1. Who Dis? #3
“Man, Sophie’s yours for the night. I arranged it before you came.
She’s sweet like you told me your Cece was, so I figured y’all would get along.
Enjoy yourself, man. You deserve to let loose.
It’s your anniversary.” He straightened his posture and smiled big like he solved one of the most complex math problems in the world.
I turned to Sophie. Dorrian was right. Not only did she look like Cece with the openness of her smile, but she also resembled Cece with how she nestled her body next to mine as if I were her comforter. She moved her hand from my thigh to my hand and held it. Her presence and purity comforted me.
You can’t cheat on Cece. But Cece’s dead, the other part of my brain shouted out to me. Dead.
I wrestled with the practicality of indulging with Sophie beyond the club. But our connection didn’t make sense.
Sophie sat patiently, like a dutiful puppy, waiting for my approval with a pat to her head of wild, natural hair.
Instead of reaching for her as I wanted to, I clenched my free fist under the table and directed my attention back to Dorrian, whispering directly into his ear.
“Is she a hooker? If so, I’m not okay with that.
And you shouldn’t be either.” I mean mugged him, pissed that he might jeopardize his reputation and mine with illegal activities.
Sophie released my hand and tugged the bottom of my long-sleeved shirt, forcing me to give her my attention again.
“I don’t do stuff like that,” she added quickly, surprising me with her response.
Had she heard me? Or was she just attuned to my stiff body language?
“Whatever we do will be above board. I promise.” She crossed her fingers like a kid. “I’m on birth control but need you to use protection too. I don’t want any babies.”
I scanned her full breasts and flat stomach and finally gave her a genuine smile.
“Glad to know we’re on the same page.”
Maybe this was my opportunity to let loose and satisfy my body on the one day of the year when my heart felt heaviest. My Cece wasn’t coming back.
What was the harm in connecting with a willing woman who might ease some of the loneliness that made me want to curl up in a ball and sleep for a week? At least I’d replace sadness with a small reminder of what I had with my first love.
I lifted my hand and wiggled my index finger at Luther to get his attention from the corner of the VIP section where he stood on guard. As usual, he was by my side in seconds. He looked Sophie up and down as if she might have a contagious disease before shifting his attention back to me.
“You good, Boss?”
I ignored the frown on Luther’s face and ushered him closer so others wouldn’t hear our conversation.
“This is Sophie. She and I are going for a ride. Signal for Wayne to pull the car around.”
He stared between us again, giving me a raised eyebrow as if to ask, Are you sure about this?
I lifted my glass to my lips and nodded, nonverbally reassuring him that I knew what I was doing.
He pulled out his phone to call my driver. Sophie watched me with what appeared to be bated breath as I finished my drink and smiled at her. I waved my fingers in the direction she had originally come.
“Grab your stuff and clock out. Meet me out back when you’re done. We’re going to the Westin for the night.”
The early morning Atlanta sun shone through the partially open blinds of my luxury suite on the sixty-ninth floor of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel the following day. The sun’s violation of my peace made me want to curse it out.
I’d never been a morning person, so my eyes felt like lead, and my head was as heavy as a boulder as I lay in bed. I squinted to focus on my surroundings but couldn’t keep my eyes open to save my life. I shut them tight again, wishing that whatever nightmare this was would go away.
Move.
I repeated the word to myself countless times, but my body didn’t want to cooperate. Because of that, I lay flat on my back, staring at the ceiling with my left hand on my stomach.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
My chest rose and fell as I inhaled and exhaled.
Once I felt some semblance of stability in my brain, I lifted my neck cautiously and directed my attention to the suite’s kitchenette and oversized lounge area to my right.
Although my excruciating headache was still there, at least my eyes could now focus.
My eyes quickly gravitated to the obstruction near my face—a big head of voluminous black hair that pinned my right arm down firmly.
Oh hell.
My heart rate increased as I tried to pull my arm from under the hairy weight of that head. I jerked my arm a couple of inches but still could barely lift it. Why was Sophie’s head so heavy?
After straightening my body and giving my head a quick jerk, I finally pulled away from her.
I slowly pushed the weighted beige cover back and sat up.
With great care and a heavy neck, I lifted my torso and shifted my legs over the side of the bed.
I held my head in my hands to still the spinning that threatened to split my head in half.
“Uh…” A deep moan escaped my lips before I could stop it.
I turned to see if I had disturbed Sophie. She was still knocked out. I gripped the edge of the firm mattress and noticed one, two, three heavily used condoms strewn across the gray carpet. Whatever Sophie and I did last night and this morning was top-tier nasty.
I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes to slow down my thoughts.
This situation was uncharacteristic of the orderly, strategic guy I prided myself on being.
But Sophie reminded me of Cece, the missing piece of my heart I had lost. Last night exposed my brokenness and weaknesses.
I used this Cece lookalike to plug holes in me I hadn’t fixed.
Instead of removing my sadness, I complicated matters.
I glanced back toward Sophie again. The sexing I gave her had her out like a light. She lay as still as a statue, with her arms splayed above the crumpled covers that hung off the side of the bed.
We were nasty and messy. My boxers and clothes were piled in a heap by the window. I frowned at the five empty shot glasses and a big, almost empty bottle of vodka scattered across a low wooden coffee table. And why was Sophie’s barely-there red bra hanging off the standing lamp by the TV?
I racked my brain to retrace the steps that led me here, tapping my temple with my index finger as the sequence of events slowly came back to me.
