Lions && Tigers && Bears

“Did you even do what I told you to?” Danielle asked the man sitting on the couch across from her. “It’s hard. I try to break it off with her but she just posses some things my wife doesn’t.” The man responded. “Question Mr. Lauderdale; is love less than a piece of good a$$, because that’s all you’re telling me.”

He looked at her with shame written all over his face realizing what she had just said. “It’s nothing li-” He was cut off when she began to speak again. “I wasn’t finished. Your lover’s lust means more to you than your wife’s love. If lust is what you want, then love isn’t what you need.”

He ran his hand over his face and blew out some unwanted air. “Why is it so hard though?” he asked referring to him not being able to choose between his wife and his lover. “It’s hard because you make it hard,” she answered him. He shook his head no. Danielle tried to read his face which was flushed, all the color had ran out and sweat began to roll down his forehead. “Mr. Lauderdale, is there something you haven’t told me?”

His leg bounced up and down and he played with his fingers in his lap. “How am I supposed to help you if you lie to me?” Danielle questioned. “I didn’t lie, I just didn’t tell the whole truth,” he answered. Danielle fixed her reading glasses on her face. “Mr. Lauderdale, if you want to get through this you have to tell me everything.”

He hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “My lover is a man,” he mumbled. “Excuse me,” Danielle said not sure of what she had just heard. He lifted his head up with his eyes full of tears. He said, “My lover…is a man.” Danielle bit her lip deep in thought. He just sat there wondering if it was a good idea to tell that part of his life. He was still somewhat embarrassed by it.

The timer dings letting them know it was the end of the session. “Looks as if our session is complete until next time,” Danielle said still stunned by what was revealed. “But what about my problem,” Mr. Lauderdale asked on his way out. “Sorry the session is over, you can buy more time or wait until next time,” she said trying to get rid of him so that she could go to lunch. “But I’m so confused.”

Danielle grabbed her purse ready to exit. She sighed and said, “Next time, Mr. Lauderdale, we’re going to role play.” She pushed him out the door, flicked her light switched and stepped out into the hall. “I’ll be Mrs. Lauderdale and you have to tell me your secrets. Good day Mr. Lauderdale.” Danielle walked away and met Mijo at the elevator like she always did.

-“Are you serious?” Danielle asked Mijo. They sat across from each other at a table in their now favorite lunch spot—The Lounge. She knew it was only a matter of time until this topic would ease its way into one of their conversations. “Yea, how could I not be? The last few months we been kickin it let me see who you are. We share a lot of things in common including feelings for each other.” He paused and looked at Danielle with his drink in hand.

He leaned comfortably to one side in the booth. His serious but somewhat cool demeanor had taken over. Danielle just stared on with no expression on her face. Mijo chuckled to himself. “Yo, why you actin like that?” he asked sitting up straight. “I,” she said shaking her head. “I’m not actin like anything,” she responded.

“You are. You actin like you don’t see what I see. It’s in your eyes even in your smile. And I always hear in it your voice, especially over the phone.” He bit his bottom lip. “I see right through you. What’s holding you back ‘cause when your friends ask about me it’s always ‘he’s just a friend’ but when we’re alone you’re all up on me like I’m your man. Wassup with all that? Why you always giving me the cold shoulder?” He waited for her to respond.

“So, because I spend time with you, you assume that I want you?” she asked trying to avoid his question. “Am I wrong?” he asked. It was a game of twenty-one questions between the two. “Does it really matter?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Should it?” She put her head in her hand. “It’s more to it than just that,” she answered.

He looked at his phone to check the time. “Tell me…on the way back to work,’ he said laying money on the table for their bill. They exited The Lounge and he opened the passenger door for her like he always did. When he was in the car a situated to drive off he asked, “Are you going to explain?”

Danielle’s head hung low and she fidgeted with her fingers as she did every time she felt like she was put into the limelight. Mijo drove off towards their work building and she looked out the window. She didn’t want to talk about it but Mijo, he wanted answers on why he couldn’t have the woman he was falling for.

“Is it because of him?” he asked making the air around Danielle thicker than it was before. She went to school to help other people with their problems yet she had trouble reaching out in her time of need. She was a relationship therapist; why didn’t she have the answers for herself?

She didn’t answer him. “It is, isn’t it?” he asked still not receiving a response. He focused on the road. He figured she wouldn’t answer. “Damn, you’re hard to get through to,” he said. If she wouldn’t talk, he had no problem talking. He went on with the conversation knowing she was listening but being naïve about the situation.

“Why should you and I have to suffer because of his mistakes? Just because eya ex did ya wrong doesn’t mean every man’s gonna treat ya the way he did. You gotta move on sweetie rather it’s with me or someone else. You’re doing nothing but paining yourself more than you can bear. You deserved to be loved,” he paused and looked at her as he put the car in park. Danielle got out of the car and walked towards the building. He jumped out to catch up with her hitting the alarm in the process. “I know he’s put a scar across ya heart and it makes it hard to love again but it doesn’t make it impossible.”

They entered the building and he kept talking as they waited on the elevator. “The road in your life isn’t going to be smooth, it’ll always had bumps, rocks and pot holes. You shouldn’t let it stop ya.” They stepped on the elevator. It was quiet most of the ride. Mijo didn’t want to seem as if he was nagging but he wanted her to understand that other peoples’ lives don’t stand still because she choose to stop living. “Just know that no one is going to wait around and pay for his mistakes,” he said just as the elevator doors opened and she stepped off. “Bye,” she finally said. “Later.”

She walked into her office and flopped down on the couch her patients would sit in. “He’s right, why can’t I let go?” she asked herself. A few tears fell from her eyes. She laughed at the state she was in. “Since when did the psychiatrist need counseling?” Her time alone was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was her two o’clock client—the couple that had problems because the wife cheated with men over the internet. And Danielle thought she had it bad.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her off the countertop. His hands roamed under her dress finding her thong and pulling them down to her thighs. He sat her back down on the counter then stepped back while pulling the thong completely off. The thong hit the floor as Danielle pulled Chris’ Sweater vest over his head then hopped off the counter. “We can’t do this,” she said then threw the vest over her shoulder and sashayed away. She stopped at the threshold of the kitchen and said, “Not here.” She left and Chris followed closely behind.

When they got in her room Chris asked, “Why not?” She pushed him back on the bed and threw the vest to the floor. “Because, it wasn’t enough room,” she answered. She climbed on top of him, straddling him, and started to unbutton his shirt, one button at a time. As she unbuttoned one she kissed his exposed chest.

After taking his shirt off, she unbuckled his belt and pants then stood up to put on some Keith Sweat. She pressed the play button then the repeat button and walked back over to Chris. He was pulling his pants from his ankles, leaving his socks on. Danielle chuckled, men and their damn socks during sex.

She turned her back to him and let him unzip her gold dress. The straps were already off her shoulders so he slid it down pass her thighs then let it fall to the floor. She stepped out and went to the side of the California king sized bed climbed in and laid directly in the middle. Chris followed her with his eyes. When he saw her lay down, he turned around and climbed up to her.

She stopped him with her foot. “Wait, what about your boxers?” He looked at her then down at his boxers. “Wha---why?” he asked trying to plead with her. “It’s only fair,” she said looking down at her own naked body. “But—“ She cut him off. “But what? Is there something you don’t want me to see?”

“No,” he answered then continued to climb on top of her. “Then why not take them off?” she asked stopping him again. Chris sighed and hung his head. He got off the bed looking at her the whole time. She was propping herself up on her right elbow, smiling, and looking directly at his bottom half where his erection could be seen perfectly.

“Strip for me,” she said messing with him. “What?” he asked raising his eyebrow. Danielle waved her finger at him. “You heard me, strip!” Chris just stood there looking at her with his thumb in the elastic of his boxers. There was no turning back now. His little man was hard as a rock and plus she was looking like a goddess.

Her golden skin glowed in moonlight that shined through the window of her bedroom. Her double d breast lay to the side as she leaned on her elbow and her ass—he had lied earlier, it was more than enough to grab while hitting it from the back. But if he wanted to do that, he had to strip. “It’s okay, if you don’t want to, “ she said sliding off the side of the bed and walking towards the bathroom. “I’ll just be in the shower,” she finished walking into the bathroom.

He threw his hands in the air. “Wait,” he said but didn’t stop Danielle. He heard the water running. “Ain’t this bout a b****,” he said to himself. He sat on the foot of the bed and laid back, Keith Sweat’s ‘Nobody’ was still coming through the surround sound speakers around the room.

Danielle began to sing the words while in the shower. “I want the night, for me and you, so come here baby, and let me do it to you, don't be afraid, 'cuz I won't bite, I promise to give it to you just the way you like,” she got louder when she sang the last line.

Chris still lay there wondering if he should use the baby oil or coco butter tonight. “Who can sex CHRIS like me? NOBODY.” He heard Danielle sing. His head turned to the bathroom door and he hurried in there.

“About time, I thought you would never come,” Danielle said and turned around to see Chris standing there bare. She smiled as her eyes roamed his package. He was standing at attention, she wondered if it could get any harder. She opened the sliding shower door and figured that she’d soon find out.

Chris stepped in and held her from behind kissing on her neck. His right hand felt down her stomach to her pussy. He rubbed his index and middle finger over her clit as she opened her legs some to let him get a better feel. His fingers were soon inside of her pumping in and out and his thumb was rubbing her clit. She moaned and wrapped her left arm around his neck. She put her right foot up on the sitting spot of the shower to elevate herself so Chris could get his fingers in deeper.

The water came from the shower heads—one above them and one to their left. Danielle leaned her head back while Chris still attacked it with his kisses, licks, and sucks. She moaned in his ear making his d*** rise even more. She was turning him on like he’s never been turned on before.

Her walls tightened around Chris’s fingers and her body jerked as Chris made the last few pumps into her. “Mmm Chris,” she moaned softly into his ear as she climaxed. New juices flowed from her and Chris still pumped in and out. Her legs gave in and Chris had to practically hold her up. He stopped then sat her on the shower seat.

After she regained her strength, Chris wanted to feel her pearl on his tongue. He got on his knees and held her legs up as he sucked on her clit. Danielle threw her head back instantly; her clit was sensitive as hell still. Chris moved down to her opening and slid his tongue inside. She was now in ecstasy; Chris was doing the damn thing. His tongue was pumping in and out of her rolling at the same time while he was sucking on her clit. She soon came again and Chris licked it all up.

He helped her into the room after cutting off the water. He laid her in the bed then searched for a condom. It was in her bottom nightstand drawer where he found the golden ticket. He hurriedly ripped the package open and slid the condom on leaving room at the tip. He slid the tip in and Danielle could hardly bare it; she was still very sensitive. He hovered over her to position himself better and eased himself into her.

As Chris pumped in and out of her, her mind went to Mijo. She felt like she was cheating on him even though they weren’t a couple. She wanted to make it official with him but couldn’t bring herself to it because she wasn’t ready for another relationship. She just
thought that he would be her first after Derwin and had no intentions on f***ing Chris.

After the three hours of f***ing in many positions and two condoms later, Danielle and Chris had became two wet bodies in the night. Her hair was stuck to her face and sweat dripped from his chest as they ended their night of sexscapade missionary style.

Chris had Danielle’s legs pinned up above her head as she reached her climax. She wanted to close them so bad, but Chris wasn’t having it. Her walls squeezed his manhood as he tried to pump in and out of her—it was like the Jaws of Life. He pulled all the way out to let her relax some then rammed it back in.

She yelled out his name begging for more so she could release. He pulled out one more time and did the same as before. “Oh my f***ing Gosh, Chris,” she said closing her eyes in pleasure.

He pulled it out one last time and slapped it on her lips teasing her. “Put it back in,” she begged. He smiled and asked, “Is that what you really want?” She shook her head yes. “Okay,” he said then pushed himself back into her while leaning down to her so he could go in as deep as possible.

“Oh s***, oh s***, oh s***,” she said just above a whisper. “I’m about to cum,” she finished. “Hell yea, cum on this d***,” Chris said to her. She gripped his thighs as she reached her climax for the umpteenth time. “Fuuuuuuuuuck!” he yelled as her nails dug into his skin. She came and Chris could feel her warm cum on his thigh as he continued to pump in and out of her. He soon came and collapsed on side of her.

