Circe’s Warning

The grumbling sound of his stomach became louder as he sat at the bar staring at the menu. Food was not in abundance today for Jordan. He was so busy running around trying to get everything in order for a concert, he had no time to sit down and enjoy a good meal. It almost seemed like he never had time to sit down and enjoy a good meal anymore. "Get this," "pick up that," "go here," is what he seemed to hear all day long. He enjoyed the increase in business, but fatigue was starting to creep at his door. So far, he had been successful at keeping it in check, but it had seemed fatigue had eaten his spinach today and Jordan was not going to win. The best he could do was sit down for a nice meal. He usually wasn't a fan of sitting in a restaurant alone for dinner though. He had grown accustomed to getting to-go orders. But today for some reason, he had decided to try his luck and sit down at the bar and eat. And it proved to be the best choice he made all day.

"Hey, do you know what you would like?" A sweet voice came from the other side of the menu. As he moved the menu down, beautiful brown eyes that should have been reported as dangerous were looking back at him. They were so dangerous they stole Jordan's words away and he sat staring back in silence. "Do you know what you would like?" The bartender smiled as she slowly leaned over the bar. Her alluring smile should have been reported as well. It also stole any words that Jordan was about to say, so he still sat dumbfounded in front of this exquisite specimen. "Hello! Are you good dude?" She waved her hands in front of Jordan's face. 'That's three strikes,' Jordan thought. Those dimples were definitely dangerous too. Though it wasn't seen from the outside, Jordan's mind starting firing at increase levels. He wanted to say the most profound thing that came to his mind so the illegal lady would instantly jump from behind the counter and into Jordan's arms, where he would carry her away. His mind finally agreed on what to say, and it was just one word. "Hi," Jordan's vocal volume seemed to be having technical difficulties and was turned up on high. The illegal lady chuckled. Jordan marked off another attribute that should be reported, her cute laugh. "Hi. How are you," she said to Jordan with dimples on full display. "Good, how are you." Jordan brain cells threw a party because the words came out smooth, at least Jordan thought they did. "I'm good," she did something illegal again. "Just trying to put the work in you know. So what would you like." She stood there with the illegal smile and dimples waiting to take Jordan's order. "Umm, I'm not sure yet." Jordan really had his mind set on the fried shrimp earlier. He had seen it right before Ms. Illegal stole his words. Now he couldn't remember what he wanted. Every time he tried to think, it was something about Ms. Illegal. "I suggest getting the fried shrimp, it's my favorite," she suggested as she leaned over the bar a little more that revealed a lower back boat tattoo. 'Marry me,' is what Jordan wanted to say at that moment, but he decided to throw that response out. "Yes, that sounds good." His volume levels had decreased back to normal, so did his heart rate. "I was thinking about getting that, but I don't know." "Yeah. Well everything is good here, but I tried the shrimp and fell in love with it so much I wanted to marry it." "In love" was two words that was floating around Jordan's head. "Tell you what, let's make a bet. If you get the shrimp and it's the best shrimp you ever tasted, you have to get a dessert." "Ok, I'll take the bet. Let me get the shrimp." "K. What about a drink? What's your type?" 'Something mocha flavored would be nice,' Jordan wasn't smooth enough to reply that. Maybe one day. "Can I get a lemonade?" "Really? Nothing to drink drink? Do you like beer?" "Naw, I hate beer. Straight nasty." "I actually kind of agree with you. But what about a mixed drink. Coke and rum?" "I'm not sure." Jordan have always heard different combinations of mixed drinks, but he never decided which drink was his go to. "I bet I can guess your drink by your name. What's your name?" "Jordan." "Ok Mr. Jordan. You look like a fruity guy." Jordan raised an eyebrow. "I don't know if I'm supposed to be offended by that." Ms. Illegal smiled. "I mean you probably like a sweet type of drink. How about sex on the beach." "Huh. What beach?" Ms. Illegal smirked and revealed the dimples again. "Wait, woah. I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. I'm," Jordan felt a sweat drop form on his forehead. "Mr. Jordan," she chuckled and leaned over the bar and stroked Jordan's face. "You are a little freaky, aren't you?" Her intoxicating aroma filled the air around Jordan nostrils. He wanted a taste of whatever she smelled like. "How about this." She retreats back over the bar and graciously pulls out a couple of bottles and goes to work. Jordan thought either this drink was going to kill him, make him throw up, or make him fall even more in love with this illegal lady. After a couple of flips of the bottle, she pushes her newly formed concoction toward Jordan. "Try it."

Jordan took a couple of seconds to make a decision. Will he taste it and risk certain death, or does he trust the beautiful eyes staring across this unknown bar at him. "What is it?" "Taste it. I promise it's not going to kill you." She puts her hand on her head and smiled a smile that only beings from heaven could use. Jordan eases the cup toward his mouth. "Fine," he said as he took a chance that could take his last breath...but. he found himself still breathing as the combination of drinks fizzled and tingled his tongue. It was surprisingly satisfying. He tried to keep his emotions down, but apparently his face didn't get the memo. "See, I knew you would like it!" She flipped a bottle in the air and caught it behind her back. "Now you are just showing off." "Hey, confidence is key." She leaned back over and this time touched Jordan's face with her whole hand. "And I am very confident." She glanced down the bar to see another customer. "Give me a second Mr. Jordan. Don't go anywhere." She touched his hand, and then walked to the end of the counter.

