"Gloss on her lips
Glass on the ceiling
All the girls showin' love
While the boys be catchin' feelings
Once you see her face, her eyes you'll remember
And she'll have you fallin' harder than a Sunday in September
Whether in Savannah, K-Kansas or in Atlanta
She'll walk in any room have you raising up your antennas
She can fly you straight to the moon or to the ghettos
Wearing tennis shoes or in flats or in stilettos
Illuminating all that she touches…"
Janelle Monae – "Electric Lady"
Renata pulled her lips away from Mason and stepped back from him. His eyes were fiery and he stepped closer to her, trying to put his hands around her waist.
"We gotta go," she said, grabbing her purse and moving into the house and past Erik. She didn't even look at Erik when she left.
"Damn man, you can't even wait 'til a nigga is outta the house before you running up behind me?"
Renata stopped in mid-stride outside the front door and turned to watch Erik as he walked over to Mason. Mason squared up his shoulders, his face stern as he watched Erik approach him.
"Running up behind you?" Mason said, his face looking offended by Erik's words.
"Yeah. Running up behind me. Trying to get at Renata—"
"Trying to 'get at" her? What is that? Oakland hood speak?"
Renata saw Erik move closer to Mason so that they were eye to eye.
"Lemme make myself clear then. I like her and she's feeling me. You need to fall back."
Another car horn honked outside and Renata ran out to pick her seat before Erik and Mason came outside and saw her.
She didn't know how to feel about what she just witnessed. She hoped it wouldn't escalate in the house, but she didn't want to be around if they both saw her watching them. What could she say to them?
She was feeling pretty strange as it was with Mason professing his desire to have her. Finally. Erik really made him feel that pressure. What if Erik weren't there? Would Mason even bother to say and do what he did?
She touched her lips while she sat in the mini-van next to Vera and Evan. Erik's lips were cotton candy soft, passionate…teasing. Mason's lips were firm, aggressive…and a little desperate. Erik's kisses were confident. He took his time like he knew he could get more of her lips later. Mason kissed her like it was his one and only chance to do so. His actions surprised and delighted her. The feel of his hands grabbing her ass excited her. But Erik…he excited her the most. Just by the way he looked at her. The way he looked at all the women there. Even the guys were mesmerized by him, pulling him into their conversations, searching him out to see what he was doing in the house or outside, asking his opinion on things.
Charisma. That's what it was. The ability to make people want to be devoted to him so quickly. It was scary to think about actually. It was the type of power that could go awry if used in the wrong hands for ill will. And good Lord, it only took her ten seconds to have his dick in her hands ready to suck him off in front of everyone. She did that. Unbelievable.
Erik headed over to the other rented mini-van with Mason close on his heels. Mason's eyes darted toward the vehicle Renata was in and he headed her way with a brisk walk and a tight face. Where did the old fun-loving Mason go? Erik had him shook up bad.
When Mason stepped into the car, he grabbed the seat behind Renata. Shawn climbed into the driver's seat and glanced behind to take a head count.
"Buckle up folks, cuz here we go!" Shawn said putting the car in gear.
It was a short fifteen-minute ride to the grocery store, and once everyone piled out of both vans, they quickly assembled into their cooking groups.
Renata handed her notepad to Erik and he wrote down several things for them to get. Renata's list was filled with fruits and vegetables: mangoes, pineapples, plantains, jackfruit, onions, red, green and yellow peppers, broccoli, peaches, raspberries, with candied walnuts and cilantro rounding out the list.
"Get what's on the list and then get your own personal food," Erik said, "I'll hit you all up on Chatterbox to meet up at the check-out line."
Renata checked her cell to make sure she had her phone on vibrate so she could get the notifications from the Chatterbox app. Their private group chat was called "The Blacks", and Renata chuckled. Bertrand came up with the name and she had fun guessing who everyone was by their anime avatars. Erik had chosen a cute little black kitten for his avatar. Renata had chosen Misstrix, her favorite character on a new anime show that she was addicted to. Misstrix was a sexy purple colored half human, half demon bounty hunter who traveled through modern-day London in search of the elusive Spider God, Zi.
