Kiss From A Stranger

by Denetria

  “When I got paid I signed my checks and gave them to him, and he deposited them in the bank. I was given an allowance fifty dollars every two weeks for me, and seventy-five dollars for food. If I went over what he gave me, I had to put something back or we did without. I had no access to the bank account and I had no way of knowing how much was in it… until he fucked up and tried to buy me back. But like I said, I’ll get to that later.”

  Egypt was quiet for a moment; maybe too quiet. She was probably thinking back to the moment where it all began.

  “Like I said, I didn’t work in his office, but we did work in the same building. I worked as an assistant for a different doctor, and before you ask; no it didn’t bother me. I trusted him.”

  “Because there was never a time when you couldn’t, right?” Krystal asked.

  Egypt didn’t want to have that conversation with her at that time. She didn’t want to go back to those days, but she knew that in order for her to heal, she would have to go on the journey that made her the person she is today.

  Krystal looked at her watch. “I think this is a good place to stop. I want you to leave here and get your journal today. You can start writing in it tonight if you’d like. It’s the weekend so you can begin Monday. But I want you to retrace your steps, go back in time and see where you went wrong. I need you to see how much control, if any, you let him have over you. It might sound crazy, but there is a difference. And once you finish, you will understand.”

  Egypt nodded her head, knowing that she had a task before her that she wasn’t ready to explore. But she had the weekend to not worry about it. She sat up off on the couch and rose to her feet. “I want to thank you for everything. I don’t think I would’ve been able to do this without your help.”

  “Just know that I’m here anytime, day or night. Just give me a call and I’m here. You can do this, Egypt. I have faith in you.”

  CHAPTER 3

  As Egypt walked out of the doctor’s office, she thought to herself that she was glad that Krystal had faith in her, because she didn’t.

  Before she went to work she purchased the journal and would begin writing in it whenever she had time.

  At work, she was standing behind the counter with her head in her hands. Too much shit was going on and she was just ready to go home and start the weekend when she heard a voice say,

  “Smile. You’re too pretty to be looking so sad.”

  She must have had a look on her face; you know, the type of look that said, “Excuse me! You don’t know me like that, so you might want to go on somewhere!” She looked up and saw a fine ass chocolate brother standing there looking at her. His smile showed the whitest teeth and deep dimples. In other words, the man was fine! “I’m not sad, just deep in thought. But is there anything I can get for you?” she asked him.

  “No. I just saw you and wanted to stop by and make your day.”

  Egypt looked at him and smiled, trying to decide how long it took him to come up with that line.

  “Well, I can say I got you to smile. Now maybe you’ll make my day and say that you’ll go out with me.”

  “I don’t even know your name,” she said to him, knowing that she wasn’t ready to date anyone. But she appreciated the gesture.

  “My name is DeShaun. And yours is?”

  “Egypt,” she said with a smile.

  “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. So Egypt, what about it?”

  “What about what?”

  “Look, it doesn’t have to be anything big. I just want to get to know you better.”

  “Maybe some other time. But thanks for asking,” she responded coldly but with a smile.

  “I hope so. Have a good day, Miss Egypt!” He left, but the scent of his cologne lingered through the air.

  Maybe I had come off a little too harsh, but I have too many things going on in my life. And until I remove the demons, I’d never be happy in any type of relationship, she thought to herself.

  ******

  After Egypt boarded the bus for home, she opened up her new journal and thought about writing, but she refused to get herself in a bad mood and ruining her night out with the girls.

  Actually, she just wanted to get it over with and not think about it. Nor did she want to talk about it anymore. She was tired of mentioning his name and was tired of thinking about him. But she was willing to do what she had to do to flip the script and show that muthafucka that she was in control. It wasn’t easy to erase years of togetherness just like that, but she was tired of putting up with him and his shit.

  This was one night out of many that she could truly say she was ready to get out.

  After she got home she hurried and took a shower and thanked God that she had braids in her hair. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup, but decided to wear some anyway. She picked out an open back maroon, skin tight mini dress with a sheer top and red bottom. As she looked at herself in the mirror, the doorbell rang.

  She could hear her mother talking to all of the girls, and the next thing she heard was her mother say, “Lord, child! Pull your pants up! Lord help you, child! I’m going to pray for you!”

  Egypt tried to hold her laughter as they entered her room.

  “Yo, Egypt, your moms ain’t got no filter, man. You know that shit was messed up. But out of respect, I decided to let it go,” Jazz said.

  “Nah, you let it go because you know how MaDear is. You know not to let her being old fool you. MaDear still got it,” Constance said laughing.

  “I’m just saying, I really can’t blame her. Look at what you’re wearing,” Egypt said as she looked at Jazz’s attire.

  Jazz had chosen an over-sized red button-down with a white tee under it, a black pair of Rocawear jeans that were two sizes too big and showed off her red Calvin Klein boxers, and a pair of red Timberland boots.

  Constance had on a yellow mini which rose up with every step she took. She made sure to wear something that showed off her ass and her big breasts.

