As Time Goes By: A BWWM Interracial Romance (4 page)

 “What can I say? You’re definitely not an ordinary woman.
That was the greatest sex I’ve ever had,” he spat out honestly.

 “For me as well,” she agreed, reaching up to playfully
tweak his nose.

 The car now revved into an even higher gear, ascending the
narrow road that led away from the Detroit River and toward the outskirts of what
was once the powerful Big Three Auto Industries main stomping grounds. But it’s
heyday of three hundred thousand auto workers was nowreduced to a miniscule
rump of a mere thirty thousand, and descending settling dust, and a new wave of
spiders and stray dogs were moving in to the once dynamic and vibrant city.

 The old Detroit was crumbling into the cracks, and a newer,
more stellar version was slowing starting to emerge. But it was doing so under
the backdrop of high unemployment, a skyrocketing crime rate, and a neglected
infrastructure that was fast disintegrating into a humiliating bankruptcy from
which there might be no reprieve. Yet, its remaining die hard citizens like
Marg and Arnold, still held out high hopes for the once thriving metropolis.

 XXX

 “I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”

 Marg giggled. She was feeling high, but not from drugs. Her
sex romp at Arnold’s tastefully decorated home had left her both breathless and
speechless.

 “Marg? You there?”

 “Still here sis.”

 “Soooooo, how’d it go with prince charming?”

 “Arnold was all that and a bag of chips.”

 “That good, eh?”

 “That good. Damn straight.”

 “No need to make me jealous. But I guess that means there’s
no sense asking if you kept your clothes on?”

 “What do you think I meant when I said it was that good?”

 “Hmmm, naked as usual. Why am I not surprised?”

 “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”

 “I try it with my hubby at least once a week. I’m married,
remember?”

“I remember. I’m just a little scatter brained is all. I
really, really, really like this guy.”

“And I really, really, really believe you, although it
doesn’t sound like you’ve taken my advice and guarded your heart.”

“He’s not like the others.”

“Guys never are until they stop answering their phones and
change the locks on their doors.”

“If you must know, he actually gave me a key to his place so
I can stop by anytime.”

There was a pause.

“A key to his prized bachelor pad? That is like the holy
grail of…of…and only after your first night together? Girl, I’m impressed. What
is that, like dynamite between your legs? Most women can’t get a man to hand
over a key even after a year of trying.”

“He says he really likes me and I really believe him. Oh,
and it’s not his bachelor pad. It’s actually his mansion. The home he and his
ex used to live in. But she had him give her a cash settlement instead. She
decided she’d rather go to Europe and live with her parents.”

“He still has his home? And a mansion at that?”

 “Yep, all six thousand square feet of it.”

 “Wow, sounds like a palace.”

“You don’t know the half of it, although being in it was
kind of a let down.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Don’t get me wrong. We built up a lot of sensual steam in
that glass shower of his, but the time spent in his car was where it was really
at.”

“You took care of business in his car?”

 “With the top down, no less.”

“Girl, I’m even more impressed. That reminds me. You get a
job yet?”

“Nope. The interviews simply dried up. I didn’t realize how
many offices in Detroit were actually shut down or boarded up until I started
knocking on doors.”

“It doesn’t seem to be getting any better. I was talking to
a friend of moms on the phone today, and she said their work forced another six
today to step down to part time. Don’t know how they’re going to pay their
mortgage. Glad I’m living in Chicago.”

“Glad I’m not. I have a key to a mansion in my hot little
hand and-”

“Sis.”

“Yeah?”

“If this thing with Arnold doesn’t work out, and I don’t
mean to jinx or hex it. I know it’s just starting out, but if you start to lose
more stuff, you know, your condo and car and, well you know…you can come live
with us until you get a job and get some money saved. Things are a lot brighter
in Chicago.”

 “Move from my Motown home? Not a chance. Born and raised
here girl. Even if I gotta move in with our dreaded momma, then that’s what I’m
gonna do. But this city will bounce back. You’ll see.”

