He was stretched out on his long, comfortable leather sofa with his eyes closed, and anyone observing him would have thought him asleep. On the contrary, he was thinking about the moment Angelique had pulled him down to her level so she could touch her lips to his. It was something he wasn't going to forget not ever. The heady fragrance of her perfume wrapped around him like the warm moisture of a steam bath and the softness of her lips sent a sensation through him that was like nothing he'd ever experienced. He felt her start to pull away from him and he took over, tightening his arms around her slender form so that the delightful warmth of her, the taste of her wouldn't be lost to him.
A soft sound of surprise had made her moist, tasty lips part just enough for his ravening tongue to seek hers out. When he deepened the kiss, he did so hungrily, like a starving man given his first meal in weeks. He completely lost himself in the hot sensations Angelique generated in his body. As she slid her arms around his neck and strained on her toes to get closer to him, he held her even tighter and slid his questing hands down to cup her behind, squeezing it gently but firmly. She might have started the kiss, but he was controlling it now, kissing her passionately over and over, and tasting the sweetness of her mouth while she did the same to him. He could still hear the arousing little sounds of pleasure she made as her enticingly firm breasts pressed against his chest. Only the fact that other people were entering the room made him stop kissing her. Left to his desires, they'd still be locked together in a passionate embrace, but it wouldn't have stopped at kissing.
As he lay on the couch, his stomach muscles tightened and other parts of his body reacted almost as strongly as they had last night. A convulsive shudder passed over him, and he welcomed the abrupt sound of his doorbell. Jumping up from the couch, he adjusted his jeans. He was wearing an ancient Howard University sweatshirt that mercifully covered his now-hard member. He glared at the offending instrument and instructed his body to behave. "I told you before, we don't like her. Go back to sleep," he said sternly before opening the door. Oddly enough, the sight of his visitor made his body become dormant immediately. It was Aneesah Shabazz, wearing a red coat and a big smile. Before he could figure out how he was supposed to react, Aneesah walked right past him into the foyer, saying, "Happy New Year," while she did so. She removed her coat and held it out to Donnie, who was just staring at her while she made herself at home.
"Happy New Year, doggies. Don't get up on my account," she said dryly. Jordan and Pippen never moved from their places on the hearth, merely thumping their tails wearily in acknowledgement. Aneesah, meanwhile, had sat down on the couch and was holding out a cake tin to Donnie.
"Here you go. These are some tea cakes my mother made. I was going to tell you I baked them but you know what a lie that would be!" Aneesah laughed uproariously at the thought; she was known for her dislike of cooking in any way, shape or form. As Donnie still hadn't said a word, Aneesah snapped her fingers a couple of times to get his attention. "You know, you might want to offer me some coffee or tea or something. It's customary when you have a visitor, especially on a holiday," she said pointedly.
Donnie finally rallied enough to accept the tin and sit down in one of die large leather club chairs that flanked the sofa. "Sorry. My mind was elsewhere, I guess. Happy New Year to you, too. You look wonderful, by the way," he added. And she really did, in a slim-fitting pair of gray slacks with a crisp white shirt topped by a black merino jersey V-neck sweater. Her short coif was perfect as always-what could be seen of it under her jaunty red beret-and her smooth brown face was devoid of makeup, also as always, her deeply set long-lashed eyes sparkled with intelligence.
"I wish I could say the same to you, Donnie, but you look kinda bad. You look like you haven't had a good night's sleep in a while. And you look like your housekeeper is on vacation," she said pointedly as she looked at the newspapers, gym shoes and other clutter around the large living room.
Donnie sprawled out in the chair and nodded absently. "Yeah, Mrs. Montez is away for the holidays. I wanted her to know how much I missed her while she was gone, so I haven't picked up anything," he said absently. "And no, I didn't sleep too well last night, now that you mention it."
Aneesah stopped smiling and looked contrite. "I'm not to blame for that, am I? That's one of the reasons I stopped by, to make sure you and I are okay. We've been close for so long, I don't want anything to happen to our friendship. Even though we're not destined for marriage," she said quietly.
Donnie blew out a loud, dramatic breath before answering. "If I said I was pining away for you, dying for the love of you, would it make any difference? Would you change your mind?" he asked with hope in his voice.
It was Aneesah's turn to sigh. "No, Donnie, it wouldn't make a bit of difference. You and I had a lot of fun when we were younger. You were one of the best boyfriends I've ever had, no question about it. But I'm not ready to get married. You might think you're ready, but I'm not so sure about that," she said firmly. "And I know for a fact that we don't have the deep, passionate, abiding love you need to make a marriage work. We like each other, we even love each other like brother and sister, but we're not ‘in love.' You need to be really deeply in love for a marriage to be about anything and you of all people know that. Look at your brothers and your sister, for example. They all married for love, real true love, and look how happy they are." She shook her head in exasperation. "And where is that tea, friend? I want one of those tea cakes."
Donnie didn't respond for a moment while he pried open the tin of homemade cookies. A burst of a delectable vanilla fragrance wafted out and he smiled for the first time as he looked at the fat, lightly golden pastries. His stomach rumbled and he suddenly realized he hadn't eaten that day. He stood up and bowed slightly.
"It seems I've forgotten my manners entirely. Come with me, my dear, and let me remedy that," he said with a gesture toward the kitchen.
***
Angelique was sorting photographs when her phone rang. It was A.J., who immediately put a smile on her face.
"I'm coming over, so come open the door. My mother says it's good luck for a man to be the first person to cross your threshold on New Year's Day. Am I your first visitor?"
"Yes, you are," Angelique answered with a smile. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather see. Hurry up and get here!"
Paris was sprawled across her bed, talking to one of her best friends. "Aidan, I'm telling you, all the signs are there. When they're around each other, the sparks constantly fly. They pick at each other, they have horrible little pet names for each other and they're always staring at each other. They circle around each other like two starving animals fighting for the same piece of meat," she told him.
Aidan made the customary sound of the long-suffering on the other end of the line. "Oh, well, that settles it. They're stalking each other like strays fighting over carrion; it must be true love," he said sardonically. "You're back to your Martha May matchmaker tricks, aren't you? I've warned you about that, haven't I? Why won't you listen to me?"
Paris sat up straight to play her trump card "Aidan, you don't understand! She kissed him on New Year's Eve! She doesn't even know why she did it, she just grabbed him and laid one on him and he kissed her back. Now that's definitely a sign."
Aidan was silent for a moment, and then replied. "Hmm. Unplanned kisses with no explanation, huh? Well, there may be more to this than they know. But that doesn't mean you need to get involved. Just leave it alone and let nature take its course. You need to worry more about your own love life or lack thereof, Martha May."
"A lot you know, Aidan. For your information, I have been dating. I've been seeing three different guys, thank you very much, and having a great time," she said smugly.
"Yes, but none of them work that oF heart of yours like the detective man, now, do they? By the way, I saw Mr. Titus Argonne last week," Aidan said carelessly. "He was walking through the complex with your cousin Martin."