A Sip of Coffeedreamz: The Spider Woman's Side
An Excerpt from Sugar Rush: Love's Liberation

It was a Friday going into a Saturday when my world began to flip inside out. The girls and I were celebrating the end of another week. My hair was tight. There wasn't a strand standing lonely on my head that night. I was looking fine in my baby blue, two-piece outfit wrapped around my brown sugar frame. There were slits on each side of my pants to keep me cool from the moisture in Blackplatinum Café. No natural disaster could take my breath away. Having already blown the elements of the universe into my being, I was earth, wind, and fire with a splash of water to maintain the tranquility of my surroundings.

     I was babysitting my cranberry juice at our favorite table. Cita and Erica had their usual apple martinis while waiting for the band to get fired up for their next set. Cita made jokes about my juvenile mixture. I smiled knowing that it was not the drink that made a man take a second stare. It was my lips affixed to the rim of the glass that lured him into my web. He'd become curious about the words I might release into the atmosphere. My thought process may have somehow given him a reason to fall in love with me. However, I found comfort in my single world and was trying to avoid love's contact or so I thought. The only thing a man could do for me was wine me, dine me, romance me, and leave me alone .

     “You know what you are Dawlee?” Erica asked with a southern drawl. “You're a spida woman.”

     “A spider woman? How so?”

     “Gurl, when you like somebody you spin this alluring web of seduction. Then he fawls for you. Once you have a slight suspicion 'bout his intentions, whoosh, he's pushed out of yo territory.”

     “Can you really blame me after what I've been through?”

     “Dolly that thang with JP was years ago,” Cita said swiftly with a Creole tongue.

     “Well it still hurts and I have to be cautious. I don't want any more dark episodes in my life. I stop them before a guy makes a fool of himself and me,” I mustered to say through pouting lips.

      Dating, for me, was like playing the lotto. The odds of me having a quality date in the Washington, D.C. area were slim. I've had my heart broken more times than I care to count. My tolerance level trailed at a negative zero. I was tired of figuring out who was true and who wore masks behind love's veil. Cita and Erica think I use my work to fill the void meant for a man and as a joke bought me a vibrator.

     “You need a lil wiggle in your life, honey,” Cita said to me while moving in a snake like motion.

      As soon as they left me alone with it, I looked at that thing for ten minutes trying to figure out what to do with it, tossed it in the garbage, and booted my computer to see what was hot on the market. I was too busy trying to make money to worry about sex. Although it would be nice to have someone or something to hold on to in the middle of the night, bills still had to be paid.

     I do enjoy the company of a man. I just didn't make the men I see a part of my daily routine for any particular length of time. Real estate became my man. I couldn't afford to spend any more of my years being a victim of love. I seemingly had a sign attached to my forehead that welcomed the unemployed, convicted felons, six baby-mama drama having, I am cave man feed me now men into my life. It was rare that I would meet a companion with sincere intentions.

     As a result of being a loser magnet, I decided to live vicariously through Cita's relationships and Erica's upcoming wedding to experience the mush of love. I was trying to minimize the risks of getting hurt by watching my girls pick up where I left off some years back. I had enough of the humdrum.

     Just as Erica was about to analyze me in more detail, a sudden breeze blew in my direction. The smell of fresh bait captured my attention. On the stage of Blackplatinum Café stood a midnight dream at 11:45pm. The sound of chimes echoed throughout the jazz club. The usual band members were getting in place just as the cutie patootey in all black graced the microphone with his heavy, baritone voice.

     “How's everyone tonight?” he asked while strapping on his instrument.

      My mouth was agape. Every drop of my berry mixture evaporated into my soul. I was bone dry. He left me thirsty wanting to know who he was and how he walked into my comfort zone. Nonetheless, I kept my composure because just a few seconds shy of five minutes ago I was talking smack. I had to be cool in front of my girls. The challenge to do so appeared all over my face. His presence had me open.

      The shadow man began to step into the spotlight. He appeared to be six feet tall with a perfectly tapered hairline. His mustache connected to his neatly trimmed goatee that extended from the corners of his lips to his chin. His eyes were a cocoa brown. He was hot chocolate personified and I became warm inside just looking at him.

      “Ladies and gentlemen,” Midnight began while looking around the room. “welcome to Blackplatinum's members-only hours.”

       It seemed as if he was staring directly at me and extending a private invitation for me to listen to him play melodies in my ear.

      “Until four, The Platinum Band will play your favorites from Coltrane to Kenny G and I have the distinct honor of making love to your ears with my saxophone.”

       He was the new lead saxophonist the club had been buzzing about for the past three weeks. I was usually gone by the time the late night set began. On this night, I decided to stay because my last settlement appointment ran a little longer than expected. I wanted to get in as much chill time with my girls before I hit the pavement again. Seeing the subject of the gossip made my stay worthwhile. My innocent attempts to just relax, enjoy the music, and come up with new marketing strategies to target larger clients were put aside because Midnight had given me a new reason to pay attention to the stage. Watching him became a selfish act. I sat up with ears perked and ready to receive his next words. He had my total attention .

       "Since we're all here on a first name basis, you can call me Blacksax." He started blowing sporadic tunes into his woodwind instrument. The crowd roared with appreciation . Temperature rising and body melting, I finally closed my mouth and inhaled. Erica pinched my shoulder and I instantly came out of his musical wonderland.

        “Hey, Spida Woman? Stay focused,” Erica chuckled while playing with her butterfly hair clip. “You know these women are gonna be throwin' Lady Sunshine his way and you ain't gonna give him any.” Hmm, maybe she was right. However, Midnight and Lady Sunshine could always come together without the parting of her rays. His rocket didn't have to enter earth's atmosphere to explore terrain. For the moment, I enjoyed looking at him and dreaming of the possibilities. It was as close to the fantasy as I would get, at least until the band finished playing.

Sugar Rush: Love's Liberation is available at
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www.booksurge.com
www.borders.com
www.coffeedreamz.com
www.heritagebookstoreandmore.com
www.iqradio.net
www.waldenbooks.com

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Currently available at Howard University Bookstore located at 2225 Georgia Ave NW in Washington, DC