by Tyla Walker
I insert the key on the doorknob, and I'm in my house.
I look around, thinking that my house is very dull. I mean, it's so unlike Nikki's place, with Kaley there, everything's jolly.
It's full of a woman's touch, unlike my place with only it's black and gray motifs. For me, this place is boring, and I can barely call this home. When Jessica was here, she didn't touch much of my stuff and just let things be.
I throw my keys to the table and hurry to my room. I want to finish packing most of my clothes today. Well, only a few pieces, I can come back here any time if I want too. It's not as if I'm staying in Nikki's place forever.
I smile as I think of her… I really want to kiss her again!
How can I possibly keep thinking this way? Nikki will grill me alive if she knows I'm thinking this way. I can't immerse myself in what happened.
I grab a bag and fill it with my clothes and toiletries, just a few pieces and the most important. I'll be staying in Nikki's spare room. Even though we're acting, I can't possibly uproot Kaley as she's sleeping with her mommy.
"Lucky," I moan as I fold the last piece of my clothes. I'm ready to go and do what we're supposed to do. I check the time, and it's forty-five minutes past nine. I'm really looking forward to my stay with Nikki.
I groan when I see the time, damn. I really want to sleep, but I guess it's better to strike the iron while it's hot. There's no point in waiting tomorrow when you can do it today.
I wonder if she's thinking about our kiss too?
As I think of Nikki, my mind unknowingly moves to Kaley. She won't be surprised to see me there since he knows me as uncle Johnathan. I'm just wondering if she's going to be okay without her father.
I mean, she's a child. I'm sure she's going to look for her father. I sigh, thinking about Sam's stupidity.
Sam's stupidity knows no bounds. Pathetic.
I grab my bag and go out of the house. I won't be here for a few weeks, but I'm not going to miss it.
I ring the doorbell when I arrive at Nikki's house. I'm fidgeting, trying to calm down. I'm excited like a teenager going on his first date. Who wouldn't be?
The door opens, and Nikki stands in front of me, covered in her bathrobe with her hair wet, looking like a seductress.
"Come in," she opens the door wide, and I grin. Damn, why didn't I see it before? Nikki's smoking hot.
I whistle.
"What's the wolf whistle for, punk?" Nikki asks me, as her brow raises with the question.
I grin at her.
"I was just wondering if you would like to try that kiss again? I think we need to practice to fool people better," I tease her. Nikki's reaction is comical, her eyes wide as saucers. Wonder if she’s got goosebumps...
I can't see everything since she's covered under a bathrobe.
"Ugh, you're so annoying," Nikki glares at me, but I can see that she seems to be considering the idea. Her eyes are flickering with intense emotions. "Keep your hands to yourself!"
"Hey!" I grab her forearm. "Come on, we can't act well if we don't do this. Where did you see fiancees that aren't sweet with each other? How can we convince our exes if we don't show them what we can do?"
"You do have a point," Nikki agrees with me as she seizes her arm back. "We can do it while in the eyes of the public, but don't you even dare think about it when it's only the two of us. I might just do something while you're sleeping."
"Oh? Are you going to jump on me while I sleep? Maybe you're planning on harassing me?" I ask her teasingly.
Nikki sighs and says in a loud voice, "I'm going to castrate you! Hmph!"
Then, she runs away. I laugh as I watch her get away from me, damn, she's so cute when she's angry.
"Where's my room?" I shout after her.
"Suit yourself! It's not as if you haven't been in the spare room!" Nikki says to me as she bangs her door closed.
I laugh louder and almost double over.
I walk to my room and throw my bag to the side. Nikki has cleaned the place and ready for me to use it; I smile as I fluff the pillows.
I was actually serious about earlier. I wonder how the second kiss will feel? I should grab the chance when it presents itself.
Four
Nikki
Am I using Johnathan to cover up for the fact that Sam, my baby-daddy-boyfriend left me? Am I using my closest friend to take the place of my ex so that I don’t feel lonely, now that he’s gone?
