CHAPTER 21
Monique
With Kadir settled in and Carl back in Philly, I felt comfortable traveling. I booked first-class everything for CeCe and me. Our flight was departing from D.C., and I was waiting for her to get there.
I brought two weeks’ worth of clothes for our five-day trip. I knew I was overdoing it, but I was excited. I wanted to make my trip memorable and look flawless doing it. Without looking, I answered my phone.
“Hello.”
“You getting real funny since you got money.”
“Who is this?”
“Monique, there you go acting like you don’t know nobody. It’s the woman who gave birth to you. Why do you keep changing your number?”
“Because I have to. What do you need?” I was aggravated by her already, and I didn’t even know what she wanted yet.
“So what’s this I hear, you’re taking people on vacations? Huh? And you bought Carl’s mom a car and not me. I’m that boy’s grandmother; if anyone should get a car, it should be me.”
“What? You deserve a car for what reason? Are you the same grandmother that told me I wasn’t going to be shit because I had him? The same one who wouldn’t watch him and never came to any of his games? Mom Laura looked out for Kadir since he was a baby. She bought me and Carl our first car. You didn’t buy me anything.”
“Don’t go spending up all my grandson’s money. It is not yours.”
“Don’t count my money,” I shouted.
“It’s your son’s money,” she said, correcting me.
“It’s our money. My son is taking care of me. You know why? Because I took care of him. I was a mother that was there for her child. I can’t say the same for you. You disowned me and made my life hell because the church people couldn’t see Dottie’s pregnant teenage daughter.”
“I gave you a place to live, I helped you with Kadir. I made you strong. You owe me, too! And she gets a Cadillac, and I don’t? People at my church are asking me why I don’t have a car.”
“I don’t care what people are asking you. Don’t you ever call me questioning me about what I do for people who love me and my baby unconditionally. Unlike you. Me? Buy you a car? Ha! Keep waiting on it, because it will never happen. I don’t owe you shit. And don’t call this number again.” She had a lot of damn nerve. Everyone’s hands were out trying to get a piece of my son’s empire and they all could go to hell. After I hung up, I remembered I was in the middle of a busy airport and I noticed I’d attracted an audience. I looked up and saw CeCe standing over me shaking her head.
“Call your mom back.”
“Hell no. Do you know what she called and said right before the draft?”
“What?”
“She said don’t be upset when he doesn’t get picked. She didn’t have any confidence in Kadir or me. Now she got her hand out? Fuck outta here.”
“You didn’t tell me that.”
“That’s why I didn’t answer her call that night. Let me calm down. This lady got me cussing.”
“Yeah, calm down before they say you too angry to travel. Forget her. Let’s get ready to have a great time. Look at you looking like a million dollars. I love the hair, bag, and the shoes.”
“Thank you, girl.” I gave her a few poses. “I got my hair done yesterday, these shoes are Jimmy Choo, and this bag is a Celine. The sales girl said all the Housewives carry them. So you know I had to have one.”
“Yes, girl it’s nice.”
We boarded the plane and sank into our oversize seats. The stewardess came, welcomed us aboard, and asked if we wanted to see a drink menu. I told her we’d like two glasses of champagne. When she returned with the champagne. I raised my glass, turned to CeCe, and joked, “Bon voyage!”
“Dummy, that’s French and we are going to England.” CeCe laughed.
“Well, we are going somewhere. So safe journey, fun times, good shopping, and cheers to you.”
“Cheers to you, Mo. I’ve always wanted to go to London since I was a little girl. And now I’m going. This is a big deal, Mo. Really.” Cee looked out the plane’s window to hide that she was holding back tears. “I will pay you back one day. I swear I will.”
“Don’t start, you crybaby. You know you would do the same thing for me, and you do not have to pay me back anything. So stop saying it. We are going to have so much fun.”
“Yes, we are. How do you think the people will be there? Oh, if I meet an English man like Idris Elba and he starts talking to me in that bloody sexy accent, I’m not going to be any good.”
“Maybe I will meet someone, too, since your brother wants to stay in Philly and take a break.”
“I didn’t know y’all broke up.”
“Yep, he said I never paid him any attention.”
“Well, did you?”
“I don’t know. You are my sister and sometimes I feel like he is just my brother. We’ve been around each other so much just existing. You know we don’t act like a couple and we don’t have sex unless I come on to him. And the last time I tried to give him some, he pushed me off him.”
“TMI. Yuck. I don’t want to picture Carl getting some.”
“It’s the truth. He has all this and does nothing with it.” I gestured my hands toward my body.
“Y’all just been together so long that you just take each other for granted. He should have been on this trip, not me. Maybe y’all could have rekindled everything.”
“No, he shouldn’t have. So he could complain the whole time about spending money? No, thank you. He’s a human calculator. ‘Uhm, Monique you know you spent seven thousand on bags last week.’ And I’m like, yeah, I know.”
“You did? Girl, how many bags did you buy?”