Danielle thoughts went back to last night as she watched Chris in his boxers from the kitchen doorway. He was mopping her floor from the milk that had spilled last night. His muscles flexed as he moved the mop left then right.

He finished and turned to the stove where he had some bacon frying in a pan. “Finally awake, huh,” he asked. Danielle walked over to him wearing only his sweater vest. “Yupp, your cooking woke me. No one’s ever cooked me breakfast the morning after.”

“Not to be using the man’s slogan but, it’s time for change,” Chris quoted Barack Obama. “And I’m it.” He finished.

Danielle’s smile faded. She didn’t want to lead him on or anything. Chris was a great guy and all but she wasn’t ready for a relationship—with him nor Mijo. She sighed knowing she had to be the bad guy. “Chris,” she paused as he turned around to face her. “I don’t wanna le—”

He cut her off. “Shh, I know. You told me already and I respect that. I’m just asking you to think about it. No rush at all. But when you do feel that you’re ready, think of me.” She nodded her head. “Okay,” she said. He turned back to the stove. “Oh, by the way your sister came by with Journee—” Danielle cut him off again. “Really?!”

“Yea, she said that she had an emergency catering gig and sorry. And Journee’s in her room sound asleep if that’s what you want to know. I gave her a bottle and she went back to sleep.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Ya mans got chu,” he said c**kily. “Whatever, I’m gonna go take a quick shower,” she said walking off.

Danielle stepped into the shower and let the luke warm water hit her body. She lathered some of her Zest body wash in the towel and began to wash her neck. Soon her body was full of suds and she turned the overhead shower head on to rinse off. She closed her eyes, and put her hands over them to make sure the water wouldn’t get into her eyes.

A pair of hands wrapped around her waist and she jumped a little. “Chill, it’s just me,” Chris said. “Aren’t you supposed to be cooking me breakfast?” she asked still under the water. “I thought you needed a little appetizer.”

She turned to him removing her hands from her eyes. She said, “Now, who ever heard of an appetizer for breakfast.” Chris put his index finger to her lips. “Shh, didn’t I say it was a time for change?” he asked rhetorically.

“Got the—” Chris held up a condom and smiled. “Chaaange,” he said then started kissing her.

The good neighbor had become change and Danielle loved it.

His reflection starred back at him in his floor length mirror that hung on the back of his closet door. The Gucci on his feet coordinated with the tan and brown sweater vest he sported, a white button down layered underneath. The dark blue denims were fitting on his bottom half but loose enough to sag just a little. He ran his hand over his face amd stopped at his chin. He winked at himself and said, “You are one swaggerific dude.” He adjusted his Gucci belt buckle, grabbed his coat, and left out of his room after turning the light off.

He stepped into his hall of his floor then locked his front door. He went into his pocket to get a piece of gum. When he retrieved it, he unwrapped the silver foil off of the stick of Doublemint gum and pushed it into his mouth. He turned to his right while pointing both index fingers in the direction, he began to walk.

His knuckles collided with the wooden door as he knocked on it just below the number 2D. He smiled as he noticed the irony of her condo number being 2D when her name is Danielle and his is 2C when his name is Chris. The door came open in the middle of his smile and there she was.

Her hair was in a curly bun with random curls hanging. The mascara and eyeliner, which was the only makeup she wore was applied perfectly. The shiny lip gloss made her lips ready to kiss. Her gold thigh length spaghetti strap dress showed off just enough cleavage. And the thing that counted most to Chris—feet, hers were freshly pedicured in a pair of gold peep toe stilettos.

“I am so sorry about the short notice double date,” she said as she stepped into the hallway and the other beautiful female from the café appeared. “It’s not big deal, the more the merrier,” he said still smiling. “Are you sure, Chris?” Danielle asked resting her hand on his shoulder. “I’m positive,” he answered.

Danielle smiled. “Okay, Chris, this is Ayla. Ayla, this is Chris,” she introduced them. Chris stuck his hand out and said, “Nice to see you again, Ayla.” She shook his hand and said, “LaLa, and nice to see you again, Chris.” Danielle locked her door. “Her date is meeting us there,” she said. “Okay,” Chris said.

He stepped in between the ladies, Danielle on his left and Ayla on the right, with his arms outstretched. “Looks like I have two beautiful ladies for dates right now,” he said as the each grabbed an arm and giggled. “Nice tattoo, I’ve seen it somewhere before,” Ayla said noticing Chris’ hand as they walked off.

Danielle looked for a tattoo as they stepped into the elevator. “What tattoo?” Chris held up his right hand and flashed it to her. “This one,” he replied. “Oh that is…nice.” She caught herself before she said Mijo’s name. It was the same tattoo he had except it was on his left hand.

Chris pulled out Danielle and Ayla’s chairs and after they sat down, so did he. He sat next to Danielle and across from Ayla, the idle chair was left for Dre. The waitress came with her pen and pad to take their order. “Hi, Chef Chris, not working but eating today are we,” the waitress said—her name tag read, Laiyane.

“What would you like to drink this lovely evening,” she asked with her pen ready in hand. They ordered their drinks and Dre had came just in time to order his. “Sorry I’m late ya’ll, my sister’s car broke down,” he said after Laiyane left to get there drinks.

After that night of ecstasy he and Ayla had, they couldn’t get enough of each other. In the beginning they were just having rendezvous during booty call hours. For Dre, being cutty buddies was fine with him but it wasn’t enough. He felt like Ayla had more to offer him. It was crazy for him because he’d never felt that way before. He knew that pussy controlled the mind and d*** but never the heart.

On the other hand Ayla loved the relationship between the two. They say you can’t have your cake and eat it too; well she was doing just that. Hell she even had a scoop of ice cream—some nights she had two. Dre put it on her right in every position and always hit the spot. So when he asked her to be his official girl she couldn’t deny and risk losing great sex.

“Babe, this is Chris. Chris this is Dre and you’ve met Yelly already,” Ayla introduced. “Wassup,” he said to them. They greeted him back just as Laiyane came back to the table with their drinks, ready to take their orders.

They put their orders in and continued to converse. The topic of the night just so happened to be the election. With a woman and a black man running for office brought a lot of controversy. The were well into the conversation when their food was served. “I don’t really think a woman should be president,” Ayla argued. “Why not?” Danielle laughed. “Because that’s all we need is a cranky, PMSing b**** trying to run America. We’re already going into a slow recession,” she responded feeling confident about her opinion.

“I beg to differ,” Chris interjected. “I think that she would do the country some good. I mean not be sexist or anything but have you ever watched a woman handle business? And don’t talk about when ya’ll PMSing, them mood swings get you what you want.” Ayla and Danielle looked at each other and then at Chris waiting for him to finish. “What, you know I’m right,” he defended himself.

Dre laughed at Chris’ comment but had something to say himself. “You have to think about it though. It only works that way if she’s black. I see it this way, Hillary cannot run the country because she couldn’t even take care of the one thing she did have to take care of back in the late nineties—Bill’s d***. Monica came and did the job for her and a mighty fine job might I add.”

Chris nodded his head at Dre’s statement. Danielle couldn’t argue with him, he had a point. “Me personally I think that Hillary is what minority America wants because she’s the closest we’re gonna get to Bill. And all minorities loved Bill, but she isn’t him. We’re scared that if Obama wins the primary votes then we’ll have another Republican in the office because majority of America wouldn’t actually vote a black man president.” Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with her. “All the people who voted for Hillary will vote for the other party. Lord knows we don’t need another Bush. In all I don’t think that America is ready for a female president but we’re definitely ready for a black one.”

“Who said he was fully black anyway?” Dre asked rhetorically speaking. “That’s right, isn’t his mother or is it is grandmother that’s white,” Chris said. The discussion became one of race as it always did when talking about the 2008 election.

They ate and ordered some dessert. Ayla and Dre decided to take theirs to go. They were planning on having double the sweets tonight. Chris and Danielle stayed behind at the restaurant and ate theirs while having a casual conversation about whatever came to mind.

“So you’re just gonna act like we aren’t together?” Danielle saw a woman in a black and pink low cut tunic and some black spandex slacks. Chris rolled his eyes and sighed heavily at the voice. Without looking at her he said, “What are you talking about, Keri?”

“You know what I’m talking about. I’m sitting over there with my girls and they tell me that they see you with another chick. I’m tired of you cheating on me.” She had her arms folded. Danielle wanted to disappear at that moment. She knew the feeling of being cheated on and she didn’t want to be the ‘other woman’.

Chris chuckled to himself. “I think it’s getting a little too crowded in here, we should go Danielle.” He opened his wallet to pay the bill. “No, why don’t you wanna talk?” she asked him.

“What is there to talk about? Lemme see, you thinking that we’re still together when we been stopped seeing each other about a month ago. Or wait the fact that you and your friends came to eat here knowing that I work here. Or maybe we can talk about how you’re always stalking me. You choose.”

Danielle really wanted to disappear now, there was a small scene and people were watching. She got up from her seat and walked towards the door, this had nothing to do with her and she didn’t want any part of it.

“Why are you acting like you don’t love me?” Keri asked taking Danielle’s seat.

“Because I don’t and stop telling ya girls that we’re still together. I swear you need to get checked out,” he said laughing at what he said. It was funny but so true. The girl had issues. He didn’t know what he did to make her want to still be with him but he wished he hadn’t done it. He simply stood from his seat and walked away.

When he met Danielle at the door she was sitting on the cushioned bench with her phone in hand—texting. She stood up when he approached her. “I’m so sorry about that, she’s my ex,” he explained to her.

“Are you sure? She seemed pretty angry.” They walked out into the cool night.

“Trust me, we are not together. She’s just mad because I caught her cheating.” Valet opened Danielle’s door and let her get in while Chris got in on the driver side.

“So why was she talking bout ya’ll together?”

“I don’t know but she needs to come to your office,” he said jokingly but serious at the same time.

Danielle laughed at the opportunity to dog the girl out and make Chris cry laugh. “By looking at her outfit, she can’t afford me. I mean seriously Chris, what were you thinking? Home girl’s teeth look like she had been chewing on screws.”

“You know you wrong for that, her teeth ain’t that bad,” Chris defended his ex girlfriend.

Danielle smiled to herself because she wanted to see if she could make Chris mad. Yea it’s so high school but it was the perfect timing. “Oh so you taking up for yo lil snagga tooth girlfriend. It’s okay that you wanted to upgrade but got caught up.”

Chris looked at her quickly and turned his attention back towards the road. “That ain’t my girl, she my ex. And maybe I was tryna upgrade.”

“Hmm, I saw how you was lookin at her—all seductive. It’s okay if you still want her, I mean people do have flaws.” Danielle was having fun as she saw Chris bit his lip. Was he getting mad already?

Chris nodded his head catching on to what she was trying to do. He decided to flip the script. “Yea I just couldn’t resist lookin at that a$$ on her. I mean she does have a fat a$$ unlike some females I know.” He leaned his head on his head rest at the red light and looked at her then back at the road. “See, I like a girl with a big round fatty. You just have big a$$ titties. I guess they’ll work for right now…I just won’t have an a$$ to grab while we’re doin it doggy style. Titties will do though, they will do.”

Danielle hit him on the arm as he pulled off from the red light. “Like you’re gonna get any.”

They joked all the way back to their building. They were at Danielle’s door saying goodbye when she looked at her cell phone which said nine thirty-two. “You can come in if you want, it’s still early.”

“Cool,” Chris said following her inside. She went into the kitchen while he stayed in the living room looking around at all the pictures. “Who’s all these females in this pic?”

Danielle yelled from the kitchen, “My mother, Diane, my oldest sister, Mani, my little sister, Layna and my baby sister, Asia. Do you want something to drink?”

“No, I’m cool,” he said putting the picture back down. “All girls, damn.” He walked into the kitchen and watched as Danielle stuffed some of her leftovers from the restaurant in her mouth. Chris smiled and shook his head. “You was tryna act all cute in the restaurant and not eat a lot now you’re still hungry.”

She turned her head slowly and saw him standing there leaning on the post a little. “Na-n-nooo,” was all she said. She finished chewing what she had in her mouth then swallowed it.

“Yea, okay. But I love a girl who loves to eat.” He walked over to her refrigerator and opened it.

“Uh, excuse me.” Danielle said closing her to-go plate. “Why are you all up in my fridge?”

“Grocery shopping,” he said grabbing a pack of sandwich meat and the milk. “You got everything I need to. I have bread with no meat, cereal with no milk. You know black folk can’t ever keep two things that go together in their house.”