“And in the meantime a lot of well-meaning loyal folks like
yourself are going to go to bed hungry.”

“I’ll manage. I always do.”

“Actually, I’m more concerned about your fragile heart than
the lack of money in your purse. You almost went to the looney bin the last
time a guy played you. You’re always falling so fast and hard for some loser.”

“Arnold’s not a loser.”

“Yeah, I know. But you only started going out with him yesterday.
I realize you know him from before, but guys, as you know so well, aren’t
always what they appear.”

“I’ve got a good feeling about this one.”

“Hmm, even though you’ve already given him a taste of
everything you’ve got to offer him?”

“At least he won’t forget me any time soon. I can guarantee
you that.”

“I believe you sis. I honestly believe you. I only hope this
guy doesn’t have his head screwed on backwards.”

XXX

It seemed chillier than usual for this time of late fall,
and the swirl of fallen leaves provided a menagerie of oranges, reds and bright
cheery yellows.

“A bit cold today to do the top down routine,” she joked as
they left the café.

She wiped the remnants of yummy cheesecake off her bottom
lip a moment before starting to step into his car.

“Funny what a difference a day makes with the weather,” he
agreed. “A ten point dip in the temperature and the promise of snow.”

“It’s going to snow?”

“So the lady said on the forecast.”

 “You have skates?”

 He stared at her and smiled. “You want us to go skating?”

 “Nothing like building up an appetite for sex and hot
chocolate like a nice night arm in arm in the rink.”

He felt his bulge stiffen and nodded his approval. “I got a
couple of pairs at home I use, but we’d have to swing by your place first so
you could pick up yours, unless…”

“Unless what?”

“What size are you?”

“An eight.”

 “Same size as Marcie.”

“Who?”

“My ex. She didn’t bother taking most of her stuff to Europe
with her. She had a check for three quarters of a million dollars when she
left, so I guess she wanted to travel light.”

“You gave her a check for three quarters of a million
dollars?”

“Terms of the divorce. The house had been paid off, but I
refinanced it and wiped out my savings to get rid of her.”

“Hmm, a man that loves to get rid of his women. Why am I not
surprised?”

“She wasn’t nice like you.”

“Another compliment,” Marg whispered just loud enough so he
could hear. “You toss them around like so many nickels and dimes. Let’s just
hope that I end up meaning more to you than merely small change.”

 He felt a twinge of anguish in his chest and pulled her
back out of the car she was already half way inside of. Then he spun her
around, wrapped his arms around her and planted a ferocious kiss onto her
lovely full lips.

She swooned and felt her body quiver with delight. It never
failed to surprise her how easily turned on she could become.

When a full half a minute had passed, she gently pried
herself free. Her eyes were now glazed and her toes starting to curl.

“Where’d you learn to kiss like that?” she asked softly,
blown away.

“It’s easy when the girl in your arms is the woman of your
dreams.”

She sighed happily and looked up at a fresh night of stars.
“You’re not going to stop complimenting me until I fall under your damn spell,
are you?”

“You know me so well.”

“These skates of your ex’s. Are you giving them to me? Or am
I merely allowed to borrow them?”

He shrugged. “She left behind closets full of clothes, many
of them new with the tags still on them. She was a shopaholic. She even left
dozens of pairs of unopened shoes, still in the boxes. She was about your dress
size as well. I had thought to bring it all down to some charity thrift store,
but honestly? I was simply too damn lazy to bother. Hard work has never been
one of my strong suits. You’re welcome to rummage through it and take whatever
you like, or even all of it if you fancy it.”

 Her eyes lit up. “That’s a wonderful idea. No sense letting
her stuff go to waste.”

 “Especially when most of it is still so brand spanking
new,” he said in agreement. Then he reached down with his skilful mouth and
planted another kiss onto her enraptured lips.

“You keep doing that,” she said, as a playful threat, “and I
might just start undressing you right here on this street.”

“I’d better get in the car quickly then,” he said.

“I hear you,” she said, slipping back past the door.

