“Can I steal Kelly away for a moment?” he asked, flashing his mouthful of bonded and capped teeth.
“Sure,” Miguel said, giving Kelly’s arm a squeeze.
Miguel didn’t see the point of holding Kelly there. She was pretty good at handling herself. Besides, his attention was focused elsewhere. He had heard the distinctive laugh as soon as he stepped into the hallway. Ebony had come to his party, even though she hadn’t been invited. He prepared himself mentally before he approached her. Their breakup hadn’t been a pretty one.
They had been together, in one form or another, for a little over three years. It had taken almost two years for them both to become serious about the relationship at the same time but, after that, it was actually all he could ever have hoped for. Of course his mother didn’t like Ebony at all. She often complained that Ebony couldn’t really cook…and she complained that Ebony was Amercan…and nagged that Miguel should date a nice Cuban girl…and that Ebony was too old for him.
It was true that Ebony was three years older than he was. She was already thirty when they met, but it was impossible to tell. She looked no older than Kelly, who was nearly ten years younger, and Ebony had one of those Coke-bottle figures…all hips, ass, and thighs with not a whole lot up top. He remembered making love with Ebony, her riding him high and hard, his hands sliding up her arms, to her shoulders, then down over her breasts, almost completely covering them as he massaged her nipples in time with her rocking motion. The thought made him smile. She had talked about a breast enlargement a few times but they had both laughed it off.
“¡Feliz cumpleaños, hermano!” Miguel felt Alex’s big hand slap him congenially on the back.
“Feliz cumpleaños my ass, man!” Miguel smiled, returning the slap and following up with a hug. “I see you came to my place empty-handed. Where’s my present, you cheap son of a bitch!”
“It’s been a rough quarter.”
“Not so rough you didn’t get new rims for your Corvette.”
“Hey, you know I have to keep up my image. Keep it lookin’ good.”
“God knows you need all the help you can get with that!”
“You’re cold, man.” Alex pantomimed a shiver, then laughed with Miguel as they made their way down the corridor.
Miguel had known Alex for as long as he had known anyone. They had grown up together and had lived down the street from each other most of their youth. They went to the same grade schools, even played ball together, but while Miguel was about six feet tall, sinewy and lean, Alex was a big, heavily muscled man. Miguel’s ball-playing career ended in high school but Alex played college ball and even had a stint in the pros. Alex was nearly six foot five and still maintained his body as if he was training to play professional ball. He deftly rode the cusp between handsome and pretty. He had sparkling hazel-green eyes and “lashes like a girl,” they all used to kid him, but the women loved him. They loved his big hands, sensuous lips, and easy manner. Even Kelly blushed in his presence. The only woman who never fell at his feet was Ebony.
Miguel used to notice the way Alex looked at Ebony. He wanted her, but Miguel also knew that Alex would never approach her. He and Alex had been friends for too long, and for that he considered himself fortunate. He knew that Alex generally didn’t care if a woman had a man or not. If he wanted her, that was all that mattered. But Miguel really didn’t worry too much. Ebony was always pleasant around Alex, but never tripped over herself like the others. Bonni was in love with him and was always his alone.
“Sooo.” Alex grinned. “I see you took my advice.”
“What advice?”
“The girl—Kelly. I told you, you should go younger. They’re easier to handle…lower maintenance.”
“What are you talking about?” Miguel laughed. “You’ve never dated a woman under thirty in your life!”
“Exactly.” Alex smiled. “I like women…not girls. I like high maintenance.”
“You’re crazy!” Miguel laughed as the two strolled into the large sunroom together.
“Hey,” Miguel said, becoming serious. “Bonni’s here.”
“Yeah, I know,” Alex replied.
“You know we didn’t end on the best of terms.”
“I’m aware,” Alex answered as they slowly moved toward where Ebony was standing, talking and laughing with a group of women.
“You don’t think she’s gonna make trouble, do you?”
“No.” Alex smiled as he stepped up behind Ebony and wrapped his arms around her. “She’s with me.”
Miguel was speechless as Alex leaned forward, nuzzling and kissing Ebony’s neck. Ebony turned, still in his arms, and gave him a soft peck on the lips, asking, “What took you so long?” When she saw Miguel, the momentary flash of hurt was replaced by a pleasant smile. She extended her hand affably and gave his hand a light squeeze, saying, “Happy birthday, Mickey.”
“Thank you,” Miguel muttered, still trying to overcome the shock.
Miguel could see that Ebony had changed—a lot. Her haircut was conservative, cut shoulder-length into a bob, but it brought out her dark, luminous eyes and full, pouty, vermilion-painted lips. She was wearing a red halter dress that exposed large expanses of her smooth brown skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. She had put on a few pounds…not much, but enough to make her look even more curvy and luscious, but the biggest change—her breasts. It seemed Alex had been able to convince her to get that breast augmentation, transforming her body from a Coke bottle to an hourglass.
“You look good, Bonni,” Miguel choked out as he watched Alex’s hand travel up and down Ebony’s bare back.