Janet smiled. “Okay. Richard.” She already liked that name. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Richard said, pulling her into his arms. He knew he’d get a hard-on holding her, and he was right. His penis began to have an erection as soon as his hands felt her soft back and his penis felt her soft body. He pulled her closer, so that she could feel him too.
But Janet was too busy feeling the simplest fact that a man was holding her. She’d never been held, in that way, by any man before in her entire life. Her entire body felt flushed with heat as Richard held her.
And he was feeling the heat too. She really did turn him on! And he moved one of his muscular thighs between her slender legs, to make certain she felt his erection. But when he did it, he suddenly could feel her heartbeat quicken to such an extent that it was alarming even to him. And then he could hear her heart pound.
Concerned, he pulled back from her. Was she alright?
She wasn’t. He saw that right away. Her smooth skin was now flushed with anxiety, as if she’d never felt a man’s penis before in her life, and he could see that it had terrified her.
And it was at that very moment did he realize what he had seen in her when he first laid eyes on her. It wasn’t her body. It wasn’t her big boobs. It was her innocence! That was what he saw. A truly sweet, kind, innocent young woman with truly sweet, kind, innocent intentions. No hidden agendas. No slickness and slyness like he had come to expect from females. And his bad ass was about to take advantage of a person like that? He was about to steal her virginity as if he were stealing candy? Because it would definitely be a theft coming from a man of his lifelong experience. It would be like the bad man taking candy from the sweet child. He knew he could do it. He knew how to talk his way into any woman’s bed. But he also knew he couldn’t do that to her. Not to this girl.
Mostly because he remembered that warning. Pay attention to this one. Pay attention to her!
He wasn’t used to paying attention to women. Especially when he wanted what he wanted from that particular woman. And her innocence threw him for a loop. Every woman in his circle lost their virginity before they were sixteen years old. And he should know since most of them lost it to him! It was just how it was done in his world and he assumed it was done that way everywhere else too. And perhaps it was. But not with this one.
“You know what?” he asked her.
“What?” Janet responded, still trying to come back down from that place where the press of his penis and where him having his arms around her had taken her to.
“I wouldn’t mind a little of that spaghetti myself,” he said. “Is you can spare some.”
And just like that, Janet came back down to earth. And she smiled that beautiful white smile that made him feel like an ass for taking her there. “I have plenty,” she said to him. “I’ll be happy to share.” And she headed back to the refrigerator.
His goal was to eat with her, so that she wouldn’t blame herself when he abruptly left. Because he was definitely leaving. No way was he spoiling this kid. No way. And he was going to make it his business to never see her again.
But as they sat at that tiny table together and ate what turned out to be a very good meal, he actually enjoyed himself. Even Janet could see he was having fun. He was the first human being to ever step foot in her room, after four years of renting that room, and she was pleased he was the first. Because there was something so decent about Richard. She couldn’t say for certain why she felt that way, but that was what she saw in his eyes. And the eyes, as they say, were the window to the soul.
They sat at her little table in her little room and laughed and talked and ate good food together. And when he had finished, Richard found himself lingering, and talking some more. Mainly about her.
“When I first picked you up,” he said, “you mentioned your foster people.”
She remembered.
He smiled. “What’s that?”
“I was in foster care all of my childhood,” Janet said.
“Oh! You were talking about your foster family.”
If you want to call them that. “Yes.”
“So, I take it your family of origin wasn’t around or?”
“No,” said Janet. “There had been a car accident. My father died instantly, but my mother, pregnant at the time, was rushed to the hospital. She stayed alive long enough to give birth to me.” She scrunched up her face. “But then she died too.”
Richard was truly sorry. “Oh, I am so sorry, Janet.”
“She stayed around long enough to make sure I was alright,” Janet said. “I think that’s what drives me. Knowing my mama made such a sacrifice for me to be here.”
“She’ll be proud of you,” Richard said.
“I haven’t done anything to be proud of,” Janet said bluntly. “But at least I’m a good person. I think that’ll probably count more with her.”
Richard smiled. “That’s absolutely true,” he said. “And don’t you ever forget that.”
Janet smiled. “Want more?” she asked.
“You have more?” he asked.
“Plenty,” she said. “I told you I cooked a whole pot full.”
“Then yes,” said Richard. “It’s so good that my greedy ass will be pleased to go another round.”
Janet laughed, stood up, and took his plate to refill it.
He was really enjoying her company. But he knew he wasn’t helping her. The best thing a joker like him could ever do for her was to leave and leave expeditiously.
But she was so sweet, and so kind, and she actually laughed at his jokes. He didn’t want to leave.
But he had to. She deserved a man who would stay and love her. He only knew how to leave, and what was love?
Before things got out of hand, and before she decided she could trust her heart with him when he knew she couldn’t, he got up and headed for the couch to grab his sportscoat.
He glanced at his Rolex. It was almost eleven. “Damn, it’s late.”
“What time is it?”
“Eleven.”
Janet was shocked. “That late?” She stood up too.
Richard smiled. “We were talking,” he said.
