All That and a Bag of Chips Read online

  Venice Taylor believes that her relationship with sexy football star, Jarvis Anderson, is unbreakable; especially since they have been intense lovers for almost 4 years. During that time, they experienced some unique events that drew them closer together than most couples their age. Jarvis and Venice have no choice but to trust that the love they share will withstand any challenge. Heading off to separate colleges would undoubtedly be a test of their undying love and fiery passion.

  Even though they have agreed to see other people during college, Venice is not counting on falling in love with another man. That is, until drop dead gorgeous Craig Bennett, a Junior Architecture Major, enters her life like a hurricane. From the moment their eyes meet, Venice realizes that she is in trouble. Craig stirs feelings inside of her that she has only previously felt with Jarvis. Within weeks, Venice finds herself in a full-blown love affair. At the same time, she is hoping and praying that her secrets will not destroy her new relationship with Craig or cause Jarvis any undeserved pain.

  Torn between the two most passionate men that she has ever met, Venice has to make a decision. But, at what cost?

  All That and a Bag of Chips is a romantic, enticing, thought-provoking novel with timely characters and a storyline that anyone who has ever been in love can relate to. Darrien Lee will quickly establish herself as one of the top African American romance novelists in the new millennium with her humorous dialogue, steamy sex scenes and eye for detail. All That and a Bag of Chips is a book that anyone, from college students to senior citizens, will enjoy.

  Zane, author of Addicted,

  Shame on it All,

  and The Sex Chronicles

  All That

  and

  a Bag of Chips

  Published by

  STREBOR BOOKS INTERNATIONAL

  P. O. Box 10127

  Silver Spring, MD, 20914

  http://www.streborbooks.com

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS © 2001. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical or photocopying or stored in a retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages to be included in a review.

  ISBN: 978-1-4516-9479-6 (ebook)

  ISBN 978-0-9711953-0-1

  LCCN

  COVER ILLUSTRATION: © André Harris

  TYPESETTING & INTERIOR DESIGN: Industrial Fonts & Graphix

  A Strebor Books International LLC Publication

  Distributed by Simon and Schuster

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  This book is dedicated to all the people who touched my life in college. Especially my dear friends of Wilson Hall (The Zoo).

  Tracy Dandridge, Shirlene Goodman, Lanetta Coleman, Buanita Ray, Cheryl Dean, Toni Britt, Teresa McElrath, Janice Talley, Esperonzia Noble, Angelic Thompson, and Dollie Morrison. Thanks for the memories.

  Acknowledgments

  First, I give thanks to God from whom all blessings flow.

  To Daddy, I know you’re looking down from Heaven with a big smile on your face. Thanks for watching over me. I miss you.

  A heartwarming thanks to my Mother, Ines, who gave me life and love. You always knew I had a vivid imagination and adventurous nature.

  To my loving husband, Wayne, who has supported and stood by me on this magical journey.

  Thanks Sweetheart, I love you!

  To my daughters, Alyvia and Marisa, you are so precious and the joy in my life. May you grow up to understand that your dreams can become a reality. Remember as long as you have God on your side, you can accomplish anything.

  To my brother, Edward Jr. and sisters, Phylishia and Emily, you always knew I had it in me.

  Thanks for the memories and the love.

  Vanessa Harris Maston, your inspiration and encouragement help make my dream a reality; None of this would have been possible if not for you. I will always cherish the many memories we share. Never forget the green raincoat!

  Devoted friends, Brenda Thomas and Tracy Dandridge, your friendship is priceless! Over the last two decades, we’ve laughed and cried together as well as shared secrets we know are safe. Thanks for being in my corner.

  I can’t thank all my other friends and co-workers enough for the motivation. I appreciate all the critiquing you did to keep me focused and on the right path.

  Andre’ Harris, you are a talented artist and I am indebted to you for bringing my characters to life for this cover. You created them exactly as I envisioned. You are dangerous with a paintbrush! Stay Cool!

  Romance Novelist, Carmen Green, thank you for your kind words of advice and encouragement.

  Romance Novelist, Deirdre Savoy, I also thank you for your guidance and inspiration.

  Finally, Zane, I had to save the best for last. I would like to thank you for taking a chance and believing in me. You motivated me when I need to be motivated. You encouraged me when I needed encouragement. I hope to make you proud!

  All That

  and

  a Bag of Chips

  One

  The summer afternoon seemed just like many others. The mother was working on dinner in the kitchen while the father watched Sanford and Son reruns in the den. Venice, the baby of the Taylor family and the only girl, was about to leave for college. She was a natural beauty with smooth, cinnamon skin. Track was her sport of choice so she had the body of a typical sprinter. She was five-foot-six with well-conditioned, athletic legs. Her naturally long, thick hair dangled three inches past her shoulders.

