The Man of The Hour

A NOVELETTE

K.F. Johnson

Copyright © 2021 by K.F. Johnson

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em- bodied in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organiza- tions, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

One Ironwoman Publishing

Grayson, GA 30017

Cover Art: NiceCovers-kt

ISBN : 978-1-954469-06-8

CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

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About the Author

Prologue

I was already having a bad day, and it was gradually getting worse. My restaurant was hemorrhaging money, my partner and I were in our umpteenth argument about why, and I had a headache the size of Mount Rushmore.

The crashing of glass and blaring sirens from the alarm brought our meeting in the back office of Eat Your Art Out to an abrupt halt. I don’t know what Trent thought was happening, but my first thought, was looters. I told him to pull the gate down over the storefront after closing, but he insisted on doing it when we left to avoid having to walk around the whole building to the lot.

Brandishing my 9 mm, I rushed to the front of the restaurant with Trent and his .45 caliber in tow.

“Damn it!” I yelled, spotting the bricks that smashed the windows of the dining area, and the culprit, brazenly awaiting my arrival.

“Ooooh! There you are Mr. Brian Andrews! I bet you can’t ignore me now! Bastard!” Rasheeda’s bobble headed ass screamed with the headlights from her lime green Mustang, illuminating her fire red hair and hourglass figure.

I contemplated shooting her, but Trent blowing out a headlight on the hideous grinch-mobile behind her would do for now. She screamed, and hurriedly duckwalked to her car, screeching backwards out of the lot. I sighed deeply, running the palm of my free hand down my face in anger.

“You know who the hell that is?” he growled.

“Yeah. A crazy ass broad I stopped messing with a couple of weeks ago. Rasheeda Benson.”

“Well, that crazy bitch just cost us a lot of money, and at least two or three days shut down for repair. We’re in a pandemic, Brian! Business is slow al-God-damn-ready! And now this? We can’t afford this kind of shit! Our insurance better cover this!” He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed 9-1-1 while scowling at me like he wanted to put hot lead in my ass too.

I was almost as mad at myself, as he was. Almost. I did everything I was supposed to do to properly vet this hoe for psycho tendencies. Ever since I was kidnapped and shot by a bitter one-night stand eight years ago, I’ve been painstakingly cautious about the women I bed.

No woman I bedded since my last girlfriend Nadia, had ever been to my house. I make it blatantly clear from the beginning that all I want is sex, and a good time, with no strings attached. Besides getting STD results from every vagina carrier I plan to smash; I do background checks too.

Rasheeda is a successful tax accountant, with everything to lose by acting an ass out here in these streets. Her dating profile claimed she only wanted the occasional use of a large eggplant to blow her back out. Nothing serious. Since she met my criteria aesthetically and otherwise, I volunteered mine.

After five months in rotation, I simply lost interest, and told her as much. It was that dismissal that apparently awoke the dormant psycho in her from its slumber. When ignoring her didn’t work, I just blocked the broad from every medium she had access to me on and went on about my business. And this is the result.

The last thing Trent or I needed was a demented fling wrecking our property. Ironically, the reason we were in the office late, was because we were brainstorming marketing strategies to recoup some of the profits lost due to Covid-19. June was usually one of our most profitable months, but so far, June 2020 was costing us more than we were making.

“Here,” Trent thrust his phone in my face after a brief conversation with the operator.

He cut his eyes at me in disgust as I rambled off her address and other details, turning my back to avoid mushing him in the face. Before the night was over, I had to tell it all again to two officers who arrived to take the report. Adding insult to injury, she victimized my Mercedes Benz too. I hadn’t noticed my car alarm going off under the sound of the alarm in the restaurant. My prized beauty sat on display with four flats and shattered windows.

I leaned against the building, massaging my throbbing temple, and looking at the damage this idiot caused me and my already flailing business. I was triggered by the similarities to the actions of a stalker I had several years ago, and Trent’s bitching and moaning in my ear, only solidified what was obvious to me.

I needed to get away from here.

Chapter 1

Cold beer in hand, I sat in my recliner while swiping through IG on my phone. Pictures and videos of me cooking, working out and promoting Eat Your Art Out, have gotten me a lot of followers and admirers. Thanks to social media, my catering side business has been popular and profitable enough to sustain the sometimes-extravagant lifestyle I’m accustomed to.

Scrolling down my timeline, I double tapped Lennox Ballard’s latest sexy photo and clicked on her profile to scan for any recent ones I may have missed. Within seconds, a message popped up in my DM’s.

Lennox Ballard: Hey Cutie. WYD?

Brian Andrews: Looking at your fine ass. WYD?

Lennox Ballard: Can you talk?

Brian Andrews: We’re talking right now.

Lennox Ballard: On the phone.

Brian Andrews: Yeah. Call me.

My phone rang instantly with a facetime call. My favorite type from Lennox. With any luck, she would be up for a striptease.

“Sup, Beautiful?”

“Nothing much. Lonely in MIA. What’s up with you?” Pearly whites fully displayed, I considered her seductive cat eyes, pouty lips, and signature faux hawk, sharing screen time with her voluptuous DD’s in a tiny bikini top.

“I’ve had a long day, honestly. I’m just kicking back, having a beer, a smoke, and relaxing.”

“You do sound stressed. That’s not like you. Want to talk about it?”

Lennox was a popular model, but mostly on IG, given her lack of height. Fun, outgoing and easy on the eyes, we sporadically shared conversations and a hotel bed whenever she was in town. We chatted superficially often enough and sexted on a late-night or two, but she didn’t know me well enough to know what was or was not “like me”; though she apparently thought she did.

“Do I?”

“Yeah. You’ve got this little line that runs between your eyebrows when you’re stressed. I haven’t seen you posting too much lately either. I’ve had a lot going on here myself lately, or I would’ve reached out sooner. How’s business?”

Alright. Maybe she knew me better than I thought. “Uh... it could be better. Staying compliant with social distancing guidelines means less customers served, and lower profits. It’s not a good time for restaurants. At least not ours, that thrives off customers interacting with artists drawing their pictures.”

“You’re a caterer too though, right? Looks like business is good for you on IG. People are always raving about your cooking on your posts. I haven’t had the pleasure myself, but the pictures of it sure look tasty.”

“Well, next time you’re in town, you’ll have to come by the restaurant and see.”

“Or maybe we can arrange something sooner. What are your catering rates for a party of one?” she puckered her glossy lips into a suggestive smirk.

“When are you coming to Atlanta next?”

“I don’t know. I was hoping you would be willing to come to Miami. It’s beautiful here. Look,” she positioned the camera so I could see the sundrenched turquoise sky and sandy beach backdrop before turning it back to herself. “This is a private beach side of the Biscayne Bay that’s part of the property. And the house I’m staying in is even better than a resort. There’s an oasis style pool, a theater room, and a huge modern kitchen that I know absolutely nothing about using. You sound like you need a getaway, and I would love to see you.”

I sipped my beer and leaned back in the chair. “That sounds tempting, but I don’t know about flying right now. I keep seeing videos of these anti-mask wearing assholes getting kicked off planes, and I already hate flying as it is.”

“I haven’t flown myself, since COVID-19, but everybody I know that has, says it’s virtually safe, and not that different, except the seat spacing.”

“Virtually safe,” I mocked.

