Matchmaker Matheson

Hannah was surprised when she opened the front door of her condo and found Matheson grinning at her holding a vase of daffodils, her favorite flower.

"Matheson!" she gasped obviously shocked. "What are you doing here in Florida? Is everything alright?"

Matheson kissed her cheek and grinned impishly at her surprised expression. "Yeah, everything is great! I just finished visiting Gramps. I must say he's none too happy with me right now."

He walked into the apartment and looked around. He had never been to his Aunt's home before. It was very spacious with only a few furnishings. She did, however have an abundance of pictures around of the family and there were quite of few of him! He knew that she was a softee!

"Well come on in" Hannah was saying as she sat the vase of flowers on a nearby table. "How long will you be in town?"

She led him to the sofa and he sat down. He looked at her and was pleased that she had maintained her new look. The change had taken at least fifteen years off of her and he was happy that she had kept herself up since she returned from Virginia. Her glasses still hung around her neck on a chain. She was wearing a royal blue blouse and black slacks.

"I have a plane to catch in a few hours. I just stopped by to see how you were doing. You look good." he replied as she sat down beside him.

Hannah noticed that his eyes roamed over her and was glad that he approved. A part of her wanted to please her nephew and she now felt closer to him than she ever had before. She just wished that Emily would bury the hatchet, but maybe that was expecting too much of her sister in law.

Hannah moved closer to him and patted him on the knee. He knew that she was pleased with his response. It bothered him a bit that she was alone. He wished that he could do something to help her meet somebody.

"Thanks for the compliment Mat." She replied smiling. "I owe it all to you, I guess."

"Nonsense!" Matheson replied. "You had it in you all the time. You just needed to open up. Have you met anybody yet?"

Hannah's face turned red and looked away. "Not really..." She let her voice trail off.

Matheson grabbed her hand. "I heard that hesitation in your voice. There's someone who has caught your eye? Who is it? Tell me."

"Matheson, really!" she snapped trying to use her most offended and haughty voice. "I am not desperate! My life is perfectly fine as it is! I am not chasing after any man!"

"I think you protest too much, Auntie" Matheson chuckled.

"Humph!" Hannah replied standing and changing the subject. "Would you like something to drink?"

She quickly walked into the kitchen with Matheson close behind. He knew by her attitude that she was hiding something and he wasn't about to drop the subject.

"You don't fool me." Matheson snickered. "When you get all high and mighty, you're hiding something."

Hannah turned to him trying not to smile but it was getting difficult. How did Matheson know her so well? She tried to sound indignant.

"I've nothing to hide, Matheson." She lied.

"Well then, who is he" Matheson pressed. He knew her. This uppity act she was putting on didn't fool him one bit.

She didn't reply right away but walked over to the refrigerator. "Would you like some lemonade?"

"Sure" Matheson replied still grinning. "And I would like to know who this fellow is that has caught your eye."

She got a glass out of the cabinet and Matheson crossed his arms across his chest and watched her as she poured it for him.

"I'm waiting" he said watching her.

"You're impossible!" Hannah replied handing him the glass.

"You might as well tell me" he continued, downing the lemonade. He handed her the empty glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"It's nothing really" Hannah was saying avoiding his stare. "I met someone when I was in Baltimore. He seemed interested…but he's younger than I am…and he has a young daughter. He's a widow and he doesn't look like he's more than fifty years old."

Matheson watched her as she washed out the glass. "So what's this Romeo's name?"

"Emilio…Emilio Juarez. There's nothing to it really. He gave me his card…asked if I knew of any lawn work he could do. He has his own business." She looked at Matheson and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know why I'm even telling you this. It's absurd. He was just looking for business…I don't know why I thought it may have been something more."

Matheson watched as she put the glass back in the cabinet. "Obviously something else must have been said in order for you to think that he was interested." he said.

"I don't know what it could be" Hannah replied. "I mean, now that I think about it-"

"You think too much!" Matheson snapped interrupting her. "Some things you just know. Sometimes there's just a spark between two people. You feel it, but you can't explain it…you just know! You're anything but dense, Aunt Hannah. A woman knows when a man is interested and if he was just interested in business, you would have known that too! I bet you were looking at him and he was looking at you and you both knew that the other one was interested."

