may not need a man for money, but what about for sex?”
“Girl, sex is the furthest thing from my mind.”
“When was the last time you had any?”
“Any what?”
“Stop playing. You know what I mean.”
“I haven’t had sex in months.”
“I couldn’t go a week without Joey.”
“Well, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. You and Joey have a happy, healthy relationship.” Reese and her husband, Joey, had met in the Diamond District.
“Yes, we do, but it didn’t happen overnight. In the beginning Joey traveled to South Africa a lot on business, and the distance was hard on our relationship. It’s taken years for us to get to a good place. One day you’ll find your Mr. Right. What about Moses Michaels? You two went out a few times. Maybe he’s the one. He sure is one good-looking man.”
“No, he’s not the one for me. I can’t handle the ladies’-man type. The problem is he’s too good-looking. Women throw themselves at him all the time, and he loves the attention. He told me in no uncertain terms that he was only interested in sex—not a relationship.”
“He said that?” Reese asked, astounded.
“Yep, he sure did.”
“Well...maybe you should have at least tried him on for size. He looks like he’d be a good lover.”
Ayana lightly pushed Reese on the shoulder. “Ohhh, I can’t believe you’re saying that!”
“Why?” She smiled sheepishly.
“Because you are happily married to Joey, that’s why.”
“I’m married, not dead, and you would have to be dead not to notice Moses Michaels.”
“Guess you have a point, and I was soooo tempted to take him up on his offer. I just didn’t want to become another one of his many conquests.”
“I understand that, but did you at least kiss the man?”
“Yes, we kissed.”
“So was he a good kisser?”
“Aren’t you the nosy one?”
“Well...curious minds want to know.”
“Yes, he’s a great kisser. Are you satisfied? Now can we change the subject, please?”
“Okay, okay. Forget about the players of the world. Plenty of men out there want a committed relationship. What about that guy from Switzerland who was on the show?”
“You mean Erick?”
“Yes, that’s him. From the episodes I watched, you two appeared to have mad chemistry.”
“We did. The producers sent us on several romantic dates and we were getting along really well until he had to go back to Switzerland and take care of some issues regarding his work papers to stay in the U.S.”
“That’s too bad. Don’t worry. You’ll find Mr. Right,” Reese reiterated.
“I’m not worried, and I’m not waiting either.” Ayana looked out the window for a moment, digesting her friend’s words. She didn’t want to admit it, since she had talked so much about getting her financial house in order, but she silently hoped for a true love of her own.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you that Joey and I are going to South Africa and then we’re heading over to Antwerp, Belgium, for a diamond-buying trip. After our business is done, we’re taking a holiday in Capri. We’ll be gone for at least a month. I’ll call you when we get back.”
“That sounds like a fun trip.”
“It should be. I can’t wait.”
Listening to Reese expound about her overseas trip with her husband, Ayana couldn’t help but be a little jealous. The thought of spending time away with the man you loved was not in Ayana’s near future and that reality saddened her.
Chapter 3
“Man, have you heard from Jaclene?”
“No, not since I moved back.”
Brandon Gilliam was at home talking on the phone with his best friend, Jon. Brandon had recently moved back to New York from California. Luckily, he had sublet his apartment in Tribeca and was able to make a smooth transition without having to search for months for a place to live.
“What happened between you guys? I thought you were in love.”
“I thought so too. Jaclene, the wannabe starlet, was into me when she thought I was going to be a Hollywood director and cast her in a movie. When I wasn’t able to land a major gig, she wasted no time dumping me. Last I heard, she was involved with some studio executive.”
Brandon prided himself on his stellar career. Over the course of ten years at a major television network in New York, he had earned five Emmys for outstanding directing of a newsmagazine show. Brandon’s dream was to parlay his television skills into directing movies. Feeling that he’d done his time at the station, he’d quit, packed up his awards and moved to Hollywood. But breaking into the movie business wasn’t as easy as he had envisioned. The only thing he had to show after being on the West Coast for a year was a failed relationship with a starlet and a list of contacts who would no longer accept his calls. Frustrated and tired of the endless sunshine, as well as the fake people, he’d moved back to New York as soon as his sublease agreement was over.
“Don’t worry. When you become a famous director, your casting couch will have a waiting list of women begging to have sex with you.”
Brandon chuckled. “Man, I’m not interested in women who want to use me to advance their career.”
“Hey, as long as I’m using them back, I don’t have a problem with it. Use my body, just don’t abuse it.” Jon laughed.
“I guess we differ in that way. I want a woman who loves me for me and not for what I can offer professionally.”
“Oh, listen to you sounding like a soap opera. You were always the soft-hearted one of the group.” Jon and Brandon had grown up together in Queens. They, along with three other boys, were a tight-knit bunch. Jon and Brandon were now the only two guys still single with no kids.
“Soft, my ass.”
“Don’t try to sound hard now. Remember that time when we were sixteen and fine-ass Lisa McCoy came crying to you because her boyfriend left her?”
“Yeah, I remember. What about it?”
“She wanted to have sex with you to make her ex jealous. Instead of taking the panties, you talked to her on the phone all night. Now, if that ain’t soft, I don’t know what is.”
“I
