Turned Out Saga Read online

  Turned Out Saga

  Angel M. Hunter

  www.urbanbooks.net

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One - “Shining Star” Earth, Wind & Fire

  Chapter Two - “Let’s Wait Awhile” Janet Jackson

  Chapter Three - “Just Got Paid” Johnny Kemp

  Chapter Four - “Boys” Mary Jane Girls

  Chapter Five - “Friends” Whodini

  Chapter Six - “Caught In The Middle” Will Smith

  Chapter Seven - “Freaks Come Out At Night” Whodini

  Chapter Eight - “Man Size Love” Klymaxx

  Chapter Nine - “Meeting In The Ladies Room” Klymaxx

  Chapter Ten - “Give It To Me Baby” Rick James

  Chapter Eleven - “What’s Going On” Marvin Gaye

  Chapter Twelve - “I’m Every Woman” Chaka Khan

  Chapter Thirteen - “Freak Like Me” Adina Howard

  Chapter Fourteen - “My Girl” Temptations

  Chapter Fifteen - “Superfreak” Rick James

  Chapter Sixteen - “Fake” Alexander O’Neal

  Chapter Seventeen - “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On” Cherelle

  Chapter Eighteen - “I Wanna Sex You Up” Color Me Badd

  Chapter Nineteen - “Temporary Love Thing” Full Force

  Chapter Twenty - “Back And Forth” Cameo

  Chapter Twenty-one - “I Wonder If I Take You Home” Lisa Lisa

  Chapter Twenty-two - “My Prerogative” Bobby Brown

  Chapter Twenty-three - “Turn Off The Lights” Teddy Pendergrass

  Chapter Twenty-four - “Used To Be My Girl” O’Jays

  Chapter Twenty-five - “Keep On Movin’” Soul II Soul

  Chapter Twenty-six - “All Around The World” Lisa Stansfield

  Chapter Twenty-seven - “Rumors” Timex Social Club

  Chapter Twenty-eight - “Secret Lovers” Atlantic Starr

  Chapter Twenty-nine - “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me” Barry White

  Chapter Thirty - “Say Yes” The Whispers

  Chapter Thirty-one - “Smooth Operator” Sade

  Chapter Thirty-two - “End Of The Road” Boys II Men

  Chapter Thirty-three - People only do what you allow them to.

  Chapter Thirty-four - Change is challenging, yet necessary.

  Chapter Thirty-five - Think about what you really want before you go making demands.

  Chapter Thirty-six - Watch your back and your front; you never know who’s eyeing you.

  Chapter Thirty-seven - Sometimes you want what you think you can’t have, but the reality is you probably could if you just asked nicely.

  Chapter Thirty-eight - Sometimes you have to take a risk to know what your chances are.

  Chapter Thirty-nine - Don’t worry about others when you have a full plate.

  Chapter Forty - Never say never because you just might be right.

  Chapter Forty-one - Some things are best kept to yourself; just figure out which ones.

  Chapter Forty-two - Keep your eyes open at all times, you never know who you might run into.

  Chapter Forty-three - Let the haters Hate. They’re just mad because they know your power.

  Chapter Forty-four - Obsession and love are not that far apart.

  Chapter Forty-five - Follow your gut instinct; you never know where it may lead you. It might take you right where you need to be.

  Chapter Forty-six - A day with someone special can make up for a week of hell.

  Chapter Forty-seven - People are not who they seem all the time, but they are always who they tell and show you they are.

  Chapter Forty-eight - Everyone that comes to your door should not be welcomed in.

  Chapter Forty-nine - Charity can come in many forms; two of them are time and money.

  Chapter Fifty - Sometimes things get worse before they get better, just hold on and learn the lesson.

  Chapter Fifty-one - Just ask a person what you want to know; don’t assume they know what to tell you.

  Chapter Fifty-two - Ask who when meeting, ask what beforehand and ask why when you’re doing it.

  Chapter Fifty-three - If you doubt it, ask. If you don’t believe, do research. Take only your word.

  Chapter Fifty-four - Sometimes there is nothing you can do but wait.

  Chapter Fifty-five - Know when to go, know when to stop, and know when to pause.

  Chapter Fifty-six - Why be afraid of the Unknown? You won’t know if it’s your cup of tea unless you try it.

  Chapter Fifty-seven - Know your enemies as well as you know your friends. Know what motivates them to despise you so.

  Chapter Fifty-eight - Before you can face others, you need to face yourself.

  Chapter Fifty-nine - Sometimes the best thing to do is give in, especially if it pleases the one you’re with.

  Chapter Sixty - When you know it’s over, don’t look back.

  Chapter Sixty-one - Sometimes you have to get involved. Don’t think of it as a chore, think of it as a gift to the other person.

  Chapter Sixty-two - Pick your battles slowly. Don’t go charging in.

  Chapter Sixty-three - Keep your cool and never let them see you sweat.

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  “Shining Star” Earth, Wind & Fire

  At the age of twenty-nine, you would think Champagne Rose had it all. She worked as a publicist in New York City and was engaged to the man of many women’s dreams, Zyair Truesdale. Not only was he a wealthy entrepreneur, but he was kind, supportive, and willing to do anything for her. Even with the picture-perfect life, Champagne felt that something was missing, and she was ready to make changes in her life and in her relationship.

