Up to No Good (2 page)

Like most women, she wanted to be a wife much more than a girlfriend. Don’t get me wrong; I liked her, but I wasn’t having no part of getting married. I was having too much fun with all the other women in my life. Crystal, on the other hand, wouldn’t take no for an answer. As far as she was concerned, she was in love with me, and all I needed was a little coaxing to understand that I loved her too. She was so convinced of this that she got pregnant, hoping it would settle me down enough for us to get married. It didn’t. All it really made me do was act the fool even more. It was something I wished could have been changed, but I still had no regrets. I ’d had a good life, a fun life. Why would I mess it up by getting married?

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Huh?” She lifted her head. “What did you say?”

“Ah, nothing.” I leaned over and kissed her cheek.

She rolled over to face me. “If you’re gonna kiss me, kiss me right.”

I smiled as I studied her face through the dim light that peeked between the curtains. She really was beautiful, and I ’d never seen a woman age so well.

I pressed my lips against hers, and our kiss became passionate. My hands roamed her body hungrily. Just as she mounted me for another round, my bedroom door flew open and blinding light flooded the room.

Crystal dove under the covers to hide her nakedness.

“What the—” I shouted, squinting my eyes to adjust to the bright light as I saw what looked like a woman standing in my doorway. In that brief moment, my
mind went into overdrive, trying to understand who had just broken into my house. It could have been one of any number of women I ’d been seeing over the past few months—but most likely the one I had broken a date with to meet Crystal. But how the hell had she gotten into my house?

The woman yelled, “I knew you was here with her!” and suddenly I knew who the intruder was. This wasn’t just any woman standing in my doorway. This was a woman I loved with all my heart, but when it came to me pursuing my love life, she could be described with only one word:
trouble.

“Well, tomorrow’s the big day. You’re really gonna go through with it, aren’t you?”

I smiled, nodding my head at my best friend, Omar, as I slid my key into the door of my hotel room and pushed it open. We’d just left what was quite possibly the best bachelor party ever thrown, and we were both drunk. I plopped down on the first of two queen-sized beds while Omar stumbled toward the bathroom to relieve himself. I didn’t know about Omar, but I was tired, both mentally and physically drained from preparing for my big day tomorrow and from celebrating my last night as a single man with my boys.

Omar, who was my best man, had gone all out, inviting all our friends, along with six of the wildest strippers I ’d ever seen. They were more like erotic circus performers than strippers, with all the contortions and tricks they showed us. Add them to the top-shelf liquor our friend Reggie supplied and
Bam!
One hell of a bachelor party.

“You know, Dee,” Omar slurred as he stood in the bathroom, “I never thought you’d really go through with
it. I mean, I like Keisha and all, but …” He paused. I heard him say “Ahhhh,” followed by the sound of him relieving himself.

“Man, will you close the door? Don’t nobody wanna hear you peeing.” I loved Omar like the brother I never had, but he could really be disgusting sometimes. Some might even call him repulsive.

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m done now.” He walked out of the bathroom with his zipper down and his pants hanging off his ass, exposing his plaid boxers. I didn’t bother to remind him to wash his hands, because, like I said, he could be a little raw.

“So, what were you saying about me getting married? You didn’t think I was gonna do it? Man, I been with that woman since I was fifteen years old. That pussy is bought and paid for. I ain’t got no choice but to marry her.” I tried to sound cool for Omar, but the truth was, I loved Keisha with all my heart.

“Yeah, I know that, and you been faithful to her since you was fifteen. But what I wanna know is, do you really want to die having been with only one woman?” His expression made it look as if he felt sorry for me. I hated that look.

“You act like me being faithful is a bad thing.”

This conversation was nothing new to me. Omar and my boys had always thought me strange because of my faithfulness to Keisha. The way they saw it, a man was supposed to get as much experience as he could with as many women as were willing to give it up. But I viewed things differently. I had given my virginity and pledged my faithfulness to Keisha, and I wasn’t about to hurt her by cheating with some woman who didn’t mean anything to me. My father had done that to my mother. I grew up seeing how deeply it affected her
life and saw the hurt in her eyes over and over again, so I vowed never to do that to the woman I loved. It just wasn’t worth it to me.

