The Alex Chronicles:Girlfriends & Secrets (7 page)

“
What?
”

He leaned
in close and his aftershave traveled up my nose. He smelled like an
expensive cigar that had been dipped in plums and cardamon. I took
a deep breath, tattooing his scent in my mind.
“
May I tell you a secret?
”

He can
say anything he wants as long as I can hear that voice. I swallowed
hard.
“
Sure.
”

“
This
really isn
’
t my
thing.
”

“
Then why
did you come?
”
He was
still holding my hand. Part of me wanted him to let go before he
realized how sweaty it was. The other part of me
didn
’
t ever want him to
let it go. I looked down at my hand and back at him and he released
my hand.

“
I
’
m trying to be
more outgoing. Meet new people.
”

“
And
how
’
s that working out
for you?
”
I asked, with
just enough sarcasm to be cute.

“
I've met
one person so far,
”
he
joked.

“
Uh-huh.
Excuse me.
”
I started
walking away, when he grabbed my wrist.

“
I
’
m sorry, how
long have you known Taylor?
”

“
She
’
s my cousin,
and you?
”

“
We dated
briefly.
”

“
Really?
”
I
turned to face him.

“
You
sound surprised.
”

“
I
’
m sorry, you
just don
’
t seem like her
type.
”
He looked across
at Taylor and junior.

“
I
don
’
t?
”

“
Did you
know, when a woman meets a man, she can size him up in a matter of
seconds?
”

“
Really?
Let
’
s get a drink, while
you explain women to me.
”
He gently placed his hand on the small of my back and my
body temperature tripled.

God, please let there be something wrong
with him.

“
What
would you like?
”
he
asked.

“
A
mineral water with lime.
”

“
We
’
ll both have
mineral water. Thank you.
”
He turned toward me and it felt like he was looking into my
soul. I once heard someone say, you know you
’
ve met the person you
’
re supposed to be with when you look into
their eyes and see all the generations you
’
ll create. When I looked into his eyes, I
saw our great grandchildren several times over.
“
You were saying?
”

“
It
’
s simple.
When a woman meets an attractive man, within thirty seconds, or
less, she
’
s picked out
their china pattern, placed him at the altar, and given birth to
their first child.
”
The
bartender placed my drink on the bar and nodded his head in
agreement with me.
“
Thank you.
”
I
took a sip and continued.
“
He, on the other hand is just hoping she
’
ll say hello.
”

“
Thank
you.
”
He said to the
bartender and took a sip of his drink.
“
Taylor doesn
’
t strike me as that type.
”

“
Taylor
is the rule with a little exception. She can sum up if
you
’
re too
old.
”

“
Too
old?
”
He looked
surprised.

“
Yeah,
that
’
s probably why it
didn
’
t work out between
the two of you. She kind of has this thing for younger men.
”
As soon as the words left my
mouth, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Not only did I just betray
my cousin, I just betrayed my sex and called him old. He looked at
me and slowly turned his lips up into the most beautiful
smile.

“
Your
insight is enlightening. However, I don
’
t think that
’
s why we stopped dating.
”

“
Trust
me.
”

“
And here
I thought it had to do with my wife.
”

“
Your
wife?
”

Here’s a sneak
peek at

A NOVEL

Kyla promised herself she would never be like
the other women in her family, dating a married man and settling
for the pennies he doled out.

She
’
d always
felt she was worth more. She met Eric at a fundraiser. He smiled,
she smiled and after the cocktail hour, they found themselves
seated next to each other. During dinner they talked and flirted
and once the evening was over, he asked for her number. She
declined and while getting ready for bed, she reached into her bag
for her phone and noticed that she also had someone
else
’
s phone.

She
called the last number dialed and a vaguely familiar voice
said,
“
I
’
ve been
waiting for your call. So what time do you want to meet for
breakfast so I can get my phone?
”
They both laughed.

They
agreed to meet the following morning for breakfast. Two days later,
they met again and included an extra slot for
“
therapy.
”

Making
love in the morning seemed so decadent. She didn
’
t think anything of it until she received
her first black envelope a month later.