I recalled getting in the back seat of my SUV and pulling the partition up so Wayne and Luther couldn’t hear us in the back. When we were alone, I almost kissed Sophie’s face off. Or was I kissing Cece? No, it was Sophie. I definitely called her Cece the entire time.
Dag.
When we got to the hotel, Sophie and I made out in the car as Luther registered me under a fake name.
Wayne drove us to a back entrance and ushered Sophie and me up a private elevator.
Luther opened the door and dropped me off in the room like a kid at daycare.
Before he left, he thrust a twelve-pack of extra-large Trojan Magnum condoms in my hand.
My eyes drifted to the end table where the opened black box was. Yes, that was what happened.
And speaking of Luther, I would bet anything he was standing outside my hotel door or sitting close by, waiting for me to call him.
Since we had something akin to a brotherly relationship, I knew he would lecture me about my odd behavior and remind me about my reputation, much like I lectured the younger Torch players.
Although Sophie had a bangin’ body, but it was nothing like my Cece’s.
The things my wife could do with her mouth and limbs were out of this world.
I lay on my side and tapped Sophie’s bare shoulder, which peeked above the white sheet.
“Uh…Sophie?”
She didn’t move.
“Sophie?” I spoke louder this time and pushed her shoulder with my hand, imagining the worst when she didn’t budge.
I shook her body somewhat vigorously until she slowly turned toward me. She smacked her lips several times and fluttered her pretty lashes until her brown eyes opened and met mine.
“Good morning.” Her soft voice cracked.
I placed my finger over my nose and backed away as the sharp smell of too much alcohol, cum, and morning breath turned my stomach. I waved toward the bathroom door.
“There should be a toothbrush in the bathroom. Why don’t you take care of your hygiene real quick?” I kept my finger in place and smiled as politely as I could.
Nothing in me wanted to hurt a woman’s feelings on purpose, especially one I banged multiple times, but I had to be truthful.
She tucked her head into her chest and covered her mouth with her hand, rightfully embarrassed.
When she removed her hand, she displayed a gold star on her canine I hadn’t noticed in the dark.
Where did that come from? Her overall aesthetic had me questioning my life decisions.
In the light of day, she looked extremely young and naive, definitely not my type.
Lucky for me, this was a one-night stand.
Sophie scurried from the bed naked and slipped on her underwear. When she entered the bathroom and closed the door, I reached for my phone on the nightstand to call Luther. Before I could dial, I saw a message from Dorrian.
Dorrian:
Do you like your gift, Egbon?
I typed my message as quickly and coherently as I could, given my disgust.
Me:
WAs a Mistake. I’ll be alright tho.
I didn’t bother to correct the typos.
Dorrian:
Ok. She likes you.
Me:
She needs to like someone else.
I heard running water in the bathroom and rushed to collect my clothes, putting them on slowly since my head felt like someone was knocking a hammer against it.
Still shirtless, I picked up the used condoms and put them in the open condom box since I didn’t trust chicks when it came to celebrity sperm. I stared at my watch.
8 a.m.
On cue, Luther’s number popped up. I answered the phone.
“Good morning, Boss.” His thick country twang filled the phone.
“Hello.”
Although I said only one word, my tongue still felt like cotton.
“You have a lunch event at Liberation University today. We need to skedaddle.”
Any other time, I would have kidded Luther for sounding like an old man, but today I needed to focus on the day’s logistics. I already skipped my morning workout, so I didn’t want to miss anything else.
“I’ll be downstairs in ten minutes. Let me handle Sophie.”
“Humph…okay.”
His voice was full of judgment and disapproval. Instead of calling him out or trying to justify my poor choice, I hung up and stared at myself in the mirror above the dresser.
Dark circles formed under my eyes. I put my aviator shades on to cover them but shook my head in disappointment at my reckless indulgence. Since I had a business appointment, I didn’t have time to analyze or condemn myself.
I cupped my hand and blew into my palm. Damn. Although I clowned Sophie, my breath smelled like ass too. My mouth would have to stay funky, though, because I wasn’t going to linger in this hotel room any longer. I texted Luther.
Me:
Get me a toothbrush and toothpaste at the front desk. I’ll brush my teeth in the car.
Luther:
Got you.
Sophie walked out with a white towel barely covering her damp body.
My eyes scanned her legs and cute little feet.
I could see elements of adorableness that attracted me to her last night, but that didn’t matter now.
Our good time was over. I pulled five one hundred-dollar bills from my wallet and placed them on the table nearest to her.
“Here’s some money for your time.”
She furrowed her brow and frowned.
“I’m not a prostitute, Mr. Cairo.”
My eyes dropped to the floor at her formality despite our raunchiness. I rubbed the back of my neck.
“It’s just Cairo. I know you’re not a prostitute. It’s for you to get a cab or rideshare. And to make up for the lost wages at your job.”
“You’re not taking me home?”
“No. I have a meeting, so I need to go home and pull myself together.” I gestured to my wrinkled clothes.
She nodded.
“Will I see you again?”
I shook my head.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Thank you so much for our time together.” I put on my Denzel smile.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I gotta go. Just let yourself out when you’re done.”
“Can I have your number?”
I reached for her phone.
“Give me yours.”
“O…kay.” She gave me her number, and I recorded it in the Notes’ application on my phone.
I took a final look around the room and waved at Sophie.
“Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.” Disappointment, or maybe even sadness, oozed from her voice.
With that, I exited room 6906 and followed Luther to the hotel’s private elevator. Once inside the glass-enclosed doors, I leaned against the wall and sighed. My body may have gotten its fix, but my heart still hurt like hell.