Hip Hop Heat (11 page)

Lalana didn't really believe Logan would leave her completely alone. At times she asked herself whether he would even bother. She moved forward with her plans to meet someone new; scouring the Internet, visiting chat rooms, and canvassing for fun people she could have a good time with, no strings attached.

This evening Lalana planned to eat dinner, pour a glass of wine, and get comfortable in bed while working on her laptop. She planned to chat with a few guys she'd found online living in the LA area.

Lalana showered, changed into comfortable loungewear, and fired up her computer. She went to Hookingup
.
com and typed in her screen name. Less than 60 seconds after signing on, ImHung initiated a chat. He described himself as sinfully gorgeous, tall, very dark and muscular. He claimed to be a debonair dresser and said his voice had melted many panties.

ImHung: Hey sxy hower u?

SXYLana: Im hot lookn for goodtime

ImHung: where u stay

SXYLana: Long Beach

ImHung: Im 10 min away. Wanna hook up?

SXYLana: depends

ImHung: on what?

SXYLana: R U really HUNG

ImHung: Like a Stallion 4 real!

SXYLana: N cyberwrld or real wrld?

ImHung: Lets Hook up so u could c

SXYLana: that sounds gr8. Can I hit u off loop?

ImHung: Only if u 4 real.

Lalana's moment of truth had come - and entirely too soon. She'd expected to flirt for a couple of days while building her nerve. This was going at a speed she hadn't anticipated.

Lalana wondered if she had it in her to meet a complete stranger for sex. This was what she thought she wanted; but with an actual offer on the table, she felt suddenly unsure.

ImHung: Rustill there?

Lalana stared blankly at the screen.

ImHung: R U still down?

She didn't know what to do. She had heard many people talking about internet dating. She even knew of a couple who had married after they initially met over the Internet.

ImHung: whassup? Why u trippin?

She sat staring at the little blue line on her monitor. It mocked her.
Do you want sex? Do you want good, no-strings-attached sex?

ImHung: so u jus a tease then right?

She still didn't respond. Lalana knew he had to be pissed. She imagined he was really hung, probably sitting in front of his computer, with his hard dick hanging to the floor.

ImHung: LMAO hey freak, stay out the room if u not woman enuf to bk up ur words!

Lalana's fingers shook as she logged off. She closed her eyes and decided chat rooms were not the place for her. She turned off her computer, pushed the laptop to the side, and closed her eyes.

She prayed sleep would come quickly. It did. And so did the dream.

Lalana was in a new place, with someone more than worthy. She couldn't see his face. Suddenly, she felt herself struggling against the sensation of her flesh being stretched deliciously wide. Lalana's heart skipped a few beats. Her breath quickened. She gasped for air.

Lalana wiggled her hips and struggled to keep up with him. He was doing everything right. Lalana spread her legs wider. Once he was snuggled tightly inside, she gripped him, pulling him in deeper. Sounds of flesh and skin smacking together filled the musky room.

"Right there! Yes, that's it!" she cried.

"Take it. You want more?" he asked. She couldn't catch the voice. She knew it was familiar, but it eluded her.

"Oh God! Yessss, Ooooooh Jesus! Yesss!"

A tingling ripple flowed from the very tips of Lalana's toes. The sensation shot up her legs and through her blood stream. The ripples turned to warm, flowing waves coursing through every vein in Lalana's body. She clung to the feeling.

"OHMIGOD!" Lalana screamed.

"Tell me how you like it," he insisted. "Is that good?"

"Yes!" she cried. "Yes!"

"Right there?"

"Yes! Please fuck me! Please fuck me! Yes! I'm coming! Oh, shit..."

Waves of pleasure crashed through Lalana. Shockwaves flooded her system. She felt him jerk, and in response she tightened her walls.

He moaned.

She spread her legs wider.

When he finally exploded, Lalana tittered on the edge of pleasure and pain.

Her eyes snapped open. Lalana felt fully rested. She knew exactly what she needed to do.

It took some time, but Lalana finally got the address she needed. When she was sure it was correct, she rushed home from work, slipped into a spaghetti-strap dress with a pair of wedge heels, and rushed back out.

Lalana remembered her most recent trip to Hollywood. Coincidently, each trip involved her going to get her man. She found a parking spot right in front of the little storefront on North La Brea and Hollywood Boulevard. Lalana parallel parked perfectly, fed the meter, and hoped he'd be in the office.

