Nobody

by Tiana Laveen

  “Oh, for shit’s sake!” Jessica couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Mama seldom cursed and when she did, it was hilarious. “You done got you a rich loony tune fruitcake. He ain’t no house cat!”

  “Mama, you don’t understand.”

  “Oh, I understand just fine. Tell him to take his silly ass on outside and get some fresh air. I swear, nowadays you people make up shit to get all up in arms about.” She tossed up her arms like she did in church to praise Jesus. “Back when I was young, we had real things to worry about, like being tormented by the Klan or beaten if we were caught in the wrong damn neighborhood! You pansies ain’t got no problems.” Mama smacked her lips in disgust. “Y’all be tryna find somethin’ to get depressed about! ‘I’m scared of outside…’ Now what kinda foolishness is that? I tell you what you do, Jess,” She pointed a finger in her direction, looking real serious. “Next time you deliver the mail, go up to his door. As soon as he answers, pull his arm, shove him out, go inside of his house and then lock the door behind him so he can’t get back in. After a few hours out there, he’ll be all right.”

  “Don’t make me regret trying to talk to you about this, Mama.”

  “People who don’t get fresh air ain’t clean. He probably musty!”

  “Mama, see, this is why I don’t tell you anything about stuff like this, about the men I date.”

  Her mother smiled coyly, flipped to another page of her magazine, and set her sights on some country chic sugar bowls.

  “That’s ’bout the silliest shit I’ve ever heard! Scared of outside… Next, you’ll be tellin’ me so and so is afraid of water, and another is afraid of air.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Mama, it’s a legit phobia. I know you don’t understand it, but it’s more common than you think.”

  “Jumpin’ outta airplanes is common, too. Don’t mean it’s easy to understand why in the hell people do such a thing. I know folks can be scared of snakes, being trapped in elevators, thangs like that, but the outdoors?! Just bulldoze his entire house down! He’ll be out then. That’s a promise.”

  Jessica cracked up and shook her head.

  “Mama, you know you’re wrong. Seriously though, if only it were that easy. It’s more complex than that. Anyway, he’s really nice, like I said, and handsome, too. Good lookin’ man.”

  “How good looking?” Mama leaned back in her chair, her expression grave as if this information would make or break her.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “’Cause if he is super good lookin’ and you don’t want him, I might take a stab at him! Hell! I don’t go nowhere no how. If he’s okay with my dentures and bum hip, I’m okay with him bein’ cooped up in that big fancy house.” They both burst out laughing. “Naw, baby, honestly, this is a problem.” Mama removed her glasses and rubbed her weary eyes. “Sounds like he’s got to get to the bottom of this. Is he getting help for it? Hell, is there help for it?”

  “He has many times, but he’s trying again. He doesn’t want to be like this, trust me. He did go outside in his backyard with me the other day. I was really proud of him.”

  Mama smiled at her and tapped her hand.

  “You’ve always been naturally motivational, Jessica. I used to wish I had that, you know, a gift to make people listen to me and believe me… care about what I had to say.” The woman’s words were piercing, pregnant; something unknown brewed inside of them, growing. Mama had a way of doing that. She’d never just come on out and speak her truths. She’d wrap them around something else, disguised under layers of colorful compliments, complications, and observations; but they always had sharp edges beneath the thick folds of gold. “I don’t think you’ve made a mistake.”

  “Really? After all of what you said?”

  “Naw, we all got something wrong with us, right?” Mama looked down at the page, seeming to realize she no longer had her glasses on and slammed it shut. “As long as he’s tryna get himself together, then I don’t see it how you do. It’s just something that he needs to try and get his head around is all. As long as he wants to change, then he can beat it.”

  “Well, it’s not just that. It’s me, too. I need to go back to what we were just discussing. Mama, this man is… gorgeous, okay? I can’t imagine him really going for someone like me. I know you think that I—”

  “Jessica, don’t you start with that mess! Now I done told you that you’re gorgeous, too!”

  “Mama, I’m not, and I’m okay with that! Why don’t you ever believe me? Some of us are fine with not being models. Of course I want the same attention my friends get, but you know what? I want it for the right reasons. There are pros and cons to not being the prettiest all the time. Sometimes, it helps you figure out who is genuine and not shallow. I’m just now realizing that.”

