The lights of the city darted past them like shooting stars as they zoomed past the brightly lit buildings on the way to their destination.

“Carrick where are we going?”

It seemed that he wasn’t the only one in the car that had control issues. Camille had been asking him that for the last forty-five minutes. Well, since she had climbed into his lap in the library and gave him a look that made him want to lock them into the bedroom and throw away the key. Visions of Camille pressed into the depths of his bed, with her body writhing with pleasure, kept dancing through his head.  The only thing preventing him from acting on his inclinations was Mal.  Mal should be with them. Making love to Camille was something he absolutely wanted to share with Mal, but his body had other ideas. Especially when she was straddling him and all their important parts were pressed against each other. He needed a distraction, so he suggested a date.

“A date…tonight?” He remembered Camille asking him after he made the proposal.  The confusion on her face forced a laugh out of him.

“Yeah a date.” He confirmed. “You know you go out with someone whose company you enjoy, eat, drink and be merry.” It was evident that he had changed lanes way to fast because now she had pushed slightly away from him and was looking puzzled. Her shift in posture also did a couple of other things, as her upper body pushed away her lower body slid closer. His cock was now locked and loaded, pressed even tighter against the heat of her pussy. It seemed too simple a task to just unbuckle a few things and slide home, deep into her hot wet warmth.

Carrick had to smother a moan at the thought.  The only power that stopped him from having her right on that sofa was Mal.  This was the beginning of a relationship for all of them and everyone should be present. He wanted to watch Mal’s eyes while Camille’s body wrapped around him for the first time. He wanted to see contrast of Mal’s deep ebony skin against Camille’s warm cocoa when they were curled against each other in the throes of deep passion. Mal was an essential element to this being right, but Carrick was only a man. Being in a quiet room with moonlight streaming in, between the thighs of one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen didn’t combine to be the optimal elements for a man to make the best decision. He just wanted to be with the man he loved when he made love to the woman he was falling so deeply for.

This was already getting complicated.

He didn’t like the look in Camille’s eye. She looked like a woman who was considering the many ways she could persuade him to stay and tryout the sofa, the floor, the bedroom. Hell, who was he kidding? They would end up taking a tour of all the horizontal surfaces of The Pride. He was no fool, there was no way he would be able to provide a defense against a woman with a goal in mind. So he said the only thing that he could. “Mal.”

“Mal?” Her increased puzzlement brought this sweet confused look to her face.  Again, Carrick had the urge to touch her lips with his own, but what was left of his sanity warned him not to. It was still cute to watch her do the math in her head.

“Date?...Mal?” He watched as her face eased as she figured out the solution to the equation.

Camille leaned forward until her forehead rested briefly on his own, “So where are you taking me?’ she answered in defeat.

***

He was being so mysterious about where he was taking her. When she had first asked, he side stepped her question and told her to put on something that was good for going out to eat at a restaurant.  So she could only guess that dinner was on the menu. Beyond offering that clue, any other time she asked he would just get a strange glint in his eye and change the topic.

They parted when they went to change their clothes. Since he had her clothes taken from her old room to his weeks ago, she had no idea where he went to get dressed.  In the following moments away from him, snippets of their conversation came to her mind making her giddy, full, and light at the same time.  By the time she finished dressing, putting the final touches on her make-up, she was nervous.
 
What if in the few minutes they had been away from each other he had changed his mind?

What if the library has some type of magical properties that only allowed them to be nice to each for short period’s time within its walls?

What if the evening is a disaster?

What if he hates my dress?

Look at what I have been reduced to.  Not too long ago when I  was a self-assured grown-up, not prone to adolescent hysterics. What was the upside to being in love with two men again? She asked herself as she looked into the bathroom mirror.

Oh yeah, being in love with two men. Camille could help the self satisfied smile that crossed her lips.

Then it passed as quickly as it came.
 
She just had to focus and get through this night without bloodshed.

This new chapter in their relationship only had a few words on the first page, it was so new.  According to their regular M.O. it was more likely that an evening spent together uninterrupted and unchaperoned would end up badly…really badly…like, Silence of the Lambs kind of bad.

Before she let herself dwell on which of them would be most likely to dine on the other’s liver, accompanied with a nice Chianti, she found herself rounding the corner to the great room; The Pride’s auditorium sized answer to regular folk’s foyers.

Again, she was filled with the need to squint at the picture he made. Men just aren’t supposed to look that good.  He was turned away from her talking earnestly into his phone. He had changed into an elegant suit, a two button smoky grey, wool number with a paisley tie that added a bit of color.  He looked every inch the elegant gentleman. The man was beautiful. Well, as much an intensely masculine man could be beautiful.

When he caught sight of her, his eyes immediately softened with admiration and a little sexy thrown in for good measure. All her doubts fled in that instant. He looked at her like she was it, the whole enchilada.

Why wasn’t she in the bedroom trying to figure out how many times she could make him cum in an hour?

Malcolm.