“Uh uh, put my stuff back,” she said grabbing the milk from him.

“Na, I need that, stop playin.” He reached for the milk as she turned around to protect it like she was protecting a basketball from an appointment in a game.

He reached and tipped it out of her hand. The milk fell to the floor, the top came off and milk came shooting out. Danielle turned around saying, “Look what you di—“

Her lips met Chris’ and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She pulled away and looked at him. She hurried and turned to pick the milk up off the floor. Her mind was racing and so was her heart. She exhaled and poured the remaining milk into the sink. She saw Chris walk over to her from the corner of her eye and when he got over there she turned her head just as he reached for it. She moved forward and so did he. Their lips met again and this time their tongues intertwined.

She let go of the milk carton and put her arm around his neck as he lifted her leg up to his waist. He grabbed the other one and lifted her up on the counter. Danielle pushed Chris away again not wanting to rush into things. They weren’t an item and she didn’t want to become the girl next door. He stepped back and said, “I’m sorry, I-I.” He started to walk away but she grabbed his arm pulling him back to her. Their lips locked for the third time and this time she didn’t stop.

She hasn’t had sex in more than five months due to her pregnancy and Lord knows that she was horny.

After everyone had left Chris’ condo, Danielle helped him wash the little dishes that they had used. He decided to wash while she dried. He was holding a plate under water washing it. He rubbed the towel in a circular motion while he watched Danielle in his peripheral view. She was drying off a glass that she had just rinsed off. He finished washing the plate and sat it on the side where she would rinse it. He smiled to himself then picked up a handful of suds and blew them on her. Her mouth dropped open as Chris laughed. “No—I know you did not just—,” she stopped in mid sentence and just stared at him. She nodded her head and ran her tongue over her teeth. “Alright, Imma let it slide,” she said as she went back to rinsing off the dishes. “Not!” she screamed as she sprayed him with water from the hose.

She stopped and stood back looking at what she had done. When she saw Chris’ face drenched with water dripping from it she couldn’t help but laugh. Chris tilted his head to the right and looked at her as she tried to stop laughing. Danielle tried her hardest to keep in her laughter but she couldn’t help it. She walked over to Chris and put her hand on his shoulder and said, “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to get you that wet.” She smiled. “It’s okay,” he said then winked at her. “But it’s on,” he said throwing more suds on her. She squeezed the hose and water went in the air then hit Chris. He was throwing suds on her and she was spraying him with water when she slipped and brought Chris down with her. They busted out laughing after they hit the floor.

“Are you okay?” he asked still laughing. “Yea, are you?” she asked him doing the same. “Couldn’t be better,” He pulled himself up and leaned his back on the cabinets under the sink then helped her up. It quieted down and they looked at each other. They started laughing instantly. His t-shirt was soaking wet and she had soap suds all in her hair. When they stopped laughing they looked around them on the floor at the mess they had made. “Wow, we made quite a mess,” she said. “We did didn’t we,” he agreed leaning his head on the cabinet. “I haven’t had this much fun in like I don’t even know how long.” He looked over at Danielle. She nodded her head. “I’ve never had this much fun. Oh my gosh, I got to go,” she said looking at her watch which read nine fifty-four.

“Dang, just gone leave me with the big mess huh,” he said sarcastically. “I’m sorry, but I really have to go,” she apologized to him then got off the floor. “Na, you good,” he said then started to get up. “If ya gotta go, you gotta go.” His left foot slipped and he fell back on the floor. Danielle held her hand over her mouth as she laughed at him. “I coulda hurt myself and you laughin at me,” he said. Danielle held in her laughter. “Sorry, but you should have seen your face. And it was like you fell in slow motion.” She acted out what he had just done. He couldn’t do anything but laugh at himself.

She helped him up and he showed her out. “I’ll see ya around,” he said waving to her through his front door. “Yea, see ya,” she waved walking backwards to her condo. Chris watched her as she put her key in the door and opened it. “Bye,” he said. “Bye,” she smiled. He closed his door and the elevator doors opened. Derwin walked into the hallway.

“Why are you wet?” he asked holding Jounree wrapped in a blanket. “Long story,” she answered and walked into her condo with Derwin close behind. “Did you guys have fun together?” she asked closing the door behind him. “If you mean her cryin and s***tin then yea,” he answered. “Aww, she couldna been that bad.” She walked to the back of her condo to her bed room as Derwin took a seat on the couch. “Yea, she was. But we did have some real fun sleeping,” he said. Danielle stripped from her wet clothes and put on a wife beater and sweats until she took her bath later that night.

She walked back into the living room and sat next to Derwin on the couch. “Is that all you did?” She took Journee from his arms. “No, we went by grandma’s too. She was real happy to see her,” he answed. “Since when?” Danielle asked raising her eyebrow. “The last time I remembered she was yelling at me saying that I was tryna mess up her baby’s life and that you weren’t the father.” Derwin chuckled at Danielle mocking his mother. “I have no idea, but she was all homemade cookies type of grandma today. Smiles and everything.” Danielle laughed and shook her head. “That woman is a mess. But that is your mother,” she said then got up to put Journee in her crib, she was out cold.

She came back walked into her kitchen. “You want something to drink?” she asked Derwin from the kitchen. “Yea, some water,” he answered. Danielle walked back into the living room and handed him a bottle of water before she took her seat again. “So,” she said blowing out air.

She was curious as to why he was sitting on her couch. She didn’t invite him to be her guest for the night. If there were to be any male guest, it would have been Mijo. So uh, how you been?” he asked rubbing his hand through his short curly hair. “I’ve been fine.” She repositioned herself on the couch. Now she sat facing him with her left leg tucked under her. “What about you?” she asked. “You know,” he stumbled throwing his right hand in the air, palm up. “I’ve be enjoying the road while I can. Football season is hitting off real well. We’re nine and two.”

She smiled knowing that he was lying through his teeth. Her and her girl Ayla had been talking about when this might happen. He was doing just as Ayla said he would be doing, stumbling over his words, talking about things he and she already know he loves, and not keeping any eye contact. She hated when her best friend was right. “Yea I saw that last minute touch down you scored in the game against Denver,” she agreed. “You seen that?” he asked smiling at the fact that she watched his games. “What chu mean did I see that? Hell yea, I saw that! You know how I like my football—don’t miss a game.” He licked his lips. “I know that’s why you dated me—the star of the college football team,” he said c**kily. “No, I dated you because you were … an English Grammar major. I can’t be mad at a guy who can speak well.” She lied, what she really wanted to say was that she dated him because he was cute. But she couldn’t let him know that.

“Yea I taught you well. I had you screamin out perfect English,” he said jokingly but somewhat seductive. “You have me mistaken, homie. I straight up yelled Ebonics,” she joked. “Either way, you were loud!” Her jaw dropped and she gave him the ‘oh no you didn’t’ look. “You need to stop the madness,” she said trying to change the subject. “I can prove it,” he said moving closer to her. “Or you can just not,” she said putting her hand out stopping him from getting any closer.

He moved her hand and moved in even closer. “It’s been more than six months since we explored each other. You and I both know it’s time to rekindle the flame,” he said then kissed her cheek. She leaned her head back and said, “Fool, I don’t want you!” He put his hand on her cheek and rubbed it with his thumb. “You know you want me. Why you are you actin like you don’t. I’m just tryna please you.” He rubbed his other hand under her wife beater. She slide up from her seat trying to escape him when someone knocked at the door. He hung his head and she jumped up from out of his reach. When she opened the door Chris was standing there.

“Your earring was on my kitchen floor,” he said holding hit up. She felt her right earlobe and smiled. Derwin looked at Chris and wondered that was Danielle’s earring doing on his kitchen floor. She couldn’t have moved on already. Na, she wasn’t over him that quick. Chris peeked in Danielle’s condo as she opened the door more. “Oh, I’m sorry if I was intruding,” he said nodding his head at Derwin. Derwin nodded back. “No, no you weren’t intruding. I am soooo glad you brought me this earring, it’s my favorite!” she said trying to start a conversation with Chris. “Well in that case, so am I. I’ll see you later,” he said backing away from her. “No! Come on in,” she told him. “You have comp—” she cut him off. “You know you can come in baby. Please,” she whispered to him and winked.

Chris looked at her and read her face. “Well if you’re gonna beg, baby,” he said playing along. He came in and she closed the door behind him. “Chris, this is Derwin, my ex. Derwin, this is Chris, my boyfriend,” she smiled as she introduced them. “Wassup man,” Chris said extending his hand for a handshake Derwin shook his hand and said, “Ditto.” Danielle pulled Chris around the couch and he sat down, she sat on his lap. “Derwin was just dropping off my daughter, Journee,” she said. “Journee’s home? Aw, that’s the sweetest angel, you should be proud,” Chris said smiling at Derwin. “Babe, you are just too much,” Danielle said then gave Chris a kiss on his neck just below his ear.

“Yea,” was all Derwin could say as he starred on. “Yea, dude it’s great to see a man taking care of his responsibility. You don’t see that too often these days,” Chris said liking what Danielle had just done to him. “Yea, you don’t,” Derwin said. He was boiling inside. He couldn’t stand the site of Danielle with another guy. Even though he broke up with her, it didn’t mean someone else could have her. “Imma uh—Imma just get up outta here,” he said standing up. Danielle jumped up to let him out. “Bye,” Chris waved. “iight then,” Derwin said walking out of the door.

When Danielle closed the door she hurried and locked it, closed her eyes, then leaned her back against it. “What was all of that about?” he asked. She opened her eyes. “He came to drop my daughter off,” she said and walked back over to the couch. “But he over stood his welcome,” Chris finished her sentence. “Exactly! Then he was tryna push up on me. That’s when you knocked and I am so happy you did.” She exhaled. “I see that,” Chris said then laughed. “Glad to be at service you. Now am I still you boyfriend, girlfriend?”

“Don’t push it,” she said. “I’m just sayin, it felt good,” he laughed. He stood up. “I guess he should be out of the hall by now. Imma make my way back to the crib, I gotta get up early.” She stood up to and walked to the door with him. “Arlight then.” He walked out of the door and she stopped him. “And Chris,” she said and he turned around. “Thank you.” She hugged him. They pulled apart with their hands still together and he said, “That’s what good neighbors are for, right.” She nodded her head. “Right,” she said. He smiled at her. “I’ll see ya when I see ya. Goodnight.” She smiled back. “Goodnight.” She watched as he walked to his front door and went in. She closed the door still smiling. “I’m beginning to like this good neighbor thing,” she said to herself and went to take her bath.

Danielle opened the door and saw her new neighbor, Chris, kneeled over digging into a box marked living room. “So, how many people are coming to this condo warming party?” she asked picking up a picture frame that sat solo on a bookshelf. In the picture was Chris and two other women—one older and one younger but both shared the same features as him. “It shouldn’t be any more than ten. Just some close friends and their girlfriends and boyfriends,” he said smiling at her. “Oh, okay. Who are they?” she held up the photo. “That’s my mother and my sister,” he responded. “They’re beautiful, will they be coming tonight?” she asked. “No, they’re back home in Virginia.” She sat the picture back down and walked over by him. “Why’d you move out here?” He stood up straight and handed her a stack of books and she walked back to the bookshelf.

He soon walked over to the bookshelf too. “I moved out here to go to college—I fell in love with the place,” he said putting some more books next to the ones Danielle had in her hands. “What about you?” he asked centering the picture in between two candles. “Born and raised,” she said proudly. “You look like a Cali girl,” he responded. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked defensively. He opened another box. “Those are the rest of the books. But what I mean is that you have a nice tan, the walk, and the Cali girl swagg. Don’t forget your accent.” She turned from the bookshelf and looked at him holding a picture on the wall seeing if he should put it there or not. “The walk? What exactly is the walk?” She asked with attitude in her voice. He laughed. “Are you getting mad?” he asked. “No,” she quickly said. “Yea, alright, but the walk is a kind of confident walk. California girls just have a different type of confidence than other girls around the world. It’s like you know that you got it and guys want it. It’s all in your walk.” Danielle shook her head. “Okay, but we don’t have an accent.”

