“Will do,” Kieran smiled before Ben left. “He was entertaining.”
“It’s because he’s drunk,” Tiana led Kieran to another bar, “He’s normally not like that.”
“There’s nothing wrong letting loose every once in a while. Letting your inhibitions free.”
Tiana thought about the other night when she propositioned Kieran. She was still embarrassed by what happened. He saw her naked but didn’t comment one way or another about it. That bothered Tiana more than she would’ve liked. “For some people,” she added.
Kieran held Tiana’s waist and leaned in to her. “For everyone,” he whispered.
There went that flushed feeling again. Tiana was convinced she was getting hot flashes.
****
That is any game you want to go to, including playoff games,” The auctioneer announced, “we’ll start the bidding at ten thousand dollars.”
“Are you interested?” Tiana asked Kieran. “Football’s more my thing. I’m waiting for the forty-niner tickets to go up.”
Kieran glanced at Tiana. Was she a woman after his heart? “Are you serious?”
“I love football! I like basketball too, but football is more my thing.” Tiana commented.
“Let’s wait for the football tickets,” Kieran put an arm around Tiana and she leaned into him. “I won’t mind.”
“Going once? Going twice? Sold to the man in the back! Please see the cashier for the arrangements, sir.” The auctioneer announced.
Tiana turned around to see who won and was pleasantly surprised to see one of her clients and longtime friends. “Excuse me, Kieran. I need to say hello real quick.” She left for the cashier’s table.
Tiana stood at a respectable distance until the business transaction was completed and then approached her good friend. He was impeccably dressed in a business suit and open collar. He looked every bit of the multimillionaire he was. “I wondered if I’d see you here tonight.”
Scott Reed turned around and gave Tiana a big hug. “Tiana, great to see you!” He kissed her cheek. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been well, how have you been?”
“Oh, I’ve been doing fine. Things are finally stabilizing so no complaints here,” he smiled.
Tiana motioned towards the auction room where Scott’s date was sitting. She was a Black female with long, straight hair and wearing a body-hugging black gown. “I bet,” she grinned, “fling or girlfriend?”
“Girlfriend. Her name is Mari.” Scott replied to Tiana’s surprise, “I know, huh?”
“There’s nothing wrong with monogamy,” Tiana kidded.
“Everyone keeps telling me that,” Scott shrugged, “I don’t know why.”
“Maybe it’s because deep down you’re the monogamous type?”
“Maybe,” Scott smiled, “but I see you didn’t come alone yourself.”
“Oh, Kieran?” Tiana turned back to him and a smile formed on her face. Even from a distance, she missed his company. “He’s a great guy.”
“He better be,” Scott politely warned.
“I know you’re not trying to be Mr. Protective over me?” Tiana folded her arms.
“I’m protective of all of my female friends,” Scott added, “even those that reject me.”
“I didn’t reject you,” Tiana scoffed, “it just wasn’t the right time for us.” It was a time when Scott just ended a disastrous relationship and Tiana was working double to get her investment firm off the ground. She often wondered what would’ve happened if they both simply waited just a few more months…
Right love, wrong time.
“Coulda, woulda, shoulda,” Scott shrugged as he grabbed his tickets, “at least we have MBA memories.”
While they both were studying for their Master’s degrees at USC, they often took sex breaks with each other that would last for hours. Even when she was with Christopher, she would fantasize it was Scott on top of her, commanding her body in various positions. Even momentarily, she thought about how big and thick he was and how he somehow managed to fit into her tight heat over and over again.
He was some dick she would never forget. “The MBA program was awesome,” Tiana smiled and gave her friend a hug and a kiss, “I’ll see you later, Scott. We need to talk soon about your latest acquisition of the nightclub.”
“Sure thing, Tiana. See you later,” he replied.
After the charity auction, Tiana walked outside to the balcony of the Ritz-Carlton. She inhaled a sharp breath and admired the city lights. She had come a long way from being a bright-eyed, big-idea girl from the suburbs to living in a mansion in Pacific Palisades. Her family appeared to be the modern-day Huxtables. Her father, Henry, was a respected oncologist. Her mother, Barbara, was a hairstylist. Tiana was an only child.