  DeLay wore a pants suit that had a halter top. Out of all of them she was the skinniest, and was the only one who could pull that shit off and make it look good.

  Egypt grabbed her purse and headed downstairs, gave her parents a kiss, let them know that she’d be home late, and for them not to wait up.

  They piled into DeLay’s Benz and were soon pulling up to a club called The Quarter’s, a grown folks, drama free club that played blues music. They were glad to see that the line was not as long as it normally was, and were equally happy to know that ladies got in free before ten.

  They made their way into the club and grabbed a table in the corner of the room. The vibe was set, and the smell of food coming from the back lingered in the air. They ordered a round of shots and toasted to Egypt’s future.

  After a second round Egypt began feeling the effects of the liquor. She had not drunk since him, so she had to take it easy.

  They decided to hit the floor hoping to sweat out some of the liquor that was beginning to take control. After dancing to a couple of songs, they made their way to the restroom to freshen up.

  “I want to thank you bitches for making me come out tonight. It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun,” Egypt told them.

  “No problem, girl. That’s what we’re here for. We’re not going to let you go through this alone,” Constance said.

  “I love you guys. I mean, like I really love you guys.”

  “I believe this bitch is drunk!” Jazz said laughing.

  “No, I’m not drunk. I just feel good!”

  They made their way back to the table and began watching as the club began to fill with those looking to have a good time with no drama.

  A woman hit the floor and began dancing alone. They sat and watched her, until Jazz couldn’t take it anymore and decided to try a hand at her.

  “That bitch is going to get us killed! If that trick has a man, Jazz is going to be on her own,” DeLay said laughing.

  They sat there for a mom
ent, vibing to the music and watching as the couples hit the floor. As they sat there, the waitress brought over a round of drinks and placed them on their table. “They came from the man sitting over at the bar,” the waitress informed them, and turned and walked away.

  Egypt looked towards the direction of the bar, where a man raising his glass to her caught her attention. “Oh my god, it’s him!” she exclaimed.

  “Him who, bitch?” Constance asked.

  “The guy from the mall. His name is DeShaun. We had a little conversation today. Bitch, don’t look at me like that. I’m not ready for a relationship right now, and you of all people should know that.”

  “Fuck that! What I do know is that muthafucka Jaheem is living it up with a whole new trick and with the kids that you gave birth to, and you’re out here struggling!” Constance replied.

  Egypt took a sip from her drink and sat in silence. Although the way Constance said it was fucked up, she was right. She took another sip of her drink and began swaying in her seat to the beat of the music.

  Constance nudged her. DeShaun had gotten up and was walking towards their table.

  “I’m sorry. I know what you said, but I noticed you from across the room,” he said as his eyes locked on Egypt. “I tried to withhold coming over here, but I couldn’t. I just had to stop by and let you know how beautiful you look.”

  “Hi, DeShaun. This is Constance, DeLay, and the chick on the floor is my girl, Jazz. Thank you for the compliment and the drinks, but you didn’t have to.”

  “No problem.”

  “Come hit the floor with me,” Constance said to DeLay.

  “Bitch, I don’t feel like dancing.”

  “Well, you do now!” Constance replied, throwing her a look.

  “Oh! Yeah, umm, we’ll be back,” DeLay replied.

  “You don’t mind if I take a seat, do you?” DeShaun asked Egypt.

  “Be my guest.” She knew that she should have told him no because she wasn’t in the mood to entertain him or anyone else for that matter. But since he did buy them drinks, she didn’t want to be rude. Plus, she thought that if she wasn’t going through all of her problems, she could see herself with him. Also, he was fine—not just any kind of fine—he was Morris Chestnut fine. Dark skin, goatee, white teeth, dressed in a black suit, a white shirt with no tie, and fresh white tennis shoes. On top of all that, the man smelled so damn good!

  “So, we meet up again,” he said after taking a seat.

  “True, and to think that I wasn’t even trying to come out this weekend, but my friends thought it would be good for me to get out some.”

  “I’m glad they did, because I got a chance to see you again. Well, since we’re here and it’s not going to last forever, tell me a little bit about yourself. Are you married? What do you do for a living? Do you have children?” he asked, and took a sip of his drink.

  “No. I am fresh out of a divorce, and yes, children were involved.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I know how troubling that can be, especially when there are kids involved.”

  She shook her head, wishing that he would get off the subject of her personal life. She didn’t want to talk about it, especially with someone she didn’t know. “That’s enough about me. What about you?” she asked.”

  “I was in a relationship; thought she was going to be the one I was going to spend my life with, and then I caught her cheating. I was warned by friends and family, but I didn’t want to listen, until I saw it with me own eyes. I was betrayed by my wife and my best friend. Look, I’m sorry. I came over here to get to know you and I’m bringing up the past. I know that this isn’t a date, but I would like to see you again. I promise you we can take it slow. I just want to get to know you a little better. If you say no, then no problem. I’ll leave you alone and you won’t have to worry about me for the rest of the night. But I am hoping that you’ll take a chance and give me your number.”

