The Truth Behind The Lies (9 page)

“You don’t feel a little out of your element around all these black people?”

We both live in Downers Grove which is three percent black. I thought it was a legitimate question.

Bash laughed his hearty generous laugh. “No not at all. I did get a few eye daggers aimed my way.”

“Really?” I saw them brothers mean-mugging him and shaking their damn heads at me. It has happened to me before. It was when I was on business lunches with white male colleagues. These are the same brothers that call me a stuck up bitch because I make more money than them.

“It doesn’t bother you?” I really wanted to know.

“Why would it?”

“Aren’t you supposed to fear the black man? Isn’t that in the rule book?”

“Oh Nina, you are so funny.” He half-smiled.

“Am I?”

“Look at me.”

“I see you.” Yes Lord I see you.

“I have no fear.” He raised his hands out to his sides. He turned in a complete circle until he was back to facing me. His icy blues shot straight into me. “I’m six-four. Look at my body.” He made a muscle with his right arm and his bicep broke out of his smooth skin. My hot spot shot lube straight to my panties. He reached over and grabbed my hand and ran it over his abs. “Nina, I’m the Hulk. No one fucks with me.”

This guy right here.

Hulk. Iron Man. Thor. Superman. Batman. All them white dudes. Yep. He is them.

Bash pulled me into a hug. He let me go and reached under my arms and lifted me off my feet to kiss his lips. I was actually floating but I really felt like I was floating. He was so strong. I was definitely over one hundred and fifty pounds. I stopped getting on the scale after I jumped passed that. I didn’t want to see that mess.

His tongue made me forget I was surrounded by thousands of people. I held my hands on his shoulders as he worked his tongue inside my mouth. He was so precise with his movements, never careless, never sloppy. He moved his tongue with a purpose. No one could ever call him a coward. No one could ever call him a bad kisser.

This guy right here. I want him. I snapped out of my lurid fantasies of our future life together when I heard people whistling, clapping and cheering.

Bash put me down on my feet. My face got instantly hot noticing all the faces that were on us. He held my hand and that helped with the embarrassment. I clamped on to his arm.

“Hey! Hey! You giving out kisses?” A voice came out from in front of us.

It was an older heavyset black lady of about sixty. She was standing next to two ladies that had to be her old lady crew. She had her hand on her hip. She was wearing a church lady wig in all this heat. Her friends were wearing wigs too. They all matched in their glittery rhinestone attire. The eighties were standing in front of me.

“I got one kiss left. You want one?” Bash proudly proclaimed.

I looked up at him and he was smiling so widely. I think his teeth will hit the grass. I couldn’t believe the words had even come out of his mouth.

“Hell yeah I want one.” The flamboyant lady boasted.

Where the hell am I? Is this happening?

The woman looked straight at me after only gawking at the Adonis known as Bash. He was definitely something to drool over.

“Only if it’s okay with your girlfriend. I don’t want her to bust me upside my head. She look like she from the Westside.”

Why do people think I’m from the Westside? Southside for life.

Bash looked down at me with the biggest smile. My mind drew a blank. I finally shrugged and shook my head yes. I let his hand go. Maybe he let my hand go. He stepped forward.

“What’s your name?” He asked the boisterous lady.

“Willie Mae Price.”

“I’m Sebastian.” He was smiling so hard and for some reason I was too. Willie Mae’s friends were giggling like teenagers and they where far from schoolgirls. Willie Mae had seventy on lock and eighty might be coming soon. That’s after I took a longer look at her.

Willie Mae closed the small gap between us. I was trying to keep my eyes in my eye sockets. They were about to fall out and hit this piece of broken grass under my boots.

Bash bent way down. She was short. He put both his hands on Willie Mae’s cheeks. Everything got quiet, almost. There was no need to cue the music. Blues was already playing from the Petrillo Band Shell stage in the background. Bash just pushed his lips on this old woman and he even gave her a little tongue. Nothing like what he gave me but enough to make her jump back into menopause and then back to reality.

As soon as he pulled away the woman started fanning herself with the sun visor she held in her hands.

“Lawd Jesus!” She chanted.

Again we had garnered some attention. Bash went back to holding my hand.

“Thank you Willie Mae.” Bash politely grinned and he sounded proud of his lip lock.

“No. “She sighed. “Thank you baby.” Willie Mae gushed at Bash before turning to me. She grabbed my forearm as Bash was leading me away. “Gal you better not let him kiss nobody else.”

A smile lit up my face. “I wont.” I followed Bash as he led me through the crowd. We ended up at the concession stand.

We both ordered the same thing, Pepperoni pizza and two cups of beer. Since neither of us brought a blanket we sat on the grass and ate. Thank god for hand sanitizer.

We listened to music and we stayed quiet most of the time. I sat in-between his legs on the grass and I even fell asleep for ten or fifteen minutes. I couldn’t believe I had fallen asleep outside, downtown Chicago, with a man I had only known for two days. I don’t think he even noticed I was out but it did kind of scare me. I was getting to comfortable with Mr. Dimples.

It was so crowded in Grant Park, people for days. We just blended in with all the other folks that had come out to hear the blues. There were a few bikers on one side of us. They had to remove their leather vests. It was too hot for that. There were two older black couples on the other side and some older black women in front of us. Some people had chairs but most were lounging on blankets.

It was so peaceful up here by Lake Michigan. Was it always this peaceful around Bash? He seemed so calm and so cool at all times. I hoped this was his normal way. I had my fair share of drama with men and I was so tired of it. I wanted to just be blissful. I definitely didn’t want to worry all the time. I had my fair share of that also. Quiet is good. Quiet is serene. Quiet is what’s up.

