Secrets Of A Sugar Baby

Episode 5

Chapter 5

When the limo stopped at his penthouse, my heart sank. I never saw a picture of him so I didn't know what to expect. It wasn't that white men weren't my thing, it's just that I never really saw myself with one, especially an older one. It was something that my dad used to tell me, that he would never see me as an equal, that I would be something exotic to him. That's why Erica's comment about marrying his wife for appearances really bothered me. I never understood what was so bad about us as a people. We had our problems, but all people did. I tried to stay the intense beating of my heart as I waited for Blake to get into the limo. Shortly after, the driver got out of the car and opened up the door. And there he was.

He was absolutely gorgeous. Blake was 6'1, with clear, tanned skinned. His hair was short and wavy, dark with touches of gray here and there. But it was his eyes that struck me. They were this amazing, piercing blue that sucked you in. He looked a lot younger than I thought he would. He seemed like he was in his late 30's, so Erica's comment was starting to really have me feeling some type of way. He was also built with his suit cut to perfection. I could smell the wealth on him.

Oh my.

He also seemed taken aback. As he situated himself in the car, he stared back at me. The driver closed the door behind him. The car started moving forward. We sat in silence. I didn't want to get a bad review, so I decided I would be the first to speak.

"Mr. Austin??"

"Please, Jahliyah," he said in a smooth, deep voice. "Please call me Blake."

"Blake?"

"My God, you are gorgeous."

I was taken aback. I never heard anyone say that about me before. I smiled.

"Kind of shy too. I like that."

I stayed quiet. I didn't know what to say.

"We will be going to the DC Gala tonight. This is where all of the politicos in Washington, meet and party. Then after that, who knows..." he continued with a wink.

The limo arrived at the Sofitel, right across from the Capitol Building. Where my mom used to work. My heart dropped at the memory of my mother—that was until he grabbed my hand, and tickled the inside of my palm with his middle finger. It soothed me.

"Ready for your debut?"

I smiled at him and nodded. "Born ready."

~~~

I didn't sleep with him the first time, nor the second or third, even though I wanted to. Nor did he pressure me. I could tell he wanted to, but I was used to that with the few guys I dated. I knew how to navigate them. I had never really been out with a white man before, especially an older one. In the DC circles, he was well-known and no one seemed to bat an eye when we were together. He showed me a life that I only saw on TV. Shopping, fine dining, and dinners on yachts. I was usually the only one of my kind at these events. Not even the wait staff was black or brown. It was sad that most people who looked like me would never get a chance to experience this.

Blake would pay me after every night on top of the gifts and dates. Three thousand dollars each time. I had to be careful how I worked it. I put half of the money in the bank and the other half I hid at home. Bitches chased bags all the time and I didn't want to be the one chick that the banks tried to expose. When I would go home, I did my best to avoid my sister. I knew for a fact she would notice these changes and I didn't have the time or even the mental capacity to lie to her. Thank God it wasn't hard to do, because Angie worked late hours and was usually asleep when I got home and when it was time for me to leave. The days were magical but I couldn't tell Darryl about anything I did. But I was sure he would say something soon enough. As much as I tried to hide it, the neighbors were starting to see the changes in me, how I looked different and how I was getting picked up and dropped off from a limo every night.