Naughty for the Night

TATUM JAMES

#BLP

Copyright © 2022 by Tatum James

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Contents

B. Love Publications

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Afterword

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One

LORI

AS I EASED out of my car and placed a stilettoed foot on the gravel, I tugged at the hem of the snuggly fitted midi dress. Although the red dress fell to my knees, there was a split that ran for the entire length of my left thigh. The cool fall evening breeze teased the palms of my butt as I strutted confidently into the Beehive. With tequila induced boldness, I planted my ass on a barstool and motioned for the bartender.

“Let me get a tequila sunrise and a shot of tequila on the side.” I placed my drink order before turning in my seat to people watch.

Carefully, I scanned the crowd, taking in my surroundings, first to make sure I didn’t recognize anyone, second to see if I saw anything I liked. The bartender quickly returned with my order, and I immediately threw my shot back and let the cool liquid run down my throat. I loved the taste and distinct aroma of tequila.

As I looked on, an array of sweaty bodies occupied the dance floor entangled in forbidden dances. Each duo seemed to be in their own world as they writhed and wriggled in time to the beat of the sounds coming from the DJ booth.

The same curiosity that had driven me to the Beehive in the first place, pushed me out onto the dance floor with the tequila sunrise I’d just ordered clutched in my fist. I took a sip as I moved my body to the rhythmic beat of an unfamiliar song. Maybe it was the alcohol, but I felt completely at home amongst the various beautiful women that were sprinkled around me on the dance floor.

Sliding my hand through my short coils, I swayed my hips and sipped from my drink, completely enthralled by the atmosphere. I couldn’t believe I was here, but I loved every second of it. I noticed a few eyes on me, which only increased my confidence. As I danced, I closed my eyes and let the music and alcohol consume me. Feeling myself, I kept my eyes closed as the song changed to something slow and smooth.

I gasped, and my eyes flew open as a hand wrapped around my waist and snaked down to my hips. With my eyes open, I was greeted by pearly white teeth framed with the identical hue of Ruby Woo lipstick that I was wearing. A smile grew across my lips to match that of the mahogany beauty that stood before me.

She was stunning. Naturally long eyelashes fluttered as she stared me down, boldly. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves. Her skin was smooth and supple as it peeked out of her black mid drift tank. Her dark eyes sparkled as they flickered to mine then to my lips. Her plump lips looked so soft. I wanted to capture them in mine, but I resisted.

Our bodies continued to intermingle, moving in tune with the music surrounding us. We were the only ones in the room as her hands caressed my curves. Two songs must have played, maybe three. I was lost in time. Lost in her eyes as a smile began to play on her lips. The DJ interrupted our silence, making some kind of announcement that I didn’t bother listening to. Now we were out of our trance.

“Hey,” I spoke, pressing my lips together to hide the fact that I was blushing.

“You’re gorgeous, sweetie. What’s your name?” she quizzed.

“Lori.” I breathed the word as her fingers gently traveled up my spine.

“Lori, I’m Kay.” Her smile was so sweet.

“Hey, Kay,” I said, barely above a whisper. My heart pounded in my ears, and I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves.

“Relax, ma.” She laughed. “You good?”

“Sorry.” I chuckled. “It’s my first time here.”

“It’s cool. Me too. I’m actually only in town for the weekend,” she admitted.

That was a relief to me. It was perfect, actually. I wasn’t here for a long time, just for a good time. I wasn’t expecting anything to come of my visit to the lesbian night club I’d stolen away to.

My arms moved to wrap around her neck. She had me by a few inches, so I had to look up into her eyes. Taking me by surprise, she pressed her lips against my ear lobe, sending a torrential downpour that seeped between my thighs.

I clenched my legs together as she tongued my neck boldly in the middle of the dance floor. I hissed, taking a handful of her long waves and pulling her head back to relieve myself of the pleasure threatening to make me scream. Licking her full red lips, she grinned arrogantly.

“You wanna get out of here?” she quizzed.

Damn she was forward. I wasn’t expecting that. My mind instantly went to Zelle. As far as he knew, I was out with the girls for our monthly girls’ night. Me and my girls usually found a karaoke night or a nice hookah lounge where we could get tipsy and dance the night way. I had forgone my monthly ritual to quench my thirst for the fairer sex.

Before I could respond to her audacious question, she added, “I got a room near here for the night. Like I said, I’m only in town for the weekend. I’m driving up to my mom’s tomorrow. We can go there so you don’t have to worry about taking some psychopath home.”

Her coal black eyes studied my face, waiting for an answer. I didn’t yet have one. I wasn’t sure how far I was willing to take this thing. Yet I wanted more of her. My hands moved to the back of her head, pulling her lips to mine. They were even softer than I imagined.

Our kiss was urgent, like both of us knew we were on borrowed time. She nipped at my bottom lip before sucking it between her lips. I plunged my tongue into her mouth, and she eagerly reciprocated my energy. I knew I didn’t have much time, but I was hungry for her… almost ravenous.

When we pulled away, I couldn’t take my eyes off her swollen lips. I immediately felt the void. I knew I couldn’t go much further without risking getting caught up in the mood. Impulsiveness would make me sloppy.

“I have an early morning,” I finally responded.

My nerves wouldn’t let me take this thing further. Just being here, just touching and feeling her touch quelled my appetite. Besides, it wasn’t a complete fabrication. I was hosting a cookout for Zelle’s twenty-eighth birthday tomorrow. I had to get up early to help his dad prepare the food.

She chewed her lip for a beat before taking me by the hand. Without question, I followed her through the crowded room as she led me toward the bathroom. Her silhouette was feminine and graceful in fitted black jeans. Her skin peeked through between her jeans and the black cropped tank top.

Both doors displayed feminine figures which made perfect sense. I smiled at the sassy characters as she pushed through the door farthest from us. Once we were inside, she secured the lock. With the door locked, she wasted no time turning to me and pushing me against the door with her body weight.

Once again, she covered my lips with hers. I welcomed the warmth of her lips as her body pressed against mine. She used both of her hands to slide my dress up over my hips, cupping my ass once it was uncovered. She moaned into my mouth, squeezing my ass in both hands before pulling away.

Her eyes were intense, scanning mine for approval. I was speechless. Anxiety and nervous energy coursed through my veins at the thought of what would come next. With one hand secured at the base of my throat, she looked into my eyes and teased my swollen bud with the other. I hissed as her dainty fingers made circles on my most sensitive place. I bit down on my bottom lip as she slipped two fingers inside my wetness.

With a steady motion, she curled her fingers, pleasuring me into euphoria. I braced myself against the door as I came hard. My mouth fell open, and it seemed like the room was spinning. I felt lightheaded, woozy with pleasure. I didn’t know if it was from the tequila or orgasmic bliss.

Lowering to a squatting position, she sucked my throbbing pearl between her lips gently, sending me soaring over the edge I’d been teetering on. As my juices began to flow over her chin, she clutched my ass, pulling me further into her face, and devoured every drop.

“Shit, girl!” I cursed.

She flashed her beautiful eyes up at me. “I wish I could persuade you to spend the night with me.”

“I wish.” I gave a small laugh, pulling my dress back down over my hips.

Little did she know, I was almost convinced. Yet prolonging my night with her was a risk that I wasn’t willing to take. I had to get home. I rarely stayed out overnight. Never without telling Zelle beforehand. Even when my friends and I had too much to drink while we were out partying, he would send a car for us.

She didn’t press the issue, instead moving to the mirror. She wet a napkin and wiped away the remnants of her smeared lipstick.

“Maybe another time,” she spoke casually.

“Maybe,” I replied, my back still against the door.

I was trying to work out the details. Maybe I could see her on a work trip. I didn’t even know where she lived. This was crazy. What the hell was I doing? I knew what I was thinking, so there was no need to question that. Still, I knew my thinking couldn’t have been rational. I had no business here.

I had the perfect man at home. I didn’t know a woman alive that wouldn’t be grateful to be on an NBA player’s arm. Plus, my man was fine as hell, and I never worried about him cheating. Like I said, he was fucking perfect.

Zelle loved me. I knew he would be devastated to think I had let someone else explore the places that had been exclusively his for the past six years. Turning, I fumbled to unlock the bathroom door and hurriedly made my exit before I started finding ways to justify my fling. I didn’t bother sticking around, instead making a beeline toward the door.

I drove home in a daze.

The liquor had worn off sometime during my sobering experience with the beautiful woman in the club bathroom. Now I was completely lucid and sick at the thought of what I’d just done.

Once I made it home, I showered and slipped into bed with my man. Stirring in his usual light sleep, he pulled me to him and placed my head on his chest. His heartbeat was soothing. God, I loved this man. What happened tonight could never happen again. Choking down the feelings of guilt and regret, I drifted off to sleep.

Two

LORI

MY PHONE’S ALARM CHIMED, alerting me that it was time for me to get up and start the day. I needed to get the meat seasoned and ready for Zelle’s dad to grill. I also wanted to get started on the sides. He wanted to do something low key for his birthday, and I was all for it.

I slid my body across the bed and sat up, burying my face in my hands. To say I’d had a long night was an understatement. I’d barely slept, knowing what I’d done just hours ago. Now I had to put on a good face and entertain my man and his family for the day.

“You up early after a night on the town.” Zelle’s raspy morning voice sounded behind me. I loved his sleepy voice.

“I have to get the food started,” I reminded him.

“That’s right. We gon’ fight if I don’t get my potato salad and baked beans,” he teased.

“You know I got you, baby.”

“Forever,” he added.

“The steaks and chicken have been marinating overnight. I just have to get everything set up for your dad.” I filled him in as I stood, careful to divert my eyes from him.

“You know Carlie’s gon’ bring that pasta salad. Make sure you hide it in the refrigerator and act like you forgot to put it out.” He chuckled.

“I know the routine.” I smiled.

“You need to teach that girl how to cook, bae.”

“First, one of y’all need to get up the nerve to tell her she can’t cook.”

“You’re the woman. All you gotta do is start giving her some hints. After a while, she will be like, what, you think I can’t cook or something, and that will be your time to say yes!”

“I’m not doing that.” I giggled.

Zelle was a trip. He was far too sweet to me. He didn’t deserve a sneaky, cheating girlfriend. He lay back down, pulling the covers over his shoulders. I went to my closet and threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top, then I headed to the kitchen to start preparing for my man’s big day.

I got to work, boiling eggs and peeling potatoes, wishing Carlie was here to help me with potato duty. It was so tedious. We were only expecting about twenty guests, but I wanted to make sure we had plenty of food.

I put the sides on and went upstairs to make sure my man had gotten up. I smiled seeing him standing in the mirror, brushing his hair. At six three, he was short for an NBA player but perfect for me. Thanks to my steady hand, his Caesar cut was always crisp, and his beard was always on point. His warm brown eyes gleamed with excitement. He was dressed simple in a pair of white jeans and a white V-neck with a single Cuban link chain adorning his neck.

“How do I look, baby?”

“Good as usual,” I noted.

Why the hell was he always so sexy? I had to be the luckiest woman in the world. I was so disappointed in my selfishness as of late. Zelle was more than I could have ever dreamed of.

“I’m going to get changed. I wanted to make sure you were ready so someone would be here to let people in. Your dad is five minutes away.”

“Alright, baby. I’m headed downstairs,” he said before walking over and kissing my cheek on his way out.

It didn’t take long before Zelle’s family and friends started filing in. It was nice to have family around. For the first three years after he was drafted, Zelle played for the Phoenix Suns. Arizona was beautiful, but I was so lonely. I didn’t know anyone out there other than the team wives. Thankfully, Zelle liked having me on the road with him. Still, I missed home.