They were strict parents, encouraging Tiana to follow her dreams and not get caught up in the streets like some of their peers. Tiana could remember how much she hated living with her parents. They never let her do anything without Tiana giving them a list of who was going to be with her, where they were going, and what was going to take place. Nowadays, she could appreciate why they acted the way they did.
But with everything good, there was some bad. Barbara was determined to not have her daughter be a ‘fat one’ and put Tiana on a strict diet when she was an adolescent, eating nothing but carrots and celery sticks to drop her cherub cheeks. Henry encouraged Tiana to go into occupations that would make her the most money, regardless if she had a passion for it. When Tiana expressed an interest in becoming a doula, her parents scoffed at her decision, encouraging her to become a doctor instead. Luckily for Tiana, she also had a strong interest in financial affairs and became an accountant, much to the satisfaction to her parents.
Stuck. That’s the word she was looking for. She felt stuck in her life. She was always supposed to do something right. There was always an insanely high level of expectation on her. She was always supposed to do the right thing with the right guy with the right life. Tiana finally conceded her life was just as bland as her diet. The only thing that jolted her every now and then was the acrimonious divorce from Christopher. His last demand was laughable at best—give him twenty-five million and he’ll go away forever. He never once mentioned seeing Tyson.
“I was looking for you,” Kieran approached her from behind.
Tiana slightly turned to him and gave a half-grin. “Hey,” she rubbed her shoulders in the cool October breeze.
“Oh, come on,” Kieran placed his drink on the balcony and took off his blazer. He covered Tiana’s bare shoulders with it. “I can’t be that bad of a date, am I?”
Tiana bundled herself up a little more with the blazer. “Just curious,” she turned to him, “I don’t have a giant stick up my ass, do I?”
“What?” Kieran smiled.
“I thought about what Ben said earlier, about the child care parents. I mean, what he said about my ex was true but I’m wondering if he grouped me in there,” she frowned.
“You honestly believe that?”
“I admit I can be a bit stuffy. I’m paid to be,” Tiana shrugged. “If I was who I truly am, I wouldn’t get any clients. I definitely wouldn’t have any respect.”
“So who is the real Tiana?”
“Will the real Tiana Morris please stand up?” She chuckled. “She’s fun and free-spirited. She’s organizational to a fault but not stuffy. She loves going to the opera, just as much as she loves watching Football Sunday, just as much as she loves seeing the latest chick flick. If she could, she would wear her natural, kinky and curly hair all the time and do away with those flat irons and god-forsaken relaxers. She would love to expand her family, having lots of babies to fill up that big-ass house she bought.”
Kieran admired Tiana’s honesty. For the first time, the real came through. There was no alcohol, no contriteness, no keeping up with appearances. The real Tiana was with him. It was refreshing and wonderful. “So why does that Tiana stay hidden?”
“Because
that
Tiana won’t get any respect.
That
Tiana will lose millions in potential investments from clients all over.
That
Tiana…” she paused and bit her lip.
“You were saying?” He encouraged.
Tiana cleared her throat and exhaled a deep breath. “
That
Tiana is afraid of what her family would think. And she has to keep prim and proper. So
that
Tiana stays hidden.”
Kieran moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her. His embrace was warm and
comforting. “I would like to see
that
Tiana if she wants to come out to play sometime.”
Tiana humored him. “You wouldn’t like her.”
“How would you know that?”
“Because I do,” she replied, curtly. “
That
Tiana comes with a whole lot of baggage. I’m not talking a few suitcases. I’m talking a 747.”
“We all have baggage, Tiana,” he offered.
“Easy for you to say,” she scoffed.
“Oh?” Kieran accepted her challenge. “I hardly saw my mother while growing up. She always worked two or three jobs. I was the mother
and
the father to my brothers. When I got home from school, I had to make sure the house was clean, dinner was ready, and feed and bathe my younger brothers before I could even think about starting my homework and sometimes I didn’t start my homework until it was damn near my bedtime.
