Read Second Time Around Online
Authors: Darrin Lowery
Second Time Around (11 page)
They had dinner and they each exchanged not-so-personal stories about themselves. Darren was careful not to ask too many questions, but being a therapist, once he relaxed, it was easy to get information from her. It was especially easy once she found out that he was a therapist.
He didn't have to ask much. Like many people, once she found out that he was a therapist, some things just came out. Before the night was over she confessed that her birth name was Stephanie.
As they ate, people stared at the couple. Many people thought Stephanie was actually the singer. After multiple times of her explaining that she wasn't, Darren and Stephanie decided to head back to his place. The drive back was slow and deliberate.
They took in the sights of the city as they made their way back to his place. He drove and she laid her head on his shoulder as if they had been a couple all of their lives. This was something else that he liked about her. She was smart, charming, and witty. Throughout the night she smiled at him, looked at him adoringly, and laughed at his jokes. She patted his hand attentively and even stroked his hand lovingly throughout their conversation at dinner. She was warm and inviting, more than any other woman who he dated; any other woman except her. He had to keep reminding himself that Stephanie was saying all the right things because that was her job.
They parked and held hands as they made their way back to his place. Darren opened the door and invited Stephanie in. She sat on his couch with familiarity. For whatever reason she put him at ease and before he knew it, he was treating her as if they had been a couple and known each other for three years rather than three hours.
Darren played Joe's song “Majic.” While the music played, he fixed her a drink of Sprite and Hypnotic. He turned on the central air and walked over to her on the couch. She smiled at him, he smiled at her, and after they both downed their drinks he softly kissed her on her neckâhe initiated intimacy.
His warm breath on her flesh made her swoon. She let out a gentle sigh and a smile as he kissed her neck. He desperately wanted to kiss her on the lips. He wanted to taste her drink, but he tried to be mindful of her rules; rules that were a constant reminder that this was business, not personal. He wanted it to be personal. He wanted to make love to herâall of her. His money only gave him limited access. He wished he had an all-access pass.
Kissing was forbidden. Because it was forbidden he wanted her more. He kissed her neck and she kissed his. His hands found her breasts and her hands found his package. They began kissing and petting like teenagers, only they kissed everywhere but the lips. Her heart was pounding. He could feel it. His heart was pounding, she could feel it. He took a firm grip on her backside and she let out slow, repetitive purrs as they caressed one another.
Minutes passed and the level of passion in the room rose with the temperature, in spite of Darren having turned on the central air. Stephanie continued to kiss his neck; she unbuttoned his shirt and kissed his chest. After that, it only took her a few minutes to undress him. She paused and admired his body. She liked what she saw; she liked his chest, his flat stomach, muscular arms, and even the Calvin Klein briefs he wore. To her, he looked darned good in them. His package . . . his bulge, looked even better.
She reached in her nearby purse. She pulled out two condoms and held them in her hand, smiling as she spoke.
“Black is for sex. Green is flavored,” she whispered.
Darren licked his lips in anticipation.
“You do think of everything, don't you?” he said softly.
“Tonight my only goal is to please you.” She looked him up and down. Her look was a provocative one. Again she smiled.
She stepped back and slowly peeled off her clothes. Her beautiful body kept him mesmerized. He was living a fantasy. In his mind, he was about to sleep with a celebrity. It might not have been the real thing, but for the next few hours that followed he pretended it was and he had his every way with her. He pretended that for one night he had his way with his celebrity crush. Pretty soon she stood across from him, near naked and flawless. Underneath her dress were matching lace panties and a bra. Her nipples were hard, her breasts were taut, and the place between her legs was meticulously trimmed and wet. He looked at her sweet spot as if it were his last meal. He walked over to her and placed his hand on her ass and again kissed her neck and collarbone. As he kissed her, she placed the flavored condom over him. She then began to please him.
In his mind, he had his way with the stunningly beautiful R&B singer. This night cost him two thousand dollars and by morning he felt it was worth every dime. They made love to his favorite music.
They rested, made love, and rested again. By morning they were both spent. When he awoke after the third orgasm she gave him . . . she was gone. By the nightstand was a kiss print on a napkin and a note.
Â
Thank you for a wonderful night.
âKeyshia (Stephanie)
Â
“Damn, that was incredible,” he said when he awoke. He then realized that he might have an addiction. He felt like an addict after his first hit. The high he was on was amazing. The sex was great, the passion was intoxicating, and the thrill and rush of doing something that was considered illegal, immoral, and dirty all at once was appealing to him. The way he felt when he woke up was great. He felt alive. He felt refreshed. He was tired, but it was a good kind of tired. And there was no stress, no drama and, no awkward moment afterward. He was hooked. The question that bothered him, however, was whether or not he had the willpower to stop.
I could go broke easily doing this shit. I see why my client was so addicted. Yeah, I spent a lot of coin on last night, but right now it seems like it's worth every penny. I mean, that's why I work, right? I work to have the ability to provide myself with the things that I want and need. I may not need another night like last night, but I definitely want more nights like that. Besides, I could quit anytime, right?
