the thermostat to sixty-five, I turned on the CD player and started running water for a shower. I’d kept Jay’s scent on me long enough. Retrieving the golden bottle from my purse, I downed two tablets with water and stepped into the shower. The meds did make me feel better. It was the side effects that freaked me out. Memory loss. Severe mood swings. Blackouts.
Lathering my body, I repeated ten times, “Let Jay love you more than you love him.”
I dried off, saturated my body with peach-scented body oil mixed with Nivea Skin Firming lotion, then slipped into a red-hot teddy, low-rise lace see-through matching slacks, and stepped into my sexiest clear-heeled open-toe stilettos. All for Jay, since he liked the color red. Gathering my hair into a ponytail, I lined my lips, slid a stroke of cherry shimmering gloss at the bottom, then meshed my lips together. I wanted Jay to focus on picturing my lips on his dick. Men were so visual and easy to please. I knew all the right things to do to get one. Finding and keeping the right one was my problem.
I packed my belongings in my suitcases, doubled-checked the bathroom, bedroom, and living room, to make certain I wasn’t leaving anything. One last attempt to find my gold hoop earring, but unfortunately I didn’t.
On my way out the door, I smiled. Skipped. “I’m going to see my new man,” I cheered on the empty elevator, admiring myself in the mirror. Arriving at the checkout desk, I slid the room key to the receptionist. “Ashlee Anderson. Checking out. Oh, and if housekeeping finds a gold hoop earring, please make sure it’s returned to this address,” I said, placing my driver’s license in front of the receptionist.
“Certainly, Mrs. Anderson,” she said, motioning to the bellman to take my bags.
Heading toward the valet desk, I didn’t bother correcting her on the Mrs. part. I stopped at the valet and asked, “May I have my ride?” handing the ticket to the attendant.
The okay-looking man, responded to my breasts, “Certainly.”
Waiting for him to return, I hummed, “Can’t nobody love me better than you,” while tapping my foot, then continued my groove. “The way you wrap your arms around me…” By the time my car rolled up, I was dancing.
Opening my door, the valet place my luggage in the trunk, then said, “Drive safely, Ms. Anderson,” as he slowly closed my door.
Seductively, I replied, “Thanks, love,” anxiously driving away to get to Jay’s house. A woman never tips a man under any circumstances. And a real man never takes money from a woman. Observing the street signs, I was in the southeast quad of D.C, so I pulled over and telephoned Jay.
“Hey—”
“Hi, handsome. I think I’m confused. What’s your address again?”
“I live in…Ash-lee, I can come…”Jay paused, then said, “And get you, if you’d like.”
“Naw, I’ma get you tonight. Just give me directions.”
“For starters, I live in Alexandria, not D.C.—”
“Alex who?”
“Near the Pentagon Mall.”
“Aw, I don’t know why I assumed you lived in chocolate city,” I said, nodding. “I got you. I’m on my way.”
I hated the fact that D.C. had four quadrants with the exact same addresses and the only difference was the combination of north, south, east, and west. Once I found the freeway, I made it to Jay’s house within twenty minutes. As I was raising my hand to ring the bell, Jay opened his front door.
“Hey, lady. Damn!” He stepped closer, sniffing up my neck. “Peaches! You know, I love fruit. You smell edible, woman,” he said, leading me into his place.
Immaculate for a bachelor, I thought, glancing around the living room. “You just cleaned up, didn’t you? I bet if I opened the closet, all of your stuff would fall out.”
His body embraced mine, and then he tackled me to the Persian rug. Jay lay on top of me silently staring, then said, “You are so damn sexy. I want you to enjoy dinner because I can’t wait for my dessert.” His lips gently surrounded mine.
Vanishing into his embrace, I asked, “Can we skip dinner?” I wrapped my arms around Jay and held him, not wanting to let go.
“I’m not giving it up that easy, woman. Have a seat at the dinner table.” Jay raced into the kitchen, then returned with two glasses of champagne.
Using my better judgment, I set the champagne aside.
The table was preset with fresh white roses, place mats, silverware, and china. When Jay uncovered the dishes, grilled salmon, red potatoes, and broccoli sat before us. “Wow, I’m impressed. You prepared this?”
Piercing into my eyes, he lifted his eyebrows as his head lowered.
“Okay, okay,” I said, smiling while sampling the salmon. “Um, this is really good,” I mumbled, then asked, “Didn’t you say you just got divorced? Why’d she let you go?”
Jay choked on air. “Not tonight. Tonight is only about us. Besides, I don’t like reliving the exes with the nextes. You sistas take everything personally.”
Nodding, I said, “You’re right,” thinking how Darius used to be more than my lover; he was my friend since I was ten years old. And every time I talked about Darius, men instantly knew I was hopelessly in love. And I honestly didn’t want to discuss Darius, so I didn’t know why I asked Jay about his exes in the first place. We ate, joked, and laughed for almost an hour.
“What’s for dessert?” I asked, removing the plates from the table so I had an excuse to see his kitchen. Whoa, to my surprise all the dishes were washed. The stove was clean too. Jay was definitely a keeper.
“Dessert is in the bedroom,” Jay said, escorting me out of the kitchen.
Entering Jay’s bedroom, I glanced around. Two burning vanilla-scented candles. An iridescent lightbulb in one lamp, red in the other. I had to smile again as I unbuttoned one of his buttons, then kissed Jay’s chest. Unfastened another and licked his nipple. A third button unlatched and I teased his navel. Quickly Jay removed his shirt, pants, socks, underwear, and jumped into the bed underneath the red satin sheet. He clamped his hands behind his head, admiring my body.
“Damn, what’s the ru—”
“Hush. Now slowly take off your pants, and then model your lace teddy for me.”
I did as Jay asked, easing out of my slacks, bending over so he could see my ass. Then I pranced from one side of the bed to the other.
“Now unleash your ponytail and swing your hair.”
I did. Not too fast. Not too slow, whirling my hair into a seductive mess.
“Now unsnap your crotch. Then crawl on top of me. I want to look at you.”
When I pulled back the sheets, Jay’s dick sprang forward. I still couldn’t believe the size of that thing.
“This is all for you, Ashlee.”
This what? I thought.