With his brothers and their wives around, it was easy to distract myself from last night’s transgressions. Whenever his folks were around, there was always a party in the atmosphere. Walking over to my man, I kissed his cheek as I handed him a cold beer to replace the one that I noticed was running low.

“I’m going to lay off for a while.” He kissed me on my forehead. “My brothers supposedly have a surprise for me.”

“Hmm.” Pulling my eyebrows together, I frowned at the thought of a surprise that I had heard nothing of.

“Come on, babe. They couldn’t tell you. You know you and Carlie would get to talking, and eventually, she would spill the beans. She can’t hold shit, and neither can you.” He flashed a handsome smile before cutting his eyes at his brother who already appeared to have had too much to drink.

“OK.” I nodded in acceptance.

I took a swig from that same beer I’d offered Zelle as I walked over to talk to Zelle’s sister-in-law, Carlie, and his mother.

From my perch at the kitchen counter, I people watched. Just as my stomach began to growl, Zelle called me over and made an announcement that he was about to bless the food.

“Dear Lord, I would like to thank you for this delicious meal that was prepared by loving and capable hands. I want to thank you for blessing me with twenty-eight wonderful years, and I pray that you bless me with one hundred and twenty-eight more. Without you, none of this would be possible. Lord, I also thank you for this beautiful woman that I’m blessed to wake up next to every morning.” Zelle grabbed my hand and continued. “Lord, if you see fit, I would like to ask this amazing and devoted woman to grant me her hand in marriage.” The room began to fill with audible gasps of surprise. I opened my eyes to see Zelle down on one knee. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I covered my mouth with my free hand.

“Zelle!” I shrieked.

“Lori Marie Thompson, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” Zelle looked up at me sincerely.

I was in complete shock. How could I ever consider stepping out on my love?

“Yes, baby!” I wept, jumping up and down before he could slip the ring on my finger. Steadying my shaking hand, I allowed him to adorn my ring finger. Then I pulled him up by holding his face between my hands and placed kisses on his lips.

The people in attendance cheered, and I even saw Pop swipe away a tear.

“Now I know today is supposed to be all about me, but I wanted you all to be present when I asked my baby to be mine forever,” Zelle noted.

“Son, I’m proud of you for stepping up to the plate.” Pop nodded.

“I’m telling ya! It’s about damn time!” Kevon added.

“Shut up, nigga!” Zelle snapped, stifling a laugh.

“Zee, I know you told us to keep it simple, and we did just that. I think you can agree. Still, we got one more thing for you.” Kevon grinned, moving toward the door.

When he swung the door open, my stomach dropped straight through the floor. My eyes had to be deceiving me. Because there was no way the girl from last night was standing at my front door. There was no way karma was coming around this fast.

“Kanyah?” Zelle’s voice trembled as he moved toward the door.

Kanyah? No. There was no way. Zelle’s best friend Kanyah had been overseas, living between Korea and Hawaii for the past six or seven years. How was she here?

I wanted to disappear into the furniture. As his family surrounded her, I sank back, falling into the background. I needed to get out of there. In my feeble attempt to disappear, her eyes landed on me.

“Lori?” She smiled.

Three

KANYAH CURRY (KAN EYE YUH)

“YEAH, THAT’S MY BABY, LORI,” Zelle announced with pride.

What the hell did he mean his baby? It was her. The girl from last night. The woman who’d invaded my dreams and kept me awake half the night. She was here, and she was just as gorgeous as I’d remembered.

“Zelle, baby, do you want another beer?” she asked one of my best friends in the world. Damn it. She couldn’t be Zelle’s girl. There was no way my dream girl belonged to my best friend.

Her chocolate skin was radiant, and her soft brown eyes seemed to sparkle. Those lips of hers had put me in a trance last night, and even now, I could barely tear my eyes away from them.

Even in a simple pair of jeans, her curves spoke to me. I wanted to answer their call. I wanted to touch her. Her recognition of me was apparent, but the fear in her eyes gave me pause. I was struggling to look like we’d never met because, damn, this was fucked up.

Zelle was in the league, but he wasn’t Steph Curry famous, so he didn’t end up in the blogs. I’d seen glimpses of his girl here and there, but I couldn’t lie; before this moment, I wouldn’t have recognized her without him, a fact that became even more apparent last night.

“Uh, yeah, babe. Bring one for Kay too,” he instructed.

She walked away, glancing apprehensively over her shoulder as she moved in the other direction. I could tell she was nervous as shit, afraid to move out of earshot of me and her man. Her hips swayed in a sensuous dance as she sauntered toward the gigantic coolers lining the wall.

“Y’all really got me!” Zelle nudged his brother Ross’s shoulder.

“Yeah, you’re always saying how nobody can get nothing past you.” Ross grinned.

“When did you get in town?” Zelle quizzed, snatching me up in another bear hug.

“I flew in last night. I’m supposed to drive up to see my mom on Monday. They don’t even know I’m here yet.”

“So you came to see your bestie first. I know that’s right, my nigga. We gotta hoop before you pull out.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t just turn thirty, my boy. I been active while you been getting fat around here. I don’t think you want these problems.”

“Wait a minute, now. I’m only twenty-eight. Just because it's off season don’t mean I’m out of shape. You coming up here with a weave down to your ass acting like you’re still Sheryl Swoopes.”

“And am! I’ma serve you right on up for your birthday.”

“Bae, go get my basketball shoes. I see right now this young woman thinks I’m something to play with!” Zelle yelled out.

“So you gon’ play in them skinny jeans?” I quipped.

“I would tell you something, but you’re right. Let me go change.” Zelle pointed at me. “Don’t worry about it, bae. I’m gon’ change clothes so I can show Brittney Griner how to ball.”

I wanted “bae” to come see me whup Zelle’s ass on the basketball court for old and new. I still balled daily. I’d been playing basketball in the Air Force for the past six years. It was my exercise of choice and my first love, which was how me and Zelle bonded in the first place.

I was the only girl in our local basketball summer camp. None of the other boys wanted me there, but Zelle talked to me. After he figured out I could actually ball, we became fast friends. Two on two, we beat every duo that we faced that summer.

Back to “bae” though. She was fine as fuck with short curly hair and an ass for days. Zelle knew I was an ass woman, but I felt like shit for lusting after his girl, not to mention the fact that I’d had my face submerged in her pussy a few hours ago.

I was tight at the thought of her cheating on my homeboy when I knew he was a good dude. Even though I was a lesbian, I still felt like most, if not all, men cheated, but not Zelle. He was a standup guy. I was pissed thinking about her cheating on him.

I was going to confront her in private. I didn’t even want him to know what went down, because I knew he would be devastated with as much as he talked about her over the years. He loved the girl. Seeing her pretty smile and her eyes twinkling in the sunshine as she made her way over to him with two beers in tow, I could see why.

“Now that we have a little privacy, Kanyah, I want you to formally meet my fiancée, Lori. Lori, this is my home girl, Kanyah, I’ve told you so much about.”

“He talks about you so much I feel like I already know you.” Lori smiled as she extended her hand to me, as if she had never seen me a day in my life.

I could play along. I gave her my hand, and I didn’t know why a chill eased its way up my spine. Her hand was soft. I mean, she was a woman. We were soft by nature. But damn, her hands were like satin. I could tell she had never worked hard a day in her life.

“Fiancée?” I finally asked, moving my eyes from Lori’s hand to my friend who was grinning like he’d won the lottery.

“Yeah, I had just proposed to her right before you walked in the door actually.”

“Congratulations, my boy.” I slapped his shoulder, and he pulled me into a hug. This shit was getting worse by the second.

“Ol’ hard leg ass always trying to dap a nigga up. Give me a hug, girl,” Zelle teased.

“I don’t want Ms. Lady to think I’m pushing up on her man.”

“She’s not like that. Lori already knows our history. I already told her you don’t want nothing that hangs low and swings like a pendulum.”

Lori covered that pretty smile as she shook her head.

“Really, Zelle? You out here telling my business?” I burst out laughing.

“What?” he asked, raising his shoulders.

“You know what! Besides, you don’t know what I like. I might have started swinging to the middle.” I winked.

“Yeah right! If anything, I have to worry about you checking for my girl.” Zelle retorted with a hearty laugh.

I nearly choked on the beer that I’d just turned up to my lips. “I know, right.” I joined in his laughter.

“I’m gonna leave y’all to it.” Lori’s fine ass interjected before turning on her heels to go back inside.

“Naw, bae. I want you to watch me beat this loud mouth’s ass in basketball.”

“Yeah, bae. Stay and watch your man get his ass handed to him,” I joked.

“Both of y’all need to sit down somewhere.” She rolled her eyes playfully. Damn she was so fucking cute. Why was my luck this way?

“You just pull up a chair and get ready for the show,” Zelle stated.

“Alright then. Let me grab Carlie first,” she said, turning again to head back in the house.

“Hurry back, bae. We need you to keep score!” Zelle shouted after her.

Dribbling the ball, Zelle turned his attention to me. “Now that I got you face to face, how you dealing with the divorce? And be honest, Kanyah.”

“I ain’t gon’ lie; it’s been rough this past year. After four years, I didn’t think it would ever end like that.”

“We never do.”

“To find out she was cheating on me with one of my teammates was the last straw. I could have killed them both.” She snarled.

“I thought you would.”

“I’m in a good place, though. I finally got the strength to come home and face my mom and her ‘I told you so’.”

“You don’t have to go there if you don’t want to, Kay. Lori and I wouldn’t mind letting you stay here while you’re home.”

My chest tightened at the mere thought of being under the same roof as the two of them. Lori was just too fucking fine. Zelle, he still had no idea about our escapade. I was foul as hell for not telling him at this point, especially now that he was opening their home to me.

“I don’t want to impose on you two. I can take her shit. It’s not like I just met my mom, man.”

“I’m just saying. You’re more than welcome to stay. My girl’s not like that.”

“Thank you,” I said, cutting my eyes to Lori and the other few houseguests who had begun to gather in the yard. If only he knew just how his girl was.

“Aye man, you gon’ need my help!” Zelle’s brother Kevon shouted as he jogged over to me.

“You better recruit some help for your brother,” I boasted, dribbling the ball and crossing it over between my legs.

“Whatever. Come on, T.” Zelle signaled for another man to join us on the makeshift driveway basketball court.

It had already begun to feel like old times. I really missed my friend.

Four

LORI

MY NERVES WERE SHOT. I didn’t know how I was going to get through the day without having a panic attack. I was trying to play it cool and hope for the best, but Kanyah looked so good out on that court with my fine ass fiancé. Even with her hair pulled up in a ponytail and beads of sweat dampening the front of her t-shirt, she was beautiful.

Every time she looked at me, my eyes begged her to keep last night’s episode between us. I didn’t want to hurt Zelle. I couldn’t. I was damn near embarrassed that I even had this nagging craving to feel the touch of another woman in the first place. Shit was so uncharacteristic of me.

Yet every so often, I got these urges. I had been having them for years. Now being near Kay seemed to amplify my desire. I wanted her bad. She appeared so soft and feminine but domineering at the same time. That was just the balance I needed.

How could anyone not want to be with her? I couldn’t believe this stunning woman was the Kay my baby had been raving about for years. Damn. Now I was kinda jealous. I knew she was into women, so I didn’t have to worry about that, but damn.

Kay was giving my man a run for his money on the basketball court as the onlookers other than myself cheered them on. I was too caught up in my thoughts to say much of anything. My fabricated smile was wide though. I was so afraid she would tell Zelle about last night.

