Turned Out Saga (14 page)

Over the next couple of days, Champagne kept wondering how she was going to tell Zyair she thought she'd found the one. The reason she had yet to tell him was because at first she thought maybe she'd do a “we just happened to run into one another, and oh, by the way, this is Sharon” routine. That idea came and went because she didn't think she'd be able to pull it off.

“Did you tell him about me yet?” Sharon asked, when they spoke earlier that day.

“No, not yet.”

“Are you chickening out?”

“No.”

“Aren't you ready for my tongue?”

Whenever they talked, Sharon was always messing with her this way, saying things to turn her on. Verbal foreplay is what she called it.

“I'm ready. I'm going to do it today.”

* * *

Zyair had told her earlier that he would be home early and hinted that he'd love some of her home cooking. “I've missed you,” he told her. “We haven't been spending enough time together since you started your business.”

“You knew it was going to be that way.”

“I know, and I'm not complaining. I want to you to be as successful as you want to be. I just need some time with my lady.”

The way Champagne decided to play it was to cook his favorite, yet simple meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. Then they'd make love, and when it was over, she'd bring up Sharon. She'd say something like, “I've befriended this girl.”

Of course he'd ask who, and she'd tell him she was a gay girl. From there the tale would unfold.

* * *

Too bad that's not the way it went. The second Zyair entered the house, she knew it wouldn't wait past dinner. She was too hyped. “I found her,” she blurted out.

“Found who?” Zyair had no idea what Champagne was talking about but he could tell from her body language that she was excited about it.

He followed her into the kitchen, where she started to pour them each some wine.

“What are you talking about? Who have you found?”

Champagne handed Zyair the drink. “You know . . . her.”

Still a little confused, Zyair looked at Champagne, who started to move her eyebrows up and down.

“Oh, her?”

“Yes, her.”

“Who is she? Where'd you find her? How did you meet her? Did she approach you, or did you approach her?” He had a ton of questions for Champagne.

Champagne told him how she and Sharon met. She told him about them going out to lunch and having a few casual conversations. “The next thing you know, she was telling me she was gay.”

“So, she just came out of nowhere and told you that?”

Champagne wasn't sure how much she wanted to tell him and how much she wanted to leave out. “Well, I was talking about you and the fact that you own one of the top restaurants in the area, and she said her exgirlfriend owns a restaurant.”

Zyair really hoped this wasn't someone he knew.”

“Which restaurant?”

When Champagne told him, he felt a little relieved that he didn't know her personally. Of course, being in the business he'd heard of her. “Go on.”

As Champagne went on with her story, Zyair had to admit to himself that he was feeling somewhat left out, the same way he felt at Fantasies. He thought they'd find someone together. He didn't think she'd initiate it on her own. However, the thought of another woman in his bed outweighed any minor fear.

“How did you ask her?”

“I didn't really ask. She sort of volunteered.”

Zyair wasn't stupid. That meant this chick was trying to get with Champagne anyway. She must have wanted her real bad to suggest it. He needed to know all the details before he made a decision.

“How did she volunteer?”

“We were talking about relationships and sex.”

“Sex?”

“Women talk about sex all the time. She was telling me about Hedonism. She asked me if I'd been there. I told her what happened with us while we were there, and she asked me if I ever thought about doing it again. So I told her yes.”

Zyair wasn't too sure if he really wanted to go through with it again. Plus, it sounded a bit too coincidental. Between going to the strip club and the gay bar, he was feeling like Champagne wanted this just a tad bit too much. He didn't tell her he was having second thoughts, though, and decided to just go along with it and hope that it didn't blow up in his face.

That night as they lay in bed, Zyair suggested to Champagne that they watch a porno movie, something they hadn't done in quite some time. Probably since they first got together.

“Why? I don't think we should watch one. We need to just go with the flow.”

He didn't want to press her.
I'll just watch in the morning when she goes to work.
He thought to himself.

That night when they made love, Zyair was trying to go all out, over-caressing, over-kissing, and basically overdoing it.

“Sweetie, this is not a competition,” Champagne told him. She could tell he was trying to prove a point. She could also tell that his excitement about the whole thing was wearing thin, so she decided to bring their lovemaking up a notch. While he was inside her, she closed her eyes, pressed him down inside her, and started to grind her hips in a circle, knowing he wouldn't last too long.

And he didn't.

