Drama Queen (3 page)

“He's cooking you dinner?” Roni asked her as she put the hot curling iron in Kayla's hair. They were in Kayla's cluttered bedroom and Roni was helping her get ready for her big date.

“That's what he says. I mean, he
is
a cook. That's what he does for a living,” Kayla answered as she tried not to flinch from the heat.

“Um, the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach.” Roni smiled smugly.

“Ron, I thought that was the way to a man's heart.”

“No, girl. The way to a man's heart is through his head, and I ain't talking about the one on his shoulder with two ears, either.” Roni laughed and almost burned Kayla's forehead.

“Girl, you'd better chill. You know I ain't got enough hair to wear bangs.” Kayla swatted at Roni.

“I can throw some tracks right in there. You know I can.” Roni tilted Kayla's head and kept curling. It was a well-known fact that Veronica Jett was one of the best hairdressers this earth had ever seen; a talent inherited from her mother, Ms. Ernestine Jett, the owner of Jett Black Hair Salon on the south side of the city. But Roni decided that doing hair wasn't steady enough to be her thing, so she taught at the alternative school instead. She did her girlfriends' hair and occasionally went to work at the shop when she was strapped for cash, which was rarely, since she had enough male compadres to help her out whenever that occurred.

“Did I tell you Geno called me last night?” Kayla acted like it was no big deal.

“What the hell did he want?”

“I don't know. The girl he was picking up from work came to the car before he had the chance to tell me.” Kayla shrugged.

“What girl?” Roni sucked her teeth as she reached for the spray bottle.

“I don't know.” Kayla sighed. Roni reached for the makeup kit on Kayla's dresser and began making up Kayla's face.

“Close your eyes,” she said and Kayla felt her applying the eye shadow. “Look, Kay. I want you to do me a favor. Go out tonight, have fun, don't even think about Geno. Let it go and move on. You are a beautiful, intelligent black woman with so much to offer. Forget that nigga. It's over. Okay? All done. You like?”

Kayla opened her eyes and was amazed at the transformation Roni had done. Her big brown eyes seemed brighter and her full lips were glossy and sensual. There was not a hair out of place on her perfectly curled head.

“Damn. I
am
a diva.” Kayla smiled and hugged her girlfriend.

“Now hurry up. You don't wanna keep your chef waiting. And here.” Roni reached in her purse and placed a small item in Kayla's hand.

“What's this?” Kayla asked and looked down at the small plastic wrapper. “Oh hell, naw. I don't need this. You know I don't get down like that. I just met this man, Roni. He ain't getting nothing from me except maybe some tongue action—and that's only on his lips.”

“Take it, Kayla. It's Valentine's and you might get lucky. You never know, girl. Better safe than sorry. I gotta run. Darren is picking me up at nine. Love you, Kay. Call me in the morning and let me know how it goes,” Roni said as she left. Kayla looked at the condom and put it in the top drawer of her dresser.

“That girl is a fool,” she said out loud and proceeded to get dressed. She decided to dress down, but cute. Craig told her that he would cook dinner and they would get to know each other better. She liked him more and more every time she spoke with him.

Pulling on her black silk shirt and fitted Para-suco jeans, Kayla took one last look in the mirror. She turned and noticed the photo of Geno and her.
Time to move on,
she thought as she picked it up. She placed it in the top of her hall closet when she grabbed her leather coat.

The drive to Craig's house only took twenty minutes, but to Kayla it felt like hours. The neighborhood was fairly new and she took notice of the perfectly manicured yards even though it was dark. She found his townhouse nestled at the back of the cul-de-sac, his blue Honda parked right out front. As she parked behind it, she saw the lights go dim and the porch light come on. Checking herself in the rearview mirror, she touched up her lipstick and opened her car door.

“My, my, my. You look too good to stay in, Kayla. Maybe we should go to State Street's so I can show you off.” He grinned and gave Kayla a hug.

“You are so silly.” Kayla could smell his Calvin Klein cologne as he pulled her close to him. She took notice of how sexy he looked dressed in the simple wife beater and blue sweat pants, white socks on his large feet.