The best thing for me to do was to tell him myself. That was the only way I was going to shake this gut-wrenching fear and guilt. I didn’t want to lose him. I couldn’t. I just needed to wait until the right time.

“Good game, baby!” I finally shouted as their game of twenty-one ended with a nail-biting score of twenty to twenty-one.

“Thank you, baby!” Zelle smiled as he jogged over to me, kissing me on the cheek. My heart fluttered. Six years later, and Denzelle Rogan’s handsome ass could still make my heart flutter. I loved this man with my entire heart. I had no idea what I was thinking to even consider stepping out on him. “Can you show Kay to the guest room where she can get changed? She’s staying with us for the weekend.”

My heart dropped. My face contorted into a frown, and I quickly tried to regain my composure. There was no way I could stay in this house with her and harbor this big secret. I was going to tell him about last night. When everyone left, I was going to tell him before Kay could beat me to it.

“OK, baby.” I fixed my face and forced another smile.

I led the way to our spare bedroom. Kay followed me at a comfortable distance, but the heat of her gaze on me set me on fire. I was so uncomfortable and yet, simultaneously, I was so freaking turned on. Opening the door to the bedroom, I walked over to the window, ensuring that Zelle was still outside. He was near the basketball goal talking to his brother, so I had a second to talk. Quickly, I turned to her.

“Don’t tell him about last night. Please don’t say anything. Let me tell him. I promise I’m going to tell him.”

“I was wondering if you were going to pretend you didn’t rock my whole world with a kiss last night then run home to my best friend like nothing happened.”

“I didn’t know who you were.” I dropped my eyes. I felt like shit as it was. My poor, loving man was clueless to what I had done behind his back.

“You better not hurt him, girl. Do you know how much he brags on you? How much he actually loves you? Are you cheating on Zelle? I promise if you fuck my friend over, you’re going to have to see me.”

“No, never,” I whispered. “I’ve never done anything like that.”

“I don’t know if you should tell him. I don’t want to see him hurt. He thinks the world of you, girl.”

“I love him.” I spoke softly still.

“So I take it he doesn’t know you’re into women.”

I shook my head. “I’ve never acted on it. I just… last night, I wanted to see how it felt. I expected to get in a little dancing, maybe some touching. I didn’t expect what happened to happen.”

“Kay!” Zelle’s voice boomed through the house, causing me to jump.

“Go! Don’t say anything. I’m not going to tell him,” she promised.

“OK.” I agreed, but I wasn’t so sure that I was comfortable with keeping such a big secret from Zelle. I didn’t want him looking at her crazy because she didn’t say anything either. Still, I owed him my complete honesty.

“Hey, baby.” I emerged from the guest room as Zelle was coming up the stairs. “I was helping Kay get settled in.”

“OK. You’re alright with her staying with us for the weekend, right? Maybe I should have asked you first.”

“Um… sure,” I lied.

“OK, good. You know me and her are just good friends.”

“Zelle, I understand, baby,” I reiterated.

“Thank you. You’re so good to me. Everybody’s starting to leave. If she weren’t here, I would take you in the bedroom and show you just how much I appreciate you.” See, there he was making me feel like the worst girlfriend in the world again.

“If we’re quiet.” I purred.

The fact was, between the sexual tension between Kay and I and seeing Zelle all hot and sweaty, I was so turned on I could scream.

“You sure you can be quiet?” He lifted his eyebrows.

“I can, if you can.” I grinned.

“Zelle, if you and Lori want us to help y’all clean up, y’all better get y’all asses down here,” Kevon announced.

“Damn.” Zelle cursed under his breath.

“I got it, baby. It’s your birthday.” I placed my hand on his arm. “Go get cleaned up.”

“You made all the arrangements for the club tonight?”

“You know I did,” I said, not wanting to put a damper on my man’s birthday.

“Let me see if Kay wants to go with us,” he said, moving around me.

“Zelle! Get your butt down here!” Kevon yelled out from the bottom of the stairs.

“I’m coming, Kevon.” I called. “Go relax, baby. This shouldn’t take long.”

Five

KAY

I DIDN’T KNOW how I let Zelle convince me to stay at his place instead of going to my mom’s house for the weekend. I hadn’t even had the chance to let him know that I didn’t reenlist, and after six years, I was no longer a member of the United States Air Force. I’d enrolled in college, finally, and was going to spend some time taking classes and figuring out my next move. As I unpacked my suitcase, a knock came at the door.

“Come in,” I called.

The door creaked open, and Zelle’s eyes quickly scanned me before flickering up to my eyes. “Before you get settled in, come downstairs and take a shot with the birthday boy,” he proffered.

“I know you still a lightweight. I don’t know why you came up here challenging me.”

“I see you still talk a whole lot of cash money shit.” He grinned.

“And can still back it up,” I countered.

“I ain’t gon’ talk too loud because I know y’all veterans can drink y’all asses off.”

“Right, you better start back peddling.”

“Ain’t no back peddling here, baby. Let’s go shot for shot,” he challenged.

“Oh, you’re on!”

Throwing down the tank top I was thinking about changing into, I followed my boy Zelle down the hall and downstairs to the kitchen. The impeccably fine Ms. Lori was helping his brother’s wife wash dishes. She shot me a look when I came bounding down the stairs behind Zelle, but I fought to keep my attention on him. The rest of the houseguests had left, leaving the five of us here.

“Where’s that Hennessy, bro?” Zelle shouted to Kevon.

“Oh, so we taking shots?” Kevon asked, eyebrows lifted with excitement.

“Key, you don’t need nothing else to drink.” Carlie rolled her eyes.

She wasn’t wrong. He looked like he’d already had more than a few too many. Still, he walked over to the coffee table and held up the half empty bottle of Hennessy like a first prize trophy.

“Let’s get it!” Zelle shouted.

Zelle lined the countertop with shot glasses while his brother filled them to the rim with the dark liquor. When he finished, there were fifteen shots ready for our consumption.

“Wait a minute, Key. You only get three because you’re drunker than the birthday boy at his own barbecue,” Zelle announced.

Kevon scoffed. “Whatever, man.”

“I’m for real. Your wife is not about to have my head when she has to carry your ass in the house. Carlie, you take two of his shots ’cause I haven’t seen you drink shit all day.”

“Somebody gotta stay sober to babysit this knucklehead.” Carlie rolled her eyes yet again. Kevon pulled her to his side by her waist and kissed the side of her head. I could see a girlish smile spreading on her lips. He got on her nerves, but I could tell she loved him.

“Well one shot won’t hurt you. My baby will take the other one. This loudmouth over here gon’ drink five, and I’ll drink five.”

“Alright.” I shrugged before gunning my first shot.

Zelle’s eyes stretched, and he burst out laughing. “Damn, Speedy Gonzalez, wait for the countdown.”

“Oh shit. My bad.” I laughed.

“To twenty-eight!” Zelle yelled, raising his first shot.

“To twenty-eight!” We all mimicked his action before taking our shots to the head in unison.

Everyone grimaced and hissed as the piquant alcohol burned our throats on its way down. Zelle and I made a spectacle of finishing our final shots as the other three watched on. For me, it was almost effortless. Like he said, during our down time in the military, there was a lot of drinking involved. I could barely taste the alcohol.

“Let me finish these dishes,” Lori decided, moving back toward the sink.

When she turned, Zelle smacked her on the ass. I couldn’t blame him. I was tripping because no matter how hard I tried, I could not keep my fucking eyes off of her. She was the definition of bad. Then I could tell that she was so modest about it. That turned me on even more.

“We’re going to the club tonight. Y’all still coming, Carlie?” Zelle asked.

“Hell yeah, we going!” Kevon interjected.

“I wasn’t asking you. I know who wears the pants in your family, dog.” Zelle teased.

“Yeah, we’ll be there. I just need to take a nap or something,” Carlie responded.

“I feel you on that,” Lori added, turning from the sink where she was finishing the dishes.

“Yeah, me and bae gone take us about an hour nap too. Ain’t we?” Zelle winked at Lori.

She shook her head. My face was hot at the thought of him having his hands all over her in the way that I wished mine would be.

“I slept in, so I’m going to run to my mom’s house for a while and let her know I’ll be staying here while I’m in town,” I spoke.

“Let me holler at you upstairs right quick before you go,” Zelle requested.

“Um, OK.” I nodded. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” he said before turning to Lori. “I’ll be waiting for you in the bedroom when you finish.”

“Why y’all so nasty?” Kevon frowned.

“’Cause I’m a nasty muthafucka.” Zelle grinned.

“Shut your ass up. We’ll hit y’all up about ten,” Kevon said as he and Carlie made their way toward the door.

“Bye, guys. Nice to meet you, Kay.” Carlie waved.

I followed Zelle upstairs to the bedroom where they’d set me up. When he entered the room, he closed the door behind him.

“You don’t think I’ve seen you checking my lady out all day?” he asked, moving dangerously close to me. Damn, did the alcohol have me tripping or was he accusing me of doing exactly what I had been doing since I walked in the door? “Be honest, Kay. You want to fuck her?”

“What are you talking about, Z? You know I wouldn’t do no shit like that.”

“That’s not what I asked you. I mean, I can’t blame you if you do. I know what I got. I’m just asking because your eyes have been on her the whole day.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, bro. That liquor got you tripping,” I lied.

Why did he keep getting closer to me? Was dude really about to try to fight me over looking at his girl? There was no way I could tell him about last night now. I had half a mind to pull her coat tail and make sure we were on the same page about not telling him I didn’t want to fall out with my friend over this.

“Nah, I noticed before I got on the liquor. Your eyes have been on her, and my eyes have been on you.”

“What?” I frowned. “I think I should go.”

I knew staying ere hadn’t been a good idea. He was proving my unspoken point right now.

After a soft chuckle, he spoke again. “I know you haven’t forgotten how hard I used to make you cum, Kanyah. I had you questioning everything you thought you knew about yourself.”

“Zelle.” I shuddered. See, this was what I was afraid of.

“That’s why you ran away from me, right?”

“Zelle, you act like I didn’t have an obligation to the country.”

He chuckled softly. “Whatever. You act like you was dropping bombs. You been overseas playing basketball.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head and took a step back.

He matched my stride, moving closer. He swept a strand of my hair back behind my ear, and his touch was still like electricity to my skin. Shit. I should have left when I had the chance.

“You smell good as fuck, Kay. You know how much I missed that pussy? In six years, I haven’t touched another woman besides Lori. Haven’t even thought about it until you walked through that door.”

“Come on now, Zelle. You have a beautiful ass girl right downstairs.”

“So, you have been looking at her, huh?”

“I mean, of course, I’m going to notice a beautiful woman. That’s all it is. I’m making sure you remember that.” I lifted my eyebrows.

“How can I forget? I’m just asking if you’ve been fucked good lately. I don’t cheat on my lady. You know me. You just do something to me.”

“Come on, Zelle. I’m about to get in the shower!” Lori called out as she passed the door.

“Text me when you make it to your mom’s, OK. Don’t make me worry about you,” he said, turning to follow Lori’s voice.

Releasing the breath I’d been holding, I snatched my clutch and keys from the bed and bolted out of the bedroom, downstairs, and out of that house.

Six

ZELLE

I FELT like the stupidest muthafucka in the world for falling in love with my gay best friend. Kanyah was beautiful, that had always been the case. Even when we were kids, she was so pretty and talented. She could ball her ass off.

At that summer camp where we met, all of the boys had crushes on her until she started kicking our asses on the court. That was when the bullying started. I had to stand up for her. I had to.