  She played with a little plastic spoon, left there no doubt from Mama’s coffee earlier in the day.

  “I’m not tryna hear all of this nonsense. I don’t understand why you don’t see yourself the way I do. So what, you ain’t a size eight! You’ve got beautiful hair, lovely lips! Smart as all get out! Gorgeousness is more than skin-deep, too. You got what it takes on the inside and apparently, he knows it too. So not only is he easy on the eyes; apparently, he’s smart, too. Now what is this man’s name?”

  “Kane.”

  “Like Cain and Abel?” Mama’s brow shot up.

  “Yes, just spelled differently. You’re about to start up again, aren’t you?”

  “Awww, Lord. Maybe this is a bad idea after all.”

  Jessica reached for her purse, fished out her phone and showed Mama a picture of the man in question.

  “I took this picture of him during our picnic that I made him attend in his backyard. It was forced therapy but like I said, he did well. Ain’t he handsome as can be, Mama? He kinda look like Christian Bale, don’t he?”

  Mama squinted her eyes before grabbing her glasses and sliding them onto her face. She took Jessica’s phone from her hands and cradled it in her palms.

  “My God…”

  “I know, right? I told you he was damn near beautiful. Don’t make no sense.”

  “Naw! That ain’t why I said that. He White!” Jessica flopped back in her chair. “You ain’t say he was from the Pilgrims when they’d come over to Plymouth Rock! All this time I was picturing Idris Elba or Samuel L. Jackson! You done showed me Frosty the Snowman. Or Casper.”

  “Mama… you make life so hard.” She laughed. “Samuel L. Jackson?! Mama, now Samuel is a great actor, but he isn’t known for his looks, either.”

  “Shiiid! That man is fine! Did you see him in Eve’s Bayou? Honey! Fine like wine! He look like a sexy turtle!” Jessica slid nearly out of her chair. “I’m serious now. I know it sound silly, but he got that somethin’! That special look!”

  “If that is the barometer you use to find people attractive, sexy turtle, no wonder you think I’m a beauty queen. Anyway Mama, get your eyes checked. I’mma get the rest of the dinner on.” She stood from her seat and made her way back over to the stove. She could feel her mother’s glare on her as she opened the oven and checked on the baking chicken.

  “Jess, you are beautiful, baby. Yes, this man right here in this picture is real nice lookin’. I think anybody can see that, but he ain’t out of your league unless you believe he is.”

  Jessica shot her a glance from over her shoulder. “You’re right, Mama. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, you keep going over there but encourage him to get help so he can take my baby out on a real date. You deserve at least that much.”

  Jessica chuckled. “We actually have a lot of fun together. He’s real silly, like you. I like him. I like him a whole lot, Mama. In fact, he wanted me to come over tonight, said he wanted to discuss something important but it can wait. I let him know Sundays is reserved for my mother.”

  “After we finish eatin’ you take your behind over to his house. Bring him some coffee and dessert. You sit down and talk
to him fuh like twenty or thirty minutes, don’t stay long, then you take yo’ ass back home.”

  “But Mama, I can’t do that. This is our day! Plus, I have to wash the dishes and we’re supposed to—”

  “Nope.” Mama waved her hand. “I won’t hear of it. If he wants to talk to you ’bout something important, then you make yourself available. You ain’t gonna be able to blame me five years from now, talkin’ about you missed out on Mr. Right due to some cabbage, cornbread and sausages.”

  “All right.” With a smile, she walked back over to the table and took the phone from Mama’s hand. She stared at Kane’s picture for a moment, then called his number. “Hi, Kane. Are you still up for a little company?”

  “I got it for you.” He opened the small white box and the wonderful smell of fresh donuts wafted in the air, mingling with that of the piping hot coffee Jessica had brought along at just past 9 p.m. A much welcomed surprise, because he’d been thinking about her when she’d called.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was standing in his kitchen with her hair in a shiny bun, adorned with a diamond bird shaped barrette. She always looked so well put together. Her lips had a bit of a sheen to them, and tonight she wore large gold hoop earrings that swung every time she moved her head. She had on a pair of flared blue jeans and a lightweight teal knit sweater. He adored every inch of her, from her head to her toes.

