Red Light Special (13 page)

Live jazz radiated through Collyn’s gallery. She was hosting a black-tie reception showcasing an array of exquisite and exclusive artistic pieces. White-gloved butlers in tuxedos served champagne, caviar, and sushi while several artists walked the floor, giving tours to small gatherings of people.

Collyn’s off-white floor-length gown flowed and the baguettes in her ears gleamed as she glanced at the clock, wondering where Bless was. He’d been due at the gallery over an hour ago and had yet to show up or to call her. She wondered if he was even going to make it.

“Collyn,” Taryn said, running in breathlessly and kissing her on the cheek, “sorry, I ran late. The sitter had a little car trouble getting to my house, so I had to take the baby to her.”

“It’s fine. Pierre was a big help.” Collyn smiled. “You look beautiful, though.”

“Well, thank you.” Taryn, who was a dead ringer for Jill Scott, playfully batted her eyelashes. “You know I have to hold it down for the big girls.”

Collyn laughed, then she and Taryn mingled with the guests and answered their questions. After about an hour of mingling, Collyn whispered to Taryn as they stood in a far corner and sipped champagne, “Let me ask you something.”

“Sure.”

“Have you been talking to Kenyatta?”

“No,” Taryn said without hesitation.

Collyn stared at Taryn, “Why would you lie to me?”

Taryn sighed, “Look…we started messing around again. And…I couldn’t do it anymore. It was too much—the lying—the women—his wife.”

“So how come you never told me this?”

“I know how you are and I just didn’t feel like hearing it, plus I know how crazy I looked messing around with him again.”

Collyn hesitated, “Did you…did you stop messing with him before or after Eve disappeared?”

“Before, way before.”

“I hope so Taryn…” Collyn’s voice trailed off, “I really hope so.”

“Why’d you say that?” Taryn snapped, “What is that supposed to mean? You don’t think,” she pointed to her chest, “that I did something—?”

“Did you?”

“Hell no, did you?”

“I didn’t have a reason to.”

“Me either—and besides, I would’ve had his ass disappear.” Taryn laughed.

Collyn snickered, “You wrong for that.”

“Seriously, though,” Taryn said, “you think something happened to her?”

“Yeah,” Collyn said as she watched the FBI agents, who’d come to her gallery before, walk in. “I do now.”

“What do they want?” Taryn asked, concerned.

“I guess we’ll soon find out.” Collyn smiled as the agents walked up to her.

She held her hand out, and Agent Jones accepted her gesture. “Ms. Bazemore,” he said, looking her over and smiling, his eyes clearly revealing that he liked what he saw. “Seems we meet again.” He grinned.

“Seems so.” She smiled back. “Would you like to step into my office, gentlemen?”

“Actually, there’s no need. You just need to come with us.”

“Excuse me?” Collyn said while continuing to smile, the slight tremble in her voice letting them know she’d been caught off guard.

“We can do this nicely,” Agent West said, nodding at a passing guest, “or we can do it another way.”

Collyn swallowed as she turned to Taryn, who said, “What do they mean, you have to go with them?”

Collyn arched her eyebrows and shook her head. The look in her eyes told Taryn to calm down. “Call my attorney for me and have her meet me at the federal building, and then—”

“Collyn—”

Collyn gave Taryn the look again. “And then,” she went on, “continue to host the party and I will call you when the gentlemen and I are done.” She could tell that Taryn was uneasy. “Okay?”

“Yes.”

Collyn turned to the agents, “After you.”

“Ladies first.” The three of them walked out the door, slid into the gray Crown Victoria, and disappeared into the night.

Once they arrived at the federal building, Collyn was escorted to an interrogation room, where her attorney awaited her arrival.

The agents pulled out a chair for Collyn. She sat down while they sat on the edge of the metal table across from her. Her attorney sat at her side.

“Can you please explain to us what this is about?” Evelyn Cochran, Collyn’s attorney, asked the agents.

“We need information.” Agent Jones smiled, “I’m certain you understand that, Counselor. So, how about we begin?” He looked at Collyn. “Do you know Eve Johnson?”

“I know quite a few Johnsons, Agent. We’ve had this discussion already.”

“Hmmm, Ms. Bazemore, how about this: we have Eve’s diary that says you know exactly who she is.”

