Stoned

"She said that, really?"

I nodded, "yup. I mean...I didn't even know how to respond."

Anna shook her head, "sounds pretty ignorant to me."

I nodded, agreeing.

"Do you know anything about Panda's home life?" I asked.

Anna shrugged, "single mom, like the teacher said. Her name is Latasha, she's pretty young, comes into the pizzeria sometimes."
"She lives around here?" I asked surprised.

"Not in the immediate area, but pretty close. She's nice. She has three girls. Panda is the youngest. We talk sometimes when she comes in. The kids' fathers have disappeared and don't pay child support."

I nodded, not at all surprised considering my own baby-daddy.

"Panda's oldest sister is 13 and she does spend more time with the kids than Latasha does. Latasha works two jobs, she's a CNA and she cleans offices at night. I mean, I think she's doing the best she can given the circumstances."

I nodded again, sympathizing. I knew how hard it was to make ends meet as a single parent. I couldn't imagine doing it with three kids. Sheesh.

"Latasha is Vince's mother's sister's child. So, they're maternal first cousins."

Anna watched as I washed dishes and placed them on the drying rack.

"So, do you think I should tell Vince?" I asked.

Anna shrugged, "I don't know. Vince won't be happy. I imagine the conversation that takes place with that teacher after that will be unpleasant. And you don't want Keni affected by that."

"True," I agreed. "But..."

Anna nodded, "yea, but."

I finished up in the kitchen and watched as Anna grabbed the lightweight coat she'd tossed over the back of the sofa. The March weather was warming up, but it was still a little chilly.

"I better get going. See you on Thursday. And don't forget, I'm cooking."

I walked her to the door, giving her a hug, really pleased she and I were getting along so well.

"Thanks for listening Anna."

I locked the door behind her and then made my way to the bathroom to check on Keni.

*

It was around 11pm and I had slipped into a pair of thin, polka dot, red and white pajama pants and a red tank when I heard the knock on the apartment door. I quickly checked to make sure Keni was sleeping and then made my way to the living room to open the front door.

And there she was...tall, broad, and deliciously milk chocolate, with those thick brows, her crooked nose, those wonderful full lips...and a pair of warm sky blue eyes that were smiling at me.

"Hey."

I smiled, deciding not to bitch about how infrequent her visits had become lately...and deciding not to share the teacher's concerns about Panda, at least not tonight.

"Hi. Can you stay?" I asked, hopeful. But that hope was dashed when she shook her head.

"Can't tonight. Just wanted to stop by, say hello."

I sighed, then pouted, "I think you spend more time with my kid than you do with me," I griped.

She tilted her head to the side, "what makes you say that?"

"Keni's teacher told me you're there at least once a week, sometimes more."

She smiled slowly, those amazing blue eyes warming, "jealous?" She teased.

"Yea, a little." I didn't lie.

She leaned against the doorjamb, just watching me.

"So, I need to take you on another first date," she informed me after a minute or two.

I nodded in agreement, "yup, you do."

She smiled again, "How about this weekend? You working?"

"I'm off on Saturday if Anna can make it."

She nodded, "Saturday."

Then she leaned down a little and following her cue I moved in as I felt my breath gather in my chest...her lips were soft and warm...they caressed mine...toyed with mine...savored mine...her tongue was thick, but politely inquisitive...her breath sweet, minty...God I loved how this woman kissed me. Thoroughly... intimately... deliciously. And always, always, she left my body wonderfully tensed and pleasantly aroused.

As usual, she didn't take it too far, kissing my brows, my nose, and then my lips briefly again before taking a step back. Those blue eyes were dark and warm when our eyes met...and she was smiling.

"Saturday," she reminded me softly.

"Okay," I breathed.

And then, with a smirk and a sexy-as-all-hell wink, she was gone.

*

Saturday was wonderful. She stayed for the entire meal. She was relaxed, funny, charming...the food was great...the entire date was fantastic. She'd driven the charcoal grey Bugatti and I was enjoying the ride back to my place in her wonderfully fancy car, listening to some smoky, smooth jazz and watching as Vince easily manipulated the vehicle. We didn't speak on the way home, just sat in a comfortable silence and listened to the music as the city streets sped past us. To be honest, I was a little sad that the date was over. It had been the perfect date...and I wanted to spend more time with her.