This is the best date I had ever been on and it wasn’t anything grandiose. The Blues Fest is free. It is nice that Bash didn’t try to wow me with money. He obviously has it. He pays for things, which is good. I remember going on a date with this jerk named Carlos that wanted me to pay half for parking. I hope I never have to experience anything like that ever again. I’m too old for that type of bullshit.

Bash and I had spent the whole day downtown. I had to pee again so I was so glad when Bash was ready to go. There was no way I would ever step foot in one of these portable-potties.

When he pulled into my condo complex I started to have mixed feelings. I had so much fun. I wanted to invite him in but it was just too soon. Sure we had gone too far initially. I had to prove to him I wasn’t easy sleazy. I really didn’t know what he truly thought. Yeah he said he didn’t judge but that was a crock of bullshit. People judge people. People lie to people. People cheat on people. I’m going to try really hard not to judge him by my past experiences.

He put the car in park. “I wanted to ask you earlier but I decided to hold off.”

“Ask me?” What?

“I want to see you tomorrow.”

I wasn’t expecting that. “You do?”

“Yes, I know we moved pretty fast originally but I had a great time today. I want to come pick you up tomorrow at whatever time you suggest and take you somewhere else.”

“You do?” Girl stop saying you do.

He smiled and unveiled his dimples. “Why do you sound so surprised? I had a great time.”

I had to smile. He had that effect on me. “I’m not surprised.”

“Are you tired of me already?” He was really looking for a response. He didn’t seen so sure. Did he think I would blow him off?

“Bash I don’t think I could ever get tired of you.” It was a little over-the-top. But how I really felt. This man didn’t have any flaws that I could detect. He was honest but didn’t reveal too much too soon. He was fun but not childish. He was calm but not boring. He was good-looking but not prettier than me. Well he was fine but still he wasn’t groomed better than me. Basically he wouldn’t make a good-looking woman. So I was prettier.

“So are we on for tomorrow?” He looked like he might have been worried I would say no. And that’s just stupid. I could swear I saw a pinch of pain in his eyes. No. I’m just being extra.

“Yes we are on.” And popping. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” The self-doubt was gone with his swift smile. “Dress like you did today. It will be outdoors and there’s walking involved.”

“Walking usually is involved.” I smarted. Don’t know why I said that.

“You still look so pretty after being out the entire day.” He shook his head like he couldn’t believe it.

“Thank you. You look pretty nice yourself.”

“Your perspiration even smells delicious.”

Oh my. What do I say now? “Oh.” I’m getting fed up with him making my stomach tingle and my panties wet. No I’m not. I laughed inside.

“So what time should I pick you up?”

“Noon, is that okay?” I should have said two or four. I sound too damn eager, too damn thirsty.

“Are you going to church in the morning?”

“No I don’t go to church. Well I have gone before.” I faltered with a response “Like I believe in God I just don’t go often.” I stumbled around the question. Now I wondered why religion had never come up. We talked about a lot of things. Does he even believe in God?

“I don’t go often either. I go sometimes with my mother.” Bash paused briefly. “I will be here at noon.”

“Okay I will be ready.”

“Come here.” He ordered me closer and it was too damn sexy. He wanted me to come to him. He wasn’t even going to meet me halfway. Huh! He don’t know me but he better ask somebody.

I twisted my lips. I couldn’t help it. I was stubborn and I was use to pushing back. “No.” I cocked my head to the side. “You come here.”

Bash smirked with only one side of his mouth. He reached over and touched my chin. He traced it out to my jaw. I held back a deep sigh. I couldn’t break my gaze. His pull was too damn alluring. He had planted his hand on the back of my neck and he traced his fingers into my hair. He pushed me forward until I was in his face.

He slowly pressed me into his lips and split my mouth open with his tongue. He played with my tongue until I could no longer breathe. When he pulled his lips away from mine I felt abandoned. I almost cried and that’s not cool.

“When I say come here. You come here.” He was scorching me with his glare. Intense was an understatement. My chest was heaving up and down and I couldn’t hide it. My breasts had become so full in my bra I was afraid I was going to break the damn snaps.

“Ah, ah, okay.” I could barely get any syllables out.

“I’m serious.”

Oh! That was scary, sexy scary, very sexy but scary.

Oh my.

NINA

★
SUNDAY
★

I held in my squeal of delight. I had another date with Bash. I wanted to dance about it. This was completely out of character for me. Men made me cautious and they certainly didn’t make me squeal.

I was so happy Bash didn’t try to come up to my place last night. It would have been too hard to turn him down. He is in a class of his own. He had already led me to do things I wouldn’t normally do.

I wasn’t ready to be intimate with him. I’m sure he could have made me ready but I liked him and I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression about me. He seemed to let that hot finger session not taint his image of me. I appreciated that more than he will ever know.

Men are assholes. You have to play stupid chaste games with them to prove to them you’re not a whore or a slut or whatever disparaging words they use on woman that want to have sex. The truth is their mother opened her legs and that’s how they were born.

It was clear Bash was still interested but he had pumped the brakes and I was grateful. The Virgin Mary couldn’t resist Bash. That’s what I know.

I want him so bad. I’m afraid I won’t measure up. I never felt this way before. It doesn’t take much to satisfy a horny man. I don’t know why I feel like I’m out of my league with this man.

Of course Bash showed up on time. Of course he showed up in his Porsche. It made me again wonder if he really owned a black BMW. If I found out that he lied about that, would it matter?

Things were simple with Bash. Simple was good because complicated was a hot ass mess. I like that he picked the places, drove and ordered for me. It was like a little dating vacay.

We were going to spend the day together again. I had never done this with any man before. I always felt that spending too much time together was a surefire way to kill a relationship. Bash is different. I couldn’t imagine being away from Bash for a long period of time.