She's The One

I had become accustomed to the city’s night sounds since I was a child. The city was my home, and I had walked nearly every well-known inch since I had turned thirteen.

It was a warm night. I walked with purpose down the busy street. I saw the eager partygoers, most of them tourists. A local like myself could detect their bright-eyed amazement from a mile away.

I was dressed in a pair of baggy sweatpants, a red halter that showed off my toned belly, and a pair of sneakers. I had the body of a dancer. I was a dancer, but not the kind that gained critical acclaim from doing pirouettes, high kicks, or dainty floating jumps into the air and landing into some strong, beautiful man’s grip as he’d balance me perfectly.

I dreamed of that life, but the universe had been shitting on me since I was a child. I lost both parents in a car wreck the night of my thirteenth birthday. My maternal grandmother took me in for a few years before she became extremely ill and died. I was sixteen at that time and quite shapely. It was in my DNA. The women were stacked in all the right places. Additionally, I was a majorette in high school and regularly worked out.

At that time, the only person who considered giving me a place to sleep was my late mother’s cousin Annette. She was kind at first, but when she noticed her boyfriend’s wandering eye always gazing upon me, she began to despise me. It was as if everything I did agitated her nerves. I could not breathe without her sucking the film off her buck teeth.

Then things got worse when I told her that her man tried to join me in the bath, showing me his sausage. Even though she knew I wasn’t the issue, she wanted me to leave. Tossed my ass right onto the streets.

I refused to go to a foster home. I obtained a fake ID and pretended to be eighteen, and started dancing in nightclubs. Mocha Love was my stage name, and the men loved my innocent look. Hell, I was still innocent. But I had one hell of a teacher named Candy Redd who taught me how to own the stage and make those men shove all kinds of green into my sparkly bras and G-strings.

I chuckled. Four years had come and gone. At least I’m finally legal. I thought with a soft smile. My past often crossed my mind as I made my way to the nightclub. It was a high-end adult entertainment spot. It almost looked like a private residence for some wealthy person. And the only way anyone could enter the club was by invitation or by flashing a stack to the hostess.

I saw a group of guys approaching me. They all had those long daiquiri mugs in their hands, each with a different bright color. They looked like they belonged on the cover of an H&M catalog or even a Tommy Hilfiger ad.

The tallest one was all smiles. His white shirt looked as if he had spilled a few drops of his red drink on it. They were all talking at once until the bright-eyed one said, “Guys, quiet. My queen is approaching.”

My left eyebrow raised. They laughed, “Dude, don’t waste your time. She’s not interested.”

“You don’t know that,” he quickly fired back. He stopped in front of me, “Where have you been all of my life?”

I couldn’t help but smile. Not because what he said was so charming. I had heard that line several dozen times. I wanted to see what funny things I could add to my diary when I returned home.

“Hold this,” he said, and he pushed his drink into one of his friends’ hands. They laughed and teased him.

“You. Are. So. Beautiful.”

“Smooth, Dave,” said his friend, holding the drink, “not like she hasn’t heard that one.”

He placed his finger over his lips and said, “Shhhhh, Chance. I got this.”

He cleared his throat, ran his long fingers through his messy black hair, “What is your name, beautiful?”

I shrugged, “I’m on my way to work.”

“That’s a strange name.”

I chuckled, “My name is Aja.” I would give people that name. My real name was so old-fashioned. I was named after my great-grandmother, Margaret.

“I love it. I’m David, but my friends and colleagues call me Dave.”

I nodded slowly, “Well, Dave. It’s been nice chatting, but I really must go.” It was a Friday night. There were plenty of wealthy people in the city for the festival. On a night like that, I could bank a couple of stacks.

“Take my phone number,” he insisted, and immediately called out the ten digits as if I had razor-sharp memory.

Somehow, I called it back to him. He smiled. I smiled and went on my way. I figured if it was meant for us to be together, the universe would make it happen.

*****

This place was surrounded by an iron fence and took up nearly an entire city block. I strolled to the rear, where the workers would enter. A tall man dressed in all black stood at the gate, “Mocha, how are you?” he asked politely.

“I’m alright, Big T. I hope you are.”

He nodded and went back to his duties. I strutted with purpose. The courtyard was quiet. It was still early. I could see the lights from the various rooms within the mansion. The girls were probably getting ready for the rush of clientele that would visit that night to get an eyeful of ass and tits.