'What are the odds,' Jordan thought. He believed he was the luckiest and most blessed man alive. He never thought he would come in and find this illegal lady at the bar. He really just wanted to get off his feet and get something to eat. But now all he wanted was to know her name. 'When she comes back, I will ask her name,' Jordan decided. As he sat and drank this mysterious drink, he peered down the bar to see Ms. Illegal taking orders. He tried just to glance at her, but her beauty was hypnotizing. He found himself staring longer than he intended. He knew she was going to catch him looking but he didn't care. And sure enough, the stunning chocolate orbs in the pearly pool of her eyes floated to the side to connect with his. He quickly looked back at his drink. He had always heard advice from his brothers that he needed to play it cool with the ladies. And if he was caught staring at her, he definitely wasn't playing it cool. As he sipped on his drink, the desire to take one more peek at her overwhelmed his eyes. He slowly let his eyes shift toward what he currently desired more than life. "Are you looking at me?" Jordan decided It was probably a good idea to look up every now and then, because Ms. Illegal scared him enough that he started choking. "Are you ok. I don't know the Heimlich," she laughed. Jordan cough slowly faded. "I'm good." Cough. "You scared me." Ms. Illegal touched Jordan hand again and leaned a little more over the bar. "I don't know the Heimlich but I am certified in mouth to mouth." Mark that down as something else illegal. She reversed back over the table as another bartender walked behind her. "Your food is about to come out." "Oh, ok." 'Stupid,' Jordan thought. He knew he could have responded better after what she just offered, but his mind was blank. "So, what do you do Mr. Jordan." Though smoothness levels were not high right now for Jordan, one thing he did know was how to explain what he did. He dove right in, explaining his training, his travels, his background, and everything else he did. Ms. Illegal seemed very interested. A few times she paused Jordan so she could walk down and refill someone's drink. But after, she would always travel back and tell Jordan to continue. "I'm sorry," Jordan apologized. "I feel like I'm talking too much." "Keep talking. I like hearing you talk." Jordan started calculating how he could buy a ring. Then a waiter came from the back to hand her a plate. "Oh, here is your food. I'm going to run to the back for a little, but don't go anywhere Mr. Jordan. Bon Appetit." 'I have to be dreaming,' Jordan thought as he started eating.

He found a TV to keep his focus away from Ms. Illegal. But the TV distraction was unnecessary. Because once he tasted the shrimp, the savory flavor was enough to provide the distraction needed from Ms. Illegal. The shrimp was being hugged by a pig, and the two flavors joined together in holy matrimony on Jordan's tongue. It was the most delicious tasting seafood he had ever tasted. "Banging right?" His distraction didn't last long. Like a ninja, she had made her way back into Jordan's space without Jordan noticing. "It's good isn't it, don't lie." She had leaned slightly back over the bar forming a perfect arc in her back that Jordan's peripheral couldn't ignore. He wanted so bad to sail down that boat on her back. "Yeah, it's good." She then slapped his free hand. "I told you boy. It's hitting." "Yeah, you were right." "I know I'm right." She did a playful victory dance that wasn't a good club dance, but cute enough to make Jordan smile. "And here is the dessert menu. Go ahead and pick." She pulled a menu out of her back pocket and slammed it in front of Jordan. "Don't you have other people to mess with." "Yeah, but they don't owe me a bet." She leaned back over the bar as if she knew it affected Jordan. "So what do you want." There must have been more alcohol in his drink than he realized, because Jordan became more brave than usual. At least brave enough to mumble an answer that only a smooth operator could answer. "You." Jordan instantly sobered up and thought that it was time to leave because he just embarrassed himself in front of Ms. Illegal. Or, maybe she didn't hear it. It was kind of noisy in the room, so there was a chance. But she definitely heard it. "Don't believe that's on the menu." She chuckled. 'Crap,' Jordan thought. "At least right now." 'What the heck?' Jordan was convinced he had to be dreaming. "But you have to order something edible first. Well, at least something edible that the chef has cooked." She presented the perfect time for Jordan to make a comeback. But he couldn't take advantage of it. "What do you suggest?" "The salted caramel is cake is really good. I always get it." "Cool, I'll take that." "Ok Mr. Jordan, give me one sec." Jordan had no idea why Ms. Illegal was into him. Maybe he was just going crazy. But he determined that if she touches his hand one more time, he will just shoot his shot.

On the TV, the College Lacrosse championship was playing. He stared intently at the screen as if he was the biggest fan, but in reality, he had never watched it before. As he watched, the game became kind of interesting. Duke had just tied the game with a shot from what Jordan assumed was midfield. His eyes then drifted down the bar to see what his future wife was doing. To his surprise, she was not behind the counter anymore. But her voice could still be heard in the area, so he slightly turned his head a little more to find her in the restaurant. She was taking orders from an elderly couple. Though it was again his intention to get a quick peek at her, her beauty caught his eye so much that it became a stare, again. And it didn't take long after his peek became a stare that she caught Jordan looking, again. He quickly turned away and started watching TV, again, to see if Duke had made another epic shot. The players moved quick on the field. Running, hitting, throwing. It was a very fascinating game. It was so fascinating Jordan considered looking into the game more. But before he could, an illegal hand touched him on the shoulder. His vicinity was then filled with a fresh scent and a lovely presence that descended upon his ear. "I see you Mr. Jordan." She rubbed his back and gave him a smile as she walked to another table. 'I know I have to be dreaming,' Jordan thought. It was like she floated in between tables as she went from one to another taking orders from individuals and couples. Jordan tried hard to keep his focus on Lacrosse, but every time her essence crossed his way, he couldn't contain his focus. "Hey, are you still trying to stare at me?" Ms. Illegal stood in his eye path to the TV. "I wasn't staring at you. I was watching my team play this Lacrosse championship." Jordan took the chance that she didn't know anything about Lacrosse, but he was wrong. "I don't believe you Mr. Jordan. Tell me a position on the field." 'Crap again,' Jordan thought. "Umm, there is the goalie." "Lucky guess. Tell me another." "Umm, there is the ball runner." "Really?" Jordan knew that answer wasn't right, but he tried to play it off. "Yes, he catches the ball and he run. So whoever gets the ball is the ball runner." "I never knew that," Ms. Illegal smirked and then put a yellowish cake with a lake of brown caramel in front of Jordan. "I know you are lying Mr. Jordan." She walked around and touched Jordan's shoulder. "But I'll let it slide this time." Ms. Illegal was playing a lot of offense. But it was time for Jordan to step up and shoot the shot like the person he was named after. And not only would he shoot a shot, he would play like Mike in the 1998 finals. "Hold on, where are you going?" She stopped with her dimples on full display. "Back to work." "You have to sit down and have at least one bite." Ball goes up. "I don't remember that part of the bet." Ms. Illegal with the defense. "Well it's only fitting that my caramel angel sits and enjoys this caramel cake with me." Jordan's drink was definitely too strong because he never came close to saying a line like that before. "Well," Jordan waiting with suspense. "Let me go get their food and I'll be back." Jordan for the game. He felt he was a little bit corny, but it worked.

