I Saw Your Profile (25 page)

Chapter
Thirty-Four

Arianna’s
feet shook underneath the desk
as she waited for Larry Parsons to arrive in the office for their meeting.

It had
been three days since her arraignment and she’d become a household name.

Larry
had left a message on her cell phone demanding to know how one of his star
reporters could be charged with manslaughter.

The somber
expression on Larry’s face when he opened the door told her all she needed to
know.

 
“It’s okay, Larry. I understand,” Arianna
said. “I came in with my resignation. Once the wires picked up the story, I
knew my career as a journalist was over.”

“I don’t
like doing this Singleton, really,” Larry said with pity in his eyes. “But
there’s no way our readers are going to trust anything you write again after
this.”

“I
know,” said Arianna, handing him her resignation. She knew Larry liked and
respected her despite his constant snarling. And she knew he had no choice but
to let her go.

What she
hated most were the stares and snickers from the reporters and editors in the
newsroom as she packed her things. Many of them disliked her from the
moment she’d stepped in the place because she was good and she knew it.

 
They perceived her confidence as
arrogance. As a black woman in corporate America, she’d gotten used to it and
no longer cared.

She
expected the stares and had dressed for the occasion, wearing a black wool
pantsuit, black pumps and gold jewelry. She’d gone to her barber that morning
for a shape-up and stopped at a department store in the mall and had the
make-up artist do her face.

She
always believed a woman should never look as bad as she felt. She felt like
crap, but she looked like the shit.

Joyce
Daniels and several of the other black reporters came up to her as she was
putting pictures of Michael, Amir and Akilah in a box, telling her they
believed in her innocence and offering their support.

  
Arianna expressed her gratitude
and strutted from the building with a smile on her face, but a hole in her
heart. That would be the last day she’d ever step foot into a newspaper office.

 
Arianna drove with the kids to
Connecticut that afternoon. Blanche had called two dozen times after all hell
broke loose demanding answers.

When
Arianna finally got the energy to deal with her mother, Blanche had insisted
they come home.

While
she was in California, she’d asked Kenny to take Amir and Akilah to his place
in Delaware to keep them from learning the news after the media frenzy. She
knew it was only a matter of time before East Coast reporters figured out where
she lived and descended on her house.

The kids
would have to learn the truth eventually, so she told them at a rest stop on
the way north.

 
Akilah was sitting on the passenger side.
Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands. “Did you really kill
somebody, mommy?”

“No,
sweetie,” Arianna said, stroking Akilah’s cheek. “It was an accident. He fell,
and I didn’t mean for him to. He was attacking me.”

“Did you
go to the funeral?”

“Of
course not, stupid,” Amir yelled from the back seat, where he liked to stretch
out on long drives. “Why would she go to his funeral? Who was this guy, Ma? How
come we never met him?”

“Actually,
I did go to the wake, Amir, and don’t call your sister stupid. You never met
him because we didn’t date that long and there was no reason for you to.”

“Then
why were you in California with him?” her son asked. “Why was he trying to hurt
you?”

“It’s a
long story, honey. The fact is I shouldn’t have gone to California because if I
didn’t, none of this would have happened. But I didn’t intentionally kill
anyone, that’s what’s important. But for the next few months or so, there will
probably be stories about me in the newspaper and on TV. People saying I killed
somebody. I don’t want you guys to believe any of it. I would never kill
anyone. I love you and I just need for you to trust me.”

“Are you
gonna go to jail, mommy?” Akilah asked.

“Yeah,
what if the judge believes you killed him?” Amir said. “What happens then?”

“I could
go to jail, but I won’t. I have a good lawyer and I know he’s going to prove
I’m innocent. I don’t want you guys to worry, okay?”

Hartford
was colder than usual for mid-December and Arianna wanted to leave almost as
soon as she arrived.

She
noticed several reporters staking out her mother’s house as she drove up. She
dropped off the kids, and then parked the car a block away, covered her face
with a scarf and went inside.

She had
hoped her mother would be waiting with a hug and a smile, or at the very least,
be sympathetic.

