Going Down (36 page)

“Why’d you stop?”

“I’ll be right back,” I said, grabbed my stuff and went in the bathroom. When I came out I had a long scarf wrapped around my body. I danced my way back to the bed and sat my purse in the nightstand next to the bed

I got in bed and slid my body on top of him. I rode him slowly and then began to pull the scarf slowly away from my body. Once it was off of me, I removed his hands from my body and he allowed me to tie his hands to the bed while I continued to fuck him slowly.

Once his bonds were tied tight, I began to move my body faster and faster. He closed his eyes and began to thrust his body into mine. I reached for my purse and took out my knife. I took one last look at my prey before I slid the blade across his throat. As the blood eased out of the wound, I slammed my body into him until I screamed in ecstasy.
 

“What’s up, CJ?” I was a little surprised, but not shocked, to see her at Chris’s house. After all, he was in love with her and they are business partners. But I simply wasn’t expecting CJ to answer the door.

“Hey, Zack.”

“I didn’t recognize your car. How you been doing?” I asked, as CJ let me in.

“I’m doing just fine. How’s Angelique?”

“She doing fine,” I said, and she really was. It had been over a week since Angelique told me that her stepfather had molested her. We’ve talked about her seeing some type of therapist or counselor, but she says that since she’s gotten that burden off her chest, she feels more comfortable with me and herself. Sometimes I get the feeling that she’s just saying that to avoid actually making an appointment to talk to somebody.

There has been one upside to Angelique’s newfound comfort with me: After a lot of talk and reassurance, she is now hooked on oral sex. Not giving it, but receiving it. Her level of comfort with that has made our traditional, missionary-position sex so much better and lasts so much longer, that I know that we’ll be all right.
  

“Where’s Chris?”

“He in the kitchen,” CJ said and led me in there. The three of us talked while Chris finished doing the dishes. After a while, CJ excused herself and left room.

“Y’all, ah, you know?” I asked, gesturing with my hands.

“No, nothing like that. She finally left Manny. So she’s staying here.”

I laughed. “Kind of convenient, her living here, since you’ve been in love with her since the first time you saw her.”

“
Shhh
.”

“What you mean,
shhh
? You mean she don’t know? You ain’t told her?”

“No,” Chris said, motioning me to keep my voice down.

“You think you might let her in on your little secret?”

“Yeah, but now just ain’t the time. You know she’s been through a lot with Manny. So she’s staying here while she gets herself together and she finds a place. I don’t want to drop that on her now. She don’t need all that right now.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“So what’s up with you? How’s the man of leisure?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk about. I know I don’t want to go back to working for the folks, so I wanted to know if you had any ideas about what I could get into?”

“You serious?”

“Deadly.”

“Hold up,” Chris said. “CJ. Hey, CJ!”

“Yes.”

“Come down here for a minute, please.”

“Please?” I said, with a smile. “Love. Nothing but.”

“What’s up?” CJ asked, as she sat down next to Chris.

“Zack said he’s not going back to work for the man. You think we could use a high-power salesman?”

“We could definitely use a him. Having a strong salesman opens up all types of possibilities. It would give you a chance to focus on what you need to focus on, instead of trying to drum up new business.”

“So what do you think, Zack? Would you consider coming to work with us?”

“What would I be selling?”

“I don’t know. Like CJ said, the possibilities are unlimited. This is what I’ve been talking about for years. Us combining our talents and making it happen. Once we decide on a direction, we put a strong plan together and go for it.”

“We put something good together, I mean, something we could really make some money with, I’d be willing to invest the time and money in making it work.”

Chris looked at CJ. I could tell that she was already thinking about the things they could do with me on board. They both stood up. “Welcome to Integrated Systems.”

We shook on it. “Congratulations,” CJ said, as she shook my hand.

“You know who else we need on this?” I asked.

“Tee. I been trying to get Tee to do some work for me for a long time,” Chris said.

“With his knowledge of accounting and business in general, and we could really expand our scope,” CJ commented as the doorbell rang. CJ went to answer it.

“CJ?” Tavarus said when she opened the door. I could tell he was surprised to see her there, but not shocked. “How are you doing?”

“Doing just fine.”

“That’s good. How’s Manny?” Tavarus asked.

“Oh he’s fine. We’re getting a divorce.”

“Oops. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.”

“Then I’m not, either. I was just being polite.”

“What’s up, Tee,” I said.

“The king of jazz!” Chris said.

“What’s up, y’all.”

