Mistress (10 page)

” How was your day?” Jarrad asked, while we were waiting to be seated.

“Exciting, to say the least. I got to see a gunshot wound being repaired. A guy who looked to be fourteen or fifteen got hit in the arm.”

“Do the cops know what happened?”

“The buzz around the hospital is it was over his ex-girlfriend.”

“I’ve had a few brawls over a woman, but I used my fists, not a gun.”

“I can seat you now,” the hostess said, menus in her hand.

We were at the exclusive Bistro restaurant, where it could take up to three weeks to reserve a table, unless you knew someone or had money. If a guy took a lady here, he was guaranteed to get a piece of action that night. I was willing to give Jarrad a kiss. What the hell, I was even willing to throw in an extra hug.

I was eager for Jarrad to elaborate on his television occupation. Maybe he was just living off his credit cards for the time being. One thing was for sure, I needed to find out where his head and pockets were at.

“Is this a suitable table?” the hostess asked.

Jarrad took a look at the menu. “Yes, can you tell the waiter to please bring us a bottle of Chablis.”

“This is a lovely restaurant.”

“Have you been here before?” Jarrad asked.

He seemed to be putting his phone on vibrate. I couldn’t help noticing on our first date that his phone was ringing off the hook, but I chose not to say anything. Besides, I didn’t like him then, but I did now.

“Here’s your bottle of wine. I also brought two glasses of water. Your waiter will be right with you,” the hostess reassured us, smiling.

“Thank you,” Jarrad said.

“Yes, my father and mother love it here. So tell me . . . how’s the television business?”

“My goal is to be an executive producer of a show. If I’m lucky, I’ll be getting the experience of doing plenty of shows. Plus, I write screenplays. For many years, I’ve had this show in mind called
The Carter Family
that deals with modern issues. I want people of color to see a one-hour show where it’s not stigmatized by violence or women portrayed as mere puppets. As we speak, the owners of the BNC and DYB television companies are looking at my pitch. I’m so grateful I’ve found my niche in life early. So many people my age and older still have no clue on what they want to do.” Jarrad opened the bottle of wine and poured some for himself and some for me.

“I’ve always wanted to be an OB.”

“Keep pursuing your dream and never give up.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Come on now. I don’t look that old, do I?”

“No, I still can’t believe you’re thirty-five. A guy with such charm, I’m surprised you’re not married with at least two point two children.”

“Married? Not yet,” Jarrad said, choking on a sip of wine.

“Here, drink this water.” I handed him the glass and almost knocked over the flower vase.

“The wine went down the wrong pipe,” he said, taking a deep breath.

My steak and broiled shrimp with a double baked potato was every bit of delicious. On the way back to my house, I was trying to decide whether or not I should let Jarrad in for a nightcap.
Nah, his ass can wait.

Jarrad put his Mercedes Benz in park.

“Would you like for me to walk you to your door?”

“No, that’s all right. I’m sure you’ll watch me get to my door safely. I had a great time. This is all new for me. I’ve never dated anyone your age.”

“Age doesn’t matter to me. As long as I make you happy is my biggest concern,” he said, rubbing my hand.

I gazed into his eyes. “Good night.”

“Good night,” he said, gazing into mine.

“I’ll call you in a little while, so I know that you got home safe.”

“I look forward to your call.” Jarrad edged his lips toward my face and kissed me, and I gladly kissed him back, enjoying his ever-so-soft tongue.

“I want to see you again,” he said. “Just let me know the time and the place.”

“Okay.” I smiled and forced myself out of the car. When I turned the key and the door opened, Jarrad pulled off.

“I see you’ve been enjoying your summer so far. Who was that?” Thomas came from the shadows with a box of chocolates and a dozen white gardenias in his hand. I was frozen.

“Hi, baby. I didn’t know you were in town.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he said, shaking his head. “That was a friend.”

“You’re dressed so exquisite for your friend?”

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Don’t look at you like what? I just caught you in the act.”

“This is your fault. You’ve been ignoring me for months. I can’t even have a decent conversation with you for no more than five minutes. I’m tired of hearing that bullshit about school. You haven’t changed that much from high school. You let loose every now and then.”

“All right, all right, I’m not even going to lie to you. I will admit I’ve been dipping and dabbling, but those girls don’t mean nothing to me. I have to bust in something.”

“You should have tried your hand.”

“You’re one to talk. I saw you tongue him down. What? Have you replaced the dick you suck?”