Let me Drive
was a pretty good-sized building on the inside; from the outside, it looked like a matchbox of an office. Lalana stepped onto shag carpeting and marveled at the vivid red walls.

This was not what she expected. The room smelled like her favorite Hawaiian Breeze air freshener, soft music played through hidden speakers. A receptionist wearing a wireless headset sat behind a sleek, modern desk made of steel.

"Good afternoon,
Let me Drive
, where would you like to go today?" she greeted into her headset. The receptionist put up her index finger to Lalana, implying she needed a minute.

"Yes, we can have a driver there for the entire event. And we have you scheduled for the stretch Hummer, is that correct?"

Lalana looked around the office and wondered who decorated. Through a back patio door Lalana saw several exotic vehicles parked out back. This was no fly-by-night operation.

"Hi ma'am. Thank you so much for waiting. May I help you?" the receptionist regarded Lalana.

"Oh, um, I'm here to see Logan," Lalana said, tearing her stare away from the young woman's face.

"Was he expecting you?" the receptionist asked. "I mean, did he know you were coming? He's good for forgetting appointments."

Lalana shook her head, "No, I was just in the area." "I think he's still out, but let me double check. Who can I tell him is here?"

"Oh, my name is Lalana George," she said.

Lalana didn't imagine the smile on the receptionist's face.

"I'll find him for you," she told Lalana.

"Oh, if he's not here, it's no big deal. I can come back at another time."

"Trust me, he'll want to know
you're
here. Have a seat and I'll find him for you."

Lalana sat in the waiting area while the woman pulled up a large electronic map. From where she sat, Lalana could see several red blinking lights flash on the screen. The receptionist used a finger to track one of the lights, then pressed a button on the switchboard.

"If you are at Popeye's, I am gonna' call your doctor myself," she hollered.

Lalana couldn't help but listen.

"Okay, I see you," the receptionist said. Then she lowered her voice. "Your sweetheart is here," she whispered.

Lalana smiled in spite of herself.

"My brother is about ten minutes away," the receptionist said. "He said don't move until he gets here." "Your brother, huh?"

She nodded, then her finger flew up again. "Good afternoon,
Let me Drive
, where would you like to go today?" she greeted again.

Lalana listened as the woman rattled off the different limos Let Me Drive had.

"Well, whenever you're ready give us a call. We just ask that you give us at least 24 hours, if possible."

When she wrapped up that conversation, the receptionist looked at Lalana. "Yes, Logan's my big brother. He's told me all about you. And he really cares about you. I know it's none of my business, but my brother is a good catch. He's honest, single, no children, never been married, and he doesn't do drugs," she rattled off.

"But he might go down for murder," Logan's voice said as he entered the reception area.

"I was just talking to Lalana," his sister said.

"Oh, I heard you," he mocked. "I'll deal with you later."

He looked better than ever, in a bright yellow Polo shirt over a pair of khakis.

"Please excuse my sister," he joked to Lalana. "She talks too much. Here, why don't you come back to my office?"

The room was done in a dark chocolate color with the same vivid red walls as reception. "Can I get something for you to drink?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

"Okay, well, please sit down."

Lalana sat in one of the wing chairs in front of Logan's desk. He closed the door before taking his seat.

"My sister will be outside with a glass up to the door, if I know her," he joked. He picked up a remote control and pressed a button. His flat-screen TV transformed into a juke box.

"So, is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, everything is fine."

"Good," he said. Logan reached for his phone and pressed another button.

"Ronda, hold all my calls please."

"For how long?" his sister's voice asked.

Lalana laughed softly. She thought it was cute.

"Just hold the calls and quit being nosy," he ordered.

"Fine," she said, and disconnected the line.

"You look very nice," Logan turned his attention back to Lalana. She had on a white BCBGMaxazria wrap dress, and a pair of brown jellied sandals embellished with different colored stones to match her multi-colored Hobo bag.

"Thanks," she smiled. She knew he was curious.

"So, how've you been?"

"I've been okay. What about you?"

"Busy. Summer is always busy around here. But I'm not complaining. It's a good thing." Logan's eyes pierced right through Lalana. He was playing it safe, keeping the conversation light. She didn't mind. She struggled to build up her courage.

"I was wondering," Lalana began.

Logan's eyebrow rose, but he didn't say anything.

"I mean, you know what I did with MC ROC. Did it ever bother you?"

