Rhythm's Blues

Chapter Twenty-Six

Channing After the bullshit Rhythm and I both had to deal with from Raheem’s ass, I figured we both needed a mental break.

When she told me he followed her from my house, it took everything in me not to pull up on him and beat his ass.

I took her truck to my mechanic and had him take the tracking device off her car and replace it with a new one.

That was a week ago.

Since then, Raheem had been radio silent.

Word was the label was talking about releasing him from his contract if he caused any more bad publicity.

While he was one of their money makers, they took extreme pride in their image, and his antics were ruining that.

The CEO called me personally to apologize for him fucking up my car and ensured me that he would cover the costs of repairs.

To escape the madness surrounding us, I told Rhythm to pack an overnight bag and be ready for me to pick her up after work today.

I was taking her to my beach house in Malibu.

It had been a while since I’d been there, and now was as good a reason as any to make the trip.

I canceled my sessions for today so I could spend a little time with my mom and Grams before we left out.

I’d taken them out for lunch and to do a little shopping.

Grams was having a good day, and I prayed she had a good weekend.

Just to be on the safe side, I had slid Raven a few extra bands to spend the weekend with them, just so it wouldn’t be too much on my mother.

Grams typically liked her and didn’t give her much trouble unless she was upset.

“You drive safe and let me know when you get there,” Mom said as I prepared to leave her house.

I chuckled. “Ma, I’m only going an hour away.”

“So. I still wanna know you made it safe. Don’t sass me, boy.” She pulled me in for a hug and kissed my cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mama.”

I felt a slap to my arm and turned to see Grams pointing her finger at me.

“You be careful with my girl,” she warned me. “Get her there and back in one piece. Don’t be out here driving like a bat outta hell.”

“Grams, I don’t even drive that fast.”

“Shit me.”

I laughed and pulled her in for a hug. “I hear you, woman. Don’t you give Raven and my mama a hard time this weekend. It’s gon’ be me and you if you be mean to my mama.”

I playfully jabbed at her, and she returned the sentiment.

“I’ll be on my best behavior.” She kissed my cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Grams. Come on, Koda.”

She trotted behind me, her tail busy wagging as we left the house.

I opened the back door, and she hopped in, making herself comfortable.

I closed the door and climbed in, then we were on the road to Rhythm’s.

The drive took a little longer because of the after-work traffic, but we still made good time. I parked, and we headed up to her floor. I knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, Monique opened it with a smile.

“Hey,” she said, stepping back to let me in.

“Hey, Nique.”

She stooped to give Koda some love. “Hey, pretty girl! How are you!”

I chuckled. “Damn, you gave her a better greeting than me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You aren’t my man, and how could I not be happy to see this cute face?”

She continued to love on Koda as I made my way back to Rhythm’s room. I found her struggling to close her suitcase. I shook my head.

“Baby, I said an overnight bag. Why do you have a whole suitcase?”

“First of all, mind your business. Second, come help me please!”

I rolled my eyes as I walked over and held the suitcase down so she could fully zip it.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, but you realize we come back on Sunday, right?”

“Are you judging me?”

“I am, because why do you need so many clothes?”

She scoffed. “You know women need options. You haven’t given me an itinerary so—”

“I didn’t give you an itinerary because we are just relaxing and enjoying time away from all the bullshit we’ve been dealing with. Besides…” I pulled her into my arms. “Clothes won’t be needed for what I have planned for you.”

“Oh, really now?”

“Damn right.”

I lifted her from the floor and placed her in the center of the bed, resting my body on top of hers. She cupped my face and pressed her lips to mine. The kiss we shared was sweet and sensual, all while being filled with lust.

“You think we have time for a quickie?” I jested.

“For Nique to talk shit? After you stayed over here the other week and we woke her up, she said we can’t be fucking in here.”

I laughed. “Not your friend being a cockblocker.”

She giggled. “Once you get me to Malibu, you can have your way with me, and I can be as loud as I need to be.”

“Bet. Let’s get going.”

I pushed myself up and off her before helping her to her feet. As she walked in front of me, I slapped her ass. That shit was looking so right in the biker shorts she wore that I just had to. She giggled as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. I grabbed her heavy ass suitcase and rolled it out to the front room.

“You should be ashamed, Rhythm,” Nique said, shaking her head as I placed her suitcase next to the door.

“I’m not.” She pulled her in for a hug.

“Let me know when y’all make it. Have fun and I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Sir, drive safely with my best friend. I know she’s your woman now and all, but she’s my sister, and I need her back in one piece… even if you have stolen our nights together.”