  “You have to eat at least one of these. Come on,” he said. He picked the chocolate icing covered one, grabbed a plate, and cut it in half. Her cheekbones blushed in the hue he’d grown to love.

  “I already ate. That would be greedy. Besides, tryna watch what I eat a bit better now.”

  “Only a dog wanna bone. Come on over here, girl. One bite won’t hurt you.”

  She shook her head and wrinkled her nose, holding up her hand as if to put distance between them. He inched closer to her, and closer still, then reached for her lower lip. Her eyes grew large when he opened her mouth and slid the half donut along the tip of her tongue. She bit into the soft, fluffy sweetness and smiled while she chewed. Her eyes sparkled with joy, dreams and hopes. Or at least he longed for that to be the reason they gleamed so.

  He grabbed the same half she’d sampled from and took two bites.

  “These are good. Thank you again for being so considerate, bringing me a snack and gracing me with your presence.” John Mayer’s, ‘Your Body is a Wonderland’ played through the speakers. “Dance with me, magic girl.” She laughed lightly as he took her into his arms. They spun around and slow danced, having a great time. She moved so well, her limbs a symphony, her mouth the music. She tossed her head back, her face bright when he spun around, showing off just to please her.

  “You’re so silly.”

  He spun her back towards him and held her close.

  “Am I? I’m dead serious about you though… I want you, Jessica.”

  Her smile slowly faded as he rocked her from side to side, their bodies pressed against one another like love and hate. There was a thin line between them… one he was determined to cross.

  “Shit…” She trembled in his arms when he pressed his lips against hers.

  Then he pulled her impossibly closer, wrapping his arms so tightly around her sweet-smelling body, refusing to let go. Seconds morphed into minutes. Their bodies collided… lights glowed… music played… kisses so deep they made him groan with need as his budding erection grew. Before he knew it, he had her backed into the kitchen counter and he pressed himself against her, staring at her, unwilling to turn away or even blink. She ran her fingers through his hair and he shuddered at her touch. There was something about this woman… She was Black magic, in the best and most beautiful of ways. He bent down to kiss the fragrant, pretty flesh at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, christening it, marking it with a ‘K’. The tune of John Mayer’s ‘Carry Me Away’ was now on. He took that as his cue. Permission to open a door she kept trying to close.

  He was ready to walk in, and he would no longer take no for an answer.

  “Jessica, stop fighting this… Lemme have you, baby. Lemme show you how much I care about you. I want to make you feel like outside in the rain…like Chess games and dancing to old music that we loved when we were still wet behind the ears.”

  She screamed when he scooped her up in his arms and marched out of the kitchen. She was his present. All he needed was a bright red shiny bow.

  “How the hell are you carrying me?!” She laughed, her eyes big as full moons.

  “I know you’ve heard crazy people are strong. Besides, you act as if you weigh a thousand pounds. You’re thick and curvy, sexy! Be happy about it!”

  “You don’t know nothin’ about being thick, Kane! Silly! Been watching too much BET.” She chuckled so hard at that, she broke into a cough.

  He raced her up the steps towards his bedroom, his body on fire with pent up desire ready to be unleashed. She held on tight, her touch making him feel good all over. Wanted. He laid her down in the middle of his king size bed with the emerald green sheets. Black cherry incense sticks burned on, their scent filling the air around them. He made a quick feast of her, not wanting to waste another second.

  Gliding her shirt over her head, he cast it aside. The sight of the large, smooth mounds, pressed together by a white bra, made his mouth water. He made quick work of removing his shirt and jeans, tossing them onto the floor in a flash. Three lava lamps illuminated the large bedroom, along with the fish screen saver on his laptop. He tasted the valley of her cleavage, licking down it as she writhed and moaned beneath him. When he touched her skin, it felt like silk. It had been so long since he’d felt this way about a woman…

  “You feel like butter… Damn.” He trailed his fingertips along her ebony tapestry, the map of her form a sight to behold. Her white panties with a lacy trim came up to right below her belly button. Her soft stomach was adorned with a smattering of stretch marks. Thick, supple thighs, smoother than grease, were warm and inviting and when he slid between them to claim his position. Damn if they didn’t feel like home.

