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Ryan decided to
be cool with his lady visitor. What the heck? He was home. He could just chill and be company to her until her friend was ready to leave. Whatever happens, happens became his thinking.
And on that note, he couldn’t stop thinking about his boy scoring behind the wall of the couch Ryan plopped down on.
Fuck it.
“You wanna have a seat?” he asked.
Kennita let out an exasperated sigh.
Ryan sat on the couch, on the furthest cushion. “Come sit down with me?”
She looked around the thick-carpeted living room, seeing the comfortable chairs, a coffee table, a big screen television on a broke-down wooden stand. Attached to the TV and on the floor in front of it were an X-Box and a DVD player, with games and movies askew on the floor. Young men, she mused with her lips curled, playing games.
Kennita sat as far away as possible. She chose a chair on the left, back to the kitchen’s wall, directly across from the strange man.
Although neither said anything, they both could smell the weed coming from the other room.
The realization of what this night was about hit Kennita hard. She was just now understanding that Wanda was going to screw that night no matter what and leave her to be with a guy expecting the same.
She’d listened to Wanda’s sex stories, of jumping in bed with guys she just met-having more one night stands than a Stewart Avenue hooker. Wanda loved sex as much as Kennita adored romance. Kennita wasn’t mad at her for her lifestyle, to each her own and all that. But, damn it, Kennita did not want to be in some man’s apartment she didn’t know and be expected to put out.
Her foot bounced from her crossed legs as the anger in herself built. This is so fucked up, she was thinking.
“Kennita, you want something to drink or anything?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, I am fine.”
Yes you are. A fine bitch.
Ryan was sorry he thought of her as a bitch. He could sense a touch of sadness about her. He could tell she was spewing venom because of a hurt; the kind of hurt a man brought on. And in that instant Ryan decided she was worth the time, the patience it would take to just be her friend. She was that sexy.
He zipped into the kitchen and grabbed a cold one and popped its top off. He came back in swallowing a long gulp.
“Please don’t drink that.” Kennita said.
“Pardon,” Ryan said; his eyes wide and in an English accent.
“Please don’t get drunk while I am out here.”
“I’m not trying to get drunk. Just having a beer to chill.”
“You need a beer to chill?”
“Yeah, sitting out here with you, I need it.”
She turned her head, catching herself from telling the man what to do in his own living room. But so wished he wouldn’t get drunk. She didn’t know him that well and she knew he was horny.
“You sure you don’t want one to chill with?”
“No, thanks.”
Those nice eyes rolled away from Ryan yet again.
“You don’t like Heineken?”
“No. I don’t drink beer. Are you even old enough to have a drink?”
“Yes I am. Thanks for your concern.”
She cut her eyes away from him. “You smoke weed too, I bet.”
“Use to. Before I cracked my ribs. Now, the breathing ain’t right.”
She nodded knowingly.
“What?” Ryan asked.
“Oh nothing.”
“So, what, you saying you know me now?”
“No.”
Al came out in baggy shorts and a black wife beater and walked by swiftly.
“Damn, can you two sit further apart? Freaks.”
Kennita and Ryan hear clanking and tapping. They don’t see it, but he is standing at the stove, watching the oil in a pot of water until it boils. He then came back by them carrying the bottle wearing an oven mitt. His other hand had slices of bread, a cucumber and a banana.
Kennita and Ryan looked at each other. It was their first shared moment.
“Wow,” Ryan said.
“I don't even want to know,” she said.
“Your friend is off the chain.”
“You think your friend ain't when he is?”
She giggled shaking her head.
“At least I see that you can smile. Nice.”
She sobered. Don’t give him an in...
Ryan decided to get her to talk.
“So, tell me all about Kennita. I know you don’t play games, don’t drink beer, and that you are not comfortable with this.”
“You said my name.
“It is yours right?”
“Most people chop it off, like they are scared to try and pronounce it. Rude.”
“Yeah. But I like Kennita though.”
“Thank you. Well, I am a true Aries, hard-headed and stubborn but very passionate and true and loyal.”
“Interesting combination you got for a personality.”
“That’s right.”
“So what you do with yourself?”
“I spend most of my time with my family. I like going out with friends. I like reading. I enjoy going to the movies, watching television, especially reality shows. I am hooked.
“They kinda dying down now. I miss sitcoms.”
“I don't. Not one bit.”
“What? Don’t you love to laugh?”
“But they were all the same, same stories and stuff.”
“Which is your favorite reality show?”
“50 and Mo’Nique. Love it. Oh my God, that show is so damn funny without trying to be.”
“Never seen it. They not the kind of couple I am trying to look at. I can’t believe he married her.”
“They make a nice couple. It comes on tonight.”
“Really? And you trying to see it?”
“Well? I understand I am out...”
“You keep trying to act nice, and maybe we can watch it.”
“Oh really now? Is that how it goes?” She bounced a sexy foot, head turned away from the good-looking young man. Yes, she noticed he was sexy, but she didn’t want to.
Ryan took hold of the remote and fell back on the sofa cushions and sighed.
Ryan’s facial expression changed from a displeased to a frown instantly. He sat forward on the couch.
“What?” Kennita asked.
“You hear that?”
“What? Hear what?”
The sound of skin hitting skin was erotic and nerve rattling for Ryan. The moans were one thing, but that sweet noise of love being made was another.
Ryan tried not to think of his boy mashing the slim honey. He didn’t need those thoughts while dealing with this honey, and then he’d look at his visitor and her stirring figure would revive him. Just then she crossed her ankles innocently and caught his full attention. Her sandaled feet looked soft, dainty, her skin tanned and smooth. He looked up her legs. Even in sitting, those hips of hers looked inviting.
