At Last (20 page)

“I’m not talking to you any old kind of way, Momma.”

“You’ll see.  You are so hard headed.”

“Okay.”

“Durran came over today.  I told him where you were working.  Maybe he’ll come by and see you.”

I hung up as soon as I heard those words and left the phone off the hook. I made my way to the kitchen, blew the candles out, and wrapped up the food before heading into the bedroom. I heard the shower stop and Cliff entered the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his defined waist.

“I meant to tell you your momma called earlier.”  He said flashing that sexy, mischievous smile.

I caught a peek of his package.

“She told me.” I said still mesmerized by his image.

Everything about Cliff screamed sexy.  His caramel brown muscular arms and his broad shoulders turned me on to no end. Water trickled down his well-sculpted abs. The blue towel draped around his waist revealed that perfect indentation that men have on both sides of the abdomen.

“What, y’all spoke?” He asked.

“Yeah…” I said continuing to scope him out.

Cliff was hairy not super hairy; but hairy. I could see the top of his landing strip which was jet black and curly.
The hair on his forearms and legs lay down and was still slick from a combination of water and lotion.  He had me mesmerized; and he knew it.

He eventually caught me gazing and smiled, “You see something you like?”

I smiled back and walked up on him.

“Uh huh.”
I said grabbing his towel.

“Oh, word?”  He said with that sexy ass New York accent. He began to smile.

I nodded my head, dropped to my knees, and loosened his towel until it fell to the floor. I took a moment to admire him.  I held his erectness in my hand as it stood at full attention.

“What you gone do with that, baby?” He asked with his sexy baritone voice.

“Just wait and see,” I said in a trance.

“That’s right. Be a good girl.”

At first I kissed the tip softly before taking it into my mouth with the intentions of bringing him to his knees. As I took Cliff deeper and deeper within, his breathing intensified. I glanced up at him and pleasure was written all over his face.

“Just like that baby…” He groaned as he grabbed the back of my head and ran his fingers through my hair.

I slurped, licked and sucked; as he grew bigger and bigger. His eyes began to roll into the back of his head. He then let out a moan that came from deep in his soul.  Before reaching his peak he pulled me off the floor.

“Damn Ma, where you learn that?”

I wanted to tell him I wasn’t sure.

Cliff and I were facing each other.  He slipped off my robe and caressed my body as he stared in my eyes.

“I don’t know.”  I said smiling at him.

“Just as long as you don’t forget it.”
He said as he kissed me lovingly.

Sitting down on the bed he pulled me close as I stood between his legs. Gingerly he guided me on top of him instinctively placing himself inside if me. We made love slow, hard, and adoringly.  What we shared at the barbershop earlier in the day was nothing compared to what we were sharing now.  No one had ever made me do and feel the things that Cliff did.  His touch was so passionate and loving, yet strong and rough.

“I love you.” Clifford said looking into my eyes and grabbing the back of my head.

“I love you too, baby.”  I said gazing down at him. I could feel his manhood swelling. And with that, we both climaxed and sunk into each other’s arms. He kissed me on the forehead as he held me in his arms.

“So, when are you gonna tell me about your ex?” He asked seemingly out of nowhere. My heart began to beat a bit faster.
Did he know Durran was back in town?

I sighed, “I dated this guy off and on since I was in high school.  His name
is Durran.
A little while after Taylor’s father died, he asked me to marry him.”

“Durran, huh?
You were engaged to him?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t y’all get married?”

“This is uncomfortable to talk about, Cliff.”

“I’m sorry, Keish. I just never asked, feel me? I was curious.”

“No, I should’ve told you a while ago. Durran and I were just bad for each other. He cheated all the time and just wasn’t ready to have a marriage. I had myself and my child to think about, so I left.” I explained sitting up.

“Damn. Did your mom like him?” Cliff asked.

The whole conversation just made me feel more and more embarrassed, “My mother liked him I guess because he reminded her of my daddy.  Durran could make it where I wouldn’t have to do anything but be his trophy.”

“Is that right?” He asked finally sitting up next to me.

“Yes, but that was never what I wanted.”  I said moving closer to him.

“I hope so cause I’m just a working man. I can’t live that life, Ma. I can’t give you what he gave you.”

I turned to face him. “I know. You can give me more. That’s what I love about you, Cliff.  You are your own man.  I love your determination, your motivation.  I admire that in you.”

He looked at me as if he could see straight through to my soul, “I hope you do, ‘
cause
I ain’t ever felt for anyone the way I feel about you. I’m damn near thirty, Ma and this shit is all new to me.

“I love your baby like she was mine.  I’m serious about me and you.  I don’t give a fuck about what your momma or your sister thinks about me.  I don’t give a fuck about Durran. Forgive my words, I’m just being honest.”

I loved the fact that he didn’t care about what anyone thought.  He was going to love me and my baby anyway.  I sat silently.

“Do you still love him?” He asked.

“No. I stopped loving him a long time ago. I had always been in love with the idea of him, but never him as a person.”

Chapter Fifteen

When I woke up the next morning Clifford was in the bathroom shaping up his beard and goatee.  I wrapped myself in a sheet and walked up behind him.

“Morning.”
I said with a smile.

“Morning, baby.”
  He said before kissing me on the forehead.  “What time is your first client coming in?”

“8:30.” I said pushing my hair out of my face.  It was 7:10 already.

Cliff was already fully dressed.  He was wearing a black Ecko sweater, a pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of black Nike ACG boots.

