An Affair Abroad

by T. K. Richards

  She handed me my phone as I gave her a death stare. I apologized to Mash for interrupting his work, then ended the call. Shannon could no longer contain herself, “So we’re going out tonight?”

  “It looks that way,” I answered while pacifying my anger internally. ‘Stay calm. It’s her wedding. Let her have this one.’

  Across the room I locked eyes with Levi, who was shaking his head in disappointment. I mouthed, Sorry, as a defeated look crossed his face. In unison we shrugged our shoulders, continuing to play along with the bridal tantrums and ridiculousness of the bride.

  ******************************************

  To avoid further conflict, I skipped hanging out with the others at the sauna. I hadn’t had a moment to myself for days, so while Khai was busy taking advantage of the hotel amenities, I hung back in the room for some me time. I showered, threw on my pajamas, pulled out my tablet, and fell asleep before tapping a key.

  Shortly before gathering in the lobby, Mash texted, ‘Come upstairs to room 414.’ He greeted me wearing a towel around his waist, wet in some parts, seducing me with his smile. “You know we don’t have time for this,” I said, stripping him bare and running around the room from him. He begged for a quickie, but pleasure had to wait with everyone waiting on us downstairs.

  The bus rolled into the lot, and a cloud of smoke floated from the doors as they bolted open. The recording artists sat in the rear, the strippers posed on the pole, and the party had already begun without us.

  Acquaintances were made once the wheels were in motion. The men crowded the rear, and the women housed the front. Bottles of liquor, cigars and weed loosened up the stiff bunch I was with, with the help of the strippers forcing us to dance with them. They showed us some of their moves, and we shared some of ours, then the music mix blended into our favorite song. All of the bridesmaids jumped up, bounced and shouted, “I get it how I live it!” sending the bus into a frenzy, vibrating from the floor.

  Harv Legend, the artist from Mash’s session earlier in the day, groped my legs as if he were entitled to them. I brushed his hands away and made my way towards Mash, blowing smoke with Levi sitting across from him. His eyes followed me leading Mash to signal, She’s with me. “Is this wifey you were speaking of?” Harv asked. Mash nodded yes.

  “Man’s not foul,” said Harv holding up his hands.

  Playing it safe, I toned down the dancing. Partially because of the grope, but also the contact high I had from the ganja flowing freely. Between the weed, and the sexy smoldering way Mash looked when he lowered his bottom lip to the side to exhale, I was turned on. I sat in his lap and kissed him zealously in front of everyone.

  “Don’t do me like that after you denied me in the room,” he said in my ear.

  “You miss me huh.”

  “You look sexy tonight. I love seeing you so carefree like this. Reminds me of the night we met.”

  “You look handsome as always. Who taught you how to dress?” I flirted.

  “I put my garms together.”

  “Your friend keeps looking at us,” I side eyed toward Harv Legend.

  “He’s fam. He’s harmless. Forget about him. I’m more concerned with getting you out of these jeans you have painted on. I can’t wait to get you home tonight.”

  “You mean the room?”

  “Wherever you and I are together is home for me.”

  “Hmm,” I said squirming on him, “I just got a little wet.”

  “Naughty Nadia. I might have to bend you over in an alley somewhere. All of this teasing, I should warn you. There will be no love making tonight. Capisce? Do you think you can handle it?”

  “I know I can handle it.”

  ‘I hope I can handle it.’

  Bar one interrupted our provocative moment. The crew went inside, enjoyed a few rounds at the bar, and took over the mucky, minuscule dance floor, while Mash and I made out under a dart board in the corner. The way he felt pressed against me ignited a fire in my jeans. It reminded me of my high school days, when I allowed my first boyfriend to hunch on me for five minutes against the wall in the den. The only five minutes of alone time I ever had with him in my house, before he found a girlfriend who actually put out.

