In The Company of My Sistahs (12 page)
Read In The Company of My Sistahs Online
Authors: Angie Daniels
Chapter 15
NADINE
L
ong after Renee had left, Nadine sat at the bar and flirted with Sylvester. He was a nice guy, barely over thirty, and owned his own barbershop. He was cute but he didn't make her pulse race the way Arthur used to. She groaned inwardly. It was going to take more than a pretty face to get inside her panties. Unlike for Renee, sex for Nadine was as much emotional as it was physical, which was why she had never been able to manage having a one-night stand.
ong after Renee had left, Nadine sat at the bar and flirted with Sylvester. He was a nice guy, barely over thirty, and owned his own barbershop. He was cute but he didn't make her pulse race the way Arthur used to. She groaned inwardly. It was going to take more than a pretty face to get inside her panties. Unlike for Renee, sex for Nadine was as much emotional as it was physical, which was why she had never been able to manage having a one-night stand.
Sylvester brought her another drink. Was it her third or was it her fourth? In the last half hour she had sadly lost count.
While he moved to serve a couple standing at the right of the bar, Nadine twirled around on the stool and almost dropped her drink when she noticed the woman sitting at the other end of the bar.
Her long slender legs were crossed. She had short auburn hair and a beautiful butter-pecan complexion. She was definitely a cutie. Just watching the way her pink tongue darted out from between her teeth as she brought her glass to her lips caused Nadine's nipples to harden. She continued to watch her until another woman with a slightly heavier build came and took a seat beside her. After comparing their features, she came to the conclusion the two were definitely sisters. Watching the two, it took Nadine a few seconds before she realized the lovely young woman was looking in her direction. Realizing she was staring, Nadine swung around on the stool and sighed.
She had been sitting here talking to Sylvester for the last thirty minutes, yet after five minutes, the woman had her yearning to see what was beneath her yellow sundress.
Good Lord! What the hell is my problem?
Nadine had always wondered if something was wrong with her. Even as a teenager, she found herself fascinated with watching women. One day she had even asked her mother about it. Rosie was quick to answer, “Chile, ain't nothing wrong with looking at other women. We are constantly in competition with one another. I'm always admiring the way one woman walks, wishing my boobs were as small as another. I'll even dye my hair to look like an ad that I found in a magazine. That's just the way it is. Women are naturally curious about each other and are always jealous and envious of some shit we don't have. There ain't nothing unnatural about that.”
After their conversation, Nadine had felt some relief until one day she had found herself watching a woman in the bathroom change out of a pair of pantyhose with a run. She stood there washing her hands while discreetly admiring the woman's slim shapely legs and dainty feet. When the woman caught her staring, Nadine rushed out the bathroom and down the hall to the elevator. The car arrived just as the woman stepped out of the ladies' room. Nadine stepped into the empty elevator, then held the door for her. The woman thanked her when she boarded. As soon as the door closed, the woman swung around and faced Nadine.
“I saw the way you were looking at me.”
Nadine didn't deny it.
“Do you like what you see?”
Her hands shook nervously. “I think you're a beautiful woman.”
The woman's lips curled upward. “And so are you.” She moved forward until her body was pressed firmly against hers, then she leaned forward and pressed their lips together.
Nadine shared in a hungry kiss that included tongue, while her hand roamed freely across the woman's ass. When the elevator stopped, the woman moved away and quickly exited the car. Nadine stood there frozen. She was breathing hard. Her nipples were hard and erect. Her coochie clenched, demanding some kind of relief. Quickly, she jumped out the elevator just as the doors began to close. The woman was long gone. For a moment, she thought maybe she had imagined the entire thing. However, what she was feeling was something she had never experienced in a dream.
She went home for lunch and made love to her husband, hoping to duplicate what she had felt, and could not. What she had experienced with another woman was like nothing she had ever shared with any man. The feeling scared her and she found herself crying, trying to deny what she was feeling, because she knew it was wrong to feel that way about another woman.