She rolled her eyes playfully.  “Yeah. At least, as safe as being anywhere else in public wearing a mask. Plus, I’ve been tested because I had a photoshoot on South Beach last week, and I’m negative for COVID-19. My STD tests are up to date too. I promise, I’ll make it worth your wiiiild,” she stretched the camera out so I could see most of her bikini clad body as she palmed one cosmetically inflated breast.

I licked my lips and thought about how much I really wanted to get out of Atlanta to bask on a beach somewhere with a hot girl, who gives mean head. Lennox possess many bedroom talents, and being a skilled head doctor is one of them.

“I’ll check and see what flights are looking like tomorrow. If I come, I’m going to want to stay for a couple of days. You good with that?”

“Am I good with having Brian Andrews all to myself, for an entire weekend?” She grinned mischievously. “Of course. I’m actually shocked that you’re open to it. The “eternal bachelor” is going to take time out of his busy schedule to come see, little old me? What will all of the ladies think?”

“Not a damn thing. Who’s supposed to be telling all these miscellaneous ladies you’re talking about? I hope you don’t think I’m coming to take selfies and post on social media? If that’s what you’re expecting, I’m going to have to pass, Sweetheart. I don’t want you or anybody else to get the wrong idea about what we are. I thought we were just hav—”

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. I was only kidding. I’m not expecting you to take any pictures with me or to acknowledge that you’re coming to see me. All I’m expecting is good company, good food, and good dick. Are you okay with that?”

Relieved that she wasn’t turning into another Rasheeda, my previously evaporated smile returned. “I’m okay with that, as long as you’re okay with showing my mini-me all the gratitude your mouth can administer in payment for my chef services.”

“Have I ever been stingy with my lips?” she licked them seductively, then snaked her tongue around the rim.

“No, you have not.”

“Okay then. You check flights for tomorrow. Let me know your itinerary, and I’ll be there at the airport to pick you up. Deal?”

“Deal.”

I searched for morning flights when the call ended and used my frequent flyer miles to nab a first-class seat on the 10:30. There was nothing anchoring me to Atlanta for the next few days, so I was about to entertain myself with a baddie in beautiful Miami.

It took less than 15 minutes to pack for the weekend since I planned to be naked and balls deep in Lennox the majority of the time. I stood on the balcony of my second-floor bedroom and gazed out at the bright lights of the city of Atlanta in the distance. Georgia born and bred, I never lived anywhere else, but I was starting to wonder if it was time for me to embark on a new location.

I wouldn’t say I was living an unhappy life, but it certainly felt monotonous at times. It wasn’t until the pandemic initially hit in March, and I found myself quarantining alone, that I started to reevaluate my status in life. At only a few years from forty, I found myself thinking more frequently about settling down and having kids. The only thing stopping me is that I didn’t want to put myself out there again to potentially get my heart broken.

Granted, I was to blame for the demise of my last relationship, but that didn’t make its end any easier, or make it hurt any less. I regretted cheating on Nadia then, and I still regret it now. She was a saving grace for me when I was going through one of the hardest times I ever had in my life. It’s a hard pill to swallow, knowing I demolished everything I was building with her with one stroke in the pussy of a bitch I didn’t even respect.

Ironically, when I originally bought this house, I bought it for Nadia and me to live in together. Now, seven years after I last saw her, I’m still single as a dollar bill. Faking like I’m perfectly content, but really just too weary of these money grubbing hoes, and too protective of my heart to risk anything else. Mashing out my black and mild, I ran a hand down my face and went back in the room.

I fell asleep with the TV watching me and dreamed of sunny skies, white sand, and screwing a faceless woman in crystal blue waters as foamy waves crashed over us. I woke up with an optimistic outlook for my impromptu vacay and got myself ready to get the hell out of Dodge.

I took a rideshare to Hartsfield-Jackson and got through TSA in plenty of time to make it to my gate before boarding. It was taking way too long for this pandemic to be over. With everybody wearing masks, you can’t tell who’s pretty, ugly, acne riddled or missing their incisors.

The breakfast in first class was barely worth my palate, so I slept through half of the two-hour flight and watched old episodes of Seinfeld for the rest. There was a delay at the gate when we landed. While waiting to deboard, I texted Lennox that we landed ten minutes early. She had the nerve to say she was running about fifteen minutes late. Slack ass. I called my sister.

“Heeeyyy, Big Head,” she sang into the phone. “You’re going to live a long time.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Lane and I were just talking about you, and then you called.  Old wives tales say that’s a sign you’ll live a long time.”

“Ahh, whatever. I just called to tell you that I left for Miami for the weekend.”

“What? Why?”

“I just needed to get out of Atlanta for a minute and enjoy some fun and sun.”

“Oh my God, are you kidding me? It’s a pandemic Brian. Not the time to go on a vacation. Certainly not in crazy ass “stand your ground” Florida. What young bitch convinced you to do this?”

“Why does it have to be a young bitch behind it?”

“Because I know you, Big Brother. Am I wrong?” she huffed.

“No,” I laughed. “But for real though, I’m only going to be in one place the whole time here. Just me and her. No parties. No threesomes, that I know of. I’m being responsible.”

“The fact that you’re there at all, is irresponsible.”

“Last time I checked, our mother was dead, and you had a husband and two little ones of your own to nag. I didn’t call you for a lecture. How are my nephew and niece doing anyway?”

She blew out an aggravated breath and cleared her throat. “Driving us crazy. Ikey is losing his little eight-year-old mind because he can’t play with his friends like he used to, and Tiana has become the poster child for the terrible twos. I’m trying to feed lunch to both of these little jokers right now, and neither one of them are cooperating.”

“It’s probably your cooking.”

“Go to hell, Brian. It’s ravioli from the can.”

“Even worse,” I teased, finally starting to deplane.

“Shut up. So, Trent doesn’t have a problem with you going out of town for the weekend? I thought you had to quarantine for a week or two whenever you come back from domestic travel.”

“Psssh! I don’t know what Trent thinks. I didn’t ask for his permission.”

“Then who’s going to be the chef while you’re gone?”

“Eat Your Art Out is going to be closed for the next few days anyway. We don’t need a chef. And if we do, my assistant chef can handle it.”

“Closed? Is business that bad?”

“Yep.” There was no way in hell that I was going to tell Brenda about Rasheeda’s shenanigans the night before.

One, because I didn’t want to hear her mouth about the way I treated women; and two, because I didn’t want to upset her with worry. We were both victims of delusional stalkers before, and hers killed our cousin, Kelly. I just wanted to let her know where I was, not open up old wounds.

“Wow, B. I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully, it will pick back up soon. You want me to make a post to my followers to go check out your restaurant again? I released a new book on Monday, so traffic on my website and social media is up.”

“Nah, Sis. I appreciate the offer though. Don’t worry about me. I’m a grown ass man. I’ve got it covered.”

She sucked her teeth, “So you claim.”

Straightening my duffle over my shoulder, I scanned both sides of the terminal in search of a restroom and saw one on the right near Subway. Lennox never said how far her place was from the airport, and I didn’t want to be stuck in the car when all the coffee I drank on the flight caught up with me.

“Can I get a foot long, turkey and American cheese on rye, with extra mayo, light lettuce, vinegar and oil, please.”

I stopped in my tracks as I heard the sultry voice placing the order and pivoted 90 degrees.

“Brenda, I’ll call you later.” I ended the call before she could respond and approached the woman at the counter. “Nadia?”