She pulled up in front of my building and was about to open her door to get out when I put my hand on her arm.

"Do you have a few minutes?" I asked softly.

She settled back into her seat, turning in my direction.

"You okay?" She asked in that husky, deep voice I liked so much.

I smiled...hesitated...and then leaned forward. She met me halfway, her lips suddenly on mine...tasting...teasing...sucking lightly. It didn't take long for the heat to start building in my belly as she kissed me...and I do mean kissed me. The heat of her mouth drew me in, the sweet taste of the exquisite chocolate soufflé we'd shared for dessert still lingering, mixed with the pleasant taste of her...I felt her...touching me... her lips never leaving mine...her fingers caressing my chin, my cheeks, the curve of my ears, the length of my throat...I felt her fingers, whisper soft, against my breast...her hand gentle, brushing against a hardened nipple...I shifted in the deep, soft leather of the car seat, the heat spreading from my belly up in to my chest...down, between my thighs...I couldn't stop the soft moan, captured by her mouth, as her thumb and forefinger squeezed my nipple...and I felt my toes curl.

She'd not kissed me this long before, had never touched me in this way...I was feeling nervous and anxious...and aroused...so intensely aroused. Her hand moved to my other nipple, spending as much time with it, caressing it, gently tugging...and, again, I couldn't stop the soft, surprised moans as her touch moved through me...she drew my tongue into her mouth, sucking on it as her hand continued to explore...lightly stroking my slightly rounded belly...expertly undoing the button on my jeans...sliding along the length of me as my zipper parted, the noise loud to my ears, mingled with my panting and soft moans...I felt her pause at the waist of my panties...but she moved past that barrier, her middle finger brushing that bundle of nerves and...and...I gasped.

She shifted again, moving closer to me, her lips leaving mine to find my throat... kissing...licking...nipping at the tender flesh there as her hand continued...oh my God...that same delicious finger slowly entered me, sliding in deep...pulling out...lazily going deep again...her lips found my breast, sucking at a nipple through my blouse...a second finger joined the first...plunging in...languidly sliding out...plunging in again...my head fell back against the head rest, my eyes closed tightly, my hips shifting, my legs spreading as wide as possible, offering myself to her...the heel of her hand found that bundle of nerves...pressed against it...her fingers continuing to slide in and out of me, her lips savoring my nipples...my entire body was throbbing...my breath short...my eyes shut tight and I felt it...oh my God, I felt it...

And then I simply...exploded.

Every part of my body exquisitely tensed...waves of pleasure rolling through me...

I couldn't breathe, couldn't feel anything except...except...absolute, delightful pleasure...

Consuming me...

Her fingers were still inside, my body tight and throbbing around them as she continued to slide them in and out...drawing out the sensations ...God ...God...this woman...I'd never experienced anything like this before. My body had never responded to someone's touch in such a way...

She could feel me coming down. She removed her fingers from inside me, slowly, wonderfully, dragging them from my body, softly tapping that bundle of nerves, sending after shocks through my system...and then casually making its way upward, her mouth claimed mine again, her tongue stroking in and out slowly, lovingly...her hand caressing my belly...grazing painfully hard nipples...and then tenderly encircling my throat as she continued to kiss me.

I don't know how long it took before I could open my eyes, but hers were waiting, the color dark, inviting...drawing me in...and then she smiled against my lips.

"Hey," she whispered.

I couldn't form a single word. I don't think my brain had finished processing the sensations coursing through my body yet. So I said nothing as I stared into those beautiful blue orbs.

"That got a little out of control...you okay?" She asked, her voice soft, deep, heavy...a delicious friction against my overly sensitive nerves. I nodded slowly, my eyes still latched onto hers.

We sat there, staring into each other's eyes, our lips close, but no longer touching, as my heart rate slowly returned to normal. When she felt enough time had passed, she stood from the car to come around and open my door. I quickly refastened my jeans and grabbed my purse, standing when my door opened, holding on to the car door considering my legs felt a little like Jello. She took my hand and led me into the building, her finger drawing a lazy pattern against my skin that did little to help me finish calming down as we waited for the elevator. I followed her into the elevator, out of it, down the hall and to my front door. There she turned to me, letting go of my hand, her fingers tenderly caressing my cheek before she kissed me, softly, on the lips.

"I had a great time, Georgia," she said in that raspy, deep voice of hers.