The sound of the hammer banging against the nail rang through the condo. When it stopped Chris said, “Everyone has an accent.” Danielle laughed at him. “No, everyone does not have an accent. Only you do country boy.” He stood back and looked to see if the picture was straight. “Proud one too,” he said. He looked over to Danielle by the bookshelf and she was putting the last book on the shelf. “Good, you’re done with that. Now we can put the glasses and things on the bar then put the new coffee table and end tables together,” he said then pulled out his box cutter standing over a box. “Those were a lot of books, you read all of them,” she asked walking over to him. “Yea, why?” He asked. “I was just askin,” he handed her two bottles of merlot out of the box. She sat them up, one on each side of a bottle of Médoc. Then he gave her two bottles of Bordeaux—one white and one red. “You sure do have a drinking problem,” Danielle said. Chris looked at her as he came out the box with a bottle of Saint Julien and Saint Estéphe. “For your information I don’t even drink. I cook with these. I’m a chef,” he said in defense. “I never drank in my life. My father had a drinking problem and used to beat on my mother. I promised myself I wouldn’t drink because I don’t ever want to be like him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” She returned to setting up the bar, arranging the glasses by size. “It’s okay,” he simply said as he helped her. When they were finished they went over to the box with the coffee table and end tables. “Look at you tryna be like me. I have this same exact set except for mine is black not chestnut brown.” Chris opened the box and pulled out all of the pieces while Danielle sat on the floor. “So, I take it that you know how to put it together.” He slid the toolbox in between them after sitting next to her. “No, my besties did it for me,” she said. “Well, you’re gonna learn today,” he said picking up the leg of one of the tables.

They assembled the tables and talked about what she did for a living and what he did. He was a chef and was planning on opening his own restaurant soon. They straightened the living room up a little more. When they were finished it was just a little past six thirty. Now they were in the kitchen—he was cooking some appetizers and she was putting up some dishes. “That smells really good, what are you making?” Danielle asked placing forks in the drawer. “Something yummy, something quick, something called beefy taco dip.”

Danielle stopped what she was doing and walked over to the stove to get a better view. Chris was browning some ground meat then he sprinkled in some chili powder. She looked at the counter and saw cream cheese diced into pieces, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro, and sliced green onions. She watched as Chris pour off some of the excess grease and put in the cream cheese chunks. Then he put in the cheddar cheese, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.

He looked over his shoulder at Danielle and smiled. “You know how to cook?” he asked turning his head back to the skillet. “Yea, I know how to cook,” she answered. “What can you cook, cereal?” he said, laughing. “You are not funny! I can cook anything you put in front of me,” she said defensively. “Good, I need you to do me a favor,” he said adding the green onion. “What?” she asked.

“I got some jalapenos in the fridge along with some more cheddar cheese and bacon. Get that out.” She washed her hand then did what he asked her and sat the things on the counter on the other side. “Now what?” she asked. He placed the glass top on the skillet and went to her side. “Chop up some cheese and put it in the jalapenos.” She went into the drawer and picked out a knife. Chris stood there and watched as she cut the cheese into pieces and put it inside the peppers. He watched her petite hands as she chopped the cheese carefully. When she was done he said, “iight, now wrap the bacon around then you’re done.” She followed instructions then he helped her put them on the baking sheet. She put the pan in the oven and washed her hands. “You just made bacon cheddar jalapeno poppers. My friends love them.”

The doorbell rang. “Can you put that on the platter right there, please?” Chris left out of the kitchen to answer the door. Danielle put the beefy taco dip on the platter along with the chips Chris had already put on there. She picked the platter up and walked into the living room. A group of people were walking in the door pulling off their jackets and greeting each other. Danielle sat the platter on the table. Everyone took their seats on the sofa, loveseat and in chairs. Chris walked over to Danielle who was about to walk back in the kitchen because she felt uncomfortable. She didn’t know any of them people and hardly knew Chris. “This is my new neighbor, Danielle,” Chris said putting his arm around Danielle’s shoulder. She smiled. “This is my friends, Druex, his girlfriend Sasha, Tynisha, her boyfriend Riley, Lance, his girlfriend Keisha, Channing, his girlfriend Mya, Tracee, and Kelly.” They all said hi to her and she said, “Hi,” still smiling. “Well I’ll go and get the drinks.” She hurried off to the kitchen and Chris followed.

“Thanks for helping, you’re a great neighbor,” he said when they got in the kitchen, “It’s no biggie. You owe me,” she said putting ice into the cups on the tray. “I got you,” he said grabbing the bottle of Coke and Sprite. They walked back into the living room.

"Now, why would I do that?" Danielle asked Ayla. "You would do that because it needs to be done. Like really what is there to lose?" Danielle hunched her shoulders and raised her hands into the 'I don't know' position. "Ugh, La La I don't know. Maybe everyone and everything I love here." Ayla kissed her teeth. "They and whatever it is will be here when you visit. Moving to New York would be a great thing to do." Danielle laughed. "La La, why you tryna drag me somewhere that you wanna go? This is what you want, not me." Ayla's ran her hand through her hair. "Because you my best friend. And I don't wanna go alone." Danielle sipped her water and said, "If I didn't have a child to worry about I would have jumped on it. And my job, it's not easy transferring. It's just too much I would have to start over on." Danielle grabbed Ayla's hand. "La La, you know I'd be there with you but you know how you are." "And how am I?" Ayla got defensive. "You have like four different degrees because after you finish one, you get a job, don't like it and go for something else. Now what if you don't like the move to New York? You could just come back like nothing happened but me, I would have to do the whole process over and it's just too much." Ayla's nostrils flared. "I don't wanna go alone!" Danielle laughed. "Then don't go. But if it's something you think would help you then make a move. I'll visit!"

Danielle took a bite of her turkey sandwich and caught a glimpse of someone who looked a little familiar. He was about six feet and lite skinned with a fade. He smiled and it was handsome. She finally realized that he was looking at her so hurriedly turned back to her plate. "Anyways, why were you tryna play Mijo last night? You know you like him," Ayla asked Danielle. "I didn't try to play him, we are just friends," she responded. "Well, the look on his face said otherwise." Danielle rolled her eyes. "Whatever." "Yea, whatever. You know I'm right cuz La La is always right." Ayla's attention was now on the same guy that Danielle was looking at. "Hi, I don't mean to interrupt but how are you ladies today?" he asked. "Hi," Ayla said and Danielle turned to see the familiar face now standing beside here. He looked at Danielle and smiled. "We're good," Danielle replied. "That's nice. I just couldn't help but come over her because your face just looks so familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked. "I don't know, I doubt it. I've never seen you before." Danielle lied she had seen him plenty of times.

About three weeks ago she was walking in the galleria going to get some more bath and body works when she saw him the first time. He was in the Gorgio Amani store getting fitted for a suit she assumed. He stood on the stool in some slacks and a wife beater as the lady pinned cuffs in the slacks. The second time she saw him was that same week at one of her client's anniversary party. The next time she saw him, he was in Amani's store making reservations for her catering. She was there waiting on Amani so that they could go to her ultrasound reading. And the first place she seen him was in her condo building. She saw him walking into a room down the hall from her with a box in his hands as she was walking out of her door.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Because you look all too familiar. What school did you go to?" Danielle shook her head. "I don't think we went to school together I went to an all girl's high school and I went to Spellman." He bit his plump pink bottom lip and asked, "I know!" I pointed at no one in particular. "Royal Suites. You stay down the hall from me. I just moved there." "You do?" Danielle asked as if she didn't already know. "Yea--" he was cut off when someone called to him. "Yo, Chris, you ready?" the guy asked. He turned around and said, "Yea, I be outside in a second." He turned back to Danielle and Ayla. "Well it was nice talking with you ladies but I have to go." He paused. "I guess I'll see you again," He said to Danielle and walked off. "Bye, cutie ... I mean Chris," Ayla said then laughed. "Girl he was too cute."

Danielle held her clutch and her stilletos in her right hand and her keys in her left as she stepped off the elevator. She made her way to her front door and placed the key in the hole. As she turned if voices came into the hallway. "Yo, that's crazy. You a trip, dawg," one said. "It's what I do," the other said. Danielle paused to see who it was before she went into her door hopping that it was that fine brother from earlier. She looked down the hall to the door of his apartment and saw a foot come out of the door. She turned the doorknob and pushed her door open walking halfway in. "Aye! You the one I was talking to earlier at the cafe," the first voice said. Danielle stuck her head back out of her door and saw Chris walking towards her and the other guy getting into the elevator. "Imma catch you later," the guy said. "Okay," Chris said brushing him off. "I never got your name earlier," he said as he stepped to Danielle with his hand outreached. "I'm sorry, I'm Danielle." She shook his hand. "Chris," he said. "I kinda figured that out." She smiled and so did he. "Yea," he chuckled. "I'm having a lil get together later. A house warming party. I was just wondering if you wanted to come." He waited for Danielle's reply. "Uh, sure. I'd love to." "I got to get back to fixing up the apartment before seven. See ya then," he said then turned to go back into his apartment. "How much more to you have to fix up. It's already five," Danielle said stopping him in his tracks he turned around. "A good lil bit," he replied. "Well, how about I help you? It'll be my condo warming gift." she smiled. "Sure why not," he said shrugging his shoulders. "Give me a second to put my stuff inside and I'll be over there." "Okay, the door will be open," he said.

CRANK IT SIN 1!!!!!!

--Chapter Six
Just Friends--
Mijo checked his palm treo for the time and it read seven oh one. The doors to the elevator opened so he stepped in and pressed the lobby button. If his timing was right, the elevator would be stopping on the eleventh floor Danielle. He watched as the light went from the number thirteen to twelve and then the elevator began to holt right before the light landed on the number eleven. When the doors opened Mijo had a big smile plastered on his face but the person that was standing there wasn't Danielle. "Hi," the man said as he stepped into the elevator. "Hello," Mijo responded and his smile quickly faded. As the doors were closing the sound of someone's voice rang from the floor. "Hold the elevator please!" Mijo quickly pressed the open door button thinking that it could be Danielle and that he hadn't missed her.
"Thank you so much," a lady said as she stepped into the elevator. "I just cannot stand riding this thing by myself." She chuckled as the doors closed. Mijo stood there in his corner of the elevator quitly waiting for the elevator to reach the lobby. He took in a deep breath and looked over some papers he held in his hand. He studied the numbers that had dollar signs and minus signs in front of them making sure that the income of the company was stable. The elevator dinged and the doors opened on the lobby level. Mijo walked out with his eyes glued to the paper. He was startled when someone bumped into him. "Watch where you're going, ugh," the voice said. "I'm sorry," he looked from his paper. "You better be because you were also late." Danielle stood there smiling with her breifcase in her right hand.
"I was finna set it off up in here! Bumpin into me like you crazy." Mijo laughed at himself. "Whatever loser," Danielle said as she walked threw the door that Mijo held open for her. "That's what I thought. But since it's Friday how about we go and get some dinner as your sorry gift to me. But I'll pay." Danielle walked in front of Mijo as he watched her switch her hips in her grey high waist skirt. "I already had pla-- you know what, how about you come along. I'm only meeting my two best friends and sister for dinner. I'm sure you won't be a bother." She turned around and interrupted his view of her round, plump behind. "Na, I'll just call Applebees and get some carside to go," he said then pressed the unlock button on his Bently. "Noooo, come on!!! You'll have fun! Follow me," she said then walked away to her car. She got in and pulled out of her parking space then waited on Mijo to do the same. When he did they drove to the girls' favorite spot, Javelin Carters.
She walked into the diner with Mijo behind her. She was looking for the rest of her party while he was having second thoughts. He wondered if it was a good idea to have dinner with four ladies. "Looks like they're not here yet," Danielle said interrupting his thoughts. "This our usual table right here," she said then took a seat in the small circular booth. Mijo slid in next to her. "So, how was your day?" she asked. "Busy as usual. Yours?" He played with the napkin in front of him. "Just ... weird. I had a new client today." She laughed. "What's the matter with them?" Mijo asked interested. "That is confidential ... let's just say that homie is psychotic." Mijo started laughing. "Ain't that yo job title? A psychiatrist? Someone to help psychotic people? Where did you get your PHD?" Danielle rolled her eyes. "Shuddup retard. You could never try and play me. But he is psychotic like--I don't know he seems too out of the ordinary. He's unlike all the rest of my patients."
"Hey Yelly!" Ayla said loudly as she took her seat across from Danielle and Mijo. "Hey Mijo, nice to see you again." She smiled and Mijo smiled back. "Wassup," he responded. "Nothin much, just gettin outta class. How long ya'll been here?" She pulled out her phone, pressed a button and put it to her ear. "About five minutes, that's all," Danielle replied."Where you at?" Ayla spoke into the phone. "Oh, okay. We in here at the usual table." She hung the phone up and blew a bubble with her gum. "Sami be inside in a minute. What ya'll talkin bout?" The waitor came up to us and said, "Would you guys like to order a drink?" It took him long enough to make it there because at one point Mijo thought the diner didn't have any waitors. "I would like a Coke with a cherry in it. Oh and a sprite with lemon please," Ayla told him. "I'll just have a strawberry lemonade and a bottle of water. And a rootbeer right, Mijo," Danielle said. "Yea," Mijo smiled at Danielle remembering his favorite drink.

