Mistress (17 page)

Around ten, everyone seemed to be getting sleepy.

All of us had a really good time.

* * *

Upon arriving home, I realized that I didn’t get one phone call from the hospital. I was on call tonight and tomorrow night. My patient, Sandra Gitson’s twin girls may come in the world tomorrow. After walking in the house, I hung up my coat and threw my purse and keys on the counter. Next stop was the bed.

“Hey, baby,” Xavier said, lying on the bed.

“Hey. How was your night out?”

“The usual. We went to the ESPN club to watch a few games. After two beers, I was ready to come home. How did your night go?”

“Maria and I went to her mother’s house to find her father Tony there. Her mother and father have stopped drinking and desperately want their relationship to work. They still love each other.”

“That’s great to hear they both want to stop drinking. My father drank heavily after we left Puerto Rico. The nagging of my older sisters made him stop. They watched him like hawks and relentlessly threw away alcohol bottles and beer cans.” Xavier jumped up from the bed and headed toward the bathroom starting the shower.

“I could use a shower myself,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. I started taking all my clothes off to put in the hamper.

“Hop in and let me wash you from head to toe.” He came out of the bathroom and took my hand, leading me back in.

“Okay.”

The water was extremely hot, just the way Xavier and I liked it. I stood directly in front of the water, while he stood behind me, rubbing my neck to get all the kinks out. These days they seemed to last a long time. It felt good, all the tension being released from my body.

Next, he moved in front and backed me up against the bathroom wall. His fingers started playing with my clit. Then he kneeled down and played with my clit with his tongue. When I came, I almost fell down, but Xavier held my legs up.

We got out of the shower. He dried me off and then carried me to the bed and tucked me in. I slept like a baby.

“Girl, calm down. Everything will go according to plan,” Maria reassured me.

“You know I’m not good at planning major events. If Charlotte were here, she’d take control of this whole situation.” I looked over my list of things to do.

“Well, she wants to talk, but you and I both know you haven’t been returning her phone calls, text messages, or e-mail messages.” Maria shrugged her shoulders.

“Can you blame me? It was downright low, the things she said to me.”

“I know, but she wants to apologize. Give her a chance. You two have been friends for too long. You owe it to your friendship to at least hear her out for a few minutes.”

“I’ll think about it, maybe. Right now I feel as though Charlotte doesn’t deserve a chance to say her piece about the situation. Did you confirm the food order with Rican Paradise restaurant?” I asked.

“Yes, I did as you requested. I also confirmed the flight arrivals, ballroom, and the DJ. This will be a night to remember for Xavier. His dick must lift you to higher ground for you to be going all out for him.”

“Hmm, hmmm . . . plus a bag of jalapeno potato chips.” I laughed.

“Did you call and confirm the order with Speedy’s? Did you confirm the cake order?” I asked, checking my list twice of everything that needed to be done.

“Yes, yes. Let me start getting ready so I can man my post at the ballroom.”

While dabbing a touch of the fragrance Amor Amor on my arms, neck and behind my ears, I was eyeing myself in the mirror.
Xavier can’t get enough of me when I wear this.
I placed the bottle back on the dresser. I had on a plum V-neck dress that ties around the waist along with my lapis birthstone necklace. A simple white rose accented my curly hair. I didn’t want to show too much for this occasion.

I answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Alex, it’s me. Everyone is here. Before you even ask, so is the food.”

“I’m on my way.”

I grabbed my keys and headed for the door. Halfway to Xavier’s place, I heard police sirens behind me, forcing me to get over to the side of Providence Road.
Damn, I picked a fine time to get a ticket. I’ll try hard not to get an attitude so I can be on my way.
I rummaged through my purse to pull out my license. The registration was in my glove compartment. I rolled the window down.

“License and registration please, ma’am.”

“Hi, officer.” I handed over the items that he requested.

“Ms. Gibbs, you were going fifty miles per hour in a thirty-five-mile-per-hour street.”

