Introducing Gia

Introducing Gia
from "Glass Goddesses,Concrete Walls"© by Keith Kareem Williams

***As I promised earlier....well, as I promised a few days ago....here's another sample of the new book. (Still raw and un-edited but....enjoy.) Feel free to leave comments and feedback. ***

An iron maiden is an early 19th century torture device consisting of an iron cabinet with a hinged front, tall enough to lock a human being inside. Once the victim was immobilized in the cruel contraption, iron spikes were driven through the openings in the casing to pierce the flesh of the person locked inside.

Iron Maiden

I met Gia on a street in the Bronx while promoting my books. Gorgeous is the best word I can use to describe her physical appearance. Arrogant is the most appropriate adjective for her overall attitude. The combination of both made me notice her even in the midst of the sea of people that walked by my table in waves. Out of the thousand pretty faces I'd seen for that day, I couldn't stop staring at hers. Although the majority of people who buy my books are female, I didn't make the effort to stop her because of the conceited, cockiness she walked with. It hung over her like a dark grey cloud about to burst. The high probability that she would assume that I was flirting was the strongest deterrent. As attractive as she was, all I really wanted was to make a sale…mostly. At the end of the day, I have warm blood in my veins along with an eye for pretty women, which has often been my bane. However, whenever I'm out trying to get my books in the hands of readers, making sales remain my main priority. Any favorable entanglements I get entwined in are merely a bonus but really serve as minor footnotes in the big scheme of things in my life. As tempting as it always is, business always comes before pleasure or the pursuit of it. At least that's the way I tried my best to handle it. From the corner of my eye I spied that Gia was offended that I had stopped her slightly less-attractive friend instead of her.

"Let's go! You didn't come out here to buy a book so why are we stopping?" Gia complained which annoyed me to the point of anger. With great effort I maintained the same demeanor even though I hated when people did that, especially when I could sense that I had a definite sale and more importantly, a new reader. Early on in my career, when such nonsense was still new to me, I might have told her mind her own damn business with a few expletives mixed in for flavor. Fortunately for her, I had learned to temper my words diplomatically. Instead of lashing out at her, I remained focused on her friend. I took the woman's hand, squeezed it suggestively, played with her fingers and then caressed the smooth skin of her palm as I continued to try to convince her to buy a book. The way that I was touching her must have been working because she became as annoyed with Gia as I was.

"Will you just wait a minute and stop rushing me! I want to hear what his books are about," said Gia's friend whose name I've shamefully forgotten. I feel bad about that because she eventually did buy a book from me in spite of Gia's incessant nagging that she shouldn't waste her money. The fact that I never saw her again is partially to blame for why I can't remember who I autographed the book to. As for Gia, two day would pass before I saw her on that block again. She'd aggravated me so much the first time we'd met that no matter how good she looked, I wasn't enthusiastic about laying eyes on her. I couldn't have been more surprised when she came over to talk to me on her own.

"You're still out here?" she asked with that look that I had grown accustomed to seeing from people while promoting my work on the streets. It was a look that implied that they viewed me as being beneath them and regarded me as only slightly better than a beggar. Once upon a time, such things stung and wounded my pride. Eventually, my ambition and determination made me numb to it all.

"Well, I've been home twice since your friend bought my book but yes, I'm STILL out here," I answered and immediately regretted part of what I said after I realizing that I had given her the satisfaction of knowing that I remembered her. The smug grin on her face made her seem pleased.

"You know what I meant," she said.

"Well, if I don't come out here and make it happen, who's going to make it happen for me?"

"That's true. Whose books are these that you're selling? I've never heard of this author."

"They're mine."

"You mean you wrote these?" she asked which showed me just how much she had paid attention when I explained all of that to her friend.

"Published them myself too."

"Wow! Ok, I see you Boss."

"Did your friend tell you if she liked the book?"

"So far she won't shut up about it. That's why I stopped at your table today."

"That's good. So you came to buy a copy too?"

"Not at all. I'm going to wait until she's done and then borrow hers."

"Not cool. That's not even funny. You should buy your own."

"And why should I do that?"

"Because I'll write my number in the back of it for you."

"And who says I want your number?"

"Just thought I'd take a chance. You came over here for something. You're still standing here because you're interested in either me or my books."