No such
luck.

Blanche,
who minus twenty years and twenty pounds could pass for Arianna’s twin, was
pissed about the mess Arianna had gotten herself into. The fact that reporters
were harassing her about her daughter only made it worse.

“What
the hell were you thinking?” Blanche shouted. “Who ever heard of meeting
somebody on a computer? This never would have happened if you weren’t fornicating
in the first place. The flesh is weak. That’s why I told you to get your butt
to a church when you first moved there.”

“Going
to church wouldn’t have kept me from dating, Ma,” Arianna said, nearly in
tears. “The police were nicer to me than you are.”

“The
police didn’t raise you!” Blanche spat out. “They didn’t bring you to church
every Sunday. And they don’t expect you to know better. Revenge is mine saith
the Lord.”

“If I
hear that again, I will scream,” Arianna hollered. “Just once, Ma, I would like
your support instead of your criticism. That Bible of yours also teaches
forgiveness, but the only thing you ever talk about is how I’m going to hell if
I don’t follow the damn rules!”

“Don’t
you swear at me!” said Blanche. “You ain’t never gonna get that grown.”

“I’m
sorry, but I have enough to deal with without you judging me. Can’t you just
love me?”

“I do
love you, dammit. You’re my child.”

“Forget it, Ma.”
         

Arianna stormed out of the house and drove to the first
bar she saw, a hole in the wall she normally wouldn’t be caught in dead. She
was too mad to care.

She ordered a shot of tequila and kicked it back like a
sailor.

Almost immediately, she felt tension begin to leave her
body. She ordered another.

Just as she was beginning to relax, a brother in a sweat
suit designed by a rap star sat on the stool next to her.

“Aren’t you that sista who snuffed out the bruh you met on
the Internet?” he asked, flashing two gold teeth in the front of his mouth.

Arianna was not in the mood.

“You mean you actually read a newspaper?”

“I saw you on TV,” he said.

“Figures. Can you just go away, please?”

“Why you gotta do a brutha like that?”

“Trust me you don’t want to mess with me right now. I’m a
killer, remember?”

“Damn, girl. No need to get violent. I’m gone.”

Arianna ordered another shot. After sucking it down, she
surveyed the room. Everyone was staring.

“You’re famous,” said the bartender, a tall sister with a
blonde weave and hourglass shaped body. “Kind of a local celebrity.”

“I’m not sure celebrity is the right word,” Arianna said.
“I don’t need this shit. Can you give me my check, please?”

“Don’t worry. It’s on the house.”

“I get free liquor because you think I killed somebody?”

“Hey, you did a lot of sistas a favor puttin that fool out
of his misery. That nigga got around. A few of my friends said he emailed
them.”

Arianna shook her head. “This shit is crazy. Thanks for
the drinks.”

Chapter
Thirty-Five

Arianna
drove back to Philadelphia the
next day. Christmas vacation was a week away, so she let the kids stay. They
would make up their schoolwork when they got back.

Blanche
would take good care of them. She had always managed to show them the affection
she was incapable of giving her daughter. And Arianna needed the break.

Kenny
was waiting for her when she got home.

“Your
phone’s been ringing off the hook,” he said, greeting her with a kiss.

“Probably
reporters,” Arianna said, throwing her purse on the sofa and plunking herself
down beside it. She laid her head on one of the big pillows and kicked off her
shoes.

“I’m not
going to answer it for the next fucking year.”

“How
long do you think they’ll hound you?” Kenny asked, sitting next to her.

Arianna
sighed. “Until the next big story breaks for them to move on to. This is juicy.
It’s got sex, lies, videotapes, murder and the goddamn Internet to boot.”

Kenny
patted her leg. “Let’s go out and get something to eat. You’ll feel better.”

“Been
there, done that. My picture’s been plastered all over the damn place and
Janelle’s been giving interviews to anybody who asks telling them I’m a
murderer. I am not in the mood to be bothered with the public again.”

“You’re
right. I’ll order something in. You’ve got to stop letting Janelle get to you,
though. Anybody can see she needs to get a life. How’s Nicole doing by the way?”

