The plot follows the formula of a romance novel. Who Does it Better is a story about Rahiem Sanderbolt, a successful African-American/Black man who is a defense contractor living in New York City who has just about everything in life but is missing one thing: that special someone. Rahiem can have any woman he wants but he is at a point in his career where his dreams are about to become a reality beyond what he has envisioned and the all possibilities in life are limitless. His actions, behavior, choices and decisions are being scrutinized by the public and the media. It is time Rahiem has settled down. His days of club-hopping with model-types needs to be a thing of the past. There was one woman whom Rahiem had thoughts of marrying, Chanel Clairboure. She is, a single mother living in the District of Columbia striving to make a living for herself and her son. She is twenty-seven year old graduate student at George Washington University majoring in Computer Science. Chanel is independent, cultured and well versed and just happens to be in the same career choice as Rahiem. He senses that Chanel is the one thing that is missing in his life. Rahiem has a conference to attend and life-changing meeting in D.C. with an important public figure. Rahiem calls to invite Chanel to the conference and for a weekend of paradise. He wants to show her they have the same level of vision; compatibility and that they are destined to be together. Chanel declines Rahiem proposal knowing that she wants to accept but she will not let her guard down. Rahiem decides to not risk losing the one thing that will make his life complete. Rahiem does everything in his power to prove to Chanel that she is his soul mate. Here are some other essential characters in the story: Maik - Rahiem's best friend. He is a physical trainer for the NY Giants. They met in undergrad at Howard U. Monique - Chanel's best friend. She is a PR exec living in DC with her husband, Ahmir, who is an entertainment lawyer. Nashea - the villainess.
Who Does It Better? By: Natasha White
Chapter I May 5, 2010 4:45 pm--Rahiem Divine Sanderbolt scrolled through his contact list cross referenced females in the DMV. Today his mission was to find a companion for a few days during his business trip to DC. The average business man would simply call the top flight escort service in town and be done with it; especially in D.C. where discretion was the rule among politicians and defense contractors. Rahiem was different. He created his own special application for his private contacts that ranks women according to categories and availability. Some of the main categories and ranges within the categories are: Demeanor; laid back, uptight, downright anal. Relationship; single, married, swinger. Slut Matrix; needs relationship, first night action, will fuck your brother and mother. GFactor; not in public, only after midnight, let’s go to the beach…pick an island. Sexy; Serena Williams (athletic), Halle Berry (pretty, tame), Pinky-Porn star (when she walks in the room everyone gets aroused). Maintenance; corner pizza shop and Corona, TGIF’s and Cosmopolitan, 4 Seasons and Louis XIII Needless to say this search engine produced some hellafide memories; a must for a self-made G-6 rider. To the top of the list pops the incomparable Chanel Clairbourne. A 27 year old grad student at George Washington University out of Bowie, MD, with the hottest spoken word flow ever heard. Rahiem smiled at the Facebookesque pic attachment that showed off Chanel’s perfectly pearly whites and immaculately trimmed locks. Even in this digitized facsimile the golden brown specs seemed to dance in her almond shaped hazel brown eyes. Rahiem rushed to enlarge the photo to full scale to get a glimpse at this woman’s supple bust line. He fondly recalled resting his head on her ample bosom. The faint smell of her skin filled
his nostrils and it had a calming effect upon him. After a few moments of blissful reminiscing on their trysts he grabbed his Droid to call her. (Answer tone/Ringtone) “Yeah it is your girl Chanel. Doing what I need to do now so I can do what I wanna do later!” If your patient you just might catch the…Pretty Girl/ Sunshine in the air/ perfume everywhere… Wale’s rendition of Backyard’s classic go-go hit fit Chanel to a tee. The selection made Rahiem grin at the prospect of what he was up against. Yeah Chanel even a legit, world traveling, boss like Rahiem Divine would have to come correct. As her answer tone played on, Rahiem thought it has been eight, maybe nine, months since he had last seen her. They had hollered through social sites and keep a little but no real contact for some time. Hell she may have found someone and was caught up. As bad and beautiful as this free spirited woman was many men must be trying to wife her, keep her or seed her up. ”Hello.” Chanel’s voice startled him out of his thoughts. ”H-He-Hey Chanel, what’s good wit’ chu’ girl? He stumbled. “Hey Rah Baby!” Her response was genuinely excited. “Shoo it ain’t