“We were just talking about Zack going into business with us.” Chris said. “Sit down. You two want a drink?” I noticed CJ cut her eyes at Chris. “All I got is vodka, that cool?”

Both Tee and I agreed that vodka was cool, if that was all he had. While he went to make the drinks, CJ told Tee why he should give serious thought to going in with us.

“My first thought is to say I’d like to help, but I’m too busy. But I have to admit, CJ, the idea
 
is intriguing me. I’m starting to get bored at work. The job is great for the bank account, but to tell you the truth, I been talking about going into business with Linda and some of the other guys at the firm.”

“Being in business with us would be better,” CJ said. “It would give you an opportunity to expand what you do.”

Chris returned with two glasses, handed them to me and Tee, and sat down. “You not drinking, Chris?”

“No. I been drinking more than I need to lately, so I’m backing up off the oil for a while.”

Now I understand why CJ cut her eyes at him. While he started pitching to Tee and me, I looked at CJ. Something was going on between them, and it was more than just business. It’s the way she was looking at him. The way Angelique looks at me when she thinks I’m not looking.

“So what do you think, Tee? You down with us?” Chris asked.

“You don’t have to ask me that. Y’all my boys.”

CJ cleared her throat. “No disrespect to you, CJ, but y’all know what I’m talking about. Course I’m down with y’all.”

“That’s fantastic,” CJ said and stood up. “I don’t mean to break up our first meeting, but I gotta run out for a while.” She got her purse and headed for the door.

Chris stood and walked her to the door. “How long you gonna be gone?”

“I shouldn’t be gone more than a couple of hours,” CJ said and paused. “Let me talk to you for a second.”

Chris followed her outside and closed the door behind him. Tavarus immediately turned to me. “What’s up with that? Don’t tell me Chris finally fucked her.”

“He says he ain’t. She’s just living here,” I said.

“She’s divorcing Manny and she’s living here, but they ain’t fuckin’?” Tavarus questioned. “Bullshit.”

“That’s what the nigga said. They ain’t fuckin’, and he ain’t told her that he’s in love with her. But I can tell by the way that she looks him, CJ’s just as far gone on Chris as he is on her.”

“You can believe that shit if you want to, they’re fucking. Two people in love can’t be in the same house and not be fucking.”

“I’m just telling you what Chris said. Anyway, how are thing going for the band?”

“Next week we’ll start a new gig at a club downtown.”

“Sounds like things really are moving for y’all.”

Tee paused for a second or two, then he looked at me. “I didn’t tell you that me and Carmen are back together.”

I raised my hand and cut him off. “Hold up—you and Carmen are back together?”

“Yeah, yeah, me and Carmen are back together.”

“When did this happen?”

“We talked that first night the band played at the club. Which reminds me, did y’all see her at the show that night?”

“No. I know I didn’t see her. I can’t speak for Chris, but I know I didn’t see her.”

“Carmen said she got there before the two of you. Said she saw y’all come in.”

“Why didn’t she say something to us?”

“Carmen thinks y’all don’t like her.”

“More like Carmen don’t like us ’cause we cut into her time with you. I mean, that was your basic complaint with each other, wasn’t it?”

“So far, that hasn’t been a problem. It’s like I spend less time with her than I used to before we broke up. I mean, all I do now is work, practice, and play; but now she’s cool with it.”

“That’s because you’re not hanging around with us. I think that might have something to do with it,” I said.

“You may be right, but for the time being, Carmen is cool. But I was just thinking about how everything in my life is coming together.”

“How so?”

“Things are moving forward for me with my music. You said it yourself, me and Carmen are made for each other, and we’ve found common ground. She’s trying hard to respect my need for space, and I’m trying to be more understanding of her need to be with me and feel like she’s an important part of my life.”

“Is that wedding bells I hear in the distance?”

“Let’s not get that far ahead of yourself here. I said for the time being, we’re cool and we’re trying. That’s a long way from wedding bells.”

“I’m just fuckin’ with you, Tee,” I said, but I knew it was just a matter of time.

“All I’m saying is that things are good now, and if we’re able to get some kind of business off the ground and it be successful, it would be like a dream come true.”

I thought about Tyhedra and her saying those words to me. “You know, I kind of feel the same way. I never told this to anybody, but me and Angelique have had some issues over the years—”

“Stop. You and Angelique, problems? The only problem between you and Angelique is that you’re a ho,” Tavarus said, and laughed.

“Yeah, well, there’s a reason for everything and things aren’t always as black and white as they seem.”

“Excuse me?”