Eric
said,
“
I
’
m tired of
hotels. Rent a place and fix it up for us and keep whatever is
left.
”

“
I
’
m not a
hooker.
”

“
I
didn
’
t mean any
disrespect. I want to keep seeing you, but my neighbors are
nosey.
”

“
Oh,
you
’
re
married.
”

“
No,
I
’
m not. I just like my
privacy. I like being with you, but
—”

“
I
understand.
”
She dropped
her head and quickly began getting dressed.
“
I don
’
t think this is
—”

He
noticed the change in her behavior and rushed to reassure
her.
“
I
don
’
t want you to think
I
’
m ashamed of you, but
I also don
’
t want you to
think I
’
m monopolizing
your time. You need your space and so do I. When we get together,
it should be on neutral, comfortable ground and not some cold hotel
room or a place filled with memories of past lovers.
”

He wrapped his arms around her pulling her to
him, gently stroking her hair, inhaling her neck and gently placing
a kiss on her soft shoulder. She turned around trying to read the
expression on his face. Looking into his eyes, she wondered how
many more love nests he had scattered around the city. She pulled
his face close to hers and covering his mouth with hers, kissed him
passionately. She slipped her hands inside the front of his pants
while sliding her tongue inside his mouth, exciting him to the
point of arousal.

She
pulled back and whispered,
“
Once more before we have to go?
”

He
couldn
’
t resist her. The
soft seductive tone of her voice and the gentle touch of her hand,
made him weak and willing to do anything she asked. Kyla knew if
there were anyone else, they would have a hard time competing with
her.

She got
her education in how to manipulate a man by eavesdropping on her
aunts
’
conversations.
They were all experts when it came to being with and manipulating
married men. She learned how to kiss from her high school
boyfriend. And her college boyfriend, her biology professor,
schooled her in anatomy and how to physically please a
man.

Before
getting involved with Eric, she had dated, but she only had two
other semi serious relationships. Neither was fulfilling. The first
was Thomas Smith. He was cute, but he lacked the drive to satisfy
her physically. When they were together she found herself
fantasizing about other men. Intellectually he was a genius, but no
one really makes love to a person
’
s brain. It was the other part of his body that
needed more educating and she knew she wasn
’
t a school teacher.

Then
there was Alister Humphrey. The name alone intrigued her. She had
never met a black man with such a stuffy name. In the beginning he
seemed like the complete package. Model good looks, intelligence
and his skills in bed were unbelievable. The first time they made
love, the intensity of his being inside her brought tears to her
eyes. Not because it was painful, but because she had never felt
such pleasure. Alister knew exactly how to read her body. A skill
that was the result of his blindness. What he lacked in vision, he
more than compensated for in his other senses. But, he was a man
and as they all do, he began making demands and
that
’
s when she called
it quits. Mind blowing sex aside, Kyla was gone.

Her aunts
always said,
“
Don
’
t allow a
man to make demands on you. You make the demands on him. Use what
you have and any man can be controlled with the sway of your hips
and the wink of your eye. And, showing a little cleavage
wouldn
’
t hurt
either.
”

If she
were going to marry, it would be to Eric. He was everything she
wanted. Handsome, well educated, focused, rich and eager to please
in and out of bed. But she also learned from her aunts, the wife
always got the leftovers and Kyla didn
’
t like leftovers or sloppy seconds. When Eric
suggested the apartment, at first she thought, he was ashamed of
her. But Eric
’
s response
to her kiss and touch convinced her, she was his
priority.

She knew
she was in charge. She eased her hand further down his pants
pleading,
“
Baby, please
make me sing again before sending me off to start the
day.
”

She kissed his neck before dropping the sheet
that was caressing her body and walked into the bathroom. He stood
still contemplating the repercussions of being late to the office,
when he heard the shower running. He looked at his watch and texted
his assistant he would be late. He put his phone on the desk,
striped, walked into the steam filled bathroom and opened the
shower door to a wet and soapy Kyla, smiling.

“
Are you
ready to sing?
”
he asked
as he leaned her up against the slippery tiled wall. He pressed
himself against her and filled his mouth with every inch of her. He
lifted her from behind and rode her like a beautiful long legged
mare. The harder he rode, the louder she sang. One last trot, and
he sang out too. He rested his head on her chest and she had her
answer,
“
no,
”
there was no one else, just
her. She reached over and turned the hot water off. They both
needed to cool down.
“
Baby, I
’
ll do
whatever you want, just don
’
t leave me,
”
he
begged.

She
smiled to herself and replied,
“
Whatever you say baby.
”

He pulled
away and she turned the hot water back on and washed him like a
newborn baby. Gently stroking every inch of him. He knew there
wasn
’
t another woman
like her. No woman ever treated him like this. He stood still and
let her soft hands wash him clean.

On his
way to work, he called her.
“
You are an amazing woman.
”
She remained silent.
“
Can I see you tonight?
”