I looked at his name badge. “Officer Jacobs, I’m so sorry.” I wasn’t trying to get out of ticket. I deserved it for all the other times I got away with speeding.

“I’ll be right back. I need to check out your license and registration.”

“Yes, sir.”
Hurry the hell up, please. My man is waiting on me.

“Your license and registration is fine. Here’s your ticket. I’ll see you in court in thirty days, or you can pay your fine through the mail with a personal money order or cashier’s check, or you can pay it online with a Visa or MasterCard. Try to be more careful and slow down,” he explained and walked back to his car.

I was in such a rush that I brought my cordless phone with me and there was no time to go back home. I pulled up at Xavier’s house to find him going through his mailbox.
I can’t believe this. I told him to be ready by six o’clock
. I hopped out of my truck.

“Honey, why aren’t you ready?” I looked down at my watch as I headed toward him.

He gave me a warm hug. “Ready for what?”

“Ready for the doctor’s ball I have to go to. It’s mandatory.”

“Baby, I forgot. Work was crazy today. Can I just sit this one out? I’m tired. All I want to do is jump in the shower and have a couple of Coronas.” He started rubbing the back of his right shoulder.

“I know you’ve escorted me to plenty of events, but this time I’m being honored for the successful delivery of those quintuplets. The parents and the children will all be there. After tonight, I’ll give you a break. To be honest, I get tired of going my damn self,” I told him, my lip poked out.

“All right, anything for my baby,” he reassured me, gliding his finger down my arm.

“You have less than thirty minutes to look as if you came off the cover of a
Black Enterprise
magazine.”

“I can get it done in twenty. I need a quick shower. I hope I’m getting some ass for this,” he said, lightly smacking my butt.

When we arrived at the Renaissance Hotel, I looked around the area carefully to make sure no one from the party was scattered outside or in the lobby. “Are you sure we’re going to the right room?” Xavier said. “Usually, I hear classical music and conversations about to do or not to do an episiotomy on a woman in the air.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that your jokes are corny? This has to be the right room. It’s the same number on the invitation,” I explained while he opened the door.

“Surprise, surprise,” the crowd blared out.

Xavier took a step back to catch his breath and glance at everyone in the room.

I invited any and everybody I could think of for his thirtieth birthday bash. I planned it a week ahead, to throw him off. Family, childhood friends, his agent and poker night buddies were here.

In unison, everyone sang Happy Birthday for my sexy taste-like-Rican chocolate man.

“
Feliz cumpleaños
, Papi!” I whispered in his ear and gave him a small peck on the lips.

“Thank you,” he replied still in shock.

Xavier didn’t want a big to-do for his day, but I couldn’t resist. His father, brothers, sisters, cousins, and friends all embraced him with hugs and kisses. Five of his relatives flew in from Puerto Rico. Pictures of Xavier from an infant till now hung on the walls of the ballroom. My favorite was a picture of him at five years old holding his baby sister, Lola.

The table was filled with chips and salsa, ensalada, black bean salad, fried plantains, grilled beef sirloin, chicken tropicana, chicken with rice, roasted pig, and other exotic dishes. The bartender was in the corner waiting to make any flavor margarita. For dessert, I ordered flan, a caramel custard, which stretched four feet long and rum pound cake. Plus, I had delivered a sheetlong cake with one of the pictures from Xavier’s portfolio to be on top.

The DJ stepped down from the podium to hand me the mic.

“Welcome, everyone,” I shouted to the crowd. “Thank you all so much for coming to my baby’s birthday party.”

I looked into the crowd searching for Maria as they clapped and cheered me on. She winked her left eye to give me the cue.

“Xavier, would you come a little closer? I want to give you your birthday present.”

“Alex, there’s more,” someone shouted.

“Yes, of course, there’s more.”

The door on the left-hand side of the room opened. Everyone turned around as the DJ played Stevie Wonder’s song, “Isn’t She Lovely,” and Lola and Xavier’s other sister, Sophia, were walking hand in hand with another special guest of the evening.

