Authors note: This is the third installment in this series. I hope you all are enjoying the story as it plays out. Thank you to my editor May McQueen for your input and corrections and Miss Kittie for your input.
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Calise put the finishing touches on her makeup. As she applied a little gloss, she gave herself one last look in the mirror. She thought that she looked great. She wore a mid-length black Dolce&Gabbana strapless dress with lace-up red stilettos. Looking at her hair, she decided to wear it half in a ponytail and the rest cascading in curls down her back.
Walking into her living room, she made her way into her kitchen to grab a soda. Leaning back against the counter she popped the lid. She shook her head at herself. Why was she so nervous. She was just going on a business call. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet the butterflies in her stomach told her it might be more. Deondre had a way of getting around the wall she built around her heart. He made her laugh, and she found herself relaxing in his company. He also had the uncanny talent to get her out of her g-string. Gathering her wits about her, she grabbed her purse and her car keys and headed out of the door. No matter how nervous she was, she was going to Deondre's club tonight.
Outside, she walked along the path down to her car. Getting in, she started the engine and pulled out of her driveway heading for the freeway. It was about an hour and a half drive to Luanne's, but she needed to talk to Deondre about the event for Shauntea. Hopefully he agreed because she only have a few days to get her performance together.
As she was driving, she turned her radio on and began singing along with the radio. Before she knew it, she was putting her blinker on and exiting the freeway. Calise drove down the long stretch of road she recognized from when Shauntea brought her here a few weeks ago. After awhile, she was pulling into Luanne's. As before, the parking lot was full of cars. This place must be more successful than she thought.
Getting out and locking her car, she started walking up to the door of the establishment, when she heard someone off to her right.
"Hey, baby."
Calise turned her head to see a young man of about twenty, twenty-one, who was dire need of a belt. Wearing jeans that hung off his ass, Calise could see the basket ball shorts and boxers he had on underneath. Coupled with a wife beater tank top and fitted cap, he looked like the epitome of a thug. He had corn rows that needed to be redone and a du-rag hanging out his back left pocket. He sauntered up to Calise with what he thought was swag, but in actuality looked like he had a bad limp. Calise shook her head and laughed.
"What's good, Ma?" he said in a southern twang, licking his lips and rubbing his hands together.
"Ma?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm...Nothing much, Pa." Calise tilted her head and looked at him with a sarcastic smile on her face. "Is that how you come at all females?"
"Its called swag, sweetheart." Licking his lips again, he looked at her from head to foot, stopping at her breasts.
Calise snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Up here, baby."
Looking back at her eyes, the 'man' smiled at Calise and she chuckled, which she tried to hide under a cough. Lining the upper set of his teeth was a gold and platinum grill.
Glancing around the parking lot, he asked, "You here with anyone shawty?"
"Ooh, we are not even going there. Look, I'm going inside. You have a good night Pa." Laughing on the last word, she turned and began walking up to the front of the line of people waiting to get inside. She heard the man calling out to her, but she ignored his comments and kept going.
She walked up to the club's bouncer. She didn't feel like waiting in the line and she knew if she told him to get Deondre, she would be let in.
"Excuse me," Calise said loudly to be heard over the music that was spilling out of the front door.
The bouncer looked at her, and she could she the spark of recognition in his eyes. "I remember you," he said. "You're that lady who sang the roof off this club a couple of weeks ago."
Flushing, Calise confirmed who she was.
A playful smile appeared on his face. He was the big teddy bear type with a black and white SECURITY shirt on.
"So you've finally come back to see me huh?" he asked jokingly.
Calise immediately took a liking to the big man. "Well, of course. I couldn't stay away." Starting to play his game, she started going back and forth with him before asking, "Do you think you could let Deondre know I'm here? My name is Calise."
The bouncer lifted a walkie -talkie to his lips and began speaking into it. When he was done he removed the belt blocking entrance to the club. "Go on inside. He's waiting at the bar for you."
"Thank you..." she let the sentence trail, trying to get his name.
"Jonathan," he said, smiling. "You gonna sing for us again tonight?"
"Maybe. I don't know yet. I'm here for other business, but we'll see if Deondre can talk me into it," she said over her shoulder and started making her way into the club.
As she walked in, she saw Deondre immediately. He was standing at the bar staring straight at her. He had a smug smile on his face, like he knew she would come eventually.
Calise made her way through the crowd, weaving in and out of men and women that were dancing or just standing around the dance floor. The fluttering made its triumphant return to her gut and she took a deep breath. Finally she was in front of Deondre. It never ceased to amaze her how gorgeous this man was. Calise slanted her head down and looked at him through her eye lashes.
"Hello, Deondre."
"Calise." The smug smile got even wider as he reached in and gave her a hug.
"How have you been?" she asked him. Damn he smelled good. A mixture of citrus cologne and aftershave.
"I've been good. I was wondering when you were gonna come see a brotha."
"Yeah, well I'm here now and that's all that matters, right?"
Looking around the bar, she noticed the bar tender looking at them. When they made eye contact, he nodded his head at them.
