EMDS - #1 - A Congressman's Temptation (MxM)

c.9

  After the judge was sworn in, she took her seat at her bench. There was silence. Nothing but silence. She looked at Andrew and I, then over to Kelly. She looked over to us again, then turned her attention to Payton, whose face was filled with worry. Her lips quivered as we all continued to wait for the judge to say anything. 

  “ How dare you? “ 

  “ What? “ Payton gasped. 

  “ You ‘ought to be ashamed of your self, Payton, really. And you, Miss Thang? I ain’t never met someone as bitter and hateful as you. “ 

  “ It’s his fault, your honor. He abused me. “ 

  “ Abuse is something that I don’t take lightly, okay? “ she took her glasses off and waved them as she spoke. “ From what I’ve read, and I’m talking about the facts, you were actually out of the picture for quite some time. All of a sudden, you pop back up when the man commits an act of bravery, not to mention how vulnerable he already is as a man of Congress. I don’t know how it came about, but you saw an opportunity to score some coins, didn’t you? “ 

  “ You don’t understand what I’ve gone through dealing with this man. “ Kelly gritted her teeth, pointing at Andrew. She turned around to look at him. “ Tell them! Tell them the truth! “ 

  The loud bang of the judge's gavel erupted through the courtroom as everything fell silent once again. 

  “ Let me explain something to you, my dear. I was in an abusive relationship from the time I was sixteen until I was thirty-six. I know a little something about hiding the truth from somebody, okay? Now, when you follow a man from his place of residency, wait outside until you’ve convinced yourself that you are angry enough to grab a metal bat from your back seat and break the window of not one, not two, but every single car that is parked in the Senator’s driveway, you lose your privilege. I know what a greedy woman looks like, I see them every day. “ she spoke in disgust. “ But your case is different. You should thank the Dexter’s for not pressing charges against you. “ the judge sat back in her chair as Kelly returned back to the table. 

  “ Your honor, if I may.... “ 

  “ Payton, I don’t want to hear anything from you. I’m not surprised, just disappointed. As a woman, you should be out there helping the women who actually need help. I can’t even believe I took this damn case, I missed my hair appointment. Case dismissed. “ 

  The judge banged her gavel and retreated to the back as we all just sat there. None of us could truly believe what just happened, and we still didn’t know what could possibly happen. 

  “ There is a special place in hell for men like you. “ Kelly spoke with so much venom. 

  “ Is that a threat? “ George raised his eyebrow. She quickly shut her mouth, tugged on the edge of her vest, and swayed out of the courtroom. 

  “ I’m sorry about all of this, sweetie. “ Payton smiled at us before she switched out of the courtroom after Kelly. “ And about my damn money? “ 

  “ You know this isn’t the last we’re going to see of her, right? “ Andrew looked over to George. 

  “ Unfortunately. You know where to find me, brother. “ they shook hands. He looked over to me and gave me a nod before exiting the courtroom. 

  “ Well........that was fun. “ I gave him a fake smile as he chuckled. 

  “ Tell me about it. I’m just glad that it’s over. “ he ran his hand through his hair as he sat back in the chair. 

  “ Oh, is my baby stressed out? “ I began to softly plant kisses onto his neck. 

  “ ‘Lijah, you better stop. “ 

  “ Why? “ I straddled him as he instinctively grabbed my waist but let me go quickly. 

  “ There are cameras in here, plus it is illegal. “ he whispered. 

  “ Please, I’m sure the judge would like to see something exciting. “ I started to unloosen his tie. 

  “ Don’t you dare, young man. “ her voice sounded off in the small room as we both laughed. “ Get out of here, Andrew. And don’t make me tell your father, Mr. Dexter. “ 

  “ Girl, you petty. “ 

  “ Exactly. “ 

  After we left the courthouse, Andrew dropped me off at my parents before he left for work. I walked inside to an angry Erica arguing with my mother. 

  “ Speaking of the damn devil. “ she rolled her neck. 

