Stingray

When Sepia and I got married, we never actually went on a proper honeymoon. I had some time off from work and a little money saved, so I signed up for this cruise. Gus drove us to the Airport
and we flew to Miami, where we boarded a ship, aptly titled "The SS STINGRAY" and took off on the high seas. My name is Kevin Morris..This is another one of my stories.

Sepia, always a fashion goddess, went to the King of Prussia Mall the week before we left with Cock Robbin's wife and The Jenkin's sisters, Mabel, Corabeth (Clerow's wife) ,Victoria (Deacon
Weatherford's wife) and young Anita, who had just recently moved to Philly from New Orleans. She must have bought every bathing suit and every peice of lingerie in Victoria's Secret that could be bought. Of course I didn't mind...

I sat in the bar on the ship and drank a Corona. My wife Sepia was in the ship's casino ,trying her luck on the crap table. Slim Giddings was an annoying little man in a white linen suit...The kind of guy who said all of the wrong things at all of the wrong times. The fact that he was annoying seemed to go right over his head. We had stayed at a hotel in Miami for two nights before we boarded the ship and I had seen the annoying little man in our hotel...Now here he was on the ship with us, headed for the same location...Maybe we could leave him there.

"Hey ,how you doing man...I remember you from the hotel in Miami...The names Slim...Slim Giddings....and you are? " he said tossing his hand out...

"Kevin, Kevin Morris." I said.

"You sound like you're from up North...I'm from New Orleans myself." he said.

"I'm from Philadelphia." I said.

He pointed to Sepia ,who was having a spirited conversation with another Black woman at the crap table..

"Ummmmph,Ummph, Ummmmph......that your girl?" he asked.

"That's my wife." I said.

"Your wife? Mannn give me some dap...you got yourself a fine motor scooter there..Lawdd jesus.. No offense, but how did a square guy like you get somebody like that?? Again, no offense,but you aint the type of guy I expect to see with a fine ass woman like that.....Me neither,
they usually go for , you know...athletes, pretty boys, you know what I'm sayin....??" he laughed.

The nerve of this little runt to try and lump me in with himself...

"I guess I made her an offer she couldn't refuse " I said tersely wanting to end the conversation.

"You must be hung like a horse then..or maybe you got a long tongue....I walked past you all's room one night at the hotel....I heard her screamin.....I thought, old boy must be laying some pipe...heh..heh..heh..heh..." he laughed.

At this point...I had heard about as much as I cared to hear....I got up without excusing myself and walked into the casino where Sepia was. The woman she had been talking to was drop dead
gorgeous...I would much rather be with these two women than that ignoramus at the bar.

"Oh hi Kevin...Kevin...this is Lolita Giles...Lolita, this is my husband,Kevin" said Sepia.

"Pleased to meet you Kevin" she said with a nice smile. I returned her smile.

Just then , a tall brown skinned, well dressed brother with a nice suit walked over to us.. Lolita
smiled and introduced him to us.

"This is my friend,Leonard..Leonard, this is Kevin and Sepia...from Philly...they just got married." she said.

"Oh, well congradulations....I hope to get married one day." he said.

"Alright Leonard, that's enough" Lolita laughed nervously.

"What do you mean that's enough? I 've only asked you three times the past four years....what's
the problem?? I'm a Doctor, I make a good living...you know I'm crazy about you....I give you everything you want..including this cruise..." he said.

" Slow it down Leonard..slow it down...must you tell your life story to everybody....Just slow it down okay...Let's enjoy the trip" she said, still smiling, yet obviously annoyed at Leonard.

Sepia and I felt a little uncomfortable being around this couple..but we had no idea how uncomfortable it was about to get... We played some poker with them for about an hour, then
Sepia and I bid them good night and returned to our cabin.

"Kevin, I would like to get some sleep tonight....you've been pawing me and doing other things every night since we left Philly." Sepia said playfully.

"Well nobody told you to buy every damn thing in Victoria's Secret, did they? What am I supposed to do?" I laughed, playfully smacking her bottom.

'Kevin...people will see, not out here.." she laughed,as I chased her back into our cabin.

"Kevin , why don't you go to bar and get me an Apple Martini....I'll have a nice surprise for you
when you get back." said Sepia.

"Ohhh,I thought you wanted to get some sleep?" I laughed.

"I changed my mind...I can sleep any old time." she said playfully.

I walked up to the deck and there was Lolita Giles, passionately kissing a man.....It was NOT Dr.
Leonard Culpepper, who we had met earlier in the casino. This was a pretty boy...Skin the color
of brown maple syrup, a well tapered short hair cut and a very fashionable white linen suit, and
very expensive aviator shades.

"mmmph, stop..come on Eric...stop...If Leonard catches us up here, he'll blow a gasket." she said.

"Who cares what Leonard does? When you gonna tell him about us?" said Eric.

"I don't know....I will....in time..." she said.

"Yeah,after this cruise, right?hahahahahahahahahahahaha...What a sap...this guy paid for this cruise didn't he? And he bought you your Lexus too right? Man.....all that and he aint even got a
glimpse of the panties yet has he?" laughed Eric.

"Stop it Eric...Leonard's a good man..he just...he just.." she said.

"He's just a boring ass square...He don't hit that thang like I hits it..KAPOW!!! Have you screaming all kinds of things don't I baby...and I aint spent a damn dollar on your ass." he sneered.

I hated guys like Eric Derricote. I didn't recognize him at first..but after hearing him talk,I knew
exactly who he was...He was a wide receiver for The New York Giants. He had gone number two in the draft...Sean Jackson and I had done a story on him for the magazine ,the week after we did the spread on Reed Nelson and his band. He was a egotistical little jerk.

"Kevin right? What are you doing here? Come on ,let's go get a drink." came the voice..It was Leonard!!!! Now, Lolita and eric turned around and it was obvious that we,Leonard and I had walked into something.

'WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?" said Leonard. Before Lolita could say anything, Eric spoke up-

"Can't I come on a cruise too Doc? You aint the only one ,got money,you know?"

"Screw you......Lolita....did you invite him?? I bet you told him we was goin on this trip didn't you?" said Leonard....I wanted to be invisible right about now...

"Oh Leonard, I didn't tell him, it's just a co-incidence, will you stop accusing me of stuff?"she said.

"Hey Leonard...I bet you and her aint even stayin in the same room are you? You paid for the whole trip and you're stayin in seperate rooms...It wouldn't be me...I'd be hittin that thang-
KAPOWWWW! But you, you just spendin money and you can't even get a peek at her bra strap!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.." he laughed...

Leonard looked at both of them and then turned around and cooly walked away..I felt sorry for
him..

"Say, don't I know you?" Laughed Eric to me.

"No, I don't think so." I said as I ordered a drink and walked away..Just then, Slim Giddings ,the
annoying little man from the bar ran into me...

"Hey Kevin...how you doin man? Say, did you see the Football player..Eric Derricote, from the
Giants?" he yelled.

"Yeah, he's up on deck..with a woman." I said.

"It's cool...we switched rooms..He wanted one with a better view of the sea....I just want to run up and give him the keys..." said Slim.

I just smiled and kept going.

The next morning, when we woke up....Sepia and I were making our way to the dining area for breakfast, when we heard a scream....

There was a man in an open room lying in a pool of blood...His entire head had been caved in and
the room was a bloody mess......it was Slim Giddings!!!!!!


To Be Continued!!!!