“I joined the Army, fought a war on grounds I’m still not entirely clear about, and came home to find my high school sweetheart had cleaned me out and had taken everything but my clothing and shoes. We had a joint account of over ten grand; and there was about thirty cents left in there when I returned. It was two years before I got back on my feet and got my degree. So please, don’t talk to me about baggage.” Kieran clarified.
Tiana looked up at him with watery eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t understand me!” She hurried to another corner.
Kieran quickly followed her. “I didn’t say that to make you upset, Tiana, and I’m sorry. I said that to prove a point that yes, you may have baggage but so do I,” he lifted her chin to his gaze and thumbed away her falling tears. “And I’m willing to go the distance with you if you let me.”
“You’re my nanny, Kieran,” Tiana sniffled, “I’m not supposed to date the help.”
“Would it make a difference if I was some random guy down the street? Some dude you met in a club?”
“Actually, yes,” Tiana nodded and Kieran rolled his eyes. “I have a child, Kieran. I have a ready-made family. Not a lot of guys want to date a single mother. I’m a chance no one wants to take, no matter how much money I have.”
“You’re right, a lot of guys don’t want to date a single mother,” he captured her lips with his.
She tasted sweetly of cinnamon and champagne. “But this guy wants his chance.”
Kieran’s lips were full and experienced and his mouth was so welcoming. Kieran slid his tongue inside Tiana’s mouth and she met him halfway. It was rough, smooth, and inviting. “My life is going to be cute school plays, soccer games, orange slices, and PTA meetings in the future,” she breathed. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and her breath was jagged. “Evenings like this would be rare.”
“I like my quiet Saturday nights,” he smiled.
“There will be times when I’ll travel for weeks and won’t be able to see you or Tyson.” Kieran’s lips trailed from her mouth and down her neck. Kieran made her feel like a woman again. A natural, warm-blooded, hot-bodied female with a healthy appetite for sex and a lot of it. She felt the forgotten moisture forming between her legs, her nipples sprang to attention, and the heat rose from her belly. It had been so long since she had been aroused; she’d almost forgotten what it felt like.
Kieran nibbled on her neck. His lips were hot, heavy, and wet. “I think we’ll make do.”
Her body craved him. Her heart
needed
him. She knew if they went home together, it would be the start of a new relationship. The ink on her divorce papers wasn’t even dry yet. “I can’t promise you anything, Kieran. I just got out of something and I’m not trying to get married again.”
“All I need is your love,” he held her close, “I’ll take care of the rest.”
Tiana pulled away from him. “It’s been a long time, Kieran,” she warned, “if we’re going to go home and do what I hope we’re going to do, I have to warn you, I’m rusty.”
Kieran softly kissed Tiana again. “I’ll lead.”
****
Kieran unzipped Tiana’s dress and it fell to the floor. He admired the perfectly-rounded ass before him. He undid her bra and Tiana quickly covered her chest. “What’s wrong,
bella
?”
“I’m ashamed of my breasts,” Tiana admitted.
Kieran kissed her neck again, playfully nibbling on it. “Why? Your whole body is magnificent.”
“I’ve always been flat in the chest area. I can barely fit a B cup.”
“A B-cup isn’t flat, Tiana,” he replied.
“To me it is,” she continued to cover them.
Kieran turned Tiana to face him. “I’ll be the judge of that.” He moved her arms from her chest and the bra fell down.
Tiana’s eyes were squeezed shut. She couldn’t bear to see the same level of disappointment Christopher gave her. He constantly suggested she get implants and she always refused. She hated how insecure he still made her.
She stayed still waiting for Kieran’s disapproval. After a few quiet moments, she finally opened her eyes and saw Kieran looking back at her. His eyes were warm, thoughtful, and happy.
“You’re gorgeous, Tiana. Absolutely gorgeous.” Kieran’s breath was jagged. He picked her up and carried her to the couch. He wanted to make love to her in a bed but he knew he couldn’t wait that long. He laid her on the couch and quickly removed his clothing. Tiana’s eyes widened upon seeing Kieran’s cock. It was long, thick, and perfect. The slit was slightly wet with pre-cum and a hungry urge took over Tiana. Her tongue quickly darted over her dry lips. She was eager to feel him inside her mouth.