After she gave the couple at the table 2 plates, she came back in front of Jordan where she preceded to make an arch that was better than McDonalds. But Jordan had some more plays to make. "Hold on," he said while gently grabbing her hand. "If we are going to have a date, you have to sit down beside me instead of behind the bar. "And when did this turn into a date." Ms. Illegal seemed to like the playful banter, because she couldn't keep that perfect smile off her face. "When you said you would like to eat the cake with me." Like a true gentleman, he continued to gently hold her hand as he ushered her around the bar to the seat next to him. "Ok Mr. Jordan. But you are going to get me fired." "Just take a quick break my caramel queen." The drink was definitely too strong. "You are lucky you are cute." She signaled something to one of her coworkers. "3 minutes, and then I have to get back to work." "Great, 3 minutes is just enough time, at least for now." Jordan was in a zone like MJ was in the flu game. "Let me get a fork "She stood up and reached over the counter. "Don't be looking at my booty either." 'Too late.' Jordan thought. His eyes were fixed on the tight black pants as soon as her body made the move. It was the perfect size. Not to giant, but not flat either. But Jordan wasn't going to let her know that. "I'm not. Not much back there anyways." Jordan figured he would test the waters with his jokes. "Ok, you got jokes," she said as she sat back down with a fork. "My flat backside is about to walk away from here." "I'm just kidding. You have a nice butt." "I know it." Her smile seemed to be a permanent fixture now. "Taste it first," she said. Jordan searched his mind for comebacks, but any line he could think of was rated x. "I'm talking about the cake," she said as she pointed to the oozing cake. "Oh. No, ladies first." "You know chivalry is dead. So you try it first." The combination of the stare, the smile, and the dimples in close proximity made Ms. Illegal even more dangerous. Her beauty was like the sweetest and savory candy imaginable to his eyes. In that moment, she could ask for all his money and he would give it to her. She could ask him to go into a dark cave where there could be sudden death, and he would still go.

He tried his hardest to give a cool and funny line, but he said the only thing that was floating in his mind at the time. "You are so beautiful." That line was enough to make Ms. Illegal blush. "You're cute." Her hand rubbed Jordan's cheek. It was so cotton soft and silky smooth at the same time. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, and then whispered, "you still have to try the cake first." Cake was the last thing on his mind after her creamy lips touched his face. "Fine." Jordan tasted the cake with the golden ooze. It wasn't the most delicious, but it was a new flavor. "Delicious right?" Her smile made him lie. "It is really good." She put her fork down and picked up a napkin. She stood up and moved in close to Jordan's face and touched the side of his lip with the napkin. "You are lying again." She put the napkin down. "And your 3 minutes is up." "Just 1 more minute?" He gently grabbed her hand as she started to walk off. "I have to get back to work." "Well one more question then." "Ok, one more." "What name did God give you in heaven." The dimples are even cuter when she laughs. "You are corny. But I wondered when you were going to ask that Mr. Jordan." "Well?" "Well come back tomorrow and I'll tell you." Jordan smile disappeared from his face. "You can't be serious." She lets go of his hand, and pulls out the receipt. "You can pay it up front." She chuckled as she started walking backward. "You serious?" "Come back tomorrow after 9:30." She turned and started walking through the restaurant maze. "And who am I supposed to ask for?" She turns back and waves. "What's your name." She blows a kiss and mouths "Tomorrow" as she backs up and goes to a table. 'What the heck?' Jordan thought. 'Did she just Cinderella me?'

Jordan decided to take the chance and meet her the next day. All day long he thought about her. Her perfect smile led up to her dimples, that was across from her delicate and cute nose that established a perfect median for her dark brown eyes. Her skin was like perfect caramel that had to be smoothest in the milky way. Her elegant black hair curled around her head and into a ponytail giving it perfect alignment which made it truly her crown. And though her picture-perfect face was enough, once you add in her alluring body you will find a sculpture that is too great for the Smithsonian to have. And her aura didn't hurt matters either. How could anybody resist her charm. Plus, she was funny, elegant, hardworking, and playful. All attributes that Jordan adored. He would be insane not to go back. But he did fear one thing. What if she was just playing him? What if she was crazy? What if she was fabricating her portrayal of Jordan's dream girl? Well there was only one way to find out, and that was to show up.

