This Can't be Life (2 page)

“I’m right up Wilshire, in Westwood. Come on. Plus, you have your car, Ms. Independent. You can leave whenever you want.”

“Yes, I know this,” I laughed. Gathering my handbag, we walked out of the restaurant with his hand on my lower back. Deon was definitely a gentleman, but they all are in the beginning. That’s why I’ll never let my guard down. As soon as you do, that’s when they start to change, and I’ll never make that mistake again.

When we got to his building, we took the elevator up to the 29th floor. We entered into a beautiful foyer with Moroccan hardwood floors and 15-foot ceilings. His penthouse occupied half of the top floor of the building and boasted two floors of pure, unassuming elegance. It was grand, yet comfortable.

“Deon, this is amazing.” I had to give it to him. This place was absolutely beautiful.

“Come on. Let me show you around.” He grabbed my hand and led me through the living room, past a dark, cherry wood grand piano, toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the entire width of the wall. It was breathtaking. I could see the lights of LA and out toward the pier at
Santa Monica
. The city lights were sparkling hues of reds, blues, and yellows. It was beyond magnificent.

Several sitting areas were staged throughout the first and second floors. The furniture pieces were immense and strategically placed, giving an optimal view of the city as you sat and relaxed. The majority of the fabrics were made of soft chenille and the chaise lounges of the softest lambskin. The walls were detailed with tasteful, custom-sculpted moldings. There were eight fireplaces. One was in each of the four bedrooms. The fireplace in the master bedroom, connected through to the master bathroom, where an overflowing bathtub for two sat in the middle of the Italian marble floor. Two more fireplaces were downstairs, one in the living room and one in the dining room, where a huge table for twelve was set. The last two were in his library and on the roof by the built-in barbecue and sitting area. To say that it was overwhelming would be an understatement. It looked worth whatever he had paid for it.

“Deon, your home is really beautiful.” I was in awe.

“Thanks. It’s cool for now as a bachelor’s pad. I can’t imagine living here with kids and a wife. It’s not very child-friendly,” he said, smiling down at me. “Now, what would you like for dessert?” He pulled me toward the kitchen. “I have some peach cobbler, apple pie, chocolate cream cheese cake, ice cream, chocolate cake, strawberry cake…just tell me what you want. I probably have it,” he laughed.

“What are you doing with all of these sweets?” I couldn’t believe that, as an athlete, he had all this stuff in his refrigerator and pantry. He had candy bars and snacks for days.

“I have a sweet tooth. That’s one of my vices. So, what’ll it be?”

“Chocolate cream cheesecake. It’s my favorite!” Once I saw the box from the Cheese Cake Factory, I couldn’t wait to dig in. He brought the whole box to the rooftop with two forks, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, and strawberries. He pressed a button on the remote control, and Guy’s “Let’s Chill” began to play from the speakers placed around the rooftop.

“Do you do this for all the girls, Deon?” He was pulling out all the stops and I enjoyed it. I was definitely impressed, but my head wasn’t too far in the clouds to see the ground. I knew what was up and, no matter what, I’d be the one in control.

“What? Bring women here? Nope. Not at all. I’ve brought a couple people here, but hardly ever. I don’t like people in my space.” I looked at him like he was crazy. I could see he had game on and off the court, but he was definitely underestimating his opponent.

“Well, what makes me so special? You don’t know me. This is our first time hanging out and you brought me here.”

“But you’re different, Simone. How many times did I try to get your number and you wouldn’t even give me the time of day? Every time I’ve seen you, I’ve tried to get with you. I liked that, though. Things are always better when they aren’t just placed on your lap.”

“Yeah, that’s true sometimes, but I’m sure you hardly ever get turned down by women.”

“No, I don’t. But I hardly ever do the choosing. Some women can be too aggressive and I don’t like that. I’m just a laidback guy and when I go places, I like to have my space. But, that isn’t possible when you’re out in public or at a club. It’s no-holds-barred, and they can be vicious. Enough about that…tell me what you want.”

“I have everything I want right now. Anyone that comes into my life would just be adding to it, not making it.”

“Oh, is that right? That’s cool. An independent woman, I see. Why don’t you have a man, Simone? You’re too beautiful to not have a man.”

“Who said I didn’t?”

“Oh, damn, do you? Should I be watching my back when I leave my house now?” he laughed.

“No, I don’t have a man. If I had a man, trust that I wouldn’t be here with you. I’m loyal to a fault.”

“Is there such a thing? Loyalty is so hard to come by these days. I don’t see how you can be too loyal to someone. That’s actually commendable.”

“You can absolutely be too loyal to someone. Being loyal to a fault is having someone’s back no matter what, although you know that they won’t be loyal to you in the same way. I’ve done that, but I’ve lived and learned.”

“What do you mean by that?” He sipped his champagne and looked at me as if I was sitting before him naked.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m hot. Let’s swim,” I said, wanting to change the subject.  I got up and began removing my clothes.

“What, you have a bathing suit on under there or something?” he asked, with an amused look on his face.