“Come on in. Dinner's almost ready.” He led her into the sunken living room and she was immediately impressed. Sounds of jazz filled the room. There was a brown leather sectional surrounded by African artwork and statues. They were all beautiful. On the wall was a huge print of a warrior, standing with staff in hand in the African jungle. The coffee and end tables were adorned with carvings and hand blown glass. Kayla had never seen anything like it.

“Make yourself at home.”

“This is gorgeous. I mean, absolutely gorgeous,” she told him.

“Thanks. I try,” he answered. “Have a seat. I gotta check on something in the kitchen.”

Kayla took a seat and continued to admire her surroundings.
This brother has taste.
The mahogany entertainment center held a thirty-two-inch television and a stereo system. There were what looked like hundreds of CDs and DVDs on mahogany shelves.

“Did you find my place okay?” he called from the kitchen.

“Yeah. Your directions were easy to follow. This is a nice neighborhood,” she answered. “How long have you lived here?”

“Almost a year,” he said. She turned around and saw he was walking toward her with a glass of wine.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the glass from him. “Something smells delicious.”

“Chicken. It's finishing up. Would you like a tour while we wait?”

“Sure.” She shrugged.

“Let's start upstairs and work our way down.” He took her by the arm and led her up the Berber-carpeted steps. At the top there was a loft with a small office, outfitted with a desk, computer, file cabinet and a bookshelf full of books. The wall held framed photos of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Etta James. There were also jazz statues on the shelves.

“You read?” she asked him, impressed by the titles, including historical greats such as Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin and Richard Wright.

“Jazz and reading, my two favorite hobbies.” He smiled. They continued further and he showed her a bedroom, which was modestly decorated in taupe. There was a full bed and a dresser, but not a lot of artwork, as had the rest of the house. “This is the guestroom.”

“Nice.”

“It's a'ight. I haven't got it finished yet.” They returned to the hallway and he opened a second door across the hall. “Now this is the master bedroom.” He grinned as he opened the door.

Kayla's mouth dropped as they entered the huge room. It looked like something off
MTV Cribs
. The grand lair was an ivory dream. The kingsized bed was raised in the center of the room. There was a separate sitting area with a cream leather love seat and matching ottoman. As she inhaled, Kayla smelled vanilla and noticed candles burning in each corner of the room. On the far wall, she was stunned by a flat screen television.

“Wow,” was all she could say. As she walked closer to the bed, she had to blink several times to make sure she was seeing clearly.

“It's mink,” Craig informed her as she touched the bedspread.

“Cooking must really be paying well,” Kayla commented. She could feel Craig's hand on the small of her back and she turned to face him. As he reached and touched her face, there was a beeping noise coming from downstairs.

“Saved by the bell. Sounds like dinner is ready. Shall we eat?”

Kayla took one last look around the room, still amazed at its beauty. “May I use your restroom?” Kayla asked.

“Yeah. You can use the one downstairs,” Craig answered. She followed him down the steps and he showed her to the bathroom. Like the rest of the house, it was an impeccable array of browns and beige with gold detailing. She stood in the bathroom a few moments, just looking at herself in the mirror.
Maybe
he
is worth more than a little harmless fun,
she thought.

“You okay?” Craig tapped on the door, startling her.

“Yeah. I'm coming out right now,” she called. She washed her hands and opened the door where he was waiting for her.

“Right this way, Madame.” He looped his arm through hers and guided her into a beautiful dining room. He had dressed the elaborate table with flowers and candles. He pulled a chair out for her to be seated and out of nowhere, presented her with a long-stemmed white rose. “For you.”

“Why thank you, kind sir.” She laid the rose in front of her.

“Dinner is served.” He imitated a formal waiter and bowed as he went into the kitchen. She could not help giggling to herself as she drank the remainder of the wine in her glass.

Craig returned carrying two plates. He placed one in front of Kayla and the other at the empty seat near hers. She looked at the salad, which she could tell was freshly prepared.

“I didn't know what type of salad dressing you like, so I have a variety to choose from. I like this one myself. It's raspberry vinaigrette. Sweet, yet tasty.” He licked his lips sexily at Kayla.

“I'll bet,” she said, blushing.

They feasted on a fabulous dinner which Craig had prepared, consisting of salad, shrimp cocktail, Chicken Alfredo, garlic bread, and cheesecake. He amazed her not only with his culinary skills and witty conversation, but he even went so far as to grind fresh Parmesan over her pasta and butter her bread. By the time he placed the strawberry-topped dessert in front of her, she was too full to eat it.