She gave me a playful smack to the arm, but I knew she was happy for her girl. We’d had a conversation the other week when I spent the night. Rhythm had fallen asleep after a session, and I’d gotten up to go get some water. I was standing there quenching my thirst when Nique came into the kitchen.

“Is my girl still alive?” she jested.

I chuckled. “My bad. She was kind of loud.”

She rolled her eyes as she grabbed a bottle of water. “It wasn’t just her.”

“Don’t even play with me like that, now.”

“I’m just saying!” She giggled and took a sip of her water. “You really like her, Channing?”

“I do. I don’t know what it is about her. We’ve just had a vibe since we met. I fuck with her.”

“Good. She likes you, and I need to make sure you’re good for her. Raheem… he almost made her forget that she was a bad bitch and could have any nigga she wanted. She lost herself for a minute. He had her feeling like she needed to change who she was to fit his lifestyle, and I hated that shit. With you, she’s just free to be herself. I like you for her. Now, I don’t like hearing y’all fucking like animals, but I like you.”

I chuckled. “Thanks, Nique. I promise, we’ll keep it down.”

“No, no. Y’all take that to your house. Over here making me feel bad ’cause I ain’t getting none.”

She rolled her eyes as she headed back to her room.

“I promise, I will return her to you safe and sound.”

“You better.”

She and Rhythm shared another embrace before we finally left the apartment.

An hour and some change later, we were pulling up to my beach house. Rhythm’s eyes widened as the car came to a stop.

“This is yours?” she asked.

“Yes. Sometimes, I just need to get away for a little while. It’s been a minute since I’ve been here, though. With Gram’s diagnosis, I try to stay close to home in case my mom needs me. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

We filed out of the car, then I grabbed our things. After putting in the code to the front door, I led her up to the house. The exterior was covered in weathered cedar shingles that complemented the nature surrounding the property. A spacious, wraparound porch offered a dope ass view of the beach and the ocean. I’d gone with comfortable, overstuffed chairs and a porch swing for the outside décor because I came here to relax and nothing else.

Inside, the house had an open floor plan, with the living room, dining area, and kitchen flowing seamlessly together. The living room house a cozy, oversized sofa and several armchairs.

The kitchen was a chef’s dream, with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and a large island with bar seating. Upstairs were four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The master suite was equipped with a king-sized bed, a private balcony overlooking the ocean, and an en suite bathroom with a large soaker tub and separate shower.

Outside, there was a private path that led directly to the beach, and a huge deck with hot tub, a built-in barbecue, and fire pit.

“This is beautiful,” Rhythm said as we stood on the deck overlooking the ocean. “You’re gonna have to drag me out of here.”

“You’re welcome to come anytime you want. I’m sure you and Nique would have a nice little girls’ trip.”

“We would. I can see us out here drunk as hell, twerking to some ratchet shit.”

She bent over and shook her ass on me, laughing as she did. She stood upright and wrapped her arms around my waist.

“Thank you for this. You have no idea how bad I needed it.”

“I do.”

She pecked my lips several times before squeezing me tightly. I picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I’d never been one to like that clingy shit, but I didn’t mind it with her. I honestly didn’t think there was much I minded when it came to her. I mean, her ex fucked up my car, and here I was spending the weekend with her at my beach house.

Shit, maybe I was the crazy one. We got settled, and Rhythm wanted to take a walk along the beach before the sun set. When we finally got back in the house, I ordered us some food to be delivered. We took a shower and got comfortable while we waited. Koda had run along the beach to her heart’s content. When we got back inside, I fed her, and she was currently knocked the fuck out in the sunroom.

Instead of watching TV, she decided she wanted to play a game. She pulled out this card game called A Deeper Love: Couple’s Edition from her purse, and I knew we were about to have several real conversations.

Right out the gate, shit got deep when she pulled the first card. We were about ten cards in, and it didn’t surprise me that we shared a lot of the same viewpoints. We just had that vibe.

“How do you define love, and how do you express love in our relationship?”

“I see they went straight for the jugular,” I jested. “How do I define love? Love, for me, is caring about someone more than you care for yourself. It’s going the extra mile to make them happy or ensure their safety. It’s showing up for them the same way they show up for you.

“I’m a giver; that’s the way I express my love. It’s not necessarily monetary, but if I’m dealing with a woman and I love her, I devote a lot of personal time to one-on-one things with her. It can be cooking, trips, dinner, movie nights… it doesn’t matter. Anything where I can spend quality time with her.”

Rhythm smiled. “Sounds like that’s your love language.”

“I guess it is. I spend a lot of time with family, and I want my lady to consider herself family.”