"You must be Me-Ho," Samantha said sliding into the booth. "I've heard a lot about you. I'm Samantha but everyone calls me Sami." Mijo shook her hand and smiled nervously wondering what she's heard about him. "Where is my seat?" Amani asked standing next to the table. "Scoot over Sami." Samantha put her hand up. "Not uh, you better pull up a chair because yo fat behind can't fit in this booth with our fat asses." Everyone laughed including Amani. "Here, sit right here." Mijo got out of the booth and slid a chair up to the table for himself. "I don't want to take anyone's spot." He sat in the chair. "Hold up, who's date?" Amani asked and Samantha and Ayla pointed to Danielle. "How come I'm always the last to know?" she asked. "Because ... you're my sister!" Danielle answered. "Then I should be the first to know." She turned back to Mijo and said, "Hi, I'm Amani and you are?" "Barry but call me Mijo. Nice to meet you." Amani smiled and he smiled back. "Nice to meet you, too." She turned towards her sister. "Moving kinda fast aren't we?" Danielle rolled her eyes. "No we aren't. Just friends. Right, Mijo? We're just friends." Mijo shook his head. "Yea, just friends. Nothing more." The waitor came by and took their orders but all Mijo could think about was what if him and Danielle were more than 'just friends'; they have been 'freinds' for more than a month.
"I won another case today," Samantha said putting her fork down after putting a piece of potato in her mouth. "And what's knew little Miss Johnny Cochran?" Ayla asked sarcasticly. "Yea, you always win. What was the case about this time?" Amani asked. "Oh, the usual some young woman killing her old husband for his insurance money and estate." Mijo got interested in this conversation as he leaned in and asked, "Well what happened?" Danielle laughed. "She probably did really do it, but Sami got her out of it. I swear you keeping killers on the street." Samantha shook her head. "Actually I'm keeping them in their Rolls Royces and fancy houses. But the guy had just changed his will a month before he died, of course she did it. She waited that long to get the job done to make it seem like she hadn't killed him because usually when they kill them, it's that same week they change the will." Samantha leaned forward and rested her arms on the table. Mijo did the same after sitting his fork down. He turned his head to Samantha and asked, "Well, how did she do it?" "The usual. See, the guy is old and he takes all sorts of medication including viagra. Poor girl f***ed him to death. She claimed that he wanted to stay up for hours at a time and took more than he should have saying that she had told him not to and hid the pills. He so happened to find them and kept taking them." Mijo interrupted her. "Well, wouldn't she know if he was still taking them? I mean they were still having sex." Samantha laughed because Mijo thought exactly like everyone esle thought. "They tried to pin that on her but there were records of her calling his doctor and talking about the situation. She set it up to look like she actually cared and tried to prevent it but she was the one pushing him to take the pills. I figured that out in between meetings I had with her. But the woman is paying me and if she wins then I win and more money for me. I saw it like this, the old guy knew he couldn't hang when it came to doing the do in the bed but he tried to anyway. He did in fact love the sex and wasn't saying no, so he brought it upon himself. Case closed."
Ayla laughed at her friend. "I swear you have no heart." Amani agreed saying, "You sure don't. None what so ever." Samantha rolled her eyes at the two. "Whatever I got money. Subject off of me; anymore victories?" She asked then began to finish her food. "I'm catering some old filthy rich couple's anniversary and I've been talking to an agent about writing a cook book. Imma be all Emerald in this hoe cause she talking about I might even can get a television show. Oh, and plans for a restaurant. But that is until this divorce thing is finalized." The table was kind of quiet for a minute until Ayla broke the silence. "How that's going?" Amani took a deep breath. "Smoothly I guess, it seems that everything is happening so fast." "Look at it like this, the sooner it's over the sooner you can start being 'La Mani' and write you cook book." Ayla laughed and so did everyone else. "Yea, Mani she's kinda right," Danielle agreed. "Ain't I always right?" Ayla asked in a hretorical manner. "Yea, you are and I hate it. How's the baby?" Samantha jumped in. "HE is doing just fine." Ayla's phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?" she asked sounding disturbed. "Are you serious?!?" She spoke intot he phone. "Excuse me," she said to Samantha to let her out of the booth. When she was out she walked off and got louder with whoever she was speaking with. "Sooooo, what do you do, Mijo?" Samantha asked trying to get the attention off of Ayla. "Oh I'm in family business with the Ozarka franchise. I do a little bit of everything. Book keeping, making orders, hiring, firing, the list goes on." "Hmm, nice," Amani said.

After they finished eating their dinner and talking, everyone pulled out their wallets to pay their part of the bill. "Na, I got it ya'll," Mijo said slipping his credit card in the bill holder. "Oh no, you don't have to do that," Samantha said. "Not uh, let the brotha pay. Thank you, Mijo. I told Dani that I liked you the most out of all the boyfriends she had," Ayla said. "We are not an item, okay!" Danielle said to Ayla. All of the girls looked at her and Danielle looked back at them like 'what' then Amani kicked her in the shine under the table. Amani raised her brow as Danielle looked at her. "Yea, we're just friend, ya'll." Mijo covered for Danielle.
Everyone exited and went their own way after the bill was paid. Mijo and Danielle walked with each other to their cars that were parked next to each other. She went to her driver's side and he went to his. "Thanks for the dinner," Danielle said as she opened her door. "Na, thank you," he said and leaned against his car door. "Now you gotta meet my friends." "Fa'sho," Danielle said after she rolled down her passenger window and Mijo leaned into it. "Next week." He winked at her and stood back up. "Call me tonight." Danielle watched im get into his car and rolled up her window. She drove off home listening to some T.I.

i luv ur storie!!...
run it gurl

--Chapter Five
Through The Rain--

There it sat ont he table alone. The gold, black and blue desgins gave it a foreign look. And there standing around looking at it was Danielle, Amani and their mother, Diane. The urnfilled with Asia's ashes stared back at them as tears rolled down their faces. They said a wuick prayer, crossed their hearts and said amen. Diane picked up the urn and exited the room. Amani followed close behind. Danielle turned slowly wiping her tears and walked over to where Journee sat peacefully in her carseat. She then grabbed the handle and picked it up as her best friends rose to their feet and rubbed her back on each side. The left and went their seperate ways.

The white room brought back many memories for Danielle as she sat in the chair against the wall patiently. She had her head down playing with her nails silently when her iPhone vibrated. She hurriedly grabbed it and read the message that she had been waiting for a full thirty seconds--thirty seconds which seemed like hours. A smile crept across her face as she read the words. U wanna get a bite 2 eat tomorrow? Dat is if ur n da mood. Her fingers tapped the screen at a fast pace--it was only her bajillionth time doing so. R u askin me out on a date? Her thumb nail made a beat as she tapped it against the screen of the phone impatiently awaiting his reply. No I wasnt it was just gonna b a trip 2 mickey d's cuz da $ menu is my bff. But if u wanted me 2 ask u on a date y didnt u just say so? Is dat wat u want?. She rolled her eyes and replied to it. NO!!! A few moments later the iPhone was buzzing away in the palm of her hand. Aw dat was my next question 2. Well mickey d's is still up for grabs. She replied, I guess...if dat's wat u want. She felt like she was still in high school playing texting games like this. But of course when she was in high school, having a cell phone meant you were in some 'business'.

"Thank you again, Dani. After Clif canceled, I really didn't want to be here alone." Danielle raised her head and paid her attention to her older sister. "It's nothing really. I don't mind being apart of the pregnancy of my second niece. But why coudln't he make this one AGAIN?" Amani sat up from the examining table and looked her sister in the eye. "This one is goning to be a boy. And he said something about the company. Blah blah blah the company this the company that and nothing about his child." Danielle's phone vibrated in her hand again but she ignored it. Her head tilted to the side and she leaned forward. "Mani, you sure he ain't cheating again?" Amani gave her sister a confused look. "I don't know... maybe. I doubt it though." Danielle's head dropped again and she stared at the cold white floor. "Besides the children and the marriage why are you still with him, Mani?" Amani liked her lips and shrugged her shoulders. "I love him too much. He's so much to me I can't even explain." Danielle's phone vibrated again telling her that she still had an unchecked message. "But you hurt so much--" Amani cut Danielle off. "Dani, everyone can't be like you. I can't just stop loving him and move on. He is apart of me." Danielle took a deep breath and said, "No one ever said that I can do that either. But I know that I love myself more. I love myself enough to know that I deserve better. Why not have someone who loves you and won't hurt you. Why not search for that person instead of settling for half of what you deserve? Huh?"

Amani had tears falling from her face now because she knew that what her sister was saying to her right now was so true but she didn't know the whole story. "You just don't know.. ya-you do't know, Dani." Danielle's phone vibrated again and she sat in back in her purse. She walked over to her sister and stoob by her side. "What don't I know? I've had more heart ache more than the average twenty-nine year old. People have walked in and out of my office for years telling me their incounters of heart ache and you wonder why I'm such an expert. You wonder why I can tell them exactly what they need to hear. It's not because of the damn books, Mani, it's because I know about it." Her hand rested upon her chest after she finished the sentence. Her chest heaved in and out from the anger that was stored in her heart. Amani shook her head. "No, you don't know--" Danielle cut her off. "I do--" Amani cut Danielle off. "I cheated on him first!" Tears rushed down from Amani's puffy eyes. Danielle's heart stopped, the information she just recieved was a shocker to her. Danielle walked away and grabbed a few tissues from the box that sat on the counter top of the doctor's office. "Why didn't you tell me?" She wiped away her sister's tears. "It's the reason he cheated on me. He wanted me to feel the pain that he felt. And that's why I forgave him because he forgave me." Danielle listened to her sister's every word as if she was one of her patients.

"I--I--I cheated with one of my waitors--Willie. It happened that week I was away in California. Willie and I got drunk after the last party, one thing lead to another but I didn't mean to. I was guilty and disgusted with myself, I had to tell Clif so I did and he forgave me but I knew he was hurt. We went on like everything was okay and then he told me that he had cheated about two weeks after I told him." Amani paused and shook her head. Danielle wiped more tears away from Amani's face. "I forgave him and we went on. Everything seemed fine but it wasn't. It still isn't, Dani. He checks up on me constantly I check up on him, we can't trust each other. What's a relationship without trust?" Amani shrugged her shoulders. "We've been seperated for the last four months. We wanted to see if it was going to work. I stopped being detective and I gave him space. But it didn't work, I know it didn't. He's filing for a divorce." Amani threw her hands in the air and when they landed they made a clapping sound against her thighs. Danielle hugged her sister and told her everything was going to be alright and she'll be there for her every step of the way. Danielle got Amani together just in time for the check up.

Danielle checked her outfit in the mirror once again after hearing the doorbell ring. "He's here," Ayla shouted. Barry's text asked Danielle is she would like to go on a date with him. After hours of comforting her sister yesterday, she replied to him with a yes. She walked down the hallway of her condo and saw her best friend holding Journee along with Barry standing by her side. "Barry this is my best friend, Ayla and Ayla this is Barry." Ayla smiled and said, "Yea, we already know each other. I'm La La, you're Dani and he's Barry. Now get going!" Danielle walked over to Ayla and grabbed Journee. "I'm guessing you didn't meet her. This is Journee, my daughter. Say hey Mr. Barry!" She waved Journee's hand for her. "She's a cutie just like her mother." Danielle blushed and Ayla grabbed Journee pushing Danielle towards the door in the process. "Aww that's so sweet. Now can you go so me and my baby can be alone?!" Barry laughed and opened the door for Danielle. "After you," he said. "Thank you," she replied.