She hid her feelings. But after her marriage ended the feelings and desire resurfaced.
About that time, the local radio station had started a personal hotline where people could meet. Out of curiosity, she called to set up a personal mailbox, with the hope of meeting a nice man. However, while she was going through the different menus, she came across “Women Seeking Women,” and she couldn't resist setting up a box. Two days later, she had four messages. Her palms sweated and her heart raced as she listened to each recording. Two were from some manly-sounding bitches, looking for some trick to turn out. The third was looking for someone to bring home to share with her husband. It was the last message that caught her attention.
“My name is Jordan. I have never done this before but I am curious, very curious, and looking for a woman who is also curious. I don't know if I can go through with this, but I want to try being friends first and possibly more later. If not, hopefully I'll have made a new friend.”
By the time the message had ended, Nadine was having that same feeling again. Jordan's soft sincere voice had her coochie pulsating and her nipples so hard, she had to reach inside her shirt to massage them. It took her two days before she found the nerve to leave her a message. Then, when Jordan called again, this time she left a phone number.
Nonetheless, once again Nadine tried to deny her feelings and went out on a date with a man who had been asking her for weeks. Yet the entire time all she could do was think about Jordan. She wondered what she looked like. What she was doing now. She ended up cutting her night short. When she arrived home it was around eight on a Saturday evening. She called Jordan. She hadn't expected her to answer, figuring she was out herself.
“Hello.”
“May I please speak to Jordan?”
“Is this Nadine?”
“How'd you know it was me?”
Jordan chuckled. “I listened to your message so many times I have your voice memorized in my head.” There was a short pause. “I'm so glad you finally called.”
“Why?”
“Because I haven't been able to get you off my mind.”
Nadine gave a nervous laugh. “That's funny, because I've been feeling the same way.”
They started talking like old friends. They each discussed their failed marriages. Nadine had Jordan falling out of her seat when she told her about pulling a gun on Arthur and his blond bitch.
“You are crazy!”
“So I've been told.” They laughed, then Nadine sobered. “So, do I sound interesting enough to want to meet? Or am I too crazy for you?”
Jordan laughed softly. “No, I am quite intrigued. Why don't we meet right now?”
“Right now?”
“Yeah, before either of us has a chance to talk ourselves out of this. You drink coffee?”
“All the time.”
“Then how about we meet at that small coffee shop on Ninth Street.”
Nadine gasped. “I love their caramel latte.”
“Ooh! So do I.”
“All right, then. That sounds like a plan.”
“How about in one hour?”
Nadine glanced over at the clock, which read nine-thirty. “All right, I'll be there. How will I know it's you?”
“You'll know.” She hung up.
Nadine sat on the end of the bed, heart racing as she tried to decide if maybe she was making a big mistake.
You'll never know if you don't try.
She got up, changed into jeans and a red button-down blouse that complemented her large breasts. She pulled her long, thick hair into a simple ponytail, frowned, then yanked the rubber band from her hair and pulled out her curling iron. As she curled her hair, she couldn't believe how excited she was about meeting Jordan. She styled her hair in a simple flip that she tucked behind her ears. She reached for her purse and headed out the door.
She found parking close to the coffee shop and strode into the building. In one quick glance, she realized she was the only black female in the room. She moved to a table in the center and waited. She didn't have to wait long. As soon as the door opened she knew it was Jordan.
Peanut butter color. Short honey-blonde hair. Hazel eyes. A wide friendly smile. She was petite with a small narrow waist and generous hips and thighs. Their eyes met and Nadine felt like a teenager on her first date. Her heart banged beneath her chest and she had to put her hands in her lap because they were shaking so much.
Jordan moved to her table and smiled. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself.”
Jordan dropped a hand to her waist and struck a dramatic pose. “So, what do you think?”
“I think you're beautiful.”
“So are you.”
They giggled like schoolgirls and spent the rest of the night sipping coffee and talking about life until the shop closed at one. The two left and when Jordan reached down and clasped Nadine's hand, Nadine curled her fingers around Jordan's and went for a stroll.