nothing. A sista is just trying to stay in God’s favor and pissing off the haters.” This woman had a quick wit and sensibility that made speaking with her such a pleasure. “I know that’s right! Without the haters glare we’d never know who really makes the big moves and how good we look doing it.” “Okay!” she said wondering what this man had in mind calling her out of the blue after so many months. Who was he seeing or rather who wasn’t he seeing and did he think he can pop up get with a sista as if she had nothing going on. Rahiem glanced across his office and saw his reflection in the glass achievement award he won last year. His complexion was a deep rich milk chocolate brown and his eyes were light brown and slightly slanted. His lips were full and teeth were model perfect. Woman always told him he should model. There was a time is Rahiem’s life that he suffered from the ugly duckling
syndrome. As he stared at his reflection he saw that young boy who was once shy, nerdy, timid and unattractive. The image faded back to his adult face. He figured out what direction the conversation should take. “So how is your little man doing? Kadeem has got to be a handful. Last I saw him he was almost as tall as you Shorty.” Oh so he was going into the family thing before he gets straight to the business. Slickass. “Shut up boy! You know Kadeem ain’t but six and knee high to a grasshopper. He is doing just fine with his grown self. He just started little league baseball so I’ve been taking him to practice every week. It’s crazy I am the only young Black mother there. The rest of the parents are grandmas and older men and most of them are White folk. They always seem shocked that I would give up my spare time to participate in my son’s activities. As if a sista is only interested in shaking her behind and keeping her weave tight. Well I am more than pleased to represent for the sistas that care for their kids and still look good. I just wish they played in a nice gym or someplace with less dirt. These Jimmy Choo’s cost entirely too much to keep tracking through some damn mud.” She gave a quick laugh. “I bet. I didn’t know Jimmy Choo made a cleat.” He oozed sarcasm. “I know those older cats are just too happy to clear a path for you to stand right up front.” “How’d you know?” She awaited his smart comment as she looked out her office window in Chocolate City. She looked across Pennsylvania Avenue at the pedestrians walking up and down the street going into either the Shops at Columbia or Trader Joe’s. Chanel then opened her MAC compact, powered her nose and touched up her lips with her Oh Baby lip gloss. Chanel was dressed in a Tahari ASL beige two-piece suit and had the black patent leather Coach pumps to set off the suit. “They are probably hopping out of the Old Daddy Caddy with the suit slacks, button down, lizards and matching belt, official gold watch, summer Fedora and handkerchief in hand
to keep the sweat off the brow. You know you can never let them see you sweat. His senior citizen swag is on one trillion; just dying to show a pretty young thang like you how she should be treated. All types of umbrellas, fruit salads, prune smoothies and frozen yogurt pops all laid out for you.” He chuckled after taking a shot at the men that he knew one day he, too would be. “Oh, but you forgot the hot dogs, tickets to the Nationals’ games for Kadeem and a pocket full of Viagra, baby! Yeah them ole heads are so cute they be shooting there shot. I am sitting there just as pretty, smiling and every once in awhile rub a little crushed ice on my neck and chest for effect.” She laughed, “Got to give the people what they want!” “OOOHH! Girl you are so bad! Rahiem loved the fact that she was secure with her sexuality wisely, applying just enough pressure to make one uncomfortable yet too intrigued to pull away. “You know me, Rah, forever the flirt. So what’s good with you Mr. Divine? Where is the national crisis in need of managing?” Chanel was anxious to see what was on Rahiem’s agenda, but for now she was enjoying the small talk. Rahiem leaned back in his office chair and put his feet on his desk. “Well, I just got back from Seattle dealing with a faulty safety alert system that only ran on RSS feeds. I had to bring them up to speed with a digital signage system complete with a NOC. I will be in DC for a Home Land Security conference on Cyber Warfare, Wednesday, May nineteenth through the twenty-first.” Being that Chanel was a computer science major, her IT radar went crazy at the mention of cyber warfare. “That sounds interesting; you are always working on great projects. I went to a seminar last month where I got to meet your professor Dorothy Denning. We chatted awhile about what quantum computing will do to information security and she signed her book “Information Warfare” for me. Chanel knew Mrs. Denning and Rahiem had a more intimate relationship that he would ever care to admit to. She would throw her name out whenever they spoke just to see him squirm a little.