“Pissed
because her name’s been dragged into this and reporters are harassing her, too.
She doesn’t want her name in headlines any more than I do.”

“It’s
not just in the headlines, baby. I went online to LoveMeBlack and you and
Chauncey are the only thing they’re talking about in the chat rooms.”

Arianna
sat up straight. “What were you doing on that site? Looking for someone to
replace me?”

Kenny
moved away from her, frowning. “I can’t believe you would even say that after
everything we’ve been through these past few weeks. There is more to do on that
site than check out women.”

Kenny
got up and charged to the kitchen like a child having a tantrum.

After a
moment, Arianna followed him. He was at the sink pouring a glass of water.

She
wrapped her arms around his waist, which had shrunk several inches in diameter
since their first date.

“I’m
sorry, baby. I know how much you care about me. But with everything going on, I
wouldn’t blame you for bailing.”

She
pinched his ass. “And with this new svelte figure of yours, I’m sure you’d get
lots of emails if you put up a new picture with your profile.”

Kenny
set down his glass, turned around and put his arms around Arianna.

“I took
down my profile after we made love the first time and I don’t plan to put it
back up. And in case you haven’t figured it out, I’m not going anywhere.”
  

They
kissed.

Arianna
walked to the refrigerator. “I need something stronger than water.” She took
out a bottle of tequila and poured two shots.

They
drank the liquor and retired to Arianna’s bedroom.

Kenny
wanted to make love, but she wasn’t feeling affectionate. Instead, they cuddled
until she went to sleep.

At
breakfast the next day, Arianna asked him to stay with her until the kids came
home. She needed the company. He agreed.

For the
next few days, Arianna shut herself off from everyone except him. She didn’t
leave the house or answer either of her phones, unless it was the kids.

Later
that week, she and Kenny were watching Soul Food in her bedroom when the phone
screamed from the nightstand. She turned off the ringer without checking the
caller I.D.

When the
show was over, she listened to her messages. Ten were from reporters. She
erased them.

The last
call had come from Danielle. She was living in New York, heard about the drama
Arianna and Brenda were going through and wanted to help. She’d tried calling
Brenda, but she had an unpublished number.

Arianna
couldn’t dial Danielle’s number fast enough, but she got no answer.

“Damn!”
she cried. “Where did she go that fast?”

“Calm
down,” Kenny said. “She
–
I mean
he
–
will
call back.”

“Berger’s
been trying to find her since the indictment. I hope she can help get us off.”

When
Kenny came by after work the next day, Arianna was shouting across the living
room floor like she had the Holy Ghost.

Kenny
smiled. “What’s up with you?”

She ran
over and threw her arms around him.

“I’m
free. We’re free. I can get my life back!”

Kenny
pulled her down on the love seat by the door. “What happened?” he insisted.

Danielle
had called back. Turned out when they caught her coming back into Chauncey’s
room that day at the hotel, she’d gone back to turn back on her video camera.
She wanted to capture Chauncey’s reaction when he learned he’d slept with a
man.

She’d
waited in the lobby bar until she saw them leave and let herself back in the
room with her key, assuming Chauncey had also left when he didn’t answer her
knock.

She
grabbed the camera and hurried out. She had no idea the heap under the blanket
was Chauncey’s dead body. She thought the maid had left the dirty linen on the
floor.

She
moved to New York a week later. Hadn’t had a chance to watch the tape since it
was packed in a box with the rest of her porn collection. Pulled it out when
she saw Arianna and Brenda on the news.

Danielle
had captured Chauncey’s death on tape.

Arianna
called Berger. He told her it was enough to prove self-defense and the
prosecutor would have to drop the charges.

Kenny
hugged Arianna so tight, she thought he’d crush her. But she didn’t complain or
pull away.

“I love
you,” Kenny said.

 
“I know.”

 
“That’s all you have to say?”

 
She could almost feel the hurt in Kenny’s
voice.

“Let’s
go upstairs,” she said. “Action speaks louder than words.”