“Gosh, this feels so right.”
Nadine nodded because she also felt that way. “Yes, it does.” They found a private spot at the edge of the park and Jordan asked to stop. “I want to kiss you so badly.”
“Then do it.”
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to hers. Once. Twice. Nadine reached out and wrapped her arms around her and pulled her snug against her. They leaned against the tree, kissing and groping each other for what felt like forever. When they finished, they held hands back to their cars, where they said good-bye and each headed home.
The next morning Nadine had regrets. She ignored Jordan's phone calls and tried denying her feelings for two weeks before she agreed to see her again. Each visit after that was more powerful than before, and before she knew it she had fallen in love. Now she was afraid and embarrassed that she had fallen in love with a woman. Jordan wanted to be public with their relationship, while she wanted to continue to keep it behind closed doors.
She loved Jordan. That much she was sure of. Where she wanted to go with their relationship was something she was uncertain of. Before she had left for Jamaica she had broken things off with Jordan, telling her she needed time and space to think about where her life was headed.
Shaking her head, she cleared the dangerous thoughts from her mind and returned to the present. Glancing toward the end of the bar, she noticed the women were gone. As she stirred her watered-down drink, she realized it was probably for the best. Not that she had had any intentions of acting on her feelings. The last two days, Nadine had convinced herself that time was all she needed.
I am not a lesbian,
she told herself as she sipped her drink. She had just been naturally curious about what it was like to be with another woman. She had read that college girls do it all the time, yet they go on to have healthy heterosexual relationships.
I am not a lesbian,
she told herself as she sipped her drink. She had just been naturally curious about what it was like to be with another woman. She had read that college girls do it all the time, yet they go on to have healthy heterosexual relationships.
Glancing at Sylvester, she smiled. All she had to do was meet a man that intrigued her and had the power to make her forget about Jordan, then the rest would be easy.
Chapter 16
KAYLA
I
t was breezy outside, but she didn't care. She moved out toward the ocean. Wet sand and water ran between her toes. Dark shades hid her eyes, allowing her to cry in private. She passed couples kissing and holding hands, and it only made her feel worse. The second Renee had arrived in their room, she had left so she could sulk in private.
t was breezy outside, but she didn't care. She moved out toward the ocean. Wet sand and water ran between her toes. Dark shades hid her eyes, allowing her to cry in private. She passed couples kissing and holding hands, and it only made her feel worse. The second Renee had arrived in their room, she had left so she could sulk in private.
Letting go was not easy, at least not for her. Her best friend could jump from man to man without batting an eyelash, while she herself jumped in head first with her heart. Moving on was a slow, delicate process that took time. And she wasn't ready yet to let go.
All she could think about was if she hadn't come on this trip, she probably wouldn't have spoken to Nadine. After all, there were times when the two didn't speak for weeks, before one of them would pick up the phone to see what the other was doing. Which was why, if she was at home, she might have never found out about the baby. If so, then everything in her life would still be perfect. But then again, maybe she would have found out anyway. If Leroy and his wife had just gone to the doctor's, chances were they would have announced it one weekend during church services. Unless of course he had been trying to hide the pregnancy from herâthen he might have convinced his wife to hold out a little while longer.
Kayla wandered down toward the dock, where there were kayaks available for renting. On the end of the pier were two chaise longues. Neither was occupied. She decided it was the perfect spot to sit and feel sorry for herself.
After Lisa left her with something to think about, Kayla sat out on the balcony, pondering everything she had said. She knew her friend meant well, but no one could begin to understand that what she felt for Leroy came only once in a lifetime. She had even been contemplating calling him back and apologizing for calling him, when Renee had returned to the room. Instead, she had quickly grabbed her glasses and high-tailed it out of there. The last thing she needed was to listen to her homegirl's big mouth.
Slowly, she moved down the pier, grateful that she had found a nice quiet spot at the edge of the beach. She stepped around one of the longue chairs and took a seat, then closed her eyes.
