A Good Man (44 page)

“I didn’t know getting dressed could be such a turn-on,” Sonya said. “Don’t you have to return the truck?”

“They’ll come by and pick it up in the morning.”

She patted the seat. “I’m so glad this didn’t have bucket seats.”

“Me too.” He looked at the windows. “Sonya, we’ve fogged up the windows.”

“And later,” she said, “we’ll be fogging up the camera.”

Why aren’t I embarrassed? Sonya thought. I just had a mostly clothed orgasm in the front seat of a Ford F-150. And now I’m holding hands with the man responsible. My whole body is buzzing!

The front door of the mansion banged open.

Hmm. I wonder what buzz kill is approaching us now. Since I can’t see who it is, it has to be Bob.

They found Bob leaning on the limo. “Where have you two been?”

Sonya held up their hands. “Y’all filming this? No. Of course not. This reality isn’t right for your demographic.” Geez, we both have ashy hands.

“You are seriously trying my patience, Miss Richardson,” Bob said. “You ditched us at the restaurant, and we wasted thousands upon thousands of dollars on a crew that drove all over LA looking for you.”

“Where’d you look?” John asked.

“Knowing you two,” Bob said, “mostly in churches.”

“Cool,” John said.

“Cool?” Bob said. “I have nothing to put on the air.”

Sonya kissed John’s chin. “Put that on the air.” She kissed his lips. “Put that on the air. Bob, I had an awesome date, and I’m sure it was awesome only because none of you were involved.”

“I have nothing to show, Sonya,” Bob said.

Sonya planted a longer, juicier kiss on John. I can’t get over how soft his lips are! “We can stage a longer kiss next to the pool if you like. I know, you’ll film us getting out of that truck, and we’ll walk up the driveway again holding hands. At the door, we’ll say seriously romantic things to each other. Oh, it will be so magical.”

“That, um, that … won’t be necessary,” Bob said.

“But listen to the dialogue John and I can have.” She grabbed both of John’s hands. “John, let’s practice.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “I had a peachy keen time tonight, babe. You are so durn sexy. We really made a connection, like, OMG.”

John laughed. “Yo, it was awesome, boo. You really got it goin’ on, Ma. You’re my honey and you got me buzzing like a bee. Yo.”

Sonya giggled. “You ain’t bad for a white guy, you know what I’m sayin’? I mean, you even got a little back goin’ on back there.”

“I hear you, honey lamb sweetie pie,” John said. “You make me want to bust a move, yo.”

“You’re all that and a bag of chips and the dip, man,” Sonya said.

John dropped her hands and grabbed her by the hips. “Girrrl, do fries go with that shake? I hope they do, cuz I sure am hungry.”

Sonya spun around, holding on to John’s arms. “Oh, Bob, it will be perfect for the show. And then I can lead him up the stairs to my room so you can do one of your famous fadeouts.”

The mansion door slammed open again.

And here’s buzz kill number two. I didn’t know my daughter could run so fast. I shouldn’t be surprised. She has my genes.

“Hi, Shani,” Sonya said.

Kim’s mouth dropped open. “Where were you, Sonya?”

And where were you? I’ve been out here for almost five minutes messing with Bob. “Shani, John and I went to Morro Bay, three hours up the coast. We walked on the beach and on the rocks, ate too much, walked on the beach again, saw a beautiful sunset, and came back. It was a real date. There wasn’t a whole lot to film anyway, Bob.” Okay, the kisses, snuggling on the beach, us making out in the truck, me getting my booty massaged, my orgasm—okay, there would have been plenty to film, and our conversations? Wow. So much seduction and flirtation. It was all too hot for TV anyway.

“Don’t blame her, Shani,” John said. “It was all my idea.”

“Yeah,” Kim said, “you practically kidnapped her.”

“I was a very willing hostage.” And I really didn’t want to be found.

“Sonya, they almost put out an Amber Alert on you,” Kim said.

“What?” Sonya said. “You don’t put an Amber Alert out for grown folks.”

“I called you a hundred times,” Kim said.

She’s worried about me? Cool. “I left my phone in the room.”

“I know,” Kim said. “I answered it. I even said, ‘Hello.’ What if something had happened?”

Something did happen, and it only happened because I was free of this place. “I was in excellent hands.” The most excellent I have ever known. Parts of me are crying because his hands are not rubbing, squeezing, and gripping them. My booty wants some more love! “And I’m back in one piece, aren’t I?” And several pieces of me are extremely happy, too.

