“I care, Dwayne,” I sincerely stated. “I just don’t put much credence into all the stuff you get in your email. If it were up to you, we’d be spending every Saturday morning holding picket signs in front of some restaurant or typing letters to congressmen.”
Dwayne rolled his eyes at me. “Just forget it. Forget about people dying in the streets, succumbing to fatal diseases, and those falsely incarcerated.”
Mike fell out laughing. “Don’t be so melodramatic, man. You need to go to some of these auditions with me. You’re a natural born actor.”
Felix and I had a good chuckle while Dwayne pouted.
Mike was an actor; a “thespian” as he put it. He wasn’t very believable or fluent when it came to speaking roles, but he’d lucked up with a few commercials because of his rock-solid body. He did this underwear commercial and for more than a year after it aired, women were running up to him when we were out at clubs asking if he was “the one from the commercial.” One sister even offered to surrender her panties on the spot if he’d go into the men’s room, remove his, and relinquish them to her.
We played ball, got all hot and sweaty as usual, and stood around afterwards downing a few beers. Yes, we were all “men’s men” and then some.
Felix followed me to my car. “Yardley, I heard what happened this morning when I dropped Mona off. I’m sorry I left you hanging, man.”
“You know what, Felix? It’s not so much you leaving me there with Precious so she could try to get me to take her to bed, work me over, and assume I’d take care of her for life in exchange for sexual favors. What really pissed me off was the fact that she knew all about Sheila.”
Felix’s mouth dropped open.
“Don’t even try to play it off, Felix. You told Mona, she told Precious, and the damage is done. I’m not sure I can ever trust you again, man.”
“Yardley, you’re right. I fucked up big time.” He stated this like he was telling me something I didn’t already know. “I got drunk one night and it slipped out.”
“You got drunk and started talking about my sex life with Mona? Is your own sex life that boring? That’s ridiculous, if you have nothing better to talk about than me and who I’m dealing with on a personal level.”
Felix punched me lightly on my arm and started walking away backwards, still facing me. “You’re pissed and I know how you get. Rather than stand here and let this escalate, I’m going to jet and catch up to you tomorrow. Cool?”
I didn’t reply. I got into my car and left. I stopped by Haines Point on my way home and took a quick run to relieve some stress. It wasn’t so much mental stress but sexual stress. It had been a while since I’d been laid. However, I was nowhere near desperate enough to bed Precious or anyone who resembled her. Now Rayne, her I could make love to body and mind. I sighed as I finished my run and my daydream about her simultaneously. “Yardley, that woman isn’t thinking about you,” I told myself aloud.
Nine
Rayne
Nine-fifty. Conquesto was late. If ten came around and he wasn’t there, I was planning to follow my golden rule. Thirty minutes after schedule was a certifiable stand-up, meaning I was free to get undressed, get in bed, and ignore the doorbell when it rang.
After that black booty pants comment Boom made, I’d selected a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve Henley top to wear to the movies. I wasn’t a hoochie and I wasn’t trying to leave that impression either.
I decided to go out onto my balcony to get some fresh air. It faced M Street so I could always see the bustle of activity in Georgetown. That was why I loved my place so much. Inside, I could seal out the world, yet I could step outside and everything came to life.
I moved to Georgetown because it had character. I fell in love with it the first time I came down there to go window-shopping. Georgetown was full of antique shops, hip clothing stores, and restaurants that boasted individuality, unlike all the customary chain stores.
I selected a building with underground parking. The extra two hundred a month tagged onto my rent was well worth it. Parking was scarce in Georgetown. People from the suburbs had to pay at least twelve dollars for parking to have dinner or take in a movie.
The air was nippy that night, but not cold. I was sitting on one of my Adirondack chairs when the doorbell rang. The moment of truth had arrived. Hopefully, Conquesto would be fine and ring more than my doorbell.
I took a restorative breath before I swung the door open. Good thing I’d braced myself. That was the only thing that prevented me from laughing.
Conquesto had a cute enough face. He was light-skinned and tall with a slender frame. His hair had to go. It was dyed platinum blonde and he was wearing a bright orange sweat suit with black dress loafers and no socks. He had a huge gold necklace adorning his chest that had his name spelled out in three-inch letters. I was too through.
“Hey, Rayne.” He grinned at me, licking his lips in the process. Now, I could deal with the lips. He had some of those licking-me-downlow-and-lovely lips. “I’m sorry I’m late, but I had a hard time finding a space. I finally found one a couple blocks away.”
“No problem,” I lied. “I only finished getting ready a few minutes ago.”
He barged by me before I even had a chance to invite him to step in. “Listen, you mind if I use your bathroom right quick?”
I pointed down the hall. “Not at all.”
“Cool, I’ll be right back.” He paused in mid-step, turned around and grinned at me. “Damn, you’re fine. I only got to see you from a distance before. I’m going to have to get Boom something special for hooking me up with you. Maybe I’ll get her a phat outfit to rock when she goes clubbing.”
I didn’t know what to do other than blush. “Thanks for the compliment.”