Dark brown eyes peered at me over her black face mask with confusion, then recognition. The pixie cut she wore when we were together, had grown out long enough for her to wear it in a ponytail. Tight jeans accentuated the extra weight on her ass and thighs, and Gaaaaaaad damn, I wanted to squeeze it.

“I would know your voice anywhere,” I smiled beneath my mask, hoping she could see it in my eyes.

“What are you doing in Miami?” she asked dryly.

“Visiting a friend.”

“Umm hmm. Well, enjoy your trip,” she turned back to the counter.

“Damn, Bae. It’s like that?”

“I think we’re long past pet names at this point, Mr. Andrews.”

“I don’t see any rings on your finger. So, there’s still hope, right?”

She rolled her pretty eyes and handed her card to the cashier to pay.

“I got that,” I reached for my wallet, but she brushed me off and the cashier ran her card.

“No, you don’t. I’ve got myself. Nice seeing you again. Don’t let me hold you up.” Sandwich bag in hand, she grabbed the handle of her rolling suitcase and maneuvered around me.

“Hey, hey, wait a minute,” I chased after her. “Let me get that for you.”

She shoved my hand away, hoisting the strap of her purse up further on her shoulder.  I imagined the familiar grimace on her face beneath the mask as her eyes squinted with disdain.

“No. I’m good. Thank you, but no thank you. I’m sure you don’t want to keep your friend waiting.”

She sounded jealous, and I like that. She wouldn’t be so agitated about me coming to see a friend if she didn’t still harbor feelings for me. The way she occupied my thoughts as of late, running into her now, had to be fate. She wasn’t getting away from me that easily. At least, not before I got her phone number.

“Nad, come on,” I kept pace with her. “Don’t you want to catch up for a minute? Find out what each other’s been up to all these years? I do.”

I was acting like a certified lame and would deny it to the grave if any of my boys ever got wind of it, but it was a chance I was willing to take. She was walking fast as fuck, and before I knew it, we were exiting the airport doors.

Her chin up higher than a skyscraper, she was fleeing from me as if I was the grim reaper. Lucky for her, I wasn’t; because had I been, her next step, would have been her last.

I reached out with urgency, gripping her bicep and yanking her back, just as a car going too fast to be in an airport terminal, missed her. The woman already in the crosswalk wasn’t as lucky, as the car struck her, sending her reeling into the air before slamming down on the pavement.

Screams came from every direction as I held Nadia’s trembling body tightly against mine. As dire as the situation was, at least for the woman propelled by the Celica, for the first time, in a long time, with Nadia in my arms, one feeling was most prevalent.

Solace.

Chapter 2

“Thank you,” Nadia said as we entered the terminal doors again after giving the police our statements.

Thanks to the inexperienced teenage driver talking on their phone and driving too fast, the woman he plowed into was clinging to life by a thread in the ambulance. For that reason, traffic at that end of the terminal was now shut down.

Rideshares and drivers picking up passengers were rerouted to another terminal, which meant Nadia and I would have to go to the new area to catch a ride.

“It was a reflex.”

“Your reflex saved my life. So, thank you.”

“You know how you can repay me?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “How?”

“Can you take your mask off for a second so I can see that beautiful face I’ve been missing for seven years? I’ll go stand six feet away from you if I need to.”

Her eyes smiled as she stopped and tugged her mask down to reveal a smiling mouth.

“Gorgeous, as expected,” I pulled my mask down to give her the same courtesy ogle.

She tried to hide it, but she liked what she saw too. I mean, who wouldn’t like this freshly shaven face, with come hither hazel eyes, attached to this muscular body of Adonis? I might have lost a few chicks because of my mouth before, but aesthetically, I was a winner to everybody who wasn’t legally blind.

“Are you living here now? Or visiting?”

“I live here.”

“Are you still a nurse?”

“I’m a department administrator.”

“Oh, wow. That’s dope. Where are you coming from?”

“New York. My father passed.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah. We reconnected a few years ago and made up. I met his wife and my stepsisters, and it was good to have him back in my life. Now, because of Covid, I don’t have a father again.”

“Is that what killed him?”

“Yep. Complications from it. He already had a heart condition.”

“Your mom is still good though, right?”

“She’s the same as always. In church every Sunday and Wednesday like clockwork. What about you? How are Brenda and Lane? Julian? The restaurant?”

“Everybody’s good. Bren and Lane have two kids now. You know about Ike and Tiana is two. Julian’s the same ol’ same ol’. Running his salon and getting on my nerves,” I chuckled about my half-brother whose relationship with me was a little rocky. “The restaurant is alright. I’m thinking about venturing into something else on my own. Partnering with Trent isn’t working out to be all it was cracked up to be. I’ve been trying my hand at catering.”

“I can see that working for you.”

“I might even move from Atlanta.”

She nodded, glancing her watch. “Well, it was good catching up. Good luck with your restaurant, or catering, or whatever you decide to do. I need to get to the new pickup area to meet my rideshare driver before he leaves.”

“Yeah. Okay. I’m going that way too. So, maybe you can give me your number? You know, so we can keep in touch.”

“No. We don’t need to do that. Take care.” She pulled her mask back up and began towing her bag towards the next terminal again.

“Nad. Nadia?” I called catching up. “C’mon, girl. Why not?”

“Brian, what is this?” she stopped abruptly and turned in a huff. “You cheated on me. I left you. I haven’t kept in touch with you on purpose. I’m glad you’re doing good, but...”

“But Baby, you know I’m sorry for that.”

“I know you are, but it doesn’t matter. We’ve both moved on.”

“I haven’t. I haven’t found anybody as good as you since you left me. I’m a different man now. I’ve matured. I was so consumed with paying Gabby back for what she did to me in college, that I stupidly jeopardized what you and I had. I would never do anything like that again.”

“Aren’t you here visiting a friend? Knowing you, this fa-rend has a vagina. So, I suggest you focus on what you’re trying to build with her.” As if on cue, my phone rang in my pocket with a call I suspected was from Lennox.

“My friend, isn’t my girlfriend. And I’m not trying to build anything with her that would matter past this weekend. Look, I’m not asking you to get back together. I’m not crazy. All I’m asking is for your number. We were friends before we became lovers, weren’t we? I miss my friend.”

“Are you kidding me? I was good to you, Brian. No, I was better than good to you. Nursing you back from being shot, and from kidney surgery. Showing you that you could still love and trust a woman after what Gabby did to you, and you still shit on me.

“I bent over backwards for you, and you made a fool out of me by fucking your partner’s wife, your ex-bitch, behind my back, and then having me break bread with her at the restaurant. I don’t care if they had an open marriage or not. We did not have an open relationship. I didn’t deserve what you did to me and I’m never going to forgive you for how you broke my heart.

“It took me a long time to get over you,” she left her bag and poked me in the chest with her index finger. “A-long-time. So, no. I don’t want to “keep in touch with you.” In fact, there’s a slimmer chance in hell that I’ll ever speak to you again, than there is that I’ll win the lottery. Leave me alone Brian.”

She spun on her heels and stalked towards the terminal. I hated to see her go, but I loved to watch her leave. As angry as she was, I wasn’t going to push any harder... for now. I knew from experience that I would only make things worse if I did. I wasn’t done with Ms. Nadia Matthews though. I hadn’t tried to track her down in years, but now that I knew she was in Miami, I’m sure I could get her information if I tried hard enough.

