Crossroads (15 page)

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Authors: Skyy

BOOK: Crossroads
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“Yes. So you know your labels, I see.”
“Yeah, I'm a label whore.”
Terrin and Lena laughed.
“They have the new Jocku line. It's supposed to be this mix of—”
“Couture sporty. I heard about it. Overpriced sweat suits and jeans.”
“Well, let's check it out.”
The two walked into the urban store. Lena's text message went off as soon as she walked into the store. She looked down at the text.
CALL ME, I HAVE NEWS.
Carmen's call would have to wait. She was enjoying her company.
ME TOO, GIVE ME A FEW.
Lena pressed send and looked up. Alicia Keys and Jay-Z's “New York State of Mind” was blaring over the system.
“There's the Jocku line.” Terrin pointed over toward the far wall.
Lena smiled as she looked in the direction of the store. Her body froze. Her hands began to shake. Lena's heart dropped out of her chest at the sight of Denise's face on the large wall display. It hit her with maximum impact.
Lena closed her eyes. Surely she was dreaming. That couldn't be Denise. She opened her eyes and felt her knees buckle.
“Lena, are you all right?” Terrin put her hand on Lena's back. Terrin's words sounded like the teacher on the
Peanuts
cartoons. Lena felt the room spinning. She darted out of the store.
Lena struggled to catch her breath. She looked down at the pavement.
Terrin ran out of the store after her. She put her arm around Lena. “Lena, are you all right? Do I need to take you to a doctor?”
“I just need to sit down,” Lena said, trying to get control of her shaking hands.
Terrin guided her to the bench at the trolley stop. “Talk to me? Are you OK? Are you OK? What can I do?” Terrin panicked. She'd never seen anything like that.
“I ... I will be OK. I think I need to just go home.” Lena couldn't tell Terrin the real problem. That the love of her life was covering the back wall of the store. She didn't know what to think. Her mind raced. Why was Denise on the wall? Why was she dressed the way she was? Why did she have to look so damn good?
“Let me drive you home? Where do you live?”
“You don't have to do that. I actually live down here.”
“Really? Where about?”
Lena pointed at the tall building down the street.
Terrin looked at Lena and laughed. “Tell me you are joking.”
“No. Why do you say that?”
“You live in the Lofts. I live in the same building. OK, it's official. You are stalking me.” Terrin smiled.
Lena couldn't help but smile back. “Hey, I've been living there for over a year, so maybe you are stalking me. What floor are you on?”
“I'm in a studio on the second floor. What about you?”
Lena hesitated. “I'm on twelve.”
Terrin's eyes widened. “Wow, big baller! I'm gonna be moving on up eventually. Let me help you to your place.”
“Actually”—Lena held on to Terrin's hand. “I think I just needed some fresh air and a little time to myself. Can I get a rain check?”
Disappointed, Terrin stood up. “Of course, you can. And I'm going to keep you to that. Remember, I know where you live.” Terrin winked.
Lena smiled. Terrin was great at making her smile. Terrin turned and walked away. Lena watched her. Terrin could grow on her.
Terrin turned and looked back at Lena. “I knew you were watching me walk!” she yelled from down the street. “Here's something to really watch.”
Terrin walked, switching her thick ass.
Lena cracked up.
Terrin turned back and waved. “Rain check, Ms. Lena!”
“Rain check!”
Lena waited until the coast was clear. She picked her phone up and pressed send on Carmen's name. Carmen answered the phone quickly.
“Why did it take you so long to call me back?!”
“Carmen, please come to Indigo on Main. I need you just to get in your car and come.”
“Wait, Lena, there's something—”
“Tell me when you get here, just come.”
 
 
Carmen parked and quickly got out of her car. Lena wanted to laugh. Carmen took her statement literally. She walked up in a pair of flip-flops, some Freedom University sweat pants, and an old oversized Freedom shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that flopped from side to side as she walked. Lena stood up off of the trolley bench.
Carmen stretched her arms. Concern was etched in her face.
“What the hell, Lena?”
“Go in that store.”
“This better be important.” Carmen walked to the store doors. “Are you coming?”
Lena shook her head; she couldn't bear to walk through the doors.
