TWENTY-EIGHT
“I’m sorry, babe, but it just couldn’t wait. I mean, I—I was-n’t really late. I was there when you received your award, and I was very proud of you. So now you’re full-time, huh?” Eric asked. He had managed to reach the awards banquet, but, as expected, he had arrived late.
“Don’t you try to weasel out of this, and stop trying to be my friend. I worked for it and furthermore, Mr. Lateness, I was always full-time.” Sophia laid the box of Romeo y Juliet cigars on the table, and knowing Eric disapproved, removed one and lit it. She gagged on the smoke. Eric reacted in alarm. The waiter rushed to the table with water.
“Soph, you’re not supposed to inhale the smoke. It’ll choke you.” Eric said giving the coughing Sophia a glass of water. Several waiters rushed their table.
“I’m sorry, Madame, but there’s no smoking allowed. May I get you something to drink?” One of the waiters said.
“I’m sorry too,” Sophia said. “May I have a double apple martini? And I don’t know what Mr. Lateness here wants.” She stared coldly at Eric and pulled out her make-up case and refreshed her lipstick.
“I’ll have what the lady’s having, thank you,” Eric said.
“Please hurry or I may be tempted to light up again,” Sophia said. The waiter departed.
“Now, see, I told you not to light that cigar. What…”
“Yeah, you told me, but I’m not in the mood to hear your late butt, cause when I talk to you, you don’t try to hear me.”
“C’mon, babe, you’re not still running that shit.”
“That shit? That shit happens to be my bread and butter and your lateness made me look sorta bad.”
“Sorta bad. I mean, I apologized already.”
“I don’t give a damn if you apologized ten times already. If I want to have the eleventh, you will give it up, baby. And furthermore, my smoking brought a waiter running to our table, thank you. Otherwise, we would’ve been sitting here waiting. Oh, but I’m good at waiting. I’ve been practicing all night. Eric, you don’t even want to start with me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Uh huh. I did not ask for it yet.”
The waiter arrived with the drinks. Eric glanced around the cafe. She’s right, he thought as he studied the stage. An elderly man with a long white beard sat at a piano, center stage. The lights dimmed. Good, thought Eric. I wouldn’t want everyone else to see me grovel. He smiled as he turned to Sophia, sipping her martini. Eric heard the pleasant note of the piano just as he met Sophia’s hostile glare.
“Baby,” Eric said softly, “you know I wouldn’t do anything intentionally to hurt you, so please, please forgive me.”
“But Eric, I asked you nicely…”
“Baby, I know you did.”
“Well, if you dance with me...”
“Dance? Babe you can’t dance to—well, err, I guess you could. May I have this dance?” Eric stood in supplication.
“Yes, thanks,” Sophia said.
Eric guided her out on the floor. He smiled and embraced her petite frame. She was beautiful in her simple black dress, which revealed more now than Eric had noticed earlier. She’s stunning, he thought. He held her tighter.
“Hmm” she murmured. He grabbed her hand and swept her off her feet. He was floating on the cloud provided by the pianist. Sophia held to him firmly, not caring where the ride would end.
“Your place or mine?” Eric asked minutes later. Sophia said nothing, but molded herself to Eric’s body. She wished he hadn’t stop.
“Well, you are well-dressed. My place, mister. Hurry and don’t be late.” She disengaged from Eric and headed for the exit. Eric sprinted to the table, paid the tab and hurried out of the cafe. She smiled when he got in the car. Eric challenged the smile with a hard kiss. Sophia resisted at first, then gave in. His hands met the silky black barrier around her soft flesh.
“Alright, alright. Let’s go. But is Dee okay?” Sophia caught her breath. “Eric, let’s go to your place. We…”
“Call the house.”
“And risk waking her?”
“You know Deedee doesn’t hear nothing when she goes to sleep.”
“So why call?”
“When I left home, one of her friends, Coco, had stopped over.”
“Oh, the call is to see if Coco is still there?” Sophia dialed the number. “No answer.”
“No answer means Coco’s gone and Deedee’s probably in bed.”
“Good, just the way we planned this, Mr. Lateness.” Sophia said.
“I won’t be late now.” Eric massaged Sophia’s thigh. The fabric felt supple in his hand, her flesh warmed to his touch. She put the car in gear and zoomed out of the parking lot.
Eric and Sophia, a little drunk from the evening’s activity, crept up the stairs like kids who had broken curfew. They dashed into the bedroom, where Eric’s hands quickly encountered the silk panties covering Sophia’s ass.
“Take it easy,” Sophia whispered.
“I’m just trying to be on time.”
“You don’t have to try. The loving ain’t going nowhere. It’s right here, waiting for you,” Sophia said in a throaty whisper. She turned to face Eric, her dress clinging to a toned, five-foot-eight, curves-in-the-right-places body.
He watched with fascination as she reached up and made the black dress disappear with her arm movements. Eric kissed her gently, biting Sophia’s earlobes while his hands moved smoothly all over her ass.
“Ooh, ahh. Oh my, are we the impatient one...” Sophia sighed as her body clung to Eric’s. Her heartbeat galloped and made her breath come in gasps.
“Ah,” she moaned as their bodies fell entangled on the huge waterbed. The bed swayed slightly. Sophia rolled on top. She peeled off the rest of her clothing. Eric kissed and sucked at her nipples. Sophia’s naked body came in contact with the wool covering his erection.
“You’re not out of your clothes yet, good looking? Late again, huh?” whispered Sophia. She straddled Eric. He could feel her soft skin. His hands roamed, kneading her taut hot brown body. His touch made her skin burn. Her tension uncoiled into mush. The heat ignited Sophia, raising her temperature to dizzying heights.
“Ah, uh, I can’t wait on you, honey. I want you inside of me now,” she whispered as she pulled Eric’s zipper down and unleashed his erection. She easily slid the condom over its head then she mounted and began rocking back and forth.
“Oh, oh, agh yeah, baby,” Eric said.
“Shh, ah,” Sophia whispered as she kissed Eric’s face. She wrapped her arms around his neck. The cheeks of her buttocks were cupped in his large strong hands. Her gentle rocking brought him to the gates of ecstasy. She felt his body in a spastic dance ritual signifying Eric reaching his orgasm. “That’s it? That’s all?” Sophia grunted with Eric on top of her. She flipped Eric over on to his back. Then sucked until his dick head pointed proudly to the ceiling. Sophia straddled him. All the time Eric grunted while he enjoyed the view of Sophia her breasts bouncing up and down. He saw the way she bit her lips to prevent from screaming. She sweated as she continued to ride.