Over time, we got closer. She disclosed to me first. When we were sixteen, she told me what everyone else was already whispering about. She liked girls.

Some clown at our school that she was dating had just broken her heart. She came to my house in tears after one of the school dances I’d decided to skip. She showed up to the dance late and caught him kissing another girl. I wanted to kick his ass, but she made me promise not to.

We did what we always did, went out to my backyard to shoot some hoops and talked. After a few rounds of Horse, she said, “I don’t even know why I’m crying over that chump, Zelle. I’m gay anyway. I don’t even know why I been fighting it. Everybody knows.”

My lips curved into a smile because I freaking knew it. Kanyah was feminine, but there was something about her. Maybe it was the fact that every single girl in our class had a crush on me, except her. Maybe it was because she was the only person that could stick with me on the basketball court. Maybe it was because I just knew her that well. I just knew it.

At the same time, I was crushed. I just knew that after she was done playing with what’s his name, I would be up next. So much for that. Still, we remained thick as thieves and even got basketball scholarships to the same college. We were there when, yet another heartbreak sent her running into my arms for comfort.

A whole bottle of Crown Royal landed us in bed together. I didn’t even remember how it happened. She was crying, and I was assuring her that it wasn’t her fault that her relationships didn’t work out because she was beautiful and perfect, and she just kissed me.

I couldn’t stop myself from taking it to the next step, and she didn’t stop me. I woke up the next morning thinking she would be in my arms, but my bed was empty. She didn’t answer her phone for three days, then popped up with a new number like nothing had happened. Plus, her and Tiffany were back together.

Two months later, when it was over for real, she moved out of their shared apartment and into mine. She stayed at my place for a month. My roommate didn’t mind because he was never home anyway. Right before she left, my confession came.

I walked in on her yelling into the phone, arguing with Tiff about how she was done giving her chances. I snatched the phone and hung it up. I told her I was tired of seeing her cry over that girl when she never deserved her in the first place. That night, we had sex for the second time. Afterwards, I told her that I loved her.

I knew I was risking waking up without her again, but I had to get it off my chest. I had to finally tell her. The next morning, she was still there. For a whole week, I made love to her and told her how much I’d always loved her.

Finding out she signed up for the Air Force from someone else almost floored me. I mean, it was an amazing opportunity. She was going in to play basketball. She didn’t have to worry about going to war or anything. I was happy for her. Still, I felt like she was running away from me. She wouldn’t even talk to me about what happened between us. Instead, she retreated to her mom, Evangelist Kathy Long, until it was time for her to leave for basic training.

I met Lori a couple of months later. The next year, I started getting scouted for the draft, and Kanyah reached out to congratulate me. We stayed in touch and talked like old times. I knew to preserve my relationship I had to put my feelings in my back pocket.

Soon, I was so in love with Lori that she was all I wanted. Lori’s vibe was different. She was nurturing and attentive. She took such good care of me, even before the money came. I spoiled her now because she loved and cared for me when I was broke. She even worked and gave me money while we were in school so I didn’t have to call home and beg my parents for money all the time.

The drink had me tripping. After hearing Kay go out the front door, I trotted downstairs to grab a bottle of water. I needed to sober up. I wanted to make love to my girl without Kay on my mind. I headed back up to our bedroom.

I could hear the water running before I nudged the door open. Lori was standing with her back to me in her bra and panties. The soft pink was perfect against her brown skin. I wanted to tear her ass apart. Walking up behind her, I snaked my arm around her waist, letting one of my hands rest on the letter Z that she'd gotten tatted on her hip in my honor. I loved the shit out of this girl.

“Ready to get in the shower?” I asked, trailing kisses down her neck.

“Can I tell you something first?” my baby asked, turning to face me.

My heart pounded because the look in her eyes told me it was something serious. Had she heard me talking to Kay? I wasn’t even planning on going there with Kay. The words just came out.

“What is it, sugar?” I asked, reaching out to brush her cheek with my thumb.

She needed to know I loved her more than life. The love I felt for Kay was different now. I knew nothing could come of my attraction to her, but that wasn't the only reason I was with Lori. She was it for me.

“Last night, instead of going out with the girls, I went to the Beehive.”

“That lesbian club?” I frowned.

“Yeah.” She nodded quickly.

“Why?” I scrunched my face in confusion.

“Sometimes I think about women. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t satisfied with you. I love you, and you please me in every way imaginable, Zelle. Sometimes I just…like, I don’t know. I wonder how it is to be with a woman. Just once. So, I went there to see how I would feel. I ended up kissing someone.”

“It was Kay?” She nodded and looked down at her hands.

“I’m sorry. I’ve never done anything like that. I asked her not to say anything. I was going to tell you today, but then she showed up, and I panicked.”

I had to be hearing things. What the fuck did she say? I couldn’t even process my thoughts because they couldn’t seem to catch up with what she had just told me. Instead of saying or doing something I would regret, I turned and walked away.

Seven

LORI

HIS EYES WERE WIDE. I’d never seen my baby speechless. I didn’t mean to piss him off, and I definitely didn’t mean to hurt him. Now his expression was unreadable. I really fucked up. I knew that for sure when instead of speaking, cursing me out, or something, he turned and walked into the bathroom.

I didn't know if I should join him in the shower or not, but I went out on a limb and took slow steps until I was in the bathroom. Steam floated over the glass walls as I finished undressing.

Hesitantly, I stepped in. His posture was rigid, standing under the water with both hands on the wall in front of him. The water streamed over his head. Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes as I fought to hold it together.

“Zelle.” I called his name quietly. When he didn’t say anything, I placed my hands on his back. “Say something, baby.”

He turned around so fast it startled me. Zelle had never been violent toward me, but I had never done anything like this. Before I could process what was happening, my back was against the cold tile wall, and his hard dick was sliding inside me. He pressed his forehead to mine as his huge hands held my hips against the wall.

“You trying to give my pussy away, Lori?”

“No.” I whimpered.

“This is not like you, baby. Don't start moving funny on me." He grunted.

"I'm sorry, baby."

"This dick not keeping you happy?"

"It is."

"Tell me if this shit not good to you no more."

"It is, Zelle. It's so good. I just… I don't know."

"Do I not give you everything you want?"

“Yes, baby.”

“So why would you think you couldn't tell me you wanted another woman, baby? Don't make me feel like I can't make you happy. You have to tell me what you want so I know what makes you happy, bae… whatever your desire might be."

Zelle’s words caused my heart and my throat to tighten. I didn’t know why for sure. Zelle was so good it made my chest hurt. I didn’t deserve him. Sometimes I was so afraid that he was going to realize that one day, that I could barely function.

"I didn't even know how to say it,” I said through my tears.

“Lori, I love you. I plan to be with you forever. In order to do that, I have to take care of your every need and desire the way you take care of mine, baby.” Zelle spoke as his eyes bore through mine.

Unable to stand the hurt in his eyes, I closed mine. Tears seeped through my closed lids. I loved him so much. I couldn't even explain what led me to go behind his back.

“I'm sorry, baby.” I whispered again as he continued to slow stroke my pussy until my creamy essence coated his dick. He cupped my face in his hand and pressed his lips to mine and to each of my eyes.

“Look at me, Lori.”

I steadied my breathing and opened my eyes. The fire in his eyes made me anxious. I wasn’t sure if he was willing to forgive me. I took another deep breath and willed myself not to cry.

He lowered me to my feet. We washed each other's bodies then dried off. He carried me to the bed and stretched his body over mine.

“Don’t ever lie to me, Lori Thompson. You don’t think I can’t tell that more happened between the two of you than a kiss? I know her. I’ve known her over half her life. I see the look in her eyes when she looks at you, when I even mention your name.”

I swallowed hard. The omission I made to spare his feelings was coming back to haunt me. He stared me down. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to dispute his accusation.

Never taking his eyes off mine, Zelle stroked my cheek with the back of his thumb, then slowly lowered his body, lifting my legs onto his shoulders as he positioned himself between my thighs.

“I love the smell of your wet pussy. You think I don’t know she tasted my pussy? That’s what drove me crazy.” He mumbled before kissing my aching center.

He pressed his lips to my throbbing bud before sucking it between his lips. With a gentle grip on my clit, he made methodical circles with his tongue.

“Zelle,” I whispered, rubbing his head and neck as his meticulous execution drove me up the wall. “Zelle.”

I pushed his head away gently as I squirmed to get away from him. His hold on my thighs tightened, and his motions kept the same careful pace. My orgasm came in a steady drizzle, and he greedily slurped up every drop.

“Tell me, Lori.” He grunted as he rolled me onto my stomach.

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” I muttered.

He slapped my ass before sliding his rock-hard dick into my still pulsing core. “Tell me she ate my pussy, Lori.”

“Yes, baby.”

“The only thing that hurts me is the fact that you wanted to keep it from me,” he said, slamming into me.

His thrust came faster and harder, and I screamed into the pillow until he snatched it away. The pressure was almost too much, but as soon as I started to pull away, he pressed his hand into the nape of my neck and eased up, slowing his strokes.

“Did she quench your thirst?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

He lowered his body until his lips were pressed against my ear. “I love you. I want you to be happy, Lori. Don’t ever fucking lie to me.” He kissed my ear before snatching out and shooting his seeds onto my back. He moved from the bed to the bathroom, but before he returned to clean me up, I fell asleep.

Eight

KAY

APPREHENSIVELY, I took the steps that would lead me to my mother’s door. The big white house with columns surrounding the porch looked like a plantation house. She’d lived in the same house since I could remember. As a child, I loved to run around the big house and play. As an adolescent, I did everything I could to stay away from it.

I knocked on the door a few times before I heard the sound of heels clacking on the hardwood floors. I stood back, nerves aflame as I waited to be granted access. The door swung open, and the look of bewilderment on my face must have matched that of the middle-aged gentleman that opened the door to greet me.

He squinted his eyes as if he were waiting for me to give him a reason for my unannounced visit. Was I at the right house? There was no way my mother had moved without bothering to tell me.

“Kenneth, who was at the door?” an all too familiar voice asked from somewhere in the house.

My heart swelled, hearing my mother’s voice. Although we had our differences, I would be a monster not to miss her. She was never abusive or even neglectful. She just wanted a different life for her only child. I could understand that in my adulthood.

“Kay Kay, come in, baby! I had no idea you would be coming today. Come in!”

Kenneth, as she’d called the strange man, stepped aside to allow me to come into the house. I took a hesitant step into the foyer, allowing him to close the door.

“Kenneth, this is my daughter. You remember I’ve told you so much about her.”

“Yes, of course.” His facial expression softened to one of delight. “It’s so good to finally meet you. Your mom brags on you all the time. You play basketball for the Air Force, right? We’ve caught a few of your games on TV.”

“Yes, sir. That’s me.” I smiled softly.

Under closer inspection, Kenneth wasn’t a bad looking man. Salt and pepper hair covered his head and his chin. He looked quite distinguished, and dare I say handsome. My question was, what was he doing here with the evangelist?

“Baby, this is my gentleman friend, Kenneth. We met down at the mission.”

Gentleman friend? So my mom had a boyfriend? This was wild. I’d never even known her to entertain anyone. Even though I’d stayed away, I spoke to her about once a month or so, and she’d neglected to mention having a man.

“Come on in, girl. Sit down. This is such a big surprise. I had no idea you were coming home. You know I would have prepared a feast.”

“I know, Ma. Don’t worry about it. I actually flew in for Zelle’s birthday. His brothers wanted me to surprise him. I was coming in two weeks anyway.”

“Oh really? How’s he doing these days? Kenneth is a big fan. We watch his games all the time.”

