Sugah & Spice (13 page)

“Is that any way to talk to your mother?” Sugah corrected herself, apologizing
for
her
rudeness
. “Mom, I was on my way out. I didn’t think you would be calling. Sorry! What is it? Is something wrong?”

             
“Why would something be wrong? Can’t I call my own daughter? What’s going on with you, Sugah?” Charlotte wasn’t used to hearing her only child sound so frustrated. She knew that something was up but she wouldn’t pry.
She never pried.
If Sugah wanted her to know, she would tell
her
on her own terms. She knew that school began, so she was probably just stressed
, Charlotte assured
.

“Mom, I’m fine. As I said, I was about to head out. Do you mind if I call you back later? I shouldn’t be out late.”

             
“Oh, no problem,
Baby,
I was just calling to tell you that I am in town. Richard sent for me a few days early, claiming he couldn’t wait any longer to see me. You can call me at his house. I will be staying her
e
while I’m in town instead of at your place.” Sugah was saddened and outraged. Why hadn’t she been involved in the decision making regarding her mother?

“Oh…okay. I will call you there then.
Is this the number to reach you that showed up on my called I.D.?” “Yes Baby. But don’t call too late okay, I am kinda tired from the flight and may turn in early.” Sugah was no fool. She knew those two wanted to spend uninterrupted time together. She suddenly became jealous, thinking about Coffee and how she wanted to spend some alone time with him. “Oh, okay Mom.
Talk to you later and tell Richard hello for me.”
Sugah hung up the phone feeling like she was about to lose her mother. Sure she wanted her to be happy but at what expense? Mr. Blakemore was a great man and would make her mother extremely happy
,
but Sugah wanted to make sure that her mother wasn’t hurt by moving too fast. If anything happened to hurt her, Sugah wouldn’t be responsible for all the pain and suffering she would bring to anyone who was at fault. Right now she couldn’t focus on that. She was almost late. She ran out the door.

             
When she arrived at the restaurant the only people there were Latte and Cap. Everyone else was running late. She greeted them and took a seat. They had been deep in conversation when she arrived, so she allowed them to continue. It appeared that they were discussing a business deal from the weekend before, which had been a great success from what Sugah could gather.
As everyone else began to join them, Sugah felt better. Java sat next to her.

“Are you okay
,
Sugah? I can sense some tension between you and my brother. Whatever it is, let it go tonight. Don’t let the others know anything is up. They will become uncomfortable and that could mean trouble for you being the new girl and all. Trust me! I know all too well about this kind of stuff. I was once the new girl and the same thing happened to me. I just didn’t have anyone to tell me what to do along the way, which made a few situations belong my journey, complicated.” Sugah forced a smiled. She was happy that Java understood her dilemma. “Thanks. It means a lot to have someone looking out for you instead of trying to take advantage of you all the time.” Java nodded in agreement. By that time, everyone was there and their meeting began.

             
Coffee called the meeting to order. Being
in
the back on the establishment, in a secluded conference room provided them great privacy from the other patrons. There wouldn’t be any raised eyebrows or unwanted chatter as to what was going on with them. Sugah sipped on her water. Her throat had gotten extremely dry once Coffee walked into the space. She wanted to say something to him, even touch him but she couldn’t. She was still upset with him.
Sugah also wanted something stronger than water but she was underage and had school tomorrow.
Suddenly a picture of
her and Coffee
making love ran through her mind. She shifted in her seat to keep her pussy from jumping.

“Hey, you okay,” Espresso whispered to her. Sugah nodded her head up and down.
“Chill the fuck out, girl,” he said
just above a whisper
sipping his second drink. He wasn’t driving because Mocha had stopped at his office and they rode together. The last time he drove with a little too much in his system, he had nearly killed someone he loved dearly. The image of Mya clouded his mind. Espresso quickly shook the thoughts from his mind and tried to focus of whatever Coffee was talking about.
He wanted to go home and finish what he and Mocha started back at his office. He looked at her and she rubbed her foot on his crotch, teasing him terribly. They always sit across from each other for that reason and to torture each other sexually throughout the evening. He couldn’t wait to fuck her brains off when they got back to his house. No one from the group knew about their secret affair, and they planned on keeping that way.

When it first started she had been his rock after his painful breakup with Mya. She made sure he ate, showered or just laughed. Espresso didn’t know what he would have done without Mocha being there for him. She was special to him, someone he could see himself spending the rest of his days loving, but she made it perfectly clear that she wasn’t into settling down. She was about her business, and didn’t need a man getting in the way of that. Espresso admired and respected her for handling her own. Knowing how she grew up struggling, who was he to tell her how to live her life. Hopefully one day she would be ready to give what they had a chance, but until then, he would just have her anyway he could.