“Are we adults here or what? I can’t swim in my bra and panties? Same as a bikini, if you ask me.” I nonchalantly stood before him in sexy Dolce & Gabbana sandals and a black, lace panty-bra Malizia set by La Perla. I waited for his reply.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what we are but, I’m sorry, it’s either actual swimwear or nothing at all.” He stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt. I watched him as he stripped down to his birthday suit, his eyes never once leaving mine. His six-foot five chiseled frame looked as if it were sculpted by the gods. The way his dick hung, long, thick, and limp, not an erection in sight, confirmed that he was, indeed, a blessed man. Still in my heels, panties, and bra, I picked up our champagne glasses and sipped mine as I walked toward the edge of the pool.

“So, what’s it going to be? You’re scared. You’re not going to take it off,” he assumed, sending me a wink before he dove into the aqua blue water completely nude. I slipped off my stilettos and slowly sipped from my flute as I watched his long, lean, yet muscular, glistening body emerge from the water. I handed him his glass and sat down on the edge of the pool, immersing my feet and legs into the surprisingly warm water.

“So, yes then? You’re scared?” he asked, moving his body directly in front of me. Close enough to part my legs if he had the courage.

“Why would I be scared? You wouldn’t even be in the pool right now, if it wasn’t for me. So the question is, ‘are you scared?’” I asked, laughing inside. Sometimes my game even surprised me.

“Scared of what? I’m in the pool, butt naked, and you’re sitting on the sidelines…looking beautiful, I must say. But you still have way too many clothes on.”

“Too many clothes? I have on two pieces of clothing. If you can even call it that!” We laughed, enjoying each other. I was definitely feeling good. I hadn’t hung out and thrown all cares to the side in a very long time, and tonight was the night that I was going to do just that.

“Well, it’s not fair that you have on more clothes than me or, should I say, that I have on less clothes than you. We’re unevenly matched right now,” he said, still standing close, yet way too far.

“Well then, what are you going to do about it?” Our eyes locked as his hand reached out and caressed my right thigh.

“What will you allow me to do?” He placed his champagne flute to the left of me. Then he parted my knees and placed himself between my thighs.

“Why don’t you take your chances? Unless you can’t control yourself,” I teased, leaning back on the palms of my hands. He then wrapped his right arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. Our lips met and we took our time enjoying the feel of each other’s lips before we began to explore further. The softness of his kiss and his gentle, large hand on my back sent chills down my spine. He kissed me with such care and passion that it startled me for a moment. I had to remember where I was and who I was with. Deon was kissing me like he loved me, like I was his girl and he was my man. I removed my mouth from his and began kissing his neck as his hands cupped my breasts softly. With every touch, Deon was gentle and took his time. Wrapping his long arms around my waist, he pulled me into the warm water as our mouths connected once again. He lifted me into his arms as I wrapped my legs around his waist; I immediately felt his hardness. As we kissed and became more acclimated with each other’s bodies, it seemed as if time stood still.

“Let’s go inside,” he whispered in my ear. He lifted me out of the water and then himself. Nude and dripping wet, he again picked me up and carried me to his bedroom.

With no regard to his bed linens, he placed our wet bodies onto his king-sized bed as I lay on top of him enjoying the feel of his hands on my wet skin.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked, looking into his eyes.

“I’m thinking you’re trying to use me for my body and I probably won’t ever hear from you again,” he joked, as he brought his mouth back to mine.

“Damn it, Simone, I have to go to this meeting. Just tell me…did you give him some?”

“I did, okay? Damn, happy now?” I laughed into the phone.

“Thank goodness! The cobwebs have been removed! How was it? Tell me all about it!” Talise sounded excited, like she had gotten laid last night instead of me.

“It was really nice. No biggie.”

“I’m happy for you, girl. When are you guys going to see each other again?” Talise asked, sounding sentimental.

“I don’t know and don’t really care about that, Talise. And why are you so happy for
me
?”

“Because, Simone, you won’t give a man the time of day. I can’t recall the last time you even let a guy kiss you! That’s why I’m happy. You need to get out there and live a little, Monie. Plus, Deon seems like a really nice guy.”

“Well, I don’t know him and I shouldn’t have slept with the damned man, Talise. They all seem like nice guys in the beginning. We had a good time. I enjoyed the moment. That’s it! No need to go digging deeper, Talise, and trying to marry me off! I had a fucking one-night stand. That’s not commendable! I feel like shit right now!” I needed to put my friend in check before she was carried away with her
I want you to find love
bullshit. Love doesn’t exist in my world. Love is for the weak and I wasn’t down for that one bit. Been there, done that, and got beat down in the process. It wasn’t happening again.

“Whatever, Simone. Just know that life is too short for you to be holding onto bullshit from the past,” Talise lectured.

“I’m not holding on to the past, Talise. I’ve let that shit go. But, I’ll never forget the past.
EVER
!”

Talise

I sat behind my desk, drumming my fingernails against the wood frame, trying my hardest not to be pissed off at Simone. She is infamous for pushing men away. No matter how well they treat her, she always has an excuse as to why the relationship won’t work when she never even gives it a chance. To say that I was stunned when she left the bar with Deon last night is an understatement.