Kim stared at Sonya’s hand holding John’s. “What’s this?”

Sonya felt John loosening his hand from hers. Don’t let my scary, mixed-up daughter scare you away!

“I’m, um, I’m pretty tired, Sonya.” He gripped her hand once and let go. “I have a feeling I’ll be up all night anyway.”

Oh, yes. We have an extension of our date later. He’ll need his rest.

John kissed her cheek. “Good night.”

Sonya grabbed his face and kissed him. “Good night, John. Get some rest.”

John winked. “You too.”

Whoo. I think I’m going to need that rest, too. Something about the fire in those brown eyes of his. She looked down on Bob. “Anything else?”

“Just … don’t do that again,” Bob said.

“Kiss him or disappear with him?” Sonya said. “I actually plan to do both as often as I can with or without your approval or that stupid rule Aaron made.”

“Just …” Bob shook his head. “Good night.”

As Bob headed to the garage, Kim walked beside Sonya as they returned to their room.

“You could have been in trouble,” Kim said, “and no one knew where you were. If I ever did such a thing, you would have had a herd of rabid cows.”

Nice image. Sonya opened the front door. “Don’t you do spur-of-the-moment things like that all the time?”

“That’s not the point.”

Sonya floated through the foyer to the stairs. “I was never in any danger, Kim.”

Well, there was one moment when I wanted to tear his shirt off, and my shirt off, and then we would have created our own personal nude beach. Sorry, Lord, but I was feeling it! And feeling him, too. Oh, he would have been in danger then, not me. And in the truck, we could have made quintuplets for sure. I’ll have to ask Kim where she got that bikini. I wonder if they have it in red …

Sonya started up the stairs.

“Did you have to kiss him right in front of everybody just now?” Kim asked.

“Yes. I did.” And I’d do it again. “What’s your point?”

“Were you making out with him the whole time?” Kim asked.

Sonya turned down the hallway to their room. “No. I slept some.”

Kim tugged Sonya’s arm. “You did what?”

Sonya opened their door. “What? I’m not allowed to get a leg up?”

Kim rushed into their room ahead of Sonya. “Geez, I don’t want to hear about this.” She sat on Sonya’s bed, her arms crossed.

So angry! Sonya took off her Windbreaker. “We didn’t do anything like that.” We only dreamed it and thought it, and, oh, we kind of simulated it in the truck. The ceiling of that truck sure came in handy for that final down thrust, too.

“I don’t want to know about what my mama was doing on her date,” Kim said.

She said … “mama” … “my mama” … That’s not quite mama with a capital letter, but it’s progress. “Kim, we talked, we ate, we walked, we talked some more.” There was some kissing. And rubbing, and hugging, and panting, and sweating, and loins grinding. “It was a real old-fashioned date.” She unbuttoned her shirt, removed her bra, and put on her SpongeBob pajama top.

“But … why him?” Kim asked. “You didn’t kiss on anyone else, did you?”

“Nope.” Sonya unzipped her jeans, letting them drop to the floor. She stepped out of them and put on her SpongeBob pajama bottoms. “But I had no physical need to kiss them. Just John. My body is going through withdrawal already, Kim. I’m jonesing for some John.”

Sonya went to the window. He’s not at the pool. Of course he’s not at the pool. He’s in his bed where I should be, and he’s resting up for me. “I’m even going to sneak out of this room and meet him in the great room for some snuggling later on tonight. Girl, I want this man.”

Kim sighed. “Does this mean that he’s the one?”

“I know he is,” Sonya said. “Yes. John is the one.”

Kim fell back onto Sonya’s bed. “Wow. One date.”

Sonya pulled back her covers, propped up two pillows, and got into bed. “Kim, I just had the best date in my entire life.”

“Like you’ve had that many dates to compare it to.”

“I have had exactly ten dates in my life, one fifteen years ago, and nine here,” Sonya said. “I am qualified to say that tonight was the best date I have ever had.”

Kim pounded the bed with one fist. “What about Tony?”

That was random. “What about him?”

“You’re not going to send him packing Monday, are you?” Kim asked.

“I don’t intend to send any of them home this week.”

Kim sat up. “This week? What about next week?”

Yeah. What about next week? “You know, for the first time I don’t know about next week. I think I’ve finally found him, you know? I think I’ve finally found my hunk.”

Kim’s eyes dropped. “You’re going to break up the Team?”