Rahiem stared at his bookcase and his thesis that he and Dorothy tirelessly worked on that had caught his eye. He vividly remembered the night they celebrated finally completing the thesis. Rahiem made Dorothy feel like a young woman again and she made him feel like he could conquer the world. He spoke in an uncomfortable tone and rushed to change the subject. “Oh that’s great Chanel. Mrs. Denning is the top in her field you should look to her for assistance when you get ready to do your thesis. She always gives me the heads up on the trends in barrier intrusion.” “Oh no, no, no that will not do. When I prepare my thesis I want no one other than the man in the trenches to help me with some real life examples of the war against cyber terrorism. If I want some old textbook talk I’ll call Mrs. Professor but for the real I’m calling you Big Daddy. You got me?” With his ego fully on swollen he replied, “Come on Sugar you know Daddy got you!” “Alrighty then.” Chanel touched the mouse to check her email. She sensed the pause in Rahiem’s flow meant it was time to get to the business, the real reason he called. “So Chanel what’s really going on? Are you up for a little fun with an ole friend from out of town or has some super man come along and swooped you off the market?” She kissed her teeth quickly and responded. “Boy please, you know men out here are not ready for me. They all claim they want a real independent, sexually liberated woman but they sure as hell don’t know how to keep one. Beside you know I’m waiting for you, Daddy.” She added the last in her most seductive voice. The thought alone made his heart race however kept his composure. “Oh yeah, that’s crazy. I thought for sure some lucky dog would have Beyonce’d you by now. Well them fools out in the DMV wouldn’t know a good woman if she sat on his face. In the Big Apple, a chick as smart and driven as you wouldn’t last a day past her twenty-fifth birthday. Especially if she got that G-Factor and trust you got it in spades.”
“G-Factor? Okay what kinds of crazy rating system have you and your boys come up with now?” She was glad he could see her blush through the phone. Ah yes, the infamous Gorgeous Factor, the ultimate rating of a woman’s physical, and intellectual presence. Rahiem searched for the right words so as to not sound like a chauvinistic pig to this intelligent woman. “Well Baby Girl the G-Factor is just my way of judging how attractive a woman is. How she makes all the people she comes in contact feel without ever saying a word. It has to with her overall demeanor, disposition, the energy she gives off and of course her looks. It never hurt a sista to have a phatty back there. Nah I’m Sayin’” “Shut up nasty. Okay then, what is on your agenda?” Chanel could take the suspense no longer. “Is a sista gonna get some air time or are you gonna run around town with those two Amazon sistas again?” Rahiem was taken aback. “Oh, you heard about that?” “Yeah, child you know everything gets caught on someone’s iPhone. High on the radar would be a chocolate brown brother pushing an icy blue convertible Bentley in the dead of winter. You probably would have got by had you not had the two six foot three Samoan chicks rocking lacey two pieces under full length Chinchilla. Yeah the promoter of the Ballers/Pimp Cabaret couldn’t wait to get that on YouTube.” Slightly embarrassed, he spat out. “Come on Babe, you I was just showing off. Gotta let my inner Pimp out every once in awhile or I won’t feel alive. I would have called you but I didn’t think that type of exploitive display was your twist.” “Yeah right Pimpin’ if I’d let you, you would have my pretty ass in fishnets and six inch spiked heels outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue working a portable pole for Barack and Michelle.” She paused. “If I’d let you.” In a sly tone he shot back, “Would you though?”