I made my way inside. A few servers were walking about getting their stations ready. I could smell all the wonderful treats being whipped up in the kitchen. Not only did the establishment serve the best drinks, but the food was just as good as any five-star restaurant.

I spoke to a few people as I headed back to get ready. The closer I got to the dressing room, the more I heard the voices before I got to the door. I paused, my hand touched the knob, and as soon as the door swung open, our eyes met.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up, you’re late,” she barked with one hand on her unshapely hip.

I looked at my Apple Watch, “Um, I’m not late. I'm not on the floor tonight.”

“You’re where I tell you to be.”

I scoffed, “Um, yeah, I think you'd better talk to Malik.” I walked over to my spot and put my bag down.

The other girls spoke in whispers. Some giggled. I could see her eyeing me through the mirror as she talked to another girl, “That bitch gets on my last nerve. Can’t tell me she ain’t fucking her clients to be pulling the kind of bank she walks out of here with.”

I smirked, “Who?” I asked.

The room fell so quiet, you could hear a rat piss on cotton on the other side of the city. She rolled her eyes and left the room with a loud slam of the door.

Caramela, nudged me, “Ay chica, estas loca.”

I chuckled, “If a bitch wanna play crazy, I’ll play right along with her.”

“Why does she hate you so much?”

I shrugged, “I wish I cared enough to ask.”

She chuckled. Her makeup was so pretty. She’d often do my makeup before I went to dance. She had a head full of thick curly hair. These big brown eyes and full lips. Her skin was soft, brown like Werther’s Original candy.

She stood up. Her huge breasts sat up nicely in the top she wore, “Do you want me to do your face, mami?”

I smiled, “I’m good, babe. I think I can handle it.”

“Okay.”

The door opened. I saw him standing in a nice dark gray suit, “Mocha, I need to speak to you in my office before you start,” he said sternly, then he left.

She looked at me, “Qué hiciste?”

“Nothing.”

“You think she said something to him to get you in trouble?”

I shrugged. She hugged me, “Everything will be just fine. If you need a witness, I will vouch for you.”

I touched her hand and looked at her through the mirror, “I appreciate you.”

She and a few others had left the room. I was about to get ready, but I wanted to get my meeting with Malik over first.

*****

I tapped on his door. He was on the phone, “Yeah, ah-ha. Sounds good. Okay, I have to get back to work.”

He watched me closely until I stood at the edge of his desk, “What did I do wrong, Mr. Devenport?”

He smiled, “Why do you have to antagonize Summer?”

“Me? She’s the one who started with me as soon as I stepped into the dressing room. And I don’t see why y’all still calling her Summer, when she looks more like sixty past winters.”

He shook his head with a laugh. He stood up and towered over me. Our eyes connected. He touched my chin, “Don’t let her keep you from securing the bag. You gotta plan, right?”

I squinted, “Plan?”

He scoffed, “Come on, Mocha. I know you don’t plan to do this shit for much longer. I know you’re stashing a lot of the money you make. I know Redd taught you right.”

I nodded, “I’m not confirming or denying anything.”

The best plan was the one you kept to yourself until you were already making the move. Even though Malik and I had an understanding and he was looking out for me, he didn’t need to know too much about my plans.

“Can you confirm if you still have feelings for me?”

I smiled and touched his bulge. I rubbed it slowly as our tongues danced. That’s why I could not get ready before meeting with him. I knew what he wanted. Every time I stepped foot in that club and he was there, I got to experience him. I undid his pants and found his rod through the slit of his boxers. The tip was wet.

He turned me around, slipped both hands into my pants, and pushed them down to my knees. I turned to him, “Condom?”

He kissed his teeth. I shot him a look. He stepped left and shuffled through a drawer until he found one. I heard as the wrapper was ripped off, he rolled it up his meaty, thick rod. I turned back to the desk and bent over. I felt his tip, then inch by inch until he was thrusting away at a nice cadence.

It wasn’t that I wanted to prevent pregnancy; I wasn’t stupid enough to think I was the only woman Malik was fucking at the spot. I was one of the youngest and prettiest, but I wasn’t the only one there who had a nice ass and big tits. Plus, Malik was easy on the eyes.