I nodded, knowing if I tried to say anything, I would make a damn fool of myself.

She smirked, "see you in a few days?"

I nodded again, closed my eyes as she kissed me again, and then I watched her walk back down the hall to the elevator. She was gone a second later and I took a moment, leaning against my apartment door, trying to gain some perspective.

I'm not sure how long it took me to open that door. Anna was sitting on the sofa, watching a movie. She turned when I entered and I saw a smile spread across her features.

"That's how you're supposed to look after a date with Vince," she declared happily.

I ignored that comment, watching as she gathered up her things. She patted my cheek as she passed me, heading toward the front door.

"I'll call tomorrow," she promised.

I still felt a bit dazed, but I know I locked the door behind her, changed into my pajamas, and slept the sleep of the dead.

And dreamt of Vince.

*

Around 7am the next morning, I woke, stretched...and smiled. Thinking about the feel of Vince's lips on me, the feel of those magical fingers...my body was still tingling. My smile broadened as I pulled Keni close, inhaling deeply. It dawned on me that I would need to ask Anna about an overnight sooner rather than later...I wanted, no I needed, more. And I wanted to touch, taste, and explore the expanse of that entire milk chocolate body for hours and hours...

I heard my phone buzz (I usually kept it on vibrate) and reached for it as I continued to fantasize, not bothering to look at the screen for an ID...

"Hello?"

"Morning."

And there was the smile again as that deep, raspy, sexy voice spilled through the tinny speaker.

"Hi." It was all I could manage.

"I wanted to check on you...make sure you were okay this morning."

I thought her concern was sweet, "I'm very okay. Are you okay?"

She chuckled and it went right through me.

"Yea, I'm good. I'll try to stop by tonight."

"Okay Vince."

"I need to go to Chicago this weekend."

I was a little saddened by that news.

"Want you to come with me."

I sat up, my heart skipping beat. Me and Vince in Chicago for a weekend? Oh. My. God.

Of course, then I looked down at my sweet baby girl and knew my answer.

"Uh, for the entire weekend?" I hedged.

"Both of you," Vince offered, practically reading my mind. "See if Anna can go. We'll get adjoining rooms."

And my heartbeat picked up again.

"Uh...sure. I mean yes. I'll get someone to cover for me at the store. And I'll check with Anna. Uh...well, you should probably check with Anna since I don't know the rate for an entire weekend."

She chuckled, "okay. Have her text me. And I'll try to see you tonight."

"Okay Vince. Have a great day. Be careful."

"Always, Beautiful."

My entire body warmed at the term of endearment. And when I heard the line disconnect, I did a little dance of joy in the bed, waking Keni up.

"Mom, what're you doing?" She asked sleepily.

I laughed, hugging her close to me, "nothing baby. Nothing. You hungry?"

And the day started from there. I spent most of it watching television and playing games with Keni. Anna stopped by to spend a few hours with us, off the clock, and told me a weekend trip shouldn't be a problem. And then she winked at me.

A weekend, in a separate hotel room with Vince. Oh. My. God.

***

We arrived in Chicago on Friday evening, but Vince had meetings. So Anna, Keni, Johnny and I went to a well-known restaurant that served Chicago style pizza. Our hotel room was pretty high up, so we also enjoyed the Chicago skyline. Then we watched a movie together until Keni fell asleep. I was nervous about sleeping in a hotel room, in a huge bed, with Vince. I showered, put on a pair of silk black boxers and a blank tank, and slid beneath the comforter. I fell asleep before I realized it.

Vince didn't join me that night.

The next day, the four of us went to the Shedd Aquarium and the Skydeck on the 103^rd floor of the Sears Tower (although it wasn't called the Sears tower anymore). Keni loved them both. We tried another Chicago classic, gorging on Chicago style hot dogs. They were fantastic. We took some down time and then went back out to do a little shopping and try yet another restaurant.

We then retired to Anna and Keni's room to watch another of Keni's favorites, 101 Dalmations. About halfway through the movie, Vince joined us. Keni was pretty excited to see her and sat beside her for the remainder of the movie, falling asleep against Vince's shoulder. Then I watched Vince pick up my little girl and put her to bed, leaning down to kiss her forehead. I smiled.

