Royce (8 page)

“So next month, you’ll be here?”  He asked making sure.

“Yes, I’ll be here.” 

The next month Royce mingled with the party feigning interest in what was being said and doing a little flirting with a few women who flirted with him.  Joy was on the other side of the room and he took glimpses at her, someone was always talking to her especially Collin or James Bondage as he went by in The Club.  He saw her laugh and smile a few times, and his heart lurched, hoping she wouldn’t change her mind.  They had a pact, she would choose him and he her, he was passing time waiting for Patty to get the party started.  He checked his watch, at midnight she usually came on the mike, even though couples started arriving around eleven thirty to feel each other out, to see who was there, if a favorite was there or not.  It was a few minutes before the appointed hour and he made his way to Joy.

        “Hello Sedona,” he whispered in her ear.

        “Jeremy, it’s nice to see you,” she said, and a few moments later Patty was on the mike.

        “If you’ve made your choice for your night of pleasure you may find a location of your choosing, if not the night is still young,” he took Joy’s hand and led her away.

        The next month it was the same.  He feigned interest in others while watching Joy and waiting for Patty’s announcement and then he’d lead Joy away, and he was happy.   At first no one noticed or at least the wives didn’t seem to notice, but the men were starting to grumble and say things to him.

           “Hey Royce way to keep her to yourself,” Collin said on the course the next time he saw him.  He knew Collin wanted her, he’d seen him flirting with her on the tennis courts and he was a little pissed too because he was sure Joy thought he was him.  He could tell by the way she looked when they spoke, and for his part he was trying to make her see that he was her
blue eyed man. 
Every time he was in the same vicinity with her he would look intently at her or make conversation and he’d stare at her a little longer than normal just to make her see and she’d look back at him and always just before her moment of recognition they were interrupted and the moment would be lost.  At least Collin was playing tennis and had a reason to talk to her, but he didn’t.  So when he did speak to her or was at the same function he willed his thoughts to her, willed her to see him and so far he wasn’t sure if she knew or not.  She didn’t give off any hints that she did, but she gave off hints that she thought it was Collin just by her body language. 

             And now his buddies were upset with him.  Even Bobby was being vocal and cornered him in his office.

             “Hey man can I talk to you about something?”

              “Yeah, sure”

             “It’s about The Club.”

              Royce looked up, “As long as it’s not about Joy sure.”

             “Well it is man, what are you doing Royce?  It’s not right what you’re doing, she can go to someone else man.”

            “It’s her choice too Bobby and she’s choosing me.”

            “Yeah, you sure about that?  It’s not right man, that’s why they call it a club, we all get to share in the merchandise,” and Royce glared at him.

            “She’s not something you can just pass around okay.  She makes her choice and I make mine, we’re not doing anything wrong,” Royce said clearly agitated. 

             “Well I want her next time, let her choose me,” and Royce glared at him and Bobby winced, “Royce you can’t have her to yourself man.  The fellas are starting to talk and they don’t like it,” Bobby said trying to ease the tension.

             “I don’t give a damn what they don’t like!  She has a right to choose!  You act as if she’s not human, like she doesn’t have a say!  Leave it alone Bobby okay, we’re doing nothing wrong and you know it,” Royce said angrily.

             Bobby looked at him, just stared for a moment, “What are you doing man?  Why do you care who has her?” 

          “Bobby man fuck I said leave it okay!”

Bobby kept looking at Royce and he was beginning to see, “I understand Royce man, she’s new, she’s different.”

             Royce looked at him, “What are you implying Bobby?”

             Bobby knew Royce hadn’t seen many black people, but for him he’d grown up in Waco and went to Waco High and he’d seen plenty of black people and black girls and yeah there were a couple that he wanted to be with, but he didn’t need to go that route there were plenty of other girls around to dabble in that pond.

           “Look Royce, I get it.  You went to a private school and nothing the likes of Joy went there okay, I get it, but it’s a club man.  We all get to sample…the wares,” and Royce glared harder.