“I like that. Your turn.”

I plucked a card and read it to myself before reading it aloud. “What do you believe is the role of honesty in our relationship, and how can we create an environment that encourages open and truthful communication?”

She thought for a moment. “For me, honesty is right there next to trust. If we don’t have either, we won’t make it. I think creating a space where we can be truthful isn’t as hard as people make it out to be. You should be able to be vulnerable with your partner. You should be able to bring anything to them without it feeling like a personal attack or accusation. Unless you are guilty, my feelings about anything shouldn’t offend you if we are just having a conversation.”

I nodded. “I can agree with that part. You gotta know who you are dealing with, though. Past relationships and trauma can be a muthafucka on the mental. It isn’t an excuse, but it does explain a lot.”

“I guess I can agree with that. What was your last relationship like?”

I chuckled. “I’ve been single for years, but we just grew apart in my last relationship. There wasn’t any bad blood or anything. We just realized we were moving in two different directions and let each other go.”

“That was mature. I can respect that more than just holding on to someone because you love them. I’ll never do that shit again.” She looked at me, her fingers playing with my beard. “So, I take it you’ve been enjoying the single life, huh? Are there any women that will be coming out of the woodwork on me?”

“Nah, baby. They’ve been put on notice. You never have to worry about me embarrassing you like that.”

She giggled. “I don’t know. I know the type of dick you give me. You might have created a stalker and not even know it.”

I chuckled. “I doubt that. Make no mistake, I’m respectful, but don’t make me disrespect you. My mouth can get reckless.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. I can see you mouthing off to your teachers in school.”

“Nah, I was a good student, actually. I may have clowned around a little bit, but I didn’t test limits like that. Shey Watson ain’t play that. She would have come up to that school and showed her ass on me.”

“I love your mom. She’s the sweetest.”

I kissed my teeth. “She’s a’ight.” I chuckled. “Nah, for real, she is sweet. That woman is my backbone. She and Grams have always been my biggest cheerleaders. Living out my dreams makes them happy. They can have the world from me if it’s within reach.”

She smiled and kissed my cheek. “They’ve always said you were a good boy.”

She moved to straddle my lap. My hands gripped her thighs as she peered down at me with a smirk.

“What?”

“You wanna be my good boy, baby?” she asked, seductively wrapping her fingers around my neck.

“Is that even a question?” I asked, pulling her shirt over her head.

She was wearing nothing but one of my shirts and a thong. With the shirt gone, her pierced nipples taunted and beckoned me to them. I sucked one between my lips and flicked my tongue over the hardened bud. Pulling her thong aside, I slipped my fingers into her wetness. I loved how she was always so ready for me.

Slouching down on the couch, I rested my head against the back.

“Get your fine ass up here and take your seat.”

She smirked as she moved to stand over me. She cupped the back of my head and placed her knee next to my head. Her free hand slipped between her thighs, and she stroked her clit as she lowered herself onto my mouth.

“Good boy…” She panted heavily as she rode my face. “Good… fuckin’… boy.”

If this was how we were ending our first night away, I had no qualms about that. Once I drained this pussy of its juices, she was getting this dick until she couldn’t take it anymore. Who needed the beach when I could crash into her waves? It was Saturday.

Rhythm and I had spent the majority of the morning lounging around. I’d cooked us breakfast while she went for a walk on the beach with Koda. When the food was done, I’d stepped out onto the back patio to call them in. I found her sitting on a blanket with Koda in her lap, soaking up all the love Rhythm was giving her. Koda’s head rested on Rhythm’s shoulder as she stroked her back and talked to her.

I smiled. My girl loved attention. Most people were afraid of her because of her breed, but Koda was the sweetest dog. She’d taken to Rhythm pretty quickly, and the two were building a beautiful bond. All the women I loved most seemed to love her, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

It was now around seven, and we were prepared to go to Sunset Terrace, a rooftop bar and lounge, for dinner. I’d dressed comfortably in a brown polo style shirt with black trimmings, black slacks, and black loafers with gold jewelry to accessorize.

After spraying on my favorite cologne, I sat on the bed and waited for Rhythm to emerge from the bathroom. I checked in on my mama and Grams, and they were okay. Moms made sure to tell me to send pictures of us, and I promised I would.

The bathroom door finally opened, and my lady stepped out. The moment my eyes settled on her, my dick bricked in my pants. She was dressed in a tube-top like shirt that carried traces of orange, gold, and a few other colors in the pattern. It was held together with a gold accent piece. The long skirt she wore was orange with a three link, gold waist chain. Gold jewelry and heels completed the outfit.