Chanel was not one to let the man have the power until she was ready to give it up. “For you Daddy I would, just as long you were there with me in that sheer, black boxer brief and bow tie set I love.” Her response was checkmate. The two burst out laughing and worked on the details for their rendezvous. Rahiem knew a dinner and a movie would be wholly inadequate for a lady of Chanel’s caliber. Not to mention he has never seen the inside of a Magic Johnson’s Multiplex, it just wasn’t his style any longer. Ten years earlier a chic would have gotten the normal grab a bite, sneak some drink in the theater, and then straight to the short stay for some real stoned loving’. That was the undergrad blues and though good times were had being broke was no fun.
Chapter II Rahiem went to college on an academic scholarship. Which was a blessing as his mother, Valerie Sanderbolt was not able to afford it on a New York City teacher’s salary. Valerie was of petite stature. She stood 5’5 and weighed about one hundred and twenty pounds. Her complexion was like French Vanilla and her hair was long and wavy. Valerie looked good for her age. She was bi-racial, born to a Black mother and White father. Struggling while growing up was something very familiar to Valerie. Financial aid was not an option. She was still trying to handle all the debt after the death of Rahiem’s father. Rahiem’s mother couldn’t afford anymore debt. Rahiem’s father, David Sanderbolt was a New York City Police detective who had been shot in the line of duty making a drug bust in Crown Heights. He and Valerie had met in high school and married shortly after graduation. Rahiem’s father worked as a rookie cop while Valerie went to school full-time. While she worked on her teaching degree she also tutored part-time. David sacrificed so much for his family so she could get ahead. Their love and commitment to one another was undeniable. He was the only man she had ever been with and had ever loved. When he died she vowed she would stay true to him and had not been with another man since David. Despite several advances from decent men in her community, at work and place of worship, she did not accept any offers. She raised her son all by herself and tried to give him the best she could. Valerie struggled while doing it. This was the main reason she was adamant about an academic scholarship. She did not want Rahiem to acquire any debt before he graduated and was on his own in the real world. Rahiem worked extremely hard in school and at home. As his mother was a teacher, Rahiem seemed to always have school work or an assignment. Even on the weekends when most kids Rahiem’s age didn’t have homework, his mother gave him homework. The neighborhood kids would knock on Rahiem’s door to see if he could come out to play tag or dodge-ball. He was always in the books and or on the computer.
Rahiem was teased and called a nerd, geek or house boy as he was in the house all the time. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Rahiem was shy and timid. It wasn’t until high ninth grade when he made the junior varsity basketball team for Brooklyn Technical High School that he finally broke out of his shell. He was no longer shy or timid, and he actually grew into a handsome young man. This was a side of Rahiem his class mates had not seen before. Growing up in the “melting pot” of New York City allowed Rahiem’s upbringing to be very diverse. Valerie wanted him to be well versed. She had heard Brooklyn Tech was proven leader in science, technology, engineering and mathematic-based education. The school’s administration and faculty, as well as the alumni foundation, were committed to enhancing the quality of education. He went to school with kids with various socio-economically backgrounds. The school population consisted of Blacks, Whites, Latinos, Asians, and a few Native Americans. It was a specialized school geared towards gifted and talented programs. Only students with the highest Regional Exams test scores were admitted to Brooklyn Tech. After the first season Rahiem had become quite popular. He played basketball throughout high school. He became friends with one of the wealthiest kids in school, Jeremy. Rahiem would later learn that Jermey’s father had owned a major computer programming firm in midtown Manhattan. They had first met one day after practice when Rahiem walked down the school hall and saw a kid storming out of the computer lab crying. Normally if it were during school hours, Rahiem would have not said anything as there would have been teachers, the guidance counselor or his friends around. But since there was hardly anyone there, he approached him. “Excuse me, I know you don’t know me but I noticed that you were upset. I am not sure what may be troubling you, but my mom tells me to, ‘Give it to God.’ Most time when I do the situation seems to turn out better.” He patted Jeremy on the shoulder and continued down the hall. It just happened that he had learned his father had been died from a heart attack. And his mother had spoken those very same words to Jeremy.