All day he questioned should he show, or should he skip. 2pm came. Was she legit, or was she fake? Was she fact, or was she fiction? Was she the truth, or was she a myth? 3pm came. Will he find her name, or should he just ignore the whole night? Should he chase after her like prince charming, or should he throw the metaphorical slipper in the trash. 4pm came. Should he dress up, or just play it cool. Should he bring flowers, or should he order to go from somewhere else. 5pm came. Why is time going so slow? Is it giving him a sign? 6pm came. Can it go slower. 7pm came. He's not going to do it. She's has to be lying. 8pm came. He decided he got this. He is Mr. Jordan. 8:30pm. He should probably start finding something to wear. The collar shirt, or regular t-shirt. 9pm. 'O crap, o crap, o crap," he says as he runs around the house looking for his shoes. Maybe he should call it off. Too late, he must do it. 9:20pm. Jordan cranks up the car, still unsure if he was going to go through with it or not. Worse case, he could order some more shrimp because it was good. He pulls out of the parking lot hesitant and jittery about what was going to happen. He drives toward the restaurant. Every light seemed to have a different message for him. If the stop light was red, he felt it was telling him to stop and turn back. If it was yellow, it was saying wait and think. If it was green, he thought it was saying go all the way. He considered suing the city because all of their messages gave him anxiety. But they were really just telling the car to stop, pause, go. He finally entered the parking lot. His anxiety then altered into blame. If Ms. Illegal would have just told him her name and gave him a phone number, all of this could've been avoided. 'Is she even worth it?' He thought to himself. Then he started picturing her dimples, the smile, the eyes, and the butt. 'Worth it.' It was time to man up. But anxiety crept back in when he took his hands off the wet steering wheel. He wasn't sure what to do about the sweaty palms if she wanted to hold his hand. 'Eh, she probably isn't there anyways."

As sweat drops peaked out on the windows on his head, he slowly entered the restaurant and looked around. He couldn't believe he was there 2 nights in a row. It was a rare occasion or an accident if Jordan goes to the same restaurant or fast food twice. But for Ms. Illegal, he would show every day of the week. Though he kind of hoped she doesn't ask him to. After his first panoramic view, he didn't see her in sight. He then turned around with the thought that he should leave. But he realized he was already there so he might as well sit at the bar. He bent over to tie his shoe so his about face would look normal to other patrons of the restaurant. He took a deep breath and moved toward the bar area. A tune blew from his lips to keep his nerves down. As he walked, he noticed there was still no sign of his caramel queen. At the bar he was greeted by a waiter that he didn't notice before. "I'll take the shrimp." "Got your boss," the bartender answered. "Jordan made up in his mind that if Ms. Illegal was not there when the shrimp came out, he was going to leave. The restaurant was fairly empty unlike the previous night. He pondered if Ms. Illegal would have more time for him due to the emptiness. "Did you want that order to go bro," the waiter came back with a bowl of chips in his hand. Jordan actually didn't take into account this scenario. If it's to go he would have to leave once he gets his food. And if she was on break, he would miss her. But if it's a dine-in order and she doesn't show up, he looks like a lonely loser eating a delicious meal at the bar. It was a tough choice, but the waiter facial expression didn't look like he had all day. "It'll be here." Jordan decided he would rather look like a loser than to miss a chance of a lifetime. As he sat there for what seemed like an eternity, he wondered if he would ever see his caramel queen again. The shrimp appeared very quickly, but Ms. Illegal did not. Did he get the time right? Did she lie to him? No way. "Excuse me sir," Jordan decided to just ask. "The young lady that was working the bar yesterday, do you know if she was working here today." "What was her name and I can check." Without even being present, Ms. illegal agitated Jordan. She could have said her name and gave her number and this would be ok. "Umm, I can't remember her name." "Well if she was working the bar, she isn't coming in tonight. I'm closing up." Jordan eyes became bubbles with puddles. But his manliness was not going to let a drip come down. "O ok, cool. I'll check maybe tomorrow." Inside Jordan felt his heart deteriorate. He had anticipated that moment all day, but yet the girl of his dreams didn't show. Why did she have to lie? Why did she have to play around like that? Why did she have to break...

"Hey." A part of Jordan wanted to take off his belt. But her voice was so soothing, every bit of anger and anxiety floated away. "Have you been waiting on me." He turned around to see her in a gorgeous black skirt that definitely wasn't work attire. "I almost left." "Aww, did you miss me." Jordan manliness wouldn't allow him to tell the truth. "Not really. I just missed this shrimp." He turned around to his plate. "Aw, you mad?" She laughed as she placed her arms around his shoulders. "No, just enjoying my food." The shrimp was very delicious again, but in reality he could care less about that shrimp. Ms. Illegal was finally there and that's all that mattered. But he refused to show her how much he loved her. "Aww, I'm sorry." She moved in to kiss him on the cheek with her succulent sweet lips. Jordan almost flipped the shrimp plate over the table, but he continued to play it cool. "I promise to make it up to you." With her head tilted slightly to the left, she gave him an adorable smile which exhibited her flashy whitened teeth. Jordan couldn't play hard to get anymore; her attractiveness shattered every brick of that wall. "Damn you are cute," he couldn't help but to say. "Boy you are crazy. I know I am fine." She stood up and spun around to tease Jordan with her flawless body. He desired to pick her up and lay her down on the bar to do things not meant to be seen family restaurant. "You know, I forgot something?" He had prepared a few lines in the car to use for the evening. He decided it was the perfect time to use one. "What?" she said as she sat back down in her seat. "I forgot your glass slipper." "Look at you with the lines." She sat next to him and placed her hand on his knee. "Are you going to tell me your name?" He thought that line had to earn him a name, but she came ready for dodgeball. "I'm sorry, I got caught up in traffic coming from another job." "You work somewhere else?" "Yeah, I work in a massage parlor." "O cool. You are a hard worker than." "I try to be. I'm hungry though. What are we eating for this date?" Jordan looked down at his half-eaten plate of shrimp. There were still quite a few. "Well I have some shrimp left, if you want to share with me. I'm not going to eat it all." She reached over and grabbed the crustacean off his plate. "The fee for a second shrimp is your name though." As she finished chewing, she wiped her hands. She then stood up, came close to Jordan's ear and whispered, "Not yet. But come with me." Grabbing his hand, she gently tugged on him to follow her. "I haven't paid yet." "O, give me a second then." She goes to the hostess and whispers something in her ear. He turns and sees the bartender. "That girl right there. Do you know her name?" The bartender walks over with a towel in his hand. "So, the hostess is Mrs. Levels. But the other girl I don't know her name." "Are you serious?" "Yeah, sorry man." The bartender looks toward Mrs. Levels. "But whoever she is, she has some pull because your dinner was just paid for." Jordan turns around to find Ms. Illegal coming toward him. "Come with me?" Once again Jordan had to make a choice that was either going to kill him, or make for an awesome memory, or lead him to have a wife. 'You only live once I guess. It may end tonight but o well,' he thought. He reached his hand out to accept Ms. illegal offer.

