Turned Out Saga (19 page)

It was their last night in D.C. and Candy and Champagne were ordering drinks at the bar. Champagne's phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID, THOMAS.
I
wonder what he wants.

“Excuse me,” she told Candy. “I have to take this call.” Champagne stood up and went toward the ladies' room. “Hello?”

“It's Thomas. What's up?”

“Nothing.”

Not one to beat around the bush, Thomas came out with it. “Zyair knows about us going to the swingers club.”

“What?” Champagne knew he didn't just say what she thought he did.

“Jackson came into the restaurant and caused a scene, and Zyair punched me in the mouth.”

“Hold up, hold up. What do you mean, Jackson came into the restaurant? Did you tell him why we were there? Did you try to explain?” She was panicking, wondering what Zyair could be thinking right now. Should she call him, or should she wait until she arrived home to talk to him?
Shit! Shit! Shit!

“What was I supposed to say Champagne? I tried to tell him what Diamond told me about Khalil, but he wasn't trying to hear a word of it and I can't say I blame him. Shit! I knew we shouldn't have went there together. This is fucked up. I may have lost my boy over this bullshit.”

Champagne couldn't think of a word to say. She was trying to figure out what she was going to say to Zyair. What was there to say? All she could do was tell the truth. After all, she really didn't do anything wrong, but she knew he wouldn't understand. He'd already warned her to mind her business. Fuck it, it's going to be what it's going to be.

“Do you think I should call him or wait until I get home?”

“Yeah, I think you should, Champagne. You also need to know that he thinks you don't want to marry him.”

Champagne didn't have to ask what gave him that impression. She already knew she was to blame. Damn it, what the hell was wrong with her? She'd been losing her mind lately. Was it really worth it? Was it worth losing Zyair?

“Thomas, thanks for giving me a heads-up. I'll call him and try to set things straight, although I don't think it's going to happen over the phone.”

“Well, let me know if you need me.”

As Champagne walked toward the table, Candy studied her facial expression.

Champagne sat down. She called the bartender over and ordered a shot of Patrón.

“Damn, you ain't playing,” Candy told her.

Champagne didn't respond.

“What's up? Is everything okay?”

Needing to talk it out with someone, Champagne said, “I think I fucked up.”

“Fucked up what? What happened?”

Champagne went on to tell Candy about how she didn't trust her best friend's boyfriend. She told her how, unbeknownst to Zyair, she and Thomas went to a swingers club to catch him fucking up and ran into her ex-boss.

In the process of telling this story, Champagne had a couple more shots of Patrón and was feeling quite nice. “Anyway, Zyair found out because Jackson came into his restaurant and caused a scene. This whole thing has become a mess, and I don't know what to do about it.”

While Champagne was in a talking mood, Candy decided to ask her about the time she and Zyair were in Ladies First. “So what's up with you and Zyair coming to the ‘ladies bar'?”

Champagne figured,
To hell with it.
“We were looking to do something different.”

“Something like what?”

“Why are you so curious?”

“I just am. I know that most couples go to the clubs looking to get into something.”

Champagne didn't bother answering. She stood up and said, “Maybe I should go to my room and call Zyair.”

Candy stood up also. “I don't know if it's a good idea for you to call him when you're in this condition.”

Champagne felt herself tilt a little to the left. “You know what, maybe you're right. Maybe I should wait until the liquor wears off. I think I'll go to my room and lay down.”

“How about I walk you to your room? I don't think you're going to make it on your own.”

Champagne looked Candy in the eyes. “That just might be a good idea.”

Zyair was in his office, his head in his hands, when DaNeen approached him.

“Are you okay?”

Looking up, he told her, “As okay as I can be.”

DaNeen walked around his desk and started massaging his shoulders. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Everything in Zyair knew he should ask her to leave, but he didn't feel like being alone. Plus, her hands felt good. “I don't know, DaNeen. Maybe I've been a fool all this time. Maybe I was living a lie with Champagne. How could I have been so stupid?” He looked up at her. “Nah, I refuse to believe that. There has to be a logical explanation. But then again, what would be a logical explanation for your boy and your woman to be at a swingers club? Can you think of one?”

DaNeen told him she couldn't, and added, “I would've never done anything like that to you. You don't need anyone like that.” She turned his chair around to face her. “You need someone like me, Zyair, someone that wouldn't go behind your back with your best friend.”