“I think I have five. I went into Neiman Marcus and said give me one of each. But I still tore Marshall’s and Ross up, too. I may have money now, but I didn’t forget where I come from.”
“Girl, you are so silly. Well, I hope it is just a break. This is the time y’all should be celebrating, not separating.”
“I know. I said the same thing.”
We arrived in London at the Heathrow International Airport. We went straight through customs and then to our hotel. We crashed as soon as we got to our room. We were both exhausted from the flight and traveling. It took almost two days for our bodies to adjust to the five-hour time difference.
The days leading up to the concert we did plenty of sightseeing. We visited Buckingham Palace and shopped at Harrods, the most famous department store in the world.
The night of the concert, the O2 Arena was filled with over-the-top fans of every nationality. We walked down to our seats in the Bey Hive section. The seats were so close to the stage that CeCe screamed, “I love you, Beyoncé,” and I swear she turned around and winked at her. Her performance was full of energy and worth every dollar.
After the show, we went back to the hotel. We weren’t sure where to go to have any fun. We sat at the hotel bar and noticed a festive African wedding going on in the reception area. A few women were dressed in vibrant blue head wraps and men in black tuxedos with matching ties. Two men from the wedding party sat at the bar. One looked extremely familiar, but I didn’t know from where. The men said hello, and CeCe asked what kind of wedding they were a part of.
“It’s Nigerian,” one of the men answered.
“Oh, that’s nice. They are wearing beautiful costumes.”
“They’re not costumes. They are traditional aso-ebi garments.”
“Do y’all live here or in Nigeria?” CeCe asked.
“We are from Nigeria. And let me guess you both are from the States, aren’t you?”
“Yes, our accents give us away?” Cee asked, giggling. “So whose wedding?” she asked, turning her attention to the extremely tall, good looking second gentleman.
“Our brother just got married. His bride is from here.”
“Are y’all married?” CeCe asked.
“I have a girlfriend, but he is single. I live in Ireland. He lives in the States,” the shorter brother answered.
“I didn’t know black people lived in Ireland.” I laughed.
“Very funny.” The shorter brother laughed. “Of course there are, there are a bunch of us there. I stay there, but he lives and works in North Carolina.”
“Really? She just moved to North Carolina! You look familiar. How tall are you?”
“I’m six seven.”
“Wow, do you play basketball?”
“Yes, in Charlotte. How do you know?” the taller brother asked.
“What a small world—her son was just drafted by the Hornets. His name is Kadir.”
“Kadir Hall? The rookie. I would never have guessed a beautiful young woman could be the mother of such a big, grown man.” He extended his hand. “Ayodele Cisse.”
“Adolee.”
“No, A-yo-de-le. Everyone calls me Dele.”
“Okay, Dele. What does that mean?” I asked.
“Joy has come home.”
“That is beautiful,” I told him.
He thanked me.
“Do you like it here?” CeCe inquired.
“It’s okay. Actually, our family is from Nigeria, but we did our schooling in Paris and came here for college.”
“Are you a Beyoncé fan?” CeCe asked. “We came all the way here for the show. My bestie treated me.”
“You’re dedicated fans. When are you returning?” Dele asked.
“Tomorrow, but before we leave, do you know a nice place to eat nearby? We are starving for real food and we want to see more of the city,” I asked.
“There are plenty near here. Let me get your information, and maybe I will show you ladies a little of London on your last night here.”
“Sounds good,” CeCe said, and gave him my number. He said he would contact us later.
Back in our hotel room, CeCe and I debated who Mr. Fine-Tall-Sexy-African-Man was interested in.
“CeCe, why did you give him my number? You were doing all the talking.”
“Because you have the international calling plan, Mo. I loved his accent and he is tall. Can you believe he plays for the same team as Kadir? What a coincidence.”
“It is. I thought he looked familiar. I don’t know everybody on the team yet. Girl, talk to him,” I said.
“I would, but I think he wants some Mo in his life. If you weren’t my brother’s wife, I would say go get that tall muscle-popping chocolate African king, because he was flirting with you.”
“I saw him staring at you the entire time. And if I wanted to talk to him, I would. Carl isn’t here, plus remember we are on a break. But he is gorgeous. Those eyes . . . those cheekbones. . . his beautiful skin . . . I would have fun with him.” I laughed and CeCe agreed. We had a few drinks in the room and packed for our return flight. Grandmom CeCe took a shower and wrapped her hair and put on her scarf. She tried to stay up, but by the time a text message came from Dele saying he was still downstairs and asked if we wanted to have more drinks, Grandmom CeCe was fast asleep. But I told him I would come down.
I walked to the hotel lobby to see Ayodele waiting at the bar. He was even more beautiful than I remembered from two hours earlier. I couldn’t take my eyes off his delicious-looking malt chocolate skin. He had three drinks in front of him.
“You already ordered. Thanks, but CeCe is asleep. I tried to wake her up.”
“Hah. She retired early. That’s fine. I’m glad you decided to join me.”
“Plus, I don’t know you and what you could have put in my drink.”