“No, I replaced the tongue that eats my pussy.”

“I’m outta here.”

“Thomas!”

“What? You got five seconds to state your claim.”

“I faked it the whole time.” I slammed the door, only catching a glimpse of the despair on his face.

Maria put the
Essence
magazine down on the table. “You said what?”

“You heard me. I didn’t mean it. He pissed me off, so I had to crush his feelings. Now, we will probably never speak again in life. Unfortunately for Thomas, he will always be wondering if I was faking or not. It’s going to mess with his manhood for a lifetime. Oh, well . . . he shouldn’t have disrespected me. I tried my best to hold on to our relationship. What we had was special. Now it’s over. Even if I wanted to get back with him, it wouldn’t be the same, because I don’t feel the same way.” I poured myself a cup of green tea and added two scoops of sugar.

“Drama, drama, and more drama,” Charlotte said, eating a slice of wheat toast.

“There’s no drama in my circle. Now I can concentrate all my efforts into Jarrad. Besides, I’m horny and backed up.”

“Don’t utter a word about sex. Last night Hasaan and I did a six-hour marathon. My vagina is worn out and sore.”

I laughed. “You’re probably getting more than Charlotte and I combined.” I looked down at my watch. “Shit. I’ve got to run so I won’t be late getting to the hospital.”

* * *

Today, Ms. Green, the intern director stuck me in the emergency room. I was feeling more like a waitress than a help to the cause, because people kept asking me, “Where is the third floor?”

“Where is the bathroom?”

“May I have a cup of water or coffee?”

It wasn’t in my nature to be nasty, but at times those waiting patients did push me over the edge.

“Alex?” Ms. Green called me with a smirk on her face. “Yes, Ms. Green?”

“This came for you about forty-five minutes ago. Daisies are my favorite flower,” she said, handing them to me with a gift bag.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank whoever gave them to you. Honey, I don’t mean to be all up in your business, but this one should be a keeper.”

Helena, an intern, walked past me. “Nice flowers.”

“Thanks,” I said and walked to the lounge. Enclosed in the bag was a custom-made stethoscope in my favorite color, gray. I didn’t plan on seeing Jarrad till the weekend, but under the circumstances, I was going to have to bump up our engagement. Maybe, I did like him a little more than I thought.

I told Maria to beat it for the night. When I arrived home, I called Jarrad to thank him for his thoughtfulness. He informed me that he’d landed a pilot for the Carter show. Little did Jarrad know, I was going to show him how grateful I was.

I had to move fast because, from the eagerness in his voice, I figured he’d be here in thirty minutes, if not sooner. I crossed out all the items on my list for my final check. I lit a candle but blew it out because I didn’t want this to be too obvious. I peeked through the blinds to see his car pulling up in the driveway. One thing about me, I always closed the blinds to prevent my business of extra curricular activities broadcasted in the neighborhood.

“Congratulations.” I greeted him at the door in my green cotton robe.

“Thanks, I feel great. Hell, more than great. My show is going to take off,” he declared walking through the front door.

“I know it will. Sorry about the attire. You’re a little early. Have a seat in the dining room. Dinner will be served momentarily for you,” I said, taking the lemon chess pie out of his hand.

“Since you made dinner, I wanted to bring your favorite.”

“Thank you, but, I’ve all ready made dessert, something real sweet.” I guided him into the dining room.

Jarrad looked at the table. “What’s all this?”

“Sit down, relax and listen carefully to my instructions.” I took off my robe, revealing only fuchsia bowtied panties.

“Wow,” he said untying my panties making them fall to the floor.

“Welcome to my exotic eatery. These items are what you will taste, tonight. Now, Mr. Simmons can I start you off with an appetizer or with a glass of champagne?”

Jarrad still had his mouth open from surprise. He didn’t know what he just walked into.

“Let me suggest an entrée for you. Chocolate fingers with coconut are excellent.” I dipped my fingers in the bowl of semi-sweet sauce.

“I’ll try that. You know best,” he said, slowly licking my fingers.

“You like that, baby?”

“I love it. What’s next?” He lay back in the chair and loosened his tie.

“The next thing on the menu is second to the best in the house. Would you like a breast with or without whipped cream? Each one is very tender and succulent.” I sprayed one of them.

“I’ll have an order of two with whipped cream on both.”

“Oh, Mr. Simmons, I forgot to mention the cherries.” I straddled him and rubbed my nipples up against them.

