Zacariah
Essence was no fun this evening. Each time a nice-looking guy came up to her, she turned him away with her face all frowned up telling them she was gay.
“What the hell is your problem tonight? You're turning away perfectly good prospects.”
“Did you forget what happened to me? My car was put into the shop due to somebody trying to destroy it. You think I want to smile up in a man's face?”
“Forget about your car. You got the mess being clean up. It's time to have some fun,” I said moving in my seat to the beat of the music.
“I'm not feeling it tonight, Zacariah.”
“I bet you if Jaquon was here, you would be feeling him.”
“How did you know his name?” she asked curiously.
Between her frantic state of mind about her car and my near-death experience, I never got a chance to bring Jaquon up. “Because he's Derrick's best friend.”
“Are you serious?” she asked surprised.
“Girl, when you walked up in here with him the other night, I thought I was going to fall off my bar stool.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Duh, you were occupied with him and your car situation.”
Essence said nothing, twirling the beverage with the stir stick.
“I wish you would stop looking depressed. What you need to do is catch you a score. Making money always makes a girl feel good.”
“Don't you mean taking.”
“Making. Taking. Whatever; it's still money.”
“Did you ever stop to think maybe I'm tired of this game? Hell, it's probably the reason why my car got greased up.”
“Girl, I think your car getting greased is hilarious,” I laughed.
“Ha-ha. I can't believe you're laughing at your best friend's misfortune.”
“Come on, Essence. You don't find it funny?”
“Hell, no! My car is in the shop. I'm driving a rental.”
“Oooh, you got a point there. But why did you get that compact box anyway? It looks like a child should be driving it. They didn't have an Explorer or Suburban?”
“I had to get what the insurance claim could afford me.”
“You couldn't sweet-talk the person filing your claim?”
“It was a woman.”
“And?”
Essence shook her head and said, “Something is wrong with you.”
“But you love me though,” I said looking at this guy who sat next to me.
“I'm just tired of all of this. In the beginning, I was doing this for the money, but I have a great job and can take care of myself without scheming all the time.”
I put the back of my hand to her forehead to feel if she was running a high temperature. She pushed my hand away.
“Maybe you're sick. That's what it is because you can't be telling me you tired of getting paid.”
“I'm not saying I'm completely done with this, Zacariah. Then again, I could be. I don't know right now. All I know is tonight is not the night. I need time to step back and think about things,” she said sipping her drink. “I should be home talking to my mother right now, letting her know I'm still alive. I can't believe I've let so much time pass without seeing her or my father.”
“How long has it been?”
“A little over a year I think.”
“Do you know how lucky you are to have both of your parents alive and still together?”
“I know. And here I am not appreciating them. Too busy trying to get paid,” she said glumly.
“Go home and call them. Better yet, go home and mark a date on your calendar to go visit them. Then call them with the news of you coming to visit. If you want, I'll go with you.”
“You would do that for me?” Essence asked.
“Girl, a free trip to Georgia? Hell, yeah, I'd go,” I said laughing, bringing a smile to Essence's face. “Now leave before it gets really late. Maybe you can still catch your mama up. I know old people like to go to bed early, but I think she'll wake up to talk to her long-lost daughter.”
In saying that, Essence gathered her purse, hugged me, and left to go home, leaving me to do this thing on my own. It wasn't the first time, and I hoped it wouldn't be the last. Essence really did sound like she was ready to give this game up. It just helped when she was with me in case I came across a fool not knowing how to act. In those situations, we would pretend to be together. You know, girlfriend and girlfriend. Many guys got turned on by that and wanted to join, making it a trio. If he looked as though he had money, then that worked because the two of us worked together to get paid, but in other instances, we would totally dismiss the guy.
Maybe I should have thought about quitting this myself. I mean, a woman ended her life in front of me. I'm fearless but going into that restroom had me on edge. Not to mention the argument I had with Derrick about me going out afterward. Maybe one day I would stop, but that was a big maybe. Tonight, I was determined to have my fun even if it was by myself.