“Nah, it ain’t a bad thing,” he conceded, “just unrealistic. Besides, with that chick Tia as her maid of honor, who knows what they’re doing across the street at her bachelorette party.” Omar sat down on the bed across from me with a strange look on his face—like he had something important to say but couldn’t find the words. He was starting to piss me off. “Dee, I heard Tia hired male strippers for Keisha’s bachelorette party. Who knows what Keisha could be—”

I cut him off right there. “Look, bro, Keisha ain’t Tia, just like I’m not you! You got that?”

“You think our strippers had big titties? Can you imagine how big those male strippers’ dicks are? Stretch that tight little pussy right on out.”

Omar was my boy, but he was really pushing the limit tonight. “You’re drunk, so I’m gonna ignore that. But, O, you better check yourself,” I warned him.

He laughed, but I wanted him to understand that I was serious. The night before my wedding was not the time for him to be disrespecting my fiancée like this. I loved that woman more than I loved myself.

“I’m just saying … do you really think you’re the only guy Keisha has ever been with?”

I stood up and pointed my finger in his face. “Best friend or not, don’t come out your face like that about her again or I’ll—”

“Or you’ll what? Man, sit your ass down.” He laughed. “What you gonna do, fight your best man for trying to get you some pussy the night of your bachelor party?” He shook his head.

I let out an aggravated sigh. “O, I don’t know why you gotta disrespect me before my wedding.”

He was still smiling, but he had stopped laughing. I think he could finally see that I was upset. “Yo, Dee, I’m sorry, man. I meant no disrespect, but—”

“You need to shut that drunk-ass mouth of yours, then.”

“You right, I’m drunk,” he admitted, still smiling at me. “And maybe I should be quiet. But just remember, drunk people usually tell the truth. So I’m telling you, Darnel, you need to get some ass before you get married. I could set it up like that.” He snapped his fingers.

I was amazed at how persistent Omar was. He knew damn well that Keisha was my life, so he was wasting his time trying to convince me to cheat on her.

I lay down on the bed. “Can’t do it, buddy. I’m a one-woman man.”

“You wasn’t such a one-woman man when that stripper was giving you that lap dance in the corner, were you?” Omar’s smile widened. “I saw the way you was trying to hide your hard dick once she got off of you.” He imitated my actions, crossing his arms casually over his lap.

I turned my head away so he wouldn’t see my smirk. I had indeed been turned on by the honey-colored stripper who called herself Destiny. She had coaxed me into a lap dance when I thought everyone was watching the other strippers do tricks. I ’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. But that still didn’t mean I wanted to have sex with her.

“You saw that, huh?” I said.

“Yeah, I saw it. So did half the other brothers in the room.”

“Jesus Christ.” I was so embarrassed.

“What’s wrong with you? It was a fuckin’ bachelor party, Dee. What? Your dick not supposed to get hard when a fine-ass naked woman sits on your lap? I ’d be
worried if it didn’t.” Omar smiled as he tried once again to tempt me to get laid by another woman on the night before my wedding. “You couldn’t keep your eyes off that fine-ass honey the rest of the night, could you?”

“You just don’t understand. Keisha is my soul mate. I’m not supposed to be attracted to any other woman that way. I made a promise, and I’m keeping it.”

“No, you don’t understand.” Omar paced back and forth like a lawyer delivering a passionate closing argument. “I mean, I appreciate that being faithful shit, but you take it to another level. You need to have some fun, Dee.”

I didn’t have a chance to answer him, because his cell phone rang. He must have been expecting the call, because suddenly his eyes lit up and he looked really excited. He answered the phone in a hurry and took it into the bathroom. Unlike when he used the toilet before, this time he closed the door behind him.

He came out about five minutes later, smiling.

“Yo, I’m about to hook up with one of them strippers. Her friend Destiny asked about you. She wanted to know if you wanted to hang.” He looked at me eagerly. “This is your last opportunity, man.”

“Nah, you go. I’m gonna chill out right here and get some rest. I got a big day ahead of me.”

“Whatever.” Omar shook his head, looking very disappointed in me as he headed for the door. “If you change your mind, give me a call.”

“I won’t,” I assured him.

Once he was gone, I pulled out my cell and dialed Keisha’s number. She answered on the second ring with a sweet, “Hello.” I loved her voice. I know it sounds corny, but it was like music to my ears. I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved this woman.

