“I’m so scared of what the next chapter of my life looks like,” she said.
“I can tell,” he answered.“That’swhy you’ve been stuck. Can’t go backward. Afraid to move forward, so you holding in place. If yougon’hold, at least get your pussy ate in the meantime.”
He ran a finger along the edge of her panties, and she tensed as he reminded her of the power a man could yield over a woman. She was made to react to him, and she did. His thumb found her clit, and she looked down at herself as he pushed up and then down. Loyal drove her mad. He was the type of man to say the sky was green and she would believe him. His ability to completely persuade her into bending to his will was scary. It removed the control from her hands and forced her to exist at his mercy.
“Loyalll,” she moaned. She was out of control. She was out of her body. She was his. To play with. To tease. To love. To fuck. To hurt. To please. To reward. To punish. To attend to. To ignore. To hinder. To fulfill. He had all the cards; all the options, and she was in a state of anxiety, trying to guess which one he would play. That was the thing about love and relationships. They required a vulnerability that allowed someone the space and opportunity to ruin you.
“Iain’t gon’do too much, E, weain’t alone. I just want to see how wet she gets for me,” he whispered. He took his thumb to his mouth like he had a little barbecue sauce on it, and he was cleaning it off. He slid her panties back in place, leaving her flustered and bothered.
She leaned forward and kissed him.“I wasn’t sure if this was real because it’s happening so fast, but the way I felt when I saw you with someone else…” She shook her head.“I’m falling in love with you.”
“Thatain’t a bad thing, E,” Loyal stated.“If the bond is this strong at first sight, imagine what it will be like in six months, or a year, or three, or when I change your last name, or when you give me a baby.”
She knew her head was gone when she didn’t correct him because having another baby at her age was unfathomable, but if the love remained, in due time, she wouldn’t tell a man like Loyal no.
“Is that something you want? A wife? More kids?” she asked.“These are the things you learn over time, and we’re just hitting fast forward.”
“I do,” Loyal stated.“With you. Nobody but you, E.”
“How can you know this already?” Ellie asked, befuddled by his certainty.
“I told you we been here before,” Loyal answered, reaching for the champagne bottle that sat in the ice bucket. She followed suit and grabbed the glasses as the rock on her finger sparkled flawlessly.
“This is a whirlwind,” she sighed as he popped the top on the bubbly and filled one glass. He took his straight out of the bottle and then sat it back in the ice bucket as she sipped hers slowly.“I can’t believe I’llhave to say goodbye to you in a few days,” she whispered.
“I thought we settled this.” He said it so simply, but he didn’t realize that it was easier said than done.“I did my part. I ended things with my baby mama. The rest is on you.”
“I know, I know,” she sang.“My part is just going to take a little more time and planning. I’ve got to hire a lawyer…”
“That’s already done; what next?” Plain and simple. No delaying, no excuses. He was handling business, and Ellie’s mouth fell open in shock.
“What do you mean? You hired a lawyer for me?” she asked.
“Best divorce lawyer in the state,”he informed.“She’llmake sure you come out on top.”
“When did you have time to do that?” she asked, stunned.
“She received a 3 a.m. call this morning after you went to sleep,” Loyal revealed. He was just a man of means who made whatever moves he wanted to. He didn’t ask permission. He was dead set on having her, and she couldn’t belong to two men at once.
She was speechless.
“Now, what’sthe next problem?” he repeated.
“The girls’schools,” she stammered.“I…I can’t move them mid-year.”
“Sure, you can. Headmistress at one of the best K-12 private schools in Bloomfield Hills is awaiting your call after the holiday. Their spots are held, tuition paid. I didn’t know their information and all that, so you still got to register them, transfer records, and all that shit, but the spots are theirs if you want them. Whatever judge decides your divorce agreement is going to put a joint custody plan in place anyway. It’llbe easier if you’re in the same state. Blame it on that; either way, it’s done.”
“Loyal!” she protested.“You can’t make moves without consulting me.”
“We consulted. We decided.Ain’t no backtracking,” he said, already losing interest in the back and forth as he pulled out his cell phone.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Ellie admitted.
“And I’m certain,” Loyal said.
Ellie wanted to protest, but her phone rang, and Brooklyn’s picture illuminated her screen. She held up a finger.“You just wait because we’re not done discussing this.”
He chuckled as she moved out of his lap, but he had already moved on from the conversation.