He watched her hour glass figure as she got into the car,
and her thick stubby nipples, pressing hard into her bra free halter top, made
him drool.

“I got a feeling you just can’t wait to get me back to your
place.”

“After so short a time, you know me so well.”

“Not so much you in particular, but rather men in general,”
she corrected.

She leaned on his shoulder as he turned on the engine and
pulled out of the café parking lot, heading for his mansion.

 He did his best to keep his eyes on the road as they
exchanged lascivious kisses all the way home.

 XXX

 “How long’s it been now?”

 “Two weeks, one day, four hours and sixteen minutes since
we bumped into each other on that dog infested street.”

 Her mother let the words sink in. “What are you doing,
keeping a record?”

 “When you’ve had as many men slip through your fingers as I
have you tend to thank God for small miracles. Every day our love grows
stronger is a blessing I just intend to savor and cherish.”

 “You two are in love already?”

 “Some people have actually been known to fall in love at
first sight. Why should you think it strange if he and I hit it off so
amazingly well? We were, after all, looking for exactly the same thing.”

 “I heard the news.”

 “The news?”

 “You know, over your guy Arnold’s plans.”

 “What are you talking about?”

 “You haven’t seen Arnold today? He told you he’s running,
right?”

 “Running what? What are you saying? We skipped having lunch
together today.”

 “And he didn’t then at least phone you to tell you he’s
running for mayor of Detroit City? The papers said he had told them he was
going to be making a formal announcement to the press at five thirty this
evening.”

 Marg was stunned. She tried to shrug it off. “Maybe he
simply forgot to mention it to me.”

 “That he was going to run for mayor? If he didn’t bother
telling you something like that, what else didn’t he bother telling you?”

 “Look, mother. Maybe I’d better go.”

 “Hard to believe he didn’t say anything to you and yet you
two have, according to you, been dating for two weeks, one day, four hours and
sixteen minutes.”

 “You’ve the memory of an elephant, mother.”

 “Naw, I simply write everything down. You having a man for
so long is a world record. Although you have to wonder if him withholding the
fact from you he is going to run for office is a sign that maybe he is ready to
move on to someone else.”

 “Don’t you dare say that mother. Don’t you dare ever
fucking say that.”

 “Swearing at your mother? Not very ladylike. But then
again, when is anything you do, ladylike.”

 “Damn you mother. If you’re having a bad day, take it out
on someone else.”

 “There is no one else.”

 “I gotta go mother.”

 She hung up and dialed Arnold’s number, her long slender
black fingers with the long all natural nails painted a shimmering pink and
shaking nervously as her mother’s words tugged at her vulnerable heart strings.
She had fallen for him hard, just as she knew she would. And she was certain he
felt the same way about her, only…only…why hadn’t he told her about such an
important decision before it was going to be made public?

 “Hi hon.”

 “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to run for public office?”

 “You heard? I hadn’t planned on it, but a former friend
visited me late last night, after our date. He said he had some fundraisers
that could guarantee enough money raised to mount a strong and effective campaign.
Apparently I still have a lot of fans.”

 “You should have told me. I thought we shared everything.”

 “Did you check your email? I sent you one late last night
as soon as my friend left. I wanted you to have a heads up before the paper
would hit the stands this morning. Then I phoned you an hour ago, wanting you
to know it was going to be on the local five thirty news. You must have been in
the shower or something because you wouldn’t pick up. I left a message there as
well.”

 Marg suddenly felt both foolish and childish, feeling a
cloud lift off her shoulders. No, she hadn’t bothered checking her emails
today. And yes, she had seen her phone flashing but hadn’t thought to check the
message. She knew from experience he would often call and remind her about
dates. She had assumed the message on her cell was merely a reminder he was
coming by at seven to take her to dinner. Normally their dinner dates would
start at six, but it now dawned on her that he probably wanted to see himself
on the news first.

She glanced at her watch. Five twenty-nine. “Gonna hang up
now,” she said happily, feeling relieved. “I’m going to watch the local news to
see if you’re as good looking on TV as you are in person.”