Single Ladies (16 page)

Chapter 26

Roni

It was 3:25 on the nose, and Johnny still hadn’t came in to work.  Roni had Mona to call him twice. No answer. 

“I’ll stay and cover the shift, Mona.  You go on home,” Roni said.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, those few days off was good enough.  I couldn’t wait to get back here.  You held it down like I knew you would.  Go on home, girlfriend, “ she said.

“Alright.  See you later,” Mona left for the day.

In between taking care of guests and completing the second shift checklist, Roni called Johnny three times and left voicemails for him to at least call her and let her know if he was alright.  He didn’t.

Once she got home, she checked her messages.  There were three.

Message number one: “Hey girl, It’s me, Ang.  You wont believe what the hell happened at work today.  Call me, girl!”

Message number two: “Hey, it’s Daphne.  Girl, Angie is crazy! Did she tell you about those bitches on her job?  Anyway, I want you to meet Jas tomorrow if you have time. I’ll call you when I get to work tomorrow.”

Message number three:  “Hey Roni, it’s your sister.  I just wanted to know if you could please loan me the money to get a plane ticket to Indianapolis.  Kieran and Zahria are going with me. I wanna get away from South Central to go and visit a friend.  I just need a break.    I am going to try you back soon to see if you can help me.  Love you.”

Damn it! No message from Johnny.  Roni stood, speechless and worried.  Firstly, her sister, Sabrina, hardly ever called, then when she did, it was only when she wanted money.  If it wasn’t for her niece and nephew, Zahria and Kieran, she wouldn’t send Sabrina a dime.  Secondly, she wondered if Johnny was just out for a piece of ass and pulled a disappearing act on her.  All night long, she waited and waited for him to call back.  She didn’t feel like hearing about Angie’s office gossip, but called her anyway, for a distraction.  Angie told her everything that happened from A to Z. 

She tried to sleep, but couldn’t.  After four a.m , she figured he wasn’t going to call her.  She lied down and tried to force herself to get an hour and a half of needed sleep, before going to work. 

At some point she fell asleep.  When her alarm clock beeped, she felt as if she’d just closed her eyes.  She forced herself out of bed to begin her day. 

At work, she was cordial and professional with her guests.  On the inside, she felt like crap.  She was also still worried about Johnny.  She hoped he would call the hotel, during her shift.  He didn’t.  His name wasn’t on the schedule for that night, but he still could have called her. 

She attempted to call him when she got in her car to leave work for the day.  No answer.  Her last resort was to go to his apartment.  When she pulled up in front of it, his car was there.  She got out and knocked for almost five minutes.   She reluctantly got back in her car, and drove to the grocery store, feeling empty.  Maybe he did only want her for the one thing he got from her.

Chapter 27

Angie

“I’ll be there, next Friday dad.  I’m only staying the weekend, though,” Angie giggled.  “ I know you want me to come home for good, but dad, how many times do I have to tell you I’m not coming home to stay.  Atlanta is home,” she was still giggling.

“Okay.  Give mom my love. I’ll call you guys Thursday night before I leave.  Okay.  Love you, too.  Bye.”

She shook her head, still smiling about her dad’s usual attempts to get her to move back home.  This time he used bribery.  He offered to buy her a new home.    Just as she stepped outside to leave the house, her cell phone rang.  It was Brandon.  Her pulse rate soared through the roof.  Her adrenaline was in overdrive.  She answered anyway.

“What do you want?” she said coolly.

“Now, is that any way to talk to a friend?” he ignored her tone.

“Brandon, what the fuck do you want?”

“Wow! Is this a bad time.  You know, I can call you back,”

“No, you can’t call me back.  Tell me what you want right now!” she demanded.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing.  Is that a crime?” he remained calm.  She almost relented to the smooth, sexy sound of his voice.

“Why do you want to know how I’m doing?  You should be more worried about Melissa.”

“That’s also one of the reasons I’m calling you,” he said.

“Oh?” she was curious about where this one was going.

“ Can you meet me for dinner? I’d love to sit down and be able to tell you-”, he began.

“Nope. I’m busy.  All week.  So tell me now,” she rushed him.

“Okay, okay.  Melissa was never pregnant.  She lied to me.  She’s also been seeing someone behind my back.  The bitch! I can’t believe her. Then she had the nerve to follow me to your house and cause a scene like that.  The wedding is off. I told her to find someone else to play her psychotic games with,” he said.

“I’m so sorry, Brandon,” Angie said sarcastically.

“C’mon, Angie, you and I have a history. I was thinking that maybe we could start over again,” he said.

