Zane's Nervous

  Darnetta was elated when Logan finally rescued her from the table where we were seated.

  “Logan, you remember Jonquinette that works with me,” Darnetta stated, even though I had never met the man before. I had only heard about him day in and day out and seen his picture.

  “No, I don’t recall having met,” he replied. “But it sure is a pleasure.”

  I stood up and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Logan. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Logan was extremely attractive and seemed nice enough. Darnetta was a lucky girl. “Jonquinette, you don’t mind if I steal Darnetta away for a dance, do you?” he asked. “I won’t keep her long.”

  “No, take your time,” I said. “She’s wanted to dance with you all evening,” I lied. She really had wanted to wring his neck all evening.

  As they walked away, I sat back down at the table and scanned the room searching for Mason. After spotting the maid of honor among a group of women on the dance floor getting their boogie on together in their stocking feet, I imagined him off in a quiet corner flirting with one of the many gorgeous women in attendance.

  I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Mason chuckled and took Darnetta’s unoccupied seat next to me.

  “I’m sorry, Jonquinette. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  I laughed timidly. “I’m okay.”

  We sat there in silence for a moment while we both gathered our thoughts.

  “Nice wedding,” I said finally. “I was surprised to see you here.”

  “Really?” he asked with an expression of bewilderment on his face. “I don’t know why. After all, I did invite you. I’m just sorry you never responded to my note.”

  “Your note? You must be confused.”

  He smirked and shook his head. “I’m not confused at all. You mean to tell me that you didn’t get the note I stuck on your door earlier this week asking you to be my date?”

  I was at a loss for words and didn’t want to panic. It could have blown away or some bad kid could have taken it off the door. I didn’t want to think the worst.

  “Mason, I didn’t receive your note. Thanks for the invitation though.”

  He played with the stem of Darnetta’s champagne glass. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “If you had gotten it, would you have said yes?”

  “No.”

  He sighed deeply. “That’s disappointing. I had hoped that you would.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said, trying to correct myself and spare his feelings. “Darnetta had asked me to come with her first and I promised that I would. She and I work together and I never would have heard the end of it if I had backed out on her.”

  He seemed reassured. “Good, I understand. So you would have said yes if it weren’t for that?” he asked, continuing to probe.

  “Absolutely.” That wasn’t true but it didn’t matter at that point. I would have been too nervous to go out on a date with Mason, especially to a wedding.

  The band slowed the music down and the group of women on the dance floor took their seats, leaving only couples who embraced each other intimately.

  “Jonquinette, may I have this dance?” Mason asked, extending his hand to me.

  I had never danced with a man before, not ever. But something was different. I really liked Mason.

  “I would like that,” I said, taking his hand and allowing him to lead me to the dance floor. When he placed his hands on my waist, I shivered. “I have to warn you. I’m not a very good dancer.”

  He grinned. “There’s nothing to it. Just go with the music.”

  We danced to “Ribbon in the Sky,” one of my all-time favorite songs. Mason placed his cheek on mine and I almost lost it. It felt so wonderful. I could feel his dick pressing up against me and that felt wonderful also. I had never experienced even that before.

  We remained on the dance floor for three songs. Then Smitty, the groom, came over and tapped Mason on the shoulder.

  “Mason, can I holler at you for a few before Robin and I leave for the honeymoon?”

  Mason looked torn but said, “Sure, man. By the way, this is Jonquinette. Jonquinette, this is Smitty.”

  We shook hands.

  “Jonquinette, as in your neighbor?” Smitty asked Mason.

  “One and the same,” Mason replied.

  “Aw, so she ended up at the wedding anyway.” Smitty eyed me up and down. “I can see why Mason is so taken with you.”

  I was blushing horribly. Mason had obviously been talking about me to at least one of his friends. I was flattered beyond comprehension.

  “Thank you,” I managed to get out of my mouth somehow.

  “I won’t keep him long,” Smitty said. “I just need Mason to hold down the fort for me while I’m gone so we need to go over a few things.”

  “Where are you honeymooning?” I asked.

  “The Caymans,” Smitty said. “Robin and I have always wanted to have an escapade over there.”

  Before I knew it, Mason pulled me to him and brushed his lips across mine. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

  I watched them walk outside and then I headed for the ladies’ room to pull myself together. That kiss had set my insides on fire.

  jude

  I sat in the bathroom stall, pissed off. Jon was actually considering dating that fool. I could tell that any day she would be giving up the drawers. I couldn’t and wouldn’t tolerate it. Something drastic had to be done.

  I had hoped, if it did turn out to be the same wedding, that Mason would have been there with some other bitch so Jon could see he was just another playa after a quick lay. But no, he had to be there alone and all up on her like her pussy was embedded with gold.

  I came out of the stall and glanced in the mirror as I washed my hands. “What to do? What to do?” I asked my reflection. Then my question was answered when two of the bridesmaids walked in talking about my next victim.

  “Damn, that Logan sure is fine,” one of them said.

  “Yeah, but you can forget it,” the other one replied. “He’s been dating that Darnetta chick for ages.”

