Chapter 8
“I'm making a run to the store. Do you want me to pick you up anything?” Nikki asked, standing by Keisha's door.
“Yes. Pick me up some apples. You know, the dark red ones.”
“I think the proper name is Red Delicious.”
“I'll call it whatever the hell I want to call it.” Nikki removed herself while Keisha was still yapping. “You always have to correct someone like you are so proper. Bitch, you are a damn improper fraction.”
Nikki descended the steps. She would hardly waste her time fighting with Keisha. She knew Keisha had problems and issues that ran deep. All that acting tough was just a cover-up for her insecurities and to hide her fears. She was going to ask if she could use her car but she realized it wasn't a good idea, because she had just gotten her upset; and, besides, for every good deed Keisha did she would always need a bigger favor in return.
Nikki decided to walk the ten blocks to the grocery store. That was a bad idea. The white cotton leggings were baking her legs. Not to mention all the unwanted attention and compliments about her ass. The pink tank top clung to her breasts, defining her shape. She didn't have to worry about her feet hurting because her white Polo sneakers were comfortable.
The temperature seemed as if it had dropped because a sudden breeze rid her body of the perspiration that was forming on her nose. After five blocks Nikki felt as if she had been walking for days. She made a detour, walking another five blocks to the park to clear her head instead of to the grocery store.
She was out of breath when she finally made it to the park. She sat on a bench at the entrance and viewed the beauty of Mother Nature. It was still too hot outside for her liking but she was enjoying the beautiful scenery. The ocean spread wide in front of her with waves crashing against the sand. She wouldn't dare take a swim but from a distance the water looked inviting. If you looked out in the distance you could see waterfront houses, mansions you'd dream of one day living in with your husband and kids. The thought of Mark danced across her mind more often than she would have liked to admit.
She shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. She got up, and started walking closer to the beach. In the distance she saw the silhouette of a shirtless man running in her direction. She was anxious to get closer because a better view of this perfectly shaped body would definitely get her mind off Mark. As she got closer she could see a six pack. The man wore sunglasses and a baseball cap so it was hard to recognize his face. Sweat ran down his chiseled, hairless chest. Mark was no longer on her mind. She replaced any thought she had about Mark with this picture-perfect man she now would fantasize about.
He ran past her and Nikki managed to hold her composure, even though she wanted to reach out and touch him. She turned her head to view his figure but her eyes were fixated on his body. She could not take her eyes away. The man turned and came running back in her direction. “I hope he didn't see me looking at him.”
The man ran to her and ran circles around her.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?” She tried passing him again but he blocked her from getting by him. She was now annoyed by this man. “I have Mace and I'm not afraid to use it.” She walked around him, and he held her arm, but she quickly pulled away then kicked him in the groin. He held on to his crotch and let out a painful moan. She was about to let him have another one but held her leg back when he called out her name. She didn't recognize the man standing in front of her. He took his shades off and she was amazed.
“Mark!”
She couldn't believe that this perfect body belonged to Mark. Nikki jogged here all the time and never ran into him before.
Could he be stalking me? Why is it that he shows up wherever I go?
Mark took a few agonizing steps and sat on a bench located to his right. “How is it that you always know my location?”
“This is a public park. I should be filing sexual harassment charges against you.”
“You are the one exposing yourself by showing off your sweaty muscles and strong arms, not to mention your six pack.”
Nikki was unconsciously describing everything she liked about his body. She couldn't believe this man was really Mark. His body was of an ancient God you read about. All this time, he had been hiding this perfectly sculpted body under his hideous work uniform.
A smile appeared on Mark's face, erasing the pain he was feeling, because he now knew that she was infatuated with his body. He started to flex his muscles, showing off even more. Nikki was tempted to touch but she fought back the urges to caress this body of a stallion.
“You are pathetic,” she said defensively.
“Can this pathetic man take you to dinner tonight?”
“Maybe I should take you up on that offer to see if you can actually be a gentleman.”