Whoa. That’s some heavy drama right there. One that’ll be good enough for an afternoon soap opera, or in my case, reality television. I’m using him aren’t I?! God dammit, Nikki! Jonathan is a friend!
I’m not that kinda girl.
When his bitchy ex walked in all high and proud with her bitch-posse, I knew that moving in to give Johnathan a kiss was the right thing to do. I can empathize with him and I know just how he feels.
See, I don’t mind that he kissed me back. The whole situation spelled make-his-ex-jealous. Hell, I would’ve been embarrassed if he didn’t return the favor. That said, I was expecting it. Expecting him to kiss me back.
But why does it feel… different?
Is it different only because I THINK it’s different? Or was there something there that I missed?
If only telepathy were real and I could read Jonathan’s mind last night. I’d probably have heard his testosterone screaming at his dick, making it rise and go stiff. His blood, heating up, ready for some action.
I’m just saying that that’s how a man’s body works. It’s all biology at this point. Then again, would I have heard a small voice in his head telling him about what’s probably the most improbable idea ever: him ACTUALLY liking me.
Well, first of all, he has to. We’ve been friends for so many damn years now, we’ve become so comfortable about and around each other. He’s always been there for me and my baby Kaley, with or without Sam around.
I mean, damn, he even knows about my love life and how I got to the situation I’m in now. And the same is true vice versa. I know about his escapades and relationships and whatnot. So I think it’s safe to say that he does like me.
However, let’s talk about him liking me as more than a friend? Could that be possible?
No, damn it! Have you lost your mind? If he liked you as more than a friend, he’d have made a move on you years ago. But no. You’ve always been his friend. And now, you’re still just a friend.
Yup, me going self-conversation crazy. Still, I can’t help but dwell on the fact that the kiss was so real!
And when Johnathan asked if we were allowed to fondle with each other, I have to say, my downstairs got a little tingly and wet.
Before I know, time has passed me by again and I’m helping Kaley brush her teeth to get her ready for bed.
“Mommy? Why are you doing that face like you’re doing math?” she asks inquisitively. My baby girl is as smart as her mommy, that’s for sure. Curious and observant.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m just… thinking.”
She’s like a little adult. Does her own thing. Gargles and wipes her mouth clean then looks at me with her adorable eyes.
“What are you thinking about, mommy?”
I can’t lie to her. I also can’t tell her that the reason for my deep thoughts is because I’m thinking of her Uncle Johnathan and he’s making my heart race, and my pussy tight. Just being real.
So I evade the question and dive into saying that it’s time for counting sheep and I ought to tuck her in before 9 p.m.
She goes along with my instructions and forgets about what she’d just asked me earlier.
I kiss her forehead as she closes her eyes, covered by her pink blankie. I turn on her nightlight and close her bedroom door.
I’ve cooled down a bit. A good time to assess my thoughts while clear headed. Surprisingly, it’s not my ex, Sam, who’s in my mind. It’s usually him that I fixate on. Not tonight. Tonight, it’s Johnathan.
For the first time, I don’t see him as that guy-friend. He’s not boy
friend. He seems like… boyfriend. Though to be honest, I’m torn. A part of me wants to entertain the idea of starting something with the man who has always been a shoulder to cry on and a wall to depend on.
On the other hand, the rest of me wants to steer clear of this. Things could get complicated if I start playing with the embers of a fire.
No. I’m merely hanging on to Sam and our relationship, which is why I feel this way for Johnathan now. These are feelings that I have for Sam which are only overflowing onto him.
Sam was, is (not sure that I’ve let him go), a huge part of my life, and Kaley’s. He’s her father, for crying out loud, and for a time, things seemed to be working out.
If I could only get back to that. Get him to realize that Kaley and I, we’re family, and I’m willing to do what it takes to right the wrongs I may have done unknowingly against him. I mean, fuck, I don’t even know the reason why he up-ed and left.