We left the adjoining door slightly ajar and the four adults moved to the other room and pigged out on nuts, chips and chocolate from the mini-bar. I was so nervous I drank two tiny bottles of tequila, which left me feeling pretty mellow. We hung out and talked about nothing until way past midnight. And then both Johnny and Anna claimed exhaustion and left me alone with Vince.

I was curled up on a pretty comfy sofa, watching Vince as she got comfortable, removing her suit jacket and shoes, and then she settled down beside me on the sofa. I could feel my heart fluttering...

"What do you do here in Chicago anyway?" I asked, definitely attempting to stall.

She leaned back, her eyes closed, and sighed.

"My uncle relocated here about 10 years ago. So, now we all come down here once a month for meetings. If something is going on, more often."

I smiled, "and this 'we' would not be all the people heading up your uncle's various territories in New York, right? Because, and I quote, there is no Mafia."

She didn't turn to look at me and didn't open her eyes, but she smiled. I watched it transform her face into what I considered to be a thing of beauty.

"Sorry I was tied up yesterday. You guys have fun?"

I nodded, then realized she couldn't see me "yea, Johnny knows a lot about the city. And Chicago is great, although windy."

"Yea, he's been spending quite a bit of time here and he has more downtime than I do. And it's called the windy city," she teased.

I smiled, thinking of the gentle giant, not her smartass comment. How he was with me...with Keni.

"I like him."

She turned to look at me, those striking blue eyes watching me.

"Yea, Johnny's good people."

I nodded, then lowered my eyes, feeling my cheeks warm.

"Hey," she whispered.

I looked over at her, swallowing.

"Nothing has to happen here," she said softly...gently.

I nodded again, biting the inside of my cheek as she watched me.

"Okay," I murmured.

She winked and then she moved to stand...but I took hold of her hand, stopping her. She reached out to brush a tendril of hair that had escaped my ponytail from my cheek. I stared into those wonderfully brilliant blue eyes of hers...God, they were amazing. They captivated me. And so I didn't move when she slid closer, turned her body toward mine, and leaned in...

With those warm, soft lips, she could kiss me until next Tuesday. I loved the way she kissed...starting off slowly...simply brushing her lips against mine...softly...sweetly...no pressure, no intensity...until she had me wanting more...then she would press her lips more firmly against mine...over and over... gentle kisses, no moisture, no tongue...until my hands made their way to her shoulders and I moved in closer...she would part her lips just a little...tasting me...teasing me...until my lips parted...her tongue grazing my bottom lip...caressing my top...and I would start to feel it...that heat... curling in my belly... spreading oh so slowly through me...

Then she would deepen those kisses just a little...her lips sipping at my mouth... inhaling...her tongue dabbling... sampling...playing with me...

As usual, I was ensnared...so I didn't really pay attention to the fact that she was lifting my tee over my head. She discarded it, her mouth returning to mine quickly, never breaking the momentum...the spell she was weaving...her tongue dipped in...quick visits...touching mine...enticing me...inviting me to play. When my tongue followed hers, exploring the heat of her mouth, she sucked it in, gently, savoring the taste of me, the feel of me...and I did the same, enjoying the feel of her warm mouth sucking, binding me to her...

I don't know when she removed my bra...I didn't care. I felt her long, strong fingers on my heated flesh, caressing...stroking...stoking the fire...her fingers touching, teasing, tormenting my hard nipples. My head fell back, breaking our kiss...and then I felt the heat of her mouth on my neck...gliding along the length of it, grazing my collarbone...and then feeding from my painfully hard nipples. My fingers curled into fists as she worked me over... savoring my pebbled nipples...calling forth responses from my body that forced me to moan...to squirm...to desperately press my thighs together...

I felt her undoing my jeans, sliding them down, over my hips, down my legs...my panties followed...and then...hot, wet kisses on my belly...tasting the sensitive flesh at my hips...then...then...her mouth was on me...tenderly kissing my engorged lips...licking...dipping into my pooled heat...creating sensations...God...I was going to...I was shaking all over...I was going to...

Two fingers, filling me up, sliding in and out in my slickness... Jesus... her fingers pressing against my outer wall, forcing me into another realm of pleasure...I could feel my hands on my own breasts, pulling on my nipples...I was so...oh my...

"Vince," a guttural, desperate whisper.

Her mouth shifted and then she sucked my throbbing clit into her mouth...teased it...lashed it...abused it...and I...I just...