“I’ll see you at the shop.” He said walking out of the bedroom.

“Alright.”
  I said laying back down.

“Don’t go back to sleep, Keisha.” He said from the hallway.

“I won’t.”  I said laughing.   I
l
aid
back down for about ten more minutes before finally rolling out of bed.

I dreaded the thought of having to drop Taylor off at my mother’s house, so I decided to see if Melissa could watch her. I got up, grabbed my house phone and called her.

“Hello.” I heard after the second ring.

“Missy?”

“Hey boo, what’s up?”

“Bout to get ready to go up to the shop.
Can you watch Taylor for me today?”

“What time?”

“Now, please?”

“You lucky I don’t have
nothing
to do.”

“Thank you, girl.
  I love you!”  I said laughing.

“Whatever, heifer.
  You just be over here in thirty, because
me
and Miss Taylor are going right back to sleep.”

“Thanks I’ll be over in a minute.”

“Alright.”

I hung up the phone, jumped in the shower, and got dressed as quickly as I could. I threw on a red Juicy jogging suit and a pair red and black Nikes.  I pulled my long black hair in a ponytail and was ready to go.

I got Taylor’s bag together and put her clothes inside of it and woke her up while she was still in her pajamas.

“Where are we going, Mommy?” She said wiping her eyes as I put on her jacket, hat, and shoes. I grabbed her hand, led her out the apartment, and locked the door behind us. We shuffled to the car and I sat her in the backseat.

“Over to your Godmother’s” I finally said looking at Taylor through the rearview mirror.  I couldn’t help but see Justin when I looked at her. She had my mocha complexion but, she had his soft brown eyes, nose, lips and curly jet black hair. Even though Justin and I had our problems, I missed him and I hated the fact that Taylor had to go on for the rest of her life without a father.

“Okay.”  She said closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep.

             
When I got to Missy’s, Taylor was still knocked out.  I grabbed her bag in one arm, picked her up in the other and walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. Missy came to the door wearing her housecoat.  She greeted me with a warm smile.

“Good.  She’s still sleep.”  She said taking her out of my arms.

“I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”

“Okay.” She said winking at me before closing the door.

When I arrived at the shop it was on bump as usual for a Saturday morning.  Cliff was at his station giving an older gentleman a close shave. I walked over to my station to wait for my client.  I could feel Cliff watching me.

Once he was finished with his customer, glancing through the mirror and found him staring. It was getting harder and harder to hide our feelings for each other.  I knew people were getting hip to us.  Our body language was just too obvious.

“Morning, Ma.” He greeted.

“Morning, Cliff.” I smiled right back as my client made her way into the shop.

By noon I was tired as hell. I had already had three clients and I was starving.  I decided to order some food from the restaurant next door. I tapped Cliff on the shoulder, “You want some lunch?”

“Yeah, hook me up.”

“What would you like?”

“Get me some catfish, macaroni, and some yams.  And get me an extra piece of cornbread.”  He said handing me a crisp $50 bill, “Get whatever you want.”

“Alright.”

“What, you buying your employees lunch and shit?”  Mike blurted out.

“Get me a burger, Cliffy.” One of the barbers, Ricky chimed in.  The other barbers began to snicker.

“Knock it off.” Cliff replied in his cool manner.

I shook my head laughing as I left the shop.   All I could think about was how much I liked working at the shop.   Of course I loved the fact that Cliff was there, but honestly I liked all the guys.

They all respected me and treated me like a lady.  I liked the atmosphere too.  It was really laid back and people enjoyed themselves when they came. It never felt like work.

I went to restaurant next door and ordered our food. As I began to wait for the food, I glanced out the window and saw a delivery van parked in front of the shop. 

A man hopped out with a huge bouquet of flowers. I knew they were for me. I was becoming overjoyed. It seemed like things were finally starting to look up. No one had bought me flowers in so long. Cliff was such a blessing in my life.

“Order for Keisha.”  The man behind the counter yelled.

I went and retrieved my food.  Walking back in the shop, I became excited about the beautiful flowers at my station.   They were red, purple, yellow, orange, pink, and peach-all the colors I could ever imagine.  I couldn’t hold back my grin.

“Thank you, Cliff.” I said looking up with a smile on my face. That smile quickly disappeared as I saw Cliff’s face. He was angry. The flowers obviously weren’t from him.

He went back to cutting as I took our food and went to the back.  I put it on the table and sat down on the couch exasperated. I’d lost my appetite completely. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. 

I should’ve read the fucking card. Shit! Cliff was too modest to do something like that. It wasn’t his style. That style belonged to Durran Johnson.

“What you do for them flowers, girl? Somethin’ strange for a piece of change,” Mike joked. I turned and gave Mike a look that could kill “Damn, girl. I was just
’ jokin’.
How much they set you back, Cliff?”

“Zero dollars, my nigga.
Them
ain’t from me.” Cliff said not even looking Mike in the eyes.

“Nigga, I’m not stupid. You can fool all these other dummies, but Mike knows baby! I used to buy hoes flowers all the time-not sayin’ you a hoe Keisha, you my girl-but nah-”

“Mike, chill.”
Cliff said sternly. Mike’s facial expression changed instantly. He knew Cliff was dead serious, “That’s from a nigga who got something to prove.”

I had been avoiding eye contact with Cliff, but at that moment I wanted to see his face.  His customer was leaned back in the chair with a towel wrapped around his face.