Zyair could feel that this was going in the wrong direction but he needed comfort, needed to feel appreciated, something he hadn't been feeling lately. As a matter-of-fact, Champagne had been neglecting him. He felt like the love was one-sided, like he was the one carrying the relationship, the one using up all the energy to keep her happy and satisfied. He was tired of being taken for granted. “Even if what Thomas said is true, what the hell were they thinking?”

DaNeen didn't know what Thomas said, and she really didn't care. “I don't know, Zyair, but what I do know is, women tend to forget what they have and how good they may have it. If you were my man, I would shower you with love and affection.”

Zyair liked what he was hearing. He wanted to be showered with love and affection. He didn't want to be treated as an afterthought. “Damn, girl, that sounds good.”

“I have something that will feel just as good.” DaNeen didn't wait for an answer. She bent down and placed her lips on his. She waited for him to respond, and when he did, she sat on his lap.

In the back of his mind, Zyair was telling himself to stop, but the hurt in his heart was urging him on. He turned her around so that she was straddling him.

“Is the door locked?” he asked her.

DaNeen stood up and went to check. It wasn't, so she locked it.

Zyair stood up, and together they moved toward the chaise. Zyair sat down, and DaNeen stood in front of him and slid her skirt down.

Zyair was surprised to find that all she wore underneath was stockings and a garter belt.

She leaned over and unbuckled his belt.

He stood up, and together they pulled his pants down.

DaNeen lay back on the chaise, and Zyair climbed on top of her. There was no foreplay, no kissing, no caressing.

They looked each other in the eyes, and DaNeen, still seeing the hurt on his face, told him, “It's okay. I've been wanting this for a long time.”

Zyair placed his hands under her ass and pulled her into him real hard. He did this a couple of times, until he heard her wince. After realizing that it wasn't DaNeen's fault that he was hurt, he decided to slow down his pace.

She understood what he was doing and allowed him to have his way with her. However he wanted her, she'd give herself to him. If he wanted to fuck her hard, she'd let him. If he wanted to make slow, passionate love to her, she'd let him.

Zyair was in a daze. He was well aware of what he was doing and knew he was in the wrong. He thought doing this would make him feel better but it didn't. As a matter-of-fact, it made him feel worse because he wasn't that kind of man and he was operating outside himself. He was operating off his emotions.

Deep down, he knew Thomas and Champagne wouldn't mess around with one another behind his back. He also knew that Champagne had been bugging over the whole Khalil and Alexis relationship. He could see her doing something as stupid as going to a swingers club to get evidence. He was just pissed off by the deception and being left out of the loop. Especially Thomas' role.

He wondered what they saw when they were there. To him there was something intimate about that excursion.

As Zyair felt himself about to cum, he realized he didn't have a condom on and pulled out of DaNeen. As he came in his hand, he wondered what Champagne was doing at that very moment.

Candy wanted so bad to make love to Champagne. She was laying behind her in the bed, spooning, rubbing her hair as she cried and talked.

“How could I have been so stupid?” Champagne asked. “I might have destroyed the best thing in my life by being foolish.”

The Patrón had Champagne telling it all. She told Candy all about Hedonism and about Sharon. “I don't know what's gotten into me. When we went to Hedonism, I had no intentions on being with a woman, but once it happened, it seemed like that's all I could think about. I used the excuse of trying it again sober to see if I liked it, and I found I did.” She turned over and faced Candy. “What do you think it means? Do you think it means that I'm gay?”

Candy could see how vulnerable Champagne was feeling and wanted to take advantage of her so bad but she knew to do that would jeopardize her job. “No, I don't think that. I think you were curious and wanted to experiment, like you said. Sometimes we need to try things more than once to see if it's what we like. You found out that you did, and I personally think it's okay to like more than one thing.”

Champagne wanted to believe her. “You really think so?”

“I speak only the truth.”

“Kiss me.”

Although this is what Candy wanted, she was caught off guard. “Huh?”

“I said kiss me.”

Candy pushed Champagne on her back and lay on top of her. “Is this you talking, or is it the liquor talking?”

“It's me talking.”

“I work for you.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to be able to handle it?”

“All I'm asking for is a kiss.”

“Nothing else?”

“Why? Do you want something else?”

Candy didn't respond with words. She responded by planting soft kisses on Champagne's lips. “Listen,” she said, “if we go on with this, I want you to know I don't expect anything from you. I just want to make you feel better.”