The two exited the restaurant hand in hand and started to walk down the sidewalk. The weather was perfect for walking. There was a mellow breeze flowing around the couple as if to guide them on their journey together. The dazzling full moon illuminated the sky with a smile of approval toward the pair. The street lights were on, but they inhibited their luminance to concede to the magnificent balls of light that God threw into the sky. Ms. Illegal was smiling her typical illegal smile, while Jordan struggled to breath because of the breath-taking scene he had somehow been blessed to live in. "It's so beautiful tonight," she said as she seemed to wink at the man in the moon. "It is," Jordan said as he turned his eyes to take mental pictures of Ms. Illegal walking. With her peripheral she noticed how he was looking at her and giggled. "You are so silly." Jordan caught his breath and decided to pull out something from his bag of lines. "So right now, I am walking under a beautiful sky, with what seems like a too good to be true beautiful woman. But yet I don't know her name. Why is that?" As soon as he finished his last word, he found himself face to face with the girl he had dreamed about all day. She was so close Jordan could pick out the fresh wintergreen flavor her breath emitted. It skimmed over his face in such a soothing way it mesmerized him. Considering he just consumed shrimp, he wished he had grabbed a mint from the counter of the restaurant. But it was too late for regret. "Patience," she whispered as her head turned and progressed toward his. Her lips conjoined with his to share her wintergreen flavors. It was a brief connection, but long enough to leave Jordan weak in every part of his body except one. "You will know soon enough," she said as she moved her velvety hand over his face. 'Wow, I'm in love,' was all he could think. "Can I at least know where we are going." "We are going to a few places." "Like where." "Just know it'll be a night you won't forget." She moved in close and kissed him behind the ear. "Can you at least tell me if you are a cop trying to catch me in a sting. Or if you are mass murderer." Jordan was playing, but at the same time a little serious. "Well if I was a cop, I'll be sure to give you a good punishment before you go away. And if I'm a mass murderer, I'll be sure you have an amazing last night." "Wow. It better be really good if it's my last night." Her smile reflected the moonlight perfectly. To Jordan, it was already a great night. Even though she hinted at some intertwining connections down the line, Jordan would have been satisfied if the night ended right there. But of course, he didn't mind the other promised things.

They walked and talked until they came to a couple of food trucks. "Let's get this!" It was a truck selling Nitrogen Ice Cream. Jordan had never tried it before, but he had heard about it. "So, it's just regular ice cream." No," she chuckled. "It's a little different." She walked up to the truck. "Can I get a large." She turns and looks at Jordan. "We can share." "It'll be $10." "For that price we better," Jordan joked. He pulled out a $10 to pay for this new ice cream. Jordan normal experiences with Ice Cream included a lady, or guy, that pulls out a scooper to get however many scoops out that a person asks. But once he viewed this ice cream man putting on heavy duty gloves, he was a little concerned. With a confused face and a step backward, he stared at Ms. Illegal. "What the heck?" "He has to wear that. Chill out." "I see what you did there," the ice cream man said as he was amused by her joke. Jordan wasn't amused at all, but he decided to make his own joke. "He has to wear that to take me out. I knew you were a mass murderer. And this is your accomplice!" She playfully punches Jordan in his arm. "Umm, oww!" She was small, but she packed a solid punch. "You are silly," she giggles as she grabs a steaming cup from the creepy guy in the truck. "I'm not eating that. Looks too hot." Ms. Illegal shook her head and continues to giggle. Jordan was confused because he wasn't joking. "First off, its cold," she said with her radiant smile getting bigger. Even though he was being kind of corny, Jordan felt like he was winning the night. Ms. illegal then pulled a steaming ball out, blew on it, and then offered it to Jordan's mouth. "Try it." "Heck naw. You first," Jordan had never seen such a thing. Ms. Illegal shrugged and then popped it in her mouth. "They are good, I promise." She then grabbed another one out, a red one, and blew the steam off. "I promise they are good." Reluctantly, Jordan's opens his mouth and allows the red ball to go into his mouth. He received an unfamiliar taste as he chewed. His mind compared it to a frozen fruit loop. "It's good right?" Jordan really didn't know how to answer. It's wasn't nasty, but it wasn't the most delicious either. Judging by her face though, Ms. Illegal was waiting on him to answer something. "It's ok." "Aww," she said with a little disappointment as she popped another one in her mouth. "You don't like them?" "It's alright. Maybe it was that flavor. Let me try another one." She handed him another red one though. "They all are different flavors." "But it's still red," he said as he looked at it confusingly. "I promise." She blew the smoke off again, and proceeded to put it in his mouth. It did taste a little different, but still pretty much like a frozen fruit loop. He lied about it though. "That one tasted a little better." She smiled and ate one more before throwing the cup in the trash. "Well I guess you don't like my treats. At least those." "I did," Jordan tried his best to keep up the lie, but Ms. Illegal wasn't buying it. "Stop lying," she punched him in the chest. "Oww. You are going to have to stop hitting me now." "Or what. I ain't scared." She playfully stepped back and bounced around with her fists up. "Don't start nothing you aren't going to finish now." He started to playfully bounce around too. They playfully slapped at each other without either one of them hitting the other. Then Jordan reached out and grabbed her. He picked her up as she made a screeching sound. Gently he let her back down until they were eye level with each other. "You are so beautiful." She smiles and encloses him with her arms and legs. "You are still corny," she said as she shifted her head toward Jordan's to give him a brief kiss. "I wish I can know your name now." She smiles and gives him another taste of the wintergreen. Jordan felt like this was the girl he wanted to spend his life with, at least if she ever told him her name. She was cool, she was beautiful, she was fun, she was his ideal Eve. Now he hoped she really isn't Ms. Illegal. She unhinges her body and jumps out of his arms. "Come on, I have another place." "Well can I take you to a place first." Jordan decided to pull out his secret weapon. A few months prior, his friend had opened up an outdoor bar by the river. It was a beautiful place, but mainly meant for couples. Jordan had never had the chance to take a girl until now. "I promise you will like it." "And where is this Mr. Jordan. "Nope," he quickly shut her down. "I didn't know we were coming to get some stuffed frozen fruit loops, so you aren't going to know where we are going either." She laughed. "Ok, you got me."

