Dating Games Read online

  Rick walked over to the nightstand and started emptying his pockets of all the crap that he was carrying, shedding all the jewelry he was wearing. He took off his baseball cap, tossed it over toward a chair sitting in the corner, then flopped backward onto the bed, his arms spread out.

  Ally saw him there and got even more excited. She thought he was about to start undressing, pulling down his jeans or something, but he didn’t move. Oh, no, this nigga is not about to fall asleep, Ally thought, while I’m over here about to explode.

  She went to him, hiked her skirt up, straddled him, and bent over him, kissing him on the lips. His breath smelled strongly of alcohol, so she pulled a stick of gum from her blouse pocket, unwrapped it, and stuffed it into his mouth.

  “Eat this,” she said.

  She kissed him again, and said, “I know you ain’t falling asleep on me before you get this, are you?”

  “Aw naw, hell naw,” Rick muttered, his eyes mere slits now.

  Ally stepped back, making sure that he was watching, and started doing her striptease, slowly unbuttoning her blouse, dropping it to the floor, then bending over and rolling the waist of her skirt down over her round behind. After she was done, she stood in front of the halfconscious Rick, wearing nothing but high heels and her pink thong. The man should’ve been losing his mind at this point, attacking her like a crazed rapist, Ally thought, but he just lay there, teetering on the edge of passing out.

  “Don’t you want to take off your clothes?” Ally asked with attitude.

  Rick made the effort, fumbling with the buttons, but he was moving too slowly for Ally, so she helped him. She went to her purse, came back with a condom, and held it out to him.

  “Put it on for me, baby,” Rick said, lifting his head, his speech slurred.

  Shit, Ally thought, starting to get pissed, but thinking, whatever it takes for me to get off and be done with this fool so I can go home.

  Ally grabbed Rick’s penis with one hand and used the other to tear open the condom package with her teeth. She tried rolling down the condom onto him, but he wasn’t there yet, so she started tugging on him, trying to get him stiff enough so the thing would work.

  It took a moment, but he was there, and she quickly covered him, not wanting to lose her opportunity. She couldn’t believe how wet her body was when she positioned herself over him. When she finally slid down on him, she thought she would cry at how good it felt.

  She would take it slow, she thought, as she closed her eyes and started to gyrate on top of him. She didn’t hear any response from him, but that made no difference to Ally. She was moving into her own little world, where all that mattered was her satisfaction, nothing else. Side to side she was moving, and in tiny circles, feeling every part of him inside her, as she licked her lips, and pinched her hard nipples between her thumbs and forefingers.

  This had to have been the best piece she’s ever had, she was thinking, as she started to ride him even faster. Had to have been, had to be, she thought in her head, and then she felt that feeling coming. Somewhere from far away, but it was definitely coming, and coming strongly. It would be huge, and she tried to hold it off, knowing that that would only intensify this feeling, but she couldn’t. It took over her body, demanded that she succumb to it, and nothing was going to stop this from happening, but …she heard Rick start to moan loudly.

  “It’s … it’s … ,” he said.

  Those words snatched Ally from out of her world.

  “I’m … I’m …”

  “No!” Ally cried, her eyes still shut, trying to find her way back, trying to force the orgasm to come faster because she knew he threatened it coming at all.

  “I’m coming!” Rick cried, his body stiffening.

  “Don’t you fucking do it!”

  “Aaaagghhhhhh!” Rick yelled.

  “NO!” Ally yelled, looking down at Rick, her eyes wide, an unbelieving glare on her face. But it was too late. She felt him thrusting deeper into her, letting his load loose into the little latex pouch. Oh, how good it felt for him, she thought angrily. She could see it in the contortions he made with his face. But that feeling that she had, the one that had taken over her body, was gone—so far gone, she didn’t even have enough memory of it to pull herself off him and masturbate to climax.

  Ally just sat there on top of Rick, feeling his organ shrivel inside her ’til she heard him snoring, and she could no longer feel a thing.