He admired her elegance, her delectable femininity.
Fight it, Ryan told himself, and don’t think about how good and soft her boobs look. Not to think about her hot, soft little mouth so close to you. Don’t think about that sweet and soft-looking tongue of hers when she licks those soft lips either.
Kennita took a deep breath. The silence among them was bothering her. She felt like snatching his beer bottle and throwing it at him. But why did she want to hurt him bloody? If she had any sense at all, she’d get up and walk away, but he infuriated her so much she just had to answer back. The awful feeling eating at her was the knowledge that she was beginning to like him for his independent thought, his way of thinking; the way of politely disagreeing with her.
While Kennita stewed, Ryan took advantage of her head being turned from him to admire Kennita’s legs yet again and grinned a little at her sexy toes in sandals. The pink polish went nicely with her doe skin-colored complexion. Her feet were so light skinned, and so damn sexy. And although he was a leg man, he just wasn’t into feet. But those legs were long. And curvy. Nice and thick. She had legs that were long, soft-looking and full. And that shirt she had on? It highlighted her best qualities without distracting from your overall natural beauty. It spoke volumes about her character. Godly, not worldly.
She would kill him for what he was thinking, what he was hoping would go down that night.
And then she looked to find his eyes on her and his mouth partly opened.
“Hello? Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
“I’m trying not to stare. You have nice legs.”
Kennita rolled her eyes. “Please, okay? You weren’t staring down there.”
“Fuck. I mean, damn.” He threw his hands up. “Sorry.”
“Well, you know, if I am bothering you then you can go in your room or leave.”
“I live here. I can be where I wanna be. You can break out, you know.”
“I do know. And I wish I could,” she snapped. If I left, and something happened to her...” She turned her head defiantly. “I just need to go home.”
A sudden thud silences them. They realized it was coming in rhythm. Someone’s head was being banged into the wall.
“My God,” Kennita, a look of horror on her face, turned back to the wall behind them that was all the separated them from the sexcapades in the next room.
“He is driving her into the wall?” Ryan shook his head. “No way.”
“My God,” Kennita repeated, it was all she could say.
“Damn, they having fun in that bed. He getting it good.”
“So, that is all you want, right?”
“No.”
She nodded, considering he was smart enough to lie. “But you want some though,” she said.
“I’m human.”
“Well, I don’t qualify.”
“You not human?”
She frowned in a smirk. “No.”
“You not!? You trying to...is you female?”
“What you think?”
“I think we in Atlanta. You can’t tell sometimes.”
“Well, if you can’t tell that I am all woman, then you don’t need any from me.”
“No, I don’t need any, but it would be nice.”
“Make that call. You can leave, go take care of it.”
“What call am I supposed to make?”
“I don’t care, just leave me alone please?”
“Shit, am I bothering you? Just trying to be cordial.”
“What is taking them so long?” she seemingly had ignored him.
“Maybe they are having fun like us.”
Kennita rolled her eyes and pushed herself up off the couch. She moved into the kitchen forgetting the guy in the living room with the change in the scenery. She stood in there, very lonely. She didn’t want to be a cock-blocker, but shit, this wasn’t her type of party. She took out her phone and texted Wanda.
Girl let’s go, she typed.
She paced a few steps backwards and forward before she decided look out the kitchen’s window. It was a nice view of college life, facing a wide courtyard, some of it obscured by trees. College life caught her attention, people milling around the campus, some in a rush, some strolling, but they all were getting the kind of education her mother wished she’d obtain.
Kennita waited a long ten minutes before her phone chimed the short tune she set for Wanda’s messages. She read:
How about u chill? Hav fun
She sighed.
She considered staying in the kitchen. Just sit in the window and watch college life. But after a minute she considered dude in there wasn’t too bad to look at, and he was trying to be hospitable.
She was greeted sarcastically by Ryan. “Hey, welcome back!”
“You got jokes,” she pouted with those delicious, soft lips
Ryan fell to his knees. “I just bought a new game for my X Box, you want to play? Come on, you can be the red car. Can you drive?”
She snickered. “Yes. I can drive. But I do not play games.”
“Oh, really now? I thought all women played games.”
“Funny. Can I ask you something?” she said.
Ryan hadn’t sat down yet, he was changing the game. He looked back and noticed her eyes were softer now. “Sure. But you don’t have to ask me that, just ask.”
“Sorry.”
“Naw, it’s good, you ain’t got to apologize.”
“Do you drive?”
“Yes.”
“Most of the people from New York I have met don’t.
“No need to up there.”
“I hear.”
“You never been?”
“Not yet.”
“You got to get up there. See New York in all its glory.”
“Yes, I plan to. I had a friend go and she loved it. Loved the millions of restaurants and the shopping.”
“Oh yeah. Maybe I can take you. Show you around. Escort you.”
“You have a car?”
“Not yet. But I am saving money to buy me a truck. I want an Excursion. Can’t buy a new one, so I want a nice used one.”
“Oh, I know someone that has one of them.”
Ryan shook off a pang of jealousy.
“Those are huge.”
“Yep.”
“You ready to pay for gas?”
“Bush will be out of office soon, the price should at least stabilize, if not go down.”
She nodded in his mention of worldly thoughts.
“You have a car?” he asked.
“Had one. It got wrecked.”
“No, damn. Did you get hurt?”
“My back was killing me for awhile. But I am mostly cool now.”
“Damn.”
“It was an older car,” she felt she had to explain. “And the insurance money was barely enough to use to buy a used one and I surely was not ready for a note on a new car.”
Suddenly, more sounds of sexual fun escaped from behind the wall separating the couples.
“Damn, they not finished, are they?”
“No,” Ryan sighed, “They not.”
And damn it, he wished they’d start.