Mark smiled. “I would love to see if you can actually stop being a pit bull and let me treat you like a lady. How about I pick you up at seven?”
“No. Be there at eight and don't be late.”
She walked away off from him and he watched her disappear in the distance just like he did the first time he saw her.
Chapter 9
Nikki got home and went straight to the shower, stripping down to her naked body. For once in a long time her mind wasn't on her books, but on Mark. She stood in the shower and the water beat on her 130-pound body's frame, loosening her muscles that were so tense from holding her composure when she stood in front of Mark. She wanted to touch his chest. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and get soaked in his sweat but she wasn't going to give in, not now. Nikki wanted to know more about him. She wanted to make sure that they were on the same page about what they both were looking for in a relationship, because she wasn't interested in a one-night stand.
Nikki hadn't been out in a long time so she had no idea what she would wear. She went through her entire closet, tossing clothes on her bed, and nothing seemed right for the occasion. She decided to take a stroll in Keisha's closet before she got home.
The long walk-in closet was color coordinated and well organized. It was as if Nikki was at an upscale store. Designer tags hung from most of the garments. Nikki was lost into a world of fashion she knew nothing about. Nikki didn't want to stand out too much so she opted for a black dress.
She hurried back to her bedroom and was shocked to see the time. “Oh shit. It's after seven and my hair isn't done.” Her phone started ringing and she was in a panic. “I hope that's not Mark saying he's outside.” She looked at the caller ID and it was him. “Why is he calling? I hope he's not cancelling on me.”
She answered, trying to act coy. “Hello.”
Mark cleared his throat before speaking. “I'm just confirming our date at eight.”
Nikki breathed a sigh of relief. She was honestly looking forward to the date and was actually glad that he didn't cancel. “Yes, we are still on. Bye, Mark.” She quickly hung up the phone because she needed all the time to beautify herself; besides, she wanted to be out of the house before Keisha got home and caught her wearing her dress.
“Straight or curly?” Nikki was unsure of how she wanted to wear her hair. “I'll just leave it straight.”
Nikki ran to the bathroom to plug in the flat iron to give it a once-over. It was much quicker to straighten than curl. While the iron got hot she did her makeup. She applied a face powder with some mascara. She also tweezed the new growth out of her eyebrows. She added lip gloss to her lips and that's all she had time to do. “Less is more, especially now.” She puckered her lips, giving herself a kiss.
Her hair took less time than she had thought. All this rushing was making her sweaty. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Nikki finished getting dressed and impatiently waited for Mark with time to spare. Every car that drove by she nervously looked out the window at, hoping it wasn't Keisha.
“Where the hell is he?” She didn't want to call Mark to seem too anxious so she paced back and forth to calm her nerves. Nikki checked the time and it was 7:59 p.m. He wasn't late so she couldn't be mad at him but she wished he was actually early.
The horn sounded and Nikki opened the door and went outside without the usual ritual of having the man wait an extra five minutes.
Nikki didn't have any decision in picking the restaurant. Mark wanted to surprise her and prove that he was a man of substance. They drove for twenty minutes on I-95 South, getting off at exit eight in Stamford, Connecticut. Nikki was wide-eyed when they pulled up at the Marriott Hotel. “What the hell are we doing here?”
Mark laughed out loud. “Relax. It's not what you think.”
The valet opened Nikki's door and she hesitated to get out.
“Mark, I'm not getting out of this car.”
Mark got around to her door and stretched out his hand for her to take. “It's not what you think, I promise.”
Nikki got out of the car without taking his hand. Mark led the way inside and approached the elevator. Nikki had her arms crossed walking next to him. The elevator door opened and they got in. Mark pressed the tenth-floor button. And Nikki looked at him suspiciously. Mark tried to hold her hand but she resisted.