“We just have to give it to God, son.” Jeremy’s mother was a devout Catholic and believed that God took him for His purpose. Rahiem didn’t find out until the following week that Jeremy had lost his father. Jeremy was waiting outside the locker room for Rahiem. “Hey I just wanted a chance to say thanks for that day. I was in a real bad place and my mind was, hell, I lost my mind. But your words were identical to what my mother had said. And I took it as a message from my dad that he would watch over us and we would be all right.” Rahiem then expressed how he too had lost his father. And even though Jeremy mainly stayed with the rich and “in” crowd and Rahiem hung with everyone there was not anyone that could separate their bond. It was Jermey who turned Rahiem onto the world of hacking. Jermey’s dad had been a computer programmer and dabbled in it; it was engrained in his blood. He taught Rahiem the ins and outs out hacking. Rahiem spent his time equally in the gym and computer lab. He finally decided what he wanted to major in, Computer Science and he partially owed that to Jeremy. Jeremy was accepted to M.I.T in Boston. He was following his father’s footsteps and would take over and run his father’s company. They remained friends through adulthood. Rahiem was eventually eligible for an athletic scholarship but his mother reassured him that an academic scholarship was best as he could have an injury and risk losing the scholarship. He did however play as a walk-on during his college years at Howard University in D.C. He worked extremely hard on and off the court. Howard University was a great experience for Rahiem. He had never seen so many brown faces before. Of course, coming from New York, he was around Black people, but not where they were the majority. As he walked around the campus he saw so many different shades of sisters. And they all had their own sense of style and fashion. As it was the early nineties there was a new approach to style and dress in Hip Hop fashion. Rahiem was in heaven in his new environment This is exactly what Valerie had been afraid of. Rahiem’s mother did not want him to attend a historical Black university. She did not want him to lose focus because of all the big
butt sisters in his way plus she would always tell him, “The world is not all Black.� But Rahiem figured that all his life he was surrounded with people from all walks of life why not have an opportunity to be among his people. The first person Rahiem met was his dorm mate Malik Johnson. Malik was a highyellow pretty boy with smooth silky hair that was in a low cut fade. He had light brown eyes and a beauty mark right above his lip which was a gift and a curse. The girls loved it, but guys teased him and tried to bitch him about it. He was half Puerto Rican and half Black. His mother was Puerto Rican but all he could speak was Spanglish. Malik was already in the room setting up his belongings and blasting his Infamous Mobb Deep cd. The room was a decent size and instead of the bunk beds that Malik said he used to the beds were on separate sides of the room. They were twin and extra long mattresses and a dresser, desk and bookshelf for each of them. The room was wired with cable television, the internet and a telephone. In addition, the dorm included a study room, computer Lab, vending machines, with a microwave in the snack room. In student lounge there was a large screen TV room, pool table, and a weight room. The dorm room was on the third floor in the all boys dorm. Undergrads could not stay in co-ed dorms until sophomore year. Malik was the first in his family to go to college and was the oldest of seven siblings. He was just happy to be away from all his brothers and sisters. Since he was the oldest Malik usually got the short end of the stick. Malik was at Howard on a full althetic scholarship. He played both basketball and football, but football was his life. Rahiem and Malik connected insistently, since they both played on the basketball team.
Malik was not as book smart as
Rahiem and since Malik was the star athlete on campus the girls flocked to him. Malik allowed women to get him off balance. In fact it was Rahiem who helped Malik stay afloat and kept his head above water and into the books so that he graduated on time. But what Malik did not know that in Rahiem’s spare time he was a hacker, something he picked up in high school. Rahiem remembered all Jeremy taught him and self-taught new codes and to his surprise was
quite good. Since most people thought that hacking was something that only White kids did, Malik was never suspected. Hacking was actually how Rahiem decided to major in Computer Science. His love of computers and cracking codes was what truly set Rahiem above the rest. Rahiem has sacrificed plenty to get himself into the position of a shot caller and now that he hadgot it he has no problem spending it. His mottos for life were work hard and play harder. Anyone that worked with him would call him tireless. Those that are blessed to play with him want for nothing, pay for nothing, and indulge in the all most decadent adventures imaginable.