  I forgot how hot this made me. The urges bursting like flames, and throbbing uncontrollably. ‘I wish I could have him right here, right now.’ “Posse out!” Levi shouted, and the crew scattered back to the bus. “I hope this bar crawl goes by quickly,” Mash whispered pulling me from the brick wall. I stepped on the bus and the girls pulled me away. Grilling me about how openly affectionate I had become. Harv sat next to Mash, and the bass in their voices carried along with the music. With my back to them, I overheard Harv ask, “How in the hell did you pull her?”

  “I got lucky,” Mash answered modestly.

  “The bird is bad. She could have easily been mine if I saw her first.”

  “Maybe, but I saw her first and here we are.”

  “Don’t switch. Man’s not on the defense. Easy.”

  “We safe.”

  Their lingo was hard to follow as their slang was unlike ours. It was choppy, and proper, and confusing at times—primarily because of enunciation. Not understanding completely what was said, I politely gave Harv a tight-lipped smile when I sat in Mash’s lap, in hopes he would be cool, and take an interest in someone else.

  He got the memo and returned to his friends at the back of the bus. A short ride later we arrived at Bar 2. Half of the bus went inside, while the other half continued to dance in the aisles, and on the poles. We stayed behind this time, contemplating the safety of a quickie in the alley behind the bar. The absurdity of it made us laugh, and so for the remainder of the night we agreed to distance ourselves.

  Bars 3 and 4 were neighbors on the same block, far away in an area that resembled uptown back home. Bar 3 was cleaner than stop one. My boots didn’t stick to the floor, and the wood on the bar shined. A fuzzy navel on the rocks served me well, alongside lemon pepper wings and fries. The guys crowded Levi at the opposite end, loudly chanting “Cheers!” and other male repartee and obscenities, throwing back shots. “Next!” yelled a groomsman.

  One by one we trickled in the bar down the block. This being the final stop, the entire party huddled at the bar, and did shots on the count of three. “It’s a celebration!” Shannon shouted. We surrounded the bride and groom with hugs and cheers, then took to the small dance floor, filling the place to capacity. The girls and I got wild on the dance floor, dancing dirty and singing loudly. Mash’s eyes were glued to me frolicking about, but I pretended not to notice, loving every minute of his attention. “Posse Out!” shouted one of the groomsmen, and for the last time, we reloaded the bus to end the night.

  By the time we arrived at the Mandarin, smoke veiled the bus, and everyone was sloshed. Without any regard for other passengers in the elevator, Mash and I acted like sex crazed maniacs. Buttons were broken, jackets stripped. My hands up his shirt, and his down my blouse.

  The ride was steamy and the heat didn’t stop once we stumbled inside our suite. What remained of my top was torn as we made our way to the bed. My jeans were the only thing in our way from touching familiar skin. I was hard-pressed against the linens when Mash unzipped my boots, aggressively slid my jeans down my legs, and stared at me with a beguiled face.

  Heavily, I breathed with anticipation when he reached down, and put my boots back on. He pulled me off of the bed and said in a masterful tone, “Dance for me.” I took my time getting into a slow rhythm up against him, swaying in the silence, then untying his boots.

  My finger pressed against his chest, and guided him to the chair next to the bar where I poured him a swig. I glided across the room and retrieved my phone from my jacket, selected the mood playlist and Paula Cole’s ‘Feeling Love’ set the mood. I gave him what he wanted. His own private show of me in red lace lingerie.

  Rubbing my hands across every sensuous zone of my body, I t
eased him with slow movements, body rolls, and flexes. Playful taps to my cheeks and high kicks pointing my heels to the sky. I reeled him over to the bed, where I posed with my back arched and tossed my hair. He grabbed a patch of it, lowered his face to mine, and kissed me roughly tasting of pure vodka. “Remember what I said earlier. There will be no love making tonight,” he whispered in my ear, then flipped me over and spread my legs far and wide. He sucked my vulva hard with my lace thongs still on, then suddenly destroyed them as they frayed in half.