“This is not another one of that ‘five witnesses’ type of thing, is it? Because if you have it in print, then what do you need my explanation for?”

Agent Jones looked at Collyn’s attorney. “Perhaps you need to get your client to understand that we’re not playing. We will have her sitting in detention so fast her head will spin. Now, do you need a moment to recollect or has your memory suddenly cleared up?”

Collyn’s attorney looked at her and nodded, indicating she should cooperate. “Yes, I know Eve Johnson,” she responded.

“Great,” Agent West said. “Now, did Mayor Kenyatta Smith solicit sex from your business? And before you perjure yourself and we have to charge you with something we’re not really interested in, let me tell you what we know for sure. You’ve always been wealthy, but this is the wealthiest you’ve ever been. You were born to be a madam and to run your family business, which you’ve been doing since college, because that was right about the time that your mother retired and moved back to a tiny island that your family owns a few miles off the coast of Jamaica. Ya know whutta mean, mun?” he said in an enhanced Jamaican accent. “You’re an only child, and the only other family you have here in the States is your cousin Taryn and her child, your godchild. You run an upscale art gallery that covers for the exquisite pussy that you have for sale. Now you may answer the question.”

“What do you want from me?” Collyn suppressed the panic in her voice.

“The truth. Now, on to Mayor Kenyatta Smith.”

“What about him?”

“Do you know him?”

“Yes.”

“Was he a client of yours?”

“No.”

They raised their eyebrows. “You are aware that we already know the answers?”

“My client just answered your question, agents,” Collyn’s attorney said.

“No, your client just lied,” Agent Jones snapped. “Let’s try this again: did Mayor Kenyatta Smith ever solicit services from Eve Johnson while she worked at Red Light Special?”

Collyn sat silently. She knew that all of this was bullshit, otherwise they would be charging her with solicitation or whatever shit they could come up with. Besides, if they had the truth in print, then why would they be asking her any questions? “No,” Collyn said, calling their bluff, “I don’t recall ever doing business with Mayor Smith.”

“And that’s your final answer?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Okay.”

“So, now that my client has answered your questions, we’re going to ask you if you’re through,” Evelyn said.

“For now,” Agent West said. “But I can promise you that we’ll be seeing you two again.”

Collyn and her attorney rose from their chairs. “Evening, gentlemen.”

“Evenin’, Ms. Bazemore.”

Collyn crept quietly into her apartment, still shaken from her interrogation by the FBI. She wondered where Bless was and why he hadn’t shown up. She’d called him at least a million times and hadn’t heard from him yet. This was an example of why she’d never wanted to get caught up. She removed her gown, hung it up in the closet, went into the bathroom, and began drawing her bath. As she threw a few rose petals into the water her phone rang. It was security, informing her that Bless was downstairs. Collyn sighed. She hated that her heart wanted to see him more than her mind did, because even as her mind said to send his ass home, her heart demanded that she have him come up.

Reluctantly she said to Adam, “Send him up.” Turning the water off, she slid into her blue silk robe and walked to the door. As she opened the door, Bless was standing there smiling. He tilted his head to the side and moved his face in for a kiss. Collyn backed away. “Are you serious? Where the hell you been?”

“I ran late, beautiful.”

“Whatever.” She walked away. “See, this is exactly why I don’t like to sweat no niggah, because it’s always some bullshit. All of a sudden you’re running late, but when you want some pussy I don’t have a problem looking up and yo’ ass is right there.”

“Where I’m ’spose to be if I want some pussy?”

“Is that your attempt at being funny?”

“I’m sorry, baby.”

“Fuck your sorry. Shit. This whole day has been a mess. The FBI shows up—”

“Slow down. What do you mean, the FBI showed up? Showed up and what?”

“More of Kenyatta’s bullshit.”

“What happened?”

“They said they found Eve’s diary and asked if Kenyatta was a client of mine. I don’t have time for that bullshit!”

“I don’t get it. So what’s the connection with you, Eve, and Kenyatta? Was she one of your girls?”

Collyn hesitated, “Yeah.”

Bless paused. “So what did you tell the FBI?”

“What do you mean?” she said, taken aback. “I ain’t tell ’em a motherfuckin’ thing. They full of shit anyway. The last time they lied and said they had five people who said I knew Eve, so please, I’m not falling for no diary nonsense. They’re too busy trying to get me caught up…And anyway, back to your ass.” Collyn walked toward the door, cracked it open, and said, “Thank you for stopping by, but good night.”