When
Kenny went to turn off her bedroom light, Arianna stopped him.

“I want
to make love in the light,” she said.

She
slowly undressed as Kenny watched, gently dropping her clothes to the floor.

Her
nipples were like Hershey’s kisses, round chocolates with an erect tip. They
commanded his attention and he marveled at them.

 
She straddled him. He took her breasts
and feasted on them like a suckling baby. She watched as his cheeks puckered
and his tongue circled her nipples as though he were eating a lollipop, each
lick sending waves of electricity and liquid desire to her center.

He
reached down and felt her wetness, then inserted his finger. Arianna arched her
back and raised her hips, trying to guide him to her G-spot.

When he
found it, she groaned in ecstasy.

He
twirled his finger around and around until she came, then climbed out from
under her and flipped her over. Her body was still pulsating when he thrust his
tongue between her legs.

Arianna
screamed.

“Oh
God!”

She
grabbed the headboard as she climaxed again.

When her
body stopped quivering, she rolled on top of Kenny and took his penis in her
mouth.

She
glided him in and out, first slowly, then quickly, taking him as deep as she
could without choking. The bigger he grew, the hotter she became.

Suddenly
he pulled himself out.

“I want
to come inside you, not your mouth,” Kenny said.

He
crawled behind her and eased himself inside.

“Tell me
you love me,” he demanded.

 
“Oooohhh,” Arianna crooned as he entered
her throbbing love tunnel. She buried her face into a pillow.

“Say it
baby,” he pleaded.

She
lifted her head and panted,
 
“I.
Love. You.”

“Again,”
Kenny said, pounding faster, her words arousing him as much as the heat inside
her vagina.

“I love
you,” Arianna said, tears mixing with sweat and dripping into her mouth. She
backed into him, trying to glide herself along his shaft to the rhythm of his
strokes, taking him inside deeper and deeper.

Just
when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, the volcano inside her erupted.

“Aaaaaaaahhhhh!”
Arianna screamed so loud her ancestors could feel the explosion inside her
loins.

“Mmmmm,”
Kenny groaned as he released his pleasure.

Arianna
crawled under the covers. Kenny joined her taking her in his arms.

“Did you
mean it?” he asked.

“What?”
she said.

“That
you love me?”

She
turned to face him, caressing his cheek. “What do you think?”

“Yeah.
Those words don’t come easy to you. But people will say anything in the heat of
the moment.”

 
Arianna laughed. “I might say anything
dirty in the heat of the moment, but not that. I have to feel that. Yes, Kenny.
I love you.”

They
kissed.

“So what
are you going to do now?” he asked. “You’re off the hook, legally, but you
don’t have a job.”

“I’m
going to bring my kids home for Christmas and celebrate the holidays. Then next
year, I’m going to start a book.”

“About
what?”

Arianna
smiled. “Finding love on the Internet.”

Kenny
laughed.

Later
that night, after Kenny had gone to sleep, Arianna got on her knees and said a
prayer. Then she got up, grabbed her laptop and logged onto LoveMeBlack.com and
deleted her profile.

BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Do you believe people who meet on the Internet can
have successful relationships? What are the odds? Are the rules any different
from meeting people through want ads or other ways?

Some would argue that women as naïve as Janelle
don’t exist. Do you know anyone like her? What’s her deal?

Is Nicole’s sudden obsession with religion after
she discovers Chauncey’s betrayal genuine or is it a crutch?

What do you think of Arianna’s initial response to
Kenny? Is she shallow or justified?

What motivates men like Chauncey? Is it simply that
they can get away with it?

Chauncey moved fast with each woman, indicating
early on that he wanted a long-term relationship. Should that have been a red
flag? If so, why?

Do Arianna, Janelle, and Nicole bear any
responsibility for being duped by Chauncey, or would that be blaming the
victim?

BE
SURE TO PICK UP THE SEQUEL

EXPOSED:
THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRUTH

www.amazon.com

Learn
about the author at
www.rhondaswan.com

Email
the author at:
[email protected]