  There was nothing gentle or soft about his kisses to my pussy. These were fast, wet licks with vigorous suction and cupping. I pulled his shirt off in the midst of him making a meal out of me, and placed it in my mouth to keep down my screams. He held my hands down at my side until he was ready to enter, and this time he wasn’t gentle like our previous encounters.

  “Uh,” I gasped at his insertion as he moved forward toward me, tonguing me hard and restricting my hands above my head. He kept his word from before. This was a strict fucking and exploration of my walls. There was no remorse in his strokes. No regret in his poaching. No shame in the sounds he made. My boots were now touching my hands above my head as he continuously pounded me into the bed. He removed his shirt from my mouth and kissed me a little softer this time, then whispered, “I want to hear you taking this dick.”

  He found pleasure in my moans and restraint. Suppressed beneath my inhibitor pummeling pure joy from my juice, I had no room to wriggle as I was locked in his clutch. Pinned together as one, I couldn’t stop him if I tried, and I didn’t want to. I was tipsy, tired, and taking it—most of all loving the thrashing he promised to deliver. I screamed to the heavens, “Papi, Papi, Papi!”

  “I’m about to shoot to the moon!” he shuddered and opened fire.

  Neighing atop me, his hands clasped my neck with a mild squeeze, then he fell next to me. Winded. Breathless. Complete.

  Chapter Seven

  Goodbye

  Underneath the loading zone we parted ways once more. Paris this time. He watched me walk through the revolving door, reveling in the damage he’d done hours before. He texted, I won’t be like that always, to which I replied, A good manhandling is alright every now and then.

  A full day of bride responsibilities began with a trip to the Shoreditch district for shopping, followed with wedding prep at the hotel spa. I was in no mood for hours of walking, and trying on clothes after the smashing I’d received, but to keep the peace I didn’t stray from the schedule.

  We returned to the hotel and gathered in the salon/spa for manicures, pedicures, and hair trials. Full service massages weren’t a part of the package Taylor selected, but I was in need. My legs, feet, and back enjoyed a deep tissue massage, as I waited for my turn with the manicurist—charged to room 414. With the entire bridal party present, the spa offered selections of Rose, Pinot, and Champagne.

  We sipped while being pampered, then gave a toast to the bride for hosting a memorable getaway.

  “If it weren’t for you cousin, I would have never come to this place. But I’m glad I did. Being a bridesmaid is not my forte, but when you said it was a

  week-long event of fun out of the country, I said why not,” said Janine.

  “And thank God we don’t have hideous dresses,” said Shannon.

  “I wouldn’t do that to you guys.”

  “And last night! I haven’t had that much fun in years,” added Janine.

  “We did have a good time. Didn’t we? Aren’t you all glad we crashed the men’s party?”

  “Here, here. I was so messed up I hooked up with one of Levi’s cousins,” Shannon confessed.

  “Which one?” Taylor asked.

  “I can’t remember his name. I’ll point him out at rehearsal.”

  “That’s a damn shame,” said Khai.

  “She’s not the only one. Right Janine?” added Miri, Janine’s younger sister.

  “Stop telling my business.”

  “Which reminds me, does anyone here want to trade roommates, because mine brings random men in, in the middle of the night,” Miri chided.

  “Who did you hook up with Janine,” Taylor asked.

  “The rapper guy.”

  “He was trying to get at everybody. Why did you let him hit?” asked Shannon.

  “I was messed up. His team was doing a party pack in the back of the bus. I took a molly or ex and got serviced.”

  “They sounded like animals in the bathroom. I had to put a pillow over my head. No one wants to hear their sister having sex,” Miri complained.

  “Okay from here on out. No one is to hook up with anyone else. Got it?” Taylor ordered and we all snickered.

  “General Tay, you can only babysit one punani. Yours,” said Shannon, causing everyone including the service team, to cry with laughter.

  Nightfall quickly approached, and I made a second attempt to get some writing done. Avoiding the blank page, I read emails, sorted every item I purchased, and organized my luggage to make everything fit. ‘2 days until I see him again, then back to reality.’

