Mr. Mysterious In Black (21 page)

Grabbing Tevin’s arm, I hauled him through the door before Brenda could say anything else. Unexpectedly, a short laugh hiccupped from my throat. And I thought to myself that that was a gesture only a young, oafish Natalio would make. Something
Nelly
would do.

“I’ll be back in about an hour. Please, Sadie, don’t leave her too despairing. My shagging is essential.”

I flipped my middle finger up at Tev, then clambered out the car and made my way into his grotesquely large modernistic house. Three storeys high with glassed balconies and all those oddly angled designs of the modern taste. Tevin was rich. But he was rich through dishonest scales. His money was bloody, really bloody, and carried the weight of wretched and weeping souls. It was the reason why I preferred to take whatever job I could to pay my own bills instead of taking money from him that he would so willingly give me, or even just dwell at his place instead.

Because of my experiences with Cali D, I tried to keep my distance from such corrupt wealth. For there’s always a shit storm tailing closely behind; and keeping my distance will prevent me from getting splattered with that shit. Such kind of living only leads us through one set of gates: the gates of death.

I plodded through the foyer and headed from the stairs. Waking Kelsy with my pathetic problems was never in my intentions. It merely entertained me to torment Tevin.

As I mounted the stairs I heard Kelsy’s call. “Tev, baby. Is that you?”

With a change of direction, I navigated to her room. “No, Kels, it’s me.”

Kelsy was sitting up in bed, her small frame swallowed up by the puffy, white comforter on the California King, television remote in hand as she switched channels. Her eyes circled when she saw me. “Sadie? What are you doing here? Where’s Tev?”

“He just left. Said he’ll be back in an hour.”

The light from the television blinked through the darkness of the air-conditioned room, and I wondered why Kelsy was still awake. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

She scrunched her face as if in agony. “Oh, I can’t. Not when Tevin’s out on the streets. I’m daunted that something bad will happen to him out there. He doesn’t know that I sit up at night and worry. Don’t tell him.”

“Maybe you should,” I told her, as I padded over to the bed. “He should be in bed with you.”

She made a childish moan. “How on earth do women marry cops and soldiers and firemen? Gosh, I’d worry myself to death!”

“Because they have the peace of knowing that their men are out there saving lives. Tev’s out there
destroying
lives, and goading that bitch Karma.”

Kelsy slid down onto her back, her eyes trained on the plaster of the ceiling. “Do you think he’ll ever give up his lifestyle?”

“That’s something you two need to talk about. Lay your cards on the table. Let him choose.”

Who am I to give advice? When my love life is…hell, I don’t even have one. My present had turned out to be my past. My past had come to my present. My present is my past and my past is—oh shit, now I’m going crazy.

We lay in silence for a few meditative minutes before Kelsy directed her gaze to me. “So what brought you here at this hour? Isn’t tomorrow your first day at GLFH?”

Before I could answer, Kelsy’s eyes widened as she said, “Oh no. Is this about Natalio?”

At the very mention of his name, my eyes misted and my lips trembled. My bones crumbled within. Tevin’s craziness had ceased my tears earlier, and brought laughs instead. But now I stared unblinking at a wide-eyed Kelsy until she was a blur. Then the sluice opened and hot tears gushed down my cheeks and onto my friend’s bosom as she took me in her arms.

“Shhh,” she soothed. “You don’t have to talk about it if makes you this upset, sis. You crying? That’s…rare.”

“He’s from my past, Kels. He’d hurt me. Things are a bit scattered, but I know it was cruelly done. He…left me.”

“So you
can
remember?” Kelsy asked in disbelief. “Like, all he did to you?”

“I can, but it’s all so incoherent I don’t even know if could go about telling it. It’s just flashes…but the pain is so palpable. It’s so
there
.” I placed my hand over my heart, “It’s here, Kels. This is where I feel it.”

Kelsy encapsulated me in her arms, and I’ve never been more grateful to be held. I was torn, confused, anguished. But the one emotion that I searched for—anger—remained elusive. Seeing Nelly for the first time since he’d left me made me want to whirl myself into a vortex of thermonuclear hostility, but I couldn’t. I searched earnestly for anger, but Anger sagaciously steered clear.