“Hold on, let me think. HELL NO! and don’t fuckin’ call my number or contact me in any kind of way ever again! No emails, no nothing!  If you do, I’ll have your ass, Brandon Whitmore!  You think you’re so much because your father owns that fuckin law firm and you’ve got women dropping at your feet.  Well, you don’t have this one anymore.   You promised me a funky ass trip to Hawaii, while you took a two point o upgraded version hood rat to the Cayman Islands!  Not only once, but twice!  and you know what?  I'm going to book a flight and I'm going to the Cayman Islands myself.  I deserve it!  I'm beautiful.  I'm paid.  And most of all, I can get any man I want. I just don't want you!  So, kiss my ass and GOOD RIDDANCE!” she exclaimed angrily.  She hung up the phone feeling like jumping straight to the moon.  Elation was an understatement.  She knew the dirty dog would come crawling back. Only this time, she got the chance to shut him down.  Once and for all.

Chapter 28

Roni

The following day, Roni went to work, with Johnny still on her mind.   She was at the desk with Mona and the first shift desk clerk.   It was five minutes to 3:00 when she saw him come through the doors.  She gave him a puzzled look and he had the same apologetic expression on his face, when he was late on his first day.

“Hello, Jonathan.  May I speak with you in my office, please?” she asked professionally.

“Sure.” he said, walking back into her office and closing the door behind him.  He abruptly began to speak in a quiet voice. “Roni, before you say anything, please let me say I’m sorry.  I know I should have called, but my boy, Rob, from the Hole, you know the big emcee, he had me to go and talk to the guy who owns the record label out in New York.  He was in Miami and since we were so close, he made time to meet with me.  Well, while we were there, my cousin got into some serious trouble.   I should have called off, but I didn’t expect to be there as long as I was.   I meant to come back,  yesterday, but I spent most of the night trying to get him out of jail. I am so sorry I didn’t call you.   I know you were worried about me and I meant to call you,” he said.

“Well, it’s unacceptable for the job, number one.  No call, no show is grounds for me to let you go, Johnny.  I have to write you up, but I wont terminate you.  As for me, yes, I was worried sick.  Even if you would have just called to say you were okay, I would have been satisfied with that,” she said.

“I know.  I’m sorry, Roni,” he looked back at the office door, then began to talk quieter.  “Will you forgive me?“

He looked like a little kid, apologizing to his mother.  She smiled.  “Yeah, I guess so.  Now get to work.  I’m leaving for the day,” she said.

He grabbed her and kissed her, taking her breath away. 

“Can I see you tonight?” he asked.

He was her weakness and she didn't even have the fight in her to deny him.  “Yeah.  Your place, though.”

“My place, it is, baby.  I’ll be home right after work.”

“See you, later,” she said, kissing him on the cheek, before opening the office door.   The hotel was so busy, she was sure nobody was paying her or Johnny any attention.

His apartment was always so neat and clean.  Nothing was ever out of place.  He took a shower, then came into his bedroom with a white tank top and plaid boxer shorts on.  His wavy hair was still damp and pulled back into a long, curly ponytail. 

“You sleepy, baby?” he asked, while Roni lied on his bed, with her eyes closed.

“No.  Just lying here, relaxing. That’s all.”

“I still wanna show you my equipment and how it works,” he said.

“You can show me another time.  I just wanna lie here, baby. If that’s alright.”

“Of course it is, sweet lady,” he smiled as he got in bed next to her.  “Cuz I just wanna lie here with you,” he said in a seductive voice.

He began to touch her body, getting her hot and aroused.  Once they were naked, he turned her onto her stomach and gripped her fleshy ass cheeks.  He hovered over her, lifting her hair up, and ran his tongue from the nape of her neck, down her spine, to the small of her back.  Then, he spread her ass apart and ran his tongue all the way to her weeping pussy hole.  He pulled her up, so that she was on her knees, and he licked and sucked her aching pussy from behind.  She moaned with ecstasy, as he tasted her.  Then, after a brief prelude to the main event, he entered her with his long, hard dick.  He gripped her chubby waist and began to pound away inside her.   She had always been into dramatic sex and she loved a little thug passion when it came her way.

"Oh yeah!  Give it to me rough, Johnny!" she pushed her ass back against him.

"You like that don't you, girl?  You like this dick in that pussy? Huh?" he pounded harder. "Tell me you like it!  Tell me you like it, or I'll stop!" he said, doubling her excitement, while he brought the pain.

"I like it! I like iiiiiiit!" She came multiple times and the juice from her pussy dripped onto his sheets and down her creamy thighs.  He gently pulled her hair, while he thrust deeper and deeper into her.  After he climaxed inside her, he lied behind her, rubbing her hair, and kising the back of her neck..

She lay there, enjoying the warmth of his body and the security of his embrace.   There was no denying it; she was head over heels for Jonathan Parker.

"What you doin to me, Johnny?" she kissed him softly.

"The same thing you're doing to me, Roni.  Falling hard for you."   He lied there, ecstatic; but the anxiety and fear started to haunt him all over again.  Every time he’d fallen in love with a woman, she left.  He beat himself up too many times for being a fool.  Why be a fool again?  “You’re doing it again. You’re falling again.  You better let go.  Chase your dreams and  forget about her before she forgets about you.” his subconscious mind worked overtime.