The place he was going wasn't too far, but far enough where they would have to talk. "So did you grow up in the city?" "Yes, I grew up in a city. I love the big city life. I rather be around an abundance of people. It's like a buffet where you have all different type of flavors, and if you put them together right, it's just perfect." "Umm, ok. That's a weird analogy," Jordan said with a puzzled look." "Well you know what I mean. Not everyone works together, but some people together are perfect." This time it made perfect sense to Jordan. "Ooo, preach it girl." Jordan stopped to wave his hands in the air. Ms. Illegal started laughing again at his joke. It was a cute laugh, not too loud, but not too soft and scared either. "I just love your laugh. Did you go to a church around here?" "Kind of." "What do you mean kind of?" "Well it's a different kind than what black people are used to. I used to go to another back in the day. But I like the one I'm in." "What's it called." "I don't remember. But I really love this cool breeze right now. I've been hot all day." She must have been a professional dodgeball champion because she was the master of the sidestep. He tried his best to find out more, but she was so good he finally gave up and settled for telling her everything about him.

"So where are you taking me Mr. Jordan?" "We are here." Jordan smiled as they came upon an outdoor bar. The moon reflected beautifully off the river as the ripples stepped in formation. The bar was set up in the corner, pointed toward chairs and tables only set up for couples. "Wow," Ms. Illegal stood in awe of the site. "I know, most people miss this hidden treasure." Ms. Illegal stood there speechless. Jordan stared and adored her as the lights of the sky shimmered off her eyes. He gently grabbed her by the hand and walked to a table. "This is beautiful Jordan." "I know right. My boy did a good job with this place." Just then a young lady came to the table. "Would you like something to drink," she asked as she stood smiling. Jordan wanted to be sober, so he decided to go the safe way. "I'll just take a lemonade." Ms. Illegal giggled again. "Boy stop," she said as she slapped his leg. Jordan's stinging leg discovered even her playful slaps had power. "You got one more time to hit me." "Hush," she chuckled. "Anyways, no he won't have a sissy lemonade. He needs to try something different." "I don't see what's wrong with some lemonade." Her smile twisted a little to turn into a smirk. "How do you bring me to a bar and then only order lemonade? You have to order something to drank. Besides, it's your last night of freedom remember." "Fine," Jordan picked up the drink menu and stared intently at it, knowing he had no idea what was good. "He's going to take forever. I'll take a Cosmo. And can he have your buttery nipples." "Woah? What?" "The drink fool," she slaps his leg again. "Unless you want her buttery nipples too." "No, no, I didn't say that." Ms. Illegal was amused by the situation, but Jordan was not. "I'm sorry ma'am," Jordan said embarrassed. "Well, those are kind of expensive, but I may have them available." The waitress apparently was in the joke. "Oh my gosh." "You don't think they could be a good?" Ms. Illegal said still chuckling. "I didn't say that either? I'm about to go." Jordan wanted to stand up, but he knew there was a situation happening below. "No don't go," Ms. Illegal said while grabbing his hand and all out laughing. She looked at the waiter playfully as she held onto Jordan's hand. "Those are ok. He'll have the drink version first, and then I'll give him my buttery nipples later." "Ok, I bet those are magically delicious as well," the waiter says as she smiles and walks away. "What just happened," Jordan said confused. "We just offered you two scoops is what happened," Ms. Illegal said while still laughing. "But you missed it. Anyways, I really like this place. I'm going to come here again." Jordan raises an eyebrow and stares at Ms. Illegal, who still can't stop her laughing. "What?" "You are lucky you are beautiful otherwise we would be fighting." That apparently was the magic word to slow down her laughing. "Aw, you mad." she leans over the tables and gives him a kiss. "Do you forgive me?" "A little." She then walks around the table and sits in his lap. Her soft strawberry smelling hands were placed on Jordan's face as she went in for another kiss that was derived from a European country. "Do you forgive me now," she said with still a slight chuckle. "Maybe." Ms. Illegal then altered her position on his lap, this time in an arrangement that probably wasn't suitable for kids to see. But she didn't care as she went in for another kiss that was from the same European descent as before. Jordan really wasn't a fan of pda, but Ms. Illegal kisses were so authoritative that he dropped his standard. He tried his best to keep his blood in his brain, but his firewall failed. And Ms. Illegal knew it. "Mr. Jordan, what is this." She slowly moved her hand down to inspect a member of Jordan's body that had come to like her. Jordan instantly realized they were in public. Holding her by the side, he guided her up. "O ok. You want to wait." She smiled as she rose and retreated to her chair. Jordan took a quick glance around and was satisfied to see that the few couples there was minding their own business. He did view a thumbs up sign from a silhouette at the bar. 