Page 30 of Lady Sings the Blues

“I want to,” she says, though she says it to the window.

“That’s not an answer. You’re gonna have to figure this out, because baby girl, I already promised you that wouldn’t be me. You’ll see shit at the club you may not like. That’s the life. I thought comin’ here today we’d be past all the bullshit judgement.”

That got her attention. She whips her head around, face hard, set and ready to fight. “It’s not judgement.” Her words come at me harsh. “Those women look made for sex.” Then,boom!The hardness melts in front of my eyes, leavin’ pain in its wake. “How do I compete with that? I’ve been with exactly two men and you’re one of them.”

Insecurity? It’s hard to imagine this beautiful, smart woman feelin’ the pressure from club pieces. “Darlin’, Elise, you got it backward. You’re the threat to them, not the other way around. Any man in that club would give his left nut to have a woman like you. I’ve been informed by a few of the brothers that if I don’t want you anymore to send you along their way.”

“Do you think that will be an issue?”

“What?” I furrow my brow trying to figure her out.

“That you won’t want me anymore.” She replies.

“I’ve wanted you for seven years and you weren’t even around for five of ‘em. So what do you think?”

“I think you’re a good man, Mark…you know? I don’t even know your last name. You’re talking about me marriage and families, and I don’t even know how my hypothetical children’s teachers will address me. Ms. Manning?”

“Fuck no. You and the kids will have my last name. One of the rules.”

“Not arguing. I would just like to know. What if your last name is, I don’t know, Galise? My name would be Elise Galise. Or worse, what if your name is Mark Ahome? Then I’d be Elise Ahome.”

That’s probably one of the dumbest, cutest, funniest things to come out of her luscious mouth so I can’t help the laugh which bursts from mine. And I lean over to kiss her good and deep.

“That’s not even a real name,” I tell her, still sputtering.

“It could be.”

“Well it’s not mine, and it won’t be yours.”

“Then tell me.”

I grip the steering wheel and sigh. “Woman, I’ll tell you when it’s time. When it’s not time is when we’re drivin’ down a mountain road, so you can get all crazy and grab the wheel, sendin’ us careenin’ over a cliff.”

“Why are you being so sketchy? What are you trying to hide?”

“I ain’t tryin’ to hide. Just, learnin’ my last name’ll probably piss you off.”

“It’s that bad?”

“Might be. Might not be. My strategy is to tell you while we’re in bed, and I’m buried deep inside you.”

“Because you’re worried I’ll reject you?”

“Don’t think it’ll happen. We got too much of a connection already. But a man can’t be too careful. I tell you buried to the hilt in that tight pussy of yours, makin’ you feel so good, you’ll be less likely to act on any ill feelins’ toward me.”

“That is a brilliant plan because I can assure you, I felt no ill will toward you this morning”

“Good to know.”

She graces me with one hell of a flirtatious smirk. “Well okay then.”

“So we done with this?” I start the truck, driving us toward the gate.

The prospects have them open, nodding their goodbyes and we’ve turned onto the road before she answers me.

“For now. I feel it’s only fair to inform you that we’re seated firmly in relationship limbo until I know everything. And by everything, I mean your last name and why I might not want to be with you. Until then, we’ll take it day by day.”

What? I had her ready to move. For once I got nothing to say. Can’t really blame her, gonna have to try and convince her.

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