Gia (Women of Privilege Book 1) Read online

  He bends over to pick up his shirt and places it neatly on the bed. Then he unzips the suitcase and starts meticulously searching through his belongings. Anthony soon brings out a tank top and boxers that appear to be too big. Afterwards, he disappears into the bathroom. I don’t have a camera in there, but that’s okay. I got a full look at the man who will be my future husband, and he is gorgeous. I finally breathe out and hold my chest.

  Anthony Moran, I can’t wait to have you in my arms, in my bed, completely in my life.

  Chapter Six

  After freshening up and putting on shorts and a simple blue t-shirt, I leave the house. I get into my truck and sit for a minute while checking my cell phone. I’ve had it off since I left to pick up Anthony at the airport, and JD has called me damn near fifty times. I have to admit I sure wish we had of finished what we started. I call him back. The phone doesn’t even ring once before JD picks up.

  “What the fuck, man!”

  He is so spoiled. I swear his mother didn’t breastfeed him enough.

  “JD, baby, you really need to calm down.”

  “Wasn’t cool what you did earlier, man! Got me all fucked up!”

  I put on my sweet, sexy voice. “Didn’t I say I’d make it up to you?”

  “I want to see you. Where you at?”

  “You have to wait,” I calmly remark.

  “Look, man, call down at the gate and sign me in with the guard.”

  “I’m not even home. He saw me leave.” Lying to JD is ten times easier than lying to Anthony, and I don’t mind doing it one bit. “I’m on my way to a meeting, and-”

  “The fuck, man!”

  “Stop cussing at me, JD! I’ll hang up on you if you keep on!”

  He says nothing, but I can hear him breathing heavily.

  “I’ll come to your apartment after I finish what I’m doing. Okay?”

  “How long?”

  “No longer than two hours.”

  “Two hours! Fuckin’ for real!”

  I hang up. He must think I’m playing around. The phone rings again, but I let it go to voicemail. When I park my car in the parking lot at the clubhouse, he’s called another two times. The third time, I pick up.

  “What did I say, JD!” I yell in the phone. “You’re going to talk to me like you got some sense, or I’m going to make some changes you ain’t gonna like.”

  “Alright, G.”

  “And I mean it!”

  “I hear you, G. Calm down. Just playing. You know me.”

  “I’ll call you back when I’m on my way, and you better be butt ass naked when I get over there.” I hang up the phone and start laughing. I’m so much in that guy’s head right now he can’t see or think straight.

  Before I get out of the car, I check my make-up and hair in the vanity mirror. Satisfied that I look more than presentable, I get out and go inside.

  The clubhouse is a work of art. The rotunda in the middle has glass walls from floor to ceiling on the front and back. Rectangular wings comes out from the sides. The rotunda is all set up for the Summer Shorts Affair inside. Armless farthingale chairs are lined up in rows with a center area cleared to walk through. A podium is at the end of the pathway set up in front of a curved window that shows the outside gardens and expansive water fountain with dancing spouts of water. Rubber trees, or perhaps some other kind of tropical plants, are in wicker pots and placed in well thought out places around the room. Women are everywhere, in small circles, whispering. And then I notice what they’re wearing. Not a single one of them have on shorts. There are crop pants everywhere with brightly, solid colored blouses. Feeling completely underdressed, I look down at my clothes. My blood begins to boil. My face heats up. That bitch told me a straight up lie and set me up. Why in the world would she do that? What have I ever done to her?

  Some of the ladies start looking at me. A few don’t appear to notice me at all, but I see others point at me while whispering to the ladies beside them. I inhale deeply and exhale. I’m going to work this to my favor.

  I look around for Joslyn. I’m waving cheerfully, smiling sweetly, and cordially speaking to the ladies that cut their eyes in my direction. Finally, I hear it: that snort and neigh. Joslyn is pouring herself yellow punch into a clear plastic cup, and she’s in the midst of friends. I saunter over to her, still speaking and nodding to the ladies as I walk by.

  “Joslyn, honey!” I yell as loud as I can with a big phony smile.