"That's right" Hannah replied surprised at his insight. "That's exactly how it was."

"Well then?" Matheson asked following her back into the living room. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Really Matheson!" she said looking over her glasses at him. "What can I do about it? He's in Baltimore and I'm here! I don't know why I said anything to you about it in the first place. This whole conversation is pointless."

"You just can't help yourself. You like spilling your guts to me." Matheson snickered. "Give me his card and let me check him out for you."

He followed her to the bedroom where she picked up her purse and she removed the card and handed it to him. "I feel so foolish. Here I am a grown woman giving you permission to check out a possible beau!"

"I consider it an honor" Matheson replied grinning. "Only the best for my Auntie."

"What are you going to do?" she asked curiously. "And what's going on with you and Papa anyway."

"Gramps tried to get me to break it off with Val." Matheson replied looking at the card she handed him. "He told me that he's going to sell off the business if I marry her."

"He can't do that" Hannah replied. "Gregory has controlling interest."

"So my mother told me" Matheson said putting the card in his pocket. "I think he was just trying to scare me."

"He'll get used to the idea. Don't worry about it." Hannah replied laughing.

Matheson stared at his Aunt curiously. "How do you know that he'll finally accept Val?"

"Because he loves you and he doesn't have any other choice" she replied smugly.

Matheson laughed. "I hope you're right about that, Auntie!"

                                   ((***))

Val gritted her teeth as she opened the front door and found Tameka standing there.

She had on her usual tight jeans and she was sucking on a green blow pop.

'Cuz, what's up?" she asked grinning.

Val was immediately irritated. What did Tameka want? She tried to have some patience. "Well you're standing in my doorway sucking on that ridiculous piece of candy, that's what's up." she replied dryly.

Tameka grinned and ignored the controlled anger in her cousin's voice. "Now cuz, we are family. Don't be like that."

"Don't remind me. What do you want Tameka?" she asked.

Tameka glanced over her shoulder. "Where's your handsome fiance? I didn't see his car out front."

Val rolled her eyes. "Well since you didn't see his car, obviously he's not here."

Tameka sucked on the blow pop a moment and didn't reply. Her expression suddenly became sad.

"Look, are you going to ask me in or what? Don't be rude. We need to talk." She looked down at her hands. "I know Grandma upset you, but that wasn't me. How can you blame me for what she did?"

Val pointed to the couch when she walked in the door and watched her sit down. Her cousin was up to something, she just didn't know what it could be. Still, Tameka was right. She wasn't responsible for her grandmother's behavior.

"Look, Valysia" she was saying looking around. "We are family. We need to let bygones be bygones. You grandmother's not getting any younger, you know. You can't just cut yourself of from everybody else. All of us aren't against you."
Val stood in front of her and put her hands on her hips.

"She could care less about me, Tameka. I know that and you know that. Why did you really come here?"

Val watched as Tameka continued to suck on the blow pop and resisted an urge to snatch it from her.

"We are family. You're my family. I still love you, cuz. There's only a few months difference in our ages. It hurst my feelings how you look down on me, how you treat me. You think you're something now that you're marrying into the money, don't you?" she asked sadly. "You're marrying white and you think you're better than us! I know that I'm not a well educated Negro such as yourself. I didn't go to college like you did, but that doesn't make me dirt. That doesn't make you better than me. I do what I have to do to survive out here."

Val sighed. "I don't think I'm better than anybody, Tameka."

"Prove it!" Tameka replied grinning. "Let's go out tonight like we did when you would come home from college."

Val was surprised. "Go out where Tameka?"

"There's this club that just opened. In fact, it will be a little bachlorette outing for you." She suddenly looked sad again. "Remember how we used to play out in the yard when we were little. You and I were bestest friends. We used to be so close...like two sisters!"