The elevator door opened up to an exquisite restaurant. The setting was beautiful. There was a piano in the center of the circular restaurant. Nikki was amazed. He reached for her hand but this time she didn't resist. They were escorted to a table for two and were immediately served complimentary champagne.
“I'm amazed” Nikki said, relieved that Mark wasn't presumptuous enough to take her to a hotel and order room service and think that was classified as a date.
“I'm not as shallow as you think,” Mark retorted.
Nikki was facing the door when she was seated and noticed she was now facing the bar. She now wore a puzzled look on her face. Mark smiled, noticing her curiosity.
“Are we moving?” Nikki questioned.
“Yes, we are.” The restaurant rotated 360 degrees, which overlooked a small part of the city.
“I have to admit that this is exquisite.”
“I have to admit that you look very exquisite also.”
“You're not looking too shabby yourself. I must say you dust off pretty well.”
“So what time is your curfew? I know mother hen is at home waiting with an iron belt.”
Nikki was reluctant to laugh at Mark's joke but Mark made a funny face imitating a fish, which caused her to laugh out loud. A couple dining next to them glared over at her and she sipped on her glass of Pinot Grigio white wine. Mark gazed at her intently because her smile was beautiful, which made her more attractive. He was impressed with the way she carried herself. Her poise and her elegance were rarities in women nowadays.
“You have a beautiful smile. You should flaunt it more often.”
“I will, when a joke is worthy of a laugh.”
They laughed and talked without an awkward moment. Mark was quite intelligent, despite Nikki's stereotypical thinking of him. Surprisingly Nikki was letting down her guard; it was apparent that she was going to let him into her life.
“So tell me something interesting about yourself, Miss Nikki.”
She had just put a piece of red velvet cake in her mouth and couldn't speak at that moment.
So for the past hour we've been talking he's found nothing interesting about me? Was Keisha right? Am I really that boring?
She swallowed without fully chewing. “How about you tell something about yourself? Starting with your last name.” She raised the fork and put the last piece of cake into her mouth.
“Gray,” Mark said proudly.
It was a name with no substance but she pictured herself wearing it proudly: Mrs. Shavelle Gray. It would roll off her tongue gracefully. Nicolette was her middle name, hence the nickname Nikki.
“Did I mention that I have a degree in business management?”
With that, Mark had put the icing on the cake. Nikki's eyes widened. “So why are you fixing cable?” she said without hesitation.
“It's paying the bills right now.”
She was impressed by the fact that he had a degree. The waiter came with the check and like a gentleman Mark picked up the tab. Nikki got up off her chair, revealing her naked back. She walked in front of Mark and he was hypnotized by her figure. The dress clung to her body, outlining every curve. Her four-inch heels elongated her legs. She was about five feet four inches tall and she had a sexy walk to match her attitude.
She was almost at the door when she tripped over the unlevel carpet on the floor. Mark caught her, breaking her fall a couple of feet from the ground. He held her in his arms and stared into her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. He went in for a kiss.
“I can't,” she stopped him.
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.”
“Don't apologize; you did nothing wrong. I just can't kiss you in this uncomfortable backbreaking position.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“There you go again apologizing.” She adjusted her posture.
“I'm sorâ”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
The kiss was sensual. It was all that she expected it to be and more. Nikki was the aggressor. She led and Mark followed. They forgot that they were still at the restaurant until a gentleman standing behind them with his wife wanting to get by cleared his throat. She embarrassingly fixed her hair and got out of the way. They held hands and left the restaurant to Mark's car.
Mark opened her door like a gentleman. She got in then leaned over, opening his door. That was one of the oldest tests of all time, to see if the lady would open the man's door after he opened hers. He got in the driver seat and gave her a look of approval. She rolled her eyes because she couldn't believe he tried to test her in such a predictable way.
He wasn't ready to end the night just yet so he convinced her to go for a drink at the new sports bar downtown. Going to a bar wasn't something she wanted to do. She would have rather been home with her books, but because the night was going so great she didn't want to ruin it.