           “Bobby shut the hell up!   You don’t know how that sounds coming from you, and you know we don’t
sample
all the wares.  I haven’t been with Sarah and you damn well better not be with Tammy okay and you know there’s others we don’t want to be with, so can that shit, alright,” and Bobby knew he was right and he didn’t want Tammy anyway, he never did.  He’d always thought she won Royce my default that Royce could have had anybody he wanted.  He’d known that at Tech, he wasn’t a chick magnet like Royce and after he started hanging with him girls came up to him every day asking about Royce.  At first he would tell Royce, but Royce was so into Sharla and he understood that, Sharla was a complete babe.  He never understood how he ended up with Tammy after Sharla, Tammy was mediocre at best.  With the dental work and the boob job she’s better and between her and her trash friend Jody she was the cute one that night, but she wasn’t supposed to end up his wife that was for sure.  But now Royce was acting like he owned Joy and that wasn’t right,

             “Yes, you’re right but that’s because we have an agreement between the two of us.  We don’t have an agreement about Joy and you know it…,” and Bobby paused for a moment before he said, “And you don’t have the right to make one concerning her either.”

               Royce glared at him and said, “She makes her own decisions and you can’t force her.  None of you can force her to be with you if she doesn’t want to, and you know that!”  Royce said angrily.

           “Well I’m having her next time,” and he saw the fierce anger in Royce’s eyes, his blue eyes cold and hard as steel, his jaw and lips tight, and Bobby wondered,
god dammit what’s he doing, he’s acting like she’s his
, and he knew for sure he had to stop this.  He was taking Joy to his bed next time.

             Tonight was the fourth time he was meeting Joy since they’d made their pact, and Royce smiled to himself as he worked out in his home gym.  He was doing his sit ups on his sit up contraption, preparing for tonight and Joy.  He was laying on the board his arms across his chest, going up and down counting his strong abs working, sweat beading on his body, his thoughts of Joy and on completing his work out.  He tried not to think of her too much or he’d lose count, he was on fifty he had a hundred and fifty more to go, he did two hundred every day.  He couldn’t’ stop smiling as he worked thinking of tonight and Joy. 
Fuck me dark eyed lady
, went through his mind,
Ahh yeah
, he was thinking, and then Bobby’s words came to his mind.  “Shit!”  He lost count, “I’m not starting over,” he said to himself.  That was his unwritten rule, if he lost count he must start over, “Fuck!”  He said to himself, “Where was I around ninety something, okay I’ll start there, 90, 91, 92…why did Bobby or any of them care who had Joy?”  She was her own woman she could choose only him if she wanted and she did only want him,
did she Royce or did you plant it in her head?
“It doesn’t matter, she agreed to it,” he said and she’s happy with the arrangement and so was he.

             Joy loved the arrangement.  She could tolerate being in a club like this now.  She had Michael at home who was a wonderful lover and father.  He always pleased her beyond words, from the moment she decided he was worthy he’d proven time and time again he was.  He’d made her happy.  Even though she’d gotten pregnant with their son Michael Deon before they were ready everything had worked as they’d planned it.  Michael was such a stickler for plans and right after they got married she found out she was pregnant he’d said, “It’s before we planned but okay we’ll deal with it,” it wasn’t the best response and not the one she wanted but that was Michael he had them on a schedule and he’d had children planned a few years down the road.  He hadn’t planned she’d get pregnant on their honeymoon, and neither did she for that matter. 

  She adored Michael; it was for him she was willing to do this
club
thing, if he hadn’t decided to do this she would have never thought about it.  She’d even told him she didn’t know if it was a good idea, “I don’t know Michael.  I’d have to be with other men, what if I’m not pleasing to them,” she’d said.  He took her in his arms, “Aw baby that’s impossible, if you’re not pleasing to them then something is wrong with them not you,” he’d said and kissed her, “But baby the business we could get from this could take us into another realm of finances,” he’d said.