How do I get him back when he already made up his mind? He made up his mind and fucking acted upon it by packing his bags and taking off.
My daughter deserves more. A man who wants her. I do too if I think about it but that’s enough thought for now and it is easier to think about my baby girl.
We were both busy. With our jobs and with raising Kaley. Maybe… maybe I set him aside and forgot about him for a while. Maybe… I was wrong.
The man is a coward and I’m defending him. Is this how low my integrity has gone?
For fuck’s sake. I’m so confused. Do I let Sam go and move on? Or should I try and get him back because we HAD something, and we HAVE Kaley. Or will I be able to raise Kaley on my own, without her having a father? And Johnathan, why do I suddenly feel something else for him?
Before I have a self-induced migraine, I close my eyes and hope that the morning will make things a little less messy than they are now.
Five
Jonathan
Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Or is that how the saying goes? I’m not too sure. I do know that the green-eyed monster lures monsters just the same, with much ease.
The villain herself, the breaker of hearts, and yet is the one I want back, is on her toes, straddling along in her stilettos. With her intoxicating smile, my ex, Jessica inches her way up to me. I’ve already seen her from my left periphery but pretend to be focused on the paper I’m reading, as I sip from my flat white.
It’s morning and I figure a shot of caffeine is what it’ll take to get me to my senses after Jessica, left me. And her, seeing me and Nikki kiss last night. I already know that it isn’t a coincidence she’s here.
I play it cool and act nonchalantly as I fix my eyes on the words on the paper, yet interestingly am unable to read any of them. My anticipation for Jessica to finally come and confront me face to face is looming in. And I like it.
That whiff of sweet vanilla lingers in the air. Her perfume.
“Johnathan,” she says softly, as she takes a seat across me on this table-for-two… uhm… table. Her hand finds its way to mine and she holds on gently.
Just like that, my world does a 360, a 180, a 90, and then another 360. Warning signs by the hundreds flash one after the other, stopping me from falling into the pit I’d worked so hard to get myself out of.
Then again, she’s my weakness, I think. She’s my fucking weakness and she knows it all too well.
She knows just how to wrap me around her finger, follow her like a puppy, doing her bidding at her command. I did all that, and yet, she left me.
Now, she’s right in front of me and all I want is to have her again.
Are you out of your mind? You’re fucking unbelievable, Johnathan! My conscience does well in yelling at me during life-dilemmas like this.
I take another sip of my flat white and as calmly as I can, ask what she’s doing here. Of course, this is pretense. My nerves are on edge and I feel as though I may experience some sort of heart attack any minute now. Which arm goes numb again when that happens?
“I know you,” she tells me, still holding my hand with her soft hands. “A flat white on a morning like this?”
Her eyes. I’m dead. Dead out of drowning in those beautiful gems. The way she looks at me give me shivers down my spine, and I’m talking about the good kind of shivers.
“On a morning like this?” I return the question.
“I don’t know. I just felt that you might be here,” she continues. “And I was right.”
I have to say, her intuition is on point. Either that, or we’ve been together for quite some time, she knows my habits and go-tos. Okay, so maybe the latter is the more sensible explanation.
“Baby,” she says without hesitation.
Fuck. She’s got me. That word alone and the way she says it. She’s got me. But I don’t show my elation. I can’t. Not yet, anyway.
“Baby, I miss you.”
Her deep set eyes never leave mine. And right at that moment, I feel victorious. Both “evil” victorious because Nikki’s scheme and mine worked! Holy shit, it worked! I mean, I came up with the idea but wasn’t really sure about the outcome.
I hope that my cheeks aren’t blushing crimson as she tells me this. My heart is pounding through my chest, so I shift my hand from under hers, so she won’t feel my pulse going faster and stronger.
I sit in silence and give her the floor. She looks disappointed now that I’ve removed my hand from under hers. Another point for me, because now I can appear even more cool about the matter. I shouldn’t be the one begging. Nor the one who’s to be desperate.