“You know you look too damn good,” I said, standing.

“Thank you, baby.”

She did a slow spin, and the sight of her ass in the skirt made me want to bend her over this bed once more before we left. She switched over to me and planted a kiss on my lips.

“Are you ready to eat?” she asked.

I smirked. “Eat what?”

“Food, fool!”

I chuckled. “I’m starving.”

Hand in hand, we headed out to my truck and made our way to the restaurant. It wasn’t a long drive. The place was located on the strip, not too far from the boardwalk. We valeted the car and headed inside. I gave the hostess my name, and we were led up to the rooftop where our table was set up.

I’d gone the extra mile to have the space blocked off with privacy partitions. I’d also had fresh flowers and her favorite wine waiting for us.

“Thank you,” I said to the hostess as she placed our menus on the table. A young man appeared around the partition and approached the table.

“You’re welcome. This is your server, Adam.”

“It’s a pleasure to serve you tonight. Can I get you started with our famous dinner rolls? Perhaps some water?”

I nodded as I pulled out Rhythm’s chair for her to sit down. “Both are fine.”

“I’ll be right back.”

He left the table. I claimed my own seat, and she reached for my hands.

“This is beautiful, Channing,” she said softly. “Thank you for a relaxing weekend.”

I kissed her knuckles. “It was no problem. We both needed this, and I love spending uninterrupted time with you.”

She smiled. “How are you feeling about this… us?”

“Confident. I know shit won’t be perfect, but I think as long as we acknowledge what we want and need from each other, we’ll be okay. How do you feel?”

“I think we are in a good space. We have more in common than I would have thought we did. Honestly, I was thinking this was going to be a one- night stand until somebody had me on the counter in the bathroom with his fingers in my pussy. I can’t believe you walked out and left me like that!”

I chuckled. “Have I not made up for that? I mean, you get my mouth or my dick every time I see you. I don’t hear you complaining.”

“I’m not complaining at all, love.”

She smiled, and I swore the surrounding lights got brighter. Her smile had been one of my favorite features of hers since the day I damn near knocked her down coming out of the bathroom.

We’d come quite a long way from then to now. It hadn’t been a smooth sailing journey, but I think the worst was over when it came to Raheem. He wanted to be Prince Cole so badly that I didn’t think he’d do anything else to fuck up his brand. With him out of sight and out of mind, things could only go up from here.

Adam returned with our water and bread, and we placed our orders. While we waited, we stood at the railing of the rooftop, sipping wine and looking out at the sunset. She giggled as I peppered the side of her face with kisses. She loved that cutesy shit, and I couldn’t lie, I loved cutesy shit with her.

Our dinner arrived about twenty minutes later, and we sat to enjoy our meal. Sunset Terrace had a bomb ass menu when it came to food. I ate here every time I came to town. Rhythm and I ordered quite a bit of food so she could sample a few different things.

She fell in love with it all, making me promise to bring her back again. I had no problem with that. I loved to eat, and I loved that she was a woman that appreciated a good meal.

After dinner, I paid the bill, and we took a stroll down the boardwalk. The area had a few rides, and vendors were out selling a little of everything. Hand in hand, we walked the boardwalk, stopping ever so often for her to look at things. If she even looked like she wanted it, I bought it for her.

“You really didn’t have to buy me anything, Channing,” she stated as we copped a seat at the end of the pier.

“I didn’t mind at all.”

She crossed her legs and snuggled up next to me.

“This was a great getaway,” she said softly.

“It was.”

“Next time, I need a full week like this.”

“I can make that happen. Wherever you wanna go, let me know, and I’ll make something shake. And I don’t wanna hear any lip about it.”

She playfully scoffed. “You can at least let me pay for something. I’d feel bad about you funding an entire trip—”

“Did I ask you for anything?”

“No.”

“All right then. Let your man handle shit.”

She sighed. “I can see we are gonna fight. I don’t ask for much.”

“Which is why you deserve the world.” I cupped her chin and tilted her head up so her eyes met mine. “You never have to go in your wallet with me, and I’ll never throw anything I do for you back in your face. I ain’t built like that.”

She smiled softly. “Thank you,” she whispered.

She cupped my face and kissed me passionately. I could tell that meant a lot to her. Since their breakup, Raheem had thrown what he’d done for her back in her face on several occasions. I wasn’t the type of nigga to do extravagant shit if it wasn’t from my heart.

I gave of my own free will and expected nothing in return. As my woman, she was right next to my mother and grandmother. They were extensions of me. I loved them with my soul, and if it was God’s will, I’d love her too.