  Her two brothers, Bryan and Galen, were somewhat protective of her since she was their only sister. Bryan, the oldest of the three, was married with his own family. Sinclair, his stuck-up wife, was decent most of the time. However, she could turn into a real bitch when she didn’t get her way. Bryan and Sinclair had an eight-year-old daughter, Crimson, who could be a brat from time to time. She had an attitude like her mother when things didn’t go her way. Crimson did hav
e her sweet moments. She inherited that quality from her daddy.

  Bryan was quiet and passive, almost too passive. For the most part, he went along with the flow of things. Bryan was a handsome man: tall with the build of a former pro football player. His paper sack brown, smooth skin complimented killer bedroom eyes. He was constantly grooming his mustache and goatee into perfection.

  Bryan was a sports agent for professional athletics. He’d met Sinclair, a florist, after rear-ending her car. A year and a half later, violà! They were married. A couple of years after they were married, Crimson entered their lives.

  Galen, on the other hand, was closer to his sister’s age. They’d been inseparable most of their lives. However, in high school, they’d had their own things going on. While Venice was running track, Galen was on the football field. Galen had a slender build, but also carried well-defined muscles on his tall frame. To describe him, most would say he was high yellow like their mother and had all the women at his feet.

  The good thing about Galen was that he wasn’t a player, player! He was entering his junior year at Dawson University. Venice was about to be a freshman there. She was supposed to go to the University of Michigan, but the administration had misplaced her paperwork. By the time they found it, Venice couldn’t get in so she decided to join her brother at Dawson instead and nevertheless remained excited. She was hoping Galen wouldn’t try to be an on-campus daddy to her; assuming he could tell her what to do. After all, Venice was about to meet college men and Mommy and Daddy were going to be six hours away. Hey!

  Since the big day had finally arrived, Bryan felt he had to come over to give Venice a lecture on studying. He cautioned her about getting mixed up with the campus freak-a-zoids and dogs. This was kind of flattering, but little did Bryan know that Galen had told Venice that those were the exact kind of women Bryan had dated in college. Luckily, he didn’t let them ruin his goal of getting his education. Now it was Venice’s turn to remember to stay focused. She knew the fine men she was about to meet might be a slight distraction, even though her heart still belonged to the only man she’d ever loved.

  Mr. Taylor, a retired police officer, didn’t have much to say except, “Baby girl, call me if you need anything and Galen, you better look after your sister.”

  Galen nodded in acceptance of the task bestowed upon him by his father.

  Mrs. Taylor had fried chicken packed for both of them. Brain food is what she called it. She said, “All black folks need a little chicken to nibble on when they’re studying.”

  While Galen and Bryan were putting the last pieces of the luggage into Venice’s car, Crimson asked, “Where are you going?”

  Venice explained to her that she was moving into the college dormitory and would come visit her every chance she got. After hearing this, Crimson became very silent as if she were analyzing the situation. Then she asked if she could have Venice’s room.

  Venice told her, “No way!”

  She chased Crimson out into the yard and around the house. Crimson was a pretty child with long, silky pigtails and dark chocolate skin. Her eyes were light brown and she had a smile that would con anyone. Her long legs had all the markings of a future track star.

  Venice’s closest friend in the world, Joshua, also came down to see her off. They’d grown up together and Venice regarded him as her third brother. They went practically everywhere together. A lot of people didn’t understand how a sista and a brotha could be so close without having any sex between them. Venice’s boyfriend understood their closeness with no problem, but Joshua’s girlfriends always felt threatened by her. All of them except for his present girlfriend, Cynthia. She was cool and Venice really liked her.

  Joshua was going to stay home, work the first year, and then join Venice at college later. They planned to share an apartment the following summer while they attended summer school. Venice was going to miss him more than anyone. Oddly enough, he was the one that she shared all of her secrets with. She had another friend, Chanelle, that she hung out with, but she wasn’t like Joshua. He cared a lot about Venice. They were each other’s rock.

  Sinclair, Bryan’s devilish wife, drove up in her forest green SUV. She couldn’t even say hello because she was too busy scolding Crimson for running around like a wild child.

  Venice hurriedly butted in by telling her, “She was playing with me!”

  Sinclair gave Venice that “don’t start with me look” and asked Crimson where her daddy was. As Crimson was responding, Sinclair’s cell phone began ringing. She glared at Venice as she walked past her into the house.