  Finally, I sat against the headboard, reflecting on the past few days. There was so much to journal, I didn’t know where to begin, so I typed whatever came to me in flashes. The club, dancing, kiss, concert, kiss, romantic stroll, sex, the plane, the rock, the sunset, sex, sex, the dinner, the crawl, the make out session in the bar, and sex again.

  I chuckled when I proofed my outline and saw how many times I wrote sex. Then I thought about it, about him, about how he made me feel, and how I missed him already. Thirty minutes later, my journal had turned into a first chapter draft of the past week. ‘There’s no way I could go into detail about us’ I thought and closed my computer.

  I still felt him from last night. My hands crept in between my legs pressed together, holding myself in an attempt to savor the feeling. In a fetal position, I dozed off. I was tapped. Passed out so, I missed my paramour’s call.

  The ringing of the hotel phone woke me the day before the wedding. I answered to the recorded voice, This is your wake-up call, enjoy your day. One last hurdle before the main event, the rehearsal dinner. My assignment—oversee the decor.

  The morning was spent catering to Taylor. Collectively, we had to see that she remained calm, verify the hotel staff arranged the decorations according to her wishes, iron her clothes if need be, and make her feel like royalty which was why she chose England for her destination wedding.

  Levi’s grooms relaxed while the bridesmaids ran around like chickens with their heads cut off. Happy hour began early for them, showing up glossy and red eyed, giggly and frisky.

  The vibe was stressful yet energetic, and I learned weddings were an emotional time, watching Taylor cry on and off until it became contagious. When we lined up she cried. When Isla and Drew, the best man, walked in the bride and groom’s place, she cried, making Levi cry. Then Isla cried, creating a wave of tears in the party and family members.

  Time ran over in the rehearsal as emotions ran high. The banquet manager saved the night, interrupting our last run to remind us of our dinner reservation. The hour was late, but that didn’t stop the drinks from flowing. Family and friends sang praises of the happy couple, taking turns as they saw fit, to stand and share special moments from their past, and wishing them well in their future. A toast was made to the bride and groom, then dinner was served.

  Continuing from earlier, the drunken groom party became bold and flirtatious, working the room with hopes to get lucky. I excused myself while the others mingled to answer a call, and returned promptly to complete my list of duties for the night.

  Unaware I was within listening distance, Isla had my name on her tongue, ridiculing my behavior to Janine and Taylor, who stood by and allowed the bashing. Anger was my first reaction, but it quickly faded as I reminded myself Isla was jealous and had every right to be. I waited a while before gracing them with my presence, and carried on as if I heard nothing, bei
ng a good friend and not ruining Taylor’s moment.

  With the wedding only a few hours away in the afternoon, I turned in early. I didn’t disturb Mash since he was working, and out of boredom I wasted money, ordering a movie that ended up watching me, exhausted from the harrowing day.

  ****************************************

  Braids draped in the front of our hair, with loose wavy curls falling from the ends, the bridal party circled Taylor in her room, perfecting her strands and her straps, securing her fears from the unknown, and praying for a perfect day. The tears returned and her hands shook with nerves, delaying her glam team to have her ready on time.

  Running fifteen minutes late, Levi stood outside of her room, and shared a moment with her. The last push she needed to get the show on the road.

  One by one, we preceded her down the aisle in our mint colored gowns and fuchsia florals in hand. The ceremony began with a solo from a member of Levi’s family, then a poem read by Taylor’s aunt. The minister performed a lengthy service with a scripture reading, followed by a short story about the roles of a husband and the duties of a wife.

  I searched the room for Mash, hoping to catch a glimpse of him since we barely spoke after he left. ‘Where is he?’ I wondered after scanning the crowd with no luck.

  Taylor’s waterworks returned during the lighting of the unity candle, and Levi wiped away her tears. The room including myself cried along with her, though mine were a mixture of happy and sad tears. I was moved by the love in the room, but sad the time with my love was ending.