Kayla took a deep breath, trying to hold off the next round of tears, but found her efforts a big waste of time. She was so ready to go home and talk to Leroy in person. She needed to see his eyes when he spoke so she'd know if what he said was true. Lisa had gotten her to thinking. Maybe he was no better than the rest, but to her something was so much better than nothing at all. She wasn't like Nadine and Renee, they liked living alone. She did not. She wanted, needed, someone to make her feel good about herself. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and stared ahead.
She heard movement and looked to her right in time to see a man cut through the blue water. His chocolate skin glistened. He emerged from the ocean and moved to where she was sitting, the hard muscles of his legs contracting as he walked. The red swim trunks clung to his body, emphasizing what the good Lord gave him and accenting his chiseled abdominals. He moved to the chaise beside her and reached for a large beach towel that she hadn't noticed until now and rubbed it across his face and head.
“Hi, again.”
She glanced over the rim of her sunglasses at Clayton. From where she was sitting he was like a giant towering over her. “Hi.”
“Do you mind if I sit here?” he asked as he wrapped the towel around his waist.
She shrugged. “You were here first.”
“I guess I'll take that as a yes,” he said as he lowered into the chair beside her.
Kayla gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I came out here to be alone.”
“So did I. My roommate is entertaining.”
She turned and glanced out at the ocean again, hoping if she stopped talking he would get the hint and do the same. No such luck.
“Where are your friends?”
She shrugged. “Somewhere around here. I'm typically the quiet one of the bunch.”
“So am I.”
She raised her brow. “You are a professional football player. I can't see you doing anything that doesn't draw attention.”
“How'd you know I play football?”
She frowned as she realized she had made a mistake and had admitted to knowing who he was. The last thing she wanted was for him to get the wrong idea. “It's not that hard. Look at you.”
“What about me?”
She realized where he was going. “You're wasting your time. I'm not one of your groupies. I have no intentions of blowing up your head.”
He chuckled lightly as he leaned back in the chair. “You are truly genuine.”
She was surprised by this choice of words. No one had ever called her genuine. “What are you doing in Jamaica?”
“My boy is getting married here on Monday.”
“Wow, that's going to really be something.”
“Yes, it is. I'm so proud of him. I can only hope to find someone as special. What about you? Are you married? Dating?”
She gave a painful laugh. “No, none of the above.”
“That's truly a shame.”
Kayla simply shrugged.
“What are you getting into tonight?”
“Partying here, I guess.”
“Have dinner with me.”
She swung around on her seat just to make sure she had heard him correctly. “What?”
“You heard me. There's a nice seafood restaurant not too far from here.”
Why in the world would he want to be seen with me?
He was staring so hard, Kayla began to feel uncomfortable. She sat up straighter, trying to draw less attention to her body, and folded her arms across her chest. She looked a mess. Why did he have to pick now to ask her out to dinner? Not that it mattered. She could have worn her best dress and she still would be inadequate in comparison. Someone like him could have anyone he wanted, so why would he ask her out to dinner unless he had other motives. “No. I don't think that's a good idea.”
He was staring so hard, Kayla began to feel uncomfortable. She sat up straighter, trying to draw less attention to her body, and folded her arms across her chest. She looked a mess. Why did he have to pick now to ask her out to dinner? Not that it mattered. She could have worn her best dress and she still would be inadequate in comparison. Someone like him could have anyone he wanted, so why would he ask her out to dinner unless he had other motives. “No. I don't think that's a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because ...”
“Because what?” He was definitely persistent.
“Because it's just not a wise choice. Lately I've been making a lot of decisions before I've had a chance to think them through clearly. I refuse to do that again. I know that going out with you is not a good idea.”
“All right, maybe next time.” He then opened his book and began to read.
Kayla sighed and adjusted her large body on the chair. She couldn't believe he had given up so easily. If he had asked her again, she might have considered. “Men,” she mumbled before closing her eyes and getting lost in her thoughts again.
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