Carmen sighed and walked in the store. A minute later she walked out with her hand over her mouth. “I'm sorry, Lena, I didn't want you to find out like that.”
“You knew!” Lena scolded. “You knew this shit and didn't tell me?”
“Lena, that's why I was calling you. I saw the picture in
Jet
. I talked to Denise earlier. She said it's gonna be in most of the major magazines. I was trying to warn you before you opened a
Vogue
or something.”
“How? Why?” The spinning was coming back. Lena sat back on the bench.
Carmen sat next to her. “Well, when the basketball thing didn't work out, her agent hooked her up with the modeling gig. They are using her as the face for this campaign.”
“The face? That means I'm going to see her everywhere! This is too much.”
Carmen put her arm around Lena. “Lena, you have to face it and get it over with. You have to work on moving on.”
“I'm trying, I really am. It's just. Denise—”
“Is in New York and you are in Memphis. You will never be able to get your friendship back if you don't release her. Go. Meet some new people. Hey, how about we go tonight. I heard Onyx has some amazing music at night.”
The trembling was gone. She knew Carmen was right. She needed to get out. “OK, let's do it.”
Carmen smiled. “Great. Meet you there at nine.”
“It's a date.”
23
Denise sat next to Mariah on the small metal seat. Mariah looked at Denise and smiled. Denise tried hard not to show her excitement for her first ride on a subway. Mariah interlocked her fingers with Denise's. Denise looked at Mariah, her lips curved upwards with a smile.
Denise could feel the attraction between them. Mariah's pale skin against her brown skin almost made her hand look darker than it really was. She had never been attracted to a white woman before. Denise didn't know if it was just a preference or the thought of what her grandmother would do to her if she brought a white woman home. Denise knew where her grandmother stood with the situation. Her grandmother loved black love. She would always rave that there was nothing better.
Denise thought about the few white girls who crossed her path. She was never really around any, except the occasional ghetto white girl or the Beckys, white girls who were groupies. Mariah was different. She was professional and mature. She could sing a Taylor Swift song as quick as a Keyshia Cole song. And she didn't have a white girl's body. Denise knew her hips and ass were real; she had it back in the day, before injections gave even the flattest woman an ass like J-Lo.
“Denise, what's on your mind?” Mariah noticed Denise's vacant expression.
“Nothing much, just thinking about some stuff.”
“Want to share?”
“Nah, it's nothing really.” Denise glanced over at Mariah. Her brooding expression puzzled Denise. “It's nothing. I'm serious.”
Mariah lowered her head. “No, it's not that. Denise, can I ask you a question?”
Denise nodded.
“How are you able to do it?”
“Do what?”
“Ignore what is happening between us.” Mariah let go of Denise's hand. “A week ago, you were about to make love to me and then you stopped. Now when we are around each other, it's as though nothing ever happened.”
Denise sighed. She didn't know what to say. Thoughts ran through her mind. She couldn't tell her the truth. “I'm sorry; it's not like that at all. I just have a lot going on right now.”
Mariah's arched eyebrows lowered. She looked at Denise, lips locked tightly together. “Denise, let me tell you something about me. I am a grown woman. I don't play games, I don't sugar-coat the truth. For this friendship to work, I expect the same from you. So tell me the truth. What is really stopping you from doing what I can tell you want to do?'”
Mariah's forwardness sparked a flame in Denise. She shifted her body to Mariah. “All right then, you want the truth, I'll give it to you.” Denise put her palm on Mariah's knee. “I like you, I like you a lot. But I still have feelings for someone else.”
“And it has nothing to do with my color?”
Denise's jaw dropped . “Why would you say that?”
“Because I'm not dumb, Denise. I notice how you switch up when there's a group of black people around us. You don't act the same. You seem tense.”
Denise didn't know what to say. She knew Mariah was right. It shocked her that she was so obvious.
“It's not that I have a problem with the fact that you're white, it's just that I've never considered dating a white woman before. It's different for me.”
Mariah nodded her head up and down. “OK, well, that's a start. As far as this other woman, is it something you want back?”
Denise thought about Lena. The yearning for Lena wasn't as strong as it used to be. “Nah, it's not like that. I invested a lot of time in that for nothing. I won't do it again.”