He slid one finger down my chest and licked the whipped cream.

“Cherries make them even more enticing.” Jarrad cupped both of my breasts together to lick and suck.

I slid my vagina up against his throbbing penis. I poured strawberry glaze on my neck, breasts, and stomach for him to continue on with his meal.

“Are you ready for the main course?” I asked, unbuckling his belt.

“I’ll take whatever you want to put on this breathtaking body of yours and gladly lick it off.” He ripped the tablecloth off the dining room table, causing the sweet items of pleasure to scatter across the floor.

My hands gripped the chair; while, my vagina dove right on his dick. He let me get in five thrusts before picking me up and laying me down on the table. The next thing I knew, I was speaking in tongues as the table rattled across the floor. We made this a celebration to remember.

I didn’t let Jarrad leave my house without really feeding him. Last but not least, I served him chicken Alfredo, Cobb salad with Caesar dressing and French bread. My claws were hooked into him.

My college days were officially over. Now, I truly understood the meaning of “getting an education pays off.” I received thirty-five hundred dollars in cash and fifteen hundred in checks and money orders as gifts. I was here with my family and close friends at the Radisson on the Virginia Beach strip, my plate full of lasagna sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

There was plenty of wine and alcohol to go around. The men in my family loved to drink. That explained the behavior of my father over the years.

I was sure to have an acceptance letter in my mailbox from the previous week from MCV. Unfortunately, the school only accepted a certain number of applicants. I wasn’t the only one with a 3.9 grade average and eagerly waiting to get in. Well, resorting to Plan B, I submitted an application to Eastern Virginia Medical School and got accepted with a fifty-thousand-dollar scholarship, which was going to cover tuition, books, and pocket change for the first year.

Ma and Pop agreed to pay the rest of my tuition, as long as my grades were up to par. This was a dream come true—
Me . . . Alexis Gibbs . . . a doctor. Now, I’ll really be eating, sleeping, and breathing with my books and stethoscope.

Looking around the room, I began to realize time waits for no man. These next four years, I had to buckle down and make my family even more proud of me. My academic career was going to be over if I scored a C on a test or paper. The grade A, B, or C equaled doctor in my book.

Maria tapped me on the shoulder. “Can you come to the restroom with me so I can be rescued from my aunt. I love her to death, but she is talking a hole in my head.”

“No problem. I need to use the bathroom anyway.” I turned around to make sure my pantyhose weren’t running and couldn’t help noticing Maria’s mother looking as if she had seen a ghost. “What’s wrong with your mother?”

“Nothing. Probably just a little too much to drink. If she even has two drinks, it’s over for her. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. By the way, Earnest decided to drop the charges. We didn’t have to show up to court. He apologized to me for his actions. Finally, he saw things from my point of view.”

“Great. That’s one less thing we have to worry about. So, when do you start the new job?”

“You’re looking at the new store manager of Lobster Island starting on Monday. Before the big day, Hasaan and I are going to spend the weekend at the beach.”

“I thought you didn’t like coming home smelling of seafood?”

“I don’t, but I do like the smell of money. Forty thousand a year, to be exact.”

“All right now.”

“Listen, I know I said I would be moving out, but I need time to save more money.”

“Take all the time you need. Besides, I won’t be there. My new home is the EVMS library,” I explained, washing my hands.

“What’s all that yelling?”

“I hear your mother’s voice.” I walked to the door while Maria touched up her hair.

A furious Ms. Brown was in the middle of the ballroom, arguing with a man who resembled Maria. “Tony, get the hell out. You picked a fine day to show up, here. She doesn’t want to see you, and neither do I.”

“Mom, who is this?” Maria asked bewildered.

“This is your good-for-nothing father.” Ms. Brown crossed her arms and breathed hard.

“I see you haven’t changed a bit with your drinking habit,” he told her.

“You drove me to drink. Besides, you’re one to talk. Aren’t you still juggling down half a bottle of tequila before nine a.m.?”

“Don’t talk to my mother that way. She’s right. Where have you been all these years? Answer me.”

“I don’t have an excuse. The bottom line is I ran from my responsibilities. I want a second chance to get to know you.”