Afterward as Champagne slept, Zyair had a difficult time falling asleep. In his gut, he felt concerned. Not wanting to feel like an outsider in his own house, in his own bed, he was telling himself he had to be in control of the situation at all times. What happened if this girl started giving it to his woman better than he could? How would he handle that? He didn't think about any of that when they were in Hedonism because that was a spur-of-the-moment situation. This one, however, was going to be planned.

He wondered what this Sharon girl would be open to. Would she let him touch her? Would she suck his dick, or was she one of those lesbians that would only let him watch?
Shit, was there levels of lesbianism?
he wondered.

Then there was the fact that she was a lesbian, and not a woman into men and women. Did that mean all he could do is touch? Would he even be allowed that much access? He wanted to join in, at least get his dick sucked by her.

It's official. He'd bitten off more than he could chew.

It was time to come up with some rules for real. Rules such as, anything sexual will only occur when both of us are present. He wasn't crazy. He'd heard stories about how people started sneaking off and seeing one another. Another rule, there'd be no “being the best of girlfriends.” Hell nah, that wasn't happening. He was going to have to figure out how to handle that one because they were already talking on the phone and having lunch together.

Zyair felt Champagne stir. He shifted a little closer to her, hoping to wake her.

“Why are you still up?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“I don't know.”

Champagne didn't believe that. After all, she was right next to him and was feeling his energy and his restlessness. “Do you not want to do this? Have you changed your mind?”

Not wanting to change his mind and outright disappoint her, he needed to think on it for one more day. “No, I haven't changed my mind. I'm just a little disappointed that you went about this without me. I feel left out. After all, this was supposed to be an ‘us' thing, not a ‘you' thing.”

Champagne didn't say a word. She knew what he was saying was true.

“What if I came home and said, ‘I found her,' to you?”

Champagne answered honestly, “I wouldn't like it.”

“I know you wouldn't.”

They both remained silent for a minute.

“You know what,” Zyair said, “I'm bugging, that's all. Let's go ahead and do this.”

Champagne sat up. “I don't want you to do something you really don't want to do.”

Zyair was ready to end this conversation. “I want to. Let's go to sleep and talk about it in the morning.”

“All right.” Champagne laid back down and cuddled up next to Zyair, her back to his chest. Then she turned around and kissed him on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Zyair told her.

The next morning when they awakened, neither brought up what they'd talked about the night before. Zyair had made up his mind that he was going to let it happen, and once it's done, that was going to be the end of it.

Champagne was ready for it to happen and wanted to ask him, “When?” but she decided to wait and speak with Sharon first.

Alexis sat in Champagne's office with some serious news to share with her girl. As she waited on her to finish talking to the receptionist, she was growing impatient.

“I'm sorry,” Champagne said when she entered the office and closed the door behind her. “It's been a hectic day.”

That morning when Champagne arrived, both Shay and Candy were there. Champagne gave Candy a list of things to do. One of her actress clients was starting a foundation and some research needed to be done. If Candy did a good job, Champagne would consider letting her come with her out of town to meet the client.

Alexis stood up and gave Champagne a hug. “Girl, I've missed you.”

They hadn't talked or seen one another since they had dinner at Champagne's.

“I missed you too,” Champagne replied. “Between me and my business and you and your man, we haven't had the time to see one another.”

When Alexis thrust her right hand out and started wiggling her fingers, Champagne couldn't help but notice a ring. “What is that?”

Alexis could barely contain herself. “I'm engaged, girl.”

Champagne plopped down in her chair. “Did you hear me? I'm engaged.”

Champagne thought Alexis had lost her mind or declared temporary insanity. “Engaged?”

Alexis could tell that Champagne wasn't happy about the news. “Aren't you happy for me?”

There was no way on God's green earth that Champagne would even pretend she was happy. If that made her a bad person, so be it. There was something about Khalil that rubbed her the wrong way, and she was going to find out what it was.

“You just met him.”

“I knew you were going to say that. I know we haven't been seeing each other that long but you can't help who you fall in love with.”

Champagne wanted to throw up. She couldn't believe Alexis was talking about being in love and she barely knew the man.

“In love? Girl, please . . .”

Alexis sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I don't even feel like sharing my good news with you. I come in here all excited, wanting to tell you about my engagement, thinking you'd be happy for me and support me, but no, you don't even congratulate me.”

Damn, she sure knows how to make a girl feel bad.
“I apologize, Alexis. If you're happy, I'm happy.”

Alexis pouted. “You don't mean it.”