Google was a stalker victim’s worse nightmare, which is why my cellphone number was private, and why I paid a pretty penny every month to keep the internet scrubbed of my personal info. Curiously, I hadn’t attempted to look her up on social media since we broke up, and she deactivated all of her accounts. But I was damn sure going to try again.

I looked at the missed call from Lennox on my phone and pressed her number.

“Hey! Where are you? I drove around to the other terminal exit to pick you up like you said, but I don’t see you.”

“I’m headed over there now. I told you, we had to give the police witness statements before we left.”

“We?”

“Everybody who saw what happened.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll be there in a couple of minutes. Cherry red, convertible Jag. I’m on my way.”

I ended the call and stopped at the restroom I never got to use before seeing Nadia. Now that I’d seen her, I almost didn’t even want to see Lennox anymore. Almost. I didn’t travel this far not to hit. Even if I was going to be envisioning Nadia’s face on Lennox’s fat ass, all weekend.

She drove up looking sexy as hell in a sheer blue crop top and cut of shorts. My steel rose to attention at the thought of what was in store for me as I got in, and she drove off.

“This Jag is nice. Yours, or a rental?”

“Borrowed. So, did the lady die? The one that got hit?”

“I don’t know. She looked in bad shape when they took her in the ambulance. The kid wasn’t apologetic enough for my taste. He kept saying she should have seen him coming before she stepped out. Another witness said he was on his phone. Either way, he was going too damn fast. Just stupid.”

“That’s terrible. Was there blood all over? Like, were her limbs all broken up, or her head smashed in? I saw a pedestrian get hit by a car once. It was gory.”

I frowned at her weird interest in the details as I searched IG on my phone for Nadia Matthews’ profile. Overlooking my lack of response, she switched subjects, but was more or less talking to herself the instant I found Nadia’s page. I half listened, with one-word answers, affirming grunts and courtesy glances.

She didn’t post a lot, but the pics she did post, made me wish I had been there with her. Photos in her car on her way to work. Of her French Bulldog. In swimsuits around a pool. At masked get-togethers with friends. In February she was ziplining somewhere in Costa Rica with a tall, ugly dude who looked like he couldn’t eat pussy right if he had lessons.  I hoped his absence in any pictures after that trip, meant he was absent from her life now too.

“Did you hear me?” Lennox tapped my arm.

“Huh?”

“I said, we’re here.”

I looked up at my surroundings as we drove down a long, manicured dirt road that led to a huge glass house. Thick floor to ceiling windows reflected the beaming sunlight from all angles of the house. A large body of water framed a beautiful backdrop behind it as we got closer.

“I told you, the Biscayne Bay is in back of it. Isn’t it pretty? It’s combed like a little beach area when you go down there. If it wasn’t so far out from the city, I would want to live here all the time. Wait till you see the inside. It’s fabulous.”

“I can already see some of the inside. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere where people could look straight through my house up close or from a distance. It leaves the people inside too vulnerable.”

“I guess that’s why he built it way out here. There’s no reason to be on this road at all unless you’re coming to the house.”

“Whose house did you say this is again?”

“Steve Anglin’s. A photographer friend I work with a lot. He’s still quarantining in his house in California. So, he’s letting me housesit.”

“Till when?”

“Till whenever,” she grinned coyly with a shrug as we pulled up into the circular driveway. “C’mon. Get out.”

I grabbed my duffle from the car and surveyed the palatial estate with an approving nod as I met Lennox at the front door. I could see a Siberian Husky stamping around anxiously behind it.

“That’s Bando. He’s Steve’s dog. You’re not scared of dogs, are you? He’s big, but he’s friendly.”

“I guess it’s too late now if I was, isn’t it?”

She smirked and opened the door. The dog whimpered excitedly as his tail swished from side to side and his nose brushed between me and Lennox. I pat him on the head and followed her up the stairs as he tagged along.

“I’ll let you put your bag down first before I give you the tour. It’s a big house, but there aren’t really a lot of rooms in it. They’re just all, huge.”

We ascended the winding staircase as she babbled on about the photos on the walls, and I watched her butt cheeks jiggle beneath the hem of her shorts.

“Spare bedroom. Spare bedroom. Linen closet. Office,” she rattled off, pointing to each room as we passed. “And this, is the master bedroom. Where we’ll be sleeping.”

“Oh yeah? Dude, doesn’t mind you sleeping in his bed?”

“Noooo. He’s barely here. Anyway, it’s not like I don’t wash the sheets. Don’t be so paranoid. It’s fine. Mi casa es su casa.”

I considered the opulent décor with a grain of salt. It was all expensive, but more gaudy than tasteful in my opinion. Luckily, the walls inside weren’t made of glass, but they were made so that the custom furniture matched the material perfectly.

Even the king-sized bedframe was made of some designer looking, dark plexiglass type material. A bed that Lennox must not have been a fan of making up. The sheets were ruffled, and the comforter was bunched up at the bottom.

“No reason to make it up when I’m just going to mess it right back up again,” she must’ve read my judgement.

I followed her out to the balcony where she produced a joint and a lighter from the tiny back pocket of her shorts. It was a different, and much higher view than the balcony at my place. I guess the vaulted ceilings and backyard on a slope leant to the second story being at least three stories high.

“You smoke?” she questioned, placing it between her pink glossed lips.

“Sometimes.”

After lighting and pulling a few draws off it, she passed the joint to me. I inhaled the marijuana a couple of times into my system and passed it back. She stepped closer, positioning her sexy body seductively, and leaned her elbows on the edge.

“Are you hungry? I ordered some Cuban food from Versailles. It’s the best in Miami. You do eat pork, right?”

“Yeah. I eat a lot of things,” I pulled her roughly against me.

She grinned lasciviously and licked her lips. “And you do it sooooo well.  Our lips touched, but I declined her attempted tongue slip by kissing her ear and neck. I don’t tongue kiss women I’m not in a relationship with. Period. My hand cupped her plump derriere as my tongue trailed down to her breasts. She tossed the joint over the balcony and leapt up into my arms, wrapping her thighs around my waist.

For a split second, I wondered if her disrespectful ass was going to pick it up later or leave a mess for Steve or his maid to clean up behind her. That thought was fleeting as I watched her fling her top off behind it and my lips found themselves suckling her full breasts as I carried her back into the bedroom.

I wasn’t about to hit this kitty raw, no matter how much I wanted it, and my condoms were in my bag. I released her petite little body on the bed and retrieved the box of Magnums. I shed my clothes before making it back and tugged her shorts off.

Getting on my knees, I planted my face between her legs and lapped at her throbbing clit until she orgasmed all over my face and begged for the dick. Imagine me giving her the rod without getting a blow job first. I rose to my feet, my pole protruding and summoned her lips to action.

I’m an energizer bunny, so I let one go in her mouth, then sheathed myself with the condom as it started to harden again. Doggy style is my favorite. Especially when I want to imagine my partner is somebody else. Face down, ass up, Lennox’s pink box dripped with desire for me.

The moment I impaled her, moans and pleasure filled cuss words flowed from her mouth. Emotionally disconnected, I thrust in and out of her for the simple carnal pleasure I’d been using willing bodies to gratify myself with for years. Every stroke inside of her pink abyss was another stroke of my ego as she wailed like I was the king of the pussy.