  “Look, I appreciate the offer, but I’m not in a good place right now. Don’t get me wrong, if things were different, maybe. But I’m not at the place I want to be. I’m starting my life over and I’m not going to be the person you want me to be, with all the baggage I’d be bringing into a relationship.”

  “I understand. Trust me, I do. I hope everything works out for you.”

  Egypt watched him write on a napkin and pass it to her.

  “If you change your mind, call me,” he said.

  “Hey, you don’t have to leave,” she told him

  The rest of the night the two of them sat there just talking. To be truthful that was the best time Egypt had in a long time.

  When they were ready to leave, Jazz and her new fling walked out to the car, and Egypt left with DeShaun, DeLay and Constance. They watched as Jazz tongued down her one night stand, and shook their heads at how she could just stick her tongue in a girl’s mouth that she just met two hours ago.

  DeShaun opened the car door, kissed Egypt on the cheek and watched as they pulled off.

  “Okay, bitch, let’s talk about how you stuck your tongue down a chick’s throat that you don’t know after just meeting her!” Constance said to Jazz.

  “Man, I don’t know, but that bitch was straight fire! Did you see that ass?” Jazz responded.

  “Muthafucka, you’re going to end up with some shit that you aren’t going to be able to get rid of.”

  “Anyway, are we not going to talk about Egypt and her new man-candy?” Jazz asked.

  “He’s not mine. He’s a friend who has a lot in common with me. He caught his wife cheating on him. We just talked. No big deal.”

  “Girl, fuck that! If that was me, I’d be letting him tap that ass right now!” DeLay said, laughing.

  ******

  Egypt went to sleep that night smiling as she thought about that day. She closed her eyes, and it was as if she could smell the scent of DeShaun’s cologne, and see his smile and the way he looked at her. It was the same feeling she felt when she met him.

  CHAPTER 4

  Egypt got up the next morning with a major hangover, called into work and left word that he would not be able to make it in that day. Then she fell back on the bed and began writing in her journal:

  I don’t think he knew that it was going to get back to me. I wasn’t crazy. The way they got quiet when I walked into the room. I knew something had happened because I heard the whispers and laughing from coworkers. That muthafucka was supposed to be examining his patients, but instead he had dicked-down half of the women we worked with, and some of his patients. I continued walking around and acting as if I didn’t know, until I just couldn’t take it anymore.

  I was growing tired of eating alone and waking in the middle of the night only to see that he wasn’t there. And if he did come home, he slept on the couch. Sometimes he wouldn’t even come home.

  I wasn’t one to make a scene. Maybe everyone was starting the rumors so I could leave him, I thought, and then decided to go down to the office and surprise him.

  When I entered the building, I knew something was going on. As I made it to his office I could hear muffled sounds coming from inside. I turned the doorknob and stood there, not believing what I was seeing. There I saw my husband getting his dick sucked by some bitch. Apparently she was good at her job because he had his head thrown back with his eyes closed, and was biting on his bottom lip. His hands gripped her head, letting her know exactly how he wanted it done. I just stood there watching as he came in the woman’s mouth, and she spit it back on his dick.

  “If you are going to cheat on me, I would have rather you done so with a bitch that knows how to swallow!” I shouted.

  The look on his face when he saw me standing there was all I needed. He had been caught, and there was nothing for him to say.

  The bitch jumped up and began throwing on clothes. I wasn’t going to do anything to her. It wasn’t only her fault. He had something to do with it too.

  Everything that I had done to keep his interest in me had f
ailed. He still went to the arms of someone else. I was hurt, and nothing would be able to take that pain away.

  I turned around and began walking out of the building with him in tow. I went home and packed some of my belongings. Actually, I just started throwing shit in a bag. I refused to be a damn fool for someone who didn’t want me. He had me looking like a damn fool at work, and bitches were laughing at me behind my back!

  I avoided him as much as I possibly could have at the office, and tried not to let our personal life coincide with our work life. I was a firm believer in not bringing your work life home, vice versa. I loved him, but I hated him even more.

  I remembered that every day for two weeks roses were delivered to me, and every day for two weeks I threw them away. My mind wasn’t right, and I didn’t know what to do to fix it.

  “Girl, are you serious? No one can bounce back from finding out that their spouse betrayed them. It’s okay to hurt, Egypt. All of us have fallen victim to something at one point in our lives. Hell, half of us are probably going through it now. It’s okay to let people see your pain. It only means you’re human,” Stacey told me as the two of them sat talking. She was the only one in the office that I trusted since this nightmare began. There were plenty of days that I literally fell into her arms crying. Stacey was there for me, never judging, but being there to listen.

  I knew what she said was true, but in my heart I was torn.

  Egypt closed the journal, already exhausted by the situation. She found herself asking if she was willing to give up everything she had put into the relationship, or did she want to try to fight it out and keep her marriage.

  In the end, she decided to fight for her marriage. Were things going to be the same between us? No, and I don’t think it would ever be that way again. She saw him trying. He had gone so far as to transfer her over to her side of the office. But they both know that he did it out of guilt.