Champagne stood up, walked over to Alexis, grabbed her hands, and looked her in the eyes. “I love you, girl, and I am happy for you. I'm just concerned and scared. What if—”

“Let's not do the what-ifs.” Alexis pulled her hands away. “I could ‘what if' my relationship to death. Hell, I could ‘what if' our friendship, I could ‘what if' life, and it'll get me nowhere.”

Champagne threw up her hands. “Okay, you're right. I'm being an ass. I apologize. Let's start over.” Champagne pulled Alexis out of the chair.

Alexis frowned. “What are you doing?”

“We're starting over. Go to the door and act like you just walked in.”

“Are you serious?”

“Come on, please.” Champagne wanted to make it right.

Alexis decided to play along. She stood up and walked to the door.

“Go ahead.”

Alexis came running toward her. “Oh, girl, guess what?”

“What?”

Alexis stuck her hand in Champagne's face and wiggled her fingers. “I'm engaged.”

Champagne threw her arms around Alexis. “I'm so happy for you. Let me see the ring again.”

Knowing they sounded phony as hell, they both started laughing, and Alexis thanked Champagne for trying.

Alexis sat down and turned serious. “Listen, I know you love me and that you worry.”

“I also think you deserve the best God has to offer.”

“How do you know it's not Khalil?”

Champagne felt like rolling her eyes but didn't want to hurt Alexis' feelings again. “You know what, you're right. I don't know. He just may be the one intended for you.”

Alexis gave Champagne a hug, stood up, and started walking toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Champagne asked. “You just got here.”

“I love you, girl, but I've got to run. I just wanted to stop by and share my news with you.”

Champagne told Alexis she loved her too and walked her to the door. The second she got back into her office, Champagne picked up the phone to call Zyair but he wasn't available.

She needed to speak to someone about this engagement and the only other person she knew that would care was Thomas.
Damn! Think, Champagne, what's his number?

Champagne closed her eyes to try and recall the number. Snapping her fingers, she opened her eyes and dialed a number. Thomas picked up the phone.

Champagne didn't even say hello. “Can you believe he asked her to marry him?”

“Who the hell is this?” Thomas yelled into the phone.

“It's me, Champagne.”

“Oh. What's up?”

“Alexis got engaged to that Khalil guy.”

“Repeat what you just said.”

“I said Alexis got engaged to that Khalil dude.”

“What the hell are you talking about? You didn't tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“About the porno and the swingers club.”

“Thomas, I don't know what you're talking about. What porno, and what does it have to do with Alexis?”

“I told Zyair.”

“Will you tell me what the hell you're talking about.” Talking in circles was getting on Champagne's last nerve.

“The young lady I was with at your dinner party, remember she kept saying she thought she knew him from somewhere?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it turns out she knows him from this swingers club she goes to occasionally, and on top of that he used to be a porn star.”

Champagne almost dropped the phone. “You told Zyair about this?”

“I told him to tell you.”

“You know what, let me call you back.” Champagne went to hang up the phone but she heard Thomas yell in the background, “Wait!”

“What?”

“Are you going to tell her?”

“You're damn right, I am.”

“Let me ask you this, would you want to know without proof? And before you say yes, think about it. You know how you women are. You have to see it to believe it or have hard evidence.”

“Shit, shit, shit, shit!” She hated that he was right. “So what are we going to do?”

“We're going to get evidence. My girl thought she had the movie he was in, but she doesn't. I'll try to locate it, and in the meantime, we can go to the swingers club.”

Champagne pulled the phone away from her ear. “I know you're crazy. There is no way in hell I'm going to one of those places with you.”

Thomas laughed.

“What the hell is so funny?”

“Girl, please . . . I'm not trying to have Zyair kill me.

“What I was thinking about is casing the joint, maybe even setting him up.”

“How are we going to do that?”

“Diamond will help us.”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm sure.”

“Okay, then set something up with her. Call me and let me know what and I'll do whatever I have to do, short of going inside the swingers place.”

“Cool.”

“Thomas?”

“Yes?”

“Diamond was your date, right? Why would she help you?”

“Don't worry about that. She and I are good friends. Plus, she owes me one.”

After hanging up, Champagne picked up the phone to call Zyair again. Before she could dial the number, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

It was Candy, “Didn't you say you wanted to meet with me today?”

“Yes, give me about twenty minutes. Bring with you the research information you did.”

“Okay.”

* * *

Champagne was unable to reach Zyair. What the hell is he up to? Is he that busy that he couldn't call me today? She was pissed off at him and needed him to know it. How dare he have information about Khalil and not share it with her? She could hear him now, “It's not our place, and it's not our business.”

That's some bullshit. Her best friend is her business.