  Ally pulled herself off him, leaving him there, and took a long, hot shower. She thought more than once of trying to satisfy herself, but she knew that would never compare to the feeling that she came so close to experiencing, so she left it alone.

  She toweled herself off and, still pissed, she got dressed. She wouldn’t even wake his tired ass. She kept money in her purse for instances just like this, just in case she needed to take a cab home because some dude was a punk in bed, and she couldn’t stand to look at him anymore, even on the ride back to her house.

  Dressed and ready to go, Ally grabbed her purse and then stood over Rick’s drunk ass one more time. He was gone for sure. Passed out. She grabbed his hand, raised it, and let it fall. If his chest wasn’t rising and lowering and that stench of alcohol wasn’t blowing out his nose and mouth, she would’ve thought he was dead.

  She was angry as hell at him for wasting her time, and knew she would never speak to his ass again, but she wished there was more she could do. He got his, but he left her dry, and more frustrated than when she came out tonight.

  Fuck it, she thought, turning around to go, but not before she caught sight of everything he had dumped out on the nightstand. Platinum necklace, bracelet, watch, and ring. A wallet that was sitting open, showing at least a half a dozen credit cards, and then there was the money clip. A shiny, curved piece of metal, with a huge dollar sign on it. It looked stressed at the bend from holding such a tight, fat wad of money. There had to have been at least a grand there, Ally thought, glaring at the bills.

  She looked over at Rick, who was still sleeping heavily. She looked back at the money, then reached out for it. This’ll make things even for my wasted time, she thought.

  But then Rick rustled. Ally froze, her hand still outstretched, quickly looking at Rick. He fell silent, but it spooked Ally enough that she pulled her hand back without the money and slipped out the room.

  EIGHTEEN

  RAFE waited ’til the last moment before getting out of bed and rushing to get ready for work. He told himself that he was not going in today because he was feeling strange about Smoke giving his parents money. He didn’t know why that was. There was nothing saying that Smoke couldn’t do that. It was his money, so it was his decision. And Smoke was right. Rafe’s folks cared for him as if he was their own. Smoke was over at his house so much, he almost couldn’t remember him not being there. So why was Rafe trippin’?

  When Rafe finally did get to work, he was happy to find out that Smoke wasn’t coming in today.

  After work, Rafe took off his jumper, hung it in his locker, and was out of there, not waiting to talk to any of the guys as they made their way to the locker room. No need getting to know them any better, Rafe thought, as he stepped out of the showroom into the late afternoon sunlight. He probably wouldn’t be there much longer, something told him.

  It was Rafe’s day to see his parole officer again, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, he thought. He had spoken to him earlier, and they were to meet at the same greasy spoon restaurant.

  Rafe walked in, and as before, when he looked toward the table where he and Dotson had sat, there the man was again.

  It was cake this time that he had eaten. Chocolate, Rafe concluded, from the dark brown crumbs on the plate and the smudges of chocolate frosting on his fork.

  “Sit down,” Dotson said. He closed the cover on his National Inquirer and pushed it aside. He picked up his coffee, took a sip, put it down. “I would offer you something, but.…”

  “I know,” Rafe said, “this
is only gonna take a minute.”

  “Right. Now how’s everything going? You stayin’ out of trouble?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And the job at the dealership. How’s that coming along?”

  “Well, that’s what I really want to talk to you about.” Rafe squirmed some in his chair.

  “Shoot,” Dotson said.

  Rafe didn’t know just how to put things, so he came out and said, “I ain’t going back.”

  “What are you talking about?” The expression on Dotson’s face changed to something more serious.

  “The person I got arrested with three years ago owns that spot. I’m working for him, and that’s the last person I should be coming in contact with, right?” Rafe asked, panic in his voice. “Ain’t that violating my parole? Can’t I be thrown back in jail for that?”