After about an hour of mingling and getting my drink on, I found myself another prospect. He was tall and sexy with dark skin, a clean shaven face, and neatly locked dreads tied up. He noticed me immediately. When I smiled at him, I felt my cell phone vibrate. It was Essence.
“Yeah, girl, what do you want?” I asked staring at the chocolate brother.
“Will you call Derrick?” Essence shouted not saying hello.
“Why are you screaming at me?”
“Because your man wouldn't let me get in my place good before he was ringing my cell phone off the hook. I was in the bathroom trying to handle some business and couldn't concentrate from him calling me every few minutes. I guess he couldn't get in touch with you, so I was the next best thing.”
“What did he say?”
“He wanted to talk to you, and I told him you had gone to the restroom and I would have you call as soon as you got back.”
“Thanks, girl. I'll call him.”
“Do it now, please, so I can have a peaceful, uninterrupted night.”
I didn't want anyone around me to hear my conversation in case I had to lay Derrick out, so I went to the hallway leading to the restrooms. I was not about to go into the ladies' room. Tonight, if I had to use the bathroom, I was going to use the men's bathroom. Before I could dial his number, though, Derrick buzzed me. I answered.
“Hey, baby, I'm sorry I missed your call,” I said, sounding sweet. “I was just getting ready to call you back.”
As soon as I heard his voice assault my ears, I knew I had to hurry up and get him off my line.
“Derrick, I'm not having this conversation with you right now.”
“The other night wasn't enough for you. You still itching to be seen.”
“I'm just hanging out, and there's nothing wrong with that.”
“You have a man, Zacariah. Why are you there?”
“I'm chillin' with my girl.”
“Why don't you chill with me?”
“I live with you. Why do I need to chill?”
Derrick was ticking me off, and I didn't want my mood to be altered over the same old mess. Finally I just told him, “I'll be home later after I drop Essence off.” I hung up the phone and turned it off so I wouldn't be interrupted again. I didn't feel like dealing with his crap. Tonight was about having fun, and I was going to make sure I did.
Needless to say, I didn't waste any time getting to know Dark and Sexy. Looking at his body made mine heat up. Most prospects didn't turn me on, but there was something about this man that had me ready to rip his clothes off. The brother actually had a lot of things in common with me too. We both liked watching baseball. We both enjoyed butterscotch candy, and both of us loved ourselves some black cherry ice cream. The night flew by as we danced, drank, laughed, and talked about so many things. Next thing I knew, the club was closing.
Agreeing to go to a hotel room with me, Dark and Sexy escorted me to our room for the next few hours. We bought a bottle of bubbly before leaving the last establishment and took it up to the room.
He popped the cork and poured two tall glasses of champagne. I sipped slowly while Dark and Sexy gulped his. I think he was excited about getting some. Little did he know I slipped a little something in his drink that would have him out cold very soon, but I didn't mind working him over before he passed out. After all, he was fine. I almost hated to do this to him.
Dark and Sexy ended up being small and dwarflike. His dick was so small I felt like I wanted to laugh at him when he exposed his Vienna sausage to me. His thing was like threading a needle. A donut would be my hole while the pencil would represent him entering me. I felt like I was sitting on a flat surface grinding myself into an orgasm
.
I think a flat surface would have given me more pleasure than his needle-size Johnson.
Still I worked him upside down and right side up. I was waiting for that pill to kick in. Usually when adrenaline got pumping, the pill worked faster, but Dark and Sexy must have had a slow system. He moved until he couldn't move anymore. His last few strokes did bring him to his climax, knocking him out cold.
I got out of the bed and got dressed, looking back at Dark and Sexy snore with his mouth wide open. Usually I took a shower, but it was getting late. I had to get home before Derrick filed a missing person report.
Picking up his slacks off the chair, I reached into his back pocket but nothing was there. Squeezing his pants, I felt nothing. Where could it be? Picking up his jacket I did the same, finally feeling something in his inner left pocket. There was his wallet. Opening it I looked for cash first.