Xavier moved closer to discover Guadeloupe, his long-lost mother. “Mama?” he called out.

“Xavier?”

“This can’t be.”

“Yes, it’s me,
hijo
,” she replied, her arms wide open. I was afraid his mother wouldn’t make it here on time, so I had her come four days prior to the party to ensure her attendance.

Xavier wept tears of joy as he hugged his mother for the first time in twenty years. Each person in the room was either crying or on the verge. I couldn’t think of a better gift to give him than reuniting his family together. After college, I’d maintained contact with Samuel, who worked in foreign affairs. He pulled some strings and found Xavier’s mother for me. It turns out, after the fire she developed amnesia after a tree fell down on her and knocked her unconscious. After gaining her memory back, she was given the terrible news that her family was one of the many who died in the fire.

I’d been planning this party for three months. It was so hard not to spill the beans to him.

Xavier ran back over to me, picked me up, and swung me around. “Alex, the moment is right. I love you. You love me. Please say yes.” After he put me down, he then reached in his pocket to pull out a box. Inside was a three-carat cut diamond ring.

“Yes,” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

The crowd began cheering and clapping for us.

I had one more surprise for my husband-to-be. For the past eight weeks, I had been taking salsa lessons.

Xavier and I danced into the wee hours of the morning.

After the party was over, I told Xavier to go home with his mother. They had a lot of catching up to do. He needed to spend all the time with his mother so they can rekindle their precious bond. Plus, I didn’t want to make him feel as if he had to be with me every night.

After a beat down day at the hospital delivering triplets, I was rewarded with going to see Xavier at his modeling shoot for the magazine
MOTR (Men on the Rise)
with a takeout order of his favorite, beef enchiladas from Speedy’s Mexican Restaurant. I hadn’t seen much of him lately since he was spending most of his time catching up with his mother. The camera crew, photographers, fashion designers, makeup artists and assistants were scattered everywhere. Men were walking around practically naked, trying to get into the next outfit to be modeled in. I finally spotted my baby frantically changing into a Sean John suit.

“Hey,
señorita
, I’m so glad you came. I’ve got six more outfits to get into before I can collect a paycheck,” Xavier said, giving me a hug.

I handed him the bag of food. “I came as soon as I could without having time to change.”

“That’s all right. I love to see you in your white coat. I find it sexy, Dr. Gibbs.” He gently kissed my cheek.

A woman darted past us with a clipboard in her hand and blared out, “Xavier, you’re up in fifteen minutes.”

“Alex, help me get dressed.” He grabbed my hand and led the way. “I have my own dressing room down the hall.” Xavier informed me that out of eighty models, he was chosen to do this particular shoot.

“All right, I won’t keep you long. I don’t want to be in the way.” I was proud of him.
Modeling is hard work and long hours
. Last week, my baby had a shoot down at the beach in forty-degree weather. You could never tell he was freezing his behind off.

Xavier sighed as he closed the door behind us. “Whoa, these enchiladas are just what I needed.”

“Let’s get to it so you can bring your butt home at a decent hour.”

“In due time. I have fifteen minutes.” Xavier looked down at his watch. “Let me see your breast. I promise I won’t touch it, but you may see me salivating.”

“Xavier, no, we’re at your job, and all these people are around. Besides, you only have eleven minutes now.” I looked at his watch.

“I’ve got to see it. Just one please.”

“Let me see your dick then.”

“All right.” He pulled his pants and boxer shorts down as I popped out my right breast out of my shirt.

“Eight minutes,” the woman blared again, knocking on the door.

“Tasting it would be even better,” he pleaded, caressing my breast.

“You’re crazy.”

“Crazy about your gushy stuff.” He had me pinned up against the wall as he suckled my nipple and flicked my clitoris with his finger.

I kicked my shoes off, lifted my skirt, and shifted my thong to the side as Xavier thrusted himself deep inside me.

The woman knocked on the door once again.

“Four more minutes.”

“I’m coming,” Xavier responded, almost out of breath. He meant it literally.