UNTOUCHABLE LIKE GET BACK

BUT THE MAGNET IN HER SOUL

LIKE.....GET CLOSER

SO HERE I STAND... LIKE USHER

FOREVER IN YOUR EYES....LIKE MINT CONDITION

BUT LIKE LEDISI YOU WONDER

IF I'LL BE HERE IN THE MORNING

BUT

GIRL , LIKE TREY SONGS, I GOTTA GO..

AND LIKE DAVE HOLLISTER, .I CAN'T STAY

DONT WANNA GET CAUGHT LIKE PRINCE, IN THE PURPLE RAIN

OF YOUR REJECTION

SO I EXTEND MY HAND ONCE

OKAY TWICE

YEAH ALRIGHT... THREE TIMES,

SO LIKE HOWARD HEWITT,  GET MY HEAD TO SPINNING

AND LIKE AVANT SAID, DONT SAY NO

JUST SAY YES

CUZ FORGET TYRESE,

YOU MY SWEETLADY

AND LIKE COMMON

I WANT U

SO WASSUP SWEETLADY

I'M LIKE JAMIE....LETS MAKE IT DO WHAT IT DO

He hadn't been on the mic for three minutes, and already, ladies were throwing dollars on stage like he was taking off his clothes and rockin their world with his sexy body.  She‘d never known people to throw money on stage at an open mic poetry night.

"Soaking wet are we?" Karla smirked in Roni's direction.  "Even I have to admit, that poem was on point!" she smiled.

"Yeah, girl! He's good.  That was some deep shit!" Angela chewed on her gum hard and fast, in an annoying, ghetto way.

Roni was still taken aback and trying to make the decision of whether to reveal herself to Jonathan or just try to walk out without being seen.

He was at the end of his final poem, when the thick mental fog of her dazed state cleared.

"MY LOVE IS THE SHIT

IT CAN FLOW THROUGH THE CABLES OF YOUR HEART

AND APPEAR ON THE SCREEN OF YOUR SOUL

YOUR FACE WILL SHOW THE WORLD THE CLEAR PICTURE

AND YOUR VOICE WILL SING THE SONG OF HAPPINESS

AND THEY ALL WILL SEE"

"Hey, let's get outta here," Roni cried, nervously.

"Uh-uh girl! You dragged us all the way down here so that you can meet this guy and you gonna meet him!  I postponed a hot date for this-" Angie started.

"And I have a mandatory meeting with my bed and pillow, so-"

"Alright! Alright!  Damn. If Daphne wasn't doing hair, I woulda had her to come with me.  Yall are trippin."

"No, girl, you tripping!  Just because you work with him don’t mean it can't be nothing."

Johnny's performance caused more standing ovations, snapping and whistling, as he exited the stage, and the fat emcee came out to introduce the next poet.

"Okay.  I just need to run to the ladies room.  I'll be right back." Roni excused herself, as she and walked past seated poetry lovers, and out into the smoky hall.

She was nervous, and took a few deep breaths, as she thought about what she would say to him.  Suddenly, the small door to the right of the performance area opened, and out came Jonathan.

"Roni?!  Damn, I'm surprised to see you!  I never saw you in here before.  Didn't even know you liked poetry." his smile was so sexy.  She smelled his colonge as he got close to give her  a friendly hug. 

She stood, frozen, with a grin on her babydoll face.  She looked gorgeous in her sleeveless ivory blouse and capri pants and gold heels.  Her jet black, wavy hair was pulled back into a bun, accentuating her perfectly arched eyebrows, luxuriously long eyelashes, and doe eyes.

"Uh, I-I write a lil myself.  You did great up there" she spoke softly, drawing attention to her heart shaped mouth, which was so elegantly accented by her beach sand gold iridescent lipstick.

"Thank you!  I didn't know you wrote, too."

"Yeah, I'm not nearly as good as you, though.  So, you liked to be called Johnny?"

"Yeah, that's what everyone has called me since day one of my life."

There was an akward silence for a few seconds.  "Uh- listen, I was supposed to be meeting someone, but as I keep looking at my watch, it seems like she might have stood me up, so, do you mind joining me for a drink or two?"