Chapter III Chanel had the mentality of a person deprived of the luxuries in life. Though she was doing well financially, she held tight to her worldly possessions as though she might never be able to obtain them again. As a single mother she worked hard and paid for everything in her household with no inclination to splurge. Educated in the West Indies, Chanel has a unique sense of culture and an aristocratic air that was seldom found in Black women in the states. Chanel was born in America to a Jamaican mother and an American father. Anne Clarke, her mother relocated back to Jamaica when Chanel was only age of four. Her father, Gary Clairbourne had left her mother for another woman, her mother’s best friend, Clarissa the same woman that used to watch Chanel as a baby. Anne was so distraught she decided to move back to her native land. They stayed with Chanel’s grandmother Isolyn Clarke who was the matriarch of the family. She had the complexion of dark brown sugar and just like the sugar she was sweet and hard. Her grandmother was a stern but loving woman who did not really know how to show affection or emotions. Grandma Isolyn was a divorcee and a strong independent woman who vowed she would never depend on a man for anything. Chanel would cry herself to sleep the first few months being in the familiar yet foreign land. She knew that when her grandmother would pass by her room after she locked the veranda for the night she could hear her weeping. There were so many things that Chanel was dealing with for example the separation from her father and moving to a climate that was hot all year round. Though she understood patios and could speak it somewhat, Chanel was ridiculed by the other kids for the way she talked. “Whey dis gal a com from? She mus com from foreign, she nah chat right, ya likkle yankee gal gwan and gwey.” Chanel would run in the house crying. Because of Grandma Isolyn’s tough exterior Chanel did not want her to know she was crying. “Stop di bawlin’, whey yuh bawl fah now”?
To Chanel’s surprise Grandma Isolyn sat on the vinyl covered floral sofa and asked Chanel to come to her. Chanel was hesitant as the living room was off limits to children. The living room was a sacred place, only when special guests or family came by would anyone be allowed in there. The brown coffee table had many little trinkets that sat on white doilies. The trinkets varied from porcelain families of dogs and glass birds or bells that could actually ring. And there were photos upon photos of deceased and living relatives. Grandma Isolyn insisted that it was all right for her to enter. She placed Chanel on her lap. “Yuh must not let di teasin of the pickni upset yuh. Dem jus jealous fi yuh. You come from foreign, dem wish dey can go foreign. Trust mi when mi say yuh don hav fi cry no more mums. Mi know all dis seems strange but being ear is di best ting fi yuh an yuh madda”. Anne found a job a seamstress and would bring Chanel with her. Chanel would sit at her mother’s feet while she sewed for hours. There were a few other women who worked there. When Chanel would get bored she would go outside and enjoy the warm Jamaican sun as it would smile on her face. The smell of the fried fish and bammy entered her nostrils. The fishermen walked by her as they came from the ocean with the catch. The women with the large fruit basket balanced on their heads swayed by and yelled out, “Suga cane, sour sop and mango fi sale, get it while it’s ripe.” Chanel began to appreciate the people and the island of Jamaica. It was here that she saw just how hard people worked to make a decent living and sacrificed for a better life for their families. As an adult Chanel did her best to live within her means while still treating her son and herself to the finer luxuries when she deemed them appropriate. Urban life in American had shown her that life was fragile and at any moment she could be sick, injured, jobless or worst. The little college fund and 401k nest egg she was building could be dissolved in no time. What would become of Kadeem? Would he be left to fend for himself in the streets, seek the gangs
for companionship, fall victim to drugs? This is what drove her to excel. She nurtured her career as if it was Kadeem’s little brother. At this point she knew she was close, maybe three years from being completely financially secure. Three years from being capable of doing what she wanted and able to provide her son with all he wanted and needed. She would have accomplished all this without a stripper pole, boosting, credit card or check schemes, just a little patience and deliberate hard work. So, if a man wanted to treat her to a special time, he had to do it better than she would do for herself. Why would she settled for anything less? She listened to him. “Well Ms. Chanel I’d like to steal you away from Kadeem for a few days if you can manage it. I have mandatory meetings on the nineteenth and twenty-first in the afternoon and one dinner engagement on the night of the nineteenth that I would be honored if you would accompany me to. Other than that I am free through Sunday the twenty-third.” Chanel listened knowing this man had a tendency of making lavish plans with which no one could possibly complete. The last time there were together in Aspen, a snowstorm prevented them from flying to Spain to see the bulls run. As she recalled being snowed in with Rahiem was a hell of a lot better than watching some crazed bulls chased a bunch of deranged foolishly macho Spaniards through the streets. “The conference dinner sounds kind of stuffy but I’m listening.” “It will be stuffy so I propose after we put some miles on the jet. We could hit a few spots without leaving the states since the conference has me on a short leash. My plan is to make reservations for us at the Grand Hyatt for Wednesday through Sunday. Take your fine hardworking self and a few girlie things over there early Wednesday and get settled in. They have a wonderful day spa where you can get a mani/pedi, facial, full body massage and whatever you like before dinner. We can sneak out of the dinner early.” “Yeah like no one will notice the finest Black couple in the place sliding out?”