Renata loved that show and was miffed that she couldn't watch the new season because the show was produced in Japan but would take a year to reach her streaming service. She could only catch episodes online if and when someone posted a bootleg copy, but those would disappear so fast. When she had posted her avatar, Erik had hit her up in all caps, "WHATCHU KNOW 'BOUT THAT LIFE?!" Apparently, he was a stone-cold fan of Misstrix too. But most men were because the character was built like an overstuffed coke bottle with big tits, a big bubble butt with a demon tail, and big luscious lips that she was always licking. Provocative and very adult. Nasty even. Renata cosplayed Misstrex at a comic book convention in Dallas once and had to beat off men with a stick. One guy propositioned her with serious money asking her to step on his dick with her high heels while he pulled on her fake purple demon tail. She wondered if Erik ever jerked off to the show because the characters had very graphic sex, and Misstrix was also a dominatrix who made human men and women bend to her sexual will. Did Erik like being dominated?
Renata went about her business, grabbing a shopping cart and checking her list again. The store catered to yuppies, so there was plenty of upscale foods and items not normally found in regular markets. She was worried they wouldn't have plantains, but sure enough, they did. Two varieties.
It didn't take long for her to get the things Erik needed, so she spent the rest of her time collecting some food for herself. She was pretty basic. Oven roasted Turkey deli meat with mayo and wheat bread for lunch. A few cans of soup and ramen. Eggo waffles and syrup. Pre-cooked turkey sausage patties she could microwave. A large gallon of orange juice.
"Renata."
Mason was in the condiments aisle near a display of fancy BBQ sauces. She pushed her cart near his.
"Hey, how's it going?" she said looking into his cart. Cheddar cheese, taco seasoning, and a clutch of tomatoes were what he had so far.
"Good. Um…what's really up with you and Erik?"
It was best to be direct.
"What do you want to know?"
"Can you and I try to make something happen? Or will this dude run interference?"
"What exactly do you want to happen with us, Mason?"
Dawn and Terrell were coming down the section together and Renata saw a smug expression on Dawn's face. What was with that woman? It was like she had it out for Renata for no damn reason.
"I want a connection—"
"A serious one?"
Mason's face looked surprised.
"Of course, a serious connection—"
"Last year when we talked at the lake house, you told me a lot of things that led me to believe that we could begin. I broke up with Jackson for you. And then Toya came into the picture. Remember? Toya who was nothing like you said you wanted."
Mason stroked his beard, his way of trying to be contemplative when he was really just looking for a way to flip the conversation his way. She knew all his tells. Even before the beard, he would stroke his face and then hold his hands in front of himself, posturing, making others feel like he was running down game. She had fallen for it many times. His lips pouted for a moment and then he stepped closer to her and took her hand in his, entwining their fingers.
"I said a lot of things last year. And I meant them, Renata. Jackson had what I wanted, which was you. But you have to look at it from my perspective…"
She put a hand on her hip and let her lips poke out waiting for him to be back on his bullshit.
He smiled, and all those pretty teeth of his made her swoon a bit. Couldn't he see that he always had her in his palm? When she was a shy freshman it was Mason who reeled her in and made her feel like she could handle college and being away from home. He didn't make fun of the Dallas twang in her voice, or her Dallas fashions of cowboy boots with everything. She was so country back then, and he just took her under his wing as a sophomore who everyone thought was a senior. He was a Que with a reputation for mad tongue game on the kitty. He thought because she was a chubby girl with a love for food that she could cook. Wrong. But he happily took her and Soyini out to eat all the time.
He hung out with them so much that other girls in school thought they were siblings and would bug her and Soyini about dating him. Mason was curving so many girls back then. He was a jock, a popular Frat brother, and a scholar. Family came from old Black Boule money. Whenever he saw her back then he was always giving her big hugs and kisses on her cheek. But they weren't platonic hugs or kisses. There was always this fine line that he never seemed to want to cross.
She thought maybe he liked her a lot but didn't want to be seen with a big girl. Fatphobia and fat shaming were all too real. Perhaps that was why so many women felt comfortable walking all in front of her if they were together eating or hanging out somewhere. She was too big and too tall to be invisible, so those girls must've thought she wasn't a threat or any real competition. Renata did what most wallflowers did; tried to make her own self small to make others comfortable. Dimmed her own light just to let others shine.
Their relationship was a weird one, and even Octavian called Mason out once to see what his issue was with not asking her out. Mason would just say "We're good friends. That's my homegirl, chill."
Once, in her junior year at a club in Atlanta, she was shaking her ass so happy because the fake I.D. she used to get in worked. The girl she borrowed it from was way lighter than she was and Renata sweated bullets waiting for the bouncer to make up his mind about letting her in or not. Mason had stepped behind her to dance and the crowd was so dense, they were on the edge of the dancefloor. He was dry humping her ass and she was throwing it back on him hard and she knew he had cum in his pants. She wound her hips on him and all he did was pant in her ear. He could nut on himself because of her but never ask her out like he did all those other girls.