  “Now, hold on. Just hold it a minute,” Dotson said, trying to calm him. “This is your job, and you should feel damn lucky to have it. And who’s to know you’re working for him, unless you go getting stupid and telling someone?”

  “I know, but—”

  “But nothing.” Dotson cut Rafe off. “This is an opportunity that a lot of guys comin’ out don’t get. They’re sweeping up trash or bagging groceries next to sixteen year olds. You got a great job because you know somebody. That’s a good thing,” Dotson said, pushing his index finger down into the table in front of Rafe as if his point was right there, plain to see.

  Rafe looked around, over both shoulders, then scooted up on the table, closer to Dotson. “Look, I know Smoke came to you. I know you took money, but that’s none of my business. I won’t tell nobody,” he said, in a hushed voice. “I just got to get out of there or—”

  “What! What are you talking about, taking money?” Dotson said, his whisper loud enough to be a shout. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, and if you repeat that shit, you don’t have to worry about who you work for landing you back in the joint. I’ll personally drag your black ass there. You got me?”

  Rafe didn’t speak, feeling trapped, helpless.

  “Hey, fucker.” Dotson reached across the table, grabbing Rafe’s shirt and shaking him. “I said, did you get me?”

  “Yeah, I got you.” Rafe felt defeated, his voice low. “I’m sure I was wrong about what I just said.”

  “Damn right, you were. Now the only thing you’re gonna do is continue takin’ your ass over there to work, because you’re smart enough to know that’s the best thing for you. Right?”

  “Yeah,” Rafe answered.

  “Good, now get out of here,” Dotson told him, throwing a finger toward the door, reaching across the table, and reopening his National Enquirer.

  The man was dirty, and he didn’t want anyone finding out, Rafe thought, as he walked away from the dingy little diner.

  Rafe stopped at a couple of automotive repair places on his way home, Car-X and Midas, asking if they had any positions open. Neither place did, but even if they had, he didn’t know if he could’ve taken them without running the risk of pissing off Dotson, having him trumping up some violation to land him back in the joint. He didn’t know how much Smoke had paid the man, but Dotson sure acted as though he would do anything to make sure Smoke was happy, and that meant keeping Rafe right there at the dealership.

  RAFE ended up at the library again. He needed to be somewhere he could relax and let some of the stress from his crappy day leave him. And, well, he was also hoping to see that girl, Alize’s sister. He had a hard time trying to remember her name, but he knew it was an alcohol just like her sister’s. Tequila, or Martell, something like that. Anyway, he was disappointed to see that she wasn’t at the counter when he walked in, so he just walked over to what he now regarded as his table and started thumbing through the books that someone had left there.

  “So how long have you been studying astrophysics?” He heard a voice ask him, and when he looked over his shoulder, it was Hennesey. The name came back to him upon seeing her lovely face.

  “Well, you know,” Rafe said, “I mess around with it when I’m bored or nothing’s on TV.”

  “Oh, I see. So you come up here a lot, hunh?” Henny said, resting her hands on the back of the chair next to his, leaning against it.

  “Yeah, I told you this was my spot. But I’m not gonna even try to front and say that I wasn’t hoping to see you.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I’m still hopin’ to get with you. You know nothing has changed with us.” Rafe placed his hand on top of one of hers.

  “I didn’t know there was anything about us to change. Never even knew there was an us,” Henny said, pulling her hand away.

  “C’mon. I told you it was you that I really wanted to talk to, and besides, didn’t your sister tell you what happened between us the other night?”

  “My sister is a private person about her affairs. She’s discreet during and discreet after. She kisses, but doesn’t tell.”

  “She didn’t say anything to you because there was nothing to say. Nothing happened. Not saying that nothing could’ve, and you knowing your sister, I’m sure you know what I’m talkin’ about. But I didn’t do anything, because I didn’t want to mess up my chances with you.”

  Henny gave Rafe a look, like she was trying to decide if he was being honest with her, then said, “You messed that up the minute you decided to go out with her. Enjoy your reading, Raphiel,” she said, and walked away.