"Oh really? You sure about that?"

"Absolutely. Either reason works for me."

"Suppose I prove you wrong and just walk away?"

"That's possible…but unlikely."

"You're certainly sure of yourself."

"That's how God made me. I don't know how to be any other way."

"You're lucky that I'm in a good mood today," she said as she fished around in her designer purse for money.

"I guess I am. And who am I signing the book to?"

"Gia," she answered.

"That's G…I…A…right?"

"Wow, you can spell."

"Well, if I'm selling you a book I wrote I better be able to. Otherwise I've made a horrible career choice," I answered as I signed the book. I wasn't one-hundred percent sure because it was so slight but I thought she blushed when our hands accidentally brushed against each other. It made me think back to an ex who said that I had magic in my fingers and superpowers in my touch.

"Did you write your number in the back of it?" she asked as she paid me.

"Of course I did."

"Don't look so pleased with yourself. I only want it so I can call and curse you out if I don't like it."

"You'll like it."

"And if I don't?"

"If you read it and honestly don't like it, I'll take you out to make up for it."

"Sounds to me like you win either way. You already have my money and now you're trying to hustle a date out of me."

"You see me out here in the middle of the hood fighting to get people to buy these books right? What makes you think I'm in a hurry to spend my hard-earned money on you?"

"The way you look at me," she answered, tucking the book into her handbag before she walked away. All I could do was smile as I watched her leave. Besides those hazel eyes and full, kissable lips that were a perfect fit on her pretty face, she had the type of wide hips, juicy ass and thick thighs that I wolfishly lusted for. The tramp stamp tattoo on her lower back was usually a turn-off but on her it was perfectly sexy, sultry and seductive. Her shirt too short or her jeans too low exposed it and seemed like a cruelly teasing taste of the rest of her flesh. I was sure that in other places now concealed by the rest of her clothes she had more ink in places that I would perhaps get to put my hands. Don't get caught up with this one, the tiny voice of reason I usually ignored tried to warn me.

As much as I was attracted to her physically, our brief encounter left painfully obvious clues that it would be a bad idea to pursue any type of intimacy with Gia. Both of our egos were in jeopardy of being twisted and mangled in a car-crash type of collision. It definitely didn't feel like a favorable situation for a man like me who was more inclined to swallow my own blood before I swallowed my pride at times. I shouldn't have flirted with disaster and I should have been satisfied with selling her a book. My own reckless ambitions have rarely been beneficial. My intense attraction to her was illogical and it was possible that I was getting caught up in a delusional moment where I felt I'd met my match. In terms of personality, many women that I've come across have often felt like merely clones of women from my past but Gia was a different creature entirely. My judgment was tainted by intrigue despite the very strong chance that she was indeed nothing more than a beautiful monster. Two weeks would pass before I saw Gia again.

I would love to believe it was somehow fate that we met again. The truth was that our second encounter was more likely the direct result of me consistently going to the same corner with my table of books for two weeks straight, secretly hoping to run into her.

"Hey Mr. Author," she greeted me while I tried not to smile.

"Finished reading the book?" I asked.

"In two nights."

"So, what's the verdict? Should I be proud to be posted up here promoting my books?"

"Nope," she answered playfully.

"No?"

"Nope, not at all. You should be relaxing on a beach somewhere while your book sits on the bestseller's list."

"Well, that damn sure sounds better than standing out here starving for sales."

"I really liked the story. You're actually a really good writer."

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Guess that means I don't owe you that date then?"

"Suppose I still want to go?" she asked.

"Then I suppose I'll have to take you anyway," I answered too quickly and too easily while thinking, Damn you sound thirsty.

"I hope you'll be ready for me when I call you," she said before she kissed me on the cheek with those lips that I couldn't stop staring at. A kiss can be deadly if delivered by the right lips. Those who have also experienced what I felt in that moment will fully understand the truth of this. Once that connection was made, I knew I'd have to see things through to the bitter end, no matter what type of pain or problems might plague me along the way.

"I'm always ready," I told her as she turned and walked away.

*** Well, hope you enjoyed this sample too. There are a few more "goddesses" to share but I think you'll have to wait for the official book release/reading for those. For now....it's back to the lab trying to finish this up.***

COMING SOON