“Okay, whatever you decide,” and then she’d met her blue eyed man, and now she was okay with being in a club like this.  He came to her every month and she was glad she didn’t know who he was, even though she’d narrowed it down to two people.  She thought it was either Royce Harrington, she’d seen him looking at her a couple of times, and there was something about him that drew her, and he had blue eyes and dark hair and was handsome as all hell, so it would be nice if it was him and the other was Collin Roberts.  He flirted with her relentlessly and he had blue eyes and dark hair too.  Since he flirted so hard she was leaning more towards it being him though, but then again it could be someone she didn’t know, she wasn’t really sure, but she was sure she liked the anonymous thing.  It made it easier to do this thing not knowing who she was with. 

Joy was getting ready for tonight, she’d promised her blue eyed man she’d be there, he always asked, “Next month you’ll be here right,” and she agreed.  She was at the lingerie shop looking for something new to surprise him with. The way he looked at her, even behind the mask she could see she turned him on and that turned her on as well, and the man gravitated towards her behind.  He acted like he wanted to bathe in it; well she’d show off hers tonight.  She looked through the matching bra and thong sets, she scanned through the rack. 
Nice, nice
, she thought of a pink with chocolate brown lace trim, a pinstripe one caught her eye too.  Then she saw a nice leopard print, with red trim, “I like this,” she found her size and pulled it off the rack.  She had the perfect dress and mask that matched the golden color of the print, she smiled, her blue eyed man eyes were going to pop out of his head. 

She’d already ran the treadmill today, and did her crunches and planks that was her work out routine, now she was buying lingerie before she headed to the spa for her waxing.  She had a standing appointment, but she did extra on the night of a party, she wanted to be silky smooth for her blue eyed man.  
Who was he?  Was he as sexy as he appeared? 
She smiled again.  This was turning out to be more fun than she’d imagined, her blue eyed man was creative in bed.  They’d used food, champagne, sauces, oils and toys, things she’d never done before and things she was bringing home to Michael. 

         Joy and Michael arrived at the party just before midnight.  Royce had been waiting for her and Bobby kept glancing at him and the door.  He pretended he wasn’t watching and waiting, he was pissed at Bobby, and Bobby knew it. 

Bobby’s only thought was to stop Royce from going further with this, what he was doing was madness, she wasn’t his, she had a husband and he had a wife. 

Both men saw Joy when she walked in and she was gorgeous, she pulled off sexy very well, both headed towards her, but Royce got to her first as he planned.  He shook hands with Michael and whisked Joy away.  He escorted her to the living room; it wasn’t usually used by the party members.  They stood in front of a heavily draped window, the curtains pulled back the dark black night the view from the dimly lit room.

“Is something wrong?” Joy asked; her blue eyed man seemed agitated.

“No, no, everything is fine now that you’re here,” he said with a smile, “And I must say you look gorgeous Ms. Sedona.”

Joy could see approval in his eyes and sexy smile, “Thank you Mr. Steel.”

Royce saw Bobby and Collin heading in their direction and then just as if on cue Patty was on the mike.

“If you’ve made your selection seekers of pleasure you may go to a room of your choosing, if not the night is still young,” Royce took Joy by the arm and walked away.

          When the door was closed he kissed her long and tenderly.  “Oh you look beautiful,” he said as he caressed her face.

        “Thanks blue eyed man and as always you are handsome,” and he was, even if she didn’t know who he was.  He wore a suit and black mask like all the men but he carried himself well, with confidence and she loved confidence in a man. 

        “Thanks dark eyed lady,” he pulled her in his arms again and kissed her and his hands moved up and down her body, and again for Royce clothes were the problem.  He wished Joy could just come to him naked and him the same, if that happened he knew he’d just throw her on the bed and spread those legs and go for it, but clothes, clothes always slowed him down and controlled him.  He undid her belt and tossed it, he kissed her as he did, he went down her throat, the sweet softness of her always drove him crazy.  He reached down and pulled her dress up and over her head and tossed it in the chair.