"We were kids, Meka" Val replied trying not to smile. She remembered how they used to make mud pies and Tameka even ate one on a dare. What ever happened to the simple times they shared together? Tameka was always the daredevil and she got Val to do things she would never do on her own...like sneaking through the fence and getting in a neighbor's backyard pool. She even jumped in and helped her when she got into a fight with a school bully. Tameka wasn't so bad...and she was family.

"Yeah, we were kids and we let all this color nonsense come between us. Screw all our crazy family and their hangups! Let's hangout like we did when we were kids. Remember the sleepovers?" Tameka continued. "Remember when we snuck out of the house and took our sleeping bags out in the backyard and slept under the tree?"

Val giggled. "Yeah, I remember. I remember that bird poop that ended up in your hair too."

Tameka rolled her eyes. "There were hazards for being an explorer!"

Val laughed and smiled at her cousin. Those were good times...carefree times.

Tameka could see that Val was considering her offer. "Let's do it, Val. For old times sake. Come on. When is your man coming back?"

"He just called and told me that he's spending the night with his aunt and then he's flying back in the morning." Val replied.

"Well then you don't have any reason not to go out. " She could see Val hesitate. "Come on. It'll be fun."

Val grinned. Tameka's right. They weren't going to have many more opportunities to bond. "Alright then."

Tameka bit down on the blow pop. This was going to be easier than she thought. Fifty thousand dollars was a lot of money and Matheson's grandfather had given her an advance of ten thousand dollars to get Valysia in a compromising position so that Matheson would break up with her. A part of her felt guilty for her deceit, but she had a lot of debts to pay and that money would come in handy. Besides if he really loved her cousin, he'd take her back eventually.

Tameka grinned at Val. "I'll come back and pick you up around nine."

"Alright then" Val replied.

Tameka returned promptly at nine. She was dressed in a short black skirt with a silver halter top and silver shoes. Her makeup was flawless and her lips were a dark burgundy. She looked at her nails after ringing the bell and wondered what her cousin was wearing. She hoped that she wouldn't be too conservative.

Val opened the door and Tameka smiled. Perfect! She was her usual conservative self, but she had on a knee length black skirt with a peach colored top that crisscrossed and tied on the side. Tameka was glad that she told her that jeans were not allowed.

"How do I look?" Val asked grinning.

"Great" Tameka replied. Her cousin had on matching jewelry and black sandals. She could have used a little more makeup, but this would have to do.
"Come on" Tameka said leading her to the car.

Val was a little excited. She had texted Matheson and told him about her outing with Tameka and she could tell from his response that he was not happy about her going out with her cousin. Still, Tameka was family and they had been close when they were kids. She was an adult. She knew how to handle herself. Her grandmother had always been the one to give her grief. Tameka was right. Their grandmother was the one who drove a wedge between them. She couldn't hold that against Tameka even if her cousin was a little bit on the promiscuous side.

They arrived at the club and Tameka insisted on paying the ten dollar cover charge. The music was loud and the club was dark and Val had to wait for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Val followed her to a table and they sat down. It wasn't long before several guys walked over to their table and Val was immediately uncomfortable when they took it upon themselves to sit down uninvited.

"Wanna dance" Val noticed one guy asked Tameka. He grinned showing an abundance of gold teeth and Val was immediately repulsed.

"Maybe later" Tameka replied. Val let out a sigh of relief. She was glad that her cousin rejected this loser. He reminded her of an oily snake with his nappy afro and tattoo on his neck.

"What about you?" Goldie said looking at her and giving her the once over.

Val hated guys who did that. "What am I, leftover seconds?" she replied coolly. "No thanks"

"Your friend is an uppity proper talking bitch, ain't she?" Goldie said looking at Tameka.

Val bit her tongue, but she felt like slapping him. She looked at Tameka.

"Now be nice" her cousin was saying to Goldie. "I'll dance with you in a little bit."

Goldie and his friend got up and left and Tameka turned to her.

"You need to loosen up, cuz."

"Me?" Val replied. "Am I supposed to take him calling me a bitch? Please! You can do a lot better than that loser, Meka."

Tameka beckoned for the waitress and ordered both of them a drink.

