Being Mina

by Alycia Amore

  Mina's eyebrows shot up.

  "I'm trying to do the right thing and I want to be there for you and our baby. I just don't know what the hell I'm doing."

  Mina sighed. "Word of advice, Bryan, next time your girlfriend finds out she's pregnant and freaks-the-fuck-out...comfort her first, go apartment hunting second."

  Bryan smiled sheepishly and pulled her into a hug. "I love you, Mina," he whispered into the top of her dead.

  "I love you too, jackass."

  ***

  "Can I buy you a drink?" Bryan asked slipping into the chair at the table across from Mina.

  Mina tried not to laugh but a snicker snuck out. "No thanks."

  "So what is Mina Jordan doing at The Pepper Pot?" Bryan said with a lopsided grin that showed off the dimple in his right cheek even under the spastic club lights.

  The Pepper Pot was a Jamaican restaurant by day, dance club by night. Mina had decided to celebrate her eighteenth birthday by staying after they stopped serving dinner at ten to see what it was like. So far all she'd done was sit at a dark table halfway between the bar and the dance floor sipping her water.

  She'd noticed Bryan Dillinger walk in with his friends. She just didn't think they'd noticed her. She'd known Bryan for years; they'd been in the same class in first grade before Mina was put in the excelled program. However, just because she didn't know him personally now in high school, didn't mean she didn't know of him.

  Bryan had turned into somewhat of a thug. He was so cute in his baggy jeans and Timberland boots, wearing his throwback jerseys and matching billed caps. He had lots of girls at Hillsdale High crushing on him. There hadn't been a time that Mina knew of when he didn't have a girlfriend.

  Mina, however, was the exact opposite. A quiet bookworm, easily overlooked and not just because she was only 5'4", she was also unassuming and just plain nice. She smiled at strangers and was always willing to help. She was wickedly smart, but too shy to make a big deal about it. Mina was in a constant state of "under the radar". She blamed the fact that she'd never had a real boyfriend on that shy politeness...and the fact that her mother was so strict.

  "Well?" Bryan asked, still waiting for his answer.

  "I just wanted to check it out," Mina said rolling her eyes.

  "You've never been here before?" Bryan asked, surprised. He'd been going to that club with his older brother for a long time. Logan had no issue sneaking him in there so he could have a wingman.

  "I just turned eighteen today," Mina said with a shrug.

  Bryan laughed. "Well, happy birthday."

  "Thanks...I think. What's so funny?"

  Bryan shrugged. "Nothing...nothing...I just never thought you and I would ever run into each other outside of school."

  "Well," Mina said rolling her eyes. "It'll probably be a while before I come in here again. This isn't really my thing."

  "Imagine my shock. The girl who won the fifth, sixth, and seventh grade Book Bowl competitions isn't comfortable in a dance club."

  "You don't have to be a smart ass," Mina said bristling.

  "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that to sound..." Bryan dropped his sentence when he caught the look she was giving him. Her arms were crossed, her head was slightly cocked, and one eyebrow was raised as if waiting to challenge the next thing out of his mouth. Sure, he hadn't had a real conversation with Mina since grade school, but he'd never seen her with such a look. Usually she was smiling politely or deep in what always seemed a serious conversation, but most often she was hidden behind a book. Why hadn't he thought to look at her before...really look at her? She was beautiful.

  "Look," Mina said breaking the silence he'd caused by staring at her openly instead of finishing his apology. "I've got to get a cab and get home before midnight or my mom will freak." She was pushing out her chair, but he shot up from his own seat, catching the chair before it toppled backwards.

  "I'll drive you," Bryan said before he could tell himself to shut up. She'd never take a ride from him. As it was she probably thought he was an ass.

  This time Mina suppressed the laugh. "No thanks."

  "Come on," Bryan said starting to recover as he walked with her through the tables. "It's just a ride."

  Mina frowned and pushed past a few people standing in front of the door. What the hell was he trying to do? Why was Bryan even interested in how she got home? This was the part where he was supposed to say "whatever, bitch" and leave.

  Bryan wouldn't stop. He followed her to the curb and shrugged out of his leather coat. The September air was crisp, not quite cold, but he had noticed the goosebumps on her bare arms when they stepped under the streetlight. That thin pink t-shirt wasn't going to be enough to keep her warm if she insisted on waiting on a taxi. He tried and failed to look away when he noticed that her nipples had also reacted to the cold night. "Put this on," Bryan said sliding the coat over her shoulders.

  "Thanks," Mina said slipping her arms into the sleeves. She quickly warmed and smiled as she briefly imagined it was Bryan slipping his arms around her, not just his coat. She inhaled deeply and smelled the leather, some sort of cologne, and a smell she didn't recognize. It was smoky, but sweet, and distracted her from the fact that he'd taken her elbow and started walking her down the sidewalk.

  "Wait," she said glancing back at the club. "Where are we going?"

  "I told you I'd drive you home and I will."

  "I really shouldn't," Mina said trying to will her feet to stop but they wouldn't.

  "Why not? Look, I said I was sorry for the Book Bowl comment. How much longer are you going to hold it against me?"

