In Between Lies Read online

  “What’s that?

  “How am I to introduce you? As my friend, my boyfriend? Or what?” Her stomach lurched as she asked the questions.

  “How do you think? However you feel.”

  Wrong answer. He intentionally missed his chance

  to tell her what she was to him. “Well, Kevin, if I knew that then I wouldn’t be asking.”

  Kevin checked himself in the rearview mirror. He noticed that same black Lexus a few cars back on his way to Savannahs and now here again. Not wanting to be obvious, and also not one hundred percent sure, he didn’t bother to glance back or mention it. He wasn’t sure he was being followed but it seemed that way.

  “Kevin, since you are putting this in my lap. I can only assume that you want me to call you my boyfriend.”

  Hearing the word boyfriend brought his attention back to her. “Boyfriend? Do they still use that term for people our age?”

  “Well yes, I guess so. Do you have a better one? It’s just like you introducing me as your girl, or your girlfriend, or even as your woman. I know we had a talk in the beginning, but things have progressed so much now…and I know neither one of us have said anything about a true commitment to each other.”

  “That does have a nice ring to it,” he smiled and kissed her hand. Still a little distracted by the unwanted follower, he continued.

  “Hello everybody!” Savannah said as they came through the front door. Jazzy and Gio were already there and Tamika was serving them some kind of fruity concoction she had made up. Jazzy lifted her glass towards Savannah and Kevin in response to their entrance. Gio slid a smile to Kevin as he took a sip also. Tamika took their coats and headed to the back of the house.

  “It smells so good in here. Where’s Big Momma? Is Richard here too?”

  “She’s in the kitchen with Lenora and no, Richard isn’t here yet. I didn’t know you had invited him too,” Jazzy responded.

  “Well, he is as much family as you are. He knew about it and said he might come.”

  “Yeah, well, he may come. But if he doesn’t, I will eat his share of the food.”

  “Come to think of it, he may be preoccupied with this new girlfriend of his…I can’t remember her name but he wanted me to meet her and take her out and show her around…Anyway, Kevin, have a seat here, make yourself comfortable and I will be right back.” Savannah left them in the room and headed for the kitchen.

  Kevin stood and paced by the front bay window and took one last look out to see if he saw the black car out there. Nothing. He sat and joined the conversation that Gio and Jazzy were having.

  “Hey ladies!” Savannah said as she entered the kitchen. The strong aroma of barbecued meat hit her, making her stomach growl. “Wow, it smells delicious in here.”

  “Savannah, I am glad you are finally here. Where is Mr. Man?”

  “Mom, he is in the front room with Jazzy and Gio. Follow me.” Savannah gave Lenora a strange look as if she was a little worried about her meeting her new man. Though she had forgiven her sister, she still wasn’t completely sure about trusting her anymore.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t bite.” Lenora replied to her unspoken gesture. “Besides, I am waiting on a friend of my own.” Lenora stood and gave her sister a hug. “What I said the other day, I meant, baby girl.”

  “I know. I’m sorry,” Savannah gestured for them to follow her.

  “Kevin,” Savannah stated. “I would like you to meet my mother, whom we lovingly call Big Momma, and my sister, Lenora. Everyone, this is Kevin….my boyfriend.” She blushed a little saying that, but it felt good to hear it roll off of her lips.

  Kevin stepped right into place as if on cue. He stood to greet them. Shaking their hands he said, “It’s very nice to meet the two of you and now I know where your daughter gets her natural beauty.”

  “Oh and he’s smooth too,” Big Momma said. “I like him already.”

  Lenora stood and smiled and managed to squeak out a greeting. Tamika rejoined everyone in the room and announced that the table was set.

  “For you,” Kevin smiled and handed Big Momma the vase of roses.

  “They are beautiful, thank you.” She took the vase and placed it on the mantle over the unlit fireplace. “They will be just fine right here.”