“Please, how bout the only Black couple in the place.” This is a shared humbling moment. They both realized that though they were successful educated Black people they were still a small minority. Reality was that between the Asian and the Asian Indians, Blacks and Latinos were almost non-existent in this arena. “Someone has got to bring some flavor to the mix. Anyway, I heard ya girl Jill Scott is having her first exclusive appearance since she had the baby at Zanzibar Blues in Philly.” Chanel screamed out, “Oh that’s my girl! I have not seen her since she started working on that Tyler Perry project.” Rahiem knew that the relationship between her and Jill would be an instant hook for his lady friend. “So we shoot to Philly have a couple of drinks catch up and groove until the wee hours of the morning. Once we have mellowed out I think a nice quiet flight to MIA would be the lick. Touchdown Thursday and watch the sunrise over a steak and cheese eggs breakfast until we fall out”. Trying not to sound too enthused but concerned she asks, “Won’t you miss all the important security info Thursday if we are out all night doing the Neo-soul thing?” “That is what my executive assistant Stacy is for. He will fill me in on all the gory details via Skype and have the highlights on tape delay waiting for me on the accordant system.” Shocked Chanel blurted out, “Him? Your, executive assistant Stacy is a man?” Rahiem laughed. “Yeah, that’s my dude, he is super efficient and well paid. In my mind a man is best for this position. There are no blurred lines between work and play, no hanky panky rumors floating around the office and most of all no sexual harassment suits.” The pause was more of a laugh between them. He continued, “I will sleep late at the beach house; you’ll probably want to jump up and do some shopping before we hit the beach. Then again, shopping with you is always a trip I would not miss it for the world. We shall hit the beach under an umbrella right when the sun reaches its highest point in the hottest swimwear you can find for the world to see. As it cools down we can walk the beach white sand between
our toes or simply lay it down and watch the sunset. We are going to need all the sun’s energy to keep us strong through the night of club hopping on South Beach. We can do it all from reggaeton to salsa. If your pretty little feet can handle it?” “Whatever, you better worry about the bunions on them big dogs of yours.” “Friday morning I will have to catch a flight back to DC for my last mandatory meeting. You are welcome to stay in Miami and meet me in DC Friday evening.” Chanel rejected the offer. “No babe, if I am with you I will be by your side. Where you go I go.” The sincerity in Chanel’s voice threw Rahiem off for a moment. He still had trouble figuring out what this girl was all about. Sometimes she seemed like jus a party girl and then at other times the perfect lifetime companion. “That’s what I’m talking about! Ok then, Friday evening once the dust settles we are heading to Vegas. During the flight out to Vegas we can really catch up on work and sleep.” Chanel thinks, no way, how absurd it would be to waste a good perfectly good opportunity to join the mile high club. “I did some work for the Maloof bros. in 2007 so they always have a suite or two for me. However we must make it over to Sands to catch my Uncle Charlie, Charlie Wilson opening for the legendary Chaka Khan.” On cue Chanel bust out in her deepest Melle Mel voice, “Chaka— Chaka—Chaka Khan/Chaka Kahn let me love you Chaka Kan/let me love you that’s all I wanna do/Chaka Khan let me love you cause I feel for you/I feel for you/I think I love you. Awhhhh!” Rahiem could do nothing but laugh as Chanel broke into the classic Chaka Khan scream. “Damn girl you sound good. I might have to get you a gold afro wig, some bells and put you up there with Chaka.” “Nah but I will put on a mean Gucci silk and sequin number with the plunging neckline. It’s backless so you can rub my backside for good luck at the craps table.” She purred in her Girl 6 voice.