"So, where are we going, Mr. Bradford?" He applied breaks at the red light and turned his attention to Danielle then quickly returning it to road. "It's a surprise," he smiled. "And call me Mijo." Danielle nodded her head and said, "Okay Mijo, call me Dani." The light changed and he pulled off. "iight Dani." Fourteen minutes later they pulled up to a apartment building and Mijo climbed out and jogged to Danielle's side to open her door. She got out and he closed the door. They entered the building after checking in with valet. "This is nice! Better than my building." Danielle took in the view of the lobby. Plush black and gold seats, marble flooring and counter tops, beautifully assorted flowers, and a plasma on each wall. Mijo guided her through his building and waved at the woman behind the counter and the security guard standing next to the counter. "Hi, Lisa and James." They waved back and greeted him. The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. Mijo pressed the number two button and they rode up to the second floor. The doors opened and they made it to his door--218. He placed his key in the lock then turned it along with the door knob. "You're going to like this."

Danielle laughed uncontrollably as she held her wine in her mouth. "Are you serious?!?! You won't fall asleep if there isn't a night light?" Mijo sat his glass down. "Seriously! But maybe I shouldn't have told you. You probably really don't like me now." Danielle finally got her wine down and shook her head. "I think it's cute." Danielle patted his hand. "Really?" He asked. "Pathetic but cute." He laughed sracasitcally. "What about you? Tell me a secret." She leaned back in her chair just a little and looked him in the eye. "You might call me a hypocrite but I didn't stop witting the bed until I was ten," she said in one long breath and closed her eyes. Just like she thought, he laughed. "You gotta be kidding me!" Danielle laughed at herself. "No, I'm not. I was scared to get up. My older sister used to scare me, telling stories before we went to sleep. So when it came time to use the restroom I refused to get up." Mijo couldn't help himself he laughed just as Danielle did at him. "Same thing with me! My dad read me bed time stories--scary ones. I swear we have too much in common." Danielle took another sip of her wine and said, "We sure do."

After another three hours of conversing and laughing at each other they decided that it was time to take Danielle home. "Who knew we could talk that much," Mijo asked hretorically as they exited the elevator. "I know--oh my gosh, it's raining!!!" They looked out of the glass door and watched as the rain came down outside. "Too bad they didn't think of putting a canopy over the entrance." Mijo still staring at the rain said, "Don't worry." The door opened and the valet held an umbrella over his head. "The valet can handle it," he finished.

Mijo stopped the car in front of Danielle's building and turned the ignition off. "Maybe we should have bought an umbrella." Danielle inhaled then exhaled. "Guess I gotta make a run for it." She opened her door. "Hold up," Mijo said just before he hopped out the car and ran to her side. He held his jacket open and she climbed out. They ran as fast as they could her in her hills and him holding his jacket above her head. When they reached the entrance they stopped and took a breath. "Thank you for the incredible night," Danielle said still breathing hard. "No, thank you," Mijo replied. "I always wanted to run in the rain when I was little but my mama never let me," Danielle said and then her and Mijo laughed together. "A first! With me," he smiled. Danielle smiled back and said, "Yea, well I better get inside. Good night." Mijo went in and hugged her. "Good night, see ya in the elevator." He opened the door. "See ya in the elevator," Danielle replied.

--Chapter Four
As The Days Go By--

The frame of his glasses rested on the tip of his nose as he spoke with a gittery voice. He paced the cream colored carpet as he spoke. The front of his dress shoes creased as he stepped from one foot to another. His hands were stuffedin his pants pockets and his blazer was tucked under his arms. He stopped and pulled his right hand out of his pocket then pushed his glasses up his nose. He said, "She led me on, spending a ton of time with me, and after months of it she calls me her friend." He took a seat across from Danielle on the plush sofa and awaited her answer. She shifted in her big comfortable chair and wrote something in her notepad. She said, "Mr. Stetson, take it down a notch. Persue a female of your own level or lower." Her words were of comfort and wisdom but what she wrote down in her notepad said otherwise. She wrote, 'this loser is wasting his and my time.' Really, he had nothing but a bad case of 'no game'. What was the point of him even attending therapy? This was his fourth month coming into Danielle's office and she saw no progress. Everything she told him, he did the opposite. But she wasn't complaining much. His money became her money for her time spent with him. What's two hours, twice a week? It's great money that's what it is.

After Mr. Stetson, her last client of the day, left her office Danielle walked around gathering things that she had to bring home. She placed the paper work of her clients into the appropriate file drawer, picked up her mail, and exited the office after she turned the lights out. Her stilettos made noise as she walked down the long hallway towords the elevator. She pressed the down button and gripped her black on black Coach briefcase tighter waiting on the doors to open. The elevator doors finally came open and when they did a male with an nacy blue Giorgio Armani suit on and briefcase in hand stood inside leaning against the wall with his left hand in his pocket. Danielle looked him over and he said, "Going down?" She took a step and walked onto the elevator. "Yes," she replied. She looked over to the floor buttons and saw that the L button for lobby had already been pressed. She took a deep breath and placed her hands down by her thighs with her left hand holding her right which was holding onto the briefcase.

The elevator's vibrant music seemed loud at the moment and the ride from the eleventh floor took forever. Danielle tapped her foot against the floor impatiently as the light above the elevator doors moved from nine to eight. She shifted her eyes in his direction not daring to move her head or make it obvious that she was looking at him. She started at his feet, he wore a pair of Staci Adams navy blue snakeskin dress shoes. The slacks of his Armani suit were neatly himmed and rested on the top of his shoes. Danielle moved her eyes along his leg and saw that the slacks were creased with a clean profeesonal look. Her eyes roamed to his midsection and she caught a glimpse of his bulge. She didn't stay at that level for long fearing that she would began to have visions of herslef and him. Her eyes moved up and captured the build of his body. When she finally set her eyes upon his face, he was smiling back at her. She hurried and fixed her eyes back on the light above the elevator doors which was now on the number three.

"I've never seen you in the building," he said and Danielle looked over to him. He had turned to face her and she did the same. "Same here," she simply responded. "How long you been here?" She asked him. "Oh, only about two years. How about you?" She looked him in the eyes which made her lose thought of training. He grinned. "You okay?" He asked. She nodded her head and spoke. "I'm sorry, I've been here three an a half." He licked his lips and said, "Okay, I see you were getting on at the eleventh floor. You're a pshyciatrist?" "Yes, and you?" Danielle asked him as the doors of the elevator opened. "My dad is apart of Ozarka's fanchize. I just get to be his lucky right hand man. We rented the thirteenth floor out for extra office space." The walked through the lobby and to the doors. With his briefcase in his right hand he opened the door for Danielle with his left hand. Her eyes went right to his tattoo on his hand. "I'm Barry Jr. by the way." Danielle smiled. "Danielle," she siad.

The sky was fading from its blue and white color to orange, pink, and purple. "I just love the sunset," she said walking to her car with Barry still by her side. "Yea," he responded stopping. "Well, looks like I made it to my car first." He pressed a button on his key and the trunk on his black on black Bently popped open. He placed his briefcase inside and closed the trunk again. "We have simular taste," she smiled and hit the alarm button to her white Bently. He followed sound and his eyes landed on it. "I see that." Danielle began to walk off and turned to wave. "Well, it was nice to meet you Barry Jr.," she epmhasized the Jr. part. "Nice meeting you too, Miss Danielle," he waved back.

Danielle got into her Bently and watched as Barry pulled out of his parking space and drove off. She did the same and went in the direction of her mother's house. She turned her iPhone back on and Derwin's name, a**hole, came up almost twenty times between the missed calls, voicemails, and text messages. She didn't bother to answer any. She scrolled through and saw nothing but, 'a**hole, a**hole, a**hole, a**hole,' over and over. She was just about to throw the phone on the passenger seat when she saw her sister's name, Amani, pop up. She hit talk and the phone rang.

When her sister answered the phone her voice was filled with worry and sent Danielle's mind racing. "Dani, where have you been?" Amani asked in a panic. "I've been at the office all day," Danielle replied. "Are you on your way to mom's house to get Jay?" "Yea, why? What's wrong? What happened?" Danielle asked her older sister in one breath. "Just hurry!" Amani had hung up the phone before Danille could say anything else. But she didn't mind, she just wanted to get to her mother's house as quick as possible.

Danielle's tires screetched as she stopped in front of her mom's house suddenly. She quickly turned the engine off and climbed out. Her feet moved as fast as they could against the concrete attempting to run to the front door. When she got to the front door, it swung open and her sister came out. "What's going on?" Danielle asked Amani once again. "Did you not see or hear the news?" Amani asked Danielle as they took a seat on the porch swing. "No, why?" Danielle asked paniced. "There was a fire on Luther Avenue today," Amani paused. Danielle thought about what a fire on Luther Avenue had to do with her. "She was there," Amani comtinued. Danielle's heart dropped when she realized that Luther Avenue was where their baby sister, Asia, hung out. Asia's been a fiend since high school and been tryng to recover at various points in life. Danielle shook her head. "Mani, don't tell me--" Amani cut her off. "She was in it, Dani. She was in the fire." Danielle let tears from her eyes fall and was scared to ask the next question fearing for the answer. "Is she--," she paused. "She is," Amani said without her sister even finishing the question.

Danielle arrived home and bath her now six week old daughter and put her to sleep. After stripping down to her birthday suit, she climbed in the jacuzzi tub of warm bathwater filled with bubbles and bath salt. Candles surrounded her and the arouma set her at ease and gave her a form of therapy. She leaned her head against the back of the tub and the mellow music from her bath stereo flowed through her ears. After she shed a few more tears in the tub and bath, she finally got out. Her mail from work and home sat on her bed, scattered about. She opened all her bills first and threw them to the side. Then she picked up an envelope that had Derwin's name on it. She was scared to open it, but then she thought what was there to be scared of? She tore the envelope open and pulled out a letter. She opened it and out fell a debit card. She looked it over and it had her name on it. She sat the debit card aside and read the letter.

Here is a debit card for any and everything that Journee needs. I'll be gone most of the year as you know and I just want to pull my part of the deal. I'll add seven thousand every month. I hope it goes a long way, if not call and tell e and I'll add more. What I really wnt to say is Yell I know what I did was low and dirty. I just want you to know that I am truly sorry and that I still love you. I dont know what I was thinking every messing around on you. This whole month I've thought of nothing but you and realized that you were and still are everything I need and more. I sent Anna packing. All I want is you. I know you won't take me back but at least consider it. Or at least return my phone calls. I miss hearing your voice. --Love Pooch

Danielle shook her head and tossed the letter in the trash. She pulled the covers back and climbed in. She laughed and said out loud, "He must think I'm a dumb a$$." She clicked the light switch and closed her eyes. After Danielle left Derwin's house that night and said those words to Anna, Anna got ahold of Danielle's number and called her up. They've been talking and Anna left Derwin three weeks ago to be with he ex husband. They were planning on getting remarried. Danielle moved around to get comfortable and said, "Damn, La La, it seems that you were right again."

lovin it!!!

Hot Stuff ; Keep Iht Cominq Please :]

oooooooooooooo runz it runz it!! <---- lmao I LUBB DEM!!

RUNNN IT GIRL I BEEN WAITING ON THIS STORY !

Chapter Three
Intoxicate to Rehabilitate

One twenty-six A.M. Danielle and Ayla parked in the parking lot of the club--Purgatory. "Sami is meetin us," Ayla stated. "She should be here in a few," she continued. "Okay," Danielle said then opened the visor. She flipped open the cover and lights shined onto her face. She placed the brush from her lipgloss to her bottom lip and lightly applied some. "Damn Yelly, if you put anymore lipgloss on a nigga gone think you just came from Church's," Ayla said, laughing. "Forget you," Danielle said. Ayla recieved a text message from Sami telling her that she had made it there. Ayla told Danielle and they made their way to the entrance of Club Purgatory.

As they neared the entrance the beat to a fimiliar song became clearer. They went right up to the bodyguard, Dallas, who was also the owner of the club. He stood at an even six foot four inches with broad shoulders and a very masculine body. His skin complextion screamed chocolate and his eyes were honey brown. His mane brushed to perfection creating three sixty waves. "Wassup Dallas!" Ayla smiled at him. "Hi, ladies," he smiled back, his teeth looking as if they had been bleached.