Champagne placed her hands on each side of Candy's face and said, “Stop talking and make love to me.”

As Candy kissed her, she thought about Candy and Sharon, and the fact that if it had been another time and the circumstances were different, they could have seen where this would go, but because things were the way they were they couldn't. Champagne knew this was going to be it, her last time making love with a woman, and that her choice was to be with Zyair.

“Let's get undressed,” she told Candy.

Candy climbed out of the bed and headed toward the bathroom. “Come, follow me.”

Champagne stood up and followed behind Candy to the bathroom.

Candy took two rags off the rack and told Champagne, “Let me wash you.”

No one had ever offered to do that to Champagne before, and it kind of turned her on. She undressed as Candy watched and stood in front of her naked.

By now Candy had wet the rag and was on her knees. She pushed Champagne's legs apart and placed the rag on her pussy; pressing down on it. She looked up at Champagne, who was looking down at her.

“Open your legs some more,” Candy told her. Champagne did as she was instructed.

Candy then spread Champagne's lips apart and washed between her lips. She then pushed the skin back over her clitoris and wiped it gently. She replaced the rag with her tongue, sucking on it gently.

Champagne's knees buckled, and she grabbed Candy's head and pressed it against her pussy.

Candy pulled away. “I'm not done washing you yet.” Candy then took the rag and wiped from Champagne's pussy to her ass. “I'm going to lick every inch of you.”

When she was done wiping Champagne, Candy went to wipe herself.

“Let me do you,” Champagne offered.

“No, this is about you,” Candy told her. She then took Champagne's hand and led her to the bed.

“Lay down.”

Champagne did just that. “Spread your legs wide.” Champagne did that as well.

Candy placed her knees between Champagne's legs and kneeled over her. She kissed her on the mouth. “After tonight, we're going to go back to work and pretend like this never happened.”

Champagne hoped she could do that. Even if she couldn't, at this moment she would have agreed to any and everything.

Knowing that this was going to be her last girl-on-girl encounter, she pulled Candy up to her and said, “I want to taste you while you're tasting me.”

“No, this is all about you,” Candy told her again.

“This is your boss talking. Do what I say.”

Candy laughed. “Yes, ma'am. How do you want to do this?”

Champagne said, “Sixty-nine.”

“Me on top and you on the bottom?”

“However you want to do it is fine with me.”

The following morning they decided to not pretend that nothing happened.

Before Candy left to go to her room, Champagne told her, “I wasn't so drunk that I don't know what happened last night.”

This pleased Candy. “Good.”

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

“Really?”

Candy looked Champagne straight in the eye. “Really.” When Candy left the room, Champagne knew she had to do what she'd been putting off, and that's call Zyair. She retrieved her cell phone out of her purse and dialed his cell number.

Zyair was laying in the bed when he heard his phone ring. He knew it was Champagne, but he felt too guilty about what had transpired between him and DaNeen to answer the phone.

Later than night when he arrived home, he called up Thomas and told him to stop by the following morning. He needed to hear Thomas out before Champagne arrived and before they spoke. Whatever Thomas said was going to dictate how he approached this whole situation with Champagne.

A couple hours later when Thomas arrived, they were sitting in the den, and Thomas was explaining how he and Champagne ended up at the swingers club. “Man, I know I was wrong for not telling you, but I promised her. And I know you wouldn't want her going into a place like that by herself.”

Zyair was having mixed emotions about the whole thing. On one hand he wanted to fuck Thomas up again, on the other; he respected what his boy had done for him.

Thomas went on to add, “I would never do anything to jeopardize our friendship, you must know that. But like I was telling you, I'm in love with Alexis. Why? I can't even explain it, but I kid you not, man. I really think she's the one. And when I met Khalil, and after talking to Champagne and hearing her doubts about him, I too got caught up in the moment.”

By the time Thomas finished apologizing and trying to set the record straight, Zyair had made the decision to do a background check on Khalil. He just wanted to nip all this shit in the bud and move on. He also knew that in order to move on, he and Champagne were going to have to come to some sort of understanding about their relationship. Limbo wasn't working for him anymore.

He also knew he was going to have to talk to DaNeen. He didn't want to lead her on. He knew she had feelings for him, and he wasn't the type to play on someone's emotions.

He glanced at the clock.
Yep, that's what I'll do,
he thought to himself. I'll handle this whole situation with DaNeen, and then I'll speak with Champagne.