“He’s good. He just got engaged.” I saw my mom’s face fall, but she quickly recovered.

She always expected Zelle and I to get together. He even acted as my beard with her to keep her off my back after I came out to him.

“Oh, that’s great. Remind him to send me an invitation to the wedding. Even if I don’t go, I’ll send them a gift.”

After Kenneth left, my mom and I actually had some time to talk for real. I knew she was using her ‘we’ve got company’ voice and being super polite due to him being present. She always said we didn’t talk about our business in mixed company.

“It’s good to see you after all this time, Kay Kay. You know you’re always welcome here as long as I’m living, but I gotta ask what brings you home. You must be ready to return to the church after that messy divorce? Praise God. He found a way to deliver you.”

I rolled my eyes. This was the Evangelist Kathy Long I knew.

My visit with my mom went about as well as could be expected. She was warm and inviting but still found a way to lecture me on my sinful lifestyle choices and to tell me that God would continue punishing me until I gave up my wicked ways.

None of that “I haven’t seen you in two years. How are you doing after the divorce?” I didn’t expect as much, but it would have been a welcome surprise to have my mother’s support for a change.

I didn’t know if I was grateful or not that I didn’t have to stay at her place yet. I was spending the weekend at Zelle’s and going to let him know that I didn’t reenlist. He’d made things so awkward with his rehashing of the past that now I was even dreading going back to his place. It was bad enough that his fine ass fiancée was there. Now I had to deal with his feelings too.

I loved Zelle. Not in the traditional way, but as one friend to another who’d been there for them through the darkest times. I wanted to run to him as soon as the ink dried on the divorce papers, but I still had eleven months left on my deployment to South Korea. It was hard dealing with my separation without my best friend to ensure me I was still the baddest bitch in the world and anyone that didn’t realize that was a piece of shit. Zelle kept me balanced.

At the same time, his presence threw me off kilter. Him confessing his love for me changed the dynamic of our relationship. I had to learn to deal with things on my own. I was so used to him rescuing me that it never occurred to me that his feelings for me were evolving into something more than friendship.

We were never supposed to sleep with each other. That should have never happened. I couldn’t pretend that the sex wasn’t mind blowing. It was. He was right; for a moment, I questioned my own sexuality, which I’d been absolutely sure of since I was like twelve or thirteen.

The sex was good, and it helped to pull me out of my descent into a dark depression. At the end of the day, I was a lesbian wholeheartedly. There was no doubt about it. I just needed my friend to understand that.

He had a gorgeous fiancée that I could tell adored him. Even if she was bicurious, I knew she was good for him. I’d never seen him so happy. I didn’t care if she never confessed about our late-night bathroom session at the Beehive. She was good for him.

I sang along with Ari Lennox as I made the forty-five-minute drive back to Zelle’s house. Singing usually helped settle my nerves, but as I pulled back into their driveway, I was still dreading facing the demons waiting for me inside.

I sighed, wishing that I’d taken my bags with me in my haste to leave. Then I could reconsider spending my weekend with Zelle and his fiancée. Maybe I could make up a story about my mom having an emergency and needing me to stay at her place.

I almost laughed at the thought. Even with Zelle rehashing history, it was better staying at his house than with the evangelist. She was just too much. I was almost certain to wake up to her laying hands on me to rid me of this evil lesbian spirit that was haunting me. Nah, I would take my chances with Zelle and his fiancée.

I hopped out of my car, knowing there was no use in prolonging the inevitable. I might as well go inside and hope that Zelle had gotten everything he needed to say off his chest before I left. I took a deep breath before knocking on the door. About a minute passed before I pulled out my phone to call him and let him know I was at the door. As soon as the phone started ringing, the door swung open.

Zelle stood on the other side wearing a stoic expression. I didn’t know if his feelings were hurt due to my response to him earlier or if he had just woken up from a nap. Before I could even speak, the thought occurred that Lori had already told him about last night. I knew my friend well enough to know that he would have been blowing up my phone if she’d told him.

“Come on in.” He motioned with his head.

“How was your nap?” I quizzed in an attempt to make small talk.

“Lori told me about last night,” he said flatly, stepping aside to let me in.

So maybe I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did. That was ridiculous. I knew him like the back of my hand. Maybe he was still processing things.

“Look, man, I was going to tell you. She—”

He held his hand up, stopping me mid-sentence. “She told me that when you showed up here and she realized who you were, she told me she asked you to let her be the one to tell me what happened.”

“I had no idea that was your girl, Zelle. I mean, I’ve seen pictures of her and clips of her in the stands at your games, but I didn’t recognize her. I swear. For one, I would have never expected her to be there.”

“Me either.” He shook his head.

“You pissed?” I asked, needing to know where we stood.

“To be honest with you, I don’t even know how to feel. I’m kind of in shock. I didn’t expect that from her. Then she has no idea about what happened between us. I never wanted her to feel uncomfortable with our friendship, so I’ve never told her. I knew what happened between the two of us would never happen again, so she wasn’t in jeopardy of us sneaking around.”

“Right.” I nodded, relieved that he knew what we did couldn’t happen again. I valued our friendship too much.

“How was your visit with the evangelist?”

“Just like you imagined. She was glad to see me and hoped that I was ready to rebuke the devil and live my life as a woman of God should.”

He scoffed. “Figures.”

“I know, right. Oh, but guess what? She has a man!”

“Word?”

“Yes. She described him as her friend, but you know how that goes. He seems like he’s nice.” I shrugged.

“Damn. After all this time, she finally got a man.”

“Right. I was almost speechless.”

“Well, Lori’s taking a nap, and I’m probably about to get a little more rest myself. Make yourself at home,” Zelle said before turning and heading back upstairs.

I let him make it to the top and disappear behind the doors of their bedroom before I released a sigh of relief. That went better than I could have imagined. I was starving, so I went to their refrigerator and retrieved the plate I’d put up earlier.

I popped it in the microwave and let it warm for a couple of minutes. After grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, I grabbed my plate and headed upstairs to eat and take a little nap of my own. It was just after nine o’clock. They could wake me when it was time to go to the club.

Nine

LORI

MY ALARM SOUNDED, letting me know that it was time to get the second part of my baby’s birthday celebration going. Although he’d wanted the daytime portion of his birthday celebration to be low key, he told me that he wanted the night to be epic. Hence, the need for my homebody ass to take a nap.

I slipped out of his embrace and slid out of the bed, grabbing my phone as I moved around the room. I called the car service to confirm that our car would be picking us up at eleven, and it was scheduled to arrive on time. Stepping into our walk-in closet, I removed the garment bag with Zelle’s outfit and walked out to place it on a chair. Since our session spilled out of the shower earlier, I went to the bathroom to take another one.

Once I was done showering, I stepped out and moisturized my skin with coconut oil then dried off. I walked out of the steamy bathroom and found Zelle still in bed. I walked over and leaned in, giving him a soft kiss on his lips. His eyes fluttered open, and a smile played on his lips.

“Since when do you sleep this hard?”

“When I’m drunk and pussy whipped.” He grinned.

“Why do you play so much?” I giggled.

He pulled me down onto his chest before kissing my lips again. After pulling away, he looked in my eyes for a second. I guess he was gathering his thoughts.

“I was serious about what I said earlier, baby. Don’t keep anything from me again. I’m not playing with you, Lori. Don’t make me start looking at you differently. I’ve never had to question you. I’ve never told you no, and I’m not going to start.”

“I know, baby. I’m sorry. I was too embarrassed to say something to you.”

“Don’t be.”

“Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve you.” I looked down at my hands.

“But you prove how much you love and deserve me every day, not just on my birthday, baby. Believe me, I know that I’m a good ass catch. I wouldn’t be with a woman who didn’t deserve me. You have taken care of me from day one, baby. No one other than my mom has spoiled me the way you have.”

“Speaking of, I got your clothes out. Our car will be here at eleven.”

“OK, cool. Can you go make sure Kay is up?”

“Oh, she’s back?” I almost stammered.

“Yeah, she’s staying with us for the weekend, remember?”

“Uh, yeah. I just thought after… you know.”

“It’s cool, baby. Neither of you knew each other. As far as I’m concerned, as long as you’re not trying to get any dick on the side, you’re good.”

“OK.” I still felt like shit. Zelle was making this too easy when I’d been guilt ridden for even having the feelings that led to me walking into the Beehive.

“I told her I knew about what happened between y’all last night.”

My heart skipped. “OK,” I said again before leaving our bedroom. Now she was really going to be looking at me crazy.

I tapped on the door and waited for Kay to open it. She wiped her eyes as she opened the door and stood there studying my face.

“I was making sure you were up. Our car is coming at eleven.”

“OK.” She nodded.

“I’m sorry I made things awkward by telling Zelle about last night. I don’t keep things from him. I shouldn’t have been there.”

“Say less. It’s fine.” She held up one hand.

“OK,” I said, scampering back to the bedroom where my man was.

WHEN I SAID that my man was absolutely fine and handsome, I wasn’t bragging. I was simply stating the facts. Denzelle Rogan looked like he’d stepped off the cover of a magazine in his navy-blue, sharkskin Tom Ford tuxedo and matching nylon mesh sneakers. He said he wanted to be comfortable, so he was going to have to have on tennis shoes. I made sure to spring for Tom Ford sneakers so even if he did have on sneakers with a tux, at least they were fancy ones. I swooned when he slid on the Tom Ford reno sunglasses I’d gotten him on my mini shopping spree. This man was just too sexy.

I didn’t look bad myself in a navy-blue midi Fendi sheath dress with FF motif and identically patterned knee boots. I knew I was looking good, not only because my man had told me, but because he kept pulling me to him by my waist and kissing on me and trying to get me out of my dress.

“Zelle, our ride is literally pulling up in ten minutes,” I fussed.

“I only need five.” He grinned mischievously.

I walked out of our bedroom, knowing that Zelle would be relentless until I got away from him or gave in. I walked downstairs and fought the urge to stop in my tracks when I saw Kay. Damn, she cleaned up good.

Her black leather shorts looked good with the lace bra top she wore. If she’d worn this last night, I wouldn’t have had the strength to resist her invitation for a trip to her hotel room.

“Damn, Kay. Don’t hurt ’em,” Zelle said from behind me.

“You know I do know how to get sexy sometimes.”

My phone chimed, letting me know that our driver was pulling up shortly. I’d gone cliché and old school, renting a stretch Escalade to drive us to and from the clubs, so no one had to worry about a designated driver, not even Carlie.

“You ready?” I asked Kay, looking up from my phone.

Ten

KAY

“YOU READY?” Lori asked as she descended the stairs, looking good enough to eat and meal prep for the whole week.

The two of them looked damn good. I was certain that I was dressed to kill myself. I’d braided my hair down before lying down, so my loose waves were crinkled just right and falling over my shoulders.

“Yeah. Y’all make me want to change into something blue.”

“You must be trying to look like a music group,” Zelle teased.

“Shut up, Zelle. You look fine,” Lori insisted, shaking her head at her man.

“I’m just saying.”

“The car is pulling up,” Lori warned, looking down at her phone again.

“Alright, you two go ahead. I’m going to make sure the house is locked up and the alarm is set.”

I followed Lori’s lead out to the limo waiting for us in the driveway. I had to admit she went all out for Zelle’s birthday. As I climbed into the limo, I noticed that there was Hennessy and Patrón on ice along with an array of sodas, juices, and bottles of water. Lori grabbed a bottle of water before settling into a seat on the row lining the back. I didn’t take a drink, but I did dig into the bowl of candy and get a Twix.