"You not gone make us stand in this line are you, Dallas?" Sami asked in a seductive way as if she was asking Dallas to meet her in the back alley so they could do the damn thing. "Of course course not," he said, unattaching the velvet red rope and letting the ladies through. As he reattached the rope, the line of people, who may have been waiting in line for far over an hour, began to complain. Dallas waved his hand telling them to be quiet with all that nonsense and their turn was coming. "Don't worry, tonight is on me," Sami said reaching into her clutch pulling out a hundred dollar bill. She handed it to Dallas and he gave her the change. It was after twelve A.M. so they had to pay cover fee which was no problem for Sami. Dallas gave them orange wristbands indicating that they were of age and was allowed to drink. Sami shot Dallas another smile and said, "Thanks, Big Daddy."

When they entered the club the beat they heard from outside was to the song, I know What them Girls Like. Ayla threw her hands in the air and began to dance. "Ayyyye, I know what boys like," she sang along with the music. "Dang, you can't even make it to heaven," Sami said shaking her head at her friend.

Club Purgatory consist of three levels; Level one: Hell. Entering the club is entering Hell. This level is of course red and looks as if its a little hole in the wall--well kind of medium hole in the wall. This level give club-goers the organic design of the PIT and HELL, dancing to break beat and hip-hop. There's a state-of-the art light show, reflecting from the surrounding polished surfaces of stainless steel, tin and aluminum. Also concrete bar tops and flooring and there's limited seating to provide the atmosphere of continuous movement. As soon as you walk in, you step foot on the dance floor. But to exclude the trouble of walking through the many people to get to the bar, stairs, or elevator, there is a small gate surrounding it. Bordering the dance floor is a walkway where people stand posted on the walls regardless of fire safety regulations. The ladies weaved through them, most are guys getting their pelvis crushed by some girl who was an amature when it came to grinding. When clear of the walkway and in front of the bar, the ladies made their way up the staircase. On the way up thee looked over the scene of Hell and watched as the devil dancers slide down their poles.

The ladies exited the balcony, which overlooked Level Hell, and entered Level two: Purgatory. The scene of Purgatory set off a vibe more like a sophisticated theme. At this level, club-goers feel as they've entered a fine hotel lounge. Pugatory provides a comfortable place to relax on luxurious banquettes or sofas or at intimate tables while conversing, sipping drinks, and listening to the level's mellow lounge beats. Most of the time it's a secluded place for ladies to meet, relax and discuss the happenings of the night without male counterparts at their sides. It has its own Martini bar which sits in the center and a bouncer at the entrance. And to complete the level has a one-way window floor, to view the actions of Level Hell.

Quickly making their way through Level Purgatory, the ladies enter Level three: Heaven. The ambience of this level is light and white with the only color coming from Purgatory's high-end cyber-lights, moving to the beat. To the back there is a large cicular bar which is the gathering site, with c**ktail waitresses dressed as angels floating throughout serving drinks and patrons dancing on the luminous tile floor to techno and dance music by live DJs. Heaven is known to host parties for many celebrities. So if you are somebody you would be kicking it in Level Heaven.

But Just above and beyond the fluffy white clouds of Level Heaven, only a few steps up, is the ultimate experience--the Mezzanine or Level Upper Heaven. With white pearlescent blues and diaphanous draperies (see-through sheers of white and silver). On this level guest may rent a table for the night by calling ahead and enjoy a space for intimate conversations with friends or that special someone.
Each level is a different cost and tonight the ladies paid to spend the night in Heaven, sipping on c**ktails and conversing among themselves.

Before the ladies took their seats at the bar, they trail off to the restroom. When inside the restrooms they examine themselves in front of the big mirror which covers the whole wall above and below the sinks. Ayla stood at five foot five inches but in her five inch rhinestone lace up stilettos, she was five foot ten. Her hair was curled to perfection hanging on her back. She patted it with her hand as if she was giving it body. Her bangs hang straight onto her forehead and bumped at the end just a tad bit.

Her attire was little black dress approved. The dress was designed to appear as a bikini top from the front. The fabric came across her D cup breast and hugged them. In the center was a small hole and a rhinestone Chanel piece. The rest of the dress fell over that. The top scooped down and below the bikini like top. In the back the dress scooped low shoing off all her back except for what the hair covered. The black dress stopped at mid thigh. With Ayla's hips and thighs being so full, the fabric hugged her thighs and showed off every curve, just the way she liked her clothing. She smiled at herslef in the mirror making her deep dimples got deeper as she cupped her breast and pushed them up, adjusting them.

Danielle is five foot seven inches and wore three and a half inch black stilettos. She sported a powder blue dress which came just above her knees and was cinched at the shoulders. It had plunging V's in both the back and the front, stoppin just below her Double D breast, which was met with a thin black, rhinestone belt. The dress sculpted her curves very well. She wore her hair naturally curly pinned in a sloppy twist. A burrett held up most of the hair while some pieces fell and hung loosely. She tucked a piece behind her ear.

Samantha was the shortest standing at five foot two. She stepped out tonight in some five inch gold, pointy toe stilettos with a matching gold clutch. Her dress was red, sleek, sexy, and body hugging down to her knees. The color complimented her caramel tone skin. Its twist top in the front enhanced her C cup breast and there was a scooped out back with criss crossed spaghetti straps. Her hair was in big loose barrel curls that fell a little pass her shoulders with streaks of honey blond and a side bang. "I'm ready," she said popping a breath mint in her mouth. Even though Samantha was a lawyer at a semi-huge firm, she was still from the streets. Her fierce tongue and witty ways served her right while in the courtroom or in the streets.

They exited the restroom and set up at the bar. The tall white bar stools were pulled out by a gentlement who was an angel. Each lady took a seat in the cushioned stool; Ayla, Danielle, then Samantha. When the bartender approached them he asked, "How are you ladies doing tonight?" Ayla set her shimmery silver clutch down and answered, "We're doing okay. How about you, Ian," she read his name tag. "That's nice to hear. And I'm doing pretty fine." He put on a smile. "You new aint cha?" Danielle asked. "Yes, I am," he replied. "Ooooh," the ladies said together.

Ian chuckled. "What would you like to drink?" "How about a Bald Pussy with two splashed of lime juice please," she said, smiling. "Uh... how about A Few Of My Favorite Things," Samantha said. "And I'll have a Dirty Little Girl Scout," Danielle said. "Aww, come one Yelly, try something different!" Ayla whined. "What??!" Danielle questioned. "Everytime we come here you get the same thing," Samantha butted in. Danielle rolled her eyes and thought. "Hmm," she laughed. "I'll take a Cum In A Hot Tub." "Oooh I like! I had that before but no nessecarily at a bar." Ayla laughed. "You sure you can handle that? It is mixing white and brown." Ian flirted. Danielle looked at him sideways. "I don't know but we are about to find out."

The time passed and they drunk uncontrollably. Men bought them drinks and they politely accepted it even playing a few. A guy with a blazer and a white polo underneath approached Ayla. He also had on some jeans and air force ones. The nigga thought he was too fly, but little did he know, his style was whack to the ladies. "How are you doing?" Ayla turned and faced the guy pissy drunk and answered, "I was fiiiine just a minute ago." She laughed all in his face. "Whatchu want?" "I was just wondering if I could talk to you in private, at our own table." He asked ever so smoothly. "Na, don't you think that would be rude to leave my friends sitting here so that I could talk to you? Ladies that would not be nice now would that?" "No," Danielle and Samantha answered in unison. The guy chuckled and said, "Well, I'll be at my table if you change your mind. Why don't you order a drink?"

He motioned for the Ian. "Whatever she orders next, just put it on my bill." "Okay," Ian said. The guy turned his attention back to Ayla and said, "I'll be waiting." Ayla looked him up then down and said, "Alright I guess. But uh yea Ian can you get me my drink? The guy started walking off. "And what would you want?" Ian asked. "I'll take an Adios Motherf***er # 3!" Ayla said loud enough hopring that the guy who jut bought her a drink could hear her. Ian laughed and said, "Okay, coming right up.

Two hours passed and it was now three forty one A.M. Ayla was off talking to some guy she had met and Danielle was getting to the point where she had never been before--drunk. "Oh, Sami I think that's enough for me. I think I'm drunk," she siad loudly. "You are," Samantha slurred. "Look at that b**** over there," Samantha said reffering to Ayla who was leaning all over some guy. "I'm about to go and get her," Danielle volunteered. "Allllll-riiightyyyy then!" Samantha sang. Danielle walked over the the table Ayla was seated at and grabbed her friend's arm. "What are you doin, Yelly?" Ayla said defensively. "We goin home. NOW!" Danielle responded. "I don't wanna go. I wanna stay with DRE," Ayla said the his name in a high pitched voice. "You're drunk, La La. Come on." "So what if I'm drunk!" Ayla paused and motioned her friend to lean down to her level. "He has a big d***," she whispered and laughed while putting her hand on her chest.

"You whore! How big?" Danielle asked excitedly. "Show her," Ayla asked Dre. He smiled and shook his head no. "Aw, he's shy. It's like this looooong," Ayla said holding her hands apart in the air to show her friend the length of Dre's penis. "Oh oh oh, and this faaaat!" Ayla put her two hands together and made a circle resembling the thickness of Dre's penis. "Imagine that on hard," Ayla giggled. Danielle just shook her head. "I'm ready to go. I'm through for the night." Ayla dug in her purse. "Well I'm not goin home, not now anyway. Take my keys ... and you go!" Danielle took the keys to Ayla's Altima and said, "Are you suuure?" "Hell yes!"Ayla swayed. "Alright, be safe." Danielle told her friend before she walked away.

When Danielle made it back to Samantha she grabbed her things and Samantha got up to leave too. Danielle told Samantha about Ayla's plans and Samantha smile. "That whore." The two held hands to hold each other up and made their way down two levels and out the door. When they made it outside Samantha stumbled and fell onto the sidewalk. "Are you sure you can drive?" Samantha attempted to get to her feet but she couldn't she just kept scooting over. "Yea I can drive!" She scooted a couple of more times. "Alright, I can't" Danielle shook her head. "b**** you too drunk. I'm always the designated driver Come on you're coming home with me." She helped her up to her feet. "But what about my car?" Danielle stopped in her tracks.

"s***, wait a sec." She let her friend down on the curb again and ran inside. She went intot he office and told Dallas that she needed to leave a car in the lot tonight then handed him a fifty. "Thanks," she said and ran back out the door. When she got to Samantha she was sprawled out on the ground. "Come on," Danielle said trying to get her friend the her feet once again. When she finally succeeded she walked over to Ayla's car and hit the unlock button. She put Samantha in on the passanger side and got in herself on the driver's side. She started the car and drove off.

When Danielle finally reached her house she looked over to her friend who was snoring with her mouth open. "Damn shame," she said. She thought about the trouble of helping her friend inside and exhaled deeply. "Oh well." Danielle pulled the lever on the seat and mad it go back. She had fell asleep inside the car and stayed there the whole night.

it HELLA GOOD SIN! lol -Nenii

How To Barter
With A
Shattered Heart

Ayla’s petite frame leaned over the bassinet that baby Journee Riché lay in. Ayla tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she picked her up and held her in her arms. “Hey, Tee Tee bay bay. Hey, mama!” Ayla said as she gently rubbed her index finger on the baby’s small tummy. Jay Riché moved her arms in attempt to grab whatever was making contact with her tummy. Her attempt was failed so she gave up without a fight and rested her hand upon Ayla’s hand. “Aw, mama. You wanna hold Tee Tee’s hand? Huh Jay Riché?” Ayla grabbed Jay Riché’s small hand and placed her middle finger in it. Jay Riché gripped Ayla’s hand and Ayla rubbed her tummy again while saying, “You gotta tight little grip don’t you. Aw, yes you do. Yes you do!”

Danielle came in the door and walked over to them then handed Ayla the bottle she had prepared. “Bout time, my baby hungry.” Danielle looked at her with attitude and said, “Yo baby? I’m her mama.” Ayla put the bottle in Jay Riché’s mouth and without looking at Danielle she said, “Yes, my baby.” She looked back down at Jay Riché and said, “Ooh you hungry ain’t you.” Danielle had walked over to the closet by now and was searching through the baby clothes on hangers. “Excuse me, but I birth her.” Ayla rolled her eyes and said, “I ain’t denyin it either, but she still my baby.” She stuck her tongue out as Danielle laid an outfit for Jay Riché on the changing table. “Whatever, this what she wearin today.” Ayla took a seat in the rocking chair and said, “Uh … I’m watchin her, I can dress her!”