Two condoms and one hour later, we were in the kitchen feasting on Cuban food like savages, in the buff. She took me on a brief tour of the rest of the house before we ate. There was a movie theater, a game room, another downstairs office, what looked like a photo gallery, and a huge great room with oversized couches and chairs to furnish.

There was an engaging view of the property from almost every angle of the house. Especially the view from the balcony of the master bedroom that oversaw the oasis style pool below. The only pictures of the owner of the house were framed on the mantel in the great room. A 60 something white man with jewels in his ears, around his neck and on every finger; looking like a want to be 80’s rapper. The cluster of diamond rings on his fingers probably cost more than the Jag in the driveway, and I wondered how much pussy Lennox had to give, good ol’ Steve, to stay here.

I opened the refrigerator and scanned its pathetic contents in amusement. Juice, wine, beer, eggs, bacon, cheese, condiments, and take-out containers flanked the shelves. The freezer wasn’t much better, with only a couple of steaks, ground beef and ice cream inside.

“Are you expecting me to cook with this?”

“What? There are steaks in there and boxes of rice and stuff in the pantry. I figured you could order whatever else you needed. The grocery store delivers out here too. You know, rich folks have all the perks,” she said popping a fried pork chunk in her mouth.

Bando whimpered by Lennox’s feet at the island, begging for scraps. She broke a piece off and dropped it for the dog to devour.

“I doubt you’ll have the right spices and what not in here either unless this guy had a maid before you. I also know you better not be feeding that dog anything I slave over tomorrow. That’s what dog food is for.”

She shrugged. “I need to buy some. When he ran out, I just started sharing whatever I ate with him. He doesn’t seem to mind.”

“So, you order takeout every day?”

She shrugged again. A chronic response of hers that was starting to become annoying. She was good to look at, but wife material, she was not.

“Am I the first guy you’ve screwed the weekend away with over here? Or has some other guys balls been all over these kitchen bar stools?”

She threw her head back with laughter. “I’ve only been here a couple of weeks.”

“And?”

“And... no. That little sesh we had upstairs was the first one I’ve had in over a month,” she sipped pinot from her glass.

The bell chimed, starling Lennox into spilling her drink and drawing a barking Bando to the door.

“Who the hell?” she complained.

I chuckled. “Somebody is about to get an eye full. I thought you said nobody comes out here without a reason?”

“They don’t. You know what? Fuck it,” she sashayed her naked rump towards the door with an extra sway in her hips that momentarily entranced me.

From my position behind the island, I could see a lanky brunette peeking through the windows around the door. The door itself was probably the only thing on the exterior of the house besides the roof that wasn’t made of glass.

Lennox shut Bando in the downstairs office, then unlocked and swung the front door open with one hand on her hip. Her faux hawked head cocked to the side.

“How can I help you?”

She scanned Lennox with disdain. “Is Steven here? I’m his sister, Jana.”

“No, he’s out of town.”

“Out of town? Who are you?”

“His house sitter, Lennox.”

“House sitter?” she scowled giving her another once over. “My brother doesn’t use house sitters. Where is he?”

“Shouldn’t you know that already? Sissy.”

“Shouldn’t you have some clothes on? Lenny?”

Lennox snickered. “I’m a nudist. Steve doesn’t mind.”

Jana looked passed her to me, standing at the island, then back to Lennox.

“Listen, he’s not answering his phone, and I really need to get in touch with him.”

“He’s in California.”

“He came back from California a week ago, and that’s his car out front,” she pointed.

“Well, I guess he went back,” Lennox cocked her head to the other side. “And he lets me drive his car while he’s away. Perks of housesitting and everything. If he’s not picking up for you, I suppose that means he doesn’t want to talk to you. Good luck.”

She closed and locked the door again, strutting back towards me with a devious smirk, jiggling her ample breasts. Jana banged on the door and repeatedly jammed her finger on the bell.

“Wait! Wait! Have you talked to him since he went back to California? Hey! Hey! Have-you-talked-to-him-since-he-went-back-to-California? Has he called you?”

Lennox reached me and wrapped her arms around my waist.

“She’ll go away. Eventually. Let’s go do it in the pool!”

Chapter 3

We rendezvoused in the pool until we were exhausted, then relaxed in the lounge chairs on the side, eating Cheetos and drinking beer. It was hot as a heater in Hades, in Miami, but the breeze from the bay made it a little more bearable than the Atlanta heatwaves I was used to.

“So, is Lennox your real name?”

She took a sip and set the bottle down with a clink.

“What makes you think it’s not my real name?”

I sniggered and raised a palm submissively. I took a swig from my beer, already willing to drop it, when she sucked her teeth and said, “Lennandra.”

I nearly choked from laughter. “Lennandra?”

“How are you going to laugh right in my face?” she shoved me playfully.

“Hey! I’m agreeing with your name change, is all. You have siblings?”

“Why? Are you about to clown their names too?”

“Ha! Maybe. What are they?”

“Asshole. I don’t have any siblings. I grew up in foster care.”

“Oh, my bad.”

“It’s fine. I don’t miss what I never had. It taught me how to take care of myself. Everything I have, I got on my own. I may be pretty on the outside, but I’ve got a lot of scars on the inside.”

“Most of us do. You from here originally?”

“Nah. Texas. I’ve only been in Miami about 18 months.”

“I thought you said you’ve only been here a couple of weeks?”

“Here. In this house. But I’ve lived in Miami, longer than that.”

“And you’re paying rent for an apartment while you’re housesitting?”

She giggled and ate a Cheeto. “Hell no. That’s why Steve let me stay here. My lease was up, work was slow... and he offered.”

“His sister seemed really worried about him.”

She shrugged. “Not my concern.”

“Maybe you should call Steve and let him know she came by. If she’s anything like my sister, she’s not going to let it go that easy.”

She sucked her teeth. “I only call him for emergencies. She’s his problem. Not mine. Aaaaany way, do you want to go down to the beach? We’ve been too busy screwing for me to show you that part.”

“Yeah. Alright. Let me go get my phone and put on some shorts.”

“It’s private property. Nobody’s going to see us.”

“I know you want me free-balling all day, but I’m going to put some shorts on.”

“Okay,” she stood from the lounge, and I followed suit, with the neck of the bottle in my hand.

In the room, I grabbed my phone and slid on my swim trunks. Lennox slipped on a barely-there bikini top and thong while groping me on the way to pick up her own cell. I scooped her up by the waist and we play fought for a bit before she pried herself away from me and looked at her phone again.

“Hold up. I missed a call from my agent,” she held a finger up to me and placed a call with the phone to her ear. “Hey, Roman. Sorry I missed your call. I was out at the pool. What’s up?” she mouthed for me to give her a minute and walked out of the bedroom to talk.

I used the opportunity to stalk Nadia’s social media page. She hadn’t posted anything new, so I satisfied myself by doubling back over her older pics. I laid back on the bed while scrolling and made a decision. I pressed “follow” on her page, and inboxed her a message.

Brian Andrews: Hey Nad. I know I’m the last person you wanted to hear from again, but I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we saw each other. I know you hate me, but I still love you. If you ever feel like forgiving me, or talking to me again, my number is still the same as always. I didn’t save your life for nothing. LOL. Just kidding.