  As they went into the dining area, Big Momma scooped Kevin around his arm and made herself comfortable at his side. Savannah followed behind.

  “So, this is Mr. Styles. Did you know that I watch you every night on the news? Now I have a celebrity in the house. Who would have thought that one up?”

  “Who would have thought that a bachelor like myself would end up surrounded by such beautiful women? Gio and I are feeling pretty lucky right about now.”

  “Oh, Savannah. You’ve got yourself a real live charmer here….” Big Momma replied.

  Everyone was seated. Gio was next to Jazzy. Just on the other side of Jazzy sat Kevin and Savannah. Directly across from Savannah was big Momma with Tamika and Leonora beside her, leaving an empty chair that was set for Richard.

  “Looks like Richard isn’t coming,” Big Momma said. “I thought for sure he would be here. You know he is usually the life of the party when he is around.”

  “I think he’s busy this evening. I do believe that he said he would try to make it if he could. I can probably swing by his place later with a plate, if you don’t mind, mom?”

  “Ok…dig in…make yourself at home,” Big Momma announced. “Oh, but wait! Who wants to bless this food?”

  “I will do it this time,” Jazzy responded.

  After the grace, everyone dug in. Potato salad, collard greens, barbecued ribs and chicken, cornbread dressing, macaroni and cheese, rolls, pasta salad and candied carrots filled every plate at the table to the rim. For a while no one spoke.

  After giving her taste buds a run, Savannah was the first to speak. “This is so good, mom.”

  “Thanks….so tell me, Kevin,” Big Momma turned her attention and eyes to him. “How did you and Savannah meet?”

  “Uh, we met at my jazz club, The Blue Horizon….” He cleared his throat. “Actually, I first saw her at the park jogging one morning and knew then that I had to meet her.”

  Startled, Savannah replied, “What? I didn’t know that. You never told me that.”

  “Yes, remember that lady that was talking to you all the time?”

  “Yes.”

  “That is my mother, T. Short for Theresa She told me that you two jog together there all the time”

  “Small world.”

  “Anyway, Kevin,” Big Momma interrupted, “you ever been married or do you want to get married soon?”

  “Mom!?” Savannah said with embarrassment written across her face.

  “I mean, I understand that you two have been playing house over there, so might as well make it official.”

  “Mother, that’s enough. You just met him and you are asking questions like we have been together for years,” Savannah blurted.

  “I’m sorry baby, I was just making conversation. I figure if you talk, it might as well be about something meaningful.”

  “I’m sorry, Kevin,” Savannah apologized, “I didn’t know that we would be put on the spot like this.”

  “It’s okay. Big Momma,” Kevin said, “may I call you that?”

  “Sure.”

  “I have the best intentions for your daughter. I really do care her, in fact, I think she’s perfect. And I do understand your concern. I know that she has been terribly hurt before and it’s not my intention to hurt her in any manner.”

  “I just want her to be happy. And she seems to be with you. But I did have to ask.”

  After hearing the words roll from his lips, he realized that he really did care and didn’t want to hurt her at all. Naomi crossed his mind again. He liked her too. Hell, he liked them both, but Savannah was one that a man would settle down with, while Naomi was one that catered to his wilder side.

  He thought he was ready to settle until
Naomi stepped back into his life and bed. Savannah was the lady and Naomi was the freak. Which one to choose? The logical choice would have been Savannah, but his loins begged to differ. Now he wasn’t so sure what he wanted. And he was really in no rush to come to a conclusion. Happy with things just the way they were, he took another bite of food as the conversation steered in another direction.

  “So Jasmine, did you meet Gio in the same place?” Lenora asked.

  “Yep. We all met the same night, same place.” Placing her hand under the table, she squeezed Gio’s thigh and smiled.

  After drinks and a light dessert, they all went to the sitting room to relax and continue their spirited conversations. Lenora ended up going to her room and Tamika was called away shortly after. “Quit listenin to grown folk talk, and come up here with me,” Lenora had yelled.