“Is it that you don't want to or you don't need to?”
“Both, but mostly I don't want to. Do I still think about her? Yes. That's why I stopped the other night. Mariah, I like you, but I don't want to bring you or any other girl into my life when I know I haven't gotten rid of all my feelings for someone else. That is how bad shit happens.”
Rhonda entered Denise's mind.
“That's how I lost my career. I only messed with Rhonda because of Lena. Trying to get over Lena, I brought someone into my life, and it almost killed me and my bestfriend.”
Mariah held Denise's hands. Denise could see the warmth in her eyes.
“Denise, I don't want you blaming yourself for that. The woman was crazy, certifiably. I swear, Denise, you are so hard on yourself. Even when I met you when you were starting school, I could see it then. You are so intense, so focused. I wonder if you ever let loose and just have fun.”
Denise and Mariah's eyes locked into each other. Denise wanted to see into Mariah's soul. She wanted to see if this woman was as real as she was coming off.
“I always had to be strong. I had to be there for my grandmother, for my friends.”
“And in the process who was there for you?” Mariah inched closer to Denise. “Denise, don't look at me as a potential girlfriend. Just look at me as a woman you are enjoying your time with. I'm not one of these little girls running around here. I just want us to enjoy being together, free to do what we please.”
The heat between them became an inferno as the other commuters disappeared. Mariah leaned closer. Denise pulled Mariah's face to hers. Their lips met, tongues aflame searing hot wet kisses between them.
Denise stroked and pulled Mariah's fiery red hair. She didn't want to let go.
The color no longer mattered. They strolled through New York's streets, fingers locked, occasionally grasping at each other, hands often roaming freely, discovering secrets in open view of the city's indifferent pedestrians. Denise felt free, free to do whatever she wanted to do, not holding back in fear.
Mariah unlocked the door to her Soho loft. They didn't make it to the bedroom. Denise scooped Mariah into her strong arms. Mariah locked her legs around Denise. Their tongues craved each other. Denise pushed Mariah's body against the wall. The streetlights cast an ornate backdrop of shadows. Mariah's feet slowly touched the floor. Denise unbuttoned Mariah's skinny jeans, pulling them down while Mariah pulled her blue-and-white blouse over her head.
On her knees, Denise pulled off Mariah's black lace panties. She hadn't seen a pussy so bare and smooth. The small landing strip of reddish brown hair was smooth and lay neatly.
Denise spread Mariah's legs. Her index finger grazed Mariah's clit before entering her hot pussy. Denise looked up at Mariah who was looking up at the ceiling. Her naked body was appealing, but something was holding Denise back. As beautiful as her body was, it couldn't hold a candle to the soft, thick curves of Lena's body. Lena had the body of a goddess and Denise couldn't help but compare and contrast the two. Mariah was new and different, and while beautiful, the differences stood out, so that Denise couldn't possibly ignore them.
Denise stood up.
Realizing nothing was happening, Mariah looked at Denise bewildered. The worried expression said enough. “Denise, come on.”
“Mariah, I—”
Mariah walked away from Denise. Denise wanted to shoot herself. She watched Mariah's naked frame walk up a few steps. She pulled a sliding shade door.
Denise followed. “Mariah, I'm—”
Mariah pulled Denise into the room. Denise fell against the king-size bed.
“Fuck that, Denise. Don't talk.” Mariah got on top of her. She unbuttoned Denise's belt and pulled it off with one tug. “Denise, you are not about to have me all hot and bothered and keep stopping.” She unbuttoned Denise's jeans. “So I've decided that since you can't seem to get things poppin', I'll just take over. Maybe you aren't as hard as I thought.”
Denise's head turned fast. “What did you just say?”
“I'm saying, maybe I just need”—Mariah yanked on Denise's pants.
“Man, fuck that!” Denise pulled Mariah to the bed and rolled over on top of her. Denise sat up on Mariah. She pressed her hands against Mariah's wrists, making sure she couldn't move.
Mariah fought back a smile.
“Don't ever question how hard I am. Obviously, you let my little photo shoot get it twisted in your head.”
Mariah's pussy was soaking wet; she grinded her pelvis against Denise. “Then why don't you stop acting like a pussy and show me then.”