She hesitated briefly, but agreed to meet him at The Halo for a drink. 

On her way to the Halo, she called Angie's cell phone to let her and Karla know what she was doing.  Angie was happy.

"Okay, girl, you have a good time.  I like this little hole in the wall, here. The poetry is lovely, but my boo and his loving is callin me, so I will talk to you later! Dont do nothing I wouldn't!"

"Yeah, yeah!.. Tell Karla I'll holla later."

The dance floor was jumpin on the top floor of the Halo.  On the floor where people were dining and drinking, it was more laid back.  Roni and Johnny sat near the back of the dining area.  He ordered a long island iced tea.  She had her usual cosmopolitan.

"So, do you like working at the Luxury so far?"

"Oh, yeah. It's cool.  I mean, it's better than nothing right now.  My heart is in my poetry and music, though. I have written songs and been singing all my life, too.  I'm surprised nobody asked me to sing tonite at the Hole."

"Oh yeah?  How's that singing thing going for you?"

"Well, you know, it can be hectic.  I'm still looking for somebody to take me seriously, and get signed, you know?  My boy keeps telling me that he‘s got some connections out East that he‘s gonna get me hooked up with.  We‘ll see how that goes.  I‘ve already sent one demo and I haven‘t heard anything. It can take a while though, so I guess I just gotta be patient."

"That’s pretty cool.  Maybe one day you can sing for me," she flirted.

"I will definitely do that.  I love to sing, girl. I'm tellin you.  Once I start, I can't stop," he grinned.  "So, you were telling me that you write poetry too.  Let me hear one of your pieces."

“Oh, you don’t wanna hear my stuff,” she laughed, shyly.

“No, I do!  Give me just a lil bit,” he pushed.

Roni thought about what she felt was her best poem, and began to recite it. "Dont laugh, but here it goes....."  She recited her entire poem that was posted on Surelove.com, and it ended with the words "Only a true love is a joy that can be cherished forever"."

The expression on Johnny's face couldn't be read clearly.  He looked kind of confused, yet surprised.

"You didn't like it." her face succumbed to her anticipatory, tight smile.

He'd just realized who she was.  SweetladyRC1, was Roni Carter!  RC, stood for Roni Carter!  He was delighted to be sitting in front of the lady who he'd been talking to on Surelove.com and the lady who was supposed to had been meeting him at the Hole.  He was overwhelmed with excitement.  He wondered why didn't she reveal herself to him, when he mentioned that he was supposed to be meeting someone.  Maybe she wasn’t feeling him and didn't want to say anything, he thought.

"What's wrong, Johnny?"

"Uh. Nothing.  It-uh. It just seems like I heard that poem somewhere."

"No, it's mine. I didn't copy it from anyone." she laughed.

"No. I'm not saying that.  It's just.. I think I remember hearing something like it.  That last line, about a true love being a joy cherished forever.  That's beautiful.  You are very talented, Roni."  he sipped his drink.

"Thanks."  she smiled nervously.

The night ended with him opening her car door for her, and giving her his phone number.  "Please use it.  I would love to be friends."

She took the number.  "I'll do that.  Thanks, Johnny, I had a nice time."

"Hey, anytime.  Oh, and I'll be performing again, same place, real soon.  I'll let you know the details."

"I'll be waiting", she smiled.

He watched her car disappear, thinking about how much he wanted to tell her that he knew who she was.  He also thought that if she was interested, she would reveal herself.  On the other hand, he thought that she was probably nervous.  Overall, he was delighted, merely, about getting to know her.

As she snuggled under her comforter, and basked in the melodies of Paul Taylor's Pleasure seekers, from her stereo, Roni wondered just how she would reveal herself to Johnny- or if she would be better off not doing it.   All the reasons why she should were just as prominent as the reasons why she shouldn't.  Maybe Karla was right.  Workplace love never works.  She closed her eyes to drift off to sleep.  A couple seconds later, her eyes sprung open.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed.  She jumped out of bed and logged on to Surelove.com.  She read her profile that contained the very poem she'd recited to Johnny at the Halo.  Her heart beat wildly as she read the last line..."A true love is a joy that can be cherished forever."