“A little Hennessy and Coke won't hurt.”
“What?” Her words had surprised him. “You know damn well you can't handle that.”
“There is a lot you don't know about me, Mr. Gray.”
They arrived at the sports bar downtown and Nikki was a little tense. She had agreed to go but she hadn't done the bar-and-party scene in so long she felt out of place and overdressed. They went inside and it was way beyond her expectation. There wasn't the regular peanut eating, or drunken men screaming at the TV when their team was losing. This setup was different. The bar had its own section and then there were single booths for private conversations with their own flat-screen TVs.
“What will it be?” the waiter asked.
“I'll have a beer but this young lady will like a shot of Hennessy.”
“Make that Hennessy and Coke. Thank you,” Nikki corrected the order.
“I'll take that shot since she's a punk.”
“It's coming right up.” The waiter left them to their privacy.
A song by Drake was now playing: “I better find you loving. I better find your heart.” Mark sang aloud, looking into her eyes. “So are you going to let me find your heart? I know you are hiding it somewhere in there.”
“How about if you find my heart it's yours to keep?”
“Well, I'll start searching starting now.”
The waiter returned with their drinks and Mark took the shot to his head. Nikki sipped her drink and it was straight Hennessy without the Coke. It burned her throat like hot tea. Nikki didn't make a fuss about her drink; she drank it like a man.
What the hell am I trying to prove drinking this shit? I can already feel it soaking in my body. Oh, God, he is fine. I haven't been with a man in a long time and if I finish this devil's piss I know he's going to be my second round of dessert.
Nikki had been very flirtatious and Mark was surprised to see this side of her. “I see that your glass is empty. Do you need a refill?” he asked.
Nikki gazed down at the glass in her hand and it was surprisingly empty but she giggled like a schoolgirl. Her eyes were no longer bright-eyed and alert. They were now half closed and winking at Mark.
“Fill my cup and let it overflow,” she said, stretching over the table to get closer to his face. He leaned in to greet her lips with his but she pulled herself back. “Not so fast. My kisses don't come cheap.”
“What must I do to get a taste of those lips again?”
“âPut a ring on it.'” She reenacted the moves from the Beyoncé video.
“I might just do that.”
The ride home was all laughter. Mark looked at her with lust in his eyes. Nikki had transformed into a new person. They pulled up in front of the house and the automatic light brightened the entrance to the house, indicating that someone was present. Keisha exited the house looking fashionable from head to toe.
“Come on, let's go anywhere but here. The night is still young.” Nikki was having such a good time she had forgotten that she was wearing Keisha's dress.
“Sounds good to me!” Mark was gleeful. But before he could put his foot on the gas pedal a car pulled in front of them with its high-beam lights almost blinding them. Nikki shielded her eyes with her hand. Johnny exited the car and Keisha was livid.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped at him in an irritable tone.
Johnny wasn't dressed in his normal attire. His look was definitely an upgrade. He had a dapper look as if he could be on a runway. Keisha walked toward him and smelled the scent of his cologne; it was a high-end brand.
“I'm here to take you out, my lady.” Johnny got down on one knee as if proposing marriage.
“Do I look like I want to be seen out in public with you?”
She walked away from him. It was evident that he was hurt by her statement. He yelled at her with anger in his voice. “Why the hell am I always trying to impress you?”
“Why are you, when the truth remains that you have no money so no matter how hard you try you will never have me in your bed?”
“I can't have you but anybody with money is always welcome in your bed.”
“That's right. Are you jealous?”
“It really seems like everybody can get a slice of you but you're acting like you don't want me. You're really the bitch everybody says you are. How much money do you want to sleep with me? On second thought I don't even want you anymore because I don't buy from the sale rack and you are definitely on sale.”
“Even on the sale rack you can't afford me!”
Mark quickly exited his car because he knew the argument wasn't going to end well. “It's obvious that the lady isn't interested. So be a gentleman and leave her alone.”