'At least only one person saw us,' he thought. But he was wrong, somebody else paying attention. "Here are you drinks. I would have had them here earlier, but I thought you were about to have your first set of buttery nipples already and I didn't want to disturb." "Naw, he wanted to get them to go," Ms. Illegal was still in play mode as she picked her Cosmo up to drink. "Y'all are trippin." He then picked up his new drink that was placed in front of him. He took a sip. It was sweet, really sweet. "You like it?" Ms. Illegal said as she stared at Jordan. "It's ok." "Just ok?" Ms. Illegal sipped on her drink like she was a 1920 flapper. The only thing she missed was one of the long slim cigs. "Ok, it's good." Ms. Illegal took another sip of her Cosmo, "I knew you would like it. I pegged you for a nipple man." She took another sip, to stop her laughter. "See we are about to fight," Jordan said as he took another sip of the buttery nipple. "You are lucky this is pretty good though." "Well," she said while standing up from her chair. "I think you should thank me." She places her Cosmo down and tugs Jordan up from the chair. She stands close, close enough where no light can be seen in between. "And I think you should thank me now." She was a couple of inches shorter than Jordan, so she reaches up and pulls his head toward her. "Nope," Jordan stops her mid-kiss. "Aww, you still mad," Ms. Illegal once again stares her illegal eyes into Jordan. "You know what you did, I can't just let that slide." "O," Ms. Illegal smiles and turns and places her back up against Jordan. She was flexible enough to still have her arms around his neck. "Well then. I guess you want to punish me instead," she whispers as she releases his neck and takes her top half off of Jordan while leaving her bottom half intact. "Whoa," Jordan stepped back. He never met a lady so fearless in her approach. "Oh," Ms. Illegal said while still bent over, "this isn't what you meant." Jordan looked around to see if anyone was seeing the same thing he was seeing. To his surprise, no one seemed to care about Ms. Illegal posture and her posterior. Well, except for the silhouette at the bar still giving him a thumbs up. "Too much," Jordan says quietly. "Oh, well maybe back at my place." She stands up and grabs both of his hands. "Let's go."

Choices. This was the moment that movies always seemed to portray as easy. But to Jordan, it was not easy. He really wanted to go with Ms. Illegal, but the very fact that he only knew her as Ms. Illegal disturbed him. But she was the very definition of beauty. He had never had the pleasure of talking to someone so gorgeous. And he definitely never had the pleasure of dating someone so stunning and magnificent. Would he miss out on the best night of his life just because he didn't know her name? Or was her not telling him the biggest red flag he could see. In real life, this multiple-choice question happened in a few seconds, but in Jordan's mind, his pick took forever. It was like time slowed down to allow him to make a choice. He looked at Ms. Illegal once more as her facial expression told him everything she wanted to do to him. But then he thought how this lady could be a serial killer. "Come on," she continued to insist. "I won't do anything illegal." He still wasn't sure if that was enough. Who was she was still the biggest question of the night. He then figured out the best solution. "If we go, you have to tell me your name." She moved close to Jordan again, her eyes were locked onto his as he stood there hypnotized by her beauty. "You can call me Sirena." She then kissed him. That was enough for Jordan to make his choice.

She stood close to him in the elevator as it traveled upward in her high-rise Sicily Apartments. People who stepped onto the elevator smiled and greeted, but then turned around with a facial expression that indicated they all knew what the two was planning. A big hint was the way Jordan's pants were fitting. He tried to take deep breaths to calm himself. But Sirena made sure he never calmed down. Her apartment wasn't on the top floor, but it sure seemed to Jordan like it was. "You must have the penthouse suite," Jordan tried to take his mind off of the tension by making a joke. "It's pretty nice. Me and my roommates share costs so it's not that expensive." And that was the statement Jordan needed to calm him down, at least for a little. "Wait, you have roommates?" "O, don't worry about them. They won't be there." She turned and put her body on Jordan. "So we have all the places with good leverage to use." Jordan couldn't stay calm for long. Finally, the elevator reached their destination and the two left the elevator hand in hand. Jordan was excited, a little too excited, but still a little worried about what was about to happen. It wasn't his first time, but he had never made it this far on the first date. Especially with someone who he just learned their name. 'But you only live once,' he thought.

