Reality Check Read Free Page A

sushi and veggie rolls.
    “You are looking good, woman. How’s your day going?” Lionel was giving me that look. Days be damned; he wanted to be sharing the night with me.
    “It’s going. That’s about it. Busier than usual. I missed you last night after you left.”
    “Really? Is that why you made me leave?” Lionel shifted to his innocent puppy dog look.
    “You know how that goes, Lionel. Gotta keep you wanting more.”
    “Oh, I want all right.”
    Lionel had a little piece of veggie roll dangling from the corner of his mouth. I leaned over the table and removed it while stealing a juicy kiss. He was quick to accept the kiss, returning one of his own. A slight chill ran down my spine as memories of last night crept back into my consciousness. He was oh so good when oh so bad.
    “Is that a new suit?” I asked, admiring the power suit, a single-breasted charcoal number with a white silk shirt and thin black tie. Definitely something my girl Mona would approve of, with her eye for fashion.
    “Yeah, I picked it up last week. Antonini Loretta. You like?”
    “It’s nice. I’m a little less into the European stuff, but Mona would give you kudos if she saw it.”
    “How is Mona?” he asked; then added, “And Charmaine? They’re still carrying on at your office?”
    “You know those two. Some things will never change. We’re supposed to be going out this weekend. Want to come? It would be fun.”
    “Uh ...” He paused, thinking of an excuse. Men. “I would, but I have a presentation for the big boss next week and want to be sure it’s perfect. Want to come by my place tomorrow night?”
    “Sure. I’m not spending the night, though.”
    “I got it. Loud and clear. But I don’t see why you’re so hung up on that,” he scoffed.
    The waitress came to our table to bring the check and to clean up.
    “ Domo arigato gozaimasu , Keiko,” said Lionel in her native tongue.
    “Thank you, Mr. Dunning,” replied the waitress with just a hint of an accent as she gushed over him. She took his American Express card and left.
    “Come here often?” I asked, slightly put off by her friendliness and Lionel’s eagerness to accept it. I tried to conceal my displeasure.
    “Every now and then, since it is in the area. I meet some customers here for business sometimes. . . kind of like that time at Mariana’s.”
    “Yep, I will never forget that. Is Mr. Brewster still your client?” I smiled as the memory of our first encounter returned.
    “No.” Lionel chuckled. “Misha at the office has his account now. Remember her?”
    “Oh, yeah. The Greek chick? Kinda eager-beaver? Really perky?”
    “Yeah, that’s her,” he replied with amusement. “She’s actually running circles around some of our veterans at ol’ B and G. Shows initiative.”
    “Probably not all she’s showing,” I snarked in a rare display of cattiness. “Cute young thang. That doesn’t hurt.”
    “Haven’t really noticed that, Glover. Too busy thinking about this sexy young thing in front of me.”
    “You always say the right things, Mr. Dunning,” I responded, erasing thoughts of fawning, eager co-workers from my mind.

6
     
    Max
     
    I was awakened from a deep, restful sleep by my T-shirt landing on the bed. “Good morning,” she said in a language with which she wasn’t fully comfortable.
    Accent.
    Loved that shit.
    It was my new friend, the tall blonde from the Promenade in Santa Monica.
    “Good morning to you too,” I replied, wishing I could speak her native tongue, impress her. Show her there was more to me than good conversation and good dick. But my sparse, broken Creole French learned at the two Fs—family reunions and funerals—would be embarrassing.
    “Do you remember my name?”
    “Velina,” I said slowly... deliberately, as she’d taught me last night in between drunken kisses. “Yes. Good. Very good.” She smiled. Velina and her friend, Kaylen, were grad students at USC. Things went off well with them. We