“Jackpot!”
He had eight hundred and sixty-four dollars in cash, four platinum credit cards, three gas cards, and some other credit cards to major department stores. I almost screamed with joy. I loved when a scheme came together. Also in his wallet were pictures of what looked like his wife and kids. They were smiling, looking like the happy little family. And he was here with me. Goes to show happiness does not take you far these days. If you got a good man, you needed to keep him, but they came few and far between.
I snatched most of his money leaving a few bills. I also took one credit card and one gas card. As high as gas was these days, I should have taken all three. The reason why I only took one of each was because most times, it would take them awhile to realize one was missing. If I always walked out of here with everything, I felt it would draw more suspicion to me.
Snatching the score out of his wallet, I put it back in his pocket, blew a kiss to his sleeping body, and left him there to find out about my cost for his pleasure later.
Derrick
It's funny how the tables turned. I was just talking to Kea about trust, and here I was suspecting Zacariah of cheating on me again. Why else would she stay in the clubs? Why else would she come stepping foot up in our home so late at night? I mean, the next morning.
It took everything in me not to go off and break her neck, but I restrained myself as much as I could. She came strolling in after four. I waited in our room in the dark. She thought I was in bed sleeping, but I watched her every move. I could tell she looked disheveled and wondered how in the hell she got that way if she wasn't sleeping with another man.
Never turning on the light, she went into our walk-in closet and clicked the light on in it. She undressed, and I waited for her to put on her robe and head for the bathroom. She started to do just that, but my voice bellowed through the darkness, startling her. She jumped, grabbing her robe shut like it was going to shield her from the evil presence lying in wait for her.
“Where have you been, Zacariah?” I asked with a calm, serious voice. With the lights still off, I knew she couldn't see my hands digging into the arm of the chair, close to ripping it to shreds.
“Boy, you scared me half to death,” she said, trying to sound innocent.
“Where have you been?”
“I was out with Essence.”
“And the two of you have been together all night?”
“Yes, Derrick, we partied, and then decided to get a bite to eat before we came home. What's with all the questions?”
“And you went to a restaurant looking like that?”
Zacariah put her hand to her frizzy hair and said, “I know I look ruff but if you danced all night and sweated your hair out, you would look like this too. I mean, damn, you can't expect me to come out looking like I did when I got there.”
I laughed thinking this woman was good. I rubbed my chin contemplating the next thing I wanted to say.
“Why are you lying?” I asked her sternly.
“Oh, here we go again. You with your accusations. Derrick, I'm not lying. Call her. She'll confirm we were together.”
I laughed again, rubbing the back of my head thinking maybe that would relieve some of the pressure that was building up within me.
“I know Essence would confirm y'all being together. That's your girl, and that's what friends do.”
“Like you do for Jaquon?”
“Yeah, you can say that.”
“So why are you questioning me?” she said irritably crossing her arms. “Spit it out already.”
“I know you were with Essence at some point tonight, but you weren't with her all night.”
“Derrick, I don't have time for this again,” she said starting to walk away.
“Hold up for a minute. I want to tell you the funny part.”
“What funny part?” she said heatedly.
“I know for a fact Essence has been home for a while now.”
“And how do you know this?” she said still trying to play me like an idiot.
“I know this because I sat outside her place waiting for you to drop her off at home. How surprised was I to see her pulling up in her own damn carâalone. Your car, the one I bought you, was nowhere to be found,” I said with a chuckle.
Zacariah looked uneasy but didn't say anything.
“You're not laughing? You look a bit stunned. Why would that be, baby?”
She still said nothing, looking more uneasy at the fact I was still laughing.
“So what I did was call Essence after I gave her time to get in her place. I gave you the benefit of the doubt that maybe you snuck in from the back or the side or maybe you were in her place already. I came up with all kinds of scenarios that would explain where my baby was.”
Zacariah remained quiet.