"Remember you're driving" Val warned as the waitress left them.

"Yeah, I know" Tameka replied. "I've only ordered one beer apiece. We can handle that."

Val was sure that Tameka could hold her liquor, but she didn't want her drinking and driving. She was going to make sure that she would keep her promise of just one beer.

Tameka took a swig of her beer and Val noticed that Goldie was walking back over to their table. Tameka stood up and turned to her. "I'll be back in a minute."

Val watched as she met Goldie on the floor and they began to dance. She sipped her beer and looked around. The place was packed and she then noticed a tall dark man walk over towards their table. "Hi" he said grinning. "You look like you could use some company."

"I'm fine. Thank you" Val replied. He was tall and nicely built. He had on black slacks and a pale blue shirt. He looked like he could be a male model and wondered what he did for a living and why on earth was he talking to her? She could see the envious stares from women as he walked over to her table.

She had to admit that it gave her a good feeling watching those women stare as he was absolutely gorgeous. He smiled at her revealing perfectly white teeth. He sat down beside her at the table and she inhaled the pleasant scent of his cologne.

"I'm Matthew." he said extending his hand.

"I'm Valysia" she murmured after the brief handshake.

"Valysia...how beautiful" he replied his voice smooth and deep like Barry White's. "Beautiful name for a beautiful lady. You're here alone?"

"I'm with my cousin" Val replied nervously. What was wrong with her? Yes, he was a good looking man, but he didn't measure up to her Matheson. So what if he had a voice like Barry White and a body like Nelly. So what that he smelled and sounded sexy as hell? So what if there was a bunch of women across the room drooling enviously?

"Girls night out" Matthew asked sliding his chair closer to hers.

"Uh..something like that" Val heard herself saying.

"Will you dance with me, Valysia?" he asked his voice a hypnotic baritone.

"Uh..I don't dance on slow songs with anyone but my fiance." she replied nervously. His large brown eyes were chocolate pools of fire as he looked at her. He didn't give her the once over. His eyes were locked with hers. She felt her heart pound in her chest.

"Ah, I like that...a woman with integrity" Matthew whispered smiling. "Just one dance...I promise to be a gentleman."

Val hesitated a moment. What was one little dance? After all, he seemed to be a nice guy. She glanced over at Tameka who was still on the floor with Goldie who had his hands on her behind. She felt herself shudder at the sight.

"Are you alright?" Matthew asked looking concerned.

"I'm fine. I just caught a chill" Val replied.

Before she realized it, Matthew had grabbed her and pulled her onto the dance floor. Startled, she looked around and saw that people were dancing and weren't paying her much attention. What was her problem? There wasn't anything wrong with her dancing with Matthew. She had told Matheson that she was going to a club with Tameka. He knew that people danced. She was just having a little fun. It was all perfectly innocent.

She relaxed under her own reasoning and began to dance. After a few moments, she realized that she was actually having fun and before she knew it that had danced off of three songs. Matthew was a perfect gentleman. He led her back over to the table and she sat down. She looked around and Tameka was no where in sight! She looked back at Matthew and started to pick up her beer. She was hot from all the dancing and her mouth was dry.

"Don't drink that" Matthew replied grabbing her arm. "Never drink something you left on the table unattended. You can never be too careful!"

Val was grateful. What was wrong with her? She knew that. "Thanks Matthew. I guess I was just thirsty. I wasn't thinking."

"I'll get you a fresh beer." he replied getting up.

After he left the table, Val looked around for Tameka. She spotted her after a few moments dancing with another man. Goldie was no where to be found. This one was an improvement. He was good looking and very muscular.

Mathew returned to the table with a beer and a glass and sat it down in front her.

"Thanks." she said taking a sip from the bottle.

They chatted for a few minutes and Val sipped her beer and looked around for Tameka. The sound of Matthews voice echoed through her brain and she felt herself grow warmer as he talked. He was holding her hand across the table and she felt herself become aroused. He was so damn handsome and sexy and she found herself wondering what it would be like to be with him.