“So what do you think he wants?” Kelsy asked.”Why do you think he came back?”

My body shivered. “I don’t know. To dishevel my life again, maybe. He insisted that I fall ‘helplessly’ in love with him. Just as he’d pressed me to confess my love for him seven years ago.” I sniffed again. “But he’s already broken me. Why does he think he needs to do it twice? And what’s so weird was that he
wanted
me to remember. Why would he want me to remember him hurting me? He’s a twisted and heartless bastard, that’s what I think.”

Kelsy sighed. “Don’t hate me for saying this, but I think you two need to meet up, somewhere public, and
talk
about what happened that night. Answers will palliate the pain. You two are fully grown, mature adults. Sit and have him tell you why the hell he did whatever he did to you and why on earth he came back. You don’t have to date him anymore. You just need answers. Trust me, you’ll feel a whole lot better afterward.”

“No, I don’t want to. He’s back, seven years later, and refuses to tell me who he was. Why? He wanted me to find out on my own. What did he think I was gonna do, run into his arms because I’ve found my long lost love? He left me!” my voice cracked. “Let’s not talk about him anymore. I don’t w-want to”…
sniffs
…”t-talk about him”…
sniffs
…”anymore. No more. Please,” I slashed away my tears. “It’s late and I have work in three hours.”

Cleaving myself away from Kelsy’s arms, I hopped off the bed and headed for the door.

“I’ll come stay with you,” she offered, peeling the duvet away.

“I don’t think Tev will like that very much. He was deeply worried about me keeping you up.”

“Screw Tev!” she angered.

A small smile, I afforded that much. “No, Kels. I’m good. I love you. Goodnight.”

My feet felt heavy as I plodded upstairs and chose the first bedroom in sight. Tossing my bag on the carpeted floor, I climbed unceremoniously into the bed and cried myself into darkness…

“Sadie, I told you, we don’t have to do this. We should wait.”

I tugged at Nelly’s hand, pulling him towards his bedroom in his rented flat. His abode for the weekends, to which I held the keys. It was mine during the week to do with as I pleased, my second home. “I know. But I want to. I want you,” I cajoled.

Nelly inhaled a sharp breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were blazed with lust, his tenuous reservation had raveled out. He cupped my face and plunged his tongue into my mouth, taking what was his. His minty saliva mixed with mine as our tongues tangled in a tango. Still kissing me, he stepped across the bedroom threshold and kicked the door shut. The kiss got deeper as he took small steps forward, forcing me to take small steps backwards, until I felt the bed behind me. I fell, and he fell with me, our lips never parting.

Oh God, I love him so much.

He cleaved his lips away from mine and we both gasped for air. His breathing ragged, mine parallel. Once our lungs were oxygenated, he spoke, “On one condition.”

“What?” I rasped. “Anything.”

Nelly pierced my eyes with his burning blues, and I couldn’t look away. I felt like I was nailed to him. “I want to know that you love me.”

I grew silent. My movements, thoughts and breathing stilled.

“Why won’t you tell me? You’re driving me insane, Sadie. I need to know. I need to hear the words. I sound like a bitch, I know, but I need to hear it,” he pleaded. He frowned then, and a look of horror crossed his face. “You don’t love me, do you?”

My mouth went dry, and I could only stare at him. I couldn’t command my lips to speak.

“Dammit!” he exclaimed, pounding his fist on the mattress. “I’m such an
idiot
!”

He pushed away to leave but I gripped his biceps and wrapped my legs around his waist.

“No, Nelly, don’t go,” I begged.

“Why the hell shouldn’t I?” he snapped.

“Because I
do
love you.”

Nelly’s eyes softened. “You do?”

“Yes.”

“And that’s the ultimate truth? Not just because you want me to have sex with you?”

I nodded. “It’s the truth. I love you more than air. I was just afraid to tell you because I believe once I did, everything would end. I would wake up and it would all be a dream. You are so precious to me, and I don’t want to lose you. I don’t know what I’d do. I’d go insane if you ever left me.”