Bless looked at Collyn and laughed. He walked toward the door and closed it. “I ain’t going nowhere, ma.” Bless pulled Collyn toward him by the ends of her robe’s belt. “I’m sorry, my baby. You’re right. I should’ve called and been more considerate. My fault.” He began kissing her from her earlobe down her neck. “I promise that if there’s a next time, I’ll call.”

Collyn turned her head away and resisted Bless’ attempts to kiss her. “Oh, you don’t wanna kiss me?” He untied the belt on her robe and kissed her from the base of her neck down to her breasts. “I know what I can kiss and it won’t turn me away.” Collyn winced as he bit her nipple. “Hurt?”

“A little.”

“You forgive me?”

Silence.

“Aw, my baby.” He continued to suck and lick, apologizing with every stroke of his tongue.

He worked his way down, French-kissing between her thighs. “You know I’ma kiss you until you forgive me?” He licked all over her shaved middle.

Afterward he took her hand and slid her fingers along with his into her heated vulva, smearing her wetness on her clit and then licking it off her fingertip. “You forgive me.” He dipped her fingers back into her slit and sucked her dripping candy off the tips again. “Damn, this shit is so fuckin’ sweet.” He opened her up and her wetness glistened like diamonds.

Collyn looked down at him as he took her hand and held one side of her pussy open while taking the other hand and playing with her clit. Bless was so close that his nose was practically buried in it. Collyn pumped in and out of her slit while he sucked her coated fingers and licked her pussy’s pinkness. Just when her body started to electrify, she took her right thigh and threw it over his shoulder. He took her fingers and said, “I want you to play with your pussy in my face until I can catch the cum with my tongue.”

Doing as he’d asked Collyn stroked her clit in a circular motion, over and over again, until the orgasmic high climbing her hooded mountain reached its peak and her cum began to seep from between the lips.

“It’s dripping, baby.”

Bless didn’t say a word, instead he opened her up, curled his tongue at the base of her pussy, and her erotic liquid drowned his tongue and flowed like a waterfall into his mouth.

“You forgive me?” he laid her on the floor.

“Maybe.” She watched him undress. “You’re forgiven.”

“I better be, how you gon’ be mad at me?” Bless lay on top of Collyn, and as she opened her legs and welcomed him home, she kept her eyes open and attempted to look into his, while his eyes quickly became Asian slits. Collyn studied the deep cappuccino color of his face and wondered when did she fall in love with him. Had it been on one of the nights they sat up until the dawn, watching old Bruce Lee flicks…But then again, maybe that wasn’t it…maybe it was when she told him about her desire to one day have children but not being sure if she wanted to pass her family business on to them. But then again, what about that…said love?

Maybe…maybe…it was the foot massages he gave her, the back rubs, the Chinese food he brought every Wednesday and Friday night. Or maybe it was the no-frills peanut butter choke sandwiches they confessed to each other they both liked. It could’ve been because she was a Delta and he was a Q, and they both remembered their fresh-steppin’ moves. And what about the time he was sick and she ran her business from home to take care of him…and the next week she caught whatever he had and he in turn did the same. Somewhere in there…in the midst of all of that, love crept up and, in true love fashion, caught her off guard and was now showing its ass. And at this moment Collyn could no longer see what her life would be without this man.

Collyn pushed Bless slightly on the shoulder, turned over and she began to ride him. Her breasts bounced in the air and in and out of Bless’ mouth.

As Collyn turned around and began to ride him backwards, cowgirl style, he watched her luscious ass rotate like a whirlwind across his dick.

He could feel her pussy contracting. “Oh damn…baby…shit.” Bless placed his hands on both sides of Collyn’s ass and squeezed it like a sandwich. He lifted her ass just a bit and watched her cream drip from her slit onto his dick. “Look at that shit.”

“You’re so nasty.”

“You make me nasty.”

He flipped her over and now he lay on top. He looked into her eyes, pressed their lips together, and said, “I love you.”

Collyn’s heart fluttered a thousand times, as she felt Bless’ strokes speeding up, forcing her hips to lift slightly off the bed.

“I love you too.” She said as she placed her arms around his neck and he freed himself into her flesh.