  She frowns when she sees me. Then her face lights up when she realizes what I have on.

  “Gia,” she says. “Dear, I see you made it and in the wrong attire for the occasion.”

  Knowing the ladies near her are listening, I reply, “Oh, I didn’t have time to change. I just came back from visiting my mother in the emergency room. She gave me such a scare. I thought she was having a heart attack. Doctors said it was a false alarm. Gas, you know how it is.”

  Joslyn opens her mouth but no words come out. Her attempt to embarrass me has just been squashed, and she knows it.

  “Is this our new neighbor?” a woman says as she touches my shoulder. “My name is Natasha Mathis.”

  I smile pointedly at Joslyn, letting her know that I got one up on her, and then I give Natasha my full attention. We shake hands, and Natasha starts asking me the normal new girl questions. Where are you from? How do you like your new home? Do you have kids? Are you married? She goes on and on. Joslyn eventually disappears out of sight, with most of the other women, leaving me and Natasha to carry on a sort of private conversation.

  Eventually, the meeting is called to order by a woman who looks to be African American and Japanese. She stands like a majestic statue. Her long, curly black hair hangs down her back. She’s skinny, not really bony, but toned and in shape.

  As I’m about to sit, Natasha tells me that there’s a seating arrangement. All of the ladies that live on Privilege Place sit in the front right hand side in the first two rows. Prestige Place ladies sit in the last two rows behind them. On the other side, Prominence Place sits in the front two rows, and Prosperity Place is behind them. In all, there are a total of forty chairs, but not all of them are filled. Up by the podium are three more chairs to the side and back. Three women, dressed to crop pants perfection, sit with their ankles crossed and manicured hands placed on their laps. I sit beside Natasha, but I’m trying to get a glimpse at everyone in the room.

  “I officially call the Ladies of Tudor Estates Society to order,” the woman at the podium says. “Thank you so much for coming out today. We covered a lot of things two weeks ago. So, this meeting will be very, very short. So, let’s get to it.

  “First business at hand, I want to remind everyone that the special election is coming up for secretary. I’ve received only three nominations. Ladies of Prominence, I believe I am waiting for your input. Please, get that to me before Friday. I want to have the ballads ready for vote the next time we meet.

  “Next, I have an update on the Annual Fourth of July Celebration. The Solvoster Brothers Fair is coming to help us bring in the holiday. There will be a petting zoo, fireworks, and shows that Tuesday. We will have a table showcasing the Ladies of Tudor Estates Society’s accomplishments, goals, and a bake sale. I need homemade cakes and cookies. No store bought, please.”

  “Let’s get real, Charli,” one lady says from across the room. “No one can really tell the difference between store bought cakes and homemade. Throw ‘em on a pretty platter, and you’re done.”

  “No store bought desserts,” she responds tightly. She clears her throat before continuing. “Okay, and the last item. I want to introduce our newest neighbor.”

  Oh, God no.

  “She’s a Woman of Privilege, living in 11 Privilege Place. Her name is Gia Briggs.” Charli looks directly at me and says, “Gia, please stand up so that we can see you, and do tell us more about yourself.”

  Shit! I’m not ready for this. Slowly, I rise to my feet and turn to face most of the ladies. I’m dra
wing a blank. My mind is numb.

  I clear my throat, mostly to stall, and I remark, “My name is Gia...Gia Briggs. I live at 11 Privilege Place. I’m really happy to be here.” I feel like an idiot for repeating what she just said.

  “Where are you from, Gia?” Charli asks. She knows I’m struggling to come up with something.

  “Rincon, Georgia. I grew up there. I’m a registered nurse, was a registered nurse.”

  “Are you married?” Joslyn says from the front row. This is not good. She’s up to something.

  “Ah,” I hesitate. “No, I’m not married.”

  She twists around to face me and says very loudly, “I saw two different men at your house today, and neither one of them were your husband? Boyfriends, maybe?”

  Oh, no the hell she didn’t! Okay, bitch, you going there. I got a better one for you.