  “That went well, I guess,” Kevin said as they were leaving. “Your mom was a handful back in the day wasn’t she? I can tell she put it down back then. Straight and to the point.”

  “She still is actually. But I’m happy. They seemed to like you. It really means a lot to me because I am really feeling you and I would hate to have my family not like you. I do plan on keeping you around and I hope you feel the same.” She was almost questioning.

  “Im not going anywhere, baby. I’m not doing anything to make you unhappy. I want to keep you happy.” He meant that too. “Now…I have somewhere I’d like to take you if you feel up to it.”

  “Right now?”

  “No better time than the present.”

  Savannah sat back in the passenger seat and let him have his way. The crisp, cool night air was perfect as the full moon reached its maximum brightness. Kevin popped in a slow jam CD as they cruised through the calming city streets. His fresh woodsy aroma aroused her senses as did his closeness to her to the point of her reaching sheer bliss. Perfect… was all she could think and feel.

  Chapter 10

  Trying to rush the car ahead of her through the yellow light and almost running a red light, her car screeched to a halt. Naomi felt flush as she realized she almost crashed into the back of the car in anticipation of the driver taking the light. Cutting the radio off, she was immensely annoyed at the fact that Kevin chose to spend his time with her. Now after seeing her again she was sure that this Savannah woman was the distraction that was in the way of her getting what she wanted.

  Her stomach ached at thoughts of him laying with Savannah, making love to her when she knew that she satisfied him completely…or so she thought. No, he had not changed his ways one bit. After sitting outside that house for hours waiting for him to come out, she’d grown impatient and more bothered with the thought that she wasn’t enough for him, and never was.

  She pulled the business card that Richard had given her, out of her purse. Her cell phone rang once again and she ignored it, tossing it into the passenger seat. “Ms. Savannah Summers, VP of Productions….I need to pay Exclusive Creative Solutions a visit anyway,” she said out loud, speaking to a non-existent presence. Since she lost sight of them after stopping at the light, she decided to head home. Though she had no idea where they were headed at the moment, she was pretty confident that she’d gotten all the info she needed. Home and work phone numbers, and now a family members address. That was all she needed.

  Sitting there in the middle of the bed of the dimly lit bedroom, she was in deep thought. Blinds closed, no radio or television, unplugged phone and her cell phone turned on vibrate. She contemplated what her next move would be. She felt her blood pressure slowly boil as the evening dragged on with no sign of Kevin. Knowing that he and Savannah were somewhere thoroughly enjoying each others company, irritated her to no end. She had no other friends that she could call to talk to that would understand her or how she felt about this situation. Her cracked out mother was now dead and her father was obsolete from the beginning. A comforting man is what she thought she needed right now.

  Finally getting up, she made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. She peeped through the curtained kitchen window at her neighbors who were just getting home. She gulped down the beer and decided she needed a steaming hot shower to relax.

  As her warm body emerged from the shower, she reached for a towel and made the decision then to finally return Richard’s many calls. She needed a man to hold her right now and she knew he would be all too happy to oblige.

  “What’s up, baby,” she whispered in the phone. “Feel like giving me some company?” she asked.

  “Why? Did you finally decide that you were tired of blowing me off?” Richard asked.

  “I wasn’t blowing you off. I just told you how I felt at the time.”

  “Oh yeah? So how are you feeling now?” Richard finished gulping down a large piece of pizza.

  “I’m feeling like I really want to see you. Like right now.” Naomi emphasized. She was standing in front of her door length mirror staring back at her reflection. She dropped the towel from her and smiled at what she saw. Her taut nipples stood at attention and she was getting warm all over just thinking of the things she could do to him.

  “And how long are you gonna be feeling like this?” he questioned. “I want to talk to you more about this anyway. I thought we had a good thing going outside of the photography and you just changed up on me.”

  “Talk later, just come over here and give me the business...” Naomi hesitated, then said, “please.” She hung the phone up and smiled.