Lennox came back into the room, beaming like a ray of sunshine. She hopped on the bed and straddled me, snatching the phone from my hand and tossing it to the side.

“Guess what?”

“You’ve lost your damn mind by coming in here and snatching my phone?”

She laughed. “I booked a gig with Fashion Galaxy!”

“Okay. Nice.”

“Niiiiice? That’s better than nice. I’ve been trying to get in with them for over a year. My agent just called and told me that they want me to come and do a promotional photoshoot for the fall line.”

“Alright. Great.”

“The only thing is... it’s tomorrow.”

“What’s tomorrow? The photoshoot?”

She nodded, then clasped her hands together in prayer.

“Oh my God, pleeeease don’t be mad at me, but they want me to be at the shoot at 9am. I know we’re supposed to be spending the whole weekend together, but this is an important opportunity for me an—”

“Hey girl,” I flipped her on her back and hovered over her. “You don’t have to explain. I understand. Get your money. I can entertain myself while you’re gone.”

“I know but, I don’t know how long I’ll be out. It could be all day.”

“Lennox. I’m cool. My flight doesn’t leave until 2 o’clock Sunday. So, we can use up whatever time you have left over on Saturday, and some of the day on Sunday. It’ll give me time to have the groceries delivered and cook up a mouthwatering lunch, or dinner for you if it takes that long.”

She hugged me tightly, and we rolled around a bit before I got up and put her over my shoulder. She laughed while pretending to struggle to get down and I grabbed my phone. When we got downstairs, Bando excitedly circled my legs like a land shark. I started to open the sliding glass door by the pool when Lennox stopped me.

“Wait, wait! You have to put Bando up before we go out. If you don’t, we’ll be chasing him all over the beach.”

“Doesn’t he have a leash?”

“Yeah, but you feel like walking him right now? I thought we were going to hang out down there and maybe, do a little something-something,” she said as I set her on her feet.

“Don’t you have to walk him at least twice a day?”

She shrugged. “Not really. As long as the gate to the beach and the one to the front yard are closed, I let him out the poolside door to do his thing in the grass out there.”

Airhead. “Where’s the leash?”

She pursed her lips and left the room for a couple of minutes, then came back swinging the dog chain.

“Since you want him to come so bad, you’re the one that’s going to be walking him.” She tossed the chain to me.

Bando wasn’t well trained for dog walking. He dragged me and Lennox every step of the way down the beach and tried to drag us into the trees that obscured the house from view on the water. He got to relieve himself further into the walk as Lennox and I talked, laughed and rough housed with the frisky canine.

We played in the water and watched the sunset from the beach together as I thought about Nadia, and wished I was watching it with her. We sat out there for hours. Exchanging hilarious stories of terrible first dates, high school antics, and whatever else came to mind.

By the time we headed back to the house, it was too late to order groceries for me to cook, but not too late to schedule delivery the next day. Pizza was the choice takeout for the night. We watched a movie in the theater, ate, got shitfaced, and screwed all night until we finally slept.

“I’m leaving,” a heavily made-up Lennox in an orange tank dress and sneaks kissed me on the forehead as I stirred in bed. “I’ll call you when I get a break.”

I put the pillow over my head to drown out her voice. I hate being woken up for any reason that isn’t necessary, and saying goodbye to my weekend snatch, was not necessary.

“Not a morning person, huh?” she snickered. “There’s coffee, when you wake up.”

That was the last thing I heard her say before I drifted back off to sleep and was later awakened by Bando’s whimpering by the bed. I opened my eyes to his pouty little face and a paw summoning me to get up and grinned. Lucky for Lennox, I like dogs.

I made an omelet and bacon for breakfast, even though it was already noon. Contrary to my better judgment, I shared some bacon with Bando, since there was no dogfood for him. I checked my phone frequently for Nadia’s reply, but my tenacity was rewarded with radio silence.

Trent, calling my phone, interrupted my FB search to find Nadia’s page.

“Yeah.”

“Hey, yo. So, it’s going to cost $3600 to replace the windows, and the earliest they can do it, is Tuesday. Which means we can’t even think about opening for business until Tuesday night, or maybe Wednesday,” he groaned into the phone.

I sighed my response and ate a forkful of eggs. It is what it is. Whining about it wasn’t going to change the facts, and I knew the only reason he called me, was to whine. Yes. It was my fault, by way of a psycho broad, that we were about to spend all that money. You can bet your ass I was going to press charges against Rasheeda for the damages to the restaurant and my car. We would be reimbursed. Just not, today.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“I heard you. I’ll call Milton and get the process going to sue the broad for damages and losses. Easy peasy. She’s got money, and she’s going to pay a lot of it to us.”

“It’s not that easy to just call our lawyer and sue, Brian. We’re already struggling to keep our heads above water, and this added expense is pulling us down.”

“Trent. Chill out. It’s going to be taken care of.”

“Why are you being so nonchalant about this? This is serious.”

I leaned back in the chair and sipped from my cup of coffee, looking out at the pool. It’s no wonder he and Gabby had an open marriage, with how bitchy he could be at times. He’s lucky I picked up the call, knowing he was going to try to spoil my day before it even got started.

“Crying about it isn’t going to change anything. We gotta do what we’ve gotta do and move on. Once the glass is back up, we’ll reopen, and it’ll be business as usual. If you called me to let me know the cost that’s coming out of the budget, I hear you. I got it. If you called to lecture me, I ain’t got time today, Bruh.”

“I think we need to meet up today and finish the meeting we were having when your crazy hoe busted the windows.”

“Sorry. No can do. I’m out of town. Let’s schedule for Monday.”

“Out of town? Out of town where?”

“Miami.”

“Let me get this straight. Some woman busts out the windows to our restaurant a couple of nights ago, and you decided to go to Miami for the weekend? Where the hell is your head?”

“I’m not using company funds to travel, so what’s the problem? I needed to get away and decompress. So, I did.”

“Psssh! Wow. This is irresponsible. I thi—”

“Bruh, I gotta go. I touch back down on Sunday afternoon. I’ll hit you up then to decide what time you want to meet on Monday.”

I disconnected the call and took my plate and glass to the sink. I knew his ego was too big to call me back. I was feeling like going for a swim in the bay, and luckily, Lennox left a note that she let Bando out before she left; so, I could leave him in the house without guilt.

Towel and phone on the sand, I swam about a half hour longer than the hour I intended. I rushed back up to the house when I saw the phone notifications that the groceries were being delivered. The lady was already at the door when I got there, and without thinking, I opened it to take the bags in.

Bando darted out from behind me and took off straight towards the gate to the beach that I neglected to close.

“Ohhh shit!” I briefly debated between putting the food away and getting the dog.

I decided to help the lady unload the last of the bags from her car, and go after Bando once everything that required refrigeration was put away. Grabbing the leash, I rushed down to the beach and looked both ways. According to Lennox, it spanned a little over a half a mile in each direction, but I didn’t know what the span of that makeshift forest was.

Pissed at myself and the dog, I traipsed the beach, looking for him and calling his name. I was almost to the end in the direction I went, when the goofy ass mutt came galloping out of the trees towards me. Relieved to have found him, I started to ready his leash, but the big dummy collided with me instead of stopping.

The momentum pushed me back towards the water and knocked me down on the sand. My phone flipped out of my pocket and into the bay like it was on a springboard. Anger boiled as I scrambled to my feet and darted into the drink to retrieve it.

