Slick by Brenda Hampton Read Free Book Online

anything, he looked around to see if anyone was near. Noticing that there wasn’t, he put his arms around Dana’s waist and kissed her cheek.
    â€œSay, baby,” he said. “Damn, you’re smelling good.”
    She blushed and backed away from him. “It’s Issey Miyake. And thanks, but why didn’t you return my phone call yesterday?”
    As the elevator opened, I wanted to tell her that he hadn’t returned it because he was too busy fucking Jackie. But when I turned around, Lewis had pulled Dana over to the door that led to the staircase and opened it. She looked at me and shrugged. “I’ll meet you downstairs in about ten minutes.”
    â€œTwenty minutes,” he said, as he continued to pull her by the arm.
    â€œLook,” I said with anger visible on my face. “When you get finished just meet me at CJ’s across the street. If you show, fine. If you don’t, that’s not a problem either.”
    Disgusted, I pushed the down button on the elevator and went to CJ’s by myself. I asked the waiter to seat me for two, just in case Dana decided to show. No sooner had I sat down, I noticed Jonathan and Crissy at another table having lunch. I was sure he hadn’t seen me, and hoped that if he did, he wouldn’t come over and ask where Dana was.
    When the waiter came back, I ordered a salad and some hot wings. Twenty minutes had gone by and Dana was still a no-show. I looked at Jonathan, as he and Crissy seemed to be wrapping things up. And right when he stood up and walked toward the door to leave, then Dana came in. She looked startled to see him, and after they embraced each other, they headed my way.
    â€œI didn’t know you were in here, Sylvia,” Jonathan said, pulling the chair back for Dana to sit.
    â€œI just got here moments ago,” I said. Jonathan watched as the waiter put the wings and salad on the table.
    â€œOh, I see your lunch buddy finally made it,” the waiter said, looking at Dana. “Your friend was about to have lunch without you.”
    â€œI, uh, got caught up in traffic,” Dana said. “She knew I was coming.”
    Jonathan glared at me for a few seconds, and then he leaned down to give Dana a kiss. She put her hand in front of his face. “We need to talk about those flowers later, okay,” she said.
    He ignored her, moved her hand away from his face, and kissed her cheek. “We’ll talk about the flowers, baby, for sure. And as soon as we finish that conversation, we’re going to talk about that cheap-ass men’s cologne I smell all over you right now.”
    Dana cocked her head back, I covered my mouth, and Jonathan walked away. I took a sip of my iced tea and shook my head.
    â€œYour time is running out! I hope you’ve planned a life absent from Jonathan.”
    Dana laid a napkin neatly in her lap. “Sylvia, Jonathan isn’t going anywhere. Tonight, I’m going to tell him I was at the mall sampling some men’s cologne for him.”
    â€œThat’s not going to work because the key word he said was ‘cheap.’ He knows damn well you ain’t out sampling no cheap cologne for him. Not only that, but you look like you just got fucked. Your hair all out of place, your lipstick gone, and that outfit you have on got more wrinkles than an eighty-year-old white woman’s face.”
    Dana let out a deep sigh. “Is it really that obvious?”
    â€œYes. And I’m afraid to get any closer because I’m sure after screwing Lewis that coochie is clowning.”
    â€œGirl, stop. For your information, Lewis adds extreme excitement to my life. He’s not only handsome but he’s creative, he’s spontaneous, and he can make me come faster than any man I’ve ever been with.”
    â€œIf I can recall, a few years back, you were saying the same thing about Jonathan. It seems to me that the problem ain’t with the man;