  While she waited for her maintenance man to get there, she flipped on the television to keep her mind occupied and off of Kevin and Savannah as much as possible for now.

  **********************

  “Where are we going?” Savannah asked.

  “Just sit back baby, relax. I guarantee you will enjoy yourself.” He glanced at his watch. “Just in time,” he whispered as he pulled into a driveway entrance to a home she didn’t recognize.

  “Who lives here? Just in time for what?”

  He didn’t answer. He just got out and ran around to her side of the car, opened the door and invited her out.

  “Kevin? Whose house is this?” she asked again.

  “Can you just oblige me and not ask any more questions. Just wait until we get inside.”

  “Okay. I guess I can handle a surprise.” She grabbed his hand and followed behind him.

  Kevin pulled out a set of keys and inserted one into the door and slowly opened it. Savannah’s interest was piqued. He had a key to this house? She felt her heart racing as she entered. A faint smell of jasmine hinted at the warm air and the atmosphere was very cozy.

  “This house was left to me by my great grandmother.” He flipped a light switch at the hallway entrance.

  “It’s beautiful!”

  “Yes, I have had some work done to it off and on to make it what it is now.”

  “Well, I am impressed. You have done a great job.” She dropped her hand from his grip and walked about the great room. It was warmly decorated in neutral and beige tones throughout that invited comfort and warmth. “So who stays in here? It looks so lived in.”

  “No one, I do come here on occasion when I want to get away from things and people. I use this place to relax….and with that in mind…” He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms about her waist. “Come with me.” He motioned for her to follow.

  Down at the end of the long corridor was a huge opening to a grand room that housed an exquisite, fully stocked bar, a large flat panel wall TV, and a silent bubbling Jacuzzi. Candles were already lit and a soft jazz number was playing from the hidden wall speakers.

  “Wow, Kevin, this is just too much. When did you have all of this set up?”

  “Don’t worry about it…let me take your jacket.”

  She obliged and took her jacket off and headed towards the bar. “I think I will take that drink that you were offering earlier now.”

  “No problem…”

  He filled her glass with a smooth white wine.
It warmed her body as she felt it flow through her. She was already giddy from the excitement of being there with her newly committed boyfriend, and the alcohol put just the right finishing touches behind it.

  Kevin slowly undressed himself, starting with his top. Unbuttoning his shirt slowly, he’d captivated her attention with his chocolate chest that expanded with every breath. He tossed the shirt on the back of a chair and came to join her for a drink. “Here let me help you,” he whispered to her as he took the wine glass. Taking her by the hand, he led her to the Jacuzzi. Beside it was a folded, large beige towel, an animal print skimpy string bikini, and a single red rose. “Put that on.” He pointed to a door entrance off the side the room. “You can change in there if you want…or you can stand in here and change while I watch.”

  Savannah blushed. She picked up the string and opted to change in the room. “I will go in there.” Cursing the day she stopped jogging, she headed for the room mumbling and praying that it would be as flattering to her body as they both were hoping it would be.

  Glancing at her figure in the mirror, she was pleased that he had judged her body correctly and got the right size. Though it was a string bikini in the true sense of the word, it left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Wishing Jazzy was there to give her a ego boost, she gave herself one. It wasn’t like he’d not seen her naked before but those were times of lust and appearance wasn’t all that important. This time, he would be studying her body…every nook, cranny, and crevice.

  When she reappeared in the Jacuzzi room, Kevin was already in it. “Aw, come on… that’s not fair. I want to see all of you just as you want to see me.”

  “Not a problem.” He rose from the tub slowly and walked towards her. The water glistened and rolled off of him like silk. His muscles were perfectly formed. He had a bad ass, rock hard body and knew it!

  “Your turn,” he said. “Turn around baby.”

  At that point, anything Kevin said he would have wanted, she would have given without hesitation. She slowly turned around so that he could get a good look at what he was about to get.