             
“S
oo
o, last week we had several successful events and created quite a buzz about our organization. I have received calls requesting everything we provide, plus some. Java and I will be coming up with a few proposals for introducing new services and have them available at our next meeting
,
back at the office.
If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to write up a proposal and give it to me or Java before the next meeting. Anything you can bring to the table
to produce revenue is greatly
welcomed
and appreciated
.
I wanted everyone here this evening to show support to Sugah. She will be working her second assignment this coming weekend and I just wanted everyone to offer any advice or any other information she
might need. Now with that
said, Sugah, here are all the details you will need. If there are any questions or concerns, call me or anyone else you feel comfortable talking with.”

Coffee handed over the secured folder of information to her. His hand lightly brushed hers, sen
ding an electrical current through
her entire body. She wanted to make love to him right there, o
n
the long table, in front of everyone. “Thank you Coffee. Thank you so much for believing in me. Thank you everyone,” Sugah said looking around the table at each person. She really did appreciate them. “I won’t let you guys down.”

             
“We know that
,
Shawty. Now, can we eat up in this joint or what? I am hungry as hell. My stomach is touching my back. I skipped lunch today,” Espresso said in his usual humorous way. Everyone at the table laughed, agreeing with him. “Right,” Cap seconded. Latte, Mocha and Java nodded in agreement too. Coffee didn’t have much of an appetite for food but he was staring straight into the
eyes of what he wanted to eat
for dinner. Sugah watched him watching her. He licked his lips, sending another wave of desire to her hidden jewel. He saw the way she
shifted uncomfortably
in her seat. Coffee knew that she was on fire. He knew that she wanted him just as much
if not more than he wanted her.

             
After their orders had been taken and drinks were being sipped, everyone talked amongst themselves. Java pulled Sugah aside. She wanted to know what the tension was all about between her and Coffee. The organization had once been jeopardized by too much personal involvement between the founder and employee
,
and she wanted to nip that in the bud before things really got out of hand. Sure she admired, was even intrigued by Sugah but business was business. Java
,
as well as the others had too much invested in their organization to lose it. The way Coffee looked at Sugah told Java all she needed to know. They had been sexually
involved
. Maybe if she spoke openly and honestly with Sugah before anything else happened between them, she could stop it from going any further.

             
“What’s going on between the two of you,” Java asked looking from Sugah to Coffee. “Don’t give me some bullshit answer. I can see the way you look at him and the way he looks at you
,
that the two of you have crossed the line. Sugah, this isn’t smart for business. I know that my brother can be very charming but please keep a leveled head. You are young and I see a lot of myself in you. Don’t ruin your future because you think you know what love is. I am only trying to help. I have also been there and done that. I have seen this type of thing happen many times and nothing good ever comes from it. I love my brother deeply but he isn’t the type to just be with one woman, especially someone as young as you, Sugah. You are about to turn 19 and he is almost 25. Not too much of an age difference, but it can be difficult.”

Sugah listened to Java’s every word. She saw the pain and hurt in the woman’s face. Something dark was there. Sugah wanted to ask questions of her own but didn’t. She knew when to listen and when to speak
,
and now wasn’t the time to. “Sugah, I love my family. When I love, I love hard. I will do everything within my power to keep them safe, and now that inc
ludes you. Don’t make me chose.” That was the second time Sugah heard those words in a matter of hours. First from Espresso and now from Java, so she knew that whatever had happened was serious.

             
“Java, I appreciate you talking with me. I am not here to cause any trouble. I admire your brother for starting such a great organization. I just found out today that he is one of my professors.
What happened between us should not have happened, but it did. I just want to do a great job while I’m with the organization and make everyone proud. I didn’t pursue your brother, he pursued me and I allowed it to happen. When I look at him, I see kindness, pride, and sometimes when he looks at me, I see love. But from this day forward, our relationship is strictly business related. Java, I can tell that something happened to you, something horrible and I don’t know if your brother had anything to do with it or not. Don’t let your past keep you from your future. You are a great, amazing woman, who deserves happiness. Any man would be blessed to have you as his. Don’t s
el
l yourself short. You are wonderful and beautiful both inside and out. If you don’t believe that, no one else will. Whoever broke your heart, you need to stop giving
t
h
e
m power over you by holding on to it. Let it go! If you knew only half of what I have been through, you wouldn’t believe it.
And sadly, age has nothing to do with pain. It has no age limit. It simply imposes on anyone, at any given moment. It is solely up to us whether we fall victim, stay there or get back up again. I chose to get up! So should you.
Thanks again for ha
ving faith in me. I promise
.
I won’t like you down!”

             
Java couldn’t move. She couldn’t see anything. Al
l she was
able to do was
pull
Sugah
into her arms
and embrace her. The others in the room watched in disbelief. Java
never showed
affection after what s
he had gone through with Mr. X. Espresso wondered what was so special about Sugah. It seemed as if everyone was opening up their hearts to her, letting her inside them. If she was able to do the same thing w
ith Java, he knew that Coffee di
dn’t stand a chance. Maybe it was time his friend settled down. A different woman in his bed every night was cool, but it got old. If he could have Mya back, he would give all of that up.
Hell, if he could ever get Mocha to change her mind on being in a relationship with him, he would.
Coffee was no exception. He was a playa and sometimes even playas needed to turn in their playa card.

Chapter 10