“I'm stuffed,” she whined as she looked at the thick slice of cake he gave her.

“At least take a bite and save the rest for later,” he pleaded.

“Okay. Just a taste.” Kayla took a small bite and closed her eyes. “Oh my God. This is the best.”

“Naw, I got some better recipes if you wanna try 'em.” He winked and continued to clear the table. “Excuse me for a moment. I need to run upstairs.”

Kayla looked at him inquisitively, but Craig just kissed the top of her head and left her sitting at the table, the sound of Boney James serenading her.
I wonder what he's up there doing?
She didn't even want to think about it. She poured herself another glass of wine and gulped it down. She heard him coming down the steps and regained her composure.

“Wanna come upstairs for a little while?” he asked.

“Uh, I don't think that's a good idea.” She could feel her heart beating faster as he walked closer to her.

“I have something for you.” He looked deep into Kayla's eyes. She wanted to look away but couldn't. “Please, it's not what you think.”

A million thoughts seemed to go through Kayla's mind, including Roni telling her to live it up and have fun. Curiosity won over apprehension and Kayla smiled at him.

He reached for Kayla's hand and she followed him up the steps and into his bedroom. She was surprised when he continued past the bed and opened another door. He motioned for her to come inside. Kayla slowly walked in and gasped. lt was the biggest bathroom she had ever seen. There were candles everywhere and she could hear Brian McKnight coming from a wall mounted CD player, asking her if he ever crossed her mind anytime. Craig pulled her closer, pointing to the jetted tub.

“I took the liberty of drawing you a milk bath, with rose petals, of course. Your towel and washcloth are right here. It's a pair of shorts and a T-shirt on the counter for you to put on when you get out. I can bring you another glass of wine if you'd like. This is a time for you. A brother ain't trying to be all up in here or nothing like that, unless you want me to be.” He laughed.

“I . . . uh . . . ” Kayla was at a loss for words.

“Water's getting cold. Enjoy. I'll check on you in about forty-five minutes. Tub jet button is right here.” He pointed to the switch on the wall. “I'm going back downstairs to finish cleaning up the kitchen. Holla if you need anything.” He closed the door before Kayla had a chance to respond.

Alone, Kayla put the top down on the commode and sat down to think. She looked at the steaming tub of white liquid with the flowers floating on top.
What have I gotten myself into?
She wanted to call Roni, but remembered her phone was in her purse, downstairs.
Stuff like this happens to Roni and Tia, not me. What, what, what?
As if prompted by Kayla's thoughts, Phyllis Hyman began singing through the speakers that she was “moving on.”
Why not? Me too!

Kayla removed her clothes and stepped into the Jacuzzi.
What if this nigga is some kind of freak with a camera hidden somewhere?
She quickly looked around for a red light hidden somewhere and then smiled at being so paranoid. The soft, hot water felt like heaven on her skin as she submerged her body. She reached and flipped the jet switch and the tub began to massage her body. She relaxed like she never had before. The candles reflected in the bathroom mirror and caused an ambiance that whispered, “Let go and enjoy.” She closed her eyes and obeyed.

“You need anything?” Craig quietly tapped, causing her to wake. She looked at her watch and saw that forty-five minutes had passed.

“I'm fine. I'm getting out right now,” Kayla replied. She stood up and got out of the tub. Drying off, she realized that her skin was soft and supple. She looked at her reflection and smiled. Maybe it was the wine, but she looked and felt damn good. She decided to scrub all of her makeup off and get a little more comfortable. She bent over to pick up the shirt and shorts Craig had laid out for her. Usually conscious of what her grandma called an “onion butt,” Kayla turned around in the mirror and admired herself. She ran her hands along her full breasts and down her flat stomach, resting them on her hips. Bottle shape; blessed with it and worked hard to keep it. She pulled the T-shirt over her head and the shorts over her hips. She slowly opened the door expecting to see Craig, but his room was empty. She looked at the magnificent bed and decided to see how it felt. She sat on the side and rubbed her fingers across the bedspread.
Mink. Go figure.
Kayla laid back and closed her eyes.