He was six feet two inches tall, all muscle, and his skin was this insane, rich dark brown. He was a mix of Guyanese and Creole. His hair was always perfectly lined and tapered around the sides. I would have loved to have given him a baby, but he already had a wife and kids.

He pulled the back of my hair up off my neck and showered kisses all over me from behind, “Damn, babe, you keep that pussy tight for me.”

I nodded. He was the only one I had been fucking since my first love moved away more than a year ago. Did he deserve exclusivity? No. However, I did not want to be with anyone. The dick was good, and I didn’t have to deal with all the duties that came with being married.

He felt me getting tighter. He was about to pull out, but I reached back and grabbed his ass, “No, don’t.”

He liked to pull out just as I was cumming so he could taste my nectar. My coochie lips were locked around his shaft. I moaned and panted for several moments as the energy surged through my body. Slowly, he withdrew. I felt his tongue part my crack. He sucked and slurped.

When he was done, I turned to face him. His right hand held his rod. I went down and opened wide. My hands cupped his firm ass. He thrust away, hitting the back of my throat. His hands were in my hair. He held tightly. He cried out. I felt it on my tongue. It oozed out of my mouth past my lips, down my chin. I stood. He wiped the sides of my face with his thumbs. “I guess you can get cleaned up now.”

I smiled, “Yeah.”

*****

My night began with a silver fox. His hair was mostly gray with a black streak on the front. His beard was also gray, and his mustache had quite a few black hairs. I had seen him a couple of times last month and wondered if he had started paying for another dancer.

He was smooth. He sat back in a leather chair with a glass of liquor in his right hand. He watched with his eyes almost closed. He particularly loved it when I turned around and made my ass cheeks clap.

When the time was up, he stood, placed a few hundred-dollar bills under the glass, and left.

Then there was a Lesbian couple, later a man in his late thirties. Shortly after, a couple of ball players, and later a rapper. They all left good tips. I counted $1500 at the end of the shift. I was in the dressing room preparing to leave. I shoved that money into a secret compartment inside my purse. I kept ones and fives out just in case someone asked for money. And I had a few twenty-dollar bills to tip out my colleagues.

I was alone when she walked in. “How much you make tonight?” she asked as if she were my pimp.

“150.00.”

Her lips turned over, “Girl, I know you didn’t fuck all those people for a mere $150.00. You can’t expect me to believe that.”

“I expect you to mind the business that pays you.”

“You know what, you lil skinny ass heifer, I can’t stand you. Ever since you came walking your ass up in here, you've been acting like your shit don’t stink. I was the top dancer in this club, pulling more money than you can ever imagine every night. And I damn sure did not come off no ass for less than $300.00.”

“Then what happened?” I asked.

Inquiring minds had to know why that winch was in a club still holding on to a fantasy that no longer existed for her if she stacked so much paper in her day. If she were smart, she would have been like my teacher Candy Redd, who had retired more than a year ago.

She nearly gasped and folded for a moment. Then she pointed at me, “I don’t have to explain myself to you. All I know is that you better tip the fuck out and start right here with me. I want my cut. $150.00, because I know you made way more than that.”

“Cut for what?”

“For not whipping your ass.”

My head tilted. I stared at her until it became uncomfortable. The door opened. Malik spoke, “Mocha, I got one more for you before you leave.”

I didn’t move. He walked up to us, “What’s going on?”

“I think Summer was about to whip my ass or something like that.”

She chuckled uncomfortably, “I didn’t say that.”

“You can go home for tonight, Summer. And tomorrow night as well.”

“Malik? Wait. Why? Mocha knows that I was just joking around.”

Malik looked at me, “Go ahead, Mocha. Your client is waiting. I need to talk to Summer for a minute.”

*****

Can’t a bitch just leave in peace? I wondered. One more? Like, he could not put anyone else on it. I walked into the room and saw a man sitting in the chair. That hair.

I stepped around and saw him. His green eyes lit up, “Aja?”

“No one calls me that here. I’m Mocha Love.”

He shook his head in disbelief, “So, you work here?”

“Yeah. Are you still wondering where I’ve been all your life?”

He nodded, “I am.”

I started dancing. He watched closely for a while and then stood, “Aja?”

I stopped, “You have to follow the rules. Sit and behave.”

“I just want to talk.”