By her senior year, her body had reached an equilibrium. Her thickness must've been in the correct proportions because niggas were gunning for her. She was pussy poppin' like the best of them.
Her hard Dallas twang turned into a soft and sweet country girl lilt, mainly because of all the new media courses and speech classes she took. Her fashion picks had improved and she finally learned how to dress up her assets instead of hiding them as it were. She came into her own, and even though she still had doubts about her body and hated certain things about herself still, like most women, she was able to accept her own unique beauty. There were plenty of guys in Atlanta who desired her body type. Of course, Atlanta only had three sizes really: thick, thicker, thickest.
Dawn and Terrell were still lingering at the end of the aisle, and Renata could see Terrell trying to listen in so ready to run back to Octavian and spread gossip.
"What is your perspective?" she asked.
"We've been friends for a long time. I don't want to mess that up if things don't work out."
"Evan and Vera used to date. They are still cool and hang out with all of us. No problems there."
"But we all knew that wasn't going to work. Even they knew that. We're different."
"How?"
He shrugged his shoulders. She shrugged hers back.
"What does that mean? That's not telling me anything," she said.
"I've always liked you, Renata. I know you feel the same way about me. I never wanted to go there with you back in the day because I knew I wouldn't be good for you. You know how it was. Being young and wildin' out a bit. Hooking up with everything in sight. What kind of boyfriend would I have been? You deserve someone who wants to devote their time and energy only to you. That wasn't me. And I was a dog, you know that. I didn't want to hurt you. Last year I didn't trust myself. I poured my heart out to you, but then I got scared. What if I hadn't changed? When you told me about Jackson I fucked up and hesitated. Toya was just a buffer to keep me away from you. But I'm ready now."
Mason looked vulnerable. It was a look she wasn't used to seeing on him.
"I think if things don't work out, you and I could still be friends, Mason."
He shook his head.
"I couldn't go back to being just friends, Renata. I can't stand the thought of you being with someone else."
He leaned his head over and kissed her, and this time it felt unhurried. Comfortable. So sweet. His tongue swept the inside of her mouth and she leaned in closer to him. She felt one hand grip her waist and the other swept down her ass, squeezing it. He released her and let his eyes sweep over her face.
"I want to get you alone so bad. Every time I touch you…you don't even know Renata."
His lips found the side of her neck and she felt her breath quicken.
The Chatterbox notification rang in her purse. She stepped back from Mason and checked it.
Erik and Octavian were at the checkout line.
"Let's talk about this more tonight, okay?" she said.
"I want to do more than talk, Renata. I know you do too."
She did.
It was finally going their way. All it took was for a stunner like Erik Stevens to step into the mix and let Mason know she had options that were on his level.
"Tonight," she said as she pushed her cart away from him. He followed her and when they stepped out of the aisle, she could see Octavian and Erik waiting for her next to a wine display. She swiped her fingers around her lips to fix her lip gloss as she rolled her cart over to the cooking crew. Mason walked past them and he gave Erik a look before he winked at Renata.
"Everything work out with you two?" Erik asked.
Octavian began loading their items on the register conveyor. Renata looked at Erik and smiled.
"Yeah. Looks like we're a go."
"You happy?"
"Yeah."
"Good," he said.
Erik started putting things from her cart onto the conveyor and Renata stared at him. He was acting like nothing happened between them that morning. It was as if his job was done and now that she was happy, he could go back to his regularly scheduled programming. She felt a little disappointed.
Octavian paid for the food insisting that Erik not contribute anything since he was doing the cooking and they were just there to assist him. Cash in hand, Erik gave the money to Renata and told her to slip it to Octavian or she could keep it herself. They snatched the van keys from Shawn and loaded up their items in the back of the van. When Octavian jumped in to claim shotgun, Erik pulled her around to the back of the vehicle.
He leaned in close so Octavian couldn't hear them.
"I still want to taste you first. I know that nigga is ready to bust you open, but I'm getting to you first."
She thought she was going to lose her breath because she got so weak in the stomach so fast.
"I want to see that pussy when we get back to the house, girl," he said. He started heading over to the other minivan.
What had she gotten herself into?
She could feel her panties already sticking to her folds. Two men in one day?
Mercy.
###
The action movie was awful.