  “No, Joslyn, they’re not my boyfriends, but you should know that.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I don’t know why you’re acting like you didn’t meet the first guy. He’s my brother.”

  She blinks, not knowing what to say.

  “Well, he told me you asked him on a date, and he turned you down.”

  “That is a lie!” She stands up to face me. “I would never ask a strange man out on a date, and I’m very happily married!”

  Laughter erupts in the room.

  I smile and keep right on going. “And I must say, you made an impression on the cable guy that saw you talking to my brother. He thought you were smoking hot in your hair rollers.”

  The room blows up. She sits down and crosses her arms across her chest. Yep, that shut her ass right up. Mission accomplished.

  “Alright, ladies, enough,” Charli says with poise. “Welcome to Tudor Estates, Gia. We are very happy to have you here with us.”

  I nod my appreciation and sit down.

  “Does anyone have anything else to add before I close this meeting?”

  Joslyn raises her hand straight up in the air and stands again. “I would like to remind everyone about following the Bylaws of Tudor Estates. There will be fines if they are not adhered to.”

  “Thank you for the reminder, Joslyn,” Charli says. “And this meeting is adjourned.”

  The gavel hits. I get up and leave. I’m no longer in the mood for socializing with any of these bitches.

  Chapter Seven

  I make a beeline straight for JD’s apartment. He lives on Barnes Drive, thirty minutes away from where I live. I know the sheer ridiculousness of going on a booty call way across town when I have a great guy right under my roof. Problem with that, Anthony isn’t going to ever be just a simple booty call. One day, I plan on making him my husband, the one I will have children with. I can’t just open my legs to him. He’s the guy I have to work for, put some effort into. So, when we do get together, it’ll be like we can’t live without one another. It’ll be explosive. It’ll be right and real, not just a passing moment of passion.

  JD will give me what I need right now, no strings attached, and that’s a release from the pent up frustration I have from that stupid meeting. I shouldn’t be mad at all those women. Joslyn Montgomery is the one who almost had me showing my whole entire ass. The thing that bothers me the most is that no one took a stand to tell her that what she said was wrong. Even as adults, if people don’t want to be on the painful end of bullying, they sit back, watch, giggle, whisper, point, and don’t do a damn thing about it. I hate what I did. I don’t want to be nasty to anyone, especially to someone I don’t know, but when that someone pushes me up against the wall, I have no choice but to bite back. Damn, and I’m new to the neighborhood. There’s got to be another way I can restart. I can show those ladies that I am a good person, a Lady of Privilege. I’ll have to think on what to do.

  I get out of my car and rush upstairs to JD’s apartment. I’m out of breath when I get to the second floor. All I want is for him to fuck my brains out. I unlock the door and push it in hard enough to hit the wall.

  “What the fuck, man!” he says while standing up.

  “I told you to be naked when I got here.”

  “You didn’t call to say you were coming, but that’s alright. I’ll make you cum now.”

  I dive right into his arms and land a hard kiss. There’s no time for formalities. He’s already shirtless and doesn’t have on shoes or socks. I pull his jogging pants down to below his butt and pull him closer. JD unzips my shorts and yanks them down along with my underwear. He lifts up me as I continue to kiss and claw at him. We land on the sofa, and within seconds, he’s in me and working me so good and fast I think my teeth are about to orgasm.

  Grabbing on to his ass, I work with him. Our rhythm is not slowing down, and it’s almost too painful. But we don’t stop. It’s not long before JD begins to tighten up, and when he’s about to blow, I realize, right then and there, that he isn’t wearing a condom.

  “Don’t cum in me,” I say breathlessly.

  He doesn’t hear me, or he’s ignoring me. Either way, he’s grunting and gasping, pushing harder and harder with only seconds away from the precipice. I try to push him off, but he won’t budge. JD releases in me with a guttural growl and a deep painful push, but my body shivers uncontrollably as my orgasm erupts. It spreads throughout my body, and I dig my nails into his arms and fold into his chest. When he’s close to finishing, he starts moving in me slowly, pulling every bit of feeling that causes me to melt.

