A Night with Esteban

I didn’t hate Mondays, but that Monday felt weird. I stared at the inside of my safe. Half of my savings were gone. Slipped into a bag like I was about to pay for a brick. “Damn you, Malik,” I said.

I shut the door. It was time to meet him at the club and later go off with Mr. Esteban.

*****

I guess he heard the angry click of my heels striking the floor. He met me at the door. I saw his lips heading towards me. I grabbed them and pushed his head back, “Here’s the money.” I shoved the bag into his arms.

“Come on, Aja, don’t be mad.”

“I am pissed. I’ve had all night to sit with this. You need to be smarter. And now, you got me out here doing this shit.”

He kissed his teeth, “Why are you acting so—”

“So what?”

“I mean. You're messing with me and that other dude.”

I scoffed, “So what’s one more, right?”

Suddenly, he repented, “I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying you’re sorry. It’s not going to fix anything. I love you. I love Micah. I thought you understood that.”

“So, what about that white dude you slept with a while back?”

“That was different.”

“How?”

“It just was.”

“I guess I just have to take your word for it.”

I received a text message, “I’m waiting for you outside in a black SUV.”

“Later,” I said before strutting off in a long, multicolored loose-fitting maxi dress.

****

I walked by the guard. I saw the vehicle parked. The window went down, “Hello, beautiful.”

The car door opened. Designer shoes. He was styling. His confident walk. When he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek, I could not help but get a whiff of his cologne.

“I’m not used to seeing you in clothes so—” he motioned with his hands.

“Non-form-fitting and less revealing?”

“Precisely. Yet, you look amazing just the same. Come, my darling.”

He walked me to the vehicle. The door opened. I got inside. He sat next to me in the back. The privacy screen blocked my view of the driver. There were drinks ready. He handed me one, “For you, Pace. It’s Colombian rum.”

I sipped, “So, you’re Colombian?” I asked with a rather judgmental look.

He shook his head slowly.

“So, what exactly do you and Emilio do? What are y’all involved in? I mean, drivers, private jets, and jewelry. Regular folks don’t just have money like that.”

“Why are you so distrusting, Aja?”

“I’m not distrusting. Maybe I just don’t want to end up with a bullet to my head for whatever you’re involved in.”

He exploded with laughter, “Ay, mujer, you have watched one too many episodes of Narcos. I promise you that not all Colombians are involved in the **** business. Some of us have money because we have legitimate businesses. Why the stereotype?”

“My apologies. I should not judge you without knowing you.”

He smiled. His hand lifted. He sipped from his glass. Then covered me with a sweet glance, “How old are you?”

I hesitated. It was November, which meant my birthday was close. Shit, it was days away. I was not in the habit of celebrating it. “I’m 20,” I responded.

“You’re not even old enough to drink.”

I grinned, “I’ve done a lot of things that I wasn’t of age to do.”

He nodded, “When is the big day?”

“On the 9th.”

“In two days. Oh my. We have to celebrate.”

He pressed the button and spoke in Spanish, “Let’s stop at the beach first.”

“I heard playa. Are we going to the beach?”

“Yes. I think we should get some sun; I have a beautiful beachfront out in Lake Charles.”

“And we’ll be back tomorrow, I’m assuming.”

“If that’s what you decide.”

He lifted the bottle. “More rum?”

Slowly, I stuck out my arm. I heard the cup fill. I sipped from the glass. Salsa music played softly. As we spoke. The three-hour drive would give me plenty of time to ask questions. Yet, I felt like he was giving me a therapeutic session.

“Why are you wasting your time with Malik? Isn’t he a married man?”

With a deep sigh, I replied, “It’s complicated.”

“How so?”

“It just is. Malik has been taking care of me. He looks out for me.”

“So, you trust him.”

“Of course I do.”

“Hmmm.” He said as if he knew something.

“I know you think I’m wasting my time, but it’s my time. And I choose how I spend it.”

“Doesn’t feel good to be judged.”

I scoffed, “You’re funny. If this is your idea of loosening me up before we fuck, it’s not working. I’m about as dry as the Sahara.”

“Sahara, wow. I guess I should do a little better.”

“Yeah.”

It was silent for a moment, then we laughed. I eased closer, “You never told me what it is you do? How are you so wealthy?”

"My parents were ranchers; they passed the business down to my brother and me. We’ve been running it with our uncle for the last three years.”

“And your parents?”

“My mother lives with my sister and her husband. She enjoys helping with the grandkids. My father had a terrible accident. He was thrown from a horse and fell off a cliff. Unfortunately, he only lived a short time after he sustained those injuries.”

I whimpered. How could I not? My heart was heavy. I reached for his hand, “I am so sorry. That’s terrible.”

His eyes watered, “Yes, but we have all managed. My father was full of life. He enjoyed everything. Almost too much, my mother would say. He wanted us to live as well.”

Since we were sharing childhood trauma, I felt compelled to share my story, “It was the night of my thirteenth birthday. We had a small party at my grandmother's house. That night, my parents packed all my gifts into the car and headed home.

I stayed with my grandmother; she had had a room set up for me since the day I was born.”

“Sounds like someone was spoiled.”

“A little bit.”

“So, what happened that night?”

“Accident. It was crazy. My mother would always call whenever she made it home. I waited for that call for an hour. My grandmother was watching the news about a terrible car accident on 1-10. She paced with the cordless phone pressed to her ear. I felt sick to my stomach. Then, about an hour later, an officer knocked on her door. She passed out before he could utter the words.”