By the time they returned to the lake house after the cinema outing, Bertrand and Mason vowed to never pick the movie again for anyone. Renata knew going in it would be terrible, but the fact that it was so long made it worse. She hated one of the actresses in it, but she wanted to be out with everyone. Erik and Evan were the only two who did not go to the movie, and when Renata trudged her way back into the basement to freshen up, she found Erik lying on the hideaway reading a hardback book.
"Social Dominance: An Intergroup Theory of Social Hierarchy and Oppression. Ooh, some light reading I see," she said.
He looked up from the book and his expression was very focused and serious-looking.
"For class?" she asked.
"Nah. My personal to-be-read pile I've been putting off until now."
"That's your vacation read? Sheesh," she said.
He flashed some dimples.
"Some of Soyini's childhood friends are coming over later. Kind of an impromptu party. It'll be a little more crowded tonight," she said.
"Cool," he said.
"Niecy and Soyini are cooking tonight's dinner, so it'll probably be something with a lot of vegetables and sauces…"
She found herself rambling, talking about food, what Soyini's friends from Wisconsin were like, and how bad the movie was until he finally put his book down and walked over to her. His left hand reached up and cradled her neck. Looking deep into her eyes he said, "Say less," and kissed her lips.
"Erik—"
"Shh…go put that t-shirt on for me."
"I need to take a shower first."
"Do what you gotta do, Ma."
He released her neck and she went to her room to grab the shirt and her toiletry bag.
Mason was the last thing on her mind. Erik wanted her right now.
She hopped into the shower and prayed that Mason didn't come looking for her. She had left him and the other guys in the driveway where they began a game of basketball. Wasting no time washing up, she threw on the white t-shirt and a fresh pair of bikini panties. But then she remembered he said no panties. She took them off and pulled down her t-shirt. It barely covered her ass. She walked out of the bathroom and saw Erik standing in her bedroom doorway. She walked past him and put her clothes on top of her suitcase.
Turning to look at him she saw that his eyes were already on her breasts. He moved into her space and closed the bedroom door. Her hands rubbed her sides and he swooped in on her capturing her lips again. The intensity of his mouth on hers made her feel intoxicated. After what seemed like a long time, he freed her lips and pressed his forehead into hers.
"Did your pussy get wet when you saw Celeste and Dawn sucking my dick?" he asked.
She nodded.
"That made you come in here and play with yourself?"
She nodded again.
"Show me how you played with your pussy."
She stepped back from him.
"Show me."
She sat down on the bed and he sat down next to her, his eyes taking in her thighs and legs.
"I want to hear you say my name like that again, baby."
She felt a tiny moan escape her mouth as she climbed onto her hands and knees facing away from him. She couldn't believe what she was doing. She pulled her t-shirt up to her waist.
"You've got to be shitting me!"
Erik started laughing and she felt her stomach flutter with nerves.
"Oh shit…Renata…damn…Renata, all that ass? Holy shit!"
She spread her thighs and arched her back.
"Fuck!" he cried out, "girl, do you know how many niggas I know who would fuck the shit out of you if they saw alla this?"
She looked back at him and his eyes were lust-filled.
"Show Daddy how you made that pussy cum."
She slipped her fingers between her legs and pulled her labia open and he groaned so loud that it made her clit twitch from the sound.
"Damn Renata—"
She played with her clit, pinching it and patting her vulva until she could feel her fingers becoming slick.
"Ohhh, you work it like that, Ma?" Erik groaned and it spurned her on, her fingers delving in and out of her slit.
"You makin' that shit sloppy," he said and she heard the hitch in his gravelly voice.
"Erik…"
"Daddy likes that sloppy pussy. Open that shit up, let me see how deep I need to get this dick in there."
Her head fell on the pillow when he said that and all she could do was whimper as she slammed her fingers deeper into herself.
"You want me to fuck you like I did Celeste, right?"
"Yes—"
"Yes, what?"
Her eyes sought out his as she twisted her waist to gaze at him, her lips parted, and her hips winding.
SLAP!
She gasped from the shock of his hand striking her right ass cheek hard.
"Yes what?" he said, his voice turning rough.
SLAP!
"Yes, Daddy!" she shouted at him, finally understanding the proper answer.
"Bring that ass over here," he said scooting back to the edge of the bed. She backed up until her feet were dangling over the edge.
Erik got down on his knees and placed his hands on either side of her backside.
"Look at all this ass," he said, "and this juicy pussy too."
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt the wet heat of his tongue drag from her front to her back. He ate her pussy like he hadn't eaten a meal for weeks. His whole face was pressed into her and his mouth was unrelenting.