  She didn’t believe in moving in with someone before marrying them, up until Zyair convinced her otherwise. Now five years later, she and Zyair still lived together, unmarried.

  The funny thing was, he wanted to get married, but she was comfortable with what they had. She enjoyed having her own bank account. She enjoyed the independence that came with not being married. Champagne watched her friends’ relationships fall apart right after they got married, for one reason or another, and didn’t want that to happen to her and Zyair.

  She wasn’t ready to get married, but she also wasn’t ready to break up. It’s just that they’d been together now for so long and things were starting to wear thin. The chemistry just wasn’t there. The sex had become routine, the same shit over and over—You lick me, I suck you, you put it in, and then I’ll ride you. You cum, and I’ll cum, maybe . . . if I’m lucky. At least that’s how she perceived it.

  Champagne yearned for more caressing, kissing, cuddling, and talking. She knew she still loved him but the passion was gone. She often found herself avoiding sex altogether.

  If it was bothering her, it had to be bothering him.

  Was it her? Was it him? Was it their busy lifestyles? Whatever it was, she knew it had to change, and fast. She wanted to feel his fingers in her hair, moving down to her neck, where his fingers would be replaced with his lips. She wanted him to tease her with his tongue, tease her with his manhood, putting just the tip in and pulling it out. She wanted to beg for it, to demand that he enter her. She was tired of him putting it in, whether she was ready or not, tired of the rollover sex, the moving-in-and-out, up-and-down momentum of it all. She was just plain tired.

  Champagne wanted things to change. She needed things to change. She still loved him, for goodness’ sake. She just wasn’t in love. Were you supposed to stay in love, she wondered, or did this happen to every couple? If it did, the thought frightened her. She was determined to gain
back what they once had.

  Sometimes late at night as they made love, she would lay in their king-sized bed and let her mind wander. She pretended to instruct him, tell him what to do, where to kiss. She’d ask him if he forgot her secret spots, and he would then ignite the slowly fading fire.

  She chose to hold these thoughts in. She realized thinking something and saying it were two different things. She was afraid. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, and she definitely didn’t want him going off to be with some other woman, just to prove he still had it.

  So she put up with the mediocre sex and wondered if he was doing the same.

  Little did she know, Zyair was getting bored with their sex life as well. The fireworks and the umph was gone. It wasn’t like he wasn’t attracted to Champagne anymore. He was. To him, she was still fine and sexy. He was still drawn to her, still interested. Heck, he was ready to marry her. So why wasn’t their sex life the way it used to be? Why wasn’t it as intense as it used to be? He remembered when they used to have to dry their bodies off because of the steam they created together.

  They used to have sex in every room, and everywhere. She’d even given him a blowjob in the car not once or twice but a number of times. Now he could count the number of times she’d suck his dick in a month on one hand. What the hell was going on with them? He wished he had the answer.

  Sometimes while they were making love, he would feel his dick go soft. He would then have to close his eyes and fantasize. Normally, that fantasy included another woman. So common, he thought, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t have this fantasy because he wanted to sex someone else down. He did because he believed it would enhance what was slowly fading. He also knew it was an ego thing. He wanted to be “the man,” the one to satisfy two women. He also wanted to see his woman being pleased. He loved how she looked when she was at the point of no return, the way her eyes would close and her mouth would part, and she would arch her back and let out a soft moan.

  The other reason was because, honestly, his mind did stray and he did think about new pussy every now and again, and this way he could actually get it without cheating. So, on second thought, maybe he did want to sex another woman down.

  Just like Champagne, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t want her to kick him out or kick his ass. She might even have accused him of having an affair, which wasn’t the case. That was in the past, where it belonged. He’d been there, done that, got caught, and won’t do it again.

  Zyair Truesdale owned his own business. Well, actually it used to be his parents’, and when they’d retired, they turned it over to him. Both parents were now deceased. His father had died four years earlier of a heart attack, and his mother less than a year later, of heartache. At least, that’s what he believed.

  Being the educated brother he was, he capitalized on it in a big way. Because of his business sense, Zyair was able to live comfortably. He thanked his parents in his prayers and knew they would’ve been proud of him and what he’d done with the business.

  Private Affairs, an upscale restaurant and catering service, had two locations, one in New Jersey, the other in Georgia. His plan was to open a third in Miami within the next two years. Only the rich or well-off could afford the prices, and that’s how Zyair wanted to keep it. The food was not only delectable but the ambiance was classy. And on Thursday through Sunday, he showcased live bands.

  It was where Zyair and Champagne met. She was wining and dining one of her potential clients, Jackson Davis, an up-and-coming actor who’d just landed a movie with top billing stars, and he was looking for someone to get his name and face out there. He’d heard that Champagne was the one.

  Jackson was flirting with her, trying to get the message across that he was interested in more than business but she pretended like she didn’t notice.