Warning bells began going off in her head. What was wrong with her? Why was she thinking those kinds of thoughts? She was engaged to Matheson. She loved him, not this stranger with the smooth voice sitting in front of her. He slid around the table and she felt his hand around her waist.

"You're a hard woman to resist, Valysia" she heard him saying. She felt his hand on her knee and his hand began to inch up her leg. God she was horny as hell! What was wrong with her? Why didn't she move his hand or slap his face?

"You feel like I feel, don't you?" Matthew was saying. "I promise you that I'm a very good lover."

Val's mouth was dry and her panties were dripping. Something wasn't right. She wasn't a loose girl. She was engaged. She felt the hand that was around her waist inch up to the underside of her breast while the other hand was still on her thigh. She looked up and saw Tameka kissing the man that she was dancing with. Matthew leaned into her, his lips grazing her ear. "I know how to please a woman. I know how to use my lips. You won't be disappointed."

His comment seemed to make her body ache more and she felt him rub her through her panties sending volts of electricity through her. Somehow her hand was on him and she could feel his arousal through his pants. Her brain was foggy and she was hot and horny, her center screaming for attention. It took all of her will power not to open her legs wider for his seeking fingers.

Val jumped up. "I...I've got to go"

Matthew grabbed her arm. "Don't leave. We can go someplace. Just tell your cousin that I'll take you home."

She walked quickly over to Tameka. "Meka. I'm ready to go."

"What?" Tameka said grabbing her arm and leading her towards the ladies room.

"It's only one o'clock. Things are just beginning to crank up. What's your problem?"

"I...I don't feel well" Val lied.

"I see you were all up on that good looking chocolate hunk that came over to your table." Tameka observed. "Could it be that you're feeling a little guilty about cheating on Snow White."

"I am not cheating!" Val snapped. "I...I just danced, that's all."

"Uh-huh. It looked like you were ready to give him a lap dance at the table a moment ago." Tameka snickered.

"Meka, something's not right...I need to leave" Val pleaded. "I don't feel well."

Tameka pulled her into the bathroom. "I just met David Jarrod. Do you know who he is? He's a football player for the Baltimore Blackbirds! Ching Ching! I can't leave now Val. Get Chocolate thunder to take you home."

"You've got to be kidding!" Val hissed. "What happened to us being together? What happened to cousins bonding and all that?"

"Didn't you hear me? David Jarrod! And he's very interested in me. This is my opportunity Val. You've got your hunk, now I have a chance to get mine. If you don't want the guy to take you home, I'll call you a cab. I'm staying!"

"Fine!" Val hissed back at her. Why did she even come out here with Tameka. This was her own fault. She knew her cousin was a whore and now she was about to become one too if she didn't get the hell out of there!

Both men were standing out in the hallway when they exited the bathroom.

"Is everything alright?" Mathew asked.

"My fiance is on his way to get me." Val lied. "Thanks for the dance, Matthew."

Val could see that he was clearly disappointed. "Well call me if things don't work out." he replied handing her a slip of paper. She slipped it into her purse.

Val looked at Tameka who was now talking to David Jarrod. She knew a booty call if she ever saw one. Her cousin was a fool if she thought tonight would lead to anything else other than sex.

Why had she even agreed to this madness? She walked outside of the club and waited for the cab. She should have never come here. The air made her feel a bit better. She didn't know what happened back there. Could Matthew have slipped something in her beer? She wasn't sure. The club's body guard eyed her and walked over to her as she stood on the curb.

"Are you waiting for someone, Miss? It's not good to be standing out here alone."

Val smiled gratefully. "My cab should be here any minute."

The body guard nodded and walked back over to the front of the club still watching her.

Val sighed as the cab pulled up and quickly got in. How could she let that man touch her so intimately? What possessed her to touch him in return? How could she explain her behavior to Matheson? What was she going to do? It wasn't Tameka's fault that she did what she did. Her head began to throb and she quickly gave the cabbie her address and laid her head back and closed her eyes as he pulled off. She dreaded explaining herself to Matheson, but there was no way she could keep this to herself. She had acted like a hussy just three and a half weeks before her wedding!