For Lovers Only (20 page)
Authors: Alex Hairston
Chapter 19
E
rin and Joel were ready to leave, but they allowed Kenya a little time to unwind before going out to dinner. The first thing Kenya wanted to do was to check out her new apartment and she instantly fell in love with the place. She gave Erin her props for picking out such a nice apartment and for her elegant decorating ideas. The new apartment was a lot more modern and spacious than the old one she and Erin had shared. Right after that Kenya was dying to see Joel's apartment. She liked his place too.
rin and Joel were ready to leave, but they allowed Kenya a little time to unwind before going out to dinner. The first thing Kenya wanted to do was to check out her new apartment and she instantly fell in love with the place. She gave Erin her props for picking out such a nice apartment and for her elegant decorating ideas. The new apartment was a lot more modern and spacious than the old one she and Erin had shared. Right after that Kenya was dying to see Joel's apartment. She liked his place too.
Kenya was glad to take a break from her all-too-consuming career. She was a top-notch government employee who was basically forced to live her life as a conformist. When it came to her career, she knew how to play the game for now, but her true self was slowly emerging. If she had it her way she would have had tattoos, a tongue ring and long flowing dreadlocks. Kenya was a beautiful strong black woman who worked in a field dominated by stiff white guys. She could have had her pick of men at NSA, but she wasn't really feelin' white men like that. On the other hand, they definitely wanted to sample her brown sugar. Her preference was black men. She was constantly faced with the same dilemma that too many black women faceâthe shortage of eligible black men.
Like most women she had a few repressed emotional issues that stemmed from bad relationships. Day-by-day she learned more about love, life, and herself in general. More than anything she just wanted a new and refreshing approach to a healthy and productive relationship. Kenya believed in sex and love without limitations. She had an unfulfilled desire for sexual adventure. That's where Erin and Joel came in. Her attraction to them was different from anything she had ever experienced before. Words like
polyamory
,
ménage à trois
,
threesome
,
three-way
,
love triangle
and
triad
dominated her thoughts.
polyamory
,
ménage à trois
,
threesome
,
three-way
,
love triangle
and
triad
dominated her thoughts.
Kenya had fun messing with Joel because he tried to hide the fact that he was attracted to her. She kept making sexual innuendoes and sexy gestures that said more than a thousand words. Kenya began to play a bizarre game of seduction with her body language, sexy stares, the way she licked her lips and the way she touched Erin and Joel. The sexiest thing of all was the way she touched herself. She had a very subtle way of playing with her breasts and circling her nipples as she talked. Kenya knew that guys were instinctively drawn to the sight of erect nipples.
Later that evening Joel ended up taking Erin and Kenya to The Avenue in White Marsh. The Avenue is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment development with a nostalgic main street appeal. Trees and old-fashioned lantern-style streetlights lined the street. Every Friday night during the summer was usually alive and pulsating with activity. That night was no different. The Summer Sunset Concert Series had just kicked off and featured a reggae group called Unity. A stage had been set up in front of the huge fountain across from the Loews movie theater.
Music echoed through the night sky and a deep bass beat vibrated and shook the ground. The area was jumping with excitement as people rode up and down the street, people-watching and showing off cars and motorcycles.
Joel planned to take Erin and Kenya to a restaurant called the Red Brick Station. It's actually a restaurant and microbrewery with a fire station theme. When the three arrived they chose to dine outside on the patio, because it was adjacent to the fountain and stage. Now they could eat, drink, sit back and relax, while enjoying the sounds of Unity.
A warm, free-and-easy breeze drifted by as Erin, Kenya and Joel sat outside at a round wrought iron table with a glass candleholder in the center. A tiny flame flickered and gave their faces a golden glow. Joel sat in the middle with Erin on his right and Kenya on his left. Hundreds of stares came their way. Joel appeared to be the luckiest man around because he had the honor of dining with two very beautiful women.
Reggae music drowned out the buzz of conversation that could clearly be heard between songs.
A Drew Barrymoreâlookin' waitress walked over to take their orders. Joel ordered a beer sampler for him and the girls to share. The sampler came with seven assorted freshly brewed beers served in four-ounce glasses. Erin and Kenya chose crab dip and boneless buffalo fingers as appetizers for them to share with Joel. Since the girls weren't too big on beer they ordered two strawberry daiquiris. For their entrées they all ordered crab cakes.
Joel stared at Kenya's face until she made eye contact with him, then quickly looked away. He was astounded by the fact that Kenya and Erin looked so much alike. He found himself staring at Kenya again, but this time it wasn't her face that caught his attention. He looked at her breasts and thought,
They're nice and full ... round and firm, definitely a D-cup. And check out those nipples.
They're nice and full ... round and firm, definitely a D-cup. And check out those nipples.
The music died down for a moment. The band's lead singer took some time to talk about the next song they were about to perform.
Kenya knew Joel was looking at her. She sat back in her seat, acted natural, sighed and then said, “It's so good to be back home.”
Erin said, “I'm glad you're back.”
Joel asked, “Where were you anyway?” He made a silly face, changed his tone to a whisper and asked, “Or is it top secret?”
Erin laughed and said, “She could tell you, but she'd have to kill you.”
All three of them cracked up laughing. The band started their next song.
Kenya said, “It's not that serious.”
Joel looked at Kenya and said, “All I kept hearing from Erin was that you were away for training. She didn't have any other information. Where were you and what kind of training did you receive?”
Erin said, “Dag, Joel, you're nosey.”
Kenya said, “No, it's okay. I was in South Carolina for interrogation and polygraph training.”
Erin gasped and her eyes widened. “I can't believe you told. Girl, I hope you don't get into any type of trouble.”