“Oh, now you have the stupid face on. What? You thought you were going to feel like a real father walking in here, spoiling my college graduation party? Sorry, you didn’t make the invitation list. The people who did were there for me when I was sick, tired, and needed a helping hand. Mr. Gibbs was more a father to me than you will ever be. No calls, no presents or money from you. I couldn’t even speak to you because your phone number was non-published. A choice made by you, of course. I sent you letters and cards trying to reach out to you. You never ever responded. How did you think that made me feel all of these years to see my mother struggle? Little girls need their daddies.” Maria started sobbing and turned toward Hasaan.

“I came here to apologize for what I’ve done. Back then, I was young and stupid. You’re my first-born, my baby girl. I love you.”

“You need to leave, but first apologize to my mother. You should be kissing the ground she walks on. She raised a fine daughter. I don’t smoke, drink, snort drugs or have a bunch of babies running around. I’m a college graduate.”

“Call me
Dad
. I’m so proud of you. Serena, I’m sorry for speaking to you in a derogatory tone. Maria, please give me another chance to be your father.”

“You don’t deserve to be called Dad. I’d rather call you
Deadbeat
. It fits you better.”

Hasaan leaned toward Tony’s face. “She asked you to leave. If you don’t, I’ll throw you out myself.”

“Don’t think because you’re having relations with my daughter that I won’t beat the shit out of you.”

“Try me,” he said with red eyes.

“Just leave,” Maria said, getting in between both the two men.

“I’ll go. Take this envelope. This is a portion of my life’s earning. I worked hard for this money and I want you to have it. It’s not much, but it’s the best I can do.”

Maria reluctantly took the envelope and wept in her mother’s arms.

Charlotte, Ms. Brown, and I stayed the night with Maria for a sleepover.

Jarrad took a rain check for the evening. He was so understanding. Any other man would’ve been worried about not getting the ripe pussy. Mine was marinating, just thinking about the past year we’d had together. I was happy. He may be the one. Jarrad was one hundred and ten percent committed to the show, but he still had time for me.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but lately my baby had been acting as if he had to reach some sort of deadline. I was thinking that it was probably his new show.

“It’s been three days. Do you think I should call him?” Maria asked.

“To be truly honest, I don’t know. Even though, my dad has his cheating ways, he still was there for Jason and me. What do you want to do? How do you feel?”

“Mom will think I’m betraying her if I utter two words to the man.”

“She’s angry right now. When I’m angry, I can’t think straight either. I’m looking at it from her point of view. He left her and you, but you’re still his daughter. Nothing will ever change that. She raised you all by herself. She’s hurt. It runs deeps. What was in the mystery envelope?”

“A cashier’s check for twenty thousand dollars. I tried to give Mom at least half, but she refused to take it.”

“You can use it for the restaurant you’ve been wanting to open since we were kids.”

“That’s the same thing she said.”

“Are you sure you’re going to be all right?”

“Girl, please. Hasaan will be getting off work in two hours. Hopefully, he can keep this job.”

“At least he’s working.”

“Even though he’s been there for me, with my father popping back up after eighteen years, I’m tired of him doing enough just to get by. I’m not going to keep on living this way. He barely takes me out anymore because he can’t afford it. During the winter, he didn’t go to work for three days because it was too cold outside. He’s a man, not a baby. That’s when I reached my wits’ end and severely threatened to cut him loose.

“A week ago, he asked me why should he buy food for the house when he know you or I will do it. I’m telling you, Alex, it changed the way I looked at him. A real man wouldn’t make such a ridiculous comment to me. When he does buy food for the house, it’s mostly the foods that he likes, knowing full damn well I can’t eat junk food. This eating cornflakes with milk all day in front of the TV is over. After my tongue slayed him, his ass got a job, a decent job, working for the city as supervisor of water management. Last week, he had the nerve to ask me to make his car payment.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Hell no. He’s gotten too comfortable. He doesn’t work out any more, just letting himself go. The remote control replaced the jump rope. Plus, he’s a hardcore pussy monitor. I can’t go anywhere without getting asked the never-ending questions, ‘Where?’ ‘What?’ ‘Who?’ ‘How?’ I want a new man.”

“Sounds like a new man with pocket money will cure your problems.”

“I’m willing to take any man at this point. Hasaan doesn’t even realize how easily I can slip through his fingers.”

“What kept you for this long?”

Maria smiled. “You know what kept me.”

“Oh, excuse me, how could I forget about the semisweet chocolate stick keeping you warm at night.”

“Warm? I’m on fire.”

The doorbell rang as I took one last look in the compact mirror. “I’ve got to run. Try to make the best of your weekend. Call me if you need me,” I said, closing the door.