  Mina watched him pull out his keys and saw the rear brake lights of a Black Acura Integra flash. "It's not the Book Bowl thing," she said quickly.

  "Then what's the problem?" Bryan asked walking her to the passenger door.

  "I've heard the kind of things that you do in the back seat of this car," Mina said trying to shrug out of his coat, "and I don't do those things."

  Bryan rolled his eyes. "I told you it's just a ride." He pulled the jacket back onto her shoulders and opened the door. "Just trust me."

  Mina did trust him. Her common sense told her not to trust him, his reputation was shot to hell unless you were the type of girl that fell for the bad boys, or dated a guy for the kind of car he drove. She wasn't that girl. She was still nervous as he drove her home, twenty minutes of mindless radio play later, they were in front of her house, a three story white tudor with a wrap-around porch and balcony in one of the nicer subdivisions in Hillsdale.

  "Nice," Bryan said leaning across her to get a better view of her home.

  "Thanks," Mina said with a shrug. "My mom's a lawyer."

  "That's cool. What does your dad do?"

  "Call every year on my birthday and Christmas." Mina shocked herself when she let that slip out.

  Bryan smiled. "He must work for the same company as my dad."

  Mina nodded and they sat listening to a ridiculous car dealership commercial on the radio. "Well," Mina said with an air of finality. "Thanks for the ride home." She lifted a shoulder to shrug out of his coat but he pulled it back up.

  "Keep it. I'll talk to you at school on Monday and get it then." Bryan left his hand on her shoulder and felt his stomach clenched when she smiled.

  "Okay then. I'll see you on Monday." Mina hadn't meant to say that in a throaty whisper, but that was just how it came out. Bryan's face was only an inch from hers and she was painfully aware of how little movement it would take for them to be joined at the lips. She moved closer, then stopped; caught in a moment of indecision before he finished the journey and touched his lips to hers.

  Mina wasn't surprised by the kiss; it had seemed almost inevitable when he'd touched her shoulder like that. What did surprise her was the heat and passion she felt when it happened. Her whole body reacted to Bryan. Her nipples stiffened even in the warmth of his giant leather jacket, her pussy flooded and she moaned against his mouth. She opened her mouth
to accept his tongue and moaned again. She felt a shiver travel from the base of her spine and disappear into her hair, then make its way back down again.

  Bryan's dick was hard as soon as that first moan escaped her throat. That sound of wanting and pleasure was so sweet; he wanted to hear it again. "I don't do those things." That's what she'd said in the parking lot. He reluctantly pulled away from her and opened his door. Mina had just caught her breath when he got around to open her door.

  "I'll walk you to the door," he said nodding toward her house.

  "I don't think that's a good idea," Mina said quickly. "If we walk all the way to that door, I'll want you to kiss me again and my mother will cut off your head if she sees that shit."

  Bryan nodded. "Monday then?"

  "Where do you want me to meet you at school? I've got lunch at..."

  "I'll find you," Bryan cut her off. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back around the car to let himself back in.

  ***

  "Mina," Bryan whispered. "Mina, wake up."

  She blinked awake and rubbed her eyes. "When did I fall asleep?"

  "About five seconds after you sat down. I went to get you a glass of water and you were passed out by the time I got back."

  "I'm sorry Bryan," Mina croaked. "I was just dreaming about you...us."

  Bryan smiled and helped her up to a sitting position. "It's okay. I know you're tired because of the baby."

  "What were we talking about before I went comatose?"

  "I was telling you when we were going to look at apartments this week."

  Mina smiled. "We were going to go upstairs, huh?"

  Bryan pulled her to stand and gently nuzzled her neck. "How about we go upstairs now?"

  "Mmmm," Mina moaned. "That's a great idea."

  They almost made it to Bryan's room before he started pawing at her. His long pale fingers worked their way under her shirt and unsnapped the front clasp of her bra. He crushed his mouth to hers but she pulled away just in time to mutter, "Lock the door."

  Bryan did just that and immediately returned to her mouth. Soft and wet, her kisses always drove him up the wall. Maybe it was the fact that he'd spent month after month only allowed to touch those lips. At first he was sexually frustrated, sporting the worst case of blue balls in history, but after a while, all it took was the thought of her luscious lips to spur him to masturbation.

  He sucked her top lip as gently as he could, nipped the bottom one, and pulled her white t-shirt over her head. The white lace bra slipped from her shoulders and hit the floor. Bryan sucked in a breath at the sight of those wonderful breasts; they were two shades lighter than the rest of her with stiff chocolate nipples...two perfect scoops of chocolate ice cream with dark chocolate Hershey Kisses on top.

  Bryan ran his thumbs over the rigid nipples and Mina winced and took a step back. "That hurt," she said bringing her small hands to cover her nipples.

  "Oh, shit," Bryan gasped. "I'm so sorry. Maybe we should stop."

  Mina smiled. "No, it's okay. Lets just keep the handsies away from the nippies, okay?"

  Bryan nodded and began unbuttoning his jeans. Mina shimmied out of her jeans and peeled off her soaked panties. He had to stop undressing to stare at her. He'd seen her naked before but she was suddenly different. Bryan dropped to his knees in front of her and kissed her flat stomach.