“So when I called, do you know what she told me?” I asked looking at Zacariah inquisitively. “She said you two were laughing it up together. I asked her to put you on the phone, but she said you had gone to the bathroom and she would have you call me back.”
By now, Zacariah moved from one leg to the other, not saying anything.
I moved up and positioned myself on the edge of the chair, put my elbows on my knees and clasped my hands together.
“Let me lay down the scenario for you, even though you know how everything went down, but I want to remind you just in case it slipped your memory. I hang up with her. She calls you to warn you what she told me, and then you attempt to call me, but I called first. You played the whole thing off like she was still with you. But she wasn't, Zacariah. Essence was at home alone.”
Zacariah said nothing. For a woman with a lot of mouth, she was silent.
“And I know you couldn't have been in the house because both of you confirmed you two were partying it up.”
Zacariah now shifted from foot to foot, clasping her robe like she was afraid somebody was going to pull it off of her.
“Now I know that's your girl and you should be proud that she covered for you like she did, but the two of you were not smart enough to not get caught in lies. I don't give a damn about Essence. You are my woman, and now I'm left wondering why my woman lied to me.”
“Derrickâ”
“And before you speak another word, let me warn you that you better tell me the truth, Zacariah, or I swearâ”
“I was out,” she said sanctimoniously.
“I know that. With whom? Who the hell have you been with all damn night?”
“I wasn't with anybody. I was by myself. I lied because I knew if you knew Essence had left, you would want to know why I still wanted to hang out without her. You know how suspicious you get.”
“And I wouldn't be that way if you never would have cheated on me.”
“I've apologized about that so many times. It was one little indiscretion that's in the past. Why can't you trust me?”
“Little indiscretion? Trust you?” I questioned. “There was nothing
little
about you ripping my heart out.”
“You know I didn't mean it that way.”
I laughed and got up out of the chair. I walked over to Zacariah, and she took small steps backward like she was trying to get away from me. I was not a violent man and had never put my hands on a woman. Well, maybe a couple of times, but that was because one spit on me and I smacked her in her mouth, and another slapped me and I gave that slap right back to her. But seeing Zacariah standing before me blatantly lying to my face, I wanted to choke the hell out of her. I wanted to wrap my fingers around her neck and squeeze until she confessed the truth to me, but I had to maintain. I hoped I would maintain because I was getting angrier by the second. I had to talk to myself in my head, begging myself to please not hurt this girl.
Don't hurt her.
Don't hurt her.
Don't hurt her.
Don't hurt her.
This replayed over and over in my mind. She was a female. I could go to jail for hitting her. I was a black man so that meant I would go to jail
just because
with no questions asked.
So I rubbed my hand over my closed fist, squeezing tightly, trying to release some of my rage. This girl was cheating, and I wanted her to admit it to me. Knowing Zacariah, she would take it to her grave.
I walked up on her with about a sneaker length of space between us. She leaned against the wall, still clutching her robe. I positioned my hands on the wall on each side of her, closing her in. Then I leaned in closer and asked her, “Did you cheat on me, Zacariah?”
“Derrick, you are too close. You need to step back up off of me.”
I lifted my hands in the air in surrender and stepped back two times. I folded my large arms across my chest and asked again, “Did you cheat on me, Zacariah? It's a simple question that requires a yes or a no answer.”
“No, I didn't,” she said assertively, but I could hear the nervousness in her voice.
I shook my head at her defiance as I moved close to her again and reached down, lifting her robe, exposing her womanhood.
“What are you doing, Derrick?”
I didn't answer her. I put my hand between her legs, rubbing it against her exposure and slid a couple of fingers inside her. She gasped with the entrance and for a moment I think she enjoyed it. I stroked my fingers around in her damp mound before pulling my saturated fingers free. I stared at her the entire time my examination was going on. Then I brought my hand to my face and sniffed. Her eyes became as large as saucers. I looked at my fingers, and then rubbed her wet juices in her face, across her nose, sticking my fingers into her mouth.
Just like I suspected, she
did
cheat on me.