I pushed him into the seat and straddled him, “You don’t get to talk. I’m the boss in here.” I grabbed his face. “Understand?”

Like a kid being scolded, he nodded. He was working with something. I felt it through his shorts. I had never gotten that close to any client in the room. I didn’t know why I was letting my guard down with Dave.

“You don’t have to do this, Aja. You could be so much more.”

I chuckled, “You wanna save me?”

He smiled, “I would love to.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

I looked at the time. He had five minutes remaining. His hands cupped my ass. My left eyebrow raised, “Come to Connecticut. I can help you find a job. You can go to school. Maybe become a nurse or something.”

“I’m already in school studying to be a holistic healer.”

“That’s good.”

That was the first time I had told anyone that I was in college. I had kept most of my life private. The timer went off, I got off his lap, “Thanks, Dave from Connecticut.”

He was about to tip me. I shook my head.

*****

Finally, I was done. I washed up, put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I walked outside. It was mostly chill on the block. All I had to do was walk to where I had left my car parked so I could drive home.

As I was on my way to the car, I saw a man puking into a trash bin. It happened at times. Tourists didn't know how to pace themselves. Normally, I would have kept walking, but I recognized him. Our eyes met. I reached into my purse and handed him a wipe.

He cleaned his mouth. “God, I think I drank too much.”

“Obviously.” I looked around, “Where are your friends?”

“They went back to Chance’s father’s house in the Garden district to party some more.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?”

“I was waiting for you.”

I sighed, “Okay. Interesting.”

“I’m in a hotel on Canal Street anyway. Chance is staying with his dad. Marty and I are at the hotel.”

He told me the name of the hotel. I decided to walk with him. It was insane. What if he tried something? And why was he so trusting? If I were dirty, I could have gone to his room and robbed him blind. Some strippers would do such a thing.

Yet, I took him to his room. One bed had an open suitcase with a pile of clothes strewn about. I helped him get undressed and into the shower, trying not to look at his nice build.

“I hardly know you, and you’re already seeing me naked,” he joked.

The cold water sobered him up a bit. “Well, you’ve seen me half naked, and I practically rode your dick at the club, so.”

He laughed. I handed him a towel. But he was not shy about letting me see what he was working with. He dried himself slowly.

“You’re nuts, you know that, right?”

“I am. I don’t know why. I just feel like we are meant to be together.”

I shook my head in confusion, but I could see that he meant what he said. “You’re not a crazy stalker?” I asked.

“No. I mean, but would I say it if I were?”

I nodded, “Right. I should go.”

“Or you could stay.”

“And do what?”

He shrugged, “I can get to know you. Tell me more about yourself.”

“How about you tell me more about you?”

His face lit up. He ran over to the bed and plopped down. His hand patted the other side, “Have a seat.”

There I was lying next to him listening to him respond to questions, “What’s your last name?” I asked.

“Roblis.”

I nodded, “Okay, I knew I detected something.”

“My dad is Venezuelan. My mom is from Georgia. They met when he first started his practice in Atlanta.”

My head tilted, “Don’t tell me you’re from Georgia.”

“Yeah, why is that bad?”

“Ugh, you’re a Falcons fan.”

He grinned, “Come on, that shouldn’t stop us from being friends.”

“Is that what you want, Dave? To be my friend.”

He touched the tip of my nose, “I’d like to be more than that, but I’ll take friendship over nothing.”

I blushed.

“Ahhhh, I see I’m starting to win you over.”

“I’m becoming more intrigued.”

And with each passing minute, I felt more comfortable. David Miguel Roblis grew up in the Atlanta area. After graduating from high school, he attended a prominent university in New Orleans. That’s how his friendship with Chance and Marty began.

He finished school, then got a job in Greenwich at a hospital working as a surgeon. He had two younger twin sisters. He showed me pictures of them.

“Wow, gorgeous. Are they identical or fraternal?”

“Fraternal, but everyone thinks they’re identical.”

They had long cascading waves of jet black hair. They had the same hazel colored eyes as David. He pointed to the one on the right, “Julietta is shorter than Gloria.”

He tossed his phone onto the other bed. “Brothers or sisters?”

“Only kid.”

“Parents?”

“Died in a car accident.”

His face sank. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, it was a pretty dark time. I often wonder what my life would look like had they not been taken from me so soon.”