She was yelping and pushing her entire ass into his face and he was taking it all. His hot tongue plunged into her center and she couldn't help but say his name over and over. Until he slapped her cheeks again and she corrected her words. He was Daddy now. And she was his big girl.
His tongue started doing figure eights and nines and tens on her folds and she found herself gripping the sheets on the bed. When he began rolling his tongue in gentle waves and humming, she gave up, shoving her face into the pillow so she could scream.
"Dassit, big girl, cum in Daddy's mouth."
His hands spread her thick cheeks wide open and her release was so powerful that she thought she had squirted all in his mouth. She could hear Erik sucking, and slurping, and sliding his tongue all against her walls and she tried to scramble away from him to give her folds some respite, but he was grabbing her legs and pulling her back.
"Ain't no running from Daddy…where you going? Where you going? I'm still hungry…be still." His voice was gruff and a little annoyed at her for trying to escape his probing mouth.
He flipped her over and threw her legs over his biceps as he dived into her drenched pussy, letting her know who was in control of her body now. He reached up and pulled on her t-shirt.
"Can I fuck you now that I've followed your rule, Renata?"
Erik started dipping his fingers into her slit while he licked her sensitive bud.
"Look at this fat pussy girl, you really showing out for Daddy."
She felt her eyes rolling into the back of her head as her arms pressed down into the mattress.
"Erik, damn!"
SLAP!
Her eyes jerked open as she felt his hand slap her vulva, her slick coating his fingers when he pulled his hand away. No one had ever hit her like that. Not there.
"What the fuck is my name?!"
Shit. This nigga was serious. Her clit pulsed from the pain and pleasure. His thick digits were sliding in and out of her again while his tongue gave long hard licks to her overstimulated bundle of nerves.
"D—D-Daddy! Oh shit, I'm cumming again!" she shouted. Her release made the delicate outer lips of her pussy spasm and Erik held his big soft mouth against it. Her thighs were smothering his cheeks, but he pressed them back forcefully. When she couldn't go on, she broke away from him and held her hand up in front of her.
"Stop," she said trying to catch her breath, "I can't take anymore."
Erik sat up, his entire face glistening with her juices. He licked and sucked on his fingers. When he stood up, she could see his erection straining against his pants.
"Nah, you about to take some more, Ma."
They were both in the clear to hook up without a condom. Her body shivered with the thought of that.
"Take that shirt off," he said, pulling off his own shirt.
He slipped out of his socks when she took her top off and dropped it on the bed.
"I love me some big nipples, Renata," he said staring at her breasts. He dropped his pants and boxer briefs. Stroking his shaft, he motioned for her to approach him.
"Come suck Daddy's dick."
She crawled over to him and he reached out to play with her tits. Pinching her nipples and staring at her face, she watched his jaw go lax.
"Look how hard you got my shit, girl," he said. He grabbed her hand and placed it on his erection.
"Feel that shit?"
Her head dropped forward and she wrapped her lips around his cock.
"Yeah…yeah…all mouth…"
Erik threw his head back and thrust far into her throat.
"Feels like I'm in your pussy, girl…"
She tasted the salty release of his pre-cum on her greedy tongue. When she gazed up into his eyes, his lips were curled up tight. She gave him a sly smile and his hands went on top of her head while he snapped his hips making her neck and jaws work. His wide slick head was causing her to gag, her lips stretched wide on his girth.
"Lemme fuck you, Renata."
She groaned just thinking about the cock in her mouth being moved to her quivering slit. The vibration on his dick from her moaning made him close his eyes.
"Let Daddy beat that pussy up real good. You can take it. I know you can."
He threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her head back hard.
"You want Daddy to beat your pussy up?"
She nodded.
He tossed her back on the bed and pushed her thighs open wide.
"Look at that pretty pussy."
Erik gripped his dick and swiped the tip up and down her folds.
"Tell me you want this, Renata. Once I get in there, all this shit is mine."
He dipped the fat head of his shaft into her opening, the shiny bulbous heat of it stretched her open.
"Daddy," she found herself mewling.
"I know, baby. It's a lot to take. But you gonna take it. Trust."
She opened her legs wider for him.
"There you go, I know you'll take care of me real good…tell me that's what you want."
"I want it, I want it Erik—"
She bit her lip when she said his name, waiting for him to spank her or slap her or pull her hair. He just gave her those sexy dimples and thrust forward filling her up, making her back arch like she would snap in two, her breath leaving her body in a rush of pressure. He wound his hips, stirring his dick inside of her.