  “Kane?”

  “Mmm hmmm.” He didn’t dare to break free from her, to turn away and be cut loose from the moment. “Yeah, baby?”

  “Do you have protection? I need to know before this goes too far.”

  “I do.” He reluctantly rolled off her to rummage through a nightstand drawer. He found them at last in the clutter: a box of Magnum condoms. He opened the pack and put one on the dresser.

  Her body shook and then an explosion of laughter came from her core.

  “What?”

  “That tickles!”

  “What tickles?”

  “Oh Lord, your hair… I have been trying to be quiet.”

  “You want me to put it in a ponytail or manbun? That isn’t really my favorite style but if it’ll stop the comedy hour then I’ll make the sacrifice.”

  They were both laughing now.

  “No, you’re fine, I’ll just have to get used to it. I’m not accustomed to that sort of thing is all.”

  “Men with hair?” He smirked after giving her a peck on the nose.

  “Men with long hair.” She winked at him. “Come on now. Let me see what you’re working with. Don’t keep me in suspense.”

  “Oh? So all the modesty is out the window now, huh?” He rose up on his knees and played with the elastic band of his blue boxer briefs. His gaze fixed on her, he ran his hand along his crotch, slowly gyrating back and forth, enticing her, entertaining her, making her smile.

  “If that imprint is any indication, I think you’ve got a package for me.”

  “A special delivery.” He pressed down onto her, supplying all of his weight while cinching his arms around her waist. Kisses along her cheeks, lips and neck turned into an inferno of frenzied caresses. They held on to one another, yearning for the next touch, the next kiss, the next dip into the pool of ecstasy. He took her hand and pressed it against his dick, which jerked at her touch. D
esperate strokes ensued, and he thought he’d lose his mind. He tugged at his underwear, pushing it halfway down his ass, exposing his pubic hair, then the rest of the way down his legs. Her gaze settled on his nature. “Are you happy with your order? Or do you refuse to sign for your package,” he teased, enjoying the way she stroked his thick, long cock.

  “Oh… I am damn happy with my order, baby! Signed, sealed, delivered, you’re mine! Good Lord!” Her laughter echoed in the room, blending in with Coldplay’s, ‘Yellow.’

  Reaching for her hips, he guided her panties along her thighs. She lifted her ass off the bed, allowing him to finally release them. A narrow trail of hair covered her groin. He eagerly lowered himself close to her flower, pushing her thighs open and wide with a shove of his hands. Resting his shoulders between her legs, he licked her dripping wet pussy, prodding the soft lips open with a wiggle of his tongue.

  “You taste so good, darlin’.”

  Cupping his hands around her hips, he dragged her as close as possible and sucked on her clit, directing all of his attention to the little pink nub he was certain wanted to come out and play. Her coos and moans took him to heights unknown. Turned on by her sounds, her scent, the softness of her skin, his dick got incredibly harder. He kept on tasting her juices, swallowing the sweetness of her desire. She pushed on his head, ruffling his hair for the most beautiful of reasons. It didn’t take long for her to come undone. She unraveled, bursting free like a river dam.

  “Oh damn!” Perspiration formed on her forehead, and she had such an intense look on her face… ‘More Than Words’, the song by Extreme, blended with the chorus of her sighs.

  Her skin felt like a warm blanket as he caressed her until her trembling ended and her body calmed. Her pussy pulsed against his lips, and then he gave it a final kiss. Crawling slowly up her body, he stared down at her like the prize that she was. He scanned her from head to toe, sucking on his lower lip to taste more of her flavor, then layered her face and neck with kisses while reaching behind her and releasing the clasps of her bra. The magnificent mounds jiggled when set free. Taking a large, erect nipple in his mouth, he drew on it, savored it. Massaging the other, he went back and forth, feasting on her, eating her alive. They began to roll about, tangled in the sheets.