Luckily, the tide hadn’t pulled it out from where it landed before I got to it, but it was still wet.

“Dammmit!” I yelled, startling the big lug that caused the damage to my phone, and sending him back off into the forest. “Son of a bitch!”

I stuck my cell back in my pocket and took off after Bando with determination and anger fueling each step.

“Bando! Bando!” I hollered as I entered the forest.

His big, dumb ass was running back and forth around a bunch of fallen trees; barking, whimpering, and digging at the base.

“Bring your stupid ass over here!” I stalked over the natural debris and sand to get to him with a scowl and every intention on yoking the dog up by his collar. But the closer I got, the slower my pace became.

My eyes dropped to where Bando was digging, and particularly, to what was protruding from the sand beneath the cluster of tree branches. A hand. A hand with a gang of diamond rings on it that probably cost more than a cherry red Jag.

Chapter 4

My mind raced through all of my options as Bando and I walked back up to the house. I wanted to call the police, but my phone was dead, thanks to Bando. I didn’t have any idea how far it would be to walk to the nearest house, and most concerning of all... I was screwing a murderer.

I didn’t like the dog disturb the crime scene anymore than he already had, but I was curious as to how she did it. Did she shoot him? Stab him? What? And I guess Lennox wasn’t that hard up for money, since she left his jewels on him. She also wasn’t that smart either. By leaving his rings on him, and probably all that other jewelry he was wearing, they would easily identify his body, if it was ever found. Good grief. Why do I keep choosing crazies?

One benefit of it being a glass house, it that I could see Lennox in the kitchen as Bando and I approached. I didn’t expect her home this soon.

“How did the shoot go?” I asked as Bando and I entered through the poolside doors.

“Oh my God, so good!” she screeched, fluttering her hands in excitement. “The photographer liked me so much, he had my agent book me for another shoot he’s doing next month.”

“Oh. That’s dope.” I washed my hands in the sink, noticing that she put away most of the groceries that remained before I went to search for Bando.

“You two went down by the water, huh?” she asked rubbing my abs from behind, causing me to involuntarily tense up. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I think I might have gotten a little sunburn.”

“Oh,” she stepped back and rested her hands on the island.

I busied myself getting out everything I would need to prep for dinner while keeping composed. I didn’t even want to be here anymore, knowing that I was in the man’s house that she murdered. I racked my brain with potential motives, and without knowing either of them well, I determined it was probably to maintain living in luxury.

“You ready to learn?” I asked seasoning the short ribs.

“To cook?”

“No. To swim,” I quipped. “Yes, to cook.”

“I mean, not really. Unless you can make it sexy,” she flirted.

I forced a salacious smile back at her. “This isn’t really the kind of meal you can make, sexily. But I’ll try.”

“What are we making?”

“Braised short ribs with polenta and asparagus.”

“What the hell is polenta?”

“Are you serious?”

There she went with that God damn shrug again. “Okay. Well, I don’t want to get my clothes messy. I’m ready to put my back into it.” She pulled the tank dress over her head, revealing her bare breasts and a barely visible G-string. The next thing I knew, she was bent over and shaking her ass before dropping down and twerking.

I smacked her ass playfully and pretending like I was still interested in that killer pussy. I was going to have to stick it out until my flight was leaving on Sunday. There wasn’t a landline in this house that I’d seen, and with my phone on the fritz, I couldn’t call the police while I was here. I mean, Lennox had a phone, but when it wasn’t glued to her hip, it was closely within sight.

Not knowing how she killed Steve, I didn’t know what she was capable of, and I knew how dangerous a crazy woman could be. I’m no punk, so I wasn’t going to be shivering, or stuttering, or any of that bullshit that gives people away in the movies. Nah. I was going to play it calm, cool and collected. I’m sure that even my dick would play along, if it had to.

I cooked the pancetta and directed her on cutting the onions, carrots and shallots, while engaging in playful banter the whole time. Two and a half hours later, I was plating the food as she set the dining room table, at her suggestion. Chris Brown sang R & B through the surround sound speakers built into the wall to set the atmosphere she wanted.

“So, what did you do all day?” Lennox asked with a fork full of polenta.

“Slept, made breakfast, went for a swim.”

“Oh my God this is so-damn-good. You said this called, Pauletta? It’s kind of like, grits for dinner.”

“Polenta,” I chuckled. “It kind of is.”

Her fork dug into the braised ribs next, and for a beat, there was silence as we ate. A good sign that the food was too good to pass up for conversation. It was the one thing that actually brought me a little joy, while I counted down the hours until I could leave this psycho in the dust.

Lennox swallowed a mouthful and squinted at me suspiciously, waving her fork at me before speaking.

“How come you’re not on your phone?”

I drank some pinot and huffed. “Blame the damn dog. His ass pushed me in the sand and made my phone fall in the water. It’s not working. Dumb ass dog.”

“Oh, Brian, I’m sorry. Why didn’t you tell me? You should have put it in rice.”

“Rice?”

“Yeah. It’s supposed to absorb the water. You never heard of putting your phone in a bag of rice if it gets wet?  Where have you been?”

“As you would say...” I shrugged mockingly and laughed.

She smiled and took my phone with her to the kitchen, searching for rice and a baggie in the pantry. Of course, she didn’t leave her phone behind. I wasn’t going to do anything with it even if she had actually. I’m sure it was password locked anyway. For that reason, I just kept eating my food and drinking my pinot.

If this hoe killed me out here, no one would know where I was. The only person who saw me here was Steve’s sister, and she barely took a glance. I told Brenda and Trent I was in Miami, but not with who. I could be dead and buried in the sand back there for weeks before anybody found me.

I needed to get my life together.

“Did you miss me while I was gone?” Lennox cooed, leaping into my lap and startling me from my thoughts. “Why’re you so jumpy?”

“I told you. Sunburn.”

She looked over me. “I don’t see any sunburn.”

“I’m a darker brown than you, light skin girl. You can’t see sunburn on me that easily. But I can feel it.”

She shrugged. “Okay. Well...” she stuck her hands between my legs. “... you’re not too sunburned to screw. Are you? I doubt it. Let me see.”

She slowly slunk off me and onto her knees, dragging my swim trunks down my legs. She never lost eye contact with me as her sexy lips sucked me in like a Hoover. For the love of God, she had my toes curling up like escargot. Her hands gripped my thighs as pumped into her hotbox of a mouth.

She stopped before I could bust and shimmied my shorts all the way.

“Come on,” she ordered. Taking me by the hand and leading me upstairs to the bedroom.

She sexed me six ways to Sunday, literally and figuratively. I fell asleep against my true intentions and found out, that was exactly what she intended.

“So, you know.” I woke up with Lennox standing by the bed, and the barrel of a gun aimed at my temple.

“Know what? Why the fuck are you pointing a gun at me?”

She sniggered and cocked her head dubiously.

“I checked. You were acting weird when you came back from the beach. So, I put your ass to sleep, and went down to see if I had anything to worry about. When I saw your and Bando’s footprints...” she shook her head scoldingly. “Don’t insult my intelligence, Brian. This is private property, on a private beach. No one but you and me, have access to it. How’d you find him? Bando?”

“He got out. I found him digging.” There was no need to lie when I knew, she knew, I knew.

Lennox nodded sedately, combing fingers through her faux hawk. “That’s why I tried to keep him from down there. I wasn’t even gone that long. What was your plan? Get my phone and call the police from there?”