"Oh shit! This some crockpot pussy right here. Dammit, Renata, I shoulda been fucking you from jump. Goddamn, girl…."
She raised her legs up higher and wrapped them around his waist.
"Oh, big girl, you got me in here deep already, baby!"
His eyes were squeezed tight and for a moment he was lost in his thrusting and pumping, giving her long heavy strokes, making her pussy sound gushy. His body was too much and she didn't know where to touch him. Her hands fondled his chest, his biceps, and his arms. She even pulled on his hair and his head dropped down into her neck where he nibbled and nipped at the sensitive skin there. He pounded her hard and steady and she was loving it, squealing when he pulled all the way out and slammed all the way back in. She was taking all of his length. He was balls deep.
"All this cushion for the pushin', girl…look at ya…look at ya…I hit that spot, huh? Yeah, I did. Here, lemme hit it for ya again…oh, you're takin' it…there ya go…hmmmm, your pussy is gripping me tight. Lemme hit that spot again—"
"Baby—"
"Baby what?" he said staring at her, the intensity she saw in his eyes making her feel weak with too much pleasure. He was a lot to get used to, and she was having a difficult time doing that. She wondered how Celeste and Dawn were able to handle all of him. How could any woman handle this man? Fuck.
She just shook her head from side to side and shut her eyes tight. The only thing she could do was try to hang on.
"I'ma let Mason fuck you tonight, cuz I know you curious…open your fucking eyes Renata…"
Her face felt tight and hot and the heat from his body had her sweating up the blanket and sweating out her hair. She felt tears pricking her eyes and her mouth fell open. This shit was too much.
"You betta not cum on his dick," he commanded.
"Ohmifuckinggawd, Erik!" she screamed.
"Look at you…look at you…"
His eyes were on her folds as she creamed all over his heavy dick.
"I mean that shit, Renata. You betta not cum for that nigga at all…ah…fuck…oh, big girl you 'bout to make a nigga bust….shit…shit…I'm 'bout to make a big ole mess in this pussy girl!"
Erik raised up and threw her legs over his shoulders as he pistoned his hips, grabbing as much of her ass cheeks as he could. The pressure and weight of him were almost unbearable as he squeezed out another orgasm from her while he spilled deep inside of her.
"I'm filling this pussy up girl…damnnnn—"
His voice cracked and she clutched at his back while his body jerked and shot a copious amount of his hot release, drenching her walls from back to front. She prayed her birth control was on point because that was a baby-making nut for sure if she ever felt one.
Erik was gasping by the time he finished, clutching at her breasts and trying to get his words together. He pulled his penis out slowly and when she looked down between her legs, he was still spilling cum from his slit.
He chuckled.
"Mason is gonna be swimming in my seed tonight."
Renata made a face and he laughed at her.
"I mean, look at that shit," he said.
Thick globules of his ejaculate leaked out, rivulets running down her ass, slowly turning clear.
Heavy movement from upstairs drew their attention.
"Shit, Soyini's friends are here early," she said.
She started pushing Erik off the bed.
"Hurry up and get dressed and get out!" she said.
He took his time putting his clothes back on.
"I meant what I said, Renata. You bet not cum for him."
She looked him over.
"You really don't care if I fuck him after this?"
"You can fuck who you want. I don't own you, Ma. But that's my pussy now, so I only care if you nut for someone else other than me without my permission."
"That's ridiculous, Erik."
"Maybe. But I'm telling you…don't test me."
His voice came off menacing and she had to admit…she liked that shit.
###
Soyini's friends were an eclectic mix of liberal white mid-west hip and conservative evangelical elitism. Renata had met them all before and was friendly to the ones she liked and polite to the ones she hated. There were seven in all joining their already big group. They were conscientious enough to bring over a lot of their own food once Soyini explained the dinner situation. Her and Niecy's planned meal received some tasty additions that turned the first night's Spring Break Dinner into a festive potluck.
What she found interesting was how the men glommed onto Erik right away once they knew he was a Naval Academy graduate and studying at M.I.T. One guy, Josh, kept pumping Erik for info on who had recommended him to the Naval Academy.
Renata wasn't familiar with the admissions process but from what she gathered, you had to have a high-ranking official give a recommendation, usually a politician. She didn't know who Erik had in his pocket to get him into the academy, but it had to be someone influential because after he fucked her from here to next week, she immediately sought out Shawn to give her Erik's pedigree and she was stunned by it.