  From across the room, Zyair couldn’t take his eyes off her but didn’t want to say anything, not knowing if they were on a date. It was obvious that the gentleman she was with wanted more than she was willing to give. Every now and then, he would try to take her hand, and she would pull back. He’d lean in a little close, and she’d lean away. Zyair chuckled to himself. “Damn, brother, can’t you take a hint?”

  Finally, Champagne stood up to go to the ladies’ room.

  Zyair saw this as his opportunity. He walked a short distance behind her, and paced a short distance from the bathroom door, waiting for her to come out.

  When she stepped out and started heading toward her table, he approached her. “Excuse me, are you and your date enjoying your meal?”

  Champagne placed her hands on her hips and playfully asked him, “Are you a restaurant critic or something?”

  Laughing, he told her he was the owner of the establishment and was just checking on his most attractive customer.

  Flattered, Champagne smiled. She liked the fact that he was straight to the point. She had noticed him watching her and already knew who he was. After all, she worked in the public relations field, and it was her business to know everyone with status, especially in the African American community.

  A month earlier, she went out to lunch with Alexis, her best friend since college. She’d just read a feature article on him in Black Enterprise and was impressed. After showing his picture to Alexis, she joked, “This man is fine as hell. Rich and smart. I’m fine, going to be rich, and bordering on brilliant. Don’t you think we’d make a good couple?”

  Alexis laughed. Little did she know, that prediction might be coming true. Would she laugh when she heard that she might stand a chance?

  “Well,” Zyair said, interrupting her thoughts, “are you and your date having a good time?”

  “He’s not my date, he’s a client. And, yes, we’re having a good time.” Champagne glanced toward the table and noticed Jackson looking their way.

  “I have to get back.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Champagne Rose.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  Placing her right hand in his, he brought it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on it. “Well, Champagne Rose, can I call you or see you again?”

  Looking him in the eyes and shaking on the inside, Champagne said, “How about I call you?”

  “You don’t know my name or my number.”

  “Zyair Truesdale,” she told him, “and I’ll call you here.” On that note she walked away and left him with a smile.

  “She knew who I was all along,” he said to himself.

  He liked a woman that played hard to get.

  * * *

  Sometimes Champagne would think back to that moment and recall the rush of talking to him the first time. She wished they could go back and start all over again. Maybe not all over, because they’d overcome a lot and some things she didn’t want to repeat. What she did want a repeat of was the energy of a new relationship. Realistically, she knew it was too late for that, but it wasn’t too late to make some kind of change.

  Chapter Two

  “Let’s Wait Awhile” Janet Jackson

  Champagne was irritated by the waiter’s rudeness and intended on telling him so. Then again, maybe she was just on edge considering she and Zyair were out to dinner to have “a talk,” the two most dreaded words in a relationship.

  Lately they’d been having a lot of disagreements about nothing and at the most inopportune times. Sometimes it would start first thing in the morning, putting a damper on the rest of her day and leaving her unable to focus and with her mind racing.

  Zyair would be doing the same.

  Each would think of what they should have said or how they could have handled the situation better. If the disagreement wasn’t first thing in the morning, it was right before bedtime, leaving them unable to sleep, but faking it for fear another disagreement would start up.

  Everything one of them did seemed to irritate the other. It didn’t matter what it was, from leaving the plate on the table, to leaving the toilet seat up, or
talking loud on the phone. There was entirely too much tension in the house, and it was time to bring it to a head.

  Earlier that day, fed up with the nonsense, Champagne suggested they go out to dinner to “talk and discuss some things.”

  Zyair agreed, figuring it would be an opportunity to get some things off his chest as well. He was ready to get out of this rut they were in and move forward.

  They sat at the Soul Africana cafe, having cocktails and waiting on their appetizers.

  “So,” Zyair said, making a weak-ass effort to break the ice.

  “So?” Champagne replied.

  Zyair loosened his tie. “What’s on your mind?”

  Champagne took a deep breath. “I feel like our relationship is at a standstill. I feel like it’s taken a turn for the worst, like something is missing, like we’re stuck in a place I don’t want to be in. I don’t want to continue feeling this way, and I need to know if you’re feeling the same way.” There she’d said it. Now all she had to do was wait on his response.

  For a moment Zyair didn’t respond. He’d suspected what this talk would be about but for her to blurt it out, putting it out in the air that way took him off guard. He wondered if it was his fault or whether they were both to blame. He knows that it takes two to make or break a relationship. Was theirs broken or in need of slight repair? “I agree,” he told her. “So what do you propose?”

  Since he agreed, Champagne wondered why didn’t he bring this up before she did, and how long he’d been holding back.

  “I don’t know. Maybe a vacation, maybe counseling, maybe time apart.”

  “Time apart?”

  That threw Zyair for a loop. Why would they need time apart? A relationship can’t be fixed with time apart, you needed to be together to make it work. Maybe what she really was saying is that she wanted to break up? Damn, could that be it? Could that be the real reason behind this talk? He didn’t want that. Despite their differences, he couldn’t imagine growing old with anyone else. That whole getting out there, meeting new people, learning their quirks, their likes and dislikes was a lot of work, and he had enough work on his plate. He’d had his share of gold diggers and wasn’t ready to experience the drama again.