"I've seen it all in my line of work, believe it or not," Logan said. "I know you're a nice person, and I knew you were out of your league," he shrugged his shoulders. "What could I do? I tried to warn you, but I understand how exciting that must've been for you."

"But I did things with him I had no business doing," she admitted shamefully.

"Who hasn't done something they weren't proud of? Look at it this way. No one died, you've got all your limbs, and you learned a valuable lesson. A man who has everything can rarely find value in anything."

It had been two weeks since Lalana came to her senses. Logan insisted he didn't care about what happened between her and MC ROC; that he was just glad she had seen the light. Lalana felt better. Much, much better. As she got dressed on Saturday morning in August, she replayed her conversation with Logan when he revealed the whole contest scam.

"I didn't think it was my place to tell you about the contest," Logan had said, staring into Lalana's eyes. She couldn't blame him; she'd obviously been so wrapped up in her own plan to seduce MC ROC, nothing else existed.

"From what I heard," Logan explained, "originally the label wanted to promote the contest as a reality show. But something happened and it fell through. By that time, they'd already selected someone. He went through with it, and like I said, for her it was like a stepping stone to being seen. So when he told her the label pulled the plug, she wasn't tripping."

"But why do it again this year?"

Logan shrugged. "I guess to see if he could get away with it. I mean, if the women don't complain, who's gonna know?"

"What about Jennifer, the woman who sets it up? Why would she help him?"

"Jennifer is just another one of his
yes
men," Logan said. "They're all so glad to be part of his entourage, nobody challenges him. Especially Jennifer. From what I hear, top brass over there wanted to give her the boot a few years ago. ROC kept her on the payroll. She's loyal to him. Besides, he's like the biggest money maker they have. He can do whatever the hell he wants and they'll find a way to make it work."

"But aren't they scared someone will try to sue?"? "I'm sure any paperwork you sign protects them from that. Think about it: What did the papers say when you signed them?"

Lalana admitted she never even bothered reading them. She could just imagine what the small print spelled out. At the time, she simply didn't care. Lalana had likely signed away her rights to any media blitz ROC might need at any given time down the road - random photos of him chatting up some new young thing, exclusive shots of him on the beach with an unnamed woman. Lalana stopped herself. It wasn't her place to try and decipher why MC ROC did the things he did.

Lalana finished dressing and beat the girls to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. Fifteen minutes later, Lisa pranced into the restaurant. Tina was hot on her heels.

"Are you going out with us tonight?" Tina asked Lalana without a greeting.

"No, I have plans," Lalana smiled.

"I am so glad you finally left that dog alone," Lisa said. "I don't even listen to his music anymore. He won't get another red cent from me!"

"Don't let me be the reason you give up on him," Lalana said. She meant it. She had made her peace and moved beyond him.

The waitress, a teenager loudly chewing on several pieces of gum, came to take the women's order.

"Y'all decided what you wanted yet?" she asked.

"Yes, the Jeanne Jones Omelette with a waffle for me," Lalana said. "And a glass of water and extra lemons."

"I'll take the um, let's see, the Country Boy with a waffle," Lisa said.

The waitress looked at Tina, the usual last holdout. Tina skimmed the menu one last time then said, "Okay, I'm gonna have the Carol C. Special, with a large orange juice."

Once they were alone, Tina turned to Lalana.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"You act like I'm fragile or something," Lalana said.

"No, but I know how much you wanted to be with him."

"You know, I think I just got caught up in the glamour and flash. I mean, when I realized he already had another contest winner, it was like I was socked in the gut. But the more I think about it,
his
is really a lonely existence."

"I don't think people like him ever get theirs," Lisa commented. "I mean seriously, I used to believe in karma, but I've seen way too many men get away with treating women like trash, and they usually get to upgrade to a newer and more improved model." Lisa shook her head. "That karma shit is for the birds, if you ask me."

"I don't know that I want anything bad to happen to him," Lalana said. "Think about it - everywhere he goes, women throw themselves at him. I should know. I really thought he and I could go the distance, but when I admitted to myself that there was that side to him, I also realized I was just caught up in the whole 'Party with a Rapstar' foolishness."

"Well, no one can say you didn't have an interesting summer," Tina said.

"Amen to that," Lalana confirmed.

Their meals arrived and the friends dug in. As always, they fell silent as they enjoyed there food. But after a few minutes, Lisa looked up from her plate. "You should sell your story!" she cried to Lalana.