"You met him in juvenile hall. Kiddy lock-up?!"
"Shh, don't talk so loud!" Shawn said.
Shawn had walked her away from everyone after dinner and they went to sit on the pontoon boat for privacy.
"This isn't something I tell everyone—"
"Shawn, you have never told any of us anything about that. How long were you locked up?"
She held a glass of chardonnay in her hand as she sat next to Shawn, peeping Erik on the third- floor deck talking to a blonde named Luna who was a Harvard grad. Luna sat next to Erik during dinner and had never left his side since, and Renata saw it wearing on Dawn's nerves. Served her right.
"I was doing some foul shit. Selling drugs, stealing cars, playing with guns—"
"Shawn!"
Renata was shocked.
"Sixteen going on Life."
Shawn swirled his tumbler of cognac.
"I'm…wow…I'm speechless," she said, her eyes bugging out. Shawn who had been so suave in college and the Beta to Mason's Alpha. A former drug dealer and gun-toting thug a Morehouse man? Shut the front door.
"I'm in for eighteen months and this lil nigga gets there whooping everyone's ass. Pure Oaktown hood boy. Eleven and on his way through the school to prison pipeline-"
"Eleven?"
"Yeah—"
"Erik is twenty-two?"
"Yeah, and?"
"I thought he was our age…"
Renata felt her insides flip.
"Erik is one of those genius kids you hear about. Member of Mensa and all that. Just brilliant—"
"Why was he locked up?"
Shawn stared at the house, his eyes watching Erik on the deck too.
"He lost his parents. His father was murdered at home. Unsolved. His mother…his mother was one of the Sao Paulo Four. She died in prison after being extradited to Brazil. He was with his grandfather for a moment and he started going downhill. You know, nigga shit…gangs…just stupid hood bullshit. Some other shit happened that he doesn't talk about, but he was bounced around foster care and group homes and then one of his mother's friends took him in, became his guardian and he moved to D.C. when he was fourteen. Then it was the Naval Academy. Stark internship. M.I.T. He could've gone to any Ivy League in the country…shit, he could've gone to Oxford. But he chose the Navy."
Renata's heart swelled with empathy for Erik. An orphan at a young age. No secure home. Streetlife. How was he able to turn it around so dramatically when so many couldn't? And his mother…
"What was his mother's name?"
"Califia. Califia Stevens."
Damn. The Sao Paulo Four. She was just graduating high school when she heard about that story. His mother was the lone American among three other Brazilian women accused of conspiring to kill some Brazilian cops for the murder of their friend who was an up-and-coming politician assassinated in broad daylight. It was such a huge story back then. And that woman's son was up on the third deck being charming and seductive in that way of his. He was so young. And yet so wise and worldly too.
"Are you crying?" Shawn asked putting an arm around her.
She wiped her eyes.
"I just…he's been through so much. He doesn't even know me and he's putting himself out to help me with my job interview…"
"He's real good people. He became like my little brother in juvie. When I got out, I kept in touch with him. I changed my life and tried to steer him back to what he needed to be. He was a little knucklehead. He thought because he was so smart that he didn't need anyone. But I could tell he was lonely. Even among his extended family, he didn't seem to fit in until his play Uncle took him. I used to visit him in D.C. during Christmas breaks and parts of the summer. We just stayed tight."
"You know, I didn't want any of the new people to come here and intrude on us. But I like Celeste a lot, and I think Erik is…he's amazing."
"Wipe your tears, Sis. That boy is going places."
"That reminds me, I need to work on my presentation with him."
Shawn gave her a look.
"What?" she asked finishing off her wine.
"I'm not dipping in your personal business, but Mason is being really weird around Erik. Are you messing around with him?"
"Define messing around."
Shawn took a deep swig of his cognac.
"Mason is just off his game and trying way too hard to impress Soyini's friends. Like he's trying to show up Erik. And I know Mason rarely feels like he's the underdog. I noticed Erik being a little extra friendly with you."
"I like Erik…a lot. I'm sitting here tripping that he's twenty-two—"
"Age-wise he's twenty-two, but mentally and emotionally he's beyond that. He speaks four languages fluently and does these martial arts that will fuck you up. He's a grown ass man. Been that way for a long time now. His mom was no joke. I don't know much about his father, but his mother is well-known in Oakland. A lot of people felt her absence when she died."
Renata stood up. She wanted to go hug Erik. Just hold him tight.
"Don't tell him I told you all this. And don't tell the others about me either. Keep it between us. Please."