“Y’all ready to get this party started?” Zelle’s loud mouth called out as he boarded the limo.

“Might as well be.”

“We’re going straight to the club. Carlie wanted to drive there since it’s close to their place anyway.”

“If she insists. I tried to save her from having to drive Kevon’s drunk ass home.”

“She loves all that foolishness, girl. Don’t let her fool you.”

“I’m starting to see that.”

“So Ross isn’t coming?” I asked.

“Nah, I couldn’t drag him out of the house in handcuffs.” Zelle laughed.

“He’s still the same.” I laughed.

“Pour me a drink, bae,” Zelle said, leaning in and kissing Lori’s neck.

I pulled out my phone, trying to keep my eyes busy as she moved over to the drinks. “You want a drink?” Zelle asked me.

“I’m good. I’m going to get one once we get close to our destination.”

“Cool.” He nodded.

Lori mixed Hennessy and Sprite in a couple of cups before passing the cup to Zelle. After opening the Patrón, she poured Patrón and orange juice in a glass then took a sip. Zelle didn’t waste any time finishing his drink. By the time Lori was settled into her seat, he was pointing to the bottle.

“Kay, pass me that bottle.”

I saw Lori’s eyes shoot to him then his empty cup. “You going in for your birthday, ain’t you?”

“What other way is there to do it?” he quizzed.

“I can’t think of one.”

He leaned in and started kissing on her neck. As he pressed his body against hers, his hand slipped under her dress. “Zelle,” she whined.

Ignoring her protest, he whispered something in her ear. She giggled like a little girl. I was uncomfortable as hell and reconsidering my decision not to drink yet.

“Do you?” he asked Lori aloud.

“I don’t know,” she answered, sounding almost annoyed.

“Hold that thought. Before I get drunk, I have a question for you, Kay.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“You want to eat my baby’s pussy again? Obviously, she loved it.”

My mouth almost fell open, but I caught my jaw just in time. “Pass me that bottle, Zelle,” I said, shaking my head and pointing at the Hennessy.

“That’s not an answer. You want her to eat your pussy, baby? You can be honest.” He turned his attention to Lori.

“I don’t think she wants to do that now that we know who each other are.”

“I’m cool with it.” He shrugged, pouring Hennessy in his cup, excluding the chaser this time.

“Yeah right.” I turned my lips up. I knew how he was about the women he liked. There was no way he would go for that. It had to be a test.

“It’s my birthday. You don’t think I want to turn up for my birthday? Come here. It’s just for the night,” he said, pulling Lori into his lap.

Her round ass tested the limits of the fabric of her dress as he guided her to straddle his lap. He pulled the dress up over her hips as she settled into his lap. “Don’t do that, crazy.” She giggled as she tried to cover herself.

“What did I tell you about your wants and needs, bae?” He muttered as he began to tongue her neck.

“I know, but she clearly doesn’t want to.”

“Kanyah, slide over here by us.” Zelle looked around Lori, making sure he had my eye contact.

“Did you enjoy what you and my baby did at the club?”

“I mean, yeah.” I shrugged. I was starting to wonder if my friend was crazy.

“If she weren’t mine, would you do it again?”

“For sure,” I answered honestly.

“So, with my permission, it should be even better. I just want to watch. Because the way y’all been stealing glances and looking at each other, the shit had to be epic. I want in.”

His eyes were glued to me. Finally, Lori turned and looked back at me. “Do I get a say in this?”

“Of course you do, mama. How you feel about what your crazy ass man is suggesting?” I asked her.

“I’m with it if you are. He and I discussed some of my desires that I hadn’t felt comfortable sharing with him or anyone else. He says he’s good with it, and I trust him.”

“Now can we get to it?” Zelle interrupted.

Zelle reached over and held down a switch that closed the partition. “Lay in my lap, baby.” He instructed Lori, helping her to climb off his lap.

She carefully stretched her body across the seat until she was laying in his lap. She looked over at me quietly as he stroked her cheek and sipped his drink. I took my drink to the head because fuck it.

“Lay on your back, mama,” I directed.

Instead of being distracted by Zelle, I blocked him out and concentrated on Lori. Her body was immaculate, even in the dim lighting of the car. She shuddered as I ran my hand up her thighs. When my fingers reached the lace of her panties, I tugged them down, delighted at the way she raised her ass to let me slip them off. Her scent filled my senses as it had before.

I used one hand to push her fleshy mound back and the other to hoist one of her thick thighs over my shoulder. Fighting the urge to look up at Zelle for approval, I dove in, flicking at her rigid pearl with my tongue. She whimpered softly, and the groan coming from Zelle motivated me to show out. As her essence coated my tongue, I used it to massage her center, sticking two fingers in her drenching core.

“You don’t have to be scared to let me know it feels good,” Zelle coached.

It seemed like those words struck a chord because suddenly, the cabin of the limo was filled with Lori’s melodic cries of pleasure. Shit. I was going to need another drink.

Eleven

LORI

A SENSE of pure euphoria floated over me as Zelle’s rock hard dick pressed against my back. He stroked my hair as he coached me through my orgasm.

“Be a good girl and cum for Kay. Show her how wet my baby can get,” Zelle groaned.

This shit was wild, but anything for my baby… especially on his birthday. Kay’s movements were meticulous. It was as if she knew exactly how to please me. With the perfect balance of pressure from her fingers and the steady rhythm of her tongue, she was driving me crazy.

I closed my eyes, preparing for the inevitable flood. “Shit!” I cursed as the inevitable occurred. I was thankful that my dress was hiked over my ass because the leather seats were saturated under me.

“Let it go, baby. It’s OK. Let it go.” Zelle’s low voice was directly in my ear.

Zelle could make me come undone under any circumstance, so having Kay’s tongue swirling on my clit took me over the top. He leaned in, covering my lips with his. Kay removed her fingers and then her mouth as Zelle kissed me deeper.

“Fuck, I love hearing you cum, baby.” He groaned, pulling me up from his lap and spreading his legs as he pulled one of my thighs over his.

“Baby, we are almost at the club,” I fussed, knowing where he was going with this.

“Kay, you still good?” He looked over my shoulder.

I looked back to study her face as well.

“Yeah, actually, I’m really good.” She grinned, sliding over to the ice bucket and refilling her cup.

Zelle reached over and pressed the call button. “Hey, partner. Can you find somewhere to park when we get there? We’re going to be a minute.”

As soon as he let the button go, he started fumbling with the button on his pants. When his pants were unbuttoned, he lifted enough to push them under his ass. I balanced on my knees as he guided his dick to my soaking center.

“Gah damn!” He hissed as he pushed into me. “I’m kinda mad at how wet she has your pussy. Shit, Lori.”

I flanked my arms over his shoulders as I began to roll my hips against him. His dick was deliciously hard. I knew that was compliments of the show he witnessed moments ago. I sped up the tempo, moaning in agony as he pulled me down harder on his dick.

“Oh yes, baby. Fuck me!” I chanted.

He moaned and grunted animalistically, slapping me on my ass as I bounced on his dick. “That’s right, Lori. Fuck your man, baby.”

I threw my head back in ecstasy as Zelle pummeled my pussy from below and palmed my ass in both hands. I jumped when a pair of hands snaked around my body and cupped my titties from behind.

“I love to see you ride that dick, beautiful,” Kay muttered.

“That ass is immaculate, right? Look at that shit.” Zelle grunted.

I hissed when Kay’s lips trailed my neck, causing me to shiver. My skin was on fire, and my entire body tingled as I came hard, collapsing against Zelle’s chest. Zelle continued to grind into me as I sucked in air hungrily.

“Can I have some of your dick?” Kay whispered in my ear. “I promise I won’t be greedy.”

Why the hell did that turn me on so fucking bad? I leaned back, looking at Zelle to see what he thought about her question that I was sure he heard.

“Answer her, bae. Can she have some of your dick?”

In lieu of a direct answer, I dismounted and reached into the bowl of candy and condoms and gave Zelle one before plopping down in the seat. Zelle stared at Kay as he bit off the corner of the condom and sheathed his still rock-hard dick.

“Turn around,” he commanded, moving toward her.

He helped as she pulled at the waistline of her shorts. When she was out of them, he leaned over her back and said something. “You sure about this, Kay?”

“Yes, Zelle. I want it,” she confirmed.

Without another word, he slowly positioned himself behind her and guided his dick between her thighs.

“Shit!” She screamed out in agony as he fucked her slow and steady.

“You good?” he asked.

“Mm hmm.” She whimpered.

“Tell my baby how I used to make you scream, Kay. Tell her how good I used to fuck you, shawty.”

That comment piqued my interest, but the fact that Kay was moaning so loud she couldn’t respond had me mesmerized. I loved every second of it. I felt like it was my birthday.

“You want some more of my pussy?” he asked her.

“Mm hmm.”

“Come here, baby. Let her eat my dick off your pussy,” Zelle decided.

I moved to position myself in front of Kay, and Zelle backed up, and before he hit the call button, he turned back to us. “Do either of you mind taking this party back home?”

“No,” Kay and I said in unison.

She raised up on her knees and plunged her tongue into my mouth, her hands exploring my body and my own hands enjoying the softness of her.

“Hell yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. Hey, homes. Take us back to the crib,” Zelle told the driver.

“What about Kevon and Carlie?” I pulled away and asked.

“Oh, shit. Let me tell him I was too drunk or something. Either of y’all want another drink? I’m about to pour me another one.”

Twelve

ZELLE

“ZELLE, WAKE UP.” Lori nudged me.

“What is it, baby?” I asked groggily, reaching over to pull her body to mine.

After the night we’d had, I couldn’t believe she was even up. I was in top physical shape and could run up and down a basketball court for hours on end. I was exhausted though. Whatever was in Lori that gave her the strength to pop up like she hadn’t been run through the mill last night could be bottled and sold.

“Kay’s gone.”

“Gone?” I squinted, trying not to sound panicked.

“Yeah. I was going to let her know that I was making breakfast, so I went to her room, and she’s not there. Her car is gone.”

“She’s an adult, baby. She’s allowed to venture off on her own.”

“You think she’s OK with what we did?”

“I don’t know, baby. She didn’t seem to have a problem last night. Don’t stress yourself. Go ahead and cook breakfast. If we don’t hear from her in the next few hours, I’ll just call her,” I said, pulling Lori to me and kissing her cheek.

Lori sauntered off, and although I was trying to put on a brave face, I was concerned. It was Kay’s MO to run away when things got awkward. Silently, I prayed that wasn’t the case this time. I rolled over on my back and tried to tell myself that nothing was wrong. Kay had probably gone out for breakfast or to the store.

We were three consenting adults who weren’t completely inebriated when our midnight rendezvous Kay had every right to come and go as she pleased. She was only here for the weekend.

I wanted to suck up as much of her time as possible while she was in town though. I had never even asked her how long she would be here. But I knew she would at least be in town for the weekend. My birthday was over, but we still needed to catch up a little.

Yesterday was reserved for fun. I only had a little over a month before I had to get back to training camps and traveling up and down the road for games. I wanted to make my time with my home girl count. I could have done without all of the glory that was last night, but the memory would last a lifetime. I loved Lori for being so down with pleasing me and for not tripping on me and Kay.

I fought the urge to get up and check Kay’s temporary living quarters as long as I could. I stretched my arms over my head and sat up in the bed. I inhaled the smell of our breakfast as I stuck my feet in a pair of slides and walked down the hall to our guest room. I nudged the door open and did a quick scan of the room.