With that thought Camille knew it was definitely time to go. She had her coat on and began to button it up as she moved to Carrick with purpose in her steps.  Besides, she had a little surprise for him when he helped her off with her coat, when they got to wherever they were going.  She couldn’t help the wicked little gleam in her eyes as she moved closer to him.

Desire deferred was his idea and I  want to see if he still wants to be on that program once he got a good look at me in the dress I’m was wearing. 

“You do know that there is another color in the spectrum other than black?” Carrick murmured as she drew up close enough for him to kiss her. He had caught a bit of what she was wearing before she closed up her coat.  Black, with black, accessorized…with more black.

Camille smiled as he pressed his lips against hers.   She wore her hair loose, so it curled in waves around her face.

Carrick continued as he opened the door and lead her to the car waiting at the bottom of the steps, opening the car door to assist her as she slid in, “I won’t shock you by suggesting purple, but maybe we could introduce you to it’s cousin, blue? If  blue is too avant garde, maybe a nice brown?”

His teasing made her giggle.  What could she say, red was what she wore when she was working and black had always been her palate cleanser, so to speak.  But if it would please him she would look into introducing some new colors into her wardrobe.

“Are you volunteering to become my personal shopper?” She asked as he seated himself in the driver’s seat.

Carrick’s eyes darkened at the idea of being in charge of taking the clothes off her back every day.  He wanted her so bad, but he settled for tucking her hand into his. He needed that small bit physical contact with her.

She gave him a long look, then glanced at their hands connected in the expanse of space between their seats and smiled a secret little smile as she looked out the window.  When they reached the private helipad on the grounds, she began pelting him with questions regarding where they were going.  He distracted her by talking about some business ideas that he was considering.  Before Camille knew it they we settled in the back of another car winding their way through the streets of Manhattan.  Carrick held her attention with business talk, so when the car stopped she expected to see the lights of a five star restaurant across the sidewalk. There were lights, even a red carpet, yet the marquee read, “Frazier High School.”

For a moment Camille had to close her eyes and open them again.  She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.  The scene looked like something out of the opening of some summer blockbuster. The press were going wild, evidently they knew someone important was in the car because they seemed to be surging against it. All along the front of the building there were couples dressed for an evening out, some were being interviewed by reporters and others were waiting their turn to enter the building.

Camille fingers clung to the edge of the door with her face was pressed against the glass.  She couldn’t take it all in.  “You crazy, crazy man.  What have you done?” She whispered into the quiet of the car while watching the chaos in front of her. It seemed that she wasn’t the only one who had a surprise up their sleeve.  Her little surprise seemed so insubstantial to his gift for the kids, for her and Malcolm. She couldn’t contain her tears of gratitude…he was too much for a woman who had settled a long time ago for too little.

“Hey, don’t cry. This was supposed to be a good thing?” Carrick slid behind her at pressed his cheek against hers while they watched the scene in front of them.

She gave a watery smile. “You did this in an hour?” It couldn’t have been much more than that since they left the library.

Carrick chuckled in her ear, making her shiver as the heat of his breath touched the tender part of her ear.  “No, not even I am that good.  I knew Malcolm wasn’t going to be back in time to help out with the kids and you were out of commission.  I also realized it was important to both of you that kids knew you both still stood behind them.  You know what they say, ‘the show must go on.’”

Camille still stared at the scene before her. “The show must go on,” she echoed.  That might be true, but in Carrick’s hands it seemed like that little high school production had turned in to something bigger, better, best. If that made any sense.  Brighter than she ever imagined-everything the kids inside deserved.  She felt she could almost bust with pride for…everyone, for the whole world.

The structure looked completely different.  Someone had performed a complete and total facelift on the old building.  All the old straggly bushes in the front were removed, the deep ruts of years of foot traffic along the front yard had been filled in, and there was beautiful plush grass in place. An awning was attached to the front facade to protect those who may have to wait at the front steps. The front steps were painstakingly replaced and restored. The school could pass for a downtown private school, with its chic looking exclusivity and Camille knew who was responsible for its transformation.

Camille let her tears fall from her eyes, “You are amazing.”

“I keep telling you that and you keep arguing me.  I am glad we finally got that settled, “He replied smugly. Looking uncomfortable with her emotion as he tried to explain. “I talked to the school’s administration and the City and it seems that there might be a place for the Caudwell Foundation at Frazier High.  I called in a few favors and it seems we decided to make this a benefit for the school to fund its necessary improvements.”

“Carrick if this is just a school benefit, why in the world are there so many people out there? That is a ton of media.  It like these people think that Janet Jackson is going to show up.” She waited a beat as it seemed to dawn on her who she was speaking to and turned to Carrick in all seriousness, “Janet Jackson is not going to show up, is she?

Carrick looked a little smug to Camille’s eyes, “I could give her a call and see if she is in town.” Carrick pulled out his phone like Ms. Jackson was on speed dial.” Camille snatched the phone out of his hand, scared that he would actually do it. “I had my assistant invite anyone who is in my good graces and wanted to stay there, and those who may want to enjoy the benefit of my good graces.”  His eyes purely gleamed. “The place should be packed and the cover to get in is insane.”