“No. Whatever happened between you and him, doesn’t have anything to do with me. I assume he did something to you to deserve the dirt nap you gave him. I mean, yeah... I was a little shocked. Who wouldn’t be, to find a corpse’s hand sticking out of the sand? But I’m not judging. Things... things happen. We’ve all done some things we don’t want anybody to know about.

I planned on finishing out our weekend rendezvous, going back to Atlanta, and minding my business. What you’ve got going on here, is-not-my-business.”

She sucked her teeth. “You think I’m stupid?”

“No.”

“Then, you tell me, why I should believe you? You won’t even kiss me, so I know you don’t love me.”

“What?” I cocked my head back with a frown and chuckled.

“I’m just saying. Don’t try to fool me into believing you wouldn’t tell anybody, because you care about me,” she aped. “Cut it out. Who else did you tell? Huh? Your sister?”

I tried to remain as collected as possible. Ignoring the fact that she hadn’t lowered her gun even an inch since our conversation started. I had to admit, I was mildly distracted by the boy shorts and a cut off top that allowed a view of the bottom of her perky breasts, every time she moved. Sexy.

“Seriously? You think I would tell other people about it before I would tell the police? If, I was going to report it at all? You asked me if I thought you were stupid, but do you think I am?”

“The only reason you probably haven’t already called the police on me, is because your phone broke.”

“That happened after I saw the hand. I could’ve called right then.” I sat up in bed. Still naked under the sheets. “I can’t stop you if you’re going to shoot me, but it would be for no reason. I wasn’t planning on telling anybody and I’m still not. I’m guessing you’re not a serial killer, are you?”

“Of course not. That bastard raped me. I was okay with paying the pussy tax to stay in his beautiful, glass house,” she waved her gun around the circumference of the room. “I’ve done more for less. But I’m not going to be forced, to do anything. I ate some bad clams, and my stomach was messed up. I tried to go lay down, but he wanted head.

“I gave it to him. Almost threw up on myself while doing it too. But that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted sex. I told him I wasn’t up for it. To let me lay down for an hour or two first. He refused. And then... he took it.” Tears ran from her eyes, and she used her forearm to wipe them away. The gun and her eyes were still on me, though.  “Raped me right there on the kitchen floor. Then told me to clean myself up and get over it, if I still wanted a place to stay. Can you believe that? If-I-still-wanted-a-place-to-stay.

“So, while he was in the shower, washing my blood from his dick; I took the gun I bought for protection from my bag, and blew his mother fuckin’ brains out. The end.” She shrugged and dropped her aim. “And, I’m sorry that I don’t believe you won’t tell on me, Brian. This weekend wasn’t supposed to end this way.”

Pow! Pow! Pow!

I instinctively moved to the right of her aim when she brought the gun back up, but I was too late. The first shot hit my collarbone, reeling me backwards to the floor as the other two whizzed into the wall. I was regaining my faculties as she rounded the bed that temporarily obstructed her view of me. I dove at her as soon as she reached me. Her 5’5, petite frame, was no match for the impact of my 6’1, muscular build, freight training towards her.

We crashed to the floor with me on top. The gun flew from her hands and slid out of reach as she struggled to get from under me. My adrenaline was high. The burn of bullet, fueling my fury as I grabbed her bird like neck with both hands and squeezed. Lennox kicked, and clawed at my face and arms until one kick to my groin doubled me over.

She kicked me in the head with her barefoot as she scrambled towards the gun. Determined not to be shot again, I ignored the agony I was in, grabbing her ankle and dragging her back before she reached it.

“Get! Off of me!” she growled.

We fought. Her giving me everything she got while I tried ignoring the fire from the bullet wound as blood drenched my chest. We wrestled until I drug her close enough to launch and uppercut that left temporarily disoriented.

I stood queasily, contemplating going for the gun, verses something else. In one swift movement, I threw her over my good shoulder. She immediately resumed her assault. Grunting like an animal as I grasped her legs tightly, heading for the balcony. Her teeth bore into the side of my neck at the same time I used one hand to punch her in the ribs.

She jerked backwards, attempting to free herself from the vice grip I had on her, and unluckily for her, succeeded. I released her as soon as I reached the edge of the balcony and watched her flailing arms backstroke as she went over the side. Fear flooded her eyes, and a shrill sound left her lips before her body dropped to the blue stone covered patio with a thwack!

Lennox’s crumpled body lay motionless on its back as blood began to leak beneath her. Panting hard, I went back into the room and grabbed the bedsheet to press against my bleeding collarbone. I retrieved the gun from the floor and my shorts from the chair before spotting her cellphone on the nightstand. Nine-one-one was the only number you could call regardless of whether a phone was locked or not.

Phone to my ear and gun in hand, I went back to the balcony to make sure Lennox didn’t pull some horror movie, Michael Meyers crap, and disappear. Dead or dying, she was still there, but something else happened that I didn’t expect.

She blinked.

Epilogue

I’m a lot of things, but at least a murderer, isn’t one of them. Her back and other limbs broken, severe internal damage and head trauma, Lennox was in bad shape... but she was alive.

It took a few days for the police to verify my story and absolve me of any involvement in Steve Anglin’s murder. I was also relieved that I wasn’t charged with anything for dumping Ol’ Girl over the balcony. As should have been the case. It was self-defense.

Between contact with the police, EMS workers, and having to go down to the police station, my exposure to the virus was notable. That being said, I was under a mandatory 14-day quarantine in the city of Miami per the new travel regulations. At my own expense!

With four more days to go before I could fly back to ATL, I entertained myself with movies, phone calls, internet surfing and sleep, from my room at the Double Tree. I also used that time to develop a new business plan for opening my own catering business fulltime. It was time for me to sever ties with Trent and Gabby. I needed to branch out on my own and do something different.

A glass of Chardonnay in hand, I forked the fettuccini alfredo I ordered from room service into my awaiting mouth. This wasn’t ideal, but I was happy to be alive at all, really. I’ve escaped death enough times to appreciate the sun shining on my face through the patio door of my eight-floor room.

My phone dinged with a text message from an unsaved number, and I nearly choked on my food when I read it.

305-555-2233:  Hey Brian. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m texting to see how you are. I saw the story on the news about the house sitter that killed that photographer and was surprised to hear your name in the broadcast. I swear, you find trouble everywhere. I heard you were shot. How are you?

A grin graced my face as I read the message and took another sip of Chardonnay. It seemed my slim chance in hell had finally come around. And soon, Nadia would too.

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About the Author

“The Empress of romantic, murder, suspense”, K.F. Johnson is a Queens, New York native residing in Atlanta, Georgia. As a child, habitually failing to make curfew before the streetlights lit, earned her numerous occasions on restriction where reading & writing became her main form of escape.  Later, K.F continued to develop her talent while obtaining a B.A. in Psychology at Spelman College & acquiring an MBA. In 2012, she published her 1st book for her social media friends & family to see. To her delight, it went viral, repeatedly reaching #1 on Amazon's top 100 for its genre. Since then, K.F. has published multiple books, started One Ironwoman Publishing, been featured in magazines & nominated for numerous awards, both for her books & as an author. With her fan base cheering for more, this mother & wife has blossomed into a witty & cunning author, penning spicy, realistic & deadly tales of African American life to remember.