Kenya laughed and said, “I can tell y'all where I was and the basics about what I was doing, but that's it. I can't go into too much detail because every year I have to go through an in-depth interview that includes a polygraph test, and they review my profile all the way down to my financial records.”
Joel asked, “What's that all about?”
“To make sure I haven't done anything illegal or unethical, like selling government information to foreign countries.”
Joel asked, “What happens if you fail the interview process?”
“I could lose my job and possibly get sent to prison for the rest of my life.”
He said, “Whoa, that sounds like too much stress to deal with. We face our share of stress as teachers. Tell her, Erin, we have to deal with a bunch of bad-ass kids and their ignorant parents on a daily basis.”
Erin said, “That's true. Oh my God, let me tell you. I sent letters home and made phone calls all year long trying to inform certain parents of their kids' failing grades. I never saw or heard from these people during the regular school year, but when they saw their kids' last-quarter report cards saying that they had to repeat their grade level, these same people came to the school raising hell.”
Kenya sat up and said, “Are you serious? I hate confrontations, especially ones that involve ignorant people.”
Erin said, “So do I. I'm glad the school year is over. One good thing about being a teacher is our much-needed summer break. All Joel and I are focused on right now is relaxing and having fun. You better learn to do the same, Kenya.”
She said, “I know. I'm taking a four-week vacation so I can hang out with the two of you for a little while.”
Joel thought,
Forget that. You're fine and all, but we don't need you under us the whole summer.
Forget that. You're fine and all, but we don't need you under us the whole summer.
Erin smiled and said, “That's good.”
Joel forced a smile that began to feel natural within seconds. He said, “Yeah. We've got a nice long summer break and this reggae music has me ready to take a cruise or fly to an island.”
Erin and Kenya agreed that they needed an exotic getaway to the Caribbean. As they talked about vacationing, two servers appeared with the beer sampler, the strawberry daiquiris and appetizers.
Joel said, “Ahhh, right on time.”
Kenya said, “I didn't expect the appetizers so soon.”
Erin added, “Neither did I. Everything looks so good.”
Kenya smiled and said, “Doesn't it. I love crab dip. Thanks for doing this, Joel.”
He asked, “What?”
“You know, agreeing to let me hang out with you and Erin tonight. I didn't have anything to do except hang around our lovely new apartment and unpack my suitcases.”
Erin said, “Awww, you called the apartment lovely. Thank you, I'm glad you like it.”
“I already told you fifty times that I love it.”
“Well, I never get tired of receiving praise for something I've done right.”
Kenya shook her head and laughed.
Joel was still thinking about Kenya planning to spend time with him and Erin. He was worried that the more time she spent around him the more attracted to her he would become. Out of nowhere he asked, “What's up with you, Kenya? You got a boyfriend?”
He thought,
What the hell am I thinking? Like her having a boyfriend would make her less attractive or something.
What the hell am I thinking? Like her having a boyfriend would make her less attractive or something.
Kenya was focused on her food and her daiquiri. She looked up and said, “No. But don't think I haven't been trying to find one. You know how it is out here for a sistah.”
Joel laughed and said, “No, I don't know how it is out here for a sistah. Go 'head and say what's on your mind.”
Kenya took a bite of her boneless buffalo chicken finger and asked, “Did you know that seventy percent of black women are single?”
Joel took a sip of beer and asked, “Is that true? Who told you that?”
Kenya said, “Oprah.”
Joel laughed and said, “Oh shit, then it must be true. I knew that women outnumbered men, but I had no idea there were that many single black women floating around.”
Erin asked, “Will y'all please forgive me if you see me double dipping in the blue cheese dressing?”
Kenya said, “We're not worried about that. I think me and Joel have already been exposed to your germs one way or another.”
Erin and Joel laughed and agreed.
Kenya continued the conversation. “Back to what I was saying, you can look around and see how many single black women are out here. The proof is everywhere.”
Joel looked around and saw groups of attractive single black women standing near the stage, sitting at tables around him and even riding by in cars. Erin and Kenya pointed out two mixed couplesâtwo black women on dates with white men.
Erin said, “Some sistahs are dating outside of our race because brothas are missing in action.”
Joel said, “So, Erin, are you trying to say some brothas are too busy hustling and doing other dumb shit to date?”
“Yeah. Like going to jail or getting killed over nothing. That's why you see all these single black women out here like this. There's a bunch of different reasons black women can't get a date with a black man. Don't get me wrongâbrothas are definitely having sex, but dating is another story.”
Kenya said, “Black women have it rough. When we think we've met somebody halfway decent he ends up being a married man or a horny guy in a so-called monogamous relationship looking to cheat. Nobody's got time for that. Then we've got the down-low guys who are partially into women, or the straight-up gay guys who admire and love us to death, but have no practical interest in women whatsoever. We can't get a break.”
Erin and Kenya started going back and forth with so many male-bashing comments that Joel began to feel like he was in the middle of a tennis match.
Erin asked, “What about the brothas who think they're above dating sistahs and are out here wining and dining white women?”
Kenya wasn't done. “Girl, tell me about it. Please don't forget the brothas who want to be playas ... out here running game on any woman desperate enough to fall for their bull.”
Joel automatically thought of his buddies Dave and Greg.
As Erin spread crab dip on her bread she said, “I've only seen a few black guys our age with dates tonight. Look over there at that twenty-something girl with the fifty-something man.”
Joel said, “That's probably her dad.”
Before Erin bit into her bread she said, “More like her daddy ... her sugar daddy. Look at his old tired ass trying to look young, wearing a Sean John short set with dress shoes and black knee high socks. That's so whack.”
Kenya said, “He'll probably go home and overdose on Viagra trying to keep up with that young girl.”
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