He looked down at his beautiful girlfriend.  She was sound asleep.  He was wide awake. All night long.

Roni opened her eyes and smiled.  She’d found a love that she was happy to have.  She rolled over to kiss Johnny.  He wasn’t there.

“Baby?” she called.  No answer.

She got up and went into the room where his equipment was.  His guitar and keyboard were gone.  He wasn’t there.

“Johnny?” she called again.  No answer. 

She called his cell phone. It went straight to his voicemail three times, meaning either his battery was dead or he’d turned the phone off, completely.   “Maybe he went to the grocery store to grab a few things,” she thought.  She went into his kitchen, opened the refrigerator and cabinets, and they both were fairly stocked with food.

After waiting on him for two hours, she decided to leave.  She left a note for him to call her when he got home.  She locked his door on the way out.  His car was gone, that time.

The reality of him pulling, yet another disappearing act, became apparent to her, hours after midnight.  It must have been some kind of game to him after all.  He didn’t call and she hadn’t seen him.  He was on the schedule at work, and nobody had heard from him or seen him.  Her heart was in turmoil and her mind was whirling with a tornado of bewilderment and agony.  Her only question was “Why?”.  Why would he be doing this to her.

She continued to call him for about a week, but he never returned her calls.  His phone just kept going to the voicemail.  She left countless messages for him, pleading with him to just call her and let her know he was okay.  She even called Miami jail information to see if he’d gotten into trouble or anything.  He hadn’t.

The crying spells stopped after that week, but she still cried inside.  She took his name off the schedule at work, deleted his name from her cell phone, and hoped that one day he would resurface and at least tell her why he disappeared.

She called an emergency meeting at the Halo.   Karla and Daphne met her there.  Angie had gone to visit her parents.  Roni wasn’t Roni that night.  Everyone was so used to her nagging and complaining.  This time, she was speechless.

“Damn, Roni, this is your third Cosmo,  maybe you should ease up on the drinks, so you can at least drive yourself home,“ Karla warned her.

“Oh, I’m upset and tonight I’m just gonna get fucked up, if you don’t mind,“ Roni snapped.

“Okay, so what’s really going on?“ Daphne intervened.

Roni shook her head.  “I mean, I already told you guys that he left without telling me he was leaving.  He hasn’t called in two weeks.  I fucked him and maybe that's all he wanted to begin with.  I’m sure he doesn’t wanna talk to me.  Maybe he’s married and was just trying to deal with someone else until him and his wife patched things up.  Shit, I don’t know,” Roni sipped her drink.

“But you also said that he left most of his things here, but he took his guitar, keyboard, and a few other pieces of equipment.  Maybe he got some kind of gig or something,“  Daphne said.

“If he did, he could’ve still called me, “ Roni’s voice was starting to slur.

After drinking her cosmos, Roni ordered drank two long island iced teas.

Karla was sipping her cranberry juice on the rocks and had started talking about how she really liked Tony, but wanted to take their relationship very slowly. 

“Karla, I don’t mean to interrupt what you’re saying, but we need to get her home.  She can’t drive like this.” Daphne said, pointing to Roni, who’s head was bowed, and eyes were closed. 

“  I’ll bet she had something to drink on the way here, too,” Karla said.

“Maybe not.  Those damn long island iced teas aint no joke alone.  Plus she had a few of those cosmos.  Believe me it don't take much,” Daphne said. “Roni! Roni, c’mon.  Time to go!” she yelled.

“What? Time da whah?” Roni slurred.  “I just wanna go da sleeeeee,” she waved her hand and it flopped down, smacking her right hip. 

“Let’s help her out to my car,” Karla said. 

She stumbled as they walked her out to the car.  “Okay, I’ll have Jas to drive me back up here and I’ll get Roni’s car and bring it to your house, okay?”

“That’s cool.  I’ll keep her with me until she at least sobers up,” Karla said.

Early the next morning, Roni looked like shit and felt even worse.

“You okay, girl?” Karla gave her a cold washcloth, two Motrin pills, and a glass of water.”

“Yeah.  My fuckin head hurts so bad.”

“Yeah, it should with all that alcohol you drank last night.”

“I’ll be alright, you guys got my car, right?”

“No we left it.  Of course we did, silly.  We wouldn’t just leave it there all night.  It’s outside.  You going home now?”

“Yeah, I need to.  Just going to lie down and sleep this shit off some more,” she had her hand on her left temple.

“Okay, if you need me, call me.  I’m going to get going and grab some breakfast on the way to the office.  I got some catching up to do. If you need me for anything, just call me."

“Thanks, Karla.  See ya later.” she said, wincing from the bright sunlight that greeted her and her terrible hangover.