Denise laughed. She was turned on by Mariah's attempt to be hard. She knew what Mariah was doing, and it was working. No woman had talked to her like that before.
Denise leaned in and planted her lips against Mariah's lips. Her fingers made their way down to Mariah's throbbing heat.
Denise eased her hand under Mariah's backside, pulling her body closer. “You want it?”
Mariah didn't respond. Her eyes locked in on the intensity in Denise's brown eyes.
“Tell me you want it.” Denise stared back; this was a battle she was not going to lose. “Say it!” Denise's voice was low but strong.
“I want it,” Mariah whispered.
“Louder.” Denise pulled Mariah closer.
“Please, give it to me!”
Denise didn't know the feeling. She felt so primal. The sweet, caring side was gone; the hunter was alive and was ready to claim her prey. She stroked Mariah's breasts, rubbing her finger against her hard pink nipples. Her tongue sucked on Mariah's right nipple, sucking it, licking it, then more sucking.
Blood rushed to Mariah's face, causing her to turn nearly the same color as her hair. She moaned for more, and Denise obliged.
Denise's tongue entered Mariah's heat, her tongue dancing around Mariah's swollen clit. She sucked on the knot as her tongue vibrated around it.
The sucking and vibrations made Mariah yell. The neighbors were going to know Denise's name by the end of the night.
Denise pressed two fingers into Mariah's swollen hole while she sucked and caressed her breasts. She pressed in another and opened her wider as she slowly stroked the moaning woman. She began to thrust the fingers harder, faster and deeper into the cavernous dripping pussy, and Mariah began to tremble.
Denise went harder, turning her long fingers to stroke the top inside wall of her burning pussy. When she found the spot, Mariah's body jerked. Denise hit it over and over, causing Mariah's body to twitch and jerk like she was having convulsions.
“Denise ...”
Professional went out the window. Mariah shouted obscenities with each thrust. The trembling grew faster, Mariah's legs bucked, tensing to a straight position. Her back arched, her mouth dropped. Words wanted to escape, but she couldn't speak. The approaching orgasm took over all her senses, leaving her helpless and at the mercy of Denise's strokes.
Denise felt her fire blazing, throbbing; she was ready to explode right with Mariah. She hit Mariah's spot again, this time pushing in the last finger and twisting her hand as she did. Denise rubbed the spot with every stroke. She pressed her body farther up against Mariah as Mariah tilted her pelvis forward.
Spread wide open, Mariah's hands clawed at the sheets as she struggled to move her now filled pussy closer to Denise.
“Fuck me. Please fuck it,” she begged for the release that was building. It was coming, they were cumming.
Mariah, mouth wide open, tried to scream, but she couldn't. Denise gave her tongue to Mariah, which she gratefully took. She sucked it hard as Denise hit Mariah's G-spot while rubbing her pulsating clit.
Mariah reached for Denise's hand as Denise pressed harder into the woman. Her legs tensed to the point of cramps, and her hands pulled at Denise's flesh. She couldn't hold out any longer.
Mariah's orgasm erupted, and a flood covered Denise hand. The wetness triggered Denise's release. She shuddered and impaled Mariah as her muscles tensed. Mariah rode the fingers with wild abandon, screaming Denise's name as the tortuous orgasm spasmed throughout her body.
Both breathing heavily, Denise didn't want to leave Mariah's warmth. She slowly stroked and felt the tension of Mariah's pussy subside. She rubbed her clit.
Mariah licked her lips and reached for another lingering kiss as Denise slowly massaged the woman's pussy again. Mariah moaned and slowly rode the fingers stuffed inside of her.
Denise watched as the woman below her opened in wanton submission, taking the four fingers deep inside of her. She thrust herself down one last time before the final orgasm took hold of her. The strained expression on her face released the scream before her body lost its rigidity. She was spent.
Denise felt the hunter starting to retreat. She slowly pulled her fingers from inside and grazed the swollen clit as she did. Mariah's body involuntarily convulsed. Denise smiled as she collapsed on the bed next to Mariah, who wrapped her arms around her. Her rising chest was all else she could move. The hunter was gone, and Denise sealed the evening with a kiss to Mariah's forehead. Both women were spent.

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