  Well, at least she remembered my name, Rafe thought.

  Three hours later, after the sun had gone down, Rafe stood behind a tree, pitching little rocks he had gathered off the ground at another nearby tree. He was waiting for nine o’clock. During their conversation, Hennesey had told him that she worked ’til closing.

  So here he was, waiting outside like a purse snatcher for his next victim. He didn’t know what, but there was something about this girl that kept drawing him back to her.

  Rafe’s attention was caught by the sound of someone walking out the library’s door. He glanced around the tree and saw that it was her. He hid himself and waited for her to pass. Then when she was just two steps past him, he stepped out and said, “Hey!”

  Hennesey jumped and screamed, startled.

  “Hey, hey,” he said, holding both his hands up in front of him, stepping a few paces back. “It’s me. It’s me, okay?”

  Hennesey looked at him, her hand over her pounding chest, trying to slow down her breathing. “Are you crazy, jumping out at me like that?” she said. She looked at where he had come from, then back at him oddly. “Hold it. What were you doing? Were you, like, waiting for me to get off or something?”

  “Now, don’t go gettin’ the wrong idea,” Rafe said, knowing exactly where her head was going. “Ain’t nobody stalking you or nothing. I just wanted to talk to you again, and I didn’t want to go bothering you at work like no pest, all right. So don’t go gettin’ ahead of yourself.”

  She gave him another once-over. “A girl has to be careful. Never know what crazies are out here lurking.”

  “What you doin’ walking the streets this late at night by yourself then?” Rafe asked.

  “Because my Benz is in the shop, and my chauffeur took the night off. Why you think?”

  “Well, I’m going your way. I can protect you,” Rafe said, smiling.

  Henny cracked a smile too, and said, “All right. C’mon.”

  RAFE walked Henny all the way home. That’s what she said people called her—Henny. That was cool. Anything was better than Hennesey, he supposed.

  “Was it rough, growing up with a name like that?” Rafe asked on their trip toward her place.

  “It wasn’t as a kid, because most kids don’t know about liquor. But now people are like, ‘Ooh, Hennesey, that’s my favorite.’ Or, ‘Hennesey, can I get a taste. I’d love to dip a cigar in you and smoke it.’ Crap like that,” Henny said. “But it’s the name my mama gave me, so I love it. End of story.”

 
“So, why should I call you Henny, if you don’t want to call me Rafe,” he said, kicking a can that was lying in the middle of the sidewalk.

  “I didn’t say you should call me Henny. I just said that’s what people call me. You can call me what you like,” she said, stepping in front of Rafe and playfully kicking the can herself.

  “I’ll call you Henny like everyone else then. But I bet you’re sure smooth over ice,” Rafe joked, and took off running, as Henny chased after him, trying to swat at him.

  ON THAT long walk home, they had talked about everything. Henny said she was going to be a doctor as she had always wanted to be. Rafe felt inferior for a quick moment, but it passed when she said that anyone could do it. “Most doctors are C students. People think that you have to be an Einstein or something. But you don’t. All you have to do is study.”

  “That’s cool,” Rafe said, impressed with her intelligence and her modesty.

  “Where you going to school?”

  “University of Illinois. Got a scholarship,” Henny said, as they stopped at an intersection, the light turning red.

  “Downtown campus?”

  “No, Champaign, Urbana,” Henny said. “It’s …”

  “I know where it is,” Rafe said, trying not sound as disappointed as he felt.

  They walked across the parking lot, Henny’s huge building standing over them. They walked up to the building and stepped up onto the stairs.

  “So this is where you live, huh?” Rafe said, standing two steps below her.

  “Yeah, and it only took us an hour to get here,” Henny said.

  There was a long awkward moment, then Rafe said, “So, you inviting me up?”

  “Why, so you can say goodnight to my sister?”

  “Oh, okay, good one. Good one. I guess I deserved that.”