“Ooooh, you gonna make break my resolution and start gambling again. Well what happens in Vegas. We will ball out of control until later Saturday then back on the G-6 to Virginia. After the madness of Vegas I think the tranquility of a country bed and breakfast in is order. The Harmony Inn is the sweetest spot in the Shenandoah Valley. I think you will love it; the couple that runs the place really treats you like family. The food is excellent and the inn is actually an historical landmark. There are actual Underground Railroad tunnels and hide outs. Harriet Tubman was said to have stayed there on occasion.” Intrigued Chanel interjected, “You seem to know a lot about this spot. I bet you have brought many companions to this place.” Her response masked her true feelings. Her afro-centric side longs to vibe at an inspirational place like that. She could almost feel the ancestor’s energy just talking about it. Rahiem knew where Chanel was going with her comment so he cured her curiosity. “Yeah a business associate of mine saw the place on the foreclosure market in 2008. It was to be destroyed by the bank so the local government could build some new road. Once we were aware of the history of the land we knew it could not be destroyed. So we went through the process of having it made a historical landmark. We bought it and converted it into the historical site and bed and breakfast that it is today. As for my, companions never bring anyone to the same place. I hardly ever go the same place twice. I particularly never bring anyone, outside of family to a property that I own. Why would I want to confuse my memories especially when there are so many beautiful places in the world to visit?” His tone let Chanel she had hit a vein. “Ok, that was very culturally responsible of you and I would be pleased to see what you have done with the place someday soon.” The remark rolled right off his back as he continued with his pitch. “All of our adventures and travels complete I will have you back at the Grand Hyatt Sunday to relax and recuperate. So what do you think? Does this sound like something you’d be into? Who does it better?
Chanel was so excited she could hardly stand it. However a lady never gives in quite so easily. There must be a bit of a cat and mouse to keep the gentleman on his toes. Besides she was Chanel Clairbourne. A weekend of shopping, clubbing and travel was not so uncommon. Although she was caught off guard by the historical landmark, which was a mean twist, she would not show it. This Rahiem character knew how to get Chanel and that worried her. She ran her game. “All of that sounds like good times for sure and I am flattered by your willingness to take this island girl to see all the “Big City” sites. However I have a job, a son to take care for, and classes to attend among things. This is just too short notice. I will have to take a rain check. Maybe next time you can give a sister a little more lead time.” As the words left her mouth she held her breath knowing her tone could break the deal. A moment of dead air silence let her know that Rahiem was perplexed. He was not used to woman rejecting his advances. He broke the silence. “You know what? I did not consider all of your scheduling conflicts, responsibilities and priorities. I apologize for bring thoughtless.” Chanel could not believe that she turned Rahiem down. She had thought about him every day since the last time they were together but being whom she was and that it had been almost a year since they have seen one another she could not let her guard down. Chanel hurried off the phone because she knew she might change her mind and used work as an excuse, “I accept your apology but I really do have to get back to proofreading these docs for my staff meeting”. Chanel tested the waters to see if he would choose another conquest, “If I don’t hear back from you while you’re in town I will assume some other lucky woman cleared the whole month for Mr. Rahiem Divine.” “Well Ms. Clairbourne, as always it’s been a pleasure and I do hope I at least get a chance to see you while I’m in town.” Chanel praying to herself and says aloud, “If it’s God’s will it shall be.”