Chapter Nine
Korie hadn't been out on a date in a long time. It had been six weeks since her last date and almost six months since she had last been intimate with a man. The last man she slept with was a waste of time. He was handsome and he was well endowed, but he had no idea how to work what he had. On top of that, the last man thought he was God's gift to women.
He wasn't. He was more like God's prank.
Korie had no plans on sleeping with DeVaughn Harris, but she did wonder what the day was going to be like. Korie didn't even know why she agreed to go out with this man. She felt like Jayna put her in an awkward position by telling him that she would go out with him.
As far as Korie was concerned, she was simply running interference for her friendânothing more. She assumed her role would be to keep Mr. Harris occupied while she and Brandon became more acquainted. This was not a date. It was just a favor. This is what she told herself as she got dressed at home. This is what she told herself as she applied her Mâ¢Aâ¢C makeup, her best dress, and her best heels.
“This is not a date. This is just a few people going out to dinner. It's a free meal.”
Her reflection looked back at her and gave her a look as if to say, so why be so nervous, then?
Although it was not a date per se, Korie had never gone out with a man of means before. She also had never gone out with an older man before. She had dated men with good jobs before, but never anyone who owned his own company. She never dated anyone who made more than 5,000 dollars more than she did.
She didn't know how to dress, how to act, or how she should present herself. It wasn't a date, but she didn't want to look like Cinderella before the ball, either.
“He's just a man, an old man at that. Girl, stop trip-pin',” she told herself.
Korie wondered what kind of man he was. As far as she knew, most wealthy men were arrogant. They felt as if the world owed them something or as if they were better than everyone else. She had to pause for a minute, however, and remember that the only rich men who she knew were the ones on TV and she didn't really know them.
Just because he was rich didn't mean that he was arrogant. Just because he was rich didn't mean she couldn't have a good time with him. Just because he was rich didn't make him better than her.
She continued to get dressed and wondered why this man wanted to go out with her. Why not Jayna? Why not some wealthy woman? At the very least, why not some white woman. After all, isn't that what successful black men did these days?
Over and over and over again, Korie asked herself, why her? It wasn't until she finished dressing, finished applying her makeup, and finished putting on her favorite perfume and checking herself out in the mirror that she finally said, why not her? Korie looked in the mirror one last time and spoke.
“You're a beautiful and strong black woman. That's why he wants to go out with you.”
She went to her car in her house slippers and held her heels in her hand. She had agreed to meet Mr. Harris, Brandon, and Jayna at the Grand Lux Restaurant. She decided to take her own car. This way everything would be done on her terms. If Mr. Harris turned out to be an ass, she could politely excuse herself and leave. If Jayna decided to pull a move and leave early, she could go at her own pace and wouldn't be dependent on anyone for a ride. And if everything went well, for whatever reason, if she and Mr. Harris decided to take in a late movie or something, she would be safe in her own car.
Korie started her car and headed to the Grand Lux in downtown Chicago. She chose the Grand Lux because it was her favorite place to eat. It wasn't too expensive and if she needed to leave for any reason, she could pay her portion of the bill, and go shopping downtown and then home.
She listened to love songs on the radio as she drove down Lake Shore Drive. Inside of twenty minutes she was at the parking garage not far from the Grand Lux. She put her heels on, checked herself out in the rearview mirror one last time, and headed to the restaurant. She walked confidently in her heels through downtown Chicago toward the eatery.
Men of all ethnicities looked at her with desire. She loved the attention and finally began to feel good about herself. With all the hard work she and Jayna put into their runs at the park and at the gym she deserved to feel desired. With each step she grew more confident. With each step, she felt more secure.
As usual, the restaurant was crowded. There were couples standing outside waiting, couples inside waiting, and people at the bar waiting to be seated. On any given day you could see Chicago's elite at the Grand Lux. Businessmen ate there as well as many of Chicago's athletes. Because of this, there were many young gold-digging women that frequented the place as well as the wives of many of Chicago's athletes.
Once upon a time, people went to the Grand Lux to get away from a certain element in the city. When that element found out how good the food was as well as the clientele, many people from all walks of life began to dine there; even people who could not afford to. The restaurant wasn't expensive, but it was easy to spend a hundred dollars for two people with drinks.
Korie surveyed the lobby and looked at all the beautiful women and the men who accompanied them. There were women there of all races, women of all shapes and sizes, as well as outfits that would put some models to shame.
Korie had on her best dress. Compared to many of the women who dined there, her dress looked like something off the rack from a thrift store compared to some of the dresses other women had on.
Still, Korie didn't feel too bad as she looked at all the young women with their body parts out. You could tell the pretenders from the wealthy, as well as the poor. Those people that were there simply being themselves were the ones that Korie could best identify with.
Korie made her way to the reservation stand as she called Jayna on her cell phone to find out if she made it there yet.
“Hello?” Jayna answered.
“Where are you?”
“I've been seated already.”
“So where are you guys at?”
“Ask for the Harris party. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.”
“What do you mean?”
“You'll see.”
“Hello? Hello?”
No, this heifer did not just hang up on me, she thought.