"This is me," Sirena stopped in front of Apartment 1203. Jordan had second thoughts. Even though he finally learned her name, does he really know this person? Her looks rivaled Nubian queens, but what he knew about her was a mystery like the origins of a mythical creature. She walked inside as Jordan hesitated at the door. Noticing his hesitation, she lunged back toward him and enraptured him with a kiss. She stepped back and motioned with her finger. "Come here Mr. Jordan." It was like sweet music to his ears as the words came out of her mouth. He stepped into her realm and into the moment of no return. 'You only live once,' he thought as she closed and locked the door behind him. He took a quick glance around her apartment. She seemed to enjoy aquatic life as she had a giant aquarium filled with marine life. Pictures on her wall depicted other sea life that was too big to place in her aquarium. She also had a statue of what Jordan assumed was Aquaman due to the triton. "Nice place," Jordan tried to make small talk before the festivities started. "It looks like you enjoy marine life." "I do," she replied as Jordan heard a faint sound of something hitting the ground. "I like to get wet." Sirena didn't seem to get the memo of the stalled festivities. "Well, what's your favorite animal?" Jordan tried his best to not make eye contact with her body just yet, because he knew what that sound must have meant. "I like a long eel." Sirena's hand instantly appeared around Jordan's waist. They started to tinker with the contraptions meant to hold up Jordan's pants. "Umm, ok." Jordan's determination to keep the small talk going was quickly disappearing. "Why is it?" Though Sirena was much smaller than Jordan, her strength increased to overpower him enough to spin him around to face her non dress wearing body. "Because I like how it slithers down holes." And with that statement plus the sound of something from Jordan's wardrobe hitting the ground, the small talk quest was defeated. Jordan gave in to her desires and started kissing Sirena as she guided him through the room door. Though he enjoyed the moment, he did notice that her strength was legit. He decided he wasn't going to put up a fight as she took him on an odyssey through her house. She navigated the halls while kissing and feeling in places on Jordan's body. Sirena showed her strength again at the conclusion of the journey and pushed Jordan back onto the final destination. Before Jordan could inspect the new room and current seating arrangements, his visual view was eclipsed by beautiful visuals as sweet as candy is to the taste buds. The eclipse moved in like a shooting star and they again kissed as Selina multitasked with her hands. She continued using her European training with his tongue as she aborted her downward grip and reached for Jordan's hands. She wrestled them up into the top corners of the bed. "Do you trust me?" She whispered in his ear as she started to grind lower parts that were now exposed. 'What a terrible question to ask now' Jordan thought. Though body parts were already close enough to get a piercing treatment, he still wasn't sure if this scene from Cinemax would end the way Disney movies like, or would it end in a scene from a sci-fi channel late night movie. But he reassured himself again by thinking, 'I'm already here, and you only live once.' "Yes," he awkwardly said as her grinding intensified. "Good." She then revealed some hardware already attached to corners. With a quick click, Jordan was instantly restrained. Jordan heart skipped a beat due to his movement being fully restricted. Was it going to be good, or was it going to be tragic? Was he about to release tension, or release his spirit? Sirena sat up and unhooked her bra. "You like them don't you." Jordan wished he had a free hand because he wanted to touch what was just unveiled to him. "You want to touch them, don't you?" Jordan didn't know how he expressed that desire out loud. "I know you want to touch them." She continued to torture Jordan with a tease that he couldn't touch. She moved forward to whisper. "How about that to go order?" Jordan facial expression conveyed his confusion of what was just whispered in his ear. Surely she isn't holding on to the joke at this time. She sat up. "Can I bring a friend in?" She asked while her bottom half motion continued to persuade Jordan's answers. But a threesome was not on his mind at the beginning of the day. In fact, a threesome has never been on his mind, ever. But with the help of Sirena motions, he thought it was too late to abort. 'You only live once,' he thought again. He moved his head up and down once, which was enough for Sirena. "Sinoe, you can come in." "Who?" Jordan question was quickly answered as a familiar figure entered the room. "Hi." The figure said. "Umm, Hi." Jordan answered. "I brought your order." Jordan was still confused how a joke about a buttery nipples drink became a threesome. "I know you thought we were joking," Sirena bit her bottom lip as she held her hand out to Sinoe. Sinoe took her hand and approached the scene. Sirena reached out and unbuttoned Sinoe's waiter shirt from bottom to top. Sinoe then leaned in to kiss Jordan's neck. 'This is crazy,' Jordan thought as he watched Sirena unhinge Sinoe's bra. He once again desired to reach out and touch someone, but he was unable to. "It's getting crazy isn't it." Jordan sworn Sirena could read his mind. Sinoe's proceeded to move up from Jordan's neck to give him a kiss that her and Sirena must have learned from the same European class. Suddenly, Sirena stopped her movement and stood up. Sinoe also ceased her kiss. "So how about we add one more." Jordan stared speechless at the two beautiful fallen angels standing in front of him. Why would he need another? Two has to be enough. But before he could answer the question, a third figure showed at the door. Surprisingly, it was also a familiar figure that he met earlier that night. Jordan still wasn't fully sold on having the third figure join in. And he was increasingly having second thoughts about the entire ordeal. "I don't want to do this anymore." Jordan finally decided to abort the strange sexual encounter. Sirena pulled her final piece of clothing off. "Why not?" she asked as she moved in closer to an objective Jordan. In his ear she whispered, "You only live once right?" "Wait, what?"

The grumbling sound of his stomach got louder as he sat at the bar staring at the menu. Food was not in abundance today for Shawn. He was so busy running around trying to get everything in order for his boss, he had no time to sit down and enjoy a good meal. It almost seemed like he never had time to sit down and enjoy a good meal anymore. He enjoyed the increase in responsibilities, but fatigue was starting to creep at his door. So far, he had been successful at keeping it in check, but it had seemed fatigue had eaten his spinach today and Shawn was not going to win. The best he could do was sit down for a nice meal. He really didn't want to sit down for dinner though. But today for some reason, he had decided to try his luck and sit down at the bar and eat. And it proved to be the best choice he made all day.

"Hey, do you know what you would like?" A sweet voice came from the other side of the menu. As he moved the menu down, beautiful brown eyes that should have been reported as dangerous were looking back at him.