He handed me a handkerchief. I dried my eyes. I felt lighter. I even told him about my grandmother and how I moved in with Redd and her son. How they became my family.

Of course, he had questions about Micah, which led to, “I suppose you have a thing for married men.”

I kissed my teeth, “You have jokes.”

“It’s just an observation.”

“Well, sir, I am a little confused about you and your brother, for that matter. There are an insane number of beautiful women in Colombia. Why aren’t you married?”

“It seems my brother is well on his way to being married.”

I nodded, “That’s right. Don’t you think it’s rather fast?”

He shrugged, “Emilio knows what he likes and Eliana suits him just fine.”

His hand rested on my knee, “Aren’t you happy for your friend?”

“I am. If she’s happy. I’m happy.” I smiled.

“Your smile is remarkable.”

“Thank you. It was the first thing your brother noticed about me when we met a while back. He might have had a thing for me.”

“Are you jealous that he’s with Eilana?”

“No. not at all. I’m already balancing a lot with my two married men.”

He sighed, “Why play backup when you can be the star?”

“Because if I were the star, then I’d have to worry about women like me.”

We chuckled.

“Not all men cheat.”

“The majority of our clientele is married men.”

“I guess I can’t argue with that.”

It was quiet for a moment. Redd’s words danced in my mind. At some point, I would have to leave Micah and Malik, but when and why? I was enjoying myself.

I felt my hand inside of his, “You could have happiness. You can be spoiled by a man who cares about you. Only you.”

I looked into his eyes, “What are you proposing? I thought you just wanted a night with me.”

“I fear that after one night, I will be unable to release the hold you’ll have on my heart.”

Slowly, his lips met mine. I pushed him back a little, “You are smooth.”

He laughed, “I’m only speaking the truth. I believe if you gave us a chance, you’d find that your desire to spend time with married men would disappear.”

“You seem certain of that.”

He smiled just before pressing his soft lips to mine again. His hand touched my cheek. His tongue in my mouth. Slowly, he traveled down the right side of my body. His hand slipped between the buttons. He found a puddle in my center and whispered, “I see the desert has become an ocean.”

“Um,” I moaned as he touched with tiny circles on my gem. More kisses. Slowly. In and out, feeling me get wetter by the minute. Then he had me lie back.

I watched him. My hand played in his hair. My chest caved in. Then my back arched. My hips lifted. How was his tongue so long? He played with my button while kissing and jabbing at my center with his tongue. I trembled and attempted to push his head back, “Esteban, nooo, waaiiiii— ahhhhhh!”

His face glistened with my nectar. He licked his lips and said, “You taste perfect.”

*****

It was cool. I loved how the wind blew just so. In a few hours, the sun would set, and there we were walking along the beach with the sand between our toes. He stopped and stared at the water, “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” he asked me as he pulled me in front of him and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“It is.”

I had not been to the beach in so long, I forgot that it was something that I loved doing with my parents. I smiled. He kissed the top of my head, “I grew up in Medellin near the Caribbean Sea.”

“Is that where your business is? Why are you here in Louisiana?”

“Our uncle does most of the business transactions. We are free to enjoy some pleasures of life. I recently acquired several businesses in New Orleans to include buying the club.”

My head tilted, “The one where I work?”

“That very club. You no longer have to work.”

“In exchange for what?”

He lifted my chin, “I want you, Aja.”

I was stuck. What should I say? As much as I wanted out, I was struggling with letting go, “I don’t know. Can I think about it?”

“Aw, here it is, I thought we were connecting.”

I held his hand, “We are. I just don’t want to move too fast. I like you. I do.”

He smiled, “I like you too.”

*****

The night’s air was cool. It was the perfect contrast to the bubbling hot water we sat in outside on the patio in the jacuzzi. The stars sparkled against the black sky. I sipped from my glass, then poured the rest into his mouth before kissing him. He felt so good inside of me, and he knew it.

He saw the passion on my face as I rode him slowly, savoring every inch. I paused and tightened everything below, “Oh my god, shit.”

He grinned, “You’re enjoying yourself.”

“Um, hmmm.”

“Does this mean I’m closer to a yes?”

I smiled devilishly, “Definitely closer.”

*****

Free will. The ability to make choices. It was midnight. I pressed his way inside, “Feliz Cumpleanos, mi preciosa.”

My legs were wrapped tightly around his waist, “Oh my god, fuck, babe.”

He drilled even deeper. I could hear my yoni flooding. He loved the sound. His skin was red. Our bodies burned with uncontrollable desire. We had been laid up in that house for days fucking like rabbits in heat.

I lost track of Malik. I lost track of Micah. After day two, I started to realize they were not really my concern. I had something. I had someone, and he was all mine.

He burst inside of me, panting. We commenced kissing for a few moments. Then he rolled off to my right and touched my belly, “I forgot to ask.”

“I'm on birth control.”

He nodded, “Do you want kids?”

“One day. I suppose. I guess I never really had to think about it.”

I sat up, “I should go shower. We have to get back at some point.”

“Back to what?”

“New Orleans.”

“Are you sure you aren’t running back to your married men?”

“I'm not running back to them, but I do feel like a conversation will need to take place.”

He reached for my hand and pulled me back to lie next to him, “We can leave in the morning.