Afterburn

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Are you stalking me, Roxie?”

“No, I’m not stalking you. I don’t have to since you’ll ultimately be stalking me. I’m an event planner, in case you’ve forgotten. I organized this party so I have every right to be here.”

I could hear their muffled conversation through the door. It was then that I realized there were tears flowing down my face. How could I have let that bitch get to me? I wiped them away with some facial tissues off the counter and straightened out my blouse and skirt.

As I opened the door to exit, I heard Yardley yelling, “When they start manufacturing Pintos again, bitch!”

He turned around and I asked, “Yardley, can we please leave now?”

We ended up going to his office. I’d never been there and had been looking forward to seeing it; being that he was at my job regularly. It was a beautiful suite. We had a talk about what had happened and he assured me that he was only into me. Then he proved it by making love to me; right there. He had this table with these balls that roll up and down your spine. He worked his dick inside me as those balls worked me from underneath. I hadn’t done it yet but I definitely planned to order one of those massage chairs from The Sharper Image catalog. They were expensive but after that experience, I wanted Yardley and me to be able to perform that kind of magic in my apartment without having to go to his office. It was the shit.

I bought two chicken caesar salads from Chicken Out Rotisserie and headed to Chance’s apartment around eight. She’d moved from Adams Morgan to Connecticut Avenue; within walking distance from the National Zoo. I hadn’t been to the zoo in ages and that was a shame because I loved animals. So many people who live in big cities never take advantage of the local museums and attractions. Washington, D.C., was one of the biggest draws for tourists—even after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Yet, I rarely went to check out anything. I was going to mention it to Yardley. He’d been living there his entire life—with the exception of attending NCCU—and I was willing to bet he hadn’t been to a museum or the zoo in years.

Chance and Ricky had leased a two-bedroom. It was a high-rent district, much like Georgetown where I lived, but you got what you paid for. The lobby had a lot of character, with antique leather furniture and marble floors.

I pushed the button for the elevator and cursed because I realized I’d forgotten to ask for extra dressing for my salad. Most restaurants skimp people on dressing for carryout orders. They need to invent some larger condiment cups or make sure they give everyone at least two per salad. I was hoping Chance had some black cherry soda. It was strange. Black cherry was my favorite flavor but I never purchased it. I only drank it when I went to visit Chance, which meant I hadn’t had one in a while.

I was excited that she and I would be able to do some bonding. I had so much to tell her; mostly about me and Yardley. Things were getting serious—as if they didn’t start out on a serious note—and I had the feeling he was ready to take things to the next level already. I wasn’t sure if I was emotionally prepared to go there.

I definitely wasn’t emotionally prepared for what I saw when Chance’s door swung up after I rang the bell.

“Hello, Rayne!”

There he was; after all those years.

“Hello, Ruiz. What a surprise,” I stated with much discomfort. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

He flashed that cinematic smile at me that I hadn’t forgotten. “That’s because I’m supposed to be a surprise.”

Then I said something totally ridiculous. I looked at the bag in my hands. “But I didn’t bring you a salad.”

He laughed and moved aside, taking the bag from me. “Come on in.” He set the bag in the dining room. “Chance is in the shower. She’ll be out in a few. She was hot and sweaty from unpacking these boxes all day.”

“Have you been helping her?”

“For the most part, she wouldn’t let me. She was acting like she had some top secret shit or something.”

I giggled because I knew Chance was afraid that her older brother would happen upon some of her sex toys. As unorganized as she was, I was sure she hadn’t bothered to label any boxes. What would you label something like that anyway? Anal Beads and Dildos?

“You’re beautiful, Rayne.”

I found myself blushing. “Thanks for noticing.”

“I’ve always noticed.” He came closer to me and rubbed his thumb down my arm. “Remember that night we spent together?”

“How could I ever forget the night you took my virginity and then pushed me to the curb?”

The smile dissipated from his face. “It wasn’t that way, Rayne.”

“Humph, well, that’s the way I viewed it.”

He pointed at the sofa. “Why don’t we sit down?”

I sat and asked, “So, when’s the big day? The second big day, that is.”

Ruiz shrugged. “What big day?”

“Aren’t you getting remarried?”