Nelly stared at me through indecipherable eyes, and I wished I knew what he was thinking. Then he spoke, “Tell me. Tell me you love me.”

This time, I didn’t hesitate. “I love you, Nelly. I really do.”

“Are my eyes still in place?”

“Yes,” I answered, puzzled.

“My nose still there?”

I nodded.

“My eyebrows, lips, ears?”

Another nod.

“So I am
not
disappearing, then?”

I giggled. “No.”

“Good. Will you promise to stop worrying? I am
never
going to leave you. You are my life, Sadie. God made you just for me. My life won’t mean shit without you in it.”

“I promise.” Clasping my hands around his neck, I pulled him down to kiss me.

Nelly pulled my blouse over my head and ran his teeth along my jaw. I tipped my head back exposing my neck to him, because I longed for him to kiss me there.

“I love your neck. Adore it,” he mumbled.

He spent an eon about my neck, worshiping, kissing, licking and tasting. Then he sucked at a spot on the left of my neck. When he released my flesh from his lips, he whispered, “My neck. My mark. You’re
mine
. Whenever you see this mark, you’ll remember me.”

Nelly, with deft fingers, unhooked my bra, then glorified each of my breasts with measured time.

“Ah…Nel…”

He meandered down my flushed, yearning, inhibited body. The cool air of the room whispered over my lambed flesh, but Nelly’s steamy kisses kept me warm.

He unzipped my denim skirt and made quick work of removing it. Then grasped my ankles and showered my shaking legs with kisses. From leg to leg, kiss for kiss, until his hot breath was between my thighs. I screwed my eyes shut, for I felt exposed and wanton. This was too intimate.

Nelly hooked his thumbs in the sides of my panties and paused. “Open your eyes, baby, look at me.”

Slowly, I did.

“I am most honored at being the first man to uncover you,” he said with a licentious smile. “And I want to be the last. Now watch me as I do it, and monumentalize my expression of pleasure.”

Inch by inch, in the most torturous manner, he pulled my lacy panties off. Then lifted his eyes to mine again and playfully said, “Tis a beautiful sight, my love.”

Bending his head, his ran his nose through my curls. “And your scent is intoxicating. An elixir for long life and happiness.”

Squirming, I covered my face with my hands and tried to close my legs, but he held them firmly apart. “Don’t,” he quieted. “Don’t be coy with me. Remember, you belong to me. And I to you.”

With that, he lowered his head and I moaned when his warm tongue touched my bud.

Oh, this feeling…

It’s so alien. Unprecedented.

“Oh, Nelly…it…it feels so…ah…I love you…”

I writhed and twisted as the exotic pleasure protracted. The feelings of such worldly delight made me want to holler and beg him to stop, but no, I didn’t want him to stop. He tongued my bud like a fan blade on high speed. It’s so…so…Oh. My. God.

Something was about to happen, I knew it. I felt it coming but I wasn’t sure what it was. Of their own volition, my legs stiffened, and I involuntarily gripped the sheets to prepare myself for what was about to happen. Nelly propelled on. He just wouldn’t seize his punitive wielding.

And then…And then…my whole body began to vibrate.

Shit. I didn’t know my body could do that!

“Nelly…” I cried. “I…I…”

Soon, all consciousness was gone as the darkness behind my lids turned to light. Bright light with colorful ubiquitous stars. Then, a scream rushed through my lungs, the loudest I’ve ever heard myself. And I went smashing into a million shards. My whole body jerking like a fits attack. “I…oh god, Nelly…baby, I love you!”

Soon, the stars began to vanish, one by one. And the bright light behind my lids dimmed into a small circle, smaller and smaller until it was gone. There was only darkness and I was once again aware of where I was and with whom.

The sound of music made me open my eyes. Nelly was standing stark naked at the end of the bed, a small packet glinting in his hand, while Beyoncé’s
Dangerously In Love
played softly from the surround system. “You vibrate like a freakin’ cell phone when you’re about to come. That’s…sexy as hell. Exotic.”