  “ What did I do? “ 

  “ Elijah is never here, Keenan is never here, why am I the only one that has to stay and deal with you and dad? “ 

  “ Fine! Just shut the hell up, Erica. “ my mother placed her spoon into her tea. 

  “ Thank you. “

  “ So, what’s this I hear about that bitter ex-wife of his? Is it true? “ she took a sip from the porcelain cup. 

  “ Definitely. That’s where we were this morning. “ she shook her head. “ Where’s dad? “ 

  “ At the damn golf course, probably betting money with 'Mere and Keenan. “ she chuckled as she sat down on the couch. “ How’s everything with you and Andrew? “ 

  “ It’s good. It’s weird living with the man, but I must say that I have adjusted pretty well. “ 

  “ Sleeping in the same bed? “ 

  “ He insists. “ I rolled my eyes as she chuckled once more. “ You know how much I like my personal space. “ 

  “ You two are just in that phase, you will grow out of it. “ she flipped the page of the book. “ Quickly. “

  “ I’m sure. “ I walked into the kitchen and searched the refrigerator for a snack. I settled for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “ Everything good? “ 

  “ Yes, everything is good. Could you do me a favor, my son? “ 

  I already knew what was coming. It never failed. Every time my mother would refer to any of us as ‘my son’ or ‘my daughter’, there was always a catch to what she was about to ask next. 

  “ What is it? “ 

  “ I need you to take Erica and Keenan out for a weekend. Jet in a plane, drive the car, whatever. They miss you and I know you miss them. " she told me. " Their attitudes have been off the charts lately, so try to get them laid. “ 

  “ You are one petty woman, you know that? “ we shared a laugh as I placed everything back in the refrigerator. As if fate was aligning this moment, Keenan walked through the door and Erica was coming down the stairs. “ Pack your bags, losers, we’re taking a trip. “ 

  “ It’s my turn to pick this time! “ Erica rushed. 

  “ I was dreading this day. “ Keenan sighed. 

  “ We’re going to Vegas, bitches. “ Erica sang. 

  “ Why? “ I whined. 

  “ Didn’t nobody say anything about boring New Orleans, or when we went to Kansas for Keenan's booty call. “ 

  “ Why you always bringing up the past? “ Keenan smacked his teeth. 

  Erica ran upstairs and Keenan and I hesitantly followed suit. We booked the flight and the hotel, making a checklist of everything that we needed to do before we left. I told Andrew, who wasn’t completely on board with the idea, but he understood. I was kind of upset that he didn’t fight it because I would have used that as my excuse out of this. After we had checked everything off, we placed everything by the door for the next morning. I was the first one up for some reason. I walked downstairs to the smell of breakfast at six in the morning. I walked into the kitchen as my mother looked up at me and smiled. 

  “ Good morning, I thought you were your father? “ she shrugged. 

  “ It’s me. “ 

  “ You excited about the trip? “ I sighed deeply, trying to find the words to say. “ What happened? “ 

  “ I’m not really going to say because I don’t want to speak it into existence. Something is just off. “ I told her honestly. 

  “ You know how I am about this kind of stuff. “ she focused on me. “ What do you feel? Good or bad? “ 

  “ That’s what I’m unsure about. I don’t feel either. It’s just an empty, uncomfortable feeling. “ 

  “ Just pray and stay watchful. “ she dragged out. 

  “ I promise. “ 

  Once everyone was up, we ate breakfast and then headed to the airport for Vegas. Keenan wouldn’t stop asking Erica questions and my dad was infatuated with the conversation as well. I retreated to just watching the trees and the houses pass by us until we arrived. 

  “ Alright, when you get there, call us. And don’t touch nothing, ask for nothing, and do not embarrass me in front of these people. “ my father told us before we exited the car. 

  “ Dad, you are not that famous. “ Erica chuckled as we all grabbed our bags. We said our goodbyes and headed inside. Once we were on the plane, I went to text Andrew but saw that he had texted me already. I replied and then put my phone on airplane mode as we took off into the air. 