  “Skank!” Venice mumbled.

  Two

  At last, Venice could finally pull out of the driveway. Everyone came out onto the porch to exchange hugs and say their goodbyes. Galen was still in the house feeding his face with his mother’s chicken when Venice gave everyone a hug and kiss.

  Joshua walked her to the car. “Girl, you’d better call me and don’t go down there and get mixed up with any thugs.”

  Venice laughed. “Josh, you know I’m not going to do anything like that. I’ll call you and let you know what’s going on. Don’t forget you’re coming down for homecoming. Okay?”

  He smiled, leaned into the window of her car, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to miss you, Niecy. I love you.”

  Venice got out of the car and gave him another hug. “I love you, too!”

  This was going to be the first time they’d been separated since preschool and it already felt weird. Joshua lived one street over and during their years growing up, if Joshua and his brother weren’t at the Taylor home, Venice and Galen were down at their house. It was hard to realize that they’d grown up and were moving on to hopefully bigger and better things.

  Venice pulled out of the driveway and waved as she drove down the street. She had to make one more important stop. She had to say her final goodbye to her sweetie, Jarvis Anderson. He was also going to be leaving for college the next day. He was lucky to get both academic and football scholarships. He planned on majoring in Criminal Justice and figured if he didn’t make it to the pros, he could work for the FBI or some other government agency.

  They’d been dating for the past four years and had been through hell and high water together. It was going to be especially hard to say goodbye to him. Venice still loved him, but their parents felt they should cool it since they were getting ready to go in two different directions. They’d shared a hot love affair over the years and had just spent their last night together before heading off to school. They vowed that if fate put them back together after they graduated, they would get married.

  Venice had dated a few guys when they were going through one of their temporary breakups. But, she never found anyone she liked as much as Jarvis. Only one incident seriously tested them and they’d found themselves back together again in no time. Joshua once told her that Jarvis was born to be her husband. Venice always thought Joshua was trippin’ when he said things like that, but she listened to him anyway.

  When she pulled up in front of Jarvis’ house, he immediately came out to meet her. Venice got out of the car and sat upon the hood as he approached.

  Jarvis asked, “Are you getting ready to hit the road?”

  “Yep! Daddy wants me to get there before dark.”

  “Where’s Galen?”

  “He’s leaving in a little while.”

  He stood in front of Venice and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her toward him. “I had a good time last night, Niecy. I just wish there were some way we could…”

  “Don’t go there, Jarvis. This is hard enough for me.”

  He hugged her, rubbing her hips. “I know, Venice. Damn, I’m going to miss you. Make sure you call me. You know your stuff will always belong to me.”

  Venice giggled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  Jarvis went on to say, “I’m not playing, Venice! If you hook up with some buster down there, just remember that. I’m just loaning you out unt
il I graduate. Then I’m coming back for you.”

  Venice had tears in her eyes. “Do you think we did the right thing?”

  “I don’t know, Niecy. My mind says we did but my heart says we didn’t. We can’t dwell on that now. What’s done is done.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  Venice got down off the car slowly, wiping away her tears.

  “What’s wrong, Niecy?”

  “I’m sore! You know what you did to me last night!”

  Jarvis gazed at her with his devilish, seductive eyes. “Are you having regrets now?”

  She pressed her body to his. “My only regret is that I don’t have time to show you just how much I love you before I leave.”

  He held her against his strong, muscular body. “Baby, if you show me any more, I’m not going to be able to walk myself.”

  They held their embrace as they laughed together. Silence followed as they gazed at each other’s lips and into each other’s eyes. He held her face tenderly and gave her another sultry kiss.

  “Niecy, you taste so sweet. I’m not going to make it without you.”

  “I’m going to miss you, too. Everything will be okay. You’ll see. Well, baby, I’d better get going. I’ll see you at homecoming.”

  “Without a doubt, but I need to see you before then.”

  “Same here, Jarvis.”

  “I’ll get with Pops and see what he can work out.”

  She held onto him for a moment before they exchanged a series of toe-curling kisses. Venice went numb and lightheaded at the same time. She felt the warmth from his body and saw the devotion in his eyes.

  “Lord have mercy, Jarvis!”

  “You do the same to me, girl. Too bad I can’t take you up on your offer.”

  “Don’t tempt me, baby. I really better get going. Oh, don’t go up to that fancy college and get something you can’t get rid of. Better yet, don’t become somebody’s baby’s daddy. I know you’re a big football star and all, but I’d be pissed if you let something like that happen. “