“FYI I’m takin her to take pictures when I get back. And this is what I want her to wear.” Ayla took the bottle from Jay Riché’s mouth and laid her across her shoulder then began to pat her back to assist her to burp. “Ooh we gone be matchin! We gone take a picture together,” She said as she got up and walked over to the changing table to examine the outfit. “Sure, as long as you pay for them,” stated Danielle. Ayla looked at her friend with a stank look and said, “Ooh you cheap! But fo’real she gone be lookin just like her Tee Tee. All she need is some white peep-toe wedges.” Danielle laughed and said, “Don’t be trynna hoochify my baby. And when don’t you have on pink?”

“Good question. But I am so glad you goin by that nigga house to get yo shiit. I can’t believe he did that to you, girl.” Jay Riché finally burped and Ayla walked over to the bassinet to lay her back down. Danielle chuckled. “Hmm, I can’t either.” Ayla laid Jay Riché down and turned to her friend who was stuffing some diapers in a diaper bag. “I mean he is so superficial.” Ayla said, flaring her nostrils, rolling her eyes, and crossing her arms. Danielle laughed at her friend and said, “Tell me bout it.” She walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer which was filled with all sorts of hair bows, burettes, and headbands. “If I was you, I would beat his ass,” Ayla said doing an uppercut in the air. Danielle laughed at her friend again and said, “Yo crazy behind did.” Ayla was now bouncing around and throwing punches into the air like she was a boxer. “And I’d do it again. But you need to whip that ass one good time. That will show his ass.”

Danielle pulled out a pink headband with a pretty bow on it and sat it on top the outfit she had laid out on the changing table. “You so dang-on violent, calm yo hyperactive ass down.” She shook her head then said, “But I’m finna go.” Then she went over to the bassinet and kissed Jay Riché’s forehead. Ayla put her hand on her hip and said, “You sure you don’t want me to come? Cuz I’ll drop that nigga again if I have to.” “Na, I’m good. I’ll be back in about two hours,” Danielle said, opening the door. “Bye, Yelle,” Ayla said, plopping down on the pink love seat.

“Bye, LaLa. And stop cussin in front of my baby,” Danielle said, closing the door.
Danielle pulled in front of Derwin’s one point five million dollar home which was located inside the gated community across town from her house. She turned the key in the ignition to the off position and sat there a moment. She had to clear out her mind before she made her entrance. Part of her said just go in and retrieve her belongings. And she laughed at the other thought as her best friend’s voice rang through her head—she wanted to beat Derwin’s ass too, but she knew that wasn’t the way to go.

She turned the ring on her ring finger the same way she did last night and sat in her white Bentley a few more minutes. “Don’t butcher yourself over someone who won’t do the same for you,” Danielle said to herself and hearing it in her mother’s voice from when she told her years ago. She took her keys out of the ignition and grabbed a single key. She put her thumb nail in the key ring to open it up and she moved the key along the key ring until it was off. The keys that were left on the key ring were placed in her purse. She opened her door and got out then looked to the sky and said, “I won’t, mommy.”

Danielle stuck the key she had taken off of her key ring into the door and unlocked it. When she stepped foot inside she foyer she sat her purse on the table. “Babe, what are you doing home so early?” The woman from last night voice rang through Danielle’s ears. The woman appeared in Danielle’s view and her smile quickly turned to a frightened face. Danielle chuckled. “I ain’t gone do you nothin, I’m just here to get my things,” she said then brushed past the woman and made her way to the living room.

Play it cool Danielle, play it cool. Breathe, one, two, three, four… She chanted in her head. She knelt down in front of the entertainment center and opened the glass door. Before she ducked her head down to get a good view of the DVDs and CDs that were sitting on the shelves, she got a glimpse of the woman in the big screen. “What’s ya name?” Danielle asked as she pulled her favorite movie, The Notebook, off the rack. She got off the floor then walked over to the woman. She stuck her hand out with a smile plastered on her face and said, “I’m pretty sure you know who I am already.” The woman stuck her hand out and grabbed Danielle’s hand nervously.

They shook and let go then the woman said, “Anna. Look … I-I’m so sorry, I had no id—” Danielle put her hand up interrupting her and said, “You don’t have to explain.” Anna just looked down and Danielle laughed inside as she looked at the busted, swollen, and bruised lip that Ayla had left Anna. “Well, I should finish getting my things together,” Danielle said and turned on her heels. She jogged up the stairs and into the bedroom her and Derwin shared plenty of nights.

She opened the closet door and retrieved a suitcase but her eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. There in the closet, where her clothing used to be, hung Anna’s clothing. “What the hell?” Danielle asked aloud. She picked the suitcase up and felt that it was heavy. She opened it and all her clothes were inside neatly folded. “I can’t believe his trifling ass! He got my shiit packed and ready to ship my ass off. Fuuck him!” She grabbed the other suitcase in rage and pulled both handles up then rolled them out into the hallway. She walked down the hall to the next room and walked into a room that was being decorated to be Jay Riché’s nursery. When she opened the door the room was complete to her surprise. Care Bears were painted all over the walls, the crib comforters, dresser, and everything else was covered with Care Bears.

“Nice ain’t it?” She heard a familiar voice and turned around to see Derwin. “I had it finished the day after she was born. Where is my angel anyway?” he asked. “She’s at home with Ayla,” she replied and pushed past him. She retrieved her suitcases and began to roll them down the stairs. Derwin was right behind her. “I don’t like how ya girl came in my house last night and did what she did,” he said when they made it to the bottom. “And I didn’t like when I came here last night and saw her,” she said pointed to Anna. “But I’m over it.” She walked past Anna and reached for her purse on the table and sat the ring down. She turned and looked Anna in the eyes. “You’re no longer the other woman, so who is she now?” She walked out the door with her head held high.

She felt like she had just let a load off her back and was ready to move on to happiness. She put her suitcases in the trunk and got into the driver seat. After pulling her keys out her purse and putting them in the ignition, she started it and sat there a moment. I got to do me, she thought. Keyshia Cole’s Let It Go played through her speakers and she turned it up full blast as she drove off.

LATER THAT NIGHT

“I am so glad that yo mama watchin Jay Riché, cuz homie you need to get out. It is time to party. The cryin is over!” Ayla said lacing up her stilettos. Danielle stroked the mascara brush on her eyelashes and said, “I know girl but I just can’t buh-leeve that he had my shiit packed!” “Whatever girl, that nigga saved you time,” Ayla said jokingly. “Yea, but damn, he just dropped me like I was a gotdamn hot potato,” Danielle said applying her lip gloss. “And you need to drop him even faster honey. Because if you don’t, soon he gone be askin himself if it was worth it. But when he realize it wasn’t he gone be runnin back to you and you gone take his ass right back. Ooh that reminds me!” Ayla walked over to her iPod dock and pushed play. Keyshia Cole’s Was It Worth It blared through the speakers. “:My Lord, what is up with all the Keyshia Cole songs today?” Danielle asked while she sat on the bed to put her shoes on. “Girl, if you don’t know, Keyshia is a heart healer!” Ayla said excitedly. “Mmhmmm, I’m ready.” Ayla grabbed the iPod off the dock and said, “Let’s go.”

They got into Ayla’s Altima and Ayla plugged the iPod into the transmitter. She swiveled through the songs and pressed play when she found the song she was seaching for. Keyshia Cole’s Didn’t I Tell You came through the speakers and the girls sang to the lyrics—
“So while you going out having your fun,
I should sit here waiting for you?
All this time I've invested in you baby,
Now you getting your dubs.
And making your runs and popping your drink.......

You know my ass does
lol

you know i love this story sin!

--Chapter One
What Occurs When
The Affectionate Suitor
Adores No More?--

Danielle climbed into Ayla's Altima with tears in her eyes. She closed the door with her head hung and began to gyrate the ring on her left ring finger. The tears streamed down her face as rapid as the rain poured outside of the car. Rain water from her now curly hair and tears dripped onto her lap and hands.

Ayla rubbed her best friend's back in comfort and concern. "Yelly?" She paused not knowing what to say. She wanted to be sincere and comfort her friend to her full ability but another part of her wanted to go inside of the house the sat in front of and beat the hell out of Derwin. She didn't care if he had muscles on top of muscles or that he played pro football, she was finna beat some football ass.

Danielle looked up and forward out of the windshield. Her face twisted and her bottom lip quivered then she said, "LaLa..." That was all that came out. Ayla knew what could have happened, and she knew that it was what was wrong with her best friend--Derwin Broke up with her. "Yelly, he didn't," Ayla said after she turned Danielle's face towards her and wiped away some of Danielle's tears with her thumb. Danielle's didn't say a word. Her only response was more tears and sobs.
Ayla's blood boiled and her anger had reached its max. She felt like a bomb about to explode and she wanted to blow up one person---Derwin.

Ayla opened her car door and stepped foot onto the wet ground. She got out and closed the door. She walked around the car and when she got to the other side she looked at her friend who still sat in the car crying her soul out. That made the wick to her bomb was get even shorter meaning her fuse was burning low. She marched up the walkway to Derwin's front door with many thoughts in her mind. With one being that Danielle had just birth her and Derwin's first born child, Journee Richè, two weeks ago and he had the nerve to go off the end and do this to her.

When Ayla reached the front door she knock as hard as possible. She turned and looked back at the car at her friend feeling just as hurt as she did. She felt like when someone messed with her sister they messed with her ten times worse. She heard the door open and turned around saying, "Pooch wha--." She paused when she saw a figure that didn't at all look close to Derwin's. There in the doorway stood a woman with no melanin in her skin in red lingerie. She lost all control at this point. "Uhn uhn, who the hell are you, biitch? And where the fuuck is Pooch?"

The woman stood there and put her hand on her hip. "Excuse me?"
Ayla looked at the woman and rolled her eyes. "You heard me!" Ayla pushed the door open and let herself into the house and the woman stmubled. "Where Pooch at?" The woman didn't answer which made Ayla demented. The lady acted as if she didn't heard of understand Ayla so she got up into her face and repeated herself. "Where the fuuck is Pooch? You know Derwin."

Derwin walked in the room and said, "What is all the noise for, baby?" as he tied his robe. Ayla folded her arms and shifted all her weight onto her right foot. "Baby?!?" she spat while twerking her neck and raising her eyebrow. She turned to the lady and said, "B*itch if you know what's good for you, you'd get ya shiit and get the f*ck up outta here fo I beat yo ass!" The lady backed up and hid behind Derwin without saying a word. "Aw hell na, hoe don't hide behind his triflin ass. Get yo shiit and get the fuuck out!" The lady began to walk off and Derwins stopped her in her tracks. "Baby, just go upstairs to the room." She hurriedly made her way up the stairs.

"LaLa, what do you want?" he asked while walking over to her. "So it had to be a white woman, huh? I mean damn, it's bad enough that you steppin out on her but you could have at least did it with a black biitch." He inhaled and turned his head to the side as he clenched his jaw. "Look, LaLa, don't come in here with all that shiit. This ain't got shiit to do with you. Yell know I was finna dump her ass anyway." Ayla got a dumbfound look upon her face and stepped back in disbelief.

"Nigga!" Ayla stepped forward and punched him dead in the jaw. He looked at her and charged in her direction. She stuck her foot out and clipped him. he hit the floor and she kicked him in the stomach. "Nigga, don't you ever thin you can get away with doin my girl wrong." Derwin coughed and Ayla kept on kicking. "She done had yo child and this how you say 'thank you' you cheat on her? And with a white biitch?!" What about Jay Richè, huh? What... about... your... daughter?" She said in between kicks.

The homewrecker had made her way back downstairs and tried to get Ayla off of Derwin. "Leave him alone!" Ayla kicked Derwin and backslapped the white biitch, sending her flying across the room, all in one quick move. "I hope you can't ever run a damn football field again in your life." She spat in his face and kicked him in the balls. She exited the house and to her car.

She got in and turned to her friend and said, "It's gone be iight, Yelly." Danielle didn't say anything. She just sat there and cried silently. Ayla drove off and thought to herself, it's gone be iight as a single tear rolled down her own cheek. My friend ... is gonna be alright!