“Hey, babe,” I greeted her. I was lying on my side, remembering how beautiful she looked tonight at the rehearsal dinner. I couldn’t wait to make her my wife.

“Hey, boo.” She sounded excited to hear from me. “You still at the bachelor party?”

“Nah, I’m in the room, bored and lonely.”

“Oh, my poor baby.” She was using this cute little-girl voice. “Don’t worry. After tomorrow, you don’t ever have to be lonely again.”

“I like the sound of that. So what you doing?”

“I’m about to leave the bar and go up to my room. Tia done found her some man.”

“Figures,” I replied. “Hey, want some company?”

“I’d love some … tomorrow night.” She chuckled. “I know what you’re up to, Mr. Black. You ain’t gettin’ none until after the wedding. Besides, you know it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

Keisha had been holding out on me for the past three weeks. We shared an apartment together, but she’d been making me sleep in the guest room, telling me some crap about I ’d appreciate it more if we waited until after the wedding. As horny as I was the past few days, I was deeply regretting the fact that I ’d actually agreed to our mini-celibacy.

“Okay, okay. I guess I’ll go see if I can find my other best friend.”

“I just saw Omar and some woman leaving the hotel.”

“It was probably that stripper he was going to meet.”

“Maybe. Look, baby, I’m about to get in the elevator. If I lose the signal, I’ll call you back.”

“Nah, it’s a’ight, babe. You go ’head. I’ll see you in the morning. I love you, Mrs. Black.”

“I love you, too, Mr. Black. Good night.” I could hear
her smiling through the phone. She loved it when I called her Mrs. Black.

“Night, babe.” I hung up the phone, fiending for my woman. I just wanted to be near her. Hell, I would have settled for a kiss and a hug.

One long, lonely hour later, I found myself wishing that I had gone with Omar—not to have sex with that woman Destiny or anything, but just to get out of the room. I was so keyed up. When I first got to the room, I was dead tired, but after talking to Keisha, anxiety set in and I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was think of her and the wedding. Was everything going to be all right? Were the limos going to pick us up on time? Was the reception going to be decorated the way we wanted? Was Omar going to get back from screwing that woman on time? Were my father and stepfather going to get along? There were so many things running through my mind.

Whenever I had nights like this, when I had too much on my mind, Keisha was always the one who could soothe me and help me fall asleep. If I could just get one kiss, I thought, I could make it through the night. One kiss was all I wanted. Never mind all that “bad luck to see the bride” stuff; I decided to go surprise my future wife.

I got out of bed, still feeling the effects of the alcohol. I wasn’t as bad as when I had first got back to the room, but I was still drunk.

I staggered to the elevator, punched the DOWN button, and rode to the lobby. Fortunately, I wasn’t so drunk that the lady at the front desk would give me a hard time. I told her that I had lost my key to the wedding suite. The truth was that Keisha was staying there
alone tonight, and we would be there together after the wedding. But the desk clerk didn’t need to know those details. As long as the name on my driver’s license matched the name on the reservation, she was happy to give me a duplicate key card.

“Congratulations,” she said with a smile.

“Thanks,” I answered as I grabbed a handful of mints and headed back to the elevator. As I rode up to the twentieth floor, I popped a few mints in my mouth to mask the smell of alcohol on my breath. Keisha hated when I was drunk.

I couldn’t wait to see her. Maybe if I played my cards right, I would get more than a kiss.

When I got to the suite, I slid the card in the door and walked into the living room. The lights were out, and I didn’t see any reason to turn them on as I walked from the living room into the bedroom. There were enough bright city lights coming through the space between the curtains for me to see everything I needed to. And what I saw was my worst nightmare come true.

On the bed, lying naked on her stomach, was Keisha. Now, normally that wouldn’t have been a bad thing, but lying on top of her was Omar. That’s right, Omar. The same Omar who was supposed to be my best friend and the best man in my wedding tomorrow, the same Omar who had tried his damnedest to get me to cheat on Keisha, was now screwing her from behind. Oh, and was he having a good old time, too, pumping away like there was no tomorrow. Unfortunately for him, there would be no tomorrow, because I was going to kill him.