“You are right, but I am not that type of man. I’ll order you another drink.” He ordered another round of drinks and then turned his attention back to me.
“You are so beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I said, blushing. His forwardness caught me off guard. I felt his eyes roaming my body. I tried to pull my dress down an inch.
“I still can’t believe that you have a grown man as a son. How old were you when you had him?”
“I had him at seventeen. He’s twenty and turning twenty-one soon. That makes me almost thirty-eight. How old are you and where is your missus, Ayodele?”
“Twenty-eight, and she is nonexistent. The life of a bachelor suits me well. I travel a lot, and well, I haven’t found anyone that I would want to spend the rest of my life with.
“Why aren’t you wearing your wedding ring?” Dele asked.
“I was with Kadir’s dad for eighteen years, but we never got married.”
“Why is he not your husband? You have a grown son, and you’re not his wife? I never understand why you American women stay with a man for years and years and never marry.”
“We just didn’t. And he is not his real father. He helped me raise him. And that isn’t any of your concern. We loved each other and we raised a great son together and that’s it.” I tugged on my dress again and took a sip of the drink in front of me.
“I’m sorry if I offended you. I was just curious. Why do you keep playing with your dress?”
“I’m just fixing it.”
“I think your dress is fine. You are beautiful, and your body looks amazing. I can appreciate a confident woman.”
“I wish everybody did. All my son says to me is that I should start dressing like a mom.”
“I’m glad you don’t dress like a mom. And you’re his mom, but you’re a woman, too.”
“Thank you. That’s what I tell him all the time.”
“No, thank you.” He licked his lips and his eyes wandered up and down my legs again. This time he grabbed his chin and I felt myself staring back.
He told me he played basketball for France in the LNB and then was drafted in the NBA five years ago. He was on a few teams before coming to the Hornets.
We had three more drinks, and then he asked me to join him in his room. He whispered something French in my ear. I don’t know what the hell he was talking about, but it sounded so sexy. He stood up and towered over me.
“Why don’t you come up with me?”
I laughed at his aggressiveness. “No, I’m fine. Thank you for the drink. I’ll see you at a game.”
“No, come with me. I promise you we will just sit and talk.”
“I can’t. I have to get some rest. My flight leaves at six.”
“It’s only ten. That means I can have the next five hours.”
“No, because I have to get to the room before my friend gets up.”
“So you agree you will stay with me?”
“No, I don’t agree.” My mind was saying one thing, but my body was talking another language. It was speaking seductively to his. He paid our check and grabbed my hand and led me to the elevator. I pressed seven for my floor and he pressed nine. When I went to say good-bye, he pulled me back in for a hug and picked me up. He then let me down slowly and went in for a long kiss. His lips nibbled at mine.
“Look, you made me miss my floor.”
“Yes, because we’re not done conversing.”
Once we were in his room, his extra-large hands touched every single part of my body. Suddenly, my dress was up and his long fingers were forcefully inside of me twisting side to side. I felt a rush of pleasure. I grabbed his dick, which extended like a long snake down the side of his leg. When he took off his pants and unleashed his massive dick, I almost fainted. I didn’t actually think my body could accommodate him. He slowly pushed his way in, breaking down layer after layer. I moaned, enjoying the pain and the pleasure. Once he got all the way in, he moved in a way that made my insides climax numerous times. He knew exactly what he was doing and I was receiving what had been missing for so long. It became a competition who could satisfy the other more. He kept whispering I was amazing in my ear, but he was the one who was putting it down. In the moment it was great, but after we were done, I became petrified.
“Are you okay? Do you want something to drink?” Dele asked.
“No, I’m fine,” I said shyly. He had just seen me naked, but suddenly I felt like I needed to pull the sheets over my body. What did I just do?
“Okay, so let me just say this. If I see you at a game, you don’t know me.”
“Why do you say that? Is it your husband?”
“No, I’m not married. It’s my son. Let’s just pretend none of this happened.”
“I don’t think that is possible. I will tell him myself your mother is amazing.”
“You can’t.”
“I’m only kidding. Don’t worry, I’m not going to say anything. So relax. We are adults and both have long flights tomorrow. Let’s make the most of tonight. And tonight will be tonight and tomorrow is another day.” He got back in the bed and wrapped his warm, long arms around me. He fell asleep and I left the room.
* * *
I snuck back in the room just before CeCe awoke and I got right in the shower. When I came out, she was sitting up. “What are you doing up?” she asked, perplexed.
“I wanted to hurry up and take a shower, so we wouldn’t be late for our flight. You better hurry and get in the shower.” I sat on the bed and began reminiscing about my night with Dele.
“What are you over there smiling about?”
“No reason, I’m just feeling really blessed. Look how amazing life is. We were able to just get up and go and fly to another country. People can’t do that.”
“That’s true. Miss blessed, hurry up and get your clothes on.”
“I will.”
I never really knew how to keep a secret. CeCe knew everything that ever happened to me, but my night with Ayodele I had to keep to myself.