As the owner of the world-famous Honey Ranch on the outskirts of Las Vegas and the eponymous same name of the highly-rated reality show, Jackson’s priorities were as simple as they could be – his wife, Liane, his children, and of course, his whores. Everything else fell to the wayside.
So when he received an urgent phone call from a longtime business partner and associate, Jackson knew something was up. No one calls him from a private, secured line just to talk about the latest football standings.
“Did he indicate what he wanted?” Liane Fischer asked her husband. She was half-black, half-Chinese and played up both features in her stunning beauty. Her slanted eyes brought an allure to her full, sensual lips, and thick figure. “It sounds out of the blue for him to call for a meeting.”
“He doesn’t like to discuss business over the airways and I can’t blame him,” Jackson fed his infant son, while his toddler daughter played nearby. “Jay isn’t a person who likes anything he says to be recorded or held against him if he can’t control the narrative.”
“Hidden agenda?” She asked while she prepared coffee.
Jackson shrugged. “No clue, but Jay isn’t one for the false pretenses. He would never come here if it was his plan to shut me down.” He glanced down at his Jaeger-LeCoultre watch. It was almost time for their meeting. He had a chef prepare the lunch ahead of Jay’s visit. He also requested his girls to be ready in case Jay wanted to stay and entertain himself before he left. He usually did.
Liane knew her husband well. It was often what hedidn’tsay that many understood. “I can’t imagine why he would and I don’t think it would be in his place to get involved since it’s not his jurisdiction.”
“Baby, Jay’s CIA.” Jackson glanced over at her. “He’ll involve himself regardless.”
“But still,” Liane dismissed her husband, “I don’t see why a personal visit to you is going to solve anything. He’s made it clear he wasn’t just out here to see any of the girls and he could do that anytime without meeting with you personally. If he’s not here to shut you down, then what’s his purpose of visiting?”
Jackson finished feeding his son and burped him. “Baby, Jay would come here if it’s his plan to shutsomeone elsedown.”
Nine
He forgot the essence she had when she woke up in the morning.
As Ocean woke up from his slumber, he didn’t have to search for Aaliyah. Her side of the bed was still warm and he could smell the lavender incense from a short distance away. Erykah Badu’s sultry voice filled the condo and he could faintly make out Aaliyah singing along.
They made love several times throughout the night, exploring and teasing each other. A soft pull, a hard push. Scratches and bites on various body parts. The headboard caused dents in the wall from the relentless banging.
Tasting each other’s love, promising everything, and guaranteeing nothing.
Ocean was naturally sore but his heart was full. He’d never felt so free, so unbridled with anyone else. With Aaliyah, he could truly be himself with no false pretenses. He didn’t have to fake it for the cameras or put on his politician mask.
Ocean could be everything to Aaliyah and she accepted him wholly. The last two years were a blur of being set up on political dates with women who were more interested in how they looked in photographs than why Ocean considered Stevie Wonder’sMusic of My Mindalbum one of his best.
He didn’t want to date someone and marry them because she would look good with him. If there wasn’t a connection, he didn’t want it. He wanted a 90’s R&B love. He didn’t want safe, adult contemporary. He wanted Johnny Gill, Jodeci, and Dru Hill. He didn’t want Adele.
Aaliyah guaranteed Ocean Jimi Hendrix and Iron Maiden. She loved hard and fast and her music reflected that. That was fine by Ocean as long as it didn’t make him fall asleep.
He would worry about music tastes and screening songs for their future children later. It was Labor Day weekend and Ocean was glad to take a break from politics for just a few days. He wanted to make the most of his weekend with Aaliyah before he had to go back to D.C. and pretended he liked some people from his own party when he really wanted to kick their asses.
He freshened up in the bathroom before he made his way downstairs. Aaliyah had already made breakfast and was working on the lion piece. She had her glasses down to the bridge of her nose and her locs were pulled up to a messy bun on top of her head.
She wore a simple tank top and lounge pants that showcased her boyish figure. Ocean felt his breath caught in his throat seeing just how naturally beautiful Aaliyah was. She didn’t need a lot of makeup; low-key he thought she didn’t like wearing too much of it. She also didn’t like fancying herself up with a lot of artificial stuff.
Give her some bell pants and a tank top paired with large hoop earrings and Aaliyah was good to go.
“You keep staring at me, you should take a picture.” She slowly looked up with a smile.
Ocean walked over to her and kissed her forehead, causing Aaliyah to moan. He would never get enough of hearing her sweet moans in his ear. “I have morning breath so a forehead kiss is what you’re getting now.”
“I appreciate you not killing me.” She replied.
Ocean went into the kitchen and saw Aaliyah had already prepared breakfast. Homemade blueberry muffins, eggs, bacon, and freshly-squeezed orange juice. It wasn’t breakfast Aaliyah would typically prepare and Ocean appreciated the effort. He felt like Jody in Baby Boy when Yvette cleaned the home and made him tacos.
Maybe Ocean should give Aaliyah another dickdown and see if she’ll press his shirts. “When did you wake up, rainbow?”
“A few hours ago. I was wide awake and I figured you needed a break,” she glanced over at him and blushed, “so I decided to make breakfast and continue work on the tattoo.”
“Thank you for letting me sleep though you could’ve awoken me.” Ocean sipped his coffee. “I wouldn’t have minded if you rode me again.”