A brief image of Lalana as some washed-up chick on TV talking about how she sucked this rapper off and expected him to marry her flashed through her mind. No way in hell, Lalana thought.

"Think about it," Lisa continued. All these publishers are buying tell-all books. Remember that girl from the videos? How she talked about sleeping with all those rappers, and they called her
superhead
?" Lisa looked at Lalana. "No offense."

"None taken," Lalana replied "But let me make something clear. I did get caught up, no doubt about it. And it's one thing for the two of you to know all the nasty little details, but do you think I want to shame myself by telling the world I allowed this man to use me, then toss me to the side when he was done? I think not!"

"Well, I think it's all in the way you tell your story," Lisa countered. "You wouldn't tell it like that. I mean, why would you let the world know you were used? When she told her story, it was like she knew what they were doing to her, so she used them too."

Lalana shook her head. "I still wouldn't do it."

"Could you imagine?" Tina joined in.

"No, I don't even want to imagine. I mean, I've made enough of a fool of myself. The last thing I want is for men to see me as this gullible freak."

"I was just thinking you could make a few dollars," Lisa said. "I mean, look at him! He's getting his own show! What the hell is he gonna be talking about?"

"You know, there's enough material for several shows," Lalana said. "Besides, some people are into that kind of stuff."

"How did you even find out about that contest?" Tina asked.

Lalana sat speechless. She hadn't thought about it until Tina posed the question. Finally she remembered. Earlier in the spring, Lalana was shopping at the Beverly Center when she noticed a crowd frenzy at one of the stores. Passing by to get a look, she learned MC ROC was there. Now she remembered that one of his bodyguards approached her.

"You know what," Lalana said slowly, "I think this thing was a set up from the very start."

"Uh, yeah, we've established that much," Lisa said.

"No, I mean, there is no contest, at least not a real one anyway. He must've seen me, had one of his boys come and give me a flyer they made up. I remember now, I wasn't even inside that store. I was poking around trying to figure out why all those people were there screaming and carrying on.

"It was when my job had that health fair off Wilshire," Lalana continued, speaking faster now. "I slipped out of one of the sessions to go over to the mall. Anyway, dude comes up to me and gives me a flyer. You know I was hyped. I think I called from my cell phone before I even left the mall. That's how they know what you look like. So he hand-picks a woman, has his guy give her the flyer, and it's history. Silly me - I've always been a fan anyway - I didn't even think I had a chance to win. I had forgotten all about it when Jennifer called to say I won."

"I was wondering when you had entered a contest," Lisa tossed in.

"Yeah, it's all making sense now. He saw me at the mall, decided he wanted
me
, and instead of coming right out and approaching me, he must have pointed me out. Next thing you know, I get the call of my life, telling me I was the lucky winner. Wow. I fell for it too."

"Girl, don't even beat yourself up about it," Tina said. "Who
wouldn't
have fallen for that? I mean, if Terrance ever did something like that, I'd be first in line, no doubt."

"Yeah, but I thought I was special," Lalana said. "I mean, I remember thinking how strange it was that I wasn't even required to do anything to win. I thought I'd been selected from a pool of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands."

"Does it matter?" Tina asked. "I mean, you realized this was just one sleazeball's way of getting women. Think about it. He knows you're a fan, otherwise you wouldn't even bother calling. Once you call, he's got you there. You know all his racy rhymes, his bragging about his dick size and all, so he automatically assumes you'll be down to give up the ass."

"Yeah, but I guess what I'm saying is he really doesn't need to go through all of that," Lalana said. "I would have gone willingly."

"Yeah," Tina said, "you and most women. But where's the fantasy or fun in that? This way, you're all hyped, stupid excited, and - let's face it - you think you're special. He doles out the Queen for a weekend treatment and you're head over heels. It's the perfect scam."

"Anyway," Lisa said, "You got something out of it. Spine-tingling sex that was outta this world, new clothes, and one helluva story to tell. Sell that story, Lalana. Teach his ass a lesson."

"You're right about one thing," Lalana said. "At least one good thing did come from this."

"What's that?" Lisa asked.

"Logan." Lalana broke into an ear-to-ear grin.

Two sets of eyebrows rose simultaneously.

"Wwwhhhat?" Tina cried.

Lisa shook her head, "Uh-huh, you been holding out? Oh, no, get to the
business
."