  “Hmph, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t fool around. I was flirting with him at the rehearsal last night and he was feeling me. I could tell.”

  I pretended to be fixing my hair so I could hang back long enough to hear their conversation.

  “Kassie, he wasn’t feeling you.”

  “Alicia, look hoe, I know when a man is feeling me and I’m telling you, if I wanted some, I could get it.”

  “That may be true because I don’t know many men that would turn down free sex. But, after you do him, then what? He goes right back to Darnetta and leaves you ass out.”

  “I’m not trying to fall in love with Logan. I’m just curious, that’s all.”

  Alicia cleared her throat and looked in my direction. I turned at them and grinned. “You ladies have a good evening.”

  When I was walking out the bathroom door, I heard Alicia ask Kassie, “How do you know that’s not one of Darnetta’s girls or something? Talking about that man like that.”

  I laughed. That’s what the bitches deserved. They needed some gossip etiquette training. You never spread your dirt in front of other people because you never know who knows who.

  Ironically, I passed Darnetta as she was headed into the very same bathroom. “Jon, there you are. I was looking for you. How are things going with Mason? I saw you on the dance floor getting your freak on.”

  That Darnetta trick could get on my nerves at times with her babbling but all in all she was cool. At least she had a life. I should have felt guilty for what I was contemplating. Not!

  “Mason and I are getting along just fine,” I responded. “He had to go talk to Smitty about some things but we’ll be back on the dance floor getting our freak on again soon.”

  Darnetta giggled. “Good for you, girl. I’m glad to see that you’re loosening up.” She slap
ped me on the shoulder. “Let me get in here before I pee on myself.”

  I watched her go into the ladies’ room and then I went on a hunt. The window of opportunity was a small one. I had to make it work.

  I spotted Logan by the back exit door smoking a cigarette. Another brother was standing there for a second but he put his cigarette out and walked away. The reception was being held at a conference center so in addition to the large room where the gathering was actually held, there were numerous smaller rooms.

  I walked up to Logan, took his hand, and pulled him toward one.

  “Jonquinette, what’s going on?” he asked, confused.

  “Just come with me,” I instructed.

  “Did Darnetta send you to get me? Is she all right?”

  “Darnetta’s fine. Just come.”

  I tried a couple of the doorknobs until I found one that was unlocked and pulled Logan inside. It was empty except for two tables, a few scattered chairs, and a helium tank that had been used to blow up the balloons for the reception.

  “Jonquinette, what’s going on?” he asked for the second time.

  “Just come,” I said for the third time. “That’s all I want you to do. Just come.”

  He finally got the hint. “Um, I’m sorry but I don’t know you like that. Besides, I’m dating Darnetta. You know that.”

  Hmph, the fool was determined to play hard to get. No man could resist me and he was an idiot for even trying. I pushed him onto a table and locked the door.

  “Listen to me, Logan. I’m quite aware that you’re dating Darnetta. I’m also quite aware that you’re a man. All men love pussy. At least real men do.”

  I lowered his tuxedo jacket off his shoulders just enough to constrict his arm movement and then I started undoing his cummerbund.

  “You love pussy, Logan?”

  “Yes, but—”

  I put my fingers to his lips. “Then shut the hell up!”

  I ran my fingers through his curly brown hair with one hand while I caressed his dick through his pants with the other. “You have that exotic look that I adore. Are you from an island or something?”

  “No, I’m from right here in Atlanta. My momma has some Cherokee in her, though.”

  “Well, all I can say is that you’re so fine that I couldn’t leave here tonight without feeling your dick inside me.”

  I knew I had his ass then. Men suck up compliments and can’t get enough of them.

  “Damn!” he exclaimed. “I thought you were shy. That’s what Darnetta said.”

  “Darnetta doesn’t know a damn thing about me except what she sees at work. Women who are true dick connoisseurs like me don’t have to advertise it. We keep our business private. That’s why you never have to worry about anything that transpires within these walls leaving here.”

  I hooked my foot around a chair and pulled it closer so I could sit down. Then I undid the clasp on his pants and yanked his zipper. Time was of the essence so I plunged right in the second I had his dick in clear view. It was a scrumptious dick, too.

  Someone came and knocked at the door. We both fell silent until we heard footsteps walking away down the hall.

  Logan whispered, “Oh, no! We have to come to our senses!”

  I glanced up at him and said, “Sense this.” Then I deep throated him again.

  He was right, though. My purpose was more about self-preservation than sex. So I pushed him back until he lay flat on the table, slipped off my panties, and mounted him. I rode him fast and quick for a few minutes, gathered my things together and headed for the door.

  Logan looked dumbfounded. “What was that all about?”

  I turned around. “Just something I wanted and I always get what I want.”

  He shook his head in dismay. “Are you going to tell Darnetta?”

  I smirked. “Why would I do that? Just tell Darnetta and Mason that I fell ill and decided to catch a cab home. I’ve had enough of this event to last me a lifetime.”