“Yes, we were,” Janet agreed with a smile of her own. But when she realized he had grabbed his coat, she frowned. “But you can’t leave this time of night,” she said.
“I can’t?” Richard was looking at her as he put on his coat.
“No! You were already sleepy,” she said. “I can’t let you drive all the way to Tulsa and end up in a ditch.”
He laughed. “I can manage,” he said.
“You’re going to sleep on the couch just as we agreed, and then get up in the morning and go home.”
Richard stared at her. It would be so easy for him to take advantage of her. So easy! She wouldn’t see a joker like him coming. “I’m fine, Janet, thank you. Your spaghetti and good conversation woke me right up!”
But Janet would have none of it. “Nonsense,” she said. “Food puts you to sleep, it doesn’t wake you up. As soon as you get on that road, you’ll be drowsy again.” She walked over to her chest of drawers, opened the bottom one and pulled out a blanket, and then grabbed one of the two pillows off her bed.
“Here you are,” she said, handing the pillow and blanket to Richard.
“I thought you said I could have the bed,” he said jokingly.
Janet thought he was serious. “You can!” she said emphatically. “Please do!”
“I’m joking, Janet,” he said with a grin.
Janet laughed. “Thanks for the laugher. You really are a very nice man,” she said, and began heading toward the bed.
But Richard grabbed her by the arm and stopped her progression. She looked at him. And he was sincere this time. “No,” he said to her, “I’m not.”
Janet stared into his eyes. She couldn’t understand why he would make a special point to say that to her. Somebody says you’re a nice guy, and you make it your business
to tell them you aren’t? What was she to make of that?
Richard saw her confusion too. She was just talking off-the-cuff, he realized. She didn’t mean it. Why was he making a big deal out of it? And he let go of her arm.
As she grabbed up her nightgown and her bathing supplies and also, he noticed, cleaning supplies, he removed his sportscoat again and sat down on the couch and began removing his shoes. When she went out of the room to go to the bathroom down the hall, he laid on the couch and placed the blanket over his lower body. This was insane, he felt. Why didn’t he just take his ass on while she was gone, and do them both a favor?
Because he couldn’t.
Because he wanted to stay.
Because he wanted to make certain she would be okay overnight, before he took his leave.
Although, he also knew, he was going to take his leave. Nothing would become of that night. Nothing could become of it. He found her innocent. He was determined to leave her that same way.
His only prayer was that she’d find a real good guy, not some fraud like him. But somebody who wouldn’t use or abuse her, but would fully appreciate the diamond he had. But that man could never be him. All the wrong he’d done in his life could never be made right, no matter who was trying to make it right.
By the time she made it back into the room, freshly scrubbed and with her nightgown on, Richard, satisfied that she was back safe, closed his eyes. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.
CHAPTER SEVEN
He woke up to the sound of her cries.
Not loud cries, but very soft sobs that barely registered. At first, he thought he was hearing things. That was how soft they were. Then he didn’t recognize where he was. Then, when it all came back to him and he realized he was at Janet’s place, he knew he wasn’t hearing things. He was hearing her!
He quickly leaned up and looked over at her bed. She was still asleep, but her head was turning from side to side, she kept murmuring where are you, where are you, over and over again, as if something was terrifying her. He quickly threw that blanket off his body and hurried over to her bed.
“Janet?” he said softly, trying to awaken her without rousing her. “Janet?”
But her contortions became even more desperate. Where are you, she kept asking. Where are you?!
He had no choice. He shook her. “Janet!” he said louder.
And it was enough. She opened her big, beautiful hazel eyes. When she saw him hovering over her, she jumped straight up.
“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “It’s me. Richard.”
When she realized who it was, and remembered that she did, indeed, have a man in her room, she laid back down. “What happened?” she asked him.
“You were having a bad dream, my dear.”
“A dream?”
More like a nightmare, Richard knew, but he didn’t want to alarm her any more than she already was. “Seems like,” he said.
She looked worried. And leaned up on her elbows. “What was I saying?” she asked.
“You kept asking where are you,” Richard said. Was she asking him, he wondered?
Janet thought about her dream. And she remembered it. “I was in a room,” she said, “and my parents were with me. I’ve never seen them before in my life. Not even a picture. Nobody’s never even had a photograph to show me of either one of my parents. But they were right there with me. Both of them. Don’t tell me how I knew it was them. I just knew it was them. But they didn’t stay long. I was talking. And in the middle of my conversation, they got up and walked out. And they left me in that strange room alone. And I was so scared.”
Richard could feel the anguish as she spoke. He touched her arm. Why she touched him so, he’d never know.
“And I kept asking where are you, as if they were playing hide and seek with me and I just knew they were going to turn back up. But they never did. I kept trying to figure out where they had gone. But they never came back.”
“It’s okay,” Richard said to her. “Lay back down.” He helped her lay back down on her pillow.
But he could still see the pain in her eyes. And then tears appeared in her eyes. “They never came back,” she said to him.