I immediately realized that Kay’s suitcase wasn’t in the corner, and the bed was still made. Granted we had all fallen asleep in bed together, I figured if she got up, she would have come and got in her bed. Like I told Lori, I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.

She had the right to leave if she wanted to. I didn’t know how I would have felt if I were in her position. I would wait a while and shoot her a text just to check her temperature.

I went back to our bedroom to the en-suite bathroom and brushed my teeth and washed my face before heading downstairs. The mouthwatering aroma of bacon and coffee filled my senses as I entered the kitchen.

“The food smells good,” I commended as I walked up behind my baby and kissed the back of her head.

She was even more mouthwatering than the food in a pair of black boy shorts and one of my wife beaters. I wrapped my arms around her waist as she stood at that fancy ass coffee machine that she loved so much.

“Sit at the counter, baby. I’m about to pour you a cup. I found this new recipe I want you to try.”

“Yes, ma'am.” I smiled, slapping her ass on my way around the island.

I watched as she swirled chocolate in a glass jar then added heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder, and then coffee. I frowned when she dropped one of those chocolate truffles in the jar.

“Lori, what the hell TikTok got you making now?”

“Trust me, baby. It's good.”

One thing my baby knew was good food and drink, so the question was only a formality. She slid the mug over to me, and I picked it up before taking a sip. It was rich and chocolatey, just like my lady.

“See.” She smirked, folding her arms across her chest.

“I trusted your little ass, woman.”

“Did you talk to Kay? I made enough breakfast for her.”

“Let me find out you got a little crush on somebody,” I teased.

“Zelle, I'm being serious.” She pouted.

“I'm going to call and check on her in a little bit. Now sit down and eat with your king.”

“For sure, my love.” She grinned. She turned to the stove and fixed my plate.

“Damn, you made a king size plate, didn’t you?”

She blushed and rolled her eyes as she made her way around the counter to me.

“Back up, boo,” she instructed as she placed the plate in front of me and slid her body between me and the island. I rested my hands on her hips as she slid her ass in my lap and dug into my food.

“Oh, so we’re sharing?”

“When you asked me to be your wife, what’s yours became mine.”

“What was mine was already yours,” I informed her.

“You’re too sweet,” she said, leaning back to kiss my cheek.

“Not sweet enough to let you eat all my bacon. Greedy self.” I reached around her little slick ass and picked up a strip of bacon.

“Let me let you eat your food in peace because you’re tripping.” She grinned, sliding off my lap.

I already missed the warmth of her body in my lap. Still, I was glad she was fixing her own plate, because her thick ass could eat. I divided my time between those creamy and cheesy ass grits and watching Lori in her boy shorts. After she fixed her plate, she settled in on the barstool next to me.

“When did you say you were going to call Kay?”

“Damn, Lori. So what, you really like her, huh?”

“Would that be a bad thing?” she asked, looking down at her plate before her eyes flashed back up to my face.

“Nah.” I shook my head.

“I know that’s your friend now, though, and I would never go there. I was liking having some feminine energy around the house. I was looking forward to spending the weekend with the two of you. Not on nothing sexual, just chilling.”

“I get it, baby. You don’t have to explain. After we’re done eating, I’ll call her.”

“OK,” Lori said, kissing my cheek before digging into her grits and crumbled bacon.

I had to admit I got so lucky with her. Aside from her recent bout of secrecy, she had been a perfect addition to my life. She refused to give up her dream of having a career as an accountant, no matter how much I pressured her.

Now she was the best financial coach and advisor I or any of the other nine athletes she had on her roster could ask for. Not only was she growing my fortune, but she was the assistant I never knew I needed, handling my business affairs, keeping my hair and wardrobe on point, and fucking and feeding me upon request.

That girl was my wife. I knew it when I entered the draft. I asked her to leave school to follow me on the road, and she straight up cursed me out. She told me it was nice to have a man that might become rich one day, but God blessed the child that had her own.

She finished her degree. When I was drafted to the Suns, she followed me to Arizona and worked with a local accounting firm for a year until I came to her with the idea to represent two of my teammates who were blowing through their advances.

The percentage from the two of them would cover the salary her employer was paying her, plus she could go on the road with me. That girl was so dedicated to me, I would give her anything she wanted, even another woman.

“I’m going to take a shower and get ready for the day,” Lori informed me, leaning over and kissing my cheek.

“Alright, baby.”

I looked back, making sure she had made it up to the top of the stairs before pulling my phone out of my pajama pants pocket. I scrolled through my contacts to Kay’s number and tapped her name to call her. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose when my call went straight to voicemail.

Me: Hey, just checking on you to make sure you’re good. Lori made breakfast.

The iMessage turned green, confirming that she had her phone turned off. I could feel a headache starting to come on. I wasn’t going to stress Lori out by telling her Kay had turned her phone off; she was probably just trying to get some rest after the night we all had.

I walked over to the sink and washed the few dishes Lori had put into the sink before going up stairs. I went up to our bedroom and changed into a pair of tennis shoes. I walked into the steamy bathroom, admiring my baby’s thick chocolate body as she lathered her skin.

“Bae, I’m going to be in the gym,” I informed her.

“What’s wrong, Zelle?”

“Nothing, bae. I want to start back getting my morning workout in. The season is starting soon.”

“I’ll be in there when I get dressed.”

“OK,” I said as I headed out.

I headed back downstairs to our home gym. It wasn’t fancy, but it helped to keep me in condition during off season months. I climbed on the treadmill and selected my favorite terrain and speed. I was such a glutton for punishment that I pulled my phone out and tried calling Kay yet again. I didn’t even know why I put myself through that, knowing this attempt would yield the same results.

I hit the start button and began jogging to warm up from my work out. I really needed to clear my mind to keep from spiraling. I wanted Kay to understand that I didn’t have any expectations after last night.

If I knew having sex with her again would cause a problem, I wouldn’t have let it go there. Then again, it wasn’t like we forced her. We were all consenting adults. Hell, she was the one that asked for the dick. I was going to leave it out of the equation.

Lori’s pussy was enough for me, but I’d be damned if I didn’t enjoy sliding up in Kay after all this time. That shit was still good after all this time, but not good enough to ruin our friendship over.

I finished a three-mile run by the time Lori sashayed into the gym in a pair of pink biker shorts and a pink sports bra. She knew what she was doing. I smirked as I grabbed a towel and wiped my face. Lori climbed onto the treadmill and hit a few buttons to enter her settings. She always raised the treadmill up like she was climbing a mountain, but I’d be damned if it didn’t work for her, because those yams were always calling my name.

I loved working out with my baby. She was such a welcomed distraction as I stood under the pull-up bar and prepared to do my first set. I watched her ass as I pulled myself up twenty times effortlessly. I completed three sets of twenty before I had an idea.

“Come here for a second, bae,” I told her.

She looked back with a mischievous smile. “Five more minutes, baby. I don’t want to break my stride.”

I nodded and moved on, lying back on the weight bench and doing a few sets. As I pressed the bar over my head, Lori’s body appeared over my head.

“What’s up, baby?” she quizzed.

She was so cute. She had the nerve to have beads of sweat popping up on her forehead as she walked. “I know you ain’t sweating, girl. You ain’t walked but ten minutes.”

“It was fifteen. Thank you very much.”

“Well excuse me. My baby been beasting in the gym.”

“You better recognize.”

“Come here.” I motioned with my head as I stood up from the weight bench and moved back over to the pull-up bar. “Stand in front of me.”

She followed me and stood right in front of me. Her eyes scanned my chest before she placed both of her hands on my pecs. “What you want me to do?” she asked, licking her lips.

“Stay focused, bae.” I grinned.

I wanted to give her exactly what she was asking for, but I was serious about needing to get back into my morning routine.

“Put your arms around my neck.”

She followed my directions, and I swept her up and wrapped her legs around my waist. Her vanilla and coconut scent invaded my nostrils and almost finished taking me off my square. Remembering the assignment, I reached up and grabbed the pull-up bar.

“Hold on tight, bae,” I warned her.

“I know, Zelle. How many are we doing?”

“Ten first. Let’s see what I got after last night.”

Her smile was devilish, but she didn’t comment. With a little more effort than before, I pulled me and my baby girl up ten times before placing my feet on the floor. Lori pecked my lips and smiled. “Good job, baby. How you feel?”

“Pretty good. I have a couple more sets in me.”

“Good. I’m going to get changed after we finish here and meet Lady and Naomi at the mall.”

“You need some money?”

“Babe.” She rolled her eyes.

“I’m asking, Lori.” She knew it wasn’t just a question.

“No, father. I have money.”

“I don’t want to hear that, woman. Get my credit card out of the jacket I had on last night.”

“I said I got some money, Zelle.”

“Lori, don’t make me come down there and bring it to you. Because if I have to take you in one of those dressing rooms, you ain’t gon’ like having the whole store hearing you scream.”

Huffing, she rolled her eyes and stomped out of the gym. Who the hell pouted about their man giving them money? My woman was crazy as hell. I seemed to love crazy women.

Thirteen

LORI

I SAT cross legged on the couch, scrolling through TikTok, when Zelle burst through the door. His face was so long he couldn’t hide the look of frustration covering it. I knew it was Kay.

“Come sit down, baby,” I said as I patted the spot beside me.

Somberly, Zelle trudged over to me and plopped his body down beside me before stretching his legs out on the couch and resting his head in my lap. I used my pinky finger and thumb to massage his eyebrows. I hummed as I channel surfed and gave him time to wind down.

“Her phone has been going to voicemail all day. I didn’t want to think the worst. She might just have a lot on her mind, but why not communicate?”

“Everyone has a process, Zelle.”

“Kay’s style is to run away. Always has been. Kay always runs when things get complicated, but when she’s hurting, she runs to me so I can kiss her boo boos.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I feel like this is all my fault. I didn’t mean to cause friction in your friendship,” I said as I continued to stroke his face.

“You didn’t cause any discourse in our friendship. If anything, I did. Or friendship has actually been strained for a while. We’ve just been putting on a good face.”

Zelle sat up, and I adjusted in the seat, turning to rest my head on his chest. “I know she never comes around and you’re on the road a lot, but you two still love each other the same.”

“Yeah. I lost sight of reality and started to love her in a different way.”

“Different how?”

“I fell in love with her. She was living with me after a bad breakup, and we ended up having sex, a few times. I confessed my love for her, and she pulled away from me. Shortly after that, I heard she joined the Air Force. When I started being in the conversations about going into the draft, she came back around. By then, you and I were together, and I was in a good place with being just her friend. Still, I knew I had to tread light so she would know I wouldn’t press the issue of us. So see, you didn’t ruin our relationship, sugar. If it’s fucked up, that’s on me.”

“I had no idea. Zelle, why have you never given me that little detail before last night? I’ve always known she was a lesbian. I never would have assumed you two were sleeping together.”

“I didn’t want you to think there was more to our friendship. Not from a lack of me trying in the past, but she and I are just friends now.”

“So you haven’t heard from her at all? Maybe she’s coming back.”

“I put out some feelers. I actually drove down to her mom’s while you were out with your girls.”

“Was she there?”

“No, and her mom was glad to see me, but she wondered why Kay wasn’t with me since she was spending the weekend with us.”

“Don’t be offended if she chose to stay somewhere else. I can imagine she might feel awkward after last night.”

“But did we force her to do anything?”

“No, we didn’t, baby. Don’t beat yourself up. I’m sure your friend is alright. Don’t think the worst.”

“I just know she’s a runner. I don’t know why. I would never pressure her into something she can’t handle, but I don’t think she trusts me enough to believe that.”

“Well either way things go, I’m here, and I love you the same. I hope you enjoyed your birthday, in spite of.”