  I walked out the room, found the rear exit, and jetted. After getting settled in the back of a cab that I flagged down, I couldn’t help but laugh. Let Jon try to get closer to Mason. I already had my game in order.

  16

  jonquinette

  I woke up lying in the middle of my living room floor. My head was splitting from a migraine and I was wearing only a bra and panties. I didn’t remember anything: leaving the wedding, the ride home, nothing. I wondered if I had done something crazy in front of Darnetta. Heaven forbid I had done something ridiculous in front of Mason.

  I debated about calling Darnetta to make sure she’d gotten home okay and to snoop around about what had happened. Then I glanced at the clock and realized it was after two o’clock in the morning. I wouldn’t call anyone’s house that late. Not in a million years.

  I decided to go to bed and deal with whatever happened in the morning. I had just crawled under my covers when a knock came at the door. Startled, I sat up in the bed and listened to see if I was imagining things. Another knock came; this time louder.

  I got up, threw on a robe and went to look out the peephole. Oh no! It was Mason. He must have heard me moving around because he said, “Jonquinette, I know you’re home. Can we talk?”

  I spoke softly through the door. “Mason, it’s really late. Can we do this tomorrow?”

  “I just wanted to make sure that you’re okay. Logan said you weren’t feeling well and that’s why you left the wedding so suddenly.”

  Logan? What in the world did Logan have to do with anything? Other than a brief introduction, I hadn’t spoken five words to him.

  “Um, I do have a migraine but I’ll be fine.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes, positive. Have a good night.”

  I glanced through the peephole again and noticed he was still standing there staring at my door. He took a deep breath, started to walk away, and then hesitated. “Jonquinette, can you just open the door for one second? I’d feel a lot better if I could just see you. It’ll give me peace of mind.”

  I decided there was nothing to lose. After fingering my hair and straightening up my robe, I inched the door open. “See, I’m fine, Mason.”

  He chuckled. “It would help me out if I could see more than your eyeballs.”

  I opened the door completely. “Is this better?”

  He eyed me up and down and I tightened my robe around my chest.

  “Definitely better. Well, you look okay,” he said. He touched my forehead with his palm. “No fever. Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”

  “I’m sure. It was a long day and I just overdid it some. I have a history of anemia so my iron is probably low. I forgot to take my tablet earlier.”

  Mason took me completely off guard by grabbing me into his arms and kissing me. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and at first I didn’t know how to react. Then something came alive inside me and I responded. It was the first time I had truly kissed a man and it felt great. He was gentle yet powerful and his arms around my waist made me feel comfortably at ease. For once, I wasn’t nervous.

  He pushed me backward into my apartment and against the wall as the intensity of our kiss grew. It lasted for a good five minutes until . . .

  . . . he grabbed my left breast and I freaked out.

  I manuevered myself away from him. “I’m sorry, Mason. I can’t do this.”

  He grinned at me and said, “I didn’t mean to rush you. We can take our time getting to know each other.”

  I grinned back at him. “I’d like that. I’d like that very much.”

  “So how about we start with a real date. Not one where we just happen to end up in the same place but one where we actually leave here together and come back here together.”

  “That sounds original.”

  We both laughed.

  “Dinner. Tomorrow night. Seven o’clock. How does that sound?”

  “Like a winning proposition.”

  Mason kissed me on the fore
head. “Good night.”

  “Good night.”

  I climbed back into bed and fell asleep dreaming about Mason.

  jude

  BITCH!

  17

  November 1994

  Tenth Grade

  Pembroke Pines, Florida

  Henry Pierce paced the kitchen floor, waiting for his wife to come back inside from the garage. Meredith came in carrying a large turkey that she had retrieved from the chest freezer.

  “This turkey’s a little small but I think we’ll make do,” she said.

  “How many people do we have coming over for Thanksgiving dinner?” Henry asked.

  “About a dozen.”

  Henry sighed and sat down at the table. “Why is it that everyone always gathers at our house for holiday dinners? Don’t they ever entertain at their homes?”

  “Henry, that’s not fair. You know my family members entertain from time to time. It’s just that we live in the most central location and that makes it easier for everyone to get together.”

  Henry smirked. “If you say so, but I think it has more to do with us footing the grocery bill than anything else.”

  Meredith didn’t comment. They both knew it was a true statement. While Meredith tried to act as if she “came from money,” that couldn’t have been further from the truth. She’d grown up dirt-poor, the daughter of two janitors who favored being addressed as environmental engineers. She had two older sisters who were golddiggers, which explained why Meredith was one herself. Unfortunately, her sisters hadn’t landed a wealthy man. Meredith seduced Henry one night while he was too drunk to know better, they had a whirlwind romance, and were forced to marry after Meredith became pregnant.

  Henry had long recovered from the fact that Meredith had trapped him by lying and saying she was on the pill. After it was all over, said and done, he found out that she’d never taken a birth control pill, rather less had a prescription for one, in her entire life. Henry wasn’t rich by anyone’s standards but compared to Meredith’s family, he was Donald Trump.

  “Whatever, Meredith,” Henry said. “That’s not what I want to talk to you about anyway.”