“Now, I’ll take the trophy but you keep the certificate. You put in the work, girl! You’re The Lost One Found! Just marvelous!” he cheered. “And who’s this?” he asked as he batted his long eyelashes. I turned to find Richard right on my ass!
“No one,” I murmured to Jimmie. I preferred my private life to remain just that. Besides, Richard was exactly that—nobody.
I turned and said to Richard, “Let’s go!” as I motioned my head to the door. He turned and started walking. I turned to Jimmie, kissed him, and said goodnight. He gave me a look of pity as if I was some confused hopeless that I’m sure had to do with my dismissal of Richard.
I caught up to Richard and when we got near the front door, a young kid walked up to me, grabbed my arm, and snarled, “Yeah, Ma, you did ya’ thing up there. Call me if you wanna make some money and make something of ya’self wit’ dat body,” and then looked back at his friends as they all laughed.
Richard must have caught the sentiment of his outburst though not the details of it and glared at the young guy, “What did you say?”
I told Richard not to waste his time. I looked at the kid, who could be no more than twenty-one or so, and jeered through clenched teeth, “Little fucker, you wouldn’t know how to make money off any part of my body if I pointed it out to you!”
His boys started Oooing and Ahhhing at him. It was clear that he didn’t like that at all.
“Fuck outta here, bitch,” he hissed making it clear that his pride was hurt.
As I turned to walk away, I felt a strong push of verve emanating from a distance. It was a powerful force that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand erect. As I pushed Richard out of the door, I turned in search of the eyes that were burning the side of my head.
Then I placed them.
I saw a tall, powerfully poised and commanding figure standing with a drink in his hand near the bar. With his head slightly bowed gazing fixedly at me. His presence was superior and magnetic. He never spoke a word or gestured a movement. Feet away from him, I almost got lost in his eyes and my heart began to flutter for a minute as chills ran the course of my spine. I’d never felt a pull so potent or experienced a man with such an alluring aura. It impelled my stride out of the door.
Outside Richard was asking why I didn’t let him defend me in the club. “That kid disrespected me, too. He could see you were with me.” I didn’t have time to entertain his insecurities. I was too busy gathering my bearings from mesmeric experience I’d just had in the club.
“And what is ‘being with you’? You’re not my man. Things like that happen all the time. I can handle myself.” I thought it was cute that he wanted to be my knight in shining armor. I started to tease him. “What’s up with you anyway? You’re keeping something from me.”
“What do you mean, Rayna?”
“What I mean is we’ve never spent any private time together in all the seven months we’ve known each other,” I goaded him.
He raked his fingers through his thick black silky mane as he let out a deep sigh, full of exasperation. “You’ve never invited me over and I’m not going to ask you to get a room with me. That wouldn’t be polite.”
“I’ve never invited you to my home because you’ve never invited me to yours. If you don’t show me yours I won’t show you mine.” I strolled my index finger down his chest slowly. “You know it isn’t safe out here in L.A. for a single woman,” I continued.
He was getting excited and I could tell he was thinking. Thinking of how to get me alone, which wouldn’t be easy.
“Why can’t we go back to your place?” he asked.
“Uhn…uhn!” I said as I walked up to him and started licking his neck.
“Well, then I guess it’s to my place we go!” He let a moan escape from my tongue action. “Why don’t you drop your car off at your place and I’ll follow you. And then we’ll go to my place?” he continued.
“Uhn… uhn. I’ll follow you from here in my car,” I bargained.