And that did something to Richard. He didn’t know why, but he felt her pain to the core of his being. And he leaned down and placed his arms around her. She leaned up, and hugged him, sobbing. And then he moved her over, got in bed with her, placed the covers over both of them, and held her gently. She continued to hold him. They were side by side wrapped in each other’s arms.
They stayed that way as Janet and then Richard fell asleep. They stayed that way when Richard woke up, made sure she was still asleep, and went back to sleep again.
The next morning, when Richard woke up, Janet’s back was to him, he was spooning her, and her nightgown had twisted up near her waist. Which meant his penis was jutted against her bare butt. And it was already fully aroused. So aroused that he wanted to unzip his pants, pull it out, and put it all the way inside of her. He wanted to feel that tight virgin vagina for himself. But he couldn’t do that to her.
He, instead, pulled down her gown, moved off his side, and laid on his back. Janet was still fast asleep, and he was glad that she was, but not being able to get that relief had killed any sleep he still might have felt.
And then, to make matters worse, her loud-ass alarm clock sounded, causing him to jump. But she woke up stretching.
He looked at the clock on her bedside. It was her get up time. It was four am.
She was about to get out of bed, but he pulled her back. “No need to get up this early,” he said. “I’ll take you to work today.”
“No,” she said firmly. “Thank you, but no. I need to get used to my routine.” And she didn’t give him a chance to argue the point. She got out of bed.
Richard watched as she got her supplies together and was about to head out into the hall.
“Where’s the men’s room?” Richard asked her.
“Down the hall. The last door before the back stairwell.”
“And the ladies’ room?” Richard asked.
Janet wondered why he wanted to know that. “It’s across from the men’s room.”
Richard nodded. And Janet headed on out.
Richard laid there momentarily, and then got up too. After a trip to the men’s room, he made it back into her room, fully dressed, and waited for her to return. He looked around, at the books she read, at the food in her frig and cupboards, at the clothes in her tiny closet. She didn’t have much, but she had taste, he recognized. And he sat back on her little couch, yawned, and waited. Looked at his cell phone, which he had switched off before he went to bed. He had twelve messages in need of his attention. He switched it off again.
By the time Janet made it back into her room, he was dressed and ready to go. She was in her bathrobe. And she smiled. “You’re up.”
“Before the crack of dawn for the first time in my life!”
Janet laughed. “Hopefully you got enough sleep to drive safely,” she said.
“Oh, yes,” he said, as he walked over to her. “Thank you, Janet.”
“For what? You were great company!”
Richard smiled too. “Why don’t you let me take you to work? It’s still dark outside.”
“Darkness never bothered me,” Janet said. “Besides, I want to get used to my new routine. I need to make sure I’m leaving enough time to get to work without being late. I need to know if the bus runs a different route in the early morning, if it makes more stops. I need to get used to this, and the sooner I start the better.”
Richard nodded. He understood. She couldn’t rely on a joker like him, and even she knew that. Better he got out while she was ahead.
He placed both hands on her shoulders. And looked her in the eyes. “Take care of yourself,” he said to her with all sincerity.
“You too,” she said to him, as a sadness came over her. She didn’t want him to leave! Then she was upset with herself
for feeling so emotionally needy.
And Richard lingered. He didn’t want to leave her either! And he wondered why. Why didn’t he just go?
And then he began looking from her eyes to her mouth. That wonderful mouth. And he couldn’t help it. He thought about how great her bare ass felt jutted against him while they were in bed together, and how he didn’t get any relief then, and how he still had that need. And he decided to kiss her. But that was all he was going to do, he told himself. Just a simple kiss. He leaned into her, still holding her by the shoulders, and kissed her on the lips.
Only it wasn’t a simple kiss the way he thought it would be. She tasted so good that it became much more than sweet. It became passionate. So much so that even Janet was feeling the heat. And soon he was kissing her harder and harder and his penis was growing larger and larger and she was in the throes of unbridled passion for the first time in her life. And he wrapped her into his arms.
Janet didn’t want it to end. And Richard couldn’t let it end. She tasted just the wonderful to him.
And it was overwhelming. He knew how to pull back. He knew how to cut this shit off. But he couldn’t do it. He deprived himself all night, something he’d never done before in his life. Now it was serious. He had to have it!
As they continued kissing, Richard walked her to the bed. He laid her down, hurriedly opened her bathrobe, revealing her beautiful brown body, and then he began squeezing and kissing and sucking her breasts.
Janet was arching as he made love to her breasts. It felt exactly as she thought it would feel and her entire body was reacting to that feeling.
And when he moved down her body, between her legs, and he began sucking and kissing and licking her there, she just knew she was having an orgasm. It felt just that good.
But she wasn’t there yet. She realized it when Richard stood up, removed his shoes, unbuckled his pants and pulled them, along with his briefs, all the way off. He pulled a condom out of his pocket before tossing his pants aside, put it on, and then laid on top of Janet, kissing her again. And then he entered her.
And as soon as she felt that thick meat push its way into her body, all of those good feelings she had been feeling made a sudden reversal, and turned into pain. Excruciating pain.
Plain Jane Evans and the Billionaire Page 4