Korie walked up to the reservation stand where there was a beautiful Trinidadian girl with her hair pulled tightly back. The young woman looked as if she should be on someone's runway rather than taking reservations. Her skin had a reddish-brown tint and she had high cheekbones. Her smile was welcoming as she spoke.
“Hello, welcome to the Grand Lux. How many in your party?”
“I'm here for the Harris party. I believe they've already been seated.”
“Would that be Mr. DeVaughn Harris?”
“Uh . . . yes. Yes, it would.” Korie smiled a polite smile, although on the inside she was nervous.
“Right this way, Ms. Dillon.”
Korie followed the young, beautiful woman up the escalator and toward the rear dining area. Most days when Korie and Jayna went, they were seated overlooking beautiful Michigan Avenue.
As she was led to the back of the restaurant she noticed an elevator that she'd never seen before. She and the young lady took the elevator further up and the young woman could hardly contain her smile.
“Wow. I have been here quite a few times and I have never seen this elevator before,” Korie said.
“Yes, ma'am. Well, it's really easy to miss and we only use this dining area when we are extremely crowded or when we have special guests dining with us.”
“Special guests? Like who?”
The young woman told Korie that many pro athletes ate at the restaurant. So did a lot of Chicago's coaches, the mayor; even the president had dined there a time or two. Korie was admittedly impressed that she, her girlfriend, and these two men would be dining in such style. She smiled and said to herself that this evening wasn't going to be so bad after all, although she told herself again that this was not a date.
Korie got off the elevator onto a floor that was completely empty. The floor had one single table and at the table was Mr. Harris, who stood up as he saw Korie being escorted to him.
Korie looked around for Jayna but didn't see her. Brandon was not there, either. Initially she was a bit apprehensive, but she was a grown woman, so she decided to see what was going on. As she got closer and closer to Mr. Harris, she noticed that he was ruggedly handsome. He had a smile that seemed to bring her at ease and Korie thought to herself that he looked damned good in a suit. Still, first things first. She wanted to know where her girl was.
“Where is Jayna?” Korie had a look on her face that had a slight air of attitude.
“Well, good evening to you too, Ms. Dillon,” DeVaughn said while smiling.
Korie thought to herself that she had better manners than that.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Harris . . .”
“Please, call me Vaughn.”
“Okay, Vaughn. If you don't mind my asking, where are my girlfriend and her date?”
“Jayna and Brandon are down in the dining area. They will be joining us for dessert. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of arranging dinner just for the two of us. You know, so we could perhaps get to know each other better.”
“I guess that's fine, but I thought we would all be eating together. That is what we agreed on.”
“Ah, I see. So you thought that you would run interference for your girl. This way if she's not into Brandon, you could find an excuse to leave and if you're not into me, you could do the same, right?”
He smiled at her and although he was right, his smile still put her at ease. He reminded her of Denzel Washington. He was cool, calm, collected, and confident.
“You're right on both counts, but also, I would simply feel more comfortable with my girlfriend here.”
“Okay, that's fair. Well, dinner should only take an hour and like I said, they'll be joining us for dessert. I was hoping to have you for myself for at least an hour . . . for dinner, I mean.”
He smiled at her again and pulled her chair out for her.
Korie sat down. She was put off-balance by how direct he was, but she was also intrigued. Vaughn sat across from her and poured her a glass of wine, pouring himself a glass as well. Before picking up the menu he looked Korie directly in her eyes as he spoke softly.
“You look stunning, by the way. I like your dress.”
Korie blushed and smiled. It had been a while since a man gave her a compliment on her attire or her looks, rather than a body part.
“Thank you,” she said graciously.
“So, Ms. Dillon, I hear that you are an interior designer. How did you get into that line of work?”
Korie told Vaughn how she struggled to break into the business. She told him about her past relationship with him, and how he saw her dream of being an interior designer long before she saw it for herself. She talked about her education, her goals, her views on love, religion, children, and politics. Vaughn hung on her every word and throughout the evening, he kept telling her how beautiful she was.
He then told her about how he was once married but lost his wife to breast cancer and also how he made his first million dollars. Like a lot of millionaires, he began his career in real estate. He had no formal education other than the adversity that life threw at him. With everything he'd been through he jokingly said that he had a doctorate in reality.
He spent most of his young life working for the dollar and decided at one point that he was going to turn things around and make his dollars work for him. He talked about the differences between building money and building wealth. Wealth, he explained, made money for a lifetime, whereas being rich often simply meant having more debt than the average person.
They discussed the presidential election, the war overseas, the economy, and they both discussed ways that they would expand their businesses. Korie talked about her fitness goals and talked at length about the lack of responsibility in the black community. Vaughn discussed more of the same, as well as his efforts to clean up communities and the various scholarships that his company offered. The next thing that they both knew, dinner was over and Brandon and Jayna were being escorted upstairs to them.
Korie hadn't noticed that all the music playing overhead were custom slow songsâall of her favorite songs. She also hadn't noticed the dozen roses that were sitting on the chair next to Vaughn, until he presented them to her.
“Your girlfriend says that you like pink roses.” He smiled as he gave them to her.
“I do.” She smiled as she accepted them.
“Now that's what I have been waiting for all night . . . a full smile from you.”
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