“Yes, I did, bae. I want you to know that even though I fell in love with her back then, I love you now. I’ve loved you since you gave me a real chance, and I haven’t looked back since.”

“Don’t stress yourself. She’ll be back.”

A WEEK WENT by before I was so tired of seeing my baby moping around that I took matters into my own hands. I knew Kay was only in town for the weekend, but I wanted to get the message to her that Zelle wanted to talk to her. I had a few things I wanted to say of my own, so even if she didn’t want to hear from him, maybe she would talk to me.

It took some work, but I tracked Kay’s mother down on social media and was able to get her address from the white pages. While Zelle was out, I drove to her house. I figured the best way to get to Kay would be through her mother, even if they didn’t get along all that well.

As I pulled up to the huge plantation style house, I scrunched up my nose. I understood the house being historical and all, but I didn’t know how I would feel about living in an old plantation house. I would think it was haunted by slaves or something. To each his own, I guess.

I put my car in park and slid out. I inhaled the scent of the fresh cut grass as I moved up the steps. I rang the doorbell and paused to give someone time to answer the door. Looking down, I gave my outfit of choice a once over, hoping to gain some points with the evangelist, as Zelle and Kay called her. I was wearing a long jean shirt and a floral crew neck top. There was almost no skin showing since they always talked about how strict and religious she was.

A couple of minutes passed, and no one had come to the door yet. I rang the doorbell again and listened to see if I could hear anyone in the house. There was a car parked out front, and I hoped that was a sign that someone was home. Seconds later, the sound of the door being unlocked brought me relief. I took a deep breath as the door creaked open.

“Lori.” Kay frowned as she stood at the front door of her mom’s house.

She looked good. Her long weave was braided down in two French braids, and her eyebrows were freshly done. Her full lips were glossed perfectly. A smile started to play on her lips, and her dark eyes glistened. She was glad to see me.

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I was coming to give your mom a message. Where’s your car?”

“It was a rental. I had to take it back. I’m waiting on my car to get here.”

“Wait, why are you still here?”

“It’s a long story.”

“You think you can tell me over lunch? Zelle doesn’t know I’m here, but I wanted to talk to you and clear the air on a few things.”

She glanced over her shoulder and sighed heavily before turning back to me.

“I guess I can do that. I was just starting to wonder what I wanted to eat anyway.”

“I’ll drive, obviously. Are you ready?”

“Sure. Let me just grab my bag and let my mom know I’m leaving.”

“I’ll wait for you in the car.”

I turned and walked back to my car, climbing in and cranking it up.

Fourteen

KAY

“MA, I’m about to go to lunch with Zelle’s fiancée.” I called to my mom from outside her bedroom door.

My mom had no idea I wasn’t speaking to Zelle. It wasn’t like we had a falling out. I was just at odds. Things were about to get too complicated, and I knew to remove myself from that situation before they did. I enjoyed the night I shared with them on Zelle’s birthday a little too much. Now I was conflicted. I had never even revealed that I was going to be staying around for a while. A fling like the one we’d all shared was more for a fly by night situation.

Lori showing up at my mom’s door was physical proof that I had gotten myself into a situation that was too much for me to handle. I liked her, like really liked her, and I enjoyed having sex with Zelle, although I was very much a lesbian. What was I supposed to do? Stick around and be their sex toy? I should have never gone there with my friend in the first place, then I wouldn’t have been in this predicament.

I dreaded riding in the car with Lori but didn’t have a choice since my car hadn’t arrived in the states yet. Biting the bullet, I climbed in the passenger seat and put on my seat belt. Thankfully, the radio was playing. It helped cut through some of the tension of an otherwise awkwardly silent ride. My mind was racing with thoughts of what she could have wanted specifically, especially since she made a point to tell me Zelle didn’t know where she was.

“Is there anything you want in particular?” she asked as she started to enter the downtown area.

“I want something crunchy and cheesy,” I told her.

“I know this taco spot that’s really good. They have nachos too.”

“That’ll work.”

She continued to drive until we arrived at a taco shack with outdoor seating. Lori found a parking spot near the door and turned the car off. I followed her lead as she climbed out of the car.

“Do you mind sitting outside? I think it will give us a little more privacy.”

I shook my head as I followed her to the podium out front. We were able to place our orders there and choose our own seats. Once we were seated, Lori cut to the chase.

“Zelle misses you. I hope that what happened on his birthday didn’t cause any strain on your friendship. He loves you, Kay. I know the two of you have a complicated history. He told me about some of the regrets he has about how he handled things. I don’t know if saying this helps, but I’m willing to accept the history to preserve y’all’s friendship, and the two of you should feel the same.”

“Us going to a sexual place made things so weird between us. Even back then when he told me that he was in love with me, I don’t know if it was the sex talking or if he really felt that way. I’ve always loved Denzelle as a friend. I’ve always confided in him, ran to him when I had a problem. I even came out to him. Him showing me that he caught feelings made me feel like we weren’t on the same page. I looked to him as a confidant and protector. Maybe I put too much on him. I don’t know, but I felt like it wasn’t fair of me to use him when I needed him but push him away when he revealed his deepest feelings.

“I tried to leave so I could learn to deal with life without running to him, but I missed him too much. It was never on no I’m in love with Zelle shit. I genuinely saw him as a friend. I thought we were on the same page. Then when things took a turn, I didn’t know what to do.”

“I can tell the two of you care for each other dearly. He’s heartbroken, thinking that he might have lost you forever. It’s complicated and crazy, but you have to decide if saving your friendship is worth it to you. I really think you should talk to him. If you can’t do it face to face, call the man, Kay. Take my baby out of his misery.”

“I have to admit that part of it is him, but another part is me knowing that I am lusting after my best friend’s woman. Part of me knows that I won’t be able to keep my hands off you. I might be able to, but I damn sure don’t want to,” I confessed. “I can’t do my friend like that. I don’t even want to be in his house lusting after the woman he loves.”

“Do me a favor and talk to him, Kay. Can you do that?”

THE REST of my lunch with Lori was fairly casual. We made plans to get our nails done together in the near future. Her coming to me was further proof that I was behaving like a child. She and Zelle had done nothing other than invite me into their home and treat me with hospitality.

Everything that happened between us was consensual, and some of it was even my idea. I just hated the awkwardness of the morning after… always had. After my bestie drove me to orgasm multiple times, it was hard to look at him the next morning. I didn’t know how to convey that to him without sounding crazy, so instead, I avoided him. I guess that was just as crazy as facing him.

“Back so soon?” my mom asked, looking up from her women’s devotional book as I walked into the living room.

“Yes, ma’am. We were just getting lunch.”

“Where’s Denzelle? Is there something going on between y’all? Now you’re more than welcome here, but I figured you would have rather stayed at his place. His fiancée knows you two are just friends, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah, Ma. She knows. It’s just kind of complex.”

“How complex can it be? Your good friend lives in a nice big mansion where you can have all the freedom in the world to be yourself, but you rather be cooped up in here under your mama’s thumb.”

“Can I share something with you without you jumping to conclusions?”

“Sure, baby.” My mom answered by removing her glasses and placing them in her bible.

“When we were in college, Zelle confessed that he was in love with me. He said that he had probably always been in love with me, but he was at a point where he couldn’t hide it anymore. I always thought he saw me as one of the guys. He was the only one that I thought really saw me and knew me. His confession scared me. Although I came into a great opportunity, he was part of the reason why I joined the Air Force.”

“I never knew that,” my mom said quietly.

“Now I’m finally back, and he’s getting married. His fiancée is so welcoming. I know he wants me there, and she seems to as well.”

“Well, what is the problem, baby? The man is getting married. If they agree that you are welcome to be there, I don’t see why you’re making such a big deal out of it. Zelle is man enough to let his lady know what’s going on, baby. He’s well aware of the fact that you are a lesbian. I’m sorry that he put you in an awkward position in the past, but he seems to have grown and moved on. I think you should consider talking to him to see where his head is now. You’re always welcome here, but I know you’ll be happier there.”

Wow. First of all, I had never heard my mom refer to me as a lesbian. It was so refreshing that I almost considered staying here. Her words gave me the courage to do what I needed to do. I needed to talk to my friend. He deserved an explanation.

“Thank you, Mom,” I said, walking over and kissing her cheek before retreating to my bedroom and pulling out my cell phone.

I unblocked Zelle’s number then hit send. “Listen, Kay, stop doing that shit. Don’t block me out no more, dog, or we’re going to square up.”

“I’m sorry, Zelle. I should have said this a long time ago. You scare me. I know that I will always love women, but somehow, it feels right being with you sexually. Me and my exes have used straps in the past, so I understand that part. I just want you to understand that as right as it feels, it still feels wrong because it’s you.”

“Kay, we’re good. I don’t have any expectations of you other than for you to keep the lines of communications open. I’m not playing with you.”

“OK,” I said, letting out a sound of relief.

“How was your flight? Did you make it back home safe? Well obviously, you did. I haven’t been able to get in touch with you though, so I’ve been worrying myself bald.”

“I’m sorry. I will do better. I’m still at my mom’s though.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Nothing. I am not going back overseas. I didn’t reenlist. I was going to tell you after your party, but then we had such a wild night.”

“So, you’re staying with your mom instead of me because you think I’m going to keep trying to fuck on you? Kanyah Curry, you have been my girl since the beginning of time. Now I will admit, my old lady has a crush on you. She won’t admit it, but she does.”

“See, and that’s my thing. She’s so beautiful and sweet, Z. I don’t want to be in your crib wanting your woman or vice versa.”

“I just told you I know she wants you, Kay. I’m not mad at that. I know she wants you and wants you around. As long as the two of you can reach a mutual agreement, I’m good. It actually turns me on. I’m not gon’ lie. Even if you and I never go there again, I want you here. You’re welcome to move in with us until you figure something out or indefinitely.”

Fifteen

ZELLE

Six months later…

I CHARGED through the tunnel behind the starting lineup, pumped for the game. I was pumped every time we had a home game because the love in the air was palpable. Plus, my folks always showed up and showed out.

After our ceremonial pregame chants and handshakes, I scanned the crowd behind our bleachers. My heart warmed as soon as my eyes landed on my baby. I winked at her, and she kissed two fingers and blew me a kiss. My eyes then flashed to Kay. She held two fingers in the air, and I held up two fingers to catch the love they were sending me.

Lori held Kay’s hand as they cheered me on. Once I decided to ask Kay to stay with us until she graduated, everything fell in place. Everyone thought they knew what we had going on, but no one knew for sure. If my ladies loved loving on each other and Lori never stepped out on me otherwise, I was cool with it.

Kay was still my best friend in the world, although we never went there sexually again. Just having her around was enough for me. Plus, at least once a month, she shared our bed, and they both were gracious enough to let me watch the show. Kay didn’t want anything serious, so the arrangement worked out for everyone.

Lori thought her desires would push me away, but it was quite the opposite. I loved her more for opening up to me, and our sex life was so much better now that I knew she was satisfied in every way.

To show my undying dedication to her, I was marrying her this Saturday. I couldn’t wait for my bride to walk down the aisle into my arms, while Kanyah stood beside me as my best woman. Our situation wasn’t conventional, but it worked for us.

Afterword

Author’s Note:

Readers,

How are you enjoying Naughty November? My naughty November installation was a little different for me. Lori, Kay, and Zelle’s arrangement was unconventional, but as he said, it worked for them. If you will take a minute to leave an honest review to let me know what you think. Join my mailing list and readers group to stay connected with me and for exclusive content and sneak peeks.

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