Forgive or Forget

iUniverse, Inc.

Chapter One

Nasha Wild, at your service. Only a high school graduate, unfortunately. I've never liked school and didn't want to return. I'm five feet two inches tall. I have beautiful brown sugar skin, just the right amount of breasts, and an ample ass—the type of body that always draws attention whether I want it to or not. Not to toot my own horn, but toot toot. I've always had two dreams: owning my own business and living out a sexual fantasy from a book.

Pleasure Palace is my baby, the bookstore I've always wanted and more. The sheer thought of coming into a bookstore/lounge and getting deep into a book while sipping your favorite cocktail was absolute genius. So she was busying herself, looking around, admiring what would soon be grand opening day. Nasha only purchased half of the rented warehouse building located in the downtown area of Little Rock, Arkansas. The building was a quaint space with great curb appeal. The building was an old art gallery that had failed miserably. So the space was ridiculously laid out. There were two levels: the grand room and two smaller rooms upstairs—one was my office and the other was currently the stock area. I kept the red brick walls; I felt that it gave the room character. Lots of bookshelves were strategically placed along the north and east walls, and a bar was on the west wall. There were also several comfy sofas placed in various locations in the room. The bathrooms were luxuriously furnished and very roomy, even the one in my private office. The difference in my store was that I only carried romance and erotic writings. It was a good place for people who wanted a fun atmosphere in which to host book club meetings or to just come and cop a squat.

It was down to one week before my grand opening. I couldn't wait. Good thing my girlfriends knew just how to keep me on track or blown off the track, hearing about what was new in their world. I would say that my small group of friends was just as interesting. My friend from six years ago is my best friend and will always be: Narene Smith. She is successful in the real estate business. She has several homes for sale all over Little Rock and north Little Rock. She is what the world considers a big girl with an awesome attitude. Her face is beautiful, and her style is impeccable. She's a single mother with a set of twin girls, Natasha and Natasia Smith, only three years old. Koren Myers is a successful advertising agent working boldly at the biggest ad agencies in the state, and as an African American women, that's quite an accomplishment. She is also a healthy woman with a no-nonsense attitude. She has one son, Byron Jr., at only nine months old. She despises juniors and said she must have been high off of the epidural in order to agree to that name. Her longtime boyfriend of ten years, Byron, is still hearing flack. Then there's my girl Sassy James, a bright, young, rising, hard-working mother of two. She has the perfect combo of one boy and one girl, and the husband Herbert to boot. She's a thin girl, dark chocolate complexion, with beautiful skin tones and bone structure, who is also considered one of those salad eaters. She's a makeup artist with a stay-at-home husband who does an excellent job parenting Saturday and Sunday James, seven and ten respectfully. Lastly, my girl Sarah Green is an exciting editor who gives us all the dirt on new and upcoming books for our monthly book club, and who's also a twenty-seven-year-old virgin. Yes, there are still some of those out there, sitting on a pair of double FFs. She has yellowish skin, shoulder-length hair, beautiful eyes, and she is a little unsure of herself. She is single and is looking for the perfect Christian man to marry and give all of her virginity to.

Nasha's grand opening was an event she had been ready for her entire life. So she definitely wanted it to have much success. She had everything planned down to the nines. Honey, it was going to be all that and a bag of chips. It was something Little Rock would talk about for years to come. "I just want it to be successful," became Nasha's quote of the week.

I had hired some wait staff and interviewed each one myself. I had gotten a chef and his crew to come in and give me some ideas for the menu and had a tasting menu the night before to ensure its success. The place was decorated beautifully. It was not just a black tie event; there were all types of colors to represent who I was having—various hues of my favorite color, yellow.

The time had come. All types of people were at the event, from TV moguls to politicians to restaurant entrepreneurs and book lovers from all over the Natural State. My girlfriends came with a bouquet of yellow roses. It was a complete success. We had an author coming out with her first novel at the same time: Gloria Summerville. She was having a book signing, and everyone was giving her mad support. It was everything a small-time girl with big dreams could imagine it would be.

Then I looked up, and he was so handsome, dark, and slim. Those dark brown piercing eyes burned through my skin, and I instantly felt my pussy contract like, "Hey, remember me?" He tipped his champagne glass at me, and I immediately did the same back. Damn, he was so fine. I was hoping he would be here. Falcon Taylor in the motherfuckin' flesh. I knew every inch of that body, from the awesome abs to that favorite spot that forms a V right after the waistline, to that enormous, long, thick, can-fill-you-up-with-one-thrust ... Just as I found myself undressing him with my eyes, with my mouth wide open, Koren walked up to me and said, "I see your ex is here. Um, did you know he was coming? You're standing over here with that 'lay me on the floor and bring me to an amazing orgasm right here in front of this crowd' look on your face." I couldn't even argue with her. One, I couldn't think of a quick comeback and two, she was spot on.

I just said calmly, "Let me get another drink." A sangria, no orange always hit the spot with me; it was my drink of choice.

Koren said, "Yeah, whatever, don't talk to him. We will look up and you'll be off getting a quickie, ignoring all your guests, and this night won't be as grand with everyone around town talking about how you had your ass up in your office screaming, 'I'm cumming,' while they left."

"Okay!" Gosh, you would think she was the oldest or something. She had a point, and that was usually what happened whenever he and I got close to each other. Sparks flew instantly, and we ended up making up for lost time.

Koren suddenly said, "Excuse me, girl, Byron has been talking to that big girl for too long. Let me get over there." I just groaned for my friend. We all knew how much flirting Byron did. I wanted more for her but she had just had that baby. They've been together all those years; hopefully he will change, I thought.

Sassy came over, saying, "You see Byron, girl? I wouldn't go for that disrespect, especially in my face and in front of my friends. Why did she bring him? I thought we were going to have drinks after the opening and toast just the girls?"

Sarah said, "I thought so...