Renata bent over and hugged Shawn and kissed his cheek.
"All your secrets are safe with me," she said.
She grabbed Shawn's empty tumbler.
"You want some more of this?"
"Nah, I'ma sit out here for a minute. Need some alone time."
"I hear you. Let me go mingle a bit," she said stepping off of the pontoon.
She walked up to the third-floor kitchen to put Shawn's glass away and to get herself more wine when Mason walked over to her. He saw her empty wine glass and filled it up for her with a freshly opened bottle of a dry Riesling Claudette had bought.
Renata took a tentative sip of the wine as her eyes darted to catch sight of Erik still speaking with Luna and Josh. Luna was standing a little too close to Erik for Renata's comfort. Luna's hands kept touching Erik's arm when she spoke, and she was twirling her golden tresses with calculated flair. Whatever she was spitting, Erik was attuned to it and really listening. Renata tried to get Erik's attention to maybe save him from the woman, but then he began talking and Luna stepped closer to him blocking Renata's view of Erik's face.
Soyini broke out the Karaoke machine and most of the crowd eased down outside to sit around the fire pit. Mason and Renata went to watch. She was not a fan of singing since she felt her voice was not up to par like her friends, so she watched the others and clapped. Mason was awful, but he liked having attention on him, so bad singing was an ego stroke for him even though he sounded really bad. But he had fun doing it and she liked watching him. When they tried to coax her up, she declined. She was starting to feel mentally drained from having so many new people around. Especially Addison.
That bitch.
Addison was an annoying brunette who Renata could never figure out for the life of her why Soyini was friends with her. The obvious answer was because their parents were friends, but Soyini left Wisconsin and never really looked back unless it was for Spring Break retreats with them. Having the old Wiscon gang together was just a way to appease her parents and her old friends' parents. How could Soyini possibly swoop into town and party with her new Black friends once a year when her old white friends were still around and thinking about her? But Addison, Addie as she was known by her close friends, was the main friend Renata hated. Addie so obviously didn't feel comfortable around Black people who were not Soyini. She would roll her eyes, twist her lips, and make snide comments to Luna and the others when she thought no one was paying attention. But paying attention was something Renata was paid to do and she did it well. Ironically, or maybe not, Addie had no problem with the men of their clique. She was smitten with Mason and Shawn, and of course, Mason ate up the attention. Like he was doing now laughing at Addie as she tried to do a poor rendition of "We Will Rock You". It was too cringy to watch, so Renata slipped away to the basement.
Sitting on her bed, she took her computer off of sleep mode and decided to look up information about Erik's mother. Typing in "Sao Paulo Four", several pages of hits came back and she started compiling a file of articles that she could look at later.
The first article she read took her breath away when she saw the picture of Erik's mother. Red hair cut in a short stylish fade. Intense freckles. The same type of reddish-brown ruddy skin like Erik. He had her nose and cheeks, but her eyes were so penetrating. This particular picture was a side profile of his mother in court, but she had the same intense focused look that Renata had already caught Erik with.
"Dawn, I'm not your fucking man so you need to stop showing your ass around here!"
Erik's voice cut through Renata's concentration of reading.
"So, you can ignore us now because some white bitches showed up?"
Dawn's voice sounded low-down and dirty. Renata hopped off the bed and stood near her open door to listen.
"I can talk to people—"
"You fuck us but can't sit around and talk all cultured with me and Celeste?"
"What the fuck are you talking about? I talk to you both every time I see you around here. You on one, girl."
SLAP!
Renata's mouth flew open when she heard the sharp impact of a hand on a face. She heard feet running down the stairs.
"Erik! Erik, she's drunk…just ignore her—"
Celeste's voice was high-pitched and frightened.
"Put your hands on me one more time and see what happens Dawn," Erik said, his voice hitting a lower register she hadn't heard from him before.
"Erik, please," Celeste said.
"Get your girl, Celeste—"
Renata heard scuffling and the sounds of a physical altercation. She ran out with her laptop and saw Dawn pulling on Erik's hair with Celeste trying to stop her. Erik just stood there taking the rough treatment, holding back from beating Dawn's ass.
Renata dropped her computer onto the hideaway and tried to help Celeste pull Dawn away.
"Let go of me, you fat bitch!" Dawn screamed reaching out and slapping Renata.
That was it.
Renata balled up her fists.
"I've been waiting to do this for a minute," she said, picking up Dawn and throwing her against the couch.
It was time to square up with this bitch.