  Once we made it to Vegas, Erica rushed us off the plane. She couldn’t stop talking about one of her friends from school and Keenan was excited to be away from home. We collected our baggage, heading for the main lobby, and coming face to face with the young lady. Erica hugged her tightly. 

  “ Keenan, boy, you are aging well. “ she smothered him into her. “ And little Elijah, you don’t remember me? “ 

  I tapped back into reality and realized that I was holding my face in a way that would give her the impression that I was disgusted. “ Girl, my bad. How are you doing? “ 

  “ I’m good, I’m good. I just want to tell you how much I loved that last book of yours. That maid was living the life, okay? “ she snapped her fingers. I laughed awkwardly as she led us to the car. 

  From what she told us, she was one of the managers at the resort we would be staying at. That explained how Erica managed to get us the best rooms for free. Once we pulled up to the resort, I knew I wouldn’t be upset at all. It was beautiful! Marbled floors, gold molding along the walls, and tasteful art that complimented the vibe of the place. She walked each of us to our rooms which were all in the same wing. I walked inside and immediately called Andrew. 

  “ I miss you, papa. “ 

  “ I miss you too, babe. “ I blushed. “ How was work? “ 

  “ It was pretty good. A little stressful, but still good. “ 

  “ Care to talk about it? “ 

  “ Just an issue with a bill that certain people are trying to pass. “ he sighed. “ But it’s under control. How was the flight? “ 

  “ It was cool, I guess. I might have to bring you to this resort, though. Not only is it beautiful, but it could also be free. “ I looked out of the large window that overlooked the city. 

  “ I might know the place. Do they have balconies? “ 

  “ So you can have me bent over one, right? “ 

  “ You know me so well. “ I could tell that he was smiling. 

  “ You're funny. “ 

  “ Well I’m headed inside the restaurant, I will text you and see what you’re doing later, okay? “ 

  “ Alright, I love you. “ 

  “ I love you even more. “ he kissed me through the phone before hanging up. There was a knock at the door. I got up and looked through the peephole to see Erica and Keenan. I should have known.

  “ Even when we’re not at home, why is this the norm? “ I opened the door. 

  “ Because we’re grown. “ she pushed passed me and sat down on the small couch. “ Your room is bigger than mine. “ 

  “ Don’t start. “ Keenan shook his head. 

  “ Why are ya’ll here? “ 

  “ To tell you how everything is going to happen tonight. “ 

  “ What’s the move? “ I headed back into the sleeping area. 

  “ At about eight, we are heading downtown to get some eats. Once we eat up, we'll be off to the strip club to tip some big booty bitches. “ Erica danced. “ And before you say anything smart, the strip club was Keenan’s idea. “ 

  “ I’m not mad at it. “ I grabbed my bags and shuffled through them to find something to wear. “ What's the name of the restaurant? “ 

  “ Don’t worry about it, I....... “ Erica was interrupted by her phone ringing. “ They serve both vegan and normal food. “ she sassed before exiting the room. 

  “ What are you wearing? “ 

  “ Probably this. “ I pulled the black jumpsuit out of my bag along with a set that my designer friend had made for me a while back. It was the top of the overalls connected to chap-like pants with white writing and gold pins with accented letters. 

  “ You just have to be best dressed, huh? “ he laughed as I nodded in assurance. 

  “ This is Vegas, Keenan. Trust and believe that I’m going to look good. “ there was silence for a moment as I continued to unpack my bag. “ Everything okay? “ 

  “ Yes, it’s just that I’ve been dealing with some issues lately. I’ve been turning to the alcohol, but it seems to only make things worse. “ 

  “ What is it, if you don’t mind me asking? “ from the way he hesitated, I knew that it was something he wasn’t ready to talk about. “ You don’t have to talk if you’re not ready. It’s just that I look up to you for my strength, and I don’t want you to feel that you are alone. I will help with anything you need, whenever you need it. “ 

  “ I love you, bro. “ he reached out for a hug. 

  “ I love you too, but you play entirely too much. “ he began chasing me as we laughed and wrestled for a bit.