  The moment is gone, and he sits up with a big cheesy grin like he’s accomplished something. He’s only managed to piss me off. I should have never showed up at this apartment. I have a dildo at home, and we should have had a secret rendezvous instead. Shit.

  “I got to go,” I remark as I stand up. That’s when I notice I forgot to close the door, and two guys are standing in the hallway, looking at me with open mouths and wider eyes. I rush over and slam the door closed. I’m so embarrassed and ashamed. What the hell has gotten into me? I’m being reckless and stupid.

  JD grabs my wrist a little too rough and turns me around. “We ain’t done,” he says as he tries to kiss me.

  “Yeah, we are.” I snatch away from him and grab my shorts off the floor. My thongs are too tangled to deal with, and I forego putting them on.

  “What’s the fuck wrong with you?”

  I exhale and shake my head. I zip up my shorts and finger brush my hair behind my shoulders. “Nothing,” I reply.

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  “Yeah, actually, you did. You came in me when I told you not to.”

  “Well, it’s hard to tell me that when I’m practically already fuckin’ cumming. I mean, seriously, G, ain’t you on birth control?”

  “No, JD, I’m not,” I reply.

  “Why the fuck you not on birth control?”

  “Why the fuck did you cum in me!”

  “Shit felt good,” he says with a big smile. “Couldn’t help it.”

  “I’m not trying to have kids with you, JD.”

  “Whatever,” he says with a shrug. “Guess you can take a morning after pill.”

  Thank God for that invention. I hate feeling the way I do right now. Every single sexual encounter with JD ends with me feeling like the excitement was a waste. Clarity is a slap in the face after my hormones is back to controllable levels. How can I want him before and hate him afterwards? It’s insane.

  “Let me get another taste,” he says as he grabs his groin.

  I’m not interested. I wave him off as I head for the door.

  “Wait, G, seriously, I want to talk to you about something.”

  “Can’t it wait?”

  “I want to move in with you.”

  “Hell no!”

  “Why the hell not? We can play house and fuck all day.”

  That is how he asks me? Play house and fuck all day? Where is the dinner, the candles, and the romance? He’s a freakin’ clown.

  “No, JD.”

  “Okay, then, loan me som
e money.”

  “For what? I just gave you a Ben before you left the house. What did you do with that?”

  “C’mon, G, help a brotha out, for real.”

  “JD, I’m helping a brotha out. You living on my dime.”

  “Look, I had to help my moms with her light bill with that Ben today.” He’s telling a straight lie. His momma handles all of her bills, and she doesn’t like anyone digging into her finances, even if it’s to help her. JD told me that himself. I guess he must have forgotten.

  “I’ll see you around,” I remark, “and don’t be having any bitches in this apartment. Remember, I pay for this shit. I got the keys, and I will show up at any given time without warning.”

  “If you let me move into your crib, you wouldn’t have to worry about any bitches!”

  I slam the door instead of giving him an answer and drag my worn out ass back down the steps. I walk by the two young guys on the steps; the ones that caught the free show. I keep going, making no eye contact. Too tired to care, and they don’t know me, anyway.

  Chapter Eight

  My front door has a folded piece of paper taped to it. I take it off and read it. Joslyn has left a fine notification for the noise from earlier today when JD was at my house. I’m supposed to pay one hundred dollars due on Friday, June 30th, no later than 1700 hours. What the world is a 1700 hours, and what makes her think I’m going to pay anything? This bitch is really trying to take me over the edge. I guess since she couldn’t get one over on me in front of her friends, she’d hit my pocketbook instead. Whatever. I tear up the note, stuff the pieces in my purse, and go inside.

  Anthony is in the kitchen. He has his cell phone glued to his ear, and he’s holding the refrigerator door open. But he’s paying more attention to his conversation. I wave at him as I go down the hallway to my room. He gives me a cute smirk with a lift of his head. My goal is to get a shower before talking to him. I can’t have any hint of JD’s scent on me while in Anthony’s company. A man’s sperm can be potent, and I’m not trying to tip my houseguest off as to what I’ve been doing.