Even if deep inside, that’s what I feel. I’m desperate enough to still be sitting here, enjoying how my beautiful ex is trying to get back at me. Probably because of my kiss, and Nikki’s last night.
Jessica leans forward, closer. I can smell her intoxicating perfume even more. She leans forward in a way that lets her push her chest towards me so that I’m able to look down her blouse and into her cock-stiffening cleavage.
She’s working me. Using her sexuality to get to me. Not that she needs to but I’m enjoying this all the more.
I feel the urge to grope my hard cock and run my hand on it. Increase the sensation down there. I control myself. The game hasn’t been won completely.
“Please,” she tells me as she grabs my hand and puts it on her lap, close to her crotch. Very, very close to her crotch. “Let’s try this again. I don’t want anybody else having you. Much less that girl you were with last night.”
Boom! There it is! Finally! NOW I can say that our master plan worked!
She goes on with her sad puppy-dog eyes, asking why I haven’t been calling her. If I still think about her. If I’ve already moved on.
“I think about you,” she says, “all the time.”
So, I zip my lips and continue to keep mum. I let my movements do the talking instead. I take both her hands close to my face and kiss each one.
She smiles that pretty and cute smile of hers. I smile back.
I excuse myself to tell her that I need to make an important call for work. A lie, obviously. I immediately phone Nikki and inform her of our plan’s result. I’m so ecstatic, I give it much effort to talk in a hushed tone.
Nikki sounds just as elated as she celebrates this victory with me. I continue to tell her that we need to find Sam and let her have her happy ending with him, too.
I put the phone down, proud of myself, and of her.
God damn it, boy. Looks like you’re going to get some sooner than you expected.
With this, I stare down at my stiff, try to cool off, and walk towards my ex. Or… non-ex, if all goes well.
Six
Nikki
So what if Jessica came back to you? That’s the whole point on why we eloped, wasn’t it, Johnathan?
I can’t help but feel something is amiss, even though I’m only watching Johnathan playing blocks with my baby.
“Who’s a good girl?” asks Johnathan. Kaley smiles at her with her hands, flailing the blocks all aro
und. “That’s right, you are a good girl!” praises Johnathan, patting Kaley on the head whenever she stacked the blocks as high as she could.
“My daughter’s not a dog, Johnathan,” I say.
“Of course not, a dog slobbers less,” he jokes. “But I love you all the same, Kaley.”
This is nice.
This is more than nice, actually.
Sam never did that with Kaley, her own daughter. He was always busy with his phone or computer. Sam’s as not as good looking, too. Nor is he charming.
What the hell are you thinking about, Nikki? Sam and Johnathan can never be compared with each other. Sam is the father of your daughter. Johnathan is your long-time friend. As much as how good Johnathan is to Kaley, her father will always have a special place in her heart.
But what if…
The sizzling steak interrupts my train of thought. I hurry and finish cooking dinner, I need to at least do this much for Johnathan.
“Dinner’s ready!” I call.
After a hearty meal, we all sit down in front of the TV and watch one of Kaley’s favorite animated movies. I love how Kaley is comfortable now as she sits between us with her head, complete with her very own tiara, leaning on Johnathan’s chest.
This is the life, I tell myself. For the first time, in a long while, I’m finally relaxed and happy as fuck. I still can’t believe how toxic and tense I was back when I was with Sam.
Sam was crabby as fuck. I wonder why I never noticed this before. And it’s probably because Johnathan is doing one hell of a job as Kaley’s dad.
Now, why didn’t I do this before? I continue asking myself as Kaley and Johnathan are singing along with the movie.
And it’s because Johnathan is your friend, Nikki.
But at least for now, let me appreciate our time as a family.
It doesn’t take an hour before Kaley is out like a log. Johnathan carefully carries her back to her bed. Kaley really does slobber like a dog.