“You weren’t abused or anything like that.”

I shook my head, “No, thankfully, I managed to avoid it. Honestly, other than not really having a family, my life is mostly chill. I don’t bother anyone, and no one bothers me.”

“I could be your family. You need someone who cares about you. Someone to worry about you.”

I sighed. Maybe he was right. I nodded, “You don’t know me well enough. Besides, I’m sure your family will object to you shacking up with some black girl who strips in the Quarter.”

He did not deny it. The reality of what I said sank in. I chuckled, “Don’t feel sorry for me, Dave. I’m okay with my life. Let’s just make the most out of tonight.”

And with that, he leaned in swiftly and kissed me like we had been lovers for years. He pulled me onto him. My shirt lifted over my head and fell by the side of the bed. His hands squeezed. He pulled me in for another long, passionate kiss while maneuvering my pants to the side.

I felt him enter my wet place, and we hummed. “I shouldn’t be doing this,” I said.

He played in my hair as I leaned into him, feeling his love stick drill my center wonderfully. I sat up and took control, moving my hips rapidly. “Oh god, fuck, yes! Yes! Aja!”

I slowed down. I started vibrating. My head fell back slightly. I grabbed my breasts and moaned. Before I knew it, I was on my back. He pulled my shorts off and tossed them. He studied me for a few minutes before pressing his way back inside, and Dave fucked me like he meant business. And his mouth got so nasty, “Si, si, te gusta, right, Mamita.”

I nodded, “Yes. I fucking love it.”

“How much?”

“A lot.”

“I can’t hear you.”

“I love it.”

“I don’t believe you. Say it louder.”

“Fuck, Dave, I love it. I love it so much. Fuck me so good!”

He went a little slower and pushed balls deep. He spilled his cum into my yoni as he panted softly.

****

Sunrise did not wake us up. It was the sound of his cell phone. He grunted and stretched. He left the bed and grabbed his phone, “Yeah, dude, I’m cool. I’ll see you guys later.”

He watched me get out of bed. He walked over to me, “Where are you going, beautiful?”

His kisses rained from my mouth to my breasts, until he was down on his knees, having breakfast and lunch. My heart raced with each minute until my knees buckled.

He stood wiping his mouth, “Spend the rest of the day with me. I leave in the morning.”

“By day, you mean the next few hours or so—”

“I mean, until the morning. Call out sick.”

I nodded, “Okay.”

*****

That phone conversation with Malik was quick. He wanted to check on me, but I assured him it was not necessary. I was more than fine. I was in a shower getting my back blown out by a model-looking doctor with a huge stick.

After getting cleaned, we went downtown for a little retail therapy. He bought me a few things, and I got changed so we could meet up with his friends at Chance’s father’s house.

***

The house was enormous. We walked around to the back where we heard the music. There were people around the pool. Chance greeted me with a hug, “I can’t believe you gave this goof a chance.”

I chuckled, “It was worth it.”

Dave smiled.

“Come, have a drink,” Chance said to us.

After several drinks, I went inside to get changed. Chance led me to a room. “You can use this room. It’s my dad’s office.”

I looked around. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s cool. Meet us outside when you’re done.”

How could one not be nosy in a huge office lined with books? His father must have been loaded, but they were all from wealthy families. They didn’t have the cares of poor folk.

I spotted a picture on the desk. A black woman, a white man. I paused. he looked so familiar. I stared even closer. I imagined him older with gray hair. It was him. The silver fox.

I got dressed quickly and left the office.

*****

I sat on the side of the pool with my hair pulled up in a messy bun. Dave stood between my legs. The cross he wore around his neck glistened in the sunlight.

The music went low, “Everyone, these are my parents, Clarice and Henry.”

We waved. His eyes met mine briefly, and he looked away. His wife offered us cookies she had picked up from the store. I took one from the box, “Oh, look at you, so pretty,” she said to me with a smile.

White chocolate macadamia nut. I took a bite and placed the rest in Dave’s mouth. When night arrived, we prepared to leave. I went inside to use the bathroom. I ran into Henry, who stopped me in the hallway.

“Are you?”

“Who?”

He chuckled, “I’ve never cheated on my wife, I just—”

“What happens at the club, stays there.”

He nodded, “Thank you.”.