“I think I have to, Kim,” Sonya said. “God’s been working on me.”

“You mean that man’s been working on you.”

Sonya smiled. “Him too.” And I’ll let him work on me some more in a little while. Don’t forget the blanket, Sonya. You know they’ll be filming.

“What’s he got that the others don’t have?” Kim asked.

“He has my heart, Kim,” Sonya said. “And God’s heart, too. That is an awesome combination in a man.”

“I can’t believe …” Kim rolled off the bed and went to the window. “It’s not fair to the others. You’re going to break their hearts.”

“Are you kidding?” Sonya asked.

“They love you, Sonya.”

“No, they don’t. I’m like their cool older aunt or something.” And only John seems to love me. Whoa, I just gave myself goose bumps. At least I think he loves me. “And if they truly love me, they’ll understand that I have made my choice.”

Kim stormed across the room. “Well, I don’t understand.” She opened the door, leaped through, and slammed it behind her.

That was overly dramatic, Sonya thought. But I’m not concerned. She’s upset and confused, and I’m going to let her be upset and confused. I can’t explain how I feel about John any better except to say that I love him.

I love him.

And if she can’t understand that, she’ll just have to be upset and confused.

Sonya turned off the light on the nightstand. Okay, body, get your rest. Wait a minute. She tiptoed to the window and saw Kim outside sitting alone at a table. I know you don’t want Tony to go, little girl, but I don’t know how I can keep him after tonight. She took a step back to the bed.

Hmm. I have a little time alone here. She took off her pajamas and panties and slipped into bed. This is … odd.

But nice.

Sonya smiled in the dark. I actually feel … sexy.

She counted to fifty, slid out of bed, put on her pajamas, and wiggled under the covers.

Hmm. I may have to retire these pajamas.

After searching the great room, the kitchen, and the pool area, John found the rest of the Team lounging in the mini-theater watching Friday.

“How’d it go, Artie?” Justin asked.

Gary pointed a remote behind him, and the screen turned blue. “Yeah. How’d it go?”

John smiled. “It was amazing.”

John heard three loud sighs.

“I’m real happy for you, man,” Gary said.

“Me too,” Tony said.

There’s something … off about this. “Y’all are glad?”

“You love her, right?” Justin asked.

That’s the ultimate question of the universe, isn’t it? “Yes. With all of my heart and every other part of me. Don’t y’all love her?”

No one answered his question. Instead, they gave each other some dap.

“Why are y’all so happy about this?” John asked.

“Artie, I’m in love, too,” Justin said. “With Brandy, the singer I’ve been talking to at Bethel. I’ve been waiting for Jazz to cut me loose so I could be with her. But Jazz is so special, I just can’t walk out on her, you know? But now, I can. You understand?”

Not quite. “You’ve been waiting to get dumped.”

“Yeah,” Justin said. “I want to get dumped. I sang Biz Markie, dog. I didn’t want to win.”

It still doesn’t make sense. “And you really love Brandy.”

“Man, I have never felt nothing like this before,” Justin said. “I don’t want to feel anything but this. And now, I can go away with a clear conscience.”

“I gotta get home to my kids,” Gary said. “I’ve never been away from them this long before. I thought I could handle it, but I can’t. I miss my kids.”

“And his baby mama,” Tony said.

“Yeah, I’m in love with her now,” Gary said. “Can you believe that? I wasn’t before. I never was before. I had to get two thousand miles away from her to realize that I can’t live without her. You understand?”

“I do,” John said. “I really do, Gary.” I had to get thousands of miles away from the memory of my wife to feel the love of another woman. “Tony, why are you so happy?”

“I shouldn’t say,” Tony said.

“Go ahead, dog,” Justin said. “You already told us.”

“I’m in love with Shani,” Tony said.

“We tried to talk him out of it,” Gary said. “The trouble he’s asking for.”

John couldn’t think of anything to say. He wanted to say, “That woman is not lovable,” but he kept his silence.

“I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual,” Tony said. “We spent a lot of time together today.”

“All day,” Justin said. “We didn’t see them for long stretches at a time either.”

“Like I told you, we were just … wandering around the mansion,” Tony said.

“Uh-huh,” Gary said. “You was just wandering your hands all over her.”

“Really. It was just a long walk,” Tony said. “Artie, I’ve never even dreamed of anyone like her, and I have some wild dreams. The sooner Jazz dumps me, the sooner I can hook up with Shani. But if she keeps holding on to us … You understand?”