Making plans would mean spending more time together and that was proving more difficult than I first assumed. Plus, a trip to Greece would probably require back door action or pissing on him, both of which I wasn’t up for. “I can’t plan that far out. I have work and now school.”
“I can plan it, you just have to show up.”
“And when you end up with a girlfriend in three months what is she going to think about your vacation with your ex?”
“I’m gonna have a girlfriend in three months?”
“Probably sooner. Women in Vegas love men like you.”
“Rich?”
“Don’t sell yourself short. Rich, tall, handsome, Black.” I whispered the last word like it was taboo. But sometimes it seemed like dating Black was trendy and one of those nursing home stories Anika talked about. They could tell all the old bitties about their summer fling with a Black dude.
“She’ll just have to be cool with it.”
“I don’t know any person who’d be okay with you cozying up to an ex.”
“See that’s the difference between you and me. I’m not a jealous person.”
“Bullshit, you practically curb stomped Dante over words.”
“It was the principle not jealousy.” He flashed me a smile before plunging his head under the water.
Maybe it was the balmy weather or sweet drinks, but I was going to fold like a cheap card table. It was getting harder and harder to pretend I wasn’t feeling Aldridge. And my thoughts of him were damn near pornographic, Deborah Cox was right, we couldn’t be friends because I wanted to fuck him. You know what they say, if you give a bitch some dick, she is going to want to suck it before bedtime. And if you let her suck it before bedtime, she might slip it inside and cream on it. And if she creamed on it, she’d have to put it back in her mouth to lick it clean. It was a vicious cycle.
When Aldridge popped back up to the surface, I blurted out. “Anika said I have to sleep with you?”
He sputtered out a cough. “Excuse me?”
“She said it was like a silent quid pro quo.”
“Exchange for what exactly?”
“For this, bringing me here. And that in turn I should thank you with my vagina.”
“Do you wanna sleep with me?”
“No … no because … we’re friends.”
Aldridge giggled far too long, and I hated I wasn’t in on the joke. “Danessa, I expect absolutely nothing. I just wanna be here with you.”
An unexpected release of tension lightened my shoulders. “I am really appreciative.”
“I know you are, and you don’t have to pop pussy for it.”
“Whew.” I pretended to wipe my forehead. “I’m gonna get another drink.” Well, that was a relief, I swam to the stairs climbing out. There would be no exchange of goods or services. Wait, he asked if I wanted to sleep with him, but the real question was did he want to sleep with me. Turning, I stared at him in the pool. Aldridge waved and winked before swimming away.
Rubbingmy eyes I rolled onto my back. We’d been out in the sun for hours and settled on a siesta before dinner. I hadn’t even climbed into the bed, just collapsed on the duvet. Sitting up I gave my body a stretch, dinner service was in thirty minutes. The sun had already dipped beneath the horizon. In the shower I resisted the urge to jack off. Images of Nessa’s curves in that swimsuit, the way the triangles of her bikini top barely covered her nipples that turned to high beams when she came in contact with the cool pool water.
I didn’t bring her here with any preconceived notions. The goal was for her to feel special and valued. Swear for God sex wasn’t a part of the equation when I hastily planned this trip. Hopefully I’d successfully assuaged her fears that I was expecting us to fuck. I’d never been that guy, if I invited you somewhere or treated you to something it never came with strings. After my shower I moisturized liberally because no one liked an ashy brother and spritzed on some cologne.
A gentle knock on my door was followed by a steward appearing in the doorway of the bathroom with a mocktail on a tray. “Ms. Irwin is enjoying a drink on the deck.”
“Thank you, I’ll be out shortly.”
I loved this place, they took pride in catering to you. When booking my first visit, Nori provided the instruction of zero alcohol or drugs on the premises. And they’d honored that with delicious mocktails and smoothies. Not only was this a private resort, but the place was focused on wellness, with spa treatments, hiking trails, and holistic practices like sound therapy and breath work.
Danessa was on the veranda in a dress that dusted her curves with an open back. When she spotted me, her face lit up and my heartbeat stuttered. The candles scattered on the table illuminated her skin, making her appear ethereal.