  "Hey kid," he muttered into her soft flesh. "I'm about to have my way with your mom so hang on for the ride."

  Mina laughed. "I don't think it has ears yet...you're talking to yourself."

  "No...I'm talking to you." Quick as a lick, Bryan pushed her over onto his full size bed. After she bounced, he grabbed her thighs and pulled her back toward him. Her laughter was instantly replaced by moaning as his tongue lit into her. His tongue moved from bottom to top, parting her slim thighs further to make her open for him. He licked her again. "You're so sweet, Mina," he said between each travel of his tongue. "You taste so fucking good."

  "That's what you always say," she said rubbing his stiff black hair. "Ummm," she moaned as he licked her clit.

  "It's true," he whispered.

  Mina groaned and pushed her hips against his face as he licked and nibbled her sensitive button. Bryan pushed a finger inside her and she bucked harder. Her orgasm was so close she could name it, but he slipped the finger away and began the slow assault with his tongue again. Bryan had her number. He knew everything she needed and gave it to her. He buried his tongue deep insider her and moaned as she squealed her delight. Her noise was making his dick reach for freedom. Mina's ass began to creep higher and higher off the bed and she began to pant. She was almost there and Bryan knew it. Mina felt the tingle in her abdomen and clutched at his shoulders.

  So close, but he pulled away, leaving her wildly frustrated for the five seconds it took for him to reposition himself and push his manhood inside her with one quick downward swing. Mina cried out to God as her orgasm finally washed over her.

  Bryan stilled as her pussy walls contracted around him. He'd missed her so much the week they'd been apart. He couldn't let her excitement ruin his chance to show her just how much. When Mina's eyes stopped rolling and her pussy stilled around him, Bryan began moving inside her. Supporting himself on the bed with one hand, he put the other around her small waist and pressed the length of his body against hers.

  Mina mewled under him, almost burying her nails into his back. Her sore nipples were forgotten because he fit perfectly. They fit perfectly. He was inside of her, making love to her as he whispered. "God, Mina. I love you so much. I love you. I love that baby inside you. I love you so much you have no idea."

  Mina snaked an arm around his neck and silenced him with a soul-searing kiss. She didn't want him to say another word. She'd heard all she needed to hear and was approaching another orgasm in spite of their slow pace. "I'm cumming," she whispered against his cheek when she felt that sweet explosion in her core.

  "Me too," Bryan choked out before coating her insides. "I never could have imagined you felt that good," he muttered as he fell onto the bed beside her. Finally, he'd felt her, with no barriers, it was just the two of them now.

  Mina was falling asleep again. "You have no idea how good I'm feeling right now."

  Bryan kissed her bare brown shoulder before pulling the covers over her and closing his eyes to have a nap too.

  Life was moving at break-neck speed. The months sped past before Mina could catch her breath. Her world was morphing into this thing that seemed bigger than her and impossible to control.

  During the three months after she and Bryan decided to keep the baby, something incredible happened. Bryan matured. He finished school and got his diploma, he stopped smoking and dealing and got a job working second shift at the shoe-lace factory on the South side of town. The work was tedious and boring, but the money was good, mainly because no one wanted to do it.

  Seeing Bryan's dedication, Mina decided to go to Adams University so they could stay near their families while trying to raise their own. She had been incredibly stressed and so, so tired those first few months. When she wasn't on her knees praying to the porcelain gods, she was sleeping, or getting everything situated so she could start school in the Fall.

  Her mother had come around after she realized that Mina wasn't going to bend to her will this time. She hadn't wanted her daughter to grow up that fast, but she also didn't want her to be alone in the world the way she had been. Life was hard enough without having to face it without the help of at least one parent who wanted the best. As an apology, she gave Mina the money to decorate the apartment she and Bryan had settled in. It was a small two bedroom, just off campus but after Mina had put color and furniture in it, Diana finally saw a home that she was proud belonged to her daughter.

  Linda was such a hummingbird throughout the entire pregnancy. Never mind the fact that she was raising a toddler, and had another newborn grandchild to lavish with attention; her primary focus was Mina. The two tal
ked at least once a day for those nine months. She bought bags and bags of clothes, toys, and nursery décor. She would have been in the delivery room too if Mina hadn't begged Linda to step aside for her own mother. Linda conceded, but didn't look too happy about it. She was not and would never be considered the "B" grandmother. As if to solidify her "A" status, Linda paid to have the apartment scrubbed, sanitized, and baby proofed before Mina and baby Ava got out of the hospital.

  Ava was amazing. She made her mother smile and her father cry. She had Bryan's bright green eyes, only they were round and observant like her mother's. She had her father's dimples and her mother's lips, plump with the top one just a bit plumper than the bottom and flushed red. Her hair was soft as silk and black as night and her skin was beige, just shy of the tanned complexion Bryan got in the summer...that unmistakable Sicilian brown. Not only was she beautiful, Ava had impeccable timing. As if she knew that her mommy needed to be back at school in two weeks, she was born the first day of Spring Break.